Washington Park Profile 0119

A PUBLICATION OF

JANUARY 2019

Digital and print community newspaper founded in 1978.

FREE

A POWERFUL MESSAGE

Why we should listen to our youth

P17

YOUTHFUL TRAVEL

A BRILLIANT LEGACY How an electrician started a Denver tradition P8

Globetrotting couple leaves home to learn

P6

THE COST OF EDUCATION Denver teachers to vote on a strike this month

P14 BETTER TOGETHER breweries rally P24 Denver to help ďŹ re victims

2 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Business Matters

By Kailyn Lamb | klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com Business Matters is a monthly column on the changing landscape of business and development in south Denver. If there are any inquiries on new developments in your area, or if you are a local business wishing to highlight an upcoming milestone, please email Kailyn Lamb at klamb@ coloradocommunitymedia.com.

DEVELOPMENTS Global Down Syndrome Foundation The Global Down Syndrome Foundation opened in their new building in the Cherry Creek North at the end of November. The foundation, 3239 E. Second Ave., partners with more than 40 labs nationwide to research Down syndrome. The building is 54,000-square-feet.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation was founded in 2009 by philanthropists Anna and John J. Sie. It hosts the annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself annual fundraisers, as well as other events and programs.

BUSINESS OPENINGS Pistol Whip The owner of Tribe Tattoo on Santa Fe Drive is branching out into the restaurant business.

Pistol Whip will open next door to Tribe at 698 Santa Fe Dr. John Slaughter, the owner of the tattoo shop, is building Pistol Whip from the ground up. A sign on the site calls Pistol Whip a new American bistro. The restaurant is expected to open early this year.

Gypsy House Cafe A former Capitol Hill coffee spot, Gypsy House Cafe, will be reopening on South Broadway. Gypsy House closed at 1279 Marion St. in March of 2016, after 12 years in business. The spot is now occupied by Little Gingko Asian Cafe. The corner building was well-known for a large mural painted on the outside of the building.

Gypsy House has taken over a 1545 S. Broadway. A new mural has been painted on the side of the building. Co-owners and sisters, Doniece and Dena Derani have started a Go Fund Me campaign for the last push to open the business. The pair have raised nearly $3,000 of a $7,000 goal.

The new Gypsy House will continue to host open mic events as well as live music. For more information, visit the Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/gypsy-housecafe.

Black Mountain Motorworks Car collectors can now store their vehicles at Black Mountain Motorworks in the Overland Park neighborhood. In addition to storage facilities, Black Mountain is designed to be a social meeting place for car lovers, according to a news release. Black Mountain can also assist in buying and selling luxury vehicles. It is located at 1233 S. Cherokee St. Fontana Sushi Fontana Sushi opened at 701 E. Sixth Ave. in early December. The restaurant is part of chain with locations in Littleton and Centen-

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Gypsy House Cafe, which closed in Capitol Hill in 2016, has a new location at 1545 S. Broadway.

KAILYN LAMB nial, according to the website. There is a different sushi restaurant in Washington Park at 534 E. Alameda Ave. with the same name.

The space on Sixth was formerly home to Uoki, a Japanese restaurant. It was open for 12 years before it announced on Facebook that it would close in July 2017.

Poke Moke A new build-your-own poke bowl restaurant opened in Cherry Creek North. Poke is usually made up of rice and sushi grade tuna, along with vegetables. Poke Moke also offers Korean bulgogi. Bulgogi is marinated meats.

The restaurant opened at 3003 E. Third Ave. in November.

CLOSINGS Makan Malaysian Cafe Makan Malaysian Cafe closed on Dec. 22.

The restaurant opened in 2012. The restaurant announced the closure on Facebook in late November.

“We hope to see many of you in the next few weeks to bid our adieus and for one last hurrah. Thank you everyone for your patronage and fond memories, which we will carry

into our next chapter,” the post read.

Makan was located at 1859 S. Pearl St. in the Platt Park neighborhood. Quiero Arepas, a food truck business, and food stall at Avanti Food and Beverage, has announced that it will be taking over the Makan space. The restaurant plans to expand its menu and estimates it will open in early 2019.

CHANGES CorePower Yoga After the Yoga Pod in Cherry Creek announced it was closing in November, it didn’t take long for another yoga company to fill the space. CorePower Yoga opened its new studio there at 2780 E. Sixth Ave. last month.

David Yurman The David Yurman jewelry boutique has reopened inside the Cherry Creek Shopping Center according to a news release. The store is now located in a 1,660-square-foot store in the mall. It opened in early November. The store carries men’s and women’s jewelry, as well as a wedding section. The men’s section also includes a salon, according to the news release.

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Washington Park Profile 3

January 2019

Church marks century in historic building Washington Park United Methodist is pillar of southwest Denver Staff report

The Washington Park United Methodist Church community will mark the 100-year anniversary of its historic church building at Arizona and Race streets in southeast Denver next month.

The Centennial Celebration on Jan. 20 will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a sermon by Bishop Karen Oliveto of the UMC Mountain Sky Area, followed by church tours, historical exhibits, videos, commemorative ornament sale, and refreshments.

According to church history, the congregation has had 35 senior pastors since 1919. The Rev. Sandi Dillon has ministered the congregation since 2015.

“WPUMC has been integral in the lives of people in this neighborhood for more than a century. We are so pleased to continue the legacy of compassionate community connection into the next 100 years,” Dillon said in a news release.

The Rev. Jamielee Demske joined as associate pastor and youth director in 2017.

“Washington Park UMC is a community based on the values of love, justice, mission, and hope. We hope to continue our mission towards a more just society with the community we love for another century,” Demske said in the release.

The church was founded by the Lort family in 1893 in their home at 725 S. High St., which has since been demolished. The congregation moved into the church building 100 years ago in 1919. The church, with its prominent bell tower and courtyard, was designed by Marean and Norton, who also designed the Colorado governor’s mansion and the Greek Theater in Civic Center Park.

The education wing was added in 1950, which houses the Washington Park UMC Preschool, offices for local businesses, and the Fellowship Hall.

The Centennial Celebration committee is seeking copies of photos from people who were married or baptized at the church, attended Sunday school, spent summers at Camp Rosalie, or participated in other events or activities.

If you have photos or other memories you are willing to share, contact Dillon at pastor@washparkumc.org.

To learn more about the Centennial Celebration, contact the church office at 303-777-3043 or visit www. washparkumc.org/centennial-celebration.html.

ABOUT THE CHURCH Washington Park United Methodist Church has served Denver’s Washington Park East neighborhood for over a century.

The church preschool provides a playbased learning program for children in the neighborhood. The annual fall festival attracts hundreds of costumed neighbors with horse-drawn wagons and carnival games. In the summer, food trucks and concerts courtyard provide free entertainment.

The church opens its doors to local groups by offering places to gather for concerts, meetings, and drama performances. The church’s mission projects include participating in Habitat for Humanity builds in Denver and travelling to serve disadvantaged communities in Guatemala, North Carolina, and Wyoming.

Monthly mission efforts include collection drives to support local food banks and the distribution of sandwiches, socks, blankets, and backpacks to those who are experiencing homelessness in Civic Center Park.

Washington Park United Methodist Church will celebrate its 100th year in its historic building in the Washington Park community.

COURTESY PHOTO

Washington Park UMC describes itself as a creative and energetic church. All are welcome regardless of race, gender identity, class, age, dress, or sexual orientation.

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4 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Restaurant owner asks for safety precautions after third car wreck Sean Workman stands in front of the damaged windows of The Hornet, his restaurant on Broadway. In the early hours of the morning on Dec. 1, a car crashed into the building for the third time this year.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

After a car crashed through the window on Dec. 1, staff at The Hornet nailed up boards to tell customers it is still open. Although insurance will cover the damage, co-owner Sean Workman said the damage took out 30 percent of the restaurant’s seating and that the early part of the year is its busy season.

DEPENDABLE and DEPENDABLE DEPENDABLE andand KNOWLEDGEABLE agents KNOWLEDGEABLE KNOWLEDGEABLE agents agents

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Bus: Bus: 303-777-4989 Bus: Bus: 303-757-7440 303-777-4989 Bus: 303-757-7440 Bus: 303-777-4989 303-757-7440 In the most recent hit, Workman said the www.barbfrank.com www.loririckert.net Barb Frank Insur www.barbfrank.com Agcy Inc Lori Rickert Insur Agcy Inc www.barbfrank.com www.loririckert.net www.loririckert.net restaurant lost 30 percent of its seating area. In Barb Frank, Agent Lori Rickert, Agent Barb Frank Insur Inc Lori Rickert Lori Rickert Inc Barb Frank Barb Insur Frank Agcy Insur Inc Agcy Inc Agcy LoriInsur Rickert Agcy Insur Inc AgcyInsur Inc Agcy December, construction workers estimated it 261 S Downing St 714 South Pearl Street Barb Frank, Agent LoriAgent Rickert, Agent Barb Frank, BarbAgent Frank, Agent Lori Rickert, LoriAgent Rickert, Bus: 303-777-4989 Bus: 303-757-7440 would take around 60 days to complete all the ® 261 S Downing St 714 South Pearl Street statefarm.com 261 Sstatefarm.com Downing 261 Sstatefarm.com Downing St St ® 714 South 714 Pearl South Street Pearl Street ® www.barbfrank.com www.loririckert.net work. Workman estimated that the cost would Bus: 303-777-4989 Bus: 303-757-7440 Bus: 303-777-4989 Bus: 303-777-4989 Bus: 303-757-7440 Bus: 303-757-7440 hit six figures since there was structural damage www.barbfrank.com www.loririckert.net www.barbfrank.com www.barbfrank.com www.loririckert.net www.loririckert.net State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company to the front of the building.

State Farm State MutualFarm Automobile Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, InsuranceState Company, Farm State Indemnity FarmCompany Indemnity Company State®Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm General Insurance Company, Bloomington, IL 1101202.1 statefarm.com In the early weeks of the holiday season, State Farm State Fire and Farm Casualty Fire andCompany, CasualtyState Company, Farm State General Farm Insurance GeneralCompany, InsuranceBloomington, Company, Bloomington, IL IL 1101202.11101202.1

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many staff members needed the hours. Workman said he wanted to avoid cutting staff.

“It’s that time of the year where every body’s counting on us being busy,” he said. “We’re trying to keep everybody with the same shifts that they’ve had, and smaller sections and hoping to turn tables more frequently in hopes that the sales are still there for everybody. We’re taking the fall as a team.”

After the three accidents, Workman said he is hoping that more awareness is brought to pedestrians in the area. The Hornet has hosted community meetings about city plans to add a protected bike lane to Broadway. Workman said he also hopes something can be done for speeding enforcement and safer crosswalks, saying people “shouldn’t have to be worried about crossing the street.”

“You can sit here and watch cars, and half of them are going 55, 65 miles an hour. It’s a 30-mile-an-hour street,” he said. “I hope that this brings more awareness and that there’s more thought put into the actual planning of this street.”

Jay Casillas in the media relations unit of the Denver Police Department said there were eight crashes reported at the intersection of East First Avenue and Broadway from Jan. 1, 2018 through Dec. 18. Two of those accidents were due to a high rate of speed, he said.

Although the accidents have been hard on the restaurant, Workman said there was some good that came of it too. Neighbors rallied to the cause. On the boards covering the broken windows of The Hornet, staff used the hashtag #notadrivethru, something the community has embraced. He has also seen customers come in with money for staff.

“I am so encouraged,” he said. “Just when you feel like you’ve lost faith in society, the community’s support of us and people walking in and wanting to help out a neighbor and wanting to help out our staff has been so heartwarming.”

Washington Park Profile 5

January 2019

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6 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

S ’ R E NV S

DEBETROTTER

Ilene, left, and Jim Thompson have traveled the world together on more than 250 trips. The pair have been to all seven continents and travel about once a month.

GLO

KAILYN LAMB

University Hills couple has traveled the world to keep learning

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or Jim and Ilene Thompson, travel has become more than just a passion over the last three decades. It’s a way to stay young — and to learn all they can.

The couple has been around the world visiting all seven continents and has been traveling since the moment they met. Jim, 92, and Ilene, 88, have taken more than 250 of their trips with Road Scholar, a nonprofit organization that creates travel programs for people over 50.

SEE GLOBETROTTERS, P7

Washington Park Profile 7

January 2019

“We’re not tourists, we’re travelers and students.

We travel to learn,” Ilene Thompson

Globetrotters FROM PAGE 6

For Jim, traveling is an opportunity to learn more about a place.

Even destinations such as Iowa and Arizona have yielded information on stunning local opera company performances, hidden museums and interesting history.

“We have a wonderful country,” Jim said. “There are places to learn that you wouldn’t expect.”

Ilene, a Denver native and graduate of North High School, said the couple took their first trip with

Road Scholar to Silver City, New Mexico, 33 years ago this month.

On the drive, they listened to the Broncos play their first Superbowl on the radio.

Before their first trip with the nonprofit, Ilene said Jim would collect travel magazines or keep stories on places he was interested in from the New York Times.

“He would save them in stacks, and he’d go through them and he’s say ‘Oh, let’s do this,’ and

‘What do you think of that?’ And we would just go,” Ilene said.

“We’re not tourists, we’re travelers and students. We travel to learn.”

In their decades of travel, the Thompsons have seen museums and theater performances across the country. In their younger years, Ilene said they would do more active trips, including a boat trip to Antarctica and bus rides from Arizona to Mexico.

They have also traveled by train through Canada and Australia.

They enjoy nature trips, museum and theater trips, and trips that allow their grandkids to tag along.

“We’re eclectic,” Ilene said. “We

like all kinds of programs.”

Jim will typically go through the catalogs first and make notes of which programs interest him. He likes to plan for trips about six months in advance.

Ilene then goes through and they’ll agree on which ones they both want to do.

New technology like Uber and carshare apps have also made travel easier. On one of their recent trips, the Road Scholar group did a city tour by the public bus system.

Jim and Ilene didn’t want to hold people up as they loaded and unloaded from the bus each time, so they got the itinerary beforehand and used Uber to meet people at the different locations.

The couple has always like to learn, even outside of travel. The pair worked in insurance and are only semi-retired, Ilene said. They still have clients call for help on occasion, even though they have passed their business down to younger employees.

Despite their age, the two are still sharp mentally. The key to keeping a young mind, Jim said, is learning.

“As you get older you get more concerned about mental, Alzheimer’s and whatever,” Jim said.

“If you keep active intellectually you don’t have the mental decay that unfortunately hits us all at sometime.”

The couple said they both enjoy traveling with Road Scholar because of the support the nonprofit provides its travelers. If there’s ever issues with connecting flights, Road Scholar has helped them reschedule, Jim said. They now travel through the company about once a month. They both said they enjoy the company’s programs because there’s no planning involved — they just have to show up.

The nonprofit also makes it easy for the Thompsons to pick their trips. They receive catalogs with preset trips, which have activity meters to show how physical each one is. Since Jim now uses a walker to get around, the couple is more selective about where they go. They recently stopped doing international trips because they find it easier to get around cities in the United States.

On Road Scholar trips you are also more likely to meet other people that are excited about learning, the two said. Jim said he enjoys the content that the lecturers put together, and in all their years using the program, they have only gone on one trip that had the exact same programming, despite making return visits.

“You met interesting people that were nice to be with,” Ilene said.

“You learn something from the peer group.”

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8 Washington Park Profile

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January 2019

E

IF YOU GO Mike DeGidio holds up a scrapbook page that his mom made showing his great-grandfather in front of the City and County Building in 1945. DeGidio has participated in the lighting events since he was a child.

KAILYN LAMB

In Civic Center park, John Malpiede created lights for the new year, as well as building a manger for the holiday display. Malpiede would string his own lights for the displays.

COURTESY OF MIKE DEGIDIO

The holiday lights will continue to be on display at the Denver City and County Building, 1437 Bannock St., through the end of the National Western Stock Show on Jan. 27.

An electrician in 1917 launched the tradition of Denver holiday displays

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

I

n this day and age when factories and machinery produce many of the things we need in our daily lives, it’s difficult to imagine the task of stringing individual light bulbs together to create the holiday displays we know and love. But in early 1900s Denver, that’s how it was done — six months of preparation, 3,300 ornaments, 10 miles of wire and 30,000 light bulbs totaling 260,000 watts.

Back in 1917, one man was responsible for starting the tradition of the Christmas light display on the City and County building at 1437 Bannock St. Over a career of nearly 40 years, John Malpiede hand-strung tens of thousands of bulbs that lined the building and Greek Theater at Civic Center Park. He and his crew would also build the giant Christmas trees that stood in front of the building and in the park.

To Mike DeGidio, Malpiede’s greatgrandson, he will always be the man who created Christmas in Denver, as well as a man who loved the holiday season.

“I think it shows in his work — I mean he did everything,” said DeGidio, who works in a roofing company and owns a painting business. “It was crazy how much he loved Christmas.”

SEE LIGHTS P9

Washington Park Profile 9

January 2019

Lights FROM PAGE 8

Scrapbook details the history His first year, Malpiede had a $200 budget, according to his 1956 retirement article in the Rocky Mountain News. The humble beginnings of a great tradition started with a few red and green lights and some evergreen trees.

The Malpiedes came to the U.S. from Sicily in the late 1800s. DeGidio said his great-grandfather ran a bar on the 16th Street Mall for a short time before becoming the city’s head electrician. He started by creating light displays for his own home off Julian Street in the Berkeley neighborhood in north Denver.

DeGidio’s mother collected old photographs of Malpiede’s work on Christmas lights across several decades. She worked with her husband to collect the details about her father-in-law’s storied career in the city of Denver. Pages in her homemade scrapbook show a black-and-white photo of the Malpiede’s home with green and red ink painted on the glowing lights.

The pages of the scrapbook are on candy cane-striped and other Christmas-themed paper.

Some photos show Malpiede and his crew working on creating large candle displays. Others show staff building a large Christmas tree in front of the City and County building. Many photos have handwritten notes with the year or who’s in the photo. Although his mother has since passed away, DeGidio still has the scrapbook, which also has articles and letters of recognition about the Christmas lights. According to one article, Denver was known worldwide as being the first city to create a Christmas display.

A letter from January 1946 from Rep. Dean Gillespie, who represented Denver’s district in the United States Congress, thanked Malpiede for his work in creating a “veritable fairyland at Christmas time.”

“What they do now is nothing compared to what they used to do,” DeGidio said. “The lights are cool, they’re all LED. There’s more pizzaz. But I like old-school.”

Passing on the legacy The displays made by Malpiede spread from the City and County building over to

John Malpiede, far right, stands with his staff in front of their handiwork at the City and County building. He and his staff would hand make the decorations, and it would take them around six months to prepare.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKE DEGIDIO Civic Center park. DeGidio said his greatgrandfather also did light displays for the Denver Zoo before the tradition of Zoo Lights. Malpiede brought in live reindeer for Christmas festivities in addition to creating manger, Santa and other displays.

But perhaps some of DeGidio’s favorite memories are of getting to flip the switch to turn on the lights on Christmas Eve. While his great-grandfather was still alive,

John Malpiede, center right, receives a commemorative item from city officials for his Christmas lights. Malpiede was the head electrician for Denver, and started the tradition of decorating the City and County building for Christmas.

DeGidio said he continued to be a part of the lighting ceremony even after Malpiede retired from the city in 1956. Former Gov. Richard Lamm dedicated a plaque to Malpiede at the Greek Theater of Civic Center park in 1978.

After Malpiede passed away in 1977, his family took over turning on the light during Christmas Eve celebrations. Last month was special for DeGidio because it

was the first year he took his 4-year-old son to participate. As a special surprise, his son got to flip the switch, marking the fifth generation to do so.

DeGidio hopes the family legacy continues for years to come.

“It will all have to carry down,” he said.

“I think (my son’s) going to be very happy.

He’s getting to that age where he’s really getting into things.”

A street view of Civic Center Park decorated for Christmas. Denver was known worldwide as the first city to decorate for Christmas.

10 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

More music. Less show.

JCC, Rose partner for health awareness Medical center will staff concierge desk to answer questions Staff report

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A three-year partnership between Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center — known as JCC Denver — and Rose Medical Center will bring health education and awareness to the community.

Beginning in early 2019, JCC Denver will have a health concierge service desk in the main lobby, and an employee of Rose Medical Center will answer health questions for members and visitors. JCC Denver and Rose Medical Center will also host a speaker series about health-related topics that are important to the community, among other services.

“We are so excited about our new partnership with Rose Medical Center because it provides added benefits to our members and visitors in a variety of ways,” Lara Knuettel, JCC Denver CEO, said in a news release. “Day to day, our members — and anyone who walks through our front door — will have access to a Rose Medical Center concierge who can answer health questions, recommend a doctor, or help to set up appointments at the medical center.

We’re also looking forward to hosting a speaker series with Rose Medical Center where medical professionals will be speaking about health and wellness topics that are relevant to our community.”

Specific details about the partnership and information about upcoming events will be announced as they are determined.

“We are proud and excited to embark on this new partnership with the JCC Denver,” Ryan Tobin, Rose Medical Center president and CEO, said in the release.

“The JCC is a centerpiece of the Jewish community. Having the opportunity to

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Ryan Tobin, Rose Medical Center president and CEO

help their members and their loved ones get information and access to care is very meaningful to us. We are excited to have the opportunity to dialogue with JCC members and to deliver the health information and education that is important to them.”

The Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center is at 350 S. Dahlia St. in Denver. To learn more, visit www.jccdenver.org, see Facebook and Instagram @jccdenver or call 303-399-2660.

To learn more about Rose Medical Center visit www.rosemed.com, @RoseMedicalCenter on Facebook and @RoseMedical on Twitter.

Mayor seeks seniors’ words of wisdom for Denver’s future Staff Report

FLOR DE TOLOACHE 1.27.19

“Having the opportunity to help their members and their loved ones get information and access to care is very meaningful to us,”

As the city of Denver celebrates 160 years since its founding, Mayor Michael B. Hancock has created a new community project inviting senior residents to share their thoughts on the future. Denver’s Next 160 asks for words of wisdom on how to preserve the city’s way of life.

At the Senior Holiday Luncheon, Hancock shared the first letter, written by his mother, Scharlyn Hancock, according to a news release.

“My advice to the next generation is to remember that the people have made this city great. Work to be an asset to Denver

by getting the best education you can; be safe and keep your neighbors safe. Keep your health, mind and body strong, and for the good of all of us strive to be the best you be,” the letter read.

The mayor’s office will be sharing responses from Denver’s Next 160 on social media platforms using #DenversNext160, as well as on the city website and at events.

To send a letter, use DenversNext160@ denvergov.org. People can also mail responses to Mayor’s Office, Attn: Denver’s Next 160, 1437 Bannock St., Denver, Colorado 80202. People can also share on social media using #DenversNext160.

Washington Park Profile 11

January 2019

Denver Public Libraries says goodbye to overdue fines Libraries find circulation dropping even after reducing, eliminating late fees

By Casey Van Divier caseyvandivier@yahoo.com

When Denver Public Libraries lowered daily overdue fines in 2014, the goal was clear —the libraries were trying to “reduce barriers to customer access,” Jennifer Hoffman said.

Hoffman, who is the books and borrowing manager at DPL, said the adjustment fell somewhat short of DPL’s vision.

“Those changes were helpful,” she said, “but they really just weren’t quite as impactful as we had hoped.”

The reduction in late fees, which decreased daily fines on an item from 25 cents to 20 cents and set a maximum fine of $3 per item, appears to have had little impact on the total number of items circulated, or checked out to customers, by DPL. Before the adjustment in 2013, DPL had a circulation of 9,811,501. However, by 2015, total circulation had dropped to 9,097,572.

Despite a steady increase in DPL’s expenditures, its 2017 circulation was still lower than that of 2013 at 9,471,889.

In an effort to produce a more significant increase in the circulation of its materials, DPL eliminated all daily overdue fines as of Jan. 1.

“If they don’t bring an item back by the due date, on day 14, they’re going to be blocked — they can’t check out anything else,” Hoffman said. “If they bring that item back, there’s not going to be an overdue fine or anything.”

Should a customer fail to return an item 28 days after the due date, a hold will be placed on his or her account until a replacement fee is repaid, a policy that was already in place before 2019, Hoffman said. However, because of the new policy, the fee will be waived for customers who bring back overdue items, regardless of how much time has passed.

Meanwhile, the changes made to encourage library checkouts in 2014, such as a process that automatically renews items the day before they are due, have remained a part of library policy.

“We really didn’t like the fact that customers were being blocked for fines for items they

had actually returned,” Hoffman said.

“And because some customers would renew things late multiple times, they would rack up like $30 in overdue fines for a single item,” she said. “It was crazy.”

DPL started discussing whether or not to eliminate late fees back in 2014, at a time when several other libraries were doing the same thing. The High Plains Library District in northern Colorado, for example, did away with overdue fines for most items in 2015.

Meanwhile, many other Colorado libraries continue to impose overdue fines because of the potential benefits of such policies. At Douglas County Libraries, where patrons are charged 20 cents per day for an overdue item, Amber DeBerry says some patrons view late fees as a learning experience.

“Some of our staff have heard from our patrons that the late fees are used to teach their children about responsibility,” said DeBerry, director of community relations at DCL. She also added that, while DCL has discussed the idea of eliminating fees in the past, it does not have plans to do so in the near future.

Still, circulation continues to drop As for those libraries that have eliminated late fees, many have yet to see a noticeable effect on their circulation rates.

For High Plains Library District, circulation rose in 2015, the year the policy change was implemented, by 1.18 percent; in the years that followed, however, circulation began to decrease once again, dropping by nearly 200,000 items between 2014 and 2017.

In total, from 2015 to 2017, HPLD’s circula-

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tion decreased by 8.1 percent. Meanwhile, at DCL, where late fees are still collected, circulation only decreased by 7.46 percent over those two years.

However, though doing away with late

fees does not always affect a downward trend in circulation, Hoffman said the practice has other benefits. She and her colleagues hope the elimination of late fees will create a better experience for Denver’s library-goers, just as the policy changes did in 2014.

“Even though we didn’t charge overdue fines for children’s materials, the worry of bringing things back late sometimes would keep parents from checking stuff out,” she said.

She added that the automatic renewal process has “reduced stress” for these customers.

Ideally, the elimination of overdue fines will be permanent, she said. However, the library will continue to evaluate and respond to the policy’s effectiveness in achieving library goals.

“The elimination of fines is not in any way to suggest that we don’t want our materials back,” Hoffman said. “It’s really more that we would much rather give customers continued access to materials than levy arbitrary fines that may be difficult for them to pay.”

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12 Washington Park Profile

LOCAL

VOICES

A

Giving in to the moment

s a child, wandering during mountain hikes with my dad, I can remember how the light took on a magical quality as it filtered through tree leaves onto a carpet of pine needles on the path. The mountains have always brought me a sense of peace. But sometimes, I need to push myself to take advantage of the landscape that makes our state so great.

In the more than 20 years I’ve spent here, I realized how easy it is to take those mountains for granted. From Denver, the silhouette of the Rockies in the west are a permanent fixture along the skyline.

I often forget how beautiful that is. The mountains melt into the background, becoming part of the everyday.

Every year I tell myself I am going to hike more or go camping. But life seems to get in the way and I only head west a few times in the summer. Last month I made one of those rare trips — an even rarer occurrence in winter. I went to Breckenridge for

FROM THE EDITOR

Kailyn Lamb

January 2019

the tree lighting. Exiting off Interstate 70 into Frisco, the sun was just starting to set behind the peaks. The warm glow brought me into the moment, a second of beauty with golden light falling on the snow.

Even when I left Colorado at the age of 14 to move to Seattle for high school, I lived in a city with a view of the mountains. While the Cascades generally lack the height and majesty of the Rocky Mountains, it was a small reminder of home. One of my first memories of Seattle was a family drive to Ocean City, about three hours southwest of the city. While driving, we could see Mount Rainier in the distance.

In the early morning, the light had a purple quality.

But the most striking part was a large full moon that sat right above Rainier’s peak. Although I still kick myself for not having a camera at that particular moment, I can still see it in my mind — a peaceful second on a long car ride to the beach.

The only time I’ve lived without mountains was during the year I spent in New York City for grad

school. New York has its own special qualities that I will cherish forever. But there was never the sense of peace, or “wow” moments, looking to the west and suddenly remembering just how beautiful those mountains really are.

I made up for lost time pretty quickly by spending the year after New York living in the heart of Summit County. When there wasn’t a foot of snow on the ground — which was not often — I ran outside. I kayaked in Lake Dillon. Even after I was offered a job in Denver, I thought about how to make an hourlong commute from the mountains work every day.

We are lucky to call such a beautiful state home.

Many of the people I know who moved to Colorado did so for the mountains, including my dad. We all take the mountains for granted sometimes. For me, I make sure I balance those moments with a second of reflection. When I make time for the mountains, I make sure to take in as much of their beauty as I can, and give in completely to the moment.

Social consumption laws should protect children

W Looking forward by looking back HELPER HERE AND NOW

Diana Helper

S

lap-Happy New Year!

There’s a God by the name of Janus, who looks both forward

and aft, Looking back, things appear rather heinous, look ahead and it’s almost as daft.

Old Swivelneck looked at the past year, Saw a mind-boggling bog, Looked ahead — better than last year?

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.washparkprofile.com/subscribe

Couldn’t see through the smog.

Interesting fellow, Janus. He gave us “January,” of course, and kept his temple doors open in times of war, closed tight in times of peace. When you think of all the festive New Year’s open houses, umm, did that mean “Beware arguments `round the eggnog?” Or “Sorry, it’s so peaceful we don’t want to let you punch-bowl rabble come in and ruin it?”

SEE HELPER, P13

hen I returned to Denver City Council in 2011, voters had already approved medical marijuana.

Interested operators began to open locations before Denver was able to establish a regulatory framework to define how and where they could operate in our city. The new council worked quickly to catch up with the emerging industry. Denver was able to put in place a regulatory framework before the state, and in fact, our rules became a guide for the state.

In 2012, another statewide ballot measure passed legalizing recreational marijuana. The Colorado State Legislature and Denver City Council became the first in the country to create a roadmap for operators and define safeguards for communities where marijuana facilities would be located. While in the middle of our process, Denver and Colorado received a memo from U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole of the Obama administration, stating that our efforts must focus on protecting children.

Our Marijuana Committee — at the time chaired by Councilman Charlie Brown — worked with all stakeholders to create a 1,000-foot

buffer from key locations, such as schools, daycare, parks and recreation centers, that serve children and youth. We also discussed cultivation facilities and colocation of retail sites with medical and Deborah Ortega storefronts testing labs. To address concerns about marijuana facilities saturating low-income neighborhoods, we considered a citywide cap on licenses or the number of licenses at a specific location.

Most recently, Denver voters passed Initiative 300 in 2016 to allow social consumption of marijuana.

This created a new set of questions.

The ballot language asked voters if Denver should adopt a cannabis consumption pilot program to allow people to use marijuana at social consumption areas in permitted businesses. Excise and License

GUEST COLUMN

SEE ORTEGA, P13

JERRY HEALEY President

GARY GARVEY Vice President of Sales

jhealey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ggarvey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ANN MACARI HEALEY Executive Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

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

abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Email letters to klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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

ahealey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

KAILYN LAMB Editor klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Columnists & Guest Commentaries Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Profile.

Washington Park Profile 13

January 2019

Ortega FROM PAGE 12

currently requires social consumption areas to have the same 1,000-foot buffer from schools, etc., as marijuana stores and other facilities.

Only one cannabis consumption business has opened in Denver and another is going through the licensing and permitting process. The industry has asked that Denver and the state consider the following to create a more favorable business climate: change the distance requirement

to allow business to seek exemptions from the subject of the setback or eliminate the setback for daycares, recreation centers and treatment facilities but maintain the setback for schools; eliminate the 2020 sunset of the pilot program; lower event permit fees for social consumption events; create rules to permit bus tours, tasting rooms and private clubs; consider private clubs as exempt from the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act; consider allowing marijuana and alcohol to be served on the same premises.

I have been firm and consistent that protecting our kids remains the most pressing issue.

Helper FROM PAGE 12

Whether Janus made resolutions or welcomed revolutions doesn’t seem to be discussed in our voluminous studies, but everyone’s heard of this futile exercise.

Probably exercise is one of the most often not followed through, along with lose weight, help the needy, be more positive, kind and true, wise and thoughtful, say your prayers and floss your teeth. Meet your deadlines!

According to numerous medical professionals and organizations, childhood and adolescent use of marijuana has lasting impacts on brain development and cognition.

Until we know whether proximity to marijuana businesses increases acceptance and use by adolescents, we should err on the side of protecting our kids.

I do not support the proposal to allow marijuana entrepreneurs to skirt the buffering requirement by obtaining approval from schools, daycare centers, etc. While this would create a more favorable business environment, I think this approach opens the door to a transactional approach that puts

Well, now we’re getting more personal— you can look both ways at your own past and future. Only you can look so far back in your past and conjecture about your future — maybe based on your past. You’ll see the highlights growing up, and lowlights. Don’t spend much time on “wish I’d done that!” because you did or you didn’t, so take it from there. Some have quite a lot more past than future, ahem, but there IS a future after all.

Let me tell ya, recently I’ve had this topic to explore. Somehow my neighborhood decided I’m a treasure and wants to do an article for the local newsletter about

kids at risk.

Is it City Council’s responsibility to create exceptions that allow further growth in the marijuana industry? Should we adopt a permissive regulatory structure that favors business development and growth at its heart? Greater leniency may put the health of workers and patrons exposed to marijuana at risk, as well as lead to greater use by children and young people. At a bar, if you aren’t drinking alcohol, you are not exposed to its toxicity. The same is not true for smoke.

Let’s not gamble with our health and take a cautious approach until we have more data on the impacts

it. That was flattering and it seemed to me if it’s about “why me?” I could write of my great smart/funny parents who, after all, “brung me up good” — only child, great schools, music, helpful. And our two great kids! It wouldn’t just be a list of she-didthis in the neighborhood and city.

But as of our last draft, there is the list and little about family or our music, which has to do with so much in life. It’ll all come out somehow and look like I did a lot of helpful things with the help of my husband John, our kids, and many 1,000 wonderful neighbors who deserve huge credit.

of social consumption.

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.

Editor’s note: The Washington Park Profile recently covered the second business going through the licensing process for social consumption of marijuana. Vape and Play anticipated opening by the end of 2018. To learn more, visit http://washparkprofile. com/stories/clearing-thesmoke,270783?

And for all who are tired of this whole New Year’s bubbly, there’s “Gnu Ears,” the alternative group celebrating the flip-flop ears of the swift gnu, an African antelope.

Start growing your chin-whiskers now, to be ready for the next Gnu Ears Flipflopathon.

Diana Helper has written for the Wash Park Profile for 35 of the 63 years she and her husband have lived in Denver. She works on projects with the city, University of Denver, Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation and Open Space and Parks and Recreation.

14 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Bracing for a strike

Denver teachers will vote on a strike this month pending negotiations

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The clock is ticking. After more than a year of salary negotiations, teachers say they are getting ready for their last resort: voting for a strike.

For the last 18 months, members of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association have been meeting with Denver Public Schools officials, trying to work out a system that pays teachers better. The DCTA is the union representing teachers in Denver.

The average salary for DPS teachers during the 2017-18 school year was $50,757 according to the Colorado Department of Education. It is the largest school district in the state. Jefferson County Public Schools, the second largest district, had an average salary of $57,154 for the 2017-18 school year. Cherry Creek School District, the state’s fourth largest district, had an average salary of $71,711.

Teachers across the state have been fighting for better pay. Henry Roman, president of the association and an elementary school teacher, said a possible strike in Denver has been a long time coming. After the first several months of negotiations, DPS brought forth a proposal, but it didn’t meet any of the needs discussed in meetings, Roman said.

“After meeting for three consecutive months of a meeting of the minds, once we saw the product, meaning their proposal, we realized that they were not listening to any of the things we talked about,” he said. “In essence, (we) essentially said we wanted a predictable income.”

In March, the DCTA gave DPS a timeframe to develop a proposal and, if an agreement could not be made, teachers would hold a vote for a strike on Jan. 18.

This is not just a battle between teachers and the district, Roman said. The reason strikes are a last resort for teachers is because of the impact it can have on student learning. Roman said the DCTA has been holding public meetings at the schools, such as South High School, to help involve parents in the process.

“It’s so important,” he said. “The working conditions of our teachers are the learning conditions of our students.”

Low teacher pay leads to higher turnover rates, Roman said. This affects students who have begun to build relationships with their teachers. Roman said some areas in the district have turnover rates as high as 90 percent from

Newly announced DPS Superintendent Susana Cordova, left, and Ron Cabrera, the interim superintendent, listen to teachers speak at a community meeting. The teachers union is working on salary negotiations with DPS. PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB year to year.

But Debbie Hearty, chief human resources officer for DPS, argued that teacher retention is on the rise at 86 percent.

Hearty added that finding funding to increase teachers salaries can be difficult with the way education is funded in Colorado as a whole.

“We are in complete agreement that our teachers need more money,” she said. “It’s really hard in Colorado with the state-level funding.”

Teachers in Denver are paid using the Professional Compensation system, or Pro-Comp.

When Pro-Comp was first created, Roman said, it was a sliding scale. Veteran teachers who had been in the district for a longer period of time would get salary increases. But in 2008, the system was changed to what it is today — a confusing setup of one-time bonuses and incentives. It makes it difficult for teachers to read their paycheck and know if they are being paid the correct amount, Roman said.

“It became heavily one-time variable pay and that was never the intent,” he said. “It doesn’t honor the mission we had in the first version.”

That Pro-Comp is a confusing system is something on which both teachers and the district can agree.

WPVC

“Our current system has too many complexities,” Hearty said. “It’s not helpful. I’m deeply committed to simplifying.”

The district sent out a new proposal on Dec. 13, the day after a negotiating meeting, hours before the DCTA held a community meeting regarding the possible strike at South High School.

The proposal would take funds out of the bonus system and put them into the base salary budget, Hearty said. The proposal also worked to make the bonus system more clear. The proposal also offers to increase the starting salary for new teachers to $45,000.

The proposal still has a lot of details to iron out, and the district is willing to hold further talks, Hearty said.

Roman said he is hopeful that negotiations will result in an agreement both sides can approve, especially with Susana Cordova coming in as the new superintendent. The district announced that Cordova would be taking over the position in December. Cordova attended DPS schools, according to a news release from the district. She then worked her way up through DPS as a teacher, principal and eventually to deputy superintendent. She will start in her new postion early this year, the release said.

Henry Roman, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, speaks at an event about better teacher compensation. The union is negotiating with DPS on getting predictable income for teachers.

TO LEARN MORE To learn more about the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, visit http:// denverteachers.org. The website will also include information on upcoming events. Henry Roman, the president of the DCTA, encouraged parents concerned about the possible strike to attend Denver Public Schools board meetings, as well as any teachers union meetings.

For more information on the recent salary proposal from DPS, Dr. Ron Cabrera, the interim superintendent, recorded a video: https://vimeo.com/306204644.

“Our hope is the district comes to the table with a proposal that reflects the fact that they have been listening to us,” Roman said.

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Washington Park Profile 15

January 2019

co

im ng

! n o so

The arrival of Jake and Chuck makes the Denver Zoo home to the largest bachelor herd of Asian elephants in North America. The duo joins the zoo’s elephants Groucho, Bodhi and Billy in Toyota Elephant Passage and will be part of the Zoo’s ongoing effort to help protect and save the species, which are classified as endangered with a decreasing global population estimated at fewer than 35,000.

COURTESY PHOTO

Denver Botanic Gardens, Zoo announce grants Staff Report Denver Botanic Gardens aims to make nonliving collection more accessible Last month, the Denver Botanic Gardens announced it had received nearly $250,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which it will use to move its nonliving collection into the new Freyer-Newman Center for Science, Art and Education building. The grant was awarded through the Museums for America program. The FreyerNewman Center is set to be completed in 2020, according to a news release from the gardens.

The non-living collections are separated into three categories — natural history, library and art. The natural history collection is made up of dried plants and fungi from the Rocky Mountain Region that helps researchers study biodiversity in the region.

The library has rare books and works focused on the natural world, including works by Charles Darwin and Robert John Thornton, according to the news release. The collection is made up of about 25,000 titles. The collection also has botanical stamps as well as seed and nursery catalogs. The Denver Botanic Gardens art collection includes historic and contemporary botanic illustrations.

The Museums for America grant will

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provide new storage space for the collections within the new Freyer-Newman Center, allowing it to be more accessible to the public.

Denver Zoo receives two grants to forward conservation efforts The Denver Zoo announced it received two grants from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as part of the Conservation Fund Grant awards. The grants will go toward the Zoo’s conservation efforts for vultures in Botswana and a study on socialization in Asian male elephants, according to a news release.

The release did not specify the amounts of the grants.

The Denver Zoo has had a Field Conservation Team in Botswana working with vultures since 2006. The bird population has been decreasing there in large part due to poisoning by humans, the release said. The grant will help the zoo train 40 wildlife professionals how to respond quickly to poisonings.

The Denver Zoo has the largest herd of bachelor Asian elephants in the world, according to the release. While male elephants were previously thought of as solitary creatures, new research shows they may interact in small groups in the wild. The Denver Zoo hopes to study how these animals interact in human care and in the wild. The zoo will start by introducing its new male Asian elephants to the three males living there now.

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J A N U A R Y

F E B R U A R Y

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ in Concert

Mendelssohn Double Concerto featuring Yumi Hwang-Williams

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

FEB 1-3 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00

■

HalfNotes

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros.

Entertainment Inc. J.K. ROWLING`S WIZARDING WORLD™ J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s18)

Itzhak Perlman with the Colorado Symphony JAN 10 THU 7:30

Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con — V

Brett Mitchell, conductor

FEB 8 FRI 7:30

A Tribute to Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops

Christopher Dragon, conductor

JAN 12 SAT 7:30

Sondheim & Lloyd Webber Showcase

Christopher Dragon, conductor

FEB 9 SAT 7:30

Dvořák Symphony No. 9

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16 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Find the orchid to match your skills GUEST COLUMN Nick Snakenberg

O

nce considered a hobby for the elite, new propagation techniques and the mass production of orchids has made the joy of growing these amazing plants accessible to everyone.

Not too long ago, the only place to find orchids to purchase was through mail-order catalogs. Now, they can be found at almost any garden center, big box store or even your local grocer.

Unfortunately, orchids have the undeserved reputation of being difficult to cultivate in the home. While this may be true of some orchid species, thankfully there are hundreds, if not thousands of orchid species and hybrids now available to hobbyist. If you can grow a houseplant in a windowsill, there is an orchid for you.

Good plants for beginners One of the best pieces of advice I ever received concerning growing healthy orchids was to research what conditions a plant wants and then provide those conditions. Sounds simple — right? Put another way, don’t set yourself up for failure. Know what conditions you can provide and choose a suitable plant with those conditions in mind.

Some of the best choices for the first time orchid grower are: Phalaenopsis — Perhaps the number-one choice for the first-time

The Doritaenopsis Little Gem Stripes orchid. Most orchids prefer to have moist, but not soggy soil. COURTESY OF DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS orchid grower is the Phalaenopsis or Moth Orchid. They readily adapt to our home conditions and reward the grower with flowers that can last for months at a time. Phalaenopsis plants prefer warm temperatures, low light levels and need to stay constantly moist (but never soggy).

Paphiopedilum — Another popular choice for beginning orchid growers are Paphiopedilum or Slipper

Orchids. The flowers can be so ugly they are beautiful — it’s all in the eye of the beholder. Paphiopedilum orchids generally prefer low light levels, warm temperatures and must stay moist but not soggy. Paphiopedilum flowers are also long-lasting.

Dendrobium — The genus Dendrobium contains hundreds of species so there are a wide variety of cultural requirements for this group

of plants. Most sold in garden centers will require bright light but can dry out slightly between waterings. Some will require a dry rest period in the fall and/or a drop in temperatures to encourage good blooming. You’ll need to research the specific Dendrobium you have.

Want some inspiration? Visit Denver Botanic Gardens’ annual Orchid Showcase, on view in the Orangery Jan. 10 - Feb. 17. Included with general admission.

Now that you’ve successfully grown and bloomed your first orchid, the sky is the limit. With so many species and hybrids to grow, an orchid hobby can last a lifetime. You can expand your orchid knowledge with the hundreds of books available on the subject, by researching online or by joining a local or national orchid society. The possibilities are endless.

As your friends admire your beautiful orchids they will likely marvel at your horticultural prowess. I’ll let you decide whether or not to tell them that it really isn’t as hard as most folks believe.

Nick Snakenberg is the associate director of horticulture and curator of tropical plant collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens. He can be reached at horticulture@denverbotanicgardens.org.

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Washington Park Profile 17

January 2019

HEAR MY VOICE STORIES from our YOUTH and why we should LISTEN to them

18 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

HEAR MY VOICE

Young voices carry a powerful message

In this month’s special report called “Hear My Voice,” 15 young people from around the Denver metro area share their stories, their passions, their hopes for the future. They range in age from 15 to 23. They come from different backgrounds, places and experiences that have shaped who they are, how they view the world and what they want to change.

The past year has been marked by the rise of unprecedented youth activism in which young people have fought to be

heard. The stories in this report reflect some of the nation’s most pressing challenges: mental health, immigration, equity, racism, politics, gender and sexuality identity, teen pregnancy and more.

The excerpts from these interviews — some will run this month, the rest in the February issue — have been edited for clarity and space. They all point to a common call to action: to listen better, to be more compassionate, to be willing to change.

They are aware of their power — 24

percent of the U.S. population is under 18, U.S. Census numbers show. They understand the issues because many live them, and they see the country we are becoming: By 2055, the United States will have no racial or ethnic majority, Pew Research Center reports.

These young men and women are adamant in the belief they can make a difference — and that their voices should be heard.

“Young voices make up a giant chunk of those living in this country, and

they are widely underrepresented and misunderstood because they are just labeled as ‘kids who have learning and maturing to do,’ ” said Englewood resident Maria Alsubhi, 19, who moved to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia when she was in eighth grade. “We cannot just repress and patronize them — it is frustrating and unfair that we already do ... Listening just expands perspectives, especially listening to a young, excited, refreshing voice.”

So, let’s listen.

STORIES AND PHOTOS BY TAYLORE TODD SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

‘People should listen to everyone’ Ikram Zetraoui and Rokaya Abdulameer Denver

I

kram Zetraoui, 18, was a freshman in high school when she moved to Denver from Morocco to live with her older sister. A high school senior, she hopes to study psychology and criminology to become a detective or psychiatrist. She has always been interested, she says, in trying to understand how people view themselves. Rokaya Abdulameer, 17, emigrated from Iraq in 2009 to seek shelter from the war. Being from another culture, she says, has taught her not to judge. Also a senior, she plans to study business and pre-law in college next year.

If you knew me, you would know …

Ikram: “When I speak my language, people try to protect themselves and they scoot away from where I am. It happened once on a bus, but I didn’t know anyone there, so I didn’t know how to react. One time it happened at school and another girl stood up for me. It’s nice to have allies and people who are going to stand up for you and tell you how to react in that situation because I wouldn’t know what to do.

“Anything that’s attached to human services — serving food, giving them their needs — anything that is serving them makes me happy.

Seeing people in front of me suffer

Rokaya Abdulameer and going through the same kind of situation, it made me realize that so many people are ungrateful for things they have. And people who don’t have anything are so grateful for what they do have. I just try to find a balance between those two kinds of people.”

Rokaya: “Not living in Iraq made it hard to understand where my culture came from, but my parents have taught me everything — our Arabic language, our traditions. I love the people of my culture and everything, really. The food, the dancing, the celebrations.

Coming here, “I didn’t know that so many cultures could exist in one place, because I grew up around people who followed the same values and traditions as me and my family.”

How I want to change the world Ikram: “People see immigrants as people who are trying to steal their jobs and trying to get their salaries ...

Muslim people are seen as ... not on

Ikram Zetraoui the same level of humanity ... At the end of the day, if we really look into America’s deepest economy, we see it’s based on immigrants. I would like other people to see immigrants as how they see themselves.

“If I had a chance to change the world, I would probably change how people are viewed ... Why is there so much hatred ... and so many crimes? ... I’m interested in human services, and that’s a way for me to help other people. I’m thinking about doing that as volunteering. I feel like I’m pretty good with other people ... helping people in need — coming together as one, basically.”

Rokaya: “The biggest problem right now is that people think everyone from the Middle East is a terrorist and all that, so I guess that’s the biggest thing that I would want to change ...

People are not like that, you just have to get to know them.

“My biggest goal is to go back and use the opportunities I’ve had in America to help however I can. I was

thinking about it, and there’s a lack of education there. I think that’s my biggest goal is to just go back to the schools in need and just help out. I have pretty good English — maybe I can teach them there.”

Why my voice is important Ikram: “If we all come as one collective mind, I feel like we would be so much more successful than just looking back on our mistakes and blaming it on other people and other countries.

We need to forget all of this hate that is between us.”

Rokaya: “We are the future and this generation has a lot to offer.

Knowing different perspectives helps us understand the world more. I think I bring a different perspective, which is why people should listen to everyone, especially those who are from different cultures. Just don’t judge someone by their cover. I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned — just to not judge someone if you don’t know them.”

Washington Park Profile 19

January 2019

HEAR MY VOICE

‘We don’t recognize the footsteps we are leaving behind’

E

Elizabeth Osterhoudt Castle Rock

in Pine Ridge, that’s in South Dakota, some of them don’t even have homes and some of them don’t really have water. So I really want to just make sure that rezes have the supplies they need to just even survive because the winter is coming.

“I really want the world to recognize all of the bad things that are being done right now because I think with that recognition some people will take initiative for what happens — like especially with GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance). I just want to raise awareness that it isn’t right to judge someone based on how they identify because that’s not your business.

“And for the world, I just think we need to respect the land we live on more. Some people are treating it really bad, and we don’t recognize the footsteps we are leaving behind. And if this earth dies, we have nowhere else to go.”

lizabeth Osterhoudt, 17, is a member of the Pueblo of Jemez Native American tribe and has family who lives on a New Mexico reservation. Growing up in a predominantly white community, she says she has dealt with racism, along with unintended slights and negative assumptions from classmates and teachers. She is passionate about fighting for equal rights of Native Americans and such populations as the LGBTQ community who she says need allies to make their voices heard. She plans to attend college and raise awareness about the injustice that Native people still face.

If you knew me, you would know ...

“Here, a lot of people don’t know my race, so they just assume I’m Hispanic at first, and then I’ll get a lot of microaggressions and just racist comments to Hispanic people ... But then a lot of people, once they find out I’m Native, really start to target me, in a way. They’ll ask if I live in a tipi ... One time, in the classroom, these two girls presented ‘Indian tag’ as a game in gym. The teacher didn’t do anything. My classmates didn’t do anything. So I had to be the one

Elizabeth Osterhoudt to stand up and say it wasn’t right.

And then I get asked a lot if I speak ‘Indian.’

“I was talking with my teacher — he didn’t realize that he was being racist. We were talking about alcoholism, but he told me that I should be careful because I’m Native ... This girl was saying I was her ‘Native American friend,’ so I was sort of held as an object. It’s really

hard to go between being open and an object. You don’t want to be too open about anything because then you’ll be treated like this prized possession.”

How I want to change the world “I really want to start branching out to just Native Americans and help out a lot on rezes (reservations) because they are in more need right now … Up

Why my voice is important “It is important to listen to the voices of the young people because they have learned from the older generations. As they mature, they can recognize the mistakes and actions the past generations have committed.

From that recognition, they can then carve a new path that will be more efficient in shaping the world to be better.”

‘You can’t be a racist if you travel’ understanding.”

Maria Alsubhi Englewood

M

aria Alsubhi, 19, was born in Saudi Arabia and moved to the United States when she was in eighth grade. Because of her dad’s love of exploring, Alsubhi has traveled to seven countries throughout Europe and Asia.

She is a freshman at the University of Colorado-Boulder and has goals to serve others. She frequently shadows public health officials, doctors and those working for nonprofits so that she can learn as much as she can about how to make a difference later in life.

If you knew me, you would know ...

“My family, we travel a lot. We’ve gone to parts of Asia and parts of Europe. Just seeing the way these people live and experiencing a different way of life helps you be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes a lot easier. It helps you connect with others more and then you can find a different network. For me, personally, it helps me connect with people if I can put myself in their shoes and understand where they’re coming from. Coming from a completely different background than the life I’m living right now really has expanded upon my ability

How I want to change the world “The best way to understand other people is to talk to them. There’s a difference between tourism and actually understanding and meeting the locals … Try to understand where people are coming from and the reasons why they have the beliefs that they do and the reasons why they’ve gotten to the places that they’re in.

“Careerwise, I am very passionate about healthcare access and affordability … I feel like here, especially in the States, the bill that you’re going to get after you visit the hospital just makes it so terrifying to go and heal yourself … I want healthcare to be affordable and accessible to everybody whether you’re middle class, the top 1 percent or socio-economically disadvantaged.”

thinks, `Oh, today I’m going to be evil.’ There is a reason why people believe what they believe, and when you get to the root of that, that’s when change can happen ... People are filled with anger when they don’t have anyone that’s listening to them. Maybe my message is just to listen.

“Considering the fact that 24 percent of the U.S. population is under age 18, young voices make up a giant chunk of those living in this country, and they are widely underrepresented and Maria Alsubhi misunderstood because they are just labeled as ‘kids who have learning and maturing to do.’ This is dangerous because it leaves no one listening to powerful young voices that are attempting to represent the new generations. We cannot just repress and patronize them — it is frustrating and unfair that we already do ...

Listening just expands perspectives, especially listening to a young, excited, refreshing voice.”

‘People are filled with anger when they don’t have anyone that’s listening to them.

Maybe my message is just to listen.’

Maria Alsubhi to do that. I’m grateful for it.

“My number one belief is `You can’t be a racist if you travel.’ I went to Thailand when I was a kid, and it was the most amazing experience ever, so I got really into Asian culture. There is something beautiful about every single part of the world, and if you choose to focus on that, rather than the ugly statistics, perhaps it helps you kind of be a more well-rounded person and more well-spoken and more

Why my voice is important “No one ever goes outside and

20 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

HEAR MY VOICE

‘Hope and humanity is the ticket to safety and prosperity’ Wesley Ferguson Castle Rock

“Being gay defines who I am but, at the same time, it doesn’t. People are like `describe yourself.’ And I’m like `Well, I do a lot of theater, and I do art, and, oh yeah, I guess I’m gay.’ I try not to play up the gay stereotypes. I try to kind of avoid them and just be who I am … I’m really lucky to be gay in the time that I’m gay, so it makes me thankful for being alive now … It’s made me aware of how lucky I am, but also of how much I still have to fight — and people like me still have to fight. I’m also very lucky because I was never really bullied by a single person for being gay.”

W

esley Ferguson, 18, told his family and friends he was gay when he was a high school freshman so that he would no longer be hidden in the shadows. The national moment of silence after the Parkland shooting in April spurred an emotional response that propelled him to take action. These days, the senior leads walkouts and peaceful protests for gun control and LGBTQ rights and is part of an outreach organization that encourages youth to register to vote. He plans to study technical theater, with a focus on stage management, in college.

If you knew me, you would know …

“I just have to speak out. It’s my duty. It’s what I have to do as a human being in America. I have to use the rights that I’ve been given and do what I can to spread goodness in the world.

“I first questioned my sexuality in sixth or seventh grade. By seventh grade, I was pretty sure, but I didn’t really tell anyone, and I was kind of scared to come out because I was like

Wesley Ferguson `I don’t know anyone else.’ I came out in ninth grade, around September.

I was real proud of coming out as a freshman. All of the upperclassmen that I knew in theater company were just so supportive, and I was like `Oh, my gosh, why didn’t I do this earlier?’

How I want to change the world “I would like universal background checks. I am in favor of an assault weapons ban because it’s a weapon of war and if we’re doing other things the way we should, nationally and globally, we shouldn’t need weapons of war in our homes. We shouldn’t need to be scared of people the way that we are … An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind … I want others to be more accepting of people and be able to see that everyone is human.

I believe that hope and humanity is the ticket to safety and prosperity for everyone.

“I want people to understand that gun violence isn’t only about mass shootings, it’s also about things like suicide ... It affects us all. It’s not just about your rights. It’s about my rights.

And her rights. And his rights. And their rights over there.

“I just want the LGBT community to be seen, just like anyone else. We want a happy home, a happy family, a happy significant other … We want to know that we’re not going to be discriminated against.”

Why my voice is important “Everyone has some reason for being the way they are ... They were rude in line because they woke up late and, maybe yesterday, a presentation they had didn’t go well. They were rude on the road because their sister is sick and in the hospital, and they’re really just concerned about getting to her. People aren’t unkind because they want to be unkind, they’re unkind because something made them that way … Anger begets anger, goodness begets goodness. If you can just eliminate all of the anger and all of the distraction in your life — and keep focused on positivity and spreading that — the world would just be a better place.”

‘Everything I do, I do it for my mom’ Brisa Bejarano-Gonzalez Aurora

shouldn’t be going to school. I should be doing something rather than school. I’ve had a lot of that confrontation, but that doesn’t stop me from doing what I want to do.”

B

risa Bejarano-Gonzalez, 19, is a freshman at University of Colorado-Denver. She received a $10,000 scholarship from Hide in Plain Sight, a nonprofit that helps homeless students pursue higher education, because of her family’s struggles with homelessness when she was young. She works two jobs to pay her bills so that her mom no longer has to support her. Bejarano-Gonzalez is studying English and wants to become a teacher.

If you knew me, you would know ...

“We were going from place to place.

It was maybe from six months until I was 2 years old. I was really young, so it’s not something I can recollect, you know? But my mom tells me stories now.

“What my mom had to go through, every challenge that she had to go through is an eye-opener for me ...

Everything I do, I do it for my mom because she’s been through so much throughout her life. What she did was for my own good, for my siblings’ own good. Everything’s basically for my mom.

“I used to be ashamed of being Latina. Sometimes it was embarrassing to say where your family came from because you’d get made fun of in school. Now it’s like `You have so many opportunities.’ I appreciate my mom for it.

“My mom has always been strong

How I want to change the world “When I think about making an impact, I think about my community, the Latino community. So just looking back from where I come from, a very small town and the Aurora area where I was living before, there are just a lot of kids who don’t have the resources that they need. We do have access to a lot of things — they just don’t know about it. So I’d like to bring that awareness and help that out.

“I want to teach high school. My senior year, I took a class called Pathways to Teaching. It was about the teaching world ... I learned so much about teaching and students and how students view teachers ... It’s a very hard profession and I want to be able to do something challenging and help students who have a similar background as me get through what I went through as well.”

Brisa Bejarano-Gonzalez and independent. As soon as she knew she was pregnant with me at the age of 19, she packed her bags, came to a country of opportunity and decided she was going to start fresh no matter what obstacles she had to face. She pushed through with the mindset of a better life for her daughter.

“I have (faced racism). Mostly in middle school and the beginning of high school but not so much after that ... (Some people) think that because you’re foreign you’re able to do labor work, you have to do it, and that’s the position you’re supposed to be in. I’ve had a lot of (people) who tell me that I

Why my voice is important “I believe it is important for young voices to be heard because it creates a bigger community of opportunity ... for minorities — homeless, of color, less power, etc. ... People should listen to my story as an eye-opener for those who can’t speak up for themselves — including those who don’t see the struggles that homelessness brings to younger individuals.”

Washington Park Profile 21

January 2019

HEAR MY VOICE

‘Trayvon Martin could have been me’

Isaiah Alfonso

‘There’s no reason to be ashamed of who you are’

I

Isaiah Alfonso Denver

saiah Alfonso, 16, volunteers with Rainbow Alley, a safe space for young members of the LGBTQ community, where he, too, feels safe. He identifies as non-binary, but mostly as trans male, he says. After dealing with mental health challenges, he fell behind in school, eventually to the point where he knew he couldn’t catch up. He is now working toward a GED and plans to attend college to study psychology.

If you knew me, you would know …

“I realized when I was pretty young.

When I was 5 years old, I loved girly things. I was like `This is how girls are supposed to be.’ All pink and princesses.

Then I saw this soccer game of a local soccer team where all the girls had their hair in ponytails and they were all wearing blue and looked the exact same as the boys. I was like `Huh, something seems a little weird here, I think my favorite color is blue now.’ And as time went on, I became slowly more passionate. I was not a girl, I was a tomboy — there’s a very big difference. Then I found out what trans is, and the rest is history. “... Everyone around me was definitely not super restorative of my struggle. But it’s turned out pretty good so far. Most people who were around me back then aren’t around me anymore or have changed for the better.

“I’d say that the hardest thing was losing some of the people that I did or, just in general, seeing the backlash I got from people.

When you come out, you don’t expect it to be that bad, especially when you’re really young. You just think `No one’s going to give me any crap.’ I was the token queer kid at school ... People didn’t take me very seriously and they were rude. For the most part, my transition, even though I haven’t medically transitioned yet — because that’s a lot of stuff and things to do — but just the social transition itself has, luckily,

Tay Anderson

FOR MORE INFORMATION The Rainbow Alley, operated by the GLBT Community Center of Colorado, provides a safe dropin space, along with youth-led events, counseling and support groups, health services and life skills for LGBTQ youth ages 11 to 21. 1301 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303-733-7743, https://www. glbtcolorado.org/programs/rainbow-alley/ gone pretty smoothly.”

How I want to change the world “I just want people to know that they can be whatever they want to be and they shouldn’t feel ashamed for being themselves. And I just want people to treat trans people normal … People expect you to look a certain way or else you aren’t real. I just don’t want people to worry about being themselves … and to have the space to be themselves because there’s no reason to be ashamed of who you are or pretend you’re something that you’re not ... As long as you don’t hurt anyone else, what’s the real harm in being you — no matter what you look like?”

Being transgender “made me have a perspective where I can appreciate the outlandish a little bit more because I am considered outlandish and weird by most people. I just have this odd perspective on life where I was raised as one thing then found out I was another.

“I want to do a lot of public work with LGBT youth. A lot of them don’t know who they are or what they want to be or what they are looking for. I hope that I am someone who can help lead them to where they want to be.”

Why my voice is important “Youth have new ideas. We haven’t been raised in the same society that a lot of adults were. We come in with a fresh head and new perspective on things, so we see things that not everyone else does. So many kids are really intelligent, and no one gives them the space they deserve to say these awesome things they are thinking.”

T

Tay Anderson Denver

ay Anderson, 20, is running for the Denver Public Schools board election in 2019 because he wants to improve safety in schools. A student at Metropolitan State University of Denver, he is taking a gap year to focus on his campaign. He first ran for school board in 2017 when he was a senior in high school, but lost. Because of family issues, he spent about eight months in foster care when he was 16. His activism began in 2015 when he attended a protest against police brutality. Today, he works to create justice and equal opportunity for people of color.

If you knew me, you would know …

“I think we come with a unique experience because a lot of people think that we are still clinging onto the past, and we’re not clinging onto the past — we’re just trying to rectify the wrongs of the past. When Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, he’s not taking a knee to say that this is for Martin Luther King.

He’s saying that this is for every unarmed black man that’s been shot in the 21st century, for kids that are still living in poverty, for young people that aren’t allowed to have a voice. It’s also been used against me. I’ve had people tell me that because of the color of my skin, I won’t be able to win a citywide race. I just get to prove them wrong in November. I mean, I might be black, but my blackness doesn’t define where it’s going to take me in the future.

“My activism started on July 5th, actually my birthday, in 2015

when Alton Sterling was killed, because I’d had enough of waking up to the news that another unarmed black person was killed by people that we trust to protect us. Trayvon Martin could have been me. Eric Garner could have been me. Philando Castile could have been me. All of these other African-American males that have been killed at the hands of law enforcement could have been me ... I just got tired of injustice.”

How I want to change the world “A lot of people think that I want to be president — which is cool and I would love to do that — but I want to help my city before I try to go save the world. So that’s why I’m running for the Denver school board.

My city desperately needs some young perspective on the board of education. They need somebody who knows what it means to sit in those seats and what it means to have failed policies used against them. Before we can go change the world and worry about what’s happening in D.C., we have to fix our cities ...”

Why my voice is important “My work has never been about me, it’s never going to be about me. It’s about making sure that the next person who looks like me, who has a funny name like me — my real name isn’t Tay, its Auontai — who have these different, unique characteristics just like myself understand that they, too, have a place in the world.

“It’s time for us to stand up, to understand what we’re inheriting — because we can either inherit a system that we helped craft or we can inherit a system we’re forced to recreate.”

22 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

HEAR MY VOICE

‘We live in a democracy — let’s make sure it stays that way’ Abigayle Post and Codey Carr Golden

spread more ideas. That’s really when you can have a stronger foundation in your own opinion. So I feel like the stronger your opinions are and the more well-founded they are, the more impactful, I think, on a personal level, your vote actually is.”

A

bigayle Post, 18, and Codey Carr, 15, helped push for a law to lower the voting age in Golden to 16 years of age, as well as help write city legislation to ban conversion therapy, the practice of trying to change a person’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual. Abigayle became involved in politics after the election of President Donald Trump, which she said threatened her beliefs in social justice, change and diversity.

Codey’s involvement also began soon after the election — he wanted to make a difference and ensure his ideas were represented. They plan to remain involved in politics in the future.

If you knew me, you would know ...

Abigayle: “I think it’s important to speak up because it’s important to create the world that you want to live in and to create the spaces that future generations will live in, and so speaking up is so important to make sure that you can live in the best world possible. I think I’m so passionate because it’s exhausting to watch history repeat itself, and watch the same issues come up again and again. And I think it’s important to try and create that change individually so that we can also create it as a society.”

Codey: “Being involved in politics has really just shaped my willingness to speak to other people, my willing-

Abigayle Post

Codey Carr

ness to listen to other people’s opinions. I think before I really started getting engaged and super actively involved, I had opinions I wanted to stick to and that was that. Talking to more people, spreading the word, canvassing and actually being involved a lot more with just more discussion, in general, has just really changed my opinions as well as just made me stronger in what I believe in and what I think on what America stands for.”

Codey: “I want to work in the state department when I am older, so I’d really like to change the political sphere not only on a national level but on an international level as well, and make sure that every single international relation does either benefit the United States — or we’re informed in regards to that issue and we can also really make the best decision on that. On a national level, I think more moderation is wonderful. I think we are so polarized right now as a country that I would do anything I could to … make sure that everything is heard and it’s not just black and white, but a spectrum of gray.

“I also think just keeping open dialogue with people you don’t agree with — that’s the best way to make informed decisions, besides going and actually reading up on the issues.

When you talk to more people, you

How I want to change the world Abigayle: “I would love to create a political sphere that is focused on diversity and diversifying the people that we see in office and the policies that are brought to office — not just the type of person they are, but when it comes to health care, gun control and things like that, diversifying the types of beliefs that really get media-megaphoned.”

‘All of us can help out in the world’

C

Cyndy Dominguez Arvada

yndy Dominguez, 20, attends Sobesky Academy in Lakewood and is participating in Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Project Search Program, which teaches young people with developmental disabilities who are nearing the end of their high school careers the skills they need to work. She has a cognitive disability that makes it more difficult for her to learn new things quickly.

She is interning at the hospital to gain job experience. For her internship, Dominguez takes the vitals of patients, cleans the exam rooms and performs many other jobs usually handled by medical assistants. Her goal is to live an independent and successful life.

If you knew me, you would know ...

“They didn’t find my disability until I was a freshman in high school. The put me on a ton of meds for ADHD, but it wasn’t that. It’s cognitive. And then my life changed. How I learn has changed. I feel like I got more support to learn in the way I learn best — being shown and talked to during the process just to make sure I do it right.

Cyndy Dominguez “I’ve been in Project Search just for a few months, but I’ve been in transition for three years. JeffCo Transition Services is for young adults with a disability to job train, budget and teach them how to do cooking and cleaning.

“I want to be a CNA (certified nurse assistant) and maybe an RN (registered nurse). I want to take classes and find good classes that will help me how to do stuff. I maybe want to go to college in the future, I’m not sure. I want to get my own apartment in Arvada and get my driver’s license.”

How I want to change the world “I did a summer job at a retirement home and I just fell in love with it because I was helping the elderly and taking them to the bathroom and giving them baths and talking to them. I just like helping people ... That made me feel like I was helping patients and learning more about medicine and how to not just be a standby person.

I liked that feeling of helping people and this job will give me a good point of view in the medical career.

“I want to help people and to demonstrate all of us can help out in the world, too. Just be patient with us. Don’t think we can’t do everything you guys do ... some of us can’t, but most of us can.

All of us can’t be independent all of the time and all of us need support.”

Why my voice is important “We are still figuring out life. The older generation needs to be more patient with us because we are still figuring it out. We do the same things they have been through ... It makes them aware about how people with a disability don’t get everything they say and it kind of puts them in our shoes. To teach them how to actually talk to us and not get mad easily. If they try to tell us what to do really fast, sometimes we can’t.”

Why my voice is important Abigayle: “We have all been lucky enough to be in a country that wants us to exercise our voice and vote on our right to speak to one another. As individuals, the best thing that we can do for our community is to take a stand and talk about what we believe in.

“Just a general rule of thumb, especially to the younger population, is to make sure that you understand when you go into the voting booth how many people have worked for and fought for and died for that right that you have now been given. And that, as a person, the best thing that you can do is make sure that your opinion is heard. You’ll hear a lot of people say, `Oh, vote blue, vote red.’ But vote how you believe in and what you believe and just make sure that you are always doing what you truly believe is best for your country — and then you can’t ever really go wrong.”

Codey: “It’s always that we’re trying to get more people to vote, right? In my opinion, it does not matter how you vote as long as you are voting and making sure that you are putting your opinion in the polls and you are making your vote matter. That’s so important. We live in a democracy, let’s make sure it stays that way.”

ABOUT THE REPORTER Taylore Todd, 17, is a senior at Castle View High School in Castle Rock, where she is copy editor of the yearbook. She has been involved in the school’s journalism program for four years and has spent the past nine weeks interning at Colorado Community Media.

Todd was inspired to do this project by Brandon Stanton’s “Humans of New York.” She has always loved learning about people and their experiences and is passionate about advocating for social equality for people of all backgrounds. She used both interests to create the idea for “Hear My Voice.”

To report and write the stories for this project, she interviewed youths from Castle Rock to Arvada to Denver and other metro-area municipalities to find out how they see their place in today’s world.

“I haven’t been through Taylore Todd a lot of the experiences they have been through,” Todd said of the young people she interviewed. “It made me aware of what more I can do.

This world is going to be ours someday — it might as well start listening to us now.”

Washington Park Profile 23

January 2019

Denver recruits next wave of compost experts City accepting applications for Master Composter Training Program

TO LEARN MORE Denver’s Master Composter Training Program is accepting applications for its 2019 season. Anyone 16 years or older can apply.

Applications will be accepted through the end of January with the program, which charges a $40 participation fee, beginning in March.

By Casey Van Divier caseyvandivier@yahoo.com

Every year from May to October, one environmentally-minded group devotes a good deal of time to talking about composting. Between the 35 of them, they manage to spend more than 1,400 hours teaching the community how to reduce waste. this lede is confusing. first sentence says one group a month, but then next sentence says 35 of them??? doesn’t add up Denver Recycles and Denver Urban Gardens are currently accepting applications from Denverites interested in becoming one of these “master composters.” 35 applicants will be selected to participate in the program, which costs $40, and complete 40 hours of composting education. They will then serve as volunteers for the program’s 2019 outreach season.

During the six-month season, volunteers will teach public composting classes and participate in other educational events at farmers’ markets, community fairs and schools.

To become master composters, and teach the community, the volunteers will undergo 40 hours of instruction including classes, a full-day tour and two hands-on work days.

These classes are designed to teach volunteers about the science of composting and waste management, as well as prepare them to teach similar classes to others.

Denver’s Master Composter Training Program has run for more than 20 years and is one of many such initiatives across the nation.

“It’s not totally unique to Denver, but I do think we’ve probably had one of the most consistently running programs,” said Charlotte Pitt, recycling program manager at Denver’s Solid Waste Management. Denver Recycles is a program of this branch.

Pitt added that the program is a “pretty intense commitment.”

“It is a fairly intense obligation on their part, also with the understanding that most of the outreach we do is on weekends,” Judy Elliott agreed. Elliot is the senior education specialist at Denver Urban Gardens and has taught the Master Composter Training Program for upwards of 20 years.

Elliott added that volunteers from past programs have always been up to the challenge.

While the program only requires students to complete 40 hours of outreach, the 2018 volunteers completed an average of 49 hours, she said, with some completing close to 70 hours of service.

“It’s fascinating,” Pitt said. “We’ve gotten very few people who didn’t come out of the program like `whoa, that changed the way I feel about everything.’”

Elliott agreed, citing that many volunteers return year after year because of how much the class covers. The class has even made experts out of participants who had little to no prior composting experience, she said.

Those interested can contact Elliott at judy@dug.org or visit dug.org/master-composter for more information. Applications will be accepted through the end of January, with Elliott conducting interviews as applications are received. Classes will not begin until March.

Master composters for the 2018 season conduct compost education at the Denver Zoo. COURTESY OF JUDY ELLIOTT

“I’m definitely looking for communityminded people who have other contacts in the community, can work outside in all kinds of weather, and are willing to teach this practice to others in a non-judgmental teaching style,” Elliott said.

She added that anyone age 16 or older is welcome to apply. Over the years, her students have ranged from ages 18 to 83.

Composting in the community Primarily, Elliott plans to enlist people who are not only passionate about composting, but who can excel in raising awareness about the practice throughout the community.

According to the State of Recycling in Colorado, the state is behind national averages when it comes to composting and recycling; while the nation diverts 35 percent of materials, Colorado only diverts 12 percent.

The report found that 37 percent of Colorado waste can be composted, 32 percent can be recycled and 26 percent can be recovered.

However, while Coloradans generated more than 9.3 million tons of waste in 2017, they only recycled or diverted a little more than 1 million tons.

With the right equipment, anyone can compost in their own backyard, however, Denver also offers the Compost Collection Program, which helps residents to compost additional materials such as meat, bones and processed foods. To have their compost collected by the city through this program, participants must pay $29.25 per quarter.

Residents can find information on what is compostable and how to use program materials at denvergov.org.

For further information on backyard composting, they can also attend the classes taught by the master composters. The free two-hour classes will begin in May, with the online signup process opening in April.

Pitt and Elliott both agreed that, because of these classes and the other outreach done by the master composters, composting in Denver has increased.

“I think the combination of all of our organics-based programs really has made the community more aware,” Pitt said.

As the programs increase awareness, Elliot said, this increase has in turn heightened the community’s need for the programs.

“I’m definitely seeing the elements of climate change exacerbate more of an interest,” she said. “People are asking `what can I do myself to provide for the health of my soil and the health of my planet?’”

For more information on the 2019 schedule or to obtain an applictaion, contact Judy Elliott at judy@dug. org. Additional information is also available at dug. org/master-composter.

Robert Anderson Gallery —CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR—

Native American Portraiture, Dimensional Color Photography & Acrylic Painting January 2 through February 28, 2019 Opening Reception: Friday, January 18, 5-8pm 3321 East Colfax, Denver | just east of the Bluebird Theater

F E ATURE D ARTISTS

Ron Cooper Native American portraiture

Howard Harris dimensional photography

Nicole Korbe acrylic painting

Plus work by selected gallery artists: Cody Brothers, Dan Fong, Helen Hutchinson, Ron Johnson, Janice McDonald, Mieko, Pamela Mougin, Adrienne Moumin, the Obolers, Stephen Podrasky, Wendi Schneider, Janey Skeer and Loretta Young-Gautier.

Gallery hours: 12 to 6pm Wednesdays through Saturdays and by appointment

Contact Email: info@robertandersongallery.com Website: robertandersongallery.com

24 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

A ‘no-brainer’:’ beer for a cause

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

RESILIENCE BUTTE COUNTY PROUD IPA

Jordan Fink, front right, co-owner of Woods Boss Brewing Co. pulled together nine other breweries to make the Resilience Butte County Proud IPA. The beer is being sold by breweries nationwide to raise money for Camp Fire relief. COURTESY OF THE BREWTOGRAPHY PROJECT

Wayne Burns, co-owner and brewer at The Resilience Butte County Proud IPA is he beer industry across the nation Burns Family Artisan Ales in the Valverde a sweeter and darker version of the IPAs is a tight-knit one. So when one of neighborhood in west Denver, has been beer drinkers in Colorado may be used to, their own sent out an email asking making beer for the past 25 years. He said David Lin, founder of Comrade Brewfor help to raise funds for Camp Fire has not brewed an IPA like this for several ing Co. in the Goldsmith neighborhood in PARTICIPATING BREWERIES relief, many breweries jumped at the chance years. Darker and sweeter IPAs usually southeast Denver.

The following breweries made Resilience Butte — 1,482 of them in fact. come from older-style recipes, he said.

The recipe comes from Sierra Nevada County Proud IPA in Denver. Some breweries may Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is not far from Burns is excited to taste Resilience from the Brewing Co. in California, the brewery that have already sold out. Contact the brewery for more the fire in Butte County that leveled the town of different breweries to see the differences created the brewery-supported Camp information. For a list of breweries that participated Paradise, California. The brewery quickly sent between them.

Fire fundraiser. Besides the recipe, it nationwide, visit Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s website out the cry for help, hoping others would come provided most of the ingredients needed at https://www.sierranevada.com/resilience-buttetogether to raise money. Colorado breweries “As a beer geek,” he said, “that’s just a fun to make the IPA — but there may still be county-proud-ipa rallied in force, with nearly 90 signing up to thing.” some differences in the beer. brew the Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, • Comrade • Novel Strand • Alternation For Untappd social media users, the including Fort Collins-based New Belgium Something as simple as having different app has created a special badge for • Black Project • Factotum • Odell Brewing, one of the state’s largest beer producwater than what Sierra Nevada has people who drink the IPA at any of the ers. From neighborhood breweries to big beer in California can make a difference in • Blue Moon • Great Divide • Our Mutual participating locations. Untappd is an producers like Blue Moon Brewing Co., Denver taste, Lin said. Breweries may also have Friend app where beer lovers can check-in to • Bruz • Lady Justice breweries wanted to support the movement. different fermenting times based on breweries and mark that they have had • Woods Boss • Burns Family “Being part of our community is important, equipment.

•Mockery specific beers.

Artisan Ales and that means all community,” said Laura Worley, co-owner of Burns Family Artisan Ales.

Worley of Burns Family Artisan Ales agreed, the country.

“This is the biggest collaboration project ever, the email asking brewers to help: Sierra Nevada adding, “there’s a lot of selflessness in this “We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed with and that’s an honor.” would give out the recipe for Resilience if brewindustry.” gratitude and how the brewing community eries would donate 100 percent of the proceeds John Legnard, who brewed Resilience for For many in the Colorado beer industry, the stepped forward with this one,” she said. toward the Camp Fire Relief Fund.

Blue Moon along with John Garvin, said workIf all the breweries sell every drop of Resil“We know that the rebuilding process will ing on this project was a “no-brainer” for him. wildfires were something that hit close to home.

He has a friend who works at Sierra Nevada and take time, but we’re in this for the long haul,” the ience, there is the potential to raise about $10 Jordan Fink of Woods Boss was formerly a letter read. “Our hope is to get Resilience IPA in million for Camp Fire relief, Gregory said. received the email on the collaboration shortly firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service and still In addition to sending the recipe, Sierra after he checked in to make sure that friend was taprooms all over the country to create a solid volunteers to fight fires on occasion. Kate Power Nevada worked with its hop distributors to start for our community’s future.”

OK. Not only do brewers create community of Lady Justice Brewing said the fire felt close, donate ingredients. This way, there was less cost Sierra Nevada is based in Chico, Califorwithin their local area, he said, but many in the even though the event itself was thousands of for brewers. Sierra Nevada will be canning its nia. While staff at the brewery wanted a large industry are connected across the country. miles away. But with Sierra Nevada pulling so version of Resilience, which is being distributed number of breweries to make Resilience, the “We’ve got a lot of connections in the indusmany companies together for a cause, she hopes across the country. Distributors are delivering response has been much greater than extry,” Legnard said. “When somebody as well people see this as an opportunity to get brewerthe beer for free as well, Gregory said. pected. Robin Gregory, a spokesperson for the organized as Sierra Nevada puts something ies to work together again.

It has been a heartwarming experience for company, said they were anticipating about 200 together, you know it’s going to be a success.”

“This was a chance to do something different many, and Gregory said it showed that some breweries. Instead, breweries have signed on to On the week of the Thanksgiving holiday, while still engaging,” Power said. “It would be a things were “more important than business.” make about 17,000 barrels of Resilience across really cool thing to see this grow.”

Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman sent out

T

“Donating 100 percent of a 10-barrel batch is hard for a new business whose primary revenue comes from tap room sales, so we’d essentially be donating a huge chunk of what we normally do,” said Jordan Fink of Woods Boss. “That would have been $20,000 or more dollars.”

Instead, Fink and his co-founder, Chad Moore, reached out to other

HOW DENVER BREWERIES DID THEIR PART

B

usinesses approached making the beer in different ways. For companies like Woods Boss Brewing Co., which has been in business for just over a year, giving 100 percent of the proceeds for a large batch of beer can be a big hit to a startup budget.

small breweries to see if they would be interested in doing a collaboration batch. In the end, 10 breweries from across the state, including Bruz Beers in Denver, brewed Resilience on Wood Boss’s 10-barrel system.

Each brewery took a barrel, making the cost easier to manage. Fink said it also had the benefit of spreading the beer into more communities in Colorado.

Woods Boss also participated in a different event to raise money for the Camp Fire. After a Colorado-

based artist’s family home was destroyed in the fire, WestFax Brewing Co. brought together seven more breweries, including Woods Boss, for an event. The breweries sold limited edition cans with art by David Heath.

Lady Justice Brewing was another company that saw this as an opportunity to do something different with its business model.

The brewery sells its beers through a subscription, where members pay per bottle of beer. But earlier this

year, the brewery joined Factotum Brewhouse’s tap lineup in the hopes of reaching more customers, said co-founder Kate Power. The brewery has also done several charity beers, focusing on nonprofits that benefit women and girls. Even though the cause for Resiliencewas outside of their typical mission umbrella, Power said this was a chance to work with other breweries in a new way.

“It just really resonated with us because it was such an honest and genuine ask,” she said

Washington Park Profile 25

January 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, Jan. 17

EVENTS Bilingual Yoga 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 5 Cultivate presence through breath-linking movements in this vinyasa yoga class cued in both English and Spanish. This flowing, dynamic class is beneficial for all practitioners. $10 public Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org Free First Saturday at the Denver Art Museum 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5.

Free general admission tickets are available on-site starting at 10 am. Kids 18 and under receive free general admission to the DAM every day. Current exhibitions include “Rembrandt: Painter as Printmaker,” “Stampede: Animals in Art,”“Claes Oldenburg with Coosje van Bruggen: Drawings” and more. Tickets for “Dior: From Paris to World” have an additional admission price.

720-865-5000.

Denver Art Museum 100 W 14th Ave. Parkway denverartmuseum.org Growing Roses in Colorado 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 5 Roses grow great in Colorado! The consulting rosarian for the American Rose Society shares tips for growing roses in Colorado. $32, $27 member Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens. org

“A Typewriter Revolution” 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12.

The members of Buntport Theater challenge the digital paradigm with poems and stories written on, for and about our good old friend… the Typewriter!

Single tickets are $15-$28 303-494-0523 Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center 721 Santa Fe Dr. storiesonstage.org Tropical Trails Tour 2 to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 12 and Jan. 26 The plants in the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory enjoy a warm climate year-round. Enjoy the lush vegetation, vibrant flowers and warmth of the tropics as you stroll through the Gardens’ tropical collections with a docent. $14, $12 member, $10 student Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org

Yoga with Crystal Singing Bowls 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 3, 10 and 17 Enjoy a yoga class, and while in savasana, soak in the vibrations of crystalline singing bowls.

These bowls are believed to promote balance, calming energy and relaxation. $18, $15 member Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org

Denver Brass Presents “Rhapsody in Brass” 7:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12 Join us as we welcome New York pianist Steven Mayer and the acclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. We’ll bring to life the American sounds of Gershwin, Bernstein, and more. Tickets start at $39. Discounts for students, seniors & new fans.

Ellie Caulkins Opera House Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1385 Curtis St. 303-832-4676 denverbrass.org

4th Annual Northwest Beer Fest 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11 Generous samples from over 10 local brewers.

Local cider and wine, too. Tickets $30 in advance, $40 day-of. $50 – VIP tickets – Exclusive access 7-8 pm, VIP section, Private tasting, Master brewer talk from Woods Boss Brewing. Can’t attend? Send a teacher for free - $25.

The Oriental Theater 4335 W. 44th Ave. 720-420-0030 theorientaltheater.com

Volunteer Open House at History Colorado 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12.

Learn about the essential role volunteers play in education, guest services, and visitor support. Current volunteers and staff will be on hand to discuss openings and the rewards of volunteering. We will be handing out prizes to attendees for your participation which will include: the chance to win free tickets to the History Colorado Center & Colorado Center for Women’s History at the Byers Evans

House, the chance to enter into a raffle for a free behind the scenes tour of the History Colorado collections.

Call 303-447-8679 History Colorado Center 1200 Broadway historycolorado.org Beatles vs. Stones 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13 Two of the greatest bands of all time face off in a highenergy, adrenaline-pumping musical showdown. Tickets are $20 - $45. The show is appropriate for all ages.

The Oriental Theater 4335 W. 44th Ave. 720-420-0030 theorientaltheater.com Macramé Air Plant Hanger Workshop Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13 In this workshop, Amie Phillips of Boriya + Co, introduces the steps necessary to create macramé pieces. Learn four basic macramé knots and use these knots to craft a plant hanger for an air plant. $48, $42 member Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org Mark Padmore, tenor and Paul Lewis, piano 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16.

Dubbed “the dream team” by The New York Times, world-class English tenor, Mark Padmore, and internationally-renowned pianist, Paul Lewis, will appear as a part of Friends of Chamber Music’s 65th season. $40 for adults; $10 for ages 30 and under.

Box office: 303-871-7720 Gates Hall, Newman Center for the Performing Arts 2344 E. Iliff Ave. friendsofchambermusic.com Happy Hour Chamber Concerts 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18.

A Musical Journey Through Time, with Ann Marie Morgan and Sandra Wong. Viola da gamba and nyckelharpa are a match made in heaven, sharing and enhancing each other’s resonances to create a new “instrument”. Sandra and Ann Marie will reach back into the origins of their instruments (15th century), making stops along the way in the Renaissance, Baroque and Folk genres. New compositions from the 20th/21st centuries will also be featured. Works by Bach take on a whole new life in their care.

Tickets: $15/$13 in advance; $17/$15 at the door.

Epiphany Lutheran Church 790 S. Corona St. happyhourconcerts.org/buy-tickets Invitation to Ikebana: Contemporary 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 Ikebana is an expression of our respect and appreciation towards nature. We observe life

through the arrangement of plants. During each class, participants get hands-on instruction to put together an arrangement to take home. $44, $39 member Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org SPREE Holiday Camp: Environment Investigators 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21.

SPREE= South Plate River Environmental Education. Join SPREE when DPS has off for fun and educational days filled with games, crafts, adventures and even top secret missions about the environment! at Johnson Habitat Park 610 S. Jason St. thegreenwayfoundation.org League of Women Voters Denver Presents: Dreamers, View the Movie and Meet the Dreamers 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22.

This 30-minute documentary tells the story of five Dreamers who are no different from our own young relatives except they have no stable status in our country.

Montview Presbyterian Church 1980 Dahlia St., McCollum Room lwvdenver.org Family Workshop: Winter Fairies 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 Create miniature lands for mystical garden friends. Discover what plants fairies prefer as you design, plant and landscape a tiny oasis for a fairy. Each child can create a container garden to take home. Workshops offer families a hands-on opportunity to learn about the science and enchantment behind the plants in our everyday lives, create tasty treats from scratch and explore the natural world. Classes are designed for families with children ages 5-10. All adults attending the workshop must register for the program. Non-participating siblings do not participate in the activities. $17 non-member child; $15 member child; $12 non-member adult, $10 member adult.

Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org Preserving Citrus: Marmalade 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 Learn the history of marmalade and how to make your own with fresh, organic, winter citrus spread.

Participants take home one jar of handmade marmalade preserves. $56, $51 member Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org Starting Your Garden from Seed 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 26 This class demystifies the seed-starting process and explores unusual seeds. The class is good review for more the advanced gardener who may need a refresher. $37, $32 member Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org SEE THINGS TO DO, P26

26 Washington Park Profile

Things to Do FROM PAGE 25

The INDO EXPO Trade Show 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27.

Attendees will find the merchandise to fill the shelves of the following stores: Hydroponic, Garden, Dispensaries, Smoke, Hardware, Apparel, Gift, Jewelry and Accessories, Souvenir, Art and Glass Galleries, Ski and more.

Denver Mart 451 E. 58th Ave. go.evvnt.com/323533-2?pid=4951 Art of Smartphone Photography 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31 Whether you’re new to photography or a seasoned professional, there is more to learn about leveraging this accessible digital technology. $29, $24 member Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.org Comedy with Roger Mondays 10 p.m.

303-320-9200 | Lion’s Lair, 2022 E. Colfax Ave. www.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

January 2019 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, multimedia astronomy presentation. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for kids and is payable online via PayPal. Reservations are recommended, as nights sell out. Times vary by season.

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

We open wines that most stores wouldn’t dare to open. Whether it’s grand cru champagne, cult cabernet or an amazing bottle of Amarone.

Find out what the wine of the week is on our website!

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

Washington Park Dos Chappell Bath House, 600 S. Marion Parkway fanswashingtonpark.org

Denver GOP First Friday Breakfast First Friday of the month 7 a.m.

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

303-782-9555 Pete’s Greek Town Cafe 2910 E. Colfax Ave. www.denvergop.org

Orchid Showcase Jan. 10 through Feb. 17 This annual exhibit presents hundreds of colorful orchid blooms in the Orangery and Marnie’s Pavilion. Common and rare species are featured, some even so special they must remain behind the greenhouse glass.

Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York St. botanicgardens.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

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. 720-8655000 Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverartmuseum.org/calendar/stampedepublic-tours

ART Resolutions-Women’s Caucus for Art Show @ Core New Art Space Jan. 3 through Jan. 20. Opening reception: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11.

This year’s Annual Member’s Show was chosen to represent the “action” of solving a problem or making a decision. Event is free.

Core New Art Space, 900 Santa Fe Dr. coreartspace.com Winter Break at the Denver Art Museum Through Jan. 6 Winter Break at the Denver Art Museum means fun for the whole family. The Print Studio, Create-n-Takes, Gallery Games, A Walk in the Woods, and much more are open every day. All Winter Break activities are included in general admission, free for kids 18 and younger. The exhibition “Dior: From Paris to the World” requires separate ticket. Advance purchase is highly recommended.

Denver Art Museum 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverartmuseum.org Germinal Stage: Harold Pinter’s “The Collection” and “The Room” 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m.

Sundays, through Feb. 2.

Classic one-acts by the Nobel Laureate!

303-455-7108 John Hand Theater 7653 E. First Place

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 Last Friday of every month In appreciation supporters of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SFCD), and in the spirit of community engagement, the Museum offers free admission on the last Friday of every month.

720-354-4880 Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. clyffordstillmuseum.org SEE THINGS TO DO, P27

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Washington Park Profile 27

January 2019

Things to Do

Free Yoga for All Sundays 10 a.m.

Relax and stretch with free yoga at a year round class designed for all ages and levels.

Bring a mat if you can. Donations are appreciated but not required.

720-244-8252 Alamo Placita Park, East Fourth Avenue & Ogden Street wscc-denver.org

FROM PAGE 26

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 MondayThursday 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 Street, offers affordable day and evening English classes.

If you are interested in teaching, assisting, or for more enrollment info. call 303-4200172, or contact Caryn Oppenheim, Exect.

Director at Caryn.elcdenver@gmail.com

Discover

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 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 Sundays 4 p.m.

Leave your troubles behind and practice meditation and Kirtan every Sunday. Childcare provided. 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.

All are welcome, free, no jokes just laughter for no reason, with Chi Kung warmups, pure joy!! 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 in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway meetup.com/learntocodedenver

Historic Grant Avenue Presents: nd

Winter Wines 2 Year!

Friday, February 8th in our theater

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

Four-Course wine and food paired dinner with appetizers!

Special release ticket pricing in January for $40 only 2 weeks!

Live music, silent auction with cash bar.

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

Discount tickets available in early January on EventBrite for 2 weeks ONLY! 216 South Grant Street For information call: 303-733-8940 www.HistoricGrantAve.org

SEE THINGS TO DO, P29

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28 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Elizabeth Sprague, RN Parker Adventist Hospital

Beyond health care.

This is Liz care.

Liz Sprague, an RN for Centura Health, works the night shift and specializes in care for Women & Babies. With a passion for treating newborns, Liz believes it truly takes a village to raise a child. At Centura Health, we pride ourselves on being instruments of whole person care, like Liz serving the Denver Metro region. Discover more at centura.org

Care for your whole self.

Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its

programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 1-303-673-8166 (TTY: 711). Copyright © Centura Health, 2017. ATENCIÓN: Si habla

español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-303-673-8166 (TTY: 711). CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-303-673-8166 (TTY: 711).

Washington Park Profile 29

January 2019

Things to Do FROM PAGE 27

Tech Help Appointments Tuesdays 1 p.m.

Get personalized technology assistance and instruction on your own device or a public computer. Call your library for available times and schedule your own appointment.

Tuesdays, we have 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. appointments.

720-865-0135 Ross-Broadway Branch Library, 33 E. Bayaud Ave. www.denverlibrary.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.

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 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 Wednesday Nights Open Stage Wednesdays, 9 p.m.

Open Stage for musicians, comics & magicians. Free, sign up with Host 303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com

Thursday Evening Meditation Thursdays 7 p.m.

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

Padmasambhava Meditation Center, 1900 S. Cook St. padmasambhavameditationcenter.org Daybreak Toastmasters Fridays, 7 a.m.

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

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

Going through a tough time? Developing mindfulness can often help us find new resiliency. Join professional instructor Nancy Nielsen for a supportive mindfulness meditation class that’s free and open to all. 720-865-1111 Denver Public Library: Central branch, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway

KIDSTUFF All Ages Open Lab Sundays 1 p.m.

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

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

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org SEE THINGS TO DO, P30

Caring. Creative. Confident.

Courageous. Curious.

This Could Be Your High School Student NEXT YEAR!

Washington Park’s Primary Care Clinic for over 30 years welcomes Dr. McBrearty to our practice.

Happiness Hour Fridays 5 p.m.

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

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

Seeing is Believing— Come Visit

DSST: BYERS

Dr. McBrearty has been practicing Family Medicine in the Denver area since 2011.

He completed his residency at Swedish Family Medicine in 2014. Dr. McBrearty has lived in the Wash Park/University/Rosedale area for the past seven years and looks forward to serving the needs of the individuals in his community. He will provide compassionate, efficient, and up-to-date medical care to you and your family in a location just blocks from your home. This is a small clinic where you will be treated like friends and family, not just another “number”. Avoid the traffic… walk, bike or ride to our medical clinic and meet Dr. Sean McBrearty and his outstanding medical team! Join the practice now while he is still accepting new patients!

South Logan Family Medicine A Division of MedNOW Clinics, Inc.

895 S Logan St, Denver 80209

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30 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Things to Do FROM PAGE 29

Tattered Tales Storytime Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.

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

303-322-1965, ext. 2731 Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax Ave. tatteredcover.com Slime Club Tuesdays 4 p.m.

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

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

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

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

Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.

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

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

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

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

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway http://denverlibrary.org/idealab Eazy Gaming Wednesdays 4:00 p.m.

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

Ideal for ages 6-18.

720-865-0160 Byers Branch Library, 675 Santa Fe 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

Remarkably Creative!

“Afraid you won’t standout when writing an offer?”

I have lots of ideas to help you get your dream house!

Drop-In Snack and Craft!

Thursdays 3 p.m.

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

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

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

Caregivers must remain in the room with their children.

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

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

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

Meet every Saturday to learn how to code!

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

720-865-1706 ideaLAB in Community Technology Center of DPL Central library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway teens.denverlibrary.org Teen Open Lab Interested in recording music or editing videos? Want to use the 3D printer or learn about Arduino? Want to learn how to make a video games? Ready to sew or paint a masterpiece? Just want to hang out and play games? Drop-in, for teens 12-19, free.

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

OUTREACH Nicotine Anonymous Sundays 12:30 p.m.

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

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 915 E. 9th Ave. http://nicotine-anonymous.

Nar-Anon Sundays 6:45 p.m.

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

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

Providing meals at no cost to its clients and it is sustained by committed and compassionate volunteers. 303-839-1432 St. Paul Lutheran and Roman Catholic Community of Faith, 1600 Grant St. grantstreetreach.org Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous Mondays 7 p.m.

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

303-775-8062 Trinity United Methodist Church, 1820 Broadway foodaddicts.org Home for the Heart AL-ANON Mondays - Group Al-Anon Adult Children of Alcoholics. Tuesday through Thursday - Group Al-Anon. Fridays - Group Al-Anon (Meditation the first 10 minutes).

Room 114, In lower level. Trinity United Methodist Church, 1820 Broadway al-anon-co.org Historic Preservation Committee Meeting Mondays 7 p.m.

This Historic Preservation Committee is responsible for numerous historic districts as well as individually designated homes and buildings.

Join us each month to learn what is happening in your neighborhood and to add to your voice.

Castle Marne, 1572 Race St. Moderation Management Tuesdays 6:30 p.m.

Weekly meetings for problem (vs. chronic) drinkers who want to reduce their intake of alcohol.

Email: denver@moderation.org.

First Unitarian Church, 1400 Lafayette St. moderation.org SEE THINGS TO DO, P31

BORIS’S UPHOLSTERY

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Washington Park Profile 31

January 2019

Things to Do FROM PAGE 30

Joy AL-ANON Tuesdays 8 p.m.

Al-Anon’s Purpose is to help friends and families of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. In the Roberts Building, Room 103.

Saint John’s Cathedral 1350 Washington St. al-anon-co.org LifeRing Secular Recovery Meeting Wednesdays 6 p.m.

A network of people who support one another in living free of alcohol and other non-medically indicated addictive drugs.

303-875-5088 First Unitarian Church 1400 Lafayette St. liferingcolorado.org Marijuana Anonymous Wednesdays 6:30 p.m.

A fellowship of people who share experience, strength and hope with each other that we may solve our common problem and help others to recover from marijuana addiction.

Unity Church on the Hill 1555 Race St. marijuana-anonymous.org FREE Support with Binge Eating Challenges Thursdays 6 p.m.

This support group is ideal

for individuals at least 18 years old who are struggling with a binge type eating disorder. All groups are free of charge. We hold confidential groups facilitated by specialists to allow you to gain the support you need.

The Eating Disorder Foundation 1901 E. 20th Ave. eatingdisorderfoundation.org

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY Catholic Mass Sundays 7:30 a.m.

Also, Spanish Mass, 12:30 p.m. (2nd and 4th Sundays) and African Mass, 1 p.m. (3rd Sunday).

303-322-8042 St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church 2301 York St. loyoladenver.org Episcopal Service Sunday, 7:45 a.m., 9:30 a.m. 303-388-6469 St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1280 Vine St. stbdenver.org Anglican Services Sundays 7:45 a.m.

303-831-7115 Saint John’s Cathedral, 1350 Washington St. sjcathedral.org Orthodox Low Mass Sundays 8 a.m.

Church School at 9:10 a.m., Anglican Chant Matins at 9:45 a.m., Solemn High Mass at 10 a.m.

St. Mark’s Church, 1405 S. Vine St.

Interdenominational Service Sundays 8:30 a.m.

303-800-8269 Denver United Church 660 S. Broadway denverunited.com Catholic Mass Sundays 8:30 a.m.

Also at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

303-831-7010 Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 1535 Logan St. denvercathedral.org Catholic Mass Sundays 9 a.m.

303-534-4014 St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Parish, 1060 St. Francis Way stelizabethdenver.org Acts 29 Christian Service Sundays 9 a.m.

L2 Church 1477 Columbine St. L2today.com Contemporary Services Sundays 9 a.m.

11 a.m. Service offered as well.

303-322-5733 Church in the City-Beth Abraham 1580 Gaylord St. churchinthecity.org Sunday Progressive Service Sundays 9:30 a.m.

Please join us in celebrating our next era of active, progressive service in the 21st

century! We value, accept, appreciate and celebrate each person’s uniqueness, creativity, and talents as expressions of God. ALL are welcome.

303-388-6469 St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1280 Vine St. www.stbdenver.org Lutheran Worship Sundays 9:30 a.m.

All are welcome to share in God’s grace.

303-831-7023 Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 915 E. 9th Ave. oslchurchdenver.org Presbyterian Services Sundays 9:30 a.m.

Followed by fellowship at 10:30 a.m. and education for all ages at 11 a.m.

303-333-9366 Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church, 1100 Fillmore St. capitolheightspresbyterian.org Orthodox Mass Sundays 10 a.m.

303-698-2433 Saint Augustine Orthodox Church, 55 W. Third Ave. staugustinedenver.org Interfaith Devotions Sundays 10 a.m.

303-744-6456 Baha’i Center of Metro Denver, 225 E. Bayaud Ave. denverbahais.org

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32 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Ceremony a ‘beautiful moment’ for new citizens Naturalization event held for youths from around metro area

By Nick Puckett npuckett@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Families from all over the Front Range gathered as 51 youths became citizens of the United States at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Centennial. For many, it was the final step in officially bringing a family together.

The naturalization ceremony, which took place on the final day of National Adoption Awareness Month, marked the end of a long journey for many of the new citizens, who ranged in age from 4 to 17. The Nov. 30 ceremony recognized children who obtained citizenship through their parents, either through adoption or after their parents became citizens through naturalization.

Stephanie Logan, of Golden, watched as her son, Lazarus, 12, originally from Ghana in West Africa, received his certificate as a citizen. Lazarus has lived in the United States since 2014. Logan and her husband, Cedric, have three other children, Elliot, Audrey and Naomi.

“It’s been a real adventure from the outset,” Logan said. “Always lots of surprises for us, but just a joy for us as a family to learn about each other and to grow and connect together. This for us solidifies that family-ness. This is the last piece of paperwork that has our family name on it together. It’s just a really beautiful moment.”

Naturalization is a process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The USCIS welcomes about 750,000 citizens during naturalization ceremonies each year.

The children received certificates recognizing their citizenship once they completed an oath and pledge of allegiance. A video message from

Vinny Castilla, former major league baseball player for the Colorado Rockies, gives a speech to a group of children preparing to become naturalized citizens.

Castilla, from Mexico, received his Certificate of Citizenship through naturalization in October and spoke about the opportunities living in America has provided him.

NICK PUCKETT

After receiving his citizenship certificate, Griffin Walugembe smiles down at the document.

the president congratulating the new citizens was played as well.

Logan said she felt excited and relieved once her son received his certificate.

“There’s a certain atmosphere around immigrants today that makes it a really big moment to have his citizenship and to know he is permanently accounted for,” Logan said.

The ceremony came during a time of much controversy surrounding undocumented immigrants coming into the United States, primarily from Mexico. President Donald Trump has led initiatives to attempt

to tighten security along the U.S.Mexico border.

The 51 new citizens hail from all over the world, including Australia, Burma, Canada, China, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, India, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Philippines, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.

“We’re really happy,” said Fred Canales.

His daughter, Heydi Canales Zabala, 10, received her certificate during the ceremony. The family moved to Denver from El Salvador

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“My father is a citizen too, now my daughter,” Fred Canales said. “It’s really nice to be a citizen. And we’re really happy.”

The Certificate of Citizenship serves as evidence of a person’s, or their child’s, U.S. citizenship. The certificates are only issued to people who were born abroad but are U.S. citizens at birth through their parents or who became citizens after birth, but before the age of 18.

Former Colorado Rockies third baseman Vinny Castilla spoke to the children and their families during the ceremony telling his

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Castilla spoke about his dream to play in Major League Baseball and how coming to America has helped him realize that childhood dream.

“I was so happy to become an American, because I am so thankful to this country,” Castilla said. “I’m very thankful to this country and grateful what this country has done for me.”

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34 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Longtime educator chosen for top job at DPS Susana Cordova will start in January as superintendent

“I feel like what happened to me was more good fortune than it was a design. My belief

By Melanie Asmar Chalkbeat.org

Nearly 30 years after she began her career in Denver as a bilingual teacher, Susana Cordova was selected Dec. 17 as superintendent of the 92,000-student school district.

The Denver school board voted unanimously to appoint Cordova, who has served as the district’s deputy superintendent for the past two years. She will take over the top job in January.

“I’m incredibly humbled and gratified by the support from the board,” Cordova said after the vote.

While critics have said Cordova shoulders some of the blame for persistent problems in the district, including big test score gaps between students of color and white students, board members praised her for her knowledge of Denver, her experience as an educator, and her ability to, as board member Barbara O’Brien said, “talk to people on the other side of the aisle.”

Since being named a finalist for the job, “Susana was faced with a lot of controversy and she didn’t avoid the controversy, but she leaned into it,” board member Happy Haynes said.

“We all knew Susana as a deep listener,”

is we must be working intentionally to be creating equity by design and not by chance,” Susana Cordova, superintendent Denver Public Schools

Haynes said. “But to watch her in the community sessions, listening to each person regardless of what their concern was and whether they agreed with her or not — she listened deeply. And that’s an extraordinary attribute for a leader.”

Cordova, 52, has spent her entire career in Denver Public Schools. She has been a teacher and principal in district-run schools, and a district administrator overseeing them. A big part of her job in recent years has been helping struggling district-

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Drew Schutz is principal at Valverde Elementary, one of the schools that got extra funding and help. Schutz said Cordova provided guidance in tangible ways, visiting Valverde several times and brainstorming strategies that could boost student learning there.

Devotion stood out One action that stands out to him, Schutz said, was when Cordova pitched in when he was trying to recruit parents to help with redesigning the low-performing school.

“She was out here one day — a sweltering hot day in the middle of the summer — and she was going door to door with me in the community,” Schutz said. “That was a point where I realized she was truly invested in soliciting community voice.”

Cordova is different from her predecessor, Tom Boasberg, in several ways that community members have said are important. Cordova is Latina, and she will lead a district where 55 percent of students are Hispanic. She is also a lifelong educator and a lifelong Denver resident. Cordova graduated from Denver Public Schools, and she sent her own children to schools in the district. Her son graduated and her daughter is a senior in high school.

Cordova has talked about how the edu-

cation she received from the Denver Public Schools changed her life, but how some of her classmates and family members — students of color who grew up in workingclass neighborhoods — faced a different outcome.

“I feel like what happened to me was more good fortune than it was a design,” Cordova said at a public forum about her candidacy last week. “My belief is we must be working intentionally to be creating equity by design and not by chance.”

After the Dec. 17 vote, Cordova said she couldn’t help but think back to herself in elementary school — and how much it would have meant to 8-year-old her to know she’d one day lead the school district.

“I don’t know that I could have imagined this,” Cordova said. She added that she’s excited “to make sure the 8- and 9-yearolds sitting in our classrooms today have all the access and opportunities I had.”

Cordova was only finalist The appointment of Cordova as superintendent was expected, as she was the sole finalist for the position. That put her in the hot seat, with some parents and teachers questioning whether the search, which cost the district more than $160,000, was a sham.

SEE CORDOVA, P36

Washington Park Profile 35

January 2019

From Yuletide spirit to new growth Denver Recycles program turns Christmas trees into mulch

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The life of a Christmas tree is short: It spends a month or so in warm comfort, decorated with glowing lights, before it’s thrown out at the end of the year.

For the past 25 years, Denver Recycles, a program run by the city Public Works Department, has tried to combat that with Treecycle, which takes used Christmas trees and turns them into garden mulch.

Charlotte Pitt, a manager at Denver Recycles, said she enjoys the closed loop nature of the program — trees helping to provide new life in Denver gardens instead of sitting in a landfill. Because no oxygen gets to organic matter in landfills, decomposition creates methane, Pitt said.

“Recycling doesn’t work if you don’t have somewhere to put the end product,” she said. “Keeping the trees out is a great way to decrease methane production in the landfills.”

For the last 10 years, Denver Recycles has collected about 20,000 trees per year during the Treecycle event, Pitt said. How many trees are sold in Denver is a harder number to gauge. Dozens of organizations around the city sell real trees, and Denver’s proximity to the mountains means people can cut their own trees there.

The mulch from Christmas trees is given away in May during a one-day event with Denver Parks and Recreation. Last year, 855 cars came through the main site, and the city gave away about 5,000 cubic yards of mulch. The trees are stored until March, when Denver Recycles brings in a company to shred them, Pitt said.

“We know people aren’t thinking about mulch until May,” she said. “It just makes sense for us to wait.”

The city also adds additional branch debris to the mulch to give it a more varied

TO LEARN MORE Tree pick-up is on regularly scheduled trash days during the first two weeks of January.

Trees can also be dropped off at designated locations through Jan. 31. For more information on the Treecycle program, and where to drop off trees, visit www.denvergov.org/treecycle.

Denver Recycles is also taking old holiday lights through Jan. 19 at the Cherry Creek Recycling Drop-off, 7352 Cherry Creek S. Drive.

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For more information on the National Christmas Tree Association, as well as other recycling options, visit www.realchristmastrees. org/All-About-Trees/How-to-Recycle. consistency. The mulch is not decorative and should be used as a first layer in gardening, Pitt said.

Turning trees into mulch is only one way to recycle, said Doug Hundley, a spokesperson with the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA). The organization, based in Littleton, has a page on its website dedicated to different recycling efforts across the nation. In Illinois, trees are being used to create habitat for herons.

“People do a lot of creative things with these trees,” Hundley said.

The NCTA represents about 15,000 tree farmers nationwide. Each year, the organization donates the official Christmas tree to the White House.

To recycle the trees in Denver, Pitt said it’s important that all decorations be removed.

Denver Recycles serves the city and county of Denver’s Solid Waste Management customers. Customers can place their trees on the curb in their regular trash collection spot. If placed on the side of the curb, they should not be bagged.

To make sure it collects as many trees as possible, the program takes a page out of the book of Saint Nick himself by having the program run through two weeks of trash services in January.

“We drive by every home twice,” Pitt said.

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36 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

DPS students hear Michelle Obama speak Preschool showcase helps parents prepare for fall

gather information on enrolling their children into fall programming. Parents can also learn more about tuition assistance for preschool programming. The event will be held on Jan. 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

More than 50 preschool programs attend the showcase, including early childhood education centers from Denver Public Schools, private programs, community programs, and in-home childcare programs.

“By talking with parents and caregivers of young children, especially those exploring preschool for the first time, we identified a need for an event that offers personalized guidance,” said Jennifer Landrum, president and CEO of Denver Preschool Program, in the news release. “Not only does the Preschool Showcase bring together wonderfully supportive resources, but it also shows Denver’s special commitment to helping its youngest citizens prepare for kindergarten.”

to get there. We are slowly creeping in and many programs are taking notice,” she said.

SchoolChoice enrollment begins this month The SchoolChoice enrollment period for the 201920 school year at DPS runs from Jan. 15 to Feb. 15 and Staff Report McKinley-Thatcher Elementary, 1230 S. Grant St., will be open for applications during that time. The SchoolChoice More than 150 DPS students and family members were program is designed to ensure all students have access to given the opportunity to hear the former first lady speak quality schools by allowing families to complete an online during the “Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with application to sign up for a space at their preferred school.

Michelle Obama” event on Dec. 13. The district was able Families looking for a community-focused school may r to send students to the event through donors and partnerprefer love McKinley-Thatcher Elementary – with 200 stu- t ships, such as Obama’s UpNext Campaign, according to a dents in preschool to fifth grade, McKinley-Thatcher is one o news release. of the smallest schools in the district. They offer half-day e The UpNext Campaign helps historically underreprepreschool for 3-year-olds and full-day preschool for 4-year- I sented students through the college application process, as olds, as well as before/after-school care and enrichment i well as through critical stages in higher education, the news classes. With a focus on experiential learning, teaching the w release said. whole child, and individualized attention for each student, South High School Cheerleaders compete at state McKinley-Thatcher is being promoted as a great fit for any- r The South High School Cheerleader competed with 40 Preschool showcase to hold event at Denver Zoo one in south Denver. Visit their website, mckinleythatcher. c other teams for state on Dec. 7. The team placed in the top The Denver Preschool Program is holding its seventh an20 said Meredith Barrow, the head coach, in an email. nual showcase this month at the Norgen Hall of the Denver dpsk12.org, for more information or to sign up for a school j “We have an incredible group of athletes who are hungry Zoo. The Preschool Showcase is free and helps parents tour. o a O projects. Charter schools are pub-“ role as a senior district official, she forum, Cordova talked about how selected on her merits. licly funded but independently B she believes training on bias and is partly to blame for the disFive of the seven school board run, and they are controversial q culturally responsive teaching trict’s failure to serve students of members were enthusiastic in should be mandatory for all teach- because some people see them as color and those from low-income their comments Dec. 17 about FROM PAGE 34 siphoning money and students c ers instead of allowing some to families as well as it serves white Cordova leading the district. Two from district-run schools. opt out. r students and those from wealthier others — Jennifer Bacon and CarBoard members said they Duran’s firm, D.A. Davidson, Cordova’s husband’s job has families. White students regularly rie Olson — were more measured. intended to name multiple finalhas said it wouldn’t do business w also caused some to question outperform students of color on Both acknowledged community ists but two candidates dropped if she should lead the district. state standardized tests. concerns. Bacon paused before out. Cordova has repeatedly said with Denver Public Schools or any l Her husband, Eric Duran, is a Cordova has acknowledged casting her “aye” vote. she would have preferred to have of Denver’s 60 charter schools if banker who helps charter schools those gaps and said closing them One of the main criticisms of competition for the job so the Cordova were appointed superin- f get financing for construction f would a top priority. At last week’s Cordova is that, because of her community could be sure she was tendent.

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Washington Park Profile 37

January 2019

Children’s Hospital Colorado welcomes two special guests Michelle Obama, Santa Claus share holiday cheer with kids

By Joseph Rios jrios@coloradocommunitymedia.com

There was a buzz in the air at the Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora as children began to slowly make their way to the hospital’s lobby. The children, ages 3 to 17, were patients of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Neurosciences Institute, Heart Institute, Rehabilitation, Orthopedics Institute and trauma and surgery departments. They had no idea what they were about to see — they just knew that they were going to some type of holiday event.

As the children made their way to the lobby that was decorated with a sky-high Christmas tree and two large, white chairs, it became apparent amongst the crowd that this wasn’t just any event.

Families and individuals packed balconies above the lobby on Dec. 13, to watch as former first lady Michelle Obama and Santa Claus entered the room to a roar from the crowd.

Obama, who is in Denver as part of a tour for her book, “Becoming,” started off the event by reading “The Night Before Christmas.” Once the book was finished, she answered questions that the children had.

“What inspires me? It’s kids like you,” Obama told the crowd. “Whenever I meet kids like you guys, it gives me a reason to work harder.”

Leslie Hernandez, a child who sat through the event in a wheelchair, said she felt inspired by seeing the former first lady in person.

“It makes me happy that she came to visit us. I got to see a famous person today,” Hernandez said with a big grin on her face.

Once Obama left, Santa handed children presents like books and board games. Obama has met with other children on her book tour, including at Whitney Young High School in Chicago and the Boys and Girls Club in Boston.

“It was awesome. The timing was beautiful, and I think she is such a great role model for young women, and Americans in general,” said Roslyn Swinton, a mother of one of the children in attendance.

Children watch down from the balconies as Obama enters the lobby of the Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Obama answers a question about if she is going to run for President. “The answer is no,” she said. “I have two girls who spent eight years with the spotlight on them. They’ve had to struggle with living a normal life.”

PHOTOS BY JOSEPH RIOS Sydney Rohrich runs off from Santa after getting a present from him. Rohrich is eight, and she was recently discharged from the hospital.

Leslie Hernandez gets a chance to ask Obama a question. Hernandez said it made her happy that Obama visited.

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Washington Park Profile 39

January 2019

Denver roofs go from Ordinance changed to allow for more sustainable options

By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com

In 2017, 54 percent of Denver voters approved an ordinance that aimed to make the city’s roofs greener, and thus, better for the environment, despite big money opposition. But in October of this year, city council approved some changes to the ordinance that some see as a weakening of the voters’ intent.

The original green roof ordinance required new buildings 25,000 square feet or higher — with the exception of residentials under four stories — to ensure a certain percentage of their rooftop is used for gardens and vegetative space or solar pannels. A building could cover its entire roof in solar panels to be exempt from the requirement. Existing buildings could receive a total waiver or they could get the percentage that needs to be covered reduced by applying to the Denver Planning Board.

Under the new requirements, new Denver roofs must be white or “cool roofs,” which reflect sunshine instead of absorbing it. Property owners also have several other sustainable options to work into the design, including green space on the roof or somewhere else on the property, solar panels,or paying money to the city’s Green Building Fund.

Existing buildings have similar options to positively impact the city’s environmental health.

Kyle Zeppelin, co-president of Zeppelin Development, said the changes reflect a lack of leadership and dampening of the positive effects residents voted for when they approved a green roof ordinance in 2017.

“These changes are giving industries a reprieve, when Zeppelin this should have been a lever to get more greenspace into Denver,” Zeppelin said. “We had an opportunity to make up some ground on green development. Instead, the results are exactly what the building industry wanted.”

Zeppelin Development was behind several projects in the River North neighborhood, such as Zeppelin Station and The Source Hotel.

Brandon Rietheimer, founder and campaign manager of the original green roof requirements, approved of the revisions made to the original ordinance.

green to white

GREEN ROOF ORDINANCE Denver’s original green-roof law: • Buildings must dedicate a percentage of a building’s roof to green and vegetative space or solar panels. Percentage is based on roof square-footage.

• Passed with 54 percent of the vote in November 2017.

• Applied to most new buildings of at least 25,000 square feet. When it’s time for existing buildings to get new roofs, they are also subjected to the ordinance.

are exempt from going beyond a white roof.

Denver’s new cool-roof rules: • Roofs must be white or “cool roofs,” which reflect sunshine instead of absorbing it.

• Property owners also have several sustainable options to work into the design, including green space on the roof or somewhere else on the property, solar panels,or paying money to the city’s Green Building Fund.

• Approved unanimously by Denver City Council in October 2018.

• Exemptions: Parking garages Temporary or air-supported structures Greenhouses Single-family homes, duplexes Multifamily residential buildings that are five stories or less Emergency roof replacements for wind or fire

• Residential buildings under four stories are exempted. Buildings of five stories and smaller

• Applies to buildings of at least 25,000 square feet.

• There are other exemptions based on technical feasibility, character-defining features and existing green roof or renewable energy systems.

“There were some major flaws in the ordinance I drafted. One was that only a portion of the roof had to be covered and it did not specify that the other portion of the roof had to be a cool roof,” he said. “The largest issue was that nearly 90 percent of existing buildings would have been exempted the way it was written. Significant climate impact would have been lost had we allowed these buildings to be exempted.”

Making a positive impact on climate change was a key motivation behind the ordinance in the first place, especially since Colorado could be in for some hot summers in the coming years if data projections from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) are correct. These projections state that by 2080, Denver could see about 79 days above 95 degrees.

The situation could be exacerbated by the fact that Denver has the third worst heat island in the country, according to the DDPHE. As the Environmental Protection Agency describes it, a heat island is a location where the population keeps the temperature higher than surrounding areas by building lots of unshaded surfaces like roofs and pavement. Heat islands can lead to increases in summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heatrelated illness and mortality, and water quality.

Once the ordinance passed, city staff went about looking at the best way to implement the new requirements. About 24 stakeholders got involved and they had nine three-hour meetings on implementation, said Katrina Managan, energy efficient buildings lead in the DDPHE’s Environmental Quality Division.

“We reached a consensus about adding some flexibility and expanded options for people to meet the requirements,” Managan said. “I really think we found the sweet spot with these changes.”

Rietheimer agreed, saying the new changes will allow for a more significant impact on the urban heat island and climate change by allowing multiple compliance pathways.

Where some like Rietheimer see the compromises as a positive, Zeppelin believes the less stringent requirements represent a missed opportunity by the city’s elected and environmental leaders.

“We need more forward-thinking leadership as we move forward,” Zeppelin said. “I think the original initiative captured the imagination and energy of a lot of people, and that’s not going anywhere.”

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40 Washington Park Profile

January 2019

Historic mansion receives award for LGBTQ-friendly events Staff Report The Grant-Humphreys Mansion was named best venue for an LGBTQ-friendly event in a national conference sponsored by Unique Venues, according to a news release from History Colorado.

The award is given annually to a venue in the United States that best caters to the LGBTQ community. Nominees are selected by local community members, peers and vendors, according to the release. History Colorado, a nonprofit museum, runs the Grant-Humphreys property at 770 Pennsylvania St. that was built in 1902.

“So many of the events we host are celebrations of people’s important life moments, and we have taken significant steps to ensure that everyone feels welcome to celebrate their most special days with us,” said Rita Rollman, director of the Grant-Humphreys Mansion, in the release. “This award is a powerful affirmation that we are doing work in ways that are truly inclusive and are meaningful to our community.”

Grant-Humphreys is a certified LGBTQfriendly vendor, and staff have taken classes on sensitivity awareness, business coaching and facility features. The venue also has a zerotolerance policy toward homophobic behavior and language.

The venue has inclusive policies such as using same-sex event photos in its publications, working with LGBTQ-friendly vendors, as well as having gender-neutral changing rooms and bathrooms. It also hosts an LGBTQ wedding show called “Pride and Unprejudice.”

The award was given at a conference held in Portland on Oct. 23.

The Grant-Humphries Mansion, located at 770 Pennsylvania St., trained their staff in sensitivity awareness and hosts a LGBTQ wedding show called “Pride and Unprejudice.” It was named the Best Venue for an LGBTQ-Friendly Event during a national conference in October.

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