Washington Park Profile 0520

WashParkProfile.com

MAY 2020

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Digital and print community newspaper founded in 1978.

NUTRITIOUS FOOD DURING CHALLENGING TIMES

VIRTUAL MUSIC

South High food pantry continues operations in temporary location

P6

Swallow Hill teachers offer online lessons

P9 ‘MOBILITY IS FREEDOM’ Nonprofit provides crutches to fill need in developing countries

P14 STAYING POSITIVE Small business owners talk struggles to keep doors open

P12

2 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

DENVER PROVIDES AUXILIARY SHELTERS

Vasi Reiva, a Denver Division of Public Safety cadet, helps set up a library inside the makeshift shelter for unhoused men at the National Western Center. April 8.

The city of Denver on April 9 opened an auxiliary shelter in the National Western Complex to provide housing and services for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Set up in the Hall of Education, the facility can provide shelter for about 600 men. On April 20, the city also implemented another auxiliary shelter in the nearby Denver Coliseum. This facility can host about 300 women and transgender individuals presenting as women who are experiencing homelessness.

The auxiliary shelters provide relief to the city’s existing homeless shelters, which faced challenges to provide physical distancing for individuals during the public health crisis.

KEVIN J. BEATY/DENVERITE)

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Business Matters

By Christy Steadman | csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com Editor’s Note: On April 24, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock announced that the city and county’s stay-at-home order was extended to May 8, and on May 5, he provided an update on what types of businesses will be permitted to re-open come May 9.

These businesses include: Offices, retail and commercial businesses — must operate with 50% or fewer of employees on-site with physical distancing measures of at least six feet between employees and customers.

Salon services including pet groomers, tattoo shops and personal trainers — must operate by appointment only and with fewer than 10 people or 50% occupancy, and with physical distancing measures in place as well as use of personal protection equipment such as face coverings/masks.

Limited health-care providers such as chiropractors and optometrists — operation regulations are the same as with salon services.

Field services such as in-person real-estate showings.

All businesses reopening must implement certain protective measures in addition to physical distancing such as offering special hours for vulnerable populations, providing hand sanitzer and/or wipes at entrances and frequent disinfecting of workplace common spaces. Additional recommended protective measures include symptom and temperature checks for employees.

The following businesses will remain closed for the time being: Dine-in restaurants and bars, but can remain open for take-out, delivery and curbside pickup services.

Movie theaters, concert venues, stadiums and similar venues.

Recreational facilities including playgrounds and libraries.

Gyms with limited exceptions.

Denver is following the state’s order on prohibiting large gatherings, including those of 10 or more people, through May 26.

Business Matters is a monthly column featuring business news in Denver. The May Business Matters column is a listing of some restaurants that provided information on their operations, as of April 30, on Colorado Community Media’s What’s Open feature on its websites. For May, the column includes both the Life on Capitol Hill and Washington Park Profile coverage areas.

While the May Business Matters column reflects only businesses in the food service industry, Colorado Community Media urges

you to reach out to your favorite local businesses — including retail, fitness and salon services — to find out their reopening status.

If you are a local business that would like to announce any updates to your operations, email Christy Steadman at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

Denver Pizza Company Open for takeout, delivery and take-andbake pizzas. Place orders by phone or online.

Address: 309 W. 11th Ave. in the Golden Triangle Contact: https://denverpizzaco.com/ Carmine’s on Penn Available for takeout Wednesday through Sunday from 4-7 p.m. Orders can be placed by phone beginning at noon, and all orders must be pre-ordered and prepaid. The pickup area is limited to one person at a time.

Address: 92 S. Pennsylvania St. in the Speer neighborhood Contact: www.carminescolorado.com, 303777-6443 Reivers Bar & Grill Open for to-go service. Orders can be placed by phone or the UberEats app.

Address: 1085 S Gaylord St. in Washington Park Contact: https://reiversbarandgrill.com, 303-733-8856 The Cookery at Myrtle Hill Open for carryout or curbside pickup.

Address: 1020 S Gaylord St. in Washington Park Contact: https://thecookeryatmyrtlehill. com/ Restaurant Olivia Open for takeout service from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily with menu options that include togo, fresh pasta kits and take-and-bake lasagna; as well as cocktails and wine.

Address: 290 S. Downing St. in Washington Park Contact: www.oliviadenver.com, 303-9990395, info@oliviadenver.com Devil’s Food Bakery Full-service bakery open for carryout or curbside pickup from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Address: 1004 S. Gaylord St. in Washington Park Contact: https://devilsfoodbakerydenver. com/

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Washington Park Profile 3

May 2020

Metro Caring needs volunteers, donations Anti-hunger nonprofit continues to serve amid pandemic

LEARN MORE Metro Caring is continuing its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about the organization, visit www. metrocaring.org. The website includes information on the organization’s needs for volunteers and financial donations during this time, as well as information about its operations for food distribution.

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Teva Sienicki, CEO of Metro Caring, points out that everybody has a story that revolves around food — whether it’s gardening fresh veggies with a relative, a specific dish that always accompanies a holiday dinner, or cooking that special meal from a recipe that has been passed down for generations.

“Food is something that brings us together,” Sienicki said. “We can love through our sharing of food traditions.”

And during this time of social distancing, Metro Caring is working to continue its mission of providing healthy, nutritious food and spark a togetherness in the community.

Metro Caring, at 1100 E. 18th Ave. in Denver, is a nonprofit anti-hunger organization that primarily serves the seven-county Denver metro area. Metro Caring has an emphasis on providing healthy, nutritious food “while building a movement to address the root causes of hunger,” states its website.

In the midst of COVID-19, Metro Caring is facing increased pressure to supply food for those who were already facing food insecurity and those who now need support following job loss.

“The need has gone through the roof,” Sienicki said, adding that it far surpasses the need during the Great Recession of 2008-2009.

Volunteer Lydia Nelson-Gardner packs a food box at Metro Caring, a nonprofit anti-hunger organization that has an emphasis on providing healthy, nutritious food.

COURTESY OF MICHELLE CHRISTIANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

“This pandemic is exposing inequities in an acute way. (And) those needs are not going to go away overnight.”

Sienicki added that the economic crisis will likely continue after the public health threat has subsided, and will have a long-term effect.

Metro Caring is dedicated to working with the community to meet people’s immediate need for food, and, in fact, is primed to respond quickly in such a crisis, said board

member Iris Gardner.

“Metro Caring’s model works because it gives people dignity during a time of need,” Gardner said. The model, she said, “is working with the community, rather than for the community.”

Though Metro Caring continues to operate with some adjustments to adhere to mandated social distancing measures, it is in immediate need of additional volunteers and financial

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Financial donations will support Metro Caring’s ability to buy food in bulk, and purchase personal protective equipment for volunteers.

As for volunteers, Metro Caring is asking that prospective volunteers are healthy, younger than age 65 and can commit to three, two-to-three-hour shifts each week.

“Volunteers are the heart of helping Metro Caring move forward,” Gardner said. “When we can give a part of ourselves, we reap the rewards, ten-fold.”

Gardner has always had a passion for providing access to nutritious for all people. She grew up in Denver and knew of Metro Caring, but moved out of state for 10 years. Upon returning, she began her volunteer journey with Metro Caring. In the past four years, she has worked in the organization’s Fresh Foods Market, helped establish the Spanish-language cooking classes and currently serves on the board of directors as she pursues a graduate degree and is employed fulltime.

“There is a special vibe at Metro Caring. It’s a slice of Denver — of Colorado,” Sienicki said.

“Everyone has different strengths and assets that they bring, (which) creates a rich environment. It’s really an incredible family.”

4 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

Lights glow with appreciation

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

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“Their dedication cannot be taken for granted, so we are inviting everyone to show their thanks by showing their lights,” Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock said of first responders and essential workers.

When the clock reached 8 p.m., people across the nation howled in unity from their balconies, front lawns and back yards. In that moment, first responders everywhere flipped their public safety vehicles’ lights on.

In Denver on April 9, just past 8 p.m., Mayor Michael B. Hancock led a countdown.

“Three. Two. One. Light this building,” he said.

And with that prompt, Denver’s City and County Building downtown lit up in red and white lights.

The lighting took place to honor first responders and essential workers on the front lines battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City and County Building at 1437 Bannock St. will be lit up through April 30 as an expression of gratitude during the stay-athome order.

“I’m humbled by the sacrifice and service I have witnessed in recent weeks, and these lights on our City and County Building honor our Denver heroes and the heroes everywhere leading the response to this pandemic,” Hancock said.

Residents are also encouraged to decorate a tree, bush or window with lights.

“Their dedication cannot be taken for granted, so we are inviting everyone to show their thanks by showing their lights,” Hancock said of first responders and essential workers. “Stay home. Keep Calm and Denver on.”

COURTESY OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER

Celebrating 56 Years

Denver’s medical workers, firefighters and police officers gathered — socially distanced — in downtown Denver on April 9 to be recognized for their commitment to serving the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CHRISTY STEADMAN

Washington Park Profile 5

May 2020

Washington Park’s newest residents

Two great horned owls make park their new home

By Kirsten Dahl Collins Special to Colorado Community Media

On many evenings, as the spring dusk settles over Washington Park, residents of the park’s eastern side are hearing loud hoots from trees and telephone wires.

Two enormous great horned owls, about two feet high, with striking gold masks and ear-like tufts, have moved into the neighborhood. Like a street gang of two, they’re warning other owls not to venture into their new territory. They are likely preparing to raise a family of owlets.

The owls, who mate for life, look for old nests that can be repurposed. If they find one they like, they’ll produce an average brood of two or three owlets.

Swathed in thick downy feathers, the owlets resemble nothing so much as a family of muppets. The downy babies are so active, they usually end up destroying their own nest. This may sound relatable to anyone sheltering at home with toddlers.

The smaller male usually helps guard the nest during the day. But as night falls, he will swoop noiselessly over the neighborhood, using his acute hearing and night vision to hunt for prey, which includes other large raptors such as falcons, water birds like ducks and geese, and a variety of animals including squirrels, frogs, insects, mice and even skunks.

According to the Cornell Ornithology Lab website, the owls have no natural enemies except other owls.

Their formidable talons are used to sever the spine of large prey and “require a force of 28 pounds to open.”

Although attacks on pets are uncommon, Washington Park residents should keep a sharp eye on their cats and small dogs — especially after dark.

A pair of great horned owls have moved into the Washington Park community.

Denver issues public health order to wear face covering Staff report A public health order was issued to mandate wearing a face covering in certain public places in Denver.

The public health order, issued by Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock through the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, went into effect on May 6 and will last until further notice.

Per the public health order, a face covering is mandatory for customers and employees of retail and commercial business, including grocery stores. A face covering should also be worn in other public places such as at bus stops and facilities that offer health care

services.

Face coverings may be factory-made or handmade. They should be made of multiple layers of washable cloth, fabric or other soft or permeable material, without holes, that cover the nose, mouth and surrounding areas of the lower face. It should fit snugly but allow for breathing without restriction.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers guidelines on suitable homemade face-coverings at www.cdc.gov. The Colorado Sewing Coalition is providing face coverings for $5 each. Orders can be placed at cosewingcoalition@gmail.com.

For more information on this public health order, visit www.denvergov.org.

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6 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

Deborah Collins performs during Swallow Hill Music’s One Epic Night Fundraiser in October 2018. Because of COVID-19, Swallow Hill is temporarily closed, but is offering some virtual programming and many of its teachers are independently offering online music lessons.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN LEYBA

Beloved music institution doing what it can until reopening

By Christy Steadman

S

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

wallow Hill Music is a place that builds community.

“There’s such an energy about it,” said Cheri Gonzales, Swallow Hill’s development manager. “Not having that during this time has been challenging.”

On March 25, Swallow Hill Music CEO Paul Lhevine announced a temporary closure of the music organization because of statewide and local social distancing measures in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“Our goal is to ensure when this crisis is over, Swallow Hill will once again be able to open our doors, bring our teachers back to work and invite our community to come together as the music community that means so much to so many,” Lhevine said in a statement.

SEE SWALLOW HILL, P7

Swallow Hill Music, a local nonprofit music organization, is temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still ways the community can support it.

You can become a member, make contributions/monetary donations to support its various programs, or take a music lesson — note that teachers are managing their lessons independently In the meantime, Swallow Hill is offering some virtual programming.

Visit swallowhillmusic.org to learn more.

The Deborah Solo Trio, consisting of Swallow Hill instructor Deborah Collins, center, Kari Clifton on cello and Swallow Hill instructor Chadzilla Johnson on percussion, performed in Swallow Hill’s Tuft Theatre in October 2018.

Washington Park Profile 7

May 2020

SWALLOW HILL FROM PAGE 6

Swallow Hill Music, 71 E. Yale Ave., is a nonprofit music organization founded in 1979. It hosts a variety of programs, including a music school, live music concerts and community outreach such as music therapy, enrichment and early childhood education.

“We have such a vibrant history of how we’ve evolved over the years, and our place in the history of the Denver music scene has created such a strong group of supporters,” Gonzales said. She added that even in the midst of the challenges during COVID-19, “we’re going to continue to engage with our community.”

With all the in-person programming on pause, Swallow Hill has been implementing new ways to engage, such as offering virtual programming, Gonzales said. For example, streaming concerts online, hosting jam sessions via Facebook Live and providing The Fox family Devin Fox has been a rock music fan all his life. He evens owns an electric bass guitar that, for the past decade, he has been wanting to learn to play.

After seeing how beneficial Swallow Hill has been for his children, Devin Fox finally signed up for a lesson, only to have it canceled because of COVID-19.

“He’s on hold right now,” Stefanie Fox said of her husband’s bass classes, but added that for her children, “anything that brings a sense of normalcy and joy in the house during this time, I’m willing to do.”

Dylan Fox, 9, and his sister Madylan, 6, have been involved with Swallow Hill for the past year. Madylan was in a group singing class and Dylan has been studying piano.

Madylan is a bit too young to take a music lesson virtually, Stefanie Fox said, but has been practicing her routine to the Jackson 5’s “ABC,” for which she’ll likely perform a private show for her family.

Dylan is continuing virtual private piano lessons with LaDamion Massey.

“I just like playing,” Dylan said. “It makes me excited to learn new songs, and it makes me calm playing music.”

Don Weinshenker Don Weinshenker never imagined he’d join a choir.

But now he’s involved with three — the Anschutz Campus Choir, and the choirs at the Washington Park United Methodist Church and Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church.

It was his teacher at Swallow Hill, Deborah Collins, who suggested he join a choir.

Swallow Hill is “rigorous enough that I learn, but (has) very supportive teachers who really want to make

some programming via Zoom.

Still, Lhevine added that Swallow Hill’s closure has likely hit the organization’s music instructors the hardest — on top of being laid off from their teaching positions at Swallow Hill, many earn their living as gigging professional musicians. Social distancing measures in Colorado include a ban on any gathering of 10 or more people.

Additionally, Swallow Hill realizes the value the school’s music lessons bring to many of the students, Lhevine said.

“Music is a way to bind people together,” he said. “And (especially) now, we’re all in our homes, looking into ways to bring joy during this difficult time.”

Though the teachers are handling their lesson offerings, schedules and fees independently, Swallow Hill has created a page on its website as a connector to Swallow Hill’s teachers so students can inquire about online/virtual music lessons. The list, which continues to be updated, had nearly 40 teachers listed as of mid-April who are offering classes through a variety of platforms

Dylan misses going to school and his friends, so keeping music in his life during this time was important, Stefanie Fox said.

“It brings such a good vibe in the house when we hear him practicing in his room,” Stefanie Fox said. “So continuing the lessons virtually was a good fit for us, to keep our lives as normal as can be.”

music fun,” Weinshenker said. “It quite literally has changed my life and allowed me to find opportunities to make music with others.”

Weinshenker has played the guitar off and on for about 40 years, but had always wanted to learn to sing. He became more serious about advancing his skill with the guitar — and started taking voice lessons — when he got involved with Swallow Hill about 3 1/2 years ago.

His wife, Erika Walker, started taking classes at Swallow Hill about 1 1/2 years ago. Today, the two are taking virtual, semi-private — meaning they do them together — voice lessons with Barry Brown. Though the virtual classes aren’t quite the same as inperson, they’re still a lot of fun and worthwhile, Weinshenker said.

Right alongside exercise and maintaining relationships, “music is so important in this time of staying at home,” Weinshenker said, “because it brings life and joy.”

including Skype, Zoom and many others.

Instruments range from banjo to violin, and piano to songwriting, just for a few examples.

Though Julia Hays, a fiddle and violin teacher at Swallow Hill, much prefers in-person instruction, she said the virtual and online setting is “OK and it will get us through this.”

“We can see each other, thanks to modern technology,” Hays said, “and students can still feel like they’re moving forward with their learning.”

Hays has been teaching at Swallow Hill for more than 20 years, and it’s the people that make Swallow Hill so wonderful, Hays said. “I get to meet people whose paths I never would’ve crossed.”

Although she is currently involved with a few bands, in recent years, Hays has been doing more teaching than performing, she said.

“Which has worked out beautifully for me,” Hays said. “I may have a full day of lessons back-to-back, but no two are ever The Chaviras Betty and Martin Chavira believe Swallow Hill is a special resource in the Denver community.

They especially enjoy attending Swallow Hill’s concerts, and specifically pointed to the monthly Top of The Hill concerts and annual Teacher Feature, both showcasing Swallow Hill faculty.

“The venues are small and intimate,” Betty Chavira said, “and you can see some outstanding musicians.”

The Chaviras are looking forward to being able to attend Swallow Hill’s concerts again, they said, which are not happening right now because of COVID-19.

But in the meantime, they are looking into virtual music lessons offered by Swallow Hill instructors.

The Chaviras retired about 10 years ago and have been members of Swallow Hill for about 15. Along with attending concerts, the two have participated in jam sessions and have taken a variety of classes at Swallow Hill. Between the two of them, they have studied music theory, electric bass, voice, guitar, ukulele and mandolin.

The Zwerling family When Ian Zwerling was in the second grade, he received a little keyboard as Christmas gift.

Not long afterwards, his parents discovered Swallow Hill.

“And it grew from there,” said Marina Zwerling, Ian’s mom.

“Swallow Hill has been invaluable. My kids have grown up there.”

Now 17, Ian Zwerling continues with his piano instruction, and last year, picked up learning the guitar. His sister Julia Zwerling, 14, started taking piano lessons at Swallow Hill when she was 7, and began voice lessons about two years ago.

For piano, both have been learning from Stef Kull, who has been their instructor since they started at Swallow Hill.

“Swallow Hill’s teachers are amazing,” Marina

the same.”

She does not have a full class load as she did prior to the coronavirus pandemic, but is still providing weekly lessons to her students online.

“We set up our time together, just as we would if we were in the building,” Hays said.

Felix Ayodele said his online lessons are going amazingly well, adding that for now, “we have to embrace this method.”

“The joy of it is still there,” he said of teaching music. Virtual lessons “provide a different perspective of how (the student) learns and gives us a different lens of keeping that fire going in the students.”

Ayodele has been a professional musician in the Denver music scene for about 15 years, and started teaching at Swallow Hill about 11 months ago.

“The arts are mega important, and institutions like Swallow Hill help keep them alive,” Ayodele said. “The joy of learning is a never-ending classroom, whether its virtual or in-person.”

“I can’t think of a better hobby,” Martin Chavira said of learning to play music. “It brings us so much fulfillment.”

Swallow Hill has so much to offer for all ages, Betty Chavira said. And Martin Chavira agreed.

“I almost wish we had more time so we could learn to play more instruments,” he said. “But there is only so much time.”

Zwerling said. “They’re willing to work around whatever their students need. But that’s been consistent since the beginning.”

Ian is a competitive swimmer and Julia has an interest in acting. With school now switching to remote learning until the end of the school year, it’s important for them — as teens, especially — to have music as an outlet, Marina Zwerling said.

“Even if it is for only an hour a week in a virtual setting,” she added.

The virtual lessons are a little more complicated, but they’re still valuable, Marina Zwerling said.

“If we have to do some shuffling, as far as managing online school and virtual music lessons, we will do so,” Marina Zwerling said. “We will hang in there with them (Swallow Hill) during these times.”

8 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

DPS keeps students fed during remote learning Buses deliver breakfast, lunch around city while schools are closed

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Though students aren’t physically going to school right now, Denver Public Schools’ yellow buses can still be seen serving young people around town.

But the buses aren’t filled with kids — they’re filled with food.

To help fill a need of providing food to children and families while schools have shifted to online learning because of COVID-19, DPS launched delivery of breakfast and lunch in early April. The service will continue until the end of the school year.

The district’s bus drivers take volunteers — who normally serve DPS as school lunch staffers — out for a few hours every Monday through Friday to all quadrants of Denver. In total, split among various routes, the school buses make about 35 stops, and stay at each one for about 20 or 30 minutes.

Meals change every day, but generally include a variety of healthy foods, such as milk, fruit, sandwiches, juice, bagels and vegetables. On Fridays, families are able to pick up breakfasts and lunches for the weekends.

This delivery service is in addition to DPS’ grab-and-go distribution, which includes 25 sites across the school district.

Three volunteers from McMeen Elementary School, 1000 S. Holly St., packed about 200 meals for Denver Public Schools’ breakfast and lunch delivery service on April 14. That day, the school bus made three stops to deliver the meals to students and their families.

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Greg Morris, a school bus driver with Denver Public Schools, provides sacked breakfast-and-lunch meals to a student on April 14. The school district launched the program to be able to provide meals to students and families during school closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

The Denver South High School Food Pantry is operating out of a temporary location, disclosed to South High School families, during the COVID-19 school closures.

The space is small, and to adhere to social distancing measures, additional volunteers are not needed at this time.

However, the need for food and personal hygiene product donations is constant, and change on a weekly basis.

To inquire about what donations are currently needed, contact co-founder Jaclyn Yelich directly at jyelich2@ msn.com.

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Washington Park Profile 9

May 2020

Serving South students through the pandemic Facility moves to temporary location to continue operations during pandemic

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

On a typical Thursday after school, Room 142 in Denver South High School, 1700 E. Louisiana Ave., would be bustling with students shopping for groceries.

Then COVID-19 forced schools to close.

“But closing our food pantry was not an option because a lot of families depend on us to supplement their food supply,” said Jaclyn Yelich, who co-founded the South High School Food Pantry with her husband Greg Thielen. “So we packed up and moved the entire pantry to a temporary location.”

The South High School Food Pantry got its start about 5 1/2 years ago. It is a full service, choice model food pantry similar to a mini grocery store, run completely by volunteers.

Once the announcement came that school buildings would close, South High School Food Pantry volunteers had 48 hours to move about 6,000 pounds of food and personal hygiene items, Yelich said.

Their first stop was Washington Park United Methodist Church. Nearby freezer space was provided by Roth Distributing Co. Operating from the church, on March 24, about 20 volunteers packed and delivered food to 55 South High School families — traveling as far as the Montbello neighborhood and all around Denver’s south and west neighborhoods.

However, because the food pantry offers items that need refrigeration, such as dairy products and meats, along with fresh fruits and vegetables and shelf-stable foods, onsite refrigeration was needed.

Everything was packed up again and moved to another temporary location, which has been disclosed to all South High School families — with refrigeration and a loading dock — where the South High School Food Pantry will operate through a combination of pickup and delivery with strict distancing measures every Thursday until at least the end of July.

“We are back in business,” Yelich said.

“Now we know for sure we can continue to provide healthy, nutritious food to our families on a weekly basis.”

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the South High School Food Pantry was serving upwards of 130 students each week, not counting the parent shopping day offered on a Saturday once a month. Students shopping on Thursdays were able to take food home for the weekend, or an entire week’s worth of food for themselves and their family, Yelich said.

About 1,600 students attend South High School, which is a choice school so the students come from all over the metro area, Yelich said. The school also boasts its Newcomer Center, which serves English language learners new to the country.

Cecilia “Cici” Favetto has been involved with the food pantry for about two years, which is when she and her family moved to Denver. Originally from Argentina, Favetto is bilingual and, along with many other tasks, helps with translation and communication with Spanish-speaking families.

“Getting to know the families is very

Anna Thielen, a class of 2015 South High School graduate, pushes a dolly with boxes of food and personal care items that are ready to be delivered to a family from the Denver South High School Food Pantry.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Jim Lovin, a volunteer with the Denver South High School Food Pantry, packs groceries before delivering the products to a family in early April.

HOW TO DONATE The Denver South High School Food Pantry is operating out of a temporary location, disclosed to South High School families, during the COVID-19 school closures.

The space is small, and to adhere to social distancing measures, additional volunteers are not needed at this time.

However, the need for food and personal hygiene product donations is constant, and change on a weekly basis.

To inquire about what donations are currently needed, contact co-founder Jaclyn Yelich directly at jyelich2@msn.com. rewarding. Everybody who goes to the food pantry are very respectful, gracious and grateful,” Favetto said. “COVID-19 has impacted all of us. Being able to keep on supporting the families has made a difference.”

Cindy Piggott, who has also been volunteering with the South High School Food Pantry for about two years, agreed.

“It’s a great project with a pure mission,” Piggott said of Yelich’s and Thielen’s efforts with the South High School Food Pantry.

“Every day you’re there, you’re making a difference in somebody’s life.”

About 50 volunteers make the South High School Food Pantry happen. They consist of students, parents, teachers, retirees and other community members, Yelich said.

The South High School Food Pantry is an important amenity to so many people, Yelich said, that it needed to be able to continue its operations during this unprecedented time.

“Our vision is to make sure none of the kids or their family members go to bed hungry,” Thielen said. “We will continue to provide our families with the healthy, nutritious food they deserve during these challenging times.”

When you get your invitation to take the 2020 census, make sure you’re counted.

Did you know funding for the community programs you care about is based on census numbers? Make sure you and your community are counted by responding to the 2020 census.

we’re in this together

This year, you can answer online, by phone or mail.

Learn more about the census at 2020census.gov.

10 Washington Park Profile

LOCAL

VOICES A reflection of the times I

FROM THE EDITOR

Christy Steadman

t is deadline day.

This column is being written as the last thing I write for the May edition not because of procrastination, but because of that thing called writer’s block.

On a side note, I had a college professor once say journalists should never have writer’s block. Under nearly any normal circumstance, I would agree – there are millions of stories to tell.

But April certainly was not normal. Everybody had to do things a little differently, and that goes for print journalists as well. I never would have imagined that someday I would be conducting “socially distanced” newsgathering.

My guess is nearly everyone has experienced at least one dark moment at some point during this COVID-19 pandemic.

So, I would like to share a few positive stories that have lifted my spirits.

First, I am a recipient of a random act of kindness.

My live-in boyfriend is a musician — he plays gigs during normal times, but his income primarily comes from his “day job” stocking at the Dollar Tree. Some-

time in the second week of April, a customer walked in and gave grocery store gift cards to all the employees as a token of gratitude for keeping the shelves stocked and the community supplied with essential needs — toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bandanas to serve as face masks — during this global health crisis.

The second story has to do with pets.

Near the beginning of this pandemic, a friend and I were having casual conversation and she told me our pets are going to help get us through because of their unconditional love. That is certainly true for me. I have two furballs, both Siamese-mix rescue cats. They do silly things to keep my spirits lifted, like sticking their paws under the bedroom door while I’m working in my “home office” all the while meowing as if asking me to come out and give them attention. Don’t they know I’m busy typing?

Of course, they’re irreplaceable in the evening hours when I’m not working. Their purrs are an instant relaxant, and remind me without words, “everything is going to be OK.” Other than giving extra pets to my cats, I’ve been

The next chapter begins at CCM

W

e’re making a transition in editorial leadership for Colorado Community Media, publisher of your hometown newspapers.

After 13 years with FROM THE these papers, longtime PUBLISHER Managing Editor Chris Rotar is leaving to pursue other directions. Our papers are outstanding journalistic products in great measure because of Chris’ leadership and commitment to the mission of community journalism.

We greatly appreciate his outstanding work Jerry Healey and dedication and wish him well as he tackles his next adventure.

We are excited to introduce Mark Harden, a veteran, award-winning journalist in the Denver area, as the new editor of all our publications — the 18 metro-area weeklies and the two Denver monthlies.

It has been an interesting process, conducting interviews for the position and introducing Mark to the newsroom and staff, during these COVID-19 times. We have been working remotely since mid-March.

Mark, who came on board in April, has had to meet everyone — and learn our produc-

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

spending my time at home doing mostly normal things — reading, listening to music, playing video games, putting together puzzles, watching movies.

And listening to the 8 p.m. howling.

Which is the third story.

A few kids in my neighborhood — I assume they’re SEE STEADMAN, P11

COVID-19: change of habits and impacts on environment

tion systems — all by videoconferences.

We are thrilled about the extensive print and digital experience and leadership he brings to our newsroom and can’t wait until we’re able to work with him face-to-face.

Mark worked at the Denver Post from 1993-2007 in various positions, as city editor of a 35-reporter desk; online news, state/ regional and national/foreign news editor; and music critic. He launched online breaking news coverage at the Post and expanded it at the Denver Business Journal, where he worked from 2007-2018 as reporter, new media editor and news director. He then spent a year and a half as managing editor of Colorado Politics, a weekly magazine and digital outlet of the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Before joining the Post, he was a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in San Francisco and the Seattle area, covering politics, science/environment, business/development and local government. He has been freelance reporting and editing since October. He has won many national and regional awards for his work over his career.

Mark and his wife have lived in Centennial for 22 years; his two children attended Cherry Creek schools. He is passionate about the importance of local news to a community and delivering the best SEE HEALEY, P11

May 2020

T

his strange and unprecedented time has been devastating for many people and the economy. No mention of the crisis should be made without first acknowledging and thanking the GUEST many essential workers who continue to care COLUMN for people and ensure that our basic needs for goods and services are met. That said, there are some bright spots in this otherwise dark period including more family time, more walks, neighbors helping neighbors and a lot less time spent Councilmember in our cars.

COVID-19 has Kendra Black changed our habits and impacted the environment. We’ve all heard about the improved air quality around the globe. Stay-at-home orders have reduced the use of those carbon-burning, pollution-emitting cars, trucks and SUVs that we normally drive. As a species, we should learn from this. Most cars pollute and are bad for air quality. For those of us who live on the Front Range where the “brown cloud” often hovers, our air quality has been in violation of EPA standards for years. We should all be alarmed by this.

What we’ve learned during the past month is

that fewer cars on the road mean improved air quality and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Once this crisis is over, what can we do to permanently change our driving habits to reduce emissions? Much of the workforce that is still employed is working from home. Looking to the future, could more people work from home one or more days each week to avoid driving? What more can we do to encourage people to use alternative forms of transportation, especially as gas prices fall? Local leaders are already looking at Commuter Trip Reduction rules to improve air quality and traffic congestion. Our new habits provide the ideal opportunity to ask for these new policies now.

The changing use of real estate is also an unexpected result of our new habits. Typically, most people work outside of the home in an office or commercial building. When at work, their homes are empty. Today, our commercial buildings are vacant. Can we rethink work space? Just like vehicles, buildings — including houses — also produce greenhouse gas emissions through heating, air conditioning and electricity. Unlike cars, however, buildings and homes emit whether they are in use or not. Is there a more efficient way to use real estate that would result in a net decrease of emissions?

While air quality has improved, the impact of our waste-producing habits during this SEE BLACK, P11

JERRY HEALEY President

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

jhealey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CHRISTY STEADMAN Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

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Email letters to csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

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

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Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Profile.

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

Washington Park Profile 11

May 2020

A hearty hello from the new guy

S

ince you’re reading this, I don’t need to tell you what an important role this publication plays in keeping Denver communities informed.

That’s why I couldn’t be prouder to be stepping in as editor of Colorado Community Media.

This locally owned FROM THE publisher of Life on Capitol Hill and the EDITOR Washington Park Profile, along with 18 weekly newspapers and websites, serves Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Elbert and Jefferson counties. CCM’s dedicated news team includes some of the most talented journalists Mark Harden working in Colorado today, watchdogging local governments and school districts, spotlighting businesses and community groups, and portraying the character and color of life in our cities and towns.

Steadman FROM PAGE 10

youths, as I’ve never actually seen them — started howling well before it became a thing.

The stay-at-home order had just been announced, so for the first few nights, I thought it was just teens, walking along the busy street that my condo faces, “howling” for trouble.

Black FROM PAGE 10

crisis are not so positive. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, our consumption-oriented ways produced an incredible amount of waste, much of it in the form of single-use packaging. Not only are we rolling back reusable bag laws in response to COVID-19, but we are using more single-use products than ever. Think about the incredible amount of packaging with every delivery and every takeout meal, not to mention the bags, boxes and bottles that contain almost every item at the grocery store. Single-use packaging, both plastic and paper, has an environmental footprint to produce, transport and to discard. Very little is recycled. In Denver, most waste is trucked to a landfill in Arapahoe County where it will never decompose. Around the world, plastic waste contaminates and clogs waterways.

Consumers and producers need to rethink single-use packaging and single-use plastic.

What is a more environmentally sustainable

Healey FROM PAGE 10

journalistic products we can.

We are excited to work with Mark — and

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CCM newspapers have performed a crucial service in keeping readers abreast of its impact in the communities they serve and how this global catastrophe affects lives, families, schools and businesses, proving the value of locally focused reporting. Like many of our readers, CCM reporters and editors have been working from home during the crisis, in some cases covering their beats while looking after their kids. I salute their commitment to telling these crucial stories under trying circumstances.

CCM journalists also compellingly conveyed the pain and anguish of the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting last May, delivering award-winning coverage of this close-to-home tragedy. And in 2018, our staff teamed up to present “Time to Talk,” a powerful series probing the challenges of mental health and how to spur discussion of the issue into everyday life.

Through it all, CCM has stayed true to its main goal: Keep it local. We are inundated with news and commentary about state, national and international developments. Where CCM fills a vital role is in keeping the spot-

Then the TV news started broadcasting it as a way for people to thank the health-care professionals and first responders. Eventually, a Facebook group formed in which people from across the U.S. post the reason, or for whom, they howl each night.

I live on the third floor of my condo complex, so it has become routine to go out on my balcony, just after the sun sets every night, to listen.

And reflect on the times.

way for us to purchase, transport and consume our goods?

We have an opportunity now that we have never had before to collaborate and find real solutions. Grace Rink, newly hired executive director for Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency, is poised to help answer these questions and take the lead on real solutions by working with and listening to Climate Action Task Force members, staff, local leaders, regional partners and residents.

This COVID-19 crisis has presented some possible solutions. Let’s not lose them when the world goes back to “normal.”

Kendra Black was elected to the Denver City Council to represent District 4 in southeast Denver in 2015. She is currently serving her second term. Black chairs the City Council Finance and Governance Committee and serves on a wide variety of other boards and committees including the Regional Air Quality Council and Transportation Solutions, which are both working to improve air quality and reduce emissions. She works on waste reduction and other sustainability efforts. for you to get to know him— as he helps us move forward with the next chapter at Colorado Community Media.

Jerry Healey is the president and publisher of Colorado Community Media. He can be reached at jhealey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ENVIRONMENT WITH EAN The May Denver Botanic Gardens and Environment with Ean columns are available online.

Visit https://washparkprofile.com to read them.

light on the many distinctive metro-Denver communities where hundreds of thousands of people live, work and go to school, telling stories in ways that no one else does.

I come to this position after years as an editor and reporter at The Denver Post, Denver Business Journal and Colorado Politics magazine. I’m a 27-year resident of metro Denver.

And I was reared in community journalism; when I was a boy I would hang out after school at the twice-weekly South San Francisco Enterprise-Journal, where my mother, Ellen Harden, was a proofreader.

I’m grateful to CCM owners Jerry and Ann Healey for entrusting me with this position.

And I want to give a shout-out to my predecessor, Chris Rotar, who has led this staff with exceptional skill and passion for many years and has been patiently helping me get up to speed at CCM. He will be a tough act to follow, and I wish him well in his future endeavors.

I look forward to hearing from and meeting many of you in the days to come. And I’m delighted to be working with Christy

Steadman, editor of Life on Capitol Hill and the Washington Park Profile. She’s your go-to contact for news about these vibrant Denver communities.

Thank you for reading us, supporting us, subscribing to us and advertising with us. In an era when news organizations big and small face extraordinary challenges that threaten their ability to bring you the truth — challenges greatly aggravated by the health crisis our world is now going through and its economic impact — we need the support of people like you more than ever. News is not cheap, and our ability to keep bringing it to you depends on community support.

So allow me to say hello, and to wish you, your family and your friends good health. I’m looking forward to working with our stellar team to bring you the news and information you need in the days ahead.

Mark Harden can be reached at mharden@ coloradocommunitymedia.com and on Twitter at @MarkHardenCCM.

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12 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

‘Every single sale means the world to us’ Small business owners talk COVID-19 hardships

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

T

hroughout Colorado’s stay-at-home order, Dr. Martha Lucas kept her fingers crossed that her small business in Capitol Hill would survive the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Chinese medicine is effective at treating peoples’ anxiety. It helps your spirit be more balanced,” Lucas said. “But how am I going to be able to be there for my patients?”

Lucas Acupuncture and Natural Therapies

Dr. Martha Lucas gives her daughter an acupuncture treatment. Lucas, a self-employed acupuncturist, has been providing some of her services via telemedicine and hopes to reopen her small business come May 8.

COURTESY PHOTO

The CBD Suite

www.thecbdsuitedenver.com Jessica Kiley and Samantha Bowers were ecstatic to finally open the doors of their small business in January.

“South Gaylord Street has such a great community,” Bowers said. “We really miss our block.”

The two women own The CBD Suite, a boutique-style retail business modeled to allow customers to test and explore CBD products at sampling stations where people could taste or apply the products on-site.

Upon opening, Kiley and Bowers had big plans to host various events at the shop, including visiting brand reps and education, mindfulness and health-and-wellness events.

The CBD Suite, 1078 S. Gaylord St., hosted its grand opening on Feb. 29, and just a few weeks later, the women had to close their doors because of COVID-19.

“We were just starting to gain a repeat customer base,” Bowers said. “But for us as a brand, it was more important to keep our community safe.”

To stay in operation during the closure, Bowers and Kiley rushed to launched The CBD Suite’s online store much earlier than originally anticipated, and offered curbside pickup, free shipping and free delivery.

“But so much of (the shop’s experience) was education-based and being able to provide people with the opportunity to interact with us and the products,” Bowers said.

In attempt to enhance the online shopping experience, Bowers and Kiley offered phone

www.AcupunctureWoman.com Lucas is a self-employed practitioner of Chinese medicine/acupuncture. Her local business has three arms — a private practice, Lucas Acupuncture, which she opened about 18 years ago; teaching Chinese medicine through seminars; and a natural skin care line called My Zen Skin Care, which Lucas launched about three years ago.

She also provides acupuncture treatments twice a week at a Western medicine facility in Littleton.

However, Chinese medicine was not considered an essential business under the Stay-AtHome, Lucas said.

“First thing to go was the face-to-face seminars. Big hit to income,” Lucas said. “Next, (the) private practice and medical practices closed.

Second big hit to income.”

Lucas kept her skin care line open for online orders and offered free shipping, but it was “slow going” and is the smallest arm of her business, she said.

Following Denver and Arapahoe counties’ health department mandates, Lucas hopes to be

and email consultations on product education — spotlighting items to help people manage the health crisis, such as sleep aids and products that help with anxiety, focus and mental clarity.

Additionally, The CBD Suite gave out goodie bags and offered discounts to healthcare workers/medical professionals and first responders.

Bowers and Kiley expect to reopen their shop as soon as it’s safe to do so, according to the health department’s mandates, Bowers said.

“We’re going to get back at it,” she said.

“Every day is a little different (but) we’re choosing to stay positive.”

Samantha Bowers and Jessica Kiley organize one of The CBD Suite’s testing tables, which contains topicals such as lotions, balms and pain cream. The shop’s other testing table includes consumable products, such as tinctures and gummies.

CHRISTY STEADMAN

back in business May 8. In the meantime, she has been providing webinars to continue with her seminar teachings, and has been offering telemedicine appointments for acupressure, herbs and supplements and distant Reiki sessions.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on additional amounts of stress to people, Lucas and one of her colleagues, Rebecah Ziegler, started a video series called Your At-home Medicine Bowl. Each one contains a healing practice that anybody can use at home to help with calming, Lucas said.

“Stress doesn’t treat our immune systems well,” Lucas said, “so that’s another issue and partly why I started the Your At-home Medicine Bowl.

Just trying to help people stay healthy during the most stressful of times.”

As for the future, Lucas believes there will be a need for Chinese medicine practices following the pandemic.

“I feel that our practices will shine because many people will be traumatized. They’ll have PTSD from this, insomnia, anxiety, depression — all things that Chinese medicine absolutely shines at treating,” Lucas said. “It’s just hard to see that future now.”

Rosy Rings

www.rosyrings.com About 25 years ago, Rosy Rings founder Shannon Cumberland started the small fragrance company in her Denver home’s kitchen.

On Oct. 24, 2019, Rosy Rings opened its brick-and-mortar location at 2940 E. Sixth Ave. in Cherry Creek North.

“We hit the ground running,” said Allie Liebgott who has been with the company for eight years and joined as a partner in September last year. “But it all came to a screeching halt when we realized we wouldn’t be able to stay open.”

Liebgott manages the Cherry Creek North boutique, which offers home fragrance retail and hosted candle-making classes twice a week. She has four employees that she hopes to bring back following the pandemic, Liebgott said.

Rosy Rings already had an online store, but during the shop’s closure, it ramped up its email blasts, newsletters and social media presence, Liebgott said. She would video chat with shoppers and provide them with a virtual walkthrough of the store, Liebgott said.

A popular item during the stay-at-home order was the DIY candle kits, which people had delivered or picked up curbside, Liebgott said.

“They’re a nice distraction,” she said.

“It’s one of those crafts that anyone can do and enjoy.”

Because the candle-making classes

The candle-making classes at Rosy Rings were a popular feature at the store.

COURTESY PHOTO

were so well received at the shop, Liebgott began offering them via Zoom in the early days of Colorado’s stay-at-home order. She has since hosted virtual candle-making parties for a variety of groups — couples on a date night, Girl Scouts and birthday parties.

Small businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, but Liebgott is thrilled to see that the local community has been doing what it can to supporting its small businesses and local restaurants, she said. As a token of appreciation, Liebgott started setting out satchels of bath salts, little vases of fresh flowers and other “pretty things that make your day brighter” outside of the storefront that people could take home.

“The small businesses in Denver are what make this city so great,” Liebgott said, extending a thank you to everyone who supported local businesses during the COVID-19 closures. “Every single sale means the world to us right now.”

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Washington Park Profile 13

May 2020

Writing around it Lighthouse programs help authors channel anxiety into narrative

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Andrea Dupree believes having a rich creative life allows a person to have a richer life in general.

“Creative writing,” said Dupree, who is the program director at Lighthouse Writers Workshop, “is one of the most accessible of all the creative arts.”

And in times like these, creative writing can be especially valuable, Dupree added.

“We’re going through an unprecedented time,” she said. “There are a lot of reasons stress can take over right now. Putting it into narrative can help you gain control.

The minute people just start writing it down, their anxiety tends to remit.”

Additionally, the end result doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, Dupree said.

“Anybody can write,” she said. “There are benefits to telling your story and hearing others’ stories. It helps you feel connected and realize you’re not alone.”

Lighthouse Writers Workshop is a nonprofit literary center established in 1997. Serving about 25,000 writers a year between its main location in Denver, 1515 Race St., and satellite location in Louisville — and now online — Lighthouse exists to support and elevate the literary arts through various outreach and youth programs, along with a wide variety of inhouse writing workshops.

Lighthouse has always offered limited online options, but now with the coronavirus pandemic, all of its programming has been moved temporarily to a virtual setting.

However, people have embraced the online workshops, and Lighthouse may add to those offerings, in addition to its regular inperson workshops, from now on, Dupree said. The biggest benefit to that, she said, is being able to offer the workshops to people who have limitations that prevent them from attending classes in person.

Cela Buckner is one of them.

The 12-year-old lives in Los Angeles and dreams of becoming a novelist someday.

She has attended in-person workshops in her local area in the past, but none of them seemed to provide much advancement to her skills, Cela Buckner’s mother Gayley

Helen McDonald gives a reading at a past Lit Fest. This year, Lighthouse Writers Workshop’s 15th annual Lit Fest will take place virtually throughout the month of June.

COURTESY OF AMANDA TIPTON

LIT FEST 2020 Lit Fest is an annual event put on Lighthouse Writers Workshop that celebrates the literary arts.

This year’s Lit Fest — the 15th annual — will take place virtually throughout the month of June.

It will still feature workshops, seminars, agent consultations, digital porch parties and book readings by visiting authors, including a “world-class lineup of poets, novelists, memoirists, TV/playwrights and nonfiction writers,” states its website.

Tickets to Lit Fest events can be purchased á la carte or festival passes are available.

A full list of Lit Fest events can be found online: www.lighthousewriters. org/events/lit-fest-2020. Registration can be done on that site.

Contact Lighthouse Writers Workshop with additional questions: info@lighthousewriters.org or 303-297-1185. said. For example, Gayley Buckner said, Lighthouse offers detail-specific classes versus general writing courses.

“She’s inspired to work on new and different things,” Gayley Buckner said. “Part of it is probably just pure fun for her, and part of it is the feeling that she’s accomplishing something during this time. The days are becoming monotonous, and her (Lighthouse) workshops are something she looks forward to.”

SEE WRITING, P20

Need A Little Help?

Atticus White-Lindstrom checks out the reading material offered at Pop Culture Classroom, a nonprofit in Denver’s Valverde neighborhood. During the coronavirus, the facility is not opened, but the organization is offering a variety of educational resources for free on its website.

For Pop Culture Classroom’s 2018 Denver Pop Culture Con, Atticus White-Lindstrom, now 12, created an Asian-themed fantasy character.

The 2020 event has been postponed from July to the end of November because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Telling stories through comics

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Though his character didn’t have a name, Atticus White-Lindstrom put quite a lot of detail into creating the rest of it.

“I’m a sucker for fantasy,” White-Lindstrom said. But “there were a lot of fun things about this character.”

The end result was an Asian-themed character with influences of steampunk, complete with wooden shoes and a kimono. White-Lindstrom envisioned it as a fantasy character based on something the graphic novelist Kazuhiro “Kazu” Kibuishi, who is known for the “AMULET” series, would create.

“It was a blast creating that character,” WhiteLindstrom said.

But the best part, the now 12-year-old said, was getting to show it off at Pop Culture Classroom’s 2018 Denver Pop Culture Con. Pop Culture Classroom, 2760 W. 5th Ave., is a nonprofit organization that uses pop culture to inspire a love of learning by providing a platform for creativity, building new relationships and promoting the educational potential of pop culture.

“We want to find a way to empower students,” said Adam Kullberg, Pop Culture Classroom’s director of education who is also serving as the

POP CULTURE CLASSROOM ONLINE To learn more about Pop Culture Classroom, a nonprofit located at 2760 W. 5th Ave., visit popcultureclassroom.org/. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, all of the organization’s in-person programming has been canceled. However, Pop Culture Classroom recently launched its Pop Culture Distance Learning page which offers a variety of free, online programming including video workshops, educational comics, curriculum and other resources for students, parents and educators.

Learn more at classroom.popcultureclassroom. org/distance-learning/. organization’s interim executive director, “so they can become creators (and) create the things they love so much.”

Pop Culture Classroom puts on a variety of programming — workshops, outreach, summer camps, resources for parents and teachers, for example — and its annual Denver Pop Culture Con, which is the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser event. Originally slated to take place in early July, the 2020 Denver Pop Culture Con has been postponed to Nov. 27-29.

SEE COMICS, P20

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14 Washington Park Profile

CHARITY

May 2020

OPENS DOOR ABILITY TO

Nonprofit distributes mobility equipment in developing countries

By Christy Steadman

I

A child tests out a walker during a Crutches 4 Africa distribution in March. Crutches 4 Africa provides mobility equipment free of charge to people in need in developing countries.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID TALBOT

Dr. Stratil and Dr. Wright

We’re STILL making it personal!

Dr. Stratil and Dr. Wright

Dr. Stratil and Dr. Wright

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csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

n 2006 while in Uganda, David Talbot met a 9-year-old girl with an amputated leg because she had broken it falling out of a tree.

“She had a compound fracture, and they didn’t have any way to fix it,” Talbot said.

Following that initial meeting, Talbot and his nonprofit organization called Crutches 4 Africa kept tabs on the girl and provided her with a pair of crutches every few years as she grew.

About a year ago, she had reached full growth and Crutches 4 Africa arranged for her to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, to receive a prosthetic leg paid for by the government there.

The last Talbot heard about the girl is that she is now attending boarding school. But Crutches 4 Africa intends on following up with her to find out how the prosthetic is working out.

“Lifting somebody up off the ground and giving them an opportunity to participate in life is what it’s all about,” Talbot said. “It’s valuable equipment — anybody who has ever been on crutches gets it.”

Talbot, a Washington Park resident and Rotarian, survived polio in the mid-1950s.

In the early 2000s, he began to suffer from post-polio syndrome, affecting primarily his left leg. About that time, Talbot began to research the need for mobility equipment in developing countries and found that at least 20 million people in Africa were in need because of some sort of disability that made them immobile.

And in 2005, he and his wife, Candice, who serves as the organization’s director of operations, got Crutches 4 Africa started.

Charity serves 30 countries Crutches 4 Africa is a volunteer-run nonprofit that collects used and surplus mobility devices and distributes them free of charge to people in need in developing countries. It currently serves 20 countries in Africa and 10 countries outside of Africa.

The four main mobility devices the organization focuses on are crutches, wheelchairs, canes and walkers, Talbot said. But the organization also collects equipment that can be modified to meet an individual’s need such as ankle boots, prosthetics and bike trailers.

“Every other household in America has mobility equipment they’re not using any-

African people will sometimes have to travel a few miles on foot with makeshift mobility devices to reach a distribution site to receive a piece of equipment from Crutches 4 Africa, a nonprofit started by Denver resident David Talbot.

LEARN MORE To learn more about Crutches 4 Africa, visit www.crutches4africa.org.

more,” Talbot said. “The other thing about this is, the equipment would likely end up in the landfill. (But) there’s people literally crawling on the ground who need that stuff.”

Having traveled to Africa several times in the past to work with people suffering from polio, Audrey Leavitt of Denver’s Lowry neighborhood was already aware of the African people’s need for mobility equipment, she said.

“But I was taken aback after seeing how many people,” Leavitt said, adding she has been involved with Crutches 4 Africa for about three years, hearing about Talbot’s work through her Rotary club. “You don’t get the full scope until you see the other side.”

Leavitt said some of the recipients travel for miles to reach a distribution site — some on foot with their makeshift mobility equipment, such as a tree branch serving as a cane; some are carried, such as on a stretcher; and others are crawling on their hands and knees.

SEE CRUTCHES, P16

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Washington Park Profile 15

May 2020

Resident geese numbers down but culling undecided Formal population count to be done after goslings are done hatching

By Jane Reuter Special to Colorado Community Media

Denver Parks officials said they haven’t decided if they’ll cull Canada geese again this summer, but said the bird’s numbers have significantly decreased in some city parks.

“The numbers are looking really good,” said Scott Gilmore, the parks department’s deputy executive director. “They’re really low in Wash and City Park.”

Washington Park is now home to about 50 resident geese, down from about 300 to 400 last year at this time, Gilmore said. But that’s not the case in all the city’s parks, and a decision about a second round of culling won’t be made until Denver Parks does a more formal count. That will take place after goslings are done hatching, typically in late May. Washington Park resident Steve Spirn, who represents Citizens to Restore the Parks, said he’s noticed the goose population has diminished.

“Short-term, I think things are better,” he said. “We’ll have to see what summer brings. I don’t know if it’s a long-term solution — that’s a question answered by time and experience.”

In 2018, the citizens group Spirn represents submitted a petition to the city with 1,500 signatures, urging them to resolve the overpopulation issue. The group preferred nonlethal action, but Spirn said it was content with the decision to cull.

In June and July 2019, Denver Parks partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Colorado Wildlife Services to round up about 1,700 geese from four city parks — including Washington and City parks. The geese were killed at a northern Colorado process-

ing plant, and their meat was distributed to families in need. Denver Parks has a three-year contract with the USDA. Birds’ pattern changed The Canada goose historically bred in Canada and the northern U.S., migrating south in the winter. While some geese still follow that pattern, many have made permanent homes as far south as Florida. Denver has a winter population that includes a mix of migratory and permanent, or resident, geese. The latter group has become a source of controversy in recent years as its population dramatically increased.

Denver Parks’ website states the decision to cull followed 15 years of goose management tactics that failed to keep the population in check, resulting in “an unnatural number of geese” for the parks, and so much goose excrement it degraded the environment and the parks experience.

Meanwhile, parks employees are searching for nests and oiling eggs, a population control measure that prevents the eggs from hatching.

Plans to partner with Canada Geese Protection Colorado (CGPC) volunteers to oil eggs were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re disappointed but it’s understandable,” said CGPC spokesperson Courtney DeWinter.

“We tried every angle we could to make the program go forward. When you get a global pandemic, all bets are off for everything.”

CGPG, which formed last July in the wake of the initial culling, advocates for humane, non-lethal methods of goose management including exhaustive egg oiling. The group had found 25 volunteers willing to help the city oil eggs. DeWinter estimated the city needed to oil 10,000 to 12,000 eggs this spring to significantly impact the goose population — estimated at 5,000 resident geese by Denver Parks — and eliminate the need for culling.

SEE GEESE, P17

A goose swims in the lake at Washington Park in April. Though the number of resident geese in Denver’s parks are down compared to this time last year, a decision on whether to cull this year is still pending.

PHOTO BY JANE REUTER

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16 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

Crutches FROM PAGE 14

“The people are very creative and some are little hesitant to give up these (makeshift) devices because they had become such a part of them,” Leavitt said. “But many are willing to try something new, and when they get a real pair of crutches, they are very appreciative because it opens up a whole new world for them.”

Rotary provides connections Talbot said that in using his connections with the Rotary Club, mobility equipment collection drives often start out as Rotary projects put on by clubs across the United States.

Therefore, Crutches 4 Africa’s biggest expense is shipping the equipment overseas, Talbot said.

It costs $3,000 to $5,000 per container, but about 3,000 pieces of equipment can fit in one container, Talbot said.

He and a group of Crutches 4 Africa volunteers travel to Africa, on average, twice a year to make distributions at number of various sites within the vicinity of a destination.

The most recent trip took place from Feb. 28 to March 19. Though the arrival of COVID-19 in Africa “threw a wrench” in the distributions scheduled in Uganda for March 13 and 14, all seven of the U.S. volunteers made it home

A woman smiles upon receiving a pair of crutches during a distribution by the nonprofit Crutches 4 Africa, which got its start in 2005 by polio survivor David Talbot. COURTESY PHOTOS safely and self-quarantined for the 14-day period, Talbot said. No one had contracted the virus, he added.

Nicolas Ricca of Jefferson County’s Applewood community near Golden traveled to Africa for the first time during that trip.

“It was a completely different experience than anything I had done before,” Ricca said, adding that the only foreign travel he had done prior to the Crutches 4 Africa trip was to Canada.

Ricca met Talbot through church, was inspired by his story

and got involved with Crutches 4 Africa about a year ago.

He described the trip to Africa as “uplifting and humbling.” The African recipients of the mobility equipment were so grateful and wanted to shake everybody’s hand, Ricca said, and used all of the limited English they knew to express their gratitude.

“The worst part of the trip,” Ricca said, “was not having enough equipment for everyone in need. But, luckily, there will be more going out.”

Candice and David Talbot.

Throughout 2019, seven distributions were made in developing countries, and as of the end of 2019, Crutches 4 Africa had donated about 133,000 mobility devices.

“The good hearts of people are shining through,” Talbot said.

Now, the organization is working toward accomplishing a goal of getting one million pieces of mobility equipment to those in need.

The mobility equipment truly provides its recipients with oppor-

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“We have seen people in such harsh conditions, it rips my heart out. And while you can’t fix everything,” Talbot said, “mobility is freedom.”

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Washington Park Profile 17

May 2020

Denver schools hit by steep COVID-19 costs Unexpected expenses include the purchase of 9,000 laptops

By Melanie Asmar Chalkbeat.com

With Colorado school buildings closed, and students learning remotely from home, it might seem that districts are saving money.

But that’s not necessarily the case.

Denver Public Schools officials estimate the coronavirus school closures will cost the 92,000-student district $10.5 million this school year. That’s due to unplanned expenses, such as the purchase of 9,000 additional laptops for remote learning, and the loss of some revenue.

For instance, the district is not charging families tuition for preschool through the end of the school year, nor is it charging families for after-school child care.

The district also estimates it will lose out on $9.5 million in revenue from paid school lunches and federal reimbursements for subsidized lunches it won’t serve while schools are closed. Though the district is still getting reimbursed for the “grab-and-go” meals it is distributing, it is not serving nearly as many meals as it would if schools were open.

These types of expenses and losses are likely being incurred by districts around Colorado, even as they prepare for the possibility of major budget cuts next year.

The virus is expected to wreak havoc on the state’s finances, as coronavirus-related job

losses and business closures cause declines in income and sales tax revenue. That will impact school districts that rely on state funding for a large portion of their budgets.

The Denver school board met in mid-April to discuss options for reducing its spending next year. Many options, such as freezing teacher pay or merging small schools, are proving unpopular with parents and teachers, some of whom took to social media to ask the question: Can’t the district use the savings from this year’s school closures to fill next year’s budget gap?

But it appears there are no savings. Here are the reasons why: -- The district is continuing to pay its employees, even if they’re not working.

Denver is continuing to pay more than 3,700 food service workers, custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers, school security officers, and paraprofessionals, even though many of them are working reduced hours or not at all because they’re unable to do their jobs from home.

That’s a decision the district made early on to support its hourly-wage employees. The estimated cost of doing so through the end of the school year: about $29.3 million.

That $29 million was already included in this year’s budget, so it’s not an added expense.

But continuing to pay all employees means the district is not saving money on salaries, which is the district’s biggest expense, accounting for more than 80% of its yearly budget.

-- The coronavirus has caused the district to incur additional expenses.

District officials estimate the additional expenses will total about $4.1 million this school year. They include $2.9 million to

A Denver Public Schools bus parks outside of an apartment complex in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood.

CHRISTY STEADMAN buy additional computers, which the district gave to students without devices at home, and $567,000 for hotspot devices for students without internet.

The district also estimates it will pay $267,000 in what it calls “thank you incentives” to hourly-wage food service workers, custodians, school safety staff, and bus drivers who work during the stay-at-home order cleaning schools or making and delivering “grab-and-go” meals. For example, food service workers are being paid an extra $5 an hour.

The district is also spending money on extra cleaning supplies and curriculum licensing.

-- The virus has caused the district to lose revenue.

The district will likely lose $13.2 million in revenue this school year, officials said. The biggest piece is the $9.5 million loss in revenue from school breakfast and lunch meals.

District officials also estimate Denver will

lose $2.1 million in fees from after-school child care and activities, and $1.5 million in preschool tuition it’s not charging families.

The school closures will result in some cost savings, but not enough.

The savings are likely to total about $7 million, district officials said. For instance, the district will save about $3 million on private school bus transportation, and about $3.8 million on food. There may be additional savings on utilities and fuel, and some district departments may not spend their entire budget. But officials said those savings aren’t confirmed yet.

The Denver school board must pass a budget for next school year in June.

Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit news outlet covering education in Denver and around the state. This story is used by permission. For more, visit https://co.chalkbeat.org/.

Geese FROM PAGE 15

That’s nearly triple the number of eggs Denver Parks has oiled in the past as part of its own program. DeWinter also said parks employees need to oil at more than six parks to adequately address the issue.

Official disputes claim Gilmore disputes DeWinter’s egg oiling number, and said parks staff are “oiling all the eggs we can find.”

“You can’t assign a number because you don’t know how many eggs are out there,” he said. “We’ve found nests in six of our parks.

We look at all the parks where we have bodies of water. Some of those parks don’t have geese problems because the habitat doesn’t support nesting — geese really like island nesting.”

And that makes Washington and City parks prime habitat.

Gilmore said he hopes to partner with CGPC in the future.

“As we move through this (COVID-19 crisis) and try to get back to some sort of normal routine, we will try to engage with them again,” he said. “Hopefully we can get them involved with some of our restoration and habitat modification plans.”

Denver Parks updated its Resident Canada Goose Damage Management Program in April, and DeWinter noted it lacks any references to public notifications — a change she finds concerning.

“We take issue with the fact that instead of dealing with the public’s concerns, they have simply removed all promises of public engagement from this year’s goose management guide,” she said. “That doesn’t jibe with

A goose swims in the lake at Washington Park in April.

JANE REUTER Mayor (Michael B.) Hancock’s promises of a transparent Denver.”

But Gilmore, who said he received death threats in the wake of last year’s culling, said that decision was based on a concern for the safety of parks employees.

“If we deem we need to move forward with culling, I will not tell people that because it puts our staff and the staff at the USDA at risk,” Gilmore said. “We have published the program online; that is a notice.”

He added that culling was probably one of the most difficult decisions he ever had to make.

“I’m a wildlife biologist and I love wildlife.

But I also understand as a biologist, the geese population is way out of control,” Gilmore said. “They out-compete other wildlife species. If you walk Wash Park now, you’ll see a lot more diversity of waterfowl, and by creating that space, the diversity of birds will increase in a lot of our parks.”

DeWinter hopes Denver Parks will make a different decision on culling this year.

“There’s a better way to spend those taxpayer dollars, especially in a pandemic,” she said. “Do you want your taxpayer dollars being spend on killing geese, or buying supplies for our medical providers and food to help keep them going?”

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18 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

‘Everything in life is different after an event like this’ One year later, father of shooting victim urges community to remember STEM

By Jessica Gibbs

I

John and Maria Castillo visit the grave of their son, Kendrick, every single day. Kendrick, 18, died while protecting his classmates from a school shooter. Here the Castillos are reflected on the polished surface of another nearby headstone.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GIBBS

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John prayed over his son, Kendrick, for several minutes on April 30 as he and wife, Maria, visited Kendrick at his gravesite.

jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com

n late April, John Castillo started struggling to sleep. May 7 was approaching — the day he and his wife, Maria, lost their only child. With each passing day, anxiety built up a little more.

“I didn’t know what my emotional realm would be,” he said.

He began thinking about his son, 18-yearold Kendrick, more and more as the one-year mark of Kendrick’s death drew near.

Kendrick was fatally shot while he and fellow students Brendan Bialy and Josh Jones rushed an attacker as two students opened fire at STEM School Highlands Ranch on May 7, 2019. Eight more students were injured.

Kendrick, Brendan and Josh are credited with saving lives that day. Kendrick is remembered as a hero.

One year later, John fears that people will eventually forget his son, think less often of STEM and move on, he said, particularly as a global pandemic consumes people’s attention.

That’s why he still tells his story. As he tearfully reflected on a tumultuous year, John said he hopes his words will help people and keep Kendrick’s memory alive.

“Everywhere you turn, everything in life is different after an event like this. Nothing is as easy as it was before,” John said.

Surviving one crisis amid another The family’s grief and anxiety has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

John, a diabetic, is at-risk for the pneumonialike virus that is more lethal for people with underlying conditions.

The pandemic also prompted many governments including Colorado to ban gatherings and issue a stay-at-home order, creating more challenges in the Castillos’ grief process.

“The support that we probably normally would have isn’t there right now. That’s been a very difficult thing,” John said. “There is a big distraction. We know that they’re concerned for their families.”

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The Castillos buried their son, Kendrick, at Seven Stones Cemetery. The botanical garden cemetery focuses on healing through nature and incorporates art throughout the grounds. The Castillos chose a plot for Kendrick next to three basalt columns, which reminded John and Maria of their family of three.

Washington Park Profile 19

May 2020

’ Castillo FROM PAGE 18

COVID-19 spurred a painful drawing out of the open case against the older suspect, who pleaded not guilty in January. The suspect’s trial was rescheduled from May to September. The second perpetrator pleaded guilty in February and awaits sentencing.

John worries jurors will feel uncomfortable serving during the pandemic and won’t focus. Organizing victims’ statements took significant effort, he said.

“It’s been difficult. The COVID-19 situation has thrown an interesting twist on a lot of things that we just, I guess, never thought of before,” John said. “From a survivor standpoint, it does play heavy on our minds, what justice will look like going forward with this new twist of a pandemic.”

Then COVID-19 ruined original plans to honor Kendrick on May 7.

John wanted to hold a candlelight vigil to speak about his faith and the importance of family values. The pandemic rendered that impossible.

Instead he and Maria will have a small gathering of friends and family at Seven Stones Cemetery with a prayer service and bagpipes.

Every day since Kendrick died, his parents have visited him at the botanical cemetery in Littleton where he is buried.

“That’s really cathartic and good for us. We go out there and take him flowers and walk and talk,” John said.

Being in Kendrick’s presence while surrounded by nature is comforting, John said. The shift to springtime brought an added sense of peace as the world came to life. Plants began to grow, and he could hear birds chirping.

When people grow too busy, they do not always notice the changing of the seasons, John said. Going to Seven Stones gave him a renewed appreciation for that.

While there, he and Maria can read kind notes left at Kendrick’s grave by friends. That uplifts them.

“It also hurts our hearts that they’re suffering the loss that we are.

They are suffering the pain as well,” John said. “We think and wonder about those kids every day and how they are making it through.”

A number of items at Kendrick Castillo’s grave honor things he loved — a small cow to remember his times eating Chick-fil-A with friends, a columbine flower left by a Columbine survivor, tools from technology students he mentored and more.

Being tested John and Maria thought seriously about moving closer to Kendrick.

There are too many memories in their home, he said. The couple looked at some properties before COVID-19 geared up and made selling their home impossible.

For now, they are working on home improvement projects to make their property more sellable.

The pandemic changed their work plans, too.

Maria, a chef, and John, an engineer in the hotel industry, are both on sabbatical. John expected his employer to reevaluate his work status in June or July before COVID-19 hit but doubts he can return to work under the pandemic.

The couple’s grief symptoms worsened too as they weathered both crises.

After losing their son, John and Maria battled sleep deprivation.

During the pandemic that grew worse. They stay up, restless, until 12:30 a.m., 1 a.m., 2 a.m., and wake up by 4:30 or 5 a.m.

Each morning John puts on coffee. They each drink their cups next to a wall covered in photos of Kendrick while thinking about ways to occupy their time. John does yardwork, waters plants and grows vegetables.

An added challenge during the pandemic was losing the ability to

leave the house. Like most people, John said, the couple is limiting time away from home, only getting groceries every three to four weeks.

They mostly leave to fuel their vehicle at Costco so they can go to and from the cemetery, which feels safe because no one but them is typically there, he said. Before COVID, John spent time at the state capitol, but work there came to “a screeching halt.”

“I will say that it doesn’t matter what we’re involved in,” John said.

“There always comes a point at the end of the day when we’re having dinner. There is just a calm, empty time where we eat, we think about Kendrick, and it’s difficult, extremely difficult, for about an hour.”

This experience has tested them in many ways they didn’t expect, John said.

Significantly, it tested their faith.

The couple wanted 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler to pursue the death penalty in the older suspect’s case, but they are devout Catholics and John knows capital punishment is against their doctrine, he said.

Brauchler announced through court documents filed in March he would not seek the death penalty, noting jurors would have to consider the 19-year-old suspect’s age and lack of serious prior offenses.

John said at the time he believes

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justice for Kendrick means the suspect giving up his life. John hopes people will not judge him and Maria for their stance on the death penalty.

No one could understand unless also in their place, he said.

“It pits our loss against our spiritual beliefs,” John said.

The experience also sharpened his views on the importance of strong family systems, and the need to be informed community members. He urged people to understand local laws and get involved in shaping policy.

If people want to support survivors of mass violence, they should pay attention to how the criminal justice system works, he said. He stressed the victims impact statements in the STEM case will have influence years into the future if the gunmen seek parole.

John is eager for solutions to school safety and believes it starts with strong families. Court hearings revealed the younger suspect grew up amid abuse and neglect.

Washington Post reporter Robert Klemko revealed on Twitter that March 2020 was the first March without a school shooting in the U.S. since 2002. John called that profound.

“I thought, how ironic. Is this what it takes to end the cycle of terror and violence that takes place in our schools?” he said.

Months of shock fade to crushing clarity Talking about Kendrick overwhelms Maria with emotion.

For most of the past year, she let John take the lead during news media interviews at court hearings or serve as their spokesman in other situations.

She’s never far from John’s side, usually listening with a tear-stricken face and quiet sobs.

When she speak, Maria moves people deeply. She left a packed courtroom weeping in November 2019 after she testified during a hearing that decided the 16-yearold suspect would be tried as an adult, not a juvenile, if his case had progressed there.

Kendrick, she said, was her life.

John said time failed to lessen their pain.

“I wish I could say that things have gotten better or seem like we have, but honestly, it doesn’t feel much different than this time last year. I guess the only difference is there’s a sense of clarity now,” John said.

That clarity makes the grief stronger. For months after the tragedy, John and Maria felt a sense of denial. They lived in a fog. Now, the shock and disbelief of Kendrick’s death is worn off. His loss feels more real.

“I never knew a person could be in shock for many months,” John said.

John remembers Kendrick as calming presence in his life.

Kendrick never hated or got angry. If John got upset at a driver on the road, Kendrick was the one to talk him down. When Kendrick was a child, he once put himself in time out after his parents scolded him.

Kendrick was not afraid to show his faith. He quietly prayed over Taco Bell or when eating out, and never did it so people would see him, John said. That was “just his demeanor. He was brave that way.”

Kendrick loved the outdoors, space and robotics. He set goals and worked toward them. When friends fought, he tried to bring them together. He stood up for what was right, and ultimately died living by that standard, John said.

He hopes people will never forget how good his son was.

“He truly was one of a kind,” John said. “Just be like him.”

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20 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

Baby Cafe offers virtual lactation help for new moms Families can connect with specialists, others in similar situations

difficult to meet with a lactation specialist in person, some new mothers may not be getting the breastfeeding support they need.

Mothers’ Milk Bank Baby Café now offers a virtual way by which new moms can get free breastfeeding guidance from a lactation specialist using remote video technology. Moms can also share their experiences and hear from others in similar situations. This virtual community provides support and encouragement during a time a woman may be discouraged and alone.

“Motherhood can be a very isolating time,

Staff report Although many of life’s usual occurrences have been suspended during these turbulent times, babies are still being born and moms still want to breastfeed. However, because it is

found at https://rmchildren.org/mothersmilk-bank/baby-cafe. Additional information also can be found on the website.

Mothers’ Milk Bank also offers a Welcome Home Baby kit for any mother who needs to bridge the gap of feeding until her milk comes in. The kit is shipped directly to the family and includes giveaways, five bottles of pasteurized donor human milk, and additional resources h to educate families about what to expect in the o k first few weeks of their baby’s life.

V For information on the Baby Café or the Welcome Home Baby Kit, call 303-869-1888. i

H

V l v c t and Learn, offered via the online platform Dis- d cord, email Cindy Skaggs at cindy@cskaggs. w com * Writing for Publication or to share, with e I Jorge Arroyo and Juan Morales, is at 1 p.m. s Thursdays.

To register for Writing for Publication work- t shops, email Jorge Arroyo at bdpaperworks@ M a gmail.com.

To learn more about the workshops, visit — a coloradohumanities.org. e f

Veterans Writing Workshops now offered online Staff report Veterans Writing Workshops offer a safe place for veterans, their adult family members and caregivers to write and talk about their experiences. To help connect veterans with each other and continue providing these workshops, Colorado Humanities is offering three types of online writing workshops in May. The Writing for Publication and Lunch & Learn workshops provide participants the op-

Writing FROM PAGE 13

Writing is personal, but it also builds a connection with people, said Joy Roulier Sawyer, a published poet with a background as a trained writing therapist who has been teaching at Lighthouse for about 10 years.

“For some, it’s a way of self-expression,” Sawyer said. “To work hard on a craft when we’re in a time of such crisis provides a sense of accomplishment and focus.”

Sawyer mentions the Hard Times workshops — a free course for people who have recently experienced or are currently experiencing poverty, addiction, homelessness or other difficult situations — and free workshops for essential workers “designed to help nurture personal insight and emotional grounding,” states the website.

“Writing is therapeutic — or it can be,” said Steve Knopper, editor-at-large for Billboard magazine who has been teaching at Lighthouse for about 2 1/2 years.

He describes his students as “creative and

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especially now, and Baby Café helps provide a shared space where moms and dads too can meet with other families and talk about this season of parenthood, the joys and challenges,” Abby Malman Case, international boardcertified lactation consultant and manager of donor relations at Mothers’ Milk Bank, said in a news release.

Mothers’ Milk Bank Baby Café is available to families from 10-11 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fridays. Families who would like to participate are asked to complete a form, which can be

portunity to create, share and receive feedback on their writing. Expressive writing provides support for a deeply private journaling process proven to reduce stress.

All are led by veterans who are professional writers, and all are free, thanks to partners and sponsors Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, Arts in Society, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Steamboat Creates. * Expressive Writing with Cindy Skaggs is

committed.”

“One way the students inspire me is the way they’re willing to write about everything in their lives,” Knopper said.

“It’s super interesting working with the students.”

Knopper has been in journalism since the 1980s, he said, and has been a full-time freelancer since the late 1990s. He noted how difficult it is to get published but added that he encourages his students to do so.

“What I love is when the students bring their own experiences of getting published,” Knopper said.

Writing is a means of expression for Lindsay Hayes, who has been taking classes at Lighthouse since last fall. She always enjoyed writing as a child, she said, and as an adult did some travel blogging.

For her, the Thursday evening class she is currently enrolled in is a “two-hour respite” from the current state of the world.

“There’s just something about writing.

It’s cathartic,” Hayes said. “I am grateful to Lighthouse because it’s good to have something other than the pandemic to focus on.”

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from 3-4:30 p.m. Sundays. * Lunch and Learn with Cindy Skaggs is from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays - May 6 is Journaling: Writing to heal and transform; May 13 is Life Writing for publication: personal essay and memoir; May 20 is Fiction Foundations for publication: elements of the writing craft; and May 27 is The Business of Writing (who, where, and how to submit your writing).

To register for Expressive Writing or Lunch

Comics FROM PAGE 13

White-Lindstrom has participated in a number of Pop Culture Classroom’s programs and workshops, including a weeklong summer camp during which he created the above-mentioned character.

“The teachers have actual passion for what they’re teaching,” said White-Lindstrom’s mother Kathy White. “They way they teach would help any kid better engage in reading and writing tasks because they (Pop Culture Classroom teachers) teach through avenues kids already engage with.”

With social distancing measures in place because of the coronavirus pandemic, Pop Culture Classroom is offering a selection of its workshops for free live-streaming.

The workshops “serve as an opportunity to highlight the artistry and artistic components that go into the creation of pop culture mediums,” states a news release, and focus on drawing and storytelling.

It’s not just watching the stream, it’s about all the activities that can be done afterwards,

said Terra Necessary, a literacy educator and ( artist with Pop Culture Classroom. i “A lot of them (youths) are bursting with w creativity, but don’t have a starting point,” I Necessary said. Pop Culture Classroom offers C the opportunity to “hone those creative skills v and write stories about what’s going on.”

Necessary has been with the organization for about four years, and has read some great student-created comics, ranging from “moving, emotional stories to silly, hilarious ones.”

Anybody with a piece of paper and a No. 2 pencil can create beautiful comics, Necessary added.

“And the stories that come out of it are so amazing,” she said.

The free streaming workshops are geared for youths, about age 8 and older, but adults would likely enjoy them as well, Kullberg said.

People have been missing that person-toperson interaction, he said, and the livestream workshops offer an opportunity to express creativity.

“Creative expression tends to break down the barriers within ourselves,” Kullberg said.

“A great creation comes from a place of rich emotional experience.”

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Washington Park Profile 21

May 2020

Cultural institutions offer virtual visits

By Clarke Reader Special to Colorado Community Media

H

ave you ever stared at the paint on your walls so long you start to see the works of timeless paintings in the splotches? That’s starting to happen to me — I think there’s a portion of Raphael’s “The School of Athens” in my kitchen and Frida Kahlo’s “Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress,” in my study.

In other words, I could use a little culture in my life.

Thankfully, Visit Denver has launched Virtually Denver, a new resource that allows residents like me to dive into the city’s vibrant arts and cultural institutions from the comforts of our couches, desks and dinner tables. You can check out the options at www. denver.org/blog/post/denver-events-thisweekend.

There are all kinds of options — interactive experiences, videos and reading materials.

It gives the opportunity for organizations to share some of their in-depth and behindthe-scenes secrets — like the Denver Art Museum’s Beyond Monet YouTube series — and a chance to highlight some of the gems — take the Denver Zoo’s baby rhino cam and the Kirkland Museum’s Pull Up a Chair exhibit, which features 45 fascinating chairs, from 150 usually on exhibit.

I’ve recommended just a few favorites (with some tips to increase the virtual visiting ambience) in a variety of categories, all with the aim of entertaining and educating.

I also heartily encourage you to go to www.

ColoradoGives.org to donate to some of these vital organizations.

Allons-y.

QUALITY & VA

Museums Colorado’s Most Significant Artifacts — Ambience advice: Play any albums from The Band or Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Organized by History Colorado, this resource gathers a bevy of historic and cultural heritage items, ranging from photographs, documents, manuscripts, audio recordings and much, much more. You can explore diaries from settlers, see the U.S. flag carried by the 1st Regiment of Colorado Volunteers during the Civil War and oil paintings. www.historycolorado.org/ colorados-most-significantartifacts DMNS@HOME - Ambience advice: Set up your screen near a window, where you can get some natural light.

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has put all kinds of resources on this portion of its website. There are videos like one with archaeologist Erin Baxter on infamous murderer and cannibal Alferd Packer. Most thrillingly for dinosaur fans like yours truly, there are all manner of options available — videos, PowerPoints and activities. www.dmns.org/ learn/dmns-at-home

Outdoors Gardens Navigator Website — Ambience advice: Start your exploring in your front or back yard, out on your patio or deck; in other words, anywhere you can be comfortably outside.

What better way to see how plants are coming back to life during spring than by digitally exploring the Denver Botanic Gardens? Visitors can search for specific plants, see which flowers are in bloom and take tours (either created by staff and custom). navigate.botanicgardens.org/ecmweb/ ECM_Home.html Zoo to You Virtual Safari — Ambience advice: Play Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” Burna Boy’s “Outside” or Lord Huron’s “Lonesome Dreams.”

See some of the zoo’s most fascinating and adorable animals, including the aforementioned baby rhino, gibbons and even a bear safari. My favorite is the Good Night Zoo audio episode, which brings you along with Disa Skaff, night keeper at the zoo. denverzoo.org/zootoyou

Music Red Rocks live cam — Ambience advice: Play any live album recorded at Red Rocks, from U2 to Dave Matthews and Amos Lee to Stevie Nicks.

There isn’t a whole lot going on in this live cam, but it’s so relaxing to watch, and it brings back so many great memories of concerts, films and graduations. I heartily recommend using this like those fireplace videos around the holidays — put it on to relax. www.redrocksonline.com/about/livecam Streams with Grit — Ambience advice: Stream this one with a brew or a summery cocktail. Something with citrus or fruit.

Hosted by the Underground Music Showcase (UMS), this daily event goes live on UMS’ Facebook page at about 5 p.m. and features performances from local musicians. Not only will you hear some great tunes, but it’s easy to donate and support the artists. www.facebook.com/undergroundmusicshowcase Performing arts Socially Distant Culture Club — Ambience advice: Play Animal Collective’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion,” Chance the Rapper’s “Coloring Book” or the Talking Heads’ greatest hits.

Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Center for Visual Arts launched a weekly series called Socially Distant Culture Club, which sends participants a newsletter with artist inspiration, creative guides and recipes. On Wednesdays at about 5 p.m. there will be video tutorial, and people are encouraged to tag their creations on social media. www.msudenver.edu/cva/ events/sociallydistantcultureclub

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Washington Park Profile 23

May 2020

‘An entirely new way of doing school’

Teachers miss students, interactions during time of remote learning

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Out of everything teachers love about their job as educators, the majority say they miss their students the most during this time of remote learning.

“Seeing their little faces on my computer screen is what has gotten me through this pandemic,” said Suzette Smith, a kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Elementary School. “I’m cheering all the students on by computer because they’re doing such a good job.”

By April, approximately, schools across the nation closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Denver Public Schools announced on April 3 that it would move to remote learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, which ends on May 29.

“Our schools are a central part of Denver and our closing our doors to our students, our teachers, our staff and everybody involved in our school buildings was not an easy choice to make,” said Dr. Carrie Olson, president of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education during a live-streamed press conference on April 3. “It is my sincere belief that through the challenges we face together, we will make it to the other side of this stronger, more connected and fully supporting each other.”

DPS educators and staff engaged in train-

Donna Smith, a seventh-grade language arts teacher at Merrill Middle School, says teachers miss their students tremendously as they’re all instructing their classes from home during the school closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic. COURTESY PHOTO ings and preparation prior to remote learning, which began on April 7.

“We anticipate there will be a lot of learning for everyone,” said school board member Rev. Bradley Laurvick during a virtual town hall on April 2. “We know there will be a lot of learning, and we’re asking that people be patient and extend grace to everyone as we kick off an

entirely new way of doing school.”

In Smith’s virtual classroom, her students are continuing to work on core curriculum such as reading and math.

“We’re doing this as thoughtfully as we can,” said Smith, who has been teaching for 16 years.

Science lessons include family activities such as sprouting beans, and a writing lesson might include the student sending a picture of handwritten words to Smith to ensure the letters in the words are formed correctly.

“We’re making the best of the situation,” said Jackie Falcon, a ninth-and-10th-grade English teacher at Denver South High School. But “I would not want this to be the norm.”

Falcon added she doesn’t feel like virtual learning provides her with the full “teacher experience.” She specifically mentioned the inclass discussions that allow students to “take off ” with the concepts they’re learning.

“There’s so much missing,” Falcon said, who has been teaching for 29 years. “It’s weird not going to school and seeing their faces every day.”

And that’s not to mention each school’s endof-the-year celebrations, the general activities that mark the closure of the school year and simply “being able say goodbye until next year,” Falcon said.

The decision to close the schools’ doors for the remainder of the school year also came with the cancellation of all athletic events, extracurricular activities and proms.

“Unfortunately, this decision also includes the postponement of in-person graduation ceremonies,” said DPS Superintendent Susana Cordova in an April 3 letter to families. “We

will do everything we can to reschedule these celebrations when health officials allow gatherings again, and we will find ways to honor the wonderful Class of 2020.”

Leading up to all that, a lot of characterbuilding occurs during middle school, so not having the day-to-day, face-to-face interaction with students has been the hardest to adapt to, said Andrew Clark, an eighth-grade math teacher at Morey Middle School.

“I’ve always believed (teaching) is not only always about academics,” Clark said, who has been teaching for nine years.

It’s also about being a positive role model or simply someone the students can confide in, he added. Fulfilling those roles is difficult when school is being done remotely, Clark said.

Students also miss the interactions of just being at school — their teachers and their friends.

“I’m doing the same amount of learning, it’s just the boring parts of school,” said Elise Myren, a seventh-grader at Merrill Middle School. “You don’t get to share or collaborate with others as much.”

While teachers are missing their students tremendously, there is a silver lining to engaging with students in a different way, said Donna Smith, a seventh-grade language arts teacher at Merrill Middle School who has been with Denver Public Schools for 24 years.

Students today are “digital natives,” she said, meaning they’ve grown up with technology.

“They have ideas, and hopefully, they’ll teach me some new things, too,” Donna Smith said. “It’s always good to learn new ways to engage with students.”

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24 Washington Park Profile

May 2020

As your community newspaper, we are committed to delivering the latest and most accurate COVID-19 news and local updates in print and online every day. We also remain dedicated to serving our local advertisers, as they struggle to overcome unprecedented economic challenges resulting from the pandemic.

In uncertain and troubled times like today, the importance of local news and community connection is more evident than ever. You can help support businesses in our community by purchasing gift cards for later use, frequenting restaurants that are open for takeout, leaving positive online reviews, spreading the word on social media or checking to see if your favorite businesses have opened online stores. You can also support the future of local news and reporting by becoming a subscriber or making a donation today.

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