Washington Park Profile 1019

OCTOBER 2019

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Digital and print community newspaper founded in 1978.

FURRY FRIENDS

Animal nonproďŹ t continues expansion of Denver shelter

P6 GIVING HOPE

DU arts program transforms state prisoners

P16 BALLOT GUIDE

Q&As with the school board candidates

Pages 12-15

SCOOTER ENFORCEMENT

Denver police focus on education with e-scooters

P18

2 Washington Park Profile

October 2019

Business Matters

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

DEVELOPMENT Clayton Street Broe Real Estate Group, a Cherry Creek building owner, has submitted plans to the city to redevelop several of its buildings along Clayton Street in the Cherry Creek area. Beck Architecture is working with the company, and submitted the plans to the city.

The two-story buildings at 200 and 210 Clayton St. will be demolished in favor of an eight-story building that will be mixed use, with the main floor used for retail space. The remaining floors will be office space.

A nearby parking garage will also be demolished, and a seven-story building will be built in its place. This building would also be mixed use, with the ground floor as retail and the remaining floors as office space.

The development plans with the city are in the early stages and may change.

370 S. Garfield St. Plans have been submitted to the city for

a new hotel building at 370 S. Garfield St. The building would be 12 stories, and operated by AC Hotels by Mariott. The plans say the hotel will have 150 rooms.

The building was formerly home to a bakery, Andre’s Confiserie Suisse, which operated in Cherry Creek through 2015.

BUSINESS OPENINGS The Sweet Spot The owner behind Devour the 303 will be opening a dessert restaurant next door.

The Sweet Spot will be opening at 1135 E. Evans Ave. The Sweet Spot will offer a selection of pies, milkshakes and cakes. It will also have a bar with dessert cocktails, wine and beer.

Devour the 303 and The Sweet Spot are located in the former Atticus and The Rosedale, which were owned by the restaurant company behind Blackbird Public House. The restaurants closed last September.

Fire on the Mountain The Portland-based wing spot opened its second Denver location at the end of August. Fire on the Mountain opened in the mixed-use development at 300 S. Logan St. The first Fire on the Mountain opened in the Highlands in 2012.

The building will also have a Molecule Effect coffee shop and a Rush Cycle spin studio.

Le Bilboquet A new French restaurant has opened its doors in Cherry Creek. Le Bilboquet, a Manhattan-based restaurant, opened in the St. Paul Collection development in Cherry Creek North in mid-September.

Le Bilboquet first opened in the Upper East Side 33 years ago.

The Denver location, at 299 St. Paul St., has a wine list with 150 bottles.

Pasty Republic The British pastry shop now has a second location in the Cherry Creek neighborhood. Pasty Republic is located at 2615 E. Third Ave. Pasty Republic sells Cornish pasties — dough folded around ingredients and then baked. The restaurant offers pastries for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The original location opened in the Berkeley neighborhood in 2014.

CLOSINGS Mario’s Ocean Club The seafood restaurant closed at 560 S. Broadway in August. Owner Mario Vega wrote on the restaurant’s website that he was offered a new restaurant space in Littleton, and that he did not see a way to run both locations.

“I could not have made it through the last year without the support and patronage of every person who has visited us and am so grateful and appreciative of all

the wonderful regulars we have developed in that time,” he wrote. “It is bittersweet for me as this restaurant was my first and I put so much of myself into it.”

Novo Coffee The Novo Coffee at 215 S. Holly St. in the Hilltop neighborhood closed in midAugust. The coffee shop first opened in 2017. Prior to that, the space had been a Crumb Cafe.

Novo Coffee will continue to operate its commissary kitchen at the Hilltop location until its lease ends at the end of the year.

CHANGES Cherry Creek Athletic Club The Cherry Creek Athletic Club changed ownership last month. The gym is located in Glendale, a short distance away from the Cherry Creek neighborhood.

Life Time, a Minnesota-based gym chain, took over operations of the facility.

Members will continue to have access to the club through Oct. 31, according to an email sent to members. They will need a Life Time membership starting in November. The rates will not change, according to the email.

The new memberships will also allow users to go to Life Time gyms across the state, as well as other locations in the United States.

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Fire on the Mountain, a new wing restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options, opened near the corner of Alameda and Logan streets last month.

KAILYN LAMB

Washington Park Profile 3

October 2019

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

Firman will leave the position on Oct. 14.

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

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

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

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

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

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

sorely needed.”

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

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

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

The Denver Economic Development &

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

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

Housing an Inclusive Denver is a five-year

Banking With Impact

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

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

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

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

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Creating a

October 2019

shopping destination New Cherry Creek North CEO hopes to build ties with residents

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A

Nick LeMasters will start in his new position as the CEO of the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District on Nov. 1. He has spent the last 23 years as the general manager of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.

COURTESY OF CHERRY CREEK NORTH BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

retail expert is jumping from one side of Cherry Creek to the other as he leaves his role at the shopping center to join the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District.

Nick LeMasters has spent the last 23 years as the general manager of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. He will shift into his new role with the BID as the CEO on Nov. 1.

LeMasters said he was very happy in his role at the mall, and was not looking for a job prior to applying with Cherry Creek North. But after a friend recommended the job to him, he realized it would be the perfect next step in his several-decade career in retail. Instead of working with one corporate owner of the mall, LeMasters said he is excited to be working with all the individual store owners that make up the Cherry Creek North area.

“After 23 years, I think I’ve accomplished a lot here at the shopping center,” he said. “The fact that the shopping center is under the control of one owner, Cherry Creek North is the antithesis of that.”

The Cherry Creek North BID covers from First Avenue to Third Avenue, and from University Boulevard to Steele Street.

Much like his role at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, LeMasters will be working to get more people to Cherry Creek North. But instead of just working with business owners to do so, LeMasters said he is looking forward to creating relationships with the residents that make up the community as well.

Coming together to create a common vision will help make the shopping center a continuing destination, he said.

“We’ve got to find ways to enhance connections to the neighborhood,” LeMasters said. “Our obligation at the BID is to do everything possible to maintain the platform that encourages people to visit.”

One of the first steps, LeMasters said, is to find ways to work with the city to improve public transportation to the area. He called Cherry Creek the “hole in the transportation doughnut.” He added that it’s more than getting people to a shopping area, but also figuring out how they will get there.

Most of his career has been spent in retail, LeMasters said. He started by working in stores and then moved up into management. He spent 15 years in the Mervyn’s department store chain.

In 1990, he transitioned into working with the Taubman company in the San Francisco area.

Taubman runs shopping centers around the country. In 1996, LeMasters moved to Colorado with his wife to become the general manager of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center for the company.

Moving from store management to property management in the retail world was a natural progression for LeMasters. “I spoke their language,” he said of working with store owners, adding that his experience in running a store helped with his credibility.

He added that retail has always been a reflection of the community and what its interests may be. Over his career, he has seen a lot of changes to the retail industry — online shopping being just one of them.

LeMasters added that change is one of the things he enjoys most about retail, saying he would not be fulfilled by a job that was the same thing day in and day out.

Although LeMasters spends most of his time in Cherry Creek, he joked that he spends his sleeping hours at his home in Centennial. He and his wife spend their free time road-tripping to different parts of the state. After 23 years, LeMasters said he still hasn’t seen it all, and that he likes to find new favorites.

In addition to fly-fishing and spending time outdoors, LeMasters and his wife enjoy taking trips to see their four grandchildren.

“That’s where my real joy comes from,” he said.

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October 2019

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Taking

October 2019

care of our four-legged friends Denver animal shelter opens new space, continues renovation

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A

fter more than 40 years of using the same animal kennels, the Denver Dumb Friends League was well overdue for an upgrade to its

shelters.

The newly named Leslie A. Malone Center features new kennels, better drainage and soundproofing. The kennels are also set up in a way that means dogs will no longer have to go from one end of the shelter to get to adoption rooms or checkup areas. This helps cut down on the animal’s stress, said Jasmine McCormick, an adoption associate for the Denver Dumb Friends League.

“It’s all the little things that are really amazing,” McCormick said. “In the adoptions lobby it’s been better on the animals for sure. They seem happier to me in those kennels.”

The renovation project was launched two

TO LEARN MORE To learn more about the Denver Dumb Friends League, go to www.ddfl.org. years ago as part of a $40 million capital campaign that has several phases, including the shelter space. The organization, which runs as a nonprofit, is also doing construction on veterinary spaces for surgery, as well as a new space for animal behavior, said Joan Thielen, communications specialist with the Denver Dumb Friends League.

The center is named after Leslie Malone of the Malone Family Foundation. The foundation agreed to donate $20 million in matching funds during the campaign. The organization also helped fund the Denver Dumb Friends League equine center near Castle Rock, which opened in 2012. Thielen said the nonprofit has raised all the needed funds for the campaign and that construction is expected to be completed on all phases in 2020.

In August, the shelter nonprofit hosted a grand opening for the renovated shelter space, located at 2080 S. Quebec St. Construction added an additional 25,000 square feet to what SEE SHELTER, P7

The Denver Dumb Friends League also offers smaller animals for adoption including hamsters, gerbils and rabbits. The new shelter at Quebec Street location increased the kennel space by 40%.

KAILYN LAMB Gudrun Job walks a dog nearby the Denver Dumb Friends League Quebec Street animal shelter. The nonprofit relies on volunteers like Job to come in and walk the dogs.

COURTESY PHOTO

In addition to animal adoption, the Denver Dumb Friends League has several programs around animal behavior. These programs help cats and dogs with issues like depression or trust around humans.

KAILYN LAMB

The animal shelter space at the Denver Dumb Friends League was first built in 1973, and was state of the art at the time. Changes in animal care and the need for more space led the animal shelter to renovate it’s buildings to create healthier spaces for the animals there.

KAILYN LAMB

Washington Park Profile 7

October 2019

Shelter FROM PAGE 6

the nonprofit previously had. This was a 40% increase in kennel space for both cats and dogs, Thielen said.

This was an important factor in the renovations, said Thielen. As the largest animal welfare shelter in the region, the Denver Dumb Friends League accepts animals from nearby states. Shelters in places like Texas and Oklahoma will often send their animals to Denver because they do not have the space and they do not want to euthanize them. Because Denver is such a dog-friendly city, those animals also have a better chance of being adopted here, Thielen said.

She added that the shelter gets between 30 and 50 a dogs a week from those out-of-state areas.

“Our transfer program is so amazing,” McCormick said. “People feel so good about it.”

Layout of the shelter The dog shelter portion of the Denver Dumb Friends League was built in 1973. At the time, it was considered state-of-the-art, Thielen said.

“Animal welfare has changed,” Thielen said. “(We’re) just bringing the shelter up to date to help the pets that we serve, but also our community here in Denver and what their needs are.”

McCormick said that the shelter area is set up into four different pod spaces. Each of those pods has 10 kennels for dogs and two

adoption rooms. The nonprofit can take people to the adoption rooms directly in the pod with the animal they are looking at adopting.

In addition to helping with animal stress, it can also help with contagions if that animal is sick since it doesn’t have to go throughout the building.

The kennels have large glass windows with a unique frosted design on them. The design allows animals to move from one space in the kennel where they can see across to other animals, or to a frosted area where they can hide if they are nervous or tired.

“That makes them less nervous and helps with the stress,” McCormick said.

The kennels have connecting doors that can be moved up if there are animals who are bonded with each other that prefer to share spaces. Heated floors and speakers are also new additions to the kennel.

The speakers are often used by the behavior team at the Denver Dumb Friends League, which uses musical therapy to help calm animals. This can be particularly helpful for animals that do not trust humans and have become aggressive.

Jim Thoeming, a volunteer with the shelter, said you can quickly tell which animals were mistreated or had a bad life prior to coming to the Denver Dumb Friends League. With some, it’s apparent by their physical condition, in their fur or animals with injuries. Other animals are so skittish around people that they won’t even accept the treats or bits of hot dog that Thoeming carries in his pocket.

But if you give the animal a chance, he said, many of them respond to the care and attention they get.

Animal health and welfare The Denver Dumb Friends League is working on pet admissions and lost and found, which is the third phase of the construction project. It will have a similar layout to the adoptions area Thielen said.

Moving forward, the shelter is also doing construction on a new surgical area. Right now, the Denver Dumb Friends League has one space for animal surgeries, which can get very crowded. The new space will have a room specifically for spay and neuter procedures, a dental procedure room and one for orthopedic surgeries or whatever else is needed for the animal’s care. The facility will also have recovery rooms that are specific to cats and dogs, Thielen said.

Finally, the nonprofit’s animal behavior team will have their own space in the new facility, which they did not have previously, Thielen said.

Behavior is becoming something that more shelters are working on with animals. Behavior analysis can help families pick an animal that will fit in with their dynamic.

Thielen added that the nonprofit runs a behavioral help line that’s available to anyone. If people are having behavior issues with their pets they can call the phone number and a specialist will help them through what’s happening. Thielen said the goal is to help avoid the family deciding to relinquish the pet.

Some of the programs the Denver Dumb Friends League offers, such as Kitty Comfort and Canine Courage, help dogs and cats that may be dealing with stress or overstimulation.

“There’s a lot of animals that come in that are just not ready to go up for adoption to the public yet,” McCormick said. “If the animal is just a little too shy we don’t want to push them.”

The Denver Dumb Friends League is one of the largest animal shelters in the Rocky Mountain region.

Surrounding states such as Texas and Oklahoma often send their animals to the nonprofit because there is more space and higher rates of adoption here.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

Staff at the Denver Dumb Friends League work in the current surgery space at the nonprofit’s Quebec Street location. With only one surgery room, it can often get crammed. As part of the building’s renovation, the Denver Dumb Friends League is building three new surgery rooms for animals.

8 Washington Park Profile

October 2019

Nonprofit, community leaders aim to protect High

Line Canal

Michelle Freeman, right, preps a group of volunteers for a clean-up along a small section of the High Line Canal. The event on Sept. 14 helped the High Line Canal Conservancy announce its new master plan for the 71-mile trail.

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

Conservancy organization receives $56,000 donation at rally event

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The High Line Canal Conservancy took its first step last month toward protecting a trail system that flows through 71 miles of

the south metro area by releasing a master plan that will improve the environmental health of the area and will allow for safer access of the trail.

The South Pearl-based nonprofit held a rally in Aurora on Sept. 14 to announce the plan. Volunteers also did a clean-up of a one-mile stretch of the trail that day.

Representatives from the 11 different jurisdictions — Denver, Littleton, Arapahoe County, Centennial and more — spoke at the event, talking about the significance of bringing so many communities together to

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The canal has been owned by Denver Water since 1924. The utility service uses the canal for irrigation water. Jim Locchead, the CEO and president of Denver Water, said at the rally that historically, the canal had not been used to its full potential for public use.

“This plan really sets that framework,” he said. “When you see the number of jurisdictions that are involved and transcend the canal, its a tremendous challenge of everybody working together in collaboration to come up with a common vision for how we can work to manage this canal into the future in perpetuity for the benefit of this Denver metropolitan area.”

Harriet Crittenden LaMair, executive director of the High Line Canal Conservancy, also received a ceremonial check for $56,094 from the Schomp Subaru dealership. The dealership chose the conservancy as its hometown charity for the Share the Love event. The car dealership has been doing the event for 11 years and has raised more than $140 million, according to its website.

The High Line Canal plan will be in place for the next 15 years, and has several projects. Signage and wayfinding will be improved along the 71 miles. Safety projects also aim to improve crossings along major streets such as Hampden Avenue.

“With the plan for the High Line Canal we’re really committing to an ambitious

Denver Water CEO Jim Lochhead speaks during an event for the High Line Canal Conservancy. Denver Water owns the canal and uses it for irrigation water. and impactful path to protect and preserve the High Line Canal’s 71 miles and 850 acres,” said Dirk McDermott, board chair of the conservancy. “With a 15-year horizon, the plan prioritizes hundreds of capital enhancement projects from safer crossing and underpasses, to signage and nature play areas along the canal.”

For more information on the canal, go to https://highlinecanal.org/.

Washington Park Profile 9

October 2019

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

By Nancy Profera Special to Colorado Community Media

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

A recent citizens initiative was introduced, as well as one by Denver City Council members. Each propose funding a new Denver Office of Climate Action and Resiliency. The citizens initiative gained enough signatures to be on the November 2020 ballot.

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

Meanwhile, Denver City Council has introduced a similar bill proposing an excise tax on businesses, but unlike the citizens initiative, it would not tax residences. This bill is also designed to help fund a proposed new climate office.

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

“Our climate efforts are all spread out and we want to streamline and elevate the issue of climate change,” said Jolon Clark, city council president and District 7 representative. “Denver is doing a lot of great work— it’s just that none of it is moving anywhere near fast enough.”

This seems to be the rally call for both initiatives: do more and move faster on climate action. The good news is that the city and citizens have been working together to align and define their efforts. “Council too tried to make the November 2019 ballot and a deal was brokered with the mayor’s office to create a stakeholders group, invest

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

money in the 2020 budget, and create a new office,” said Tafoya.

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

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

By Denver’s own estimates, commercial and industrial buildings contribute 41% of greenhouse gas emissions in the city.

Transportation contributes 36%, and with buildings, make up the greatest emitters of pollutants. The city considers these sectors slow to change and wants to take action.

Denver has long been in the forefront in creating environmental policies. In 2007 Denver became one of the first major U.S. cities to publish a climate action plan. In 2019, the city was ranked #8 out of 75 large cities nationally for clean energy policy and programs by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Denver has also been ranked a top U.S. city for solar energy efficiency, as well as being named a global city for climate reporting by the nonprofit Disclosure Insight Action/Carbon Disclosure Project.

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

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the energy efficiency, transportation, and electricity generation sectors already in place in Denver.

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

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

Compliance options include energy ef-

ficiency, solar, green space on the roof or on the ground, or a combination of options.

Around 30 projects have received permits since 2018, about two-thirds of which are remodels and additions to existing buildings. Some projects are opting to pursue even greater energy efficiency than is required by the code, Cecchine-Williams said.

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

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10 Washington Park Profile

LOCAL

October 2019

VOICES The power of creative expression A

FROM THE EDITOR

Kailyn Lamb

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

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

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

Spending hours backstage with your fellow perform-

ers bonds you in a way that few things do.

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

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

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

not ask the inmates what got them in prison.

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

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

SEE LAMB, P11

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

Giving your garden a second wind GUEST COLUMN Mike Kintgen

G

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

Lucky for us, Plant Select — a cooperative

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

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

All Plant Select recommendations perform beautifully in most Denver gardens.

I especially enjoy the native selections SEE GARDEN, P11

Councilmember Robin Kniech and Mayor Michael B. Hancock

T

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

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

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

JERRY HEALEY President

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

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KAILYN LAMB Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

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Email letters to klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager

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

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Washington Park Profile 11

October 2019

Lamb FROM PAGE 10

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

Wages FROM PAGE 10

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

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

Increased wages represent more than

Garden FROM PAGE 10

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

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

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

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

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

Next up in size is Schizocaprum sco-

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

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

This was not a decision I took lightly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

people who:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 Washington Park Profile

ELECTIONS 2019

School Board, District 1

October 2019

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

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

Scott Baldermann

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

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

Diana Romero Campbell

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

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

M. Radhika Nath, Ph.D.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Denver native, DPS graduate and parent.

Profession: President of Scholars Unlimited Campaign website: www.

DianaforDPS.com

Denver resident since 2010, and Colorado resident since 2001.

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

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

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

Tony Curcio Has lived in Denver for 21 years.

Profession: Engineer Campaign website: www. tonycurciofordenverkids.com

Bradley Laurvick

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

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

BradForDenverSchools.com

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October 2019

ELECTIONS 2019

Washington Park Profile 13

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

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

What will be your top three priorities once elected?

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

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

• Introduce funding allocations throughout the city of Denver.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My third priority will be expanding college and career readiness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What will be your top three priorities once elected?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14 Washington Park Profile

ELECTIONS 2019

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

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

Alexis Menocal Harrigan Campaign Website: www. alexisfordps.com

Natela Alexandrovna Manunkseva

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

October 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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October 2019

Washington Park Profile 15

ELECTIONS 2019

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

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

What will be your top three priorities once elected?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I want to incorporate the involvement of the immigrant community.

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

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16 Washington Park Profile

October 2019

STAGES OF HOPE

University theater program aims to give inmates tools for creative expression

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A

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

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

PHOTOS BY KAILYN LAMB

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s taught me to always be hope-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Washington Park Profile 17

October 2019

Don’t be a trail

troll

Open space officials, volunteers discuss outdoor etiquette amid increasing use

By Jessica Gibbs jgibbs@coloradocommunitymedia.com

When a bicyclist encounters a horseback rider on the trail, do they know what to do?

When hikers walk their dogs through local open spaces, do they know the dos and don’ts of taking pets along for the adventure?

Denver metro area open space officials and volunteers who spoke to Colorado Community Media said the majority of people are considerate and follow trails rules. But they’ve also seen an influx of people hitting the trails as the Front Range’s population booms. That heightens the need for trail etiquette education, they said.

“You’ve got experienced people who don’t think twice about (etiquette) and your inexperienced people who just aren’t used to it yet,” said Open Space Specialist Hans Reichgelt with the City of Westminster.

In general, trail etiquette stipulates that cyclists yield to hikers and horseback riders, while hikers yield to horses. Yielding means moving off the trail until a user with the rightof-way has passed.

People should also stay to the right and keep pets on the right as well. Pass others on the left. People should announce themselves before passing. Clean up after pets.

Douglas County recently produced informational materials concerning trail etiquette in light of the county’s population growth and increase in trail use, said Assistant Director of Open Space Scott McEldowney.

“We anticipate roughly 600,000 users on open space this year,” McEldowney said. “I believe this year we will be about 5% over last year. The previous few years, we have seen a 15% to 20% increase.”

That’s a lot of people to fit in a relatively confined area, McEldowney said.

Total, the county manages 90 miles of open space trails and another 63 miles in Douglas County parks. That’s not counting municipalities, state parks or federal forest land in the area.

In the north metro, Westminster offers 150 miles of trail surface, most of which is multimodal, Reichgelt said. People can walk,

Cyclists ride recently on the Cherry Creek Trail near Centennial. run, bike or ride horses. In 2017, Westminster saw just shy of 550,000 trail users and nearly 554,000 in 2018.

Reichgelt said the city expects to surpass last year’s count “very soon for 2019.” He cautioned the city does not have counters on all trails, so the true numbers could be higher.

Open space officials aren’t the only ones advocating for responsible trail use and etiquette.

Throughout Jefferson County, the nonprofit Golden Giddyup Trail Team partners with Jefferson County Open Space to maintain trails.

The organization began in 2013 after floods devastated the local trail system.

This summer, members surpassed 10,000 hours of volunteer work. Those hours have included pop-up events where they encourage people to follow open space rules and regulations.

“Working with open space and staff, we’ve specifically targeted mountain bikers at some of the most heavily used parks,” said Executive Director Jeff Watrobka.

The group is mostly comprised of mountain bikers. Watrobka himself averages 40 to 50 miles a week. He believes an important part of trail etiquette is understanding a trail’s difficulty level before setting out.

Then, he said, check the weather. It’s important for trail users to pay attention to recent weather events. Different trails are comprised

of different soil types, he said.

Some lend themselves well to biking or horseback riding when wet, but others do not.

Those with heavy clay content can be damaged if used too soon after rain or snow, he said.

If he could grade Douglas County trail users, McEldowney said he’d give them a B-plus.

There’s a low frequency of accidents, which can partially be attributed to how the system was planned, he said, but also to educated users.

When it comes to areas of improvement, Reichgelt, McEldowney and Watrobka all urged trails user to remain aware of their surroundings.

Ditch the headphones. Be on the lookout for wildlife, and other trail users. Lastly, leash the family dog, and keep it close.

When people make complaints, it’s frequently about unleashed dogs, McEldowney said. Similarly, Reichgelt said allowing dogs to extend their leash across the trail is a common mistake people make.

“That’s just a clothesline for anyone coming through on a bike,” he said.

Mostly, the men encouraged people to follow the golden rule and take care of the trail as though it were their home.

“Just be nice,” Reichgelt said. “Everyone is trying to do the same thing — just get out there and enjoy the outdoors.”

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October 2019

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

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

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

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

Including Lime and Bird fleets of 550 each, there are approximately 2,703 licensed scooters in Denver,according to Denver Public Works. Electric rental bicycles are not included in this count, nor have they created the safety issues associated with scooters.

The current ordinance, which was passed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After the pilot program launched, there was more congestion and concern, particularly regarding pedestrian safety. The revised ordinance stipulated sidewalks as the legal median for scooters. Denver Public Works subsequently revised the ordinance when the pilot program expired in August of this year, having witnessed an increase in accidents and complaints about scooters on sidewalks.

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

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

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

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

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

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October 2019

New Americans clear citizenship hurdle Nearly three dozen people from 21 countries take oath at ceremony

Barbara Nash, of the Peace Pipe Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, waits to hand out American flags to individuals gaining U.S. citizenship.

By Shanna Fortier Special to the Washington Park Profile

F

Thirty-five people from 21 countries became American citizens Sept. 6 at a naturalization ceremony held at Four Mile Historic Park. PHOTOS BY SHANNA FORTIER

or Beate Wake, 52, becoming a U.S. citizen means having a stronger voice.

“I don’t feel left out anymore, I feel like part of the group now,” said Wake, who is from Germany and has lived in the United States for 23 years.

The thing she looks forward to the most is voting — which she registered to do immediately following her naturalization ceremony.

Wake was one of 35 individuals from 21 countries who took the oath of allegiance and become a U.S. citizen Sept. 6 at a ceremony held at Four Mile Historic Park Grant Family Education Center at 715 S. Forest St. in Denver.

Individuals earning citizenship at this ceremony were originally from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Burma, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom, Venezuela and Vietnam.

“The sky is the limit here,” said Grace Setor, who originally moved to Denver from Ghana in the mid’90s to attend Denver Seminary. Setor went back to Africa in 2000, but has called Colorado home again since 2008.

“It took several years, but by God’s grace I get my citizenship today,” she said. “I’m so happy and thankful to God for this opportunity to be American — education, freedom of worship… everything that

comes with it.”

Michael Smith, of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said taking the oath of allegiance is an extraordinary thing.

“This is not a formality,” Smith said. “It’s not a check-the-box ceremonial thing. This is the most important part.”

Smith, who administered the oath, acknowledged the candidates’ love, emotional ties, cultures, customs, and family ties to their former countries and the tough decision it is to now give allegiance to the U.S. He also reminded the new citizens that although they are pledging loyalty to the United States, they are not required to give up their love for their former country, culture or customs.

“We actually hope that you, as an American citizen, feel free to share everything about your background and everything that makes you the person that you are with other people,” he said. “It makes our country stronger when we have people willing to share their diversity.”

Emily Sophia Ochoa plays with an American flag while her mom becomes an U.S. citizen at a Sept. 6 naturalization ceremony.

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October 2019

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

By Carla K. Johnson Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

the test.

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

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

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

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

new drinks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Washington Park Profile 21

October 2019

Job placement group celebrates 50 years Staff Report Bayaud Enterprises has racked up its 50th year of job placement and training. The organization also welcomes a new executive director this month.

Tammy Bellofatto starts as the executive director at Bayaud Enterprises on Oct. 1, according to a news release. Before starting with the organization, Bellofatto was the director of vocational services for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. She has dedicated her career to advocating for marginalized people, the release said.

“Ms. Bellofatto comes to Bayaud with the perfect experience and passion to lead Bayaud on its mission of reducing hurdles for individuals in the workforce,” said Sabrina Stavish, Bayaud Enterprises president of the board of directors, in the release.

Bayaud Enterprises first launched in 1969. The organization offers job placement and training to help break down barriers toward employment for those who are disabled or homeless.

The organization also offers resources such as a free mobile laundry truck and health services.

The nonprofit celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this summer.

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

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

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

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

Riehl is succeeding Gloria J. Higgins, who has been the CEO and president at EPIC since 2012. Higgins will continue to work at the organization as an executive member, the news release said.

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New leadership takes over clothing nonprofit Staff report Clothes to Kids of Denver has promoted Valerie Lunka as its new executive director. Lunka has been serving as the nonprofit’s director of development since 2014, according to a news release from the organization.

Prior to working at Clothes to Kids, Lunka was the development director at Advocates for Children for 11 years.

“Val’s familiarity with all aspects of the organization, proven leadership, fundraising and networking skills, nonprofit experience and overall passion for Clothes to Kids make her the ideal person to lead our organization into the future,” said Nik Stoffel, chair of the board of directors in the news release. “Under Val’s leadership, we expect that our entire team will continue to build on our past success with an unwavering focus on serving more kids in the Denver metro area.”

Clothes to Kids of Denver operates a store at 2890 S. Colorado Blvd. Each child receives five tops, four bottoms, a coat, a pair of shoes, as well as five pairs of underwear and socks, all for free. The socks and underwear are guaranteed to be new. The store offers clothes to people from 3 to 21 years old, as long as students are enrolled in a school or GED program.

People can bring clothing donations to the shop next door in the same complex.

Lunka is replacing Katie Jones Jadwin as executive director. Jadwin started at Clothes to Kids as an intern in 2010.

Jadwin recently moved out of state, but will continue working with Clothes to Kids as the communications director.

For more information on Clothes to Kids of Denver, read our story from last year at https://washparkprofile.com/stories/nonprofit-helps-clothe-children-in-need,271638.

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October 2019

Denver Water proposes removal of lead pipes Plan submitted to EPA for approval last month

By Kailyn Lamb klamb@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Denver Water is looking to tackle lead in consumer drinking water head-on — by removing all the lead pipes in its system.

The utility organization recently announced a new three-part plan to remove the pipes in its service area over the next 15 years. Jim Lochhead, the CEO and manager at Denver Water, said that in order to get ahead of health concerns with lead in the water, “the ultimate solution is just removing these lines altogether.”

The organization presented the plan to the Environmental Protection Agency in September, and expects a decision by the end of 2019. Public comment on the plan is open until Oct. 10. Lochhead estimates the plan will cost between $300 million and $500 million depending on how many lead pipes there are.

In addition to replacing an estimated 50,000 to 90,000 lead service lines, Denver Water will distribute water filters to customers who may have lead lines, so they can get lead out of their drinking water before their lines are replaced.

The utility will also increase the pH levels from 7.8 to 8.8, in order to prevent lead from leaking into the water.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment asked Denver Water in March 2018 to begin the process of adding orthophosphate to its system by 2020. Similar to increased pH levels, orthophosphate creates a coating on the inside of pipes and reduces the likelihood of lead getting into water.

Ron Falco, the safe water drinking program manager for the department, said the state looked into putting the additive into the system after lead levels in Denver Water homes with lead service lines or plumbing were too high in 2012. Falco added that several utilities in the state are already using orthophosphate.

“It showed that (Denver Water’s) current corrosion control that they use is not optimized,” he said.

There are not dangerous levels of lead in the water currently. Denver Water collects tens of thousands of water samples annually, Locchead said. EPA rules require that action is taken if more than 10% of homes tested with known lead service lines or plumbing have lead levels above 15 parts per billion. The only

A worker with Denver Water removes a lead pipe from a customer’s plumbing system. The utility organization estimated that there are between 50,000 to 90,000 lead service lines in their system.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER WATER time this happened in Denver Water was in 2012.

Since most of the lead lines are customerowned, Denver Water does not know which homes have lead and which do not — and many customers don’t either. Homes built before 1951 are the most likely to have lead pipes, as Denver Water began to allow galvanized and copper pipes in construction in 1949.

Copper pipes continued to have lead solders to connect the pipes. Denver Water banned the use of lead pipes in 1971, according to its website. Lochhead said the utility would use this information, as well as testing and permitting data they have collected to help determine which houses need line replacements.

“It’s a number of different ways to kind of sleuth out where we think they’re going to be,” he said. “Over the course of 15 years, we’re hopeful that our methods for identifying these lines will continue to improve.”

Denver Water’s policy is to remove lead pipes when it comes across them. Around 1,200 lines are replaced every year. The organization also offers free water testing to homes.

Denver Water serves around 1.4 million people in metro Denver.

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ing orthophosphate. On one hand, Lochhead called adding chemicals to drinking water a “delicate balance.” Denver Water wants to ensure its product is clean and safe to drink, but also tastes good for customers.

“We would prefer to avoid adding new chemicals to our drinking water,” he said. “We like to produce a really good product.”

Its research indicated that while orthophosphate would reduce lead levels by 74%, it would take 50 years to remove the pipes at the pace the organization currently works at. The lead pipe removal program, on the other hand, would have all lead pipes out of the system in approximately 15 years.

The organization also had concerns about investing in adding the additive to its water, when other organizations such as the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District would have to later remove orthophosphate from its system in order to prevent it from going directly into waterways. Neighboring water utilities in Highlands Ranch and Parker in the south, and Adams County and Thornton in the north, connect to Denver Water’s service network.

Those entities would also have to remove orthophosphate from their systems.

A spokesperson from Metro Wastewater said the company was not taking questions at this time because the plan is still pending EPA approval.

“This issue presents an opportunity to collaboratively implement a comprehensive regional plan that prioritizes the full spectrum of public health factors,” reads a statement on the Metro Wastewater website. “By making smart infrastructure investments, like those Denver Water has recommended to CDPHE, we can maintain the top-quality drinking water we enjoy today while targeting and removing the source of lead contamination to permanently fix this critically important public health issue.”

Lochhead estimated that implementing orthophosphate into the Denver Water system would cost between $500 million and $700 million, as well as annual costs to purchase the additive.

Denver Water also had concerns about the environmental impact orthophosphate would have. Many of the organization’s customers use water for their lawns, which ends up in local

Water corrodes pipes such as these lead ones, which then causes lead to get in drinking water. Denver Water has created a proposal to remove all lead pipes from its system over the next 15 years. PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER WATER

streams and rivers. Under the right conditions, this could cause accelerated algae growth.

Falco said that it often takes time for those impacts to become apparent. Smaller utilities have not seen issues yet, but Falco added that Denver Water is one of the largest water providers in the state.

Denver Water worked with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, as well as Metro Wastewater and environmental groups, to come up with an alternative solution, and developed the lead pipe removal plan. If approved, it will be the largest removal program in the United States.

If the EPA does not approve the plan, Denver Water will begin implementing orthophosphate into its system in March 2020. Falco said that Denver Water has already been working with Public Health to prepare for implementation next year.

Lochhead said he thinks that the removal plan is safest. Instead of mitigating the issue through additives, the pipes are replaced altogether.

“The water that we have in our system in safe. It’s a plumbing issue in the system that needs to be corrected,” he said. “We think what we are proposing is more protective of public health.”

Washington Park Profile 23

October 2019

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

M W O W POW

R A E Y H T 30

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

PHOTOS BY SHANNA FORTIER

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

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

By Shanna Fortier

Special to Colorado Community Media

A

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It also connects generations.

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

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October 2019

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Washington Park Profile 25

October 2019

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

By Bruce Goldberg Special to Colorado Community Media

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

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

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

“It has strong support from the council,” said Kniech. The proposed ordinance passed its first reading at an earlier council meeting, and Kniech added that there were no proposed changes during the meeting.

“Some (councilmembers) are very motivated by the crisis we have of people living on the streets and finding solutions for that,” she said. “We need to have more strategies … and the desire to have more housing solutions.”

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

Tiny houses generally range between 100

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

and 400 square feet, rarely exceeding 500 square feet. You could fit 144 tiny houses on a football field, according to realtor.com.

The tiny home movement took off after the Great Recession in 2008.

Tiny-home advocates in Denver have been preparing for this day, trying to satisfy three basics required by the city: to find land upon which to build, obtaining financing and creating an operational plan.

Village organizers must engage the community early in the process and explain their management plans.

Kniech also wants the city to arrange for

social services to be available at the villages.

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

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

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

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

The company is accustomed to growth.

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

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

“That’s going to create another 20 to 25 jobs in the state, on the Western Slope, because of the tiny home movement,” DesChamp said. “We’ll have a total of 45 to 50 people under my roof because of jobs created in the tiny house industry.”

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

“Laws have been changing at the municipal, state and county level,” he said.

Texas, California, Wisconsin, Kansas and Utah are just some of the states that have relaxed their accessory dwelling laws to help tiny homes, DesChamp said.

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26 Washington Park Profile

October 2019

Things to Do Submit calendar listings on our website, coloradocommunitymedia.com, go to the Calendar tab and click “Submit an Event.” Priority is given to non-profits, low- or no-cost events and locations within our distribution map.

Next Issue Deadline: Thursday, Oct. 24.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lose your life (flags) and still finish the crawl and you will have a chance to win one of many other prizes.

Larimer Street between 20th and 21st Streets.

Active Minds: Spain 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 From its heights as the dominant country in the world in the 16th century, Spain currently struggles with a high debt burden and separatist challenges from Catalonia.

Join Active Minds as we explore the roots and legacy of the Spanish Empire and how this important country fits into the regional and global puzzle today.

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

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

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

Eighteen and over only due to adult content.

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

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

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

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

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

SEE THINGS TO DO, P27

Washington Park Profile 27

October 2019

Things to Do FROM PAGE 26

STEAM Program: Halloween Card with Circuits & Lights 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 Make light up Halloween Cards, the perfect spooky craft for a friend or loved one.

We’ll be using copper tape, LEDs, and paper to craft some frightful and festive cards. Ideal for ages 6 and up - accompanied by an adult.

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

Central Library 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway denverlibrary.org 140 Years of History Colorado 1 to 2 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21 History Colorado is nearly as old as the state of Colorado. Preserving our collective Colorado history was one of the earliest priorities of our state’s leaders. Through the last 140 years, we’ve proudly carried this important responsibility. Join History Colorado’s Public Programs Manager, Michael Vincent, as he brings to life the rich history of this organization and shares how we continue to build a dynamic statewide institution of the future that honors and celebrates the past.

303-447-8679 History Colorado Center 1200 Broadway historycolorado.org Glow at the Gardens Monday-Friday, Oct 21-25 The Gardens dresses up for Halloween with luminaria-lined pathways, spooky lighting displays and hundreds of carved, glowing gourds.

$21 adult, $19 adult member, $17 child (Ages 3-15), $15 child member, Free for children 2 or younger.

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

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org Living History: A Concert in the Hall 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 Enjoy a unique evening inside beautiful Botswana Hall. Living History is a firstof-its-kind event, in partnership with Groupmuse, that will explore how human and natural history are constantly reshaped. $27 member, $33 nonmember • Ages 21 + • cash bar 303-370-6000 Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org Trick Or Treat Street 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 Enjoy trick or treating and not-so-scary fun activities throughout the Central Library.

Join us for a Monster Mash Dance Party with a live band in the Conference Center at 4 p.m.

Costumes are optional, but welcome. Ideal for ages 0-12 and caregivers.

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

Park Hill Branch Library 4705 Montview Blvd. denverlibrary.org SEE THINGS TO DO, P29

OCTOBER

N O V E M B E R

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 conducted by Brett Mitchell

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

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

NOV 1-2 FRI-SAT 7:30

■

The Goonies in Concert OCT 11 FRI 7:30

HalfNotes

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. ©Disney.

All rights reserved. MPAA Rating: PG HalfNotes

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

Music of Selena

Halloween Spooktacular!

NOV 3 SUN 2:30

HalfNotes

Mozart Symphony No. 40

OCT 12-13 SAT 7:30 SUN 2:00 ■

NOV 8-10 FRI- SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

Dvořák Symphony No. 7

Renée Fleming - The Brightness of LightColorado Premiere

OCT 18-20 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

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

Verdi Requiem – 35th Anniversary Celebration – Colorado Symphony Chorus

■

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

OCT 26-27 SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

NOV 22-24 FRI-SAT 7:30 SUN 1:00 ■

Home Alone in Concert

ReasnyéDanHce Thereatreedpresienat nt

co Fa and his Flamen

enco m la F e d e h c o N na

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

These performances include full screening of the feature film!

MPAA Rating: PG

Aretha: A Tribute NOV 30 SAT 7:30

U

11/9 7pm

Su Teatro • Denver 721 Santa Fe Drive Tickets: $20-$30 presenting sponsor

Denver Arts Week Deal Buy 3 tickets, get 1 free!

Tickets & Information at ReneHeredia.com

also supported by

COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG

HalfNotes

28 Washington Park Profile

October 2019

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Washington Park Profile 29

October 2019

Things to Do FROM PAGE 27

Tricks and Treats! Family Overnight 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25 & 26 Spend a memorable night experiencing the magic of the Museum with your whole family! Check out the spooky science all around us and learn about things that go BUMP in the night. Get all dressed up to go trick or treating in the Museum before finding your “resting place” in our world-famous diorama halls. Enjoy a hot breakfast the next morning before heading home.

Grades K–8 with adult • member: $65 adult, $55 child/junior • nonmember: $80 adult, $70 child/junior 303-370-6000 Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org The Evolution of Pixar 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 Don’t miss this unique opportunity to view Pixar shorts from the last 30 years on the big screen, from “Luxo Jr.” (1986) to “Bao” (2018). Explore the evolution of Pixar films with Craig Svonkin, associate professor of English, Metropolitan State University of Denver. This event is cosponsored by D-phi (The Denver Project for Humanistic Inquiry). $12 member, $15 nonmember 303-370-6000 Phipps Theater Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2001 Colorado Blvd. dmns.org

4th Annual Trunk or Treat 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 Peoples Presbyterian Church is inviting the community to come and hangout in a relaxed and fun atmosphere for your family to meet other families in the neighborhood.

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

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

The Center is open to the public for “drop-in” meditation and contemplative practices, 10 a.m.-noon. Meditation instruction, 10:30 a.m., Padmasambhava Meditation Center, 1900 S. Cook St. padmasambhavameditationcenter.org

English chants and brief silent meditations.

Led by members of Yeshe Nyingpo Denver, a chapter of the Dudjom Tersar and aligned with the Dalai Lama.

303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com Sunday Open House and Meditation Sundays 10 a.m.

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

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

Leave your troubles behind and practice meditation and Kirtan every Tuesday.

English Learning Center Monday-Thursday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. & Wednesday and Thursday 6:30 to 8 p.m.

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

For more enrollment info. call 303-4200172, or contact elcdenver@gmail.com

For more info call Ed. 720-810-9071 854 Pearl St., Denver Words of Wisdom Tuesdays 2 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

Classes $5, Dance 8:30 p.m., $8 ($10-12 with Live Band) 303-294-9258 Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. mercurycafe.com

Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Sundays 9:30 a.m.

Learn both Tibetan and rhythmic

DROP OFF YOUR LEAVES FOR FREE WEEKEND DROP SITES SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS NOV. 2 – 17 | 11 AM TO 3 PM

WEEKDAY DROP SITES Get your FREE 5-pack of 30-gallon paper leaf bags at Denver Ace Hardware Stores today!

MONDAY – FRIDAY

OCT. 7 – DEC. 6 | 8 AM TO 2 PM

For drop site locations visit DenverGov.org/LeafDrop.

WE PREFER LEAVES

IN PAPER BAGS! Help reduce the amount of leaves going to the landfill! All leaves brought to LeafDrop sites will be turned into Denver’s Own EcoGro Compost™.

Limit one per household WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. Rain checks and special orders not valid. For in-store use only. Not valid with any other offers.

Available at participating Ace Hardware locations.

Other exclusions may apply. See store for details.

Offer valid 09/09/19 – 11/22/19.

For more information, call 311 (720-913-1311) or visit DenverGov.org/LeafDrop.

30 Washington Park Profile CALL KAREN TO PLACE YOUR AD TODAY! 303-566-4091 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Misc. Notices Run a 25 word ad for $27 a month Call Karen 303-566-4091 or email kearhart@ coloradocommunitymedia.com to place your ad Deadline is January 18th for the February Issue

CAREERS

October 2019

Service Directory Apartments

Drywall

Lawn/Garden Services

Painting

Cozy, private, apartment in Wash Park home. Private entrance with use of back yard and deck with BBQ grill. Open floor plan with full kitchen, full bath/tiled shower, washer/dryer. Southwest-style terra cotta tile in kitchen, dining, and bath areas. Utilities, internet, trash pickup, and recycling pickup included.

Convenient location just 6 blocks west of Wash Park, with street parking always available in front of house. Walking distance to Whole Foods, pubs, restaurants, and light rail. Old South Pearl is 4 blocks away and Old South Gaylord District just east of the park. Lease negotiable! - $1150/mo. (single person) or $1350/mo. (dual occupancy).

Cats welcome. Partial furnishings available: solid oak dining table, chairs.

Garden level, lots of light with open floor plan. Available immediately.

THE WALL REBUILDER Cracks? Holes? Ugly texture? We fix any kind of damage in any age home.

Plaster (and Drywall) Repair/Remodel www.wallrebuilder.com Laura and Dan Pino 303-698-1057 Free Estimates.

JOE MARINO Personal Landscaping & Garden Service @ $50 an hour. Yard & garden maintenance, preparation, cleanup (weeding, bush trimming, etc). Yearround service. 303-961-1495. Mornings Home Number 303-621-1121.

BAUER PRO-PAINTING EST. 1996 We use only the highest quality materials from prep to paint. Drywall, plaster repair, replace damaged wood. A+ rating with BBB. Insured. 303-733-2870 or bauerpropainting@gmail.com.

Farm Products & Produce

quartered, halves and whole

(303)741-0762

Handyman

Any condition • Running or not No title OK • Free towing

Bestcashforcarsco.com

719-771-8742

SERVICES

Please Recycle this Publication when Finished

Carpentry

MERCHANDISE

Wanted to Buy WANT TO PURCHASE

Minerals and News other oil/gas interests.

For Local Anytime Send details to: P.O. Box 13557, Denof the Day Visit ver, CO 80201.

OurColoradoNews.com

ADVERTISE IN THE MARKETPLACE PLEASE CALL KAREN AT 303-566-4091

B&W Electric, LLC

Cars, Trucks, Vans, SUV’s

Cash for all Vehicles!

Cell: (303)918-2185 for texting

Grain Finished Buffalo

Electricians

Licensed and Insured.

Residential or Commercial Ask about our Senior Citizen and/or Veteran discounts.

Call (720) 925-1241

TRANSPORTATION FARM & AGRICULTURE

WALL & CEILING REPAIRS Skimming, patching, drywall finishing & texture, ceiling & wall repair due to water damage. Call Tom, 720-5307586.

HOME RENOVATION EXPERTS New framing, remodel, kitchens, bathrooms, drywall repair, decks, patios, fences. Free estimates. Reasonable rates. JDB Enterprises. Call Dale, 303748-7202.

LIVING SPACE Transform your space Educated Carpenter/Craftsman

Specializing in everything from woodwork and trim to Historic Restoration; Cabinet Installation and General Lite Construction, deck & deck repair. 30+ years’ experience.

References and Photos available

Larry 970-712-9767 Cleaning

TOO BUSY ...

TO MAKE YOUR HOUSE SPARKLE? Call Bob: 303-960-8100.

Thorough and dependable.

Detail-oriented. References available.

Established in 1989, Bonded & Insured.

HOME REPAIRS & REMODELING Household repairs, remodeling projects, drywall, floor & wall tile, interior trim, plumbing repairs, vinyl installation, locks, caulking, cabinets, countertops, bathroom remodels, basements, new faucets, garbage disposals, wall patching, texturing, interior painting & much more! Top quality. Reasonable rates. Call Mike at 303-5872610.

Jewelry SOWILO ARTISAN JEWELRY Hand crafted designs in silver. Custom design, silver jewelry restoration and repair. 1221 S. Pearl St. 303-548-5467.

Tuesday - Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm. sowilollc@gmail.com.

Lawn/Garden Services CLEAN-UPS/ YARD MAINTENANCE/ SNOW REMOVAL Hauling and yard clean-up. Longtime Baker neighborhood resident; 30 yrs. exp. Insured, references. Free estimates. Call Lou R. Varlaro, 303-8681539.

GREENCREST LANDSCAPING Specializing in lawn removal and resodding. No job too small. Call Bill at 303-722-5923 Ask about Artificial Turf.

LANDSCAPING We offer design, installation and maintenance. Specializing in residential landscapes. The Green Fuse offers a full spectrum of services provided by a landscape architect and master gardener. Advanced knowledge of Colorado plant material and xeriscaping. Call 303-507-4772 for free estimate. Visit: greenfuselandscape.com.

PROFESSIONAL OUTDOOR SERVICES Evergreens, shrubs & trees; planted, trimmed, removed. Aeration; sprinkler repair; Gardens; natural rock or block walls; Sod & rock installed/removed; Fence repair. Snow Removal! Lic. & Ins. Dick, 303-783-9000.

ROSS TREE COMPANY 40 years of caring for trees in the Washington Park neighborhood. Pruning, planting, large tree removal, deep root watering, fertilizing and insect control. 303-871-9121 www.rosstree.net SOUTH DENVER LAWN SERVICE Mowing, Trimming, Edging, Aeration.

Landscaping, Trees & Shrubs, Gutter Cleaning, Yard Clean-Up. Call Jasper, 720-296-1141 (cell), 303-777-3632 (home), or email sdls1169@gmail.com.

Moving/Storage GATE CITY MOVING Local home & office moving. We’re competent, fast, and in the neighborhood. Rates: $108/hr., 2 men and moving van. Inquire about statewide moves. 306 Washington St. 303-7448692.

Organizing Services PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER Now that the kids are back in school, it’s time to take stock around the house. Let WOW! Organized! LLC help you turn chaos into order, in your office, closets, garage and more. Let me give you more time to enjoy the important things in life. Free consultation. Claudia Winkler, 720.273.5693, Claudia@WowOrganized.com, www.WowOrganized.com

Plumbing

MR. PLUMBER Licensed Master Plumber of 28 yrs.

Top Quality work & personalized service at reasonable prices! Call Jeff 303-523-6652. Credit cards OK. MrPlumberDenver.com

VAIL PLUMBING & HEATING The Older Home Specialist. Service: repair & remodeling; gas logs. Evaporative Coolers. Quality work. Licensed, insured, guaranteed. MC/VISA accepted. 303-329-6042.

Sprinklers

Sprinkler Solutions Professional Installations & Repairs Sod Installations

SAVE MONEY AND WATER Fast, friendly service Lifetime Warranty!

All Work Guaranteed!

Time to winterize

www.sprinklersolutionscolorado.com

303-523-5859 Tile JAMES TILE SERVICE

Walls Floors Backsplashes and more With prices that won't break the bank 20 years exp. Licensed/Insured From custom to simple No job too big or small!

Please call for FREE ESTIMATE:

720-298-7284 Windows

Double hung window RESTORATION includes replacing sash cords, removal of excess paint on wood and metal, plus lubrication. Also restore metal casement windows.

David 720-550-2786.

Local ads, coupons & deals are just one click away!

C H E C K I T O U T AT:

ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

Washington Park Profile 31

October 2019

On the

cutting edge

Axes are flying in Denver metro area as sport booms

By David Gilbert dgilbert@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Two years ago, Ben Edgington was between jobs and looking for ways to pass the time.

Edgington, from Superior, decided to try ax throwing at Bad Axe in Denver, which at the time was the metro area’s only dedicated venue for the age-old sport in which players hurl hatchets at wooden targets.

Turns out Edgington was pretty good at it. So good that today he’s the reigning world champion in a sport that is exploding across the nation — and counts Denver as among its biggest hubs.

“It sounds weird, but it’s given me a sense of purpose,” said Edgington, 31. “I’ve always been sort of solitary, but now I’m at the heart of a big, supportive community that’s really taking off.”

Today, the Denver area is home to a half-dozen axthrowing venues, called “ax houses,” with more in the works. Drop-in prices range from $20-$30 per hour.

Bad Axe, which operates more than 40 ax houses in the United States and Canada, is building a 12,000-square-foot ax-throwing emporium in Westminster. Owner Mario Zelaya said it will be the “flagship ax house in North America” when it opens in February.

The future looks bright for the sport, Zelaya said.

“We’re doing for ax throwing what Topgolf did for driving ranges: making it cool. Making it hip. Adding technology,” Zelaya said. “Denver’s got a fun-loving, active vibe, so it’s a natural fit. It’s a really exciting time.”

Wyze Axe owner Tina Kyte demonstrates the proper technique before hurling the ax at a target. Kyte said if she can throw an ax, anyone can.

DAVID GILBERT

IF YOU THROW The list will grow in coming months, but for now, here’s where you can hurl some axes in the Denver area: Bad Axe Throwing 7338 Washington St., Denver 888-435-0001; badaxethrowing.com Axe Whooping 437 North Broadway, Denver 303-907-9290; axewhooping.com Wyze Axe Throwing 4011 South Broadway, Englewood 720-542-9248; wyzeaxethrowing.com

Class Axe Throwing 3400 East 52nd Avenue, Denver 720-943-8839; classaxethrowing.com Downtown Art Gallery and Axe Room (DAGAR) 2000 Lawrence St., Denver 720-389-8699; downtownaxeroom.com Primal Axe House (Scheduled to open in October or November) 3545 South Platte River Drive Unit 1, Sheridan

‘Primal’ feeling The “thunk” of an ax landing on target can be pretty addictive, said Ian Christensen, the administrator of the International Axe Throwing Federation.

“When that ax sticks, it releases something inside you,” Christensen said. “You get the feeling you’re tapping into something primal. It’s encouraging and empowering to learn it’s something you can do. These days as we’re talking about people not connecting anymore, this is an easy way to overcome that.”

Though modern ax throwing has its roots in Canada, Christensen said the sport is likely as old as axes themselves.

“It’s catching on in urban areas, though, I think because people are looking for something different than the same old bowling and darts,” Christensen said.

“Something edgier, if you don’t mind the pun.”

Watching the skyrocketing popularity of the sport is thrilling, Christensen said.

“It’s crazy to think this is something we used to do sitting around in a backyard in Toronto with a case of beer,” Christensen said.

Believe it or not, the sport is pretty safe, said Zelaya, the Bad Axe owner.

“We’ve had over 700,000 players in our ax houses without a single insurance claim,” Zelaya said.

“Sometimes somebody will touch the blade and nick themselves, but that’s about it.”

‘Hard to master’ The basic rules of ax throwing are pretty simple, according to the website of the World Axe Throwing League, or WATL, the sport’s global governing body.

Players stand 12 feet back from a 4-foot-wide wooden target, and hurl short-handled axes — really more like hatchets — at a dartboard-like playing field. There are a variety of game styles, but tournament play gives players 10 throws each, and the highest score wins.

New players can expect to work with coaches, said WATL commissioner Evan Walters.

“It’s not like bowling, where they give you a pair of shoes and cut you loose. It’s a bit trickier than rolling a bowling ball down a lane, but the first time you nail an ax to a board, you can do it again,” Walters said. “It’s easy to learn, but hard to master.”

Not just lumberjacks The sport is pretty equal-opportunity, Walters said.

“People tend to think it’s a big macho thing,” Walters said. “It’s not just big bearded guys. About half the league is women. Everyone can have fun throwing — it’s not about strength and height, it’s about technique and precision.”

It’s also just a good way to goof around with friends, said Tina Kyte, owner of Wyze Axe Throwing, an ax house that opened on South Broadway in Englewood over the summer.

“We get a lot of company team-building events, and a lot of women come in for a great girls’ night out,” Kyte said. “Sometimes it’s just someone by themselves, and in that case, I might jump in and challenge them to a round. We meet all kinds.”

On a recent Wednesday night, Wyze Axe was host to a bachelor party for a group of old friends, mostly college professors.

“We’re mostly in our 40s, so we’re a little old for the, shall we say, traditional bachelor party activities, and this sounded pretty cool,” said Scott Dory, the best man for University of Denver physics and astronomy professor Peter Hallam. “Maybe the drunken debauchery will come later.”

Hallam said despite what you might think, his physics background wasn’t much help.

“I’m not sciencing this one,” Hallam said. “You’ve got to develop a feel for it. It’s a pretty satisfying feeling when that ax sinks in.”

What the future holds Ax throwing has the power to change lives, said Edgington, the world champ. Since the day he first picked up an ax two years ago, he’s met hundreds of new friends, been featured on TV shows, and even met his fiancé at Bad Axe, where he works as a coach.

When the flagship location opens in a few months, he’ll likely be the manager.

There are even rumblings that ax throwing might become an Olympic sport, Edgington said, and he’d love to represent his country in the sport that’s meant so much to him.

“I meet so many people who were looking for something missing in their lives, and they tried this, and they said, well, this is it,” Edgington said. “It’s a ridiculous passion.”

Schumacher

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32 Washington Park Profile

October 2019

STEM SCHOLARS SUPPORTED

Recipients of a scholarship from the Denver Scholarship Foundation and their mentees at the Ball Corp. in Golden gather for a photo on Sept. 12. That day marked the first day of a yearlong mentorship program, during which the scholarship recipients (all graduates of Denver Public Schools) will explore STEM fields alongside their mentees at the Ball Corporation.

COURTESY OF THE DENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION

• Financial requirements ensure you can afford to pay property taxes and homeowners insurance.

(Social security income is usually sufficient.)

• Mandatory third-party counseling for the borrower ensures that you understand the reverse mortgage.

• A spouse (of any age) can stay in the home as long as he/she wants (without making mortgage payments), even if the borrowing spouse passes.

It’s understandable that people were concerned with reverse mortgages before these important changes were put into place. A reverse mortgage is not a trick at all.

It is a wonderful treat, meant only for seniors!

Call me today to find out if a reverse mortgage is helpful in your retirement.

Listen to Kathy on Muni for Your Money: The Reverse Mortgage Show on Legends 810AM or 94.3FM at 9am on Saturdays or 10:30am on Sundays.

Located in The Streets at SouthGlenn 6972 S. Vine St., Ste. 366, Centennial, CO 80122

Silver Leaf Mortgage NMLS #1394377 is an Equal Housing Lender. Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Regulated by the Colorado Division of Real Estate.

er #1 rse rok ve B o Re age orad tg Col or in

by Kathy Muni Some people are convinced that a reverse mortgage is a trick—at first. And there are some historical reasons for that belief.

Reverse mortgages have been around since the 1980s. Years ago, some questionable lenders failed to disclose that you are required to pay homeowners insurance and property taxes (which are paid through an escrow account with a traditional forward mortgage). This led to sensational headlines blaming reverse mortgages for foreclosures.

A foreclosure is certainly a scary outcome! All homeowners—not just seniors—who do not pay property taxes are at risk of a tax-lien foreclosure.

Over the years, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has improved the program significantly to protect seniors:

M

Reverse Mortgage—Trick or Treat?

Call Kathy TODAY for a FREE CONSULTATION! KATHY MUNI NMLS #1368981

720-458-4041

Reverse Mortgage Specialist Senior Vice President

Kathy Muni: Reverse Mortgage Expert!

KathyM@SilverLeafMortgage.com