Washington Park Profile 0421

WashParkProfile.com

APRIL 2021

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POISED TO THRIVE Women business owners relate their stories of COVID-19 resiliency

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‘THIS IS OUR EARTH’

A CULTURAL HUB

EXPRESSION, CONNECTION AND TRANSFORMATION

Youth Sustainability Board dreams big for future change

Ruby’s Market is immigrant, refugee community

Art from Ashes provides youth a safe, brave space

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2 Washington Park Profile

April 2021

Business Matters Christy Steadman | csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com Business Matters is a monthly column featuring business news in the Life on Capitol Hill and Washington Park Profile coverage areas, which is roughly central and central-south Denver.

As businesses continue to weather the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado Community Media urges you to reach out to your favorite local businesses to find out their reopening status, or to check if they are operating differently upon reopening.

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

NEW OPENINGS Denver Beer Co. Denver Beer Co. opened its third taproom mid-March. It is located at 2425 South Downing St. in the Rosedale neighborhood.

The new location joins Denver Beer Co.’s Platte St. Taproom at 1695 Platte St. in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, and the Olde Town Arvada Taproom.

Denver Beer Co. purchased the South Downing Street property in January, and “conducted extensive renovations on the space to create a taproom, outdoor patio and garden” and brewhouse, states a news release. This location also boasts a counterservice restaurant called DBC Eats, overseen by Chef Jeffrey Webb. DBC Eats will offer lunch, dinner and late-night snacks.

The new taproom also “features bike parking, fire pits, a large lawn space with yard games and communal beer garden tables,”

states a news release.

Two buildings make up the location — the 2,563-square-foot building will house the taproom and DBC Eats. Nearly 10,000-square-feet of outdoor patio space is located in front of this building, allowing for appropriate social distancing. The adjacent 761-square-foot building will be home to an ice cream shop, also to be headed by Webb, which is expected to open this summer.

“After weathering COVID for 12 months, finally opening the doors on South Downing feels really meaningful,” said Denver Beer Co.’s co-founder Patrick Crawford in a news release. “I’m also very excited for the addition of DBC Eats. Chef Webb’s culinary art will allow us to provide a consistent and customized food experience to pair perfectly with our craft beers.”

To learn more about Denver Beer Co. and its new taproom, visit https://denverbeerco. com.

The NOW Massage-Cherry Creek The NOW Massage, a luxury massage parlor, opened its first Colorado location in Cherry Creek on Feb. 27.

The Cherry Creek location, 291 Saint Paul St., is one of 50 new The NOW Massage locations expected to open in the near future across the United States.

“The NOW Massage Cherry Creek will offer a space to escape the daily pressures of life and recharge your energy and spirit through the healing benefits of massage therapy,” states its website.

To learn more, visit https://thenowmassage.com/cherry-creek/.

Forget Me Not Forget Me Not, a new cocktail lounge, opened March 10 in Cherry Creek North at 227 Clayton St. The bar — which takes its name and inspiration from the location’s former longtime tenants, a local flower shop — features hand-crafted cocktails and a menu of small plates and snacks.

Limited indoor seating is available with a reservation for parties of up to four for a 90-minute experience. To make a reservation for parties larger than four, contact Forget Me Not via info@forgetmenotdenver.com to make arrangements. Forget Me Not also offers socially distanced outdoor seating when weather permits.

To learn more or make a reservation, visit https://forgetmenotdenver.com.

CLOSINGS The Corner Beet Cherry Creek Westword reported that The Corner Beet’s Cherry Creek location at 165 St. Paul St. has closed. The location at 1401 N. Ogden St. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood remains open.

The Corner Beet is a vegetarian restaurant that also offers cold-pressed juices. To learn more, visit https://cornerbeet.com/.

Streets Denver Streets Denver, a live music venue located at 1501 E. Colfax Ave., announced on its Facebook page on March 22 that it would be closing.

“As many of you know, or have surmised, Streets was running on borrowed time,” the Facebook post reads. “It is with heavy FATHER OF hearts EIGHTwe tell you that after this week, lady. Must love kids, fit and Streets willbe change ownership and no longer continue we know it.” ready to jump in andasjoin the fun.

Thwould e venuebe hosted many local acts, as well Military training helpful. as national touring bands, primarily in the punk, hard rock and metal genres.

Westword reported on March 24 that ADVENTUROUS John CAT ElliottLOVER bought the venue — then called adventurousStreets cat owner.

Please of London Pub be — in 2018. Elliott employed and willing to relocate. “died in November at age 51, during his second battle and with white COVID-19, ” Westword Especially fond of black tuxedo reported.will be answered. cats. All responses Reasons for the closure is loss of revenue Looking for that Purrr-fect match. from COVID-19, and Elliott’s death exacerbated the situation, Westword reported.

According to Westword, Steven Alix, GRANOLA EATING, LOVING, owner ofCAMP X Bar, which is a nightclub that WORLD TRAVELER serves Denver’s LGBTQIA+ community dreams.Mustand beisfitlocated and love just aspending short distance away at 629 E. Colfax Ave., is expected days and nights outdoors in the middle to take over

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Streets Denver. It is unknown what kind of venue it will become following the changeover.

No information on the operations of 3 Guys Pies, a pizza place located inside Streets Denver but owned and managed separately, could be found by press time.

CHANGES Phoenix Tattoo Company Phoenix Tattoo Company has moved from its former location in west Denver to its new location at 1872 S. Broadway in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood.

The tattoo shop opened its former location at 3680 Morrison Road in February 2019. It celebrated its grand opening at its new location on South Broadway on April 1, but the shop has occupied the space since March 15.

“It has been a dream of mine to have a shop on Broadway, and we are finally doing it,” said Phoenix Tattoo Company’s owner Jillian Johnson. She added that she grew up in the area, and currently has a number of friends who also own small businesses on Broadway.

Phoenix Tattoo Company boasts four experienced tattoo artists and two experienced piercers who love their job, and can cater to any style of art as well as do custom work, Johnson said. All of these artists have made the move with the shop, and there will also be new additions to the team, Johnson said.

“When you walk into our shop, you will feel at home with artists who want to listen to your ideas and make them happen,” Johnson said. “We are looking forward to working with our regular customers in the new space, and the opportunity to work with new clients. We are so excited to be part of South Broadway.”

To learn more about Phoenix Tattoo Company, visit https://phoenix-tattoo-company.business.site/ or its Facebook page, or give the shop a call at 720-616-7878.

Urban Autocare In February, Urban Autocare acquired Comprehensive Car Care at 701 E. Evans Ave. in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood.

The previous owners, Mark and Jacque Olson, have decided to retire.

Comprehensive Car Care has been a pillar in the community for about 44 years. It got its start by Jim Kelley, who hired Mark Olson to serve as the lead technician. When Kelley retired, he sold the business to Olson.

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WPVC

Washington Park Veterinary Clinic With loving hearts and caring hands, we take the time to help you provide the best care for your pets.

We are considered essential and will remain open to care for your pets during this health crises. Please contact the clinic for hours of operation and new protocols when scheduling an appointment.

393 S. Pearl St. • 303-871-8050

www.washingtonparkvc.com · Office Hours M-F 9-6 Karen Jones-Diller, DVM | Laura Lederman, DVM Lindsey Rademacher, DVM

Washington Park Profile 3

April 2021

Denver Restaurant Week shifts to spring Staff report This year’s Denver Restaurant Week has shifted to take place in the spring, VISIT DENVER announced in a news release. The 2021 dates are April 23-May 2.

Traditionally, the 10-day showcase of Denver’s culinary scene takes place in February, which is typically a slow time of the year for the industry. This year, however, because COVID-19 restrictions — such as social distancing guidelines that limit seat-

Business FROM PAGE 2

Urban Autocare values the history of the shop and how Comprehensive Car Care has served the community through the years, said Brian Sump, president and owner of Urban Autocare. Urban Autocare plans on continuing the legacy of the auto shop, and retaining the long-term relationships, he added.

Comprehensive Car Care specialized in Japanese imports, and Urban Autocare will expand services to include all Asianmade imports and domestic vehicles, Sump said.

Including the Platt Park location, Urban Autocare now has four locations in the metro area. The first Urban Autocare opened in June 2014. It is located at 1701 N. High St. in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood. The other locations are in Lakewood and Littleton, and the company also includes Avalon Motorsports in the Montclair neighborhood.

Urban Autocare is local-and-family-

ing — are still in place, the warmer weather in spring may allow restaurants to maximize patio and outdoor seating.

This year’s spring Denver Restaurant Week also encourages takeout and delivery.

“Above anything else, we want to ensure we are focusing on advocacy for our restaurant partners, while keeping the health and safety of the community top of mind,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER, in a news release. “We have an excellent culinary scene that is

having a tough time right now through no fault of its own, so we wanted to build a new spring program that still offers as many togo options as ever, while increasing access to safe dine-in options as well.”

As usual, participating restaurants will create a multi-course dinner based on three price points — $25, $35 or $45. Menus were announced on March 31, and diners are now able to make reservations plan takeout orders early.

To learn more about Denver Restaurant

Week or find a list of participating restaurants and view menus, visit www.DenverRestaurantWeek.com.

“We have done this for 17 consecutive years, but it has never meant more to the restaurants and to the community than it does this year,” Scharf said. “Our nationallyrecognized and award-winning culinary scene is a huge part of Denver’s brand and destination appeal, and these restaurants, as well as their hard-working staffs, need our support more than ever.”

owned and the shop earned the 2018 BBB Torch Award for business ethics.

Many people are let down by auto shops for a variety of reasons, Sump said.

“An uplifting experience is the opposite of being let down,” he added. “Our mission is to provide an uplifting experience and help improve the reputation of an industry that isn’t always looked upon positively.”

https://foxruncafe.com/.

Sorensen’s face massage service.

“I give them 100 percent,” Sorensen said of her clients. She added that she particularly enjoys seeing her clients’ progress and helping people relax through the experiential service of facials. “And building those relationships with my clients.”

To learn more about Mia Sorensen Esthetics or to book an appointment, which must be done in advance, visit www. mseskincare.com or call/text Sorensen directly at 303-802-6874.

MILESTONES Fox Run Café Fox Run Café, 3350 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver’s Congress Park neighborhood, celebrated its one-year anniversary in March.

The restaurant is a concept of Lucien Reichert. It opened on March 18 last year with a limited menu takeout service. The restaurant is now open for breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The menu boasts a “fresh and simplistic approach to breakfast and lunch,” and all pastries and bread are baked in-house.

To learn more about Fox Run Café, visit

Mia Sorensen Esthetics Mia Sorensen Esthetics celebrated its one-year anniversary for opening shop at 1885 S. Pearl St. in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood.

The skincare studio got its start in 2018 inside a yoga studio, and after the yoga studio relocated, Mia Sorensen, owner of Mia Sorensen Esthetics who is a licensed esthetician, opened shop at her current location in Platt Park.

Sorensen opened the studio for two weeks in March 2020, then had to close until June because of COVID-19.

Luckily, she already had a client base, Sorensen said, and she became what she described as the “Uber eats of skincare,” meaning she was conducting consultations virtually and delivering her clients’ skincare products to their home.

“I’m looking forward to additional opportunities that I can engage with the community as a small business owner as we emerge from the pandemic,” she said.

Mia Sorensen Esthetics is a clientcentered business particularly known for

Mizuna Mizuna, the flagship and first restaurant of the Bonanno Concepts restaurants, celebrated its 20-year anniversary in March, Westword reported.

The chef and restaurateur behind Bonanno Concepts is Frank Bonanno, who is also a cookbook author and host of PBS’ “Chef Driven.”

Mizuna, 225 E. Seventh Ave., which is near Governor’s Park, is one of 10 Bonanno Concepts restaurants — all located in Denver.

For more about Bonanno Concepts, visit https://www.bonannoconcepts.com.

We’ve got a shot to celebrate big days again.

GET THE COVID-19 VACCINE. If we all get vaccinated, we can soon return to the life we love. We’ve got a shot—if you get one. When you can, get the COVID-19 vaccine.

For more information, visit centura.org/vaccine.

Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 1-303-673-8166 (TTY: 711). Copyright © Centura Health, 2021. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-719-776-5370 (TTY: 711). CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-719-776-5370 (TTY: 711).

4 Washington Park Profile

Young people

April 2021

‘are at the heart

of everything we do’

Lyrical Rodriguez, who was 11 at the time the photo was taken in 2016, reads one of her poems during a performance at Art from Ashes.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ART FROM ASHES

Art from Ashes empowers youth through creative expression

W

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CELEBRATE NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

hen Daniella Riggio first got involved with Art National from Ashes about five ago, she was a homeless Poetry Month takes teen struggling with mental health issues. place in April, and Art from Ashes Today, the 22-year-old serves as a youth amis celebrating with its online Poetry Prowl bassador for Art from Ashes. event.

It is fashioned as a virtual scavenger hunt.

Art from Ashes “provides a super-strong foundation Participants will choose from a list of provided prompts where youth can express their emotions in a healthy and activities that will be the inspiration to “hunt” with a way,” Riggio said. “I can organize the chaos in my camera or phone camera and paper and pen. head on paper, and it helps me to not feel so stressed Registration is open now until April 25. However, the hunt out.” begins on April 17 — which is when Art from Ashes will send Riggio is a single mom who is raising a registrants the list of prompts — and concludes with a Zoom party 10-month-old son. She recently relocated from at 3 p.m. on April 25.

Denver to another undisclosed Colorado city to Poetry Prowl is free for youth age 24 and younger, but donations raise her son in a safe location. Riggio has always are accepted. All donations will go toward Art from Ashes’ youth enjoyed creative writing, she said. But Art from empowerment programs.

Ashes helped her realize that she was “really good at To learn more about Art from Ashes visit www.artfromashes. it,” and that being able to express herself through the org.

To register for the Poetry Prowl event, select `events’ written word has helped her clear her head, Riggio from the homepage, scroll to Poetry Prowl and click on it. said.

This will take you to the event’s page on the Art from Art from Ashes is a “nonprofit that encourages creAshes website, which has additional details ative empowerment through artistic expression for strugon the event and links to the event’s gling youth age 9 to 24,” states its website. It is located at webpage for registration.

1310 W. 10th Ave. in Denver’s Lincoln Park neighborhood but serves youth across the metro-area. With its programs currently taking place virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, youth from anywhere are welcome to participate. curred on April 20, 1999.

Focusing on three core values — expression, connection “Art from Ashes provides not only a safe space, but a and transformation — Art from Ashes accomplishes its brave space,” said O’Neill Thorn, who serves as the organimission through two main youth empowerment programs. zation’s executive director. “It has been our experience that The programs are Phoenix Rising, which uses poetry and young people often want to tell their stories. Stories of hope spoken word to re-imagine an inner narrative; and Drawand pain, of despair and of dreams. There are so few adults ing on Air, which uses a non-verbal outlet for expression. willing to listen with all our hearts — and listen without Another program, called Casting Shadows, which will use judgement, without interruption, but with compassion and creative play and theater, is still in development. understanding.”

Art from Ashes’ youth programs are focused on youth One takeaway about Art from Ashes is that it is not who feel they’ve fallen through the cracks of society — therapy nor a writing/drawing class, Long said. Rather, she whether it be education or social services, for example — but any youth is welcome, said Adriel Long, the organiza- added, the purpose is to empower youth through creative expression and personal transformation. tion’s board president.

“Now more than ever, my hope is that people remember All youth programs are free, and each workshop features how important youth are,” Long said. “Especially in these an adult community member as a guest artist who is a prodistant times, youth still need to feel connected. Their words fessional public speaker, poet or writer. have power and they mean something.”

Phoenix Rising is a nationally known program for youth Youth today are “constantly being judged, graded and that got its start by Catherine O’Neill Thorn in 2003. O’Neill told what to do and where to be,” said Sarah Lanzarotta, Thorn had a strong background with using poetry and Art from Ashes’ director of programs. Art from Ashes is a spoken word to help struggling youth, including those place where youth don’t have to feel the pressures of doing in juvenile detention facilities and treatment centers, and things “the right way,” or worried about following rules and held post-trauma workshops for Columbine High School guidelines to get a good grade, Lanzarotta added. students following the school shooting tragedy on that oc-

A group of youth write during a Phoenix Rising workshop in a previous year. Art from Ashes is conducting its workshops virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, but plans to return to in-person once it’s safe to do so.

“Because there isn’t a right or wrong way to creatively express yourself. It’s really freeing for them,” she said of the youth participants. “They have a lot to say and sometimes don’t even realize it until they get to write creatively.”

Jessica Jarrard has been involved with Art from Ashes for about six years. She participates in the organization’s adult workshops and is the organization’s former director of operations. She now serves as the grant writer for Art from Ashes.

“When young people speak their truths and connect with others, transformation can happen on both sides,” Jarrard said. “Young people recognize their value, and adults are reminded of the wisdom and courage of youth.”

Writing has always been a healthy coping method for 15-year-old Pandora Trevino of Denver, she said.

“Even if you can’t say it out loud,” Trevino said, “just putting it down on paper and closing the notebook, or even throwing the paper away, is much better than keeping it bottled up inside.”

Art from Ashes is an “amazing safe space where people actually listen to you,” Trevino said. She added that she has been involved with Art from Ashes for about eight months, and said she is thankful to be involved with the organization. So much so that she became a youth ambassador soon after she attended her first Phoenix Rising workshop.

“Phoenix Rising … means that out of the ashes of despair comes healing and magic,” O’Neill Thorn said. “I’ve seen it happen for tens of thousands of youth. And while the community is richer for their voices and their wisdom, the young people themselves are the reason (for Art from Ashes). They are at the heart of everything we do.”

Washington Park Profile 5

April 2021

The society hostess we love to hate Local historian insists Louise Sneed Hill wasn’t all that bad

By Kirsten Dahl Collins Special to Colorado Community Media

D

enver lore is studded with unflattering anecdotes about Gilded Age society hostess Louise Sneed Hill, who lived from 18621955.

She is described as a scheming gold digger, a confirmed snob and the arch enemy of Titanic heroine Margaret “Molly” Brown. Even more damning are claims that Hill drove her unfaithful lover to suicide. Supposedly consumed with remorse, Hill then retired to a suite at the Brown Palace in downtown Denver, and lived out the remainder of her life as a recluse.

It does make a great story. One problem, though — most of it isn’t true, according to Denver historian Shelby Carr, who is the author of a new biography, “The Queen of Denver, Louise Sneed Hill and the Emergence of Modern High Society.”

Carr, a trained dancer who has performed around the world, never expected to become a professional historian. She entered University of Colorado-Denver as a dance major but grew discouraged by her injuries. Casting around for a new pursuit, Carr recalled her childhood fascination with a collection of stone houses from the 1600s in a historic Dutch settlement near her grandmother’s home in Hurley, New York.

She switched her major to history and went on to do graduate work on prominent women of the Gilded Age. Outraged by the way Hill was vilified, she decided to write a Master’s thesis that would set the record straight.

Carr’s book began as her graduate school thesis, which she completed in 2018. She had

always envisioned it as a book, however, and submitted it for publication a year later. In 2020, “Queen of Denver” was published

by The History Press.

Mark Twain coined the term “Gilded Age” as an unflattering description of an era that glittered only on the surface. Loosely defined as 1870-1900, the Gilded Age began in the decades after the Civil War, when huge American fortunes were made and flaunted.

Edith Wharton’s novels about the era made it poignantly clear that women had few options except to marry well.

Like the orphaned, 29-year-old Lily Bart in Wharton’s “The House of Mirth,” who was desperate to find a wealthy husband, the orphaned, 30-ish Louise Bethel Sneed must have known her time was running out. Carr’s book recounts that Louise was widely hailed in Memphis as a vivacious Southern belle “known for her kindness,” who would try to help out the shyer girls at dances. But she was still single, perhaps because the Civil War had decimated the supply of eligible young men.

Sneed arrived in Denver from Memphis in the summer of 1893.

Two years later, Louise fulfilled her wealthy family’s expectations and married Crawford Hill, a member of Denver’s “Old Guard,” and heir to a vast smelting fortune. But according to Carr’s book, Hill was not known for his sparkling personality. Perhaps that explains his wife’s open affair with the couple’s close friend, Bulkeley Wells, a Telluride mining magnate. Wells was married with a family of his own, but he was also 10 years younger, handsome and charismatic. Apparently he swept both Hills off their feet.

After Crawford Hill died in 1922, Bulkeley Wells jilted Louise Hill for a much younger woman.

Eight years later, a bankrupt Wells put a bullet through his head.

But Carr doubts that Louise Hill drove him to it. In the years leading up to his suicide, Wells lost $15 million for a major investor, developed a gambling habit and

BUY THE BOOK Shelby Carr’s book, “The Queen of Denver, Louise Sneed Hill and the Emergence of Modern High Society,” can be purchased online and major retailers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, for example. Carr can be reached at shelbyncarr@ gmail.com for those interested in purchasing an autographed copy from her directly. demonstrated that he was perfectly capable of ruining himself.

Nor did Carr find any convincing evidence of bad blood between Hill and social upstart, Margaret Brown. Brown was excluded from The Sacred Thirty-Six — but then, so was most of Denver.

“Just because they lived at the same time, doesn’t mean they had to be friends,” Carr observes. She notes that Brown had a wide social circle of her own.

While Hill’s social climbing is less sympathetic than Brown’s social activism, Carr’s book makes it clear that the two women had something in common — both were forceful, outspoken and refused to let outdated notions of female propriety stand in their way.

In 1906, Denver’s society queen acquired a fitting palace — a 17,000 square foot French Renaissance revival mansion on 10th Avenue and Sherman Street.

Designed by Theodore Boal, who studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the pale limestone-clad building resembles a large rectangular cake elegantly piped with whipped cream.

There, Louise Hill took the reins of Denver society and staged parties for a curated group of wealthy friends known as “the Sacred Thirty-Six.” Victorians of an earlier generation would have frowned on Hill’s imaginative fêtes, which often included card games, cocktails, roller skating and such scandalous ragtime-era dances as The Turkey Trot. A witty combination of Charleston steps with a fillip of

Louise Sneed Hill reached the apex of her society career in the early 1900s, when she became the first Denver resident ever presented at the Court of St. James in London. Her red velvet train, heavily brocaded with gold, is now part of the collection at History COURTESY OF HISTORY COLORADO ACCESSION #90.314.28 Colorado.

barnyard mating dance, The Turkey Trot was widely banned and denounced by President Woodrow Wilson.

But Louise Hill was determined to move Denver society into the modern era, with a strong emphasis on the pursuit of fun.

Hill’s larger goal, Carr’s book suggests, was to put Denver on the map, socially speaking. And to the amazement of her dusty Western hometown, she succeeded. In 1907, her years of adept social

networking and self-promotion paid off. Hill became the first Denver resident ever presented at the Court of St. James, London.

Today, these goals may seem snobbish and irrelevant. And yet, like the whipped cream piping on her mansion, Hill’s frothy career has its delectable side. Despite the tight lacing on Gilded Age women, Hill managed to do pretty much whatever she wanted. And watching her do it turns out to be great fun.

Crawford Hill Mansion listed for $7.25 million

By Kirsten Dahl Collins Special to Colorado Community Media

Gilded Age socialites Louise and Crawford Hill once entertained in their 1906 French Renaissance revival mansion at 150 E. 10th Ave. in Denver. A National Historic landmark, the mansion was restored and converted to offices in 1990. Listed in late 2019, the mansion is now on the market for $7.25 million.

COURTESY OF MONICA WILEY AND JEFF WOOD/CBRE

The Crawford Hill Mansion, a National Historic landmark located at 150 E. 10th Ave. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, is on the market for $7.25 million.

Listed in late 2019, the three-story French Renaissance revival mansion encompasses 17,000 square feet, with 23 rooms and nine fireplaces.

Architect Theodore Boal designed the home in 1906 for the prominent Denver couple, Louise and Crawford Hill and their two young children.

In 1990, The Colorado Historical Society honored the Denver law firm Haddon Morgan & Foreman for the mansion’s “sensitive rehabilitation” as office space. The law firm has occupied the building for the past 30 years.

According to CBRE brokers Monica Wiley and Jeff Wood, the firm plans to remain in the mansion for the rest of 2021, and may extend their stay by leasing the space after a buyer is found.

6 Washington Park Profile

April 2021

‘Smart and sophisticated business owners’ Women-owned businesses in Cherry Creek North prove resiliency through pandemic

By Christy Steadman

T

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

he 16 blocks that make up the Cherry Creek North shopping area consists of about 150 small businesses.

Nick LeMasters, president and CEO of the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District (BID), said he is “quite proud of all of Cherry Creek North for its resiliency through the pandemic.”

About half of Cherry Creek North’s small businesses are owned or co-owned by women. While all of the small businesses in the district stepped up to survive the pandemic, the women business owners especially shined, LeMasters said.

They advanced their outreach with technology and ad campaigns; they were creative, especially in terms of catering to their customers’ needs; and they embraced

DID YOU KNOW? Cherry Creek North consists of 16 walkable blocks for shopping, dining and relaxing visits, as well as residential spaces. About 260 commercial retail businesses make up Cherry Creek North, and about 150 of those are small and/or locally-owned businesses. The 16 blocks are roughly First Avenue to Third Avenue, and from University Boulevard to Steele Street. To learn more about Cherry Creek North, visit https://cherrycreeknorth.com. all COVID-19 regulations such as wearing masks, ensuring social distancing for their employees and customers and made hand sanitizer readily available.

“These are smart and sophisticated business owners,” LeMasters said.

The BID also did what it could to support them, LeMasters added. For restaurants, there was a signage program to remind people they were open for curbside pickup and takeout, in addition to a gift card program to prompt a return visit. The BID made PPE — personal protection equipment — available to any store or business owner that needed it, and the BID promoted COVID-safe special events, such as the Winter Wanderland and Holiday Market. The annual sidewalk sale is also expected to take place this July.

“We recognize that the pandemic has not disappeared from our lives,” LeMasters said. But “Cherry

Creek North is poised to emerge from the pandemic.

When we return (completely), it will be robust.”

As difficult as it has been, he said, LeMasters was happy to report that there have been very few permanent closures in Cherry Creek North during the past year of the pandemic. And additionally, LeMasters said, there have been a number of new openings or announcements to open.

Cherry Creek North’s outdoor environment probably contributes to people feeling safe and comfortable enough to experience Cherry Creek North — whether it be for shopping, dining, exercising in a gym, relaxing at a spa or staying in a hotel.

“Cherry Creek has long been ranked as one of the top tourist attractions in Colorado, and Denver,” LeMasters said. “You want to see a neighborhood like this thrive, not just survive.”

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Washington Park Profile 7

April 2021 VIVE Float Studio+ 250 Steele St. Suite 110 303-377-VIVE (8483) https://vivefloatstudio.com/ After a couple of trips to Israel and experiencing the healing powers of the Dead Sea, Andi Sigler decided to leave her career in corporate America.

“What it came to,” Sigler said, “is I didn’t want to do life so fast.”

And she realized what she wanted to do was create a space for people that had a “profound impact on both body and mind,” Sigler said. “Both are equally valuable.”

In 2015, she opened her first VIVE Float Studio in Colorado’s community of Frisco. In January 2018, she expanded her business to its Cherry Creek North location, and in March that year, a third VIVE Float Studio opened in Chicago.

VIVE Float Studio is a rest and recovery wellness center that provides mental and physical restoration through its various therapies. The therapies offered at Cherry Creek North are: float; cryotherapy; infrared sauna; VibroAcoustic Sound Therapy (VAT); and halotherapy, also known as dry salt therapy.

Therapy “can look different than one-on-one counsel-

ing or being privately anxious,” Sigler said. “People have found this as a viable resource for mental wellness.”

Others, she said, have found it complementary to their one-on-one counseling.

VIVE in Cherry Creek closed at the end of March because of the coronavirus pandemic, and reopened at the end of May. The studio already had all of its cleaning protocols in place well before COVID-19, Sigler said, but has had to adapt its operations in other ways for a phased re-opening. For example, appointments have been cut to ensure no overlap, and its open hours are fewer than prior to the pandemic. Eventually, the studio will add more days of operation, additional hours and more staff, Sigler said.

An additional struggle, Sigler said, came after reopening — it has been difficult finding employees willing to come to an in-person job.

“We’re still impacted” by the virus, Sigler said.

COVID-19 has brought on a lot of stress for people, Sigler said, and many people are suffering from “mental exhaustion.”

“We are built for this moment,” Sigler said. “We’re here to help with the mental and physical alignment.”

Andi Sigler, founder/owner of VIVE Float Studio+, 250 Steele St. Suite 110 PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

Consuelo Diaz, owner of Adornments, 2826 E. Third Ave.

Adornments 2826 E. Third Ave. 303-321-7992 www.adornmentsdenver.com Spring has arrived and summer is just around the corner.

One thing that Adornments — a women’s fashion boutique in Cherry Creek North — has always been known for is color.

“We’re about being specialized,” said Adornments owner Consuelo Diaz. “This store has a niche for the women it reaches out to.”

Adornments opened in Cherry Creek North 24 years ago, and Diaz has been running it for the entire time.

In October 2019, she bought the store from it former owner, who retired and moved out of state to be near family. Adornments carries a variety of unique and classic clothing, jewelry and accessories including scarves, hair accessories, handbags and masks.

The shop still has many of the same customers that it did from “the day it opened,” Diaz said.

“They’ve stayed with us,” she said, adding that one of the hardest parts she’s faced as a small business owner during the pandemic has been “not being able to see the regulars who are unable to come in.”

Diaz has a passion for women’s fashion, and hopes that following the pandemic — even though people are

adapting to more of a stay-home lifestyle — fashion will still be important to people, she said.

Adornments closed from March 20 to May 9 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, Adornments focused on online sales — sending emails to the shop’s loyal customers and posting new items on its website and social media. Diaz and her small staff came into the shop about three or four times a week to rotate window displays for people who were taking advantage of Cherry Creek North’s outdoors setting and window shopping, and to mail customer’s items.

“It worked for us. It kept us alive,” Diaz said. But “everybody had to re-invent themselves and get creative.”

COVID-19 restrictions are easing up, but Diaz and her staff are committed to continuing to cater to whatever customers need. For example, store employees are willing to open early or stay late to offer a customer a private appointment shopping experience.

Still, Diaz is looking forward to being able to travel again to visit fashion markets in places such as Los Angeles and New York, and to be able to host in-store events and trunk shows.

“And seeing all the familiar faces come back,” Diaz said of her regular customers. “They’re like old friends.

I miss them.”

for the business owner.

Ku Cha House of Tea closed about mid-March because of COVID-19 and reopened on May 8. The shop already had a website, and online orders were shipped from Ku Cha’s warehouse in Boulder. A feature that did cease, however, was the shop’s daily tea tasting and other inperson events. Pan hopes these will return, but for now, the tea shop has begun to host virtual tea tasting events.

Another challenge, Pan said, was balancing running the business and home-life responsibilities. For example, the couple is raising two boys, who are 8 and 10. Liu was able to take on the parent responsibilities — including the children’s online/virtual learning — while Pan handled the business.

“A supportive spouse made a huge difference,” Pan said.

Before the pandemic, there was a lot of focus on brining attention to the store and its gaining of popularity, Pan said. After re-opening, once it was safe to do so, it has been all about safety, Pan said. She added she feels lucky that none of Ku Cha’s 22 employees got COVID-19, and that all of her customers in Cherry Creek have been respectful of following COVID-19 safety protocols, including wearing a mask and social distancing.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel, I know that,” Pan said. “As long as our store is safe for customers and employees, there will be better days ahead.”

Rong Pan, co-owner of Ku Cha House of Tea, 2445 E. Third Ave. #1

Ku Cha House of Tea 2445 E. Third Ave. Suite #1 303-322-0183 www.kuchatea.com Rong Pan and her husband Qin Liu, co-owners of Ku Cha House of Tea, got the idea to open a tea shop while Pan was working toward her Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

“Tea is part of our everyday life,” Pan said, adding that all sorts of discussions — ranging from business to casual — typically take place while enjoying a cup of tea.

“It’s our together time.”

Additionally, in general, tea consumption can be considered part of the current trend toward health and wellness, Pan said. She added that in the past number of years, Ku Cha has seen more sales of green tea for its antioxidants.

Pan and Liu opened the first Ku Cha House of Tea in Boulder in December 2005. Their Fort Collins location opened in 2015, and the Cherry Creek North location opened in May 2019. The tea shop carries 170 varieties of tea which includes house blends and imports.

Business owners face daily challenges — decisionmaking, how to accumulate a customer base and creating brand recognition, to name a few, Pan said. But being a small business owner is rewarding, she added, because not only do local businesses provide jobs for others, the day-to-day challenges present a sense of achievement

Editor’s note: VIVE Float Studio+, Adornments and Ku Cha House of Tea follow all COVID-19 safety measures, including wearing masks. Each owner’s mask was removed only briefly for the photograph, which was taken from a six-foot distance.

8 Washington Park Profile

April 2021

Ensuring a livable space in the future Denver students with Youth Sustainability Board join teens across the U.S. for Earth Day tree planting

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

T

hose involved with the Youth Sustainability Board believe that “when you’re fighting for the Earth, you’re fighting for all the people

on it.”

These are the words of Dakota Gelman, a junior at the Denver School of the Arts who, along with Felicia Winfrey, serves as the Youth Sustainability Board’s co-president.

“This is our Earth,” added Winfrey, a senior at Denver South High School. “It’s really important that we work to make it a livable space. And it’s important for youth to recognize that we can make changes.”

The Youth Sustainability Board (YSB) is a student-run nonprofit that offers middleand-high schoolers across Colorado “a platform to pioneer sustainability initiatives in their schools and greater communities,” states its website.

YSB got its start roughly two years ago

by Maddy Gawler, who, at the time, was working toward her undergraduate degree at the University of Denver; and two thenhigh schoolers who are now both in college — Hailey Hayes, a graduate of South High School, and Sam Anderson, an East High School graduate.

Gawler, 24, completed her master’s degree in international development with a certificate in global corporate social responsibility in June, and now volunteers as YSB’s executive director.

“The youth have so much power and voice,” Gawler said. “High schoolers have the passion, and they need the opportunity to engage.”

In the past couple of years since its beginning, YSB has grown from partnering with five schools to now working with environmental/sustainability clubs at 18 schools located as far north as Fort Collins.

Each club is part of one of three YSB councils — Denver Public Schools, Boulder/ Longmont and Fort Collins. In total, about 500 students are now involved with YSB, and their efforts range from renewable energy to waste management to eco-friendly transportation. This includes leading a variety of volunteer efforts — such as river cleanups and trail restoration projects — and even working on nonpartisan policy development.

For example, students in the Denver Public Schools Council are drafting a resolution to enact sustainable change, such

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as recycling and composting programs, at schools throughout the district. The youth are hoping to present it to the school board in the near future.

“YSB is proactively working toward change for the future, rather than just realizing what’s wrong in the present or complaining about the past,” Gawler said.

“They (the youths) are coming together and creating the positive change they want to see.”

Currently, the YSB youth are joining teens across the United States in organizing an Earth Day tree planting event to take place on April 24. The eight local schools participating are Denver School of the Arts, D’Evelyn Jr-Sr High School, East High School, Peak to Peak Charter School, Poudre High School, South High School, St. Mary’s Academy and Thomas Jefferson High School; and youth with the Colorado Young Leaders organization are participating on behalf of Cherry Creek High School.

The event is the brainchild of Tree-Plenish, which is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization based in the U.S. east coast area.

Tree-Plenish got its start in 2018 as a high school project by Lizzy Elsner and Sethu Odayappan, and now with both founders in college, Tree-Plenish has expanded to work with high schoolers across the U.S. College students volunteer to run the organization and mentor the high schoolers.

“It’s been inspiring to see all these youth sharing our mission and vision on sustainability,” Elsner said. “The idea is for high schoolers to be able to walk away feeling empowered and that they can make a global difference.”

Tree-Plenish estimates that about 15,000 trees will be planted for the Earth Day tree planting event. The goal of the event is to offset the individual schools’ average paper usage by planting trees in community members’ yards. When deciding on a goal for the number trees to be planted, the students took into consideration the size of their school — a smaller school uses less paper, on average — and because remote learning took place during much of the 2019-2020 school year, some students used their school’s 2018-2019 paper usage data.

For example, in Denver, East High School has a goal to plant 250 trees, South’s goal is 200 trees and Denver School of the Arts has a goal of 150 trees.

The high schoolers took tree requests from community members through March 24, or, approximately one month prior to

A group of South High School’s sustainability club members gather for a photo during COURTESY PHOTO the Fridays for the Future Climate Strike on Sept. 20, 2019.

LEARN MORE To learn more about the Youth Sustainability Board, visit www.youthsustainabilityboard.org.

To learn more about Tree-Plenish, visit www.tree-plenish.org.

As of the date of this publication, it is too late for community members to order a tree to be planted in their yard, but the the tree planting event. The small fee that community members paid covered the cost of the tree itself, which comes as a bare root sapling to ensure the best possible survival rate.

The local students get the trees from Tree-Plenish, which works with a variety of tree vendors and nurseries. Because high schools across the U.S. are participating in the event, Tree-Plenish works with the high schoolers so that the trees planted in each community are native to the area.

On April 24 in Denver, the local students will set up a community location from where volunteers in small groups will depart to the tree planting destinations. All volunteer tree planters will receive basic tree planting training, as well as a briefing on the protocols the students are implementing to ensure the event takes place in a COVID-safe manner. Community members may also pick up their pre-ordered trees on April 24 if they prefer to plant them themselves.

students are welcoming anybody in the community who would like to volunteer to plant trees on April 24. To inquire about volunteering, visit the Tree-Plenish website above, and select `find an event.’ Then select Colorado, and choose the local high school that you would like to volunteer with for the event.

Many of the events the YSB youths had planned in 2020 had to be canceled because of COVID-19, so they are especially looking forward to being able to bring the community together — metaphorically — in a COVID-safe way.

“All humans can connect to trees in some way,” Gelman said, adding that each tree planted during the one-day tree planting will benefit the community for many years to come. “It’s the tangible things that make change empowering.”

As for YSB, the youth are dreaming big, Winfrey said. She added that maybe in another five or 10 years, it will become a national organization.

“YSB is a great outlet for teens to lead and create sustainable change,” said Kendall Ogin, a senior at East High School who is involved with YSB and serves as president of East’s sustainability club. “Teens are going to be leading the world someday. Not only do we care about this, it’s kind of our duty to make the world a better place.”

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Washington Park Profile 9

Putting the artisan in the spotlight

Ruby’s Market offers crafts of Colorado made by immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Michelle Lasnier envisions her space on South Pearl Street in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood as a community hub.

Though some COVID-19 gathering restrictions are still in place for now, Lasnier foresees many fun community events — pop-up exhibits and meet-the-artisan events, perhaps — taking place at Ruby’s Market in the future.

In March, Ruby’s Market, 1569 S. Pearl St., celebrated its one-year anniversary. And despite opening in the midst of a global pandemic, it has become the spot to support local immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs.

“For me, it’s all about them,” Lasnier said of the immigrant and refugee artisans. “I focus on their dreams, and that’s what I help facilitate.”

Ruby’s Market is the business that houses the R Bazaar, which is a nonprofit that got its start five years ago to celebrate the journey of local immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs.

Featuring a variety of locally-made multicultural artisan products, the R Bazaar launched as a mobile market and went all around the Denver metro area, Lasnier said. The R Bazaar was a vendor at the South Pearl Street Farmers Market, which is how Lasnier found out that the space where Ruby’s Market is now located had become available.

Ruby’s Market as a brick-and-mortar was set to open just as the pandemic hit and caused the shutdown in the early spring of 2020. Unable to allow customers inside the establishment at the time, Lasnier instead launched the online Ruby’s Market Box in April 2020, boasting 70 vendors and at least 400 items. Now a permanent fixture, Ruby’s Market Box allows people to browse nearly every item available inside the store - including spices, sauces, chocolate, jewelry, art and soaps, for some examples.

Lasnier also heard from refugee families that they were struggling to get toiletries and cleaning products because those items cannot be purchased with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“I wanted to offer a place where community members can come and donate such items,” Lasnier said.

So, she partnered with Lutheran Family Services and the African Community Center — both are local re-settlement agencies — to open Ruby’s Pantry, which operates out of

Ruby’s Market’s garage. Community members can drop items off at Ruby’s Market, and the two organizations above have volunteer drivers that pick up the items and deliver them to refugee families residing across the metro area.

Ruby’s Market was able to start welcoming guests inside the store last May. As a global market, the store features more than 40 vendors, ranging from local family farmers to immigrant and refugee crafters.

“For immigrants and refugees, it can be a long process to integrate,” Lasnier said.

Ruby’s Market can serve as a link to the community and help facilitate integration, she added.

Yurima Crowley is one of the artists whose work is available at Ruby’s Market. Crowley is a jewelry-maker who immigrated from Venezuela in 2015 in search for a better life for herself and her son.

In Venezuela, Crowley worked as a jewelry importer, and she decided to become the jewelry designer/creator after she settled in the U.S. She completed a 20-week course offered through the University of Colorado called the Family Leadership Training Institute, and three years ago, launched her I Love ME jewelry line. Referred to as simply ME, the word ME stands for Manos Emprendedoras, Spanish for entrepreneurial hands.

With the jewelry line, Crowley provides work opportunities to other immigrant women and currently works with eight women who reside in Aurora.

How it works is, every Tuesday for two hours, the group gets together — they are gathering virtually now, but will go back to in-person once the pandemic is no longer an issue — to make jewelry. During each session, Crowley teaches the women how to make a specific piece of jewelry and provides them with all the supplies they need to make a predetermined number of that piece of jewelry.

“It’s not just time for work,” Crowley said.

“We love to get together. It’s a time for sharing and conversation.”

All the women have different stories to share each week, Crowley said, adding they talk about their families and traditions from their home countries, among many other topics.

The idea, specifically for the `I Love’ in the I Love ME name, Crowley said, is for the women that she works with to take me-time.

For each piece of jewelry sold, a portion of the proceeds go to Crowley, a portion goes to the woman who made it and a portion goes toward purchasing the supplies, Crowley said. Therefore, because the women are their family’s primary caregiver and don’t work outside of the home, creating the jewelry once a week gives them the opportunity to

socialize as well as have some money of their own to spend however they wish, Crowley said.

But not only that, Crowley added, the women love making something that will be going out into their community.

“It raises their self-esteem knowing they’re creating something that somebody will love and cherish,” Crowley said.

Eloisa Lynch believes there is healing power when one creates.

“When I’m creating, my mind relaxes,” said Lynch, who is a survivor of ovarian cancer.

And “it feels amazing when someone connects with my art.”

Lynch, who was born in Mexico City and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico, came to the United States about 20 years ago — when she was 21 — to attend college and study graphic design.

She graduated, but realized she didn’t enjoy working on the computer as much as she thought she would, Lynch said. Fast forward to about two years ago when Lynch relocated to Denver and became an art teacher at a charter school in Denver’s Westwood neighborhood.

“I love the kids,” Lynch said, adding that with her job, she enjoys “the teaching aspect and making the art, equally.”

Some of Lynch’s work that can be found at Ruby’s Market is called Tesse Prints. Lynch creates these alongside her mother, Martha Flores. Tesse Prints are inspired by the mathematical nature of the late Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher’s tessellations, which are puzzle-like patterns, Lynch said. The motherand-daughter team’s Tesse Prints go on all sorts of cardstock, such as greeting cards and postcards.

Lynch also enjoys making collage portraits. Most of the pieces she has done so far

SPRING CLEANING DRIVE Ruby’s Pantry is hosting a Spring Cleaning Drive through April.

Partnering with Lutheran Family Services and the African Community Center, all donations will benefit Colorado refugee families.

All cleaning products/supplies and laundry detergent are needed.

Donations can be dropped off any day of the week at Ruby’s Market, 1569 S. Pearl St., in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood.

For more information, call 303-7332784, or to learn more about Ruby’s Market, visit https://rubysmarketdenver. com.

are of famous people who have a story that Lynch relates to, she said. But Lynch is now exploring making her collage portraits of the general “community members with a fighting spirit,” Lynch said. For example, a maintenance worker or restaurant server, she said.

“To me, that’s what America is all about,” Lynch said. “People from all different backgrounds.”

Ruby’s Market’s third prong is the Supper Club. This was launched in November and features authentic, prepared meals for a family of four. The meals are prepared by refugee and immigrant chefs who have a catering business but not a restaurant establishment or food truck.

Ruby’s Market exists to bring the Coloradolocal, and refugee and immigrant entrepreneurs — the artisans behind all sorts of global creations — into the spotlight, Lasnier said.

“The goal is to get the vendors’ stories out there,” Lasnier said. “Global blends can really get the conversations going.”

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10 Washington Park Profile

April 2021

LOCAL

VOICES

Parkinson’s patients are not alone

M

FROM THE EDITOR

Christy Steadman

y dad’s birthday is in April, which is also Parkinson’s Awareness Month — an interesting coincidence considering my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s roughly 10 or 12 years ago.

A little about the disease: It is a progressive and degenerative brain disorder that affects a person’s muscle movement.

The disease is not necessarily fatal, but complications can be serious and it can greatly diminish quality of life — among many non-motor symptoms, Parkinson’s patients can develop mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, apathy and irritability. What scares me most is that it will likely lead to some degree of dementia, as cognitive changes are common.

“About half of people with Parkinson’s will be affected by mild cognitive impairment: changes in memory and thinking that are noticeable, but not enough to affect daily activities. As Parkinson’s progresses, people living with the disease can develop more significant or severe memory and thinking problems,” states the Parkinson’s Foundation.

My dad is so smart and methodical — traits I inherited, I am so much like my dad — so it pains me to even think that one day, he may not be the clear-headed, responsible man who raised me.

There is no cure for Parkinson’s, though medication can help with symptoms. Additionally, there are no absolute answers on what causes Parkinson’s.

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation’s website, “scientists believe a combination of genetic and

A role model to Native women GUEST COLUMN

Shannon Ward

A

s a Native American woman in the business world, role models who looked like me, and could talk about my kind of life experiences, have been rare.

But they’ve been powerful.

One of the most famous women of power from Indian Country in the modern era, Eloise Cobell, made her name fighting for a $3.4 billion settlement for Indians against the U.S. Department of the Interior.

That settlement was a monumental sign that Native Americans were taking back control of their rights. For decades, the Department of the Interior withheld royalty payments for oil, gas, timber and other rights, legally set aside for Native Americans and tribes. Cobell was treasurer of her Montana Blackfeet Nation tribe when she discovered the foul play. She’d already won a “genius grant” for launching the first U.S.

reservation bank owned by a tribe, and she used the grant money to help push suits against the Interior’s royalty theft.

Cobell’s Blackfeet National Bank sought to expand its model of assisting financial progress in Native American communities by inviting national tribal investors. Native American Bank was formed and moved to Denver, now owned by 32 tribes and tribal corporations.

Today, one of my other role models, Congresswoman Deb Haaland of New Mexico, has made her name as the choice to lead the Department of the Interior.

I met the congresswoman in Albuquerque once, and I was struck by her fierce protectiveness of Indian lands and her frank warmth about her personal life. She’s proud of her law degree, but is quick to note she

Councildog Porthos with District 10 Representative Chris Hinds

H

appy spring, Denverites! Spring is always one of my favorite seasons. The weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer, which means more walks with my dad — who you know as your city council District 10 representative, Chris Hinds.

Unfortunately, when we get a big snowstorm like the one we saw in late March, it can be difficult for Dad and I to navigate around our neighborhood because of unshoveled, or poorly shoveled, sidewalks, ADA ramps and pedestrian crossings. You can help keep our sidewalks accessible to everyone by following the below rules and guidance: • If you own a residential property: Residential property owners have 24 hours after the snow stops falling to clear an accessible path.

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

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A place for everyone in the effort

H

• If you own a commercial property: Commercial property owners need to start clearing snow as soon as it stops falling.

• If you are a residential renter: Check with your property management company to ensure they know the rules.

• If you see un-shoveled or inaccessible sidewalks or curb ramps: Report it online to pocketgov.org or call 3-1-1. Make sure you have an associated address and if possible, take a picture to share with inspectors.

April marks the start of two annual Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI) work programs that make city streets safer and cleaner for all modes of travel. They are street sweeping and paving.

appy Earth Day birthday to all those who, like me, are celebrating birthdays.

As our globe reckons with the fall out and recovery from COVID-19, we have immense opportunity and responsibility to work toward the values of the constituENVIRONMENT tion that is the bedrock of our democratic society. Our values call for us to seek a just and WITH EAN equitable society.

This Earth Day, I invite everyone to join the movement. Together we are the power. We can be the seventh generation that ensures decisions onenergy, water and natural resources are sustainable for at least seven years into the future. And we can guide us through the growing pains of shedding our extractive practices that have damaged less affluent communities and the world as a whole.

Ean Thomas Tafoya We need a period of regeneration, a renaissance that draws from all walks of life to slow down the climate crisis that, day-byday, draws more people into the frontlines via ecological collapse and natural disaster. Recent air quality days and reports about the impaired quality of the South Platte River speak for themselves for our trajectory. We have been here before with the hole in the ozone, and humanity showed up despite procrastination. We cannot wait anymore. In our fight for climate justice, we need more people to participate than ever before.

We have many facets to environmental policy to consider. We have space for everyone in this effort. We can do this, and this month, we have great options to become involved.

In April, the Colorado Legislature will provide hearings for bills that define environmental justice, monitor air polluters, restore soil and put climate metrics into law. There are others, but still, we need more and stronger bills. That is only possible through increased advocacy. Visit https://leg.colorado.gov/. Put your topics in the key words search bar and see what you find.

The state has created a webpage to bring information together for the ease of the community. There are air-and-water quality community engagement opportunities related to Suncor this month.

Stand for climate justice and tell leaders that we want a society that regulates polluters, and that we value people — and their health — above everything else. Virtual testimony has made participation more accessible. Testify at a public hearing related to the health of residents in north Denver and across the region: https://cdphe. colorado.gov/cc-nd.

SEE PORTHOS, P11

SEE ENVIRONMENT, P11

SEE WARD, P11

Spring into a new perspective with Porthos GUEST COLUMN

environmental factors” are to blame.

But my dad’s diagnosis remains a mystery. As far as I know, his family has no history of Parkinson’s.

Environmental factors could be a cause — he grew up in somewhat rural, oil-country in the Texas panhandle. Or perhaps his career as an electronics technician could be a factor. Symptoms of Parkinson’s include tremors/shaking, so how he was able to work with tiny, little wires for a number of years after his diagnosis and symptoms began, is beyond me.

I’ve reported a few news stories through the years with some sort of Parkinson’s angle. I interviewed a Golden resident who embarked on a duathlon on

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Washington Park Profile 11

April 2021

Ward FROM PAGE 10

was a single mom still paying off law school debts while running for Congress.

These are facts to cheer for, from a mom like me trying to promote Indian opportunity as a community development bank executive, while also managing my kids’ remote schooling.

Haaland has a sharp focus on environmental justice, and now she’s going to be the first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior. For most people in Indian Country, that’s a full circle. She exemplifies the idea of Native Americans as stewards of the land.

There’s a sense of justice. The Department of the Interior oversees 507 million acres of land, or about one-fifth of the surface area of the United States. All of that land was once inhabited or controlled by Native Americans long before any national government was set up to mark the boundaries.

A key section of the $20 billion-a-year department is the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) — one of the most important, and for a long time, one of the most despised institutions in the life of Indian Country.

There’s so much bad history with the “old” BIA — from outright theft of Indian lands to notoriously cruel family separations, boarding schools to corrupt agents, and to promotion of culture-destroying alcohol, to

Environment FROM PAGE 10

Join a board or commission and help shape government from the inside. We need people who will ensure that the current - rally cries about environmental justice at all levels become laws. These boards and commissions hold a lot of power — and many admittedly have failed to protect the most vulnerable in our society, and want to grow and diversify in order to make better healthbased democratic decisions. If they don’t want to transform to better serve the people, then they need your voice even more. This holds true at both the state and local level.

Visit these pages to look for opportunities to serve: https://denvergov.org/Government/ Departments/Mayors-Office/About/Boardsand-Commissions

Porthos FROM PAGE 10

Street sweeping takes place from April to November, and serves a critical role in removing pollutants from our city air and waterways that can impact our physical and environmental health. Did you know that in 2020, Denver street sweeping crews swept 163,385 lane miles and collected 57,479 cubic yards of dirt and debris? That’s a lot of material that would otherwise be floating in the air we breathe or flowing into our water supply. To maximize the sweepers’ ability to collect debris, it is essential that people who park their cars on the street relocate their vehicle on or before the designated sweeping day. The city offers opt-in service reminders that can be customized for your specific street so you can avoid those doggone tickets and help improve our air and water quality! Find relevant street sweeping schedules on pocketgov.org.

After being cooped up for more than a year, dogs and people alike are ready to walk, bike and roll outdoors — whether in a park, on a shared street or along the future route of the 5280 Trail. Luckily, the District

name a few.

By the time I worked for BIA in 2009, it had transformed for the better. I had the honor of working with talented and driven people who shared the goal of protecting tribes’ hard-won, nation-to-nation relationship with the federal government.

My childhood home is just outside the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming where my Northern Arapaho family lives. I wish I could say I grew up knowing all about Cobell, other leaders like her and every challenge that was overcome to arrive at this moment. But that kind of pride and learning from elders came later for me.

With the worthy elevation of people like Haaland, young Native American girls won’t have to wait to discover role models that look, sound and think like them. The importance of moments like this is for Native American children to have role models that make any racial stereotypes they’ve grown up with a little less powerful, a little less hurtful.

A cabinet-level appointment like this for a Native American is validation of tribal sovereignty, and assures representation of Indian Country at the highest levels of U.S. government.

It lifts the spirits of all of Indian Country.

Shannon Ward of Littleton is a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and serves as vice president and chief lending officer for Native American Bank, which is a national, tribal-owned community development bank headquartered at 201 Broadway in Denver. https://www.colorado.gov/governor/ boards-and-commissions-directory Get involved with climate and conservation ballot efforts. Consider Waste No More, a waste ballot title; People’s Climate Campaign, an energy tax that makes the polluters pay; and Yes for Open Space, a land conservation effort.

I encourage everyone to give the initiatives a look, and if you agree, join in. Many hands make light work, and we need more people trained on this critical people-power process of citizen ballot initiatives. Our elected leaders influenced by profits-over-people have continually come up short with meeting the desires of the people for policy that lives up to our values of a just and equitable society — not half measures that continue to leave people out to dry.

Ean Thomas Tafoya is a climate and government activist. He can be reached on Twitter at @BelieveEan. 10 office still has plenty of yard and window signs available — featuring yours truly — to remind people to “Drive Like Your Dog Lives Here.” To collect your free sign, email district10@denvergov.org.

Speaking of the 5280 Trail, the Downtown Denver Partnership recently launched phase three, the Trailblazing Effort of the visionary project. This phase is the first step toward identifying the 5280 Trail route as a neighborhood asset, creating placemaking features that are unique to each of the neighborhoods and locations on the route, and marking the route for active travel. For more information about this 5.280-mile trail proposed around Denver’s urban core, visit 5280trail.com.

During the past year, I’ve missed seeing my friends and meeting new people at city council meetings, neighborhood block parties and District 10 coffee and happy hours.

I hope I’ll get to see more of you this year while Dad and I are out and about in our perfect district.

Until then, stay perfect.

Porthos is Denver City Councilmember Chris Hinds’ service dog. Hinds represents District 10. He can be reached at district10@ denvergov.org.

Editor FROM PAGE 10

the Colorado Trail to raise awareness and fundraise for two nonprofits focused on improving the quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s. I wrote about a physical therapist who taught an exercise class in Edgewater for Parkinson’s patients and the patients who attended the class.

A Highlands Ranch woman shared her experience of living with Parkinson’s, and she was the first to inform me about the esteemed (in my opinion) Dr. David VanSickle, a neurosurgeon at Littleton Adventist Hospital who performs Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, known as DBS. At the time of our interview, which was 2014 I believe, VanSickle, was one of only a small number who performed the DBS surgery. He was so generous with his time for our interview, I think in part because he was enthusiastic about getting the word out about the then fairly new DBS procedure. But he also was sympathetic to this reporter who wanted to learn everything she could about Parkinson’s and DBS so she could pass all the information along to her mom and dad.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the DBS surgery for Parkinson’s disease in 2002. The surgery alleviates the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s — tremor, rigidity, slowness. It does not stop the disease from progressing, and some symptoms, such as sense of smell or balance, still need medication to be controlled.

Two devices make this surgery work.

An electrode is implanted in the patient’s brain and a neurostimulator, a device similar to a pacemaker, is implanted in the chest near the collarbone. The two devices are connected and “impulses from the neurostimulator interfere with, and

MORE INFORMATION To learn more about Parkinson’s disease, visit www.parkinson.org. Local resources can also be found by visiting the Parkinson Association of the Rockies’ website at https://parkinsonrockies. org. block, the electrical signals that trigger motion disorders,” according to Littleton Adventist Hospital’s DBS webpage.

Disclosure — different wording may now be available on the website, as I pulled this quote from one of my old stories, so it is a little dated. But I think it gets idea across.

On May 4, 2017, my dad underwent the Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, performed by VanSickle. I remember sitting with my mom in the waiting room, both of us just a big pile of nerves. When we were able to see him, my dad was speaking normally and cohesively as if he had not just had brain surgery.

Last month, my dad had a surgery to get his generators — or perhaps it was the batteries, not quite sure the correct term — in his neurostimulator replaced. After some recovery time, he will go back so the doctors can adjust the programming.

All this is normal, and my dad is healing just fine.

An estimated 1 million people in the U.S. have Parkinson’s, so many of their loved ones are helping to bring awareness to the disease. Caring doctors and others in the healthcare field work relentlessly to improve the quality of life for Parkinson’s patients. Experts and dedicated scientists and researchers continue to work hard to find answers to the cause of the disease and, hopefully, someday, a cure.

So even though it’s not easy accepting that my dad has Parkinson’s disease, what brings me comfort is the knowledge that my family and I are not alone.

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12 Washington Park Profile

April 2021

Día del Niño takes place virtually throughout April Staff report

A child participates in an activity at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science during the 2019 Día del Niño celebration. This year, Día del Niño: Celebrating All Children will take place virtually throughout April, and will be part of SCFD Community Free Days on April 25. PHOTO BY CHRIS SCHNEIDER

Throughout April, a number of local cultural institutions will be hosting Día del Niño: Celebrating All Children events.

The events — some virtual, some in-person — are being offered as a partnership between the Mexican Cultural Center and Telemundo Denver.

“We are overjoyed to have the opportunity to once again bring the Children’s Day Celebration to our community this year, as unfortunately, we had to cancel the 2020 celebration due to the pandemic,” said Ericka Hernandez, program director of the Mexican Cultural Center, in a news release. “The Mexican Cultural Center is honored to be able to bring this celebration virtually this year with the colossal support of our cultural partners.

We love the idea of being able to innovate and reinvent ourselves to make sure we continue to celebrate our youth and children.”

Between April 1 and April 30, a variety of free educational videos and activities will be available for children and families.

These videos and activities will be offered by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver Art Museum, Denver Zoo, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver Botanic Gardens, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver Public Library, History Colorado and Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. They will be accessible through Acceso Total on Telemundo Denver, Telemundo Denver Landing Page and the Mexican Cultural Center’s Facebook Event Page.

To learn about the various activities being offered, visit www.mccdenver.org.

The website has information about some

of the activities being offered, and there is a link to the organization’s Facebook page where people can stay up-to-date on the Día del Niño: Celebrating All Children events.

Día del Niño: Celebrating All Children is also part of the SCFD Community Free Days this year. Free admission will be offered on April 25 at the following cultural institutions: • Denver Museum of Nature and Science: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Denver Art Museum: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Denver Zoo: limited timed tickets will be available • Clyfford Still Museum: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• History Colorado: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Some of these cultural institutions will be offering special Día del Niño: Celebrating All Children programming on April 25. To attend any of the museums on the April 25 Día del Niño: Celebrating All Children free day, guests must have a timed ticket. Tickets can be reserved online by visiting the above-mentioned institutions’ websites.

The Mexican Cultural Center will also be collaborating with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and EDUCA from Denver Public Schools to create a virtual and interactive contest. Children can send pictures of their drawings to the EDUCA Facebook page for the opportunity to win tickets to visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on April 25.

For more information about the Virtual Día del Niño celebration, visit Telemundodenver.com/comunidad.

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Washington Park Profile 13

April 2021

Streamlined from college to profession

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Denver Health and Emily Griffith Technical College are a natural fit for a partnership.

In fact, the partnership in some capacity has existed for 38 years. But now, a new component of the partnership makes it even stronger.

The newest component is two-fold. The first entails providing graduates of Emily Griffith’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program the opportunity for employment at Denver Health’s new Outpatient Medical Center (OMC). And the second will provide students and graduates of the college’s Culinary Arts and Culinary Quick Start programs the opportunity to operate the new Denver Health OMC Café Powered by Emily Griffith.

“We are grateful for key partnerships like the one with Emily Griffith that provide us with a pipeline of talent to help us better serve and support the Denver community,”

m

said Robin D. Wittenstein, Denver Health’s CEO, in a news release.

The intent is for it to be a streamlined process, said Randy Johnson, executive director of Emily Griffith Technical College.

“What we’ve seen from the pandemic is that healthcare is an essential service,” Johnson said, adding that all students who enter into the college’s CNA program know they want to enter into a healthcare profession.

“We’re helping Denver Health by providing a skilled workforce, and they’re helping our students find their path.”

Denver Health’s OMC, 660 N. Bannock St., recently opened and was “built to revolutionize the way Denver Health delivers healthcare in an outpatient setting by consolidating the many places a patient may need to get specialty care into one building,” states a news release.

Emily Griffith Technical College’s main campus is located at 1860 Lincoln St. in Denver.

A key component of the partnership,

A new partnership between Denver Health and Emily Griffith Technical College allows the college’s Certified Nursing Assistant and culinary arts students and graduates the opportunity to work in the new Outpatient Medical Center and its café. COURTESY OF EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE

which will run for two years, is the communication, Johnson said. For example, he said, Denver Health will be able to communicate what training is needed, thus, better prepare Emily Griffith’s students for their post-graduation endeavors.

“Everybody who walks through our doors at Emily Griffith are looking for an opportunity for a profession,” Johnson said.

“This type of partnership speaks to the heart of Emily Griffith — preparing students for a meaningful career.”

Denver to launch a preservation project Staff report

Denver residents are encouraged to participate in a preservation initiative that will protect and celebrate the city’s Latino/ Chicano history.

The project is that of Denver Community Planning and Development, and is being led by Denver’s Landmark Preservation staff in partnership with the city’s I Am Denver Storytelling Project and the Mayor’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation.

The initiative will help create Denver’s first historic context that focuses on a specific ethnic, racial or cultural group.

“Landmark Preservation also intends to develop future historic contexts that focus on other underrepresented communities like Denver’s African American, Indigenous and Asian American communities,” states a news release.

“The city respects that within the Chicano and Latino communities exists a multidimensional and multifaceted layer of diversity, including deeply rooted connections to Indigenous/First Nations and African cultures. This first Latino/Chicano Historic Context makes visible the rich history of our Chicano, Afro-Latino and Indigenous/First Nations communities and honors their contributions,” states a news release,” states the news release.

The result of the project will be “a broad overview on the citywide settlement and

development patterns of Latino and Chicano communities in Denver up to the 1990s … The project will identify significant locations and buildings connected to our Chicano and Latino communities in order to preserve and protect those spaces. The project will also help Denver build a more inclusive list of designated landmarks and historic districts and inform the citywide building survey, Discover Denver,” states the news release.

“I couldn’t be prouder to work on this groundbreaking project to not only recognize the history and contributions of Denver’s Chicano and Latino communities, but to preserve them,” said Rowena Alegría, chief storyteller of Denver. “Our stories matter, as do those of other marginalized communities. The time is right to bring the power of story — our oral histories — to bear on policies that will help protect the legacy of our communities for future generations.”

Information for the project will be collected by public outreach and traditional historic research. Learn more about this project and ways to participate by visiting www.denvergov.org/landmark.

will be provided. Spanish interpretation will also be provided.

Survey: The “survey will gather the stories and histories of Denver’s Chicano and Latino communities to inform the historic context. It is designed for those who selfidentify as members of the various ethnic communities associated with Denver’s Latino/Chicano heritage, however, anyone who has valuable information to share about this important history is welcome to participate,” states a news release.

I Am Denver Mini-Documentary: “I Am Denver, the communitywide multimedia project that documents the city’s history, culture and vision by fostering conversations and celebrating residents, will both collect oral histories and empower Latino and Chicano residents to record their own stories of family and community in video. I Am Denver will also produce a mini-documentary film of the city’s Chicano and Latino communities,” states a news release.

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14 Washington Park Profile

Something to scream about

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Denver Film and Scream Screen are presenting Welcome to Amityville! as a four-day virtual program this April.

It begins at 7 p.m. April 22 and runs through 11:45 p.m. April 25.

The program is being hosted and curated

by Theresa Mercado, who will select four spooky films from the AMITYVILLE franchise and livestream the presentation from the haunted Black Monarch Hotel in Victor, Colorado.

“The Amityville story is perhaps the most well-known haunted house franchise with more than 20 films spanning 40 years,” said Mercado in a news release. “I’m excited to surprise this year’s audiences with a selection of four of the weirdest films of the lot. … There will be lots of terrifying surprises in store, all from the safety and comfort of your own personal haunted house and couch.”

Program tickets cost $15 for Denver Film Members and $20 non-Members. Ticketholders will have the opportunity to submit their guesses for which four films will be

shown, and the correct answers will be entered to win prizes from The Black Monarch, Denver Film, Cult Legacy, Bierstadt Lagerhaus and more, states a news release.

Scream Screen is a quarterly horror film series founded in 2015 that is programmed out of the Sie FilmCenter. It typically features “live music, special guests and outlandish cosplay before screenings of underseen and classic genre films,” states its website. Scream Screen is being offered as a virtual program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave.,

April 2021

which border’s Denver’s City Park and Congress Park neighborhoods, is the permanent home of Denver Film, which is a membership-based nonprofit cultural institution founded in 1978.

Tickets to Welcome to Amityville! can be purchased on Denver Film’s website, which is www.denverfilm.org. The program will be accessible on Denver Film’s Virtual Cinema — available on its website or by downloading the Denver Film app for Roku TV or Apple TV. To learn more about Scream Screen, visit https://scream-screen.com/.

Women+Film Festival celebrates talents

By Clarke Reader Special to Colorado Community Media

One of the few good news stories to come out of Hollywood in 2020 is the continuing recognition of the contributions women make to the film industry.

There’s still a lot of work to do to achieve equity, but for the first time, two women have been nominated in the best director category. Hopefully, it’s a sign that things will keep moving in the right direction.

But anyone who has participated in the last 11 years of Denver Film’s Women+Film Festival already knows that stories told by and about women have a breadth and depth more than equal to their male peers.

“It’s so important to support women behind the camera,” said Barbara Bridges, founder of the festival. “In the last 50 years, women have only accounted for 30% of

speaking roles, so it’s important to see women on the screen as well. Any kind of work women are doing is important.”

The 12th annual Women+Film Festival will take place April 13-18. Like the Denver Film Festival in October, the films will be streaming on Denver Film’s virtual platform.

The platform allows for viewers to stream their selected films on Roku, AppleTV or their computer or mobile device.

The 2020 iteration of the festival looked vastly different than ever before due to COVID-19-related uncertainties and emerging rules. In the end, it became a severalmonth summer series virtually highlighting some of the participating films for audiences.

Getting this year’s festival running was a bit easier now that the organization has experience with its virtual platform — but deciding which films to showcase took a lot of work.

“Selecting films for the festival is an extensive process Barb and I collaborate on,” said

Matt Campbell, Denver Film’s artistic director. “It’s really about having a diverse mix of offerings in the program. We have a great balance of types of films, as well as a lot of international films, and stories from different cultures and minority representation.”

The year’s line-up — which includes narrative and documentary, feature-length and short films — highlights a variety of subjects and stories on characters that audiences might be familiar with and those to learn about.

The opening night selection is Mariem Pérez Riera’s documentary, “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It.” The film follows the legendary entertainer through her roles on the stage, television and silver screen, and gives audiences a personal look at one of the most dynamic performers around as she remembers the racism and sexism she faced on her way to success. The film is only available on the 13th.

“The way we approach the festival remains the same, no matter what platform or medium we’re using,” Bridges said. “I still hear from people who are excited to take part in the festival — they’re planning watch parties. These are films that can be enjoyed by anyone.”

As is often the case, there will be several conversations with filmmakers and local connections, providing the viewer with both a more personal and larger-scale connection to the works. This adds another layer to the aim of the festival in the first place — to celebrate the power of women both behind and in front of the camera.

“The most interesting films being made are directed by women, and the most interesting stories are coming from women,” Campbell said. “We want to follow what’s current and interesting in the film industry, and we think women-centered stories and female filmmakers are where it’s at.”

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General: Additional charges may apply in areas that require guard response service for municipal alarm verification. System remains property of ADT. Local permit fees may be required. Prices and offers subject to change and may vary by market. Additional taxes and fees may apply. Satisfactory credit required. A security deposit may be required. Simulated screen images and photos are for illustrative purposes only. ©2021 ADT LLC dba ADT Security Services. All rights reserved. ADT, the ADT logo, 800.ADT.ASAP and the product/service names listed in this document are marks and/or registered marks. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. Third-party marks are the property of their respective owners. License information available at www.ADT.com or by calling 800.ADT.ASAP. CA ACO7155, 974443, PPO120288; FL EF0001121; LA F1639, F1640, F1643, F1654, F1655; MA 172C; NC Licensed by the Alarm Systems Licensing Board of the State of North Carolina, 7535P2, 7561P2, 7562P10, 7563P7, 7565P1, 7566P9, 7564P4; NY 12000305615; PA 090797 DF-CD-NP-Q121

Washington Park Profile 15

April 2021

Community conversations about the impacts of COVID Denver Chapter of The Links, Inc. offers upcoming programs

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

People have been feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year.

These impacts include — but are not limited to — feelings of disconnection and isolation.

It is important to remember “we’re not alone in this experience,” said Jada Dixon, president of the Denver Chapter of The Links, Inc. With this in mind, the Denver Chapter of The Links is targeting much of its 2021 programming to mental health and well-being with emphasis on the needs of the Black community.

“We wanted to make a difference,” said Gaye Woods, vice president of programming for the Denver Chapter of The Links.

“That’s the focus of our existence — the service.”

The Links, Inc. is a women’s volunteer service organization “committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry,” which is stated on its website. It was founded in 1946, and numbers “16,000 professional women of African descent in 292 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the United Kingdom.”

The Denver chapter, established in 1952,

LEARN MORE To learn more about the Denver Chapter of The Links, Inc., or to register for any of its upcoming programs, www.denverlinksinc.org. is one of two in Colorado locations, and has 45 active members.

With a focus on service, friendship, community involvement and philanthropy, The Links, Inc. have five facets. They are: Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, and Health and Human Services.

Salon Series The Salon Series: Linking Communities in Conversation is a new program this year for the Denver Chapter of The Links, and may become part of its regular programming.

Taking place virtually for now, the Salon Series includes five curated educational sessions led by subject matter experts, community stakeholders and industry innovators.

Upcoming on April 10 is the session titled “The POWER of the ARTS to Reflect our Joys & Challenges.” Professional artists and students from the Denver School of the Arts will lead the discussion. On May 8, Nurturing Your Child’s EQ: Everyday Tools for Parent-Child Social-Emotional Wellbeing will be presented.

All sessions of the Salon Series are free and open to the public.

Girl Fierce The Denver Chapter of The Links will virtually host its second Girl Fierce event on April 24. The first one, which had a focus on human trafficking, was presented in

A youth works on a creative project during the 2019 Girl Fierce event. The 2021 event COURTESY OF DENVER CHAPTER OF THE LINKS will take place virtually on April 24.

April 2019, and its success led to The Links scheduling another program. However, Girl Fierce had to be canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the 2021 Girl has been reworked to take place virtually.

The theme this year is Being Mindfully Free. All five of The Links’ facets will be featured with a focus on mental health. The event is oriented toward young girls of color, roughly in grades five through eight.

Social media and race and disparities, in addition to isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, are some of the aspects in a girl’s life that can effect them, Woods said.

Girl Fierce will feature a variety of speakers who will take a “mind, body, spirit”

approach for overall well being, Woods said. Participants will also get a toolkit with resources for exercise, nutrition, arts and creativity and other valuable wellness practices.

“Girls today need things to help them feel good and strengthen their self-awareness,” Woods said.

Women in The Links are influencers, both professionally and within their communities, Woods said. Such role models can pass on knowledge tools and wisdom, she said.

“For aspiring young women, it’s important that we are visible,” Woods said.

Dixon agreed.

“This is a way to put forth our time and talent to empower young African American women,” Dixon added.

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Washington Park Profile 17

April 2021

Spring cleaning for the planet PaintCare, Blue Star Recyclers offer solutions for hazardous waste

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

It is common knowledge that improper disposal of hazardous waste can have negative impacts on the environment. Often, the chemicals and materials that make up hazardous waste cannot be broken down, thus, can cause harmful contamination in water, soil and air.

Many people know that some common household items, such as paint and electronics, shouldn’t go to the landfill.

But on the other hand, what do you do with them? Two nonprofits — PaintCare and Blue Star Recyclers — may have the answer.

PaintCare “Pandecorating” has become a trend this past year as people have been spending more time at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For some, it was adding an accent wall for a small change in a common area or family room, and for others, it was a complete remodel of a home office or workfrom-home space.

Unlike some home improvement projects, painting is one that people often feel they can take on themselves, said Kevin Lynch, Colorado program manager for PaintCare.

“People feel comfortable painting their wall,” Lynch said, “versus needing to hire someone like they would for plumbing or

electrical work.”

Therefore, most people have leftover paint, creating a need for an easy disposal option, Lynch added. PaintCare is a national nonprofit that makes it easy to recycle leftover paint, he said.

There are more than 175 drop-off locations across the state — many of those are in the Denver-metro area — that include paint retailers and household hazardous waste facilities.

The service is free of charge. The program is funded by a small fee added on to every paint sale in Colorado — $0.75 per gallon or $1.60 for five gallons.

After leftover paint is dropped off, the next best use for it is determined. “Most of the oil-based paint is … taken to a cement plant where it is blended into a fuel and burned to recover the energy value,” states PaintCare’s website. Most latex paint goes to one of two local small businesses — one is in Pueblo, and the other is GreenSheen Paint located in Denver’s Athmar Park neighborhood — for reprocessing into new, recycled-content paint. The recycledcontent paint, which is labeled as so, can be purchased at some Habitat for Humanity ReStore locations and at GreenSheen Paint.

“This is giving a new life to the paint,” Lynch said, adding that “more people are going green and learning more about recycled-content products, and wanting to use their dollars on that.”

Lynch had a few more tips for those who are looking to be more environmentally friendly with their painting.

Buy right and store right: Purchase the correct amount for your needs. This can be done by taking measurements, but also by talking with retailers.

“Store staff tend to love talking with homeowners about their projects,” Lynch said.

Paint can last decades if stored properly.

Store leftover paint in its original container, re-seal it tightly and keep it in a dry, cool and dark place.

Use it up or give it away: Paint leftover from a larger project can be saved for future touchups, and sometimes, another project. Ask among friends, relatives, artists or community groups to see if any of them would have a need for any leftover paint. If not, it can always be recycled, Morris said.

Paint Care’s Colorado program launched in July 2015, and since then, about four million gallons of paint, stain and varnish have been managed.

To learn more about PaintCare, visit https://www.paintcare.org. Select CO to find drop off locations and accepted products.

Blue Star Recyclers According to Sam Morris, CEO of Blue Star Recyclers, being able to go to work and having a purpose is important to everyone.

Therefore, Blue Star Recyclers, which is a nonprofit social enterprise, has a social, economic and environmental impact.

As for the social and economic impacts, Blue Star Recyclers creates jobs for, and employs, adults with autism and other disabilities who may not otherwise be able to obtain gainful employment. What they do is the environmental impact, which is recycling electronic waste, also known as e-waste.

Blue Star Recyclers got its start in Colorado Springs about 13 years ago. In 2015,

the Denver location at 953 Decatur St. in the Sun Valley neighborhood opened. The organization expanded to Boulder in 2016, and Basalt in 2019. There is also a Chicago location which opened in 2019.

All electronics have some sort of hazardous material in it, but about 80% of electronic waste is not recycled, Morris said.

“If it goes to the landfill, a lot of the materials in e-waste seeps into the earth and can have a significant impact,” Morris said.

“Because none of it goes away.”

Blue Star Recyclers accepts nearly “anything that plugs into a wall,” Morris said. This includes all computers and laptops, printers, televisions, stereos, video game players, cell phones, microwaves, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners, for some examples. The exception is large appliances such as refrigerators or others that contain PCB-containing ballasts, Freon or liquid mercury.

But “regardless of what you have, give us a call,” Morris said, adding that if it’s an item that Blue Star Recyclers doesn’t accept, the organization can help with recommending a place that will accept it.

Of all the electronics that are brought to Blue Star Recycling, as little as possible goes to the landfill, Morris said. This means 100% of the hazardous waste is recycled, and some materials are re-used, he added. For example, the glass on some televisions can be reused to make ceramic tiles, Morris said.

Computers are always free because of the value in the circuit boards, Morris said.

The rest of the electronics have a small fee, which is about $0.59 per pound. The recycling fees help Blue Star Recyclers “achieve SEE SPRING CLEANING, P19

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18 Washington Park Profile

April 2021

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Washington Park Profile 19

April 2021

A playful exhibit of surrealism and botanical illustrations Denver Botanic Gardens to feature Salvador Dalí: Gardens of the Mind

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Oftentimes, art can be a connector between science and nature.

“Art can talk to people in a lot of ways that data cannot,” said Lisa Eldred, director of exhibitions and head curator of art at the Denver Botanic Gardens. “Art helps tell the stories of our relationship with nature.”

The science part comes in with the living plants and botanical illustrations.

The Denver Botanic Gardens is hosting a feature exhibition called Salvador Dalí: Gardens of the Mind, which will run April 10-Aug. 22. It is included with general admission to the gardens.

Part of the botanic gardens’ mission is to give people new ways to connect with plants, said Jen Tobias, who serves the Denver Botanic Gardens as the assistant director of exhibitions of art and collections and as assistant curator of art.

“This show is so playful. Some of the works have humorous qualities, but they’re

Spring Cleaning FROM PAGE 17

over 90% self-sustainability and pay our workers real wages,” states the website.

The workers truly enjoy coming to work each day, Morris said, and they have the

IF YOU GO The Denver Botanic Gardens is operating with limited capacity and timed tickets must be purchased in advance of a visit.

To learn more, visit www.botanicgardens. org. also beautiful and charming,” Tobias said. “It showcases some traditional botanical illustrations with surrealist spins.”

The Dalí exhibit boasts nearly 40 works on loan from The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. It features two suites — FlorDalí and Surrealist Flowers, which are two “rarely seen series of fanciful color lithographs of flowers and fruits,” states a news release.

Surrealism has a “purposefully irrational quality to explore dreams and such things,” said Tobias. This exhibit offers a “different way of thinking about the natural world.”

The Dalí exhibit coincides with a few other exhibits that are upcoming this spring and summer — also located inside the gardens’ recently-opened Freyer-Newman Center galleries — that speak to the intersections of art and science. The other exhibits are: • Radiant Season: Paintings by Kevin Sloan, who is a “Denver-based painter whose work focuses on the relationship between the “aptitude and attitude for careful, detailed, repetitive work.”

“The impact is two-fold. They go from being quiet and timid to hitting their stride,” Morris said. “And become part of the community working alongside their peers.”

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natural world and human-made objects and environments,” states the gardens’ website.

Radiant Season runs March 13 through July 11.

• Golden Opportunity: Botanical Illustration, which features illustrations of yellow plants created by students and faculty of Denver Botanic Gardens’ School of Botanical Art & Illustration. This exhibit will be on display May 29 through Aug. 15.

• Of Sky and Ground: Yoshitomo Saito, whose “cast bronze works capture and celebrate the elegant lines and subtle details of nature,” states the gardens’ website. Of Sky and Ground runs from July 24 through Nov. 28.

These are in addition to the 24 acres of the gardens where people can explore the “gorgeousness” of living plants, Tobias said.

A visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens truly can provide a multidisciplinary and multisensory experience, Eldred added.

With the heightened stress people are experiencing from the pandemic, Eldred hopes that the gardens can serve as a respite and that people can leave the art exhibits — including Salvador Dalí: Gardens of the Mind — feeling restored and rejuvenated.

“And with a notion of curiosity that serves as a catalyst for continued exploration,” Eldred said.

Lys (Lilium musicum) from FlorDali, 1968, photolithograph with original engraved remarque and color.

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