Washington Park Profile 1220

WashParkProfile.com

DECEMBER 2020

FREE

Digital and print community newspaper founded in 1978.

SHOPPING GALORE

Cherry Creek Holiday Market offers outdoor shopping experience

P13 KINDERGARTEN READINESS

LOCALS WRITING LOCAL

Denver Preschool Program launches scholarship for 250 families

Colorado authors highlight landmarks around area in new books

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A DEMAND FOR THE CREATIVE University of Denver professors publish study on actors

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December 2020

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

At 5 p.m. Nov. 20, the city and county of Denver enacted an Adoption of Level Red-Severe Risk Public Health Order. This direction comes from the state of Colorado, “requiring Denver to adopt greater restrictions,” states the City of Denver’s website.

Level Red is the fifth of six levels on Colorado’s COVID-19 dial. Learn more at: https://covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-dial.

“The state is expected to re-evaluate Denver’s metrics and status on the dial the week ending Dec. 18,” according to a fact sheet on the City of Denver’s website.

With this public health order, “public and private gatherings of people who are not members of a single household are prohibited except for limited purposes,” states the fact sheet.

The public health order also affects Denver businesses in a variety of ways, including: Temporary closure of indoor dining. Outdoor/open-air dining is permitted for tables with patrons from the same household. Last call for outdoor restaurant alcohol service is 8 p.m. and on-premises alcohol consumption at restaurants and bars must stop at 10 p.m.

Alcohol takeout and delivery closes by 10 p.m., including restaurants, bars and liquor stores.

Recreational marijuana retailers must close by 10 p.m.

Critical and non-critical retail, including indoor malls, are limited to 50% occupancy.

Increased curbside pickup and delivery is encouraged.

Gyms, fitness facilities and yoga studios

are permitted to stay open with reservations required and occupancy limitations.

Salons and barber shops were not listed, but likely fall in the personal services category, which is limited to 25% capacity.

More information on how places of worship and sporting events are affected can be found on the city of Denver’s website: www. denvergov.org. Select COVID-19 Information from the homepage.

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 AND REOPENINGS Homie A real estate company called Homie began its expansion into Denver in November.

Actual move-in is pending COVID, but once opened, the offices will be located at 201 Milwaukee St., #200, in Cherry Creek. Offering a full suite of real estate services, including mortgage, title and insurance services, Homie will serve Denver, Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, Adams, Broomfield, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek and Weld counties.

Homie, which launched in Utah in 2015, was “founded with the belief that the use of modern technology, coupled with the expertise of dedicated, local agents is the way of real estate in the future, saving clients thousands on their real estate transactions while simplifying the process,” states a news release.

“Technology has changed just about every industry, except real estate,” said Melissa Millan, general manager of Homie Colorado, in the news release. “The outdated legacy real

estate model comes at the expense of clients, in hidden commissions and real estate fees.”

According to the news release, Homie does not charge a percentage-based commission, and instead, offers sellers a $3,000 flat fee -- regardless of the home’s sale price -- to market and sell a home. Home buyers who use a Homie agent can receive up to a $5,000 rebate, and can use the Homie app to review listings and scheduling showings, states the news release.Homie’s app-based showing scheduler and one-stop real estate, mortgage, title, and insurance services make a normally complicated process streamlined and simplified.

“Denver is one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, with homes selling in a median of six days this past October,” said Philip Kranefuss, head of real estate for Homie Colorado, in the news release.

“Buying and selling a home in Denver has never been more competitive. Homie simplifies real estate with a one-stop-shop for our clients, making buying and selling a home easier, more affordable and accessible for all while putting thousands of dollars back in customer’s pockets.”

To learn more, visit www.homie.com/ colorado.

Jay Bianchi was hired by Tyler Bishop, owner of So Many Roads Museum and Brewery, 918 W. First Ave., to serve as the new venue’s curator.

COURTESY PHOTO

RECYCLING YOUR TREE AFTER THE HOLIDAYS IS EASY!

REMOVE all decorations, lights, and the tree stand from your tree.

SET YOUR TREE OUT for collection by 7 a.m. on one of your scheduled trash collection days between January 4 and 15.

PICK UP FREE MULCH made from your tree at the annual Mulch Giveaway & Compost Sale in May.

COLLECTION SCHEDULE January 2021 SU MO 28 3 4 10 11 17 H 24 25 31

TU 29 5 12 19 26

WE 30 6 13 20 27

TH 31 7 14 21 28

FR H 8 15 22 28

Tree Collection Day

SA 2 9 16 23 30

Download our Denver Trash and Recycling app for Treecycle collection reminders!

If you do not receive Denver Solid Waste Management services, please visit DenverGov.org/Treecycle for our list of drop-off sites.

DenverGov.org/Treecycle | 311 (720-913-1311)

So Many Roads Museum and Brewery A new venue to enjoy all things Grateful Dead — and some other iconic musicians and bands — has opened in Denver’s Baker neighborhood.

So Many Roads Museum and Brewery, 918 W. First Ave., opened on Oct. 21.

Owner Tyler Bishop recruited Jay Bianchi — who is known for opening many local venues including Sancho’s Broken Arrow, Be on Key Psychedelic Ripple, Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom and Quixote’s True Blue, among others — to serve as So Many Roads’ curator. Adorning the walls is Bianchi’s collection of Grateful Dead posters, stickers and other memorabilia. People can also purchase various merchandise such as vintage-andreprint t-shirts and other collectables.

The venue itself boasts a kitchen and bar, and a brewery component is expected to open late December. Local musicians perform live music every Friday and Saturday, with varying hours to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions. Live music is not booked far in advance because of the ever-changing restrictions, Bianchi said, so the best way for people to learn about upcoming shows is to visit So Many Roads’ website, www.somanyroadsbrewery.com, or its Facebook page.

The space is open with an airy feel where people can hang out and celebrate the art of the Grateful Dead, while social distancing, Bianchi said.

The Grateful Dead is dedicated to its fans, Bianchi said, and the fans reciprocate.

And here in Denver, he added, “there is a dedicated fan base. There is a continued presence of celebrating the Grateful Dead’s music.”

Editor’s note: This blurb was written prior to the most recent shutdown. If you’re interested in visiting this venue, first visit its website or Facebook page to check on its business hours or operations.

CLOSINGS Bowman’s Vinyl and Lounge Bowman’s Vinyl and Lounge, a bar, record store and live music venue located at 1312 S. Broadway, announced on its Facebook page on Nov. 21 that the business would be closing.

According to the Facebook post, Bowman’s was in operation for about five years.

On Nov. 23, the venue posted a follow up on its Facebook page: “Much respect and much love to the entire Denver community, including all the bars, venues and restaurants. To anyone who came through these doors and had a good time with us: We love you all and we will see you around. Stay strong and please support local business. It’s the life blood of our community.”

CHANGES/OTHER Red Owl Apartments A California-based multifamily investment firm called DB Capital Management announced on Nov. 4 that it has closed on the acquisition of the Red Owl Apartments, 90 S. Logan St., in Denver’s Speer neighborhood.

The acquisition is the firm’s entry into the Denver market.

“We are targeting extensive growth in this market with a goal to own 1,000 units in the Denver-metro area by the end of 2022,” said Brennen Degner in a news release. Degner is the co-founder and CEO of DB Capital Management, and the news release states he was born and raised in Denver. “Red Owl is an award-winning asset in an exceptional location that we were able to acquire below replacement cost.

We have the ability to increase revenue through hands-on property management and a focused renovation plan.”

Red Owl Apartments was built in 2018 and consists of 46 units. The firm acquired the apartment building for $16.2 million.

DB Capital Management will rebrand it as Summit at Wash Park “and will immediately begin a renovation that will include common area improvements, as well as interior and exterior upgrades to the studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes as units roll,” states a news release.

BUSINESSES SUPPORTING NONPROFITS RoseBud Ice Cream and Food For Thought RoseBud Ice Cream, a Denver-based CBD Ice Cream company, will be donating 20% of the proceeds from all apparel sales to local nonprofit Food for Thought Denver.

Food for Thought Denver ”strives to eliminate weekend hunger for children in the Denver area” and serves 53 schools in the Denver-metro area, states its website.

RoseBud Ice Cream apparel available to purchase exclusively on RoseBud’s website includes hoodies, crewneck sweaters, long sleeves and tees. Visit www.rosebudicecream.com/merch to learn more.

“RoseBud was founded to improve lives, one bite, one pint and one person at a time.

Working with Food for Thought Denver to make sure kids in the community have enough to eat helps us accomplish that goal,” said Sam Rose, RoseBud Ice Cream founder and cream executive officer.

To learn more about Food for Thought Denver, visit https://foodforthoughtdenver. org/.

December 2020

Washington Park Profile 3

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December 2020

What does it take

to be an actor?

University of Denver professors use research to find the answer in recently-published study

By Christina Steadman <csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com>

M

Michael Doherty stars as Jason/Tyrone in Hand to God in 2017 at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in California.

PHOTO BY KEVIN BERNE

READ THE STUDY The study by Denis Dumas, Peter Organisciak and Michael Doherty is called The psychology of professional and student actors: Creativity, personality, and motivation. It is free to anyone who wishes to read it. It can be accessed with the following link: https:// bit.ly/2UGQpkt.

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ichael Doherty believes he has a secret power — the ability to make people laugh.

As an actor, however, Doherty realizes there are many important messages delivered through various stage productions — raising awareness, providing insight, presenting an understanding or spreading compassion.

“Acting is about empathy to me,” Doherty said. “The best part,” he added, “is sharing that with an audience.”

Doherty, 31, is a professional actor who resides in Philadelphia and recently was on a research team, along with two University of Denver professors, to study the psychological characteristics of actors.

The two DU professors who conducted the study are Denis Dumas and Peter Organisciak.

Both hold Ph.Ds and both are assistant professors of research methods and statistics at DU’s Morgridge College of Education. Dumas is an educational psychologist, focusing on “understanding student learning, cognition and creativity,” and how to make education better, states a news release. Organisciak is an information scientist and Dumas his work “focuses on massivescale text analysis, information retrieval and data issues in crowdsourcing,” states a news release.

Dumas is “fascinated by the human mind,” he said, adding that he believes “some of the best thinking comes from the creative arts.”

The peer-reviewed study identifies key psychological characteristics that set actors, both professional and student, apart from non-actors. It is expected that the study will help better education of the performing arts.

It was published in late October, and DU paid for the study to be open access, meaning anybody can access it for free, including the data and statistical files.

Dumas and Organisciak expect that actors and student actors will find it interesting, but they also hope performing arts educators and other scientists will find it valuable.

“It’s an interesting and impactful study,” Organisciak said. “We’re seeing a strong signal and we’re excited to share it.”

Doherty and Dumas became friends in high school in Pennsylvania. Fast forward to a few years ago when the two got together and were playing mini golf with the rest of that year’s cast of “A Christmas Carol.” In his line of work, Dumas had done studies on engineers and medical doctors, he said. But during that game of mini golf, he realized how interesting actors are, he said.

“Acting has a demand for the creative,” Dumas said.

Organisciak got involved — tasked with developing a way of scoring creativity — and the study got underway in late 2017.

For the research, more than 20 psychological tests were administered to three different groups of participants — professional actors, undergraduate students majoring in acting and adults who are not actors — totaling nearly 300 participants. The tests focused on creative thinking, personality and motivations.

The study states that the non-actors were recruited through a crowdsourcing platform; the student actors were recruited primarily

via existing social media listservs, but some participating students also shared the participation opportunity with their classmates; and the professional actors were recruited via existing email and social media listservs that connect members of professional actor’s unions — Actors Equity, which focuses on the representation of stage actors; and SAGAFTRA, which focuses on the representation of screen actors.

The research sought to answer three main questions: 1) how do student-and-professional actors differ from non-actors with their psychological attributes; 2) “can actors be effectively distinguished from non-actors based on their psychological attributes,” and 3) “can professional actors be effectively distinguished from undergraduate student actors,” states the study.

It was expected that actors would be different from nonactors to a degree, Organisciak said. Dumas added the actors Organisiack did stand out in a variety of ways when compared to non-actors, including their level of openness to new experiences, their extroverted assertiveness and their ability to elaborate their creative ideas.

Doherty also had some theories on the traits that would set actors apart, he said. But something that particularly surprised him was learning that actors tend to take more risks than non-actors, even with ordinary, day-today tasks such as cooking.

There were a number of interesting finds when comparing professional actors to student actors, the DU professors said. For example, professional actors are more volatile in their personality and they have more originality in their creative thinking than student actors. Additionally, professional actors spend much more time doing related literary activities such as reading and writing scripts, even though both groups were comparably doing roughly the same amount of acting.

Something to note about the acting profession, Dumas said, is that most student actors don’t become professional actors and/or leave the profession shortly after graduating. This makes the study particularly worthwhile, he added, especially concerning education of the performing arts, and for individuals considering pursuing a career in acting. The study can possibly help determine “who has what it takes to keep going” in a high-risk profession in which the prospect of achieving professional success is less secure than many other career fields, and additionally poses economic uncertainty and large temporal gaps in employment throughout the career, Dumas said.

Both Doherty and his wife, Alex Keiper, are professional actors. Doherty has been involved in theater since he was 9. He decided to pursue acting as a career, rather than his original thought of becoming a teacher, when he was choosing colleges. He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, but started working at local-and-regional theater companies before he graduated. He eventually joined the Actors Equity union, which, Doherty guesstimated, has about 51,000 members nationwide.

Doherty has an interest in film-and-television acting, and has been in a couple of independent films, but especially enjoys theater because “you get to share so much more on stage and you get back so much more” from a live audience, he said.

However, theater is pivotal right now during COVID, with only some of the professional actors being able to stay working with virtual shows.

“As an actor in an industry that’s on pause right now,” Doherty said, the study is “moving and life-affirming.”

“The things that make actors, actors, isn’t whether you’re working right now,” Doherty said. “It’s more about the qualities that come from within us. (Acting) is just a part of us.”

Washington Park Profile 5

December 2020

From

pro bono to

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

D

business owner

After being laid off in June because of struggles attributed to the pandemic, public relations director Jessica Nelson got involved with the Taproot Foundation to do pro bono work for the Harlem Film House in New York. Near the end of October, Nelson, of Denver, launched her own firm called Persist Publicity.

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Denver local opens own firm after providing communications services for free enver’s Jessica Nelson loves to tell stories.

She has been employed in the public relations/communications field for about a decade. But in June, she was laid off from her position in the entertainment and film industry because of hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As she searched for a job, Nelson came across the Taproot Foundation, which is a national nonprofit that connects organizations with volunteers who provide their professional services pro bono.

“I wanted to give back and make an impact,” Nelson said. “There is always something to learn and something you can teach others.”

Through Taproot, Nelson provided free public relations work for a New York nonprofit called Harlem Film House, which provides “services and resources to filmmakers and content creators in underserved communities interested in building careers in film, theatre and related pursuits,” states a news release. Its services and resources include workshops, theatre productions, live events and film and music festivals.

When Nelson got involved, the film house needed a public relations professional to help promote its fifth annual Hip Hop Film Festival, which took place Aug. 6-9 for the main event and into September for the festival’s virtual watch parties and awards ceremony. Proceeds from the festival benefit the participating filmmakers and the film house’s mission, and Harlem Film House particularly needed help promoting the event this year because it took place virtually.

“I was able to assist them with press materials, messaging and pitching, as well as securing coverage with outlets like IndieWire, Forbes, Evening Standard, Bloomberg and more,” Nel-

son said. “I am so proud of the passion, dedication and hard work that Harlem Film House puts into everything they do. I’m so thankful to be a part of their team and hope I can continue doing pro bono with them for a long time.”

While working with Harlem Film House, Nelson continued to search for a fulltime job.

With no luck, however, she eventually decided to open her own firm and launched Persist Publicity near the end of October.

“I didn’t know if I’d fail or succeed,” Nelson said. “But I feel lucky that it is going well so far.”

Persist Publicity focuses on Colorado businesses and Nelson has been working with businesses in the wellness and health-care industries, technology and community events -although Nelson feels there are no limitations to what types of industries she can work with.

“Businesses are realizing there’s a need for communications,” Nelson said. “Especially in crisis situations.”

Nelson enjoys helping businesses tell the stories of not only their mission, but also of the people the business impacts.

Despite the challenges of starting her own business -- such as learning new skills not related to public relations work like building a website -- Nelson enjoys working independently, she said.

Nelson, 32, has been living in Denver for nearly seven years and currently resides in the Washington Virginia Vale neighborhood. She and her husband Kenny have been married for five years, and they have a two-year-old son named Elias and a rescue dog named Oliver.

The family enjoys hiking, cooking and trying new restaurants in Denver’s dining scene.

It is hard to think about what the future may hold, especially in these unprecedented times, Nelson said.

“Life has gone in unexpected directions,” Nelson said of her layoff, doing pro bono work and opening her firm. “But it is exciting.”

6 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

LO CAL BO O KS

Readers can learn secrets about Lakeside amusement park in “Secret Denver.”

COURTESY PHOTOS

Miles of secrets for the Mile High City Peterson, Lewis take readers on fascinating journey into Denver and surrounding areas

By Clarke Reader Special to Colorado Community Media

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ost people are familiar with Rocky Flats in northwest Jefferson County, and the role it played in creating nuclear weapons parts. But if one lives on the east side of Denver, it’s entirely possible there might be a former federal missile launch facility nearby that you don’t even know about.

There are 11 of these facilities on the plains east of Denver: six Titan I and five Atlas E sites. Both varieties were equipped to fire intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with atomic payloads halfway around the planet beginning in the early 1960s. After the facilities were decommissioned, the government sold them to a variety of public and private owners. One has been converted into a park, others are being used for commercial purposes, and some are being converted into private residences.

That’s just one thing readers can learn from Denver resident Eric Peterson and Arapahoe County resident David Lewis’ new book, “Secret Denver: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure,” published

by Reedy Press. The book is part guidebook, party history, part Ripley’s Believe It or Not! “Some things are interesting conversation starters, others are things to think about, and still others are old stories that have been bulldozed over,” Peterson said.

“But then there’s places like the capitol that you can see but may not know everything about. We tried to keep it about 50-50 things people can see and things that can’t

The book cover for “Secret Denver” by Eric Peterson and David Lewis.

Ice cores in the National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility located in Lakewood’s Federal Center. Readers can learn more about the facility in “Secret Denver.”

be accessed.”

The pair have worked for various outlets in the metro area writing on a wide variety of topics, so when they got together in May of 2019 to begin working on the book, they had a few questions to settle, the most pressing of which was, what exactly constitutes a secret? They used their accumulated knowledge and a variety of library, in-person and online research methods to delve into the question.

“Secrets are to be found all around the Denver area, especially since it has to be one of the supernatural centers of the known world. Ghosts are everywhere around here,” Lewis explained. “There are amazing places

that nobody knows, but they should.”

One such place is Lamb Spring Archaeological Preserve in Highlands Ranch, which just looks like any undeveloped patch of prairie. But the 35-acre preserve is actually a place where scientists discovered evidence that Paleo-humans lived and hunted in North America more than 8,000 years ago.

According to Peterson and Lewis’ research, it was a favorite drinking spot for animals like ground sloths, camels and Columbian mammoths. Which naturally drew human hunters to the spot.

“One thing we wanted to make sure we had was good images to go with the 85 vignettes in the book,” Peterson said. “The

images help tell the story of off-the-radar places for the general Denverite, even places that are well-known like Red Rocks and capitol that have their secrets.”

While both authors hope the book is illuminating and fascinating to readers, they also have the aim of getting people to explore the city and surrounding areas and appreciate all there is to discover.

“We wanted to put an emphasis on finding places that you can visit and places where people can relate to,” Lewis said.

“There’s all kinds of history and quirky stuff around here, and I hope people go on tours and visit these places to see some of the history.”

Washington Park Profile 7

December 2020

LO CAL BO O KS

The names behind the peaks New book tells history, stories of Colorado’s fourteeners

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

When fifth-generation Coloradan Jeri Norgren learned that the Denver Fortnightly Club was responsible for helping get Mount Evans’ name changed from Mount Rosalie, she started researching more of the history behind the names of Colorado’s iconic mountains.

“I was doing it for fun,” Norgren said.

But then she found that much of the full history of the peaks’ names has never been documented. “And I decided there needs to be a book.”

She continued her research, and eventually contacted Colorado photographer and outdoors enthusiast John Fielder to inquire about getting involved with the book.

The result of the collaborative effort is called “Colorado’s Highest: The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks.”

The book, which came out in September, contains Norgren’s essays on how the names were chosen for the 58 highest mountains in Colorado; Fielder’s photographs of the fourteeners, including many that have never before been published; color transparencies of Jefferson County’s Robert L. Wogrin’s oil paintings; and historical sketches made in the 1870s by the artists of the Hayden Survey.

“People who enjoy Colorado history will love this book,” Fielder said.

Fielder

Norgren In addition to the stories about who first climbed the fourteeners, there is information about the early days of mining, Colorado’s Native Americans and much more, states a news release.

“The more I researched, the more questions I had that I wanted to find the answers to,” Norgren said. She added the content in

the book is not a re-telling of the snippets of the history that you learn in school. “You learn about what life was like climbing these peaks in Colorado more than 150 years ago.”

Fielder enjoyed looking back at the photos he has taken of Colorado’s outdoors — some of which were taken about 30 years ago — because it brought back the sensuous experi-

ences of nature he felt at the time of being there and photographing the landscapes, he said.

“The best part of my life is being able to share the most remote and sublime mountain places with people far and wide,” Fielder said. “I love sharing how beautiful Colorado is.”

‘The prettiest city in the West’ ‘Discovering Denver’s Parks’ serves as a guide to the city’s great parks

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

According to Denver-based author Chris Englert, one of the greatest things about Denver’s park system is that it all started with a vision to make Denver the “prettiest city in the West.”

Before Denver had such great parks, Englert said, most of the townsfolks’ socializing took place in bars or saloons. Even children were permitted at such gatherings, she added.

But Robert Walter Speer, who served as Denver’s mayor from 1904-1912, through his travels to Europe and U.S. cities such as Chicago, saw how beautiful cities could be when they had parks. He started to ask people to donate land, and eventually, Denver’s parks system was developed, Englert said.

“Most people know of their neighborhood park,” the destination parks such as Washington Park and Cheesman Park and the mountain parks like Red Rocks, Englert said.

But her hope is that through her latest book, “Discovering Denver Parks: A Local’s Guide,” which came out in April, people will “branch out and discover other nearby parks,” Englert said.

Englert moved to Denver in 2013 and wanted to learn more about the city by walking all of Denver’s 78 neighborhoods. She put a post on a meet-up website and nine women decided to join her on the venture. When looking into places to meet, Englert discovered that the majority of Denver’s neighbor-

Englert

hoods have a beloved neighborhood park.

So, going alphabetically, from Athmar Park to Windsor, Englert eventually made her way around the entire city.

“Discovering Denver Parks” consists of detailed descriptions of 165 of Denver’s urbanand-mountain parks, organized regionally.

Some of the history of each park is included in the descriptions, as well as information on which parks are dog-friendly, what amenities each park has, how to get there by public transportation or driving, where to park and much more.

Denver has more than 300 parks in its system, Englert said. She narrowed the selection down to 165 by focusing on regional parks, parks that are connected by trails and the parks that have particularly interesting stories, Englert said.

Englert still visits Denver’s parks on a daily basis, she said. A person can learn so much about Denver and its history by visiting the parks, Englert added.

“You get an experiential perspective that you can only get by visiting a park,” Englert said.

“Parks let you discover Denver in an organic way that you can only do by getting out of your car and into a park.”

8 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

‘NOT FOR THE LIGHTHEARTED’

Intrepid entrepreneurs open up shop during the pandemic

By Elliott Wenzler ewenzler@coloradocommunitymedia.com

B

efore the pandemic hit, Kim Mangle’s nonprofit consultancy business was booming. Then, COVID-19 arrived and her income dried up almost overnight.

“I had this 48-hour period where I went from super busy to having no clients whatsoever,” said Mangle, a Golden resident. “I started to panic.”

When a friend working as a nurse asked her if she could help out by sewing some masks, Mangle used her newfound free time to start making the sought-after product.

Before long, Mangle realized she enjoyed the work and began getting compliments on the masks, which she also made for friends and family. In August, she decided to launch her own business: 5280Masks, LLC. With the help of her grandmother’s vintage sewing machine, Mangle has now made and sold more than 800 masks.

“It’s been a lot of work, but for me it’s been a really positive outlet,” Mangle said.

Across the metro area, businesses have shuttered left and right since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. But not all doors are closing. Some businesses, like Mangles, have actually been sprouting up during this financially tumultuous time.

Bob Platz and his wife, Julie Lizak, have taken over Old South Frame in Platt Park and renamed it RPO Framing. The couple had their eye on the store for about 25 years before they were able to move in this year.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOB PLATZ

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Grocery opens doors While Mangle is capitalizing on demand of a new product, other businesses opening up are seeking customers looking for more traditional goods.

The Gold Line Grab and Go, for example, is a new convenience and grocery store that opened in Olde Town Arvada.

When the owners of the shop bought their storefront in February, not a single confirmed case of COVID-19 had entered the state yet.

A month later, owners had to make an impossible choice: to open their doors in the middle of a pandemic or give up on their vision of bringing this type of store to Olde Town, said Josh Schwartz, co-owner and manager.

“We had to have a big decision to see if we even wanted to open it,” Schwartz said. “Then we recognized that there was a need for basic essentials that you couldn’t get from stores at that time.”

The store is also owned by Sheena and Drew Gordon, who also own and operate the two Bluegrass Lounge locations in Arvada.

Because of the Bluegrass Lounge, the owners were able to secure products like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, rice and other high-demand items through distribution chains separate from other grocery and convenience stores.

Still, the pandemic has dragged on and business has been hard to come by.

“Things have been tough, to be honest,” Schwartz said. “The amount of people working in the area has diminished quite significantly.”

Eatery sees up and downs Alfred Wilson, manager at the new Cuca’s Eatery in Highlands Ranch, has felt hardcore ups and downs while opening a business during this time, he said. The American restaurant, with a bit of Latin influence, serves breakfast and dinner.

“If you’re not a seasoned person … I could see how it would really bring you down and make you want to close your shop up,” he said.

“This unique scenario is not made for the lighthearted.”

Wilson said while it’s difficult to see negative numbers coming in, he and the owners of the store have had a bullish attitude about their venture since they first decided to take the plunge. Originally, they were set to begin serving customers a month before the pandemic began, but the opening got pushed back and then the pandemic set them even further back. They finally opened in late September.

“It would have been dumb not to open,” Wilson said. “We’d be giving up and all three of us aren’t the kind to give up, so we took it as a challenge, and our mentality was if we can survive through this, we can survive through anything.”

Pair stayed positive RPO Framing in Denver is another example of a business that opened in the midst of the pandemic. Owners Bob Platz and his wife Julie Lizak had their eye on the Platt Park location for about 25 years before they were able to move in.

The couple started talking to the previous owner — who also had a frame shop and gallery — about a year ago about buying the shop. The deal was moving forward until the pandemic hit.

“And then the city shut down and we had to put it on the backburner for a couple months,” Platz said.

By Sept. 1, the couple had finalized the deal and opened their store, focusing on handmade, custom framing made from scratch.

The store also serves as a gallery space for Platz’ paintings and Lizak’s photographs.

“It’s been amazing,” Platz said.

Both Platz and Lizak were somewhat hesitant about getting started on this project in the middle of a pandemic, he said.

“When the opportunity presented itself, we just stayed positive and kept moving forward believing that this is our time to make this happen and opportunities like this don’t come along very often,” he said. “We were hesitant … but this may not happen again, this opportunity. So we had to take it. And we’re really excited that we did.”

Platz, who is thrilled to be working in a field where he can be creative all day, feels optimistic about the future of his business, he said.

“I know these are tough times,” he said.

“Take the chances when they’re given to you.

We feel really positive and excited about the future and are excited to be here finally”

Inside RPO Framing, a new frame shop and gallery that opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in Denver.

Washington Park Profile 9

December 2020

The importance of winter tree maintenance

A

s winter approaches, many Denverites are preparing for the cold months ahead by blowing out their sprinkler systems and composting their leaves. But many mistakenly think their GUEST trees are self-sufficient COLUMN and that the snow, when it comes, will provide enough moisture to sustain them until spring. That’s unfortunately not the case. Trees need water year-round, especially in our arid climate.

Here are a few signs Michael Swanson that your trees may be in distress and tips for how to winterize your trees to help them stay healthy year-round.

Signs of a tree in distress • Trees that exhibit premature autumn color or shed leaves prematurely • Advantageous shoot growth along the branches and/or trunk of the tree or near the base of tree • Deadwood throughout the crown of the tree Tips to care for your trees in winter months • Use 20 gallons of water per week for every inch of diameter of tree (for instance, a twoinch diameter tree needs 40 gallons of water in a one-week period). A new tree will need focused watering atop the root ball and then throughout the rest of the planting area.

• Apply mulch around the tree, leaving a six-inch gap between the tree trunk and the start of the mulch. Mulch should extend by a three-to-four-foot radius from the trunk of the tree or to dripline (whichever comes first).

• Portions of southern or southwesternfacing trees are subject to sun scald. Sun scald is the damage that occurs to living cells just underneath the bark of a tree due to the day-and-night fluctuations during Colorado’s winter months. Signs of damage include discolored and/or cracked bark or sunken areas within the bark. This is a serious byproduct of our warm winter days. To avoid this, you can wrap your tree’s trunk using materials such as cloth or tree wrap available at a hardware

store. Butcher paper is a great tool as it is waterproof and removes/absorbs some of the energy that the sun produces.

• Keep an eye out for signs of emerald ash borer (EAB), which has destroyed millions of ash trees in the Midwest and will inevitably arrive in Denver sometime in the near future.

There are an estimated 1.45 million ash trees in the Denver-metro area, including 330,000 in the city and county of Denver. That means that one in six Denver trees are ash trees, and they can be found everywhere in the Mile High City — with the majority on residential properties.

• Become familiar with the Be A Smart Ash campaign by visiting https://beasmartash.org.

It aims to actively educate and enlist the help of you, our Denver residents, in the process of identifying, treating and replacing ash trees. The website includes an interactive tree inventory map, information about ash tree treatment options and resources to find a tree care professional.

Recommended tree care supplies • A water device, such as a soft spray wand, for winter watering. This can also be used year-round.

• Soil moisture meter which tells you when the soil is dry and needs water.

• A hose — make sure it’s the right length to reach your trees if they are a long distance from your spigot.

• Tree wrap.

• Pruning shears to remove dead wood.

• Gloves.

• Compost comprised of organic food scraps and yard waste. Use it on your trees, grass or flower beds when you are refreshing your mulch. (When using compost with your trees, do not apply more than a quarter inch per year within the dripline of the tree, and make sure the compost does not come into contact with the trunk of the tree or roots.)

Learn more about winter tree care by watching the third episode of Water, Trees, Life: https://youtu.be/Ff3wqWv6R_I William Carlos Williams once eloquently wrote: “…having prepared their buds against a sure winter, the wise trees stand sleeping in the cold.” Let’s help our trees prepare for winter slumber so we can enjoy their healthy urban canopy next year and for years to come.

— Michael Swanson is a city forester with Denver Parks and Recreation

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10 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

LOCAL

VOICES

Still plenty to do in Denver for the holidays FROM THE EDITOR

Christy Steadman

I

H

oliday gatherings will likely be quite different this year.

But looking into a few things, I found there are many events still happening, either virtually or in a space designed to allow for social distancing.

Here are a few I found particularly interesting.

Santa It’s likely there won’t be any events where you can take children to sit on Santa’s lap this year.

Luckily, award-winning Denver photographer Ron Cooper spent more than a year traveling the U.S. seeking out all the Santas and photographing them.

His book, which was published Sept. 29, called “We Are Santa: Portraits and Profiles,” is a compilation of his photos and the Santas’ unique stories.

And the best part? Proceeds from book sales benefit Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Visit www.ron-cooper.com/We-Are-Santa to learn more.

Gallery MFC, 424 Broadway, has an exhibit of the photos that will be available through Dec. 31. Before going, however, give the gallery a call at 303-4462265 to verify open hours.

The Nutcracker When I was little, it was my family’s tradition to listen to the soundtrack of The Nutcracker every year while decorating our tree.

This year, families can experience not only the music, but also the performance from home.

Thanks to a partnership between Rocky Mountain PBS and the Colorado Ballet, The Nutcracker will be broadcast on television for free.

Presented by PNC Bank, it will be aired on TV on the following dates in December: 9 p.m Dec. 18, 1 a.m. Dec. 19, 7 p.m. Dec. 24, and midnight on Dec. 25 (the wee hours of Christmas morning).

For information about how to access the Rocky Mountain PBS channel in a specific area, visit http:// www.rmpbs.org/channels/. The production also may be streamed at no cost, any time throughout the holiday season, on the Rocky Mountain PBS app, downloadable at https://www.rmpbs.org/pbs-video-app/.

Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum Another virtual experience theater production to check out is Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum.

Tickets cost $25-$75 per household. A link will be

What do Safe Outdoor Spaces mean for District 10?

strongly believe that everyone living in our district deserves to be treated humanely and feel safe. As your elected representative, I hope we share these values of shared humanity.

The paradox of homelessness in District 10 I’ve quickly learned that many District 10 residents who want to see an end to homelessness also don’t want to see their GUEST neighborhood become more dense COLUMN or change in zoning. Unfortunately, that’s just not possible.

Density, zoning and housing are all inextricably linked to homelessness. Something has to give.

Safe Outdoor Space (SOS) sites are a temporary solution to a long-term problem that has been compounded by a global pandemic. They are a critical tool that we have to learn how to use effectively Councilmember in these unprecedented times. SOS Chris Hinds sites are not without opposition, and this update addresses the valid concerns that District 10 residents have brought to my attention.

Proposed SOS sites in Uptown and Capitol Hill Two churches have proposed SOS sites on their properties. One proposed site is at First Baptist Church at 14th and Grant. The other is at Denver Community Church at 16th and Pearl. Both churches expect the sites to be up and running by early December.

I also want to set the record straight about an SOS site at 16th and Ogden. Unfortunately, many of you have received flyers with inaccurate information. To my knowledge, no SOS site is proposed at 16th and Ogden.

First Baptist Church will host up to 30 women. This includes women, people who identify as women, couples and their pets. Denver Community Church will host approximately 40 men, women, couples and pets.

The Harm Reduction Action Center will also be doing

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

weekly clean-ups and will provide safe needle disposal.

There is a proposed Good Neighbor Agreement on their website, and they are soliciting comments on the proposal. The GNA may provide additional commitments from the site organizers, and I would encourage you to review and comment on the proposed GNA if you have more suggestions.

Colorado Interfaith Alliance launched a website with more information. I hope you’ll get involved with this work at sos.konveio.com.

sent to all ticket holders and it will be viewable from Dec. 5 to Jan. 2. And you can watch it as many times as you like during that timeframe.

Learn more at https://cleoparkerdance.org/performance.

Lights and more lights The Mile High Tree, a 110-foot-tall immersive art installation, will be lit up until Jan. 2. It is located on the 16th Street Mall at Welton Street in downtown Denver.

A free festive light and music show will take place from 5-9:30 p.m. on most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and from 5-8 p.m. on some Sundays. The program lasts about five minutes and will run approximately every 15 minutes.

While you’re in downtown Denver, make sure and check out city’s Grand Illumination. On Nov. 20, various buildings — Denver Union Station, the City and County Building, the 16th Street Mall, Skyline Park, the D&F Clock Tower, 14th Street, Larimer Square, and more — were lit up for strollers and shoppers in the downtown area.

SEE EDITOR, P11

Welcoming new members to our media family

I

What has the Colorado Interfaith Alliance proposed?

Colorado Interfaith Alliance has proposed an SOS plan that envisions sites quite different from the encampments we’ve all seen. The plan describes spaces that are staffed 24-7, addresses safety and hygiene concerns, and have fenced-in boundaries to respect housed neighbors. The SOS sites aim to better serve both housed and unhoused people. Proposed rules for behavior for the Denver Community Church site are at sos.konveio.com.

Why are the proposed sites only in Capitol Hill and Uptown?

For now, these are the only two private property owners who have offered space.

The city’s request for proposals process could result in sites in other parts of Denver, and I will certainly encourage locations outside District 10 to consider following our lead. Our housing crisis extends well beyond District 10. While I am proud that we are being a leader in creative housing solutions, we expect other areas in the city to share in the responsibility to address our housing crisis.

But, someone has to be the leader. Someone must demonstrate the success - or failure - of SOS in Denver.

I believe these organizations will recognize that they are the role models. And if they aren’t a good role model, these sites should be removed.

SEE HINDS, P11

n February 2012, my wife Ann and I acquired nine community newspapers from a Texas-based company, all in South Metro Denver and in two communities near Colorado Springs.

At that time, I had been recently brought in to manage several distressed community FROM THE newspapers in Jefferson and Adams counPUBLISHER ties. I immediately merged all these newspapers into a new company that we named Colorado Community Media. Over the past eight years we purchased the distressed newspapers and stabilized them. We sold the Colorado Springs newspapers, bought some Denver newspapers, modernized and won many media awards along the way.

This fall, I was contacted by a newspaper broker about possibly acquiring the remaining newspapers in Jefferson and Adams Jerry Healey counties that we did not already own.

Those are the Canyon Courier that serves Evergreen and Conifer, and in Adams County, the Brighton Standard-Blade and Commerce City Sentinel. Also available were the Clear Creek Courant, serving Idaho Springs, Empire and Georgetown, and the Fort Lupton Press, serving Fort Lupton and lower Weld County. In addition, two shoppers would be part of the package.

I am pleased to share that we recently became the owners of these publications. This brings Colorado Community Media to 22 weekly newspapers, two monthly newspapers and two shoppers, including the publication or website you are now reading.

It also brings into the group some dedicated and talented people who will surely contribute to the company as a whole. In addition, through this acquisition, we added six full-time journalists and several freelancers.

Colorado Community Media was already the largest locally SEE PUBLISHER, P11

JERRY HEALEY President

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

jhealey@coloradocommunitymedia.com

eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CHRISTY STEADMAN Editor

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Email letters to csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager

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

lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Profile.

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

Washington Park Profile 11

December 2020

Diverse groups suggest new ways to help unhoused, weigh neighborhood concerns

R

egistered neighborhood organizations (RNO), business improvement districts (BID), and creative districts have received inquiries regarding the seeming surge of homeless encampments in Denver. To our disappointment and concern, some of the inquiries have turned into hostilities.

Where collaboration is paramount, we see shoulder-shrugging. Collectively, we are committed to offering our energy and support at this critical time.

We have initiated conversations with neighbors and community stakeholders to shape a path forward vis-à-vis encampments. In doing so, we have identified a number of immediate next steps where the city can support the unhoused with safe, immediate options; engage collaborative partners immediately on new ideas and implementation; and lay the groundwork for long-term, sustainable solutions.

RNOs, BIDs and creative districts have

Hinds FROM PAGE 10

Aren’t there indoor shelters for people to go to?

Yes. The city has invested more than $49 million in shelter services and supplies since the beginning of the pandemic. But, shelter space is limited and doesn’t serve everyone.

People who want to stay with their loved ones, two-or-four-legged, have limited options since shelters don’t serve couples or people with pets. Transgender people are at increased risk of violence in shelters. Most shelters aren’t wheelchair accessible, as I’ve experienced first-hand.

These limitations mean unhoused people resort to living outside. The proposed SOS sites have solutions for each of these limitations.

Between the camping ban and zoning codes, is this legal?

I’m not an attorney. I’ve reached out to multiple groups within the city for further clarification, and I will update you as I learn more. But my basic understanding is that the ban restricts camping in public right-of-ways, thus, the proposed SOS sites do not violate

Publisher FROM PAGE 10

family owned media company in the state.

Through this acquisition, we are now larger and stronger. We believe in providing thorough, objective, informative — and enjoyable — community news: Covering good people doing good things. And, when needed, being truth seekers even when it might be a difficult story for the community to endure. The readers of the newly acquired newspapers were already getting this. But, now, we hope to do even more for them by providing them with more modern systems, websites and access to our existing journalists serving nearby communities.

For local businesses, this is good news.

With one representative and one bill, businesses can now reach premium readers in these communities with an overall reach now of up to 22 communities throughout the metro area, foothills and lower Weld

an obligation to be thought partners with the city. It is important for us to span the divide between the homeless and housed, to connect neighbors with elected officials and to examine this mission in a comprehensive way.

We offer city leaders the following framework for consideration:

GUEST COLUMN

Initiate a “Bring Us Your Best Ideas” strategy.

Selecting state-owned and city-owned sites for large tent encampments may be at an impasse. Our research has revealed an insufficient level of engagement between the city with direct service providers, communities of faith and other nonprofit human-service organizations. We are aware of a number of organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit, who have the facilities, SEE UNHOUSED, P13

the camping ban because they are all on private property.

Existing on private property also limits the city’s influence and doesn’t require a city council vote. Per the city’s zoning administrator, there won’t be a formal requirement for informational notice or a community information meeting for this temporary, COVID-related use — just the requirement for a zoning permit. You can find more information at denvergov.org/zoning.

Editor FROM PAGE 10

The 9NEWS Parade of Lights will take place as a multi-week event beginning on Nov. 27. All the floats will be displayed throughout downtown, and the free 9News Parade of Lights app, which is available for mobile devices, provides a map of all their locations.

Shopping In addition to the Cherry Creek Holiday Market, which is featured elsewhere in this paper, there is the Denver Christkindl Market, which opened on Nov. 20 and will continue through Dec. 23. This year, it takes place along the center promenade of Civic Center Park, 101 W. 14th Ave. in Denver.

This is the 20th annual year for the Denver Christkindl Market. It is put on by the German American Chamber of CommerceColorado Chapter.

The market is an outdoor, cultural experience that “offers guests an opportunity to stroll through a European village festively decorated for the holiday season - no passport required,” states a news release.

The Denver Christkindl Market is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday through Wednesday. Beginning Dec. 16, the market will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week until Dec. 23.

Hanukkah The Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center Denver, JEWISHColorado and Judaism Your Way are co-hosting a virtual family Hanukkah celebration called Latkes & Light.

The event takes place from 10-11:30 a.m. on Dec. 13.

During the event, the community will bless their Hanukkah Menorahs together, sing and dance, and do Hanukkah-themed activities.

Latkes & Light features educators from Jewish Explorers, Judaism Your Way, Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center and PJ Library. Keynote discussion will be on the importance of tzedakah, a Jewish value focused on the importance of charitable giving. ”How the Grinch Stole Christmas” OK, so this isn’t a local event. But it is a tradition in my family to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” every Christmas Eve. It began when I was little — at least a couple of decades before Jim Carrey played the Grinch in the 2000 film, so we’ll just say it’s been about 40 years now. And now the tradition has been carried down to my two nieces, who both have well passed their 15th year of this tradition. It’s funny — there are now three generations in my family who know every word, every scene of the original Dr. Seuss cartoon version, which, I think Google said it came out in 1966.

I’m not sure of our plans yet this year. But one thing I know for sure, we’ll still eat fudge and drink egg nog, and watch The Grinch.

Even if we do it in our separate living rooms.

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Are SOS locations a long-term solution?

Absolutely not. First Baptist Church expects its site to exist for about six months.

Regardless, the rules allowing SOS sites will expire once the city’s emergency declaration order for the pandemic is over.

More questions?

Based on the number of questions my office gets about the issue, homelessness is by far the most important topic in District 10. To better address constituent concerns, my office will be publishing a comprehensive homelessness update each month. You can sign up for it at denverperfect10.com/signup.

If you have more questions about homelessness in District 10, I encourage you to reach out to my office at district10@denvergov.org.

County. Our reach is now about twice that of any other newspaper group in the state.

We believe in community news. Both in print and online. Research shows that having a community newspaper increases civic engagement and the number of political candidates, keeps government expenditures in check and helps boost the local economy.

But more important to me is keeping the communities connected and telling good stories about good people. It’s why I do what I do and why I am willing to invest in community newspapers. Purchasing these new publications makes all our newspapers stronger.

Thank you for being a reader of one of our newspapers or websites. We succeed because of loyal readers like you. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with comments, questions or news tips.

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

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12 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

Bringing people together through the arts Neustadt Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music Festival offers opportunities to engage and learn

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

A

ccording to Denverite Kathy Neustadt, the 13th annual Neustadt Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music Festival features a varietal menu with a little something for everyone.

“I love the fact that we’re programming such a variety,” said Neustadt, who is the title sponsor of the event. “That’s what makes it JAAMM.” JAAMM is a program of the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center, which is located inside the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., in Denver.

This year, JAAMM is presented as a multi-month virtual festival. Live-streamed events began in October, and new events will continue to be offered through midJune.

Programming this year focuses on social justice, said Amy Weiner Weiss, director of festivals at the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center, and amplifies “diversity, equity and inclusion.”

“Many of our events will touch on topical issues to help facilitate important dialogues that we, as a community, should be having,” Weiner Weiss said.

Additionally, the programming is so diverse that people of all backgrounds will enjoy it, she said.

Celebrity chef, cookbook author and restaurateur Einat Admony will lead a springtime cook-along featuring a three-course meal of Israeli home cooking. The live-streamed event takes place on April 9, and is part of the 13th annual Neustadt Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music (JAAMM) Festival.

COURTESY PHOTOS For example, events range from a political roundtable to an Israeli home cooking class to a Canadian sketch comedy show; film documentaries; and many author discussions whose books range in topic from Holocaust remembrance to transgender acceptance.

Interactive lecture on March 24 with Michael Twitty, an AfricanAmerican Jewish writer, culinary historian, educator and recipient of the James Beard Award, is a headliner event for the 13th annual Neustadt Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music (JAAMM) Festival.

“The festival provides people with an engaging means to engage with the Jewish culture,” Weiner Weiss said. “The arts are something that can bring us all together.”

2020 has been a tumultuous year — the Black Lives Matter movement, a country divided politically, the COVID-19 pan-

demic, Neustadt said.

“It’s valuable to be able to look at all this through the arts,” Neustadt said. Topics presented in the JAAMM festival “are all very timely and help people access information in an entertaining way. That’s what JAAMM does.”

IF YOU GO The 13th annual Neustadt Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies and Music (JAAMM) Festival started in October and will continue through June 2021.

This year’s festival is presented entirely in a virtual format. All events are available for live-streaming at 7 p.m. on the date listed with the event, unless otherwise noted. All events will also be available on-demand.

Headliner events cost $18 per household and all other events cost $12 per household.

Event descriptions are available on JCC Denver’s JAAMM event page. The website also has information on the past events, including the 18th annual Fred Marcus Memorial Holocaust Lecture, which can be accessed on-demand.

To learn more about the events or to register for any of them, visit www.jccdenver.org/ arts-culture/festivals/jaamm-festival.

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Upcoming events: •

Dec. 3: Showing of the documentary, “TRANSKIDS.”

•

Dec. 17: Conversation with Boulderbased fiction author R.L. Maizes about her debut novel, “Other People’s Pets.”

•

•

Jan. 9: Yid Life Crisis, a Canadian sketch comedy duo, will present a live show called Virtually Jewish. JAAMM headliner event.

Jan. 21, noon: Lecture by Londonbased author Ariana Neumann on her book, “When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father’s War and What Remains.”

This event commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

•

February: the annual Denver Jewish Film Festival takes place Feb. 8-17.

More information can be found on the JCC’s website.

•

March 15: Showing of a 2017 film by Daniel Najenson called “The Impure.”

•

•

•

will lead a springtime cook-along featuring a three-course meal of Israeli home cooking.

•

March 18: Award-winning author Talia Carner will discuss her latest novel, “The Third Daughter.”

April 18: Sue Eisenfeld will discuss her recently-published travelogue, “Wandering Dixie: Dispatches from the Lost Jewish South.”

•

March 24: Interactive lecture in advance of Passover with Michael Twitty, an African-American Jewish writer, culinary historian, educator and recipient of the James Beard Award. JAAMM headliner event.

May 20: Author Amy Fish will discuss her humorous self-help book, “I Wanted Fries With That: How to Ask For What You Want and Get What You Need.”

•

June 17: Author and activist Jo Ivester will discuss her book, “Once a Girl, Always a Boy: A Family Memoir of a Transgender Journey.”

April 9: Celebrity chef, cookbook author and restaurateur Einat Admony

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Washington Park Profile 13

December 2020

T SHOP PI N G GA LO R E

he Cherry Creek Holiday Market, an outdoor shopping experience part of Cherry Creek North’s Winter Wanderland festivities, opened on Nov. 19 and will run through Dec. 23. Location is on Fillmore Street between First and Second avenues. The market is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Entry is free, but reservations are encouraged as market capacity is limited. For more information, visit www.CherryCreekHolidayMarket.com.

Sandra and Edoardo Huaman stand with a display of their artisan items for sale at the Cherry Creek Holiday Market.

Locally based in Aurora, all the items are handmade by the Huamans’ family and community members of Huancayo, Peru. Shop online at wuaman.com.

Unhoused FROM PAGE 11

capacity, know-how and active interest in supporting the city’s efforts to address homelessness and mitigate the concerns brought on by encampments.

Action Item: Continue to gather, review and determine where immediate options are available to support the unhoused and reduce the number of encampments.

Reconsider a one-size-fits-all approach.

If homeless advocates and direct service providers are willing and able to provide temporary accommodations to those who are homeless, let us be solutions-oriented and open to new opportunities and innovative approaches. Our research has determined multiple barriers in the city’s current process. For example, we are aware of a former monastery/clergy house that has been suggested as a potential shelter but was turned down due to zoning restrictions. A church near the state capitol was approached by the city to house homeless individuals inside — the facility itself could not accommodate, but why not use the parking lot? Smaller sites located throughout the city, rather than the larger-scale sites being proposed, would be easier to establish and make clear that this is a Denver problem to solve, rather than one for only a few neighborhoods to address.

Action Item: If we can offer flexibility for outdoor dining or variances to support continued development, the city has a duty to adopt a similar, nimbler strategy — sitespecific, customized and one that engages the experts on the ground. Smaller sites with fewer occupants, while admittedly is less efficient, may likely be more palatable for neighborhoods to adopt in the near term.

Denver artist Isaac Liverpool paints “Happy Holidays” on the side of one of the vendor’s containers on Nov. 21 at the Cherry Creek Holiday Market. See Liverpool’s work at www.zuluzeekart.com. PHOTOS BY CHRISTY STEADMAN Carmen Richards of Denver paints one of the vendor’s containers at one of the entrances of the Cherry Creek Holiday Market on Nov. 21. Visit www. carmenrichards.com to see Richards’ work.

Provide comprehensive services at each site.

Those who offered their parking lots, vacant warehouses, etc. have encountered unnecessary bureaucratic challenges. This is unsatisfactory from our perspective. We have learned some homeless advocates have encountered roadblocks as they advocated for more wrap-around services at each proposed encampment site — National Western Complex, Denver Coliseum, Empower Field at Mile High, to name a few.

Action Item: Health care, mental health services, addiction recovery, sanitation support and other basic needs must be provided to each site. Perhaps a roaming support team would work better than offering services only at the proposed large sites.

Provide status reports for sites under consideration.

A progress or feasibility report for sites already suggested by city council, the mayor’s staff and others seems appropriate at this time. Not communicating this information is working against our shared objectives. In doing so, these actions have led to speculation and frustration and has complicated matters further. Our groups are often forced to say, “we don’t know,” or, “your council member may have more information” to those who inquire.

Action Item: Similar to zoning requests or a landmark designation, the city has a duty to report where matters stand.

Expand the list of potential temporary Safe Outdoor Spaces (SOS).

Homelessness is systemic in origin and requires community-wide solutions. A number of groups have suggested additional SOS sites, to little avail. We echo these concerns. We also feel that it is important for neighborhoods throughout Denver to share in our mission to address homelessness head on. Equally important, we must weigh neighbor concerns in this process and conduct appropriate, necessary outreach as

Ryan Anderson organizes packages of candies for sale at the Cherry Creek Holiday Market.

The Denverbased, familyowned company makes traditional Scottish confections. Visit House of Steward at www.the houseofstewart. com. sites are considered and evaluated. Temporary SOS sites are not the only option, but they are a valuable tool in our toolbox of opportunities.

Action Item: Provide assurances that the city has a long-term plan in place to continue support of those experiencing homelessness after temporary SOS program is discontinued, and to provide permanent housing for as many as possible.

Don’t displace. Instead, thoughtfully relocate.

Given the complexity of this issue, we cannot lose sight of our humanity’s struggles and empathy for others. Telling people experiencing homelessness to move along is demeaning to them and unhelpful to all, as they, and out of necessity, must find another place to rest. The justified concerns of neighbors to having tents in public rights-of-way must also be taken into account. And, as one homeless advocate noted, “it’s OK to give public places the opportunity to rest.” Moving encampments to other locations can and should be done and with compassion and care.

Action Item: Relocate existing encampments to sanctioned, accessible sites and ensure sites are geographically accessible by foot or mass transit. Incentivize relocation with comprehensive levels of services awaiting the unhoused upon arrival (e.g., job readiness, access to meals, educational needs and so forth). Deliver sanitation, security, and other basic needs, and provide health care, mental health support and access to vaccinations. In order to demonstrate efficacy, ensure measurable outcomes and evaluate successes on an ongoing basis.

Designate a clear point of contact.

We applaud efforts to build affordable housing, provide sheltering and develop new revenue streams. Unfortunately, time is not friendly in this regard. Policy outcomes seem to be languishing. How do we share concerns with the city, and what do we communicate

with our own constituencies? It remains unclear how, and to what extent, neighborhood groups should raise concerns with the city. Who is our point of contact? What is the follow-through?

Action Item: The city should take sweeping action, appointing a chief strategist who will bring clarity, focus and a sense of cohesiveness to this undertaking.

Neighborhood organizations and districts can effectively connect city leadership with neighbors’ concerns.

While 311 may be sufficient under normal circumstances, it is not an adequate tool to address homeless encampments. Perhaps a stepby-step outreach guide makes the most sense.

We do not want neighbors to target those most in need, but we have asked the city for guidance as to how we remedy certain situations.

Action Item: Engage our groups to support your efforts in rolling out such plans — we can be your primary connection with neighbors, small business owners, school officials, et al. The time has come to reform these processes.

These are certainly unprecedented, challenging times. The status quo has provided only aggravation to both our housed and unhoused neighbors. We recognize and applaud the commitment and service personified by our city’s public workforce — whether the Denver Health employee on the front lines of the global pandemic or the decision-maker developing policies in the mayor’s office. We can find solutions to our community’s most vexing issues.

We can only do it together, and this is more essential than ever before.

This column was submitted by, and developed in partnership with, the leadership of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Inc., Uptown on the Hill Registered Neighborhood Organization, Golden Triangle Creative District, City Park West Registered Neighborhood Association, Old San Rafael Neighborhood Organization, Santa Fe Drive Business Improvement District, and others.

14 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

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This has been the most interesting and demanding year in the history of the Washington Park Profile. I am sure many of you feel the same about your life and career.

As I write this column for our annual voluntary pay drive, we are completing seven months of covering the impact of COVID-19 on your lives. Throughout this time, we never missed an issue. In fact, we have never been late. This is too important a story, and our team has faced it head on and kept journalism alive in the Washington Park area.

Jerry Healey Publisher

However, it has not been easy. Many of our advertisers canceled or delayed their spending with us in 2020. Add in that 60% of all advertising buys in Colorado are spent with Facebook or Google and you might be wondering how the Washington Park Profile survives. It begins with our team of people here who are dedicated to bringing the Profile to you. It is because loyal readers like you choose to voluntary pay each year. Finally, it is because you support our advertisers.

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When you contribute to our voluntary pay program, you are supporting our journalists and the vital work they do to keep you informed about your community: news about your children’s and neighbors’ accomplishments and endeavors, how government decisions affect you — including local election information — fun things to do in your community and metro area. The Washington Park area has a great community newspaper because of your hometown journalists.

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Washington Park Profile 15

December 2020

Pets for vets T

By Christina Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

wenty-two veterans and active duty military from all over the metro area added a furry friend to their family between Nov. 9 and 13. During that week, the Dumb Friends League waived adoption fees for veterans and active military in honor of Veterans Day. The waived fees were sponsored by the Petco Foundation. Courtesy of Lockheed Martin, the Dumb Friends League offers a 50% adoption discount for veterans and active military year-round.

The Dumb Friends League has a mission to end pet homelessness and animal suffering. In addition to adoptions, it offers a variety of services to the community, including some veterinary care. To learn more, visit www. ddfl.org.

Salley H., an Air Force and Marines veteran who served for 15 years, gets to know her new dog, Janet, before adopting the pit bull during the Dumb Friends League’s waived fee special in honor of Veterans Day.

Michael H., who served in the Navy for six years, pets Kersey prior to adopting the cat during the Dumb Friends League’s waived fee special in honor of Veterans Day. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DUMB FRIENDS LEAGUE

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December 2020

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Washington Park Profile 17

December 2020

Denver Preschool Program launches scholarship The pilot program will cover 100% of tutition for 250 Denver preschoolers

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Zoe Fox wanted her 4-year-old son, Yair, to attend a preschool that provided an academic setting with education-based play, rather than a day care or play group where the activities were simply to keep the kids occupied.

“He is a very intelligent child, and I am not a teacher,” Fox said. “I wanted him to be in a setting where he could build on the skills that he innately had.”

But as a single mom who is a part-time college student and works part-time, Fox knew it would be a struggle to pay regular tuition for preschool, even with assistance from the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP).

Yair had attended a number of different day cares before Fox finally found BMH-BJ Preschool, 560 S. Monaco Parkway in Denver.

She knew it was the preschool for Yair for a variety of reasons — it is near her home, Fox is Jewish and BMH-BJ integrates Judaism and Jewish values into its educational program, and the preschool focuses on kindergarten readiness.

Still, she couldn’t afford the tuition on her own. But through BMH-BJ, she learned of the Denver Preschool Program, which provides tuition assistance for preschool to Denver families.

“Denver Preschool Program made it possible for me to send my son to a really good school,” Fox said. “It made a huge difference for us.”

Denver Preschool Program got its start in

LEARN MORE To learn more about Denver Preschool Program, visit https://dpp.org/ 2006. It is funded by a sales tax ballot initiative that Denver voters approved two years earlier. Every 10 years, it goes back to voters for re-approval, said Elsa Holguin, president and CEO of Denver Preschool Program.

Denver Preschool Program’s mission is to get children ready for kindergarten. It serves all Denver families — not just those who are low-income, Holguin said. There are many families who are not low-income, but still cannot afford to send their children to preschool, Holguin said.

For example, tuition at a quality preschool can cost about $1,300 a month, Holguin said.

“That can be about as much as a house payment,” she said, “so it’s critical for us to be able to come in and help.”

How it works is parents apply for the support, and funding is provided on a need-based sliding scale, Holguin said.

In August, Denver Preschool Program launched a pilot program for which 50 children received a scholarship to have 100% of their preschool tuition covered. In the beginning of November, Denver Preschool Program expanded the scholarship program to 250 students.

“We have to do more for these families, because it’s the working families struggling to afford preschool,” Holguin said. “Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, parents need a safe and high-quality preschool where their children can learn while they’re at work.”

As of mid-November, about 100 students have been approved for the scholarship, Holguin said. It will remain available until 250 students are approved.

Denver Preschool Program is valuable not only for parents with its tuition assistance, but

Yair Fox, 4, shows off some of the work he completed at BMH-BJ Preschool in Denver.

Fox’s mother, Zoe, is a recipient of Denver Preschool Program’s new scholarship, which covers 100% of tuition for Denver preschoolers and is available for up to 250 students.

COURTESY PHOTO

also to the preschools, said Lindsey LevinSalamon, preschool director at BMH-BJ. She added that Denver Preschool Program also provides resources for schools, such as coaching for teachers and staff, and materials that enhance classrooms.

“Denver Preschool Program always has the best interest of the schools, the teachers and the children in mind,” Levin-Salamon said.

That is especially valuable because early childhood education is so important, LevinSalamon said. Preschool is just as much about the social and emotional skills as it is about education, she added.

“Preschool is a place for children to build relationships,” Levin-Salamon said. “It sets them up with the skillsets they need so that they’re ready to learn and grow.”

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The webinars are offered at no charge, but registration is required. To register, call the Alzheimer’s Association Helpline at 800-2723900.

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18 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

Guide helps parents of readers ask questions

By Ann Schimke Chalkbeat.org

A 2019 state law toughened up rules on how Colorado schools teach reading — establishing new training requirements for teachers and placing guardrails on the kind of curriculum schools can use in kindergarten through third grade.

But for the average parent, figuring out if schools are using proven approaches to reading instruction and following the new state rules still isn’t easy. That’s why a statewide dyslexia advocacy group, in partnership with a local school improvement consulting firm, created a free online guide that parents and caregivers can use during discussions with teachers, principals or other school staff.

Officially called the Colorado Literacy Dialogue Tool for Parents/Caregivers, the seven-page guide walks parents through key questions they should ask about reading instruction. In addition to listing words and phrases that indicate a school is using scientifically based materials and strategies, the guide also cites names and phrases that may raise red flags about a school’s approach.

The idea behind the tool is to help parents “traverse that educationese” and empower them to have real conversations about how schools teach reading, said Amy Dobronyi, a Douglas County parent and co-chair of COKID, a statewide parent advocacy group for students with dyslexia. COKID partnered with Schools Cubed, a Colorado-based consulting group, on the tool. The groups created a similar tool for parents of children who attend private schools or schools outside Colorado.

Currently, the guides are only available in English, but leaders of the project say they’d like to get them translated into Spanish. In addition, Lucinda Soltero-González, assistant professor of literacy education at the University of Colorado-Denver, said she’d like to design something similar with a focus on reading instruction for English learners.

The answers compiled below come from the dialogue tool as well as other experts.

explicit instruction” and “decodable text” — a book or passage that features specific phonics patterns students have learned.

What should raise red flags?

Schools may mention a variety of reading practices and approaches that may indicate they don’t follow the science on reading instruction. These terms include “balanced literacy,” “workshop model,” “leveled reader,” and “guided reading.”

The parent tool also warns parents about two popular reading programs that aren’t aligned with science: Lucy Calkins — officially known as Units of Study for Teaching Reading — and Fountas and Pinnell. Both are popular in Colorado and around the country.

HOW TO FIND THE GUIDE To find the free online guide that parents and other caregivers can use when asking educators about reading instruction, go to www.cokid.org, click on “Resources,” click on “Literacy Dialogue Tool & Curriculum Evaluation Tools,” then click on the link under “General Literacy Dialogue Tool.”

is not, sadly, a widely known, and certainly not a widely promoted strategy in a lot of school districts, or a lot of schools.”

What should I ask about in terms of teacher training?

Experts say good quality reading curriculum and intervention programs are important, but they must be paired with teacher training.

That’s why the parent tool suggests asking Literacy Intervention, which is often referred whether teachers have satisfied a new state rule to as LLI. requiring 45 hours of training in the science i of reading. In lieu of taking an approved class, d My child is an English learner. What should teachers can also get credit by passing a test r I ask the school about reading instruction? on reading instruction or earning a Colorado o First, it’s important that English learners are reading teacher or reading specialist endorse- p present for whole class reading instruction — t ment. and don’t get pulled out for English language a Since Colorado’s K-3 teachers have until development during that time. Experts also What other questions should parents ask? next August to meet the requirement, it’s posrecommend parents ask schools how the share The tool suggests parents ask if the school’s sible some won’t have gone through the train- b of English learners on READ Plans compares main reading program is on Colorado’s apo ing yet, but they may have a plan in place. with the share of native English speakers on proved list and states “the answer should be c such plans. If there’s a big difference, parents YES.” What should I do if my child’s teacher or s should ask what teachers are doing to address The state’s recently revised list includes six principal provides answers to my question T that disparity.

English-language reading programs apthat indicate they’re not using approaches h Statewide, about 16% of K-3 students proved for K-3 core instruction. They are s aligned to science? struggle enough with reading to qualify for a Core Knowledge Language Arts, Open Court a Experts and advocates say this is tricky READ Plan. The rate for English learners is Reading, Wonders, Into Reading, Benchmark territory. Obviously, some parents might take t higher: 19% for students classified as having Workshop, and The Writing Road to Reading. such answers as a nudge to go shopping for a some English proficiency and 43% for students different school. But not everyone has that op- fi Four other programs are approved for K-2 core instruction: Benchmark Advance, Collab- classified as non-English proficient. tion and no one wants to become “that parent” t Soltero-González, of University of Coloraorative Literacy, EL Education, and Superkids U for asking too many questions or disputing do-Denver, said emerging bilingual children Reading Program. h educators’ knowledge. may have little problem decoding English State reviewers rejected several reading “There’s concern about sending parents into r programs last spring, though many schools are words, but still may not understand the text something that could feel kind of hostile,” said Th because they don’t know what the words still using them. They include Lucy Calkins, a Dobronyi, of COKID. mean.

Fountas and Pinnell Classroom, and Reach for But she and other advocates say parents “That’s why it would be very important Reading. don’t always have to go it alone. PTAs, school C there’s attention to the development of oral The two Spanish-language core reading curaccountability committees, and even school E language ... and vocabulary, along with word riculums approved so far are Maravillas and boards can use the parent tool to pose ques- v recognition and decoding,” she said.

Arriba la Lectura. l tions and hold discussions about reading e instruction with school or district officials.

What else should parents of English learnMy child is on a READ Plan. What do I need Stephanie Stollar, a consultant who helped t ers be looking for? to know? b the Colorado Department of Education School staff should convey to parents Parents with children on READ Plans — a develop the tool to review reading curricustate-mandated improvement plan for students that using the family’s primary language — lum, recommended parents take a “let’s learn a whether in routine conversation, storytelling, whose reading skills are well below grade level together” approach when asking educators for D or singing at home — will help students gain — should ask what intervention program the a answers. skills for reading. school uses to help struggling readers, how “It has to be a collaborative effort. It can’t be, t Gloria Corral, president and CEO of the often students get focused help, and which What are some key words parents should ‘We know better than you — you’re wrong.’” P California-based Parent Institute for Qualstaff members deliver the help. a listen for? ity Education, said too often parents absorb As it does for core programs, the parent This story — which was produced with support The tool suggests parents ask for a descripmessages that speaking with children in their tool highlights several interventions that are from the Education Writers Association Report- i tion of the school’s “literacy block” — the part home language instead of English will confuse state-approved, including Orton-Gillingham, ing Fellowship program — is from Chalkbeat h of the school day devoted to reading and writthem or create educational barriers.

Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educa- n ing. They should listen for phrases that suggest Wilson, 95% Group, and Blast. The tool also “We really talk to families about how keepmentions programs the state has deemed tional change in public schools. Used by permis- p the school’s approach aligns to scientific ing home language, enriching home language unacceptable but that some schools still use, sion. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit H research on how students learn to read. These is, in fact, a (reading) strategy.” she said. “That including Fountas and Pinnell, and Leveled C co.chalkbeat.org. include “research/evidence-based,” “direct or C w ing with the person with the disease.

2-3 p.m. Dec. 10, and 6-7 p.m. Dec. Dec. 21. optimize our physical and cognitive In this 2-part series, you’ll hear from c 14. health as we age. Learn about research caregivers and professionals about reDementia Conversations in the areas of diet and nutrition, Living with Alzheimer’s: for CaregivTips on how to have honest and carexercise, cognitive activity and social sources, monitoring care and providing p FROM PAGE 17 ing conversations with family members ers - Late Stage - Part 2 engagement, and use hands-on tools to meaningful connection for the person p In the late stage of Alzheimer’s about going to the doctor, when to stop help you incorporate these recommenwith late-stage Alzheimer’s and their h known that the health of the brain and w disease, caregiving typically involves driving, and making legal/financial dations into a plan for healthy aging. families. body are linked, but now science is able new ways of connecting and interactplans.

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Washington Park Profile 19

December 2020

New rules prohibit indoor dining, personal gatherings Denver metro counties move to COVID-19 dial level red

By Ellis Arnold earnold@coloradocommunitymedia.com

As Denver metro counties continue to inch closer to local stay-at-home orders under Colorado’s system of coronavirus-related restrictions, the state announced a new level of rules that prohibits indoor dining and personal gatherings — a change that applies to the majority of the Denver metro area and many counties in other regions.

The state’s COVID-19 dial, which has been in effect since September, is the set of different levels of restrictions that each county is required to follow based on the severity of a county’s local virus spread.

The dial grew out of the state’s safer-athome order, the policy that came after the statewide stay-at-home order this spring and allowed numerous types of businesses to reopen.

The state recently switched to color identifiers — levels blue, yellow and orange rather than numbered levels — to avoid confusion.

Until Nov. 17, level red meant a stay-athome order. Now, level red — “severe risk” — is the second most restrictive level.

The purple level, deemed “extreme risk,” amounts to a stay-at-home order.

The new level red, announced by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Nov. 17, encompasses the vast majority of the metro area. The new level took effect in counties with severe enough virus spread on Nov. 20, according to the department. Most area counties had been at level orange.

The counties that moved to the new level are Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson in the metro area. Other counties across the state that transitioned that day are Clear Creek, La Plata, Logan, Mesa, Morgan, Routt, Summit and Washington counties.

“If we are not careful now, we risk plunging into the deep end of the dial, where hospitals are not able to serve everyone who needs care, whether they are COVID-19 patients or other types of patients,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the CDPHE, said in a news release. “It’s up to all Coloradans to help our essential health care workers save lives.”

Some of the key changes that come with counties moving from orange to red: • Personal gatherings of two or more people — whether in public or private — are prohibited. Nothing in the updated public health order prohibits gatherings of people who live in the same residence.

• Restaurants are closed for indoor dining.

Takeout, curbside and delivery are allowed.

Dining in outdoor spaces with members of a person’s own household is allowed.

• Indoor events, both seated and unseated, are closed.

• Outdoor events, both seated and unseated, are now allowed to be attended only by groups that consist of people from the same households.

A spokesperson for the State Joint Information Center, which takes questions for the state public-health department, provided the new thresholds of virus spread that would trigger a county to move to the new level red. Similar to a threshold for the old level red, the line a county would have to cross is 350 new cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period — a metric known as a county’s “incidence rate.”

Based on that standard, in roughly 50 of Colorado’s 64 counties, the rates of new cases cross the line for the new level red based on the state’s data as of Nov. 18, but many appear likely not to move to that level for at least a few weeks, if at all. More than a dozen of those counties sat in levels lower than orange as of Nov. 18.

For example, Costilla, Custer, Lake, Montezuma, Pitkin and San Juan counties are moving to level orange on Nov. 20. Those

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FROM ORANGE TO RED: WHAT IT MEANS The following are some of the differences between Level Orange and the more-restrictive Level Red on the state’s COVID-19 dial.

For a complete list, go to https://covid19. colorado.gov/covid-19-dial Personal gatherings: Moves from up to 10 people from no more than two households to no gatherings allowed.

Restaurants: Moves from 25% capacity, to no inside dining allowed — only take-out, curbside, delivery or outdoor dining with those from same household permitted.

Last call for alcohol: Moves from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Bars (without food service): Remain closed for on-premises consumption but can offer alcohol with food service through counties’ incidence rates exceed the limit of 350 aside from San Juan, whose data appears to be evaulated differently due to its small population.

As COVID-19 cases continue on a steep spike across Colorado, several public-health agency directors signed a Nov. 5 letter to the state public-health department, urging

delivery, takeout, drive-thru or curbside service. Bars that function with a full-service kitchen or provide food from a licensed retail food establishment, such as a neighboring restaurant or food truck, may stay open for on-premises dining.

“Noncritical” offices: Moves from 25% capacity to 10% capacity, with remote work strongly encouraged under both levels. For a list of which businesses are considered “critical,” see page 37 at tinyurl.com/ColoradoUpdatedDial.

Gyms/fitness centers: Moves from 25% capacity, up to 25 people, to 10% capacity, up to 10 people.

Indoor events: Moves from 25% capacity, up to 50 people, to no events allowed. the state to speed up the process of moving counties to tighter restrictions on the dial.

The letter included signatures from health agency leaders from Denver, Jefferson, Broomfield, Boulder, Lincoln, Prowers and Kiowa counties, along with Tri-County Health, which serves Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties.

20 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

Uptown buildings to be repurposed Former Cathedral High School and Malo gym will become boutique hotel and restaurant

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Many people recognize the properties at 1840 Grant St. and 1835 Logan St. in Denver’s Uptown because of their architectural beauty.

“They’re anchors that orient people in the neighborhood,” said Annie Levinsky, executive director of Historic Denver, Inc. “These historic buildings give Denver a unique sense of identity.”

She added these structures also have rich ties to the community.

According to Levinsky, Cathedral High School, 1840 Grant St., and the Sisters of Charity Convent were built in 1921. The school’s Malo Gymnasium, 1835 Logan St., was built in 1928. The convent closed in the 1970s, but reopened in 1976, after a renovation, as the Seton House to serve as an intercommunity residence for Sisters traveling to Denver. The high school closed in 1982 because of declining enrollment.

In an email, Michael Henry, chair of the Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill’s Historic Preservation Committee, wrote, “in 1989, Mother — now Saint — Teresa toured the former high school and convent and decided to have her order convert the convent to a hospice for terminally-ill People recognize the buildings at 1840 Grant St. and 1835 Logan St. for their architecAIDS patients. The hospice closed in 2002.” tural beauty, but they also have deep ties to the community. The buildings were built in Neighbors for Greater Capitol Hill is a the 1920s, and have been home to a high school and convent, served as a residence for registered neighborhood organization.

Sisters traveling to Denver and was at one time a hospice for terminally ill AIDS patients.

Currently, the buildings are vacant and COURTESY PHOTO rundown. But in the near future, they will be the products of an adaptive re-use FATHER OF project.

EIGHT late October, Denver City Council lady. Must loveInkids, be fit and approved a tax increment financing (TIF) ready to jump the fun.The redeveloper, forin theand twojoin structures.

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GFI Development Co., which is a New York-based company that has experience with rehabilitating historic buildings, plans to re-purpose the buildings into a boutique ADVENTUROUS CAT LOVER hotel and restaurant, event space and peradventuroushaps cat owner.

Please some office space.be employed andTIF willing toofrelocate. is one the Denver Urban Renewal Authority’s tools,tuxedo said Jeff Bader, a Especially fond of blackfinancial and white redevelopment with DURA. The cats. All responses will be specialist answered. way it works is GFI will get reimbursed for Looking for that Purrr-fect match. the gap of need for only the costs associated with the rehabilitation and adaptivereuse of the historic structures. In this case, GRANOLA EATING, CAMP LOVING, it is $14.25 million.

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generated.

“We are hopeful that now … these fine, but dilapidated, historic buildings will be returned to productive use in our neighborhood,” Henry said. “It is a success story of adaptive reuse of historic buildings.”

About a decade ago, however, the future was bleak for the properties.

“They were briefly threatened with demolition,” Levinsky said.

Cathedral Parish and the Archdiocese of Denver decided to sell the property, and in October 2011, the prospective buyers submitted an application for a Certificate of Non-Historic Status, which, “in effect, (is) a demolition application,” Levinsky added.

Plans were to build an apartment complex in their place, Henry said.

This triggered action by the community that eventually led to the buyers cancelling their purchase contract.

“I had the honor to research and file an application for Denver landmark designation for 1840 Grant and 1835 Logan on behalf of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods,” Henry said. Others involved in the designation application were Historic Denver and Colorado Preservation, Inc. “In return for withdrawal of that application, the Parish and the Archdiocese allowed us and Historic Denver, Inc., to help show the properties to prospective developers or users interested in re-using the structures rather than demolishing them. Luckily, those efforts were successful.”

A local developer ended up purchasing the buildings, but in 2017, sold the property to GFI. Though they don’t have historic designation, GFI is committed to preserving the two buildings, Bader said.

“It broke peoples’ hearts how they (the buildings at 1840 Grant St. and 1835 Logan St.) fell into disrepair,” Bader said. “The community made it clear they’re a cherished asset. The community wanted to see them preserved, but also given new life.”

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The buildings at 1840 Grant St. and 1835 Logan St. in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood will soon be re-purposed into a boutique hotel and restaurant. They formerly housed Cathedral High School and the Sisters of Charity Convent, and the school’s Malo Gymnasium.

Washington Park Profile 21

December 2020

Got the sniffles? Get tested for COVID-19

L

GUEST COLUMN

Dr. Stephanie Sandhu

ike most 15-month-olds in daycare, my daughter has had six colds this year. And every time I have had her tested for COVID-19. Many thought I was being ridiculous. Then one day, after one day of a runny nose, she tested positive. It was a vindication I never wanted. But one I was not completely surprised by.

As a family physician, I have cared for many COVID-19 patients (even as young as 10 months) whose only symptom was a runny nose. In truth, when the CDC listed nasal congestion as a symptom of COVID-19, I was hesitant to test every patient with the sniffles. Doctors are trained to think critically and to judiciously utilize testing resources. But if our case numbers are ever going to go down, we all need to stop fearing the test.

If you develop even one COVID-19 symptom — please do not hesitate. Go get tested, not just for yourself, but for your community. Yes, the COVID-19

symptoms are extensive and common. Most of you are likely to develop a runny nose, cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of sense of smell/taste, sore throats, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea at some point by the end of this year.

It is always possible that your symptoms are from those leftovers you ate or the smoke from the fires. But America is relying on you to make sure.

Testing is now widely available and at many places, such as the health center where I work, with no out-ofpocket cost. Testing might not change your treatment but it can prevent you from unknowingly infecting someone else — someone who unfortunately could become much sicker than you.

Testing is one way to protect your loved ones and neighbors. But wearing your mask is just as important.

My husband and I tried our best to avoid COVID-19 — we socially distanced and wore masks as much as

possible. So far, we have both tested negative. But infection does seem inevitable considering my baby loves sneaking up on me with affectionate “dinosaur” kisses.

My baby could not wear a mask. I am incredibly grateful that she is doing well, and hopefully, thanks to early detection, we prevented her from spreading it to our friends and family.

I am proud to fight on the frontlines against COVID-19. Please help me in this fight and wear a mask, socially distance and get tested without hesitation.

Front-line workers, babies, and the most vulnerable are counting on you.

Dr. Stephanie Sandhu is a family medicine physician and the associate director of Clinical Quality and Clinical Risk Mitigation at Stride Community Health Center. She is a member of the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians and a 2014 National Pisacano Scholar.

Kahlo, Rivera, Mexican Modernists at DAM Timed tickets are required to tour exhibit of 150 works

By Sonya Ellingboe sellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Now open at the Denver Art Museum: “Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection.” It runs through Jan. 24 and is sure to be a draw for area art lovers. Timed tickets are required so one will want to plan ahead, since we are dealing with limits on how many can attend at any one time ...

When the Mexican Revolution ended in 1920, change was afoot in every aspect of that country’s life, including in its arts. Rivera’s huge murals were soon famous and in demand in the U.S. and Europe — examples are tied into this large (150 works) exhibit on walls as

well as with a few paintings, such as the wellrecognized “Calla Lily Vendor.”

Mexico City was the center of activity and was home to Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and a circle of creatives who combined Mexican folk art with techniques adapted from European arts — also in flux at that time. Rivera, 30 years older than Kahlo, was established as an influential painter.

Also there: Jacques and Natasha Gelman, who collected works by the local artists, who were their friends.

Gelman was a partner at Posa films and connected with the local art community, where he and his wife began to collect works by their friends. This exhibit includes 150 works by internationally recognized artists, most from the Gelman collection, with additional works from the collection of Denver-based John and Sandy Fox and from the museum’s collection.

Mexican Modernism combined social realism and fantastic visions that were unique to Mexican history and literature. Both Kahlo and Rivera painted portraits of Natasha Gel-

man, their patron and good friend.

Frida Kahlo had suffered from polio when she was a child, then was badly injured as a teen in a bus accident that left her back permanently painful. She said: “I paint myself because I am so often alone and I am the subject I know best.”

She was still a student when she met the much older Rivera. They fell in love, married, divorced and remarried. Kahlo’s family home, the blue house that is now a museum, was their home.

Seven of her distinctive self-portraits are included plus a number of other drawings and paintings.

Pets, local flora, foods and surroundings fill the images, shedding some light on a distinctive lifestyle that makes a viewer invent stories to accompany the art. Kahlo’s “Self Portrait

With Monkeys” is especially appealing ... and then there is that wee Itzcuentli dog ... and brilliant parrots. Sound as well as color.

“Diego on My Mind,” widely used in publicity for this exhibit, is fascinating. She wears a traditional lacy headdress — Tejuana style — and on her forehead is an image of Rivera. The trademark heavy eyebrows almost resemble bird wings as they meet above her nose and she looks straight into a viewer’s eyes.

Other artists included in this exhibit: Maria Izquierdo, Carlos Merida, Lola Alvarez Bravo, Gunther Gerzso.

Photographs of these friends and others are a nice addition to the exhibit, as is a grouping of Kahlo’s colorful garments.

Allow time to walk through and then return to images that capture the imagination especially well.

Enrollment open for 2020/21 Private Kindergarten and 2020 School-Age Summer Camp Celebrating 56 Years

Frida Kahlo’s 1943 painting “Self-Portrait with Monkeys” is on display at the Denver Art Museum through Jan. 24.

COURTESY PHOTO

22 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

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Washington Park Profile 23

December 2020

Leader of DPS leaving for Texas Cordova at helm during changing times, including board transition

By Melanie Asmar Chalkbeat.org

Less than two years after being appointed superintendent of the school district where she was once a student, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Susana Cordova announced she is leaving the district and her home city to take a job in Texas.

She will be the deputy superintendent of leading and learning in the Dallas Independent School District, according to an email sent to district families Nov. 13.

“As the child of Mexican-American parents and a first-generation college graduate, I know that I owe a debt of gratitude to DPS, and I have been honored to spend the past 31 years as a member of Team DPS,” said Cordova, who started as a teacher in the district in 1989.

“I want you to know that Denver will forever be home to me.”

Cordova does not have a firm departure date, but she said she would work with the district “over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition.” School board Vice President Jennifer Bacon said the board will first select an interim superintendent and then build a timeline for hiring a permanent replacement, hopefully by next school year.

Cordova said she wasn’t actively looking for another position but rather was approached about the job in Dallas, a city she said “reminds me a lot of the Denver I grew up in.” She said she admires and respects the Dallas superintendent, Michael Hinojosa, and is excited for the challenge of working in a new community.

Uneasy going The past two years in Denver Public Schools have been tumultuous, partly due to longsimmering disputes. About a month after Cordova took the helm in January 2019, the teachers union went on strike. Cordova was at the bargaining table for every session and took part in an all-night negotiation that ended the strike after three days.

Last November saw a contentious school board election in which control of the sevenmember board “flipped” for the first time to members backed by the teachers union.

The union had long opposed the education reforms shepherded by Cordova’s predecessor,

“I have not shied away from engaging in difficult conversations.

But I think it’s also really important to acknowledge that difficult conversations don’t mean that we are difficult people. If we always are just agreeing with each other, we’re probably not talking about the real issues.”

— Susana Cordova, Denver Public Schools Superintendent

Tom Boasberg, including the expansion of independent charter schools. Cordova served as a deputy superintendent under Boasberg, overseeing district-run schools.

Her departure gives the board an opportunity to select a superintendent who could shift the district even further away from some of those remaining reform policies.

For the past eight months, Cordova has led the 92,000-student district through the COVID-19 pandemic. In consultation with public health officials, she decided to close schools, then partially reopen them, a move some teachers feel is unsafe. As schools have experienced staffing shortages, Cordova herself has helped to fill in at a district elementary school one day a week.

Tiffany Choi, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, said in a statement that union members thank Cordova and “wish her well in her journey.”

“We understand that students and educators may be feeling a sense of uncertainty with the sudden structural change within the district,” she continued. “The health of our students and staff is still DCTA’s top priority during these uncertain times.”

Rough relationship Some district observers believe Cordova’s relationship with the school board played a role in her departure.

Van Schoales of the advocacy group A Plus Colorado described Cordova’s leaving as “tragic” for the district.

But he also pointed to her complicated relationship with the new union-backed board.

On a whole range of issues, from budgeting to police in schools to the district’s controversial school rating system to support for learning pods, Schoales said he saw board members working more directly with the community

than with Cordova.

“The board should have a superintendent and a superintendent should have a board that are on the same page,” Schoales said. “Some people are going to say she’s leaving in a pandemic, and I don’t think people realize all the challenges she’s had to manage.”

Even the process by which Cordova became superintendent was controversial, with some community members objecting to the selection of a single finalist and concerned she would lead in the same manner as Boasberg.

Advocates for education reform, meanwhile, worried she would not be as supportive of charter schools or school accountability.

Cordova strived to build bridges and find common ground. She leveraged her long history in the district and her classroom experience to build connections, often beginning anecdotes with “When I was a teacher ...” and she converted some critics into allies.

Cordova made equity her top priority, and she cited the concept frequently, especially as she guided the district through constantly changing reopening plans. She instituted training for educators in culturally responsive education, supported ethnic studies classes, and held regular Facebook Live briefings for parents in Spanish.

Bright spot Cordova is bilingual, having learned Spanish as an adult. As the district’s chief academic officer starting in 2010, she oversaw English language acquisition programs in a district that has spent decades under a court order that governs how English language learners are educated. While large gaps remain, Denver’s English language learners regularly outpace statewide averages on state literacy and math tests.

Vernon Jones, executive director of the

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Northeast Denver Innovation Zone and an education activist, said in an emailed statement that Cordova “represented us” and that the district should have tried harder to learn from her lived experience. Instead, he said, she paid the price for unresolved tensions from the Boasberg era.

Cordova, however, said she believes conflict is healthy in an organization the size of Denver Public Schools — and also important to democracy.

“I have not shied away from engaging in difficult conversations,” Cordova said. “But I think it’s also really important to acknowledge that difficult conversations don’t mean that we are difficult people. If we always are just agreeing with each other, we’re probably not talking about the real issues.

“And I think that’s really important.”

Erica Meltzer contributed to this report. This story is from Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Used by permission. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit co.chalkbeat.org.

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24 Washington Park Profile

December 2020

Colorado Symphony dedicated to education, community Virtual Stage will give audiences to access exclusive content, allow symphony to #PlayOn

By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

The Colorado Symphony is committed to #PlayOn, and the latest way it will be doing so is through the Colorado Symphony Association’s new Virtual Stage.

Virtual Stage is an on-demand digital video and audio content portal available through the Colorado Symphony’s website.

Virtual Stage will feature new, exclusive and never-before-seen high-quality video content performed by the Colorado Symphony, including archived performances and content filmed inside the Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. The Colorado Symphony Association worked closely with top health officials and city-and-state officials to establish health and safety protocols that meet “satisfactory guidelines to support limited operations in Boettcher Concert Hall that will allow the Colorado Symphony to rehearse, perform and record content to support 2020/21 educational curriculum, as well as new performances, to be released through Virtual Stage,” states a news release.

The first Virtual Stage concert, which became available on Dec. 1, is a full-length video of the Colorado Symphony’s performance of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” at Red Rocks from earlier this summer. This concert was one of about two dozen that the Colorado Symphony performed live in a socially-distanced setting with a limited amount of tickets available.

The first Virtual Stage concert, which became available on Dec. 1, is a full-length video of the Colorado Symphony’s performance of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” at Red Rocks.

COURTESY PHOTO BY AMANDA TIPTON More content on Virtual Stage will be available in the coming months. There is no subscription to access Virtual Stage — content will be available for a nominal pay-per-concert fee.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and moreover, the restrictions on gatherings, has affected the operations of the Colorado Symphony. As of November, the symphony had to cancel about 100 concerts since the pandemic began. Additionally, more than 25 performances, originally scheduled to take place between January and May, have been cancelled.

In a news release, Jerome Kern, CEO and board chair of the Colorado Symphony Association, stated that about half of the symphony’s budget comes from ticket sales, and the other half comes from donations.

“We remain in good financial health for

the time being, but without being able to perform for large audiences,” he said, “our immediate needs must be met while we are restricted to limited audiences.”

Some of these needs include compensation for the musicians, and the healthcare expenses of musicians, staff and stagehands throughout the health crisis. The Colorado Symphony Association will be relying on its recently unveiled Play On Recovery Fund, which supports continued operations through the end of 2020, states a news release.

The Colorado Symphony is dedicated to fulfilling its commitment to community and education. This summer, the Colorado Symphony shared more than 75 free online performance shorts, created more than 12 weeks of free distributed long-form audio performances and worked with various

MORE INFORMATION To learn more about the Colorado Symphony Association’s Play On Recovery Fund, or to view a concert through Virtual Stage, visit https://coloradosymphony.org. organizations to raise nearly $20,000 for community charities, states a news release.

“We know, now more than ever, the importance of music and the arts for our community. The need to support our educators and Colorado’s youth during this unique time is our immediate priority,” said Tony Pierce, chief artistic officer, in a news release. “With our community’s help, we will continue to bring symphonic music to Coloradans in whatever way we are able, and we remain persistent in our commitment to play on.”

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