The Denver North Star Dec 15 2022 Edition

Jewish Historic Cultural District Proposed for Section of West Colfax

Two LongTerm North Denver Area Plans Near Completion

By Eric Heinz

Two plans covering several neighborhoods in North Denver are making t heir way through the city’s planning process, addressing long-term projects affecting transportation, business, and landuse issues.

The first, the Near Northwest Area Plan, recently wrapped up surveys focused on those topics. A draft of the plan that will look at the neighborhoods over the next 20 years is expected to be released sometime in early 2023.

The second, the West Area Plan, has already received feedback from residents regarding various topics and a draft of the plan is now available on the city’s website.

“It’s really a planning process, an opportunity to really just step back and think big-picture about your neighborhood and where you want the neighborhood to be in 40 years,” Sung Han, the city’s senior project manager overseeing the Near Northwest Area Plan, said at one of the recent in-person meetings.

“Sometimes we get caught up in the details of a pothole or maybe a broken sidewalk, but this is really an opportunity to step back and think of the bigger picture,” he said.

By Kathryn White

Community members gathered recently to hear about a proposed West Colfax Jewish Historic Cultural District. The public meeting, the first in a series t hat will continue in 2023, took place at VFW Post 501 on W. Colfax Avenue at Wolff Street, within blocks of the nearby area encompassing the 220 properties that would make up the new historic district.

The proposed area—and a much larger swath along West Colfax that surrounds it—holds significance in Denver history because of Eastern European Jews who settled there as early as the 1870s.

For West Denver Jews in the late 19th century and early 20th, the West Colfax corridor served as a hub for religious and cultural life. It was home to a close-knit community and numerous small synagogues, religious schools, mom-and-pop grocery stores, and a host of other businesses.

The area holds continuing significance to Orthodox Jews who live, study, and worship in the area today.

Councilwoman Amanda P. Sandoval opened the meeting by recounting a call she received from a constituent, Pam Smith, when a demolition permit request was filed for a home at 1565 Winona St. she knew had been the residence of a Jewish baker and business owner significant to the area’s history.

Sandoval went on to provide an overview of the proposed district and introduce people who have participated in research leading up to the community input process.

Historic Denver, Inc. was represented by director of preservation action Michael Flowers and board member Molly Urbina. Ron Sladek, a historian and historic preservation consultant, has been hired to inform the project.

Previously, Historic Denver collaborated with Denver’s Community Planning

and Development department (CPD) to develop Discover Denver’s 2021 “Survey Report: West Colfax.”

Discover Denver is, according to its website, “a multi-year project intended to develop a comprehensive inventory of Denver’s historic and architecturally significant resources.”

Its 2021 report on the West Colfax area identified eight areas of significance and 18 specific buildings that together, the report states, convey the rich history of the area.

According to the report, “While West Colfax has seen extensive redevelopment at several points in its history, pockets of buildings still exist that have seen little change and that have the ability to convey the neighborhood’s story. Additionally, a number of individual buildings remain, scattered throughout the neighborhood, that have significance in their own right as well as collectively.”

The proposed Jewish Historic Cultural District contains four of the areas of significance and three of the specific buildings identified in the Discover Denver report. One such building is the current synagogue of Congregation Zera Abraham at 1560 Winona Court.

Founded in 1887, Zera Abraham was the first organized congregation west of the South Platte River.

As Sandoval, Smith, and Sladek provided information and history, residents and descendants of former residents chimed in with additional details and clarifications.

Denver City Council President Jamie Torres, who represents District 3, shared about the process of seeking historic cultural district designation for La Alma Lincoln Park, a neighborhood with important connections to events and leaders in the Chicano Movement. The La Alma Lincoln Park Historic Cultural District was unanimously approved by City Council in August 2021.

Both plans look at improvements to transportation and what’s called “missing middle” housing for residents who earn too much for income-restricted housing but not enough to clear Denver’s increasing rent or mortgages, as well as business d istrict improvements and increasing park space, but each has unique characteristics to their respective neighborhoods.

The planning process takes about 18 to 24 months from the start to sending it to the city council for adoption, according to the city’s Community Planning and Development (CPD) department.

Han said these plans inform how the neighborhoods evolve in the future and help residents define that vision. The plans do not offer changes to regulations, establish budget adoption recommendations, nor provide design or engineering of infrastructure projects.

Information about each of the plans and the next scheduled developments of them can be found at the CPD website under the “City Planning” link.

NEAR NORTHWEST AREA PLAN

The Near Northwest Area Plan has already completed the first two phases of the process, which were to study the neighborhoods and then define the issues that are most important to residents.

According to the city, planning for the Near Northwest neighborhoods of Jefferson Park, Highland, Sunnyside, and Chaffee Park began in early summer 2021. Since then the city has solicited feedback from residents in various surveys as well as

An American and an Israeli flag both fly in the front lawn of a home at 17th Avenue and Xavier Street, which is located within a proposed Jewish Historic Cultural District in the West Colfax Neighborhood.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

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Sale Prices of North Denver Single-Family Homes Simmer But Still Boiling

By Eric Heinz

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Single-family homes in North Denver continue to be more expensive than the rest of the metro area, but prices are not rising as quickly as they had in the last few years since inflation increased costs and interest rates jumped to levels not seen since the mid-2000s.

Matt Leprino, a spokesman for the Colorado Association of Realtors, told The Denver North Star that prices cooled quickly once interest rates rose.

“It had almost an overnight effect, the minute interest rates started changing,” Leprino said. “We have actually seen a steady decrease of the median price in the metro area since April of this year, and we’re not talking huge decreases.”

Leprino said despite the median home price in the region has been dropping every month since April, it’s still higher than last year. He said the median selling home price in the Denver Metro Area, which includes several nearby counties, for October was $660,000, 17.6% higher than October 2021.

Leprino said the average number of days homes are on the market has crept upward as has the amount of available housing, but homes are still selling quickly.

“There are no alarm bells being sent by us, that's for sure,” he said, regarding whether homes are selling.

Specific to Northwest Denver, the average closing price for homes was $953,715 in October 2022 compared to $795,282 in October 2021, an average gain of 19.9% year-over-year.

Jenny Apel, a real estate broker with Denver-based Nostalgic Homes Group-Compass, compiled data for The Denver North Star within the borders of the city north of Colfax Avenue and west of I-25.

“Sellers are receiving an average of 98.7% of

their final list price, but have taken on average a 1.6% price reduction before reaching the point where their home contracts,” Apel said.

“Last year sellers were receiving an average of 100.6% of their original ask price. Yes, interest rates have slowed things down a bit.”

According to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), mortgage rates nationally were about 3% at the start of the year and as high as 7.25% this fall.

“Mortgage interest rates fell to record lows in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID pandemic. Emergency actions by the Federal Reserve helped to push mortgage rates below 3% and keep them there,” wrote Peter Miller in a November article in The Mortgage Reports. “But with inflation surging to four-decade highs, mortgage interest rates rose quickly in 2022. And policy tightening by the Fed could push them higher still. Those who are in a position to lock an interest rate sooner rather than later may be wise to do so.”

Apel said generally speaking, first-time buyers in Northwest Denver are not what would be considered “typical.”

“They have to be more affluent in order to qualify for the payment and commonly have family assistance for down payment,” Apel said. “These folks are generally less affected by changes in interest rates versus first-time buyers purchasing in more affordable neighborhoods, given the average sales price here is high.”

Apel said available housing inventory, measured in months, was higher than last year, but there’s still not enough to balance supply and demand.

“What has dropped off dramatically is the volume of sales which is down by 45.8% from last year,” Apel said. “One would think that such a drop in buyer activity would have a dev-

astating effect on home prices, but new listing inventory is also down by a whopping 36.7%.”

Apel said rising mortgage interest rates meant a “good number” of would-be buyers opted to hold off, as did would-be sellers.

“Right now, buyers have far more ability to negotiate prices, inspection items, and low appraisals with a seller than they had a few months ago,” Apel said. “That truth coupled with home prices likely at their lowest point makes this the best possible time to buy, even if rates aren’t exactly where a buyer would like them to be.”

Apel said for sellers, this is an opportune time for them to find their next home and to plan on refinancing their mortgage in the coming months.

“No, you aren’t going to get the same price for your home now that you would have back in June. That boat has sailed,” Apel said. “Additionally, you will have to be more flexible and receptive to buyer demands, but you will receive far more for your home now on average than you would have last year at this time, and you will pay less for your next home right now than if you wait.”

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

Single-family home prices continue to rise in North Denver, according to local industry experts, but the increase has slowed since earlier this year. Pictured, a real estate sign sits in front of a home near 17th Avenue across the street from Sloan’s Lake.

Businesses Bring Holiday Cheer at Wreath Decorating Contest

By Basha Cohen

This year, Little Man Ice Cream’s Santa Factory and the West Colfax Business Improvement District (BID) debuted a clever competition to determine the coolest yule wreath of the season on Historic Route 40, or West Colfax Avenue.

Eight participating businesses vied for a chance to win the grand prize for the crowning wreath of the holiday season. Creativity oozed out of the merry wreaths. Media professionals throughout the city including The Denver North Star, Westword, Denverite, The Denver Post, and Colorado Expression Magazine gathered at the launch of Little Man Ice Cream’s “Santa’s Factory” to judge the wanna-bes in this reemerging business district.

The winning wreath had to best symbolize the business that it represents. Odell Brewing, 1625 Perry St., won first place; The Viking bar, 4888 W. Colfax Ave., second; and a special mention went to Cheba Hut, 4245 W. Colfax Ave., as the bluntly hilarious “Miss Congeniality.”

Other contributing businesses included Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 4255 W. Colfax Ave.; Whole Sōl Blend Bar, 1611 Raleigh St.; Seedstock Brewery, 3610 W. Colfax Ave.; Little Man Ice Cream Factory, 4411 W. Colfax Ave.; and Duality, 4635 W. Colfax Ave.

Take some time during your holiday shopping spree to imbibe the creativity that these West Colfax businesses have imagined. Make a day of it with a movie, a meal, a drink, a workout, or photos with Santa, bingo with Mrs. Claus, and fa-la-la-live music every week through Christmas at Little Man’s glittery, over-the-top Santa Factory.

On Dec. 17, West Colfax merchants will host a day of specials dedicated to financial donations for families in need at Colfax Elementary School, and they will contribute gear to the nonprofit Dry Bones for unhoused teens and youth. Bring warm gear to the Little Man Factory throughout the month to honor the true meaning of the giving season.

Denver Water Looks to Next Year of Free Lead Replacement

By Eric Heinz

Denver Water has been reaching out to residents and neighborhood organizations about the upcoming year of its lead reduction program, which replaces potentially tainted water lines for homeowners for free.

“The water that we provide to homes and businesses is lead-free, but lead can get into the water as it moves through lead-containing household fixtures, plumbing, and water service lines—the pipes that bring water into the home from the main in the street, which are owned by the customer,” Jose Salas, a spokesman for Denver Water, told The Denver North Star

An email from Denver Water specified the West Highland neighborhood is one of the areas Denver Water will complete replacements in 2023. Portions of the Sunnyside neighborhood are also assigned for mid-2023, according to the program’s map.

The Lead Reduction Program started in January 2020 as a 15-year effort to locate and replace an estimated 64,000 to 84,000 lead service lines in the Denver Water service area. The lines belong to the property owner, but are replaced at no direct charge to the customer as part of the program.

Since 2020, Denver Water said it has replaced more than 15,000 lines. The Lead Reduction Program’s Dashboard currently shows 4,731 lead service lines replaced in 2022, which is 108% of their annual target.

Denver Water also provides customers in the program with a free pitcher and water filter, as well as replacement filters, to use for

drinking, cooking, and preparing infant formula until six months after their lead service line is replaced.

“Denver Water needs the consent form to complete work to replace the customer-owned service line,” the utility stated in an email. “We use a model that takes into account those who are most vulnerable and at-risk from lead exposure, underserved areas, and planned construction activities to identify where we will be doing line replacement work the following year.”

Residents at properties identified for upcoming replacement work will receive a packet outlining the replacement process in more detail and asking for the property owner’s consent to allow Denver Water to move forward, the utility provider stated.

A map showing the 2023 work areas and other planned construction activity along with the anticipated timing is available at denverwater.org/pipes.

Denver Water said it is in the final steps of receiving federal funding to accelerate the program, which will expand work in the next year, “nearly doubling the amount of service line replacements,” the utility provider stated.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently approved Denver Water’s $700 million plan to remove lead water pipes in its coverage area, and it received an additional $76 million to help with the project.

More information on the program is at denverwater.org/lead, or can be found by calling customer care at 303-893-2444 or emailing lead@denverwater.org.

PHOTO BY HARRY WARTERS

Odell Brewing Company was selected as the first place winner of a holiday contest put on by Little Man Ice Cream and the West Colfax Improvement Business District.

PHOTO BY HARRY WARTERS

Several local businesses contributed their best design for a yule wreath recently at Little Man Ice Cream.

A Brief History of Denver’s Oldest Italian Lodge

For more than 120 years, the Potenza Lodge has served as a safe haven for North Denver’s Italian community. Though the present day lodge on 38th Avenue and Shoshone Street differs in many ways from the mutual aid-based society founded in 1899, the lodge principles remain steady: amore (love), benevolenza (good will), and pace (peace).

Early newspaper articles in Denver illustrate public misperceptions about the lodge, reporting that it was a secret society of immigrants from the city of Potenza, Italy. While it’s true the lodge was composed of hundreds of Italian immigrants from Potenza, The Denver Times, a daily paper that ran from 1872 to 1926, came to the conclusion in 1901 that it was not a secret society as they had initially reported less than two years prior.

“It is composed of men of means and influence and promises to become the most powerful body of Italians in Denver,” the newspaper wrote.

According to “The History of The Potenza Lodge,” a 250-plus page book written and compiled in 2013 by three involved community members, inaugural members banded together to obtain employment, learn English, and find and share legal resources to fight discrimination they were facing in Denver.

Unfortunately, little is known of who these initial members were, as the dedication of the history book explains that the first group of officers to be elected were the only individuals named in lodge minutes.

Originally, membership was strictly limited to men. Members paid 25 cents in monthly dues. Dues were raised to 75 cents per month when the lodge hired a doctor and raised again to $1 per month once sick benefits were added in.

Per interviews conducted on behalf of the Colorado Historical Society, members were required to attend every member’s funeral or pay a fine. In one such interview, Joseph De

Carlo Jr. recalls his parents leaving the lodge because “they couldn’t afford all the people who were dying.”

Frank Percey, current lodge president, remembers his Italian immigrant father describing the lodge as a place for families to gather to “console each other and bring the homeland to 38th Avenue to Potenza Lodge.”

Today, lodge members pay $50 in annual dues. Due to more recent changes in the bylaws, women are now permitted to join the men’s organization, though many women have opted instead to join the ladies auxiliary group that was founded in 1949. Percey’s cousin Toni Clark was the first, and so far only, woman to serve as vice president of the men's side.

Percey is quick to acknowledge how times have changed, stating the lodge is no longer used as an employment hub as most members are retired or already have jobs.

“We try to help each other in different

ways,” Percey said. “But it’s not like it was a long time ago.”

Percey worries about the future of the lodge.

“The sad thing is … young people aren’t joining things like this,” he said. “It’s not in the realm of things for them to be coming down there and having a meeting and talking about having a feast or putting a dance together.”

In meetings, Percey says they often reflect on their aging membership, lamenting “most of our members that were there if we needed any help are sitting in Mount Olivet,” a Catholic cemetery in Wheat Ridge.

Percey said the lodge sustains itself through renting the space for large events. These days, Percey notes the space is often rented for quinceañeras, which he believes is a reflection of how the neighborhood has changed.

With the pandemic prohibiting large events, officers of the lodge sent letters to all members asking for financial contributions to make up for this loss. Officers were able to raise all the funds in house, a fact that Percey believes illustrates how dedicated members are to “keeping the lodge going and keeping their heritage going.”

Percey remains hopeful about the future, pointing to the continued success of their annual feast and procession honoring Saint Rocco held in partnership with Our Lady of Mount Carmel church.

“When it comes to the feast, it’s amazing how all the members pull together,” he said.

Each year, individuals and groups vie for the coveted opportunity to carry the statue of St. Rocco through the streets of Denver during the procession. Every August, hundreds of people can be seen talking, laughing, and enjoying Italian cuisine in the parking lot outside of the lodge, part of the ongoing legacy of Italians in North Denver.

Read more about the lodge history and find ongoing events at potenzalodge.com.

PHOTO BY NORA RIDGEWAY

Potenza Lodge is Denver’s oldest Italian lodge, built in 1899.

HARRY WARTERS selected holiday Cream Improvement

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

The exterior of Potenza Lodge at 1900 West 38th Ave.

North High School Cheer Team Qualifies for National Competition

By Talia Traskos-Hart

fter a season of practicing tumbling skills and adapting to a new co-ed format, the North High School cheer team has, for the first time in its history, qualified for the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, Florida.

Alyssa Page, the program director and head coach for North cheer, noted that the competition, broadcast on ESPN, will be a chance for the team’s student-athletes to highlight the immense growth in their skills since the season began.

“As coaches it’s very exciting every year to be able to enhance our goals and build upon the skills we had for the previous year,” Page said. “And for the athletes … they’re super excited and very proud of themselves because they can see the progress they’ve made season after season.”

Page has been coaching for North for three years with her co-coach Ciara McCabe. She competed for more than 10 years growing up and in college at the University of Denver. Page came into her role during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said created challenges in building interpersonal connections on the team.

“I think our first year was difficult in trying to maintain camaraderie and a team environment even though the majority of our season was virtual,” she said. “Since then, we have been trying to learn more about how to coach to promote both skills and a team environment and to make sure our student-athletes are the best people they can be, whether in practice or outside in the community.”

Since returning to in-person practices, Page has facilitated a shift to a co-ed team environment.

While she noted some difficulties in adapting to the differences in scoring and skills in co-ed competition, the challenges have allowed for more collaboration and growth among the athletes. Page also reflected on the consistent success she and McCabe have seen from athletic directors and administrators.

Rebecca Caldwell, the head of marketing and communications for North High School and Skinner Middle School, noted her excitement at the co-ed shift and team success.

“We’re super excited about cheer–it’s been really growing and thriving over the past few

The Denver North High School’s cheer team is looking to raise funds to send them to the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship that takes place Feb. 10-12 in Orlando, Florida.

years and it's a great program,” Caldwell said. “We normally just compete at the state level so this is definitely a first.”

Page said that the team hadn’t expected to qualify, so she and McCabe held a celebration to announce their making the cut.

“Everyone was pretty shocked and surprised,” she said. “Previously, maybe they didn’t think this was a possibility, so now I think the students are super excited to go. I also think it helps put our team on the map and helps build a name for Denver North and our abilities.”

The team began fundraising over the sum-

mer with the hope of qualifying for the national competition, holding car washes and fundraisers with local restaurants. Now, the team is trying to raise the remaining funds to cover the $2,200 per athlete or $30,000 total cost of the trip.

“We could always use more help with our fundraising in trying to help offset and alleviate costs for a lot of our families, especially because nationals is quite expensive,” Page said.

The team competed in the state competition on Dec. 9. The UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship takes place Feb. 10 to 12.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALYSSA PAGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALYSSA PAGE

North High cheer coaches Ciara McCabe, left, and Alyssa Page hold the trophy the Vikings won at the 2022 Denver Public Schools spring competition for co-ed traditional category.

North High Alumni Association Compiles Old Yearbooks, Student Newspapers

By Talia Traskos-Hart

I

n sorting through old student yearbooks and editions of newspapers, volunteers for North High School’s Alumni Association have found remnants of student perspectives dating back to World War II.

These volunteers are working as a part of the Alumni Association’s yearbook and newspaper organization project, which has been ongoing for Chairman of the Board Isaac Solano’s nearly four-year term.

Solano, a long-time DPS employee and North graduate, recalled reading stories that shed light on the issues facing a North community of another time.

“It’s really cool to go through the yearbooks and see our different city championships in the 1970s and our team competing in a different era,” Solano said. “And some of our most interesting school newspapers are those from wartimes, because stories of family going off to war or student perspectives really talk about what the students were experiencing at those times.”

The sorting project has included organizing the records chronologically and creating a backup collection in case of emergency in the archive rooms. Solano said much of the labor has come from volunteers, many of whom are retired community members with connections to North. The Alumni Associ-

ation hopes that the sorting can help future yearbook teams or community members have a resource for research and insight into the past.

“One day our big goal is to have a collection for the yearbook staff to browse through and look at as they’re planning their yearbook,” he said. “And with a bunch of the old things in our archives–old school newspapers, old local newspapers–we’re hoping to get them cataloged in our archive so the public could use them.”

The Alumni Association also works on other projects to connect alumni with the student body, including awarding scholarships to select graduating seniors each year.

Rebecca Caldwell, the head of marketing and communications for North High School and Skinner Middle School, emphasized the large role that the Alumni Association plays in connecting members of the North community. The endowment for the scholarship program tends to be about $1.5 million annually, Caldwell said.

“The Alumni Association is an incredibly important partner of ours at North and we receive a huge amount of support from them,” Caldwell said. “It is one of the most active high school alumni associations in the state, if not the country.”

Denver Teachers Look to Improve Student Reading Skills Post COVID

By Ernest Gurulé

For a young mind, there is no greater gift than that of literacy. It is a gift that allows one to explore places, things, or ideas anywhere without even leaving your chair.

It allows travel to another continent or to a distant spot in a boundless universe. Literacy is a ticket whose expiration date is a lifetime and one that can be passed on endlessly.

But COVID-19, a microscopic bug that created a new normal in every time zone, also affixed a form of intellectual handcuffs on many young minds. In Colorado and every state, the pandemic created chaos.

The virus closed schools and forced educators to scramble and create whole new approaches to teaching.

Now, nearly three years since the first cases of coronavirus, we are seeing the intellectual impact it had on learning.

Data from the Colorado Department of Education showed a mixed performance for state third-graders in literacy testing in 2022. Only 41% tested at or above their grade level. The exam tests students’ reading and writing skills. The result was close to the same as the 2019 test outcomes.

skills,” and doing it through phonics.

“In kindergarten, you’re hearing your letters and the sounds they make. When you go into first grade, you learn letter combinations, what we call high frequency words,” she said. “By the end of first grade you’re reading books with predictable patterns.”

Hakes understands the challenge that she and others are facing in moving closer to desired levels.

“I think the first word that comes to mind is urgency,” she said.

That means examining the curriculum that had been in place and determining where it worked and where it can be improved.

elevating the reading skills of students. During his time at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Tatum hosted the African American Male Summer Literacy Institute, a program designed to identify and prepare the next generation of Black writers.

He currently serves as president-elect of the Literacy Research Association, an organization that inculcates “lifespan literacies in a multicultural and multilingual world.” He is also the author of three books.

Tatum said he has seen far too many teachers fail young people because they have focused on “growth and not attainment.”

Regis University Selects Salvador D. Aceves as Next President

By Denver North Star Staff

The Regis University Board of Trustees recently announced it has selected Salvador D. Aceves, Ed.D. as the incoming president of Regis University, effective Jan. 1.

Aceves will be the university’s first permanent lay president. He has been in the role of senior vice president and chief financial officer at Regis since 2014.

“Dr. Aceves brings not only experience but also finely honed insight into the role of Regis University’s next president,” said Fr. Greg O’Meara, S.J., who is a university trustee. “In his 37 years in higher education, 29 were spent in faculty positions. His carefully considered and mapped-out vision for Regis insists that we link minds and hearts, faith and reason, so that Regis meets its full potential as a Catholic and Jesuit University of the Rockies.”

Regis stated Aceves’ selection followed an eight-month national search conducted by a 16-member search committee of trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and students.

Prior to joining Regis, Aceves worked extensively at other Jesuit universities as both an administrator and faculty member. He served as associate vice president for academic, financial planning & analysis at Fordham University, where he also held an appointment as associate professor of accounting in the Gabelli School of Business.

He also served as vice provost and chief planning and budget officer for the University of San Francisco, where he also held a faculty position as associate professor of accounting, teaching in both the School of Business and Management and the School of Law, and was the recipient of five teaching awards.

Reading and writing are tools of protection.”

– Dr. Alfred Tatum, the provost of Metropolitan State University of Denver’s School of Education

However, grades four through eight saw declines in proficiency between half a percent to nearly 5%.

But it could have been worse, say educators, since the virus forced school shutdowns, reopening starts and stops, and virtual learning in which some students dealt with a panoply of challenges, everything from poor or no internet connectivity, parents who could not be at home to ensure their children were in class, or, in other cases, parents who were simply not involved.

“I did not anticipate this,” said Samantha Hakes, a former Denver classroom teacher and now a literacy interventionist.

Hakes now works with sixth- and seventhgrade students, some of whom are reading several levels below their current grade. She is teaching what she calls “foundational reading

The goal right now, said Hakes, is to do whatever it takes to bring student reading skills up to or close to where they should be at this stage of their education. She remains optimistic that her approach will pay off, but also realistic that not all students will be brought along.

“My job as a teacher is to ensure that I’m providing the best education I can,” she said.

Hakes was an elementary school teacher who benefitted from a discipline of teaching literacy. “Some teachers may not have the background on reading development that they need to succeed.”

The decline in student reading skills during the pandemic neither shocked nor surprised Dr. Alfred Tatum, the provost of Metropolitan State University of Denver’s School of Education.

The Chicago native and former classroom teacher is also a strong proponent of using phonics for building a young person’s literacy foundation.

“We need to go back to the science of reading.” An essential first step, he said, is competent teachers. “You have to become smart about teaching reading.”

Tatum is no newcomer to the challenge of

“I’m not so concerned about reading growth because I know it will inherently leave a student behind,” he said.

COVID-19 did its part in eroding one of life’s most basic tools in literacy. But Tatum fiercely believes that the effects of the pandemic on students are not permanent.

“When students suffer from literacy,” he said, “it can shape a deleterious outcome. My whole goal is to use reading and writing to destroy everything that goes against a student’s humanity. Reading and writing are tools of protection.”

Gift

Aceves graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a doctoral degree in education with a focus on global business. He also holds a Master of Science in Taxation from Golden Gate University. Earlier in his career, he worked at both Price Waterhouse and Citibank.

“Regis has a bright future if it harnesses the power of a nearly 500-year Ignatian educational tradition that is transformative and whole-person centered,” Aceves said in a prepared statement. “Regis has a bright future if it creates a strategic plan that is bold and distinctive to prepare students to help build a more just, humane, and sustainable world.”

..."My whole goal is to use reading and writing to destroy everything that goes against a student’s humanity.

the gift of a clean car! For any gift card you purchase during the month of December or January we will give 10% back to Protect our Winters!

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

The Denver North High School Alumni Association has been compiling yearbooks and student newspapers from past years, some dating as far back as World War II.

Salvador D. Aceves, Ed.D

Development Roundup: What’s Happening with Neighborhood Properties

The Denver North Star

at several significant properties

the city's Northwest communities. Some of these

gained prominence with regard to location, and some we were just curious about.

1450 MORRISON ROAD

Imagine watching a Broncos game (well, maybe during a different season) from the rooftop of a seven-story apartment building overlooking Empower Field at Mile High.

The 1.3-acre vacant property was acquired by a company led by Atlanta-based Wood Partners for $6.25 million in late December 2021, and the developers plan to construct a 216-unit apartment complex by 2025.

Walter Armer, a managing director with Wood Partners, said the complex will include “junior” one-bedroom and one- and two-bedroom units along with several three-bedroom units.

“We’re really excited about the transformation that’s happening there in Sun Valley,” Armer told The Denver North Star. “There’s a great mix of uses between the public-oriented housing projects that are coming.”

A sports theme will accent the complex, which will also have a community room, a swimming pool and deck, and additional courtyards, as well as a rooftop deck with a view of the stadium.

The building will be located within walking distance of Meow Wolf and right next to The Original Brooklyn’s restaurant in addition to the stadium. It’s also near the Decatur-Federal RTD rail station and the Lakewood Gulch open space and trails.

“We feel like we’re kind of in on the ground

floor of the neighborhood that’s burgeoning, and it’s just so well located relative to downtown and the Auraria campus,” Armer said.

The building will also have a parking space for each unit.

4890 ZUNI ST.

Austin Sittko, the registered agent for the corporation that owns the property, said the company may sell the 12-unit building as apartments or as townhomes once it’s completed. The construction has taken about two and a half years.

“We are going to start drywalling the units this week and stucco and painting and the weather warms up to about 40 degrees, and our goal is to be done about March 31,” Sittko said.

The building will be made up of four different floor plants with units ranging between 1,300 and 1,800 square feet. The majority of the units will have rooftop decks and the others will have front porch decks connected to the living rooms.

The property is actively on the market for $7.9 million, Sittko said, after the company bought the property for $800,000 two and a half years ago.

3930 W. 38TH AVE.

This property was once Chupultepec Too and was originally planned to become the landing spot for the now-closed Local 46, but the owners have not come to a decision of what to do with the location at this time.

Niya Gingerich, owner of Local 46 and part-owner of the 3930 W. 38th Ave. property, said the location was going to become Local 38, but it was in such disrepair that it

couldn’t accommodate a new bar, and it has since been demolished.

Gingerich said they may try to develop the location with a new condominium or apartment complex, “something that’s much more feasible,” she said, but no timeframe as to when a decision will be made was given.

2557 W. 46TH AVE.

Crystal Marquez, who took over the salon Hair on Earth in 2019, said she had to move her business to 6890 W. 44th Ave. in Wheat Ridge after her rent was raised too high.

The owner of the new building is allowing Marquez to put up a sign that says Hair on Earth at Fiore’s, which is the name of an existing salon in the building, but Marquez said she wants people to know Hair on Earth is

still operating.

“Since he knew we were coming as a whole salon, he gave us our own suite, so it’s basically our own salon again, thank god,” Marquez said. “With the market prices, I cannot qualify for any kind of business loans or anything to try and buy the (old) building.”

Hair on Earth had been at 2557 W. 46th Ave. location since 1974.

According to city records, the building and 3,700-square-foot lot were purchased by a company with the name Littleton-based Sonshine Enterprises LLC in 2019 for $355,000.

City records show the one-story building was erected in 1920, and zoning permits have been filed with the intent of turning it into a coffee shop or some other kind of retail shop.

Microsoft Corporation currently has the following openings in Denver, CO (job opportunities available at all levels, e.g., Principal, Senior and Lead levels).

Service Engineer: Research & test operating systems-level software compilers, & network distribution software. Telecommuting permitted <50%/wk. http://bit.ly/MSJobs-Service_Eng

Multiple positions available. Some positions req travel and/or permit telecommuting. For details (if applicable), including job descriptions, minimum reqs, and how to apply, visit the website address listed. EOE.

This rendering shows the plans for the future 216-unit apartment complex Atlantabased Wood Partners is planning to develop near Empower at Mile High stadium by 2025.

IMAGE COURTESY OF WOOD PARTNERS

Two File Candidacy in District 1 to Challenge Amanda P. Sandoval

By

Two people recently filed for candidacy in City Council District 1 to challenge Amanda P. Sandoval in the April 4 municipal election.

The new candidates are Ava Truckey, who owns Offbeat Market and Butter Moon Bakery, and Micaela Iron Shell-Dominguez, an environmental and Indigenous rights organizer who co-founded the 5280 chapter of the International Indigeneous Youth Council and who is also the director of Womxn of the Mountain environmental nonprofit.

Iron Shell-Dominguez said she started her campaign because she doesn’t believe current leaders in Denver are listening to the concerns of their constituents.

“The main thing is listening to the people and (addressing) the changes that are needed within our community, as it’s been growing very fast,” Iron Shell-Dominguez said. “Instead of listening to the people that have been here for generations, we’re allowing them to be kicked out and allow new people to come in and take over their land and their community.”

Iron Shell-Dominguez said she has lived at her current Regis neighborhood residence for two years, but she has spent the majority of her life living in the area. She said housing prices forced her to move away for a while before returning to the place she considers home.

If elected to council, she said she would try to set policies to help homeowners and renters who have established long-term roots in the area to stay in their homes. One way could be to lower property taxes, she said.

“Being a Native American, I’ve always been raised to be a caretaker of our land,” Iron Shell-Dominguez said. “I’ve always had concerns since a very young age about our environment. Unfortunately, many of our political leaders that we have today are unable to take on the environmental crisis that we have on our hands. I know that at a local level, we can have the impact, but in a small way I believe as a city, we can be an example for the rest of the country.”

Truckey had similar criticisms of City Council, describing the actions of the governing body as trying to “scoop water out of a sinking boat.” She said she wants to make city government more accessible to people.

“What I have witnessed, as somebody from Denver, are a lot of Band-Aids,” she said. “Being a single mother, I think that it’s

important that folks have the opportunity to see somebody like me that is very working-class … tackling things instead of kind of turning a blind eye to things that actually matter the most.”

The first major issue Truckey said she would address is housing, particularly protecting those who are already here. She said there have been some housing policies that have been passed by the city that “meant well,” but new development continues to push people out.

“We’re just further gentrifying the Northside instead of allowing folks to be able to keep the houses that they grew up in and raised their families in,” Truckey said, adding she would like to establish a program to help renters become homeowners.

As a business owner, Truckey said she would like to improve micro-loan assistance and other means to help businesses get started and maintain their clientele.

“I think that it's important that people find a sense of relatability in the people that they see in public office. I’m like other people. I’m like my neighbors and my friends,” Truckey said. “When you own a business, there’s a certain level of tenacity and putting yourself out there, working hard not just for yourself and your family but for your community, and that’s really what I built both of my businesses on, community and how I can serve them best.”

Truckey said she has also lived at her current North Denver address for two years, but also has spent the majority of her life in the district.

Sandoval, who up until early December was running unopposed, said she should be reelected because she’s been making headway on policies and initiatives that community members said they needed or wanted.

“I still have to just continue to do the people's work,” she said. “They elected me to do their work. All of these initiatives that I'm working on that I’ve done over the last three and a half years are all people-powered. They

are ideas of the people.”

Sandoval said she is working on a conservation overlay for Sunnyside that would restrict the design policies of more than 3,500 residences. She is also overseeing the overhaul of the Board of Adjustment for Zoning, which oversees various design appeals, and she has been working to rezone most of her district to allow the construction of accessory dwelling units.

Sandoval said she’s worked to update language in the city’s code that was “based in racism and not equity,” and she’s hosted myriad public meetings and office hours in order to accommodate residents who have concerns or ideas.

“One thing that I do know I have with my community is I do have trust,” Sandoval said. “We may not all always agree, but we can respectfully disagree, so I think it’s going to be interesting to have this kind of conversation in a really short timeframe.”

Sandoval said regarding the election, she had not heard from Iron Shell-Dominguez nor Truckey regarding their campaigns prior to them filing for their candidacies.

“I'm just being called upon by the residents of Northwest Denver, and they’ve helped me set the agenda,” she said. “I think it will be interesting to see what these two women have to say and what they can provide.”

According to records from the Denver City Clerk and Recorder’s Office, Sandoval has about $61,000 in campaign finance but has only spent about $1,325 of that on her 2023 campaign. As new candidates, neither Truckey nor Iron Shell-Dominguez have filed campaign finance reports yet.

Both Truckey and Sandoval have signaled they plan to use the city’s Fair Elections fund, which essentially means candidates agree to accept lower campaign contribution limits and only smaller donations. The fund then provides those candidates with matching contributions of nine times the amount of each small-dollar donation they collect, according to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

Checking Out: End-of-Year Book Roundup

Still looking for a good gift? Staff at Denver Public Library’s Smiley Branch share some of their favorite titles they discovered this year. Find the next great read for someone you know, or for yourself.

WENDY’S PICK: "TEN WAYS TO HEAR SNOW" BY CATHY CAMPER

A perfect gift for young and not-so-young readers, this thoughtful picture book reminds us of the importance of family and tradition.

The muted illustrations and sounds of snow evoke the peace of a quiet winter’s day, while Lina and her grandmother remind us all to pause and be mindful.

It’s a lovely story to share with someone you love or as a gift for yourself as a reminder to breathe during this busy time of year.

KRISTEN’S PICK: "BLACKWATER FALLS" BY

AUSMA ZEHANAT KHAN

Know any mystery or crime fiction readers who’d love a great read? Give them this new book from one of my favorite writers.

Blackwater Falls features a great, original mystery and solid crime story, a strong female lead, our beautiful Front Range setting, a range of fascinating characters and cultural experiences, and an extremely timely story that grapples with current issues in thoughtful, sensitive ways. All from a Denver author!

Especially recommended for fans of Louise Penny, Vaseem Khan, Ovidia Yu and other writers who convey a strong sense of time and place as well as a deep respect for human complexity.

RYAN’S PICKS: "LESSER KNOWN MONSTERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY" BY KIM FU

This book is a collection of 12 stories that blend fantasy and reality, my favorite involving a runaway bride and a sea monster. There are a couple of “Black Mirror”-esque stories, but others are more tender and subtle.

This book is a great present for that broody odd-ball in your life who wears mismatched socks and loves telling you the most random facts.

"SEA OF TRANQUILITY" BY EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL

Sea of Tranquility is a slow burn sci-fi novel set on the Earth and the moon across several centuries. If you like the sound of book tours, moon colonies, time travel, detective work, or pandemics, this is the book for you! It’s also great for that person in your life that loves a “what the heck?!” ending.

Evans is the senior librarian at the Smiley Branch of the Denver Public Library.

Your friendly neighbors at Faith Lutheran Church – MS invite you to visit us and hear the true Biblical story of God’s Christmas gi to all mankind.

Faith Lutheran Church - MS extends a personal invitation to you and your family to visit us and hear the true Biblical story of God’s holy gift, at Christmas, to all mankind.

Your friendly neighbors at Faith Lutheran Church – MS invite you to visit us and hear the true Biblical story of God’s Christmas gi to all mankind.

Christmas Eve Service 5:30pm Christmas Day Service 9:30am

Christmas Eve Service 5:30pm Christmas Day Service 9:30am

4785 Elm Court (near I-70 & Federal)

Come hear and see what Lutherans are about! www.faith-lutheran-lcms.org

Come hear and see what Lutherans are about! www.faith-lutheran-lcms.org

4785 Elm Court (near I-70 & Federal)

Eric Heinz

Amanda P. Sandoval

Micaela Iron Shell-Dominguez

Hannah

HANNAH EVANS

Ava Truckey

Atlantastadium

PARTNERS

Where will Collegiate Peaks Bank take

Restorative Justice Program Sees Uptick in Case Completion

By Miranda Ericksen

In 2016, current Denver District Attorney Beth McCann was inspired by then-state Rep. Pete Lee to tackle punitive sentencing and high rates of incarceration in a different way.

Lee was passionate about the idea of “restorative justice,” a response to crime that focuses on repairing the harm caused by a criminal offense, and McCann followed suit as an advocate for the movement in Denver.

The restorative justice approach allows victims to feel empowered, defendants to understand the effects of their crimes, and it affords both sides an opportunity to collaborate on a path to repair the harm done. According to McCann, the restorative justice program “provides a voice to the victim that they might not otherwise have.”

In 2019, McCann’s office collaborated with The Conflict Center, a Denver-based nonprofit founded on the belief that the criminal justice system should engage in practices that give offenders the opportunity to take accountability and repair harm.

The Conflict Center, off of 41st Avenue and Tejon Street in the Sunnyside neighborhood, has been teaching effective conflict management within the Denver community since 1987. They focus on three key areas of practical peacemaking in the home, effective conflict management in the community, and the implementation of restorative practices in schools.

The partnership, called Restorative Denver, uses the community-group conferencing model to bring together the victim or their surrogate, the defendant, and members of the community to repair the harm done without going down traditional punitive pathways.

When a case is referred to the program, the person who was harmed can choose the Restorative Denver pathway for the defendant or “the person who did the harm.”

The victim meets with trained facilitators and volunteers representing the Denver community to compose a detailed list of conditions that the offender must agree to in order to keep the case from going back into the traditional system.

Participation in the program is entirely voluntary for both parties, and either side can choose to end their participation at any time up until the contract is signed. Once the contract is signed, the defendant’s case is removed from the traditional system and held until Restorative Denver reports a positive outcome to the DA.

It’s hardly a “get out of jail free” card, as the Restorative Denver team members hold defendants fully accountable for their compliance with the agreed upon contract. The second chance is considered a privilege and if the defendant does not comply, their case is turned back over to the DA’s office and put through the traditional punitive system.

Once completed, The Conflict Center refers the case back to the DA’s office and the charges are dismissed and the case is sealed, according to the center’s website. This gives the defendant incentive to repair the harm they caused to the community while also providing them skills to contribute positively to their communities once they complete the program.

The program has kept more than 70 cases out of the traditional justice system throughout the past three years, increasing from an average of one case per month in 2019 to over 10 cases per month in 2022, according to the DA’s office.

The average recidivism rate of the program has been about 2%, which the DA’s office stated is 15% lower than the average recidivism rate of more traditional punitive methods.

But these methods go beyond statistics. Abby Ferber, a victim who participated in Restorative Denver, stated that she struggled to report her crime because she was not satisfied with the traditional option to drop charges or go to trial.

“Had I known (Restorative Denver) was available, I would have felt less tormented about reporting (the crime committed against me),” she stated.

Through the program, Ferber was able to directly express the harm’s impact and gained the closure she was seeking when initially struggling with how to pursue justice.

Residents In Need Can Apply for Snow Removal

By Denver North Star Staff

Denver has a program that provides snow shoveling service for those who cannot do it themselves or afford to pay for a service.

The Snow Angels program is an initiative of the Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships aiming to assist residents in Denver who need help shoveling their front sidewalks during the cold winter months.

This is a volunteer service created to avoid fines for non-compliance of clearing pedestrian

walkways in front of homes.

Eligible applicants must be a Denver resident, unable to pay for the service, and either an older adult physically unable to shovel or a resident living with a disability.

The Snow Angels program does not remove snow in driveways or front steps, and it does not remove downed trees/branches on front walks.

Email snowangels@denvergov.org or call (720) 913-7669 for more information.

PHOTO BY MIRANDA ERICKSEN

Staff and volunteers with Restorative Denver present information about their organization, which gives people convicted of certain crimes the chance to reduce their sentencing, during a recent fundraiser.

Elected Official Update: Tackling the Fentanyl Crisis on our Streets

By

The worst of the COVID pandemic is largely behind us, but the economic and social consequences will linger for years. Our recovery has also been impeded by another public health crisis: the epidemic of opioid misuse impacting both rural and urban communities. No community in our city has been immune from these impacts, including our Northside and Globeville-Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods.

Fentanyl is devastating families and is more visible in our city than it was a few years ago. As we near the end of the year, 160 Denver residents have died due to fentanyl poisoning – nearly half of all overdose deaths in Denver this year. One-third of all overdose deaths in our city have been lives stolen from our Latino community. Even small amounts of fentanyl can steal someone’s life, and it’s being used to lace other drugs, posing an even graver risk.

Fentanyl and methamphetamines are also fueling crime and making it harder to help those living on our streets. Putting the label “homelessness” on this problem doesn’t accurately describe the challenge we’re facing, or the solutions needed to resolve it. More broken lives make it harder and costlier to get unhoused individuals suffering from addiction into stable, safer and healthier environments.

My administration has been working to deploy more resources to shore up capacity with addiction service providers, taking new approaches to connecting those suffering from addiction to treatment — including our Wellness Winnie mobile health unit and the expansion of the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program — and bolstering our public health programs to stem rising opioid overdoses, such as increasing the availability and distribution of naloxone and drug testing resources. Denver helped lead a coalition of cities and counties from across Colorado and the nation that, in partnership with Attorney General Phil Weiser, is holding drug companies accountable for deceptive practices that flooded our communities with more potent opioids in the first place.

The fentanyl crisis is part of the broader and more widespread challenge of behavioral health. For decades, resources directed at behavioral health have languished at the national level, leaving local communities to pick up the pieces and support an increasing number of very sick people. Stigmas around behavioral health grew and left people unwilling to seek help for fear of being abandoned. Inequities in our healthcare systems have left many com-

munities behind, particularly communities of color.

Earlier this year, I met with families who lost loved ones to fentanyl. Their pain is burned into my memory and prompted my call for needed changes in state laws on criminal possession of fentanyl and fueled my administration’s focus on resources and priorities.

It’s clear that tackling this issue will take a combine enforcement and treatment approach. In my 2023 budget, approved by City Council a few weeks ago, significant funding – $8.4 million – is included to recruit 188 new police officers to help reduce crime, shorten response times and keep our neighborhoods safe.

My budget also includes $20 million of our American Rescue Plan Act funds to enhance and expand wellness services, with a specific focus on treatment and recovery. Over the next two years, Denver will receive our first $8 million from the national opioid settlement. We’re working to see these dollars directed toward supporting service providers and improving capacity of treatment programs, including expanding Denver’s behavioral health provider network to improve availability of services; investing in telehealth and other mobile integrated approaches to care and treatment delivery; and improving the city’s substance misuse response with supportive housing, residential treatment, medical detox services, peer support services and counseling. Our public health officials are also preparing to expand services, including medicated assisted treatment in our jails. We’re working to support a full continuum of care for people experiencing addiction, including covering costs when personal finances or insurance fall short, and expanding mobile response teams to reach people where they are.

Abandoning sick people to live and die on the street is inhumane. Open and flagrant drug use in our public spaces is unacceptable. It’s beyond time to bring as much determination to the opioid epidemic as we did to the COVID pandemic.

Denver is a compassionate community. This crisis begs for more compassion. A policy of compassion must also have consequences for those who refuse treatment. Our budget is a step in this direction that I hope will save lives and make our streets safer. Just as we came through COVID, I believe we will come through this crisis if we are driven by compassion that is firm.

Mayor Michael B. Hancock was first elected to office in 2010 and is in his third term.

DPS Board of Education Reverses Course to Consolidate No Schools Next Year

By Denver North Star Staff

In a reversal of course, the Denver Public Schools Board of Education recently voted against a proposal to consolidate two of the five schools that were up for consideration.

The original recommendation was decreased from 10 schools to five. This was proposed to ensure that students could continue to receive the quality education and support services that families have come to expect from DPS while starting to address the $36 million budget shortfall anticipated over the next three years.

“The budget crisis that we are facing as a district is not expected to go away,” Superintendent Alex Marrero said in a prepared statement. “Following the vote, I asked the board for direction to move the district forward. I look forward

to engaging with the community and with the board to develop other ways that we can address the crisis.”

This proposal came after the recommendation of the Declining Enrollment Advisory Committee, a group of community members and DPS staff who developed the criteria that were applied to the school district.

According to DPS, in the past five years, elementary and middle school enrollment in the district has declined by more than 6,000 students, resulting in a loss of $61 million annually in taxes that fund the district. DPS expects an additional loss of approximately 3,000 elementary and middle school students over the next four years resulting in a loss of $36 million.

Mayor Michael B. Hancock

Mayor Michael B. Hancock

Come 2023, What New Doors Will You Walk Through?

their most recent efforts.

KATHRYN WHITE

W

hen I heard Virginia Gonzales’ voice on the other end of the phone, I wondered what kind of news she had for me. I covered Gonzales’ retirement for The Denver North Star back in October 2021.

The long-time Sunnyside businesswoman had just celebrated her retirement from Hair on Earth salon on West 46th Avenue.

Before selling her business, Gonzales had taken up softball for the first time. Her team—the Colorado Peaches—was preparing for its annual trip to compete at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah.

And now she was calling with a report on

“It was really something! The music and the flags at the opening ceremony of the games, it was quite impressive. Like the Olympics,” Gonzales said.

In October, the Peaches fielded an 80-plus team at the games. And since theirs was the only team in its age group—and the oldest at the games—the Peaches competed against players a decade or two younger.

And for that, Gonzales and the Peaches brought home gold.

Caryn Fox exuded enthusiasm much like Gonzales’ when I sat down with her at Vantage Movement, 44th Avenue and Harlan Street, where she runs the Fearless Over 50 crossfit-style class. Fox, now a personal trainer and fitness instructor, recounted the turn-

ing point that got her there.

Fox’s kids had gone off to college. She and her husband looked at each other and said, “Well, it’s up or down.” They decided on up. Not long after, she fell in love with fitness.

“I was nearly 200 pounds at 50 years old, and I was in so much pain I could hardly move,” Fox said. “And now here I am at nearly 60, healthier than I’ve been in my whole life, fitter than I’ve been in my whole life. And probably happier than I’ve been in my whole life. If I could get other people to feel this, that would be amazing. That’s my jam.”

Twice a week, Fox guides the Fearless Over 50 group through a structured series of warm-ups and exercises. She checks their form and works through individual issues

that come up.

To Fox, “It’s fitness you use for your life. Like flipping those tires. If you need to lift something heavy, a piece of furniture for example, it’s going to be the exact same movement. So much of what we do is designed to be something you can use in your day-today life.”

“Once every couple of weeks one of the 20-, 30- or 40-somethings in here will come up to me and say, ‘I want to be you when I grow up,’” she said.

Maggie McCloskey, now 91, was 77 when she first set out to practice with the Colorado Peaches in 2008. Someone on the team had invited her and she thought to herself, “Well, why not?”

McCloskey gets a thrill out of seeing women come back to softball for the first time since perhaps childhood, like she did herself 14 years ago. Or for the first time ever, like many Peaches. The team welcomes and supports all abilities.

“Watching women who haven’t played in 20, 30 years, and coming out, I remember one woman saying, ‘I didn’t know I could still run.’ She was 72,” McCloskey said. “How often do you have to sprint at our age? As someone who has been playing for a while, it’s just such a thrill for me. They are tapping into their childhood again. How often do women just play? And it’s not just about playing a game. It’s about exploring. And realizing there are opportunities to do things you would never think of doing.”

“Like, I box,” continued McCloskey. “It was the last thing I’d ever think of doing. But somebody invited me and I thought, oh sure.”

There’s no shortage of opportunities in North Denver to try something new.

Go online to denvergov.org to see what Denver rec centers are offering. Look at the flyers posted in your favorite local shop. Walk in the door at a gym near your house. Ask your friend how they got into tai chi, or running, or pilates, or softball.

For Fox, taking that first step, walking in the door at the gym, was the hardest. “Take a couple of personal training sessions first if that feels right,” she suggests.

And if you’re already involved in something you absolutely love, something that puts a smile on your face and makes you feel better than you have in a long long time, why not invite a friend or neighbor to join you? It just might be the nudge they need.

Kathryn has lived in North Denver since around the time the Mount Carmel High School building was razed and its lot at 3600 Zuni became Anna Marie Sandoval Elementary. She’s raised two children in the neighborhood, worked at several nonprofits, and volunteered with the Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter.

Do you have story ideas for The Gray Zone?

Email Kathryn@DenverNorthStar.com.

Team spirit is paramount on the Colorado Peaches.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

With the Colorado Peaches, everybody plays.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

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Gray Zone? Kathryn@DenverNorthStar.com.

Last month, I shared the history of the middle- and upper-class sections of the near Northside. This month I am taking us down the hill to the area between Zuni Street and the North Platte River and from 15th Avenue up to about 38th Avenue.

One major difference was that this section, called North Denver, was always a Denver neighborhood and was consistently inhabited by immigrants and working-class people. There were immigrants from many parts of Europe, but over time there were three persistent groups that helped shape the cultural face of North Denver.

The first group was the Irish, who primarily came from the Catholic-dominated regions of south Ireland. Some of their neighbors were Scots-Irish who had come from Scotland and were mainly Presbyterian Protestants who had been forcibly relocated from Scotland, some as early as the 1600s.

Many were later relocated in the colonial era to the American South, although many of Denver’s Irish arrived in America in the 1840s and 1850s. They were then part of the first generation in Denver in the 1860s.

Since most North Denver Irish residents were Catholics, there was a big push to establish their own churches. The problem was that Bishop Joseph Machebeuf did not like the Irish very much. It took until 1881 for them to get their first church called St. Patrick Catholic Church.

Initially, they held services at the fire station at 15th Avenue and Boulder Street. Their first church was an Italian-style building between 32nd and 33rd avenues on Osage Street.

In 1883, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

set up the first North Denver Catholic school in the church basement.

Having a parish school allowed the parents to have more control over their children’s education and moderated their adaptation to American culture. This helped create the first generation of Irish-Americans in Denver.

The first priest was Father Michael Carmody who was replaced in 1885 by Father Joseph Carrigen, who was a real mover and shaker and had quite a few power struggles with Bishop Machebeuf and, later, with Bishop Matz.

During his tenure, Father Carrigen called in a few political favors when Denver was planning the 20th Street viaduct. When all the dust settled, the western end of the bridge came within mere feet of the front doors of St. Patrick’s.

At its height, the church had over 750

members and was bursting at the seams. Father Carrigen took a holiday to California and came back with plans for a California mission style church building, on the corner of 33rd Avenue and Pecos Street, which replaced the old structure in 1907. It served for many years even after part of the congregation had built St. Dominic Church on Federal Boulevard.

In the early 20th century, as the Irish were replaced by the Italians as the dominant ethnic group, St. Patrick closed. It went through a number of new identities, but in the 21st century it is the Our Lady of Light monastery for Capuchin nuns.

North Denver’s Irish were working class who joined unions and the Democratic Party. They bought land and built houses or bought and remodeled the aging neighborhood housing stock. In addition to the initial jobs as la-

borers, some set up businesses that served the community. These ranged from grocery stores to saloons.

Valuing education, they attended the neighborhood Catholic schools, and then those who could got college educations. Irish American men were policemen and firefighters, and many women became teachers. Some like Dr. Daniel Lucy and later Dennis Gallagher became politicians who shaped the future for both Irish Americans and Northsiders.

In January, I will begin to explore the histories of other neighborhoods in the Northside. Berkeley will be my first stop.

Dr. Rebecca A. Hunt has been a Denver resident since 1985. She worked in museums and then taught Colorado, Denver and immigration history at the University of Colorado Denver until she retired in 2020.

ERIC HEINZ

The St. Patrick Catholic Church, the first Irish church in Denver, was constructed in 1883 and stood at 3233 Osage St.

PHOTOS BY REBECCA HUNT

REBECCA A. HUNT

St. Patrick Church opened in 1907 at 3325 Pecos St. and served the congregation until it closed in 1988 to become a monastery for Capuchin nuns.

This Is the Sound of Healing

Sound healing is one of the oldest forms of wellness practice we know. Ancient healing rituals often involved chanting and drumming. Modern versions of these rituals include the gong bath or singing bowl session at your local yoga studio, drum circles, and singing alongside a congregation in church.

A basic explanation for how sound affects our health offered by the National Center for Biotechnology Information is that our ears turn compression of air molecules (vibration) into electrical signals which are transmitted to the auditory nerve.

As we discussed last month, our nervous system transmits information both electrically and chemically. One nerve connected to the ears is the vagus nerve that wanders throughout the body; this can profoundly affect numerous systems. When you feel annoyed because a jackhammer has been tearing up your street all day, this is the process you are experiencing.

I have made much progress since my longCOVID infection and in the first months after, but I still struggle with the anxiety and depression it produces. So when my friend and local therapist, Betsy Clark, who you met last month, described an auditory therapy she works with, I was intrigued.

“The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a noninvasive listening application of the Polyvagal Theory shown to regulate the autonomic nervous system to help you regulate your emotions, build resilience, think more clearly, and connect more easily,” Clark said. “It can be used in our therapy or as a stand alone treatment for some clients. The SSP is vocal music that has been filtered to send signals of soothing and safety that trains the ear (and therefore the vagus nerve) to be able to pick up more cues of safety. The SSP ‘retunes’ the nervous system to a sense of safety, making it easier for our nervous system to return to calm.”

Clark counseled me to start with 15 minutes at a time and tune into any sensations or anything I noticed. She said it would be “like a workout for your vagus nerve.”

I had several breathing exercises from physical therapy, including box breathing,

in my back pocket. And I used them! I didn’t feel anything unpleasant, but a slight buzzing in my chest made it difficult to lie still after a few minutes.

I did my breathing and some gentle stretching and the rest of the 15 minutes flew by. I couldn’t wait to do it again the next day! As the sessions went on I was able to sink into them without wondering how many emails I was missing. I thought, even if all I am doing is practicing focusing for 15 minutes at a time, then so be it.

Then, a true test. I had overexerted a couple days in a row and the weather shifted dramatically: the perfect storm for post-viral infection symptoms. But because I had been practicing regulating my nervous system, when the threat of symptoms had subsided, I was able to quickly feel safe again.

It is important to note that, as Clark said, “what regulates each of us is different, and once we find it, we have to practice this over and over to regulate our nervous system.”

I couldn’t agree more. In wellness, there is no miracle cure. We each get to do the work (and play!) required to discover what we need and what we are willing to sustain to keep ourselves well.

Nothing happens in our bodies without our nervous system knowing about it. If you think you or someone you love could benefit from this kind of therapy, please let me know or reach out directly to Betsy Clark of Shine Integrated Therapy right here in North Denver.

Even if your nervous system is functioning perfectly, keep it that way with my favorite form of therapy, a dance party! Queen’s “Don’t Stop me Now” is my current go to, but find your favorite on the list of “10 Happiest Songs Ever” on Spotify, according to neurologist Dr. Jacob Jolij, whose list of songs can be found at shorturl.at/aFIP5.

We all deserve the gift of feeling safe and sound. This holiday season, that is my wish for you.

Erika Taylor is a community wellness instigator at Taylored Fitness. Taylored Fitness believes that everyone can discover small changes in order to make themselves and their communities more vibrant. Visit facebook.com/erika. taylor.303 or email erika@tayloredfitness.com.

Park district, community input will be incorporated into design guidelines.

Guest Column: Finding a Good Immigration Attorney

U.S. immigration laws are very complex, confusing, and sometimes outright contradictory. Immigrants navigating this area find themselves wading through congressional laws, international treaties, nebulous government regulations, wordy court decisions, and inconsistent local practices by government authorities.

At the same time, there is an inherent danger that if not done properly, an immigrant and their family may be expelled for life.

Immigrants do not have a right to a public defender. As our laws classify the great majority of immigration violations as civil infractions, not crimes, an immigrant must find and pay for their own advocate.

Unsurprisingly, the first person an immigrant often turns to in the U.S. is a public notary due to a misperception that notaries are “super attorneys” like the notary publics in their home countries. U.S. notaries, however, are functionaries of state law who generally only provide an officially designated witness to a signature on a document.

Unfortunately, some state public notaries take advantage of immigrants’ misperceptions. Most public notaries are not attorneys or judges at all. Importantly, the law prohibits them from telling someone how to fill out an immigration form without legal authority.

Immigrants looking for an attorney should begin their search by contacting trusted local immigration organizations for a referral. There are some wonderful not-for-profit legal organizations in the Denver area such as the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, Catholic Charities’ Immigration Services, and the Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Clinic, among others.

to immigration law and participates in immigration law organizations like the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). It is also important to determine if an attorney can communicate effectively, either directly or with the help of qualified staff, and if they have sufficient experience in immigration law. Meeting more than one attorney allows the person in need of representation to compare fees and determine if they are affordable or even worth the time.

Often immigrants believe that the more money they spend on their lawyer’s legal fees, the better their representation. An immigrant looking for legal representation should look for good communication, affordability, and then look to pay more for experience. One should ask other relevant questions to avoid surprises, such as if they provide payment plans and if they will be charged for short telephone calls and emails.

Finding an attorney who can effectively communicate and discuss sometimes delicate and confidential information about one’s life is something that many English speakers take for granted. Law offices that rely on the children of immigrants to translate important details should be avoided. One should only consult with lawyers that speak the immigrant’s language or who have a qualified interpreter on staff.

Most importantly, finding an attorney who works to keep up on the ever-changing immigration laws should be the most important factor. Look for an attorney who dedicates themselves to the practice of immigration law rather than various types of cases.

DistrictContinued from Page 1

The proposed West Colfax Jewish Cultural Historic District will be in Torres’ Council District 3 after redistricting maps take effect in 2023.

Smith has been instrumental in gathering community members for input. For Intermountain Jewish News’ Oct. 20 coverage, Smith said, “We’re going to have a series of meetings, every month for a year, to help people understand the nature of a historic district and how it will affect them and their homes.”

As with other historic districts, a property owner can address any building interior issues without review. But exterior changes would be subject to the guidelines of the district. A parallel process facilitated by Denver’s Landmark Commission would establish design guidelines for the new district. Torres emphasized that, as was the case with the La Alma Lincoln

Beyond the structures that tell the story of Denver Jewry along West Colfax, many at the meeting looked forward to hearing and sharing stories from today’s Denverites with connections to this rich past.

“The Denver Office of Storytelling hopes to partner with the Office of Councilwoman Amanda P. Sandoval to record and preserve the history and voices of Denver’s West Colfax Jewish community in an #IAmDenver film project,” said Denver’s Chief Storyteller Rowena Alegría. “Details of a possible collaboration are still in the works.”

A second community meeting is planned for 6-7:30 p.m. Jan 11 at VFW Post 501, 4747 W. Colfax Ave. Residents in the proposed historic district will receive a flier on their doorstep. For updates on the process, visit mailchi.mp/ mailchimp/wcjd.

This story begins The Denver North Star’s ongoing coverage of a proposed West Colfax Jewish Historic Cultural District.

Some immigration law clinics such as those at the University of Denver College of Law, the University of Colorado Law School, the Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Mi Casa Resource Center, and the El Centro San Juan Diego, among others, offer legal aid during night hours and limited pro bono services. In addition, the city and county of Denver’s Office of Immigrant and Refugees along with local community colleges have raised funds to pay for private attorneys to represent individuals. All these organizations have referral lists and/or volunteer attorneys.

After avoiding the pitfalls of the notorious notaries and receiving referrals from trusted organizations, finding an actual immigration attorney requires consulting with at least two or three attorneys before hiring one.

There are several factors to look at in the beginning, such as if an attorney is dedicated

I would recommend hiring someone who is a member of the AILA or the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild. These organizations provide clearinghouses of information and direct communication with government agencies that a disconnected attorney simply cannot obtain on their own.

Overall, I recommend that people stay away from false hope or so-called “guarantees.” Remember that an attorney does not make the final decision in immigration cases, which usually rests with the Department of Homeland Security or the judge. Those decision makers often wield a large amount of discretion, and a good attorney simply places their client in the best position to receive favorable discretion from the judge.

Arturo Jimenez is a veteran immigration and naturalization law attorney, author of a 2019 book on immigrant children “Dreamers Nightmare: The U.S. War on Immigrant Latinx Children,” a former member of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education, and an affiliate professor at Metro State University Denver.

PlansContinued from Page 1

virtual and in-person meetings.

Han said the takeaways from the first phase of the plan were, like the West Area, to preserve and celebrate the culture of the area, and to provide more active commercial uses where they don’t exist much, such as in Chaffee Park.

The second phase addressed what residents said are needs for better access to health and social programs and services, such as job training, education, and affordable child care.

WEST AREA PLAN

The West Area Plan includes Barnum, Barnum West, Sun Valley, Valverde, Villa Park, and West Colfax.

Between the two, the West is the farthest along in its planning process, as people are now able to comment on the draft plan. In the draft, it showed West Colfax and Sun Valley as having the highest needs for a neighborhood plan.

One of the most discussed topics was improving quality of life, such as prioritizing

environmental justice, improving water and air quality, increasing traffic safety, and others. Sun Valley hosts a major portion of Denver’s cheapest income-restricted housing.

The draft was originally released in the spring, but there were significant changes to it, and a new version was released this fall.

“In a first for neighborhood plans in Denver, the draft also acknowledges the historic inequities the area has faced as well as their roots in past public policy decisions,” CPD stated in an email. “It provides strategies to address these challenges, which residents and stakeholders identified through the planning process.”

Specific to West Colfax, the plan looks to prioritize working with the existing business improvement districts and art venues to provide public art and more inviting areas. This includes requiring “high-quality building and site design” along West Colfax Avenue to preserve and create community gathering places, according to the draft.

The West Area Plan draft comments were due Dec. 16, and it will be forwarded to the city council once those comments are assessed.

More information can be found at denvergov.org and searching for each plan name.

This map shows the proposed location of the Jewish Historic Cultural District in West Colfax.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COUNCILWOMAN AMANDA P. SANDOVAL’S OFFICE

ARTURO JIMENEZ

ERIKA TAYLOR

Attorney The Power of Story

Weekly Recycling, Compost Coming to Denver Residents in 2023

enver residences will see changes to their solid waste pickup starting in January along with new fees for many residents to help fund the services. One of the early benefits is that all residents will see weekly recycling pickups starting in January, a change from the current standard of recycling pickups every other week.

All Denver residents will also get compost bins that will be phased in starting this summer. The compost bins are starting later in the year so the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) can have enough time to purchase 25 new compost trucks and hire new drivers.

Residents will be able to throw any types of food scraps, yard debris, and non-recyclable paper like tissues or paper towels into their compost bins. This program is for residents that live in single family homes and buildings with apartments of up to seven units.

Currently, Denverites only send about 26% of solid waste to be recycled or composted, below the national average of 34%. The new program will incentivize residents to do more and they will have a choice of picking between small, medium, and large black trash cans for landfill waste. The smaller trash cans will be charged the lowest monthly fee of $9. The medium size landfill trash bin will cost $13 per month, and the large size will cost $21 per month. The fee also includes the cost of weekly compost and recycling.

DOTI spokesperson Vanessa Lacayo said, “Roughly 30,000 of our existing 180,000 cus-

Dtomers are already composting and have a good idea which size trash cart will work best for them. Similarly, we have some smaller households that are not filling up their trash carts currently. We’re asking those customers to call in to 311 to request a new size. We have prioritized getting those out before quarterly billing begins in Q1 of 2023.”

“Everyone else, we are asking them to wait for their compost service to begin before they downsize their trash cart,” Lacayo said. “This way they’ll know what cart size is best. We are also offering them a credit on their monthly bill while they wait for their compost cart to get delivered and they can divert more of their trash.”

Denver is one of the few cities in the country that will be offering discounts on trash pickup for low income residents. They may be eligible for discounts of 50% to 100% based on their household income and the number of people in their home.

Applications are available on denvergov. org or via email at trashrebate@denvergov. org. Lacayo said that residents can also call Denver Human Services at 720-944-3350, where they can assist residents over the phone with the financial assistance form. Residents can also call that number to request a paper application be mailed to them.

Residents can call 311 for service in English or Spanish for help with new trash can sizes, or the Denver Human Services number for help with applying for financial assistance in Spanish.

In addition to this column, I have been working on writing a memoir. My writing teacher recently encouraged my fellow memoirists to embrace the stories of our lives as we write in order to create a rich and engaging piece of work.

JILL CARSTENS

This reminder of the value of story really resonated in my teacher self. Some of my best curriculums came from finely written, creative children’s literature. We can take the significance of a story one step further if we solicit the theories of Joseph Campbell.

In his book, “The Power of Myth,” written with Bill Moyers, he discusses the powerful lessons to be learned by the relatable hero’s journey.

The hero’s journey follows a predictable universal cycle of problem, searching for the answer, and the return to a more peaceful status following a transformation that the hero shares with its community.

Campbell asserts that we can all gain templates for our own lives by absorbing these stories. It is the rare person that does not at one time ask themselves, “What is my purpose?” and seeks to find connectedness in the world.

Bill Moyers asked Campbell, “Does the hero save the world or save himself?” Campbell answered easily, “He saves the world by saving himself.” He adds that “a vital person vitalizes,” and notes that if you follow the thread of the hero’s path you will never be alone, but with the world.

By exposing ourselves to the stories of others, especially those from different cultures, we broaden our world view, learn more about the universe, and are better equipped to find our own place in the world.

Storytelling happens constantly in an early childhood classroom. Children play-act, often rehearsing typical and comforting scenes of

home life. At meeting time, we read stories and discuss them or take turns sharing news from home. We gather with markers and paper and draw our first stories and when we share them, our friends learn a little bit about us and we in turn deepen our understanding of ourselves.

This added benefit of reflection and gaining further personal understanding has definitely become so much more evident to me as I write the story of my life, the sequence of events making sense when looked at years later.

I encourage parents to share their own stories of the events of their lives and family as their children grow. My son is intimately aware of so many stories of our family that give him perspective about himself and where he might have inherited certain traits, such as his grandfather’s penchant for both cooking and having a short temper! Knowing these stories creates a grounding and an ownership of our connected lives.

When picking books, keep in mind the hero’s journey. It can be found in the simplest of works, like a picture book called “The Most Magnificent Thing” by Ashley Spires, where the journey is illustrated in a day when a little girl struggles with making a specific contraption.

Until your kids can read these classics on their own, you can read them “The Wizard of Oz” or the C.S. Lewis series, which offer deeper depictions of the hero’s journey.

It is never too early to begin an understanding that life is indeed a journey, one with predictable struggles that develop character that we can be proud of, living life fully.

Jill Carstens is a proud Denver native, a passionate mom and a teacher her entire adult life! She has run Milestones Preschool here since 2011. If you have ideas for an article or further questions for Miss Jill, you can email her at jill@ denvernorthstar.com.

Allen Cowgill is the City Council District 1 appointee to the DOTI Advisory Board where he serves as the Board Secretary.

ALLEN COWGILL