The Denver North Star: October-November 2019

Volume 1, Issue 1

DenverNorthStar.com

October-November 2019

Your Guide to Community, Politics, Arts and Culture in North Denver

INSIDE Festival-Goers Break Free

Delivered Free

Community News Back in North Denver

by David Sabados

and Sabrina D’Agosta

W Community Street ‘Seen’: NHS Homecoming Pages 8-9 Sunnyside Music Festival Free of Fences

For the first time ever, this year, Sunnyside Music Festival-goers were free to enjoy alcoholic beverages throughout the park instead of cooped up behind a barrier. People relaxed on the lawn Sept.

14 and listened to Grown A$$ Man Band, Bonnie & the Clydes, YaSi, Don Chicharrón (pictured), and The Burroughs. Headline sponsors Sprouts Farmers Market and Zia Sunnyside were joined by many other local North Denver vendors. Keep an eye on sunnysidemusicfest.org for next year’s updates.

Politics Mayor on Equity Page 6

Dining

Pages 10-12

Health & Wellness Page 13

Arts & Culture Page 14

Schools Page 15

School Board Races Framed as Referendum on Education Reform David Sabados Sabrina D’Agosta hile school board elections may invoke images of bake sale funding and home-printed fliers, Denver’s elections have been anything but for the past decade.

This year looks to be no different, with six figures being raised in each race and outside groups spending even more to influence the election. North Denver voters will choose two new members for the Denver School Board: one representing North and West Denver in District 5, and one elected city-wide. A third district in SE Denver is also up for grabs.

This year’s election may decide the future of whether Denver Public Schools (DPS) continues down the education reform path or changes course with candidates who have a different vision. The Denver North by

and

W

Star sat down with the six candidates running in District 5 and At-Large to get their take on why they felt they were best for the role and the future of DPS. While the lines are not always clearly drawn, two distinct camps have emerged over the years: those in support of more traditional neighborhood schools and teacher pay structure, and education reform advocates, who have supported more charter schools, alternative licensing and test-based pay structures.

While in past years some candidates identified more strongly with the education reform movement, no candidate we interviewed said they fully embraced ed reform this year -- with some even rejecting what they called the divisive and “false narrative” between the two philosophies. One candidate called this year’s elec-

tion a “referendum on education reform.”

That doesn’t mean outside organizations aren’t spending on behalf of candidates they see best aligned with their interests though, and outside spending at times dwarfs what candidates themselves raise.

You can register to vote and check on your ballot at DenverVotes.org, and read more detailed analysis about the campaigns’ financing at Chalkbeat.org/co and CleanSlate.org. Ballots are due Nov. 5.

See interviews with District 5 Candidates Julie Bauelos, Page 3 Tony Curcio, Page 4 Brad Laurvick, Page 5 At-Large Candidates Tay Anderson, Page 6 Alexis Menocal Harrington, Page 7 Natela Manuntseva, Page 8

elcome to the new Denver North Star newspaper! We’re David and Sabrina, your editors. We hope you enjoy this first edition of the new monthly paper delivered to homes across North Denver.

You might ask: why start a community newspaper? In an era when big papers are cutting their local coverage and closing, community news becomes even more important.

This issue, for instance, has what we believe to be the largest coverage of the local school board election. Every month, we’ll be bringing you stories about local politics, community events and providing opportunities to connect local businesses to the community.

Sabrina spent 10 years as an award-winning print journalist and managing community newspapers. She spent another decade as a senior communications and policy advisor for state and local governments, including then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, the State of Colorado and Denver Public Schools.

David was the news editor of his college paper, but took the long route back to journalism, having spent over a decade working in local, state and national politics, including working with school board, city council, legislative and national candidates.

We met as opponents — both running for city council this past spring — where we saw how the closing of the North Denver Tribune left our community without a source of local news. After the election, we thought the best way to stay involved and give back was to fill that void, and The Denver North Star was born. We hope you enjoy reading these stories every month as much as we enjoy bringing them to you.

Heroes of the Year

Agnete Cohen (center) and her daughters Basha Cohen (left) Elisa Cohen (right), both of whom served as editors of the North Denver Tribune.

Welcome to the ’Hood

By Basha Cohen, former editor of the North Denver Tribune and lifelong Lois Lane

I Anderson, Ferguson Recognized

photo courtesy the Denver Optimists

The Northwest Denver Optimists Club recognized its annual heroes of the year Sept. 25 at Brown International Academy. Congratulations to this year’s heroes: Denver Police Community Resource Officer Bob Anderson (left) and Denver Firefighter Chris Ferguson (right). Denver Firefighter Mike Somma (center) presented the award on behalf of the Optimists. Both were selected for their exceptional public service.

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Page 2 | October-November 2019

The Denver

is proud to bring

community news

back to North Denver.

Send news tips and story ideas to news@denvernorthstar.com.

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@DenverNorthStar.

Get news updates and advertising info at DenverNorthStar.com.

We want to hear from you!

t is with much excitement and anticipation that I welcome The Denver North Star to the ’hood. A local newspaper is the lifeblood of a community.

Within the ink-soaked pages, it is a place to share joy, sorrow, opinions, local arts and cultural happenings, and heavy truths from city council to schools to roads, neighborhood issues and, yes, parking.

When the North Denver Tribune printed its final edition after 84 years, it was a deeply personal loss. The “paper” wasn’t just a job; it was the heart and soul of a community that I grew up in.

Because of it, my own community widened to include hundreds of long-time Northside natives and newbies, politicos, activists, merchants, registered neighborhood organizations, creatives, clergy, cops, principals, teachers, parents and kids that make up the great patchwork quilt of the Northside.

I was honored to learn and share stories from our elders and their offspring like Dennis Gallagher, Rudy Gonzales, Nettie Moore, Gene Smaldone, Wally Ginn, Sal Carpio, Dutchess Scheitler, Paul, Paula and Amanda Sandoval and Chief of Police Paul Pazen, to name just a handful. They reflected on the changes in North Denver from the diverse perspectives of the Anglo, German, Irish, Italian, Hispanic and Jewish cultures that co-mingled in the neighborhoods.

Versus some of today’s hot conversations on displacement, they collectively acknowledged that there were always changing faces and demographics that pulsed throughout the Northside over the years. Through their own individual lens of history their common experience agreed that Northwest Denver has always been a colorful tapestry of cultures and influences. Ethnic persuasion never stood in the path of diverse cultural friendships, many times spanning a lifetime of well over 50 years.

The Northside may have changed (and added a few new acronyms) since I went to Brown Elementary, Lake Junior High and North High School, but at its heart I really don’t think so. I still

live next door to the Garcias, Spicers, Conrads and Cohens (my parents and sister, Elisa, the long- time managing editor of the Tribune). We’ve all been anchors on Sloan’s Lake (NOT SloHi) since the 1950s and 60s. If you count my great grandfather and grandmother’s years since 1927 on West Colfax (NOT Westfax), there are still some serious native roots in Northwest Denver.

Admittedly, I have bemoaned the loss of so many architectural gems that gave way to tasteless tall boxes, but there are also modern homes and restorations that have been striking.

When my parents built a “mid-century modern” home in 1962, it must have felt like reckless abandon amidst a sea of ornate brick tudors from the 1920s.

When my grandmother sold her classic bungalow on 16th and Osceola for $17,000 in 1977 to a lovely Hispanic family that lived there for 40 years and ultimately sold the house for $675,000 in 2017, was that bad? No one forced my grandmother or her successor to sell.

Times change, circumstances change, neighborhoods change — and the need to have real conversations about change is critical. The heart of Northwest Denver has always been founded on acceptance and diversity. As a neighborhood, we can’t give in to hostility and bigotry.

It is my sincere hope that The Denver North Star will help bring these conversations to the community.

Perhaps during this polarizing time of Denver’s dramatic growth spurt, it would do all of us well to honor and embrace the memories, collective experiences and cultures that have made the Northside such a special place. A huge debt of personal gratitude goes to Cliff Bautsch and Elisa Cohen, as well as community supporters, for shepherding the North Denver Tribune through so many years of change and allowing me to throw in a few words along the way.

As we pass on the torch, it is with sincere congratulations and thanks to Sabrina and David for bringing back a much-missed voice for our ’hood with The Denver North Star. We look forward to you shedding your shining light on the place we call home.

The Denver North Star

Banuelos Back, Boasting Teaching Background Denver School Board District 5 Candidate Julie Banuelos

J

ulie Banuelos didn’t win an at-large seat when she ran two years ago, but that loss didn’t deter her, setting her sights on the District 5 seat in North Denver where she taught for 11 years.

As a teacher for a total of 16 years with the district, she worked primarily with English language learners, and she feels her experience as a teacher makes her uniquely qualified to serve on the school board.

“We’ve always had candidates come to our community and ask for our vote and promise us all these things they’re going to do on our behalf, but it’s never been the case -- it hasn’t happened,” Banuelos said. “I’m more radical instead of moderately always siding with the status quo.”

Banuelos doesn’t hold back with her criticisms of DPS, including the district’s failure to meet the 2012 consent decree and the district spending $168 million on what she considers bad financial deals and “predatory loans” in 2008 going back to (now) Senator Michael Bennet’s time as superintendent of Denver Public Schools. The consent decree was a 2012 order from a federal judge that requires DPS to offer more English language classes for students

with low language test scores, which a 2016 analysis showed the district was still not meeting.

She’s also skeptical of the education reform movement in Denver, saying “It’s created more manufactured segregation. It’s become a very expensive program.” She said that school choice sounds wonderful but doesn’t work in practice.

Banuelos is concerned that the district’s budget reflects a city of haves and have-nots, noting that 57 of the schools without cooling systems are in less affluent neighborhoods, while only three without cooling systems are in higher income areas.

As a former teacher, she wants to ensure teachers have more training before going into the classroom and are paid a living wage, noting that teaching is no longer a middle class profession as teachers can’t afford to live in the city. While she’s not opposed to alternative licensing programs as a whole, she singled out Teach for America as a problem specifically. “TFA has brought a lot of teachers that don’t look like the kids. They’re cheaper -- they’re replaceable by another group of college students but they don’t stay… you don’t want to have somebody you got off the street and trained in six weeks.”

Banuelos said she was a strong supporter of the teachers during the strike, but feels the teachers union leadership

District 5 Candidate Julie Banuelos has failed the members too often.

Regarding the Denver Plan 2020, DPS’ strategic plan, Banuelos said we need more “holistic support” for students: social workers, nurses and other professionals to help make sure students’ basic needs are met. “Are we providing kids with a solid start to the day when they come to school? Are we checking in with them about how they are doing emotionally?” For Banuelos, the answer to these questions is no, or at least not enough.

Banuelos also wants to bring back trade-oriented classes like woodshop and automotive, partnering with more apprenticeship programs, noting that only 35% of DPS students go on to college.

She believes it’s more than just poli-

cy differences that set her apart from her opponents though: “I resemble the majority of our kids, but I have a shared experience with them. I grew up in poverty. I’m bilingual. I understand how trauma impacts them.” She said she doesn’t believe her opponents have the depth of experience working with the schools and the district that she does and that her heritage is important to consider. “That board should reflect the students who attend DPS.” Without support from the teachers’ union or ed reform advocates, Banuelos hasn’t raised the same sums as her opponents. She said the bulk of her contributions have come from small dollar donors, including many educators.

Public records show her largest donor is Kaitlyn Peterson, a Denver librarian who contributed $600 at her campaign kickoff. The only contribution over $1,000 was an in-kind donation for campaign materials. She points to the endorsements of organizations including the Denver chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, elected leaders including freshman Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca and other community leaders as a strength of her campaign.

As a former teacher who is not currently working with the district, Banuelos does not believe she has any conflicts with serving on the board.

You can read more about Julie Banuelos at JulieforDPS.com.

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October-November 2019 | Page 3

Curcio Touts Broad District, Financial Experience

Denver School Board District 5 Candidate Tony Curcio

J

ust over three and one-half percent separated Tony Curcio from Arturo Jimenez, the eventual winner of the District 5 school board seat in 2007. In that race, Curcio was outspent more than 2-1 and may have been considered an underdog. This campaign, he’s leading in fundraising and has the support of the majority of the DPS board, including outgoing member Lisa Flores who has represented District 5 for the past four years, as well as ed reform organizations in support of his bid.

Curcio, who has served on the district’s Collaborative School Committee (CSC), Bond Oversight committee and has three children in DPS, believes his experience on volunteer boards within the district makes him the best candidate running. “I’ve been super active in education almost as long as I’ve been in North Denver,” noting he moved into the community 21 years ago and quickly became involved in an organization called Northwest Parents for Excellent Schools and served on the CSCs in his children’s schools. Curcio’s oldest child graduated from DPS and he has two others still at DPS schools.

Curcio said the current board is comprised of “amazing people” but notes

there isn’t anyone with the expertise in the capital construction and financial side that he brings. “I know what a school revitalization effort looks like,” Curcio said when asked why he’s the best choice.

Curcio believes his experience with different schools is a benefit, highlighting involvement with improvements at Brown International Academy and Remington elementary schools in North Denver. He sees a stark difference between the two, believing that Brown had strong community engagement where Remington did not (Remington has since closed). For Curcio, that parent and community engagement is key to a school’s success.

Heat in schools has been a topic at the start of every school year when classroom temperatures have skyrocketed, and Curcio said there are 57 schools still needing heat mitigation.

“There are limits on our bonding capacity and we know that we need new schools. It’s this balance,” noting that different schools needed different improvements. He believes finishing cooling systems is a $200 million project and supports it being part of the next bond in 2020.

He’s also concerned with the handoff of school improvements from private contractors to the district. “I’ve heard a number of stories where we have schools where we’ve spent a lot of mon-

District 5 Candidate Tony Curcio ey and the system still doesn’t work,” he said. “We need to get what we paid for.”

Curcio thinks the district also needs to spend more on ensuring culturally-relevant curriculum and attracting teachers of color in addition to other spending priorities.

In regard to the achievement gap, he said, “we know we’re not there,” but sees “a glimmer of hope” in the district.

“We’ve done a great job in terms of [improving the] graduation rate,” but wants to see more data on how students fair when they enter college. “We’re telling our kids they are the valedictorian of the school and then we’re sending them to college and having remedial classes.”

Curcio worries that teachers don’t feel respected, something he sees as

different from his run in 2007. “I didn’t know how bad it was,” he said, noting that the district has a lot of work to do in order to rebuild trust between the administration and classroom educators. Curcio, who is the son of two teachers, said he’s glad the district gave teachers a raise after the strike.

While Curcio said he has a mixed view of ed reform, five of the seven sitting school board members (Rowe, Cobian, Flores, Haynes, O’Brien), all of whom are considered education reformers, are supporting Curcio. Curcio’s largest donor is Ron Williams, a former oil and gas CEO who donated $10,000 to Curcio’s campaign. Curcio said the donation is not just about ideology, however (Williams has a history of supporting candidates who favor charters and other education reform efforts) — the two worked together on efforts at the National Western Center. A Denver Post article last month analyzed candidate contributions and showed Curcio raised a considerably higher percentage of funds from within the city than Laurvick and slightly more than Banuelos.

Curcio, like his opponents, doesn’t believe he has any conflict on serving, noting that the construction company he works for hasn’t bid on DPS contracts and won’t in the future.

You can read more about Tony Curcio at tonycurciofordenverkids.com.

Friends and Neighbors, I was able to get to know many of you when we came together to turn around Brown Elementary School. That was an incredible and humbling experience for me.

A decade ago, Brown was the lowest performing school in the area. As a community – working with teachers, families and the district – we were able to create a new and inspiring vision, and to change many young lives.

Today, Brown is one of the most sought- after schools in North and West Denver. It stands as a model of what our community can achieve when we truly come together to serve our kids.

My children benefited greatly from that turn around, as have thousands of children since. But our work will not be complete until each child in every Denver school has access to a high quality education. We must act as a community and we must act now.

That’s why I’m running for School Board. I hope that I can count on your vote on Tuesday, November 5th.

Sincerely, Tony Curcio Son of two teachers, DPS Parent, Child Advocate, and DPS Board of Education Candidate

VOTE TONY CURCIO NOV. 5TH Page 4 | October-November 2019

The Denver North Star

Laurvick Believes Record of Service Sets Him Apart

Denver School Board District 5 Candidate Brad Laurvick

B

rad Laurvick said he has a “heart for making sure every single student in Denver thrives,” both in the classroom and as they are sent out into the world, and he doesn’t think DPS is meeting the needs of the majority of its students, especially students of color.

Laurvick, a DPS parent, parent teacher association (PTA) and classroom volunteer, and reverend at Highlands United Methodist church, said his service to the community sets him apart and makes him the best candidate to serve on the board. For Laurvick, service has been a pursuit at least as far back as when he was in high school, when he would spend his lunch hours reading to elementary school students and as a bilingual volunteer with the orchestra program.

“I’m someone who spends every single day serving the community,” Laurvick said. “Over the last decade, I’ve built relationships and trust and have already demonstrated my capacity to serve and work alongside people. I’m someone who really does believe in building relationships, including with people who believe differently than me.”

He said Denver has the third worst achievement gap in the country and students aren’t given enough access

to apprenticeships or other career options. Laurvick is focused on dismantling systemic racism he sees in DPS, noting that while an overall 40% of Denver’s third graders are reading at grade level, 60% of white students read at grade level, but that number is in the low 20s for Latino and Black students.

Regarding the education reform movement in Denver, Laurvick believes there is potential but it hasn’t been used equitably, noting that two-thirds of students in DPS are or have been on a free- and reduced- cost lunch plan (an indicator of poverty), but only onethird of students who utilize the school choice process are, meaning students from more affluent families are significantly more likely to fully use DPS’ choice process.

Laurvick said he is “grateful” for the support of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (teachers’ union), stating “we took a good step” with the recent strike. “I’m running for school board for the same reasons I supported teachers during the strike: making sure that every student gets a wonderful education; making sure that resources are in the classroom.” Leading up to the strike, the union held community meetings at his church.

DCTA Fund, a political arm of the teachers’ union, has donated $20,000 to Laurvick’s campaign directly, in addition to a $1,250 in-kind contribution, making them the single largest direct

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District 5 Candidate Brad Laurvick donor to a campaign. Historically, the union had been the biggest donor to campaigns, but has been dwarfed by education reform groups and individual donors in recent years. Laurvick’s other supporting organizations include Padres & Jóvenes Unidos Action Fund, Colorado Working Families Party and several labor unions. Laurvick also highlighted the endorsements of former senator and school board member Lucia Guzman, her successor Senator Julie Gonzales, House District 4 Representative Serena Gonzales-Guiterrez, Councilwoman At-Large Debbie Ortega and other elected officials.

In addition to teacher compensation, Laurvick is concerned about compensation for other professionals in schools, believing it’s a benefit when

those who work in our schools have the ability to live in that community, if they so choose.

When asked how he would approach the budget and pay for additional compensation, Laurvick points to his 15 years of budget experience with nonprofit organizations and a belief in “value-based budgeting,” as well as increased financial transparency for the district. “Right now, only 48% of the money DPS brings in from our taxes goes into the classroom… and it has been sliding over the past decade.”

Regarding his faith and career as a Methodist minister, Laurvick reiterated how he’s driven to serve the community in a number of ways, but wanted to make clear that his “faith values don’t shape decisions I make for other people in policy,” noting that he worked with families of many faiths to ensure the winter program at his son’s school wasn’t just a Christmas program but included aspects of other traditions, as well.

Laurvick doesn’t believe he has any conflicts of interest that would impact his board service. His church does run a preschool, and he said he would sit down with the district’s legal team to ensure there is no conflict. He noted his job has a lot of flexibility to be able to serve on the volunteer board while working (Denver school board members are unpaid).

You can read more about Brad Laurvick at BradForDenverSchools.com.

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Anderson: This Election a ‘Referendum’ on Reform Denver School Board At-Large Candidate Tay Anderson

A

t just 21-years-old, Tay Anderson is by far the youngest person running for school board. But he said he’s matured a lot since he lost his bid for school board in District 4 (Northeast Denver) two years ago. He said he’s better able to relate to students because, “People can come talk with me because I’m not 50 years old, I’m one of them.”

Tay is quick to point out that he is the only at-large candidate who graduated from Denver Public Schools (his opponents graduated from Westminster and Cherry Creek public schools), and he said that “lived, direct experience” is what sets him apart from his challengers. “It’s one thing to go to students and ask what they want to add to the conversation, but it’s another to have lived that story,” he said. Anderson was the student body president at Manual High School for three years and served on the district’s Student Board of Education.

He said his experience in school support roles matters as well. Rather than going to college and getting into debt, he said, he chose to work as a paraprofessional in DPS just out of high school.

He later went to Aurora Public Schools where he was a campus safety monitor, and now works at North High School as

a restorative justice counselor.

His experience working as a paraprofessional making just $12 an hour led him to advocate for teacher pay during the strike this spring, noting “even though I lost their endorsement in 2017, I still showed up on the picket line.” This year, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (teachers’ union) has contributed more than $10,000 to his campaign in the form of in-kind contributions for digital ads and printing.

He said while having teachers behind him means a lot, “we wish we were receiving more help, but understand that these are union member dues; they aren’t funded by millionaires.”

And though Anderson said he thinks teacher pay still needs to grow, he said he won’t advocate for more until other student support staff — such as paraprofessionals, janitors and bus drivers — get the raises they need. “I want $25 an hour for paras. I strongly believe that you should be able to work one job when you work with kids,” he said.

In addition to DCTA, Anderson is backed by the Denver Area Labor Federation and his largest monetary donation is $1,000 from Scott Balderman, who is running for school board in Southeast Denver. Anderson has endorsements from U.S. Congresswoman Diana DeGette and U.S. Congressmen Jason Crow and Joe Neguse, former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, State

At-Large Candidate Tay Anderson Representative Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, and former School Board Member Arturo Jimenez, among others.

Anderson said he was motivated to run for office because the district closed Manual High School while he was a student there, and he didn’t feel he had a voice in the decision.

He said the district has been “selling out our schools to the highest bidder and closing them,” and instead needs to ensure neighborhood schools are a viable option for families.

“It isn’t choice if you have to get up at 5:30 in the morning to get a bus to go somewhere else because we closed the schools in their neighborhoods,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to leave your neighborhood because those schools

don’t perform.”

When asked his thoughts on the education reform movement, he said “it has been a failure” and that this election “needs to be a referendum on reform and we need to flip our board.”

He also said he is the only candidate running on a gender equity platform.

He wants to see schools provide feminine hygiene products to students. He said one in five young women miss one class or more during their menstrual cycle, and he wants to put an end to that. He also wants to ensure there are “Gender X” bathrooms in all schools, and said he led the charge on that policy proposal, which other candidates have since signed on to.

Anderson said it’s a priority to increase the number of educators of color. “As the only African American running across the entire district…

We need to show especially our black male students that you can almost drop out, not go to college, and go on to be elected for school board, retire from board at 29 and go to college to become a teacher and return to schools. That’s what I want my story to be.”

If elected, Anderson would have to resign from his job at North High School, but said he has already committed to stay in a volunteer role working with the debate club for the next four years.

You can read more about Tay Anderson at tayanderson.org.

Electric Car Mayor Sees Equity as Guiding Principle of Third Term Show Wows “I don’t necessrily look at growth as a bad thing.”

by David Sabados

by David Sabados

T

he quietest car show in Denver was in front of the City and County Building last month.

The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment partnered with private owners and dealerships to show off many of the electric car options available for purchase.

Participants had the opportunity to talk through the different options and test drive a variety of vehicles to compare them back to back.

Denver has nearly 400 charging stations, the majority of which are downtown. While many charging stations are universal, others cater to specific car types.

There are an estimated 2,000 stations across the state. The city estimates electric vehicles are charged at home 80% of the time, according to its website.

Page 6 | October-November 2019

T

his past spring, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock faced several serious challengers to his reelection, but when the votes were counted, he was returned to office by a comfortable margin. Now, a few months into his third and final term, he said he’s focused on addressing the “missing middle” of housing and increasing transportation options.

“I don’t necessarily look at growth as a bad thing,” Hancock said in a recent interview with The Denver North Star, noting how we live in a desirable city.

Rather than wanting to stop growth, Hancock said he’s focused on accommodating and managing growth: boosting wages and finding new ways to ensure housing that’s being built is affordable to middle class Denverites. Hancock, along with at-large Councilwoman Robin Kniech, are the two key proponents of increasing Denver’s minimum wage (more on that in next month’s issue).

One of the biggest efforts he says his administration is tackling is the bureaucracy that drives up the cost of building middle class housing. He said the city will be rolling out new policies that will expedite building processes that can drive up the cost of housing, making it out of reach for many.

Growth can also mean more danger-

— Denver Mayor Michael Hancock

ous roads, however, and Hancock said he continues to be committed to “Vision Zero,” the goal of ending traffic fatalities. He said the city is doing this by synchronizing traffic lights to help improve traffic flow and that “critical infrastructure investments” for pedestrians are necessary for arterial streets like Federal Boulevard, including wider sidewalks, trees and buffers between foot, bike and car travelers. Hancock said he is also pushing federal partners for greater investment.

Regarding parks and recreation, Hancock said several facilities in North Denver are targeted for renovation, but the priority has been on other parts of the city that lacked any facilities at all.

The Carla Madison recreation center is the most recent regional level facility to open, back in early 2018. A spokesperson for Hancock did follow up with current projects in North Denver, including improvements to Heron pond and the renovation of Swansea Park.

“Pay as you throw” trash collection was a widely discussed topic during the spring elections, and Hancock said those plans are still underway. “As you look at our 2020 budget, we are continuing to make the investments necessary

to bring pay as you throw onboard, including the ordering of new trucks and barrels,” he said. Hancock returned to the idea of equity, noting that even a nominal change in costs can impact some families and wanted to ensure it’s implemented in a way that takes working families into account. Watch for more updates early next year.

One topic that’s sure to be contentious in North Denver? Historic designations, particularly owner-opposed efforts like the recent fight over Tom’s Diner that made national news. A closed mortuary in the Berkeley neighborhood may be one of the next big fights (see Page 14), though advocates on both sides are seeing if an agreement can be reached.

City Council has discussed whether the process around owner-opposed designations needs to change. “We need to take a real serious look at that,” Hancock said. He doesn’t believe it’s a fair process when property owners have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to defend their property rights, but at the same time, he believes historic preservation is “extremely important” to the city. How that balance will play out in North Denver is one topic that won’t be going away anytime soon.

The Denver North Star

Harrigan: Reform Debate a ‘Divisive, False Narrative’ Denver School Board At-Large Candidate Alexis Menocal Harrigan

A

lexis Menocal Harrigan believes we need a parent and someone who has been a DPS student on the Denver school board. Harrigan said her identity is very tied to the district: as a former student, a former district employee, having worked and volunteered in schools, and as a mother with two children (one in a DPS elementary school and another starting next year).

Harrigan attended elementary school in Westwood. As a first generation American, Harrigan said her Mexican immigrant parents did not want to send her to schools that weren’t serving Latino students well, so they eventually left the district. As a result, she calls herself a “strong supporter of school choice” because she sees herself as a product of that system.

“I easily could have been one of the students who have fallen through the cracks—especially students of color— and I should be the rule not the exception,” she said. “No family should have to leave their district because their neighborhood schools are not serving their children well,” she said, adding that is the case for too many students today.

Harrigan is frustrated by what she calls the politically divisive conversation

around school choice, charter schools and education reform, calling the often heated debate “a false narrative.”

“I don’t like to label things as binary. I think it depends on who you are talking to. If you are talking to a parent who has insisted on quality education and actually now has it, they may feel they have seen success because of ed reforms,” she said. “If, however, you were a student or teacher in a building that was closed, it’s hard to see that as success because it feels personal.”

Harrigan said her experience as the district’s government and public affairs specialist allowed her to see these dynamics up close and personal.

She wants the community to have “a more informed dialogue about what’s at stake” in this election. She said that only four in 10 kids of color are reading at grade level in DPS elementary schools, and only three in 10 are proficient in math. “That, to me, is unacceptable,” she said. “I think we have made significant progress for Latino and Black students, but it hasn’t been fast enough. We need a board who can work to close the gap, and someone who has a laser focus on equity in education.”

Harrington is endorsed by a majority of the current board members.

Harrigan is proposing a “truth and reconciliation commission” in which the school board would go to communities and “admit the fault and harm and

At-Large Candidate Alexis Menocal Harrigan trauma DPS has inflicted, and apologize to communities we’ve ripped apart, students and teachers whose schools we’ve closed and jobs we ended.”

Most importantly, she said we need a school board member “who understands the fight that parents have every day and who will fight for our children the way only a parent knows how.

The fight and passion I bring for my children is the same one I will bring for every single child in DPS.” She said that vision aligns with the goals of her biggest donors: Dick and Judy Weil, whom she met through the Colorado I Have A Dream Foundation, contributed $5,000, and she received $10,000 donations from Bruce Ben-

son and Ron Williams, a former oil and gas CEO who has a history of giving to reform candidates. Dan Ritchie and George Sparks each gave $1,000.

Despite the large contributions she’s received, she said she thinks “it’s unfortunate that we don’t have contribution limits for school board races, especially since they are volunteer, unpaid positions.” She is endorsed by the reform organization Stand for Children, and Better Schools for a Stronger Colorado independent expenditure committee has sent mail in support of her campaign.

On the recent teacher strike, Harrigan said she was proud to stand with her child’s teacher on the picket line. She said teachers aren’t paid enough and wouldn’t be even if they got another 11% increase. “We are operating with finite resources and that means we have to find creative solutions to difficult policy decisions. Too often, I hear political pandering and empty promises -- you won’t hear that from me.”

Harrigan no longer works for DPS and doesn’t believe she has any conflicts. Asked how she would balance the time constraints on the unpaid position with no staff and few resources, she laughed a little. “We need people with experience multitasking and juggling many things at once, and there is no one better equipped to do that than a mom.” You can learn more about Alexis Menocal Harrigan at alexisfordps.com.

Manuntseva: Focus on English-Language Learners Denver School Board At-Large Candidate Natela Manuntseva

N

atela Manuntseva’s family moved to Denver in 2000 as political and religious refugees fleeing Uzbekistan.

She was 11 years old at the time and didn’t speak a word of English, but because she was the youngest in her family, she said she picked it up faster than her siblings.

She said that because her single mother didn’t speak English, she couldn’t help her with school work, and the teacher she often sought out couldn’t be available all the time. So she found an afterschool program at the local library that she credits with helping her succeed in school. She started volunteering there to help other kids when she was just 14.

Today, she teaches acting part time at a vocational school, in addition to her full time job with a national beverage company. She also volunteers working with foster children. She said she and her fellow drama teachers see a lot of kids struggling with the basics, and her colleagues encouraged her to run for the school board.

As a student, Manuntseva attended a DPS school, but Glendale was later redistricted and she had to attend a The Denver North Star

Cherry Creek School after that. She said, as a student, she didn’t have the background to understand why she had to go to another school or whether she had any choice in the matter. She wants to change those experiences for the one-third of DPS students — roughly 33,000 kids — whose first language is not English.

She doesn’t think the district has done a good job of engaging these families. She said DPS’ standard has been to have two English Language Acquisition family meetings per year, and now it’s being increased to once a month.

“That’s a great start, but the majority of the time, those meetings are held at 3 in the afternoon, and my experience as a refugee is that my mother was never able to attend those meetings because she was working and didn’t have transportation,” she said. She suggests the district should be reaching out to the community, asking what their issues and concerns are, and then formulating meetings. She added, “I think it’s essential to cultivate relationships in the community to make sure everyone feels welcome.”

While Manuntseva does not have any children of her own, she said she brings a different perspective. “I am one of the few candidates who has been in the business world, I volunteer with the community and want to focus on the

At-Large Candidate Natela Manuntseva budget and making it transparent,” she said. “We have been going along with the status quo and everyone agrees we need to do more to provide the best opportunities for every student in DPS.” As for school choice and education reform, she said “I think each parent knows what’s best for their child and will make the decision based on that.

Not every student fits the same box.”

She said she thinks it’s important for kids to understand what kind of learner they are, and to have access to a broad variety of programs and apprenticeships.

She said she’s deeply disappointed that DPS students aren’t exposed to more professionals in the community.

She recounted a conversation she had in which she asked a foster child what she wanted to be when she grew up.

“She said she wants to be a waitress,” Manuntseva paused. “I looked at her and asked if there was anything else she aspired to, and despite her having a beautiful voice and being very talented, all she knew was to be a waitress. That broke my heart. I want her to give her the tools to see other opportunities.”

Manuntseva concedes that she has a very small budget for her campaign, in part because she just jumped in two months ago, saying she felt the other candidates were “just a continuation of the status quo, and I want to provide an option to voters.” Her largest contribution to date is $2,000 from a former coworker.

She doesn’t believe she has any potential conflicts of interest since the vocational school she works for is not a DPS school.

She said running for office has been “fascinating.” She said, “I’m running for students, parents and teachers to ensure everyone feels heard and that we create better schools for all. That is the sole reason I am running. My interests have been clear: I want to have an impact and make sure future generations are equipped to succeed.”

You can learn more about Natela Manuntseva at NatelaForColorado.com.

October-November 2019 | Page 7

A

by Basha Cohen

s the sweltering heat of dog days gave way to the first touch of fall, the community regaled in a last gasp of summer. Tents, bands, food trucks and boating brought neighbors together at a variety of events throughout the Northside. Here’s a visual recap:

Street ‘Seen’: Las

photos by Sabrina D’Agosta

Jewels of Highlands

The entire community rallied to support Skinner & Lake Middle School at the annual Jewels of Highlands home tour. Old beauties and modern lake front homes shared the spotlight in the everchanging face of the neighborhood developments.

Jenny Apel’s Nostalgic Homes commitment to community, alongside the many visitors’, raised close to $50,000 for the schools!

photo by Basha Cohen

Jammin’ on the Jetty

Jammin’ on the Jetty celebrated the Sloan’s Lake neighborhood with a lakefront jam fest. Luckily, it didn’t have the tumultuous skies of last year’s event where 20 tents were hurled into the lake by an insane summer storm. All was calm this summer and inventor of the event, Captain AJ Steinke, took friends out on his pontoon boat for a spin around the pond.

Sunnyside Music Festival

photos by Basha Cohen

The annual Sunnyside Music Fest treated the throngs of two-andfour legged creatures to good tunes and a sneak peek of Northsider and Colorado’s Poet Laureate Bobby LeFebre’s play “Welcome to the Northside.” It was a sell-out show at Su Teatro that culminated in two final nights at North High School. LeFebre donated $2,000 to the theatre program for his alma mater.

Page 8 | October-November 2019

Sloan’s Lake

There’s lots of ne days. The Sloan’ Gum Pop and Ju streets of the still More than 100 ve Sip” amidst stree for the over 21 cr

The Denver North Star

st

Gasp of Summer A

ll in all, a beautiful end to summer. Next up, the boo-tiful spooky season strikes! (Look for fall community events and Halloween treats in our community calendar on page 15.)

photos by Basha Cohen

North High School Homecoming

The North High School homecoming parade, chili cook off and bonfire brought hundreds of families and students together. Hollywood themed floats, sports teams, cheer squads, and local elementary and middle schools joined in the celebration of our neighborhood high school’s success that continues to show growth and expansion. Over 1,150 students attend the school this year, tracking in honors, advanced placement (AP) and enrichment classes. The football team played against West High School the following day and took the glory with a 28-6 victory. Go Vikings!

Colfax Westfest

e Fall Bazaar

photos by Basha Cohen

ews on the West Colfax front these ’s Lake Fall Bazaar was presented by uan Padro’s Sloan’s Tap & Burger on the l-to-be-finished SLOAN’S development. endors got in the action for the “Shop & et dancing and plenty of elbow bending rowd.

The Denver North Star

photos by Basha Cohen

The inaugural Colfax Westfest introduced newbies to the re-energized West Colfax strip. Seedstock celebrated with an Oktoberfest featuring the Alan Polivka Band and a whole lot of cheering going on. The West Colfax Country Club debuted its future micro-hotel digs with an eccentric “1960s Palm Springs” party. This old gas station has some kooky tricks up its sleeve in the coming year. Barfly at the Alamo featured the Robby Wicks band, Little Man Ice Cream’s factory ran tours of the new 6,000-square-foot production kitchen and tasting room. Sara Roybal danced Yo Soy Joaquin at Duality Fit, and painters and magicians brought art to the streets.

October-November 2019 | Page 9

Dining

a Taste of

Highlands

photo courtesy Lynn Bartels, Colorado Politics

The Monkey Barrel generously hosted The Denver North Star’s launch event Sept.

19. State Board of Education member Val Flores, left, and state Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, third from left, were among those who came to show their support for North Star founders David Sabados and Sabrina D’Agosta.

Monkey Barrel Bringing the Bronx to North Denver

by Sabrina D’Agosta

T

he Monkey Barrel is bringing Benny Blancos to North Denver. Benny Blancos has been bringing a slice of the Bronx to Capitol Hill for more than 25 years, and now, Northsiders can get their fill of the delicious pizza at Monkey Barrel, located at 4401 Tejon St. Monkey Barrel owner Jimmy Nigg said they’ll pull the plug on their existing menu Tuesday, Sept. 24 to make room for the second location of Benny Blancos. “It’s going to be a great fit for us and for the neighborhood,” he said, adding that they deliver pizza from their current location until 4 a.m.!

While The Denver North Star will miss the delicious vegetarian green chili Pedro tots, we’re always excited for pizza!

Benny Blancos current menu includes six specialty pizzas, including the Green Giant (spinach, tomato, feta) and the C.B.R. (chicken, bacon, ranch), or build your own and select from over two dozen toppings. Start with appetizers and salads, and end with classic Italian desserts like tiramisu and cheesecake.

If you’re not up for pizza (say it isn’t so), Benny Blancos also offers calzones (even a deep fried version), sandwiches with chips, and full Italian dinners with garlic rolls. Check out the full menu at https://www.bennyblancos303.com, or just swing by Monkey Barrel, grab a beer and your favorite ’80s game con-

Page 10 | October-November 2019

sole, and order from the new menu. You won’t be disappointed.

The Monkey Barrel originally opened in LoHi on 16th & Platte in 2013 with the slogan “Local Beer & Live Music.”

The Monkey Barrel quickly became a hotspot for local talent and great local beer. It was voted “Best New Bar” by the Denver Westword and received national attention after a mural of Peyton Manning was created on the side of the building one week prior to Superbowl XLVIII. After four years in business, The Monkey Barrel and its staff were forced out of the building to make way photo by Sabrina D’Agosta for new construction.

Sweet Enough for a Highlands Princess In 2017, the Monkey Barrel reopened Three-and-a-half year old Campbell Bush of the Highlands enjoyed a tasty treat in its new home at West 44th Ave. and with her parents at the Taste of Highlands on Sept. 19. The zero-waste culinary Tejon St., after a year of construction event featured 25 Northwest Denver food and beverage vendors, including: El and what they lovingly refer to as the Camino, Sweet Cow, Happy Bakeshop, Vital Root, The Matador, Sartos, Rev“Fight for their Right” for live music elry Kitchen, Duo, Pizzeria Locale, Himchuli, The Wayback, The Bindery, Sushi due to some neighbors’ concerns about Hai, Wendell’s, Postino, Allegro, Teatulia, Oasis Brewery, Zuni Street Brewing, noise. The live music room features a Hogshead and Briar Common. Watch for info on next year’s 9th annual Taste at Beastie Boys mural along the wall and tasteofhighlands.com. has an extended patio with garage doors open during the summer.

The Monkey Barrel offers 20 local beers on tap, and an awesome collection of signed music memorabilia from Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash, Henry Rolby David Sabados lins and Sublime, to name a few. While orth Denver ice cream fiends no you eat and drink, you can enjoy free longer need to worry about bevideo games, pinball machines, two ing too far from Little Man Ice Cream patios, themed trivia, and spectacular when traveling to the wilds of Park Hill DJ-hosted brunches and live music. with the opening of DANG soft serve ice cream in the Oneida Park Center.

The sixth and latest member of the little man ice cream empire, DANG features eight flavors, including two vegan photo by David Sabados options. The bomb cyclone, DANG’s signature offering, blends nearly count- peak, saying how they hope it’s more less possibilities of ice cream and over than just a job — that it should also be a learning experience. He also praised two dozen topping options.

On the warmer side, they also offer Little Man’s Director of Marketing (and french fries that can double as an ice former North Denver Tribune editor) cream spoon or be dipped into their Basha Cohen for her work with schools house-made “DANG DIP,” a sriracha and the community.

The grand opening Sept. 20 included spiced ranch sauce.

Owner Paul Tamburello stressed the a silent disco and ’80s costume party. youth-oriented nature of the business DANG Ice Cream is located at 2211 when speaking to press at a sneak- Oneida St. in Park Hill.

Little Man Opens DANG N

The Denver North Star

Food for Thought: A Look at Local Dining

by Chef Scott Durrah ello, North Denver! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chef Scott Durrah. I have been a proud resident, chef, restaurateur and cannabis business owner in North Denver for 15 years. Many of you have dined at my establishments, Jezebels Southern Bistro or 8 Rivers in the past, or shop at my store Simply Pure in LoHi. I share that with you as I am about to take you on a culinary journey of North Denver highlighting some of the best local spots.

Over the last several years, our neighborhoods have changed so much as restaurants, cafés, bars and breweries have popped up everywhere. Today, many of us only need to walk out our front door and the choices are endless.

North Denver has always been a culinary stage for local chefs and families who dominated the restaurant scene bringing culture to our neighborhoods for many years. Today, we see more restaurant chains and corporate establishments along our corridors. Many of the spots we loved are not here and others find it hard to compete with corporate establishments.

That’s where I come in! I have always been one of the locals and I decided to write this monthly column to give a voice to local establishments, allowing them to share their stories that each of you can share in your social circle.

I also ask you, the reader, to share with me the hot spots and little treasures in your ’hood. Maybe it’s the food, perfect cup of tea or coffee, coldest brew, ambiance, cool bartender or just “you like the owners” — let me know.

My job will be to visit these unique businesses, not as a critic but rather as

Quality Fish Market Since 1974 Hours Of Operation Tuesday - Saturday 11-7 Sunday 11-5 Monday Closed

H

3457 W. 32nd Ave. Denver, CO 80211 SeafoodLandingMarket.com a storyteller. I remember the Yelp and food reviews I received and their impact on my restaurants. Ouch!!! So, with that being said, I’ll let the readers be the food critic — my goal is to tell the story. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll share my opinion but always with a positive vibe.

I may occasionally share a recipe or two for the holidays, a cool cocktail concoction I stumbled upon, or new culinary trends, such as cooking with cannabis.

It’s all about what’s going on in North Denver’s food scene and what you — the reader — wants. So, when you see me strolling in your establishment, notebook in hand, invite me in and let’s chat.

Before I sign off, I want to salute the North Denver local restaurant pioneers of the last 10 to 20 years who took a chance when our neighborhoods looked a little different. They invested in our communities when others wouldn’t and many of them are still standing. I will mention a few that I remember and apologize for those I missed. Thank you to Mead Street Station, Mondo Vino, Pizza Alley, Pagliacci, Tap & Burger, Root Down, La Loma, Lolas, Little Man Ice Cream, Common Grounds, Proto’s Pizza, Café Brazil and many, many more.

Let the journey begin!

Jack-n-Grill Facelift

photo by Sabrina D’Agosta

The beloved old Jack-n-Grill restaurant at W. 26th Ave. and Federal Blvd. has been closed several years now, but the building is finally getting a facelift in preparation for a new Thai restaurant rumored to be opening soon.

The Denver North Star

11” Margherita Pizza Expires 10/31/19, no cash value,no modifications or substitutions, not to be combined with other offers.

October-November 2019 | Page 11

New Grocer Offers Locally-Sourced Options, Bar I

by David Sabados

f you’ve ever felt a glass of wine would augment your grocery shopping experience, Locavore has you covered. If you’ve wanted to grab take-out for dinner and pick up groceries for the next morning’s breakfast, they can do that, too.

Leevers Locavore grocery store aims to be both an affordable grocery store carrying your everyday foodstuffs and a “community hub,” according to General Manager Chris Franklin. Near the entrance will be a bar serving coffee, as well as wine and beer, so customers can grab their morning caffeine or unwind on their way home. On the far wall are three restaurant counters: a pizzaria, made-to-order sushi and a chartrucerie. Customers can grab take-out or eat at the counter. Upstairs on the mezzanine level is seating for a few dozen more patrons.

Franklin says they aren’t trying to be a food court or a full bar though, highlighting that it’s a grocery store with a few additional features. The majority of the store is dedicated to being a traditional grocery store, with a heavy focus on locally sourced products and some national brands offering baseline value items. A community survey the company sent out while planning the store said potential customers wanted organic and locally-sourced options, but cost

photos by David Sabados

Leevers Locavore is a new local-based grocer set to open soon on W. 38th Ave. between Bryant and Clay streets.

“A carnivore eats meat.

An herbivore eats vegetables.

A locavore eats local.” was also a major factor and the store is striving to meet everyone’s needs.

“A carnivore eats meat. An herbivore eats vegetables. A locavore eats local,” Franklin is fond of saying. Even the butcher counter has a local flair, bringing in a chef known for his work with several neighborhood restaurants.

The building has been a number of grocers over the years, starting off as Miller’s grocery in the 1950s. Most recently, it was a Save-A-Lot, also owned

by Leevers. In renovating the building, designers wanted a modern feel while giving acknowledgment to the

past. The rustic hardwood floors are restored, having laid beneath the linoleum flooring of the Save-A-Lot for years. Some tables are actually built using wood from the ceiling (nothing structural, Franklin made sure to mention) and the now-exposed steel beams show more history of the building, giving a blend of old and new.

Locavore is looking to hire locally as well, with positions being posted soon as the store moves closer to opening.

Leevers Locavore is located at 2630 W. 38th Ave., between Bryant and Clay streets in North Denver.

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Health & Wellness

Hunting Our Own Saber-Toothed Tiger

by Erika Taylor

W

ell, it happened. It never fails. Every year, that morning comes. It’s dark. It’s damp. It’s downright chilly. My bed covers are cozy and it seems an impossible idea that I should have to tousle the dog from my feet and leave my cocoon.

Five more minutes. The lure of the snooze button! If I just skip my morning mobility routine, I can get through my morning to-do list and make the carpool cutoff in plenty of time. Why on earth would I get up before I absolutely have to???

Why, indeed!

If the motivation to pursue your wellness goals is waning along with the warmth of summer, you are not alone.

When we wake up to darkness outside, it can feel much less natural to hop out of bed. Metabolisms slow during the colder months. And when the sun sets before we’re home, it may be less inviting to lace up those shoes and head out to move.

Sunlight triggers the release of hormones in our brains, boosting mood and helping us feel focused. Darkness cues our brain to sleep. So no wonder!

It is normal to feel a bit “meh” this time of year.* Which brings us back to our question. Why WOULD we skip the snooze and make time for our wellness practice even in the face of reduced motivation. Why? It’s the first question we have to answer.

Paleolithic man would have largely retreated to his cave. He’d have hunkered down and gone out only when driven by hunger. His life would conform to the natural rhythms of the planet. But not ours. We are no longer bound by the natural cadence of the changing seasons. Our lives don’t slow down in the winter, but we are no longer spurred to rise before the sun by the need to hunt down our food. So many of us struggle to stick with the wellness routines we established during the warmer, brighter months.

Paleolithic man’s alarm clock was his rumbling tummy. His workout was procuring food. He didn’t rely on motivational techniques, coaches or accountability groups. He moved because he had to. Avoiding starvation was why he ran. And while our lives today beat his for comfort, that may make it tough to convince ourselves to do the things we know are best for our wellness. There is no saber-toothed tiger spurring us to run for our lives. So, why would we?

Our list of reasons for wanting a wellness practice are as diverse as we are.

Injury or illness may drive us. Becom-

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ing a parent. An employer offering a discount on insurance. Waking up one morning and discovering our favorite pants don’t button. These are all inspiring reasons. Inspiration is a good start.

The word inspire means “to breathe life into.” Things that inspire us, make us feel motivated. Shedding 10 pounds prior to a beach vacation may be inspiring. But, it’s not likely to get us out of our cozy beds when the bikini is a distant memory. If we are going to crawl out of our caves when motivation wanes, we need a reason as compelling as our ancestors had. We need a ‘why.’

More than an immediate reason; ‘why’ is the sense of purpose that compels us to push forward, even if it requires sacrifice and guides us in creating habits. When a client says, “I want to start exercising”, my first question is always the same: “Why?” The answer is usually something like, “to lose weight” or “I want more energy.”

Again, my question to them is: Why? I keep asking until we get to “more energy so I can parent more patiently” or “to control my blood sugar because I am at risk of premature death.”

If you are looking for that thing that will compel you to skip the snooze button, ask: What do I value? What would being unwell take from my life? Who in my life needs me?

The answers to these questions help us find that rumble in our tummy — our saber-toothed tiger. Because once we find our WHY, we can work on the WHAT and that leads us to the HOW. And once we get that, no snooze button in the world can stand in our way.

I am so excited to explore this and other wellness topics here in The Denver North Star. Next month, we’ll look at what to do with our wellness ‘why.’

If you are looking for help crafting your ‘why’ or anything in your wellness life, I hope you’ll reach out.

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Historic Berkeley Regis welcomes a new voice to the neighborhood conversation.

Keeping Our Past Present historicberkeleyregis@gmail.com

*A case of the winter blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder are very different things. SAD is a serious medical condition in which a person experiences major depression. I cannot stress enough the importance of getting help. Talk to your doctor, teacher, clergy or visit www.mhanational.org.

Erika Taylor is a community wellness instigator at Taylored Fitness. Taylored Fitness is the original online wellness mentoring system. We believe that everyone can discover small changes in order to make themselves and their communities more vibrant and that it is only possible to do our best work in the world if we make a daily commitment to our health.

Visit facebook.com/erika.taylor.303 or email erika@tayloredfitness.com.

The Denver North Star

October-November 2019 | Page 13

Arts & Culture

Community Members Fight to Save Chapel, Memories

by Sabrina D’Agosta or three community members who have led the fight to save a neighborhood mortuary chapel from demolition, it’s not just about the historic building — it’s about honoring the memories of the thousands of North Denverites whose memorial services have been held there since the 1960s.

On May 29, developer Koelbel & Co. submitted a permit to demolish the Olinger Moore Howard Chapel mortuary at 4345 W. 46th Ave. to make way for 58 townhomes on the property.

Denver Community Planning Development staff determined the 59-year-old building was eligible for landmark status, but the City and County of Denver requires the signatures of three resident landowners to petition for landmark status when the property owner is opposed to the historic designation. So, in June, Historic Berkeley Regis members Bill Killam, Marie Edgar and Tom Simmons submitted a notice of intent to file an application for landmark status to protect the chapel. Husband and wife Laurie and Tom Simmons are professional architectural historians who volunteered to write the application.

The property was owned by SCI Funeral Services, which calls itself “North America’s largest single provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery services” on its website, with revenues north of $3 billion. The company also owns Crown Hill cemetery. SCI closed the chapel on 46th and Tennyson in January and Koelbel purchased it, with both companies opposing the historic designation.

The Denver Landmark Commission held a public hearing Aug. 20, and after reviewing a petition with more than 800 signatures and eight pages of written

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comments and hearing from 17 residents in support of preservation, while only a handful opposed, the commission voted unanimously in favor of landmark designation and sent its recommendation on to Denver City Council.

Council was supposed to have its first reading 120 days from when the demolition permit was filed, on Sept. 16, but by that time, things had taken a positive turn. Working through a mediator, Koelbel and Historic Berkeley Regis residents had reached an agreement putting a pause in effect to allow volunteer resident preservationists until December to find a developer interested in preserving the building. “Koelbel came and said if we could meet certain conditions, they would agree to sell the property to reuse the building in some fashion,” said Killam.

He said Historic Berkeley Regis has had several interested parties who have signed nondisclosure agreements to look at the building and that the group is “cautiously optimistic.”

In response to criticisms from some who call owner-opposed landmark designations a hostile taking of property rights, Killam said: “When you look at a property that has meant a lot to the community over many decades, the community needs to take into account more than just private property rights.

That corporation has benefitted quite a lot from our community over the years and will receive a goodly amount from the sale, but these buildings become quasi public as a result of what they mean to the community,” Killam said. “We aren’t trying to preserve this to have it sit vacant and rot. The idea is to have reuse of historic structures to maintain the fabric of the community.”

Remembering Our History ather Edward L. Maginnis taught at Regis for 44 years. He died Oct. 7, 2018 in his hometown of St. Louis at the age of 95. He was a Jesuit for 78 years and a priest for 65 years. He mirrored what Jesuits are noted for, “men astutely trained.”

He earned a bachelor of arts degree in Latin at St. Louis University, a master of arts degree and doctorate in Philosophy, and a doctorate in Fr. Edward L. Maginnis Sacred Theology at Institue Catholique in Paris.

He developed a music appreciation class on Sunday evenings in the old Regis library in Loyola Hall on the North Denver Campus.

We lads all took the class because women were allowed to take the class at that time, when Regis was still an all male institution. The class was our chance to meet young women on campus. We all thought the class might be an easy ‘A’ but, with his colleague Father Robert Boyle, the course was one of the toughest classes I ever took as a student at Regis.

Maginnis was also a classical music critic for KVOD radio in Denver and helped encourage classical music in Denver for many decades.

He left an indelible mark on all of his many students who admired and tried to emulate his outstanding wisdom. He was truly blessed with an analytical mind and an expansive understanding of humanity.

Father Maginnis always remembered his working class roots and shared his great sense of humor far and wide, as evidenced in the rewrite of a song poking fun at Nixon and his gang of crooks. How we miss him. He would have a field day with Trump and his Ukrainian shenanigans.

The Honorable Dennis Gallagher is a former city auditor, city councilman, state senator and state representative. He’ll be sharing thoughts and stories from North Denver’s past and future in his reoccurring column in the North Star.

Page 14 | October-November 2019

The Olinger Moore Howard Chapel at 4345 W. 46th Ave. could be demolished.

He noted that Denver would look very different today if it had not been for the work of visionary preservationists back in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, like Dana Crawford who saved Larimer Square and former Governor John Hickenlooper who opened a brewery in an empty warehouse across from Union Station.

Marie Edgar said a conversation they had with a long-time mortuary employee summed it up for her: “It was kind of silly, but she said ‘don’t forget the ghost who lives in the chapel has all the stories,’ and it reminded me of the stories of all these people from the neighborhood that went through this building.”

The Historic Berkeley Regis resident volunteers are asking neighbors to let them know if they have ideas or know someone who might be interested in reuse of the chapel. You can go to HistoricBerkelyRegis. com to contact them and sign the petition.

Short Stories Feature North Denver Sisters

Sabrina & Corina Ranges from Heartbreaking to Humorous

By Dennis Gallagher

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photo courtesy of Historic Berkeley Regis

by Hannah Evans

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ali Fajardo-Anstine’s beautiful collection of eleven short stories, Sabrina & Corina (2019, One World), shares poignant glimpses into the lives of her Latina characters and the Colorado land their families have inhabited for generations. Longlisted for the National Book Award, Fajardo-Anstine’s descriptions of Denver both past and present will resonate strongly with readers who have an intimate knowledge of the city, though her writing will captivate any audience regardless of residence.

The Western landscape plays such an important role within Sabrina and Corina that it feels like a recurring character, ever present and influential over the women and girls featured throughout the collection. “Sisters” is set in Denver’s Northside of decades past, describing the time leading up to Doty Lucero’s loss of eyesight “after a date with the wrong man,” while Pearla Ortiz, the aging main character of “Galapago,” reflects on her life lived in a home on the Westside. “Julian Plaza” follows two young girls in the Eastside as they walk through the neighborhood to visit their mother who is dying of cancer, and “Cheesman Park” brings readers to the rolling lawn and white columns of the well-known Denver locale and its surrounding apartments.

Oftentimes heartbreaking, other times humorous, Fajardo-Anstine’s stories capture the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, the tragedy of domestic violence, and the difficulties of navigating the everyday world in a constantly changing and quickly gentrifying environment. Stories such as “All Her Names” touch on the complicated feelings surrounding the influx of Denver residents after the legalization of marijuana, while “Ghost Sickness” recalls an ancient Navajo story of creation set in the San Juan region that is framed within a present-day college history class taught by an East coast transplant. Each story’s characters hold ties to their landscape that are so strong they are inescapable, which proves time and again to be both a gift as well as a challenge.

Check out Sabrina & Corina, as well as other National Book Award nominees, at your closest Denver Public Library location, and find more information on this title and its author at www.kalifajardoanstine.com.

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

The Denver North Star

Schools

halloween Pumpkin

Hallows Hallow w’s Eve

Costume Contest

Run & Swing

sat, oct 26/2-5PM

wed, oct 30/5-9:30PM

2PM PUMPKIN CARVING 4PM COSTUME CONTEST

5PM KID’S COSTUME FUN RUN 7PM SWING DANCE COSTUME BALL

at

at

Little Man

Little Man

2620 16th st.

4411 w colfax ave.

carving &

photo by Sabrina D’Agosta

Brown International Academy is getting a new synthetic turf athletic field.

Brown Gets New Artificial Turf Multiple Northwest Area School Improvements Underway

by Sabrina D’Agosta

S

tudents and families at Brown International Academy file onto the playground in relative single file these days, squeezing several hundred people around a construction fence each morning and afternoon. But the mini-Vikings say it will all be worthwhile to finally have a new, functional athletic field later this year.

Denver Public Schools (DPS) is investing $225,000 to construct a 17,500 square foot synthetic turf field at the elementary school at West 26th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard after multiple failed attempts to re-seed the natural grass field.

Parents said the old field was basically all dirt, which turned to mud every time it rained, snowed or was watered, complicated by drainage issues. Plastic mesh underlay meant to help keep sod in place was sticking out of the dirt. At least two attempts to re-seed the field in recent years had the field closed to student use for months at a time during the school year. But none of the efforts worked.

The Parent-Teacher Association spent several years encouraging the district to consider artificial turf as an alternative, even drafting grants to help pay for it. In the end, the PTA didn’t

have to contribute to the cost, but got its wish for the new field.

The week of Sept. 9, excavation of the old field began, again closing off the field while skid steers tore out all the old, dead grass and prepared the field for the new turf installation. The next step is to install a curb and the field is expected to be complete Oct. 30.

The new artificial turf system includes pad, turf and infill that have been extensively reviewed by the DPS Planning, Design and Construction team, as well as the Environmental and Maintenance departments to ensure the safest system available.

Brown isn’t the only Northwest Denver school slated for major improvements this school year. The district is also investing in the following projects this school year:

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• $6.5 million addition at the Del Pueblo campus where the Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS) is located, 750 Galapago St. • Over $1 million in HVAC mechanical improvements at Skinner Middle School, 3435 W. 40th Ave. • $960,000 on a new roof and science classrooms at Lake Middle School, 1820 Lowell Blvd.

• $389,000 for stadium lighting at North High School, 2960 Speer Blvd.

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October-November 2019 | Page 15

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Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

Page 16 | October-November 2019

The Denver North Star