The Denver North Star December 2019-January 2020 issue

Volume 1, Issue 3

December 2019-January 2020

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

DenverNorthStar.com

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INSIDE Bringing Back the Bull What’s

Next for North?

STRIVE Prep Excel to Close at End of Year

by Sabrina Allie

O

larger active memberships, some with more than 1,000 members.

The new Elks set out to increase active memberships by promoting the Elks at their kids’ schools and through their neighborhood networks, holding school fundraisers and other community events. Over three years, the lodge has doubled its membership to 418 members today, with 29 applicants awaiting initiation.

But don’t let the concept of initiation scare you off, Jim said. “We want to dispel the idea that this is a drinking club for men only,” he said.

“It’s open for everyone to join and the charitable function can only be as successful as our membership is active.”

They are currently bringing on about 10 to 15 new members each month, making it the largest growing Elks Lodge in all of Colorado.

Jim said the largest

n Nov. 18, the STRIVE Prep charter school network’s board of directors voted to close STRIVE Prep Excel, located on the North High School campus, and to consolidate that school with another STRIVE location.

“Over the past couple years, STRIVE Prep Excel has been hit hard by low enrollment numbers across the district and particularly in Northwest Denver,” a press release issued by STRIVE Prep reads. “A robust high school experience of high academic quality requires a large number of course offerings, extracurricular programs, and staffing structures. With only 259 students enrolled this year, the school has seen these important student experiences, and academic performance, suffer.”

The decision put an abrupt end to a mounting community debate about increasingly limited space on the North campus. Dozens of parents whose children attend North High School had organized and petitioned Denver Public Schools (DPS) to relocate STRIVE Prep Excel out of the building to make room for growing enrollment at North. They said former Superintendent Tom Boasberg had promised he would move the charter school out if North’s traditional high school ever needed the space. The group claimed students were having to eat lunch

See Elks, Page 3

See North, Page 12

Arts & Culture Fill ’er Up — with Free Books Pages 6-7

Denver Elks Lodge #17 Renaissance

photo by Sabrina Allie

The only Elks lodge in the Denver metro area was down to just a handful of active members, but a handful of local school parents are bringing it back, big time. The lodge has doubled in size in the past three years, and with it, bringing a whole lot of good for the neighborhood.

Elks Lodge Revival Sparked

by School Volunteerism

by Sabrina Allie

Politics Councilwoman Reflects on First Months Pages 4-5

Dining Vacant Grocery Turns Dining Hall Page 10

Community I’m Here With You: Homeless Vigil Page 15

A

bout three years ago, Skinner Middle School hosted a bingo fundraiser at the Denver Elks Lodge #17, 2475 West 26th Ave. Like many school fundraisers, turnout was great and the club was full.

“One of the older members was bartending and he mentioned that we should join the Elks because they were looking for younger members,” recalled Jim Wolf, a Skinner parent at the time.

“I don’t know that any of us were all that interested, but the event space is great and the location is phenomenal with a beautiful view of downtown.”

Shortly thereafter, he and fellow neighborhood parents Travis Caldwell, Rod Kazenske and Ben Dolegowski filled out applications and became members. Today, Jim is the Elks’ membership chair, and his wife, Lauren Wolf, heads up events for the lodge. Other former Brown

parents who now serve on the nine person board of directors include Brian Ceccanti and Garrett Phillips.

“It really all started at Brown [International Academy elementary school],” Lauren said, recalling that many of the parents there became friends as they raised their children together and worked to improve their neighborhood schools.

“Our kids are older now and don’t want anything to do with us,” she laughs, “but we all still want to get together and do things for our community. The Elks was a great way to do that” Jim said they quickly realized that the building was being underutilized and the organization’s charitable mission underfulfilled. The North Denver location is the only Elks Lodge in all of the city of Denver, but only about 15 of the 200 members were very active, and many of the lodges in surrounding suburban cities had much

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The Denver North Star

Local Parents Promote Charity, Maintain Connection at Lodge

Continued from Page 1

increase in members has been women.

Bernie Penrose and Joan Verhey were the first women to join the Denver Elks back in 1994, and they were both having dinner at the lodge Dec. 5.

“Our friend was the exalted ruler,” she said. (Jim explained this is a fancy name for the lodge president, who is elected to a one year term to lead the board of directors and run the lodge. Justin Jones is the current exalted ruler, serving in his second consecutive term.) “He was determined to bring the first women in, and he asked me. I told him I’d only do it if he’d talk Joanie into joining, and he did,” Penrose said.

She motioned toward the bartender, Pete, and said he had initiated them.

Asked what she likes most about being an Elk, she said she enjoys being one of the officers because she gets to do a little bit of everything, including introducing new members.

Verhey said she most likes working with the veterans at the Lodge.

Chris Sandoval is the chair of the Elks’ veterans committee. He’s been a member about five years and also joined while volunteering for Skinner Middle School. “I met Joanie and Bernie and joined less than a month later,” he said.

photo by Sabrina Allie

He applies for grants from the national organization, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America, which was founded in 1842 and originally called the Jolly Corks. Through Denver Elks Lodge #17, founded in 1889, Sandoval has brought in thousands of dollars to help local veterans. On Dec. 21, the Elks will host veterans from the National Guard Army Reserve for a Christmas party to thank them for their service. “[The Elks’] essence is the heart that people have for the community,” said Al Habercorn, also a member of the veterans committee. “It’s so inspiring to see the camaraderie as

people work together to help others out. There’s a lot of focus on service that really lends itself to looking outward instead of inward all the time.”

Sandoval also chairs the scholarship foundation for the lodge, which has provided more than $4,000 in scholarships to North High School students.

“We are trying to promote the mission of the Elks: charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity,” Jim said, recounting multiple recent events or fundraisers they have hosted for local schools, the Colorado Special Olympics, Bienvenidos Food Bank, among others. “It’s all the things we have been doing for our community for many years on the playground but now we have a space we can continue those with the backbone of a nationwide organization that’s committed to giving back to charity. It’s just a great place where, while all of our kids are aging and going off to college, we can gather and continue all our good work.”

Jim said #17 doesn’t have a specific goal for membership, but wants to continue encouraging more active membership and to expand outside of just Northwest Denver. “We’re just getting started,” he said.

Beyond membership, the Elks also support charity through event rentals at their building, which boasts four event spaces, including

a full kitchen and bar in the upstairs dining area that overlooks a breathtaking downtown Denver skyline.

They just installed a brand new HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system on all three floors of the East wing of the building and have made it available for lease as commercial space. He said they’ll be able to use the additional revenue from renting that space to help pay for needed upgrades in the West wing’s event space and to bolster more charitable giving.

He said the Elks were in negotiations to redevelop the space at one time, but have since shifted their energy toward better utilizing the space they have. “We have no intentions of ever moving,” he said. “For us, we just want to refocus our energy on using the space we have to meet the needs of our community and to give back to charity.”

Schools, nonprofits and residents are invited to rent the space for private parties; just email events@denverelks.org. They are still booking holiday and new year’s parties.

Those with an interest in becoming a member can learn more at denverelks.org and by emailing info@ denverelks.org.

Those interested in leasing the commercial space in the East wing should call Huff & Leigh at 720-572-5787.

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The Denver North Star

Politics

Councilwoman Reflects on First Four Months Accessory Dwelling Units, Overlays, Office Move Key Accomplishments to Date

by Sabrina Allie

D

and David Sabados

enver District 1 Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval was elected in June and took office, replacing her former boss, Councilman Rafael Espinoza, in July.

She sat down with the North Star to talk about what she’s accomplished and learned thus far.

Sandoval said her former experience as a council aide to both Councilwoman Judy Montero and Espinoza has provided her with invaluable knowledge of the city. “Having a good solid foundation and base having worked out of a council office has given me an advantage over my new colleagues in our cohort who look at and ask me for advice on how to navigate the system and best practices,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to help them solve problems.”

She said she knows she doesn’t have all the answers, but said she wants to operate differently than her predecessors. “I don’t want to be the council person who forces my ideas on others. I really want to be working together,” she said. “It felt real top-down instead of bottom-up, and I want to have a different approach to bring people along.”

Moving the District 1 Office into North Denver She also said she thinks her office is different because she is “getting the bureaucrats out of their comfort zone and into my district,” she said.

During the campaign, many residents asked candidates to look into moving the District 1 office out of the City and County building downtown into North Denver so it would be more accessible — and Sandoval did just that. She said it has consumed a considerable amount of her time, but she was able to move the office into

the Platte River Rowing Company building at 18th and Platte on Nov. 20.

“It was a lengthy, extensive process,” she said, adding that she was able to win a unanimous vote of approval by her council colleagues in their operations meeting. “I had to find the money and a location and then bring a supplemental budget request to the mayor and my colleagues. … It was way more work than I ever anticipated but I got it accomplished.”

She said she chose the Lower Highlands location — which is closer to residents than the city and county building but cut off from the rest of the district by I-25 — based on staff needs for space and parking availability. “A lot of the locations I looked at were … really small square footage for the price,” she said. The new office location costs $30,000 per year. “I found this location and it was a good price for being in the central business district, and had amenities for my staff.” Plus, she said she didn’t have any budget to do tenant improvements, and this space didn’t need any.

Addressing Land Use Sandoval said she’s proud of work she is doing with the Chaffee Park community to consider allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) throughout the neighborhood without additional approvals (see the November-December issue of the North Star for a detailed article on this). She is also working on zoning overlays in both Sunnyside and Harkness Heights that would add a level of design detail requirements above and beyond the zoning for the area.

Sandoval said she is also pushing for more street level activation, meaning multi-story buildings in areas like on Tennyson Street should have commercial businesses on the

cil to sit on the Affordable Housing Zoning Incentive Task Force beginning in January. The task force will review transit corridors and station area plans to determine how to improve affordable housing options in those areas. She said that 41st and Fox street is the only transit area in North Denver, but that she also wants to be looking at other primary transit corridors like Colfax, Federal and Sheridan.

Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval

ground floor and residential on upper floors. She said that business districts that used to have street cars were usually zoned for commercial use. However, she said that a lot of the development going in now is residential, like in areas on Tennyson, and “people don’t want it,” she said. “They want ground floor retail.

So, I’m looking at how to require that going forward.” She noted that Berkeley Regis United Neighbors’ zoning and planning committee and Heather Noyes of Studio CPG are assisting the effort.

Transit Sandoval said she’s also assisting several University of Colorado-Denver master’s students with their capstone project about the 41st and Fox street transit and adjacent area.

“What’s happening in development is that a lot of the primary streets are getting the most streetscape improvements,” she said. She said she wants to look at how to ensure secondary streets get better streetscape treatments to draw people’s attention toward transit area developments to encourage them to discover and use transit.

Sandoval was appointed by coun-

Decisions, Decisions Sandoval said she comes to most decisions based on the feedback she gets from people. “I get a lot of emails,” she said. “And public testimony really does make an impact. Sitting on those hard pews late into the night; that’s democracy at its finest.”

While many of City Council’s votes have been unanimous, a few stand out as more contentious, including the vote to end contacts with a private company that ran halfway houses and also (unrelated to the city contracts) has ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) facilities. Sandoval sided with ringleader and fellow freshman Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca and a majority of council on the initial vote. Afterward, many questions arose about where people housed in those facilities would go and whether the only option was back to prison.

A few weeks later, council reversed themselves and unanimously approved shorter term contracts with the companies. Sandoval said it was a hard issue for many on council. Regarding City Council quickly getting on the contract cancelation bandwagon and then reversing, Sandoval said, “I don’t think [Councilwoman CdeBaca] quite understood about the moratorium that had been in place,” noting it’s hard to expand the number of beds in any group living facility.

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The Denver North Star

Another late night for council resulted from a rezoning proposal at 17th and Sheridan, where a group of homeowners were hoping to collectively sell their property with higher zoning, but didn’t have a buyer in place yet. Ultimately, the rezoning request failed, with Sandoval opposing. Neighboring Councilwoman Jamie Torres voted in favor. Sandoval said one of the reasons she opposed the rezoning was because city staff gave bad recommendations on the appropriate zoning.

“I don’t think main street zoning is appropriate for Sheridan. The photo by David Sabados landowners haven’t formed a coali- The District 1 holiday party Dec. 5 featured Mariachi Juvenil de Bryant-Webster. tion to all sell at the same time. The covenant was null and void. There were many factors in that rezoning. Everyone kept saying I was going to on other projects.

Asked about her campaign promsupport it because Rafael was going to because of the sidewalks; I’m ise to hold a “congresso”-style comnot just going to make a decision munity meeting to gather input on because Rafael was going to,” San- her office’s priorities, she said she doval said, noting her opinion was still hopes to do something like that also heavily swayed by the public toward the end of the first quarter of 2020. She said she wants to get comments in opposition. people together in different groups and “go a few layers deeper than 2020 Work Plans, RNOs” (registered neighborhood Listening Sessions organizations) to get input, but she Sandoval said the office move and feels there are too many meetings land use work have consumed all her happening right now. “We want to time, so she hasn’t “taken a lot of be more thoughtful about the aptime to look at our 2020 work plan.” proach to listening sessions so I can photo courtesy Councilwoman Sandoval She said the things she has under- hear what people feel is missing in way will require six to 10 months to Northwest Denver.”

Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval One thing she has done to hear complete before she is able to focus with Denver Fire Opps 101.

Neighborhoods Team Up for Sustainability Efforts

from residents was to continue former Councilman Espinoza’s existing “coffee in the community” idea, meeting people in coffee shops in different neighborhoods. She extended them by an hour and moved them an hour later. Currently, they run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. She said it was “unexpected and cool” to find so many people coming in to meet with her during their lunch hour.

She hopes to expand the meetings to Saturdays once a month in 2020, as all times are currently during normal weekday work hours and inaccessible to many.

She said she is also working with school principals and other local elected officials to jump in on existing meetings, and she’s working to reach out to senior centers so she can go meet with residents there instead of them having to go to her.

Finally, she said her council website has the ability to submit comments to her online and she hopes that helps younger people reach out as well, noting that one North High School student had already used it to contact her. The website is denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/ d e n v e r- c i t y- c o u n c i l /c o u n c i l members/district-1.html.

Councilwoman Sandoval’s new office is located at 1810 Platte St. She and her staff can also be reached at 720-337-7701 or districtone@ denvergov.org.

WE WISH YOU

by David Sabados

A

new coalition focused on bringing together disparate sustainability efforts is underway in North Denver.

The Northside Sustainability Alliance isn’t another new organization, but an effort to bring together smaller efforts to enact more meaningful change. Several registered neighborhood organizaphoto courtesy of Northside tions (RNOs) have members working Sustainability Alliance on environmental sustainability efforts.

Ernie Diedrich, a seven year Highlands resident and current member of the Highland United Neighbors Inc (HUNI) described the new effort’s purpose: “Acting locally in our own neighborhoods is good, but resilience and sustainability transcend traditional boundaries… so scaling up and out of our silos is better. We can and ought to do both!”

The new organization has set three main goals: • Serving as a communications network between different community and RNO efforts • Creating long-term planning for sustainability and smart growth on Denver’s Northside • Coordinating larger cross-neighborhood sustainability efforts through pooling resources Some of the groups wanting to work together have already accomplished efforts independently. One such effort was the Highlands Food Waste Pilot Program, which worked with eight local businesses to reduce food waste by encouraging more donations of unused food, composting and other efforts.

The coalition is hoping to identify more businesses, churches and community groups to join their efforts. Anyone interested is invited to join the inaugural meeting from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Jan. 25 at Locavore, 2630 W. 38th Ave., or contact Lisa Bardwell at lisa.bardwell55@gmail.com. You can also find them online at facebook.com/thenorthsidealliance.

Page 5 | December 2019-January 2020

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The Denver North Star

Arts & Culture

Regis 66: Fill ’er Up — With Free Books!

by Sabrina Allie bout a block south of Regis, at West 49th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard, stands a former Regis 66 service station that’s been closed and vacant for years. It’s about to become home to “a food bank, but for books!” said Melissa Monforti, executive director of BookGive.

“People can donate books, and there will be a public space for people to browse for free books,” she explained. “It’s a little like a giant free library.”

BookGive will be the nonprofit arm of BookBar, just down the street at 4280 Tennyson St. BookBar owner Nicole Sullivan is excited to open the space to house what she said started as a community book drive.

About 10 years ago, Sullivan got involved along with other parents from Academia Ana Marie Sandoval, where her kids went to school.

They decided to host a community book exchange, which later became known as the Northwest Denver Book Exchange. The group initially started by inviting people to exchange their old books with others in the cafeteria at Sandoval. As the event grew, they expanded to a number of other locations throughout North Denver, and it’s been held at North High School in recent years.

Sullivan opened BookBar and offered the book exchange a permanent home there, so they could keep it going throughout the year.

“With the non-existent back office space and overworked staff at BookBar, we couldn’t keep doing what we were doing well. We ran out of space to accept more book donations and staff didn’t have time to go through it,” Sullivan explained.

“So, I realized we either needed to scrap the program or expand. Since it’s really my passion to just get books to people, I started looking at warehouse spaces.”

A

After having little luck finding a warehouse space that would work, she credits her real estate agent with having convinced her to consider looking at old gas stations.

“Regis 66 came on the market, and the owners had already done a ton of environmental mitigation,” she said. “It’s a great location, close to BookBar, near Regis and part of a great community.”

But she said she had to adjust her thinking about the space a bit because it wasn’t just a warehouse — the building had not just the two garage bays, but also a big lobby, which she envisioned as more of a community space. “The building photos courtesy of BookGive lent itself to being more than just Trading in used oil for used books, BookGive will open in the former Regis 66 a drop-and-go spot,” she explained. filling station in January.

“After adjusting my thinking a bit, it really expanded the whole concept I had in mind.”

She closed on the building in September and hired Monforti to put together the nonprofit, recruiting a board of directors, creating bylaws and a mission statement. The board held its first meeting in November.

Sullivan said they had initially hoped to open in mid-November, but the space was just a blank box and needed a lot of upgrades. She said they’ve been cleaning it up, painting, putting in shelving, and moving all the books over from BookBar. She

now thinks they will open in mid-to late-January.

Monforti said, once they open, the public will be able to drop books off at BookGive during their regular business hours. They also actively solicit donations from the book industry.

From there, BookGive coordinates volunteers to help them sort the books by category.

“The donation I picked up last week had a number of large print books, and so I’d be looking for organizations that need large print, and then we’d package those up and deliver them,” Monforti said. “We will be doing all of that with volunteer work, and will need lots of volunteers to help.” She said they are thrilled to be partnering with Regis University to have students volunteer to help sort, as well.

BookGive also has a tero-fitted ambulance, Mavis the Magical Book Mobile, that visits various locations. “It’s hard to get her started in the winter, but that’s the kind of thing we love to do! We have taken the book mobile to Brown elementary’s Friday book giveaways and other schools, but we

are not only donating to children in schools,” Monforti said. “We are donating books to retirement homes, jails and prisons, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Safe House Denver, Stout Street Clinic and Bienvenidos Food Bank. It’s for all ages and all the needs of our community.”

There’s a full list of the organizations they have donated to on their website at bookbardenver.com/ bookgive. Watch there for updates on the grand opening, volunteer opportunities and ways to donate.

“It’s super fun,” Sullivan said. “We are really excited.”

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The Denver North Star

Checking Out: The Grammarians

by Hannah Evans

A

s a librarian and a reader, I have spent more time than I’d care to admit meditating on the power of words. I have often considered the seemingly infinite amount of English grammatical rules alongside the fluidity of language and the interesting things that can happen when these rules are stretched or broken, either intentionally or not.

The structure of grammar offers control and clarity, but also does its part to supply a healthy dose of frustration, irritation and a bounty of exceptions that get the best of us all on occasion. A good handle on grammar is frequently paired with a feeling of superiority and power – while knowing the “correct” way to state something can be a tempting soap box to leap upon, it’s worth noting the all-to-real obstacles and challenges that may prohibit others from standing up there, as well.

Cathleen Schine’s novel, “The Grammarians” (2019, Sarah Crichton Books) is a love letter to grammar, word play and the complicated topic of language, as well as a heartfelt and quirky study of family relationships – subjects that no doubt have been visited time and time again, but that are fundamentally relatable when touched on effectively.

Laurel and Daphne are identical twin sisters who are obsessed with grammar from an early age. They spend their childhood enthusiastically reading a dictionary, remembering fondly its ceremonious arrival and placement upon a wooden stand, or altar, by their father. The sisters speak in their own language practically from birth, but they are all too eager to learn the intricacies of English and use them to their advantages much to the marvel and, at times, irritation, of those around them. Inseparable for much of their lives, Laurel and Daphne’s bright red hair and their habit of sometimes dressing alike, even as adults, causes many a head turn, as does precociously introducing themselves as “Diplopia” and “Ibid” in a practiced bit. The sisters are frequently described both as individuals and as two halves to a whole. While they constantly argue, they just as frequently finish one another’s sentences.

As time goes on and the sisters grow older, Daphne gains national recognition for her regular newspaper column, the People’s Pedant, where she regularly rants on the topic of language. While reflecting to a colleague, she notes: “grammar is good. I mean ethically good. If you think of all these words just staggering around, grammar is their social order, their government.” Daphne holds tight to this sentiment, but Laurel’s similarly firm beliefs are questioned when her supervisor ponders if Daphne’s column sometimes causes one to “suspect that language is not very different from fashion or manners… Table manners, for example… Using a fish fork, even knowing what a fish fork looks like. That’s a sign that you grew up in a certain milieu.

In a certain era. In a particular culture…. It’s not a sign of virtue or truth…

Both the fish fork and the possessive gerund are signs, all right. But they’re signs of age, social convention and class.”

Considerations regarding language are front and center in The Grammarians, but the heart of the novel focuses on the tighter-than-tight bond between Laurel and Daphne, their identities both together and separate, and the family and friends who, while an integral part of their lives and the story, seem to merely orbit around the bright, shining sisters. When faced with tragedy, even the People’s Pedant notes that “words were supposed to illuminate and clarify.

Words were meant to communicate information and feelings, from one person to another. But today, words stood numb and in the way.”

Check out “The Grammarians” at your closest Denver Public Library location, and find more information on this title and its author at www.cathleenschine.me.

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The Denver North Star

Street ‘Seen’: Holiday Happenings N

by Sabrina Allie

orth Denver has been bustling with holiday happenings since Regis lit its tree just before Thanksgiving. Northsiders were out in droves to celebrate the season with caroling, shopping and sleigh rides.

Were you street seen? Send your photos to news@denvernorthstar.com and you may be featured in next month’s paper or on our social media channels at @DenverNorthStar.

photos by Sabrina Allie

Holiday in the Highlands

Right, dozens of people were lined up outside Nostalgic Homes within minutes of the opening of Holiday in the Highlands. People donated toys for charity and enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride.

photo by David Sabados

Sunnyside Sleigh Ride

Below, Sunnyside residents took festive sleigh rides around the neighborhood Dec. 4, courtesy of the Sunnyside United Neighbors Inc. (SUNI) neighborhood organization.

photo courtesy of Brad Laurvick

Highlands United Methodist Church Tree Lighting

Below, nearly 300 people turned out for the Highlands United Methodist Church tree lighting ceremony Dec. 2.

photo courtesy of Regis University

Regis University Christmas Tree Lighting

Above, Regis University kicked off the season with its annual Christmas tree lighting Nov. 21 at the Boettcher Commons Quad. Santa visited with North Denver kids, including Sylvia Plavnick, 8, left, and Isabella Mila Clifton, 6.

photos courtesy of Harry Warters for Little Man Ice Cream

Little Man Ice Cream Holiday Events

Above, 3- and 4-year-old students from Colfax Elementary School wowed an audience with carols in their pajamas, followed by a Denver Choir League performance at Little Man Ice Cream’s The Factory location West Colfax Avenue on Dec. 3. Left, the following night, Dec. 4, students from Edison Elementary, Skinner Middle and North High schools entertained an overflowing crowd at “the Can” LoHi location, including carols, band performances, Mr. & Mrs. Claus and the lighting of the menorah.

Page 8 | December 2019-January 2020

The Denver North Star

Protecting Against Package Theft

by David Sabados

Shovel Your Walks, Please

matically come down in price. They

by David Sabados he term “porch pirate” may may deter thieves and can collect vihoveling snow off your sidewalk sound cute, but robberies are tal evidence to help identify thieves isn’t just a nice thing to do — it’s likely again on the rise in Denver, who do steal packages.

Consider Shipping Options: Do you the law in Denver. Homeowners are which is one of the top cities for required to remove snow from sidepackage thefts in the country. The work in an office that allows you to walks (including accessibility ramps combination of the holiday season accept packages? That can be more on many corners) within 24 hours of and more people ordering everyday secure than home delivery. Signa- when the snow stops falling, and fines household items online means deliv- ture-required delivery may be less can be steep after an initial warning. ery trucks are a nearly daily sight on convenient, but it means packages Failure to remove snow can result in won’t be left when you’re not home. most streets. a $150 fine for the first offense, $500 “It’s a pretty big problem, not just If ordering from Amazon, they have for a second and $999 for each subsein Denver, but nationwide,” said Offi- a half dozen locker locations in North quent violation. Businesses must recer Bob Anderson, a community re- Denver that packages can be shipped move snow within four hours of snow source officer with the Denver Police to instead of home delivery.

If you see a crime being commit- stopping. Renters should check their Department. Anderson said porch leases and talk to their landlords to thefts are an underreported crime ted, call 911. If you need to report a see if snow removal is their responsiand encourages anyone who has had crime in a nonemergency situation, bility or the property owner’s.

District One Package Thefts*: 1/1/2017-11/30/2019 a package stolen to contact the po- call 720-913-2000 to file a report.

Snow removal isn’t the only proplice in addition to the company they erty maintenance to pay attention to District 1 package thefts ordered from. this winter either. Snow can damage Total n=369 He also has advice on how to avoid by month and year or break tree branches, which can package thefts in the first place: also impede mobility, with the same Good lighting on your front porch: escalating fine structure.

Thieves are less likely to go up to The continual cycles of freezing and well-lit houses and neighbors are thawing can also damage sidewalks, more likely to notice them. which are also the responsibility of Doorbell Cameras: Increasingly the homeowner to repair. Denver’s common, especially in newly-built regulations on sidewalks are differhomes, doorbell cameras have draent than some other cities, and newer

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*Created by K.D. Crime Analyst on 12/4/19.

Based on incidents reported to the Denver Police Department 1/1/2017-11/30/2019.

Data is not static and may change based on reporting.

residents are often surprised to learn maintenance is not the responsibility of the city, but rather the individual home or business owner.

Laura Swartz, from Denver’s department of Community Planning and Development, said residents are encouraged to talk to neighbors about snow removal before reporting them to the city, as many are simply unaware that snow removal is their responsibility. She said her department conducted 2,472 inspections for lack of snow removal in 2018, but most residents cleared their sidewalks after one warning before a fine was issued.

If you need help clearing your sidewalks this winter, the Denver snow angel program might be able to help.

The city initiative matches neighbors who need help clearing snow, whether they are elderly, physically ill (shortor long-term), or otherwise need help.

Contact SnowAngels@denvergov.org for more information about how to receive help this winter.

If you want to report a business or homeowner who isn’t clearing their sidewalks, you can call 311 or use the PocketGov app on your smartphone.

December-January Community Calendar Tuesday, Dec. 17 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Berkeley Regis United Neighbors (BRUN) Monthly Meeting

Thursday, Jan. 9 6:30 p.m.

Sunnyside United Neighbors Planning & Community DevelThe meeting will be held in the Cooking opment Committee Classroom along Tennyson Street. Enter through the main entrance from the parking lot. BRUN Board meetings are open to the public. berkeleyregisneighbors.org/events Natural Grocers, 3825 Tennyson St.

Wednesday, Dec. 18 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Free Avalanche Awareness Clinic

The second Thursday of the month, we meet to review proposed development activity in the Sunnyside neighborhood.

All residents welcome – come and have a voice in how your community grows.

Denver Police Dept. District 1, 1311 W. 46th Ave, Denver CO 80211

Saturday, Jan. 11 10 a.m.

In this 1-hour, free avalanche awareness Bullet Journaling clinic, our expert guides give an introduction to how avalanches happen, what they look like, and how to avoid them.

Diebolt Brewing Company, 3855 Mariposa St.

Do you have a hard time finding a planner that meets your needs and has room for all the things you want to record? The bullet journal is a customizable and forgiving planning system.

Page 9 | December 2019-January 2020

It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook and diary. Learn how to make this organizational technique work for you with all materials provided!

Denver Public Library Woodbury Branch, 3265 Federal Blvd.

Tuesday, Jan. 14 6:30 p.m.

Winter of Reading Kick-Off Chase away the cold with hot beverages, sweet treats and good reads as we celebrate another year of Winter of Reading. We’ll be making bookmarks and sharing some of our favorite book recommendations to kick start your reading list. Learn about the Winter of Reading program for adults and participate to earn fantastic prizes!

Denver Public Library Woodbury Branch, 3265 Federal Blvd.

Thursday, Jan. 23 4 to 7 p.m.

Council District 1 Community Office Grand Opening Join Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval for the grand opening of the new City Council District 1 community office.

1800 Platte St.

Tuesday, Jan. 28 7 p.m.

Winter of Reading Trivia Night Been looking for an opportunity to show off your trivia skills and bookish knowledge? Join Denver Public Library at Zuni Street Brewing Co. for Trivia Night hosted by local experts from Geeks Who Drink to challenge yourself and compete for fabulous prizes! Sign up for Winter of Reading while you’re here.

Zuni Street Brewing Co., 2355 W. 29th Ave.

The Denver North Star

Dining

Vacant Grocery Store Turns Dining, Retail Hall

I

by Sabrina Allie

t’s hard to miss the 60-foot neon sign on the large building that has sat empty for more than two decades on West 20th Avenue in Edgewater across from the Target.

The sign lit up for the grand opening Nov. 16 announcing the long anticipated Edgewater Public Market is finally open.

Those who have been in North Denver awhile may remember its predecessor: “Dating myself, but is this where the old King Soopers was, many years ago?” Craig Williamson commented on the North Star’s opening day Facebook post.

Yes. Yes, it was.

The City of Edgewater purchased the former grocery store in 2004 and has been working with LCP Development to renovate it for the past two years. The tiny city is less than a square mile, and of that, two full city blocks are now anchored by the 50,000-square-foot food and retail hall at 5505 W. 20th Ave. The building was completely redesigned by Meridian 105 Architecture.

Opening weekend was bustling with neighbors excited to check it out. “So happy to welcome them to the neighborhood!” wrote east

photos by Sabrina Allie

Sloan’s Lake resident Erika Taylor.

The large food hall features 16 food vendors, including: Roger’s Liquid Oasis, the large bar you encounter as soon as you enter, and which includes an impressive 2,200-square-foot rooftop terrace that features a gleaming 28-foot Airstream trailer that serves as the rooftop bar.

Amethyst Coffee sits at the center of the food court seating area on a uniquely situated coffee island.

Many of the restaurants in the food court originated as food trucks,

Councilwoman District 1

Amanda P. Sandoval Denver City Council

Council District 1 Community Office Grand Opening Thursday, Jan. 23 1810 Platte St. 4 to 7 p.m.

Office Hours Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Each month Amanda will be out in the community and available to chat with you one-on-one about your concerns and ideas.

with this being their first foray into permanent locations, including Arepas House, Konjo Ethiopian, Gyro King, Happy Cones, Lucky Bird, Mac Shack, Moontime Crepes and Slideshow Sliders.

Other food court eateries have existing brick-and-mortar locations elsewhere, including Mugi Ramen, Barbed Wire Reef (on W. 38th Avenue in North Denver) and Lazo Empanadas. Kyle Knudson of nearby Joyride Brewing is opening Barquentine Brewing Company on the west side of the market, outside of the food court.

The entire market is covered by a common consumption liquor license, so guests can carry alcoholic beverages throughout the building and onto the patios and rooftop — but will be asked to get a plastic cup first.

Few of the retail stores were open for the grand opening; only about half of the 13 retail spaces have been filled according to the market’s website. Fleur d’ Henri, which sells a variety of CBD products, had opened.

Depew Liquor is moving from its longtime location at the end of the parking lot into the retail area in the west end of the market. A cake decorating shop and boutique men’s, women’s and children’s clothing store were expected to open shortly after opening weekend.

Dogs are welcome throughout

the market, and there is ample bike parking in the spacious 400-slot parking lot.

Visitors will notice three freestanding buildings on the edges of the giant parking lot. Two buildings are expected to become restaurants, and a third is slated for a fitness studio and additional retail.

The market is also hosting events: from crafts to tastings, classes to kid-friendly activities, and even public movies in a small green space outside during warmer months. A calendar is featured on the website at EdgewaterPublicMarket.com.

The market is open at 8 a.m. every day, and closes at midnight Sunday through Thursday and at 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. Not all vendors are open all hours. You can learn more at EdgewaterPublicMarket.com.

Dec. 20 Federal Coffee | 2307 Federal Blvd.

Jan. 10 Common Grounds | 2139 W. 44th Ave. Jan. 24 Brew Culture | 3620 W. Colfax Page 10 | December 2019-January 2020

The Denver North Star

Food for Thought: A Look at Local Dining

It’s a Doggie Dog World

Friends for a decade, dentist duo has planted roots in their neighborhood as a general practice

QUALITY FISH MARKET SINCE 1974

by Chef Scott Durrah

H

appy Holidays to all of our readers and their families!

Before I write each article, I normally take a stroll in North Denver and wait for something to jump out and inspire me. This time, it happened twice in the same day and came from my dogs during one of our long walks. Let me share with you that my wife and I are dog lovers. We have opened our home to more than 40 dogs and truly believe in the unconditional love they share. Hell, if people loved like dogs, it would be a much better world; something to think about! Over the last several years, North Denver’s dog population has also exploded as we have opened our homes and neighborhoods to our four-legged friends. Many of your neighbors know each other based on each other’s dogs. You can literally say “It’s a Doggie Dog World.”

So, with that being said, I was taking my two Basset Hounds (Isabel and Jezebel) and English Bulldog (Cornelius) for a walk in the Highlands near West 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard. I was waiting for that inspiration to hit me, and finally looked down at my pack and asked them for help. They all started barking and wagging their tails as they stopped outside of the Taj Mutt Hal. Of course, it’s a dog gourmet shop and toy store that any dog would love! And here I am, forgetting that man and woman’s best friends also have cool places to shop, snack and hang out with other dogs during the holidays.

So, this article is a shout out to all of the pet shops in our neighborhoods that allow us to pamper our dogs and cats. Many of the shop owners are locals and just love animals. I got so excited that I visited other shops like Three Dog Bakery, Simpawtico, Mouthfuls, Biscotti Hound Dog Biscuit Bakery and Tejon Pet Shop over the next few days and shopped ’til I dropped! I mean, wow! I was amazed at the variety of treats, gifts, toys, leashes, collars and stuff for pet owners. Each store had something different to offer. Many of the shops also offered pet services from grooming, boarding and doctor visits, as well as dog walkers.

It was just a lot of fun meeting my neighbors and being around a group of dog lovers and business owners who care so much for pets and their welfare. That is why I want each of you to visit one of the many pet shops in North Denver and spend those Christmas dollars on your best friend. Let’s also open up our homes to adopt a new dog or cat or donate to one of the many shelters in Denver, especially during the holidays. If you see a stray, bring them home for a warm meal and bed; the cold is when they need us the most. Let’s make this “love our pets” month and support those who also love our pets.

By the way, my doggies gave a Four Paw review for the snacks at the shops I mentioned above. Unconditional love always and happy holidays!

————— Scott Durrah is a proud resident, chef, restaurateur and cannabis business owner in North Denver for 15 years. He previously owned Jezebels Southern Bistro and 8 Rivers, and currently owns Simply Pure.

Page 11 | December 2019-January 2020

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The Denver North Star

Kids & Education

North High Doubles Enrollment, Expects More Growth continued from North, Page 1 at tables lining the school’s hallways because the lunchroom was too crowded for both schools to coexist on one campus.

The district responded by working with the North and STRIVE Prep Excel principals to free up four additional classrooms for North this year. Despite those efforts, the debate continued with some citing the district’s actions as proof DPS was intent on cannibalising traditional schools’ enrollment by co-locating charter schools.

Neighborhood dynamics’ impact on enrollment North Principal Scott Wolf said he believes those changes, along with some additional construction happening now would have resolved space challenges in the short-term. “What’s hard is that the neighborhood is changing so quickly, and we don’t know what impact that’s going to have,” he said. “Our ability to capture our neighborhood students makes the biggest difference.”

Seven years ago, North’s enrollment was at a record low, and the district co-located STRIVE Prep Excel into the building to help keep the facility open. Wolf said that back then, North wasn’t able to attract neighborhood families to send their kids to North — but today, they are.

This is Wolf’s seventh year at North, and fifth year as principal.

During that time, the school has grown from 779 to 1,339 students.

While that’s significant growth, it’s still significantly smaller than some of the other DPS traditional high schools, like East, which has almost twice as many students.

Yet with demographic shifts throughout the city, DPS is seeing declines in the number of schoolaged children and anticipates declining enrollment in many neighborhoods, especially Northwest Denver.

Wolf said he’s seen a lot of families from the neighborhood get displaced and have to move out of Denver, tearing students who would have gone to North away from the peers they’ve grown up with. He wants to work with the district to find a way to ensure those students have priority enrollment at North.

“They’ve already lost their home and their neighborhood, and the last thing I want is for them to lose their school community because they now live out of boundary,” Wolf said. “It’s something we have control over and I feel like we need to make that happen.”

photo by Sabrina Allie

The North campus is home to both North High School and STRIVE Prep Exel. The latter will close at the end of this year.

Why North?

Wolf credits the school’s enrollment growth in recent years to a number of factors. He said a big part of the change is because he’s been able to retain 90% of his staff over the past three years. “That goes a long way to building a sustainable program because we’re not starting over each year,” he said.

Wolf acknowledged that “People used to think [North] wasn’t safe and wasn’t challenging.” He said they are turning that around, in part, by listening to what families want to see and being responsive.The school has expanded its course offerings and made them more relevant for students, he said, citing an engineering class, as well as athletics, band and choir, art and drama programs. “We have a lot of really great opportunities for our students,” he said.

As a district, DPS has put an emphasis on “supporting the Whole Child,” or ensuring that kids have the social and emotional supports necessary to succeed academically.

Wolf said North is also focused on the whole child: “We committed to not just academics, but building the life skills of our kids,” he said, pointing to a Denver Health clinic in the building available to the entire community, and additional mental health supports put in place through partnerships with other organizations.

But North is also focused on academics, with a goal for more than 80% of its juniors and seniors to take an advanced placement (AP) or concurrent enrollment (college credit) course, or an apprenticeship. Last year, the school was just fractions of a percentage shy of the goal. “We really work to make sure we are appropriately placing [students] through

Page 12 | December 2019-January 2020

our Academic Success class to help foster skill building and study skills for kids who have never been in an advanced class [so they can] be successful,” he said. North’s AP pass rates exceeded the national average of 60% for the first time this year.

Asked why North didn’t pursue becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) program when neighboring feeder schools Brown elementary and Lake middle still both offered the program (Lake folded its IB program last year as part of a redesign), he said it’s about outcomes. “I think there is huge value in IB,” he said.

“For me it’s less about IB and more about what IB brings, the outcomes it fosters, and can we at North foster those same outcomes in a different way.” He said he wants to promote IB skills while fostering diversity, and he said Lakewood and George Washington high school have struggled with the integration because of their IB programs. “We want to have embedded honors [courses] so that we can have students of different levels and abilities be with each other and honor that diversity,” he said.

Most importantly, he said, the kids like the culture they see at North and it makes them want to go there.

“What makes North super unique is its diversity, from kids who have experiences across the board at home, but here at North, everybody connect with each other,” he said.

“When families see that, they see it as a place they want to be,” he said.

By the numbers

Graduation and dropout rates The Colorado Department of Education reports graduation rates by school tracking based on the number of students who entered their freshman year and graduated four, five, six or seven years later. That’s because not all students graduate in the traditional four years: some take up to seven years, for a variety of reasons ranging from needing more time to complete graduation requirements to choosing to stay additional years to take advantage of programs in which the district pays for college courses and credits. (No one takes longer than seven years because students age-out of public school at age 21.)

Two years ago, North’s four-year graduation rate was just 76%. Last year, it was 85% (137 of 161 students).

By comparison STRIVE Prep Excel (which is closing) had a four-year graduation rate of 78% and 90% by year five. Neighboring CEC Early College, just blocks away, had a 74% four-year graduation rate, and 98% by year six.

Wolf is quick to point out that North’s seven-year graduation rate is 91%. “We have students with IEPs (individualized education plans), in our 18-21 program and the offense program, and kids who go to Emily Griffith [Technical College] where DPS is contributing dollars toward college — so we technically don’t graduate those students in four years,” he explained.

He’s also proud of the fact that North’s dropout rate is 0.9%, below the state goal of a 2% dropout rate.

While North has improved its ability to attract new families, its gradu- School Performance ation rates and test scores have seen The Colorado Department of inconsistent gains. So, how well is Education gives every school a North serving its students?

The Denver North Star

performance rating. In the 201819 school year, North High School was rated yellow, which requires a school improvement plan. However, the school received a 52.7%, just a fraction of a percent below the 53% required to receive a green rating that indicates the school is approaching expectations on all measures. The yellow rating this year is up from orange the year before, and it was green in 2015-16 with 57.7%.

DPS has its own School Performance Framework (SPF), which it says differs from the state’s in that it “puts special emphasis on student academic growth, or how much progress students have made from one year to the next. In DPS, we believe what is most important is not where kids start, but how much they grow.”

North’s SPF rating from the district in 2018-19 was yellow, or “Accredited on Watch.” North scored just 22% (or 8.75 out of 39 points) for whether its students are performing at grade level, and 36% (or 33 of 91 points) for how much students are growing academically each year.

“There is no traditional high school in DPS that is higher than yellow,” he noted.

The only green and blue rated high schools in DPS are Denver School of the Arts, KIPP Northeast Leadership Academy, and five DSST (Denver School of Science and Technology) charter network schools.

North shares the yellow rating with many other DPS high schools, including neighboring CEC (Career Education Center) Early College (which did better than North on all measures except Academic Gaps), Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Northfield, West Early College, Northeast Early College (formerly High Tech Early College), KIPP Denver Collegiate, George Washington and East (though it rated much higher on all measures and was rated green the previous year).

STRIVE Prep Excel at North was rated red overall, and red on all measures except engagement, which was yellow.

North High School was also rated yellow in 2016-17, but dropped to orange, “Accredited on Priority Watch” last year, which Wolf attributes to changes in the way the district was scoring schools, particular on its Academic Gaps measures.

Wolf serves on a DPS committee working to redesign the measures in the SPF.

Historically underserved DPS has an Academic Gaps rating as part of its SPF that measures how well schools are closing academic gaps for historically underserved populations. Wolf said after dropping to an overall orange on the

SPF last year, the school worked really hard to make progress in these targeted areas this school year.

North received a yellow rating, or “Approaching Expectations” with just 35% on its Academic Gaps measures, including ratings of: • Yellow rating (35%), or “Approaching Expectations” for students in poverty — North has a higher rate of students living in poverty than other schools, as measured by 70% of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch (FRL) benefits, compared to 65% across DPS and 41% across the state. (A recent A+ Colorado report said schools serving more than 80% FRL-eligible received nearly 50% more funding per student than schools with fewer than 20% eligible.)

• Red rating (29%), or “Does Not Meet Expectations” for students with disabilities — 27% of North’s students have disabilities, a considerably higher number than the 11% district- and statewide, and more than a quarter of the student body.

• Yellow rating (35%), or “Approaching Expectations” for English language learners — 29% of North students are English language learners, which is fewer than the 37% throughout the district (and higher than the 16% statewide), but still nearly a third of the student body.

• Red rating (26%), or “Does Not Meet Expectations” for students of color — Of North’s 1,300-plus students, more than 84% are students of color, which compares to 75% districtwide and 47% across the state.

What’s next?

Right now, Wolf said everyone at North is still trying to figure out what the new normal will be when the other school they shared their campus with for seven years closes.

“It’s a really challenging time for their students and staff and community. That school meant a lot to all of them and so we at North are trying to support them,” Wolf said.

Asked if North will actively recruit STRIVE Prep Excel students, Wolf said North is prepared to grow between 100 to 200 students next year, but was quick to say, “We want to make sure they have great education wherever that is. We will, of course, support any family that wants to come to North.”

Currently, two STRIVE Prep middle schools (Sunnyside and Lake) feed into STRIVE Prep Excel at North. The charter network said it is “consolidating” the North school with another of its high school locations, but Wolf said he will be working with the district to advocate that North be those students’ home high school.

Page 13 | December 2019-January 2020

SchoolChoice Jan. 15 to Feb. 18 DPS has open enrollment, or SchoolChoice, in which students are guaranteed a seat at their neighborhood school but can apply to attend any school throughout the district and are placed on a lottery basis. There is one unified application process for all schools in the district, and those applications are due between 8:30 a.m. Jan. 15 and 4 p.m. Feb. 18 this year. The district also holds a series of school expos throughout the district Jan. 21-23.

You can learn more, find enrollment guides and other resources, and access the application at schoolchoice. dpsk12.org.

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The Denver North Star

Health & Wellness

All Gratitude, All the Time? No, Thank You.

by Erika Taylor ow’s your holiday spirit?

Does the wonder of wrapping gifts, sending cards, shoveling walks, finding that party dress and elbowing through Costco have you bursting with holiday happiness? No? Most of us have learned that we are supposed to be happy, positive and grateful. Grateful for the opportunities that life has presented us, grateful for our health, grateful for … everything. If you spent any time on social media over Thanksgiving, you were likely awash in #grateful, #blessed, #thankful.

There ARE massive health benefits to recognizing our blessings.

Gratitude reduces depression, decreases blood pressure, improves sleep, strengthens relationships and amps our quality of life in lots of ways. But here’s the rub. Sometimes the holidays are not jolly at all. We’re stressed. We’re broke. We’re lonely.

We’re preoccupied that the kids are with their in-laws or overwhelmed by missing mom. Everyone else seems to be living a magical holiday full of joy, cheer and gratitude. So many of us, in the quest to be constantly, positively grateful — ignore, suppress or shy away from our true emotions.

It goes something like this:

empty chair. Experiencing sadness and hurt is part of what makes it so incredible to feel joy and happiness.

So, how do we take a season we’ve been told is supposed to be merry and bright and let it be all the other things too?

Here’s my holiday wish list: Create a safe space and talk it out. Most of us don’t express ourselves fully because we don’t feel safe doing it. Find a space where you can fully express, whether it’s in your car (one of my favorites) or at a friend’s. Somewhere you feel totally

H

The holidays, even at their jolliest, can be exhausting.

I feel sad.

I’m not supposed to feel sad.

I’m a positive person.

I should be grateful.

We are taught to avoid unpleasant emotions. We may try to escape with alcohol, food, busy-ness, compulsive sex or other self-harming behaviors. Dulling feelings may help you experience less sadness and anger, but it also stops you from feeling happiness and joy. Being human is beaming with joy and weeping with heartbreak. It is grateful for a full house and devastated over that one

comfortable. Then try a simple exercise. Set a timer for three minutes and say aloud, “I feel __.” Don’t stop until the timer goes off. Let yourself speak without a filter, even if the words don’t make sense right away.

Embrace whatever comes.

Let traditions evolve. Many folks cling tightly to rituals and feel distress when they change. Re-imagine!

If you’ve gone to midnight mass for decades, but no one is up for it anymore, discover that 8 a.m. mass can be special, too. Ask yourself WHY you feel so deeply about having everyone at your house for candle lighting. Perhaps when you realize you just want to see your family under one roof, you’ll be more willing to pass hosting to your kids.

Manage loneliness. If you’re dreading being alone, and you can prevent the circumstances, do it.

It might mean the bus overnight to Boston. It might mean awkwardly accepting a neighbor’s invitation to Christmas dinner. Or, if you’re bummed that no one invited you to New Year’s, plan your own party!

Or embrace being alone for the holidays. Schedule a massage, volunteer, surrender to Netflix or even plan a

solo vacation. Whatever you do, do it mindfully. Instead of being pressured by the external expectations of what the holiday ‘should’ be — take control. When you feel in control of your experience, you feel better.

Commit to your health. Whatever it takes, take care of yourself. Put YOUR oxygen mask on first.

Eat well. Don’t skip meals, but do skip the third serving of latkes. Pace yourself at the company party. Sleep.

Exercise. Relax. That may mean sticking to online shopping. Maybe meditating, or sidestepping a political discussion with Uncle Frank. The holidays, even at their jolliest, can be exhausting. If your tank is full, you’ll be better able to deal with any emotionally trying experience.

Give Back. When we volunteer, we feel connected, reduce anxiety and depression, and strengthen self-esteem. Helping others in a meaningful way can also lower blood pressure, improve sleep and decrease risk of dementia. Babysit a young neighbor, ring the bell for the Salvation Army, offer a ride to a person who can’t drive, share your professional experience with a resource center as a career coach.

Giving back helps us be resilient, which helps us be whole.

Practicing sitting with all the emotions we are capable of — not just the ones that get all the attention during the holiday season — is one of the best ways I know to thrive through not just this time of #blessings, but through all the seasons we live.

————— Erika Taylor is a community wellness instigator at Taylored Fitness, the original online wellness mentoring system.

Taylored Fitness believes 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.

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The Public Realm For All. 4383 TENNNYSON STREET #1A

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The Denver North Star

‘I’m Here With You’: A Rare Tenderness Between Strangers

by Kathryn White

I

haven’t dialed 911 very many times, yet it was the one thing that came to mind that August 2014 morning while out walking during my son’s karate practice. Yards from where our paths would cross, a man headed my direction lost control of his body and slumped to the ground. One moment we were about to make eye contact; the next, he was lying in the muddy dip between sidewalk and street, uttering strange sounds, eyes rolling back in his head, a plastic grocery sack pinned under his legs.

We think our lives are discreet packages. He, perhaps, on his way to the bus stop. Me, taking a break from extroverted parents at the dojo.

But how often does something step in to remind us of tethers we otherwise tune out? The truth is: we rely on one another in this world. Even when we think we are strangers.

I attempted reassurance, amidst the dispatcher’s questions: “An ambulance is coming. Help is coming.”

It didn’t look good. “Is he breathing?” asked 911. “Can he speak?”

There were others out that morning. People arriving at the bus stop.

Someone headed toward the day’s first cup of coffee. A dog walker. One person thought he recognized the man from a nearby park where people sometimes rested and hung out.

But for a long stretch, it felt like just the man and me.

An older couple walked up behind us, quickly taking in the scene. One of them ran to the man and sat down next to him in the gutter. He took the man’s hand in his own, leaning in so that their faces were just inches from one another, “Help is on the way. I’m here with you. Try to stay awake.” I didn’t hear a response.

————— Each December, a memorial vigil is held to remember community members who died while experiencing homelessness in metropolitan Denver. The names of the deceased are read, one at a time, by community leaders searching for and implementing solutions. Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has hosted the vigil for the last 30 years (the Denver Catholic Worker House before them), alongside publishing an unofficial count of the year’s total deaths.

The year I dialed 911 at the corner of West 34th Avenue and Osage Street, 84 men, women and children died while homeless in Denver. In 2018, the unofficial count had reached 233. Colorado Coalition for the Homeless’ Health and Homelessness Issue Brief 2019 reports that the life expectancy of Americans experiencing homelessness is a full 30 years lower than their housed

30th Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 City and County Building front steps, 1437 Bannock St.

counterparts. Causes of death here include everything from exposure to the elements to complications related to chronic illnesses (such as heart disease or diabetes) or addictions, and blunt and sharp force traumas such as gunshot wounds, suicide or blunt force to the head or torso.

Cathy Alderman, the Coalition’s vice president of communications and public policy, notes that, in 2019, there has been a visible increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in downtown Denver, as well as increased tensions and impacts emanating from the 2012 urban camping ban.

While the unofficial count of deaths and the surrounding trends in 2019 will not be available until this year’s vigil on Dec. 21, Alderman said that extreme weather patterns and ongoing difficulty in securing affordable housing will likely be reflected.

Her hope is that, as Denver seeks to create a more compassionate community supportive of those experiencing homelessness, the city’s residents will find ways to look beyond fears and stigma to see each

person experiencing homelessness as a person, trying to understand their circumstances.

Benjamin Dunning, founder and organizer with Denver Homeless Out Loud, echoes this hope. How can people in Denver get involved? Dunning said, “First, please, stop being afraid.”

In his work, Dunning sees misconceptions around drug use and behavioral problems that prevent neighborhoods from welcoming and supporting affordable housing. Both Alderman and Dunning would like to see year-round involvement and deeper, better-informed, sustained personal commitment, extending well beyond seasonal activities like sock drives.

————— That morning in 2014, I watched with relief as one neighbor sat with another and held his hand, a rare tenderness between strangers. An ambulance pulled up, brief words were exchanged; the man was whisked off and under the care of paramedics.

He didn’t look any better than he had when I first dialed 911. I phoned the police later to see where he had been taken and how he was doing. I felt tethered in a way words cannot describe. The officer, hearing I wasn’t family, was taken aback by the call, “He died, ma’am. He died on the way to the hospital.”

Happy Holidays to our Patients and Neighbors!

Whatever is beautiful, Whatever is meaningful, Whatever brings you happiness.....

May it be yours this Holiday Season and throughout the coming year!

Colorado Osteopathic & Integrative Medicine Associates 4901 W. 38th Avenue (at Xavier Street), Denver, CO 80212

www.cointegrative.com

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