Your Guide to Community, Politics, Arts and Culture in North Denver DenverNorthStar.com
|
Volume 3, Issue 8
|
May 15, 2022-June 14, 2022
Next Steps
Berkeley Homeowners Affected By Water Main Break Assess Recovery
|
ALWAYS FREE!
Totally Tennyson to Raise Funds for PawsCo, Denver Cat Company By Celeste Benzschawel
F
TRANSPORTATION Scooter Season Arrives in North Denver PAGE 4
COMMUNITY Remembering Dennis Gallagher PAGES 10 & 11
PHOTO: ERIC HEINZ
The carpet and walls of the basement of Ken and Dennis Spinks had to be ripped out for cleaning and clearing out water after a main break in late April.
W
By Eric Heinz
COMMUNITY El Chingon Location For Sale PAGE 12
EDUCATION Students Repair School Mural PAGE 18 Postal Customer
ater from a main pipeline break early April it is not legally responsible to cover damages caused by 24 morning caused the windows to burst main breaks because of Colorado’s Governmental Imin the basement of Dennis and Ken Spinks’ munity Act. “Denver Water … so far, they're paying for everyhome on the 4500 block of Raleigh Street. “I had gotten up not too early and heard some bang- thing,” Dennis said. “We do have to use their contracing on the front doors,” Ken said. “I came down, and it's tors, and kind of be on their schedule, which has been the fire department. They said, ‘You got water going in the frustrating issue. Otherwise we have to pay out of your window wells. You probably should go down and pocket and then get reimbursed, and we don’t have those move your speakers off the floor.’” kinds of resources.” Dennis said by the time Denver Water had shut off the Denver Water had not determined the cause of the valves connected to the main break, his basement and water main break as of May 4. other neighboring residences had about 7 feet of water “Pipe breaks can happen for an array of reasons, including pipe materials, corrosive nature of the soils, in their basements. “You could see really quickly, you weren't go- temperature changes, shifts in water pressures/flows and ing to be able to get stuff off the floor because age of the pipe,” Salas said. “We aren’t always able to pinthere was going to be way too much water,” point it, especially as we focus so heavily on rapidly adKen said. dressing the break, repairing the leak, and getting customers back on water service.” Dennis and Ken were staying at a hotel, paid for by the Salas said Denver Water has Jose Salas, a spokesman for city, since the water main numerous programs to proactively identify and minimize break, but on May 2 they said Denver Water, said about leaks, and upgrade and repair they intended to be back at 50 properties were affected its aging water system, which home within a week. by the main break, and the includes leak detection, pipe Dennis, who sells insurance, said he knew their house of utility has sent staff to provide replacement, pressure regulating valve maintenance/replacenearly 12 years was not covered estimates on restoration ment, and corrosion control. for a municipal water main Ken said they were fortunate break under their home’s policy. costs for uninsured the first floor of their house was Jose Salas, a spokesman for property damages. raised about three feet above Denver Water, said about 50 the ground, which kept it baproperties were affected by the main break, and the utility has sent staff to provide sically untouched by the unexpected deluge. But other estimates on restoration costs for uninsured property neighbors weren’t so lucky. Dennis said one house across the street had so damages. Denver Water offers payments of up to $8,000 to cov- much damage that some of its wood had buckled on er uninsured personal property damage. If a vehicle is the first floor. damaged and an insurance “This last week has been (about) getting the assessor for claim is made, Denver Water the city over to give us permission to throw away the inPRESORTED will also provide payment terior contents,” Ken said. “We've had to inventory everySTANDARD to cover the insurance poli- thing, take pictures of everything, and then haul it out.” U.S. POSTAGE cy deductible, up to $1,000, Salas said Denver Water’s most recent data from 2016 Salas said, adding the utility and 2020 shows there were 1,492 main breaks during Denver, CO has already received “about that time, and he said main breaks occur based on variPermit No. 2565 ous conditions such as the age of the pipe and surrounda dozen claims for vehicles.” EDDM The utility, however, states ing soil corrosiveness.
PAID
ads and styles come and go, but the 70s, 80s, and 90s are a state of mind. And North Denver’s annual bar crawl and costume contest Totally Tennyson is back again on June 4 to remind us of the glory days of bell bottoms, peace signs and hairspray … tons of it. The bar crawl will take place on Tennyson Street between 38th and 44th Avenues and will include stops at FlyteCo Brewing, Berkeley Inn, West End Tap House, Atomic Cowboy, and more. The night will end at The Oriental Theater with a performance by party rockers The Six Million Dollar Band. This year’s Tom Collins, Long Islands and cosmo drinks will raise money for PawsCo and Denver Cat Company, the latter of which is located right on Tennyson Street. “I’ve had many, many different dogs and cats in my life, all of which are amazing,” organizer Scott Happel said, “and so it’s just something that speaks to me more and something that I thought could also be part of the neighborhood.” Totally Tennyson has historically been a fundraiser put on by mothers in the area to raise money for local schools. In 2021, Happel, part-owner of The Oriental Theater, took leadership over the bar crawl.
Last year’s event was focused on raising money for the local bars, businesses, and theater involved in the crawl to give them extra business after COVID. And without children of his own, Happel felt it made more sense to show some love to the animals in his life. Plus, he’s gotten pets from PawsCo before, and his fiance Jennifer loves going to the Denver Cat Company’s cat cafe. There won’t be any major changes this year except, hopefully, attendance. Last year didn’t see the same turn out historically because of COVID, but Happel is optimistic that this year’s event will be a hit. “I’m excited to be able to work with PawsCo and the Denver Cat Company to be able to donate some money to some really good organizations that do wonderful work,” Happel said. “And I am excited and hopeful that we can see a return to a normal level of attendance and fun and excitement around the event.” Totally Tennyson Retro Pub Crawl will take place on June 4 from 8-11:45 p.m. All entries into the costume contest must register at The Oriental Theater by 7:30 p.m. on June 4 to participate. Find more information and a link to purchase tickets at bit.ly/3yeXqy3.