Your Guide to Community, Politics, Arts and Culture in North Denver DenverNorthStar.com PUBLISHERS NOTE Help The Denver North Star reach our year-end fundraising goal and secure a $5,000 matching grant. PAGE 2
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Volume 5, Issue 3
| December 15, 2023-January 14, 2024
South American Refugee Crisis Comes to North Denver
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ALWAYS FREE!
Regis GLOBAL Inclusive Students Reflect on Campus Life By Kathryn White
L COMMUNITY Community Mourns Peter Damian Arguello PAGE 3
COMMUNITY Hit-and-Run Crash Kills Beloved Blue Pan Pizza Server PAGE 4
ENVIRONMENT Ready, Set, Count: Birders Gear Up for Audubon Christmas Bird Count PAGE 5
HISTORY Looking Back on an Icon: Rosa Linda’s Mexican Café PAGE 7
THE GRAY ZONE Chronicles of Failure: Your Faceplant Resume PAGE 9 Postal Customer
PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Hundreds have taken up camp along West 27th Avenue between Zuni and Alcott. By Cassis Tingley
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he corner of Zuni and Speer has become a option but to move onto the street. microcosm of the intensifying Venezuelan Eduardo Moncerrat, a 21 year-old migrant humanitarian crisis, the American immifrom Venezuela, plans to do just that. As a young gration system fiasco, and local politics here in man traveling alone, he has six days left of his 14 Denver. Over 200 refugees and migrants, primarallotted days in the Quality Inn. ily from Venezuela, have set up camp outdoors “If I can’t find work, I will find a tent and live along West 27th Avenue. here like everyone else,” he said, gesturing to rows Inside the neighboring Quality Inn, migrant of tents lining both sides of the street. families and individuals eligible to be sheltered by THE REFUGEES the city stay in hotel rooms, receive two meals a Most of the refugees and migrants staying day and are assured housing for 14 days if they’re in and camping outside the Quality Inn are traveling by themselves or with other adults and from Venezuela. 37 days if they have kids. Services, whether they Today, widespread blackouts, out-of-control be clothing donations, a list of community nonprofits or housing help, must come through the inflation and rampant government corruption city and their partner nonprofits, Papagayo and have resulted in many Venezuelans facing financial ruin, violence and extortion. Since President ViVe Wellness. Nicolás Maduro took power in 2013, approximate“After that time frame, [the migrants] are being ly 7 million Venezuelans have fled the country in exited to the street,” said Andrea Ryall, who has been search of safety and staorganizing advocacy efforts. bility abroad, with at least “We don’t believe that they are being set up in a way to Today, widespread blackouts, 500,000 seeking asylum in the U.S. since 2020. be exited anywhere else.” out-of-control inflation and Edwin Contreras, 35, As of earlier this month, the City of Denver had rampant government corruption left Venezuela after being told he had to pay a weekly served more than 30,000 have resulted in many $100 vacuna, or “vaccine” migrants out of the city to ensure his safety, to an reception center since last Venezuelans facing financial infamous organized crime December. City spokesruin, violence and extortion. person Jon Ewing said that group in Venezuela. about 7,000 migrants in“The one time I didn’t dicated on arrival that they did not want to stay have it, they came and almost killed me,” said in Denver and were provided with a bus ticket to Contreras. “They said I had 15 days to pay or they another city; approximately 7,800 migrants have would kill me … I didn’t have any other options.” been sent to Denver on buses chartered by TexLike Contreras, Jessica Romero, 23, came to as government officials. So far, the city has spent the U.S. after her husband faced extortion and more than $33 million on the support effort. violent threats this past spring. In Romero’s case, Ewing said migrants released from shelters the threats came from the local colectivo, far-left have access to “any reparamilitary groups with ties to the Venezuelan sources available to any government and operate throughout Venezuela. PRESORTED other person [experiencAfter traversing Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, STANDARD ing homelessness] in DenNicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, all U.S. POSTAGE ver.” But without work aulargely on foot, Romero arrived in Juarez and was thorization, the money for granted entry into the U.S. in El Paso. The journey Denver, CO a deposit or a first-month’s through Mexico was the worst, she said. Permit No. 2565 rent, and English language EDDM See REFUGEE, Page 10 skills, many have no other
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ast year, The Denver North Star introduced readers to Jen Anderman and Regis University’s new GLOBAL Inclusive program, an academic experience for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It’s a one-, two-, or three-year program designed with the Jesuit principle of cura personalis (care for the whole person) in mind. Students take specially designed and integrated courses and are supported by peer mentoring, academic success coaching, career services and a dedicated dorm setting for those who live on campus. Anderman, who was excited and a little nervous about heading off to college last year, is back at Regis for her second year of the program. We visited her on campus recently and met up with all 18 GLOBAL Inclusive first- and second-year students, as well as the staff who support them, Dr. Jeanine Coleman, Lauren Gray and Morgan McNeill. Students were energized by college life and eager to share about their experiences on campus, in the dorms and in their classes. And since many across North Denver have the possibility of college on their minds this time of year, we invited the students we met to write and draw about how college life is going for them and to offer advice for those thinking about college for themselves. We found their responses insightful and inspiring, and have selected a sampling of what they contributed to share with our readers. MASON RICE, FIRST-YEAR STUDENT Student government is a unique club that listens to the whole student body and helps the student body by organizing and hosting events and discussing issues occurring on campus. People on the student council will brainstorm ideas for how to help students in general. I got elected to be in the student government at Regis University on my first run because of my background. What is it like to live in the dorms? Only one word comes to mind when it comes to living in the dorms with people you don’t even know all too well: MAYHEM!!! There are many people in the dorms. So many people that arguments on certain subjects during conversations can quickly put you on other people's bad side. So, it's important to get to know other people so that in the future you and that person can find common ground on things you both like and start building your friendship and seeing where the friendship takes you. HILARY OLIVARES, INTEGRATED UNDERGRADUATE CLASSMATE I have admired that our campus is welcoming of everyone and anyone of all backgrounds. Because I myself don’t have a disability, I don’t face challenges in my day-to-day life. Getting to be in a class that partners with the GLOBAL Inclusive Program has been an honor because I get
See REGIS, Page 11