The Denver North Star June 15 2023 Online Edition

TRANSPORTATION

Denver Adds 137 Miles of New Bikeways Since 2018

Denver to Close Only Non-Congregate Shelter Exclusively for LGBTQ+ Guests in August; Residents Have Concerns

Best Days Behind It? Residents Say Hirshorn Park is Neglected

By Ernest Gurulé

Like so many cities, Denver’s neighborhoods are layered with elements that combine the architecture of three different centuries.

The Highland neighborhood — or, to those who call it home, The Highlands — is one such neighborhood. Hilly streets once lined with tidy homes and businesses of brick and mortar now sit comfortably next to the 21st century chic, the glass and metal townhouses, apartments and restaurants sprouting up.

The best reference point for the community is the oversized Olinger funeral sign that has lit up the night in this North Denver location for generations. The funeral home closed its doors years ago but still is used for telling people where they are. It’s a lot easier than telling them, ‘Go to 3000 Tejon and you’ll be right there.’

By Gannon Rothman

Angela Browne’s concerns about the possibility of being houseless again soared when she first heard that the Rodeway Inn, 4765 Federal Blvd., would be up for lease in a few months. She’s been a resident there since last year.

Now she and other guests wonder where they will go when they’re forced to move out on Aug. 24.

The city leased the building from the Denver Housing Authority (DHA) for nearly $11 million during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand non-congregate shelters, where individuals are offered some level of privacy and their own rooms.

“We’re concerned because we wanted this developed into something north Denver could be proud of, something where our elderly, our nonbinary, our transgenders, our ADA people that have service animals that are harder to place within our community,” Browne said.

“North Denver is our home.”

The structure has served as a non-congregate shelter for women, transgender and nonbinary guests since the summer of 2020. The shelter will effectively close at the end of the current lease term on Aug. 31.

Megan Devenport, CEO of The Gathering Place, said her immediate concern is for the people who are most affected. That includes getting more than 70 guests into stable housing quickly.

“Currently, Denver hasn’t prioritized the specific support for women, trans and nonbinary people in this next phase of non-congregate shelter,” Devenport said. “They’re instead defaulting to an all-gender approach, which is an approach. But I’m really concerned about the message that sends to our trans and nonbinary community.”

More than 30 people will also lose their jobs with The Gathering Place, which has helped support guests at the Rodeway during its 24/7 operation.

Devenport said some of the things the city is still able to do include funneling more funds to their nonprofit for rental assistance and helping with move-outs for residents.

The city said a reason behind the decision comes from ownership. Denver doesn't own the Rodeway Inn and does not control the terms of the lease.

The city said a reason behind the decision comes from ownership. Denver doesn't own the Rodeway Inn and does not control the terms of the lease.

This isn’t the first time a shelter has been forced to shut down in Denver since the pandemic started. Last year, at least 150 guests were forced to move out of the Quality Inn on Zuni Street that opened to serve people experiencing homelessness during COVID. Federal funds drying up caused that shelter to close.

Moving forward, Denver is considering plans to repurpose the site at Rodeway Inn to provide more permanent supportive housing. The Denver Department of Housing Stability and other partners, including the nonprofit organization that operates the hotel, The Gathering Place, are working together to determine the most viable option for transitioning guests prior to the closure.

Right now, the Rodeway Inn is the last non-congregate shelter that specifically serves the LGBTQ+ homeless population in Denver. The issue facing this specific community of people going to other shelters is the feeling of being unwelcome. Studies show that transgender and nonbinary people are more at risk for homelessness.

For now, the city has over $23 million to purchase non-congregate shelters. It hasn’t said what specific populations those will serve.

Devenport said a positive outcome of the Roadway Inn closure would be to lead guests to other shelters or toward better housing options.

Angie Nelson, the deputy director of Housing Stability and Homelessness Resolution at the Department of Housing Stability, wants to remind current LGBTQ+ residents that the Rodeway Inn is not the only shelter that accepts trans and nonbinary people.

“We want to encourage every guest to work with the case management team at the Rodeway to work on their individual transition plan, which may look like a referral to another non-congregate shelter that can serve trans and nonbinary folks,” Nelson said.

Currently, Denver has nine other non-congregate

See SHELTER, Page 14

But the one thing that ties the community, both old timers and newcomers, together in this eclectic neighborhood is the priceless view of the city’s skyline. At night, it’s like a peek through a kaleidoscope. The view is officially called a “view corridor” and, by city ordinance, must be maintained in perpetuity.

A handful of Denver neighborhoods carry the designation. But the view, however stunning, stands in contrast to the park that should complement the community but doesn’t.

The park, Hirshorn Park, has seen better days and does not engender the same reverence. Long ago, it was lush with a ballfield as a central feature, but the park today seems neglected.

The grass is mostly patchy. The outfield, a pock-marked collection of ankle-breaking divots. In this shape, it’s gone to the dogs — literally. Aside from a basketball court and downsized kiddie playground, Hirshorn Park, for all practical purposes, is a dog park.

“Some object to the dogs,” said Mike Tavel, an architect, urban planner and an unofficial park historian.

Tavel has watched the park age for the last 30 years. He’s got no objection to the park’s unofficial designation or use. Still, he’s not pleased that so little is being done by some dog owners and the city to make the place more inviting. To do that, it would mean addressing another very visible issue.

There’s a growing litter issue. It’s often left by unhoused people who sometimes sleep in the park. The residue, discarded clothing, fast food wrappers and cups, and other things left by people is evident in a number of spots on the park’s perimeter. And that’s not all.

“There’s urine and excrement on the grass,” Tavel said, and that makes use of the park for community events problematic.

It also makes the park less than a pleasant experience for families who drop by after a visit to the Little Man Ice Cream shop across the street. The creamery is not just a weekend thing. Because of the walkability

See PARK, Page 14

Angela Browne, a resident of the Rodeway Inn, speaks to reporters about the impending closure of the living facility at 47th Avenue and Federal Boulevard, which has been a shelter for LGBTQ+ individuals since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

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20-Story Building Coming to Edge of Globeville

By Eric Heinz

A20-story building with 425 residential units may soon tower over the edge of the Sunnyside neighborhood.

The building, which is being developed by Littleton-based Continental Realty Group, is slated to replace the Wagner Equipment Co. building at 805 W. 38th Ave.

Ryan Snyder, the director of development for Continental, told The Denver North Star that his company closed on the property at the end of February.

Denver Clerk and Recorder records did not show that a deed for the land had been documented, but the property was most recently listed with an actual value of about $14 million, according to Denver property records.

“At one point, we did contemplate doing a condo tower, but we're doing all apartments for rent,” Snyder said. “Fifty-one of them will be affordable, half of them will be 60% AMI (area median income) and half will be 80% AMI.”

The demolition of the previous structure that housed an equipment rental company has already been completed, and Snyder said Continental is eyeing a completion date sometime in 2026.

Of the residential units, about 25 will be studio apartments, 155 will be one-bedrooms and the remaining will be two-bedrooms. The costs of rent have not yet been determined for the entire building.

“We’re tracking (rents) with the market, other comparable properties, nearby in Sunnyside and stuff like that,” Snyder said.

Snyder added there aren’t too many residential properties that are near the project site, but Continental reached out to local organizations anyway to make sure there was no opposition to it.

“We reached out to whoever we could to talk to about this, and I think that people were excited to know that we were actually achieving the zoning that the city laid out for the area,” Snyder said. “Some of the other projects in the area are only going up five stories.”

“It's a special area in my mind because there are only so many places in the city that have 20 stories zoning on them,” Snyder added. “We think it’s very important that we are utilizing

the zoning that's been afforded to this area.”

The building will have four stories of parking with the 16 stories of residential units on top of that, and there will be retail space on the ground floor. Additionally, two amenity decks will be added above the parking areas with a fitness center on the second floor for residents.

“We're hoping that we can prove this can be almost an extension of downtown,” Snyder said. “There's a lot of density opportunities over here. If there's additional density in this neighborhood, there's inherently going to be additional affordable units, as well. So it's important that we utilize those special zoning districts.”

Some of the commercial spaces have been designed to accommodate a restaurant and coffee shop. Snyder said they haven’t leased those spaces yet, but that’s what the development team is trying to attract to the building.

Continental is looking to develop a new street that will run to the west of the building that will be called Huron Street, which will travel all the way to the Fox Park development.

Denver Expands Homeownership Program to Communities of Color

By The Denver North Star Staff

ADenver social equity homeownership program is expanding investment and eligibility criteria to allow more Denver households to qualify for down payment assistance totaling either $15,000 or $25,000.

Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) launched the metroDPA Social Equity program in 2022, providing down payment assistance with the aim of increasing homeownership in communities of color that were historically targeted by discriminatory practices like redlining.

The program is expanding with a $10-million infusion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds after more than 12,000 Denver residents identified housing as a top priority for use of the city’s $308 million in local relief funds. As part of the infusion, program eligibility is also expanding to include residents impacted by place-based disparities in educational access.

“We’re working to right the harmful, historical wrongs that have been a barrier to far too many for far too long,” Mayor Michael Hancock said in a prepared statement. “It’s simply unacceptable that some residents, based on the location where they or their ancestors resided, face significantly greater hurdles to homeownership. We’re leveling the playing field for these wealth-building opportunities among all of our communities in Denver.”

The metroDPA Social Equity program is offered to residents and direct descendants of individuals who lived in a Denver neighborhood that was redlined between 1938 and

2000. The program is now also offered to residents who, between 2010 and 2022, lived in a Denver neighborhood where more than 50% of the adults age 25 and older have less than a bachelor’s degree.

Together, these criteria aim to address historic inequities in homeownership for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) households. Applicants must qualify for a 30-year, fixed-rate home loan, earn less than $188,250 per year and must have a credit score above 640.

The Social Equity program offers homeowners $15,000 or $25,000 based upon their income level and approval by HOST. The assistance is interest-free and does not require repayment. Homeowners may use the funds for a down payment or closing costs to purchase a home anywhere in Front Range areas approved through the metroDPA program.

Since inception just over a year ago, the metroDPA Social Equity program has provided down payment assistance to 74 residents, including 34 who purchased a home in Denver. A total of $1,660,000 has been deployed to fund these purchases.

The program supports HOST’s Five-Year Strategic Plan goal of increasing homeownership among BIPOC households in Denver from 41% to 45% by 2026. HOST is strongly committed to equity and utilizing data and programs to inform the department’s work so that race is no longer a predictor of housing outcomes.

For more information, visit Denvergov.org/ metroDPA.

A 20-story building with 425 residential units, including 51 incomerestricted dwellings, is expected to be constructed by Continental Realty Group by 2026.

IMAGE COURTESY OF CONTINENTAL REALTY GROUP

West Colfax’s Lake Steam Bath House to Get Hotel on Top of Spa

By Eric Heinz

Plans to add a hotel on top of Lake

Steam bath house in West Colfax will also preserve the longtime spa that has been enjoyed by Denver residents since the business opened nearly 100 years ago.

According to city documents that were recently submitted by owners Tyler Weston and Scott Kilkenny, a 58-room hotel would accompany the existing Lake Steam business. The historic exterior of Lake Steam will remain, with restoration efforts underway.

“We just thought it really fit well with the mix of having the steam baths, kind of a spa atmosphere,” Weston told The Denver North Star. “With the hotel above it, people can come, they can stay, they can use the spa facilities and we'll make it a really nice facility.”

As part of the project, Weston and Kilkenny plan to renovate the interior of the bath house, but Weston said they will continue the membership program for people in the neighborhood and not just keep it exclusive to hotel guests.

“Our goal is just to make the facility better than it already is but offer all the same and have a beautiful hotel above it, adding even more facilities,” Weston said. “It's just gonna be a beautiful little thing for the community to use.”

Weston said the improvements will include adding a hot tub, a cold plunge pool, massage rooms and various kinds of saunas. He said a gym is also planned for the second floor of the hotel as well as a yoga studio or similar facilities.

“We just think that it's a really good upand-coming area with everything that’s going on and all the new development happening,” Weston said. “We tend to think that it’s

a primo area that could really use a facility like this.”

Originally, there were plans to make the new development apartment buildings, but Weston said they decided to change directions to facilitate a clientele for the bath house. Weston and Kilkenny partered to buy the property at 3540 W. Colfax Ave. for $2 million last October.

Ethyl and Harry Hyman founded Lake Steam in 1927. Their youngest child, Joe Hyman, eventually took over, with his wife,

Denver Animal Shelter Looking to Give Excess Cats Homes

By The Denver North Star Staff

Gertie, handling most day-to-day operations. Joe and Gertie’s son Hannon Hyman took his own turn running Lake Steam, together with wife, Amy.

When Hannon died in 2015, Amy Hyman was left to carry on the business. She was at the helm in 2019 when Lake Steam was awarded Westword’s “Best of Denver” honor for Best Service on Colfax. And she carried the storied, iconic business through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, its last years in the Hyman family.

Denver Animal Shelter (DAS) has more than 100 cats in its care looking for loving homes.

As part of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat month, DAS is offering discounts on cats and kittens through June.

DAS has a large feline population right now because it is kitten season, when an influx of pregnant cats and litters of kittens arrive at the shelter. Cats can technically get pregnant up to five times a year since their gestation period lasts only about two months.

Denver Animal Protection (DAP) officers also recently rescued nearly 30 cats from a hoarding situation, DAS stated.

Adult cats are now just $20; kittens are $50. Normally, their adoption fees range from $95-$110.

Adoptable cats can be found at denvergov. org by searching adoptable pets.

Plans are in motion to add a 58-room hotel connected to Lake Steam bath house in West Colfax.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ / FILE

PHOTO COURTESY DAS

Mike Johnston Defeats Kelly Brough to Become Denver’s Next Mayor

By Eric Heinz

Mike Johnston claimed victory as Denver’s next mayor on election night, as his opponent, Kelly Brough, conceded after the third set of votes was released.

“In Denver, we have the drive to dream something different, which is to believe we can build a different kind of city,” Johnston said during his victory speech at Union Station. “We can build a city that is big enough to keep all of us safe, to house all of us, to support all of us, that is our dream of Denver.”

Johnston received about 55% of the unofficial final vote to Brough's roughly 45%, and he mentioned his call with her when she conceded.

“I thanked her for her incredible service to this city, for her creativity, for her generosity,” Johnston said. “We’ve gotten to spend a lot of time together on this campaign, and I’ve seen her as someone who is deeply committed to what this city can become and who has brought great ideas to the stage that we want to make sure become part of the future of Denver.”

Brough wished Johnston well on the road ahead, “because our city is challenged, and it needs a lot of work,” she said in her concession speech.

“What I see in this room is a lot of power, a lot of love, the kind of power and love that money can’t buy, and I’m so grateful,” Brough said. “We set out to restore the promise of Denver, and I still believe in this campaign and the work we did, we were successful in doing just that and creating the sense of optimism and possibility for our city.”

Johnston based his campaign largely on addressing the homeless crisis in Denver. Many of his five-second advertisements solely address that issue.

Following the concession from Brough, Johnston received congratulations from Gov. Jared Polis and current Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

“I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Mayor-elect Mike Johnston on his hardfought victory in becoming the 46th mayor of Denver,” Hancock said in a prepared statement. “His experiences as a nonprofit

community leader, legislator and educator have prepared him to hit the ground running.

I’m confident the city will be in good hands and my team stands ready to support the incoming administration. I look forward to a

smooth, collaborative transition over the next few weeks and will do everything possible to ensure Mayor-elect Johnston is ready to get to work on behalf of all the residents of Denver on July 17.”

TRANSITION TEAM

Johnston’s transition team is packed with current and former elected Denver officials.

See MAYOR, Page 15

BY THE NUMBERS

According to numbers from the Denver Office of the Clerk and Recorder as of the end of the election cycle, Mike Johnston had raised a little more than $1.2 million for his campaign, but a little more than $4.9 million was spent in support of his run, much of that coming from a group called Advancing Denver. Of that, nearly $1.95 million was donated by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.

Brough had raised a little more than $1 million with another roughly $1.4 million spent in support of her run, much of that coming from the group called A Better Denver.

Of that, The National Association of Realtors contributed about $470,000 to that independent expenditure committee in March.

Of note, Brough was able to get more small donations and therefore received more from the city’s Fair Elections Fund, about $937,000 to Johnston’s roughly $767,000.

All together, over $6.9 million was spent by Johnston’s campaign or by outside groups in support of his campaign, double the $3.4 million that was spent by or in support of Brough.

Some of the notable endorsements received by Johnston include former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll, former Colorado Senate President Peter Groff, former Colorado first lady Dottie Lamm and more.

Brough was able to secure endorsements from former mayors Wellington Webb and Bill Vidal, as well as former state Rep. Wilma Webb, the Denver Metro Association of Realtors and more.

Near Northwest Area Plan Community Workshop June 22

By The Denver North Star Staff

Join the city of Denver from 5-8 p.m. on June 22 at North High School, for a community workshop and resource fair to get an overview of the draft plan and share your thoughts, and to connect with local organizations.

Drop in at your convenience between 5-8 p.m. Food, child care and Spanish interpretation will be provided.

If you would like to request that live interpretation is provided for a language other than Spanish, please email planningservices@denvergov.org at least three business days before the meeting.

Accessibility: If you need a sign language interpreter or CART Services, contact SignLanguageServices@denvergov.org at least three

business days ahead of the meeting you'd like to attend. For other public accommodation requests/concerns related to a disability, please contact DisabilityAccess@denvergov.org.

People shared their priorities for the neighborhoods, and now they will be able to see and discuss how the first draft of the Near Northwest Area Plan brought those ideas and

input together.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the draft plan, talk to city planners and other community members, and share feedback in an open house format.

More information is at denvergov.org/nearnorthwestplan.

Denver’s approved it agreements Number 38

The plan, Director allow for p.m. After Place must also maintain tween it and “We are provide live Spencer Fronk er stopped in October This order facility to tainment Number patio with an alley are 12-story apartment next door. Some shakes the moved into They have Number 38.

Last May, 38’s live offerings few months 38 of violating 38 agreed for six days

“It was

The ing Latino The awards made a deep munity.

Each year, ers with three Archuleta, Winners are brary commissioners, and library This year, 21th year event is part celebration This month-long 15, honors many contributions, of Latinos.

Mike Johnston, who won Denver’s election for mayor, gets a hug from his mother on election night at Union Station before giving his victory speech.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

Supporters of Mike Johnston celebrate at Union Station during election night following the announcement of his win to be Denver’s next mayor.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

RiNo Venue, Concerned Neighbors Hope ‘Great Resolution’ Solves Noise Spat

By Justin Wingerter, BusinessDen

Denver’s licensing department has approved a compromise plan that it hopes will end two years of disagreements between the noisy RiNo venue Number 38 and annoyed neighbors.

The plan, signed by Excise and Licenses Director Molly Duplechian recently, will allow for live music at Number 38 until 10 p.m. After that, the venue at 3560 Chestnut Place must close its garage doors. It must also maintain a wall that it has built between it and residences.

“We are grateful to be able to continue to provide live music to our patrons,” owner Spencer Fronk said by phone. “We’ve never stopped playing music since we opened in October of 2020 and we never intend to. This order allows us to utilize the outdoor facility to its fullest and provide free entertainment outdoors on a daily basis.”

Number 38 has an 18,000-square-foot patio with a stage for live music. Across an alley are a handful of residences, and a 12-story apartment building is being built next door.

Some neighbors say the music there shakes the walls of their homes, which they moved into before Number 38 was built. They have urged the city to crack down on Number 38.

Last May, Duplechian limited Number 38’s live offerings to acoustic music only. A few months later, the city accused Number 38 of violating that restriction and Number 38 agreed to stop playing music altogether for six days in November as a punishment.

“It was a recipe for disaster out of the

New Courses, Successes at Lake Middle School

By Eric Heinz

gate and it’s not surprising to me that we had some conflicts,” said Daniel Ritchie, a neighbor who has been critical of Number 38.

“If Number 38 would have originally reached out to us or responded to our requests for conversations, maybe we could have mitigated this up front, but here we are a few years later with at least a plan,” he said of the recent compromise. “I wish this plan had been in place on Day 1. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that this was a recipe for conflict.”

Ritchie said he and others are skeptical that Number 38 will stick to the plan and skeptical that the city will enforce noise ordinances there if they do not stick to the plan.

“I think the proof is going to be in the results. We have been told an awful lot of things over the past two years and those things have led us to where we are today,” he said of the contentious relationship. “Can that change? Of course. Can there be opportunities for us to move forward in a more positive way? Of course, and we’re hopeful that that’s what will happen.”

Fronk, meanwhile, is confident that the city’s updated mandates “will allow for a much more amicable relationship with the few neighbors that have a perceived concern about us as a business.” He believes that the vast majority of RiNo supports Number 38.

“We have done our best to continue to placate all neighbors,” the CEO told BusinessDen, “and we believe that this is a great resolution moving forward.”

Denver Public Library’s 21st Latino Community Service Awards

By The Denver North Star Staff

The Denver Public Library is accepting nominations for its 21st annual Latino Community Service Awards. The awards honor individuals who have made a deep and lasting impact in our community.

Each year, the library honors Latino leaders with three awards named after Lena L. Archuleta, Eric J. Duran and César Chávez. Winners are selected by a committee of library commissioners, community members and library staff.

This year, the library is celebrating the 21th year anniversary of the awards. The event is part of the Denver Public Library’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. This month-long celebration, Sept. 15-Oct. 15, honors and celebrates the history, the many contributions, and the rich culture of Latinos.

Nominations close at 11:59 p.m. June 30 and may be submitted online at denlib.org/ LCSA-Noms23

“Denver is defined and enriched by our Latino community. The Latino Community Service Awards is an opportunity to recognize and honor our Latino community members who have made this city what it is today and those who will shape our future. We hope all Denverites join us as we celebrate the impacts of these individuals and the entire Latino community,” said Patty Salazar, chair of the Latino Community Service Awards.

A community celebration will be held on Sept. 16 at Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Branch Library.

For more information about the awards, questions or assistance with the nomination form, email community@denverlibrary.org

Starting next school year, Lake Middle will begin offering courses through its Career Technical Education (CTE) program that will introduce students to opportunities outside standard instruction, such as engineering, cybersecurity and innovation. Recently, Denver International Airport selected Lake Middle to participate in its Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation Adopt-A-School program for the 2023-2024 school year.

more advanced classes without prerequisite training, but he said Lake is still working on that effort.

PLATINUM STATUS

Lacy Lavon McDonald, the husband of Lake Middle’s principal, Amanda McDonald, who volunteers at the school, said the aviation program is important for students at Lake, as people of color make up just a small fraction of the industry. Some of the work in which students participate in the Adopt-ASchool program includes using flight simulators, he said.

Steve Smith, a teacher at Lake Middle School, said the school has been successful in introducing students to new areas of interest, such as advanced computer coding, DJing and sound engineering, and next year’s elective courses will be expanded.

Smith said the importance of the CTE program is that students may one day be able to take their credits from the classes and apply them to schools like the Career Education Center Middle College and start taking

Principal McDonald recently completed a program called Uncommon Schools through the Leverage Leadership Institute, and after completing the program and providing datasets to the institute, it awarded Lake Middle a “platinum status,” one of only a few in the country, as an example of schools that provide exceptional school culture, academic progress and achievement.

"If any school wants to see what works, in terms of school culture, staff culture or lesson planning, we are the model for that," Amanda McDonald said.

The principal said as recently as five years ago, Lake was the lowest-performing school in Colorado and had “obvious significant problems.”

“(The) first mission was how to create an identity around being proud to be a Lake Knight, and so we focused on that for two years … heavily,” she said, adding within the last few years, the school has been able to completely flip its negative data into positives, such as curbing bullying and vandalism, all of which contributed to the platinum status.

Lake Middle School Principal Amanda McDonald, left, poses for a photo after the school received a “platinum status” from the Leverage Leadership Institute for its work to improve the educational environment and academic achievement over the last few years.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

"If any school wants to see what works, in terms of school culture, staff culture or lesson planning, we are the model for that," – Amanda McDonald

Denver Adds 137 Miles of New Bikeways Since 2018

t a recent small ceremony on the side of West 46th Avenue next to Rocky Mountain Lake Park, Mayor Michael Hancock unveiled a sign marking 125 new miles of bikeways for the Denver bike network.

The sign marks a major milestone for the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), with an aggressive buildout of bikeways throughout Denver, though some residents feel the new bikeways don’t go far enough for comfort and safety.

The goal of 125 new miles of bike lanes was set in 2018 by the mayor with the goal of bringing high-comfort bike facilities within a quarter mile of where more Denverites live “to connect riders of all abilities to the places they want to go.”

At the event, Hancock said that “this is not a victory lap, we are proud of the milestone we have reached, but we’ve got to keep going.”

When asked about Denver being a growing city and the importance of providing numerous options for people traveling, the mayor said, “It’s the only option. The old single-mode transportation system in Denver no longer applies. We have grown exponentially over the last decade.”

“We have to be a more multimodal city, and we have to have the infrastructure that supports it,” Hancock continued. “The various types of bike lanes we have … are extremely important for folks to feel safe in riding bikes and using different modes around the city whether they are on scooters (or bikes), we have to continue to invest in transit. We don’t have any other option.”

DOTI actually exceeded the mayor’s goal, building out 137 miles of bikeways since 2018. Though technically the original goal

Awas for bike lanes, it has since been expanded to include neighborhood bikeways, or bike facilities that are not actual bike lanes, but routes that share the road with drivers on low-volume streets. They use sharrows, traffic circles, diverters, and paint and post bulb-outs to calm traffic for people who bike, and have been a popular option for planners in north Denver.

Of those new bikeway miles, 24 miles were painted bike lanes, 45 miles were buffered bike lanes (bike lanes with a painted space between the bike lane and vehicle travel lane), 23 miles were protected bike lanes, 34 miles were neighborhood bike lanes, and 11 miles were shared-use paths and trails.

“As we continue to build out our bike and multimodal network, we are creating a more sustainable alternative to driving that’s safer, enjoyable and better for our health and our environment,” DOTI Executive Director Adam Phipps said.

Layton Hill, a resident of the Highland neighborhood in North Denver, has lived in Denver for 10 years and has noticed a change in the types of people riding bikes in Denver.

“I used to see a lot more people out primarily for fitness, and now my most common bike trip is to daycare, and I’m seeing lots and lots of other families with children on their bicycles going about their day,” Hill said.

Hill said the new bike lanes aren’t perfect, but they do make it easier for him to get around. Most of the time, the streets are comfortable for him, but 10% of the time, there will be a driver that will get too close to him while he has his daughter on the back of his bike.

“They have made it better to get around,” Hill said. “I would like to see more truly prioritized lanes for people not in cars. I think having more diverters in place on just the few streets that are designated as bike lanes would be good. It would still allow neighbors to ac-

Saturday, September 9, 2023

North ‘Direction’

ipants in the inaugural as they learned course of four

As a volunteer-run nonprofit, we are still looking for sponsors, vendors, and volunteers to help us bring this free event to the community. Please visit www.sunnysidemusicfest.org to learn more.

cess their houses of course, and small businesses to receive deliveries. Everyone retains access to their curb, but it would just make those streets just a little bit less highly trafficked, and make them a little more comfortable for people not in cars.”

The diverters that Hill referenced are modal filters that allow bikes and pedestrians to go through an intersection, but force drivers of cars to turn, limiting the amount of vehicle traffic on the street. Currently in North Denver there are only two diverters: West 35th Avenue and Irving Street, and West 41st Avenue and Pecos Street.

The protected bike lanes that have been installed in places like West 23rd Avenue and West 17th Avenue have been impactful in gen-

erating increased bike and scooter traffic.

Recent research from Ride Report, an organization that has been working with the city to collect data, shows that the West 17th Avenue protected bike lane had a nearly eightfold increase in shared bike and scooter ridership between 2019 and 2023 after the protected bike lanes and new painted bike lanes were installed.

Over 57,000 trips using shared bikes and scooters have been taken on West 17th Avenue alone since the new bike lanes were completed.

Allen Cowgill is the City Council District 1 Appointee for the Denver DOTI Advisory Board.

The CU in January, who are approaching back to college sibilities, retool “I went course looking direction next phase personal and life,” said Denver Kellee Miller, low in the ral cohort “It delivered! ance, speaker laboration hadn’t before

With professional from engineering teaching, these built successful of skills. for a change skills in new ingful volunteering. with new for envisioning

– John S.

ALLEN COWGILL

Levi Wall bikes home to Lakewood up the West 23rd Avenue protected bike lane, part of the 137 new miles of bikeways since 2018.

PHOTO BY ALLEN COWGILL

North Denver Resident Finds New ‘Direction’ In College Course

Changing careers can be tumultuous, especially for those at midlife and beyond. It helps to not go it alone.

That’s what the participants in the University of Colorado Denver’s inaugural Change Makers program found as they learned and collaborated over the course of four months together.

The CU Denver program, which launched in January, brings experienced professionals who are approaching or already in retirement back to college for a semester to explore possibilities, retool and renew their purpose.

“I went into the course looking for direction in the next phase of my personal and work life,” said north Denver resident Kellee Miller, a fellow in the inaugural cohort who currently works as a nurse. “It delivered! The mix of self-reflective guidance, speaker presentations and cohort collaboration opened my mind to possibilities I hadn’t before considered.”

With professional backgrounds ranging from engineering and law to journalism and teaching, these 17 Change Maker fellows had built successful careers and honed a range of skills. They came to the program ready for a change — to use those hard-earned skills in new ways, for new jobs or meaningful volunteering. And they left in April with new perspectives, friends, and ideas for envisioning and plotting their next steps.

ON CAMPUS, AGAIN

The group met twice a week, in person and virtually, over a semester. Drawing on readings, group discussions and guest-speaker presentations, the fellows looked at what’s worked and hasn’t in their lives, what’s made the encore years meaningful for others, and the pathways, obstacles and opportunities they face in designing a meaningful next chapter.

Fellows engaged with guest speakers on topics ranging from personal storytelling to combating ageism to the power of intergenerational connection.

“The guest speakers were inspiring and motivating, which encouraged me to keep moving forward with my exploration,” said a north Denver teacher in the program. Those who audited CU Denver classes — from modernist art to human-centered design — were inspired by interesting professors and the diversity of thought that comes from learning with a mixed-age group.

The most valued component was connecting with others asking the same sorts of questions about this stage of life. The group plans to continue meeting monthly to keep the conversation going.

“Building relationships with the class cohort strengthened my confidence and held me accountable to my purpose,” said the north Denver school teacher.

Change Makers is now accepting applications for the fall semester starting in August. The application deadline is July 7.

Providing participants with the time, space and support to think about what they want next is something universities have traditionally done for people at the start of their careers. Now it’s working for people in the second half of life as well.

“As a result of Change Makers, I feel like I am on a positive journey to cultivating my purpose and place on the planet,” said Miller. “And, hopefully, leaving the world a little better each day.”

Anne Button is the founding director of the CU Denver Change Makers program (ucdenver.edu/Change-makers). She has lived in north Denver for nearly 30 years.

Within Morbid World of ‘Red Market,’ Social Commentary Abounds

WENDY THOMAS

Elements of horror, mystery and crime fiction, sprinkled with moments of wit, make this month’s read — ”Red Market” by Dharma Kelleher — one unforgettable adventure.

Bounty hunter Jinx Ballou and her team are tracking a body broker named Kreuger whose job is to sell human remains that are donated to science. A grim career choice made more macabre by Kreuger’s sale of a cadaver to a military contractor who blew it up while testing armor, leading him to be charged with the abuse of a corpse.

As Jinx and her team pursue Kreuger, they discover the Red Market on the dark web, a site for the illegal trafficking of human organs. Not for the squeamish, Jinx at one point finds herself locked in a cooler full of

body parts in a scene that is described in substantial detail. In true bounty hunter fashion, there are also plenty of car chases, shootouts and plot twists.

Along with the action are social-commentary-filled plotlines that bring additional depth to the story, the main one being that of Rayna and Leia, a mother and daughter being hidden by Jinx for their safety.

Kelleher, the author, is a transgender woman (as is Jinx) and she explores transphobia and the social and political barriers faced by trans people through her characters. In the case of Leia, an 11-year-old trans girl, her violent father refuses to accept her gender identity, and child protective services claims child abuse for the gender-affirming care that Leia is receiving.

The majority of the main and secondary characters in the book identify on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and all are actively

pursuing social justice for their community.

At the heart of this book also lies privilege and the economic exploitation of vulnerable communities. The Red Market targets undocumented immigrants for organ harvesting, and the beneficiaries are wealthy and influential individuals in need of transplants, while affluent doctors are profiting from the transactions. The messaging is not subtle, but works well within the context of the story.

The fifth book in the Jinx Ballou Bounty Hunter series, this can be read as a standalone or as part of the series. It’s a wild ride and a great read that celebrates transgender voices for Pride month. Check it out at the Smiley Branch of Denver Public Library!

Wendy Thomas is a librarian at the Smiley Branch Library. When not reading or recommending books, you can find her hiking with her dogs.

Sloan’s Lake Nonprofit Debuts Children’s Book

By The Denver North Star Staff

Sloan's Lake, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting education and social justice, recently announced the upcoming release of "Bruce The Goose," an “empowering children’s book that tackles the dangers of fascism and encourages young minds to stand up for justice,” according to a press release from the nonprofit.

Through storytelling and vibrant illustrations, "Bruce The Goose" aims to instill important values in children, empowering them to recognize and confront injustice in their own lives and communities.

"We believe that children have the power to create positive change in the world," said

Sean McGowan, the author and illustrator of "Bruce The Goose." "With this book, we want to inspire them to embrace diversity, fight discrimination, and champion the values of equality and compassion."

The effects of “Bruce The Goose” extend beyond the pages of the book. By supporting this campaign, backers contribute to a world where children are equipped with the knowledge and courage to stand against fascism. The powerful message of the book will empower young readers to become agents of change, embracing a future of equality and justice.

To learn more about the "Bruce The Goose,” visit sloanslakestudios.com/comics.

Highlands Street Fair Returns with More Activities, Music

By Eric Heinz

Along 32nd Avenue between Julian to Osceola streets, revelry will take place throughout the day June 24 to celebrate the Highland neighborhood and the various businesses in the area.

The event is put on by the Highland Merchants Association along with Team Player Productions and Nostalgic Homes.

“We really love featuring all of these local businesses within the community and giving them an avenue to really connect with people in person, especially post-COVID,” said Kristen Horpedahl Slater, an event planner with Team Player Productions. “It’s really easy for them to get lost in a digital world. So I think being able to showcase their local businesses in a way that really brings the community together is really exciting for us.”

Horpedahl Slater said this year the event plans to have more activities for children along with some new features, such as a vinyl DJ lounge.

Food trucks and various other vendors will return this year, and Horpedahl Slater said there are more vendors this year than ever before. Team Player Productions has coordinated the event the last five years.

ON STAGE AT HIGHLANDS STREET FAIR

Julian Street Stage

Nawar Dance Company, 10-10:45 a.m.

The Tracers, 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Bruce Cook Band, 1:15-2:45 p.m.

Bailey Elora, 3:15-4:45 p.m.

The Skinny, 5:15-6:45 p.m.

Osceola Street Stage

Spenga Fitness, 10-10:40 a.m.

Nick Critchlow, Noon-1 p.m.

Venture Still, 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.

Dylan and Declan, 3:30-5 p.m.

The Cody Sisters Band, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Regis Film Night to Benefit, Highlight Bienvenidos Food Bank

By Eric Heinz

To help grow the support of the Bienvenidos food bank in north Denver, Regis University is partnering with neighborhood associations to host a movie night that will highlight the organization.

“The goal is to support Bienvenidos, ultimately, that's the number one goal through donations, but I think more so it’s become about just getting the word out about Bienvenidos to more people in the neighborhood so they can get continued support, not just from one big event,” said Amber Kraska, president of the Harkness Heights Neighborhood Association.

The event will coincide with RegiRama, Regis University’s summer film series, on July 14, and the movie will be “Sing” (2016). Dinner and live music will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the movie starting at dusk or after 8:45 p.m.

There is no entrance fee, but food vendors will be available, and organizers have put out a $10 suggested donation to go to the food bank.

Sunnyside Neighbors Inc. is also securing free bus passes for people who want them during the event, and they are encouraging people to use multimodal transportation instead of individual cars to get to the event.

Kraska said raising a couple thousand dollars for the food bank would be “amazing,” as 200 to 300 people are expected to attend based on last year’s numbers. She added the book bank has struggled to keep up with

the need of people who visit Bienvenidos for essential food after the SNAP benefits remaining from the COVID-19 pandemic were discontinued.

“Most families lost 400 bucks a month for food,” she said.

The Colorado Governor’s Office, Department of Human Services and Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger announced recently that they partnered to distribute $4.05 million in emergency funding to 245 food pantries statewide, and Bienvendios was listed as one of the recipients of some of the funding.

Jenna Farley, the executive director of community relations for Regis University, said before the pandemic, the university did a lot of work with the community, but many of the collaborative programs that were accessible during that time had somewhat gone away.

“Rebuilding those efforts looks different now than it did before,” Farley said. “What I love most about this is … it's also about coming together as a community to celebrate each other.”

“Let's all be in the same place together,” Farley added. “We live in this neighborhood together. Let's spend more time in the community, and I think that that doesn't happen enough.”

More information about the event and RegiRama can be found at regis.edu/signature-events/regirama.

The Highlands Street Fair returns June 24 to 32nd Avenue between Julian and Osceola streets.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ / FILE

“Let's all be in the same place together. We live in this neighborhood together. Let's spend more time in the community, and I think that that doesn't happen enough.”

– Jenna Farley, Regis University executive director of community relations

Fifth-Graders Tackle Effects of Young People Using Social Media

he Surgeon General has nothing on fifth-graders at Brown International Academy, a northwest Denver public school, when it comes to educating our communities.

Brown students Elizabeth Dolegowski and Mara Persaud have been studying the impacts of social media on young people for months and presented their findings in

TMay at the school’s annual Fifth Grade Exhibition, a capstone project designed to give kids experience researching, connecting and taking action on a topic affecting the community.

Recently, The New York Times published a report by Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in which he warns that social media presents a “profound risk of harm” to the mental health of children because of the

See SOCIAL MEDIA, Page 14

Elizabeth Dolegowski, left, and Mara Persaud present their findings about young people and the use of social media during the recent Brown International Academy Fifth Grade Exhibition.

PHOTO BY ERIKA TAYLOR

People

Grade Exdesigned to give connecting and the compublished Vivek Mursocial media harm” to

Putt-Putt Bar Crawl Hits a Hole-in-One to #SaveSloansLake

Photos and Text By

Basha Cohen

The Sloan’s Lake Park Foundation (SLPF) is on a mission to #SaveSloansLake. The jewel of northwest Denver is losing the very asset it needs to stay afloat: water.

Today, the lake has an average depth of 3 1/2 feet, versus 18 feet in the not-so-distant past. The foundation works with Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR), District 1 City Councilwoman Amanda P. Sandoval, water engineers, community leaders and citizens to raise funds and awareness of its cause.

Jamming on the Jetty has been its main annual fundraiser, but the foundation is gaining momentum and seeking ways to further engage the community.

On June 3, The Sloan’s Lake Wide Open, the first putt-putt bar crawl, put the swing in fundraising for the lake’s preservation.

There were 300 “Caddyshack”-esque golfers kookily clad in argyle, plaid, sequins, visors, wigs, plus-fours and sassy skirts. They were primping, posing and putting their way through the six-hole course in neighboring bars and restaurants.

Leah Rounds, a board member with the West Colfax Association of Neighbors, said, “We heard the cheering coming from Side Pony on West Colfax all day long!”

The shotgun-style tournament meant golfers could go in any order to six local bars and restaurants around the south side of Sloan’s Lake including two newbies to the food and cocktail scene, Side Pony on West Colfax and Vatos Tacos & Tequila on Raleigh Street.

Neighborhood pioneers hosted holes as well, at Barfly, Sloan’s Tap & Burger, Odell

Brewing and The Patio at Sloan’s. The lines at each hole, in spite of the gloomy skies, forecasted bright and sunny sales as crowds packed into every venue whooping, high-fiving and tilting a variety of specialty cocktails for the day.

Restaurateurs and volunteers from SLPF built amazingly creative “greens” that were decorated with beer barrels, liquor bottles, pinwheels, plastic gizmos, bridges and tunnels. Side Pony staff designed their own as a hilarious send-up of their name with pink plastic ponies and pinwheels nestled in the Espolon bottles.

Owner Jen Sevecik was slinging her own signature margaritas behind the packed bar. She said excitedly, “We are so thrilled to be a part of the rejuvenation of West Colfax and the Sloan’s Lake neighborhood. Sloan’s Lake Park Foundation truly aced it today. To support a cause as near and dear to our hearts and bring new friends together at Side Pony made us feel like champions!”

The 19th-hole after-party at Odell Brewing was packed to the rafters as winners for best outfits and lowest scores were presented by SLPF Chairman Glenn Witman and Kurt Weaver, master lake advocate and event director for the foundation.

Jessica Andersen, associate project manager for parks planning at DPR, welcomed the crowd with a teaser of the Sloan's Lake Environmental Assessment.

DPR’s goal is to study the current issues surrounding the lake that require environmental improvements to remain a resilient ecosystem and recreational amenity.

“First, we need to define the scope of the problem and then its costs, whether it is $10 million or $50 million to begin the process of funding,” Andersen said.

Andersen kick-started the first in a series of community conversations recently with Scott Gilmore, DPR’s deputy executive director; Sandoval; SLPF board representatives; and concerned community members to outline DPR’s work on the Sloan's Lake Environmental Assessment.

There will be a follow-up session in July. (The Denver North Star will alert readers to the date once finalized.) They will also be at the Dragon Boat Festival to begin spreading the word on July 22 and 23. SLPF is working with DPR now to host an educational “walkand-talk around the lake” to understand the issues and potential solutions.

To weigh in, take the survey to help DPR collect information regarding a study specific to the body of water within Sloan’s Lake Park. The survey closes on June 21 at surveymonkey.com/r/SloansLakeEA1.

All of the money raised from the putt-putt bar crawl will support the foundation’s work and mission to restore Sloan’s Lake to its former glory and make it the gem of northwest Denver once again. Join us again at Jamming

on the Jetty on Sept. 16.

Basha Cohen is the vice chair of the Sloan’s Lake Park Foundation.

Golfers in bright attire lit up the atmosphere at Tap & Burger during a recent putt-putt bar crawl to benefit the Sloan’s Lake Park Foundation.

Side Pony decorated its hole with pink plastic ponies, pinwheels and Espolon tequila bottles.

Sloan's Lake Wide Open, the putt-putt golf bar crawl, scored a hole-in-one with some of the new faces to the area.

Bucket hats and sassy plaid put the swing in skirts on and off the green at Barfly.

Jessica Andersen, left, of Denver Parks and Recreation, and Kurt Weaver of Sloan's Lake Park Foundation envision the future of the park.

People participate in the Sloan's Lake Park Foundation’s putt-putt bar crawl to raise money for the foundation and help revive the lake.

This team spent time thinking about it and matched the Vatos Tacos & Tequila color scheme to the core.

Golfers stamped their scores as they made their way through the holes at individual stopping places near Sloan’s Lake.

There was no shortage of innovation with the way The Patio at Sloan’s Lake arranged their putt-putt hole.

the because of the

The Northside: Getting from Here to There

enver is a multimodal, transit-oriented city, with routes for cars, buses, bikes and walkers. All share the same streets. This is a legacy of the streetcar days of the 1870s to 1950. This month, we will look at the history of Denver’s streetcar system.

Dworking conditions.

As Denver grew, adding new neighborhoods, there was concern that people would not move out of the core city unless they had a way to get from their homes to their work. Initially there was one option, the horsedrawn trolley that ran on rails.

The first transit company, The Denver Horse Railroad Company, formed in 1867, but did not build any lines until 1871 when the railroad began to bring more residents to Denver. It ran from Auraria to the new neighborhood of Curtis Park, north of downtown.

The horses soon lost out to electric trolleys. The first ran in downtown Denver, powered by an underground line. Invented by Denver University professor Dr. Sidney H. Short, it had one big drawback. If anyone stepped in the wrong place, they got a serious shock.

By 1890, the underground wires gave way to overhead wires that became the norm for cable cars everywhere. By 1873, the first north Denver electric line crossed the Platte River at West 16th Avenue, ran up to the top of the bluff, angled up to Fairview (West 32nd Avenue,) and over time headed west through the new town of Highland and out to another independent town called Berkeley. Soon there were spurs reaching out to each new development on the Northside.

For a time, multiple companies competed to take streetcars to every quadrant of the city and its suburbs. The neighborhoods that got the transit were generally middle- and upper-class where the residents could afford to pay the 5-cent each way fare. Working-class and immigrant sections did not generally get local transportation until later, sometimes not until the 1890s.

The streetcars were useful and popular but had drawbacks. They were not flexible, being tied to their rails. And they were expensive to build and maintain. Also, their drivers were experts at their jobs who had a tendency to form unions and argue for better wages and

The Denver Tramway Company, owned by William Grey Evans, was opposed to unions because he was opposed to workers trying to tell him how to run his company. In 1920 the transit workers went on strike, which led to multiple confrontations between strikers and strikebreakers. Eventually, after seven deaths and much violence, Gov. Oliver Shoup called in the Colorado National Guard to end the strike.

By 1915, there was another problem facing the transit company. Automobiles, once a luxury, now only cost $290 for a black, Ford car. Even the middle class could afford a Ford. Just before World War I, ridership had fallen by 9%. And as it continued to drop, the company began to lay off employees and cut back on routes.

The streetcar system struggled on until the company and the city agreed to stop service and convert to more flexible and cheaper buses. That is how we got the bus transit system we have today. Car commuters still outnumber bus riders. Especially in neighborhoods like ours, buses are still a great option for our residents.

Have you ever wondered why we have small business blocks at the corners of many main Northside streets? The trolley lines changed how developers planned out the neighborhoods. At some point every line came to a stop, turned a corner or crossed another line.

These intersections were where riders exited and began their walk home. This provided a perfect place to build a large building with grocery stores, butcher shops, saloons and other types of businesses.

A few examples are the corner of West 32nd Avenue and Zuni Street, and where West 38th Avenue crosses Tennyson. In the Tennyson example this encouraged completion of a small business district. As people walked by the businesses, they could just stop in for whatever they needed.

So, in 2023, the streetcars are gone, but the rails are still there, just 3 feet under the current street surfaces.

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

REBECCA A. HUNT

The Berkeley-Elitch streetcars turning at Zuni Street and West 32nd Avenue, 1900-1905.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

Denver Tramway Company map.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, 1933

owned by to unions

trying to

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Shoup called to end the

problem facAutomobiles, once black, Ford afford a ridership had drop, the employees and cut on until stop serand cheapbus transit we have

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As people could just stop gone, but the under the cura Denver museums and immiColorado

If you could see Colorado’s air, you would want to improve it.

Ground-level ozone is invisible and the Front Range’s biggest air quality issue. Created from pollutants like car exhaust, ozone is a leading cause of respiratory problems. Improving our air quality takes all of us, and there are many ways to help. We encourage you to #JustSkipTwo car trips a week, mow your lawn after 5 p.m., don’t idle your car, telework a few days each week, and take the bus, bike, or walk.

Sign up for air quality alerts and learn more about the simple steps you can do to help. SimpleStepsBetterAir.org

shelters and shelter alternatives where residents are encouraged to go once the Rodeway Inn shuts down, despite the feeling that some LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness lack the support at other nonspecific shelters where they feel more vulnerable.

The Gathering Place is working with other partners including Colorado Village Collaborative, which has a tiny home village specifically to house women, transgender and nonbinary individuals. That village has recently been accepting new residents with 3 applicants per week.

Denver said the Salvation Army, which is the operating partner with the shelter, has started leading a collaborative effort to engage each of the sheltered guests to define a transition plan prior to the Rodeway closure.

For Browne, the shelter has been her home. But until she’s forced to leave in August, she said she wants her voice to be heard and wishes for more support for the LGBTQ+ homeless community in North Denver.

Park

Continued from Page

of the neighborhood, it’s a regular stop any time of the day for the urban hiker crowd.

Tavel said he would like to see the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation give a little more attention to the park. He’d like it spiffed up, making it more family friendly. For one thing, he said, “there could be an expansion of play equipment for older children.” The playground is now mostly focused on toddlers.

Dog owner Justin Mangold said he'd like the city to get some equipment in to make the park’s former outfield safer for his dog. There are just too many ruts, he said.

“I’m worried he’ll step into one of the holes and reinjure his leg,” Mangold said of

the park “is being used as a dog park.” For now, the only city activity in the park seems to be animal control’s enforcement of leash laws.

Because the density around the park is only intensifying — moving trucks are a regular part of the landscape — expanding the park is not an option. But the city does have plans, Tavel said.

Conversations for a new dog park “in between Central Avenue and I-25, north of the 16th Street bridge” are underway. “That may direct some of the dog activities to the new park,” Tavel said.

At-Large City Councilmember Debbie Ortega lives in the neighborhood and once kept an office there.

“Like any park, it requires ongoing upkeep and maintenance,” she said. But, she added, Hirshorn hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as it should or needs.

Social Media

Continued from Page 10

ways their brains are affected, exacerbated by the amount of time they spend using it.

“Teens who use social media for more than three hours a day face double the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms, which is particularly concerning given that the average amount of time that kids use social media is three-and-a-half hours a day," according to Murthy’s report cited by the Times.

This is the same data the girls gathered from a recent Pew Research study and shared with the community in their presentation. Their project included an interactive opportunity to explore the feelings social media can inspire we may not even notice.

The students produced artwork and two print fliers that included ideas to stay safe on social media as well as a step-by-step guide to assuring your accounts are private, which were displayed at school to encourage dialogue among students and the community.

Dolegowski and Persaud don’t want you to think the news is all bad!

“Social media can affect you in many different ways. Some of those are good and some are not so great. You can stay connected to others and keep in touch with old friends, but it can also be a place to get cyber bullied and body shamed,” they said.

his golden mixed-breed dog, Cooper. For he and Cooper, who live a block away, the park is a godsend.

“We've heard from the community,” said AnaCláudia Magalhães, a senior Denver west district park planner, regarding some of the park’s issues. “This park has been on our capital improvement project list, but we cannot fund every project on that list.”

Magalhães also said the city is aware that

But there may be city funds to address some of the shortcomings of the park, said Ortega.

There’s a “dedicated fund for new park land,” and there’s the possibility of using money from “the funding we get from Winter Park or the general fund.”

There do seem to be solutions for solving the challenge of polishing up Hirshorn Park, a longtime gem of the community. But Ortega says there also needs to be resolve.

The duo cited an article by the Mayo Clinic pointing out that social media allows children to build social networks, which can provide valuable support, especially for those who experience exclusion or have different abilities that make it difficult to participate in school or other activities that might otherwise provide these interactions.

Kids also use social media for entertainment and self-expression, for keeping up with current events, interacting across geographic barriers and learning about a variety of subjects, including healthy behaviors of which they might not otherwise be exposed.

As many of us experienced during the COVID shutdown, connecting to friends and extended family living far away is a decided benefit to humans of all ages but especially in intergenerational relationships.

However, social media use can also negatively affect kids. Distraction, sleep disruption, bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views of other people's lives and peer pressure are all amplified on social media.

As mentioned in Dolegowski’s and Persaud’s research as well as the many studies cited by Murthy, links between high levels of social media use and depression or anxiety symptoms are tough to dispute.

So, if you want to reap the benefits of social media while mitigating the risks to your health, what can you do? Dolegowski and Persaud have some answers!

Limit your time. Keep your information private. Talk to kids about social media. Talk about your own social media habits. Ask your child how he or she is using social media and how it makes him or her feel. Then listen to their answers!

Remind your child that social media is full of unrealistic images and that it is safe to tell you if they experience bullying or threats of any kind. If you think your child is experiencing signs or symptoms of anxiety or depression, talk to a healthcare provider.

And remember, the best way to help your child manage life with social media is to keep the lines of communication open! Spend time off line with them; that will force you to put your phone down too! And IRL (in real life!) face time with the kids in your life is a health win for everyone.

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.

Lauren Migliore walks her dog, Harvey, at Hirshorn Park.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

One resident of the Rodeway Inn told The Denver North Star they are better off in a housing situation than fending for themselves on the streets.

PHOTO BY ERIC HEINZ

Colorado Adds Human Body Composting to Earth-Friendly Burial Options

If you’re squeamish about dead bodies, read no further.

KATHRYN WHITE

For this final of three installments about death and dying in The Gray Zone, we’re going there.

When I sat with my neighbor Judy back in March talking about death cafes (see April’s The Gray Zone), I realized that much of the discomfort with dead bodies I harbored earlier in life had dissipated.

The next morning, I stood in the doorway of a downtown conference center peering into a space where I’d spend the next two days for The Body Composting Conference: Rejoining The Cycle of Life Through Natural Organic Reduction.

I was there to learn about the process of composting human bodies that became legal in Washington state in 2019 and then in Colorado in 2021. When the conference took place, New York had just become the sixth state to legalize Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), and another 11 would be looking at it in their spring legislative sessions. On May 30, Nevada joined Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, California and New York.

The room was filled with a mix of ages and professions, dressed in everything from business suits to recreational apparel to skeleton-adorned T-shirts. Attendees sat around conference tables introducing themselves and conversing about their various connections to the topic. I squeezed in between an employee of Feldman Mortuary and a woman from Minnesota who had come into town for the event on her own dime.

The stage was set like a softly lit reading nook. A small rustic-looking metal sign declaring “Trespassers will be composted” leaned against a coffee table where a mason jar of daisies sat next to an antique teapot.

My shoulders relaxed and I said to myself, “This is lovely.”

I texted a picture of the sign to a friend.

“LOL…we could put one of those at our front drive,” he replied.

The conference was a first of its kind and a bit of a who’s who of the green burial and death-positive movements. Put on by The Natural Funeral from Lafayette, the first company to provide NOR in Colorado, the conference featured all four companies providing NOR in the U.S.

Katrina Spade, who is credited with pioneering the process and who founded the first company to offer it (Recompose), spoke about the history of NOR and its environmental benefits.

“Each person’s soil represents a metric ton of carbon saved,” Spade said.

Human composting avoids emissions from burning fossil fuels (as is needed for cremation and for the manufacture and transport of caskets and headstones) while at the same time sequestering carbon by converting plant and body material into a soil used to regenerate lands in need of biomass and nutrients.

For two days, attendees sat rapt while scientists, professionals from funeral homes and the founders of all four companies that provide NOR shared information. Families who have chosen NOR for a loved one shared their stories.

At the end of the first day, the room was converted into a tender re-enactment of what The Natural Funeral called the “laying in,” a memorial service built around the placing of the body and organic material into the vessel where decomposition will take place.

The “laying out” ceremony takes place two to four months later, after the body and surrounding material have been turned into approximately one cubic yard of soil.

In 2011, a decade before human body com-

‘Vote for Turtle’ Explores Ways Young People Can Make a Difference

By The Denver North Star Staff

Written by Denver resident Jana Locke, and based on true stories of elementary students initiating state symbols, “Vote For Turtle!” demonstrates that kids can engage in democracy and make a difference.

When turtle-loving Ella learns about state symbols, she knows right away that one is missing. “We need a state reptile!” she announces to her class.

Ella and her class journey through the civic process of creating a new state law, learning a whole lot about turtles along the way. With additional activities for learning and exploration, this story is a companion to elementary school social studies curricula.

Mayor

Continued from Page 4

The team includes State Rep. Leslie Herod, District 8, who is serving as the inauguration chair and ran against Johnston in the municipal election for mayor, and he provided a list of his co-chairs.

Ami Desai is an educator who has worked with “historically excluded individuals,” as she founded Ami Desai and Associates, and she is taking a leave of absence from her role as the COO of the philanthropic organization Gary Community Ventures, which was led by Johnston until November.

Former Denver Mayor Federico Peña also helped lead transition teams for former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and he is a former secretary of energy and secretary of transportation under Clinton.

State Sen. Julie Gonalzes, District 34, rep-

Locke is passionate public service advocate who has worked in government for over 20 years, including as a presidential management fellow. Bitten by the political bug early in life, she said she is excited to share the power of civic participation with kids.

The book can be found by contacting the publisher at shannon@orangehatpublishing. com 414-212-5477.

resents North Denver and has been a leader in writing legislation to protect immigrants, streamline Colorado’s marijuana industry, and most recently helped create legislation to ensure access to abortions.

Greg Moore is former editor of The Denver Post, and he served in that role for 14 years.

Kourtny Garrett is the CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership, which works to help businesses and visitors within the downtown area.

Makisha Boothe is the founder and CEO of Sistahbiz, a business incubator that provides Black women business owners with resources.

The team has been setting up meetings with organizations, such as a recent meeting with Colorado Village Collaborative, which helps homeless people, and Johnston said during his transition team announcement that he plans to establish 28 committees that will tackle a variety of issues.

posting became legal in Colorado, another earth-friendly alternative to fire cremation and casket burial was added to our options in Colorado.

Be A Tree Cremation is Denver’s sole provider of alkaline hydrolysis. The company’s founder, Colorado native Emily Nelson, reports that community interest in the service is growing. Nelson started the business three years ago after working in what she refers to as the corporate death care industry.

She hadn’t known that the process of returning bodies to the earth often involved toxic chemicals, a concrete vault barrier between casket and the ground, or fire-cremated remains too high in pH levels and sodium content to be beneficial where scattered. Looking back on the burials of loved ones, including her own mother who died when she was young, Nelson felt cheated.

Alkaline hydrolysis, also known as water cremation or aquamation, utilizes a water-based process of approximately 95% water and 5% alkali to accelerate the break-down of body tissue. Its environmental impact, like NOR, is a fraction of that produced by fire cremation and casket burial.

What remains after aquamation is a solution Nelson calls Tree Tea, a sterile water mixture of amino acids, peptides and sugars. And bone fragments, similar to NOR and fire cremation. A machine called a cremulator then pulverizes cremated bone remains into a fine grain that family can make arrangements for, much like they would with ashes from fire cremation.

Tree Tea can be utilized by the family, incorporated into the planting of a tree, or applied by Nelson and her team at one of Be A Tree’s six land partnership locations.

Companies like Be A Tree and The Natural Funeral guide families through a host of ways we can make returning our bodies to the earth actually beneficial for the earth.

The stage was set for The Body Composting Conference: Rejoining The Cycle of Life Through Natural Organic Reduction in March in downtown Denver.

Coloradans appear to be a receptive audience for these and other natural burial innovations. 138 people attended The Body Composting Conference downtown, and another 180 joined by livestream.

It’s not surprising, I suppose. We break significantly from national trends on casket burial versus flame cremation. Data from The Cremation Association of North America shows Colorado in the top 10 for percentage of deaths cremated. In 2021, the U.S. cremation rate was 57.5%. In Colorado it was 75.1%.

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

you are in the planning stage of your dream pursuit or you’re looking to safeguard all that you’ve accomplished, I will meet you wherever you are in your journey. Let ’s talk about your plans, and how I can help you protect them

PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE