Denver Urban Spectrum - August 2022 - State of the City

Volume 35 Number 6 August 2022

Mayor Hancock Delivers His Last State of the City Address...15 Urban Spectrum Publisher Takes on Cleo's Dancing with the Denver Stars...4 Blizzy Magazine Advocates for More Blacks in Cannabis Industry...10 Life of Carl Bourgeois Comes Full Circle...18 Photo by Evan Semón Photography

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MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Moving Forward with Intention...

Volume 35

Number 5

August 2022

PUBLISHER Rosalind J. Harris GENERAL MANAGER Lawrence A. James EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alfonzo Porter MANAGING EDITOR Angelia D. McGowan COPY EDITOR Tanya Ishikawa COLUMNISTS Barry Overton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS James Michael Brodie Angelia D. McGowan Alfonzo Porter COLAB Tanya Ishikawa - Story Coordinator

Denver! You were out and about the last month or two as you will see in the Around Town section. DUS was able to capture those good times as well as some more serious affairs.

In this issue, readers will find highlights of Mayor Michael Hancock’s final State of the City address. As he prepares for his final year, he shares his administration’s roadmap that will support the Mile High City in its role as a strong global leader. We also feature an op-ed from former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb detailing what we should understand about how city fees impact our daily lives.

James Michael Brodie reveals how those who are under arrest can come into harm’s way just by riding in the back of a police van. Brodie also highlights an event that honored one of the most legendary professors who taught at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Dr. William King.

Alfonzo Porter, editor-in-chief of DUS, celebrates the second anniversary of Blizzy Magazine,” his publication that advocates for more African Americans in the cannabis industry.

In this issue we also celebrate the late Carl Bourgeois. The Denver Urban Spectrum extends the warmest thank you to his family. During one of the most trying times of their lives dealing with the loss of their patriarch, they found the time and grace to do numerous media interviews with the Denver Post, the Gazette and with us.

Mr. Bourgeois, a friend to many, has left an awesome example of how to positively impact a neighborhood through a history of restoration in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood and in his hometown of Colorado Springs where he has started the most beautiful of tributes to his mom. It is truly just the beginning of good times to be had.

I’m sure I speak for the entire city when I say, “Thank you for sharing him with us.”

ART DIRECTOR Bee Harris ADVERTISING & DIGITAL MARKETING Melovy Melvin GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jody Gilbert - Kolor Graphix PHOTOGRAPHERS Lens of Ansar Bernard Grant

Angelia D. McGowan Managing Editor

P.S. It’s showtime! Our publisher, along with a host of leaders, are ready to leave it all on the floor as they participate in “Dancing with the Denver Stars” competition on August 13. More inside about who is participating and who benefits from this special event produced by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Go Bee!

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Melovy Melvin DISTRIBUTION Ed Lynch Lawrence A. James - Manager

The Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication dedicated to spreading the news about people of color. Contents of the Denver Urban Spectrum are copyright 2022 by Bizzy Bee Enterprise. No portion may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

The Denver Urban Spectrum circulates 25,000 copies throughout Colorado. The Denver Urban Spectrum welcomes all letters, but reserves the right to edit for space, libelous material, grammar, and length. All letters must include name, address, and phone number. We will withhold author’s name on request. Unsolicited articles are accepted without guarantee of publication or payment.

Write to the Denver Urban Spectrum at P.O. Box 31001, Aurora, CO 80041.

For advertising, subscriptions, or other information, call 303-292-6446 or fax 303292-6543 or visit the Web site at www.denverurbanspectrum.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR and deadly attacks. Had they had a plan, they could have lessened the casualties.

The Blacks owned the land they lived on in Rosewood – yet they neglected to erect a physical barrier like the wall around the forts the army built during the Indian wars to separate their community from that of the whites. As a consequence, the white would trespass on their land at will. They did not choose an area that had or provided an underground water source in the event they were ever under siege. If they could not wall off their community, they could at least have planned to live underground in secret chambers, stocked with provisions and weapons with ammunition, warm clothing – whatever was needed; fighting their attackers from under-

No Plans Can Be Deadly Plans Editor: What can I say? Black people in America have historically not planned for the inevitable clash with hostile and envious whites.

When I watched the movie Rosewood based on what happened to a Black community in close proximity to a white one.

The Blacks were fine as long as they cleaned white folks houses and remembered their place; but as soon as the white folks had a reason to act out, they took full advantage.

The blueprint was the same in Tulsa, Chicago, and many other communities in the 20s and beyond. The interesting and horrifying thing is that the Black victims had made no plans to thwart these vicious

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ground, using tactics the Viet Cong used in Vietnam.

In Rosewood, Black folks were running like rabbits hiding in the swamp, shivering in the cold because they had not planned for the one inevitability of attack. They thought white folks loved them I suppose – not learning from past experiences. All those destroyed Black communities made the same error…not having a plan!

We are still probably amongst the groups not planning for a survival. You know what they say: if you are not planning, others are planning your demise, or if you don’t learn from past mistakes, you are certain to repeat them.

I say: God helps those who plan. Who dareth calls himself a man who hath no plan?

Antonio Aurora, CO

Editor’s note: This is DUS Publisher Rosalind “Bee” Harris’ story of participating in Dancing With The Denver Stars benefitting Cleo Parker Robinson Dance ArtsIn-Education Movement and Cultural Education Outreach.

L

ittle did I realize during a fun evening in 2009 – at the home of Valeria and Lu Vason, along with friends Moses and Gwen Brewer, Gerald and Glynis Albright, Ken Johnson, and Richard Lewis – that our idea would put me onstage in a dance costume before nearly 800 peers live, and more online.

Back then, Glynis’ worldfamous waffles fueled our fundraising brainstorm for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Cleo and I have known each other since the inception of Denver Urban Spectrum – she was featured on the cover in our inaugural year of 1987. Each of our professional missions to serve this community built a lovely relationship. Everyone knows Cleo has stories to share!

Currently, ABC’s 17-season Dancing With The Stars captures millions of viewers’ attention. Gwen, also a fan and now a retired speech pathologist, believed that Cleo Parker Robinson Dance could produce Dancing With The Denver Stars. I encouraged the idea into action and presented the concept to fellow members of the CPRD Board of Directors.

Businessman Richard Lewis stepped up to the plate and

An Unexpected Star is Born:

My summer as a dance student became the first committed dancer in 2010, in addition to being a major sponsor.

It didn’t take long to realize that competitive, high-achieving leaders in our Denver community were eager for a creative challenge. Our concept had legs and evolved into an event increasing awareness of how Cleo Parker Robinson Dance serves students kindergarten through 12th grade, not only locally but now globally.

We captured Cleo’s imagination in choreography and stage production, as well as the creativity of the CPRD Ensemble and the leadership of administrative director Rhetta Shead and the staff.

The waffles did it….

Our brainstorming session gave birth to what we still believe is the most energetic and fun gala in Denver: Dancing With The Denver Stars! Since 2010, Mayor Michael B. Hancock, John Hickenlooper, CEOs, professional athletes, educators, entertainers, ministers, attorneys, and finance wizards have trained with the dance company to support scholarships and programs for dance students. Short or long-term teaching artist residencies are underwritten or supplemented for global cultural education using movement. Partnered with the

“Dance conveys cultural stories from around the globe. Teaching global culture with dance impacts young minds—and bodies—in learning. Models and mentors matter, and brought me into this career. When children see teaching artists who look like them sharing stories of their shared heritage, we impact the lives of students from all backgrounds with hope for the future in One Spirit, Many Voices.”

—Cleo Parker Robinson, Founder, CPRD

“Dancing With The Denver Stars was my out-of-the-box dream brought to reality with Bee Harris’ advocacy, Cleo Parker Robinson’s energy, and the dedicated work of staff.

Beyond this gala’s prominence and fun, its Arts-In-Education mission impacts thousands of students. Each dancer has bonded with CPRD in ways we never imagined because of visceral experiences as adult dance students benefiting K through 12 dancers”.

—Gwen Brewer, Board Chair and CPRD Volunteer since 2001.

Retired Speech Pathologist, Boulder Valley School District Special Education Department Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – August 2022

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world-class professionals of the ensemble, our unusual cast of volunteer stars step onto the stage before an audience of peers. Over the past 13 years, the Dancing With The Denver Stars fundraiser has brought in more than $2 million for student programs.

In spite of our new-dancer nerves, there is so much enthusiasm for our mission: bringing life-changing dance, art and global culture to students without these school programs. Like these students, and our dance partners, our own stories include challenges, sacrifices and obstacles. Again, we learn that working as a team, anything is possible using this dance challenge to support students.

Thousands of nervous butterflies and costume sequins later, more than 200 alumni gala dancers have contributed to Cleo’s mission. Global cultural education, movement programs and school dance residencies deliver days, weeks and months of impactful experiences for students. One school brought in CPRD teaching artists during testing week to calm student anxiety and restlessness during hours of sitting. During the pandemic, students as far as India and Colombia connected to CPRD programs via Zoom.

No experience required: sign up, show up, and dance!

How did I get myself in this position? Over the years, Moses Brewer (then with Coors’ corporate marketing department) and a number of other friends mustered the courage to dance as a star. It was just a matter of

time before yours truly had to say yes. I have to walk my talk.

By the time you read this, I’ll have completed at least four rehearsals to prepare for showtime on August 13.

Just like many kids and teens, I didn’t take lessons; I danced for fun with friends, learning by imitation. Young Shirley Temple and later Gregory Hines provided my first impressions of dance on screen. Later, Stevie Wonder captured my awe in 1963, when we were both 13 and he performed “Finger Tips” on the “Ed Sullivan Show.” In the ‘60s when I lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I was too young to visit nearby Detroit, our Motown. But that music mecca lived in my ears and heart through the sounds of Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight, and Mary Wells. Those amazing artists provided the grooves for our basement dance parties as we danced the Jerk, the Slop, the Monkey – and unforgettable slow dances.

while others are invited by CPRD board members or accept a friendly challenge by a business peer. A few dancers have been “volun-told” by their bosses, including the mayor of Denver.

or talent. Then, rehearsals – we need them! Cleo chooses a theme each year linked to African American culture in theatre, music or film.

Next, we choose two or three songs in a medley, and as a dancing pair, determine the movement genre of our partner dance…and a “dance story” to costume ourselves. Cleo guides us in this process and observes rehearsals. Keep in mind that nerves aren’t only for event night …my partner is the ele-

Our commitment: behind the scenes of a complex dance production After kickoff, the fun begins with reviewing music, costume choices, dancing shoes, fittings, and props, and determining if we have any dance experience –

Fast-forward to 2022, and Denver’s biggest dance party!

Each mid-May, George Sparks, president of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, hosts a gala kickoff event after CPRD staff recruit a full roster of gala dancers. The dozen new recruits meet with Cleo and her staff in the beautiful glass atrium on the west side of the museum to commit to sponsorship support and rehearsals.

Later we were introduced to 100 attendees – many of them supportive alumni dancers. We also met this year’s event cochairs are Dr. Janine Davidson and Danielle Shoots.

We all come by our star status through different routes: some inquire about a dancer spot through the grapevine Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – August 2022

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gant Tyveze Littlejohn, a modern dance and ballet professional (yes, en pointe!) … and I am critiqued by Cleo! Our featured performance will last between two and four minutes.

Those minutes are composed of weeks of rehearsals, carefully chosen dance steps, costumes, pacing, and our sequence. And it’s only one part of a large complex production.

In addition to our partner dance, all gala dancers will join Continued on page 6

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Continued from page 5 a large-group, opening number in front of the 750-person audience in the largest ballroom of the Hilton Downtown

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Denver. Together we also close the evening in a stage-filled revue with Cleo II and Youth/Junior Youth Ensembles.

In between, emcee Shed G and

Rehearsing with my dance coach, Tyveze Littlejohn

auctioneer Reggie Rivers’ talents raise more resources for Arts-In-Education programs. At the back of the ballroom, CPRD’s Trey Grimes leads an event production staff with sound, lighting, video, and still photography.

Our final dress rehearsals are during the weekend of August 6, a week before the gala. After we see each other’s routines and costumes, the competition rises to a new level. After only three months from signed agreement to showtime on August 13, there are a lot of details to

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install into my mature brain and commit into muscle memory…

I am nervous as hell! But I know that with each rehearsal, those anxious butterflies (in all of us dancers) will spark our energy. My partner Tyveze – and the team supporting us – will make this a fun, memorable and impactful experience. .

Editor’s note: Dancing With The Denver Stars will also be livestreamed to view from home. For more information, tickets, tables or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.cleoparkerdance.org.

Prof. William King, Ph.D., left an indelible mark on both his students and colleagues at the University of ColoradoBoulder. In return, at a June 25th luncheon, his charges paid tribute to King’s legacy and his 40-year career on that campus.

The event, sponsored by The Black and Gold Project Foundation, took place at Cinzzetti's Italian Market Restaurant in Northglenn.

King, an Ohio native, began teaching Black Studies at CU in 1972. A mere three days after he arrived, he was racially profiled by campus police and pulled over. Not long after that he supported protesting AfricanAmerican students as they marched to a meeting at the CU president’s office.

King was the driving force behind curriculum on the Boulder campus that examined Black life. He was a founding member of the National Council for Black Studies and eventually served as its national chairman. The organization’s mandate was “Education should engender both academic excellence and social responsibility.”

Gary Jackson, retired senior judge of the Denver County Court, former Denver District Attorney, and graduate of CU’s law school was also in atten-

Honoring a Legend The Black and Gold Project Foundation Tribute to William M. King, Ph.D.

By James Michael Brodie dance. Jackson refused to seek the death penalty in any case before him, describing public executions as glorified lynchings.

One of Dr. King’s works, “Going to Meet a Man: Denver’s Last Public Execution, 27 July 1886,” was a major impact on Jackson.

didn’t have to feel.”

“This is a place,” he continued, speaking of the Boulder campus, “for all of its dedication to learning…still hasn’t learned something very basic: Black folks know how to learn.

It was us who said at the outset

because this man taught us respect,” said James. “I can’t thank this man enough for making me see, in his eyes, the person that I could become.”

King was publications unit director for the CUBoulder Center for Studies of Ethnicity and Race in CU-Boulder Prof. Reiland Rabaka, Ph.D.; Carla King, Ph.D.; Prof. William King, Ph.D.; Black and Gold President James Michael Brodie; CU President Todd Saliman

that self-knowledge is the genesis of all knowledge.”

Among the speakers at the luncheon was Reiland Rabaka, professor of African, African American and Caribbean Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies.

The founding director of the Center for African & African American Studies, was recruited by King and plays a similar role on campus. King said to him, “Young man, you are going to have to redo everything that I did. It’s going to hurt. You are going to get hurt more than you have been hurt already.”

Photos by Black and Gold Board Member Charles Nathan

“(Dr. King) was more than a legacy,” said Jackson . ”He was a role model that all of us in this room could pattern our lives after.”

Wanda James, a former student of King’s and also a Democratic nominee for a seat on the CU Board of Regents, spoke about the professor’s influence on her.

“The reason why we are all here today, why I am standing here in front of you today, is

America. He was also director of the Black Studies program. A member of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, the National Congress of Black Faculty and the National Institute of Science, he has been widely published.

“In the 40 years I taught here , I heard a whole lot of things, I was a whole lot of things,” King said. “I felt a whole lot of things that I wished to hell that I

CU Black Alumni Co-President Obinna Onyeali and Derrick Watson

Marlene Price

Black and Gold Board Member Walter Blake, Addie Alexander, Jim Johns, Zaneta Varnado Johns, Black and Gold Board Member Diane Mourning

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CU President Todd Saliman, CU Regent Ilana Spiegel, retired Judge Gary Jackson

King’s sentiments were acknowledged by CU Regent Ilana Spiegel and CU President Todd Saliman, who spoke at the event.

“We are seeing an erosion of civil rights,” said Spiegel, noting recent Supreme Court rulings and the current political climate. “I feel a very heavy burden to carry on these

legacies, to make sure that what we do is to make sure that our students, our faculty, and our

What is The Black and Gold Project Foundation?

Supports increasing the percentage of African American students, faculty, and administration on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus to represent the community and world more accurately.

Filmmaker Devon Johnson with Jim Johns

Mission and Vision •Sustainably develops relationships with CU-Boulder and other organizations to increase recruitment and enrollment of African American students, and to increase employment of diversified faculty, staff, and administrators.

•Identifies and acknowledges problems and inequities of the past, celebrates and showcases successes of the past and of the present, and creates strategies from these successes and challenges.

•Advocates for increased inclusion, dramatic increases in African American enrollment, and support for students, faculty, and administration.

•Fosters educational, corporate, and business collaborations to build the future funding sources, programs, and endowments to ensure future inclusion and participation of African Americans.

CU Regent candidate Wanda James; CU-Boulder Prof. Reiland Rabaka, Ph.D.; Carla King, Ph.D.; Prof. William King, Ph.D.; Black and Gold President James Michael Brodie; CU President Todd Saliman

staff know that they have a place at the University of Colorado. The work of Dr. King and (former CU Regent) Rachel Noel do not go unnoticed.”

Added Saliman, “Your legacy is the people you have impacted.

We need to get to a place where the University of Colorado reflects Colorado and the country because it doesn’t today. There is a lot of work to be done, and we

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Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – August 2022

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have a lot of opportunity out there. And it is not just about talking. We actually have to do the work. We have to put money on the table.”

Editor’s note: For more information about the Black and Gold Project or to view exerpts from the William King tribute, visit The Black and Gold Project Foundation Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/543536072483150

Blizzy Magazine Celebrates 2nd Anniversary Black Cannabis Magazine Advocates for More African Americans in the Industry

By Blizzy Staff

A

s the cannabis landscape continues to grow, so does the need to keep our community informed about the opportunities presented by this new industry.

Blizzy Magazine is a premier monthly publication targeting the African American cannabis consumer. Based in Denver, CO, Blizzy is a nationally circulated online magazine that provides news, entertainment, legislative updates, business and corporate profiles, employment opportunities, strain reviews, financial reports, and

business opportunities currently available through an ever-growing list of companies.

Blizzy contains useful information for its core readership encompassing black cannabis users between the ages of 2180+. Blizzy is free and can be accessed by subscribing on the website at www.blizzymagazine.com. It is the perfect “goto” source for those interested in starting a business or doing business within this growing $18 billion industry. Readers

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can also find information on how to access the capital needed to get started.

Launched by veteran journalist, Alfonzo Porter in 2020, Blizzy has been well received around the country with a growing subscriber base nearing 50,000.

Hard copies are available in the Denver Metro area at no cost.

“As a community that has suffered most from the socalled “War on Drugs,” our publication seeks to better inform the decisions of the black community by presenting opportunities that can potentially move many of our readers from incarceration to successful entrepreneur,” Porter said. “Currently, we represent only 4% of dispensaries and cannabis enterprises throughout the country. With only a fraction of the nation approved to sell legal marijuana, the growth potential is enormous.”

Porter says one of the best ways to enter the industry is by leveraging current skills or your current business. So that if you own an IT firm, a security company, a janitorial service, a PR/marketing expert, a packaging operation, real estate, etc.— the possibilities are endless without the need to open a dispensary or grow house.

“The door is wide open right now for African Americans to get in near the ground level and establish themselves for the long haul,” Porter said.

That does not mean that gaining work within the industry will be easy even if you already have an established business.

“Just having a viable business does not ensure contracts,” Porter says. “Like any other operation, you’ll have to do the

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leg work, networking, marketing and put in some sweat equity to be successful.”

Much of the conversation, particularly related to African Americans and other people of color entering the industry, surrounds measures such as social equity initiatives.

These are programs designed to attempt to level the playing field for those communities that were disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs for the past 50 years—beginning with the Nixon administration.

The industry has grown tremendously since states like Colorado approved recreational marijuana in 2010. Since then, more than 20 states and Washington DC have passed legal recreational pot. In 2021, the industry raked in some $26.5 billion in 2021. Only about 3% of all cannabis business are black owned.

According to John Bailey, Executive Director of the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative, the issue of social equity in the industry is one of the most urgent matters facing the industry.

“We’ve got people drinking from a well that they didn’t dig,” Bailey said. “Here in Colorado, the industry has generated more than $15 billion, over the last decade, for largely white owned businesses while blacks and Latinos continue to languish in prison for the very substance, they are making them wealthy.”

Despite the social equity efforts, change is still slow in coming.

“We hear them talking the talk, but no one is really putting any money behind the words.

There are plenty of black businesses the industry could engage right now but we are seeing very little action,” he says. “That is why we have created a Social Equity Report Card to keep them honest and hold them accountable.”

Blizzy is one of few publications in the country targeting the African American cannabis consumer. Its mission is to provide information to its readership that other publications can’t or won’t cover, according to Porter.

“The circumstances involving the black community and marijuana is complex and those who are outside the community, particularly news sources, are unable to succinctly tell our story. Although blacks and white consume marijuana at equal levels, we are 4 times smore likely to be arrested and convicted of a marijuana infrac-

tion,” he said. “I created Blizzy to provide relevant content for our community that is informed and comprehensive.”

Yet, he says, the challenge of convincing most African Americans to trust an industry that has brought so much undo pain to black families a daunting task. While a number of blacks would like to get into the industry, may have expressed an intense distrust for a system that has been unfair for so long.

“It is nearly impossible to ask people to trust a system

that has mistreated and maligned them for decades,” Porter claims.

In the case of cannabis legalization, many view it as just too good to be true. The very substance for which hundreds of thousands of black men have been arrested, convicted, and jailed is now completely legal; further, we should invest into this system—many Blizzy readers have responded…yeah right!!!

“We are now witnessing the real truth that what is legal

today, can become illegal tomorrow. Some think it is a Trojan Horse,” he said.

With a Woman’s right to choose now overturned after being established federal precedent for almost 50 years, it seems a reasonable assumption that any law passed at the federal level can also be overturned. Therefore, if marijuana becomes federally legal, we will always be vexed by the nagging worry that it can be overruled and that we might find ourselves facing prosecution for being part of a now, illegal enterprise.

“We want to ensure that our community has a premium information and education source that they can rely on and trust will tell our stories both good and bad. Blizzy is designed to do just that..

Editor’s note: For more information about Blizzy Magazine and to get a free subscription, visit www.blizzymagazine.com.

WHERE MYSTERY AND REALITY INTERTWINE

EXHIBITION CLOSES SEPT. 5. GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

The exhibition has been produced as a joint venture between Lokschuppen Rosenheim, the University of Aberdeen Museums, the Roemer- und -Pelizaeus Museums Hildesheim and MuseumsPartner Austria, and is presented in Denver by Chevron.

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Coloradans Facing an Avalanche of Fees Op-ed by Wellington Webb

We continue to embrace the Colorado Avalanche bringing Lord Stanley back to our state. Denver now truly is Hockey Town USA with the Stanley Cup, the University of Denver are the NCAA Champions, Denver East won the High School National championship, and the PeeWee Jr. Avs won The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament this year.

As much as we cheer those accomplishments, Coloradans are facing a growing avalanche of new and increased fees that local governments and utilities are using to slowly but surely pick our pockets.

Every month these fees chip away especially hard on the working poor and senior citizens on fixed incomes that barely can survive. These fees, along with

higher property taxes, and higher food and gas prices, impact the middle class as well.

Often we don’t know our pockets have been picked until our bills arrive.

Let me give you just a few examples.

The Denver City Council recently approved fees on trash collection for the first time in the city’s history. Denver voters also will see a new proposed fee for sidewalk repairs on the fall ballot.

So, Denver residents in 2023 will pay $9 a month for a small garbage bin (35 gallons), $13 for a medium bin (65 gallons) and $21 a month for a large bin (95 gallons). For someone on a fixed income, $108 a year for trash removal is a big hit. I’m not impressed with the city pushing the fee dressed up as a way to increase recycling.

When Denver residents often gripe about how our city has gotten dirty from trash in the last decade, let’s not charge for trash collection but make cleaning up the city - especially downtown Denver - a priority with existing general budget funds.

If this trash fee was on the ballot, it surely would have failed.

The sidewalk fee proposal on the ballot would cost the average single family home on a local street, with a 50-foot property frontage, about $107.50 a year.

There also is a petition drive to put on the fall ballot a new tax in Denver on marijuana, which is

basically a tax that statewide voters already rejected. That means Denver residents would pay a higher tax on marijuana than their neighbors. There’s still a lot of unanswered questions on this one.

Now I’m pleased the library district idea to replace the Denver Public Library was dropped because there has been enough actions and attempts to take power away from Mayor Hancock and the institution of mayor.

I would support a mill levy increase that helps the libraries but keeps the mayor’s power intact.

Mayor Hancock had to weather the pandemic among other tough issues the last few years. During his last 13 months in office, he will continue to make his mark on the city. As always, I wish him well.

Meanwhile, Coloradans are dealing with increased fees already showing up on electric and water bills. The average electric bill for Xcel Energy’s residential customers increased $5.24 a month. This 6.4 percent increase was approved in April by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.

Then, last month, the PUC gave Xcel approval to collect a half billion dollars from its customers to cover the spiraling costs of natural gas during a winter cold snap in 2021.

The average residential electricity monthly bill will increase an additional $1.43 a month, and residential gas bills increas-

ing $5.67 a month.

Governor Polis didn’t like the Xcel increase. He can’t stop the increases but maybe he will appoint new members to the PUC that support consumers.

Late last year, the Denver Water Board also approved a rate increase. Most singlefamily residential customers, depending on where they live, have seen an increase in their monthly bill by a range of about 47 cents to $1.34.

Another item that may include future tax dollars is a possible new Denver Broncos stadium.

With a new owner for the Broncos, discussions immediately start about if the team needs a new stadium.

The new Mile High Stadium opened in 2001 and was funded by a six-county tax.

Let’s start with some sports history. The Avalanche and Denver Nuggets first played in the former McNichols Arena, which was near the former Mile High Stadium. The city owned and operated both venues at the time. Both teams needed city approval to get out of their city contracts before new facilities could move forward.

In 1997, Charlie Lyons and Ascent Entertainment owned the Nuggets and Avalanche and began planning for a new arena, which they would own and operate.

My mayoral administration worked closely with Lyons. We modeled the new building to stay in the same area. We didn’t

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want to make the mistake of other large cities, such as Detroit, that have their professional teams spread out in suburbs instead of centered in downtown.

The Pepsi Center, now Ball Arena, is an important economic engine for downtown, which was keenly evident these past few months.

I worked closely with Lyons and later with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen to assure our sports teams stayed in downtown for at least 25 years. I only supported the Pepsi Center and new football stadium tax district with this caveat.

Now, the new Broncos ownership - led by Walmart heir Rob Walton - has a great minority partner in Ariel Investments co-CEO Mellody Hobson, who I have met. Ariel Investments, LLC Founder, Chairman and CEO John W. Rogers, Jr. and Hobson are two of the best and brightest to come from Chicago.

I will only support a new

Broncos stadium if the owners agree to stay downtown and the new facility has a retractable roof to attract such events as a Super Bowl and World Cup. We need to keep our professional team downtown to keep the area vibrant.

But getting back to the fees and taxes in 2022. An increase of $100 here and $100 there and the financial hole gets deeper and deeper for our most vulnerable residents, along with many middle-class households.

In Colorado, we can’t control a lot of the increases in the cost of living but our local governments can and should look at the big picture.

Instead of burying our residents with an avalanche of new and increased fees, sharpen your pencils and find a way to get these needs done in the general budgets..

Editor’s note: The honorable Wellington E. Webb served as Denver’s first African American mayor from 1991 to 2003.

Lead is heavy on our minds.

Though the water we provide is safe, clean and lead-free, lead can get into the water as it moves through customerowned plumbing. So we’re replacing customer service lines, one impacted property at a time. To find out if you’re one of them, visit our website.

Learn more at DenverWater.org/Lead

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Mayor Hancock: We Are a City in Motion – a City in Pursuit of Justice Final State of the City focuses on economic justice, housing and policing Photos by Evan Semón Photography

July 18, 2022 Montbello Recreation Center

Mayor Michael B. Hancock delivered his 2022 State of the City Address, calling on all residents to stay true to Denver’s values of inclusion and equity, and to pursue justice in all its forms not just over the next year but well into the future.

Recalling the economic struggles Denver faced when he took office in 2011, as well as the pandemic and societal challenges of the past 2½ years, Mayor Hancock celebrated residents for fueling the city's latest resurgence and for transforming Denver into a globally recognized leader.

“We’re moving forward with our eyes set firmly on a city built on justice,” Mayor Hancock said, delivering his final State of the City speech – and the first in-person address since 2019 – in the gymnasium of the Montbello Recreation Center. “Justice has been delayed for far too long for far too many people. The state of our city, recognizing what

we’ve come through, is a city in motion – a city in pursuit of justice and opportunity, a city determined to lift up all our residents.”

Mayor Hancock called on residents to stand against divisive rhetoric, to remain welcoming to all, to celebrate the contributions of our LGBTQ+ community, and to stand with women and their right to choose. "Our biggest steps forward always come when we move together, after healthy debate, toward a shared purpose, especially when the aim of that purpose serves the

value of justice."

Mayor Hancock presented his agenda for his last year in office, a bold roadmap that will ensure our city remains a city of justice and opportunity for all for years to come.

Housing Justice Since Mayor Hancock took office in 2011, the city has helped to rehouse more than 13,000 people experiencing homelessness, create or preserve nearly 9,000 affordable homes, and deliver hundreds of permanent supportive housing units. The city's expanded

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and improved shelter system now operates year-round, tiny homes and safe outdoor spaces are proving to be successful options, more affordable housing is now required in new residential projects, and the city is encouraging the conversion of vacant downtown office space into housing.

The city is now committing more than $240 million a year to resolve episodes of homelessness, deliver more affordable housing and put homeownership within reach for more families. To build on this work, Mayor Hancock announced: •Intensifying outreach efforts to focus more on rehousing people living in the encampments that grew during the pandemic and using hotels and other properties as bridge housing when unauthorized encampments are decommissioned.

•Investing $2 million in ARPA funds into the Denver Basic Income Project to provide more than 140 women and families with $1,000 a month

for a year in direct cash assistance, helping them to move from homeless shelters into stable housing and opening space in the shelters to serve more people.

•Expanding a new down payment assistance pilot for people who lived in neighborhoods targeted by racist practices like redlining to more families seeking to buy homes in Denver, and directing city agencies to collaborate on next steps to help bridge the homeownership gap so that race no longer predicts anyone's housing outcome.

Promoting Economic Justice Earlier this year, Mayor Hancock established the city’s first equity-focused business investment fund to level the lending playing field for minority- and women-owned small businesses. Mayor Hancock announced: •Partnering with community organizations, banks and local businesses to administer the equity fund and grow the fund to $50 million in the next five years.

•Naming the fund after the late Herman Malone, a veteran of the fight to expand civil rights and a local Black business leader.

•Opening a new innovation center focused on supporting entrepreneurs of color in northeast Park Hill. The center will be another tool for economic justice and community wealth building, providing an ecosystem for local businesses to start and grow in their own community and have access to resources and support.

•To support residents struggling with inflationary pressures, Mayor Hancock is charging all city departments to identify ways to cut costs for residents and craft additional ways to provide relief to those who are hurting the most, as well as doing more to promote existing programs, such as rent and utility assistance, eviction assistance and property tax rebates.

Eleven years ago, Mayor Hancock promised to chart a course for Denver to become the “Start-up and Small Business Capital of the Country.” Denver now stands as a much more economically competitive and connected city locally and on the global stage. Mayor Hancock is committed to ensuring the pillars of our entire economy remain strong, including: •Continuing to aggressively attract and retain nonstop international flights. Since 2011, the airport has launched 19 new

international flights and foreign passenger traffic is up 88% •Encouraging foreign and domestic investment in Denver and staying focused on attracting and preparing the most qualified, eager and innovative workforce in the country.

Addressing Climate Change through Climate Justice Humanity has reached a crisis point in the fight against climate change, and the people who will suffer the most are the families that are already the most vulnerable. “Every day, every hour, every minute we delay means unjustly sacrificing our children’s future,” Mayor Hancock said.

Denver’s voter-approved Climate Protection Fund is reducing emissions, building resiliency and growing a climate workforce. The fund, not 2 years old yet, is already showing value by supporting low-cost, community solar for schools and low-income families, planting 2,000 new trees in climate vulnerable neighborhoods, incentivizing the installation of sustainable electric heating systems, fueling a micro-shuttle Montbello, and funding a popular rebate program for e-bikes.

The Hancock Administration has made a $200 million com-

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mitment over the next five years to invest in climate action, focusing half of it on vulnerable communities most at risk from climate change.

This year, the city also will begin to make the largest investment ever in the restoration of the South Platte River, removing hundreds of homes from the floodplain and protecting them from more frequent, intense floods being fueled by climate change. The city will also continue to preserve and add new park land in underserved neighborhoods that also reduce heat islands and our carbon footprint.

Better Policing Recognizing the simultaneous need for additional police reform and additional efforts to reduce crime, Mayor Hancock said, “This shouldn’t be a debate over more or less policing.

That’s a false choice. It’s about better policing. Better responses to different circumstances. And better community support to address the root causes of crime.

Too often we’ve called on law enforcement to address social problems better left to other systems of care.”

Over the past 11 years, Denver has been a change leader and innovator, requiring body-worn cameras, rewriting

use-of-force policies and promoting de-escalation tactics.

Mayor Hancock vowed Denver will continue be a leader by: • Hiring more police officers to keep neighborhoods safe and continuing to reduce violent crime through a successful datadriven, precision approach in hotspots across the city.

• Expanding Denver’s nationally recognized STAR program to redirect police away from calls better handled by public health responders when someone needs help, not handcuffs.

•Opening a new Assessment, Intake and Diversion Center, providing an alternative to jail for offenders better served by drug treatment and other behavioral health specialists.

•Improving training programs by bringing on a nationally recognized civilian expert and enhancing educational opportunities for police officers.

•Advancing the Denver Institute of Racial Equity, Innovation and Reconciliation, which was conceived by Mayor Hancock in the wake of the George Floyd demonstrations in 2020. The organization has officially been established and stakeholder meetings are being conducted to further develop

the program and funding strategies. This institute will promote research around racism, bias, inclusion, and practices of reconciliation, as well as the development of programs and trainings for law enforcement and the public, private and education sectors.

Reducing Gun Violence Police took nearly 2,100 guns off Denver streets in 2021, and more than 1,200 guns so far this year. “The solution to gun violence isn’t more guns,” Mayor Hancock said, which is why my administration has banned ghost guns and concealed-carry weapons in city parks and buildings. To further address gun violence, the Mayor is: ● Asking City Council to approve funding for a new partnership with the U.S. Attorney to federally prosecute violent felons found with guns so they face harsher penalties. ● Calling on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban. “There is no reason why weapons of war should be for sale in this country,” Mayor Hancock said.

Fighting Fentanyl Since 2019, annual fentanyl deaths have quadrupled in Denver – to almost 240 last year,

more than car crashes and homicides combined. Over the next two years, Denver will receive its first $8 million from the national opioid settlement.

Mayor Hancock is committed to seeing these and other dollars used to reduce overdose deaths and help those who are suffering from addiction by: •Expanding the capacity of nonprofit partners who deliver counseling, treatment, harmreduction, education and other services.

•Enhancing medicated assisted treatment programs in Denver’s jails, and striving to provide even greater support for inmates after they have been released. ●Ensuring a full continuum of care for people experiencing addiction, including covering costs of services when personal finances and insurance fall short, and expanding Denver’s mobile response teams to meet people where they are. ●Hosting a public-health focused fentanyl summit later this fall, as a companion to this spring’s criminal-justice-focused summit.

Investing in the Future – Denver’s Children Since 2011, voters expanded the Denver Preschool Program

and established the Prosperity Denver Fund, assisting every child who wants to attend college attain their dream. Mayor Hancock and his Administration opened Denver recreation centers to every child for free through the My Denver Card program, fed thousands of children through after-school meals programs, made record investments in summer youth employment programs, initiated the free summer RTD ride pass for youth, and joined former President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper mentorship program.

Denver’s first Youth Empowerment Center to provide kids a safe, positive environment is now open. Mayor Hancock announced four more centers will open by 2024.

“Everyone who calls our great city home deserves a fair shot and a fair opportunity at success and an affordable home.

To enjoy clean air and clean water. To have a career that supports them and their family. To express themselves to the fullest,” Mayor Hancock said. “We remain committed to leaving this city better than we found it.

And while this may be my final year as mayor, I pledge to you that I will bring the same energy, creativity and intention as if it were my first.”.

Photos by Evan Semón Photography Denver skyline photo by Miles Malone

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Paying it Forward:

The Life of Visionary

Carl Bourgeois

By Angelia D. McGowan

Carl Joseph Bourgeois’ next project is about five minutes from downtown Colorado Springs and from the region’s most popular tourist attraction, Garden of the Gods. The late commercial real estate developer’s tribute to his mother Bobbie Stroud Nelson is nestled in the neighborhood where he was born and provides panoramic views of Cheyenne Mountain and Pikes Peak.

Once completed in about two and a half years, the Sable Mesa destination retreat will feature the 6,000 square-foot Bobbie Stroud Music and Art Pavilion that will accommodate 300 guests and a nearly 5,000 square-foot guest house called Bobbie’s Place on the hill overlooking the spacious grounds.

The retreat, located at Mesa and Walnut Streets, will also include a third guest house that will serve as an office space as well as eight acres of gardens, hiking trails, a tennis court and health and wellness amenities.

The pavilion, designed in honor of Bobbie’s role as a musician and piano teacher, will host musical entertainment, business meetings, professional groups, women’s groups and social events. According to Carl’s daughter and Bobbie’s

granddaughter Ashleigh Bourgeois. “We still run into people who took piano lessons from her,” she says.

The final project of the former banker, who passed away at the age of 71 on July 17 in Colorado Springs after a long battle with heart disease, is shaping up to be the talk of the town similar to the buzz surrounding his success at revitalizing Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, specifically the 2400 block of North Washington Street, in the 1980s and 1990s. Before becoming a blight for the city, the district was known as the Harlem of the West as it was a frequent stop for jazz greats including Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis, who played clubs like the Rossonian and the Rainbow Room.

His work to champion urban revitalization and manage the restoration of commercial buildings marks only a portion of what he accomplished as an American businessman.

Through their company Civil Technology, he and business partner Sheila King participated in the program management and construction management of some of Denver’s most prestigious projects including: Denver International Airport,

Stapleton Redevelopment Project, Denver Union Station Redevelopment project, Downtown Denver’s 14th Street Streetscape Improvement Project, Central Park Boulevard and 1-70 Interchange, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) Light Rail expansion program (FasTracks), the Webb Civic Center Building, Denver’s Art Museum Expansion, and the Hyatt Convention Center Hotel.

Family Bonds: Picking Up the Pieces After graduating from Palmer High School, attending Colorado College and spending about a year in Germany, he took on a leadership position within the family. He was only 21 when his mother died at the age of 47. Without question, he joined with his stepfather George Nelson to raise four younger siblings ranging in age from four to nine. Though there were options to send the children to different relatives to raise, he was adamant that they would keep the four children together in Colorado Springs.

That meant little things like making their lunches and buying shoes, according to Rose Nelson, who was the four-yearold.

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“I’m just really proud of him,” says Rose, who remembers that it wasn’t easy losing a mom at a young age, but that she has had a front-row seat watching her brother make a positive impact within the family, the community and also professionally.

Accepting the Call Bourgeois, the descendent of one of Colorado Springs’ first Black families, embraced the opportunity to come full circle when he received a call from the grandson of Elinor Hagerman Llewellyn, who owned property near his childhood home and was also a family friend.

According to Gazette newspaper articles, the land once had access to free water through a canal to support its orchard, but in 1956 the city closed the canal and wanted to charge for the water. Llewellyn refused to pay and as result, the property went into a state of blight for half a century.

The Llewellyn family knew of Carl’s professional success and wanted to know if he was interested in purchasing the property. In 2016, he did.

His daughters Nicole Stewart and Ashleigh remember when they first

arrived at the property that they could barely drive onto it.

Grass and dead trees consumed the property to the point where some structures could not be seen. But their father was excited about the challenge. He had a vision.

Not long after making significant progress toward this vision, he received recognition from a neighbor who lived across the street from the property for more than two decades.

She happened to be a photographer and had documented the eyesore the entire time all the way to the Bourgeois effect.

“She was overwhelmed and overjoyed,” says Stewart, noting that once they cleared the land, she had access to something that she didn’t know existed – a view of Cheyenne Mountain. Her father, while impressed with the photo album, was humorously a little suspicious as a private person to know that someone was documenting him as he worked.

Further recognition came in October 2019 from the Historic Preservation Alliance of Colorado Springs. The alliance presented Carl and architect Clifford Taylor the Award of Excellence for the “Residential Rehabilitation for 944 North Walnut Street.”

Stewart says they regularly have strangers come to visit.

“This has changed overnight. It is a different sense of community. People walk by, then when they get close to the house, they slow down, ring the doorbell, and want to come in. They want to know what’s going on because they lived with it as an eyesore for so long.”

Carl has hosted several of his July 3rd Independence Day jazzy concerts and parties for hundreds of neighbors and friends at the Five Points location and more recently at Sable Mesa. When he held the event last month on the grounds of Sable Mesa he knew it would be his final event but he didn’t skip a beat.

His sister Rose says he was directing and still making sure people were okay and that the day was going well..

Carl Bourgeois... is preceded in death by his parents, Bobbie Stroud Nelson and Alfred Bourgeois; brothers Anthony Bourgeois and John Nelson; and former wife Carol Ann Lee. He is survived by his daughters Nicole (Ivory) Stewart (VA) and Ashleigh Bourgeois (CO); grandchildren Mogale Stewart (FL) and Nelson Stewart (VA); sisters Adrienne Bourgeois (MA), Michelle Bourgeois (CO), Judy Bourgeois, Lisa Bourgeois (Ahmed Abdur Razzaq) (LA), April Nelson (CO), Rose Nelson (Tony Tochtrop) (CO); brothers Stephen Bourgeois (OK), Charles Nelson (Holli Edward) (CO), Rico Nelson (Julie Sanchez) (CO), and Randall Nelson (Rhiannon) (CO); stepfather, George Nelson (CO) and devoted friend Sheila King. Carl is also survived by a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and many close friends.

No funeral or memorial service will be held in accordance with Bourgeois’ wishes.

Carl Bourgeois' daughters Ashleigh Bourgeois (L) and Nicole Stewart (R) stand in the office at Sable Mesa on July 22 holding blue prints for Bobbie Stroud Music and Art Pavilion.

Photo: Angelia D. McGowan

Carl Bourgeois and long-time friend and business partner Sheila King

Photos courtesy of Bourgeois family private collection

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Opportunity is Knocking The Changing Real Estate Market Still Offers Options for Buyers Purchase Homes

By Barry Overton

If you’ve listened to the media or talked to a Denver real estate professional, you have probably heard that the real estate market is starting to make some shifts. While many people are excited to see a slowdown in the market. The change in interest rates is something that has some fearful of where the market may go. I think it’s true to say that change of any kind tends to be scary for humans. But the reality is we live in a day and age where change is ever constant and more drastic daily. So, the best combatant for change is the ability to pivot. This article will show you how to adjust on the fly with the real estate market.

My previous job as a Denver police officer taught me that being able to have a plan is important, but also being able to alter the plan is just as important. Increasing interest rates

over the past few months called for me as a real estate agent to stay in close contact with mortgage brokers and banks to see how they are making the pivots to be able to continue to have homes sell.

If I was to grade the mortgage industry right now I would say they have an A in regards to the way they’re handling changes in the market. There are still some great grant programs that are helping first time home buyers with down payment assistance, as well as closing costs without incurring their own out of pocket expenses. If you saw my article in July’s edition, you saw that UMB Bank has one of the best grant programs on the market, but there’s other banks like FirstBank and Bank of America that also have beneficial grant programs.

One of the latest trends that is becoming popular with buyers is a product called the 2/1 buydown that is also helping buyers go into a property with the lower interest rates.

The 2/1 buydown or even a 3/2/1 buydown are great opportunities, but also can create great pitfalls for a new buyer if they don’t understand how this particular loan program works. It is important that a borrower is prepared for the upcoming years as their mortgage rate changes and the mortgage payment increases.

Here is how it works. A borrower is purchasing a home in today’s market. They have a

starting interest rate of 5% as an example. With the 3-2-1 buydown, it gives the borrower the opportunity to have a lower interest rate for the first three years. So, for example, starting with the 5% original interest rate would actually allow the borrower to start with a 2% interest rate in the first year, a 3% interest rate the second year, a 4% interest rate the third year, and then the interest rate would lock in at that original 5% for the fourth year on. The savings on your monthly mortgage payment in the beginning can be significant. But once you get to the fourth year, you’re paying a much higher mortgage payment than in year one. This is where it becomes very imperative to be disciplined in your budget and spending over those first three years. If this program sounds familiar to you, it is very similar to the 3/1 ARMs that caused a lot of the downfall of the market in 2008.

The other disadvantage of this particular loan is that the interest that the banks are losing over those two or three years, well they’re not really losing. They’re requiring you to pay that up front as part of your closing cost. So, for instance, if the interest rate over those three years at 5% would collect the bank $10,000, then that $10,000 would be due at the time of closing. In essence, that is the buydown part of this program.

In some instances, you may find builders that are willing to pay that buydown for a buyer, and you may also have sellers that become more creative in offering to pay the buydown as part of closing costs. This could be an ideal situation for a buyer not being positioned to pay the buydown themselves. While there are advantages of doing a program such as this, you just have to go in knowing and understanding the potential disadvantages. And it’s really a case-by-case basis of knowing if it’s going to be a good fit for you as a homeowner. For additional information on the buy down programs reach out to a mortgage loan professional to learn more..

Editor’s note: Barry Overton is a licensed Real Estate eXp Realty, LLC. He has been an agent since 2001, and started investing in real estate in 1996. For more information, email: barrysellsdenver @msn.com or call 303-668-5433.

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COMMUNITY NOTES

It Takes A Village Celebrates 20 Years of Community Service It Takes a Village, the premier agency serving people of color living with HIV or at high risk for HIV, will celebrate its 20th anniversary on August 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. at The People's Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave in Aurora.

Dinner, entertainment, a silent auction, Village Impact Awards will be presented.

Tickets are $50 per person and sponsorships are available.

For more information, email Courtney.Nichols@ittakesavillageco.org.

Manual T-Bolt’s Party in The Park Plannned for August 6

Carlou D August 20, 7:30 pm Passionate about history and religious philosophy as a source of inspiration, his music stands out, from the start, thanks to his open-mindedness in the different subjects he tackles.

Lawn tickets: $25 Covered seating: $40 - 45

For tickets, visit arvadacenter.org or call 720.898.7200

Manual T-Bolt Alumni Nation L.L.C. annual First Saturday Party-in-the-Park will be held on August 6 from noon to 7 p.m. at the City Park West Meadows area near MLK statue.

Previously, this event was held on the first Sunday of the month at City of Axum Park.

Please note the change of date and location. For more information email mtban2022@gmail.com or Karen King at kkingkk@mac.com

New Hope Baptist Church Celebrate 100 Years New Hope Baptist Church, located at 3701 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, will celebrate its 100th year church anniversary in August. The public, and all past and present members and friends, are invited to participate and attend.

This year’s theme, “100 Years: We’ve Come This Far by Faith” (Psalm 103:1-2 and Romans 5:5) will be celebrated with the following events: •Sunday, August 14 at 10:45 a.m. – Centennial Anniversary Worship Kickoff •Wednesday, August 17 at 7 p.m. – Special MID-WEEK Praise, Prayer and Worship

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•Thursday, August 18 at 7 p.m. – Rehearsal for Centennial Reunion Mass Choir •Friday, August 19 at 6:30 p.m. – Centennial Concert •Saturday August 20 – Motor parade and NHBC Historical Sites Tour at 10 a.m. and the Centennial Anniversary Cookout from noon to 3 p.m.

•Sunday, August 21, Worship Service Finale – Centennial Anniversary Worship at 10:45 a.m. and Centennial luncheon and presentations.

For more information, call 303-322-5200.

KUVO JAZZ Announces New “Live at the Vineyards” Lineup Rocky Mountain Public Media invites all jazz lovers to KUVO JAZZ’s 17th Annual “Live at the Vineyards” signature event Saturday, August 13, at Balistreri Vineyards. Event organizers anticipate a sold-out crowd ready to dance and celebrate all things jazz paired with delicious gourmet food and wine tastings. KUVO JAZZ announced an update to its headlining entertainment for the evening.

Due to a family emergency, Eddie Palmieri cancelled his performance at “Live at the Vineyards” August 13. With a few weeks until the event, KUVO JAZZ event organizers were unable to reschedule the event with the Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra .

KUVO JAZZ has confirmed an encore appearance by one of the finest Salsa and Latin Jazz bands on the planet, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, following their outstanding “Live at the Vineyards” performance several years ago. .

Editor’s note: For more information and tickets, visit www.kuvo.org/live-at-the-vineyards/.

HATS OFF TO

Denver Press Club Hall of Fame 2022 Inductees After a three-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Denver Press Club will bring back their annual Hall of Fame banquet Oct. 8 with the induction of five new members.

The class of Hall of Fame inductees are: Sandra Dillard: A groundbreaker, Sandra was the first Black female reporter at The Denver Post, where she spent three decades in a variety of roles. She was among 44 people who founded the National Association of Black Journalists.

Rosalind “Bee” Harris: The founder, publisher and art director of the Denver Urban Spectrum newspaper, Bee provided an outlet to tell the stories about people of color that weren’t being told in the mainstream media.

Mike Littwin: For the past 25 years, Mike has been a columnist for the Colorado Sun. He previously reported and wrote for the Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, and the Colorado Independent.

Kathy Walsh: Kathy was an award-winning, highly respected reporter and anchor at KCNC. She was especially known for her coverage of medical issues. She retired from KCNC in May 2021.

Alan Berg (posthumous inductee): A man who spoke his mind, challenged assumptions, and relished a fight about ideas.

The 850 KOA talk show host was murdered in his driveway by white supremacists in 1984.

The banquet will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Sonesta Hotel in Denver.

For more information, visithttps://denverpressclub.org/ events/

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Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – August 2022

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Rough Rides: A Violent Police Tradition

By James Michael Brodie

We have seen this movie before…

A Black man riding in the back of a police van, shackled but not secured. A sudden stop hurls the man toward the front of the van where he is severely injured. The police make denials. Then they make excuses. A life is broken. The family sues.

No, I’m not talking about Freddie Gray, who in 2015 eventually died of his injuries as a result of suddenly applied brakes in a Baltimore Police Department van, thus setting off an uprising in Baltimore that shut the city down for several days.

This time it’s New Haven, Conn., where, on June 19, 36year-old Randy Cox was paralyzed from the chest down after a police van ride, in a van with no seatbelts, in a van that braked while he was handcuffed inside. He was being transported to a police station to face a weapons charge when the van stopped abruptly and hurled him headfirst into the front wall.

Police officers are seen on video ignoring Cox’s pleas for help, mocking him, accusing him of faking his injuries, throwing him around like a rag doll, taking what must have felt like an excruciating eternity to finally seek medical help.

Cox’s mother and two sisters joined with civil rights attorney Benjamin Lloyd Crump to meet with U.S. Department of Justice officials to demand a federal

civil rights investigation into yet another case of police misconduct regarding an African American citizen in their custody.

New Haven officials announced that they are getting rid of vans like the one Cox was in, that police will now drive marked police vehicles, that the police will have to immediately call for an ambulance if a prisoner requests medical attention.

Prisoners are now required to wear seat belts.

In other words, too little. Too late. Again.

What I hope will not get lost in all of this is why we are here.

Again.

A pattern of police behavior so common that it is part of our national lore. A pattern of policing that targets certain populations for harsh treatment. This is not a about whether or not there are good police officers.

This is about how bad officers have made it tough for the good ones to do their jobs.

Over the past half century victims have sued police departments for the abuses they’ve suffered in the back of police vans, a practice known most commonly as “rough rides.” But the practice is not new. It dates back to the end of the Civil War and was once so commonplace that there was a song written about it.

Whatever the origin, the practice has come to symbolize police abuses, and not just abuses against African Americans.

So, again, what happened to Cox is not new.

Police in Boston in the 1800s found that a “quick pace” had an “added benefit.” The shocks from bouncing over cobblestone streets could incapacitate a bound suspect without officers having to raise a fist or a billy club. The fast-moving carriages were nicknamed “Black Marias,” reportedly after an African American boardinghouse matron who, according to legend, helped police enforce the law. Others have suggested that the name had something to do with a racehorse in New York.

Meanwhile, back in Baltimore, Freddie Gray, a small-time hustler, was not the first person in that city to come out of a police wagon with serious injuries.

In 2012, the death of Anthony Anderson was ruled a homicide after he died of injuries sustained while riding in a police van.

In 2005, Dondi Johnson Sr., a plumber, was arrested in Baltimore for public urination.

Apparently uninjured at the time of his arrest, Johnson emerged from the police van paralyzed with a broken neck.

He died two weeks later from pneumonia resulting from his injuries. His family sued the Baltimore police and were awarded $7.4 million, which was reduced to $219,000 under a cap imposed by Maryland state law.

In 2004, Jeffrey Alston was awarded $39 million after

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – August 2022

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becoming paralyzed from the neck down as a result of a ride in a Baltimore police van.

In 1980, 58-year-old John Wheatfall broke his neck and became paralyzed during a van ride. He was seated on a bench with his hands cuffed behind his back when he was thrown to the floor and hit his head against the wall. He sued for $3 million and was awarded $20,000 for his injury.

On a personal note: My cousin, who lives in West Baltimore, survived a rough ride.

What he described of the ordeal matches what others have reported. He is lucky to be alive.

His stepfather, a former Baltimore police officer, confirmed the long-standing tradition of the tactic. He said that while the officers driving the van may not have meant to kill, they know such a ride causes pain.

A 2001 investigation by The Philadelphia Inquirer documented 20 people injured in rough rides. Three suffered spinal injuries, and two were paralyzed. Courts had awarded $2.3 million in legal settlements resulting from these cases, but no officer has ever been disciplined.

“Nickel Rides” were well known in Philadelphia after a court case revealed that police were using the tactic to punish what they called “unruly, uncooperative, or arrogant” suspects without ever laying a hand on them.

On February 21, 1999, Carlice Harris, age 44, sustained injuries to her face, knees, and wrists in a Philadelphia transport van. She was awarded $22,500.

In 1997, Calvin Saunders, 23, was thrown from his seat and slammed his head against the wall of a Philadelphia Police van. He became paralyzed from the neck down. He was awarded $1.2 million. In his lawsuit, Saunders’ suit said his injuries were worsened when officers dragged him from the van and tried to make him

stand before finally taking him into a hospital.

On September 29, 1996, 34year-old Bernadette Moore sustained injuries to her shoulder and back after a Philadelphia Police ride in which she reported that the driver was “swerving and slamming on the brakes.” She was later awarded $15,000.

On April 10, 1994, Gino Thompson was thrown from his seat when a Philadelphia Police van carrying him stopped suddenly. Thompson sustained a spinal cord injury which paralyzed him from the waist down. Thompson was awarded $600,000.

In 1999, a former police chaplain in Aurora, Ill. sued that city’s police department, alleging that it was a common practice for police in Aurora to drive recklessly so as to attempt to injure and cuffed suspects.

The department denied the allegations and the lawsuit was eventually settled.

In 1980, Chicago plumber Freddie Franklin alleged in a federal lawsuit that he was wrongfully arrested by six members of the Chicago Police Department and forced into the back of a police van in handcuffs. The van was allegedly driven recklessly, throwing Franklin around the van, and causing him to bite off his lower lip. Franklin received $135,000 from the city in a settlement of the lawsuit.

Los Angeles Police Rough rides were also known as “screen tests.” When police cars or vans had screens between the front and back seats, drivers would stop short, “to avoid a dog,” sending a handcuffed prisoner flying face-first into the screen. A Los Angeles Police Department disciplinary panel concluded that one particular officer, Ray Logan, had carried out a screen test during a traffic stop in 1997. He was subsequently fired but not charged.

Los Angeles has done away with the vans altogether

because of concerns about safety and design.

The brutality can also cross racial lines. In 2012, Christine Abbott, a White 27-year-old assistant librarian at Johns Hopkins University, was arrested at a party she was hosting. She was handcuffed and put into a Baltimore Police van. Abbott later sued the officers in federal court. Police acknowledged that Abbott was not buckled in during her ride.

In 2001, James McKenna, a White man, was arrested outside a Philadelphia bar.

McKenna alleged that he heard an officer tell the driver of the van to “f— him up.” During a 20-minute ride that included quick stops and sharp turns, he repeatedly slammed his head into the walls, ultimately breaking three vertebrae in his neck.

McKenna was awarded $490,000.

Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – August 2022

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So here we are. Again. Some will express the usual “shock” over such a practice. Some will assume that the injured person “had it coming.” Another family will sue. Another life will be forever changed.

It is the responsibility of the police to protect and defend. It is well past the time to end these brutal practices in which the police behave as if they are judge, jury, and executioner..

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