STATE OF THE MAYOR
JUST THE FACTS
KICKOFF!
A reporter’s eye view on the Subarea debate
Cherry Creek football player makes USA Football team
NEWS | PG 2
ANALYSIS | PG 7
SPORTS | PG 18
Englewood’s Jefferson walks out amid conflict
S O U T H
M E T R O
VOLUME 35 • NUMBER 10 • JANUARY 26, 2017
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A ‘small’ business indeed Surviving tragedy and trends, Norm’s Dollhouse to shutter after 39 years If the idea of a middleaged father of four children suddenly bucking his career to open a dollhouse store sounds a little crazy, Norma Nielsen would be the first to agree—in fact, she was the first to tell her husband as much. “I kept telling him, you can’t make a living selling dollhouses—we have four kids at home,” she recalled with a smile. “I went out and got a job because I like to eat. It was slow going.” Even so, when Norman told Norma—yes, their real names—that he wanted to forge a career out of making and selling dollhouses, he wasn’t just playing around.
After nearly four decades, mother and son Norma and David Nielsen will be closing Norm’s Dollhouse in March. The Centennial mainstay has survived the recession, changing markets and the tragic death of the passionate patriarch who gave the store its name. Photo by Peter Jones
Continued on page 10
A Wild West
Weekend Denver’s weekend witnessed the inauguration— well, crowning— of the National Western Stock Show’s Junior Livestock Grand and Reserve Champion steers, as well as a roundup of political marches on the global stage. Before the Denver Women’s March on Jan. 21, the Stock Show crowned two champion steers— both raised by girls.
Photo by Stefan Krusze
2017 Reserve Champion steer “BFF” with 2017 NWSS Grand Champion Steer “Fu” in the grand lobby of the Brown Palace.
Continued on page 24
In what may be a first for the Junior Livestock show and sale, two girls raised the Grand and Reserve Champion steers. Mikala Grady raised the 2017 Reserve Champion “BFF” from Grandview, Texas. Lillie Skiles raised the Grand Champion steer “Fu” that sold for a record price, $135,000, to Kent Stevenson, president of Stevenson Automotive.