Life On Capitol Hill — January 2016 by Life on Capitol Hill

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NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW RETURNS TO DENVER By Jason McKinney The National Western Stock Show will return to the National Western Events Center, 4655 Humboldt, January 9-24. The Stock Show has been a January tradition since 1906 and has been a draw for Denver ever since. Now in its 110th year, the stock show received a big vote of confidence last month when Denver voters approved Measure 2C, which will improve the Colorado Convention Center and create the

new National Western Center, a year-round experiential education, research, commerce and entertainment campus that will be the permanent home for the National Western Stock Show. The stock show is celebrating the approval of 2C by designating January 19th a Free Day for all; all Denver voters and stock show fans will receive free grounds admission. Regular grounds admission prices vary, depending on the day and the event. Daily

Clydesdales and cowboys are always a hit at Western Stock Show parade to be held on Thurs., Jan. 7 at noon.

continued on page 27

JEFF HERSCH

LOCAL LAW FIRM FIGHTS EVICTIONS, HOMELESSNESS

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grounds admission ranges from $10-19 for Adults (12+) and $2-3 for Children (3-11), those age 2 and under are free. Discounted tickets will be available on the 24th for Fan Appreciation Day and will be $10 for Adults and $3 for Children. The stock show showcases rodeos, livestock and horse shows, and kids activities, in addition to the judged competitions that are the central purpose of the event. The first rodeo was held in 1931 and the number of events has grown ever since. There are too many to mention here, but a few highlights follow and the rest can be found on the event schedule at nationalwestern.com. The kick-off parade will be held on Thurs., Jan. 7 at noon and will start at Union Station and move down 17th. The parade always includes bands, floats, horseback riders, cowboys and cowgirls, and the real draw – Longhorn cattle. The parade is free for all to watch. Former Denver Broncos placekicker, Rich Karlis, will be the parade’s Grand Marshall. A few of the lesser-known events at the stock show include school visits, wood carving demonstrations, pedal tractor races (for the kids!), sheep shearing demonstrations, stick horse events, Top Hogs (pigs doing tricks and impressions) and even more family-themed events. There are various days and times for these events, so you’ll want to check the schedule before heading out. If you’re not into the whole “rope a calf and drag it around by its legs” kind of thing, there are other animal events you might be interested in. The family-friendly, Wild West Show will be held on Sat., Jan. 16 at 5 pm. Highlighting the color and pageantry of the Old West, the show is full of quick draw antics and cowboy entertainment, painting the story of how the West was won. Created as a tribute to the great Buffalo Bill shows of yesteryear, the show

By Jacob Karp As Denver continues to experience rapid population growth, renters throughout the city are beginning to confront numerous issues. Facing rising rents, limited rentable inventory and a lack of affordable housing, current and prospective renters need to understand their rights as tenants within Colorado. Unfortunately, what many renters who experience issues or disputes with landlords quickly find is that laws in Colorado are strongly on the side of the landlord. “Colorado is a very landlord friendly place and I don’t see that changing anytime soon,” said April Jones, attorney and counselor at law. April Jones, who along with her husband Floyd Jones operates Colorado Affordable Legal Services (CALS), says that

because of the landlord friendly laws it is even more important that individuals understand their rights as a renter. “The problems are becoming greater because of the current housing market,” said April Jones. “There is a driving need to provide assistance for tenants that lack basic education on their tenant rights in Colorado.” Founded on Capitol Hill in 2011 and serving Denver, Jefferson and Arapahoe counties, CALS is a full service law firm whose primary goals are to educate, guide and counsel individuals on their tenant rights as they relate to the resolution of legal issues, while ultimately preventing evictions. Core issues that CALS primarily provides tenants assistance continued on page 27

NEIGHBORHOOD

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EDITORIAL

PUBLISHERS Shanna Taylor Keith Taylor

editor@lifeoncaphill.com press releases, calendar listings, story ideas, news tips due by January 20 for the February issue Published the first Wednesday of each month

EDITORS Denny Taylor J Patrick O’Leary

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Shanna Taylor Steve Koehler

303.831.8634 Get your message to your neighbors in Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park,Congress Park, Uptown, Alamo Placita, Country Club, Cherry Creek North, South City Park, and Golden Triangle.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeff Hersch Dani Shae Thompson

WRITERS D. Todd Clough Peg Ekstrand Nancy Foster Julie Hutchinson Peter Jones Jacob Karp Linda Katchen Keith Lewis Lokken Liane Jason McKinney J. Patrick O’Leary J.L. Schultheis Price Caroline Schomp Denny Taylor Jennifer Turner Daniel Webster, Jr.

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Your photo here!

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Tim Berland J Patrick O’Leary Melissa Harris

HAVE YOUR INSTAGRAM PHOTOS PUBLISHED IN LIFE ON CAPITOL HILL! Our featured Instagram user for December is: KELSEY FAIRHOLM, @kelseyfairholm

Canon but this was just the good ol iPhone Are you looking forward to anything in the new year in Denver? More snow days! and also trying new restaurants & starting a new job downtown!

What draws you to use Instagram as a way to connect with others? It’s such a large platform that allows you to connect and get inspired by people all over the world - I think that’s pretty great!

Cover photos by (L to R) 1. Kelsey Fairholm, @kelseyfairholm 2. @denverlifenews 3. Dave Beck, @milehighbeck 4. Carole Goodwin, @uptowngirldenver 5. Dani Shae Thompson, @DaniShae4

What do you like about this photo and what kind of camera did you use to take it? The snow storm on Tuesday made us feel like kids again. We were just having fun and I love the hat :) I usually take pics with my

Every child has a gift.

1 16 EDITORIAL

PUBLISHERS Shanna Taylor Keith Taylor

editor@lifeoncaphill.com press releases, calendar listings, story ideas, news tips due by January 20 for the February issue Published the first Wednesday of each month

EDITORS Denny Taylor J Patrick O’Leary

ADVERTISING

advertising@lifeoncaphill.com

Shanna Taylor Steve Koehler

303.831.8634

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Get your message to your neighbors in City Park West, Whittier, San Rafael, Uptown, Curtis Park, Five Points, and RiNo.

Jeff Hersch Dani Shae Thompson

WRITERS The Denver Pavilions' Holiday Carousel is a very popular attraction, one that draws local and regional visitors to D.HERSCH Todd Clough Denver Pavilions and the 16th Street Mall. PHOTO BY JEFF WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Peg Ekstrand Nancy Foster Julie Hutchinson Peter Jones Jacob Karp Linda Katchen P.O. Box 18344 Keith Lewis Denver, Co Lokken Liane 80218 Jason McKinney In SeptemberJ.LPC approved Patrick O’Leary demolition of J.L. theSchultheis existingPrice Caroline Schomp Colorado Press structures two-story – built in Denny Taylor Association 1960 and 1949 –Jennifer pending Turnerapprov2015 member Daniel Webster, Jr. al of the replacement designs.

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By J. Patrick O’Leary This fall three row homes totaling 14 units will rise from 1360 Vine & 2114 E. 14th, the current headquarters of Sewall Child Development. Your photo here! Denver’s Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) approved, with minor changes, the mass, form and context of the project – dubbed “Vine” – at a Dec. 1 hearing, according to Carl Koelbel of general contractor Koelbel Urban Homes (KUH). Our featured Instagram user for “There will not be many subDecember is: stantial changes,” said KoelTRINE BUMILLER, @trinebumiller bel. “I believe they wanted to see tweaks to to theuse porches and as What draws you Instagram a balconies.” way to connect others? He with expected a final Asmeeting an artist,inI first started January tousing present Instagram years including ago becausethe it materialseveral selection, isspecifi a visualc medium, and because of the brick color and capemphasis on images rather than words. stones. The property, still owned by What do you like about this photo Sewall, under contract KUH and what is kind of camera didto you Vine Street use to take it?LLC, and is expected after the first in of City the I to shotclose this photo at sunset Park. my announced dog there every day year.I walk Sewall in 2014 and theitlight andmove the reflection are that would its headespecially at sunrise and quartersdramatic to the former Denver sunset. I used an iphone 5. Waldorf School campus at 10th & Fillmore, although no date has been set.

Koelbel plans to construct 14 DESIGN & PRODUCTION residences in three separate strucTim Berland tures, two stories in height J Patrick O’Learyat the Harris third street façade withMelissa a recessed floor, according to LPC documents. Replacement windows will be traditional, and match existing neighborhood architectural patterns. Although the initial design Are you looking forward to anything of raised entries and porches in the New Year in Denver? matched surrounding by I am always looking forwardpatterns to facing the street, LPC staff had pursuing my studio work in oil recommended thatit adjustments painting, and showing locally (Center for the Arts inonly Denver in be made soVisual they were in the July, Bosnia in February); traveling to brick portion of the structures’ newfaçades. places (Sarajevo in February and Reykjavik August);isand finally,in the The in property located seeing more art, both in Colorado and Wyman Historic District, and is abroad. zoned for multiple-unit residences no higher than three stories. Cover photos by (L to R) The district a mix of 1. Trine Bumiller,contains @trinebullimer, single and multi-family residencwww.trinebumiller.com 2. Carole Goodwin, @uptowngirldenver es, and commercial buildings; 3. @denverlifenews although the footprints of the 4. Mary @maryemaguire new Maguire, buildings are large, there are 5. Dani Shae Thompson, @DaniShae4 other large footprints, according to LPC documents. The project includes one ®2015 Community Publications, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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four-unit building between two five-plexes, all facing Vine, with detached garages opening to the alley. “Sizes will be in the 2,000 sq. ft. range, with a little backyard for each unit in between the home and garage,” said Koelbel. Pricing has not been set, but will be “a little closer to luxury” due to amenities – “A high-end townhome.” The exterior appearance of the buildings is not expected to change substantially after the final LPC hearing, said Koelbel. “It’s really a more fine-grained look at what we’ll build. I wouldn’t expect it to vary much from the colors already there” on the initial architectural renderings, he said. “This will fit and age very well with the neighborhood, and fit in with the historic district.” Once approved by the LPC, a building permit is still required, which Koelbel said may take four or five months, depending on the city’s workload. Demolition is expected in the second quarter of this year, and construction in the third. Koelbel plans to launch a project-specific website early this year. Until then, for more information visit koelbelco.com or call 303-758-3500.

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7 GREAT FREE EVENTS NOT TO BE MISSED THIS MONTH 1 2

Friday & Saturday, January 8 & 9: Denver Zoo Free Days, 2300 Steele St., open from 10 am-4 pm. Tuesday, January 12: Free concert at St. John’s Cathedral, 1350 Washington. Music at Noon program with the Colorado Chamber Players presenting Shostakovich: Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano (arr. Atovmian); Viola Sonata op. 147 (1975) and Prokofiev: Sonata no. 2 for Violin and Piano, op. 94bis (1943). 12 pm

Tuesday, January 12: The Colorado Symphony is honored to host the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert & Humanitarian Awards at Boettcher Concert Hall at 7:30pm. Admission is free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available, in person, at the Boettcher Concert Hall Box Office.

Monday, January 18: Free admission to the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York Street, 9 am-5 pm.

Tuesday, January 19: Free admission to the National Western Stock Show, 4655 Humboldt.

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Tuesday, January 19: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Marade begins at 10:45 am at the MLK, Jr. statue in City Park. Participants will congregate at the memorial site in City Park (17th & Colorado), beginning at 10 am. The Marade will move its way down Colfax to Sherman and through the Capitol grounds; then down Broadway to Civic Center Park, where cake will be served and a program about Dr. King will be held. Monday, January 25: Try your hand at Monday Music & Movie Trivia at 7:30 pm in the Henderson Lounge at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 East Colfax Avenue. Admission is free.

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Erika Righter, Founder and Owner of Hope Tank. PHOTO BY DANI SHAE THOMPSON

Hope Tank donates proceeds of their product sales to dozens of charities, seen here on a wall of the store. PHOTO BY DANI SHAE THOMPSON

HOPE TANK WINS IMAGINE 2020 MAYOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARTS & CULTURE By Jennifer Turner On November 18, the winners of the 2015 Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in Arts and Culture were announced at a reception held at the Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House where Mayor Michael Hancock presided over the awards luncheon. Hope Tank, a unique, philanthropic retail store located at 64 Broadway, was one of the honorees. It won the IMAGINE 2020 award, which is a new category. Mayor Hancock said, “Denver is so proud of those who contribute so much to our thriving creative economy and cultural vitality. Arts and culture continue to shape our great city into the vibrant, diverse community

that it is. That contribution to the progress of our city deserves recognition and gratitude.” IMAGINE 2020 is a collaborative cultural plan for the city, and the first since 1989. The goal of the plan is to provide the citizens of Denver with a renewed sense of direction in the promotion of arts, culture and creativity. Whether it’s support for arts education in Denver Public Schools, increasing access to cultural events directly in your neighborhood or creatively energizing our public life, this plan is brimming with positive ideas and goals that will elevate Denver’s standing as an international cultural destination. Hope Tank Founder Erika

Righter is a former social worker and opened the store in 2012. She had grown tired of the traditional means of educating the public about charitable causes, and decided to try something new. Righter believes there are many ways to engage people and raise awareness about these organizations. However, she feels opportunities are often missed because many charities have limited staff and budget. Simply “getting the word out” about a wonderful organization can be a challenge. Righter also feels that sometimes people think they have to make a significant commitment to a cause in order to make an impact, which can be overwhelm-

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Tuesday, January 12th 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cafe Max, 2124 E. Colfax CBID 3 X 6 7/8

Meet Cafe Max owner and Colfax holiday banner celebrity Max, and mingle with your neighbors as we celebrate our ﬁrst local social in 2016!

ing. In fact, there are often many small ways individuals can make a difference. Initially, she focused on selling handmade products by local artists who donated a portion of their sales to a charity of their choosing. Her original vision has evolved and expanded over the past few years. While financial support is helpful, Righter has learned the majority of organizations that she supports more highly value the increased awareness working with Hope Tank can bring to their cause. At the store, shoppers will find a wide variety of high quality, fun products that range from the practical to eclectic including water bottles, candles, and clothing for adults and children. The artists who make them want to inspire and educate the public about issues such as homelessness, veterans, at-risk-youth, the environment, breast cancer, the disabled community and animal rescue. Each product is linked to a specific charity, which is listed on its tag. At the checkout, the clerk also mentions the organization to the purchaser. Righter hopes people will take the time to learn more about the cause, and perhaps even post something about the product on social media. Ideally, they come back to her store for additional information, and want to become more involved with the organization. Ultimately she views Hope Tank as a portal that has many repeat customers. In addition to selling merchandise, there are other ways Hope Tank supports its causes. Righter and her staff assemble gift baskets of store products for various organizations so they can auction them off at fundraisers. Hope Tank also provides gift bags for the charities to distribute to

people who may need a specific product available at the store. Another initiative Righter is launching this month to bring more attention to Hope Tank causes is a highly engaging, fun window display at the store each quarter. Her Broadway location is highly trafficked, and she feels it is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness. The first display will feature Blue Star Recycling, which is exactly the type of organization Righter loves to support. This Denver Company is an award-winning 501(c)(3) social enterprise. Blue Star recycles electronic waste, including laptops, and employs people with disabilities. After Blue Star employees wipe the data from the drives of old computers, they are handed off to PCs for People (who are located in the same building as Blue Star). PCs for People employ youth with disabilities who refurbish the computers and then distribute them in low-income neighborhoods. Blue Star CEO Bill Morris said, “Hope Tank is a wonderful partner of Blue Star Recyclers. Our relationship with them has helped to bring attention to our mission of employing people with autism and other disabilities, as well as helping educate the public about the importance of recycling electronics.” 2016 promises to be an exciting year for Hope Tank as Righter is opening a second location at Stanley Market Place in Aurora, and also rolling out an online store. In February, Hope Tank will be participating in a crowdfunding campaign on indiegogo.com. To date, Righter has financed all the expansion herself, but has decided in order for Hope Tank to grow the way she knows it can, it is the right time to look for other sources of funding. A visit to Hope Tank’s 64 Broadway location is definitely worth the trip. Righter is fine if people don’t buy anything. She feels that even if they just browse and “absorb the energy” of the store, there is a good chance they will be back for more.

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You’ll never even realize it’s a accessible ramp. This painted maze anchor the middle of the new but vintage home of The Wizard’s Chest.

BUSINESS Photos and Copy by J.L. Schultheis Price

OPENINGS:

A brand New Year and, if this month’s offerings are any indicator, it just might be a blast! One of the area’s longest running success stories has a new location and more to offer than ever before.

WIZARD’S CHEST By the time you read this, the

Wizard that long guarded the gate at 230 Fillmore has flown south… and east. After 37 years in business – most of it in Cherry Creek North (CCN) – the Wizard’s Chest building sale has prompted the venerable costume, gifts, and games & oddities store to relocate to 451 Broadway. “Please pardon the pixie dust as we settle into our new castle,” reads a sign by the front door. Some of us have been watching

While the bulk of Firebird’s books and toys target kids under 8, there’s something for all ages.

the progress online as the Wizard built out its permanent home. If you’ve missed the ‘pardon our mess’ photos, you will find the new space in a vintage façade a bit jaw dropping. Call it a-maze-ing. The space is vast. Anchoring the center of the sprawling space is a ramp that zigzags to the lower level complete with photos of castles and other fanciful sights. Owner Kevin Pohle told LIFE that visitors should look for the various images incorporated on its walls. The last business to inhabit the space was Eron Johnson Antiques. Prior to that incarnation, it was a Cadillac dealership. When you visit, do look up. The sprawling structure has no interior support posts. Instead, it’s supported by a clever system of metal rods. A pair of vintage skylights and lots of exposed wood adds to the atmosphere.

The new castle opened December 1. The last location closed on New Year’s Eve. It’s still a venture in transition, but expect to see more board games, more room for the costume department to sprawl out and, well, just more of everything. Space is the reason for the expanded inventory. The old castle covered roughly 8,000 sq.ft. The new one’s twice that size and while that interior maze/ramp takes up a sizeable chunk, there’s still room for more wizarding experiences, games and whatever else appeals to the child in you. The Wizard plans a Grand Opening celebration some time in early February. If you go, plan to park and walk. The Wizard hasn’t been able to conjure up a parking plan yet and the folks at Meininger Art Materials next door guard their lot seriously. Wizardschest.com is the web address for current hours. The number for the new space is 720609-2761.

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When one door closes, another one opens. It’s a popular saying but an apt one for Congress Park and CCN area residents mourning the Wizard’s Chest relocation. On E. 6th, a new mythical creature just spread its wings to serve the niche left by the wizard’s departure. Firebird Books & Toys by Nest is now open at 2800 E. 6th in the old Bea’s Bridal shop. It’s a third venture on E. 6th for Caroline Evascu who also owns nearby Nest and Hatched, kids’ clothing shops a few blocks east at Milwaukee. Evascu jumped into the business world after years of infertility. She had two toddlers when the first Nest opened in Boulder. It was quickly followed by another Nest on E. 6th. When Nest moved last year, Evascu seized the opportunity to add Hatched, a special store for tweens. Opening a books and toys shop seemed smart as news of Wizard’s departure spread. While this one is primarily geared to the 8 and under set, there is something to appeal to all ages. “In the last two years I've gone through a lot of personal changes, and it’s led me to meditation and a focus on being

more present with my children,” she said. “My children's preschool sent home a letter around the holidays encouraging us not to overbuy for our children and to focus on five areas: Build, Create, Imagine, Share and Explore.” The store is organized around those five themes, and the goal is to carry books and toys that encourage parents to interact with their children. The Firebird is Evascu’s chosen image for a similar reason. “Firebird is another word for Phoenix, the mythic bird that is reborn from the ashes. We can start every day as a new day and aim to be more present with the people we love.” For 2016, classes will be added to the Firebird service list. “It’s going to be amazing,” Evascu promised. Details about upcoming workshops can be found on the company’s Facebook page or at nestchildrensboutique.com in the near future. Initially, hours are Mon.-Sat., 9 am-6 pm & Sun., 11 am-5 pm., but they may evolve in response to demand. The number is 303-534-1974.

ELEVATED SCRAPS Inside Firebird, you’ll find a second business, Elevated Scraps that operates as a pop up store within a store. “Elevated Scraps specializes in home decor, wedding decor and nursery decor. We love words and adore wall hangings, so you'll find a plethora of these items in our shop,” said Heather Phifer, owner of this micro business. “I like to consider myself a corporate America dropout, dog lover, Pilates enthusiast and recently dubbed designer,” she said. “This venture took off when I started sewing room decor loveliness for my niece, who at the time was not yet born. She is now a toddler and has a brother and two mighty cousins, all of (whom) serve as my inspiration.” Phifer is keen on upcycled materials. “When selling locally, I use fabric scraps to make my little birdies and we save our other scraps for fun ‘one of a kind’ projects that often appear in our online store. And we love fabric donations, so if you need to unload any quilting cottons, just give us a tweet, post or email.”

Upcycled fabrics take on new life as signs and decorations at Elevated Scraps. The pop up shop is open during Firebird hours. Phifer’s website is elevatedscraps. com.

PLATFORM T Tea ranks second on the list of beverages consumed on the planet and the #1 sip is not coffee. It’s water. So owners of this new tea lounge believe their concept could be to tea what Starbucks has been to java. This is the space where my kids and I bought petri dishes to grow germs for science fair in decades past. We’d buy thermometers and cool science stuff at 95 Lincoln when this was a supply store. Now, it’s home to the second Denver location for Platform T, which concentrates on beverages made from the leaf and small plates that compliment those drinks. Like many great ideas, Platform T was born out of frustration. “We had a great dinner in Cherry Creek, and probably overstayed our welcome at our table. So we had to leave but we weren’t quite ready to call it a night. We ended up in a diner-type place for desserts and coffee; quite an uninspiring finish to an otherwise great gathering,” co-founder Jeremy Law explained. “In our frustration, we fantasized about a cool place that served caffeine-free tea and drinks and stayed open late for the apres-dinner crowd.” While it took several years to turn vision into reality, tea enthusiasts will find it worth the wait. Naming a business is never easy but names sometimes speak volumes. This one’s no exception. “The engine that drives our purpose for our stores is to create a means for people to connect. Connect to what? To each other. To memories. To dreams and desires. To things that matter. Tea’s rich history and heritage make it uniquely suited to this,” Law added. “Like Platform 9¾ in Harry Potter whisking our heroes into an adventure, we would be that platform. Yes, Platform T. Tea is our platform.” There are dozens and dozens of tea beverage choices, but Law and business partner David Wilkens have broken the list into six basic categories to help

narrow down the decision-making process. Smart idea. Tea lattes, matcha and yerba mate are just a few of the offerings. Or choose a signature beverage like Peach Tea Julep and Chocolate Mint Mocha. You can buy by the glass or by the pot, too. A Bkon brewing system yields a perfect result in half the time tea normally needs to steep. While emphasis is firmly on tea, there’s something for bean fans too. An espresso bar blends beverages using locally-roasted Corvus beans. Cocktails are also available including several tea-infused drinks. Linger over a pot of tea and you discover you’re hungry. Aside from the obligatory home-baked scones, the food menu includes seasonal tapas offerings, a breakfast burrito, salads and small plates like flatbread with beef ragu, arugula, balsamic reduction, Gruyere, and onions. Dessert also gets its due with a handful of options including a vanilla brulé cheesecake. The decor is eclectic with some seating on tree stumps and others at a community table crafted from slab wood. Some of the nooks ought to be labeled “Linger Here” and I expect folks will. There’s also a west-facing patio that connects to the sleek interior via a rolling garage door in favorable weather. Currently the business plan is to continue adding lounges around the state then hopefully expand nationwide. Hours are 6:30 am-late. Closing hours are still being tweaked.

ICS ROOFING AND RESTORATION The name stands for Insurance Claim Specialists but this new home repair venture just launched in Congress Park is willing to take on other home repairs and improvements too. Owner Chris Stevenson lives in a turn of the century Denver Square and he’s comfortable with the unique demands that vintage homes often present. “Having knowledge of how old homes are constructed and what issues may arise give us an advantage over our competitors,” he said. After working for several other companies, Stevenson

The décor is sleek, the menu is tea-centric but Platform T on Lincoln at 1st also offers coffees, cocktails and small plates to sample.

decided the most important key to success – both for the homeowner and the repair firm – was communication and follow through. He’s built ICS around those two elements. Both are essential to obtain a reasonable outcome when insurance claims are involved. “Working with insurance companies and handling the claim side of the process is our strong point,” he said. “Making sure our customers have the proper representation (is key).” ICS specializes in roofs, gutters, paint and siding but will take on other jobs including foundation work and finish carpentry. “By completing the work before asking for payment, we give customers peace of mind that all work will be done to their satisfaction,” he added. Icsroofingandrestoration.com is

the web address or reach Stevenson at 720-202-2383.

QUIZNOS GRILL Quiznos is a Denver native. The company’s first store still stands at Grant & E. 13th on the Hill. Now the company is rolling out Concept #2 – Quiznos Grill. Here on E. 12th, sandwiched between Burger Fi and Nu Hu Mongolian just off Broadway, The Grill features a totally new menu of premium hot sandwiches. It’s a notable departure from the world of toasted subs. “Quiznos Grill features an allnew flat-top grill and an entirely new menu,” said Elizabeth Sapp, SVP of Communications. The menu features a baker’s dozen of hot sandwiches including a Korean cheese steak with marinated cucumbers and kimchi. There’s also a maple BBQ brisket and chicken parm. Diners can

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also add craft beer or wine on tap to their order. “(We) believe this will be a great environment to test ideas that may have applications for our base business (including) table service, new menu items, and new training platforms,” she added. “Quiznos Grill is an extension of the Quiznos brand. One of the things we’re most excited about is the opportunity to learn how far we can push and extend the brand and how we can pull some of those lessons and innovations into the Quiznos brand. This will be a learning lab in many ways to think about improving Quiznos.” In addition to personal sandwiches, there are also ‘shareable’ items like the Not-Chos that were designed to appeal to a younger crowd of diners. That dish is built continued on page 8

Chris Stevenson, right, and ICS associate Kent Williams inspect a recent roofing job for defects that need correction.

BUSINESS

THE DAILY WALK Continued from 7

on top of house-made potato chips. Salads and some housemade sides round out the menu. It’s not all eats at the Grill. You can also try your hand at foosball when the eating’s over. The new venture opened December 2nd and plans are already underway for a second Denver location. Then the corporate experts will determine the future of the concept. Hours are 11 am-9 pm seven days a week. Quiznosgrill.com has the full menu and the number is 303-534-0796.

When Congress Park resident Wayne Evans learned he’d have to close the Daily Scoop frozen custard shop on E. 12th, he realized it was perhaps too late in life to relaunch the business elsewhere. While the Scoop drew legions of human fans over its 12 and a half year run, Evans always liked the 4-legged ones best. On gorgeous days, you could find him sitting out front with his bowl of dog biscuits and water. “Now I am going to spend my days with my most favorite customers – the dogs,” Evans said in announcing his new venture, The Daily Walk.

Grilled-to-order sandwiches and a sleek new foosball table are just some of the draws at Quiznos Grill, a new offering from the toasty subs folks.

Evans plans to offer dog walking and other services. While his website is currently being built, you can reach him at 303-5067806 to discuss needs and pricing. When I caught up with Evans, he was saying a long goodbye to customers who dropped in to wish the Scoop team well in the future. I asked him about the lease issue. Seems that he was supposed to give notice of his intent to vacate or continue leasing five months before the term ended. Evans admits he didn’t really think he had to rush to resign and stated that his landlord never inquired.

“After over 12 years, I sorta figured he knew we would resign,” he said shaking his head. Evans heard through the beauty salon rumor mill that his space had been leased to another business – reportedly for a 15year term. The new tenant is expected to open in February and is reported to be an ice cream store.

BALANCE. LIFE. YOGA. We’ve been invaded with many new (old) forms of yoga in recent years including hot yoga. BalanceLifeYoga owner Whitney Wheelock is taking a different approach.

“Many people first notice the yoga space is a bit different. There are no mirrors, no music, and no artwork, just a space for you to relax, be free from external influences and be yourself. Even the temperature is set between 75-80 degrees so your body is relaxed but not stressed,” he told LIFE. Located at 1215 E. 6th, at the back of Video One on Downing, Balance is geared to place practitioners in a meditative mindset and remove them from an over-stimulated, over-intellectual, sensory-focused mindset. His approach is radically different from other businesses in the field.

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Kadampa Meditation Center has expanded to a second location downtown on Glenarm. The 20 You can still find your favorite cupcakes at Big Fat Cupcake plus some added goodies including year old program encourages drop ins and offers discounts to seniors, students and members big soft cookie sandwiches. of the military. days, Sunday Mornings, Happiness “Kaula Yoga (from the Kaula director Kate Franklin. “Our hope up the colors to determine your in CCN. He smokes the king salmand expectation is that this new Tantra perspective of Hinduism) Hour and Lunchtime Meditations, tab. on in-house and recommends that development will help Buddhism, differs from many modern systems and our Branch Classes are all “You can sample the whole first timers try the red snapper meditation, and inner peace of yoga in that the asanas (physsuitable for newcomers,” she said. menu or just a few items,” said Japanese style or the Hamarama – flourish in Denver and Colorado ical postures) and pranayama “We have a new popular interchef Jesus Silva. a roll with spicy scallops. for years to come.” (breathing practices) are directly mediate level class, Meditations This is another offering from For the less adventurous (you The nonprofit holds several based on harmonizing the prana on the Path, on Thursdays. Kids’ Jeff Osaka, who recently opened know who you are), there’s also Tuesday events at Marion Street system, the subtle energy system Meditation Classes take place on Osaka Ramen on Walnut in RiNo a menu of warm items including (now called KMC Colorado Cap of the body,” he explained. “The Sunday mornings, and KMC Coloand on E. 3rd in Cherry Creek mussels, asparagus and bacon Hill) including a free noontime modern idea of life, as well as rado welcomes school and group North (CCN). Kaiten is found in skewers and miso soup. meditation, but the larger space many forms of yoga, is that you visits throughout the year.” Japanese eateries on both coasts, Official opening day was will feature a greater variety of need to exert to achieve. Kaula The Center is offering a free but it’s rare in Colorado. December 20 and I hope dinofferings. Yoga uses the ancient princidiscussion on learning to mediEach plate also contains a ers could take their eyes of the Classes run $10 with seniors, ples of pranayama to achieve by tate January 6th at 7 pm. It’s a microchip to make sure it is fresh. revolving foods to appreciate the students and military members relaxing.” great way to explore the beneAfter three revolutions on the décor. This is a perfect use of paying $7. You can drop-in to any His position is that there’s fits of the technique. It’s also conveyor, the dish is pulled and space with a 1960s cinema-inclass and there’s no need to preactually no gain in pain. a chance to check out the new becomes what GM Michael Burspired interior (hence the Rama register. Credit cards and checks “By relaxing, mentally and facility or visit kadampa.org. bage calls “server snacks.” in the name). are accepted as well as cash. You physically, instead of struggling Chef Silva is serious about fresh Colorful art anchors one wall can find class details at meditaand forcing yourself while you SUSHI-RAMA fish. He even plans to open Silva’s and the light fixtures are just pertionincolorado.org. Members pay practice challenging postures, you Admittedly I’ve been waiting to Market in the nearby Central fect. The place seats 20 upstairs, $40 a month and attend classes culture intuitive body efficiency. see this place for some time, and Market space when it debuts this 24 along the counter and will for free in addition to receiving Intuitive efficiency translates to the last of the businesses to open spring – another offering from have a small patio as well come other discounts. integrated muscular strength, in the new build space on Larimer Osaka and partner Ken Wolf. He spring. KMC Colorado is part of a netphysical health, mental tranwas worth the wait. believes that being a fish seller If you want to see the belt in work of over a thousand Kadampa quility and ultimately comfort, Sushi-Rama, 2615 Larimer, is will help the restaurant offer the action (yes, please!) it probably Buddhist Meditation Centers and comfort with yourself.” a two-story eatery built around freshest sushi at a lower price. pays to stop by between noon and branches worldwide. A Denver native, Wheelock has a kaiten, a conveyor belt system The small plates on the convey2 pm or after 5:30 pm. Until dinFranklin added, “You don’t have worked for the Federal Reserve that encourages diners to grab or are priced from $3 and go up ers discover this concept, the belt to be a Buddhist to learn how Bank and in the wine industry. the plates of food as they go by. in 50-cent increments to $5 per won’t be running all day long. to meditate or to benefit from Traveling abroad in 2006, he Whatever you like. plate. Doors open at 11 am daily exmeditation. Thousands of people spent time as a semi-professional The sushi, edamame and other Silva brings an interesting cept Monday when the staff rests. of all ages have enjoyed classes soccer player in Germany then bites sit on plates with different background to this new job. He’s Weekdays, Sushi-Rama closes at 9 here since the Center was estabtraveled to Asia where he met color rims. The color determines been cooking for 24 years alpm, weekends the kitchen is open lished 20 years ago.” Bhagavan Shanmukha Anantha the price. Many feature ½ porthough he doesn't look a day over until 11 pm or later. The number “Downtown, our practical inNatha, a Tantric and Sanskrit tions of larger menu items. When 30. His credentials include a stint troductory classes are on Wednescontinued on page 10 scholar. He taught yoga at an you’re full, your server will add at the long gone Mao restaurant ashram for four years. Wheelock is still learning. He plans to start an acupuncture masters program this month and TER will add that to his practice. REGIS ! W NO “Once you do Kaula Yoga for a few weeks it becomes clear something is different, something has SPECIAL changed. I’m calm, I’m relaxed… DEAL! Monday Evenings I’m alive. 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10 BUSINESS Continued from 9 is 720-476-4643. Central Market when it opens will feature a 14,000 sq. ft. space and will boast 13 different food artisans.

CHANGES: BIG FAT CUPCAKE The petite cakes are still all scratch-baked and the decorations still dazzle, but Big Fat Cupcake has a new owner. She is Sarah Colunga, who worked for two years as the baker/manager and sales associate before taking over. “It's been my absolute favorite job. I am so dedicated to this shop and truly believe that we have the best cupcakes in town! When the former owner mentioned to me that she was selling the business, I knew right away that I wanted to continue this sweet little business that she created and it was a terrific opportunity for me to expand and improve what we offer and add my ideas,” Colunga said. Those new ideas include cookies and more emphasis on custom cakes. “We have updated our flavor menu, adopting some trendy flavors such as cookie dough and wedding cake, while still staying true to old favorites. We are using the original recipes and using the same high quality ingredients, but have tweaked the recipes slightly, and are so happy with the results! Our customers have noticed how much softer and more moist the cake is!” Colunga is in cupcake heaven. She also created jumbo soft

sandwich cookies. Those tempting treats come in Snickerdoodle with Cinnamon Buttercream and Peanut Butter Brownie. “My dream since childhood has always been to open a cake shop, so it feels like this was just meant to be! Luckily my parents had a similar dream of owning their own business, so we all decided to go in this business venture together.” Regulars will also notice that the prices have come down a bit. Colunga is working on recipes for vegan and gluten free cakes. She also plans to get more involved with community events to grow the business and connect with the neighborhood. “We will be going through some changes and remodeling, but want our loyal customers to know that our amazing quality is definitely staying the same.” Current winter hours are Mon., 10 am-4 pm, Tues.-Sat., 10 am-6 pm. Closed Sundays. The number is 303-322-2253.

MASSAGE THERAPY INSTITUTE OF COLORADO After 29 years in business, the mission at the Institute is evolving. There’s now a strong internship with several community partners including Presbyterian Saint Luke’s, The Gathering Place and Kaiser. Students go to local health locations and do chair massage. There, Institute candidates help caretakers relax and unwind. “It’s a way to give the students real life exposure and let them show how massage can fit into their world,” said Jennifer Bell, chief administrator. Bell said that a new scholarship program has been launched. Prizes range from $500 to $5,000. Recipients then do community service work to share their skills. The number to call for information about massage certification is 303-329-6345. New classes start in mid-January. The school’s located at 1441 York.

MANTON MASSAGE Adjacent to the Massage Therapy Institute is Manton Massage, a

therapy practice offering appointments for the general public. In October, the Manton clinic relaunched its entire list of offerings changing many of its services. There are now several different types of massages for 60 or 90 minutes plus reflexology, foot massage and shorter massage sessions. Also hours have recently expanded to include Sundays. Appointments are now available from 9 am to 8 pm. Walk-ins are often available too. Call 303-329-3907 or schedule online at mantonmassage.com.

THE IRISH SNUG On a cold afternoon, the Irish Snug pub on E. Colfax & Marion sounds soooo inviting. But Guinness is probably not what you’re craving when the snow falls, so the Snug has rolled out a new winter menu of craft cocktails. The company indicated the move was prompted by Denver’s love affair with craft beverages. Several are served warm as befits the season. Offerings include a Ginger Soother with a scotch base, tequila-laced Mexican hot chocolate with a kick of chipotle and the Sazerac, a New Orleans standard. Predictably, there are numerous offerings built with Jameson Irish whiskey too. The Snug is open daily at 11 am-2 am. The number is 303-8391394.

CLASSIC HOMEWORKS Two months ago, Congress Park-based Classic Homeworks marked an amazing milestone for a company in the home improvements business – the completion of a 30th year in business. October 22nd was the official celebration date. At its Holiday Open House, the company debuted a line of home goods and home furnishings you can peruse at 3430 E 12th. It includes picture frames, kitchen items, linens and cooking supplies made of teak plus some body product lines. Call 303-722-3000.

STARBUCKS The coffee location at 801 Colorado is the latest ‘Bucks to seek a liquor license. It's all part of the company’s plan to expand its appeal into the evening hours. Wine and beer is already served at the location at E. 2nd & Columbine in CCN.

LAS DELICIAS The long-running Uptown Mexican eatery on E. 19th at Pennsylvania is making progress on its renovation, but the initial schedule for reopening seems doubtful now. The veteran eatery closed last fall with a promise to reopen in time for its 40th anniversary this month. If you planned to help them celebrate, I think it ain’t gonna happen. Construction continues, but any plans for an anniversary celebration seem premature. By mid-December, there were beams that might support a second story in evidence, but no finishing touches. Stay tuned for updates.

CLOSED: FUNKY BUDDHA LOUNGE Has it really been 20 years? Funky Buddha closed its location at 776 Lincoln at the very end of November and is slated to relocate to Broadway in 2016. The new location is reported to be at 1033 Broadway three blocks to the north and west. That’s the address for the Salty Dog, an entertainment spot that never actually opened. Stay tuned for news of an opening day.

PAPA RICK’S PIZZA It struck me as odd that Mici’s Italian would move into the vacant Boulevard Burger restaurant space in the 700 block of Colorado. I wasn’t surprised that Mici’s was abandoning its second level shop in CCN, but moving in right next to Papa Rick’s Pizza? The reality is that Mici’s won’t have direct competition when it opens in a couple weeks. Rick’s is gone and it looks like the new

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tenant will occupy two instead of just one vacant restaurant footprint. Mici’s closed shop at 3030 E 2nd in CCN right before Christmas and is expected to reopen on Colorado after contractors give the place a major overhaul.

DAILY SCOOP Congress Park is starting 2016 minus the much-loved Daily Scoop frozen custard shop on E. 12th, but frozen desserts could be back at the Scoop’s former address later this month. Word is that LoHi’s Little Man Ice Cream company – perhaps best known for its original location in a two-story milk can – has leased the storefront. The operators of Daily Scoop had hoped to renew their lease, but that opportunity didn’t materialize (see The Daily Walk in Openings).

YOGURT GURU And another one bites the dust – at least on this beat. Yogurt Guru in the 2600 block of E. 3rd in CCN closed its doors last month. Signs on the door indicate that Guru will reopen in the spring, but at a new, unidentified location. The number has been disconnected – at least for the moment.

PIKKAS PERUVIAN CUISINE & PISCO BAR For the past couple months, Pikkas sported a sign indicating it was “Under New Management.” On December 20th, a guy on a ladder was taking down some signage and the number has been “temporarily disconnected.” Details have been hard to come by, but it seems Pikkas is closed – at least temporarily.

OPUS RESTAURANT It’s been a rough year at Opus in the 200 block of Josephine. The eatery backs onto the 245 Columbine construction project so I wasn’t surprised when Opus closed in December. The construction woes were evidently not the cause of the closure. A spokesman said, “The building that houses Opus was sold; Opus was bought out of their lease. It is our understanding the building will be razed to make way for the new hotel being built directly behind Opus (not confirmed).” Opus is looking into the possibility of a new location, but that option is not confirmed either. I hate to say it, but perhaps it’s time for this building to go away. So many eateries have struggled here then folded during the past decade. That list includes Go Fish Grill, Papillon, and Juicy Lucy’s Steakhouse.

PANERA BREAD The location at E. 13th & Grant on the Hill closed December 22nd after fifteen years at that corner. A source told LIFE that the opening of a new store on the 16th Street Mall downtown diminished the need for this one and the lease was up. Gift cards purchased at the Grant shop will be honored throughout the Panera system. Send Biz news to Jeanne@ lifeoncaphill.com.

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MAKING THE COLFAX STREETSCAPE VISION REAL By J. Patrick O’Leary Colfax Business Improvement District (CBID) is looking for a design firm to make its vision for the Colfax streetscape real. Requests for Proposals will be sent out early this month to create a Master Street Design Plan (MSDP) for the stretch of the avenue within district boundaries, according to CBID Director Frank Locantore. The current “ideal” timeline includes selecting a firm at the end of February or early March, and beginning design work in April. “It [the MSDP] is basically an architectural drawing for landscape, not just the street, but the right of way, sidewalks and amenities,” he explained, comparing it to an architect’s drawings for the use of the interior layout of a building, only for landscape around the streets. CBID had wanted to create an MSDP since 2014, when it began working with and applied for funds from the city’s Office of Economic Development to cover some of the expenses, according to Locantore. “We applied, but were not granted any money,” he said. In 2015 the Office of Economic Development changed its process, so that only “shovel-ready” projects – and no longer planning – are funded. CBID will now bear the entire cost, which Locantore said might range from $75,000 to $100,000, although more detailed, comprehensive plans can cost far more. “How do we want that design to benefit our community of property and business owners, and the patrons who live in or come to the area to support the businesses? How much do we increase the pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, along with the vehicular infrastructure? Do we want emphasis on public art, trees, plants, recycling bins along with landfill containers? These are all components in putting together a MSDP.” But it’s more than a locally conceived wish list. “We [also] want to take into account external forces, like Bus

Rapid Transit … so we will work closely with public works, RTD, and other agencies, so that something we do in 2018 doesn’t have to be changed in 2020.” Locantore said in the past CBID had created plans for specific projects, including trees and lighting, but those were not part of a comprehensive plan nor “a vision of what we want on the street.” The Request for Proposals will include guidance gathered from the community. “People are loving Colfax. There were a couple of events recently where attendance at meetings were through the roof… we crowd-sourced for

information about, ‘What Colfax means to you’,” Locantore said, and elaborated on a few details: that people wanted places to linger, and to be able to find places to eat or drink “without any brain damage.” “We want to be able to apply that excitement in our plan… Maintain diversity in an eclectic sense, with options and choices, and public art… We want that personality and character of Colfax to be the outcomes from the plan.” “At the end we’ll have a roadmap of sorts,” Locantore said, which can be taken to the city or builder for the next steps, financing and construction.

RECYCLE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE – IT’S AS EASY AS 1,2,3! By Denny Taylor Recycling your Christmas tree is as easy as 1,2,3 with Denver Recycles/Solid Waste Management’s annual Treecycle program. This year’s program will run January 4 through January 15. By recycling your tree through Denver’s Treecycle program, you can help keep trees out of the landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help create mulch that is available to Denver residents for free at the Annual Treecycle Mulch Giveaway & Leafdrop Compost Sale in the spring. Here’s how easy it is to recycle your Christmas tree: 1. Remove all decorations, lights, and the tree stand. Natural (real) trees only! NO artificial or flocked trees. 2. Set your tree out for collection during the two-week Treecycle collection period (January 4-15). Christmas trees are collected by tree-only collection trucks during this period. 3. Reclaim free mulch made from your tree at the Annual Treecycle Mulch Giveaway & LeafDrop Compost Sale in the spring!

Treecycle set out instructions depend on your regular trash service type. Manual & Cart customers should set trees out at their regular trash set out locations by 7 am on their trash collection day during the week of Jan. 4th or the week of Jan. 11th. Dumpster customers should set trees in the alley by 7 am on either Mon., Jan. 4th or Mon., Jan. 11th and the trees will be removed during that week. Do not place trees in trash carts or dumpsters. Trees placed in trash carts or dumpsters are mixed in with other trash and do not get recycled. Instead, trees should be placed at least two feet away from dumpsters, carts and other obstacles so that the special tree-only collection trucks can access them. Last year, Denver residents recycled nearly 20,000 trees. Please participate in this year’s Treecycle program and help us recycle even more in 2016! For more information about Treecycle, the Annual Treecycle Mulch Giveaway and LeafDrop Compost Sale, or other Denver Recycles programs call 720-9131311 or visit DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.

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By Keith Lewis If anyone in Denver tells you they are bored, they simply are not trying hard enough. Do that person a favor and point them to our world-class system of parks, public golf courses, and recreation centers. Denver’s park system is among the best in the nation, and the Denver Parks and Recreation Department is one of the major reasons for the success of our park system. With our city’s 6,000 acres of urban parks, 24 lakes, nine dog parks, eight public golf courses, 27 recreation centers, and 29 swimming pools, there is always something to enjoy. Denver is well on its way to the city’s vision of creating a “city in a park” where there is always green space, a walking trail, or a community activity right around the corner. To keep pace with progress, the parks department periodically prepares a master plan, called the Game Plan, to re-examine how our city’s parks department can better serve its residents and visitors. The Game Plan is carefully created after “extensive analysis and collaboration with public interest and user groups,” the department says. The latest master plan was released in 2003, but a significant revision is underway in 2016. According to Denver Parks and Recreation, “the City has changed in many ways [since 2003], with shifting demographics, a population explosion, and new and different challenges that could not have been anticipated 12 years ago,” said Cynthia Karvaski, a spokesperson for the department. “DPR is excited to re-engage with our community to determine a path forward, setting priorities, addressing problems and taking advantage of opportunities to deliver a world class park system for a world class city,” she adds. This year, Denver Parks and Recreation will overhaul its Game Plan for all Denver parks in order to revise its long-term strategies and ensure Denver’s beautiful parks remain successful for our neighbors to continue to enjoy. Since the most recent comprehensive analysis was completed

in 2003, the city has nearly doubled its urban park acreage, added ten new swimming pools, and doubled the miles of trails and walkways. Also since 2003, Denver has grown by over 100,000 residents. Given such significant change in our city and our parks since the last master plan, a comprehensive revision is in order. Karvaski also notes “many of the goals and objectives outlined in the 2003 plan have been achieved or are in progress.” Denver’s park system evolved from humble beginnings as the early pioneers created Curtis Park from a single city block in 1868. Today’s Denverites enjoy a massive network of parks, often serving as neighborhood centerpieces and namesakes. City Park is Denver’s largest – at 314 acres – followed by Sloan’s Lake and Washington Park. It also might surprise many to learn that Denver manages 14,000 acres of mountain parks and even two bison herds in Genesee Park and Daniels Park. It’s a big job for the Parks Department’s $92.6 million annual budget and its 2,190 full time and seasonal workers. Denver parks are more than our urban oasis. Our park system offers adult and youth sports, fitness boot camps, arts and cultural events. With 300 athletic fields and dozens of recreation centers, there is sure to be one in your neighborhood. The Parks and Recreation Department also cares for the city’s fountains and flowerbeds, and oversees more than 1,200 acres of natural land. 2016 is set to be a great one for Parks and Recreation. Look for construction on the new Central Denver Recreation Center at Colfax & Josephine, which broke ground in November and will be the city’s largest once completed. The Parks and Recreation Department will be seeking public input on the Game Plan revision in the coming months, so look for information on those opportunities to participate. For more information about Denver Parks and Recreation, including permit information, upcoming events, and how to get involved, please visit their website at DenverGov.org.

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By Denny Taylor Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, Inc. (CHUN) annual meeting will be held on Thurs., Jan. 7 at 7 pm in Saint John’s Cathedral (Dagwell Hall) at 1350 Washington. Due to some remodeling work on the cathedral, please plan to enter the building on Clarkson St. (near the southeast corner of the building). Attending this important meeting you will not only be updated on the happenings for 2016, but the slate of at‐large delegates to the CHUN board will elected for 2016. In addition, Good Neighbor awards will be presented. Come out and be informed about your neighborhood. The meeting is open to the public.

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Brunch & Burgers every Sat & Sun, 10am-2pm, Bottomless Mimosas $10 Voted Denver’s Best Burger by Westword and 5280 Magazine Come try the new “Trump Burger” You’re Fired!

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CALENDAR LIFE Calendar listings are free. Local, special, free & nonprofit events are given priority. Mail to P.O. Box 18344, Denver, CO 80218 or email to: Editor@ LifeOnCapHill.com. Deadline: 20th of current month for next month’s listings. Note that LIFE is published on the first Wednesday of the month. Readers are advised to call the appropriate number to verify dates & times. This calendar is also available at LifeOnCapHill.com.

FAMILY TUESDAYS: Young Children’s Storytime, The Tattered Cover, Colfax & Elizabeth, 10:30 am. Free. Different topic each week. Call 303-322-1965, ext. 2731. • “Book Babies,” a language enrichment program for babies age six to 23 months, 10:30 am, Children’s Library of the Denver Public Library, 13th & Broadway. Call 720-865-1306. FRIDAY, JAN. 15 & 29: Together Colorado, 9-11:30 am, Corona Presbyterian Church, 1205 E. 8th. For pregnant women & mothers of preschoolers to five years old. Brunch, speakers, childcare provided. First visit free. Repeated every 1st & 3rd (& 5th) Fri. of the month. Call 303-832-2297.

GALLERIES FRIDAY, JAN. 4: First Friday Art Walk in the Golden Triangle Museum District. Free bus, maps at all galleries. Free shuttle to the Santa Fe walk, below. Call 303-573-5095. • First Friday Art Walk, Santa Fe Art District, 6th to 10th on Santa Fe. Call 303-333-2820. • First Friday Art Walk & Free Public Reception for the Denver Artist Guild, Byers-Evans House

Museum, 1310 Bannock st., 5-8 pm, call 303-620-4933 for more info. MONTH-LONG: • Counterpath’s Open Opening is New Year’s Day, 7935 East 14th, help welcome Counterpath to its new neighborhood, Jan. 1-31 by bringing whatever art you can and we’ll put it on display. We’ll take anything anyone brings, small to large, indoor/ outdoor, videos or performances welcome. Come out and join us any time, and please come early if your piece has needs or special installation. We’ll keep as much as possible on display through Jan. 31. See more at: http:// counterpathpress.org/open-opening-new-years • David B. Smith Gallery, 1543 A Wazee Street, presents a collection by Michael Theodore. Showing Jan. 22-Feb. 6, free admission, call 303-893-4234 for info. • An exhibit "Unexpected Narratives" Featuring the work of Bryan Leister, Ben Strawn, Bill Vielehr & Roland Bernier presented by Walker Fine Art, 300 W. 11th, showing Jan.15-Mar. 12, First Friday free reception is Feb. 5 & Mar. 4. Call 303-355-8955. • “Under the Guillotine”, featuring James Gillray & Contemporary counterparts, now showing at the Center for Visual Art, runs, 965 Santa Fe. Showing Dec. 19-Mar. 2016. Free admission, Call 303-294-5207.

WORKSHOPS, LECTURES & MEETINGS TUESDAY, JAN. 5 & 19: Corona MOPS, a faith-based moms’ group offering friendship & support, 9-11:30 am, Corona Presbyterian Church, 1205 E. 8th. 1st &

HOT NIGHT TANGO BLUES FUSION is a long name for some great tango and blues instructors. Keep yourself warm with some hot dancing this January! The Savoy, 2700 Arapahoe, Jan. 9, 8 pm-1:30 am, $8-$18. 303883-6691; tangobluesfusion.com

3rd Tues. Open to any woman pregnant or with a child kindergarten age or younger; child care & brunch provided. Call 303-8322297. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6: Learn To Meditate at KMC Downtown at 1336 Glenarm Place is a proven way to overcome stress and keep a positive, relaxed and creative attitude to life. Kadam Lucy James will explain the basics of meditation and how to get started. Free admission, 7-8:30 pm, http://meditationincolorado.org/ learn-to-meditate-denver/ FRIDAY, JAN. 8: GOP Monthly Breakfast at Pete's Greek Town Cafe, 2910 Colfax. Great speakers & conservative camaraderie. Please RSVP, so we can plan appropriately. No need to pay in advance, but please order breakfast to support Pete's. Individual checks. Be there 7 am, order by 7:20 am so speaker is not interrupted. Repeated 2nd Fri. of the month. On-line registration required. SATURDAY, JAN. 9: Beginning Genealogy class, the Denver Public Library, 13th & Broadway, Gates Conference Room, Level 5, 1:30-4 pm (register at 1 pm). Repeated 2nd Sat. of every month. Free. Call 720-865-1821. TUESDAY, JAN. 12: Capitol Hill Community Justice Council, 6 pm, Morey Middle School, 14th & Emerson (east side). Focus on crimes affecting the quality of life. Public welcome. Meets 2nd Tuesday of every month. • Active Minds, Venice: Biography of a City. Perhaps no other city in the world conjures such distinct images as the gondolas plying the canals of Venice. Join us for a virtual tour of this beautiful and historic city that is visited by more than 20 million tourists each year.Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax, 12:30-1:30 pm, Free, 303-322-7727 WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13: The Citizens' Climate Lobby meets monthly, every second Wed, at the First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 Lafayette St, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. For information call 303-322-0079. Letter writing (to Members of Congress) takes place monthly, every fourth Wed., at Hooked on Colfax (3213 E. Colfax) coffee shop 6:30 pm. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13 & 27: Monthly meeting of Assistance League of Denver, 14th & Josephine, 10 am. Repeated 2nd & 4th Wed. of every month. 2nd Wed. is lunch w/entertainment, 4th Wed. is Bingo w/ lunch. Call 303-322-5205. SATURDAY, JAN. 16: Colorado House District 8 Democrats, 10 am-noon, Park Hill Library, 4705 Montview. Repeated 3rd Sat. of every month. Call 720-220-6876. MONDAY, JAN. 18: Monthly meeting of the Denver Garden Club, 7 pm, 1556 Emerson. Member Colo. Federation of Garden Clubs. All are welcome. Repeated 3rd Mon. of every month. Call 303-320-5983. THURSDAY, JAN. 21: Colfax Crime & Safety Coalition monthly meeting, Cheeky Monk, 534 E. Colfax, 3 pm. Public welcome.Repeated 3rd Thurs. of the month. • Monthly meeting of Financontinued on page 25

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CALENDAR Continued from 21 cially Fit Females, 6 pm. First meeting free, location & topic change monthly, 3rd Thurs. of month. Call 303-993-3939. TUESDAY, JAN. 26: Denver Metro Young Republicans holds its General Meetings and Happy Hours on the fourth Tuesday of each month, starting at 5:30 p.m. with an informal social hour. The official meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and features a speaker or panel discussion. Cap City Tavern, 1247 Bannock Street. For information call 720-931-8888. • Greece. Join Active Minds 5-6pm for a program that highlights the ongoing Greek financial crisis and how it is creating political and economic turmoil within the country and beyond, especially within the European Community. Tattered Cover, 2526 E Colfax, Admission is free, call 303-322-7727 THURSDAY, FEB. 18:The Lowry Speaker Series presents “An Evening with Paula Burger, Holocaust Survivor, Artist, Author” from 7:00-8:30 pm at the Eisenhower Chapel, 293 Roslyn Street, Denver (on Lowry). Admission is free; no reservations are necessary. SUNDAYS: Yoga on the Hill, 10:10 am, 809 Washington. Free. Call MJ at 303-433-6280 for details. • Meditation and Kirtan. Every Sunday at 4 pm at 854 Pearl Street. Childcare provided. For more info call Ed 720-810-9071. MONDAYS: Denver Laughter Club meets, First Unitarian Center, 14th & Lafayette. Free. Call Meredith, 303-877-9086. TUESDAYS: Denver Chess Club, 6:30-10:30 pm, basement of West First Ave. Presbyterian Church, 120 W. 1st. Call 720-318-6496. • Argentine Tango, practice & lessons, Turnverein Event Center, 1570 Clarkson, 6:30-10:30 pm. Free, Call 303-710-2250. • “Meditation at Noon,” a free, 30-minute, guided meditation, KMC Colorado, 1081 Marion. Call 303-813-9551. • Classic Film Series at Denver Central Library, Free on Level B2 Conference Center at 7-9:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. WEDNESDAYS: Kiwanis Club of Denver,12-1:30 pm, Maggiano’s at the Denver Pavilions, 16th & Glenarm. Program varies weekly. • Monthly meeting of Democratic Party of Denver House District 5, Colorado Democratic Party HQ, 789 Sherman, 7-9 pm. Repeated 1st Weds. of every month, varying location. Call 303-830-8242. THURSDAYS: Fillmore Community Network, focuses on sustainability, 7:30-9 am, 1633 Fillmore, 1st floor conference room. Location changes monthly. Call 303-399-2100. • Cherry Creek Toastmasters, 7-8:30 am, Temple Emanuel, 1st & Grape. Call 303-399-9901. • Conquer the fear of public speaking at Body Shops Toastmasters, noon, Colo. Dept. of Health, 4300 Cherry Creek Dr. South, 2nd flr. Call 303-398-4735. • Denver Socrates Cafe, 7 pm, Trinity United Methodist

WALKER FINE ART invites you to 'Unexpected Narratives,' featuring the divergent styles of 4 artists in the Walker stable. Their work is sure and intriguing and worth a visit. Featuring the works of Bryan Leister, Ben Strawb, Bill Vielehr, and Roland Bernier. 300 11th, Jan 15-Mar. 12, 303355-8955; walkerfineart.com Church, 18th & Broadway. Discussions on a variety of important topics. Free. Call 303-861-1447. • Downtown Denver Euchre Club, All Fired Up, 1135 Bannock, 7 pm (promptly). Call 303-8251995. FRIDAYS: Daybreak Toastmasters, 7-8:30 am, 1525 Sherman, Room B-70. Cat got your tongue? Public speaking & more. Call Scott after 6 pm at 303-467-9294. • “Thrillspeakers” Toastmasters, noon-1 pm, Webb building, 201 W. Colfax, Room 4i4. Call 720-209-2896. • Denver IDEA Cafe, a business start-up & brainstorming group, 2 pm, Panera Bread, 1350 Grant. Guest speakers. Free. Call 303-861-1447. • Community Awareness Program, Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL), 1st Saturdays, 99 W. 12th, 6-8 pm. Call 303-844-4000, ext. 8. •“Writers’ Church,” a “drop-in writer's’ jam” hosted by Curious Theatre Co. the 1st Sun. of every month, The Acoma Center, 1080 Acoma, 10:30 am-1 pm. Free. Call 303-623-0524. • Lunchtime Meditation at KMC Downtown at 1336 Glenarm Place. Take 30 minutes in the middle of the day to connect to your heart, cultivate inner peace and happiness, and clarify your intention for the day. Free on Friday’s, 12:15-12:45 pm, http://meditationincolorado.org/ classes-kmc-colorado/meditation-noon/ • Happiness Hour at KMC Downtown at 1336 Glenarm Place consists of a short talk and guided relaxing meditation to help us increase our peaceful good heart. Free on Friday’s, 5:15-6:15 pm, http://meditationincolorado. org/classes-kmc-colorado/happiness-hour/ WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS: 16th & Josephine Recycling Center open 3-6 pm Weds. & 9 am-12 pm Sat. WEEKDAYS: Free “Computer Basics” classes at the Denver Public Library’s “Community Technology Center,” 13th & Broadway, Level 4, varying afternoon times. Large variety of classes & skill levels . Call 720-865-1706. • Create Great Credit, a free class at Denver Community Credit Union, 1041 Acoma. Registration required: denvercommunity. coop/clearmoney. • Free Afternoon Lectures at the Denver Public Library, 10

W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Level Five in the Gates Reading Room. Lectures begin at 1:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. For information call 303-839-1671 SUNDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS: “A Course in Miracles,” on-going class based on in-depth study of ACIM, 1 pm Sun., noon Weds., 7 pm Thurs. at Unity Temple, 1555 Race. Offering requested. Call 303-322-3756.

SENIORS THURSDAY, JAN. 7: Activities & Lunch at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 9th & Emerson, every 1st Thurs. of month. 10 am-activities, 11am-program, 12 noon-lunch. A $4 donation is suggested. SATURDAY, JAN. 9: Free Day for seniors 64+ at the Denver Firefighters Museum, 1326 Tremont Pl. Repeated 2nd Sat. of every month. Call 303-892-1436. THURSDAY, JAN. 13: Seniors’ Book Discussion Group discusses contemporary fiction available in book & audio formats, 1-2:30 pm in the Level Four Meeting Room of the Denver Public Library, 13th & Broadway. Repeated 2nd Thurs. of every month. Call 720-865-1312. THURSDAYS: Chair & Moderate Yoga, St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1615 Ogden, 11 am-12:15 pm. Fee charged. Call 303-8184181.

RELIGION SUNDAY, JAN. 17: Third Sunday Evensong, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1350 Washington, 3:30 pm. Preceded by free concert by Baroque violinist Mary Harrison. Repeated 3rd Sun. of every month. Call 303-831-7115. SUNDAYS: Worship Celebration 10:30 am, Buddhist Christian Interspiritual Service 5 pm, St. Paul Church, 1615 Ogden. Call 303-832-4929. • Catholic Mass, 6:30, 8:30 & 10:10 am, 12:30 & 6:30 pm, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Colfax & Logan. Call 303-831-7010. • Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church, 11th & Fillmore, 9:30 am worship, 10:30 am fellowship, 11 am education for all ages. Call 303-333-9366. • Center for Spiritual Living Denver, Sunday celebrations: meditation 9:30 am, service &

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LGBTQ ISSUES • GENDER • SEXUALITY • ANXIETY DEPRESSION • GRIEF & LOSS • SUBSTANCE USE THE TAMING OF THE SHREW like you've never seen it! Enjoy this gender-switching version of the Shakespeare classic presented by the nascent 'Lost and Found Productions' at the Bug Theater, 3654 Navajo, Jan. 7-17, 7:30 pm. $15/$20. 720-434-5245; lostandfoundproductions.net children’s church 10 am, 2590 Washington. Call 303-832-5206. • Church in the City-Beth Abraham, 16th & Gaylord, 8:30 & 10:45 am. Call 303-322-5733. • Sunday Service & Sunday School (for up to age 20), First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1401 Logan, 10 am. Call 303-8391505. • Services at 9:30 & 11 am at the First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 Lafayette. Call 303831-7113. • Roman Catholic Mass, Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, 7th & Elizabeth, 7, 8:30, 10 am, 5 pm. Call 303-322-7706. • L2 Church, 1477 Columbine, Sunday morning worship service at 9 am. For more info info@ L2today.com • Catholic Mass for Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender Catholics, 5 pm, Dignity Denver, 1100 Fillmore. Call 720-515-4528. • Metropolitan Community Church of the Rockies,Contemporary Services 10 am, 980 Clarkson, www.mccrockies.org. Call 303-860-1819. • 9:30 am Worship, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 9th & Emerson. Call 303-831-7023. • Catholic Mass, at Ten Thirty Catholic Community. Mass at 11:00am on Sundays. 1100 Fillmore. Call 720-563-1048 for info. • Holy Eucharist, 9 & 11:15 am, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1350 Washington. Call 303-831-7115. • St. Augustine Orthodox Church, 3rd & Acoma, 10:00 am. Call 303-832-3657. • Spoken Worship, 7:45 am; Sung Worship with nursery, 9:30 am; Informal Worship, 5:30 pm. All worship services include Holy Communion. St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 13th & Vine. Call 303-388-6469. • St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Parish,Roman Catholic Mass, 9:00 a.m., Byzantine Divine Liturgy, 12 Noon, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe Street on the Auraria campus. • Catholic Mass, 7:30 & 10 am, St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church, 23rd & York. Call 303322-8042. • Informal Service, 10 am St. James Urban, 1402 Pearl (Network Coffeehouse). Call 303-8301508.

• St. Paul Lutheran and Roman Catholic Community, 16th & Grant, Lutheran mass at 8 & 10:30 am. Call 303-839-1432.

SUPPORT GROUPS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6: Dementia Caregiver Support Group. A safe to share concerns, coping techniques, and tips when caring for a loved one with dementia. 1301 E. Colfax, 10-11:30 am at The Center. Free. Repeated 1st Wed. every month. Call 303-951-5222. THURSDAY, JAN. 7 & 21: Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance, Our Savior’s Lutheran, 915 E. 9th, 7 pm. Repeated every 1st & 3rd Thurs. Call 303-329-3364. TUESDAY, JAN 12: Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group at National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson, Molly Blank Bldg., J105, every 2nd Tues., 1 pm. Call 303398-1912 WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13: “Let’s Talk About It,” a free prostate cancer information session for men, 5:30 - 7 pm at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, 1800 Williams, 3rd fl. Continues 2nd Wed. of every month. Call 303758-2030, ext. 139. TUESDAY, JAN. 26: Hepatitis C & HIV Support Group, 5:30-7

pm, 1660 S. Albion, 3rd flr. Repeated 4th Tues. of every month. Free. Call 303-862-0407. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27: Denver Secular Recovery, a self-help, non “12-step” support group for people recovering from alcohol & drug abuse, meets in the 2nd fl. meeting rm. of the Denver Public Library, 13th & Broadway, 6:30-8 pm. Repeated the last wed. of every month. Call 303-278-9993 THURSDAY, JAN. 28: Monthly Kidney Cancer Support Group, 6 pm, The Urology Center of Colorado. Meeting will take place 4th Thurs. at 2777 Mile High Stadium in the 3rd Floor Conference Room.Call 303-7627666 to register. MONDAYS: Weekly meetings of Emotions Anonymous, 7:30-9 pm, CHARG Resource Center, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 9th & Emerson (use basement entrance on Emerson). Call 303-331-2493. • Weekly meetings of SMART Recovery for people with addictive behaviors, Nourished Health Center, 1740 Marion, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. Call 303-5932535. • Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7-8:30 pm, First Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1st & Acoma (1st Ave. side, downstairs). Call 303-425-9691.

Benjamin Aiken MA NCC www.BenjaminAiken.com 303-332-7850 Conveniently located in Golden Triangle with free parking.

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GALLERY M introduces the pop and abstract art of Nadaleena Mirat Brettmann. Her mixed media pieces and speed-painting technique give her work a freshness that is invigorating. 180 Cook, #101, 303-331-8400; gallerym.com

SCHOOLS By Linda Katchen, Ph. D A new year brings with it new beginnings and hope for growth and change. Students may set resolutions to get their work done on time, to study early for tests and to get as much out of all their classes as they can. Teachers may resolve to grade papers and return them in a timely fashion and continue to prepare the most interesting lessons possible. We look forward to spring bringing with it longer days and second chances. In December President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which is intended to replace No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the education act that has been in place since 2002. President Bush had a goal that by 2014, NCLB would have improved student performance and that all children would be performing at grade level. Contrary to expectations, The New York Times reported in an editorial Dec. 10 by David Kirp, “things have gotten worse by almost every measure. SAT scores have declined, as have the scores of American students, compared

with their counterparts in other nations, on the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) exam. The rate of progress on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the nation’s report card, was actually higher, both overall and for specific demographic groups, during the decade before No Child Left Behind than after it was passed.” ESSA moves the evaluation and control of schools from the federal government back to the states. States will determine how effectively schools are performing, and it will be up to the states to remediate and improve struggling schools. Students in grades 3-8 must be tested each year in English and math and once in high school. States now have the freedom to create/select their own tests. Evaluations of schools will include more than scores on standardized tests which will move education from a focus on test preparation to developing critical thinking and broader learning. Time will show whether or not this change will improve student performance, just as it has shown the negative

impact of NCLB. Denver Public Schools is being honored by the College Board with placement on the 6 Annual District Honor Roll for increasing access to Advanced Placement (AP®) course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of three or higher on AP Exams. DPS is projected to continue to receive less state funding per student in 2016-17 than it did seven years ago when the state already hovered near the bottom nationally in per-pupil funding. Mark Ferrandino, DPS' chief finance officer, told board members this will mean significant challenges for Denver and for all Colorado school districts at a time when Colorado’s constitutional constraints require state leaders to issue tax rebates. The DPS Board may ask voters for a bond and mill levy override in November. In January, DPS will present a detailed budget plan. Susana Cordova has been appointed acting superintendent starting in January to serve while Tom Boasberg has taken a sabbatical to spend time and travel with his family. She has been a classroom teacher, a principal, chief academic officer and chief schools officer. In every role, Susana has focused on, and achieved, success for kids and for teachers. Susana is a graduate of DPS and has spent her career working for the district. She is deeply respected locally and nationally for her

leadership. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) results were shared with the public in December. Students will be bringing their results home soon. There has been much discussion about the test and the results. Several parents opted out of having their children tested, which may have significantly skewed the results for this year. Scores from the state tests in English language arts and math should be considered a new baseline for measuring student success, said state education officials as results and participation rates were released for schools and districts. Results for all 178 school districts and 1,836 schools can be found on the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) website: cde.state.co.us.org. In some cases, performance level data was suppressed within specific levels to protect student privacy. Several changes are planned for testing in 2016. Testing time has been reduced to 60 minutes in math and 30 minutes for English language arts. The testing window was reduced to one three-week window from April 11-29 unless the school requests modifications based on need due to issues based on computers and computer time. Students in grades 10 & 11 will no longer be taking the PARCC tests. Other tests will be used instead. On Dec. 10, the board reviewed and provided feedback

on an early literacy program for DPS, which aims to provide an intentional, comprehensive and coherent approach to early literacy across the district. The goal is to have 80% of DPS students proficient in reading and writing by the end of Grade 3 by 2020. Denver Public Schools (DPS) honored former history teacher and distinguished state lawmaker Regis F. Groff Thursday by naming a campus in Far Northeast Denver in his honor. Groff served as a teacher in Denver Public Schools from 1963 until 1978, teaching history and government at Smiley Junior High School, Lake Junior High School and East High School. Michelle Moss, DPS board member for eight years lost her battle with cancer in December. Mrs. Moss helped develop many new schools and programs in DPS including the Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS). Students return from the holiday break to most Denver schools on Wed., Jan. 6. There will be no school on Mon., Jan. 18 in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Parents and community members, if you are interested in donating time or money to your favorite school, go to the school’s website or call the school to see what opportunities are available. Schools are constantly having fundraisers to earn money to add to their budgets so that they can provide more than the school budget allows. Volunteers are needed for committees and tu-

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25 fective teachers. Traditionally, in order to earn higher salaries and diversify leadership experiences, teachers move into an administrative preparation track and end up as building principals or similar non-classroom positions. Our intent is to provide a solid pathway for teacher-leaders who wish to remain focused on classroom instruction or are not ready to pursue principal training."

The Backpack Friends Program at Teller, 1150 Garfield, was incredibly busy getting ready for the holiday break. At this time the program is supporting fifty people: kids and their parents.. In addition to providing food for families, the entire Teller community came together to make sure that the children got gifts for Christmas. Teller welcomes donations of non-perishable food

items, financial gifts and time from people who are willing to help pack backpacks and work at the Food Bank of the Rockies. It is so important to support these families, some of whom cannot even afford heat. There is a bin in the basement of the school for donations. If you choose to send a financial gift to Teller make continued on page 26

In addition to providing food for families through the Backpack Friends Program, the entire Teller community came together to make sure that the children got gifts for Christmas. toring in many schools. Whether or not you have children or even know students in the schools, you can make a significant difference in the lives of the children. Bromwell, 2500 E. 4th Ave, is collecting Box Tops for Education which can be found on packages of food and various other household items including Kleenex and Ziploc bags. The grade that collects the most will earn a prize. As a service learning project, the second graders sponsored a clothing drive in December which was a huge success. Bromwell will be hosting tours for prospective families on Tues., Jan. 12 & Thurs., Jan. 21 at 8:30 am. Bromwell’s Multicultural Night will be held on Thurs., Jan. 28

starting with a potluck in the All Purpose Room at 5 pm. Students in grades 1 & 2 will perform at 6:30 in the evening. On Fri., Jan. 29 from 1:30-2:30 pm, students in grades 3-5 will have their performance in the gym and All Purpose Room/Stage. Downtown Denver Expeditionary School (DDES), 1860 Lincoln, is a Charter that opened in 2013. DDES announced that it has received a $50,000 Daniels Fund grant to support teacher leadership at the school. “The grant will enable us to target improvement in mathematics instruction and create space for teacher-based coaching," said Scott Mengel, Executive Director. "We want to retain our most ef-

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26 SCHOOLS Continued from 25 sure that Backpack Friends is listed in the memo portion of the check. Students, grades 3-5, who are theatrically inclined are encouraged to try out for the Shakespeare Festival production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream after school on Thurs., Jan.8 & Fri., Jan.9. Students who are cast in the production will be charged $65. Scholarships and partial scholarships are available. The play will be performed on April 29. New family tours are scheduled for Fridays in January from 8:309:30 am. The Teller Science Fair will be Wed.-Fri., Jan. 13-15. On Tues., Jan. 18 from 5:30-6:10 pm, there will be a review of PARCC Results followed by a PTA meeting. On Thurs., Jan. 21, Teller will host an open house from 5-7 pm. Classes will resume at St. Elizabeth’s School, 2350 Gaylord, on Tues., Jan.5. Students will be

released at noon on Fri., Jan. 15 for a teacher work day. On Thurs., Jan. 17, Morey Middle, 840 E. 14th, will host A Night of Honors from 5:306:30pm. Principal Tonk will host Coffee with the Principal on Fri., Jan. 8 & 22 from 8-9 am in the library. On Tues., Jan. 11, Morey will host an Open House for students in Grade 5 and their families from 6-7:30 pm. The Shakespeare Club at Morey will meet in the auditorium at 3:15 pm, Jan 11. Interested students must have with them an After School Registration form along with their fee and/or Scholarship Request form. There are several other enrichment opportunities for students at Morey including the Geo Bee, National History Day, Semantics/Spelling Bee, Mathletics/Math Counts and Destination Imagination. In addition, Morey offers athletics for boys and girls. For more information on these programs, contact Morey, 720-424-0700. Morey’s Science Fair will take place on Mon., Jan. 25.

Denver Center for 21st Century Learning, 1690 Williams, has scheduled parent, teacher and student conferences on Thurs., Jan. 14 from 5-7 pm. Winter Graduation will be held on Fri., Jan. 29 from 10-12 am. There will be no school on this day. At East High School, 1600 City Park Esplanade, Congratulations are in order to the East Con Law team for winning the 2015-16 Colorado “We The People State Championship”. Go to civiced. org to learn more about the We The People Program hearings. Colorado Technology Association (CTE) and the Denver Broncos have teamed up to honor Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers across the state. Congratulations go to Mr. Joel Noble for being named Denver Broncos STEM Coach of the Month for December. Joel is the first recipient of the award! Go to coloradotechnology.org to read more about this award. In addition to offering an excellent education, Emily Griffith

High School, 1860 Lincoln, has clubs to interest and support the students. The Opportunity to Change (OTC) team is a community that supports EGHS students and staff to “leave healthier than you were.” They meet weekly on Tues. from 2:30-4 pm for fitness outings, motivational speakers and healthy eating challenges. On Fri. from 10:30 am-12 pm Creative Conscious Endeavors meets. This is a safe environment where students go to freely express themselves. This club focuses on creation, collaboration and communication. Other clubs and activities are available for students. Emily Griffith Technical College (EGTC), 1860 Lincoln, is celebrating providing education opportunities to Denver students for100 years in 2016 and serving more than 2 million students. Five of the vocational programs have been approved for federal financial assistance for students: CAD-Building Information Modeling, HVAC//refrigeration, Pharmacy Technician, Video Pro-

duction & Editing and Welding. More students will now be able to afford going into these programs. In Jan., EGTC will resume services at the cafe, coffee bar, barbershop, catering, salon and spa. For information regarding hours, appointments, and payment, go to emilygriffit.edu. Not only are services be offered at a reasonable price, but students will be learning and improving their skills under the supervision of a master teacher. From LIFE School Scoop, we wish you a wonderful new year! Questions, comments or pictures: Contact Linda Katchen at drschoolscoop@gmail.com

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27 FAIR HOUSING Continued from 1 with include repair problems, early lease terminations, unwarranted rent increases, security deposit issues and most importantly, potential evictions. Depending on the needs of the individual, CALS provides in-person consultations and assessments, education and coaching on how to represent oneself in court, and also represents individuals in court when necessary. “Often times our clients can’t afford an attorney, so we provide them the education piece for when they do go to court on their own behalf. We advise them on how to represent themselves in trial from A to Z,” explained April Jones. “We answer, assess, qualify and help that individual all the way through the judicial process,” adds Floyd Jones, who serves as legal administrator and tenant

STOCK SHOW Continued from 1 features nonstop action, dramatically drawing guests into the original ways of the West. Tickets range in price from $22-45. There is also the Evening of Dancing Horses on Thurs., Jan. 21 at 7:30 pm. The event brings the best equestrian talent together in front of live music from the

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rights counselor at the firm. With many of the individuals that CALS helps belonging to the lower and middle class, a sudden eviction can quickly lead to unintentional and unplanned homelessness. Officially termed as a Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED), the timetable for an eviction can move rapidly, sometimes in less than a week. If the evicted party does not have access to a place to go or an alternate affordable housing situation, they then risk becoming homeless. “Everyone that is homeless isn’t because of a substance abuse problem. Some were just told by the court that they couldn’t live there anymore. The problem that we are seeing is the lack of affordable housing and rent control,” revealed Floyd Jones. In 2014 there were more than 8,000 FEDs filed in Denver. While not all FEDs result in eviction, each one that does has a lasting effect on the tenant as it stays on their record for seven years,

Denver Brass. Enjoy an evening full of formal dressage, reigning, liberty and equestrian talent from around the world. Ticket prices range from $23-45. Families might enjoy the last day of the Stock Show the best. Not only are tickets discounted, but there will be free pony rides for the kids all day long. For more information about any and all events, go to nationalwestern. com.

with the ruling requiring no explanation for the reason for eviction. “Once a FED has been placed, there is no landlord in Colorado that is going to touch that tenant,” confirmed Floyd Jones, who also refers to an eviction as a “Scarlet Letter.” The reality of an eviction often goes further than just the individual named on the eviction notice. With many renters cohabitating, each eviction means the entire household must now search for new housing arrangements. To further help combat evictions and homelessness, CALS plans to open the Colorado Eviction Defense Center (CEDC) in early 2016. The CEDC is pending final funding, but plans to act

as a separate entity that will provide pro-bono counsel and representation services for those who cannot afford it. “Needed more than ever is access to legal services. The CEDC will provide an urgent public service in the judicial process for people who are in danger of being evicted,” said Floyd Jones. CALS also offers additional free resources for individuals seeking information and education through their Housing Eviction Legal Program (HELP) hotline and Tenant Rights and Fair Housing Law Workshops. The HELP hotline allows renters and landlords to call in with questions in regards to tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities. The hotline helped nearly

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EAT & DRINK REVIEW/PREVIEW Copy by Daniel Webster Photos by Dani Shae Thompson The year ends with a bit of a whimper in the food scene with the closing of the venerable institutions of Tom’s Home Cookin’ in Five Points and The Fuel Cafe (albeit not within the geographical regions of Capitol Hill) and Andre’s Confiserie in Cherry Creek North. Whereas these storylines have been the major emphases of the Denver food world, I am

delighted by the many places I’ve written about that are both surviving and thriving in our micro-hoods. April: Steuben’s, the first place I wrote about during a 12-hour stay in March is still a bustling scene daily, so much so they will be opening a Steuben’s 2.0 in Arvada sometime in 2016. Placing dates to openings is folly. May: Amethyst Coffee is a consistently busy hub in the

Metlo building, and Elle and her intrepid team of professional baristas are serving up their normal menu greatness with seasonal concoctions like the Double Dutch that includes anise simple syrup, espresso, milk, a touch of activated charcoal powder with garlic and other savory goodness. Booze is being served now too. June: The Same Cafe is as my title suggested from May, same as it ever was, and still drawing a strong daily lunch crowd. July: Opus is another one that shuttered, but you can still eat the wonderful creations of its chef, Dustin Brafford at the wildly popular Komotodo. August: Civic Center EATS transformed into Civic Center Nosh & Posh every second Thursday from April-November, and is a mash-up of food and fashion trucks. Wear and pair your garments and food goodies from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Here are the

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rest of the dates: Jan. 14, Feb. 11, & Mar. 10. September: Ice Cream Riot is serving up its intense and delectable treats all year long. If you’re pining for a scoop or an ice cream sandwich, there are other options besides the grocery store freezer aisles during the wintry months ahead. October: The Lula Rose General Store is first and foremost an adorable coffee joint on Colfax and Madison, and secondarily a platform for Oliver Miller-Finkel, its owner, to branch out into selling home goods, coffee-related products, and more. My guess is we’ll start to see some of this side of his venture growing in the New Year. In the meantime, go visit this cafe. November: Table 6 is still a stronghold in the Capitol Hill area, and while I had my disagreements with its underwhelming performance, I will be revisiting its food in the New Year. December: Andre’s Confiserie closed last month, and with it many a memory. Complaints abound about the

city growing in population and in size from mainstays. While I’ll let the Curmudgeon decide on matters of discourse and disagreement, my job remains exciting in a dynamic food marketplace like Denver. I’m looking forward to the opening of Torchy’s, an Austin-based taco joint that will open its first location on Broadway & 11th. You won’t be able to miss it. Mighty Mighty Sparrow and its back alley bar, Sea Maiden, will provide Cap Hill residents both an affordable, classy eatery and a quirky watering hole to boot. An Illegal Pete’s will open in the old IHOP space on Colfax. That’s only to be celebrated. While new and shiny is suggestive of most food writing, going back to neighborhood mainstays like Wokcano and Potager are on my list of narratives for the New Year. And like the many servers and baristas, I hope you all support when eating out, I enjoy tips as well. Comments, suggestions or tips: Contact Daniel Webster at editor@ lifeoncaphill.com

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ARCHITECTURE THE POWER OF BEAUTIFUL STOREFRONTS Photos and Copy by David Lynn Wise AIA These compact bits of architecture, each a potential urban jewel, nonetheless reflect a pervasive blindness to design potential. Those few cubic feet occupied by a great storefront hold an art form that exists within architecture. They have the added quality of being wonderfully ephemeral, extendable and changeable. More and more adventurous Denverites over the past few decades, have had an opportunity to visit cities from San Francisco to Barcelona to Newburyport and to Vancouver, not to mention the Pearl Street Mall, where storefronts entice the passerby with their burnished hardware, elegant lettering and lush three dimensional displays of wares. Those wares might be anything – chocolates, wine or woolens come to mind, although pots and pans as well as camping gear can be gorgeously displayed. Key to making an effectively seductive display is detail, depth, proportions and often the use of color. As one approaches a storefront I believe the view should deepen inwards and unfold with a view of a warmly lit interior environment brimming with stuff and things that you may not have known you wanted until that moment when you encountered the enticing image before you. At that moment aromas can also play a role in pulling you over the threshold. Variations on the idea of a storefront have evolved as Denver has changed. We on Capitol Hill live within the merchandising territory of the mall that must not be named. The mall shares some qualities, at least superficially, of an actual street with shops. It also shares some qualities with modern casinos and mausoleums, but those are beside the point. There are finely made shopfronts created of exquisite materials in

the mall. We don’t sense much excitement there because there’s no real tension between public and private. The shop front within a privatized and sanitized mall environment has a simplified function that often boils down to a sign with a door through it. On a public street however, with the real challenges of weather, natural light, and multiple ownerships and, of course, available parking, confronts storefront design and strategies. The other prevalent hybrid of retail environments is the neither nor strip mall. With those there is little incentive to craft a storefront that would then be obscured by the ultra-conveniently parked cars in front when giant swooshes of fluorescent paint on the windows can shout much more loudly about the merchandise. In the current generation of urban design thinking we’ve tried to enforce keeping retail buildings tight to the street and discourage the swath of parked cars that began to separate all retail from the street. This is somewhat successful, but the newer large stores along East Colfax, for example, have squished their doors off to the side to favor their adjacent

The worst of both worlds taking away from the street quality while offering little to the pedestrian.

parking rather than actually face the street. That is understandable with regard to the doorway. What remains disappointing is the total neglect of well-designed storefront windows facing the pedestrians passing by. Those storefronts would also be attractive to anyone driving by, but the stubborn reliance on big garish signs rather than good design is obvious. This is particularly true of national retailers. Cause and effect are debated at length in urban design. What must come first, a lively populated street or beautiful storefronts? I am convinced that well-conceived small businesses would benefit from incrementally improving their storefronts, even if they initially hadn’t made that investment. That improvement is essentially a contribution to the street as a whole and can coalesce as an identity for a collection of businesses and eventually into something quite valuable on a district wide scale. In the same way a really poor frontage can take away from the street as a whole and can as a single small part of a block discourage pedestrians from choosing to use that sidewalk. Storefronts consist of a set of parts. Traditionally storefronts have a high proportion of glass beginning two feet or so off the ground at display table height. The doorways are typically inset that allows the door to swing out and which also provides a small covered area at the door and often provides a small area for a special mosaic tile floor at the doorway. The inset doorway is an ideal location for the address and accent lighting. Effective storefront signs

project out from the face of the building so that pedestrians can see them. Storefronts with glass bay windows are particularly effective at displaying the merchandise and for giving an oblique view into the interior of the shop or cafe. As the snow shovel-wielding tenant of a storefront myself, I understand that the relationship of a business to the public realm effectively extends out to the curb. This can be a positive and complimentary relationship as well as a significant responsibility. Some proprietors embrace that space while others exploit their windows to bring the outdoors in. In any case, a couple of simple habits make a big difference. It’s key to keep the windows sparkling clean and to resist the urge to paste a lot of words onto the glass. Balancing the interior light with the exterior ambient light as it changes throughout the day also makes the most of the transparent wall and helps mitigate reflections. The door itself and the hardware on the door may be the single most important feature of the storefront. Together they can say a lot about the quality of what lies within even when the sign is quite small and subtle. As Capitol Hill continues to surge into the future with new residents and more energy, there is hope that the activity will fuel an interest in exterior design and great new storefronts. The animated street life, commercial activity and increasing appreciation for our excellent district may signal that moment where we all see the value in looking good and in giving back to the neighborhood around us.

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By Peter Jones When one grows up under the bad end of a system like apartheid, it never hurts to dream a little. Just ask Albert Mazibuko of Ladysmith, South Africa. “Something that helped me a lot was I had a lot of dreams,” he said. “Things were so tough. Life was very challenging. The music was comforting us all the time.” The music was a sort of soundtrack to those dreams, Mazibuko said, especially for his cousin Joseph Shabalala whose late-night escapes from the toils of oppression took him places few young men in a Zulu village could have imagined. “He had the idea of forming the group. The dream would stay with him every night when he goes to sleep,” Mazibuko said. “He even learned how to blend the voices from the dream. But he said the language they were singing was a strange language.” The dream eventually came true in the form of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a vocal group that would take traditional mbube music from the coalmines to the hit charts, most famously in a highly successful collaboration with Paul Simon. Ladysmith Black Mambazo plays the L2 Church, 1477 Columbine St., on Jan. 17 in a concert produced by Swallow Hill Music Association. When founded in 1964 by Shabalala and a group of family and friends, Ladysmith’s members had little reference for music, except the mbube or Isicathamiya songs they would hear sung in their streets and homes. Few had radios. In Mazibuko’s case, his earliest musical teacher was the grandmother-psychic who raised him. “Each and every night before we go to sleep, she would sing and we would beat a drum and

dance,” he said. “I enjoyed that moment every evening.” The music they sang, sometimes called mbaqanga or township jive, had originated in the form of work songs in the 1920s when laborers were taken to mining camps far from home and developed a style of competitive singing to pass the time. “They were trying to sing the traditional music that they used to sing in their homes,” Mazibuko said. “The music changes because there were no women, young boys or young girls. The men would sing the high part. It sounded different.” Mbaqanga saw unlikely international attention in the 1950s when Pete Seeger brought a song called “Mbube” to the United States. After recording it as “Wimoweh,” the song became a standard among folk artists before the Tokens re-imagined it as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and took it to No. 1 on the pop charts in 1961. Over time, “Mbube,” translated as “lion,” became the name for the genre. “That song played a big role,” Mazibuko said. It would take another quarter century before the genre would catch further attention from the international community when Simon asked Ladysmith to sing on Graceland, his 1986 album that fused South Africa’s indigenous music with his own pop and brought attention to apartheid in the process. Mazibuko says when Simon approached Shabalala with the idea, the American musician was greeted with more raised eyebrows than excitement. “You want to work with us? What kind of work? When we got to see him for the first time at the studio in London, it was

really challenging. We struggled with this song for the whole afternoon,” Mazibuko said. The acclaimed Graceland and accompanying concert tour with Ladysmith returned Simon to the hit charts while turning Ladysmith into the most popular and well known group of its kind. Even so, Simon was blackballed by the United Nations for recording in South Africa in violation of a worldwide boycott. “We just saw an opportunity and we grabbed it,” Mazibuko said. “We didn’t know anything about that. We might have been reluctant to join if we knew.” The CD turned out to be a significant opening in the worldwide attention on apartheid, event though Simon’s lyrics were decidedly nonpolitical. Ladysmith would later accompany Nelson Mandela when the activist received his Nobel Peace Prize. “That was wonderful,” Mazibuko said. “He danced with us and then he said something very remarkable. He said, ‘Keep up the good job, boys. I am a big fan. I was listening to your music while I was in jail.’” After Graceland, Ladysmith won a Grammy for its own follow up, Shaka Zulu, which Simon produced. The group would soon work with other artists as disparate as Andrea Vollenweider, Michael Jackson and Dolly Parton. “That time was easier,” Mazibuko said of Parton. “That was an enjoyable one.” Ladysmith’s latest collaboration has garnered another Grammy nomination. Music From Inala is essentially a soundtrack to a “Zulu ballet” of that name, which the group has performed across the United Kingdom and in Moscow. At least one review noted that the most entertaining dancing on stage was by Ladysmith’s own members. Mazibuko says the upcoming show in Denver will be equally danceable. “There will be a lot of dancing and singing and laughing and joking,” he said. “Some people we might invite to come and dance with us.” For more information, call 303-777-1003 or visit swallowhillmusic.org or mambazo.com. Contact Peter Jones at pjones@ lifeoncaphill.com.

GARDENING GOOD TREE, BAD TREE – OH ME! Photos & Copy by Julie Hutchinson Columnists love mail from readers. It proves that someone actually reads what we write. And it’s flattering to know that someone takes the time to sit down and respond in writing. As the landscape-gardening columnist for LIFE for more than a decade I’ve received lots of letters from readers. But nothing I’ve ever written about ever inspired as much mail as last month’s column about certain trees that I don’t like – in particular, the dreaded Tree of Heaven. Or sumac, which is the name I used writing about this tree that is an urban blight, rooting at every opportunity in the most inopportune places: alleys, vacant lots, foundations, and then growing to a monster tree before you know it and costing you lots of money to remove. All the while broadcasting thousands of its seeds to other nearby niches. However, I have been informed that the tree that all of us who are not arborists or horticulturists refer to as sumac, is not a sumac. This nasty weed tree is known to the people who use the proper Latin names for plants as Ailanthus altissima. Or, if you must stoop to using English to refer to this nasty plant, call it Tree of Heaven. However, as the expression goes,

the horses got out of the barn a long time ago. To get people to stop referring to these nasty alley trees as sumacs would require a mammoth public-education and awareness campaign. Not going to happen. But the reason the professional Latin speakers are upset at me for using sumac incorrectly is because the real sumac, known to them as stag horn sumac or Rhus typhina, is valued as a landscape plant due to its spectacular fall color and architectural growing habit. In fact, I planted a small ornamental sumac in my front yard a couple of summers ago, valuing it for its chartreuse leaves in summer that turn screaming scarlet in fall. I thought the little sumac was a better-behaved and better-looking cousin of the nasty weed tree that I was wrongly calling a sumac. How Tree of Heaven and sumac became confused is a mystery, but it’s pervasive. Although the leaves are very similar in appearance in summer months – long and green – the leaves of sumac display toothed or jagged edges and turn brilliant red in fall. Tree of Heaven’s leaves are smooth edged and display no fall color: They turn brown and fall off. So here’s a sampling of some of the mail this month. It does not include several less-than-kind communications.

Good tree, bad tree: The jagged edges of the leaves at left are from a sumac; the smooth edges of the leaves at right mark the Tree of Heaven. From Kathleen S.: I totally share your disdain for Tree of Heaven but want to point out that they are in a different family from sumac. People probably have called them sumac because of similar-looking leaf growth. Sumac is a shrub in the Anacardiaceae family and its fruit has many uses as a spice and dying agent. It also turns a beautiful red in the autumn. The Tree of Heaven is a stinky, littering tree that grows to huge heights losing its branches as well as leaves every year. It is native to China and was imported whereas sumac is native to North America. Where I grew up (Delta, Colo.) we had sumacs that were beautiful in the fall and I hate having it confused with Tree of Heaven. From Vicky G.: Thank you for your expose on sumac. These are hideous, invasive monsters. One on

the south side is now bigger than the house. Thankfully a new neighbor came along and eradicated the ones on the north that were taking over the alley and the backyard. I spend a lot of time removing budding traces of these gross eyesores. From Jason G.: I am an arborist who lives in Cap Hill and just wanted to let you know that the tree you are referring to is an exotic invasive tree called Ailanthus also nicknamed Tree of Heaven. A sumac is similar in leaf structure but is another species altogether. From John L.: Your column erroneously called the Tree of Heaven a sumac. The scientific name of this tree is Ailanthus altissima. This is NOT a sumac. Sumacs belong to the genus Rhus and the Stag horn sumac, Rhus typhina is a lovely although rather short-lived small tree. It is COMPLETELY different from

RTD INTRODUCES SIMPLIFIED FARES & LOW-COST DAY PASSES By Denny Taylor The Regional Transportation District (RTD) has implemented a new fare structure effective Jan. 1 designed to streamline the way passengers pay for trips across the agency’s expanding transit system. New features include day passes offering riders unlimited trips through the entire service day for the cost of a single $5.20 round trip; simplified rail zones; a flat $9 fare for services to and from Denver International Airport; printers aboard buses for day pass purchases; and reclassified new bus and rail trip routes are categorized as Local, Regional and Airport to simplify service categories. Express bus routes will become Local or Regional trips. New rail zones are A, B, C & Airport. Travel in one or two zones will require a Local fare; travel in three zones will require a Regional fare; and travel in the Airport zone will require an Airport fare. A one-way Local trip will cost $2.60; a one-way Regional trip will cost $4.50; and a one-way trip to or from DIA will cost $9. Half-fare discounts will still be available

for elementary, middle and high school students ages 6-19, Medicare recipients, passengers with disabilities and people ages 65 and above. Active military personnel will continue to ride RTD services at no cost. 10-Ride ticket books are available at retail outlets and provide approximately a 10 percent discount. “Our agency has spent a lot of time working with the community to develop what we think is the best fare structure for the growing Denver metro area,” said RTD Interim General Manager and CEO David Genova. “2016 will be historic for RTD with the opening of five new transit lines. We urge everyone to be ready for our… new fare policies.” RTD is asking passengers to “know your fare” and look into the best way to get to their destination, how much it will cost and where to buy the appropriate fare media. The agency's new fare structure stems from a nearly two-year process that included an extensive public engagement process across

the eight-county Denver metro region. “The public gave great input, RTD listened and now we have a simplified, more equitable fare structure that will help connect people with our system and to one another across the metro area,” said RTD Board of Directors Chair Chuck Sisk. Passengers can find more information about RTD’s new fares at http://www.rtd-denver.com/ fares-2016.shtml or by calling Customer Care at 303-299-6000. In addition to introducing new fares, RTD will open five transit

corridors in 2016 and launch a pilot of its new MyRide smart card program. RTD’s newest fleet addition is the U.S. 36 Flatiron Flyer bus rapid transit system, which opens Jan. 3. Customers will have the opportunity to try the new service at no cost on Jan. 4. RTD’s mission is to provide safe, clean, reliable, courteous, accessible and cost-effective bus and rail services in the eight-county district, and fulfills 100 million passenger trips annually. For more information, please visit www. rtd-denver.com

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Alitissimas. Please correct this error and please don't hate sumacs! In addition, I posted my column on Facebook. It received 22 “likes” along with some interesting comments: From Randy K.: I'm with you! We have a sumac in the courtyard that we have to cut back every year! We've even tried digging it up and it still comes back! From Sylvia S.: You are certainly correct in your disdain for the trees you describe. However, I would like to point out that many websites use sumac and Tree of Heaven interchangeably, including, even, the National Park Service’s section on alien plants. And I do think the National Park Service knows a thing or two about trees so I’m sure the confusion will continue. So here’s my take on this: If you love it, it’s probably a sumac. If you hate it, it’s a Tree of Heaven. But don’t you think the Tree of Heaven should be renamed the Tree From Hell, or Arborem Inferno? Do you have a gardening question or comment? Email me any time at juliehutchinson@comcast. net

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32 You’re thinking to yourself, “I’m not sure if he or she is paying attention to me…” I’ll answer that for you. No they have not deciphered a word you said. We suck at multitasking and here is why: According to author of “Brain Rules” John Medina, humans are not biologically wired to pay attention to more than one brain-consuming stimulus at once. "People can't multitask very well, and when people say they can, they're deluding themselves," said neuroscientist Earl Miller. And, he said, "The brain is very good at deluding itself.” Miller, a professor of neuroscience at MIT, says that for the most part, we simply can't focus on more than one thing at a time. Okay, maybe you ask about being able to walk and talk at the same time? Or, chewing gum while watching TV? Or, talking on the cell phone while driving? Technically speaking, yes, the

CURMUDGEON NEW YEAR’S GOULASH By D. Todd Clough Happy New Year to all of you loyal Curmudge readers and "where have you been" to you Curmudgeon virgins. This month is like goulash, a pot full of all sorts of stuff. The world record for the largest bowl of goulash is 1,583.78 gallons in an event organized by Orizont TV during the Chestnut Festival in Baia Mare, Romania on September 29, 2007. So keep on digging and you will find some nuggets of

wisdom, insight, knowledge, joy and goodness. For instance did you know that multitasking is a total myth? It is not possible according to neuroscience. Have you been in a bar or restaurant talking with a bud and he or she pulls out their cell phone and begins reading missed texts and the conversation comes to a slow and bumpy halt. In an attempt to keep the conversation going you ask another question, your friend doesn’t answer because they are too preoccupied with their phone.

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brain is multitasking in these instances. However, the brain is not being challenged to pay attention to more than one attention-demanding stimulus. So in the case of cell phone use in the car, you are either talking or you’re driving, you are not doing both. Recently I was in the Cancun Mexico airport during a five-hour delay due to Denver getting a lot more snow than predicted. That said, what is up with the Doppler radar? I priced it and the low-end cost is a million dollars. It is no more accurate than a $7.95 Farmer’s Almanac. OK, now back to the story. I am reading and minding my own business when a crew of Denver hipsters waiting for the same plane as me congregate within ear distance and proceed to have an F Bomb festival. About every third word for God sakes. It made me ponder that we need a new acronym or textese if you will – FOL (F_ _ _ overload.) Here are a few more I thought of: OOK (overuse of kale.) BMA (Bronco mania ad-nauseam.) BBMDD (bring back my damn dumpster.) EWTBSA (enough with the Brussels Sprouts already.) IHA (inappropriate hipster activity.) SEE (sans entitlement effort.) BE (boycott entitlement.) GOTDP (get off the damn phone.) LBAH (litter bug a_ _ hole.) WFZ (whining free zone.) PAYD (pick-up after your dog.) CITH (curmudgeon in the house.) So, the SCFD tax is back on the ballot in 2016. For you long-time readers you know that I think that the current percentage of the tax of 65.5% going to the Big Five (Denver Art Museum, Denver Zoo, Denver Nature and Science Museum, Denver Botanic Gardens and Denver Performing Arts Center) is out of whack. It is a Colorado tax, not just a Denver tax, and I believe that the other 270+ arts and cultural nonprofits in the state should receive more of the pie.

That said it is interesting to me to see that the Head/CEO of the Denver Zoo was paid a total of $767,824 in 2014. Keep in mind that $348,824 of his total package was committed to his retirement fund; this is a 162 percent increase in three years. I think the Denver Zoo is a wonderful place and a great asset to our community, but that is one big chunk of change to pay one employee, just sayin’. Try this one out for size; Aspen Art Museum Head/CEO is one of the most handsomely paid executives in her industry. In 2013 her total package was worth $894,984. During that same time frame the head of Denver Art Museum paid its Head/CEO $248,723. I am still for sharing the pie more, but I think the Aspen Art Museum obviously has plenty of money and they don’t need an increase. Did you know that oysters change their sex up to four times a year? I have a second cousin in Iowa who can do that. On Uranus every winter lasts 42 years, kind of like Fargo, North Dakota. In 1936 Salvador Dali sent Harpo Marx a harp with barbwired strings for Christmas. Harpo sent back a photo of himself with bandaged fingers. More goulash – it is important for you to know that human body odor is irresistible to female goats in heat. I don’t think my neighbors would stand for me becoming a goat rancher. After pregnancy women have permanently larger feet. I wish you all success with your New Year’s resolutions. I know what mine should be: • To smile more • Eat less, exercise more • More personal time • Work less • Don’t forget to smell the roses • Start yoga again, meditation and prayer needs to be a bigger part of my life But I will do those next year – here is my 2016 resolution – drumroll please, my resolution is that… French fries are good for me.