Washington Park Profile September 2024

BY TEAGUE VON BOHLEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Denver author Cynthia Swanson has strong roots in the city — and so does her new novel “Anyone But Her.” e book, which takes place in 1979 and 2004 Denver, is about East High and Colfax Avenue, violence and memory — and what lingers in their aftermath.

Luckily, Swanson’s personal story is far less dramatic. She grew up in Wisconsin and spent some time on the east coast before falling in love, as so many do, with Colorado’s Front Range. She moved to Boulder in 1993, and then to Denver in 2000, where she lived in the Berkeley neighborhood for a time before nally landing in Wash Park, where she’d write and raise a family.

Swanson’s kids didn’t go to East High, despite the book being set there. “It’s just so iconic for the city of Denver,” she said.

“But when I started doing research for the book, I asked friends who went to East in the 70s and 80s what they remembered. People came out of the woodwork to share stories and o er up details. eir continued passion for East was remarkable.

“So many great details didn’t make it into the book, because in the end I just had too much material. But I still loved hearing those stories of the stoners hanging out on the south lawn near Colfax or the preppie kids on the Esplanade,” Swanson continued, laughing. “Little funny things like that. It was so great to hear people’s stories.”

Place plays a major part in “Anyone But Her,” and with a speci c purpose, according to Swanson. “I wanted that neighborhood, I wanted Cap Hill,” she said. “I love that part of town. I’d love to live there someday.”

Indeed, Swanson said she includes walks in Cheesman Park as part of her writing process. “I tend to do my writing at home, where I can hole up and just get to work,” she said. “But sometimes I have to get out of the house. I love the Botanic Gardens, and when I go I’ll also usually walk around Cheesman Park since it’s right there.”

Swanson admitted to having

something of a minor obsession with Cheesman Park. “I have such a draw to that place,” she said. “I don’t really know what it is. It’s just this place that I keep coming back to.”

Despite the major role of a ghost in “Anything But Her,” Swanson claimed to have never seen a ghost at one of Denver’s notably “most haunted” locales. “But I’ve gone looking!” she laughed.

“And setting is so important to me when I’m writing a book. I need to be out there, feet on the ground, walking.”

Not that the process of writing “Anyone But Her” was a walk in the park. “ is one took a long time,” Swanson said of her third novel (she also edited the award-winning collection “Denver Noir”), which is also her rst to be self-published. She had a complete draft she considered almost nished when she met with another writer friend at a national conference.

“I described the plot to her,” Swanson recalled, “and she said it all sounded great…but who’s the villain? She was totally right. I was completely inspired all over again and rewrote the whole book.”

But nothing is ever easy, especially in publishing today. With the maelstrom caused in part by the

post-pandemic year, Swanson and her agent parted ways. She found a new agent for her work, but at the same time fell in love with indie publishing.

“I just trust in this book so much,” she e used. “I trust in the characters. Sometimes it’s best to go through the standard protocols in publishing, but for this project, in the end, I just didn’t think it was.

Now it’s exactly what it wanted to be from the beginning, and it’s near to my heart.”

And, it must be said, to Denver’s as well.

Cynthia Swanson’s “Anyone But Her” o cially launches at e Bookies Bookstore in October. For information on that event and Swanson’s other work, visit cynthiaswansonauthor.com.

Wash Park writer Cynthia Swanson set her upcoming book “Anyone But Her” in Capitol Hill. PHOTO BY GLENDA CEBRIAN PHOTOGRAPHY

“Anyone But Her” takes readers through familiar haunts of Cap Hill as its protagonist tries to solve a decades-old murder. COURTESY OF CYNTHIA SWANSON

BY LONDON LYLE SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Denver voters will face many key ballot initiatives this November, a number of them brought forth by Denver City Council.

Opening city positions to noncitizen legal residents

Council Bill 24-0849, a measure to remove the citizenship requirement for Denver police o cers and re ghters, would open these highly understa ed positions up to noncitizens residing legally in the U.S. Currently, these positions are restricted to U.S. citizens, a limitation that supporters argue is doing a disservice to a city with a signi cant immigrant population. On July 15, the City Council voted to send the measure to November ballots.

Key supporters of the bill include Council President Amanda Sandoval and Councilwoman Jamie Torres. Torres has made the argument that barring noncitizens from these public service roles not only harms the community, but also violates employment discrimination laws, citing a Denver Sheri Department $10,000 settlement agreement in 2016.

People who would become eligible for employment as re ghters or police o cers, should 24-0849 pass, are legal permanent residents in the United States. ey are not undocumented, and there is a signi cant distinction between the two under Colorado law. However, there has been misinformation surrounding the bill, something that Torres is eager to clear up before Denverites cast their votes on Nov. 5.

“ is bill put before the voters in November is a question of whether to change the charter to allow the police and re department to consider applications from immigrants with legal status,” Torres said. “ ese are legal, permanent residents. Some are DACA recipients. ese are members of our community who have graduated from our high schools, maybe even our colleges, who are making lives for themselves here in Denver, and who may want to consider this as their future job, but haven’t been able to because our charter restricts it.”

is move aligns with broader

trends seen across the country: California recently passed an almost identical law, which led to the rst DACA recipient to become a police o cer in the state. Washington, North Dakota and Maryland all allow noncitizens to work in these roles as well.

Both the Denver Police and Denver Fire departments have come out in support of the measure. Denver Police Chief Ron omas noted that a priority of his is making sure the police force represents the diversity of the city. Denver Fire Chief Desmond Fulton expressed the same desire for the future of the re department.

e Denver Immigrant and Refugee Commission has also backed the bill, with hopes of positive outcomes such as more diverse and inclusive workforces.

Others to endorse the measure include the Denver Latino Commission and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC).

“ e current citizenship requirement perpetuates discrimination against noncitizen residents, depriving them of the chance to pursue their chosen career paths based solely on their immigration status,” CIRC wrote in a statement of support.

Despite the endorsements, Council Bill 24-0849 has not escaped social media discourse unscathed, with commentary coming from selfdescribed DACA recipients noting barriers to citizenship and the right to vote. Some online opposition has been rooted in misinformation, including the false belief that the policy would apply to undocumented immigrants.

Other opponents claim that if passed, noncitizens serving as police o cers and re ghters would pose a security risk. However, supporters say the measure simply removes an arbitrary barrier that prevents qualied people from serving their community.

Collective bargaining for city employees

If passed by voters in November, a city employee collective-bargaining measure, Council Bill 24-0716, would extend collective bargaining rights to 7,000 additional municipal workers, such as librarians, social workers and more. Police o cers, teachers and re ghters already have this right,

allowing them to negotiate new labor contracts with union representation, according to Parker Yamasaki at the Colorado Sun. e initiative is backed by Teamsters Locals 17 and 455.

Sales tax to support Denver Health

Council Bill 24-0717 proposes a 0.34% sales-tax increase to support Denver Health, which is considered Denver’s social safety net hospital. e tax is intended to shore up the hospital’s nances and ensure continued access to essential health services for Denver residents. Council voted in June to bring this initiative to city voters in November.

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Washington Park turns 125 this year. Denver photographers and essayists have turned out to honor the occasion. Story on page 12.

PHOTO BY REID SCHUMACHER, GRAND PRIZE PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

BY MERYL PHAIR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e fate of the Zuni Generating Station at the intersection of Zuni Street and West 14th Avenue has been a looming question for community members in the Sun Valley and La Alma Lincoln Park neighborhoods for years. Conversations on the future use of the site have gone back and forth between Xcel Energy, the city of Denver and neighbors who envision an adaptive reuse of the now defunct steam

power plant.

ose conversations have been moved forward with a letter from Xcel sent to the city on July 26, giving o cials 90 days to purchase the site or waive their right of rst refusal. If the city decides to not purchase the plant, the utility company will offer the plant up in a general sale for 30 days before moving ahead with plans for demolition.

Xcel has been approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to demolish the steam plant and has been remediating the plant

to industrial use in preparation, essentially, decontamination of the site.

“We committed to the city and community to not do any work that would impact the structure of the buildings, and so we pivoted to remediation work,” said Grace Lopez Ramirez, Xcel’s Denver area manager. “ at’s been winding down so we’re in a position now where we need to take the next step forward for the future of the property.”

Located right on the South Platte River, the 120-year-old plant once played an essential role in supplying the growing Colorado city with energy. e site was selected for demolition in 2020 by Xcel Energy with plans by the company to construct a new substation in its place.

In response, community members living in proximity to the Sun Valley site have called for an adaptive reuse of the structure that would directly bene t surrounding neighborhoods. e site would likely only be able to accommodate commercial reuse rather than residential, and ideas oated for the site have included a community hub of meeting places and o ces, or a public marketplace for local businesses and retailers, similar to other adaptive reuse projects in Denver such as the REI store adjacent to Con uence Park or e Source in RiNo.

“We feel pretty strongly that it cannot be reused,” Ramirez said. “We have been approved to remediate it to industrial level, which means any additional reuse of the property would likely mean more remediation which we are not able to do.”

Ramirez said Xcel has had ongoing dialogue with community groups and the city in educating stakeholders on the limitations of the utility company, the unique challenges of the site – including giant turbines in the basement that would need to be removed, considerations for the nearby RTD light rail tracks and impacts to the South Platte River.

“ ere are huge challenges in the city exercising its right to this property,” said council member Jamie Torres, whose district includes Sun Valley and the steam plant. “One is

just being able to a ord it, and two, not knowing what environmental mitigation might come with restoring the building or converting that property into something more useful.”

Torres added that demolition could facilitate a historic landmark review as there are plenty of concerned community members passionate about preserving Denver’s architectural history. Earlier this year, the defunct power plant was placed on a list of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places by Colorado Preservation Inc., an organization that works to preserve at-risk historic sites.

“ ese are all things that have yet to be explored,” Torres said, “but there are plenty of community members who want a safer and cleaner neighborhood, along with adaptive reuse advocates and historic advocates who would want to see parts of the building maintained.”

Community members have already initiated their support in nding an alternative solution and sent a letter to Mayor Mike Johnston and the Denver City Council in November 2023 that urged the city to use its right of rst refusal to take over ownership of the Zuni Steam Power Plant and help the community nd a development partner.

The Zuni Generating Station is bordered by the South Platte River and RTD light rail tracks. PHOTO BY MERYL PHAIR

BY MERYL PHAIR

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Washington Park’s East Florida Avenue is marked by “sharrows,” white bikes accompanied by two arrow lines painted on the pavement along routes shared by motorists and cyclists. While these routes might be a breeze for an experienced two-wheel commuter, for someone new to biking, using the mode of transportation to meet a friend or a kid biking to nearby Merrill Middle School, navigating cars on shared bike routes can be a stressful and unsafe experience.

“ ere are studies that have been done where getting passed by a car raises your blood pressure,” said Avi Stopper as he crossed the street on his bike. As if on cue, a Rivian whizzed by. Continuing down the street, Stopper said there is a signi cant population of people in the Denver area who would utilize cycling as a mode of transportation if they weren’t deterred by speeding cars and buses.

To reach those folks, the founder of Bike Streets has led the charge on establishing a 500-mile Low-Stress Denver Bike Map that has been used a million times since 2018. Relying on a network of 45 “neighborhood captains” these cycling enthusiasts use local knowledge of neighborhoods to build out a network of quiet streets. is June, a Bike Streets app was launched where users can plug destinations into a map that yields “low-stress” routes around the city.

Rather than taking Stopper down East Florida Avenue, the Bike Streets app directs him down Josephine and then Iowa. Blue lines on the app in-

So far, that partner has yet to come forward but if the site goes up for a general sale, with growing interest in the development along the South Platte River corridor, Torres said, there might be some interested par-

dicate quieter streets, broken up occasionally by red lines for major intersections where users may want to hop o their bikes and walk.

“ e idea behind Bike Streets is that we can as a community become organized to ride the same streets and make it possible for even more people to ride bikes wherever they want to,” Stopper said. “Nothing is worse than sitting in tra c and nothing is better than being active, outside and seeing di erent neighborhoods.”

e Bike Streets app o ers special features like weekly challenges

ties. Whether they are interested in preserving the building or in demolition is another question, she added.

For Xcel’s part, the company stressed that it is a utility, not a community developer.

“Being a good neighbor is tantamount to this neighborhood and all of the communities we serve,” Ramirez said. “We’ve heard loud and clear that the community

and surprise adventure, a wheel of fortune randomizer that selects a unique bikeable activity. Open to all ages and abilities, Bike Streets also hosts monthly group bike rides and runs the Bike Streets Club o ering ra es, workshops and merch. eir goal is to get thousands of people to ride to destinations all over Denver until the city constructs more protected bike lanes. Currently on the app about 4,800 miles have been logged by users this summer, a growing number users can see in the top left corner.

“ e city to their credit has built

doesn’t want another substation or any impact to the structure. We committed to that, and we continue to commit to that, but how much more time do we spend in the community?”

As the clock ticks on the days left for the city to decide, Torres said there is still opportunity for further conversations. Due to a mayoral transition during the ongoing talks,

Bike Streets hosts free group rides to get community members on the streets and excited about cycling.

Ride the RiNo

Sept. 8, 5 to 7 p.m.

Meets at 2945 Larimer Street

Something Inspirational in NW Denver with Bike Streets and the Library

Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Woodbury Branch Library

Free Rockies Game and Slow Roll Sept. 17, 5:45 to 10 p.m.

Cheesman Park Pavilion

North Denver Community Ride with The Field Academy and Bike Streets

Sept. 21, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Prodigy Coffeehouse, Globeville

Visit bikestreets.com for a full schedule of events.

a lot of biking infrastructure but often it doesn’t work for the average cycler,” Stopper said. “ ere’s not enough, and they’re working on it, but it’s a 10, 20-year project to make a complete network. What we’re doing is trying to ll in the gaps based on the world as it exists today.”  Denver has built 137 miles of new bike infrastructure in the last ve years and has announced plans to install 230 new miles of bikeways, many on busy arterial roads, as part of their 20-year vision for developing a network of accessible bikeways. A recently published map shows the type and location of bike lanes the city hopes to roll out over the next two decades, providing an opportunity for the public to make comments and suggestions.

Johnston has not yet made any public statement about what the city plans to do next.

“I hope that we can start to answer the question about the city’s role in that conversation coming forward,” Torres said. “ e visible recognition of the story of Denver and the role that generating station played in the development of our city would be a shame to lose.”

A group ride organized by Bike Streets meets up for a spin around the Washington Park neighborhood. PHOTO COURTESY OF AVI STOPPER

BY LONDON LYLE

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

If you ever pay a visit to physician Susan Ryan, chances are high you’ll have the pleasure of meeting her most trusted con dante: award-winning “Dogtor” Peppi, a yellow labrador who works as a permanent facility dog in the emergency department at Rose Medical Center in Denver.

Dr. Ryan’s contributions to the medical eld and extensive philanthropic work with nonpro t Canine Companions have led to her winning the Frist Humanitarian Award for HCA Healthcare’s Continental Division. Ryan is among only 15 Americans to win the award in 2024. e Frist Award, created in 1971 and named after HCA co-founder Dr. omas F. Frist, is given to those who “demonstrate a level of commitment and caring that goes beyond everyday kindness. eir sel essness serves as both challenge and inspiration to others to nd a way to do good in this world,” states HCA HealthcareMag.

Ryan’s sel essness certainly stands out in conversation. Re ecting on the day she received the award, Ryan recalled, “In truth, I was walking out of a patient’s room, and I saw a whole bunch of administrators. I turned the corner the other way to hide. I was like, what are they doing?” she said.

After being assured that she was not getting red, but instead was receiving an award for her 34 years in medicine and philanthropy, Ryan was shocked.

“I was thinking, humanitarian? I’m not Mother eresa,” she said. Mother eresa or not, Ryan’s career has always revolved around helping others. When she’s not sporting a pair of scrubs, you might nd the Congress Park resident lecturing at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she has twice been named Teacher of the Year; serving on Canine Companions’ Southwest Region Board of Directors, or practicing mindfulness techniques at equine therapy.

As CarePoint Health CEO Mark

Kozlowski put it in the organization’s press release, “When I think of philanthropy, I think of Dr. Ryan. Her dedication and compassion have not only helped her receive this award but have also made a positive and lasting impact on our clinicians, our healthcare partners and most importantly, our patients.”

Peppi is not the only one of Ryan’s dogs to earn celebrity status. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, it brought a wave of uncertainty along with it, hanging over rst responders like a dark storm cloud. Ryan was raising her third Canine Companions puppy at the time, 1-year-old Wynn. (Fun fact: Wynn is the daughter of Winnie, the rst service dog Ryan ever raised, and was selected to be a breeder instead of a service dog.)

One particularly draining day

in early April 2020, Ryan posted a photo of herself and Wynn sitting on the oor at Rose ER. e photo quickly went viral, appearing on Good Morning America and the Today Show. e image of an exhausted Ryan in a mask and a face shield with Wynn by her side resonated with many nurses, ER doctors and hospital sta across the country during a time when hospitals were overwhelmed with patients and highly understa ed.

It also led to a surge in popularity for little Wynn, who became a source of comfort to many in the hospital. “ at photo that went viral of me in my headgear with Wynn beside me … I was experiencing anticipatory fears and cranial ight. We thought we were all gonna die. Resources were so limited. ere were times we had to reuse our masks – we literally

used Hefty bags as protective equipment at one point. It was a weird time,” Ryan said. “We were heroes for a little bit, maybe two months. Next thing you know, we had a country divided and people coming into the ER full of hate and violence. I never anticipated in my career that science would become so politicized.”

Today, Ryan’s approach to care is largely informed by those early experiences during the pandemic. erapy and support meetings have become integral parts of a healthy work environment at Rose ER. And seeing how Wynn boosted the ER sta ’s morale and improved their mental health, when it was time to turn her in for advanced training, she applied for a permanent facility dog from Canine Companions.

Peppi listens intently to Dr. Susan Ryan at Rose Medical Center ER.

PHOTO BY LONDON LYLE

DOGTOR

Enter our friend Peppi. At 4 years old, or 28 in dog years, the yellow lab has become a sort of mascot for the hospital, providing relief, comfort and happiness to patients and sta alike. Peppi is a facility dog, not a therapy dog, meaning she doesn’t make individual rounds to patients’ rooms. Rather, she mostly hangs out with the sta , often perched on an unoccupied bed, receives pets and makes everyone’s day a little brighter.

Rose ER nurse Kara Nelson noted that Peppi’s presence alone raises sta ’s dopamine levels, and lowers their cortisol levels.

“Having Peppi is great. She’s just a

zero-judgment being,” said ER nurse Kellie Kenly.

ER paramedic Angela Rice takes Peppi on her afternoon walks, which she said gives her a much-needed break from calls.

Peppi o ered no comment, but her tail wagging seemed to a rm the sta ’s assertions.

For Ryan’s part, she plans to continue her work as a philanthropist and a physician. In true humanitarian fashion, she would like to dedicate more time to her role at CU School of Medicine in the next few years, noting that while she loves practicing medicine, it exhausts her more than it used to.

“I love teaching the residents and the med students,” she said. “ at, to me, is our salvation – investing in the next generation.”

The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 Program 2025 Lottery Opening

September 19th and 20th, 2024

Open 48 hours from 12am Sept 19 to 11:59pm Sept 20

To Participate You Must Be:

•18 years of age or older; and

•A U.S. citizen or eligible immigrant and have legal capacity to enter into a lease under state and local law

*More requirements/restrictions can be found on the DHA website.

To Apply for the Lottery:

•Lottery Entries MUST be submitted on-line (through the internet) using ANY computer, tablet, or smart phone that has Internet access by going to DHA’s website at www.denverhousing.org

•Only one computer entry can be submitted per household.

•Do not pay anyone to participate in the HCV/SECTION 8 Lottery.

Computers are available at:

•DHA’s Opportunity Centers open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

•Westwood Homes 855 South Irving Street

•North Lincoln Homes 1401 Mariposa Street

*DHA’s Osage Street office WILL NOT be open for lottery entries.

•Denver Public Libraries (DPL) Hours vary, Check DPL’s website for hours of operation http://denverlibrary.org/locations_hours/index.html or call DPL at (720) 865-1111.

*There is a .10¢ fee at DPL for printing the DHA lottery confirmation page.

A bulletin board dedicated to Peppi in the lobby of Rose Medical Center ER. PHOTOS BY LONDON LYLE

“Dogtor” Peppi’s o cial hospital badge.

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Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Profile.

We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to kathryn@cotln.org

Deadline

5 p.m. on the 20th of each month for the following month’s paper.

Noticing sharrows

IFROM THE EDITOR

“See the Light” Solve this illuminating puzzle by starting at the bottom with “S” and winding your way to “E” at the top. Hindered? Call on your inner brilliance.

CORRECTION

Last month’s newspaper misidenti ed the name

Kathryn White

learned a new word recently, thanks to Meryl Phair’s story this month about the new app by local advocacy group Bike Streets. Sharrows. ese are the bike-plusarrow graphics painted on streets across Denver. ey’re meant to indicate a stretch of road that is shared between cars and bicycles. ey’re a bit controversial, largely because some wonder if drivers in cars even notice them.

Now that I know the word, I see sharrows everywhere. And not just when I’m riding my bike. Beyond the obvious safety bene t of noticing road signs and being careful around bicyclists, I can’t stop pondering all the ways we “share lanes” with one another – with strangers – in this world. e noticing has turned into a game for me: every time I see a sharrow, I try to think of something that’s shared in a community. Something we each have a stake in, but often for di erent reasons. e corner grocery store, a school, the library.

So in addition to a story to help you navigate the upcoming ballot (brace yourself for a very long one come Nov. 5), be on the lookout in this edition for stories about neighbors sharing their talents and local businesses creating a sense of belonging in their industry or in the community. I’m inspired by Denverites who mind all the di erent types of “sharrows” on the paths we all share.

ank you for reading – we appreciate you,

Kathryn White kathryn@cotln.org

Accidents happen! Understanding urinary incontinence in women

We all know the feeling of when you got to go, you got to go. When you experience urinary incontinence, stressing about your next bathroom break or where the closest bathroom is can start to control your habits, thoughts and life.

More than 50% of women over the age of 50 experience urinary incontinence daily, according to the Mayo Clinic. As women get older, their bodies begin to change, creating needed life adjustments, habits and proper education. Accidents happen – but as an adult woman, it can feel embarrassing. It’s more common than you think and there are many di erent reasons for experiencing urinary incontinence.

For women, urinary incontinence is caused by a few di erent things, including stress, diet, pregnancy, age and bladder over ow. Other than being pregnant, these factors can be hard to distinguish from one another. Urinary incontinence caused by stress happens when unexpected pressure – like coughing,

WOMEN’S WELLNESS

sneezing, laughing, intense exercise and heavy lifting – is put on the bladder. After pregnancy and as women get older and go through menopause, the body’s production of estrogen is decreased. Estrogen helps keep your bladder lining, muscles and ure-

thra healthy and strong. When your body gets less estrogen, your muscles become weaker, causing more leakage and accidents to happen.

Urgent urinary incontinence happens when the urgency to urinate comes at frequent unexpected times. is can be caused by infections like urinary tract infections, neurological disorders, a family history and obesity. Usually happening at night, the bladder can lose control causing leakage and discomfort. Foothills Urogynecology recommends having

Curating family mealtime with ease

Schools are back in session and with that comes a shift toward more routine. It is no secret our lives have become busier than generations before. ere are more challenges and distractions than ever (hello, smartphones and seemingly endless activities), which can prevent us from meeting at the table for time together as a family.  e ritual of family mealtime has declined by more than a third in the last 20 years, despite research demonstrating its bene ts. Children who share regular meals with their family perform better academically, struggle less emotionally and enjoy closer relationships with parents.  Here are some suggestions for easing your family back into the mealtime habit:

Turn o the devices

It’s no surprise that etiquette for a proper place setting does not include a spot for a smartphone. If there is one time in the day to set

a doctor run urine tests to understand if an infection or disorder is present, stopping any future issues.

Talking to a doctor about your experience with urinary incontinence can help determine why you are experiencing symptoms and can provide you with ways to handle and prevent future accidents and discomfort. Medications like Myrbetriq, Gemtessa, Oxybutynin and Vesicare can be prescribed to calm and reduce incontinent bladders. Beyond medication, there are other treatments available to minimize symptoms.

By training your bladder and lower abdominal muscles, maintaining a healthy diet, monitoring uid intake, and reducing ca eine, drug and alcohol intake, you can take control of your bladder so you can worry less about your next bathroom stop.

To learn more about urinary incontinence, visit Foothills Urogynecology at www.urgyns.com.

Dr. Terry Dunn is the owner of Foothills Urogynecology, a Denver-based practice specializing in women’s health.

your phone in a basket or simply power it o , it is during dinnertime. Try to nd at least 15 to 30 minutes to set aside technology and engage wholeheartedly with your family.

Remove mental clutter

Consider if there is mental clutter you bring with you to the table. Wrap up lingering work communication, send something from your task list to TULA or take a 5-minute pre-dinner meditation break to clear your mind. We can’t truly connect until our minds are clear and free.

Dr. Terry Dunn

Megan Trask and Cody Galloway

BY JACQUI SOMEN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

As you drive throughout Denver, you may notice some stunning art pieces displayed outside residences and in public spaces. Not just garden gnomes and wind chimes, but large-scale pieces created by reputable artists. What does it take for these pieces to come to life?

It turns out that most of the metro area’s public art installations are highly intentional, part of a phenomenon often guided by developers to transform public spaces into areas of vibrant community activity, something they call “placemaking.”

Placemaking is about more than just beautifying a neighborhood. A 2018 study funded by Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Council, “Why Public Art Matters,” detailed bene ts such as activating imagination, encouraging learning, engaging social interaction and acting “as a catalyst for community generation or regeneration.” Studies also point to public art’s ability to increase property values.

e bene ts of public art are so compelling that some local governments now require it in largescale developments, considering art a cultural amenity that contributes to communities and economies. For example, according to the website for the new development Aurora Highlands, more than 20 art installations will be placed in the area’s Hogan Park, with several sculptures and murals already installed.

e colorful muraled walls and activated alleyways of RiNo must be noted in a conversation about public art and community in Denver. e neighborhood’s revitalization seemingly hinged entirely on giant, colorful murals. Unfortunately, this type of development doesn’t come without its downsides. Growth spurred by investment can drive up prices, often displacing long-standing businesses and marginalized communities. Perhaps in response to these concerns, many developers now turn to local artists to help keep communities involved as the neighborhood evolves.

Babe Walls, an organization

founded by local artist Alexandrea Pangburn, coordinated a mural festival in collaboration with property owners Christina and Mike Eisenstein in which 12 buildings across a community in Westminster were painted.

Mural festivals, an international phenomenon in which artists ock to a neighborhood and paint murals over a few days, “help bring a sense of vibrancy and life to a particular area, whether that is a couple square blocks or over the course of an entire city,” Pangburn said.

“ e festival scenario is where there can be a sense of greater community because you’re not only involving the artists, but also the community and the installations and creating more hype and business around the event,” Pangburn added.

Public art projects also bene t artists. Pangburn started Babe Walls as a way to highlight local, female, and nonbinary artists who weren’t getting as many opportunities as their male counterparts.

Public art proposals face so much rejection that an entire exhibit dedicated to the topic, I Regret to Inform You…Rejected Public Art, is currently on display in Arvada.

And according to “Why Public Art Matters,” public art also “brings artists and their creative vision into the civic decision-making process,” allowing artists to participate in decision-making during city planning.

Sometimes individual residents display public art on their private property. David omson, a vice president of private client services at Kairoi Residential, has worked with local artists on a variety of development projects, including e Edison in RiNo.  omson brought an original piece, “INhabit,” to the front yard of his University Park home. e sculpture, by Joshua Wiener, features three large stones, signifying omson and his two sons, created from materials pulled from Boulder Canyon. What began as an art installation went on to become a memorial for omson’s son, who died in a car crash in 2020, not far from where the stones had been pulled.

While beautiful, omson detailed an arduous process of obtaining permits and protecting the sculptures from theft. ere were also signi cant costs associated with commissioning a large art piece from an accomplished artist. ese aspects likely make installation art at this level prohibitive for most people.

Regardless of who pays for it, the bene ts of public art can be far-reaching. When created in collaboration with the community, public art can enhance the neighborhood experience for residents, visitors, businesses, developers and artists alike.

“INhabit” by Joshua Wiener, in front of David Thomson’s University Park home. The sculpture’s plaque reads, in part, “Community is a reflection of our shared experience.”

COURTESY OF DAVID THOMSON

BY NATALIE KERR

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

When Zach Martinucci discovered bread baking, it was in a college apartment at UCLA.

He would mix, knead, fold and bake by himself, sharing the nished product with friends who loved his baking so much they encouraged him to enter in a campus baking competition. Martinucci found himself surrounded by dozens of other student bakers, and even more surprising to him, his bread won a prize.

“Baking often just happens in your own kitchen, it can be lonely, or at least not a natural source of connection,” said Martinucci, owner of Rebel Bread in the Baker neighborhood. “To be a part of a community and to get this validation from other people that they loved what you were doing really gave me the push to make this my career.”

Rebel is both a bakery and a bread school, hoping to foster connection throughout the process of bread making and enjoying. Its food festival, Denver Bake Fest, returns for its second year on Oct. 5 with familiar o erings like the baking competition, and several new additions including live music, baking and cooking demonstrations and tours of the Rebel bakery.

Tickets to try samples from the competitors will bene t Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness, or CHOW, an international nonprofit started in Denver that supports the mental health of those working in the food, beverage and hospitality industries.

CHOW’s programs are free to access, and support like what Rebel is doing through Bake Fest helps keep those programs available and spread the word to people who might bene t from CHOW’s support, said Jas Parks-Papadopoulos, CHOW’s chief growth o cer.

eir resources are available to anyone in the food and hospitality industries, including grocery store workers, who are often working in really taxing environments where they are expected to always be serv-

ing other people — sometimes at the expense of themselves, Parks-Papadopoulos added.

“We have this guest-focused mentality where we’re constantly thinking about someone else,” she said. “ at, plus the physical component of the work we do, can be such a burden to hold, and we want to make that lighter.”

CHOW will have an information table at Bake Fest and a green room where competitors and event workers can take a break, recharge with food and drinks or get a massage, Parks-Papadopoulos said.

Bake Fest in itself is about supporting Denver’s local baking community by connecting people in the industry, Martinucci said.  is is something Zoe Deutsch, owner of Moon Raccoon Baking Company, felt last year when she was a judge at the 2023 Denver Bake Fest.

Moon Raccoon is planning to open a brick-and-mortar location in the Sunnyside neighborhood in the spring, after several years of o ering goods at farmer’s markets. Having the support of other people in the industry who were able to answer questions, o er advice and cheer their team on really helped them successfully grow their business, Deustch said.

“A lot of us own bakeries in town, but we can all come together and just have a good time and talk about what’s going on for us, our struggles and our triumphs,” Deutsch said. “ at’s super valuable for people to know the realities of what’s going on with people’s lives.”

Martinucci was shocked by the turnout last year — with approximately 85 contestants and 500 attendees — and was so happy to see a positive atmosphere of supportive competition and celebration, he said.

“What we watched take place was just so beautiful to know, like we provided a space for that, and that everyone that showed up chose to show up in that way, and that they really took advantage of having those community moments,” Marti-

nucci said. “So many of us love our hospitality industry for that reason, that we get to help foster and witness those moments all the time.”

Miles Odell, owner of Odell’s Bagel who won “Rebel Sta Favorite” with his heirloom tomato bagel last year, loved presenting side by side with both professional bakers like himself and home bakers because the passion and creativity in the presentations was so strong.

Odell’s will be opening a new location at 3200 Irving Street in the West Highland neighborhood in September, and milestones like that and getting recognized at Bake Fest are important for him to celebrate even in the midst of the intensity of his work, he said.

“ ere’s a lot of pressure that can happen, and it’s a very demanding job and I feel like you don’t always get the recognition for how demanding it is,” Odell said.  ose interested in attending or competing in the 2024 Denver Bake Fest can learn more on Rebel’s website at rebelbreadco.com. Applications are open to bakers of all ages and skill levels, and are due by Sept. 27.

Martinucci is excited to be back for another year and looks forward to seeing what people bring to the competition, he said.

“ at’s a piece I hope will continue to grow and make it feel just like a festival to celebrate baking,” Martinucci said.

Kids can participate in any of the contest’s six categories. Prizes will be awarded separately for kid participants.

PHOTO BY EB PIXS

Editor’s note: In honor of Washington Park’s 125th anniversary, Friends and Neighbors of Washington Park (FANS) held an essay contest. Winners from three age categories (8 to 14 years old, 15 to 18 years old, and adult) were announced Aug. 7. Our August edition featured Joseph Freeouf’s “Join Hand in Hand,” winner in the 15- to 18-year-old category. e following essays won in the remaining two categories.

Washing-FUN Park

By Evelyn Lander

Winner, 8 to 14 years old

Birds chirping, squirrels scurrying up trees, rabbits hopping, chipmunks too! A playground to climb, a volleyball court, soccer, rec center, open eld, trees for reading under, and a beautiful walking path to enjoy it all! Can you imagine if it disappeared? It is an amazing place for

everyone to enjoy. It is Wash Park!

¿Sabes que puedes usar las botes y las bicicletas para tener mucho diversión? El parque tienen botes de cisnes, bicicletas para quatro o seis personas, y hay botes de dos personas. Cuando voy al parque, me gusta usar una bicicleta de cuatro personas porque puedo manejar la bicicleta y mis padres puedan pedalear la bicicleta. Mi hermana tiene cuatro años y ella se sienta al frente de la bicicleta. Yo manejo por el parque y es muy divertido. is past winter, I went to Wash Park for swimming lessons. I had a really nice coach, and I met a friend. I learned a lot of things like how to tread water for one minute without holding the wall, dive o the lifeguard stand, and the last day I got a rubber ducky and a certi cate. It was really fun. You can still have a lot of fun in Wash Park even when it’s winter. Wash Park es un buen lugar para

tener eventos. Yo hice una carrera de buñuelo y después podría comer uno y jugué en el parque. Fue un dia muy divertido! También, hice una carrera por pie en el parque que se llama “Light the Night.” Esta carrera a pie fue para el “Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.” Y era una banda que tocaba música. ¡Y también era muy oscuro y no pudimos ver donde caminábamos!

If we didn’t have this park, we would not have these memories. And without these memories, we wouldn’t be able to remember a really fun time that we had. is is where I go sometimes to have fun, and I hope in the future they will add a third playground!

Treasuring Washington Park

By Julie Murphy Seavy Winner, adult

paths of Wash Park on a gorgeous fall day, perhaps looking up to see a Great Horned Owl in the tree above, or a gulp of Cormorants settled in a bare deciduous tree. Some folks have gathered with friends to play in volleyball leagues on a cooling summer evening, what seems like fty nets lling the grassy center of the park well into the night, music playing, babies sleeping. During the pandemic, there was hardly room on the old carriage roads, now well-worn walking avenues, for the thousands who enjoyed the park as a respite from their own homes.

e park is an urban odyssey into nature, a gathering place, and for me, a living memory of childhood and my Denver ancestry. at’s why the park matters.

Most Denverites have walked the

Evening Light, finalist in the photo contest commemorating Washington Park’s 125th anniversary.

PHOTO BY RUTH NEUBAUER

WASH PARK

Eating breakfast with my grandparents in the 1960s at their house across from the park, we watched with a keen eye everything happening in the park from their picture window onto Grasmere Lake. Each conversation was a lesson in Colorado’s urban wildscape. Talk often turned to which birds were visiting the Island, the weather forecast impacts for the park that day, and the snowpack remaining on the high peaks in the view beyond the park.

My father’s family lived in several houses growing up in the Washington Park neighborhood and later he went to South High School. e importance of the park can’t be underestimated in his life, nor can the park be considered separate from the grounds of South High. e Italian Renaissance Revival architecture of the school, especially the tower, rising above the park to the southeast, coordinates with the architecture of the park’s Boathouse and other buildings. And the original tree collection, containing nearly a hundred species, spans both the park and grounds of South High school. As children we walked the park with my grandpa, who was as much a naturalist as a physician, while he spoke of where the trees came from, how well they might grow in Colorado’s dry climate, and whether he had seen one in its natural growing place. Many of those same trees can still be spotted with help of tree tags and a handy tree guide.

Back in my grandparents’ day –and my father’s – Denver’s winters were cold enough for ice skating on Smith Lake and no one worried much about public swimming in city lakes. ere were more roads within the park open for driving and many Denverites took pleasure in a Sunday drive through the park.

City planners were extraordinarily forward thinking in preserving so much land for parks and creating the vast mountain park system. Yet of all the parks there is something exceptional about Wash Park. Partly this is due to its central location not only in the Denver proper, but in what has become the metro area. It’s easy to access being close to major thorough-fares, yet is nestled in a cozy old and charming neighborhood. And the design of the park itself creates a most balanced and interest-

York, and provides enough space to give one a feeling of being in nature, while still being squarely within the city. It provides long thoroughfares for walking, running, and cycling. And a huge variety of habitat for trees, owers, and birds, including grasslands, lakes and ponds, small streams, and wooded areas.  e park was designed by famous architects and designers in the late 1800s, built around the turn of the century, and has never stopped improving for the people of Denver. A recreation center was built in the 1970s and a landscape and structure preservation plan began in the 2000s. is level of commitment and cultivated care by our community is what has kept Wash Park thriving over the decades. e park has always been where people want to be.

I remember Huck Finn shing days along City Ditch that winds its way through the park and catching crawdads in Lilly Pond with my brothers. en later having an all-girls friend picnic during high school when cars were still allowed on the roads. My friend accidently drove her car across and into a bridge that no longer even exists. Some things have changed about the park, but many have not. Me and my co-editor of the Washington High School yearbook, climbed behind the locked gate of the Boathouse to take our 1977 yearbook sta photo. At that

time the Boathouse was in disrepair and mostly unused. Now it’s a lovely venue for wedding receptions after renovation in 2012. Yoga in the Boathouse on a summer morning, a gentle breeze oating across the lake, is one of the most peaceful experiences one can have.

Frequent weddings in the smaller garden, an exact replica of Martha Washington’s garden at Mt Vernon and at the Victorian garden on the west side of Smith Lake with lush beds of roses and rare varieties of perennials, are reminders of what a treasured setting the park is to many. It’s not unusual to glimpse a girl having her Quinceanera photos taken or a couple getting engaged.  Life comes full circle for all of us.

Showing my dad how to play croquet with the Alzheimer’s group on the lawn bowling eld even though he had known croquet all his life, and the next day taking my grandson on his rst walk around the park, is a reminder of the important role Wash Park has played in my life and so many other Denver families through time. It brings comfort and peace. Sometimes fun, stress-relief, exercise, a meet-up with friends. Other times, a place to be alone with our thoughts in the Colorado sunshine. Always, there is a connection with the living world, both the trees, animals and birds of the park, and our fellow journeyers who venture out into this treasured urban land we call Washington Park.

Autumn Morning Light, finalist.

PHOTO BY JAMES SCHOEDLER

One of ten finalists in the photo contest paying tribute to the iconic Denver park.

PHOTO BY JAMES JACOB

BY QUETZALLI CORTEZ

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. To celebrate, I’d like to share some of my favorite books that celebrate Hispanic culture.

“Juana and Lucas” by Meg Medina

Juana is a Colombian girl forced to take on her greatest challenge yet –she must learn English. Convinced that this will be no fun, she asks everyone to give her one good reason to learn English. After several disappointing answers, Juana’s abuelonally gives her a good reason to learn English – to go to Spaceland in Florida and meet her idol, Astroman. With this tantalizing incentive, Juana is determined to learn English.

“Juana & Lucas” is a funny, lighthearted, quick read. Author Meg Medina perfectly captures the voice of a young girl tackling a new challenge. Large, childlike illustrations and bold text make this a great book for kids who are starting to transition from easy readers but aren’t quite ready for longer chapter books.  Spanish words are used throughout the text with enough context clues to help English readers understand what they mean. Kids who are trying to learn a new language will relate to Juana and her struggles to learn English.

“Juana & Lucas” was a Pura Belpré Children’s Author Award winner in

CHECK IT OUT

2017 and is best for children ages 6 to 10.

“The Piñata that the Farm Maiden Hung” by Samantha Vamos What begins with a boy playing in the mud quickly becomes more as a horse, goose, cat and sheep help him make a piñata. After the piñata is ready and all set up, the birthday girl arrives and hits the piñata, releasing all the goodies inside.

Inspired by the nursery rhyme “ is is the House at Jack Built,” Vamos’ story follows a family and its animal friends as they throw a surprise party for the birthday girl. Rhyming text is enhanced by the use of simple Spanish words like ‘gato’ and ‘niño’ that slowly build to more complex words like ‘ganso’ and ‘oveja’ as more animals join the story.

Bright, colorful, dynamic illustrations help set the lighthearted and playful tone for the book. Back pages include instructions on how to make your own piñata, along with a glossary of Spanish words.

“ e Piñata that the Farm Maiden Hung” is great for children ages 3 to 6.

SEE CHECK IT OUT, P18

Quetzalli Cortez

BY KEVIN BEATY DENVERITE

e employee-owners of the Fancy Tiger Crafts Co-op were hoping to stay in Denver when it became clear they needed to leave the space on South Broadway that housed their yarn, needles and classes for almost two decades.

at didn’t happen — their rent in Baker doubled, so they needed to leave.

But they did end up happy with where they landed.

It turned out that their new block, further down Broadway in the heart of Englewood, was a refuge for other businesses eeing high overhead.

“When we found this space, we were like, ‘Well, it’s just outside of Denver. It’s downtown Englewood. It’s three or four miles south, whatever,’” recalled Marta Johnson, one of those co-owners. “We’re still on Broadway.”

ey’re not the only ones making the move.

Mutiny Information Cafe recently announced they plan to relocate down the block from Fancy Tiger’s new location, thanks to rising rent. Treelotta Fabrics & Craft Supplies made a similar move a few years ago.

Fellow Traveler, which opened in the area in 2022, was opened by a longtime bartender at Sputnik. ere’s a growing center of gravity in Englewood. Is it a bad omen for Denver’s piece of South Broadway?

Back in 2020, we canvassed businesses on Fancy Tiger’s old block in Baker to see how everyone was doing during the COVID era. Complaints about landlords and high rent abounded.

Erika Righter, owner of the Hope Tank gift shop, told us then that she worried all of these small businesses were in danger.

Hope Tank was eventually forced from the neighborhood. So was the nearby Sol Tribe tattoo shop, albeit more recently, a few years after the murder of founder Alicia Cardenas destabilized the business. Barry’s on Broadway, a longtime watering hole next door, also closed due to tricky nances.

come a point of con ict in the corridor over the last few years.

Johnson said she and her Fancy Tiger co-owners have no beef with their old landlord. ey get it, Denver is more expensive than ever.

And it’s helped that they found a budding business community in Englewood.

“Yeah, being not in Denver isn’t a huge deal,” she said.

But Denver City Council member Flor Alvidrez, who presides over the district, said these relocations are “concerning.” ere’s a certain “character” that’s lost when a small business leaves, she told us, especially because she worries only wellnanced tenants will be able to afford to replace them.

“Businesses close and open. at’s a part of time. But what scares me is that the ability for someone that’s not wealthy to start a business is going down,” she said. “New businesses will come, but will they be snazzy investors or will they be a local person that’s just opening their dream?” ose super-local ventures may yet survive in Denver, but it might take some creative thinking.

Meanwhile, visible poverty has be-

Joe Phillips is the ex-Sputnik bartender who opened Fellow Traveler in Englewood a few years ago.

But he’s not nished with his old employer. is week, he inked the nal paperwork to buy Sputnik from his old bosses.

He’s encouraged to see Englewood’s main street growing — it’s a good sign for Fellow Traveler. But he’s not sold on the idea that those good tidings have come at Denver’s expense. Broadway may be in ux, but it’s not nished.

“I’ve been going to South Broadway for over 20 years, and I’ve seen the changes. When Punch Bowl [Social] opened up, we all thought it was the end of the world and we were like, ‘Well, South Broadway is over now, it’s just going to be the bros and the Chads and all that shit.’ But it survived and it found a new era,” he told us. “I’m doubling down on that side of Broadway.”

Alvidrez told us there is assistance available for local proprietors, minigrants for micro-businesses and federal money issued by the state. At the

city level, she said she’s working to make it easier for businesses to expand into parking lots, as they did during the pandemic, so they might squeeze more cash out of xed open hours.

But she admitted that City Council can’t control the whole economy. She said small local enterprises might need to share space on corridors like Broadway to a ord the rent, or try to diversify their o erings.

“A good example of that, I think, is Molecule E ect, where they are a bar at night, but they’re a co ee shop during the day. You can only make so much money on co ee,” she said. “We do have to evolve. And that does mean nding other parts to cut your costs.”

Meanwhile, Englewood has mostly welcomed these economic refugees to their downtown.

Nick Perry purchased Edward’s Tobacco Shop, a few doors down from Fancy Tiger’s new spot, and its building about four years ago. All of this new interest, he said, is a good sign.

“You can de nitely see that this neighborhood’s on the upswing. It kind of feels like maybe this could be-

come the next Tennyson, or that kind of shopping district. If you go around the neighborhoods, you’ll see it’s being gentri ed, a lot of scrapes, a lot of new builds,” he told us.

“ ere’s a big push from the city, and there’s a downtown development committee, that are really starting to put a lot of resources into this area.”

While we didn’t get a hold of anyone with the city of Englewood for this story, everyone we spoke to in their downtown Broadway corridor said they were happy with the ways local government was supporting their ventures.

Johnson said she’s met most of her new neighbors, many of whom were excited to connect. She’s hopeful they’ll gel into a support network as they get their footing. (Fancy Tiger is still relying on a crowdfunding campaign to cover their moving costs.)

Phillips said he’s looking forward to Mutiny moving in next door. eir exit from Baker will probably impact Sputnik’s business, but it will be a boon for Fellow Traveler.

Inside Fellow Traveler in Englewood. Aug. 17, 2024.

PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY

BROADWAY

He views all of these moves, he added, as more of an “expansion” of Broadway rather than a death knell. But Englewood, he added, will need a ordable housing, and a lot of it, to really reach economic viability.

“I’m excited about the changes going on here. My one fear is, even if every storefront in downtown Englewood was the coolest place, it’s not going to change the availability of housing in this area,” he said. “ e density in this area is not built to handle a real vibrant downtown community.”

Wes Champion, who’s owned retail shops here long enough to remember when the old Cinderella City Mall

made this one of the busiest business areas in the metro, said that additional housing development is probably inevitable. He just suspects it will have to wait until the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates.

“ is is going to all turn into small retail stores with housing,” Champion said. “It’s just a matter of time.”

Real estate in Englewood, in turn, may heat up like it did in Denver. But Perry said he’s not worried about all this new demand making it more expensive to exist there.

“We’re years and years away from it becoming like what they’re escaping in Denver,” he told us.

“We’re a long ways from that.”

is story is from Denverite, a nonpro t Denver news source a liated with CPR News. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

Fellow Traveler owner Joe Phillips in his Englewood bar. Aug. 17, 2024.

Fancy Tiger Crafts Co-op co-owner Marta Johnson stands in the business’ new location in Englewood. Aug. 17, 2024.

PHOTOS BY KEVIN J. BEATY

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colorado Community Media

Publisher Linda Carpio Shapley was named the current president of the Colorado Press Association at the organization’s 2024 conference.

“It feels like such a tremendous honor,” Carpio Shapley said. “One of the things that they have listed in the convention manual is all of the presidents that have served and … I am so honored that I get an opportunity to be considered among them.”

Carpio Shapley feels “very proud” to be the next leader of the CPA and said she “feels history” around her which inspires her to “want to continue to do good things” for the organization and journalism.

Carpio Shapley began her tenure as publisher of Colorado Community Media in August 2021.  She has worked for a number of Colorado newspapers, including the Collegian at Colorado State University and her hometown paper the Greeley Tribune.

Carpio Shapley also worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Kansas City Star before heading to e Denver Post, where she went from copy editor and designer to managing editor in her 21-year tenure. She also led a political team at Colorado Politics prior to becoming the CCM publisher.

e Colorado Press Association serves the state’s news media outlets. Shapley was unanimously approved.

“Along with upholding the good work of past presidents, in the everchanging media landscape, CPA evolves to champion media rights, press freedoms and professional development across the state,” the organization said.

Carpio Shapley said the CPA fac-

es challenges similar to what the industry itself faces, including an outdated revenue model, “the good ght against misinformation” and the need for more journalists.

“Colorado Press Association is wanting to do what it can to be supportive in that way, but Colorado Press Association also has those same challenges of just trying to do it on a bigger scale,” she said.

With around 160 newsrooms in the Colorado Press Association, Carpio Shapley said it can be dicult to serve everyone’s needs.

“ ey go from one-person newsrooms … to news organizations like e Denver Post,” she said. “So how do you serve them both when they have so many di erent issues?”

Carpio Shapley said while it’s challenging to help with these issues, she and the CPA need to be aware of these problems and work together to support the Colorado journalism community.

“I’m lucky enough to have a board that is really supportive in trying to help me to do that work and I just want to keep moving forward,” she said.

e CPA is actively trying to get public policy in the Colorado legislature to allow for more public support for informing communities.

“To me that’s one of the things that I want to continue to advocate for, and I want to make sure that everybody who is a member of CPA has an opportunity to reach out to me and learn about me and know that I am committed to this ght,”

Carpio Shapley said.

Additionally, Carpio Shapley said she hopes to help the masses see the “public good” of journalism.

“We want to make sure that we’re doing good work and we need to make sure the public understands the great work that we’re doing,” she said.

Colorado Community Media Publisher Linda Shapley has been named president of the Colorado Press Association. She is pictured with association CEO Tim ReganPorter. COURTESY BRITTANY WINKFIELD

BY ISABEL GUZMAN SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

e popular south metro Mexican restaurant, Los Dos Potrillos, announced in August that it will open a Denver location early next year near Colorado Boulevard and Interstate 25. e rst location opened in Centennial in 2002 because at the time, the suburbs lacked authentic Mexican cuisine, said Daniel Ramirez, CEO of the family-owned Los Dos Potrillos.

Today, the restaurant has ve locations in the south metro area: Cen-

tennial, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Parker and Castle Rock.

“Expanding to Denver is an important step for us, allowing us to connect and serve a new group of diners,” added Luis Ramirez, Daniel’s brother, who serves as the restaurant’s COO and president. “Our Los Dos family is excited about this growth and cannot wait to bring our delicious food and overall dining experience to a new community in such a centralized location.”

e new location will be at 4100 E. Mexico Ave., Ste. G, in Denver’s Virginia Village neighborhood.

5th Annual

North ar 2 Freedom Gala

there and did our homework there. Our teachers were our servers,” Daniel recalled. “ e hope is to continue expanding, where we can continue creating as much value as we possibly can … and ask ourselves … how who are getting more involved in the business as they grow older.

CHECK IT OUT

Check out these and other Hispanic Heritage Month books at a Denver Public Library branch near you.

Join us at the Decker branch on Sept. 28 from 11 to noon for our Alebrije Magnets craft program for adults and on Oct. 11 from 10:30 to 11 a.m. for a Worry Dolls craft program for kids. Learn more at denlib. org/decker.

Quetzalli Cortez is a librarian at the Decker Branch Library. She loves reading, cooking and exploring parks with her dog.

“I love being able to bring my son here because … he wants to go into the kitchen and make an experiment,” he said.

Los Dos Potrillos will open a seventh location in Denver early next year. PHOTO BY ISABEL GUZMAN

FROM PAGE 14

On Aug. 1 the city announced that the city and county of Denver’s minimum wage will increase from $18.29/hour to $18.81/hour beginning on Jan. 1, 2025.

e hourly wage for tipped food and beverage workers who earn more than $3.02/hour in tips will increase to $15.79.

BALLOT

How salaries are set for the city’s elected o cials

Council Bill 24-0360 is a charter amendment that would change the way salaries for City Council members are determined. Instead of council members giving themselves

Denver City Council passed a minimum wage ordinance in 2019 that requires the wage be adjusted

raises each year, the measure would create annual salary increases based on in ation.

A city o ce for human rights

Council Bill 24-0715 would establish a dedicated Department of Human Rights, which would focus on reducing discrimination and promoting inclusivity across Denver.

Sales tax to increase city’s a ordable-

annually to keep up with costs of living. The annual adjustment is based on data from the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which for 2025 indicated a 52cent increase.

e wage ordinance is enforced by the Denver Labor Division of the O ce of Denver Auditor Timothy M. O’Brien, CPA.

Learn more at DenverWages.org.

housing co ers

Mayor Mike Johnston has proposed a 0.50% sales tax to generate additional funds for Denver’s a ordable-housing budget. is measure faced scrutiny and multiple attempts at amendments before an amended version passed by a nal city council vote of 9 to 4 on Aug. 19. Council members Alvidrez, Flynn, Gilmore and Sawyer voted against bringing the measure to this fall’s ballot.

Denver voters will determine the fates of these ballot initiatives on Nov. 5. ese measures will be joined by other statewide proposals created through citizen initiative and referred by the state Legislature. e upcoming ballot is expected to be lengthy in an election that is not just about individual candidates and bills, but also about how they all t together to shape Denver, Colorado and the United States.

BY JUSTIN GEORGE THE COLORADO SUN

People convicted of felonies who have served their entire sentences can vote in Colorado. So can people on probation and parole. ose convicted of felonies who are imprisoned or con ned to detention as part of their sentence

BIKE STREETS

Proposed changes include installing protected bike lanes on Speer Boulevard, Leetsdale Drive, Park Avenue, West Evans Avenue, South Monaco Street Parkway, Quebec Street, 17th and 18th Avenues, 13th and 14th Avenues and Colorado Boulevard. By placing permanent structures like concrete blocks on these protected lanes, the routes would help accommodate more cyclists on the road and enable bikers to travel longer distances.

“ is core network of high volume streets should be wide enough for people to pass, should be direct and generally speaking, protected and separated,” said June Churchill, the 2024 Bike Mayor of the Denver Bicy-

cannot vote. ey regain their voting eligibility after they have completed their “full term of imprisonment,” according to the Colorado Secretary of State.

“ e day you are released from detention or incarceration is the day your eligibility to register to vote is restored,” the o ce stated on its website.

cle Lobby, an advocacy group working to make Denver a more bikable city. While the map focuses on major throughways, Churchill said it’s comprehensive throughout the city. “ e intention is to make it possible for anyone in Denver to get where they need to go,” she said.

e working plan also builds o existing infrastructure, with plans to extend bikeways in some areas such as lengthening the protected bike lane on Broadway, one of the city’s welltraveled routes; changing some bikeways such as converting the painted bike lane on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard into a protected bike lane; and installing safety measures like bike signals and crossing lights. is would help current connectivity issues as many neighborhood bikeways end without safe or easy ways to cross high-tra c roads. In addition to improving safety for bikers, the city

Defendants facing criminal charges in jail who are pretrial detainees or out on bond awaiting trial can vote. In May 2024, the General Assembly passed a law requiring county clerks to work with county sheri s to allow voting in jail for at least one day, give detainees information on voting eligibility and provide them with instructions on

is also tackling improving safety for drivers, particularly on arterial roadways and intersections where accidents are more highly concentrated.

“We think a lot about who we are designing these routes for,” said Churchill. “It’s the parents with kids, the risk-averse and the cautiously optimistic about biking in the city. Safety along with time are the key factors in making decisions around transportation.”

Changes to major roadways could mean fewer parking spaces for cars or slower travel time, to which Churchill notes slower cars are safer cars. Balancing parking for residents and businesses has been a signi cant challenge in bikeway infrastructure such as a plan in 2020 to install a protected bike lane on Washington and Clarkson streets which was quickly shot down by residents due to the loss of parking spaces.

how they can verify or change voter registration.  is story was printed through a news sharing agreement with e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned nonpro t based in Denver that covers the state. e Colorado Sun partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-size fact-checks of trending claims.

Despite challenges, the bene ts of increasing biking infrastructure in cities extend beyond a safer transportation environment. Protected bike lanes and neighborhood bikeways can create more green infrastructure throughout the city by reclaiming roadway space. Replacing car trips with biking helps ght climate change by reducing a major source of carbon pollution, another way Bike Streets is seeking to create change from within communities.

“We have been taught to think that bike commuting is biking to work and we have missed the opportunity on all of these other trips,” Stopper said.

Denver’s Map of Safe & Slow Streets with Bikeways is currently open to community feedback. Visit denvergov.com or contact the program at denvermovesbikes@gmail.com or 720-865-9378.

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BALANCE

Set achievable goals

Take a baby step in the right direction. is could be as simple as turning the TV o during meals or deciding on two family meal times per week. Once you accomplish a small goal, scale up to something more. Remember the phase your family is in. Children will grow and mature. It won’t always be a dinnertime circus, but it’s never too early to encourage good habits.

Prep ahead

After a long day of work, caring for children – or both, the prospect of preparing a meal can be overwhelming. I don’t know about you, but when 4 p.m. rolls around, I’m my least energetic self. e kids are usually wound up, our house feels like chaos and I am sometimes on the

brink of sensory meltdown. If you know this is how your evenings go, consider regular slow-cooker meals or dinners prepared in the morning or over the weekends. My favorite –freezer-to-slow-cooker meals – combines the two. Dump your bag of frozen ingredients into the slow cooker and voila! Once kids are older, plan a menu for the week together. en you’re sure to have options everyone will enjoy.

Cook together

If you have the energy to cook in the evening, set aside time to cook with your children. Embrace the mess. A helper not only lightens the workload but also gives your child ownership over the meal. When picky eaters see, touch and feel the ingredients, they’re more inclined to learn about and try new foods. If the mess is too much for you or if it feels like your child is slowing down the process, involve them in simpler tasks like setting the table or peeling carrots.

Serve meals family-style

Mealtime discontentment can come from stressing about what our kids will or will not eat. Consider lowering your expectations and trying family-style or a deconstructed meal. Children love autonomy. Invite them to pass bowls of food and even a child-sized pitcher for serving their own beverage. is gives your child the freedom to choose what they want to eat and takes the pressure o of forcing your child to eat. If you have a super picky eater, include a few wholesome staples you think they’ll select. At our table, this might mean fruit, carrots or even a healthy(ish) peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Incorporate a dinnertime conversation ritual

In our family, we take turns saying something nice about a family member. Another popular format involves each person sharing a “highlight” and “lowlight” from their day, sometimes embellishing with a “bu alo” for that

funny, weird or interesting thing that happened. Conversation rituals are a great way to boost self-esteem and family connection.

Hopefully these tips can help you enter the dinnertime scramble from a place of ease. e most important mindset with any change to your family routine: grace, grace, grace. If your carefully curated plan implodes one night, that’s okay. Sometimes our job as parents is to survive, surrender and mitigate stress. Especially when our children are young, we cannot expect perfection. Having everyone at the table for ve minutes might be a huge win. Try again the next night. And remember: as long as you remain dedicated to trying, there will be many fun, connected and memorable meals ahead.

Megan Trask and Cody Galloway are Denver residents and co-founders of TULA Life Balanced. Learn more about their business at tulabalanced. com.

BY XAVIER BARRIOS

SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

For students, graduation season marks the completion of one chapter and the start of another. But this season also began a new story of diversity, equity and inclusion as one group of students, adorned in caps and gowns, walked across the stage at Regis University. is chapter was written by the inaugural class of ve graduating GLOBAL Inclusive students, the rst to complete the university’s program designed to give students with intellectual or developmental disabilities an opportunity to have a traditional college campus experience. In 2022, e Denver North Star reported on the GLOBAL Inclusive program’s launch, and then again in 2023 for a year-in report.  e unknown of post-graduation was waiting for GLOBAL Inclusive student Jordan Stewart, who said the milestone was thrust upon him whether he wanted to graduate or not.

For Stewart, the hardest part of his graduation was that he would no longer see his friends and peers daily. His routine switched from saying, “See you later,” to the harder, more formal, “Goodbye,” Stewart said.  Navigating this unknown isn’t an easy feat.

Stewart said he quickly realized his “bad thoughts” didn’t provide him much guidance, so he turned to “positive thoughts” to help him avoid anxiety. To provoke these happy thoughts, he said he turns to the movie theater as a source of positivity.

Stewart said the unknowns of graduation were also easier to navigate with the familiarity of his internship-turned-job at Booyah Advertising in downtown Denver.

While in the GLOBAL Inclusive program, students can participate in an internship or an on-campus job, according to their career development coordinator Lauren Gray. Stewart’s internship was through the digital advertising company that manages over $100 million in media each year for brands like Western Union, Unilever, Discover Card and Aspen Skiing Company, according

to the company’s website.

Dr. Jeanine Coleman, associate professor and the program’s director, said people with disabilities have been historically rejected from higher education, the workplace and other institutions.

“Nationwide, 16% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are competitively employed,” Gray wrote in an email to e Denver North Star. “In Colorado, that number is above average at 26%, but that number is still very low.”

“[People with disabilities] are part of our community,” Coleman said. “ ey want all the same things that anybody else wants, they want to go to college, they want to make friends, they want to get a job — they want these experiences.”

Booyah CEO Troy Lerner got involved with Regis’ GLOBAL Inclusive through his wife, a professor at Regis who was having a positive experience working with the program and its students. Lerner said he is actively trying to “make the world a better place,” and this is one of the

ways that provides growth to Stewart, other Booyah workers and himself, as well as society at large.

“ is just feels like a natural t,” Lerner said. “It doesn’t feel like we are trying to force something to meet a mission statement or a mandate. Instead we have found somebody that ts in our community.”

During the rst year of the program, Gray teaches a career development class, in which she asks students their career goals and interests. From there, Gray said she takes the information and tries to nd the best individualized pairing through on- and o -campus internship opportunities.

Students, Gray said, have interests in opening their own businesses like restaurants, coaching sports teams or working in paleontology. Once a placement has been found, Gray works alongside the company to develop the student’s role.

“I reach out to employers that are in the industries that our students are interested in,” Gray said, “and explain what our program is, explain the internship structure and ask if they would be interested in collaborating.”

Working at Booyah Advertising has been “pretty easy” for Stewart, so far. He said he enjoys his work and his schedule — two days of four-hour shifts per week working on animated in-house announcements such as community engagement opportunities and company outings.

e GLOBAL Inclusive program, Stewart and Booyah are opening doors in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. While these community members are marking history — the chapter on inclusion is just beginning.

Xavier Barrios is an undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago majoring in political science and English. He is a writer and former editor of e Loyola Phoenix, Loyola Chicago’s student-run newspaper. Born and raised in the North Denver area, Barrios is honored to be writing for e Denver North Star for the summer. For inquiries or to stay up to date on his writings, Barrios can be found on Instagram at @barrxavi.writes.

Coworkers Devin Ra erty and Jordan Stewart enjoy a break outdoors near Booyah’s downtown o ce. COURTESY OF BOOYAH ADVERTISING