PUBLISHER’S NOTE
No Matter Who Owns
It, It’s Your Community Newspaper
PAGE 2
ENVIRONMENT
Everyday Should Be Earth Day at Sloan’s Lake
PAGE 4
EDUCATION
Centennial’s Bike Bash Draws Hundreds
PAGE 6
New Social Studies
Requirements for Colorado Students
PAGE 6
COMMUNITY
Cine Mexicano Features
‘Dos Tipos de Cuidado’ PAGE 9
By London Lyle
Berkeley Dog Park, a popular spot among Denver's canine community, often receives mixed reviews.
Visit on any given afternoon and you might hear it described as "a depressing litter box" by regulars. One local labeled it a "post-apocalyptic wasteland" on the r/Denver subreddit. Harsh, but perhaps understandable: The off-leash dog park looks less like a park and more like a gravel parking lot, with little greenery in sight.
Despite its dull appearance, the park remains a popular choice. When it comes to tiring out their pups, Denverites who live in apartments have two options outside of investing in one of those trendy dog treadmills that cost a fortune. Take Fido for a very long walk or take him to the “post-apocalyptic, depressing litter box” and throw the tennis ball for an hour.
Beyond Berkeley, Denver offers a number of similar off-leash dog parks: Fuller Dog Park and Greenway Off-Leash Dog Park share Berkeley’s basic setup; just swap “litter” for “sand.”
Sand is great for bone-burying purposes, but as temperatures rise, Denver’s pups lack opportunities to paddle in the creek or gallop across grassy hills. So why are the leash laws so stringent in the Mile High City, which is often ranked among the most dog-friendly cities in America?
“I’ve been ticketed numerous times. Everyone has,” said a Jefferson Park visitor who requested anonymity to avoid further fines.
“I mean, I get the safety aspect of it, but if no one is around, I don’t see why it’s a big deal for my dog to be off leash,” he added as his unleashed dog chased after a bird.
According to Yolanda Quesada, a spokesperson for Denver Parks and Recreation, the strict leash rules prioritize the safety of park visitors, leashed pets and local wildlife, along with preserving the natural environment. Enforcement, she notes, is up to the discretion of the
park rangers.
Quesada added, “Denver Parks and Recreation is committed to expanding our dog parks to allow a safe place for Denver residents to take their dogs with a goal of having every resident live within a 2-mile radius or less of a dog park.”
However, the issue may not be the quantity of dog parks but their quality. Many residents travel beyond city limits seeking better conditions—more space, more greenery and a more liberating experience for their dogs.
For some, neighboring cities like Westminster and Littleton offer more appealing alternatives. Westminster Dog Park boasts the largest off-leash area in the region, and recent efforts to reduce its size have met strong local resistance. Chatfield Dog Park in Littleton boasts a pond that’s “pawfect” for an afternoon dip.
Innovative solutions like designated off-leash hours or adopting Boulder’s Voice and Sight program, which allows dogs to roam off-leash once certified, are popular. "It requires a test and training," explained Anabel, a North Denver resident and owner of a certified dog named Marvin. "But it’s your responsibility to ensure they don’t bother anyone."
While similar proposals have been made to Parks and Rec in the past, they are not up for consideration at this time, according to Quesada. Instead, the focus remains on creating new and improved spaces, such as the upcoming Central Street Dog Park in the Lower Highlands, scheduled for summer 2025 and backed by $850,000 from the Elevate Denver Bond.
In the meantime, some residents find it’s worth the occasional trek to more accommodating locales. During the hot summer months, LoHi resident Kevin Barr takes his husky-Malamute mix, Merle, to the cooler confines of Chatfield Dog Park.
The rest of the year, Barr said he and Merle come to Berkeley Dog Park up to four times a week. "Denver is definitely dog-friendly compared to other cities," Barr asserted, citing Salt Lake City as an example.
Seth Heard was at a crossroads. He had failed probation three times and was facing time in jail. Growing up with family issues and raised by his grandmother, his problems were about to go from bad to worse.
But then Heard’s probation officer mentioned The Other Side Academy (TOSA). Suddenly the dusty filaments of long-buried goals and dreams began to resurface, along with hope.
And hope, along with the willingness to do some hard work, is all one really needs to be accepted into the academy, which is free.
Students of TOSA are housed in beautiful old Victorians in Capitol Hill. The newest students are responsible for upkeep as the older students mentor them while holding down jobs at one of TOSA’s enterprises: a moving company located in RiNo and the organization's new consignment furniture boutique at 3125 Federal Blvd.
“You’re immediately part of a team when you enter the residence,” Heard said. The enterprises provide participants with work skills, such as retail expertise, showroom staging, inventory management, marketing, sales, bookkeeping and customer service.
“They also learn the critical soft skills needed to stay employed,” TOSA Director Lola Strong said.
Heard is a crew lead at The Other Side Furniture Boutique, managing employee-students, scheduling deliveries and pick-ups, and updating the website, marketing and social media for the store as well as assisting customers.
“Everyone here has a voice,” he said. “We have a meeting every morning where we talk about what needs to be done or review what we could do better.”
Heard said he stays very busy, “moving and shaking,” and that he enjoys interacting with people and all of the activity that the job offers.
When asked how students deal with criticism as they are learning skills, he said there is a lot of peer modeling from the staff who have all had similar struggles. Students engage in feedback meetings twice a week for two hours where they learn how to criticize constructively and, in turn, accept feedback with grace.
“It was hard for me at first,” Heard added, “and I had a lot of anxiety about the feedback meetings, but then I got used to it and I learned how to use the feedback.”
There’s a “great metaphor in running a gently used furniture boutique by people who are transforming their lives,” founder and board chair Joseph Grenny said.
“But the thing that will really move you is interacting with the students who will offer you five-star levels of customer service,” Grenny added.
PUBLISHER: Linda Shapley
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Michael de Yoanna
EDITOR: Kathryn White
ART DIRECTOR/ GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Melissa Levad-Feeney
ADVISORS: David Sabados and Emma Donahue
ADVERTISING SALES: Jill Carstens – jill@denvernorthstar.com
MARKETING CONSULTANT: Erin Addenbrooke
BUSINESS MANAGER: Audrey Brooks
OPERATIONS/CIRCULATION
MANAGER: Lindsay Nicoletti
NEWS INQUIRIES: For news inquiries, email News@DenverNorthStar.com
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: For advertising inquiries, email Ads@DenverNorthStar.com.
DISTRIBUTION:
The Denver North Star prints over 34,000 copies each edition and is mailed free of charge to homes and businesses in North Denver. Additional copies can be found at local businesses in the community. New editions are published on the 15th of each month.
LET’S BE SOCIAL @DenverNorthStar
303-566-4100
750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110
n 2019, we founded The Denver North Star to fill a community need. The long running North Denver Tribune had closed a few years prior and residents were left without a hyperlocal news source. I’m unbelievably proud of the work this small team puts into creating a high quality, award-winning newspaper each month. It has grown into its tagline, “Your guide to politics, arts, and culture in North Denver.”
At the same time, we’ve been struggling financially. Last year, we began looking at alternative ownership and revenue models, non-profit conversion and other ideas to decrease costs and increase revenue.
We’ve found a solution that will not only keep The Denver North Star in print, but will help grow the paper and create a stronger community news ecosystem in our city.
On May 1, Colorado Community Media took over ownership and operation of The Denver North Star and our bilingual sister outlet The G.E.S. Gazette
If you follow the news about media outlets being swallowed up and gutted by hedge funds, and are concerned about your community paper, don’t worry. This is absolutely not the situation. CCM works to preserve and support local media. They can transform the paper’s operation into a nonprofit entity, which will save thousands of dollars a month on delivery, integrate our newsroom efforts with their existing two Denver neighborhood papers, and bring in more advertising dollars by adding regional businesses to the amazing neighborhood businesses who support the paper as part of their marketing efforts.
I never thought of The Denver North Star as “my” paper, despite being the legal owner, and it’s not really “their” paper now either. It’s yours. It’s North Denver’s. Every month, we hear what you liked, didn’t like and want to see us covering in the future. Most importantly, the team working on the paper every
month is staying intact. Kathryn will remain as editor, ensuring a North Denver perspective at the helm. Our thoughtful, engaging local columnists remain a treasured asset. Behind the scenes, our team will be working to ensure a smooth transition.
A newspaper’s work is more than just the articles on the pages too. Last year, we were proud to host sanctioned forums for important political races like Denver Mayor and City Council. Being part of a group means we can do even more. The Denver North Star is actually Denver’s biggest monthly community paper and now we will be working with other community media outlets dedicated to bringing you serious news and lighter content, supporting neighborhood groups and building community.
I want to again thank everyone who donated in the last year when we reached out. The over $14,000 you contributed helped keep the paper going while we figured out this long term solution. You kept your community paper alive. Thank you.
I especially want to thank my wife, Emma Donahue. She supported me in the creation of this paper and then dove in a few years later, volunteering to serve as the paper’s business manager. She’s ensured that the bills are paid, invoices are sent and the paper’s operations have been smooth behind the scenes. It wouldn’t exist without her.
As the saying goes: if you love something, set it free. I’m honored to have served as the guardian for this important community effort since 2019 and I know it will be in good hands in the future. See you around the neighborhood.
Dave
David Sabados is a founder of The Denver North Star and has served as Editor, Publisher, Paper Boy, Salesman, Complaints Department, and “Other roles as needed” since its inception. Dave and his wife Emma have lived in three North Denver neighborhoods and last year bought a home in Inspiration Point.
In an election year that has already given registered voters a chance to weigh in through political party precinct caucuses and county conventions, voters’ next opportunity to select the candidates of their choosing arrives in mailboxes the week of June 3.
Denverites registered Democratic, Republican and Unaffiliated will receive primary ballots for their respective party, with unaffiliated voters receiving both ballots and eligible to cast votes on one.
North Denver voters will see candidates on their ballots for one federal office (District 1 Representative to U.S. Congress), University of Colorado Regent, Denver District Attorney and State House Districts 4 (HD4) and 5 (HD5).
The Republican ballot consists of single candidates running unopposed, and no candidates for Denver District Attorney.
found online at www.denvernorthstar.com.
HD5 incumbent Alex Valdez is running unopposed for a final term.
Denver District Attorney candidates for Democrats are Leora Joseph and John Walsh. CU Regent choices are Elliott Hood and Charles "CJ" Johnson.
The Democratic ballot lists incumbent Rep. Diane DeGette for U.S. Congress with a writein option for eligible candidate John Wren.
Most of North Denver is represented in the state House by House District 4, where two candidates—Tim Hernández and Cecelia Espenoza—will appear on the primary ballot.
The Denver North Star February 2024 issue explored these candidates at length and can be
In the 2020 state primary, 124,477 Democratic Denverites cast votes, as did 18,550 Republicans and 69,983 unaffiliated voters.
Sample ballots and information about how to vote in Denver can be found at DenverVotes.org. Voters can sign up for BallotTrax at denver. ballottrax.net to follow their ballots as they are sent in the mail to them and arrive back at Denver Elections.
To register to vote or confirm or change your party affiliation, visit www.coloradosos.gov/voter. Voters wishing to change party affiliation must do so by Monday, June 3.
The Denver North Star and The G.E.S. Gazette readers began sharing election coverage input with us last month through Voter Voices 2024, a short survey built around the question, “What do you want candidates to talk about as they compete for your votes?” Please, take a few moments to add your input by scanning this QR code to fill out the survey.
will remain Denver perspecengaging treasured asset. be working than just the year, we were for importMayor and group means North Star monthly commuworking with dedicated to lighter congroups and who donatreached out. The helped keep the this long community pawife, Emma the creation years latpaper’s busithe bills are paper’s operascenes. It love someto have important I know it future. See you
In April, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) unveiled potential concepts for bridges over Interstate 25 at West 23rd Avenue and at Speer Boulevard.
The project has been in the works since 2021 as part of the broader 2017 study on what the future holds for the Central Denver segment of I-25. The two bridges, constructed in the 1950s, are nearing the ends of their useful lives.
The bridges have also been struck numerous times by trucks due to their clearances, among the lowest along all of I-25. CDOT standard clearance for bridges is 16 feet 6 inches. At the lowest point, clearance for these bridges is 12 feet 5 inches.
In addition to bringing the bridges up to clearance standards, CDOT would like to improve safety and better accommodate pedestrians, bicycles and other micromobility devices such as e-bikes and electric scooters on the bridges. For example, today the West 23rd Avenue bridge has a substandard, narrow sidewalk on one side and no paved sidewalk on the other.
CDOT presented five options for a new Speer Boulevard bridge at a community open house in April, while also leaving the door open for a “no-action alternative,” where current bridges would continue to be maintained as best they can.
Speer Boulevard bridge replacement options include:
1. Replacement only: Replacing the bridge, removing the current loop ramp exit on the northeast corner of the interchange and adding a stop light on the eastern end of the interchange.
The Denver Editor, PublishComplaints Departneeded” since its have lived neighborhoods and last Point.
2. Single-point urban interchange: This option has a single traffic signal in the middle
A pedestrian, person on a scooter, and cars take the West 23rd Avenue bridge over I-25. CDOT hopes to replace this bridge and has begun sharing concepts with the community.
of the bridge where all the intersection’s left turns occur, with right turns in more traditional locations on either side of the bridge.
3. Diamond interchange: A more traditional interchange with traffic signals on either side of the bridge and off-ramps in all directions.
4. Partial cloverleaf interchange: Would add a cloverleaf ramp on the southwest corner of the intersection and remove the cloverleafs
on the eastern side of the intersection, with traffic signals on either side of the bridge.
5. Diverging diamond interchange: Similar to the interchange at U.S. 36 and McCaslin Boulevard in Superior, this design eliminates left-turn conflicts by having traffic cross over to the opposite side of the bridge (left-hand side).
Options for replacing the West 23rd Avenue bridge include:
1. Braided weave: Creates a braid where traffic exiting northbound I-25 to Speer Boulevard goes underneath the on-ramp for 23rd Avenue traffic going north onto I-25. An additional traffic signal is added to the eastern side of the bridge.
2. Close the interchange: Closing the ramp would eliminate the weave conflict between northbound 23rd Avenue traffic entering on I-25 and traffic exiting I-25 to Speer Boulevard. It would also allow Jefferson Park to be better connected to the Central Platte Valley for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and people who bike and use scooters. Visitors to businesses such as the Children’s Museum, Aquarium and REI would need to use the Speer Boulevard, 20th Avenue or 17th Avenue exits, adding three to four minutes of travel time.
3. Bridge replacement only: This option replaces the bridge and adds a traffic signal on the eastern side of the intersection to eliminate the current free-flow traffic movements and increase safety on the eastern side of the bridge.
Initial concepts for both bridges showed options for vehicles. Later this summer, CDOT will host a community meeting to present options recommended for advancing to the next stage of the process. These concepts will incorporate bike and pedestrian options. Later this year and throughout 2025, CDOT will move into the environmental compliance phase of the project. If the project is given the green light to move forward, final designs and construction options will be studied in 2026.
Allen Cowgill is the City Council District 1 appointee to the DOTI Advisory Board, where he serves as the board co-chair.
Safety upgrades, including a new protected bike lane, will be installed along West 29th Avenue when the street is repaved from Sheridan Boulevard to Zuni Street later this year.
The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) announced the safety improvements at a pop-up community event April 20, saying that the road will be part of its coordinated bike lane striping and installation program this year. The program, taking place across the city, is designed to increase safety and encourage transportation options to reduce congestion.
A 13-year study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico found that traffic fa-
talities fell significantly for all road users after a protected bike lane was installed. Denver data from the study showed a 40% drop in fatal crashes among people who bike, walk and drive where protected bike lanes are installed.
The community event in front of SloHi Bike Co. and SloHi Coffee Co. gave residents a chance to highlight the most dangerous and uncomfortable parts of biking on West 29th Avenue. Residents responded that crossings at Speer and Federal boulevards were particularly unsafe.
Initial designs will be presented at community events later this year, and residents within a few blocks of West 29th Avenue will be sent informational mailers.
Thanks to all of our 2024 Annual Sponsors. Your dedication to the community and Brown International Academy is so appreciated! The Brown PTA | fundraising@browntpta.org
You save money, we save lives. All proceeds support The Other Side Academy; a place where men and women rebuild their lives.
We offer delivery and free donation pick-ups 3125 Federal Blvd Denver 80211 (720) 615-0005 | tosafurniture.com www.theothersideacademy.com
Did you know that Sloan’s Lake used to be quite deep and is now only about 3 feet? This beautiful Denver lake is used daily by many people, yet most have no idea the trouble it’s in.
Luckily, the Sloan’s Lake Park Foundation (SLPF) is actively trying to save the lake. On April 28, SLPF hosted an Earth Day event on the north side of the lake. The day began with a park clean-up, followed by an educational walk, and then ended with author David Forsyth talking about his latest book, “The Amusement Park at Sloan’s Lake.”
The clean-up took place at 11 a.m. and was super successful; 20 volunteers showed up to help. When asked why he decided to participate in the clean-up, local kid Eli Secrist said, “If we keep littering it will turn into a litter lake.” The group collected many bags of trash, showing that even a small group can make a big difference.
The education walk took place at 12:30 p.m. Kurt Weaver, executive director of SLPF, gave an overview of SLPF’s mission and described how the lake was formed back in 1861, when farmer Thomas Sloan was digging a well. The story goes that Sloan hit an aquifer, and by the next day a large lake had formed on his farm. Today the lake is 177 acres in size and the park is 290 acres.
The next stop on the northeastern side of the lake entailed a discussion about the old gun club and how there are still many remnants of black sporting clays along the lake’s shore.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the only pollution in the lake. Over the last century, sediment has eroded into the lake making it dangerously shallow, which is not good for wildlife and their habitat. When Weaver was asked about what will happen if the lake stays in its
current condition, he responded, “It will continue to get warmer, and warm water means things can't live in it.”
Weaver noted that to be a healthy lake, it needs to be swimmable and fishable. Weaver talked about short-term solutions for lake improvement, including planting native grasses and putting floating plant islands into the lake.
The third stop on the walk was the large forebay located on the north side by the pelican head fountain. Weaver informed participants about the benefits of a forebay, and the history and future plans for the boat house. He also discussed the widely popular Dragon Boat Festival that occurs at the lake every summer.
Local resident Deb Neeley, co-president of Sloan’s Lake Citizen Group, commented that she learned a lot about the current mitigation and processes working to keep the lake clean.
The last stop of the walk included a fascinating talk by author David Forsyth on the amusement park called Manhattan Beach that was located west of the current boat house. This huge attraction was located there from the early 1890s to 1914 and included a rollercoaster, theater, zoo, swimming beach and many other sensational spectacles.
The Earth Day event was a wonderful opportunity for folks to enjoy a beautiful day cleaning up their beloved lake while also learning about its current environmental issues and possible solutions.
While it’s great that a few smaller projects are being planned to help the lake, the only real long-term solution to make the lake healthy again is to dredge it.
If Denver and the surrounding communities work together, Sloan’s Lake can be restored for future generations. To get involved please visit, www.sloanslakeparkfoundation.org.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is being challenged by local environmental groups over allegedly lax enforcement standards. The debate centers on whether the state agency has kept adequate oversight of so-called forever chemicals in Suncor Energy’s water discharge permits.
Earthjustice, the organization representing GreenLatinos, Trout Unlimited and the Sierra Club in the administrative appeal, is disputing several aspects of Suncor’s water discharge permit under the Clean Water Act regarding PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Among the group’s chief arguments are that CDPHE neglected to use the most up-to-date federal guidelines, therefore setting Suncor’s water discharge PFAS limits too high. The group also contends that CDPHE set inappropriate monitoring requirements and took too long to enforce updated permits.
Exposure to PFAS has recently been linked to numerous health conditions in humans including deadly cancers, organ damage and developmental delays in children. The chemicals have long resided across a range of consumer products and industrial waste.
The difficulty in removing the forever chemicals, hence their moniker, has prompted a spree of tightened standards in recent years. In April, the Biden-Harris Administration updated PFAS enforcement to include stronger clean-up and improved national drinking water standards. There were also prior updates to PFAS standards in 2022 and 2016, however, as local groups point out, the latest PFAS standards are likely to have little impact on Suncor’s newest
water discharge permit, prompting concern.
According to Earthjustice, CDPHE is lagging in the enforcement of PFAS standards as related to Suncor’s water discharge permit. The argument stems back to 2012 when Suncor was issued a five-year permit that lapsed into a nearly 12-year permit despite updates to PFAS standards in federal guidelines. In the end, Earthjustice argues that CDPHE chose to proceed with outdated standards for the newest permit as well, putting locals at increased risk of health problems.
For its part, CDPHE said they received “significant feedback” on the matter, citing a lack of regulatory requirements from the EPA as a basis for their decision. “At this time, the Environmental Protection Agency does not have numeric surface water quality standards for PFAS chemicals. The department determined that the monitoring, best management practices, and numeric effluent limitations in the Suncor permit are consistent with EPA guidance for protecting water quality.”
According to Ian Coghill of Earthjustice, this is true, but it’s a matter of semantics.
“The Safe Drinking Water Act is generally focused on levels of pollution in public drinking water systems, while the Clean Water Act is focused on discharges of pollutants into surface water bodies,” said Coghill. “However, even though the health advisories are not specifically associated with Clean Water Act permits or surface waters, the state relied on the 2016 health advisory level [instead of the 2022 advisory] to establish what it deemed to be the safe level for concentrations of PFAS in state surface waters.”
“Water is all connected,” said Ean Thomas
Tafoya, Colorado state director for GreenLatinos, in a press release. “When we divide water for regulation and allow more pollution it ultimately impacts everything downstream, especially when we are discussing persistent toxic chemicals like PFAS.”
As Coghill sees it, CDPHE chose not to rely upon the updated 2022 PFAS health advisory levels for Suncor’s water discharge permit, a grave oversight given those levels are much lower than the 2016 guidances due to new scientific information.
Asked for comment on whether the EPA supports the decision of CDPHE to use the older PFAS guidelines, an agency spokesperson replied, “The Suncor permit meets current and relevant requirements under the Clean Water Act and is based on a state regulatory action finalized in 2020. We defer to the state on any plans to modify PFAS requirements for their clean water discharge permits in the future.”
The appeal by local groups also highlights discrepancies in PFAS testing, including CDPHE setting daily limits but only requiring weekly monitoring. Here again, CDPHE acknowledged the difference, suggesting the new limits were still an improvement and that daily monitoring of other pollutants would help suggest if there were relevant issues.
Thus far, neither CDPHE nor EPA has stated whether they will reconsider the guidelines, but CDPHE spokespersons were adamant they are taking the issue seriously.
“This is the most stringent permit we’ve ever issued to Suncor,” read a statement provided to The Denver North Star. “We are committed to continuing to do all we can to protect water quality.”
The Denver Police Department (DPD) has made no arrests a full year after the lives of Emerall Vaughn-Dahler and Ignacio Gutierrez Morales were taken in the April 24, 2023, double homicide at a popular eatery on West 38th Avenue near Raleigh Street.
According to DPD, investigators have reached out to numerous neighbors and over 200 people who were current or former employees of the restaurant. DPD encourages any who were not contacted to reach out by calling 720-913STOP (7867).
DPD said that by state statute, a case becomes a cold case after a year, and that cold case status doesn’t change the investigative process or the assigned detectives working on it.
Anyone with information pertinent to the case should contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867) or www.metrodenvercrimestoppers.com.
The reward fund has increased several times since May 2023 and now stands at $32,600.
Through May 24, American Elm will donate a percentage of all food and beverage sales to Colorado-based gun violence prevention nonprofits.
BY KATHRYN WHITE
Hundreds of bikes tore across the field and around the blacktop at Centennial Elementary May 4. Riders donned unicorn- and gargoyle-adorned helmets, and multicolored streamers waved in the breeze from handlebars. Families lined up for pizza, watermelon and ice cream. New bikes went home with raffle-winners.
These kids were pumped.
The carnival-style Better World Day Bike 4 Earth Bash was led by the school’s student
leadership team and featured earth-friendly arts and crafts, a bicycling obstacle course, bike maintenance, bike decorating and tours of the school’s five new bike racks.
Nyah and Lillian, members of the school’s student leadership team, said the team met weekly for several months to plan the bike bash. They said riding bikes is better for the earth than driving cars, so they hope more people will now plan to get to school by bike.
Centennial applied for a grant last year from the Denver Public Schools Climate Champions grant program. The school’s proposal focused on increasing the number of students and families biking, using energy-efficient transportation and making changes in their lives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
DPS distributed $225,000 this year in its inaugural round of Climate Champions grants. Funding for the grants came from Denver’s Climate Protection Fund (CPF), which Denver voters created by ballot initiative in 2020.
CPF dollars come from a 0.25% increase in sales and use taxes, now generating approximately $40 million per year. The Denver Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency says it directs funds toward projects that mitigate the causes of climate change, help the city adapt to the impacts of a hotter, drier climate, and build resilience in communities.
Centennial, Denver North High School and Valdez Elementary were selected into the inaugural cohort of 14 schools across the district that received Climate Champions funding for 2023-24. Other grant-funded projects included solar picnic tables, waste diversion activities, service learning, and garden and landscape improvements.
Music filled the air and country flags from around the world waved in the wind as Denver North students gathered for the school’s International Fair on April 25. The fair was an opportunity for students to learn from one another about their cultures.
The school’s World Language department first held the fair seven years ago with about 500 students attending, mostly language students. After a pause due to COVID-19, the fair has grown to over 1,000 students attending and dozens of student groups represented.
The fair began with a welcome message from a student speaking the indigenous Lakota language. Dr. Inma Martin, head of the World Language department, then kicked off the festivities.
Martin, who has been at North for nine of her 20 years teaching, said the fair has become an event students look forward to.
one community. For Runco, whose family has been attending North for generations, the fair reflects the neighborhood's dynamic culture and changing demographics.
Dr. Eva Márquez, who teaches Spanish Language Arts and college-level Spanish at North, prepared traditional Venezuelan arepas filled with black beans and shredded pork, as well as a Venezuelan flan called quesillo, using a family recipe that goes back several generations.
“At North, we have always emphasized the importance of sharing cultural practices and products to help students appreciate the diversity of cultural traditions,” Márquez said. “This challenges their assumptions and broadens their perspectives.”
Abeer Jawad, mother of two North students, donated a sweet dish called basbousa after her sons told her they wanted to share it with classmates. While specific ingredients vary by culture, Jawad makes basbousa
“This is a very diverse community,” Martin said, “and we don't realize how diverse we are until we invite students to serve food, dance and play music. Students are happy they can bring their culture here and express who they are and where they come from.”
The school’s mariachi band, modern band and jazz band each took the stage, then dancers from the school's Asian American Pacific Islander club and the Folklorico dance group performed.
Michael Monreal, who plays drums for the modern band, said the group had been preparing its selections—“Bebe Dame” and “Mi Bello Angel”—for weeks, including sometimes at lunchtime.
Mikayla Salgato and Wyatt Runco, both in their third year studying Chinese at North, spent their time at the fair teaching other students how to write their birth years in Chinese calligraphy. Salgato loves that the International Fair brings cultures at the school together as
by baking a semolina flour cake topped with chopped nuts until golden brown, then soaking it with homemade syrup. Jawad said the dish, usually made during Ramadan, goes well with coffee or tea after breaking fast in the evening.
Denver North offers classes in Spanish, Chinese, Lakota and Arabic. Students can take concurrent enrollment Spanish classes for college credit and can work toward a Spanish minor from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Those who demonstrate dual-language proficiency can earn a Seal of Biliteracy from the Colorado Department of Education on their high school diplomas.
Dr. Martin emphasized that the success of the International Fair came down to those involved. “The students make all of this possible,” she said.
While language is a big emphasis, Monreal, the drummer, said, “You don't need to know the language to feel the music.”
This school year, two landmark pieces of state legislation took effect in schools across Colorado. House Bill 19-1192 and House Bill 20-1336 were years in the making, and both affect social studies standards and graduation requirements for all Colorado students.
HB19-1192, which was co-sponsored during the 2019 state legislative session by Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez—a North Denver native, former state representative and current city councilwoman—ensures the inclusion of American minorities in the teaching of civil government. Community-initiated and introduced during a time of record diversity in the state House of Representatives, the intent of HB19-1192 was to guarantee students access to a social studies curriculum that reflects their cultural heritage and identities.
The new standards play out across every grade level from kindergarten through 12th grade, but are most notable at the high school
level. In Denver Public Schools, implementation of HB19-1192 has meant the creation of a new semester-long social studies course called Introduction to Ethnic Studies.
While DPS already met the requirements of the bill through various elective offerings such as Ethnic and Gender Studies and Women in U.S. History, the district wanted to create a course that introduced students to an overview of all ethnic studies, in the hopes that it becomes a springboard for students to dive deeper.
For Gonzales-Gutierrez, HB19-1192 became even more meaningful when her daughter took the course last semester at Denver North High School, Gonzales-Gutierrez’s own alma mater.
“Denver has a history of students—including myself—fighting for their right to learn about their heritage, met with opposition at worst and mild acquiescence at best from administrations and teachers,” Gonzales-Gutierrez said. “This legislation guarantees stu-
dents’ right to learn about their people.”
HB20-1336 came on the heels of HB191192 and adds even more specificity to Colorado social studies standards. The legislation requires that “each school district board of education and charter school is to incorporate the standards on Holocaust and genocide studies adopted by the state board into an existing course that is currently a condition of high school graduation for school years beginning on or after July 1, 2023.”
In short, every Colorado student is now required to learn about the Holocaust and genocide before they receive a diploma. These new standards apply to students in grades six through 12. Students are introduced to concepts related to genocide in grades six through eight, to support their study of genocide in later years.
For DPS, implementation of HB20-1336 started with a committee of teachers, administrators and students working with a
curriculum developer to create a separate semester-long high school course called The History of Power, Conflict, and Healing.
As Alica Saxe, head of that committee said, “the goal of the course is to emphasize that we study genocide because we value humanity and want to protect human rights for all people.”
“By learning about the Holocaust and other genocides,” Saxe added, “the intent is for students to learn empathy and gain historical literacy, not glorify people’s pain.” The course focuses heavily on the reliability of sources, digital literacy and fact-checking.
Curious to learn more? The CDE (Colorado Department of Education) has comprehensive guides about these new standards on their website. Or, connect with Denver Public Schools and Denver North High School on social media to see the memorials Denver North students created as a culmination of their learning from The History of Power, Conflict, and Healing.
family has generations, the fair dynamic culture
Spanish LanSpanish at North, arepas filled pork, as well as using a famgenerations. emphasized cultural practicappreciate Márquez assumptions and North stubasbousa wanted to share specific ingredibasbousa
topped with then soakJawad said the Ramadan, goes breaking fast in Spanish, Students can Spanish classtoward a State Unidemonstrate earn a Seal of Department of diplomas. success of down to those of this posemphasis, Mondon't need to music.”
You don't have to leave the neighborhood to see some of the best modern dance in the country.
On one stage, bodies undulated and flowed seamlessly across the space, telling stories of immigration and resistance. On another, a soloist performed precise serpentine movements against a backdrop of surrealist animation and sounds. Were these elevated dance performance experiences? Yes. Did audiences have to travel downtown—or to New York City—to view them? No. These worldclass performances were on display right here in North Denver.
Kim Robards is a renowned choreographer who has been a mainstay in the Denver dance scene since the 1990s. She has performed and set her work across the world, from New York to France, Beijing and beyond. Robards’ company, Kim Robards Dance, performed “Emanations,” a showing of both new and
legacy works, at their venue and performance space on West 48th Avenue and Pecos Street. Robards' pieces feature athletic, continual motion performed by dancers who maintain elegance and ease.
"The movement is a combination of great physicality, technical expertise, and usually involves momentum through space. Those three things combined will give the audience a visceral feeling," Robards said.
The company has occupied this Chaffee Park venue since February 2023, giving North Denver residents ready access to modern dance performance and classes. The space is a performer's dream and offers audience members a rare opportunity for intimate observation. When attending a Kim Robards Dance performance, you're not watching the dancers from afar, you are immersed in the motion. When choreographing, Robards does not follow what she calls
“Emanations” featured Kim Robards Dance company members in the piece “Inmigración,” choreographed by Robards.
"trends or gimmicks." She draws inspiration from her experiences in Colorado, and she lets the process lead the way.
"The best work reveals to me what it is about," Robards continued. Attending a Kim Robards Dance performance is experiencing the art of movement at its best.
On April 25, the world premiere of interdisciplinary performance “Two Books” played at The Holiday Theater in the Highlands, hosted by the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. This surreal piece was a collaboration between artist Alexis Gideon and dancer Robin Cantrell, a creative duo from New York City/Brooklyn. The piece explored subconscious topics and is based on Jung's “The Red Book: Liber Novus,” which Gideon likened to a "fever dream" in the post-show commentary. Cantrell's thoughtful, fluid movements complemented Gideon's strange, ethereal music and animation. Futuristic dancers with angular upper-body motions choreographed by Cantrell appeared on screen as well. The entire piece came together as an enjoyable, otherworldly display of artistic expression.
Both shows were as much about building community as they were about performance. After each show, attendees were invited for drinks and conversation with the performers, a benefit that is hard to come by in a traditional performance setting.
North Denver residents can be excited by the possibility of seeing more high-caliber dance performances right in our own backyard. Kim Robards Dance performs in their space several times a year and hosts special events, such as an upcoming Mother's Day performance that will help community members celebrate moms with a family dance event featuring performances by both students and company members. MCA Denver presents various performances at The Holiday Theater throughout the year.
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/ newsletters.
When Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero was invited to a panel by the government of the Dominican Republic last year to showcase the school district’s approach to bilingual education, he said dozens of teachers there asked him how they could work for him.
Marrero said he came back to Denver excited that he may have helped recruit 30 new teachers to fill bilingual teaching vacancies. But despite their enthusiasm, only a handful of those teachers are now working in Denver Public Schools, he said.
Marrero asked the district’s human resources team to look into why. Many teachers said they felt making the switch was a big risk and they didn’t have enough support, Marrero said.
So this school year, Denver Public Schools launched the International Educators Institute to provide not only professional, but also personal support to new international teachers. The institute will help teachers from other countries figure out where to live, understand finances and credit, and provide other social or emotional support. It will also train teachers to help them earn more credentials and to understand how Denver’s school system works.
Denver Public Schools has enrolled thousands of new students who have recently immigrated from South America. Although the International Educators Institute wasn’t created because of that influx of students, it makes
the work more important, Marrero said. In addition, the district is under a court order guiding how it teaches students who aren’t yet fluent in English. Meeting that order requires a large number of bilingual teachers, but there are always vacancies.
Marrero said the work of the institute is to help fill teacher vacancies without replacing existing efforts to fill those jobs.
Denver Public Schools serves 88,200 students, 75% of whom are students of color. But among the more than 6,000 teachers, just about a third are teachers of color. If the institute is successful, he envisions a system where students have more teachers of color, and
teachers can expand their careers and better their lives.
If they have to go back to their home countries, they can better help more children around the world too, he said.
“That’s what hasn’t existed ever,” Marrero said of the institute. “Just like we say we have to educate the whole student, it’s the same approach. The parallel is that we have to support the whole educator.”
To get the institute started, Marrero said DPS used $500,000 from federal COVID relief money. But the district will also invest at least $1 million from its general fund.
“We would waste way more in guest teachers, substitute coverage throughout the year, so the way I see it, that’s an investment,” Marrero said.
Maria Moncada Rodriguez, an international teacher from Honduras, has been in Colorado for four years, but is working in Denver schools for the first time this school year. She said she has loved the support from her colleagues and from the institute and wished she had more of it when she initially arrived in the U.S. to work in a different school district.
Moncada Rodriguez and her husband were teachers in Honduras who ran a Montessori school for more than 20 years. But as violence in the country increased, she sought a way out. Then she won a contest that allowed her the
See TEACHERS, Page 15
Lake Park Foundation, the community organization focused on saving and improving Sloan’s Lake and the surrounding park.
Mark your calendars and post these fun North Denver community events to your fridge. See you there!
MAY
Highlands Square Farmers Market
Sundays, May 19-Oct. 13
32nd Avenue from Julian to Mead highlandssquarefarmersmarket.com
JUNE
Sloan’s Lake Wide Open Putt-Putt Bar Crawl
Saturday, June 8
sloanslakewideopen.com
Highlands Art Festival
Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9
Highland Masonic Lodge of Denver coloradoartshows.com/highlands-art-festival
Highlands Street Fair
Saturday, June 22
32nd Avenue from Irving to Perry highlandsstreetfair.com
Denver PrideFest
Saturday, June 22
Civic Center Park
denverpride.org
Edgewater Music Festival
Saturday, June 22
Citizen’s Park, Edgewater www.bluesnbbq.com
RidgeFest
Saturday, June 29
Anderson Park, Wheat Ridge wearelocalworks.org/ridgefest2024
JULY
Tennyson Street Fair
Saturday, July 20
Tennyson Street from 41st to 43rd tennysonstreetfair.com
Colorado Dragon Boat Festival
Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28
Sloan’s Lake www.cdbf.org
AUGUST
La Raza Park Day Sunday, Aug. 25 La Raza Park www.warmcookiesoftherevolution.org
SEPTEMBER
Sunnyside Music Festival Saturday, Sept. 14 Chaffee Park www.sunnysidemusicfest.org
Jamming on the Jetty Saturday, Sept. 21
Sloan’s Lake jammingonthejetty.com
Join the Northside Arts Collaborative and MCA Denver Sunday, June 9, 2 p.m., at the Holiday Theatre (2644 W. 32nd Ave.) for a screening of the 1953 romantic comedy “Dos Tipos de Cuidado” starring iconic movie idols Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete. The Spanish-language ranchera comedy, emphasizing mariachi and ranchera music, will run with English subtitles.
Throughout the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, the Holiday Theater screened Spanish-language movies from Mexico’s Epoca de Oro, or Golden Age of movies.
Concessions—tamales, burritos, conches, dulces and Jarritos—will be sold at prices from “back in the day” and Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra will perform prior to the screening. Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC), Colorado Alliance of Latino Mentors and Authors (CALMA), El Centro Su Teatro, Museo de las Américas and Mexican Cultural Center will be on-hand to share about their services.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at www.mcadenver.org.
For more information, contact Flo Hernández-Ramos at 303-877-4251.
Iwas about 8 when the first “Hunger Games” movie appeared in theaters. My parents went on a date night and watched it themselves to make sure my brother and I were old enough to handle the content. So, when we were finally allowed to watch it (of course, with hands covering my eyes at times), the setting seemed painstakingly outlandish.
The community that Katniss Everdeen lived in looked like a desert—filled with extreme poverty, anguish and more governmental control than a dictatorship. I never thought a government could allow its people to live so poorly. When the movie ended, I not only became grateful that my own country would never do such a thing, but I also asked myself, “What kind of government would thrive on the impoverishment of others?”
170,000 live more than 10 miles away from a grocery store.
As an aspiring civil attorney, I want to help bring light to this problem within our community, but I needed help to imagine where to begin. Thankfully, through my Peace and Justice classes at Regis University, I became familiar with a nonprofit organization called Growing Home.
Growing Home provides food, housing and parenting education to those within the Northwest Denver community, hoping to grant lifelong stability for those who live in food deserts and below the poverty line. I had the privilege of working alongside their community organizing manager to interview community members about Growing Home and how the organization has affected them thus far.
Twelve years later, pursuing a bachelor's degree, I want to scream at my younger self and say, “Our country!” We live in a dystopian reality where the rich profit on the poor!”
For the longest time, I thought movies were supposed to be fictitious stories that only a mentally insane person could come up with. I realize now that I am the mentally insane one for believing that America would never do such a thing given our history. Thanks to my pursuit of learning, I better understand that Katniss Everdeen did not live in a fantastical storyline, but she probably could have grown up here in Denver, in a severely impoverished community that would otherwise be known as a food desert.
A food desert is an area with little to no access to grocery stores, and according to a report by the Colorado Health Institute, about 30% of Colorado's census tracts are considered food deserts. This affects approximately 750,000 residents, and those in the food desert community constantly seek financial stability.
About 42% of food desert residents have low incomes, and in the state of Colorado alone about 553,272 people, or 11.1% of Colorado’s population, are in desperate need of financial support. On top of this, according to the USDA's Food Access Research Atlas, about
Both members I talked to were tremendously grateful for the nonprofit and said they were given a chance to secure housing and financial stability when everything around them seemed upside down. The one issue they had was the inability to use affordable transportation. In the interviews, both members were undoubtedly grateful for the housing and help in finding an occupation. Still, they couldn’t fully take advantage of their new jobs because of the lack of transportation.
So, with the information presented to the organization, they decided to look into a free, on-demand shuttle service. The shuttle service will allow residents to call for a ride any time of the day and bring them to their desired destination. This would help members get to their jobs on time, see their loved ones more often, and improve their quality of life.
This idea is still in the works because Growing Home needs the finances and publicity to show that this is a big issue with a plausible solution. I encourage you, dear reader, to spread the word about Growing Home and their fight for an equitable transportation plan. If you can, please donate to growinghome.org/donate.
The city of Denver finds itself at the center of a complex immigration crisis, with a significant influx of migrants, particularly from Venezuela, causing considerable strain on city resources.
This sanctuary city has welcomed nearly 40,000 migrants in the past year, a sizable addition to its population of just over 710,000. As a result, the burden on local services has become a pressing issue that requires immediate action and collaboration from the community in Colorado.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has faced the challenge of balancing the needs of the city’s existing residents with those of newly arrived migrants. We often hear of his achievements and works he has in store for the future. The situation has led to a proposal of 15% budget cuts to city programs and agencies. Despite these efforts, the city continues to struggle to maintain support for incoming migrants, including providing shelter, food, education and assistance with asylum paperwork.
But is the city as understanding and welcoming as it is painted to be? An embedded issue that many fail to address is the xenophobia that newcomers face not just from Denver’s residents, but from their community.
When I first moved to Colorado, I was around 9 years old, and my family had recently migrated from Peru. While at Regis University, I have dedicated most of my research to complex subjects such as democratic backsliding, political violence and political fragmentation in Latin American countries. But when I was given the oppor-
tunity to work with the community partner West Colfax Lampstand, I knew this would allow me to explore further the consequenc-
The correlation between nationalism and xenophobia is that when a group strongly identifies with a specific ethnic or cultural identity, they may view outsiders as a threat to their identity or interests.
es of nationalism and xenophobia.
The term nationalism, coined by scholar Johann Gottfried Herder, refers to the idea of a person’s loyalty to their nation. Xenophobia, in turn, often involves negative attitudes or discrimination against people from different countries or cultures. The correlation between nationalism and xenophobia is that when a group strongly identifies with a specific ethnic or cultural identity, they may view outsiders as a threat to their identity or interests.
How do these terms relate to Denver? According to the Latino Leadership Institute, more than 100,000 Hispanic people are living in counties like Adams, Arapahoe and Denver. My family, despite living in the United States for over a decade, continues to watch news channels from back home to keep themselves updated with the political
See XENOPHOBIA, Page 15
away from a want to help our comimagine where Peace and I became organization called housing within the hoping to who live in poverty line. I alongside their interview Growing Home affected them were tremenand said secure houseverything down. The one to use afinterviews, undoubtedly grateful finding an octake adof the lack presented to the into a free, shuttle sera ride any their desired members get to ones more life. because Growpublicity with a plausireader, to Home and transportation growingcommunity partner this would consequencby scholar to the idea nation. Xenonegative attipeople from The correlaxenophobia is identifies with a they may their identity Denver? AcInstitute, people are livArapahoe and living in the continues back home to the political
By Eric Trujillo, Regis University studentLiving in North Denver, just west of North High School, has many benefits.
The community is very active, vibrant, offers many diverse and delicious foods along with plenty of amusing late-night activities.
More importantly, for me personally, is the six-minute daily commute I take north on Federal to Regis University for my classes. In the recent months all along my short commute I have noticed growing numbers of migrants and unhoused individuals around my route.
I began to take notes and saw many different levels of housing in my community, those unhoused, renting, and finally those who bought their homes. Unknown to me was an entire population of people who are in one of the biggest housing crises, seemingly unknown to the population: those living from their vehicles.
When I looked back at my notes, I discovered almost a sort of hierarchy in living accommodations within my community. At the bottom you have those living in the streets; slightly above them are those in homeless shelters or moving house to house with no positive housing options; next you have this population living within their vehicles; above them would be those renting; and finally at the top you have homeowners. This hierarchy gave me a better insight in my community, however I still didn’t fully understand the population living in their cars.
I began to research the topic and discovered that those living in their vehicles are a part of a wider nationwide issue known as “vehicular homelessness.” Since 2016, this population has increased 40% throughout the country.
In Colorado, studies have indicated that 30 to 40% of homeless people are living in cars. This means that a significant number of individuals are not highly publicized while abandoned in Denver streets in cramped, miserable conditions inside their cars.
Much of the media and government aid spotlights the visible unhoused population,
with the vehicular homeless having to tiptoe around parking laws that restrict where they are able to park. Looking back at my hierarchy from earlier, this population has the ability to find positive sustainable housing but also are just as likely to end up in worse conditions. To us, a parking ticket is an annoyance, to them, a parking ticket could destroy their entire livelihood. Currently in Colorado, there are laws in place to deter these individuals from parking in safe areas.
That was when I came across the Colorado Safe Parking Initiative. This nonprofit organization works to provide safe, legal places for people living from their vehicles to shelter overnight. This organization uses parking lots in different communities throughout the Denver metro area to provide legal parking and services such as bathrooms, free meals, health care and resources to help find housing. Currently, with 13 parking lots and serving 110 individuals, the organization aids hundreds of unhoused individuals towards finding positive housing options.
I reached out to one lot located at the Lakewood United Methodist Church. The current overseer, Pastor Ben Hensley, explained the major differences from vehicular homelessness and other forms of being unhoused. The major takeaways were the high chances of the vehicular homeless population to be the elderly, retired, female, or have issues regarding physical or mental health.
Due to funding losses, the Colorado Safe Parking Initiative cannot expand or properly aid those in their program. The organization has lost the ability to fund a case manager to help sites like the Lakewood United Methodist Church. The organization has only been able to aid a third of those that need their help since starting in 2020 and could lose the ability to serve more in the future.
As a community we can step in, by either donating at their official website or pushing our local government to fund the organization. We can save a local population from falling further down the housing hierarchy.
Ybetween xenophobia strongly ethnic they may threat to interests.
ou may have noticed people at our cross streets asking to clean your car windows as you wait for the lights to turn green. According to the Washington Examiner, Denver has received the most immigrants per capita in the nation, with over 40,000 arrivals since May 2023.
While their presence at intersections has only recently been noticed, Denver has been trying to accustom itself to providing housing and other resources for about a year in response to the rise of arrivals. A significant issue that Venezuelan immigrants have been facing is their inability to work because of the long wait for a work permit, or because they do not have a form of official identification.
Over the past few weeks, fellow Regis students and I have talked to Venezuelan families to learn more about their journey to the United States and how they have navigated Denver. I have learned that these situations are much deeper than what we may think.
One woman told us that she graduated with a degree in business administration in Venezuela. Since arriving here, she has only been able to work for a total of three days cleaning houses. While she feels grateful for shelter and food, she has been unable to work or even open a bank account without her ID, which has been lost. Denver desperately needs national and local support to ensure success for our newcomers.
To shed some light on the severity, at the end of last year, Denver churches and hotels opened their doors to emergency shelter for some of the influx of migrants; however, we
have not seen many long-term solutions. Months later, Denver has closed four emergency shelters to scale down the cost and focus its efforts on more long-term solutions. This left many families feeling uncertain, and when we asked Venezuelan families what they needed, many said all they needed or wanted was a job.
Work authorization for migrants is a federal-level issue. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston stated, “What we see is people here who want to work, people here who want to hire them, and a federal government who stood in the way.”
It is no secret that the country's immigration system needs to be updated, and if we have new arrivals who want to work and employers who wish to hire them, we need to get them permission to do so. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated. None of the adult immigrants we spoke with had a stream of income.
Denver’s newcomers arrive with little to no social network, and because of the widely accepted stigmas against them, they have little communal support. Nonprofits, community members and small city efforts have been working to their total capacity to do what they can. According to NBC News, the mayor’s political director was recorded telling a group of migrant families at a Denver shelter that the city has received too many immigrants and that families will struggle here if they stay.
We must shift these sentiments and support migrants. If you have read this far, I encourage you to do something about this. Let's make our city a welcoming place.
I–Caesar B.
t’s strawberry season! And it’s May, which means a full calendar for those wrapping up the school year. Make this recipe for a whole-grain, fiber- and vitamin-packed snack in the form of a delicious muffin. Top with greek yogurt or a handful of nuts for added protein. Heck, make a double batch; they will freeze.
INGREDIENTS
1¼ cups whole wheat flour*
½ cup rolled oats*
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk**
⅓ cup maple syrup or honey**
¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)**
2 eggs lightly beaten**
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup diced strawberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
*Gluten-free: Replace flour with gluten-free, 1-to-1 alternative. Use certified gluten-free oats.
**Vegan: Replace egg with 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and ¼ cup water. Replace butter with melted and slightly cooled coconut oil or avocado oil. Replace milk with a non-dairy alternative. Use maple syrup or another vegan liquid sweetener.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a standard 12-muffin tin with nonstick spray, or use muffin liners. A mini muffin tin will work, but reduce the cooking time.
Add flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a medium bowl. Stir together.
Add milk, maple syrup, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, strawberries and lemon zest. Stir together gently to just combine. Don’t over stir. Evenly divide the batter.
Bake for 16-18 minutes (12-14 minutes for mini muffins) or until a toothpick inserted
into a center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, let cool for a minute or two in the pan, transfer muffins to cool fully on a wire rack.
Enjoy.
NOTES
• Dice berries into very small pieces to ensure muffins hold together well as they bake.
• If strawberries release more than a tablespoon of liquid when you dice them, reduce other liquid by an equal amount.
• Remove muffins from the pan when they come out of the oven to cool on a wire rack so they don’t continue to bake.
• Add a delicious drizzle of ¼ cup powdered sugar whisked with 1 tablespoon milk or lemon juice.
Erika Taylor is a community wellness instigator at Taylored Fitness, the original online wellness mentoring system. Taylored Fitness believes that everyone can discover small changes in order to make themselves and their communities more vibrant, and that it is only possible to do our best work in the world if we make a daily commitment to our health. Visit facebook.com/erika.taylor.303 or email erika@tayloredfitness.com.
Lilacs are budding and grad party invites are rolling in. Summer is right around the corner.
my mature skin now regrets) is our key to recapturing the joy we crave now. Let’s discover how to integrate the joy of summer by shifting from high speed into idle for a season.
Whether you're like me, gleefully bidding the winter months good riddance, or you already dread those scorching sunny days, let’s agree on this: Summer, as both a season and a concept, has much to teach us about how to proactively nurture our bodies, minds and spirits. Let me explain.
Think back to summer break as a teenager. What was it about summer that had you so psyched? Most likely, it was more time with friends, less time stuck indoors studying and the chance to do something new and exciting. That summer crush on the boy next door or the first summer job that had you earning your own pocket money are perfect examples.
Studies have shown that vacations and other breaks from work significantly reduce cortisol, the stress
Studies have shown that vacations and other breaks from work significantly reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. Chronic stress, in fact, can be downright toxic to your body by increasing your risk for depression, high blood pressure and a host of other illnesses that many of us know about, but few of us take steps to proactively manage. If “spring cleaning” is a thing, why can’t “summer stress checkup” be as well? You don’t have to finance a two-week cruise to reduce your cortisol. Taking smaller breaks on a consistent basis reduces cortisol too.
Fast forward to today. All this adulting—working 40 plus hours or more week after week, doing double duty just to keep house and family afloat—is enough to drive the best of us to the brink of burnout and depression if we’re not mindful. Wistfully remembering what was special about those teen summer years (mine were spent baking in the sun, slathered in baby oil, a habit
Also, switching up our day-to-day routines (remember summer camp?) challenges our brain to create new pathways, also known as neuroplasticity, which improves memory. Studies by the National Institutes of Health have shown that visiting new places and having new experiences promotes memory due to the biological significance of adapting to new and novel environments. The “new and novel” concept is only as limited as your imagination and can be as sim-
our key to Let’s dissummer into idle for vacations and significantly reduce Chronic stress, your body depression, high other illnesses few of us
If “spring is a thing, “summer checkup” be You don’t finance a cruise to your cortiTaking smaller a consis-
day-to-day rouchallengpathways, also improves Institutes new placpromotes significance environments. only as limbe as sim-
JILL CARSTENS
You may have heard that my memoir was recently published. The subtitle of the book is “Navigating the loss of a Colorado home.” This loss initially refers to losing my childhood home to divorce when I was 16 years old. It was a tough time for my brother and me.
As divorce has become more of a norm in our culture, we have learned more about how it affects children. Has this made it easier for children to navigate this loss?
Loss is the operative word with divorce; loss of security, loss of the family unit, loss of home, financial loss, loss of community, loss of routine, and on and on.
According to an August 2022 Psychology Today article, children whose parents divorce exhibit higher levels of anxiety, depression and antisocial behavior than peers whose parents remain married. Marital breakdown can leave both parents feeling devastated, and the stress can evoke primitive and powerful feelings of abandonment, isolation and fear. Every part of their lives— living arrangements, decisions about schooling and holidays—can be fraught with conflict if the parents are not able to cooperate with one another.
A very simple thing that I know would have helped my brother and me was the chance to be heard. In the early 1980s, it seemed there was a tendency to minimize what children were experiencing and emphasize that they can be resilient. The word “resilient” is still used among studies about divorce, but the difference now is that we are encouraged to talk to our kids and hear how they are feeling. This can help children feel validated and empowered, helping them move on with their feelings.
My parents concealed their troubles to us until they announced their divorce. To give them credit, they tried to hide the unsavory parts of their hardships that led to their split; however, the sudden announcement in what appeared to be a healthy and happy household was as surprising as a piano falling on our heads. It took me years to catch up to what happened. Since writing my book, a few people have reached out to me who experienced the divorce of their parents during that time period and commiserated that it was, still, one of the hardest experiences of their lives.
Another tough part of my parents' split was losing the home we had kept since I was 3 years old. It was really the only home I had known, and the surrounding neighborhood was my community. Leaving that place of belonging and security added another layer to the parts of the divorce that were challenging. Both of our parents moved to newer, smaller, more temporary housing where neither my brother nor I had a connection. They were starting new lives, but ours were somewhat stunted.
would gravely change soon. This was hard for my nieces, moving back and forth between houses, communication failures, etc. It is exhausting, and you inevitably leave your favorite sweater or homework assignment at the wrong house.
But as time went on, my niece’s parents let the hard feelings subside and stepped up for their kids. They gather as an alternative family model, mom and dad with their new partners and even the grandparents with their second partners as a tribe that gets along, at minimum, for the love and sake of their daughters.
When at all possible, one parent keeping the original residence can lessen the impact of a divorce that is already tough on a child under the stress of a dismantled family and disrupted daily routines.
When at all possible, one parent keeping the original residence can lessen the impact of a divorce that is already tough on a child under the stress of a dismantled family and disrupted daily routines.
My nieces experienced their parents’ divorce as teens a few years ago. Like my family, all seemed fine until it wasn’t. There was no warning or foreshadowing that their lives
Not all families can do that. But I like the model of being there for the kids and sacrificing a little uncomfortableness to help them feel more secure.
And according to an article in the July 2020 journal Young Child, there can be an upside to crisis events.
“Not all stressful events are harmful,” the article states, “and many challenging experiences can help a child develop or strengthen coping strategies.”
Experiencing the challenge of divorce, as hard as it was, helped me to grow in time, understanding the inevitable flaws of the world and developing a broader perspective in life.
Jill Carstens taught for 30 years and now enjoys writing about that time here and in her recently published memoir, "Getting Over Vivian." Find out more at www.jillcarstenswriter.com.
Continued from Page 12
ple as cooking with a new spice or walking to work.
Here are more ways to tap the summer spirit:
Give yourself permission to drop one work-related task and sub in a fun activity, preferably outdoors. Did you know there are more than 30 Denver Parks and Recreation Centers that feature a swimming pool? Berkeley and Aztlan are the closest for Northwest Denver folks, but there are plenty of other choices too. How long since you whiled away a sunny afternoon under a sun hat, sweet tea in one hand and a cheap paperback in the other? Even if you're not a fan of chlorinated water and splashing hordes, nothing prevents you from chilling out with a picnic basket in the grass.
Summer camp was all about trying something new and being OK if you sucked at it. How long has it been since you took a class that didn't relate to your profession?
Try getting your hands dirty just for the sake of it, whether it's container gardening, throwing clay onto the potter’s wheel, or creating macaroni and glue art with your preschooler.
If you like the summer fun concept but prefer to hug the A/C until August, the summer spirit applies to the great indoors too. Queue up a YouTube video on watercolor painting or perfect a vegan ceviche recipe. With an Internet connection, you have the world at your fingertips.
Drop me an email and share how downshifting has helped your mental health. Meanwhile, have a great summer!
Erin Olyer Rohlf is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), professional therapist and founder of Higher Healing and Wellness, LLC. Call her at 720-644-1400 or email her at eorohlf@gmail.com for information or to suggest ideas for future columns.
Northside women organized the North Side Women’s Club (NSWC) in 1895. Its members were affluent women living in the Highlands as well as women who had moved from the area. From the beginning, the club included activist women who had a broad sense of what their role in the community should be.
The goal was to provide members with education on a broad range of subjects. The club’s mandate also included aiding those in need. The Progressive movement, inspired by the idea of Social Gospel, had strong social and political influences on these women. They believed in putting their actions where their values were. A lecture on Jan. 9, 1900, presented profiles of prominent Socialists including Detroit Mayor Hazen Pingree, Progressive leader and economist Richard Ely, and Denver’s own Rev. Myron Reed.
The members gave money and time to the Home for Dependent and Neglected Children, the Girl’s Industrial School, the Crittendon Home, the Old Ladies’ Home, the city and county jails, the county hospital and the newsboys’ union. In 1903, they provided
towels for Judge Lindsey’s public shower for working boys in the basement of the Denver Courthouse.
NSWC’s most significant project was setting up the North Side Neighborhood House (NSNH).
Winona Osborn and the Northside Hesperian Club led the project with the help of Father Joseph Carrigan of St. Patrick’s church and local Protestant minister James Speer. The NSNH opened its doors in October of 1904 at its first home, a small house at 3324
Navajo St. By 1906 it had relocated to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Hall at 3517
Navajo St. Additional moves took the neighborhood house to 3544 Kalamath St., 3603 Lipan St. and 3410 Pecos St.
Mrs. Wright, the superintendent, managed the facility with donated furnishings and supplies. In 1906, club member Sarah Irish was appointed as the NSNH resident worker.
Throughout 1899 and 1900, the kitchen-garden committee of the NSWC offered Saturday classes. Topics included selecting wood to build cookstove fires; table setting; bed making; sweeping; washing; ironing; kitchen care; lamp and cellar care; marketing; child care; and dealing with emergencies. They hoped to teach the immigrant mothers
Continued from Page 1
TOSA originated in Salt Lake City and was invited to establish a home in Denver after former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and former Denver Mayor Michael Hancock visited the organization in 2016, hearing of its 79% success rate compared to other substance abuse recovery programs.
Repeat offenders and addicts usually have limited choices: more jail time or 30- to 90day programs that fail. TOSA requires its applicants enter the program with a solid intention for change and a commitment to at least the two-year residential and work program, and often an additional six-month re-entry transition time period. Otherwise students may stay employed at TOSA’s enterprises as long as they wish.
how to create “model homes,” “where the mothers of our present pupils may be helped to make their own homes a more attractive, more satisfying place.”
At its height, the neighborhood house included a gymnasium for the boys, a recreation room, a reading room, a library, girls’ and boys’ clubs, and a mother’s club. It also offered classes on domestic sciences, sewing and English.
Volunteer teachers held English classes at night, set up for the men in the Italian community who, they believed, had the greatest contact with the outside world. Many older Italian women did not venture too far out of the community so, the reformers felt, had less need to learn a new language. A typical class included street addresses, singing “America” and “The Star Spangled Banner,” and usually a civics lesson. The men who took classes included gardeners, truck drivers and laborers. House supervisors tried to appeal to the community so they bought a Victrola, stocked with Italian operas and modern dance music. According to an article in the Denver Post, while older visitors liked traditional music, the younger set liked “the latest rag.” One story told of young Mary Musso, who was continually late for dinner because she wanted to stay and listen to the music. She was caught between the world of her family and that of the broader culture that the settlement house represented. The Post also reported that the local boys liked the house’s
boxing classes because they helped them deal with prejudice from non-immigrant kids. As they told A. P. Drucker, “it taught them to beat the American kids who teased them and beat them up.”
The house also had success stories. Tony Ampiro attended classes at North Side because his family hoped to keep him out of trouble. He had appeared in Judge Lindsey’s juvenile court and was not doing well in school. When the house leaders discovered that he had artistic talent, they arranged for outside art lessons. By age 15 he became a noted book cover designer and stayed out of trouble after that.
Frequently between 1905 to 1915, the NSWC looked outside for financial help. In 1905, they went to the Associated Charities of Denver requesting assistance. Although the North Side Neighborhood House ran as an independent agency, eventually when they ran out of money, the Denver Neighborhood House Association merged with them. In 1909, the Neighborhood Association established a trade school at North Side with the blessings of the North Side Women’s Club.
Dr. Rebecca A. Hunt has been a resident of North Denver since 1993. She worked in museums and then taught museum studies and Colorado, Denver, women’s and immigration history at the University of Colorado Denver until she retired in 2020.
Join an upcoming walking tour by local
Tours are free, though participants are encouraged to tip the guide as they wish.
Tuesday, June 11, Old Elitch’s, 6:30-8 p.m. Meet in front of the Historic Elitch Theater (4550 W. 38th Ave.) near the southwest corner of West 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street.
Thursday, June 20, East of Sloan’s Lake, 6:30-8 p.m. Gather at the south-
of
Avenue and Meade Street, across the street from Lake Middle School.
Tim Stay, TOSA’s CEO, said the average participant has been arrested over 25 times when they enter the program. TOSA places 100% of students into full-time jobs. The organization does not receive much in the way of grant funding or donations.
“Our social enterprises generate millions of dollars that support the program,” Stay said.
Founded on 70 years of research, TOSA’s residential, work-based program utilizes a model of collaboration and teamwork rather than therapy. All of TOSA’s staff are former offenders. For Heard, this translates into what he described as a “no-[BS] way” to just start doing the work, but with a newfound sense of purpose.
Seth Heard takes a break to be photographed at work, where he is a crew lead for
The Other Side Furniture Boutique, a nonprofit social enterprise near Federal and Speer boulevards.
For Heard, the academy has been a life-changer.
“Something magical happens when you work hard on yourself and healing begins, and then you get to help others and immediately see progress. It is very fulfilling. I like myself now and I am excited to work on my goals,” Heard said, adding that he wants to go to college as
soon as he finishes his time with TOSA. More: A 501(c)(3), TOSA has been self-sufficient since 2019 and houses over 70 students in Denver. It is currently renovating another historic house for future residents. Learn more at www.theothersideacademy.com.
Continued from Page 1
Acknowledging the information gap among Denver’s dog owners, Quesada said that rangers follow a progressive compliance model of enforcement and use education as a way to gain compliance. Park rules are posted at most parks, which include off-leash rules. In instances of continued violations park rangers may place additional signage explaining the rules.
Ben Asser, a downtown Denver resident, often takes his dog, Cleo, to Westminster Dog Park to expend her excess energy. They also enjoy visiting Denver Beer Co., where they relax on the dog-friendly patio. While he said he longs for more dog-friendly restaurants, Asser is generally content with Denver's leash laws, explaining, "My dog will run away, so she needs to be on a leash unless we're in a fenced area.”
Dunia Ahmed was waiting for her train on a New York City platform when a man she’d never met tried to throw her onto the tracks. When she screamed and was rescued by bystanders, her assailant jumped onto the tracks just as the train arrived. The shocking opening scene of “Almost Surely Dead” by Amina Akhtar is just the beginning of the startling twists in this psychological thriller.
After the man tries to push Dunia in front of the train, there is another attempt on her life, then another, each one followed by the suicide of the attacker. The police detective on her case can find no links between Dunia and her assailants. Could it be her ex-fiance who is stalking her? Or the family friend who coincidentally shows up whenever something bad happens? She doesn’t know who to trust, and she’s not even sure she can trust herself.
Dunia was 5, and her mother blamed her, claiming that she was a pagal, a demon. Dunia was sheltered from her Desi community and targeted by those who thought her sleepwalking and self-defensive behaviors were signs of evil. Now a successful pharmacist, Dunia confronts memories of her youth brought to the forefront by her mother’s death. And she’s started sleepwalking again. The only things keeping her tethered to the here-and-now are her best friend, Kendra, and a new friendship with a wealthy investor in Kendra’s company. The transcripts of the “Disappearance of Dunia Ahmed” podcast add layers to the mystery, and various interviews portray Dunia as the unreliable narrator of her own life story. Add to that the dark bedtime stories told to her by her father about jinn and how they abduct children without their knowledge and this novel becomes all the more chilling. Part magic, part horror, entirely riveting, check out “Almost Surely Dead” at a Denver Public Library branch near you.
“While I’m grateful for it, it’s very minimal,” she said. With a laugh, she added, “My friend called it a depressing litter box. That’s what we got.”
But Northwest Denver resident Lisa Parker shares a different perspective regarding the city’s support for dog owners. In addition to adopting Boulder’s Voice and Sight Program, she said she believes “we need to have more spaces for our dogs to be off leash and more opportunities for social interaction. Berkeley Park doesn’t have a lot of trees, there’s no grass, there’s no access to water.”
Continued from Page 10
climate of the place we used to call home.
I will not assume other families do this, but the media from countries in Latin America continue to further this prejudice towards Venezuelan refugees. “They are criminals,” “They are lazy and want everything to be handed to them,” which resulted in many Latin American governments closing their borders and denying any government assistance.
Feelings of nationalism will follow us where we go; we love representing who we are and where we come from. Cultures in Latin America are different from one another despite sharing similarities. We embrace our differences and are proud of our origins.
However, the dangers that follow are feelings of resentment and superiority. This stigma justifies different Hispanic groups to turn their backs and reject any efforts to build a community network for Venezuelan refugees.
The journey from Venezuela to the U.S. is a difficult one, and many are seeking opportunities to get a job, give their children the opportunity to go to school, and simply live. Community efforts have played a crucial role in providing support to migrants.
Churches, nonprofits and residents offer housing, financial assistance and skills training. But as I got to know these families through West Colfax Lampstand, isolation and rejection continue to prevail in their efforts to build a sense of home and comfort.
Acookbook, which is produced in English and Spanish by the University of Denver, launches next month on May 16 and at a May 21 event from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Raíces Brewing (2060 W. Colfax Ave.). Written by Dr. Julia Roncoroni and Dr. Delio Figueroa, the cookbook features stories and recipes by refugees and
immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Ukraine and Venezuela. Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook will be donated to Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC). More information can be found at www. juliarpsychology.com/cocina-libre.
The story is told asynchronously, with transcripts of a true-crime podcast interspersed with scenes from Dunia’s childhood and her life at the time of the subway attack. It’s not just any true-crime podcast, though. It’s a podcast about Dunia’s disappearance, which happened over a year before they began broadcasting.
The glimpses of her past paint an ominous picture, but even more disturbing are the gaps in the story. Her father passed away when
Continued from Page 8
opportunity to come teach in Colorado.
She and her husband were both supposed to get jobs, and her two children would be able to come along. But at the last minute, a new principal took over the Colorado school where she was supposed to teach and rescinded her husband’s job offer.
While her family still joined her in Colorado, it took her husband more than a year and a half to get a work permit. And during that time, Moncada Rodriguez said the family struggled financially with just her income.
“We cried almost every day,” she recalled. But she said she and her husband still gave thanks that their children were in a safe home.
But now that she’s working in Denver Public Schools, she’s been able to connect to other international teachers from various countries, through the institute, and also through the teachers union.
Recently, she said she and the other international teachers she’s met decided to start a guide for newly arrived teachers. Ideally, she said it would include information on clothing drives, financial literacy classes, help with buying a home, immigration lawyers, and more.
“We need all types of information,” she said.
It’s the same kind of help the district’s institute wants to provide.
DENVER’S GOAL: 120 NEW INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS NEXT YEAR
As the district has rolled out the supports and launched the institute this year, it’s also hired 64 new visa sponsored teachers for the current school year. That’s brought the total of international teachers with work visas in DPS to 234. For next school year, the district’s goal is to hire 120 new international teachers.
The district plans to use some of the institute’s $1.5 million budget on visits to other countries to help recruit and connect with teachers, but also to help staff to spend time finding resources and helping new teachers.
Finding affordable housing for teachers is a particularly important issue, but Marrero said he’s not interested in being a landlord or managing property.
“There is a healthy way to engage, but there’s also a lot to be said when you have a little bit of separation,” Marrero said. Teachers, he said,
Getting ready for summer? We are! Denver Public Library’s Summer of Adventure program starts on June 1 and encourages kids to read, make and explore over the summer months to help curb learning loss. Learn more at summerofadventure.org.
Wendy Thomas is a librarian at the Smiley Branch Library. When not reading or recommending books, you can find her hiking with her dogs.
“don’t want to be under the DPS thumb.”
Still, the district is exploring relationships with developers, landlords, and city officials. This year, for example, the district was able to negotiate a lower price on a long-term lease for some teachers from the Dominican Republic.
“That’s going to be us leveraging our existing relationships and leveraging also our position,” Marrero said. “Even if it’s just a building. Saying: ‘Can we have X amount of units that we have first dibs on?’ That’s what I’m looking to explore.”
Moncada Rodriguez continues to look for resources on her own. One issue she hasn’t figured out is how to help her oldest child, who’s graduating this year, pay for college. Since her children are her dependents and she is on a sponsored visa, they can’t get work permits, and they don’t qualify for any of the financial assistance for higher education she’s learned about so far.
“Of course we aren’t asking for everything to come easy or handed to us,” Moncada Rodriguez said. “We love to work and study. But coming here and knowing our kids can’t go to university because of a lack of resources is overwhelming.”
Still, she wants other teachers considering coming to the United States to know that things can get better if they can persist. And she hopes local leaders can learn to be more supportive too.
At her school, Academia Ana Marie Sandoval, she loves that she gets to use her experience as a Montessori teacher working with students from low-income families, and that she’s valued for her Spanish language skills.
She said her fellow teachers have been helpful and supportive, and her connection to the institute means there’s always someone to answer her questions.
Moncada Rodriguez said she’s taken many Denver Public Schools training courses, including one that’s taught her how to do home visits with families of newly arriving migrant students.
“Now the only thing missing is how to get a masters degree,” she said. “I’m working on that next.”
Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat (chalkbeat.org) is a nonprofit news organization covering public education.
