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ICONIC COLFAX BUILDING UP FOR POSSIBLE REDEVELOPMENT By Jacob Karp The future of the Depression Era, Art Deco style Colfax building that once housed the self-proclaimed world’s largest coin operated laundromat is once again up for debate. Built in 1932 at 1018 E. Colfax as a store front and residence, the building is most famous for its tenure as Smiley’s Laundromat, which at one time boasted over 350 total washer and dryer units and was regarded as a cultural icon of the Colfax corridor. Today the three story mixed-use building is owned and operated by Consolidated Investment Group (CIG) and is home to apartment units on the upper two levels, with a Subway and a recently closed dental office occupying the street level. CIG’s original redevelopment plans called for the retention of the building and the construction of an adjacent new building between 5-8 stories, though the possibility of complete demolition of the building had not been ruled out. In May CIG filed for a Certificate of Non-Historic Status, which if granted would have provided a five-year window during which demolition could occur without further community notification or historic review. As part of this process, a public 21-day posting period to determine historic status was initiated. Though not currently deemed a historic landmark or preservation site, the building is listed as being state eligible for the landmark registration process and was ultimately found to meet the requirements which preliminarily deemed it historic in nature. According to John Olson, Director of Preservation Programs at Historic Denver, the requirements for such a designation of
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Brecklyn and Makenna flash giant smiles as they enjoy funnel cake and corn on the cob at the People’s Fair last month. PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH
a building are that it be at least 30 years old and meet history, geography and architecture parameters. In the case of Smiley’s all requirements were met. Additionally, the posting period garnered a lot of public and neighborhood support for the salvation of the building. “The public really came to bat during the non-historic appeal,” said Olson. “The neighborhood is very supportive of retaining the historic nature, but also creating something new and vibrant for the area.” As such, the building developers withdrew the filing and the building has been temporarily saved. This designation will allow for ongoing discussions between Historic Denver, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN) and Consolidated Investment Group to find a
By Jason McKinney Are you looking for a way to beat the heat on America’s birthday weekend? Or would you rather be outside in the sweltering temperatures? Maybe, you’re just wanting to see some fireworks and attempt to avoid the crowds in the process. Either way, Denver (and beyond) has plenty to offer for every taste over the July 4th weekend; unfortunately, no promises about those crowds. After all, everybody does love a good fireworks display.
INDEPENDENCE EVE FIREWORKS Sun., July 3, 8 p.m. Civic Center Park, Broadway & Colfax The Independence Eve Celebration in Civic Center Park will
creative solution that supports both old and new. According to Olson, conversations have been positive in nature and the hope is that an agreement can be made to allow for necessary modifications and redevelopment while maintaining Smiley’s as a recognizable historic asset. Constructed for $85,000 at the corner of Colfax and Downing during the Depression Era, the building quickly became a popular community mainstay as its commercial tenants offered essential goods and services. The building was originally home to a produce stand, bakery, grocery store, and beauty parlor and later a restaurant and physician’s office. continued on page 21
feature a free concert, a light show on the Denver City and County Building and a fireworks finale. Lawn seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and blankets or low-rise concert/beach chairs are permitted. Personal picnics are also allowed at the event, though concessions will be available. Parking is available at nearby surface lots and parking garages. For more information, go to denver.org.
LIBERTY RUN & FIRECRACKER KIDS FUN RUN Mon., July 4, 8:30 am (Liberty Run) & 10 am (Fun Run) Washington Park ,1000 S. Downing continued on page 27
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2 by Jill Farschman Perhaps you heard the news that my husband Jay and I recently became the proud co-owners of Life on Capitol Hill (LIFE) and Neighborhood Life (NL). How did this happen? Well, I was sitting down to a pleasant monthly coffee with Shanna Taylor, then co-owner and publisher of LIFE and NL, when she surprised me With some of the anti-media Platt Park into a PUBLISHERS space celebratby sharing news that the papers EDITORIAL rhetoric floating around these ing all three publications. Shanna Taylor were for sale. Intriguing news editor@lifeoncaphill.com Jill Farschman days, I feel compelled to close We are committed to producing press releases, listings, story ideas, news certainly, butcalendar completely unexEDITORS tips due by July 20 for the August issue with an impassioned plea for high-integrity, micro-community pected. Denny Taylor Published the first Wednesday of each month journalism. It is an honorable news that is, as ever, worth readIn 2015, Shanna and her Haines Eason profession. A free press is the ing. Nothing to me is more grathusband Keith purchased LIFE ADVERTISING ADVERTISING cornerstone of a successful ifying than seeing people pick and NL only a month before advertising@lifeoncaphill.com Shanna Taylor democratic society and the only up a paper from the box outside my husband Jay and I bought Steve Koehler 303.831.8634 private business guaranteed my offi ce window. Because of our the Washington Park Profile PHOTOGRAPHERS Get your message to your neighbors in City Park West, existence in our nation’s conreaders and advertisers, our team Jeff Hersch (The Profi le).Rafael, All papers freePark, Five Points, Whittier, San Uptown,are Curtis Danithree Shae Thompson stitution. Any nation without a gets to produce cherished monthly and RiNo. community newspapers WRITERS free press fails to achieve its full community-building assets. For previously run by highly respectD. Todd Clough potential, and our community all these reasons and more, I go long-time WEed, WANT TO HEARpublishers. FROM YOU In both Peg Ekstrand papers are the embodiment of to work with a grateful heart and Monthly Nancy Foster transactions, we weren’t just pursince 2006 @DenverLifeNews Julie Hutchinson this powerful ideal. a spring in my step. chasing businesses but protecting Peter Jones legacies and highly valued comJacob Karp @DenverLifeNews Linda Katchen munity resources. All of these P.O. Box 18344 Keith Lewis Denver, Co community papers were thriving Lokken Liane facebook.com/neighborhoodlife 80218 Jason McKinney after weathering numerous ecoJ. Patrick O’Leary nomic downturns and tumultuous J.L. Schultheis Price Caroline Schomp historical periods. Thriving for Colorado Press Denny Taylor Association two simple reasons: avid readers Jennifer Turner 2015 member Daniel Webster, Jr. and loyal advertisers. David Lynn Wise So why purchase newspapers in Your photo here! ®2015 Community DESIGN & PRODUCTION this day and age? Despite profitPublications, Inc. Tim Berland ALL RIGHTS ability, all three of these publiMelissa Harris RESERVED cations still have upside revenue potential. Current production processes are similar, eliminating a huge barrier to seamless ownership transition. Our team’s technical literacy allows us to photo is something you (and anyone Have noticed five photos offeryou a suite of the solutions to adelse in the photo) are okay having that now appear on the cover of vertisers seeking visibility across published on the front of the paper. Neighborhood Life each month? platforms andlike to readers desiring Well, people just YOU submit Follow us on Instagram them! While you’re outwhether snappingin access to content photos our neighborhood, printaround or through a digital device. @DenverLifeNews, on Twitter @DenverLifeNews, and at simply include the hashtag Also, the contiguous nature of facebook.com/neighborhoodlife for #NeighborhoodLens. It could be a our geographical more local news and photos photo of you and yourterritories dog playinggive at uspark, a potent Denver Metro throughout the month. the a gorgeous sunset, or presa group friends attending a concert – ence.of Lastly, we can share stories Happy snapping! the content is up to you.when topics across publications -Neighborhood Life Staff warrant a larger What are we lookingaudience. for in a great OurMake editor, Eason, Cover photos by (L to R) photo? sureHaines your photos arehas 1.@denverlifenews, Denver Life News clear, representative of the bright, honor and of leading an extreme2.@rinoyachtclub, Rino Yacht Club what’s going onpool in our ly talented ofneighborhood. freelance 3.@am_griswold, Anna Bennett Also, tag the location of the photo so writers and photographers. Over 4.@lwdbridal, Little White Dress Bridal we can see where exciting things are the next Avoid few months we will re- Shop happening! using certain frames Jill Farschman andLizarraga her husband Jay are new co-owners and publishers Cisco and filtersour that heavily distort brand business entitythe under 5.@ciscosinatra, original image. Finally, make sure the of Life on Capitol Hill and Neighborhood Life free monthly community the name Denver Metro Media and newspapers. PHOTO BY SARA HERTWIG transform our current office in
NEIGHBORHOOD
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editor@lifeoncaphill.com press releases, calendar listings, story ideas, news tips due by July 20 for the August issue Published the first Wednesday of each month
ADVERTISING 303.831.8634 Get your message to your neighbors in Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park,Congress Park, Uptown, Alamo Placita, Country Club, Cherry Creek North, South City Park, and Golden Triangle.
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WRITERS D. Todd Clough Peg Ekstrand Nancy Foster Julie Hutchinson Peter Jones Jacob Karp Linda Katchen Keith Lewis Lokken Liane Jason McKinney J. Patrick O’Leary J.L. Schultheis Price Caroline Schomp Denny Taylor Jennifer Turner Daniel Webster, Jr. David Lynn Wise
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Tim Berland Melissa Harris
HAVE YOUR INSTAGRAM PHOTOS PUBLISHED IN LIFE ON CAPITOL HILL! Have you noticed the five photos that now appear on the cover of Life on Capitol Hill each month? Well, people just like YOU submit them! While you’re out snapping photos around our neighborhood, simply include the hashtag #CapHillStill. It could be a photo of you and your dog playing at the park, a gorgeous sunset, or a group of friends attending a concert – the content is up to you.
something you (and anyone else in the photo) are okay having published on the front of the paper.
What are we looking for in a great photo? Make sure your photos are clear, bright, and representative of what’s going on in Capitol Hill. Also, tag the location of the photo so we can see where exciting things are happening in our neighborhood. Avoid using certain frames and filters that heavily distort the original image. Finally, make sure the photo is
Cover photos by (L to R) 1.@matt_prater, Matt Prater 2.@randomcs, Carmel Schiff of Carmely Photography 3.@paraquail, Sara Quin 4.@nataliejene, Natalie Starnes 5.@danisthompson, Dani Shae Thompson
Follow us on Instagram @DenverLifeNews, on Twitter @DenverLifeNews, and at facebook.com/lifeoncapitolhill for more local news and photos throughout the month.Happy snapping! -Life on Capitol Hill Staff
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The Magic is Back on July 31st! Saturday, July 30, 9:00 pm to 12:00 am, Colfax Avenue & Aspen Grove Fans of all ages are invited to join us for tons of cursed fun! We’ll celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One & Two, Special Rehearsal Edition Script ($29.99 Arthur A. Levine Books) with late-night parties at the Colfax Avenue and Aspen Grove stores. There will be a Transfiguration Station (face painting); Quidditch Tryouts; a Treasure Hunt; Wizard Trivia; and much more! Book vouchers can be purchased now at any Tattered Cover metro-Denver location. Vouchers will reserve copies of the book, and help us facilitate book sales at midnight on July 31!
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7 GREAT FREE EVENTS NOT TO BE MISSED THIS MONTH 1 2 3
Saturday, July 2 & Sunday, July 3: Meet in the Street Festival, 16th Street Pedestrian Mall. July 2 features the largest Cafe Culture in Denver with more than 10 expanded patio cafes, “Music in the Street” on Glenarm Street, Silent Disco & Live Music. July 3 features Live Music, Performances by the Black Actors Guild, DJ, Mall Pong & free yoga. Sunday, July 3: Independence Eve at Civic Center, 101 W. 14th Ave., at 8 pm. This free celebration features music, a light show, and fireworks set among the grand architecture of Civic Center Park, a historic 12-acre gathering space. Bring your blankets and low rise chairs and be sure to arrive early to get a great spot on the lawn. Monday, July 4: Greater Park Hill 4th of July Parade, 2300 Dexter St. at 1:30 pm. The Park Hill 4th of July Parade is Denver's largest Independence Day march. It's a traditional parade with everything you'd expect, including marching bands, floats, classic cars, costumed characters and much more! Held in Park Hill, one of Denver's oldest, most historic and diverse neighborhoods, the Park Hill 4th of July Parade has a small-town feel right in the heart of the city!
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Saturday, July 9: Urban Home Show, Skyline Park – 16th Street Mall & Arapahoe Street, 11 am- 7 pm. An event designed for homeowners in all stages of remodeling, landscaping and decorating their homes. Homeowners will be inspired with countless ideas on enhancing their home’s comfort and functionality, as well as its aesthetic appeal and overall value.
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Friday, July 15 - Sunday, July 17: The first-ever Union Station Buskerfest will take place outside Denver’s Union Station. Featuring an international lineup of artists, this extravaganza aspires to cultivate a tradition of live street art and performance. Fire performers, musicians, face painters, hula-hoopers, jugglers and others will provide entertainment Saturday between 11:00am and 9:00pm and Sunday between 1:00pm and 7:00pm. Festivities will kick off Friday evening at 5:00pm with the brass band Gora Gora Orkestar and the headliner act Isabella Hoops.
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Saturday, July 23: Denver 1st Annual International Festival at 101 W. 14th Ave. from 10 am-8 pm. The Denver International Festival is a celebration of the best traditional food, music and art from our own backyard. Come dance, eat, drink and play and in the heart of Denver at Civic Center Park. Saturday, July 30 & Sunday, July 31: Colorado Dragon Boat Festival at Sloan’s Lake Park. Founded in 2001 to celebrate Colorado's Asian Pacific American (APA) culture, it has become the region's fastest growing free, fun, family-friendly summer festival. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to explore APA customs through performances, arts and crafts, shopping, dining and the exciting athletic competition of dragon boat racing.
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THE OTHER SIDE OF CURMUDGEON By Jennifer Turner LIFE’s Curmudgeon columnist D. Todd Clough has been entertaining and irritating readers for almost a decade. Whether writing about “The Most Expensive Dog Park in the World” or rattling on about his beloved Broncos, or even his latest thoughts on the Denver Zoo, he can always be counted on for colorful commentary. It is not a stretch to see why his pieces could be perceived as the work of a grump. However, most are probably unaware Clough’s day job is CEO/Executive Director of Denver Inner City Parish (DICP), a nonprofit that serves impoverished working families. On a daily basis, his words and actions demonstrate he is anything but curmudgeonly. DICP was founded in 1960 by a group of Protestant churches but is a non-sectarian organization. It offers all secular programs, with the exception of a bi-weekly evening church service. Clough began his career in the Mile-High City at the Children’s Museum of Denver and was ultimately promoted to Executive Director. In 1987, he was asked to be on the DICP Board. After six months in the position, Clough was tapped to run La Academia, DICP’s private 7-12th grade school. He stayed in the job for 20 years. In November of 2007, he became CEO/ Executive Director of the entire organization. Described by some as unconventional, Clough has a very hands-on management style. He has an open door policy at his office at 1212 Mariposa in Denver’s
Lincoln/La Alma Park neighborhood. There are a number of homeless in the area and many of them rely on DICP and Clough to get by. On a typical day, he has three to four impromptu meetings with homeless people. Some just want to talk or pet his dog, Mabel. Others are in need of food or bus tokens. All are welcome. Clough also keeps a drawer in his office stocked with socks and Band-Aids to handout. He feels these types of interactions, and relationships that develop from them, are integral to his job. It is not uncommon for Clough’s friendships with the homeless to be long-term. There are people he has been seeing several times per week for over a decade. He also doesn’t hesitate to give his cell phone number to anyone in need. One of his favorite quotes is by Pope Francis who states, “If you’re going to be a shepherd, you will probably smell like sheep.” Clough acknowledges the nature of his work can be messy and taxing, and sometimes even come with an unpleasant odor. He credits his wife of 33 years, Melissa Harris, with helping him through the difficult times. Feeding hungry families is a big part of DICP’s mission. Clough realized a long time ago that a full stomach is the first step to a better life and self-sustainability. Approximately 26,000 people per year receive services from DICP across its eight programs. Roughly 18,000 of the interactions are food-related. The nonprofit
LIFE’s “Curmudgeon” columnist D. Todd Clough’s day job is CEO/Executive Director of Denver Inner City Parish, a nonprofit that serves impoverished working families. PHOTO BY DANI SHAE THOMPSON serves close to 174,000 meals per year and 75 percent of its programs have a food component. There are food pantries at the DICP office at 1212 Mariposa and its College View Community Center at 2525 S. Decatur. The organization has a client’s choice policy, which allows visitors to make their own selections rather than being handed a box of pre-selected food. This format adds more dignity to the process, since a visit seems more like shopping at a grocery store. There is also an emphasis on healthy options; DICP strives to offer fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs and meat, whenever possible. Food is also readily accessible at La Academia, DICP’s 7-12th grade school for at-risk-youth.
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Breakfast and lunch are served at no-charge and the students have the opportunity to pick-up food on Friday afternoons to take home for the weekends. Current La Academia students are responsible for interviewing applicants to the school. The administration feels it is the best way to weed-out kids who aren’t a good fit and who may be affiliated with gangs. Roughly half of the institution’s funding comes from private donors and Clough raises a substantial amount of the money needed to run the school himself. Puentes is another DICP program. It is the Spanish word for “bridge” and the organization’s college awareness and preparatory class. All La Academia juniors and seniors are required to participate. Many of the students are first generation high school graduates, and the shift to college life can be difficult for them. They are paired with a mentor who works with them their final two years of high school and first two years of college to help ensure a successful transition. Approximately 3,100 people per month receive services at DICP’s College View Community
Center (CVCC) at 2525 S. Decatur, near Federal and Evans. Roughly 40 percent are 5 -18 years old and many live within walking distance. The holidays are also important at DICP and events are planned to boost community spirit. The organization serves Thanksgiving meals at two locations. It also hands out 300-500 toys at Christmas through its toy lottery program. A unique holiday offering at DICP is a free store where kids can “shop” for gifts for their parents. Some of the most popular items are pots and pans, hats, gloves and perfume. Attorney Frank Debick has served on the DICP Board with Clough for close to seven years. He says, “Todd has an uncanny ability to inspire everyone involved with Denver Inner City Parish to strive for excellence. He is also the lifeblood of the organization and driving force behind countless initiatives which make a profound impact on the lives of those suffering in poverty.” For more information on DICP, visit dicp.org. To donate or volunteer, please contact Development Manager Brianna Mol at brianna@dicp.org.
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Master bartender Ben Carrington, right, gives Retrograde co-owner, Josh Gertzen, tips on how to pour water for customers at the space-themed speakeasy in Uptown.
BUSINESS Photos & Copy by J. L. Schultheis Price
OPENINGS: RETROGRADE There’s no fake bookstore front or non-functioning pie shop here. Instead, the newest speakeasy in town is one that’s hidden behind an operational second business in genuine Roaring 20s style.
Step inside the business at 530 E.19th in Uptown and you’re in for a treat. Make that a double. What first meets the eye is an artisanal ice cream shop called Frozen Matter. I covered this cow-to-cone micro creamery that even pasteurized its own dairy ingredients in May. Hidden behind a huge walk-in freezer door in the left corner of the room is Retrograde, an intimate gem of a cocktail lounge, also run by ice cream addicts/
As the construction wraps up in the 200 block of Columbine in CCN, Thirsty Lion, an eclectic casual eatery, has opened a second location on the corner of Columbine & E. 2nd.
owners Josh Gertzen and Geraldine (Gerry) Kim. Gertzen and Kim have poured a lot of thought into both ventures – nearly two years’ worth – and the results sparkle. He’s a former software engineer. She holds a law degree. After pursuing those careers for a span, the duo decided to turn their attention to detail toward entrepreneurship and delve into their first love – craft ice cream. That was quickly followed by the June addition of a cocktail lounge. They’ve also added a bit of personal passion to the designs. That goes a long way to explain the speakeasy’s name. “I’m a bit of a space geek at heart,” Gertzen explained. He handled all the lighting details that yield an extraordinary space. Retrograde is cozy yet out of this world. Its name evokes images of space and the décor
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reflects the vastness of stars, the moon and night sky. In astronomy terms, retrograde is an adjective meaning ‘having a backward or opposite direction’ or ‘moving in an orbit converse to other bodies within a system.’ And yes, they’re doing everything just a little differently here and the name’s a good fit. Gertzen calls the decor both ‘retro with mid mod emphasis’ and ‘futuristic’. If you’re observant, you can find numerous constellations embedded in the poured concrete bar top. Soon, old sci-fi flicks will be shown on one wall. You can also spot an extensive offering of spirits tucked into wall spaces. Program manager Luke Ramos has crafted a noteworthy list of signature cocktails. He’s formulated some sure winners including the Kaiju Ice, Brooklyn Pacifier and The Fox Mulder. Rather than cater to the vodka and Redbull crowd, Ramos designed the Thrust Chamber with Red Bull ice for a smoother ride. There’s also his signature Little Green Ghouls, Buddy – a blend of gin, lime, vermouth, cucumber ice and burnt sprigs of rosemary topped with a splash of tonic. Ramos is a sherry fan so the menu offers a selection of sherry at $5 per glass all day every day. Food offerings are limited to charcuterie and cheeses unless you opt for ice cream. Select from a list that includes pàtê de champagne, prosciutto, and an assortment of cheeses. One can only hope that owners Kim and Gertzen get to unwind a bit after this second debut in as many months. The couple has taken just a single day off since Christmas, but their attention to detail should yield positive results. Retrograde is an otherworldly place worth the trip. Retrograde seats around three dozen so expect a possible wait. On the weekends, there will be limited reservations available; a portion of seating will always be first come, first served. Hours are Sun. – Thurs., 4:30 pm-midnight & Fri. – Sat., 4:30 pm-1 am. The number is 720-6006358.
THIRSTY LION GASTROPUB & GRILL There’s new life at the corner of Columbine & E. 2nd in Cherry
Creek North (CCN). This was the home of Earl’s Restaurant for a stretch, but Earl’s struggled at this corner spot. Ownership publicly attributed its closure to the massive construction projects in the 200 block of Columbine, but now the cranes have moved east and business should thrive again on the western edge of CCN. The newcomer is Thirsty Lion, an eatery born in Portland, Oregon that joined the Colorado dining scene downtown two years ago. CCN General Manager Michael McMaster felt the timing was right. “We went into Union Station at just the right time – before it was fully finished. We felt CCN had a spot for our kind of restaurant. We offer Happy Hour seven days a week. We thought something was missing,” he said. “The reception has been nothing but positive. They were still doing construction at Union Station (when we opened). We were hand selected by the developers to bring something new to the project.” Some of what CCN had recently lacked was a higher quality of traditional pub fare at reasonable prices, according to McMaster. He described the Lion’s offerings as not precisely Scottish or Welsh in influence although they do feature traditional Scotch eggs – something I suspect CCN’s not seen on a menu since Argyll Gastropub closed its original location at E. 3rd & Clayton many years ago. “It’s more of a Euro pub setting. A take on a public house, a European pub, a gathering place,” he explained. “We’re delighted to be part of the rejuvenation of Cherry Creek.” Since opening its first location in the Pacific Northwest eight years ago, Thirsty Lion has expanded into several other states. Texas is slated to get their first pub later next year. Inside the CCN space, the layout is reminiscent of Earl’s. No major walls were moved, but somehow the dining areas feel more open. The stellar west-facing patio has received an update and soon there will also be a smaller patio along Columbine featuring counter-style seating for folks who like to watch the buzz of CCN up close. One standout on the menu is
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It’s all about America at Berkeley Supply’s new location at 3229 E. Colfax. The offerings are primarily jeans and other quality casual wear made in the USA. the NW Pub burger with gorgonzola-infused beef, maple bacon and arugula. Appetizer offerings are ample. In addition to burgers and fish ‘n chips, you’ll also find a selection of salads and other sandwiches. True to the Grill in its name, there are also entrees of grilled fish and steaks. Others include an enchilada stack and Kung Pao chicken so, in short, it’s eclectic enough to please even picky eaters. A seasonal menu is also slated to arrive soon. A number of wines are offered on tap to deliver fresh product at a lower price point. Signature cocktails and beer flights are also worth a look. The daily Happy Hour McMaster stressed is actually two – one that runs from 3 pm-6 pm daily and the other that lasts from 9:30 pm-midnight. Thirstyliongastropub.com has the menu. Currently hours are Mon. – Thurs., 11 am-midnight, Fri., 11 am-1 am, Sat., 9 am-1 am & Sun., 9 am-11 pm.
AMAZING LASH STUDIO Also in CCN, Amazing Lash Studio has opened above Duke’s Convenience Store at E. 2nd & Detroit. It occupies the former 3-D blinds space on the second level. It’s an eyelash extensions salon geared to plumping up your lashes to eliminate the need for mascara. The company website indicates initial appointments can run two hours for the first application. Then refills are suggested once or twice a month. Treatments are offered by appointment only. Amazing has locations in dozens of states. Hours are weekdays 9 am-8 pm, Sat., 9 am-7 pm & Sun., 10 am-6 pm. The precise address is 2727 E. 2nd on the upper level, 720504-0911 is the number.
BANDED OAK BREWERY The stretch of Broadway between E. 6th & Alameda continues to pop. That’s doubly true for the 400 block that recently saw the addition of Wizard’s Chest, Dae Gee BBQ, Fat Jack’s sub shop and Baker Wine & Spirits in recent months. Add to that list Banded Oak Brewery at 470 Broadway. Will Curtain and brewer Chris Kirk are the new owners but not new to
the industry. Curtain managed the taproom at Great Divide for five years. Kirk brewed there before brewing in Sweden and Brazil. They bring a lot of experience to this joint venture. The taproom space indoors takes maximum advantage of every square foot. It can seat around 35, but the patio is roomy and inviting. “We chose this space for its character and the ability to have a large outside patio,” Curtain said of the location – a former auto body shop. “Right now we are trying to cultivate a fun atmosphere with really drinkable beers. We are putting beer in wine barrels, which will differentiate us from other breweries.” Coming soon is an Imperial Rye Saison aged in cabernet barrels along with a second barrel-aged offering. Curtain insists they don’t plan to “take ourselves too seriously.” He’d just love to build a reputation around good beer and good service. The number for Banded Oak is 720-479-8033. The tasting room is open to the public Wed. - Thurs., 2 pm-10 pm, Fri. – Sat., noon-midnight & Sun., noon to 8 pm.
LUKE & COMPANY ‘Fine pet supply and outfitter’ is the mission at 430 Broadway, the new home of Luke & Company located a couple doors south of Banded Oak. It’s a spacious pet supply store with an adjacent grooming service. This storefront (and back) sprawls over 3,300 sq. ft. making it the largest independent shop near downtown. Up front, there’s food for dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens including a large selection of raw dog foods. Information about the source of each brand is chalked on the concrete floors in front of its display. Owner Luke Johnson sources as many products as possible from local producers and his standards are high. He won’t carry foods that contain corn or animal by-products. His canine buddy, Annie, is in full agreement with that vision. Johnson built most of the shelving himself using reclaimed
The designs at Namaste’s new home at 1301 Speer incorporates vintage chandeliers with Craftsman toolboxes on wheels that store stylists’ equipment.
woods. He wants to build an ethical business the old fashioned way. Drawing on experience managing a North Denver Jimmy John’s sub restaurant, Johnson has carefully designed a business plan he thinks will be embraced rapidly. Grooming services are based on the boutique concept of one dog at a time. No pack of animals waiting for a shave here. Grooming is available seven days a week by appointment. There’s also a self wash with three-tier pricing depending on whether you bring your own supplies, need a dryer etc. Parking in back is available to access grooming services. Hours are Mon. – Sat., 11 am-8 pm & Sun., noon-8 pm. Lukeandco.com has a full list of food brands available or call 303-282-0377. Note: The website should also have details
of a Grand Opening party for the block planned for the last week of July. At press time, no times had been set.
PURE HAIR STUDIO There are two new businesses located further south at 420 Broadway. There’s a traditional barbershop in front and a training academy coming soon in the back. Pure Hair Studio is the name of the barbershop. It’s a high-end operation with cuts beginning around $25. Currently there are four professional barbers at work including several who’ve won a number of competitions in their field. That number will soon double to eight cutters. Hours are 11 am-9 pm Mon. – Sat. & Sunday by appointment only. Find them on Instagram. Barber University of Denver received its state licensure in
late April and will open in late July behind Pure Hair. Details next month.
SPROUTS If you need any more proof that this area of Broadway is ramping up, you’ll find it another dozen or so blocks south. Just off Broadway, Sprouts has opened a large store on S. Lincoln, just south of Tennessee.
ILLEGAL BURGER “Burgers so good they should be illegal.” That’s the company motto for a new burger-centric spot that opened June 13th. Located at 609 Grant in the space that last housed Moontower Tacos, Illegal Burger is the latest expansion of a small chain; this location brings the total to continued on page 8
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Denver welcomes its first yoga festival in early August and the settings are a true showcase for the city. Here founder Sarah Russell practices a pose in the lobby of the Oxford Hotel where many events will occur.
BUSINESS Continued from 7 four restaurants in all. “Our patties are made with fresh, all natural, never frozen, no antibiotics or growth hormones beef,” the company’s website pledges. “Illegal Burger was created to change the way we look at burgers, from the details of our sustainable decor, to the quality products used in our food.” The menu’s studded with an expansive selection of toppings, sauces, fries and sides plus milkshakes including the adult type. Chicken and fish sandwiches plus a vegan option and hot dogs round out the list of eats. With names like The Godfather and Swimming with the Fishes, you get a glimpse of the fun their corporate name infuses into
daily operations. Choose your own bun from a list that includes brioche, pretzel, and gluten free and whole wheat. Illegalburgerco.com has the full menu or call 303-831-1300. Hours are Sun. – Thurs., 11 am-9 pm & Fri. – Sat., 11 am-10 pm.
BERKELEY SUPPLY Men’s clothing store Berkeley Supply has opened a 300 sq. ft. storefront at 3229 E. Colfax Ave., next to Atomic Cowboy. This is the first expansion of a concept that 29-year-old owner Eli Cox launched four and a half years ago on Tennyson in the Berkeley neighborhood on the northwest side of town. “All the Americana, the American made denim… there was really no place to buy it in Denver. When I was in LA or New York, I’d seek out these kinds of places. I was constantly buying
Owner Luke Johnson and his buddy, Annie, hope their quality pet foods will draw pet owners to their shop at 430 Broadway from all around the downtown area.
(attire) not in the state of Colorado,” Eli explained. “It kind of spiraled from there. I saw a need in the market and just filled it. I got sort of lucky with the timing. People were ready for it.” Now Cox will juggle two stores. “They’re really not a ton different. I probably have 60 brands there (in Berkeley), but for right now the (smaller) Colfax shop has the top sellers,” he continued. “I think the quality speaks for itself. I just want to bring what we have on Tennyson to a part of town that I personally love.” There’s no plan to expand the shop’s small footprint. Atomic Cowboy uses the remainder of the former ISM Gallery for storage. The number is 720-445-6818 and the shop’s hours are Mon. – Sat., 11 am-6 pm & Sun. 10 am-4 pm.
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NAMASTE PURE DESIGN SALON After closing its space on S. Broadway across from the Mayan Theater, Namaste Salon has debuted a new space at 1301 Speer next to King Soopers. “The buildings on S. Broadway were sold. The new landlord was not very cooperative about doing repairs, so we decided to get out and look for a building. I found this location online and we bought it the next morning,” said partner Tom Purnell. The makeover of the space has taken about a year. Several stunning chandeliers were acquired from a Las Vegas hotel at auction. They’re cleverly paired with orange Craftsman tool chests at each chair creating a visual treat. Purnell and co-owner Rick Van De Riet purchased three condo spaces to create their dream salon. Renovations included demolishing the entire space, raising ceilings, adding handicapped-accessible features and a second level. They’re thrilled with their new digs. “This neighborhood is changing so fast. It’s just amazing,” said Purnell. “We’re also opening up a barber college and an Aveda training upstairs.” The entrance features ample room for a products boutique complete with Asian statuary. Hours are Tues. – Sat., 9 am-8 pm, & Sun. – Mon., 10 am-6 pm. Namaste has 12 reserved parking spaces and clients can also use King Soopers parking if those spaces are full. The salon’s number is 303-777-5914.
INAUGURAL DENVER YOGA FESTIVAL Given all the yoga brands that have originated in Colorado, you might figure Denver has hosted yoga festivals for the past decade. You’d be wrong. Next month, the inaugural Denver festival launches in early August. I’m writing about it a bit early because anyone interested in certification programs, intimate sessions with renowned yoga mentors or just experiencing yoga in bustling urban locations will need to plan ahead. The festival is the vision of founder Sarah Russell, a local instructor and international presenter. Pogamat sponsors it.
Dates are August 4-7, and unlike many festivals that are in remote wilderness spots, Russell wants to celebrate yoga in the heart of Denver. For her first festival, events center around Union Station and the Oxford Hotel – a welcome change from past urban festivals self contained in a hotel or scattered around in urban studios. Russell said, “I’ve been to events where you never set foot outside the hotel.” This urban happening will be different. “We’re completely walkable,” she stressed. Classes will incorporate the Oxford’s vintage meeting rooms, Union Station spaces and a handful of other urban spaces. Russell pointed out that the practice of yoga has become a $30 billion industry in the US. “More than 24 million Americans practice yoga, and this number increases by 20 percent annually, demonstrating a rising demand for events that connect students and teachers in mindful practice,” she said. Russell started working on the launch of a Denver festival – Denver is one of the largest U.S. hubs for yoga gear – in June 2015. Plans are already firmed up for a second event in 2017 as well. Her mission is to bring people together through yoga, mindfulness and meditation. “The mission of the Denver Yoga Festival is to create a community for everyone interested in yoga, while also acting as a springboard for the careers of incredible yoga professionals,” Russell said. “While Colorado is home to some of the most renowned yoga festivals in the country, there is currently no festival that leverages the amazing, urban energy of our growing city.” Highlights of Russell’s vision include experiences like brunch with Yogini on the Loose Gina Caputo and Yoga Day at Coors Field. There will also be panel discussions, a fashion show, a yoga hike at Red Rocks and other workshops. Starting to sound a bit like a film festival, no? Pre-festival workshops include Reiki Certification and Adaptive Yoga Certification for those looking to enhance a career or simply deepen their knowledge base.
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Local Modern Gingham preserves champ, Kathy Lee, has made a career out of foraging for fruits and other ingredients like mint in the backyards of Denver. There will also be a free kids’ camp overseen by Flex Yoga + Barre with the purchase of an adult ticket. “The camp will teach kids confidence and creativity through games and music, peace through yoga, and self- expression through dance,” festival organizers explained. Classes include some for folks with disabilities and special needs. They include adaptive yoga for those in wheelchairs or facing other physical issues, plus special yoga for military veterans. There’s even a scholarship fund for low-income residents. A number of big name teachers are woven into the vision. Headliners include Mackenzie Miller, a certified personal trainer and international yoga instructor; Dr. Lorin Roche, a noted scholar, teacher and author on meditation and the ancient Tantra Yoga text, the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra; and Christina Sell, a master teacher of international acclaim and dozens of others. “As a teacher, I felt a calling to provide other teachers an opportunity to shine and students an opportunity to truly connect with their mentors,” said Russell. “The festival will be an inclusive event with an exclusive feel. Participants can expect to mix and mingle with their favorite teachers, enjoy intimate conversations about the impact and the bigger picture that yoga has in our society, as well as laugh and cry on their mats with friends and family. “ The complete roster along with pass/ticket information is viewable at denveryogafestival. com.
CHANGES: MODERN GINGHAM PRESERVES One of my Congress Park neighbors, Kathy Lee, is making headlines with her Modern Gingham Preserves. Her raspberry and violet preserves snagged a Good Food Award earlier this year and her product was an American Made finalist in 2015. “The Good Food Awards celebrates the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsibly produced. We grant
awards to outstanding American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients. This year’s winners represent the forefront of American craft food,” the awards committee wrote. Not bad for a business started just five summers ago within shouting distance of my back yard. Modern Gingham was founded on a pair of basic principles: use the highest quality ingredients and incorporate fruits foraged from urban farms and backyards that might otherwise go to waste, whenever possible. She offers a portion of each batch as a Thank You to homeowners sharing their largess. After establishing relationships with locals over the past few years, the past two whacky winters have Lee hunting for more local fruits to gather. “Many of the trees were shocked – they didn't lose their leaves, and many I had picked in the past never recovered and were razed. It was horrible for many tree owners,” she said of the strange conditions we witnessed in Fall 2014 to Winter 2015. Lee and many area residents are concerned about this year’s crops since trees blossomed a bit early this year – perhaps before pollinators including bees were active. Orchards from which she sourced were also affected – especially peach and apple orchards. “I didn't get one call for apples or crabapples last year, no plums, no sour cherry trees that I knew of had harvestable fruit,” she said. “In summer 2014, all the plums were sourced from local Denver trees that I picked or harvested; I picked many sour cherry trees, and I was so inundated with apples, I couldn't get to every tree offered.” Now, Lee is reaching out to neighbors all around Denver with a message – don’t let your fruits go to waste. She’s happy to harvest your crop and share the fruit with you or share a jar of what she creates from your fruit. Like many foragers, Lee has a wish list. Quince fruit tops it, followed closely by black, red and/ or white currants, then gooseberries. You can find Modern Gingham for sale at a handful of Denver retailers. Argonaut carries her cocktail cherries. Temple Bak-
Fans celebrate Studio Colfax’ 2nd anniversary and fashion show on June 11th. The shop features numerous local and international artists.
ery on Curtis uses her products. They’re also sold at The Preservery in Backyard on Blake and at The Market in Larimer Square. As a local preservation expert, Lee has taught classes at the Denver Botanic Gardens and in private homes on preserving. This year, she is planning to lead foraging tours in the neighborhoods of Denver. You can check out Lee’s flavors at moderngingham.com. Her raspberry with dark chocolate balsamic is in high demand, but there’s always another intriguing flavor including this summer’s rhubarb ginger to satisfy while she hunts down more raspberries. If you have fruit to share, email her at Kathy@moderngingham.com.
TYCOON RAMEN & SUSHI BAR After an opening in February, Tycoon Ramen has added a big east-facing patio to its restaurant at 338 E Colfax. Located on the corner at Logan, Tycoon features a number of huge ramen bowls but the menu doesn’t stop there. Foods from Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam share the menu. It’s operated by a sister duo plus one’s husband. They ran L’Asie on E. 6th & Pearl before ‘retiring’ from the restaurant business for a short time. Hours are Mon. – Thurs., 11 am-10 pm, Fri., 11-11, Sat., noon -11 pm & Sun. noon -10 pm. The eatery’s number is 303-832-2367 and tycoonramen.com is the web address.
THE LARK
I write about a lot of anniversaries, but some are standouts. This one fits the category. The Lark at 1219 E. 4th just off Downing has wrapped up its 45th year in business and is working on #46. For the shop’s second owner and current operator Jill Livran, it’s been a remarkable experience. “After shopping at The Lark for years, I purchased this hidden gem in 2003 knowing it had an amazing clientele, and had a special feeling like no other store in Denver,” she reflected. Livran seeks out new, interesting products and beautiful new things constantly. As a result, she said, the store continues to enjoy repeat customers that are inspired simply by strolling around the spacious shop. There are challenges in being a long running business including the need to constantly expose your venture to new residents of the state. “I thank the original ladies who opened the store in 1970 for giving Denver such a special place to shop,” she said. “I continued to honor their customer service and traditions for a local business.” Thelarkdenver.com is the website for a virtual stroll. The number’s 303-744-7464 and hours are Mon. – Sat., 10 am-5 pm.
STUDIO COLFAX Time’s flown by at Studio Colfax, an artisanal boutique at 2418 E. Colfax. The shop just marked its second anniversary. There are many surprises in store for visitors. One is an amazing courtyard in back where
a recent celebration including a fashion show was held. Studio Colfax features a wide selection of local and international artisanal jewelry, gifts, accessories and wonderful accents for the home. Several unique clothing lines also share the space. You can also stroll through many of their offerings online at studiocolfax.com. The number is 720-328-4896. Hours are Tues. – Sat., 11 am-7 pm & Sun., noon -6 pm.
DEL FRISCO’S GRILLE You can’t win them all. I wrote that Del Frisco’s rooftop patio was slated to open May 1st. That date came and went with no opening. Instead, the third floor stunner opened in late May, but it looks like it was worth the wait. Lovely views and great patio furniture are the standout items. It’s an oasis far above the crowded CCN streets. Already, the space is busy many afternoons as the sun bathes it with warmth. The rooftop seats just over 100 but does not take reservations. The same menu is available up top, too. It seems a perfect place for brunch next Sunday. Shade will arrive soon in the form of some big orange umbrellas, but until they are delivered, arrive early in the day to grab a shady spot on hot afternoons. Check out the menu at delfriscosgrille.com/cherry-creek/
FLOW JUICE BAR It’s back! Flow Juice Bar at continued on page 20
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Escapees from Denver Comic Con, Flynn (Le Chat Noir-The Black Cat) and Noah (Mr. Meeseeks-Rick and Morty) act out a comic scene. A new series maybe? PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH
“DENVERIGHT” TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF DENVER By Jacob Karp The vision for the next 20 years of Denver’s city growth plan is underway as part of “Denveright”, a multi-agency initiative announced earlier this summer by Mayor Hancock. “Denveright” will serve as the larger namesake for four individual plans that as a whole will seek input from the community as to how to best shape the future of land use, mobility, parks and recreational resources throughout the city. “This is one of the first integrated land use and transportation plans in the country and will serve as a more progressive plan to craft the evolution of the city,” said Brad Buchanan, Executive Director of Community Planning and Development at the City and County of Denver. Specifically, “Denveright” will provide an updated approach to two previously established plans that were put in place in the early 2000s, while also creating two new plans for future transit and pedestrian initiatives. The two plans that will be updated are Blueprint Denver, the 2002 citywide land-use and transportation plan, as well as The Game Plan, the 2003 citywide parks and recreation master plan. The updates to Blueprint Denver will seek to promote urban design goals that will focus on a more pedestrian and bike friendly environment, allowing for increased transit service on major corridors as well as shared parking in business districts and more housing in mixed-use areas. A reimagined version of The Gameplan aims to define areas for new parks and recreation centers, while examining how existing assets can be maintained and enhanced in the face of financial constraints, shifting demographics and increased visitor usage. The two new plans within “Denveright” will both be a part of the Denver Moves initiative
and will be referred to as Denver Moves: Transit and Denver Moves: Pedestrians and Trails. Denver Moves: Transit will focus on a new mobility plan for transit in Denver in light of a quickly expanding population. This plan will build on and complement RTD’s regional system by providing more local transit choices, while implementing strategies and funding options for improving pre-existing local transit options. The Denver Moves: Pedestrian and Trails plan will help make walking a viable and primary way for people to get around the city safely by creating a new mobility plan to connect Denver’s pedestrian and off-street trail network via sidewalks, paths and crossings. Much has changed in Denver since the original plans were written in the early 2000s. Rapid population growth along with environmental issues such as climate change has heightened the urgency for policy that’s even more focused on sustainability and resilience. Bringing these four plans under one umbrella will not only maximize resources and make the planning process more efficient, but also ensure that the core areas of land use, mobility, parks and recreational resources work as one to create a more efficient city layout. Buchanan also notes that having all the initiatives under one name also provides a format that is easier for residents to understand and take part in, allowing the process to remain manageable and consumable to residents. This is important, as much of the adopted plan will be based on the recommendations and suggestions of residents, who are highly encouraged to take part in the process. “This is a citizens and residents plan,” explained Buchanan. “We are focusing on ways to involve
as many people as we can and make this a community driven process. It’s very much about having the community at the table to define what the main issues are and where focus should happen.” Residents can get involved through normal avenues such as public meetings and community workshops, but there will also be significant emphasis on “meeting people where they are.” This approach will include the robust “Denveright” website that allows users to “share your voice” through map based surveys where individuals can place a pin in a particular area and make a comment about something they like or that they want to see improved. Residents can provide additional comments and feedback through the website, as well as using #denveright on social media to create and catalog conversations. All of these mediums will work to keep track of comments and recommendations with all feedback being recorded as part of the formation of the larger overall plan. Other outreach initiatives include the “plan van”, a city funded van that will be wrapped in Denver graphics and will appear at neighborhood events such as farmers markets and street fairs to help educate and engage the community. In addition, community members will also be included as part of a task force for each specific plan, as well as a “think tank” for the larger “Denveright” initiative. The plan itself will be shaped and refined over the next 18-24 months at which time designated pieces will be put through the approvals and funding processes by the city council. For more information about “Denveright” and to access surveys or become a part of a task force or think tank, visit denvergov.org/denveright.
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VOLUNTEERS FOR OUTDOOR COLORADO INSPIRES KIDS, FAMILIES TO GET OUTSIDE THIS SUMMER By Denny Taylor With summer in full force, parents everywhere are looking for ideas to get their kids and teens outside and active. Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) – a statewide volunteer organization dedicated to motivating and enabling people to care for Colorado’s natural resources – is just the solution. For over three decades, VOC has engaged more than 105,000 volunteers of all ages, interests, and backgrounds in giving back to Colorado’s outdoors. Getting more youth involved is particularly important for the organization and VOC offers various volunteer programs that provide hands-on opportunities for youth under 18 to get outdoors, experience nature, and make a tangible difference by caring for outdoor places in neighborhoods where they live and play. “Not that long ago, children spent a lot of time outdoors – exploring creeks, digging in the dirt, hunting for bugs and fishing. Now it can require a special effort to get kids into the open air,” said VOC’s executive director, Ann Baker Easley. In the past 30 years, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled in the U.S., according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fortunately, getting your kids to play outdoors is an easy solution to this problem. “Being outside and active is paramount to helping kids stay healthy,” said Baker Easley. “Volunteering as a family with VOC makes it easy and fun to experience nature together through light environmental stewardship work and recreational activities that develop self-esteem, a healthy lifestyle, and teambuilding skills.” This summer, VOC will offer three family overnight camping opportunities designed to provide a safe, simple, and fun outdoor experience for kids and parents alike. While youth enjoy nature programs and conservation activities, adults will take part in stewardship work, and reunite at dinnertime to share stories around a campfire. Want a little adventure? A VOC backcountry trail project that includes camping under the stars offers a volunteer experience that will take participants to new, beautiful, and unexplored places throughout Colorado. In addition to overnight opportunities, VOC offers many well organized half-or full-day volunteer projects for families,
Todd and Sheena Redmond take a break from shopping at the Summer Art Mart, which showcased over 250 artist works from Art Students League of Denver. PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH which may include trail work, planting trees or garden beds, or pulling invasive weeds. VOC also offers customized programs for youth groups and schools. For teens who are too plugged in, VOC’s award-winning Cairn Youth Program is the perfect way to engage high school youth for a full academic year in outdoor stewardship, leadership, and adventure.
"It's our hope that our projects and programs serve as a helpful tool for parents to introduce their children to a fun experience in the outdoors – and in the process instill a sense of wonder and appreciation of nature so they become lifelong stewards of the environment,” added Easley. Can’t make a VOC project? No problem. Download VOC’s DIY stewardship app, YourCO, and
complete simple and fun stewardship activities from anywhere, any time. Plus, earn points, digital badges, and rewards along the way! Another fun way to spend time outside as a family this summer. To learn more about VOC and to sign up for projects, go to voc. org/volunteer or call 303-7151010. No experience, skills, or training is required to volunteer.
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CHERRY CREEK ARTS FESTIVAL WOWS DENVER IN 25TH YEAR By Denny Taylor The Cherry Creek Arts Festival (CCAF) is a year-round 501(c) (3) non-profit arts services organization that presents an award-winning annual civic event in Denver that takes place 4th of July weekend and is Colorado's signature cultural celebration of the visual, culinary and performing arts. CCAF is celebrating their 25th anniversary and are the nation's #1 outdoor Arts Festival (as ranked by four independent industry publications) and is presented in Denver's Cherry Creek North neighborhood (2nd to 3rd Aves, on the seven streets between Columbine & Steele) where festival-goers enjoy free access to a diverse array of art forms in a unique setting. This annual world-class free event enjoys an attendance of 350,000 visitors over the 3-day schedule and gives patrons the rare
and special opportunity to meet and talk with international juried visual artists, sample fine international cuisine, enjoy live musical performances and artist demonstrations, and entertain their families with interactive “ARTivities.” Concerts at the Janus Main Stage goes from 10:30 am-10pm Sat. & Sun and 10:30 am-6 pm Mon. and features 16 different bands playing a proverbial plethora of sounds from Rock, to Pop, R&B, Funk, Soul, Reggae and Jazz. Saturday and Sunday features evening
concerts at the Janus Main Stage and Blue Moon Beer Garden with opening acts beginning at 6:30 pm and headliners at 8:30 pm. In a nutshell-6 things not to miss at CCAF 1. Live Music Venues 2. Artist Tim Prythero 3. Artist Kaiser Suidan 4. Sculptor Theodore Gall 5. Culinary Avenue 6. ARTivity Avenue
Since 1991, CCAF has won over 100 International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) awards for highest overall quality in event programming, content, promotional programs and marketing materials. The Gold Grand Pinnacle, the highest honor in the special events industry, has been awarded to CCAF a record setting five times: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005 and
CHEESMAN PARK ART FEST IS “TOP OF THE TOWN” On July 30 & 31 over 130 juried artists and craftsmen will gather from 30 different states to
meet at Cheesman Park Art Fest (CPAF) to showcase their work for your appreciation. The CPAF is a
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Patrons peruse booths at the Cheesman Park Art Fest. This event is all about the artist and craftsmen who actually create these wonderful pieces… it's simply about authentic, handcrafted artwork.
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free, two-day festival in one of Denver’s prized historic parks. The show takes place on the southwest roads of Cheesman, 1599 E. 8th, where patrons can peruse the works of potters, painters, jewelers, sculptors, glass artists, and more – in a diverse range of prices. This event is all about the artist and craftsmen who actually create these wonderful pieces… not a commercialized event with large vendors hawking goods; it's simply all about authentic, handcrafted artwork. Hours are Sat., July 30, 9 am-7 pm & Sun., 9 am-5 pm. This colorful outdoor festival has been hailed as one of the “Top 14 Contenders of 2014” of all art shows in the U.S. by Sunshine Artist Magazine, and “Top of the Town” by 5280 in 2015. Captivating & walkable, this is an event you will want to attend with work that is top-notch yet affordable. The CPAF has you culturally cloaked from head to toe with wonderful artistry combined with entertaining live music beneath the shaded trees, not to mention Denver's best food trucks! For more information visit: dasheventsdenver.com/#!cheesman
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2013. In 2007, IFEA presented the Cherry Creek Arts Festival with 15 awards including the Silver Grand Pinnacle Award, 6 Gold Pinnacle Awards, 5 Silver Pinnacle Awards and 3 Bronze Pinnacle Awards. Last year, the Arts Festival competed with over 1,500 entries worldwide. An impressive record indeed. For more information go to: http://cherrycreekartsfestival.org/
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and national African Americans in art and culture. This free three-day event will feature three performing stages filled with dance, jazz, blues, soul, reggae, gospel, and traditional African drum & dance. This is a family friendly event with programming and activities for the entire family. The CBAF offers its guests the opportunity to explore African culture through the visual arts with Watu Sakoni, music, dance, theatre, hands-on arts activities, a people’s market place, Friday’s YouthFest and ethnic foods to delight the palate. The Saturday morning Boogaloo Celebration Parade is as much a crowd favorite as it is a colorful and exciting street celebration. The CBAF presents an amazing visual feast of color, movement and pageantry. Festival hours are Fri., July 8, 12 pm-8 pm, Sat. & Sun., July 9-10, 10 am-8 pm. Don’t miss a minute of it!
13
MIKE MCPHEE, SOLDIER, NEWSPAPER REPORTER AND AUTHOR Photo & Copy by Julie Hutchinson Born in Aspen and reared in Denver, Mike McPhee’s experiences as a soldier, newspaper reporter and author would qualify him for the Capitol Hill Hall of Fame, if there were one. But there isn’t, so McPhee will have to settle for being known as the guy who finally convinced Denver real-estate legend Dana Crawford to tell him her life story. For Crawford to open her life to McPhee took plenty of convincing. “I chased her for two years,” McPhee said. But McPhee, who worked as a reporter all over the world for the Associated Press and then spent 20 years with The Denver Post, knew that Crawford’s story was a good one – and that it deserved to be a book. It was Crawford who fought to bring Larimer Square to life in the 1960s, when the Denver Urban Renewal Association was bulldozing entire blocks of Lower Downtown. She went on to develop the Flour Mill Lofts, scores of condominiums in the Central Platte Valley and the new Union Station. With his roots in the newspaper business, McPhee worked hard to tell Crawford’s complete story – successes and failures. “It couldn’t be a puff piece,” he said. “You have to go through the mud.” For Crawford to open her life to him was a challenge, McPhee said, because she was brought up in a family where women’s names appeared in the newspaper only three times: birth, marriage and death. Dana Crawford: 50 Years Saving the Soul of a City, was published late last year, appearing on The Denver Post best-seller list for 10 weeks, six of those in the No. 1 position. The book also ranked as the top seller at the Tattered Cover’s four stores and four kiosks, McPhee said. “I fell over,” McPhee said. “What a compliment that was. I knew it was going to sell, because of Dana.” The book’s launch party took place, fittingly, in the lobby of the new Union Station, with Crawford
seated on stage next to McPhee. Union Station includes The Crawford Hotel, named in honor of the woman whose vision and guts changed Downtown. McPhee paid to publish the book himself rather than shop for a publisher “because I didn’t want someone in New York City telling me what to do.” Fresh off the press, the books were delivered to McPhee’s house in North Country Club. “A big truck with a forklift came down my alley and put a big pile in the garage,” McPhee said. Producing the book entirely on his own taught him plenty. “I could actually write a book about writing a book.” The book sold out before Thanksgiving last year and is in its second printing. McPhee has lots of stories to tell – including his experiences as Vietnam veteran who came home with two Bronze Stars, reporting from the scene of the Columbine Massacre and his continuing coverage of the murder of JonBenet Ramsey – but he’s picking up a book he started before the Crawford project. The new book is about a Denver architect who designed more than 80 buildings in the first half of the 20th century, along with scores of houses on Seventh Avenue Parkway and in Country Club, Circle Drive and Morgan’s Addition. That architect – Jules Jacques Benedict – is McPhee’s grandfather, who died in 1948 when McPhee was a year old. It’s only been in the last 10 years, McPhee said, that he realized the significance of his grandfather’s role in building Denver. Researching his grandfather’s story has made him acutely aware the scale of his talent and the significance of his designs. McPhee says he knows his grandfather’s signature so well that he can spot Benedict houses when he’s driving down the street – and that he can teach anyone else to recognize his grandfather’s work, too. Benedict’s designs display perfect proportions and a sense
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Mike McPhee, who wrote the bestseller “Dana Crawford: 50 Years Saving the Soul of a City,” is writing a book about his architect grandfather, Jules Jacques Benedict, a prolific and prominent 20th century Denver architect. of beauty, McPhee says. Among his grandfather’s buildings are the Sports Castle at East 10th Avenue and Broadway; Holy Ghost Church; the Cranmer Mansion; the Washington Park Boathouse and St. Thomas Seminary.
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CITY COUNCIL WORKING ON RAILROAD SAFETY By Denver Councilwoman At-large Deborah Ortega As I write this article for Life on Capitol Hill, firefighting is wrapping up in a small town in Oregon along the Columbia River Gorge after 16 cars derailed from a train hauling 96 cars of crude oil. Clean up continues as several of the cars leaked over 40,000 gallons of oil, fueling the blaze and flowing into the town’s sewer system and the river. A number of homes and a school were evacuated and fortunately no one was injured. Firefighters and equipment had to be called in from Portland and across the region to assist the local volunteer fire department and I-84 had to be closed down, snarling traffic on Oregon’s only east-west interstate. Maybe some of you remember in the 1980s when a truck hauling a US Navy torpedo tipped over on the I-70/I-25 “mousetrap” during morning rush hour and gridlocked Denver for most of the day. We were lucky to have no fatalities or infrastructure damage. Denver, like the Columbia River Gorge, sits along rail lines important for transport of petroleum products to refineries, ethanol for fuel blending and all other things shipped by rail. The USDOT has charted the rise in recent years in rail transport of oil products and ethanol and they expect large shipments to continue. Even as accident rates decline, the higher volume of shipments means accidents will continue. The DOT estimates that over a 20-year period, on average, 12 or more crude oil or ethanol derailments will occur each year. Over a third of these are expected to involve release of some product and a fire. This Oregon derailment was one of those numbers. All of these estimates have the potential to be cata-
strophic, depending on the right circumstances. Close proximity to people and to public infrastructure (roads, bridges, homes and buildings, light rail, etc.) is among those circumstances. This is why for the last two years I have discussed railroad safety with City agencies responsible for public health & safety, infrastructure and development. I have involved the Colorado Municipal League, worked with the National League of Cities and filed rulemaking comments to the USDOT, some of which were cited by DOT when they issued new rules last year. Last fall Mayor Hancock convened a working group on railroad safety that involves numerous city, regional, state and federal agencies and railroads. Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade leads it and I serve on it, along with Councilman Jolon Clark. Chief Tade will report findings and recommendations to the Mayor next month. The sharing of briefings and information among these diverse interests has been helpful and we are looking at land use close to rail lines in Denver, and what factors may be important to consider for safety. We have looked at how Denver, other agencies and railroads prepare
to respond to rail accidents and how we can work better together. Relationship building among the parties already seems to be beneficial, hopefully setting the stage for more cooperation and collaboration on rapid response/ emergency management and regarding how we can have vibrant development near rail lines and still maintain protection for public safety. Last year USDOT ordered
upgrades to rail cars and new operational requirements, based partly on accident trends, future accident projections and potential consequences. Congress incorporated these and added more in the transportation bill that passed last winter. All are intended to reduce the chances of accidents turning into tragedies, enhance responses and mitigate impacts. But the derailment rate will never be zero and with high
volumes of transport, derailments will remain significant. Trains will transit through Denver and areas along rail lines will remain desirable for development. It is important that Denver support our talented public safety personnel in preparing to respond to rail accidents and that we engage in thoughtful land use planning that recognizes development along rail lines has hazard potential to be considered.
Some people in the East Colfax neighborhood still love to recount the days of Rockbar as a fixture in the neighborhood’s bar scene. PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH
INVESTORS SCOOP UP FAMOUS E. COLFAX HOTEL AT BANKRUPTCY AUCTION By Keith Lewis Inspire Investment Group picked up the All Inn Motel, former home of Rockbar, for $3.55 million at a bankruptcy auction in April. The three-quarter acre lot at Colfax & Milwaukee currently rents rooms for $65 a night. Perhaps more infamously, however, the All Inn Motel was home to the successful, hipster friendly, Rockbar until city officials revoked the establishment’s beverage license in 2012 following a regular volume of routine police reports involving the bar. The former owner, Jesse Morreale, filed for bankruptcy almost three years ago. The new owner, Inspire Investment Group has
yet to finalize its plans for the site. The group could renovate the existing structure or even scrape the entire lot and rebuild. There is talk about renovating the building into apartments, to inject additional units into the squeezed supply of Denver apartments. Morreale gained a reputation as a vocal Denver businessman and felt his liquor license revocation in 2012 to be inappropriate action by city officials he thought were targeting him. The Denver Post reported in a 2012 editorial, shortly following Rockbar’s shut down, that the licensing hearing was initially called to investigate the propriety of Rockbar’s outdoor patio. However, once the hearing began, it focused on alleged criminal activity and the food-to-alcohol sales ratio required by the city. Morreale called it a trial by ambush, but city officials demurred, citing that the city
files were shared with Morreale’s lawyers and the hearing was never limited in scope. Morreale was not without his own supporters with approximately 200 patrons and neighbors signing a petition in support of RockBar before its ultimate demise. Still, some people in the East Colfax neighborhood love to recount the days of Rockbar as a fixture in the neighborhood’s bar scene. With Inspire Investment Group reviewing the possibilities for its newly acquired property, with apartments – especially micro-units – at the top of the list. Inspire is also in the process of developing two other apartment complexes near the All Inn Motel, only a few blocks west at Colfax & Detroit. For now though, the All Inn Motel remains open on a temporary basis until the new owner makes a final decision for the property’s future use. All Inn Motel is located at 3015 E. Colfax.
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15
THE IMPROBABLE STORY OF CHURCH IN THE CITY BETH ABRAHAM By Jennifer Turner Church in the City Beth Abraham, located at 1580 Gaylord, is a unique house of worship to say the least. Even an atheist might concede its mere existence is divine intervention. The church began as a traveling urban ministry in the 1980s. Pastor Michael Walker, who was preaching in Arvada at the time, and his worship team, would journey to Denver several nights a week to hold services. Some of the locations included shelters, the Denver Rescue Mission and Salvation Army. They ministered to people who couldn’t or wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to worship. The Church’s mission is, “To grow the saved, save the lost, and minister to the poor, oppressed and needy,” and Walker and company have always embraced that calling. Ultimately Walker realized he needed to officially move into the city in order to best serve his flock. He found an old Safeway at the corner of Colfax and Josephine, and signed a 20-year lease and the first services were held in 1991. As the years passed, the diverse congregation flourished and expanded its programs. Walker’s own religious history is distinct. His grandfather was an orthodox rabbi who built a synagogue in Brooklyn in 1935. When he was young, he watched his grandfather pray in Hebrew every night. Walker is an ordained minister and Messianic rabbi, and has worked tirelessly to break down barriers and hostilities that exist between people of different faiths. While Church in the City occupied the old Safeway space, a Friday night Shabbat service was offered in addition to Christian services. Over time, Walker became acquainted with local real estate developer Charles Wooley. Some of Wooley’s projects included the new Tattered Cover and theater on E. Colfax. Wooley was also the
owner of an abandoned synagogue on the corner of Gaylord and 16th, two blocks from Church in the City. Originally constructed in 1921, the old synagogue was no longer used for worship after 1969. The space had had many lives since then including functioning as an Indian Center, a nightclub called Sin-a-Go-Go, a home to Satanists and an Irish Community Center. There was also an attempt to reconfigure it as townhomes. Wooley and Walker began discussing the idea of Church in the City purchasing the synagogue as its permanent home, and Wooley’s company coordinating the restoration efforts. Staying in the same neighborhood was important to Walker because of the many community relationships that had been fostered. Wooley was also interested in developing the old Safeway that Church in the City was occupying for commercial use. The Safeway ended up getting torn down and is the location of the future Carla Madison Rec Center, currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2017. For five years, the site was also the home of “The World’s Most Expensive Dog Park,” i.e., Curmudgeon July 2015. While the synagogue was only a five-minute walk from Church in the City, securing and renovating the space was a journey of biblical proportions. The deal could have fallen apart at many different points. One of the most daunting aspects of the whole undertaking was restoring the derelict synagogue to its former glory. Approximately 10,000 volunteer hours were logged in the process. Grants from the Anschutz Foundation and other organizations were instrumental in bringing the project to life. The 15 original stained glass windows had all been removed from the synagogue. Using pictures from the Denver Historical
The original stained glass windows of Church in the City Beth Abraham, 1580 Gaylord, had all been lost, but the renovation team was able to duplicate them using pictures from the Denver Historical Society. PHOTO BY DANI SHAE THOMPSON
Society, the renovation team was able to duplicate them. The magnificent old chandelier that had been lying on the floor, was returned to its place of prominence along with the rest of the light fixtures, which were miraculously recovered. The Jerusalem Stone Company happened to move to Denver while the restoration was underway, and provided stone from the Holy Land for the altar and lobby. A stone sign from Walker’s grandfather’s synagogue in the Bronx was hung in the lobby. It reads “Congregation Beth Abraham.” Walker decided to change the name “Church in the City” to “Church in the City Beth Abraham,” in honor of his grandfather, and was able to secure the original sign. There is also a donated Holocaust-era Torah Scroll in the sanctuary. The first service at the newly refurbished synagogue Church in the City Beth Abraham was held
in the spring of 2009. It was a momentous occasion, and a magical moment for Walker who is still struck by the transformation of the building. He believes his grandfather would be pleased. Shabbat services are held at Church in the City Beth Abraham on Saturdays and Christian services on Sundays. Walker describes his multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-generation flock as one congregation with a dual expression of faith. Some parishioners attend both the Saturday and Sunday services. Others worship on one day only. All the outreach, parish retreats, other activities and budget is done together. Church in the City Beth Abraham is also the meeting place for an Indonesian, South Sudanese and Latino church. Walker firmly believes in opening the doors to all people, and wants to partner with organizations who have like hearts.
If there is any lingering doubt that the existence of Church of the City Beth Abraham is a phenomenon, one final piece of its history may convince you. Pastor Walker closed on the approximate $3 M loan for the purchase and renovation of the property on September 29, 2008. It was Rosh Hashanah and also the day the Dow dropped 777 points, it’s single biggest one-day loss in history. Walker still can’t believe the bank approved his loan because the financial markets were literally cratering as the papers were being signed. At any point in recent history, the story of Church in the City Beth Abraham and Pastor Walker would probably seem implausible. With all the religious, racial and political upheaval currently taking place, it is even more unique in 2016. For more information on Church in the City Beth Abraham please visit churchinthecity.org.
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GALLERIES CALENDAR LIFE Calendar listings are free. Local, special, free & nonprofit events are given priority. Mail to P.O. Box 18344, Denver, CO 80218 or email to: Editor@ LifeOnCapHill.com. Deadline: 20th of current month for next month’s listings. Note that LIFE is published on the first Wednesday of the month. Readers are advised to call the appropriate number to verify dates & times. This calendar is also available at LifeOnCapHill.com.
FAMILY TUESDAYS: Young Children’s Storytime, The Tattered Cover, Tic still avkets ailable
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Colfax & Elizabeth, 10:30 am. Free. Different topic each week. Call 303-322-1965, ext. 2731. • “Book Babies,” a language enrichment program for babies age six to 23 months, 10:30 am, Children’s Library of the Denver Public Library, 13th & Broadway. Call 720-865-1306. FRIDAY, JULY 1, 15 & 29: Together Colorado, 9-11:30 am, Corona Presbyterian Church, 1205 E. 8th. For pregnant women & mothers of preschoolers to five years old. Brunch, speakers, childcare provided. First visit free. Repeated every 1st & 3rd (& 5th) Fri. of the month. Call 303-832-2297. MONDAY, JULY 4: Independence Day is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and no longer part of the British Empire.
FRIDAY, JULY 1: First Friday Art Walk in the Golden Triangle Museum District. Free bus, maps at all galleries. Free shuttle to the Santa Fe walk, below. Call 303-573-5095. • First Friday Art Walk, Santa Fe Art District, 6th to 10th on Santa Fe. Call 303-333-2820. • First Friday Art Walk & Free Public Reception for the Denver Artist Guild, Byers-Evans House Museum, 1310 Bannock st., 5-8 pm, call 303-620-4933 for more info. MONTH-LONG: • Abend Gallery, 2260 E. Colfax Ave, is proud to present the highly-anticipated “Edge of Realism”, now in its third year. This exhibition is a showcase of work from local, national, and international artists whose work operates at the margins of realist painting, whether it be through the deconstructed, abstracted realism of Benjamin Garcia and John Wentz, or via the tightly rendered yet surreal works of Kari-Lise Alexander and Britt Snyder. Showing thru July 23, call 303-355-0950. • aBuzz Gallery, 3340 Walnut
Aug 4 @ Chatfield Farms
Colin Hay + The Milk Carton Kids Sept 1
Martin Sexton Aug 1 w/Eilen Jewell
WALKER FINE ART invites you to the exhibition 'Simplifying the Essentials,' featuring the abstract works of 6 artists. Feel the irony as you notice the complex skill and creativity these artists must employ to accomplish the vision of the show. 300 W. 11th #A, July 15-Sept. 3. Opening reception, July 15, 5-8 pm, 303-355-8955; walkerfineart.com
Guster July 15
GALLERY 1261 invites you to view their upcoming exhibition, 'Large Works,' featuring the work of over 25 artists. Seeing the works of these seasoned artists on a grand scale is breathtaking. 1261 Delaware, July 22-Aug. 20, 303-571-1261; gallery1261.com Street, presents “Branching Out: Three Paths,” A group exhibition by three artist, Karen Bennett, Mary Clark & Keats Scott, on display July 28-Aug. 20. Opening reception July 28, 5-9 pm, call 303-408-7813 for info. • Leon Gallery,1112 E. 17th Ave., presents “Observing (a) Trophy Life” – Celebrating Our Luxury of Social, Personal and Political Addiction – new and existing works by David Freeman, curated by Camille Rose Shortridge. Showing through July 16, call 303-832-1599. • Plinth Gallery, 3520 Brighton, presents Megan Mitchell and her “New Ceramic Work” that will be on display during June & July. Call 303-295-0717 for more info. • The Pattern Shop Studio, 3349 Blake Street, presents “Repeat Offenders.” New and Old Paintings by Sharon Brown, combines recent work from Sharon’s long-running series called – “Creators,” large black and white oil paintings of artists with older work from her Damage series – brightly colored portraits of murderers, thieves and other felons. The combination suggests that artists offend sensibilities in their ways, criminals in theirs. Showing June 3-Aug. 5, call 303-
The Mavericks July 29
Steep Canyon Rangers + Trout Steak Revival July 27
Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers w/Matt Andersen Aug 8
George Benson Aug 31
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TWIST & SHOUT is happy to present a free in-store performance with singer-songwriter, John Doe, purveyor of Punk. He's also written a book; Under the Big Black Sun: a Personal History of L.A. Punk. With his new album, Westerner, he has captured the sound of the desert... use your imagination. 2508 E. Colfax, July 8, 6 pm, 303-722-1943; twistandshout.com
297-9831. • Walker Fine Art, 300 West 11th Ave., presents “Simplifying the Essentials,“ Featuring: Morgan Robinson, Melissa Borrell, Patricia Finley, Chloe Hedden, Chris DeKnikker & Melanie Grein. Opening Reception: July 15, 5-9 pm, First Friday Receptions: Aug. 5 & Sept. 2, 5-8 pm. Exhibit runs through Sept. 3, call 303-3558955. • William Havu Gallery, 1040 Cherokee, proudly presents “Lui Ferreyra,” who has developed a technique which implements geometric fragments that coalesce into complex color-fields. Through the classical tradition of oil on canvas, his canvases disclose a piercing investigation of subject-matter in an aesthetic that is evocative of today’s digital-age. Exhibition runs June 24-Aug. 20, call 303-8932360.
WORKSHOPS, LECTURES & MEETINGS FRIDAY, JULY 1: Community Resources Forum, 9-10:30 am, Sterne-Elder Room of Exempla St. Joseph Hospital, Russell Pavilion, 19th & Lafayette. Free Continental breakfast, varying presentations. Free parking in Humboldt Garage off 20th. Continues the 1st Fri. of every month. Call 303866-8889. MONDAY, JULY 4 & 18: Skyline Toastmasters meet at Kephart Architecture, 2555 Walnut St., the 1st & 3rd Mondays of every month at 6:30 pm. Call Doug for more info 303-778-0064. TUESDAY, JULY 5 & 19: Corona MOPS, a faith-based moms’ group offering friendship & support, 9-11:30 am, Corona Presbyterian Church, 1205 E. 8th. 1st & 3rd Tues. Open to any woman pregnant or with a child kindergarten age or younger; child care & brunch provided. Call 303-8322297. FRIDAY, JULY 8: GOP Monthly Breakfast at Pete's Greek Town Cafe, 2910 Colfax. Great speakers & conservative camaraderie. Please RSVP, so we can plan
17 appropriately. No need to pay in advance, but please order breakfast to support Pete's. Individual checks. Be there 7 am, order by 7:20 am so speaker is not interrupted. Repeated 2nd Fri. of the month. On-line registration required. FRIDAY, JULY 8: Join Active Minds as we examine the current dynamics surrounding filling a vacancy on the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land. We will look at past confirmations in order to better understand the intricacies of the process. At Eugene Field Library, 810 S. University, 2-3 pm. Free,RSVP not required. TUESDAY, JULY 11: Capitol Hill Community Justice Council, 6 pm, Morey Middle School, 14th & Emerson (east side). Focus on crimes affecting the quality of life. Public welcome. Meets 2nd Tuesday of every month. WEDNESDAY, JULY 13: Water may well become the most disputed natural resource of the 21st century. Join Active Minds as we seek to understand Colorado Water History, the current challenges, including the drought in California, and what the future holds for our use of this precious resource. Park Hill Library, 4705 Montview Blvd., 6:30-7:30 pm. Free admission, no RSVP required. WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 & 27: Monthly meeting of Assistance League of Denver, 14th & Josephine, 10 am. Repeated 2nd & 4th Wed. of every month. 2nd Wed. is lunch w/entertainment, 4th Wed. is Bingo w/ lunch. Call 303-322-5205. THURSDAY, JULY 14: ReDerm Medical Spa will be hosting a Lunch & Learn session to learn all about Kybella, the newest FDA approved non-surgical treatment to reduce fullness under the chin. Live demonstration and giveaways! RSVP by July 11th to Jessica@drfante.com. 3900 E. Mexico Ave, Ste 570, 11:30am1:30pm. SATURDAY, JULY 16: Colorado House District 8 Democrats, 10 am-noon, Park Hill Library, 4705 Montview. Repeated 3rd Sat. of every month. Call 720-220-6876. MONDAY, JULY 18: Monthly meeting of the Denver Garden Club, 7 pm, 1556 Emerson. Member Colo. Federation of Garden Clubs. All are welcome. Repeated 3rd Mon. of every month. Call 303-320-5983. THURSDAY, JULY 21: Colfax Crime & Safety Coalition monthly meeting, Cheeky Monk, 534 E. Colfax, 3 pm. Public welcome. Repeated 3rd Thurs. of the month. • Monthly meeting of Financially Fit Females, 6 pm. First meeting free, location & topic change monthly, 3rd Thurs. of month. Call 303-993-3939. TUESDAY, JULY 26: Denver Metro Young Republicans holds its General Meetings and Happy Hours on the fourth Tuesday of each month, starting at 5:30 p.m. with an informal social hour. The official meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and features a speaker or panel discussion. Cap City Tavern, 1247 Bannock Street. For information call 720-931-8888. TUESDAY, JULY 26: The Lowry Speaker Series presents “Denver’s Historian, Phil Goodstein
Tells the Tales of Lowry and Montclair” from 7-8:30 pm at the Eisenhower Chapel, 293 Roslyn Street, (at Lowry). Admission is free; no RSVPs are necessary. WEDNESDAY, JULY 27: The Citizens' Climate Lobby meets monthly, every second Wed, at the First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 Lafayette St, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. For information call 303-322-0079. Letter writing (to Members of Congress) takes place monthly, every fourth Wed., at Hooked on Colfax (3213 E. Colfax) coffee shop 6:30 pm. SUNDAYS: Yoga on the Hill, 10:10 am, 809 Washington. Free. Call MJ at 303-433-6280 for details. • Meditation and Kirtan every Sunday at 4 pm at 854 Pearl Street. Childcare provided. For more info call Ed 720-810-9071. • Tibetan Buddhist Meditation every Sunday at 9:30 am, Mercury Cafe, 2199 California Street, Ballroom. Learn both Tibetan and rhythmic English chants and brief silent meditations. Led by members of Yeshe Nyingpo Denver, a chapter of the Dudjom Tersar and aligned with the Dalai Lama. Call 303-7092530. MONDAYS: Denver Laughter Club meets, First Unitarian Center, 14th & Lafayette. Free. Call Meredith, 303-877-9086. TUESDAYS: Denver Chess Club, 6:30-10:30 pm, basement of West First Ave. Presbyterian Church, 120 W. 1st. Call 720-318-6496. • Argentine Tango, practice & lessons, Turnverein Event Center, 1570 Clarkson, 6:30-10:30 pm. Free, Call 303-710-2250. • “Meditation at Noon,” a free, 30-minute, guided meditation, KMC Colorado, 1081 Marion. Call 303-813-9551. WEDNESDAYS: Kiwanis Club of Denver,12-1:30 pm, Maggiano’s at the Denver Pavilions, 16th & Glenarm. Program varies weekly. • Monthly meeting of Democratic Party of Denver House District 5, Colorado Democratic Party HQ, 789 Sherman, 7-9 pm. Repeated 1st Weds. of every month, varying location. Call 303-830-8242. • Free Afternoon Lectures at the Denver Public Library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Level Five in the Gates Reading Room. Lectures begin at 1:30 p.m. and are free
WILLIAM HAVU GALLERY invites you to view their current show, 'Sum Ergo Sum', featuring the masterful, intricate paintings of Lui Ferreya. Every light and shadow-shape is defined by line, yet the transition from shape to shape is anything but hard-edged. His deft use of subtle color shifting creates a soft and stunning unity. 1040 Cherokee, through Aug. 20, 303-893-2360; williamhavugallery.com. and open to the public. For information call 303-839-1671. THURSDAYS: Fillmore Community Network, focuses on sustainability, 7:30-9 am, 1633 Fillmore, 1st floor conference room. Location changes monthly. Call 303-399-2100. • Cherry Creek Toastmasters, 7-8:30 am, Temple Emanuel, 1st & Grape. Call 303-399-9901. • Conquer the fear of public speaking at Body Shops Toastmasters, noon, Colo. Dept. of Health, 4300 Cherry Creek Dr. South, 2nd flr. Call 303-398-4735. • Denver Socrates Cafe, 7
pm, Trinity United Methodist Church, 18th & Broadway. Discussions on a variety of important topics. Free. Call 303-861-1447. • Downtown Denver Euchre Club, All Fired Up, 1135 Bannock, 7 pm (promptly). Call 303-8251995. FRIDAYS: Daybreak Toastmasters, 7-8:30 am, 1313 Sherman, Room 220. Cat got your tongue? Public speaking & more. Visit our website at http://www.daybreaktoastmasters.org • “Thrillspeakers” Toastmasters, noon-1 pm, Webb building, 201 W. Colfax, Room 4i4. Call
720-209-2896. • Denver IDEA Cafe, a business start-up & brainstorming group, 2 pm, Panera Bread, 1350 Grant. Guest speakers. Free. Call 303-861-1447. • Community Awareness continued on page 18 concerts classes community
MADELEINE PEYROUX w/Michele Castro
Thu 07.28 L2 Church $44 advance
FINNDERS & YOUNGBERG (FY5) w/Underhill Rose
Fri 07.08 $18 advance
JAKE SHIMABUKURO w/Rapidgrass Quintet
Fri 07.08 7:30pm @ Arvada Center
LEFTOVER CUTIES Sat 07.09 $22 advance
ELECTRIC HOT TUNA w/Michelle Malone
Wed 07.13 7:30pm @ Arvada Center
REAL COUPLES INSPIRE IMPROV! Join the Bovine Metropolis for Kiss and Tell where happy couples turn their courting stories into laughter. What great fodder romance is for comedy! 1527 Champa, through July 29, Fridays at 7 pm, $12/$14. 303-758-4722; bovinemetropolis.com
JOANNA & IAIN HYDE Sat 07.23 $18 advance
JUSTIN ROBERTS
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@ Four Mile Historic Park $17 advance
JONNY LANG w/Guthrie Brown
Sun 07.24 7:30pm @ Arvada Center
STEEP CANYON RANGERS +TROUT STEAK REVIVAL Wed 07.27 6:30pm @ Botanic Gardens
THE MAVERICKS w/special guest JD McPherson
Fri 07.29 6:30pm @ Botanic Gardens
ROBERT EARL KEEN w/Tyller Gummersall
Sat 07.30 7:30pm @ Arvada Center
THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS ANDTHE CHURCH Sun 07.31 7:30pm @ Arvada Center
PANDAS AND PEOPLE, an outstanding progressive folk band rooted in Colorado, will perform for free on the front lawn of the Clyfford Still Museum. Begin your weekend relaxing in your bare feet with a picnic and a smile. Delicious food and beverages will also be available for purchase. 1250 Bannock, July 15, 5:30-7:30 pm, 720-3544880; clyffordstillmuseum.org
18
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SYNTAX PHYSIC OPERA presents an evening with entertainer David Liebe Hart, an outsider musician who has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Hart claims to have communicated with extraterrestrials, has a large collection of puppets, and is obsessed with trains. It should be an interesting night. 554 S. Broadway, 8 pm, 720-456-7041; physicopera.com
CALENDAR Continued from 17
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Program, Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL), 1st Saturdays, 99 W. 12th, 6-8 pm. Call 303-844-4000, ext. 8. •“Writers’ Church,” a “dropin writer's’ jam” hosted by Curious Theatre Co. the 1st Sun. of every month, The Acoma Center, 1080 Acoma, 10:30 am-1 pm. Free. Call 303-623-0524. • Lunchtime Meditation at KMC Downtown at 1336 Glenarm Place. Take 30 minutes in the middle of the day to connect to your heart and clarify your intention for the day. Free on Friday’s, 12:15-12:45 pm, http:// meditationincolorado.org/ classes-kmc-colorado/meditation-noon/ • Happiness Hour at KMC Downtown at 1336 Glenarm Place consists of a short talk and guided relaxing meditation to unwind after work. Free on Friday’s, 5-6 pm, meditationincolorado.org. WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS: 16th & Josephine Recycling Center open 3-6 pm Wed. & 9 am-12 pm Sat. WEEKDAYS: Free “Computer Basics” classes at the Denver Public Library’s “Community Technology Center,” 13th & Broadway, Level 4, varying afternoon times. Large variety of classes & skill levels . Call 720-865-1706. •Create Great Credit, a free class at Denver Community Credit Union, 1041 Acoma. Registration required: denvercommunity. coop/clearmoney. • Free Afternoon Lectures at the Denver Public Library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy., Level Five in the Gates Reading Room. Lectures begin at 1:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. For information call 303-839-1671 SUNDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS: “A Course in Miracles,” on-going class based on in-depth study of ACIM, 1 pm Sun., noon Weds., 7 pm Thurs. at Unity Temple, 1555 Race. Offering requested. Call 303-322-3756.
SENIORS THURSDAY, JULY 7: Activities & Lunch at Our Savior’s Lutheran
Church, 9th & Emerson, every 1st Thurs. of month. 10 am-activities, 11am-program, 12 noon-lunch. A $4 donation is suggested. SATURDAY, JULY 9: Free Day for seniors 64+ at the Denver Firefighters Museum, 1326 Tremont Pl. Repeated 2nd Sat. of every month. Call 303-892-1436. THURSDAY, JULY 14: Seniors’ Book Discussion Group discusses contemporary fiction available in book & audio formats, 1-2:30 pm in the Level Four Meeting Room of the Denver Public Library, 13th & Broadway. Repeated 2nd Thurs. of every month. Call 720-8651312.
RELIGION SUNDAY, JULY 17: Third Sunday Evensong, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1350 Washington, 3:30 pm. Preceded by free concert by Baroque violinist Mary Harrison. Repeated 3rd Sun. of every month. Call 303-831-7115. SUNDAYS: Catholic Mass, 8:30 & 10:30 am, 12:30 & 6:30 pm, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Colfax & Logan. Call 303-831-7010. • Capitol Heights Presbyteri-
an Church, 11th & Fillmore, 9:30 am worship, 10:30 am fellowship, 11 am education for all ages. Call 303-333-9366. • Center for Spiritual Living Denver, Sunday celebrations: meditation 9:30 am, service & children’s church 10 am, 2590 Washington. Call 303-832-5206. • Church in the City-Beth Abraham, 16th & Gaylord, 8:30 & 10:45 am. Call 303-322-5733.• Denver United Church, 660 S. Broadway, services held at 8:30am, 10:00am & 11:30 am. www.denverunited.com • Denver United Church, 660 S. Broadway, services held at 8:30am, 10:00am & 11:30 am. www.denverunited.com • Sunday Service & Sunday School (for up to age 20), First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1401 Logan, 10 am. Call 303-8391505. • Services at 9:30 & 11 am at the First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 Lafayette. Call 303831-7113. • Roman Catholic Mass, Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, 7th & Elizabeth, 7, 8:30, 10 am, 5 pm. Call 303-322-7706. • L2 Church, 1477 Columbine,
THE CHERRY CREEK ARTS FESTIVAL IS BACK! Don't miss Denver's best world-class art festival. This year’s show includes 250 exhibitors, food and drinks galore, entertainment and family activities. Go early to avoid crowds and beat the heat. Cherry Creek North Shopping District, July 1-4, Fri., 7-10 pm, Sat.& Sun.,10 am-8 pm, Mon., 10 am-6 pm, 303-335-2787; cherrycreekartsfestival.org.
19 Sunday morning worship service at 9 am. For more info info@ L2today.com • Catholic Mass for Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender Catholics, 5 pm, Dignity Denver, 1100 Fillmore. Call 720-515-4528. • Metropolitan Community Church of the Rockies,Contemporary Services 10 am, 980 Clarkson, www.mccrockies.org. Call 303-860-1819. • 9:30 am Worship, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 9th & Emerson. Call 303-831-7023. • Catholic Mass, at Ten Thirty Catholic Community. Mass at 11:00am on Sundays. 1100 Fillmore. Call 720-563-1048 for info. • Holy Eucharist, 9 & 11:15 am, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1350 Washington. Call 303-831-7115. • St. Augustine Orthodox Church, 3rd & Acoma, 10:00 am. Call 303-832-3657. • Spoken Worship, 7:45 am; Sung Worship with nursery, 9:30 am; Informal Worship, 5:30 pm. All worship services include Holy Communion. St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 13th & Vine. Call 303-388-6469. • St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Parish,Roman Catholic Mass, 9:00 a.m., Byzantine Divine Liturgy, 12 Noon, Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe Street on the Auraria campus. • Catholic Mass, 7:30 & 10 am, St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church, 23rd & York. Call 303322-8042.
• Informal Service, 10 am St. James Urban, 1402 Pearl (Network Coffeehouse). Call 303-830-1508. • St. Paul Lutheran and Roman Catholic Community, 16th & Grant, Lutheran mass at 8 & 10:30 am. Call 303-839-1432. • Unity on the Avenue: Sunday celebrations. Service and Sunday School 10 a.m. Light lunch follows. 4670 East 17th Ave Pkwy. 303-322-3901
SUPPORT GROUPS WEDNESDAY, JULY 6: Dementia Caregiver Support Group. A safe to share concerns, coping techniques, and tips when caring for a loved one with dementia. 1301 E. Colfax, 10-11:30 am at The Center. Free. Repeated 1st Wed. every month. Call 303-951-5222. THURSDAY, JULY 7 & 21: Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance, Our Savior’s Lutheran, 915 E. 9th, 7 pm. Repeated every 1st & 3rd Thurs. Call 303-329-3364. TUESDAY, JULY 12: Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group at National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson, Molly Blank Bldg., J105, every 2nd Tues., 1 pm. Call 303398-1912 WEDNESDAY, JULY 13: “Let’s Talk About It,” a free prostate cancer information session for men, 5:30 - 7 pm at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, 1800 Williams, 3rd fl. Continues 2nd Wed. of every month. Call 303758-2030, ext. 139. WEDNESDAY, JULY 27: Denver
THE TATTERED COVER FILM SERIES, hosted by the University of Colorado at Denver, KUNC and Howie Movshovitz, is pleased to bring you the 1967 Milos Forman classic, The Fireman's Ball. Slip into a cool theater on a hot July day and lose yourself in a funny and poignant film satirizing the state of Czechoslovakia in the 60s. Sie Film Center, 2510 Colfax, July 3, $1. 303-322-7727; tatteredcover.com Secular Recovery, a self-help, non “12-step” support group for people recovering from alcohol & drug abuse, meets in the 2nd fl. meeting rm. of the Denver Public Library, 13th & Broadway, 6:30-8 pm. Repeated the last wed. of every month. Call 303-278-9993 THURSDAY, JULY 28: Monthly Kidney Cancer Support Group, 6 pm, The Urology Center of Colorado. Meeting will take place 4th Thurs. at 2777 Mile High Stadium in the 3rd Floor Conference Room.Call 303-7627666 to register. MONDAYS: Weekly meetings of Emotions Anonymous, 7:30-9 pm, CHARG Resource Center, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 9th &
Emerson (use basement entrance on Emerson). Call 303-331-2493. • Weekly meetings of SMART Recovery for people with addictive behaviors, Nourished Health Center, 1740 Marion, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. Call 303-593-2535. • Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7-8:30 pm, First Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1st & Acoma (1st Ave. side, downstairs). Call 303-425-9691. • Cocaine Anonymous, St. Paul’s United Methodist, 16th & Ogden, 8 pm. Call 303-421-5120. MONDAYS & THURSDAYS: Meetings of LifeRing Secular Recovery, a network of support groups for people who want to maintain continuous abstinence from al-
cohol & other drugs, Washington Park United Church of Christ, 400 S. Williams (alley entrance), 6-7 pm. Call 303-830-0358. TUESDAYS: Workaholics Anonymous, 5:45 pm, Capitol Heights Presbyterian, 11th & Fillmore. No fees. Call 720-565-9799. • Meetings of Marijuana Anonymous, numerous meeting places and times throughout the Denver area. Please call 303-6077516 for locations and times. • Weekly meetings of Moderation Management, for problem (vs. chronic) drinkers who want to reduce their intake of alcohol, 6:30-8 pm at First Unitarian Church, 14th & Lafayette. Call 303-921-5125.
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20 BUSINESS Continued from 19 208 E.7th has reopened with an expanded menu after a winter closure and refresh. Flow features cold-pressed juices, smoothies and now additional food offerings for the passionate, and health-minded. It reopened Memorial Day weekend. New offerings include Greenify, a super-enriched, vitamin packed smoothie made with spinach, kale, pineapple, banana and coconut milk. There’s also a new Detox blend of parsley, beet, cucumber, celery, ginger and lemon. “To amplify the beverage experience, guests can add-on a selection of supplements like Siberian ginseng, camu camu, aloe vera, and MCT Oil,” the company said. Guests can also try out the new, more substantial menu offerings for breakfast or lunch. They include a roasted red pepper hummus sandwich, roast eggplant ratatouille, and cold gazpacho. Guests will also have a variety
of coffee options to choose from like a unique in-house coldbrewed Coffee Buzzzz smoothie, made with dates, almond milk, banana and maple syrup. Flow is open seven days a week. Hours are weekdays 7 am-5 pm & weekends 7 am-3 pm. The website is flowjuicebar.com.
CLOSED: ASIAN DELIGHT The short-lived Asian eatery at 1280 Grant shut last month after just a year and a half in business. Sign on the door just indicates “Closed”.
BALANCE. LIFE. YOGA. The short run of Balance. Life. Yoga ended recently with its owner moving back to India. Whitney Wheelock plans to help build a yoga school there. Wheelock was offering a different yoga approach – one most focused on inner peace. Back in January he told LIFE,
“There are no mirrors, no music, no artwork, just a space for you to relax, be free from external influences and be yourself. Even the temperature is set between 75 – 80 degrees so your body is relaxed but not stressed.” Located at 1215 E. 6th on the second level above Video One, the studio closed just before the area’s longest running video/DVD rental shop shut.
CORAFAYE’S CAFÉ One of the area’s standout Southern comfort food eateries has moved east. Yes, CoraFaye's Cafe has severed its ties to Denver and moved to Aurora after nearly a decade on Colorado Blvd near 28th. The new address is International Plaza, 16251 E. Colfax at Chambers. A spokeswoman told me that parking limitations and the need for a new grease trap at the old location prompted the move. The menu won’t change much, but the space is larger and located on the second floor. Access by
stairs or elevation is available and there’s also outdoor seating on two balconies above street level. A larger kitchen is also a plus and the folks at CoraFaye’s hope that a lot of old customers will make the drive; it’s only 10 miles.
The proximity to new hospitals and the military base, plus highways will also give the biz a boost. Call 303-333-5551 for hours. Send biz news to Jeanne@ lifeoncaphill.com.
LEARN TO COMPOST FREE! By Denny Taylor Do you want to learn to compost? Well you’re in luck, because Denver Urban Gardens in partnership with Denver Recycles, offers free classes in composting several times a month through October. All public compost classes are hosted at the compost demonstration site at the Gove Community Garden, located at 13th & Colorado in Denver. Each compost class is a two-hour, hands-on workshop in the basics of backyard composting. Worm Workshops are special classes that cover vermicomposting techniques. Build-A-Pile Workshops are also special classes in which participants help to build an entire compost pile, and receive hands-on experience in incorporating different materials into a compost pile including chopping ingredients, watering, and turning the pile. All workshops will be open for registration one month before each class date so the class can be properly staffed. To register, click on the date you would like to attend and you will be taken to the appropriate registration page. Classes do fill up and close, so if you want a particular class you need to act quickly. To register call 303-292-9900 or sign up online at dug.org/compost.
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GARDENING THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF PLANTS Photo & Copy by Julie Hutchinson Once I considered landscape gardeners to be a somewhat obsessed, completely passionate and very privileged group of people with a lot of time – and dirt – on their hands. But I’ve changed my mind. Two weeks in Italy followed by a recent weekend visiting the landscapes of three legendary Colorado gardeners have convinced me that beautifying the landscape can save people’s souls. Maybe even the Earth. Which makes the responsibility of the landscape gardener a lot more serious. Why? Because experiencing natural beauty that stops one mid step imparts a sense of awe amid the realization that we are stewards of monumental beauty much bigger and older and longer lasting than we. This humbles and inspires. It whispers ‘This is what counts in the long run. Not politics or disease or war or mon-
ey or whatever else. Beauty is all and you are its caretaker.’ If that realization doesn’t help you feel better then nothing can. Stepping off a bus in a parking lot in Tuscany, I literally stopped mid step at the sight of a perfectly framed tableau of rolling fields and gentle foothills spiked with dark-green poplars. Above it was a picture-perfect sky. That an overhanging tree and a hedge were trimmed to frame the view was not an accident. Whoever cares for that parking lot in northern Italy knows it provides a spectacular overlook and deliberately trims the landscaping to frame the view. Think about that: It’s a parking lot! Yet somebody appreciates – loves – that view. It seemed as though everybody in Italy had an appreciation of beauty. Uniforms worn by police officers, museum guards, bellhops, schoolchildren and soldiers were meticulously designed to
SMILEYS
known as “Smiley,” owned and operated Smiley’s Laundromat inside the building’s street level space. With 182 washers and 170 dryers Smiley often referred to his laundromat as the largest in the world, claiming that nearly 1,000 people stopped in each day with 10,000 pounds of clothes being laundered an hour. The laundromat was open every day of the year and never closed, and Smiley could be found talking to customers nearly all seven days of the week. In addition to the historic aspect of the Smiley building, it is also a good example of 1930’s Art Deco architecture. According to Historic Denver’s website, key features of the Art Deco style include geometric motifs, sharp
Continued from 1 The building was perfectly situated during a time when Colfax served as the main thoroughfare between downtown Denver and the east side of the city. Once a more residential area, Colfax was quickly becoming a commercial corridor, which helped the building flourish. “It’s an important piece of the Colfax corridor, as it shows commercial progress and a change from single family to multifamily and commercial property development,” added Olson. The building's most notable time period occurred from 19792013 when Art Cormier, better
This perfectly framed view of the Tuscan countryside near Florence, Italy, is the result of a gardener’s careful attention to trimming the tree and shrubbery. flatter every body type – and they were spotless and crisp and worn with pride. No one seems to step out in public without a beautiful scarf around the neck. And I didn’t see a single street in Rome, Florence or Venice without at least one potted garden, rooftop terrace or window box. Didn’t matter whether it was a mansion, a castle or an alley window. Where there was an opening to the outside, it was graced with something growing. In Florence, a lone pot planted
edged linear appearances and stepped patterns of projections and recesses, all of which can be found on the Smiley building. All of these historic elements, in combination with the attitude and natural character of Colfax, play into the pursuit of Historic Denver to keep the building in place with as little modification as possible. “The property has a lot of both the bad and the good about the Colfax corridor,” said Olson. “It has a fabric to it and we want to retain that for the Colfax of the future.” Residents interested in staying up to date on the future of the Smiley building can access the Historic Denver website at historicdenver.org for all updates.
The future of the Depression Era, Art Deco style Colfax building at 1018 E. Colfax that once housed the self-proclaimed Smiley’s-World’s Largest Coin Operated Laundromat, is once again up for debate. PHOTO BY JEFF HERSCH
with orange flowers graced a windowsill overlooking trashcans and loading docks. It was like a beacon signaling the viewer to look past the ugliness and make something beautiful. So seeing all of that in Italy solidified an ever-growing sense of the transformative power of plants. And then I toured the private gardens of Lauren Springer Ogden, Marcia Tatroe and Panayoti Kelaidis, each prolific gardening authors and designers who are legends in the gardening world. The lesson I learned from all three gardeners was never to apologize for your passion.
Nothing is too over the top. Never leave a blank spot in your garden. Stuff, stuff, stuff. Plant, plant, plant. Stand back and look. Move it. Look again. Divide it. Share it. Stuff, stuff, stuff. And don’t believe what you’re told about water and sun requirements, distance between plants or even zone recommendations, all three agreed. You are the boss of your garden. Experiment. Break the rules. Learn from your mistakes. Never stop trying. Do you have a gardening question or comment? Email me any time at juliehutchinson@ comcast.net
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DENVER CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU By Jason McKinney As of this month, the Denver City Council wants to hear what you have to say. A special resolution, presented by Freshman Councilman, Paul Kashmann, has been passed to allow Denver citizens to speak their mind about any city-related issue at the council meeting held on the first Monday of each month. The resolution, which was passed in May, is unique among larger cities, with the exception of a few, one being Seattle – which allows members of the public to speak at every meeting. The Denver resolution passed in a unanimous block vote and will be put into effect on July 11th, in light of the fact that there will be no meeting on the July 4th holiday. The 30-minute “open mic” period will begin at 5 pm, prior to the regular 5:30 council start
time. There will be up to three minutes given to each speaker and they are allowed to address “any matter of city concern”, with the exclusion of matters already set for public hearings that night or at future session of the council, such as zoning changes and landmark designations. Council members themselves won’t be required to attend and no roll call will be taken. However, members are interested in hearing what constituents have to say and some would like attendance to be mandatory, including councilman, Rafael Espinoza, among others. In 2012, the council created 15-minute public hearings on certain issues for committee meetings. At the time, council members were not in favor of a general comment session from the public at the regular Monday
meetings. However, comments from the community have occasionally created further discussion among members. For individuals who are interested in speaking, you can register between noon on the Friday before the meeting and 4:30 on the day of said meeting. You can visit the council’s office (located on the fourth floor of the City and County Building), send an email to dencc@denvergov.org or call 720.337.2000. A list of speakers will be posted in order of registration. In light of the fact that the session is only 30 minutes, you are not guaranteed to speak if the sign up list is too long. Please note: Information for this article was taken from Jon Murray, City Hall Reporter, for the Denver Post and the piece he did on May 25th of this year.
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COLORADO SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES 5 NEW SUMMER CONCERTS By Denny Taylor The Colorado Symphony announced that five additional concerts have been added to its summer line up at various venues throughout the state. To see the most recent full concert schedule with details, and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www. coloradosymphony.org/Tickets/ Summer. The additional concerts announced in late June are as follows: Arvada Center 40th Anniversary Celebration Arvada Center, July 9, - 7:30 PM Featuring memorable songs from the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities 40 year musical theatre repertoire. The evening will also include other festive acknowledgements and presentations in honor of the Center's 40th anniversary. Tickets available at arvadacenter.org. Season Preview 2016/17 (Free Concert)
Boettcher Concert Hall, July 16, - 7:30 PM This is a special preview of select works on the 2016/17 Season lineup. This free concert is open to the public, but tickets must be obtained at Boettcher Concert Hall Box Office located at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1000 14th Street. The Box Office is open Mon.-Fri., 10 am-6 pm; Sat., noon-6 pm; and 90 minutes prior to each performance. Tickets become available starting July 2. Summer Serenades Boettcher Concert Hall, July 22, - 7:30 PM This concert spectacular takes guests through the works of Mozart and more. Tickets available for pre-sale Apr. 25 using code: SERENADE at ColoradoSymphony.org. Regular on sale Apr. 29. Mozart Under Moonlight Arvada Center, Fri., July 29 - 7:30 PM
The Colorado Symphony presents "Mozart Under Moonlight" at the Arvada Center lawn for one-night, highlights from the concerto and symphonic repertoire. T ickets available at arvadacenter.org. Brass Luminescence - A Celebration of Light The Amphitheater at Philip S. Miller Park, Sat., July 30 - 7:00 PM Performing for the first time at Castle Rock’s brand new outdoor amphitheater in Philip S. Miller Park, Colorado Symphony Brass and Percussion brings audiences a concert of strident sound featuring a fanfare of composers like Kevin Kaska, Gabrieli Canzon, and others. Tickets available at www.crgov.com/events. To see the most recent full concert schedule with details, and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.ColoradoSymphony. org/Tickets/Summer.
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CURMUDGEON SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVIN’ IS OVER EASY OR MAYBE SCRAMBLED! By D. Todd Clough It is summertime in the Rockies and once again tourists are flocking to Colorado. But unlike past years they aren’t simply flying into DIA and high-tailing it west – they are sticking around our former cow town in droves! In 2015 Denver set a record for tourism – 16.4 million overnight visitors (one million more visitors than the previous year) who spent over $5 billion greenbacks and half of that amount was for pot. Okay, I made that up, but I bet a bunch of it was shelled out for our legal ganja. The top five paid attractions were the Denver Zoo, Denver Art Museum, Denver Botanic Gardens, Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Cherry Cricket – not really I was just checking to see if you were paying attention. Actually, the fifth is the Buffalo Bill Museum and Gravesite. All of the visitors, without exception, discovered that Buffalo Bill is still dead. So is Mother Cabrini, but not as many people go to see her. Please note that the first three destinations on this list are three of the five tier- one recipients of SCFD funding (the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District), that is underwritten by a sales and use tax benefiting science and arts agencies in the seven counties making up the Denver Metropolitan area. Denver Museum of Nature and Science and Denver Center for the Performing Arts are the remaining two of the “Big Five” that makeup tier-one funding. I remind you that tier-one organizations have been receiving 65.5 % of all of tax revenue annually from SCFD since 1989. We are not talking chump change here – approximately $50 million for SCFD this past year. Tier two includes 26 science and cultural nonprofits (groups like the Children’s Museum of Denver, the Arvada Center, and the Butterfly Pavilion) that currently receive 21%. Another 200+ organization makeup tier-three and they receive 13.5%. Oh, by the way, one of the tier-one recipients, the Denver Zoo is no longer a nonprofit organization, though the Zoo does have a foundation that is a nonprofit. It seems to me that tier one organizations who are also at the top of the heap in regards to ever growing paying tourist visitors might want to pass on some of their SCFD tax dollars to some of the fine but less visited and more obscure attractions. Spreading the wealth a bit makes sense to me, and no… I am not smoking crack, it’s just a thought. News Flash: Hell has just frozen over! I just received word that the powers that be over at
the SCFD have tweaked the new arrangement. If in November, the voters agree to continue funding this program, “The Big Five” will have a granting process for tiers two and three to apply for additional funding. Sounds like a wise PR move to me. The Big Five keeps the power and can sell themselves as the saints of culture – well played! In November we voters get to decide yes or no on extending SCFD funding. If approved, once again tier-one organizations (the “Big Five”) will receive the vast percentage of tax money. Unfortunately the voters have no say on who gets what and how much. According to a report by Longwoods International (a company that has measured Denver’s tourism economy since 1994), we’ve had more out-of-state visitors than ever before this past year with 82 percent of our visitors coming from another state. Visitors from Florida, California, Texas, Illinois and Arizona topped the list. Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago were the top feeder cities. Denver, my friends, has hit the big-time. We are now a national draw. My reaction to reading this report is “Damn! The secret is out and we as a city collectively need to shut our pie holes!” We have enough people living here; we need to quit telling people how wonderful Denver is. You know that many of our tourists will go home, immediately pack their stuff, rent a U-Haul and move here, especially ones from Iowa and Missouri. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Colorado saw an influx of 200,386 people from other states and abroad between 2013 and 2014. Denver County has led the state in numeric population growth, with an increase of 15,461 in 2014 and an estimated 18,000+ in 2015 and every one of these newbies wants to park in front of my house. Okay, I have taken a chill pill, am taking big breaths and I am now coming to grips with reality. The masses are going to keep coming whether I like it or not. My beloved long-passed mother has come to me in a vision and strongly encouraged me to quit being a brat and to be a cordial host, so here is my suggestion for a great way for a tour-ri-ster to spend a day in our fine city: Drive the entire length of Colfax Avenue, all 26.8 miles. Playboy magazine once called Colfax “the longest, wickedest street in America.” In fact, it is the longest contiguous street in America, stretching from East Aurora to Golden. I suggest you start in
Golden and head east, stopping at Davies’ Chuck Wagon Diner for breakfast – killer (literally and figuratively) chicken fried steak and eggs. You can’t miss this place because of the retro cowboy and horse sign. Then stop at Casa Bonita, the gigantic Mexican eatery and roadside entertainment attraction, it is an enormous pink building. Lots to see with dudes in Speedos cliff diving, a 30 ft. waterfall, fire jugglers, mariachis serenading, flamenco dancers, and human zoology everywhere you look. Take it all in, just don’t eat the food. Seriously. Here is a great car game to play as you cruise Colfax: count how many pawn brokers, tattoo parlors, check cashing emporiums, 1950s era motels (don’t miss the Big Bunny Motel), strip clubs, used car lots and pot palaces you see. Bonus points for every hooker you spot and double your score if you see an actual drug deal going down. Don’t be in despair if your score is low at first, Aurora is yet to come. Time for a drink? Try Sancho’s
Broken Arrow; even if you are not thirsty, the endless Grateful Dead Soundtrack will drive you to drink. Sidebar: what was the name of the bar that was housed here prior to the arrow being broken? The answer will be at the bottom of this column. At this point you have been on the road long enough to need a fresh shirt. Stop at Smiley’s Laundromat, oops, never mind I forgot this Denver legendary institution has been closed and is being gutted and converted to high-end apartments. Instead go to the Bad
Kittie Salon for a haircut. For dinner, Bastien’s Restaurant (open since 1937) home of the world famous sugar rubbed steaks is a must stop. I hope that you enjoy Frank Sinatra music because you will hear it throughout this place, even in the bathrooms. After a delicious meal you are back in the car and still have a long way to go before completing your tour. With Aurora coming up, you’ll want to lock your doors and hope that you hit all the lights on green. Welcome to the Mile High City. Answer: The Golden Nugget.
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M U SIC SUMMERTIME AND THE MUSIC IS EASY By Peter Jones With the summer solstice behind us, the concert season is here –officially, unofficially and for all practical and impractical purposes. There can’t be any decent live music before June 21, right? Or does this involve a rodent poking his head out of a hole and prognosticating. Never mind, Ted Nugent (even though he’s been interviewed here in LIFE Music). In any case, some of the best live music in July will be heard indoors. Sting and Peter Gabriel share
the stage July 12 at that bastion of intimacy, the Pepsi Center, on July 12. Both musicians began their careers as leaders of seminal bands – the Police and Genesis, respectively – before launching diverse solo careers that took them around a world of ethnic rhythms and genre play. Even so, I don’t think many would have associated the two in their heydays. A few decades can do wonders for togetherness. The English Beat [interviewed in this column in LIFE Music’s early days] headlines another double bill of 1980s pop on July 13 at the Ogden Theater. The
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The Eagles of Death Metal are neither Eagles nor death metal, but they soar live into the Ogden Theater on July 19. PHOTO BY COURTESY OGDEN THEATER Beat, which married ska with punk, is the headliner, along with Soul Asylum, a band that never found the Beat’s commercial success, but was an exceptional live act. Denver’s venerable folk godfather Harry Tuft [interviewed here in 2014] performs the same night at Four Mile Historic Park, 715 S. Forest St. An inductee in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Tuft has played every hoot in the nanny of Denver’s historic folk scene, from helping found Swallow Hill to escorting Joan Baez to Red Rocks for a Beatles pilgrimage. In the wake of yet another mind-numbing mass shooting, it is always off putting when a band’s fame jumps a few notches as the result of terrorism. But that is exactly what happened to the Eagles of Death Metal, who play the Ogden July 19. The band was performing at Paris’s Le Bataclan last year when terrorists famously attacked the club, killing almost 90 people.
Amid such tragedy, one might assume it might somehow be tied to the group’s ostensibly disturbing “death metal” moniker. But here’s the thing: The band is the Eagles of Death Metal. Get it? Think Air Supply of punk and you may get the idea. If this is death metal, Harry Tufts may as well jam with Soul Asylum. They Might Be Giants! Yes, the quasi-novelty band named for a forgettable 1971 George C. Scott picture plays the Ogden the next night. The nerdish duo could have made commercial jingles had they not made commercial singles instead. How can you lose with titles like “Youth Culture Killed My Dog”? Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler does not know the answer – though he brings his solo show to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on July 23. It’s a controversial tour – at least according to Tyler’s band mates who think lead singers should be monogamous, even as their
guitarists take sabbaticals to find themselves in movie soundtracks. Dearly beloved jazz-blues chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux will vamp the L2 Church, 1477 Columbine St. on July 28. Few other contemporary singers still carry the torch of Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith. Peyroux channels those legends in a 21st century context. Fans of the Grateful Dead – the band that just can’t seem to break up –will get themselves into another jam July 29 at Cervantes’ in Five Points with the Dead/Phish Orchestra, a tribute act whose name could find double use in seafood marketing. Or not. A remaining highlight of the Denver Botanic Gardens concerts, as previewed here in May, is the singer-songwriter supergroup starring K.D. Lang, Neko Case and Laura Viers, which plays July 10. Tickets were still available at press time. Happy July. Be independent. Contact Peter Jones at pjones@ lifeoncaphill.com.
DENVER DAYS EMBODIES THE “SPIRIT” OF THE MILE HIGH CITY By Denny Taylor So you really want to get to know your neighbors better or would like to form a team to improve your neighborhood? Then register now for Denver Days 2016! This year, Denver Days takes place July 30-Aug. 7. During that week, the City and County of Denver waives park permit fees and provides street barricades free of charge to facilitate your neighborhood block party. All you have to do is sign up (register) by July 15. When Mayor Michael B. Hancock originally took office he envisioned a city with strong vibrant neighborhoods where neighbors not only knew their neighbors, but as a result felt safer and more connected to the communities they call home. Four years ago, Mayor Hancock
turned that vision into reality by creating Denver Days, a program during the first week of August that encourages neighbors to get to know their neighbors by hosting block parties, picnics, and service projects with the focus on small, naturally intrinsic gatherings. Last year, Denver residents hosted more than 200 events across the city, everything from the Extreme Community Makeover Project, a collection of neighborhood improvement projects, to Somali Tamales, where La Alma neighbors came together to fuse their traditional cultural cuisines, to Zumba in the Park hosted by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company. If your neighborhood park needs some tender loving care or the alley needs some clean-up, just contact Denver Days and
they will help you organize a volunteer service project for you and your neighbors. Or, just looking for an excuse to spend time with long-time neighbors, or a chance to meet new ones, or just wanting to have some summer fun? Denver Days website can help figure that out, too. Neighbors who organize block parties, social events and service projects or interact with those who live closest to them help build a sense of belonging and camaraderie that fosters happier, healthier living environments for all. Are you still sitting there? Get up now, register and start planning! For more information or to register, visit: www.denvergov.org/ denverdays.
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ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURAL ALIENATION Photos & Copy by David Lynn Wise AIA The questions in casual conversation persist. Why are these seemingly incompatible houses continuing to sprout in established neighborhoods where the discordance is so blatant? Does adding a second floor to an existing house inherently lead to a War of the Worlds-type invasion? Capitol Hill has designated Historic Districts that are carefully managed using sophisticated tools and standards. For the rest of us there is a simpler common sense (and, oh yes, constitutional) method for determining how to fit in? Must each generation of single-family houses be larger than the previous? Where would the boxy new houses with the incongruous soul patch of wood siding call home if not Capitol Hill’s predominantly one hundred-year-old context? One of many design ironies is the sadly formulaic tract houses sprawling from Stapleton to Brighton that lean unconvincingly historicist, while in historic neighborhoods throughout Denver modernist inspired houses sprout from any randomly available lot. I must say that the critical issue is not traditional versus modern but rather the quality of the effort in designing new infill houses. The designs of new,
much larger buildings in Lower Downtown, for example, have evolved, and skilled developers and architects have found that magical synthesis of industrial brick masonry urban fabric and exciting new architecture. How then does the long-standing architectural diversity of a district like Congress Park or Seventh Avenue achieve a resilient cohesiveness while excellent neighborhoods like Platte Park and Cherry Creek North, despite big investments, end up with so many architecturally disjointed blocks? It’s clear that different eras of design inevitably express changed construction technologies as well as dissimilar social values. With the influence of Jane Jacobs (google ‘Death and Life of Great American Cities’) and her reaction against Urban Renewal, American society, since the sixties, has become more concerned than before with the existing prevailing architecture within all neighborhoods, not just landmark districts. This more general sensitivity is often labeled Contextualism and is distinct from but related to historic preservation. The academic and institutional response to this concern has been deep and widespread. The original concern for the obliteration of established neighborhoods by massive urban
Often overlooked, the north side of this house has rich detail and extravagant windows.
Queen Anne style often has balconies on the front and proud two story proportions.
highway projects, has merged with a sense of alarm over the size, crudeness and essential ugliness of new houses built alongside well-composed human scale houses from earlier periods. Architecture schools regularly assign infill design projects and zoning ordinances have locked in rules that address existing context. Again, it’s false to assume that fresh, meaningful contemporary architecture can’t be designed to be a welcome neighbor to traditional or even historical houses. It is also true that many new houses in existing neighborhoods on Capitol Hill were not built with any intention of creating meaningful architecture. They have to sell for a certain price, and they have to sell quickly. Once a developer has success with skimping on design quality they have no reason to try to do better. To them it is a line item cost that can simply be eliminated. There is a minority of developers who see things quite differently, and they can prove to you that their investment in the work of a capable architect is, in fact, good for their business. Those are the businesses we should celebrate and support. Very few ‘spec houses’ are invested with much design care at all. Ninety years ago, in what may have been the Golden Age of residential design in American cities including Denver, there were excellent pattern books with drawings of houses and the American Institute of Architects sponsored a Small House Bureau. Following a centuries-old tradition of setting very specific academic guidelines, these resources made certain everyone in the trades knew how to stay within the approved stylistic rules. The industry knew the rules as well so that doors, windows, trim and decoration were all mass-produced, and the pieces and parts more or less worked together to achieve a familiar effect. It was limited, comfortable and expedient all at the same time. A cohesive cityscape emerged on what had been a treeless prairie landscape. Some of us have imagined that pencils made different buildings than computers make. It’s an ever-expanding debate and not just in architecture. There are similar issues in musical composition for example. In fact, digital tools can nearly spontaneously and autonomously belch out clustered cubes, jaunty and looming with a few keystrokes in the time taken to finish off a cup of chai. The same powerful tools have made fitting complex house designs with appropriate tradition inspired details and precisely correct proportions into a neighborhood context more successful than ever. The skill, care and intelligence of the human is still the key factor, along with the initial goal setting that takes place with the developer or homeowner. High costs, zoning restrictions, needs of homeowners and the pressure to build a house as a profitable investment as much as for shelter, have made for oversized projects in many neigh-
This well composed set of modern townhouses addresses and animates the street. borhoods. The utter failure to match the design quality of older neighborhoods is pervasive but not absolute. The one lesson we can learn over and over requires a little suppression of our ego and patient observation of what surrounds us in our Capitol Hill neighborhoods. Without matching other houses, we can learn from them. The way a window is
set back in a brick wall affects the character of the entire house. The selection of brick color and texture, along with the color of the mortar and how the joints are finished, are all important details to the final result. Real stucco on certain older houses evokes its rules about how it is to be used, continued on page 26
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26 ARCHITECTURE Continued from 25 the texture, the edges, the meeting of other materials and its use around windows and doors. ‘Just do it like that.’ We sometimes say, pointing. Denver is blessed and cursed with ever more detailed zoning and building rules. Despite good intentions, the implementation is arduous, adversarial and bewildering. It has taken a toll on both homeowners and the residential construction industry. Underlying the rules is a blurry idea of how new houses fit into existing neighborhoods. Despite years of implementing these complicated restrictions, Capitol Hill still suffers from incompatible or simply lame and paltry new architectural designs. Is there a fix? I’m tempted to suggest that more focus on details and materials and less focus on form might be an improvement in the system. To my eye, the new cumbersome form based zoning is not enough. The code has become a huge book for beating up homeowners, and I don’t yet see it preventing substandard new projects from sprouting on Capitol Hill. In reality, these issues may just
be an elitist preoccupation in a city where lower wage earners and most of a young generation can afford no house at all. They may never have a house or equity, due to our dysfunctional housing industry and the paralyzing standoff in the Colorado legislature over defects liability and other nonsense. This result is an economic time bomb and daily hardship for thousands of our neighbors. All that aside, the question is, ‘What might be helpful?’ The answer may be within existing organizations and us. Together perhaps we can craft an elegant little handbook of questions, answers, ideas, sketches and web links to give support to anyone contemplating new construction on Capitol Hill. Perhaps through information, inspiration and collaboration we can do what massive regulation and zoning have not done. Maybe we can bump up the odds that new construction will be something more than appallingly clueless and ugly. Even with that, it is always an eye of the beholder issue, but if we do this collaboratively and sincerely, we will have a bit more in common in our vision as it evolves. That is what can bind a neighborhood together.
LETTERS To the Editor: On June 13, following public testimony and comments from the dais that lasted late into the evening, City Council approved CB16-0261 which legalizes shortterm rentals (STRs) as an accessory use in all Denver residential zones. In recent years some 2000 people have been renting space to guests in their Denver homes for short stays through companies like AirBnB, VRBO and others, though Denver ordinance forbade rentals of less than 30 days. CB16-0261 provides a framework for the licensing, taxation and regulation of an industry which, until the bill’s passage, had flourished unchecked in the unregulated environs of cyberspace. Like my council colleagues and many constituents, I will be looking carefully at the impacts of STRs on our neighborhoods. Most STR hosts and renters are responsible and act as good neighbors, but every community has its bad actors, and we must be prepared to weed out those bad actors quickly. I am convinced that the new ordinance has the teeth to do just that. The previous state of illegality was grounded in our zoning code, and the process required to put offenders out of
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JEWELRY
business was lengthy and cumbersome. It could easily take months if not a year or more to resolve problem STR locations. The new system requires those wishing to rent their primary residence for STRs to acquire a business license from the Denver Department of Excise and License. All ads for STRs, whether online, in newspapers or on public notice boards must clearly display a Denver business license number. Running an ad without a valid number can bring fines up to $999. Excise and License staff will scan daily listings to “encourage” compliance. Whether an STR owner obtains a license or attempts to skirt the law by not registering, or if disturbance of the peace problems take place at their property, the Director of Excise and License—Stacie Loucks—can shut down an STR property immediately pending investigation of a complaint. We expect most situations to be easily resolved through warnings/ fines, but if a stubborn situation arises, the director has the power to act unilaterally. Along with a few of my colleagues, I have urged Excise and License to add additional staff to ensure their ability to meet the challenge of enforcing the new law 24/7. I look forward to sup-
porting their budget request to provide the needed personnel. —Paul Kashmann __________ To the Editor: Last week I went to the Capitol Hill Post Office. They had no stamps of any kind. Yesterday they had regular stamps but no postcards or postcard stamps. I asked if could call them before I walked 2 miles. “You could,” I was told, “But nobody would answer.” Nice girl; I don't blame her; she was doing a courtesy to me by telling me the truth. She told me to go around the corner, to speak to the manager. I waited for over 30 minutes. His explanation was the woman with the keys and code to the vault “has been gone for six weeks. But now they have someone coming in to replace her.” "Six Weeks?" I asked. "It's a very intricate process," he said. "Six Weeks?” I repeated. “Good news is,” he said, “postcard stamps have been delivered to the Capitol Hill Station this afternoon.” This was now 4pm. Pity the poor man behind me. “It is what it is, lady,” he said. "I've been waiting for over 30 minutes. It's not your turn to vent." So, back around the block. "Good news,” I said. “The manager says you had a delivery of postcard stamps today.” "Well, if we do, they would be in the vault and we need someone to come open the vault and release the stamps to us." Unbelievable. It's as if the milkman just shot his cow. —Susan Whitehurst
DESIGN
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CUSTOM ESTATE APPRAISAL REPAIR
With 380,000 thousand attending PrideFest and 120,000 lining the festival’s parade route, it’s clear that Denver stands in solidarity with our LGBT community. We are Orlando. PHOTO BY STEVIE CRECELIUS FOR THE CENTER
27 4TH OF JULY Continued from 1 This four-mile run around Washington Park is a July 4th tradition and benefits Make-A-Wish Colorado. In addition to awards for the winners of the race (cash prizes for top three men and women), prizes will be given to kids and adults with the most patriotic flair, so wear your “best display of USA”. There will be food, beverages and patriotic fun after the race, including the free Firecracker Kids Fun Run. Run on over to hallucinationsports.com for race registration.
THE COLORADO RAPIDS + FIREWORKS Mon., July 4, 7 pm Dick's Sporting Goods Park, 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City Whether you call it soccer or football, a Colorado Rapids match is always a good time. Denver's MLS team is set to face the Portland Timbers on the USA’s birthday. There will be a fireworks display after the game and if you haven’t been on the 4th, it’s a one of a kind experience! Tickets are available at coloradorapids.com.
THE DENVER OUTLAWS + FIREWORKS Mon., July 4, 6:30 pm Sports Authority Field at Mile High Colorado’s own professional lacrosse team, the Denver Outlaws, will challenge the Florida Launch over the holiday weekend. After the game, enjoy fireworks within the bowl at Sports Authority Field at Mile High – there will be pyrotechnics, paired with visuals on a 220-foot-wide, high-def screen. Go to denveroutlaws.com to get in on the fun.
FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK Fri., July 1 Denver's Art Districts throughout the city Although not exclusive to the Fourth of July weekend, the First Friday Art Walk is a warm weather favorite, where you can visit Denver’s creative communities at the art districts on Santa Fe, RiNo (River North Art District) and the Tennyson Street Cultural District. The galleries are open late and culture lovers can enjoy live music, food and drink while they browse the art on offer. Check out denver. org/things-to-do/denver-arts-culture If you’re more interested in being indoors over the holiday, here are some options to beat the heat.
WOMEN OF ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM June 12–Sept. 25 Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is offering an opportunity to view a collection of paintings by largely unknown women working on the East and West coasts during the 1940s and ‘50s, expressing their lives in abstract form. These artists include Mary Abbott, Jay DeFeo, Perle Fine, Helen Frankenthaler, Sonia Gechtoff, Judith Godwin, Grace Hartigan, Elaine de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell, Deborah Remington, and Ethel Schwabacher.
The exhibit will focus on “the expressive freedom of direct gesture and process at the core of abstract expressionism, while revealing inward reverie and painterly expression.” Exhibition admission is included in DAM ticket price. For more information on the exhibit, go to denverartmuseum.org.
NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE 3D
Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre/ University Theatre, University of Colorado Boulder campus An annual favorite, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival is once again playing in the shadow of the Flatirons under the Boulder skyline. This year’s series of plays is being performed at the historic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre and also indoors in the newly renovated University Theatre. This year's line-
up includes The Comedy of Errors, Troilus and Cressida, Cymbeline and Henry VI, Part 2. Over the July 4th weekend, there will only be one performance, Sun., the 3rd, at 1 pm, which will be Equivocation by Bill Cain. Equivocation, although not written by the Bard himself, details the story of a reluctant playwright and sleuth, “Shag” – aka William Shakespeare, who finds himself
at the perilous crossroads between artistic integrity and survival when King James I commissions him to rewrite the history of England’s infamous Gunpowder Plot. Under the Orwellian gaze of a security state, he must find a way to tell the truth without selling his soul. The performance will be held in the University Theatre. Go to coloradoshakes.org for ticket information.
May 27–Sept. 22 Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Narrated by Robert Redford, National Parks Adventure 3D celebrates the Centennial of America's national parks by taking viewers on an aerial tour through four treasured national parks: Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite and Arches. It’s showing in IMAX at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science; go to dmns.org to purchase tickets.
FURTHER AFIELD RED ROCKS CONCERTS July 1–3 & 5 Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison It wouldn’t be summer in Colorado without a concert at Red Rocks. Independence Day Weekend offers a range of musical offerings, including experimental world fusion and electronica with Beats Antique, Shpongle and That 1 Guy, accompanied by the visionary art of Alex and Allyson Grey on Fri., July 1. Saturday and Sunday will see the improvisation of Umphrey's McGee for a two-night stand. Blues Traveler returns for their annual Independence Day show, supported by Thompson Square, Uncle Kracker and Sam Palladio on July 4th. And on Mon., July 5, Grammy Award-winning folk comedy duo, Flight of the Conchords, will make laughter ring out over the Rocks. For tickets and further information, head over to redrocksonline. com.
THE DEAD & COMPANY Sat., July 2 & Sun., July 3, 6:30 pm on both nights Folsom Field, CU-Boulder campus A two-night stand by former Grateful Dead members will be the perfect holiday fun for Deadheads. Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann are once again teaming up with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti to put on a show for older and younger fans alike. Ticket prices start at $35 for one show and $88 for both shows. Go to axs.com to purchase tickets.
COLORADO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Weekend Brunch 10am-2pm | Bloody Mary Bar $4.50 | Mimosas $2
Happy Hours Monday – Friday 3pm – 6pm & 9pm – 11pm $3 Coors & PBR | $4 Jager & Fireball $5 Cheese Bread, Stromboli | $6 Wings ALL DAY EVERYDAY: | $5 Tito’s and $5 Jameson MIXOLOGY EXPERTS LANCE AND BUTCH AT YOUR SERVICE! 16 BEERS ON TAP 2 red wines / 1 white wine / 1 prosecco also available on tap!
Lunch Specials Banker’s Plate $9.75 2 topping 8” pizza, salad and drink No Substitutions
Private Party Room • Enclosed, Heated Patio 11 Big Screen TVs • Open until 2am Every Night
June 3–Aug. 7
1225 Logan Street • 303-861-3777 capitolhilltavern.com TALK TO US!
Private Off street Parking from 5:30 to close M-F Weekend parking open to close
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PRE-OPENING SNEAK PEEK Thursday, July 28th 5 - 8pm
NEW GYM IN CHERRY CREEK Find out more at TruFitCherryCreek.com or call 303-333-0123
PRE-OPENING SNEAK PEEK Thursday, July 28th 5 - 8pm
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