Email Author Melanie Asmar

Awards

• 2012 - GLAAD Media Awards, published May 5, 2011

  "Coming Out in America"

• 2012 - National Association of Black Journalists Awards, published March 17, 2011

  "Say What?"

• 2012 - Clarion Awards/Association of Women in Communications, published May 26, 2011

  "Passing on Education"

• 2011 - Education Reporting Awards/National Education Writers Association, published June 10, 2010

  "Teacher's Fret"

More

2010 Stories by Melanie Asmar

• Twitter is abuzz with Denverites whining and rejoicing at the city's total lack of snow

  published Dec 27, 2010

  The East Coast is getting a shit-ton of snow, according to such venerable news sources as the New York Times and my mother, who texted me pictures of human-sized snow piles this morning. But thus far... More >>

• Highlands Cork & Coffee may soon serve liquor -- as well as Snuggies

  published Dec 27, 2010

  Highlands Cork & Coffee could soon have a full bar. The coffee shop-and-wine bar in Highlands Square had a liquor-license hearing last Thursday. Owner Shawn Manzanares says she thinks it went well,... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Highlands Mommies pick the best restaurants in northwest Denver; do you agree with themr

  published Dec 22, 2010

  Every year, Westword publishes a little guide called the "Best Of Denver," wherein our writers rank the city's best stuff, including food. Last year, the Highlands Mommies -- the formidable northwest ... More >>

• Highlands Mommies: Their picks for best food, shops, yoga studios in northwest Denver

  published Dec 22, 2010

  Much fuss has been made about the Highlands Mommies' relationships to local businesses, as is evident in the comments on our cover story, "The Mommies." Here's a juicy one: The Highland Mommies are ... More >>

• Highlands Mommies: A list of the best quotes that didn't make it into the cover story

  published Dec 21, 2010

  Reporters take a lot of notes. Like, a lot. Like, I'm writing down what you're saying right now. And not all of those juicy quotes wind up in the final story. So here, we offer the top five quotes b... More >>

• Stapleton Moms is like Highlands Mommies for northeast Denver

  published Dec 20, 2010

  The Highlands Mommies are not the only game in town. There are several other parents groups in and around Denver, some more formal than others. One of the most organized is the Stapleton Moms, a Yaho... More >>

• Highlands Mommies map: If you don't live within these boundaries, you can't be a Mommy

  published Dec 17, 2010

  The Highlands Mommies is an exclusive group. In order to be accepted into what some say is northwest Denver's most powerful organization, you must live within certain boundaries. As described in this... More >>

• Video: Highlands Mommies take us on a windshield tour of the 'hood ... in a minivan

  published Dec 16, 2010

  The Highlands Mommies love northwest Denver. Like, love-love. Like, if the neighborhood were human, they would marry it. Whyr As Mommies managing director Elina Martinez tells us in this week's cover ... More >>

• Highlands Mommies: Who and what are theyr

  published Dec 15, 2010

  What is the Highlands Mommiesr Is it a play groupr A business groupr A political groupr Is it, as some have suggested, the mobr This week's feature, "The Mommies," answers all those questions. Check... More >>

• 

  COVER STORY

  The Highlands Mommies are raising babies and raising Cain in northwest Denver

  published December 16, 2010

  A month ago, a frustrated mommy wrote a post on the main message board of the Highlands Mommies, an online parents' group in northwest Denver.... More >>

• Social studies: Colorado state tests will now include questions about geography, history

  published Dec 14, 2010

  Colorado's Board of Education recently added social studies to its new testing system -- a move that may prevent more geography horror stories like professor Aimee Pellet's. She described a recent ma... More >>

• Arches of Hope gives new bikes to deserving 'tweens, college scholarships to deserving teens

  published Dec 13, 2010

  Yesterday, 300 local fifth- and sixth-graders showed up at the Manual High School gym, nominated by their teachers to be part of an event dubbed "Arches of Hope." After listening to a lineup of speak... More >>

• Denver Zoo's Zoo Lights is one of the best holiday lights displays in the world, says Bing

  published Dec 10, 2010

  What does the Denver Zoo have in common with Jerusalemr How about with a thirty-foot tree made entirely of Legosr Or a bridge in Branson, Missouri, a city best described as Las Vegas for Christiansr ... More >>

• Colorado Gives Day raises more than $8 million during 24-hour charitable giving bonanza

  published Dec 09, 2010

  Update: The numbers are in! More than 18,700 donors contributed over $8 million to more than 500 nonprofits in 24 hours yesterday during the inaugural Colorado Gives Day. That's eight times more than ... More >>

• Denver Zoo: Help its elephant poop dreams come true by voting in the Pepsi Refresh Project

  published Dec 03, 2010

  Everybody poops, including elephants -- who produce 200 pounds of the stuff every day. That's the weight of a man. Hear that, kidsr An elephant poops out a man every single day. And the Denver Zoo h... More >>

• Paralyzed pole dancer to benefit from incredibly suggestive local fundraiser on Saturday

  published Dec 02, 2010

  Marguerite Endsley wants to spread the word about something near and dear to her heart: pole dancing. And in the process, she wants to raise some money for a fellow pole dancer who recently suffered a... More >>

• Andrea Merida recall organizer: "Threat of a recall can be more effective than actual recall"

  published Dec 02, 2010

  Andrea Merida, the controversial Denver Public Schools board member, survived a recall attempt this week when the voters asking for her removal didn't collect enough signatures -- although that's no... More >>

• Secure Communities: Forum tonight at Auraria to oppose controversial immigration program

  published Dec 01, 2010

  The invitation is alarming: "Come find out what nasty things Colorado Governor Ritter is contemplating doing BEHIND closed doors." The nasty thing it's referring to is Secure Communities, a federal p... More >>

• Andrea Merida: Attempt to recall DPS board member fails for lack of petition signatures

  published Nov 30, 2010

  An attempt to recall controversial Denver Public Schools board member Andrea Merida appears to have failed. The three southwest Denver voters who asked for the recall had until Monday to submit a pet... More >>

• Coffee tugo: Denver ER nurse invents coffee cup holder that attaches to your rolling suitcase

  published Nov 30, 2010

  Clumsy, caffeine-crazed travelers who love carry-on luggage, rejoice. A Denver psychiatric nurse named Karen Porte has solved all of your problems. Porte is the inventor of the tugo, "a cup holder tha... More >>

• Thanks to YouTube, the entire world can watch your awkward Thanksgiving home video

  published Nov 26, 2010

  Every family has one: the annoying relative who mans the video camera on holidays, wandering from room to room and narrating the boring gathering in a voice that sounds as if he's welcoming three-yea... More >>

• Chris "Birdman" Andersen's neck tattoo inspires lovers, haters to sound off

  published Nov 26, 2010

  Westword cover-boy (cover-turkeyr) Chris "Birdman" Andersen has a badass new neck tattoo. It's so badass that it inspired us to post this photo gallery showcasing the Birdman's gratuitous ink, as wel... More >>

• Win a $20 MAC Cosmetics gift card by telling us your Foursquare hopes/ruthless ambitions

  published Nov 24, 2010

  Update, 1 p.m.: We picked a winner! Congratulations to Tara Hallam, whose entry was the least kiss-ass of any we received. If I could be Foursquare mayor of any place in Denver, I'd be mayor of Casa ... More >>

• Our Lady of Guadalupe Church members fight to restore mural of Mexican patron saint

  published Nov 23, 2010

  This afternoon, a group of about thirty Catholics from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in North Denver marched into the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Denver. Their missionr To deliver a letter aski... More >>

• Recycling: Now that Denver residents can recycle yogurt cups, what will kids play withr

  published Nov 23, 2010

  Denver residents can now recycle yogurt cups and other No. 5 plastics, which include ketchup bottles, disposable straws and shapely containers of fake maple syrup. (We're talking to you, Mrs. Butterw... More >>