Doug Linkhart

Check, please! Keeping tabs on Denver's restaurant-inspection policy

RiNo odors lawsuit: Judge throws out dog-treat-factory complaint against city, neighbors

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the owner of a pet treat factory in the River North neighborhood, who sued the city and three neighbors for conspiring against him. As explained in our cover story, "Raising a Stink," Ray Kasel of Kasel Associates Industries took issue with the fact t ... More >>

Kasel Associates Industries, subject of smell complaints, recalls more pet treats

Back in December, we told you about a group of neighbors in RiNo who have been raising a stink over what they say are "putrid" smells coming from a pet treat factory called Kasel Associates Industries. The same month that the factory's owner sued the neighbors for harassment, batches of his products ... More >>

The odor-related lawsuit continues between RiNo neighbors and the Kasel pet-treat factory

Was Kasel Associates Industries, a pet-treat factory in the hip River North neighborhood, harmed by receiving an odor citation after five neighbors called to complain about the smell? No way, say the City of Denver and a neighbor whom factory owner Ray Kasel is now suing for harassment. Their respon ... More >>

Supreme Court health care ruling: Advocates praise it, tout Colorado reforms

Big news today for Barack Obama and, you know, tens of millions of Americans across the country: The Supreme Court of the United States has finally issued its ruling on the Affordable Care Act, essentially deciding to keep most of it intact. And advocates in Colorado are cheering the news, saying it ... More >>

Michael Hancock election night victory party gallery (PHOTOS)

Big pics below.​During Michael Hancock's victory party at the Exdo Event Center last night, rumblings about Scott Ewing and Denver Players links took a backseat to celebrating a huge win over rival Chris Romer. Westword photographer Kate Levy was on hand to capture the scene. Check out her im ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Ganjapreneur says Arizona easier to do business in than Colorado right now

Brian Cook.​With all the controversy over U.S. Attorney John Walsh's letter criticizing part of HB 1043, a medical marijuana bill intended to clean up some of last year's regulations, local members of the MMJ industry are both confused and concerned. No wonder one well-known area gangjapreneur ... More >>

Carol Boigon dropping out of Denver mayor's race, endorsing Michael Hancock

Carol Boigon.​Denver City Councilwoman Carol Boigon has run one of the more aggressive mayoral campaigns to date -- but it's over. According to campaign spokeswoman C.L. Harmer, Boigon is dropping out of the race, and she'll endorse fellow councilman Michael Hancock at a 10:30 a.m. press conf ... More >>

Carol Boigon's new TV ad says marijuana dispensaries "not a jobs plan" (VIDEO)

Video below.​ The first line of Carol Boigon's new ad is this: "Whether you support medical marijuana or not, putting dispensaries everywhere is not a jobs plan." Why did the mayoral hopeful, whose slogan is "Boigon Means Business," mention pot? "There's a number of my colleagues on the counci ... More >>

Michael Hancock's new commercial the ad to beat in Denver mayor's race (VIDEOS)

Videos below.​To date, Denver mayor's race commercials have ranged from the slick predictability of spots for Chris Romer and James Mejia to the unintentional humor of Carol Boigon's clip, in which she spends as much time talking about John Hickenlooper as herself and ends with the line, "I'll ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Rob Corry on denial of injunction against Loveland dispensary ban

Rob Corry.​Update: On March 1, attorney Rob Corry sued the City of Loveland on behalf of three dispensaries that had to close the previous day under the provisions of a voter-approved medical marijuana business ban. However, yesterday's preliminary injunction hearing didn't go the plaintiffs' ... More >>

Marcus Giavanni files complaint over exclusion from Denver mayoral ballot: Read it here

Marcus Giavanni.​The morning after ten Denver mayoral candidates qualified for the ballot, Marcus Giavanni, whose petition was deemed "insufficient," said he would file a complaint about his exclusion -- and he's done just that. The document, on view below, targets Denver clerk and recorder S ... More >>

James Mejia: Ex-safety manager Fidel "Butch" Montoya endorses him, dumps on Chris Romer

Butch Montoya.​Former Denver Manager of Safety Fidel "Butch" Montoya is switching his endorsement in the upcoming mayoral election to James Mejia. In a strongly-worded letter e-mailed to friends Monday evening, Montoya writes that he originally intended to endorse former state senator Chris Ro ... More >>

Battle: Los Angeles trailer to boost UFO believer Jeff Peckman in Denver mayor's race? (VIDEO)

Video below.​Battle: Los Angeles topped the weekend box office, bringing in an estimated $36 million. But will it also improve Jeff Peckman's chances of becoming Denver's mayor? He hopes so. Peckman appears in numerous spots hyping the alien-invasion flick, including a featurette with assorted ... More >>

Paul Noel Fiorino on failing to make mayors ballot & why he's running as a write-in candidate

Paul Noel Fiorino.​Paul Noel Fiorino was among six mayoral hopefuls who didn't collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot -- although a whopping ten others managed to do so. But unlike Marcus Giavanni, Fiorino isn't contesting this decision. Instead, he plans to run as a write-in, ev ... More >>

Chris Romer & "opposition research" in Denver mayor's race: Ask Scott McInnis if it will work

Scott McInnis.​The Denver mayoral race is finally starting to see some heat. Michael Hancock issued a press release Friday that called out contender Chris Romer for hiring an out-of-state political research firm to dig up information on other candidates -- a well-known campaign tactic known as ... More >>

Chris Romer, Doug Linkhart among 7 mayoral hopefuls deemed "sufficient:" How many more?

​Thus far, the campaign to become Denver's next mayor is less a race than a scrum. The city's website lists seven candidates whose petitions have been deemed "sufficient," meaning that they featured at least 300 valid signatures: Carol Boigon, Michael Hancock, Doug Linkhart, Danny Lopez, James ... More >>

Mark Gruber: A Denver mayor's race profile

Mark Gruber.​With John Hickenlooper serving as Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor this year, and the race is wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Mark Gruber. "It's very difficult to get good government whe ... More >>

Vincent Macieyovski: A Denver mayor's race profile

Macieyovski.​With John Hickenlooper serving as Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor this year, and the race is wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Vincent Macieyovski. "I haven't done any fundraising yet," V ... More >>

Ken Simpson: A Denver mayor's race profile

Ken Simpson.​With John Hickenlooper serving as Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor this year, and the race is wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Ken Simpson. "I believe that one person can make a differenc ... More >>

Jeff Peckman: A Denver mayor's race profile

Jeff Peckman.​With John Hickenlooper having taken office as Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor this year, and the race is wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Jeff Peckman. "I have spent my whole life tryin ... More >>

Carol Boigon: URL thief strikes Denver mayoral hopeful's campaign

Carol Boigon.​Denver mayoral candidate Carol Boigon sent out a press release yesterday afternoon that included an announcement that her campaign had launched a new website at www.boigonmeansbusiness.com. But when folks plugged the address into their internet browser, they were instead redire ... More >>

Theresa Spahn: A Denver mayor's race profile

Theresa Spahn.​With John Hickenlooper having taken office as Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor this year, and the race is wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Theresa Spahn. "I'm not an elected official," ... More >>

Bill Vidal has said he won't run for mayor, but a petition aims to change his mind

Bill Vidal.​Mayor Bill Vidal made some noise yesterday -- without calling a press conference. It might have been hard to hear over the roaring of all those rescued lions (and the media hubbub), but his recording welcoming travelers to Denver is now live on the train at Denver International Air ... More >>

Dwight Henson: A Denver mayor's race profile

Dwight Henson.​With John Hickenlooper having taken office as Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor this year, and the race is wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Dwight Henson. "A lot of people say, 'Don't ju ... More >>

Bill Vidal not running for mayor -- but he does accuse John Hickenlooper of throwing tantrum

Bill Vidal.​Given how many people are running for Denver mayor, it's a relief someone has said no. But interim mayor Bill Vidal's latest statement that he won't join the race was preceded by an e-mail to supporters sent when he was considering a bid -- and its blunt language, including an accu ... More >>

Gerald Styron, Denver mayoral candidate, once threatened to bring a gun to Westword

Mr. Mayor?​A fourteenth hopeful has entered the Denver mayor's race, and we're disappointed we had to read about Gerald Styron's candidacy somewhere else first. As Facethestate.comreports, when Styron was a write-in candidate for then-incumbent Rick Garcia's District 1 City Council slot in 200 ... More >>

Paul Noel Fiorino: A Denver mayor's race profile

Paul Noel Fiorino.​With John Hickenlooper now Colorado's governor, we know Denver will soon have a new mayor, and the race promises to be wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Paul Noel Fiorino. "We're trying to become a creative ... More >>

Medical marijuana: City council compromise could still close most grows, attorney says

​A medical-marijuana-grows compromise proposal passed through Denver City Council's special issues committee yesterday, with public input on the measure slated for February 14. At this point, however, attorney Warren Edson is uncertain if the tweaked proposal might still doom as many as 90 per ... More >>

Medical marijuana: Would 137 of 150 grows close by July 1 under new Denver proposal?

​Since last year, we've been reporting about various Denver City Council proposals to update zoning rules for medical marijuana grows, with attorney Christian Sederberg warning weeks ago about huge repercussions if there's no MMJ grandfathering. Now, lawyer Warren Edson says more than 90 perce ... More >>

Linda Alvarado: Post reported that she said she was running for mayor, then retracted story

Photo by Celia Alvarez Muñoz​For a while on Friday, it looked like the unbelievably crowded field for Denver mayor was about to get a little larger. A day of buzz about local businesswoman Linda Alvarado jumping in was followed by a Denver Post piece quoting her as confirming it. But that it ... More >>

Eric Zinn, mayoral hopeful, wants Denver to lose a million pounds

Eric Zinn​In a crowded field of folks vying to be Denver's next mayor, Eric Jon Zinn has one particular candidate in his sights that he's hoping to beat: Mayor McCheese. The 17th Street tax attorney wants Denverites to forsake the junk food, get on the bike or into the gym and shed a millio ... More >>

Thomas Andrew Wolf: A Denver mayor's race profile

More pics below.​With John Hickenlooper now Colorado's governor, we know Denver will soon have a new mayor, and the race promises to be wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Thomas Andrew Wolf. "I'm the only businessperson running ... More >>

Michael Hancock has a lucky address in his run for Denver mayor

Michael Hancock​And they're off! John Hickenlooper won't resign the office of Denver mayor until 8:30 a.m. next Tuesday (ninety minutes before he's sworn in as governor), but the ever-increasing group of candidates who'd like to occupy that office next will be holding open houses over the next ... More >>

Carol Boigon: A Denver mayor's race profile

Carol Boigon.​With John Hickenlooper having been elected Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor next year, and the race promises to be wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Carol Boigon. "I'm a person who never ... More >>

Chris Romer: A Denver mayor's race profile

Chris Romer.​With John Hickenlooper having been elected Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor next year, and the race promises to be wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Chris Romer. "I'm going to win this rac ... More >>

Michael Hancock: A Denver mayor's race profile

Michael Hancock.​With John Hickenlooper having been elected Colorado's governor, we know Denver will have a new mayor next year, and the race promises to be wide open. To introduce you to the players, we're offering profiles of official candidates. Next up: Michael Hancock. "It's not about co ... More >>

Medical marijuana dispensary closure: City council's Carla Madison defends amendment

Carla Madison.​Last Friday, Altitude Organic Medicine's Highlands location held a combination goodbye party and going-out-of-business sale after being forced to close due to a controversial amendment that essentially zoned AOM out of existence. Owner Brian Cook promises a lawsuit -- but city ... More >>

Medical marijuana fight: Dispensary owner shutting down, but suit against city promised

Altitude Organic Medicine.​In June, we told you about a Denver City Council amendment aimed at shutting down Altitude Organic Medicine, a Highlands dispensary, over a zoning technicality. When the amendment passed, owner Brian Cook pledged to sue the city -- and that's still his plan. But he's ... More >>

Medical marijuana fight: Dispensary owner plans suit after shutdown amendment passes

Altitude Organic Medicine.​Yesterday, we told you about a city council amendment aimed at shutting down Altitude Organic Medicine over what owner Brian Cook sees as an improper reading of an outmoded zoning rule. The amendment passed -- but Cook's hoping to fight it in court.

Wake-Up Call: Denver's pot pie still half-baked

​Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown has spent the last three months thinking about medical marijuana -- perhaps this city's only real growth industry -- and it showed yesterday, when council's safety committee approved his proposal for regulating dispensaries in Denver. The proposed ordinanc ... More >>

Live blog: Safety committee hears Charlie Brown's latest pot proposal

Charlie Brown's back in the pot spotlight.​Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown is back before council's safety committee this morning, presenting his proposed ordinance to regulate the city's medical marijuana dispensaries. We're live-blogging the hearing. You'll find Brown's proposal at the ... More >>

Live blog: Charlie Brown presents his pot proposal

Charlie Brown is the man with the plan.​This morning, Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown presented his proposed ordinance to regulate the city's medical marijuana dispensaries to the council's Safety Committee. We live blogged the hearing; you'll find Brown's proposal at the bottom of this p ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: Parking meter monitors

​As Denver struggles to close its budget gap, ideas are flying. In his monthly e-mail to constituents, Doug Linkhart, an at-large member of Denver City Council, offers this: "How can a bunch of quarters help fill our $120 million budget gap? By doing what Chicago recently did, and letting some ... More >>

Will the makeover of Writer Square be for the better or the worse?

Letters to the Editor

From the week of September 15, 2005

Off Limits

Brother, can you spare a dime?

The Accused

Colorado keeps an extensive list of suspected child abusers, but is anyone checking it twice?

Riddle Me This

Letters