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Want to give someone a quick feel for Denver? Walk the seven blocks of Wazee Street from Cherry Creek — where Denver got its start when gold was discovered 150 years ago — up to Coors Field, where the Rockies will start digging for gold in just a few weeks.
There’s history all along the way — especially at 17th Street today, St. Patrick’s Day, where Wazee is all about the late Dale Tooley, longtime Denver District Attorney, one-time mayoral candidate and full-time Irishman.
Every year, the street sign here is changed to honor Tooley. But this time, the process was not snafu-free. Murphy’s Law, maybe — Murphy was Irish, right?
Notice of the ceremony last Thursday never went out (some communication problem with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee, according to the Department of Public Works); McCormick’s, which had held a luncheon celebration to accompany the sign-change for decades, didn’t offer one this year (another communication problem with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee, according to the restaurant); and the sign-change itself was delayed (a definite communication problem with public works, according to the parade committee).
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And, in fact, someone in public works had gotten the date confused. But Mayor John Hickenlooper had faced bigger challenges that day: He’d d already had to play a ventriloquist’s dummy at the Colorado Business Commission for the Arts luncheon. So he waited patiently while the sign was fetched and installed a half-hour late, and Tooley Street was back in business.
As the green tide of fun-seekers washes over LoDo today, let’s hope a few people stop at that sign and salute a public servant who was truly green.
