Kenny and Kristin Johnson have lived in their northeast Denver neighborhood for six years, raising a young family (Rayah, three, and Dominick, fourteen weeks). One day on a walk around the area, they passed a vacant storefront beside a thrift store that was only open once a month, and Kristin…
I’m at Northwestern for a writing conference that the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies hosts at the Medill J-school, which is also home to the Academy for Alternative Journalism, a summer program for budding journalists that AAN sponsors. Jared Jacang Maher, a Westword staff writer, is a veteran of this program,…
The Denver Public Library has about 4,000 collections donated by corporations, organizations and individuals, but even so, archivist/librarian Roger Dudley recognized that there was something unique about the collection he was sorting through: sealed court records, many of them involving Colorado special grand jury 89-2, which U.S. District Court Judge…
Life is lonely in the Beauvallon, where every restaurant and eatery has closed up shop — except for Aviano Coffee at 955 Lincoln Street. Nine75 is gone, Mr. Coco’s is gone, Aqua is gone. (Brandon’s, which closed at the end of June, has a sign up advertising its reopening on…
On Friday, Kelly Brough, Mayor John Hickenlooper’s chief of staff, was named the next head of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce — the winner in a horse race with Tom Clark, the chamber’s eco-devo head. On Saturday, I ran into Brough at a concert in Civic Center and asked…
The Denver Post has a story today about how to have a clambake in your back yard. Even easier: head to Oceanaire, in downtown’s back yard at 1400 Arapahoe Street, on Friday, August 14, when the restaurant will host “A Taste of Nantucket — in a Bucket!” The traditional New…
Someone has been stealing letters from the marquee at Bastien’s — but Emilio’s, the Mexican joint at 338 East Colfax Avenue, lost an entire sign. Yes, the classic Super Chef sign (right) that belonged to the original diner on this corner, and was lovingly restored when Emilio’s took the space…
Senger’s on the Fax closed very quietly — and quickly — last month, with a sign on the door at 3014 East Colfax Avenue noting that it had been seized for nonpayment of taxes. But now the space is open again as 3014, under the ownership of Nick O’Sullivan, one…
The space at 231 Milwaukee Street that most recently held Bar Luxe and Euro is empty again — except for all the ghosts. Over the last thirty years, this address has been home to everything from the Kiva (great green chile recipe) to the Bay Wolf to Vartan’s Jazz to…
Politicians were out in force at the Arapahoe County Republicans fundraising roast of former congressman Tom Tancredo on Saturday. John Suthers, the only GOP member currently elected to a statewide office. Mike Coffman, who moved from a statewide office to fill Tancredo’s seat in the Sixth Congressional district. U.S. Senate…
Do you think the old Carnegie Library, now known as the McNichols Building (144 West Colfax Avenue), would make a great restaurant? If so; you’re not alone; that’s one of the concepts that’s come up frequently for the circa 1909 building, which now houses city offices, as assorted committees and…
Lola, at 1575 Boulder Street, rolled out its new brunch menu yesterday. The chicken and waffles plate is gone, but the award-winning chicken-fried steak is back, alongside peaches and cream pancakes, buffalo chimichanga, a lamb torta and sweet corn grits. And the weekend brunch menu isn’t the only change. Tonight…
You don’t need to work too hard to roast Tom Tancredo: The man roasts himself. Google the name of the former Sixth District congressman and your computer starts smoking, then spits out story after story, quote after quote, that prove truth is indeed stranger than fiction. A few of Tancredo’s…
At 11 a.m. today, the first Local Flavor Fest kicks off on Colfax Avenue, right by the Lowenstein Complex that houses the Tattered Cover, Twist & Shout and Encore restaurant. The festival, which will run until 4 p.m., celebrates local businesses, and features a raffle, food booths, vendors, book-signings and…
The Little Pub Company just got bigger, with the opening of the Doghouse Tavern in the Bear Valley Shopping Center (in the space at the intersection of West Hampden Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard that was formerly Bear Valley Inn). “My brother lives in the Sheridan neighborhood and has been after…
I am listening to Tom Tancredo filling in for Peter Boyles on KHOW radio, marveling at how the former congressman is maintaining a one-man monologue that, in the past five minutes, has touched on illegal immigration, healthcare, how Republicans need a speaker as slick as Barack Obama, illegal imigration, Harleys,…
The Arizona-based Martini Ranch USA, which owns Martini Ranch clubs in Scottsdale and San Diego, abruptly closed its Denver space at 1317 14th Street at the end of July. “Right now it’s in negotiations with the chain ownership and a remodel,” Jason Witkes, the venue’s marketing coordinator, told Jon Solomon,…
Yesterday, I got an e-mail from the Republication National Convention host committee, asking me to fill out a survey that would help ensure “that future visitors to Minneapolis Saint Paul have the best possible experience in our cities. A key component to continuing our efforts to become a destination of…
William Cody’s travels with his Wild West Show took him all over the world — Buffalo Bill even did two performances in Croatia in 1906 — and across the continental United States. But he never made it to Alaska or Hawaii. “Interestingly enough, in our collection is a poster —…
We need a resource, we need an advocate,” pleaded one man. “I don’t need another white lady taking down my info,” pleaded one woman. At two Denver forums hosted by the Colorado Division of Civil Rights last week, the sad stories and angry accusations spilled well beyond the allotted time…
“You all wasted our time,” proclaimed community activist Alvertis Simmons at a public forum held July 27 by the Colorado Division of Civil Rights. “This was not a waste of your time,” replied Rico Munn, the cool-headed director of the Department of Regulatory Affairs, which includes the Division of Civil…
For twenty years, Women’s Bean Project has been helping women get back on their feet — and the good work it’s done over that time amounts to much more than a hill of beans. The Project got its start back in 1989, when Jossy Eyre was volunteering at a Denver…
