Bird Brained

Although you can take the cock out of the fight, you can’t take the fight out of the cock. But the state of New Mexico is hoping to take humans out of the cock-fighting equation altogether. Our neighbor to the south is one of two states (the other is Louisiana)…

The Birdcage

Offense Report No: 07-96697 Date: 2-13-07 Type of Offense: Cruelty to Animals Location of Offense: South Denver, Rosedale neighborhood Type of Premises: House Suspect: A 50-year-old female Officer M. Vigil reports: “Investigation revealed that officers went to the listed location in an attempt to arrest [an individual] who was wanted…

The Bald and the Beautiful

It seemed like just last month that Britney Spears’ only shaved head was between her legs. The upside about her rehab-induced mental tailspin? We got a five minute respite from the Anna Nicole baby’s daddy saga. The bad news? Britney Spears finally ruined her last redeeming aspect: her locks. Strangely…

Deep Roots

The sold-out Fillmore was already bumping for the opening DJ before Chi-town sensation Lupe Fiasco (above) took the stage as the warm-up for the Roots on Saturday night. Although brief, Fiasco’s set sent the temperature of the room soaring as he bounced around the stage — militantly for his political…

Fashion Calendar

Cat wishes she had this Tufi Duek dress for the Oscar party. This is a big week for Denver fashion. First, there’s Westword’s annual Artopia party, celebrating the arts in Denver. As part of that, The Cat’s Pajamas has been working on three different local fashion shows: The Fabric Lab…

One More Chance

Last Thursday, the Denver Public School board voted unanimously to approve a one-year renewal of Skyland Community High School, the Big Picture charter school located in the former Cole Middle School building first written about here. It was a down-to-the-wire decision, with one committee recommending that the school be shut…

Another Taste of Denver

My recent musings about the archetypal Denver restaurant, “You Are Where You Eat,” inspired several people to send in their own tastes of Denver. Here’s the slightly ball-obsessed response from Christine Sipple: Well, you might be right — finding a restaurant that truly speaks to you in this city could…

There Goes the Neighborhood

Okay, so the rumors have been flying about some big shakeups happening at Mel’s in Cherry Creek, and I’m here to tell you that the bad news is true. I just got off the phone with owner Mel Master a few minutes ago, and he told me that Mel’s will,…

Little Girl Found

At age five, Alexis Storkson — the child at the center of “Little Girl Lost,” one of the saddest stories ever to appear in Westword — was the sole survivor of an assault that took the lives of her closest family members. Today, however, she’s a high-school graduate who prefers…

Fire Man

Sven Bean’s a smart fighter. When he first saw other fighters mixing different martial arts together, he knew it would change the world’s oldest, most primitive competition forever. Bean was an aging fighter at the time, but he couldn’t resist learning the new fighting style. As he aged out of…

Chopping Down Northwoods

It took less than eight hours for the powers that be to remove the signs above westbound 470 that read “9/11 was an inside job! Google north woods;” for the details of what turned up when I followed this advice, click here. On my drive home yesterday, I checked my…

Have Mercer

The attendees at the February 15 Shins/Viva Voce concert constituted one of the most polite capacity crowds since the adjective “modern” was first affixed to “rock.” Sure, there were plenty of folks who decided to wriggle their way to toward the front of the stage long after they should have,…

Breast Friend

Lately, I’ve been sending articles having to do with babies to my friend and fellow Westword writer, whose wife is due to give birth in the spring. I last forwarded him this Neal Pollack story about circumcision, knowing that it would add yet another layer of anxiety to his early…

Disappearing Tomato

This Just In: Late word from Stephen Anson, who is now the ex-owner of Wholly Tomato up on the hill at 9th and Lincoln. On Wednesday, Anson announced that his two-year-old “healthy fast-food restaurant” was closed as of immediately, and that he’d been bought out by the guys from Deli…

Head On

Offense Report No: 07-92859 Date: 2-11-07 Type of Offense: Felony Menacing Location of Offense: Northwest Denver Weapon/Tool Used: Black rubber mallet with wooden handle Officer G. Scott Riggs reports: “Investigation disclosed that the victim’s [a 33-year-old man and two female passengers] were in a traffic accident with family members of…

Fashion Week: Monday

Cat got got a little distracted this week. But here’s a glimpse at the best and worst of the Monday Fashion Week shows. More of the same trends: volume, bubble skirt, high-waisted pants and sack dresses. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. For a full look at the collections, visit…

Singing Up a Storm

This week’s Message column focuses upon local TV forecasters, who’ve been berated by plenty of viewers simply for delivering updates about our current rash of inclement weather without looking suicidal. Channel 9’s Marty Coniglio (pictured) has gotten similar reactions over the past several months, but he’s not laying low. Indeed,…

Conspiracy Theory

If you happen to commute via 470 Westbound toward I-70, then you might have noticed a hand-lettered sign hovering above the highway on the pedestrian overpass bridge a mile or so before the I-70 exit. “9/11 was an inside job!” the words proclaim, surrounded by stars, stripes and bright yellow…

The Bottom of the Rack

Fresh out of prison and hunting for a job, Casey Holden has picked up a few dirty looks and plenty of don’t-call-us-we’ll-call-yous. Now 26, Holden has been locked up most of the time since he’s sixteen, including the last four years in Colorado’s supermax — not the best place to…

A Bridge Too Far

And you thought the six-foot-wide pothole that poked a hole in an I-70 overpass in Golden on Tuesday was bad. On Sunday evening, 26-year-old Sara D’auray was headed south on I-25 as it passes below Speer Boulevard when a large chunk of concrete broke from the underside of the bridge…

The Magic Number

FORM I-9 EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE COMPLETING THIS FORM. Maria Tinajero never thought much about her number before it was stolen — at least not in the tangible way you think about a necklace or a photograph or any other prized possession. It was just…

The Messengers

Local TV news watchers know Channel 9 weather prognosticator Kathy Sabine as one of Denver’s sunniest personalities. But when she’s asked about some of the more emotional responses she’s received from viewers since December 20, when a blizzard kicked off a jaw-dropping run of inclement weather that could continue for…