part 1 of 2 It was once the hate state. But now Colorado’s in a state of ecstasy. During a visit to northern Douglas County, a real estate scout for Merrill Lynch was so overwhelmed by the sight of a herd of antelope that the company decided to build a…
Stop or I’ll Squirt A masked gunman wearing a stocking cap and a ski mask stole twenty head of cattle from a Weld County dairy farm. The daring raid took place at 3:45 a.m. while a milker was working in the barn. “He held the gun on him and told…
Mike Musgrave Occupation: Manager of Denver Department of Public Works Thanks to a change in the city charter a few years back, Baby Face Musgrave was given subpoena power in his role as the czar of public works. And Bozo the Airport Clown used it with a vengeance, demanding that…
This was the most tumultuous year in American sports history–O.J. Accused! Nuggets Beat Seattle! World Series Canceled!–but behind the screaming headlines lay a core of sheer absurdity. Just two weeks ago, for instance, newspapers reported that June 17, 1994, the evening that fugitive O.J. Simpson led three dozen police cars…
Reel Life Regarding Patricia Calhoun’s “The Mind Is Reeling,” in the December 21 issue, I can only respond: It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Phyllis Lawrence Denver In keeping with Calhoun’s theme, it’s obvious to me that the Westword staff gets its inspiration from old episodes of Lou Grant…
As the two women hit and kicked him, Deputy Stan Marin struggled to keep a grip on his prisoner. It was the second time this year he’d had to fight a would-be escapee in the halls of Denver’s City and County Building. And this time he was losing. “I was…
Mail call! In case you belong to one of the three households in Denver that did not receive a “Newt Gingrich Stole Christmas” card from Representative Pat Schroeder, it’s another cutout classic from our favorite congressional cutup. The reverse side updates recipients on the doings of the X-Generation Schroeders and…
We had Cuban sandwiches, oxtail stew and cold beer in a place on Southwest Eighth Street. Then we drove out to Calder in Martinez’s new Coupe de Ville. “Nice car, Henry,” I said. “It’s okay.” He shrugged. “Blessings of America. Who you like today?” I opened my fresh copy of…
Some Came Gunning Re: December 14’s “Under the Gun,” by Leslie Jorgensen and Sherry Keene-Osborn. It seems to me that one thing is very clear: If people like Francisco Duran cannot get guns (especially assault weapons!), then they cannot shoot at the president. It also seems to me that these…
In the mudfight that was last month’s Adams County sheriff’s election, incumbent Ed Camp was accused of–among other things–firing deputies who’d opposed him politically (“Cop-A-Doodle-Doo!,” September 28). And though Camp lost his bid for re-election and leaves office next month, it appears that loyalty is still high on his agenda:…
Two weeks before Christmas, black, gay, controversial AIDS activist Steve Arrington finds himself running out of money and time. Broke and staving off repeated AIDS-related infections, he says he’s been forgotten by the black community he has struggled to protect. When Arrington arrived in Denver in 1981, a homosexual social…
For the past two years, the board of directors of the Regional Transportation District has been packed with mass-transit true believers convinced that light-rail trains are the answer to Denver’s transportation woes. In March, for instance, the board voted 12-2 to forge ahead with a light-rail link from Denver to…
The Saint Nick’s Santa, who suddenly appeared at this Christmas-only shop on South Santa Fe Drive one day seven years ago, is mysterious when asked the standard question all Santas get asked. Reached at the Ute Trail Motel in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado, where he spends his weekdays, Santa (or…
part 2 of 2 Stjernholm, Son and Grandson Buffalo Acres occupies a wedge of land in unincorporated Lakewood between Mt. Carbon Dam, which holds back Bear Creek Lake, and a new golf course. Dr. Stjernholm nods toward a nearby strip of green. He says, “There’s only one–fairway?–on this side. I…
Francisco Duran, the Colorado Springs man who allegedly attempted to assassinate President Bill Clinton in Washington, D.C., on October 29, was inspired to take action by a Colorado militia group. Although initially Duran’s White House shooting spree appeared to be an impulsive rampage, he actually put his plans together in…
part 1 of 2 A friend writes: We want you to know about the tumor in our son Brandon’s neck, and how it was successfully treated by a Dr. of Chiropractic. We credit Dr. Alvin Stjernholm with saving Brandon’s life. Another friend writes: This letter is being written in thanks…
Although it’s unknown how many people belong to the top-secret paramilitary groups scattered around Colorado Springs and across the country, they all have one thing in common: a belief that they eventually will have to fight troops of the United Nations in the streets of their own towns in order…
Deck the halls: Last Friday’s annual holiday bash for the Denver City Attorney’s Office turned out to be a little merrier than originally planned. Initially, the party committee’s scenario called for having a cash bar–but then the city lawyers discovered they couldn’t charge for liquor at the Grant-Humphreys Mansion, the…
Baseball’s problems have grown bigger than Babe Ruth, what with the possibility that the clubs may not step to the plate next year, either. Do you sense a little corporate fright out there? In Kansas City, the Royals have cut general-admission ticket prices by a dollar in an attempt to…
On the evening of September 12, the blare of a fire alarm cleared the hallways and classrooms of Arapahoe Community College in Littleton. It was just a drill, but it sparked a sexual-harassment bonfire that has yet to die down. Outside the building that night, Richard Lebowitz and a male…
Teacher’s Fret Steve Jackson’s article on Delia Armstrong-Busby (“Practice What You Teach,” November 30) is a dismal commentary on American society. We have many problems, but our biggest is the seeming necessity to destroy anyone with the ability and guts to attempt to solve a problem. This case has nothing…
After more than nine months of trying, the State of Colorado has succeeded in collecting close to $1,500 in delinquent taxes from state representative Glenda Swanson Lyle. Lyle, a Democrat from north Denver who was recently elected House minority whip, sent the state a cashier’s check covering most of the…
