When Elitch Gardens first moved from northwest Denver to a new, city-subsidized home in the Platte Valley, the amusement park promised fireworks every night. But the real fireworks were set off by cranky neighbors worried about the noise, and the nightly shows fizzled. Now, sixteen years later, they’re finally back…
Aurora is so eager to have Gaylord Entertainment build its giant convention center/hotel/resort there that it’s pushing for a $300 million tax subsidy for the project — but only if Gaylord doesn’t use the word “Denver” in the name of the hotel. Other options?…
If only Ron Paul and Barney Frank had introduced their federal marijuana-legalization proposal one day earlier, the Great Legalization Debate might have turned into a truly great discussion. Instead, last night’s “debate” at Casselman’s more closely resembled an episode of Family Feud — which turned R-rated when Corey Donahue lit…
Gaylord Entertainment says its huge convention-and-hotel complex plan for Aurora is not contingent on the National Western Stock Show leaving its home for 105 years in north Denver and moving right next door to the new project. And what does the Stock Show say?…
Dear Mexican: I’m wondering how Mexicans feel about the communities of American expats springing up all over Mexico (especially those who live near or in these communities)? Also, are there places in Mexico where it doesn’t get so hot that Americans are generally pretty comfortable year ’round? Could you name…
Four months after it opened in an unlikely below-ground spot just off the 16th Street Mall, Diego’s Mexican Food and Cantina won the People’s Choice award for green chile at Denver’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. And with good reason, we discovered when we dropped in this past weekend: This stuff…
While Denver City Council was approving a proposal to turn the city’s back yards into a barnyard, Aurora was attempting to rustle the National Western Stock Show. The city dangled a $300 million incentive to lasso the annual event for a new complex that would be built by Denver International…
The fight over the current urban homesteading movement can sometimes seem as heated as the battles between homesteaders and cattle ranchers on the frontier 130 years ago. And the feathers will be flying tonight at Denver City Council chambers, as members consider putting a chicken in every plot…
As a teenager, Michael Hancock told Channel 4 that one day he wanted to be Denver’s first black mayor. Wellington Webb beat him to that title, but still, Hancock made history with one of the strangest-ever starts to a mayoral term. He was elected to the office by a huge…
When I picked up the Denver Post yesterday, with the big headline “Nothing incriminating in Hancock cell records” across the top of the front page, I was quickly transported back to the first edition of the Cornell Daily Sun I helped edit, when the night editor insisted the headline on…
How did Colorado’s “Second Largest Industry” perform in 2010? We’re guessing pretty well, since that’s the header regarding the latest Longwoods Report, an industry analysis of Denver and Colorado tourism. But then, this industry has a secret weapon: Governor John Hickenlooper…
The city has removed the porta-potties from Sunken Gardens Park — but the smelly temporary toilets weren’t the reason that neighbors were raising a stink. Over the last month, there’s been an influx of heroin dealers in the area…
Dear Mexican: I’m a white girl dating a Mexican from Jalisco who works for my dad. There lies the problem. Dad absolutely dislikes him and totally opposes me dating Ignacio and has been almost rude to him, which I don’t like. Some details now: I often visit Dad at his…
Michael Hancock, mayor-elect of Denver, is trying to move his future administration forward — DenverForward is the name of the transition group that’s looking for volunteers and interviewing potential appointees. But first, he has this pesky Denver Players scandal to put behind him. And so late Friday, he sent this…
Wednesday was a tough day for independent Denver restaurants. Virgilio Urbano closed his original Virgilio’s near Belmar ; he’s concentrating on the second place he opened earlier this year in Littleton, Virgilio’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar. And David Pellegrin and his wife, Rebekah Donovan Pellegrin, closed Eco-Burger, the joint they…
The massive Better Denver bonds project that voters approved in 2007 has resulted in one much better Denver Animal Shelter, replacing an almost forty-year-old pound that was definitely a dog. And when it celebrates its official opening tomorrow, it will also celebrate one of the city’s great animal lovers: Carla…
Can the big dog ever win a mayoral election in Denver? Since 1983, the victor has always been an underdog, someone who barely registered a blip on the radar five months before the first round of voting. Chris Romer was definitely the big dog in this mayor’s race, and he…
Michael Hancock wasn’t the only big winner last night. His campaign headquarters at 1100 Bannock Street just scored another major victory. This could be the luckiest address in town, a golden spot in the Golden Triangle…
Even after millions of dollars have been poured into the Denver mayoral campaign, and endless words poured out at debate after debate, I kept hearing from friends yesterday who were still undecided on who they should vote for…
Two city crews descended on the triangular park bounded by Broadway, 22nd and Lawrence just after 6 a.m., the eight workers gingerly picking up the trash — bags and bags of trash, stuffed with everything from human feces to used syringes — before the park started filling again. But it…
Dear Mexican: There are many who give lip service to border security. You may or may not be one of them. You may be an open-borders advocate. But for the moment, put on your secure-borders hat and tell us how you would secure the borders if your job depended on…
Old swinger stories never die. Late Thursday, Complete Colorado broke a story about Michael Hancock allegedly being one of the clients of Denver Players, the prostitution/escort business that three years ago ended the career of Chief Judge Edward Nottingham — the only name that came out at the time, although…
