by Mark Smiley | Apr 19, 2024 | General Featured
Tickets For The Wednesday Evening Concert Series In June And July Are On Sale Now
by Mark Smiley
3eatles: The 3eatles perform the music of The Beatles the way it was intended to be heard — live, raucous, high-energy rock n’ roll. They perform at Four Mile Historic Park on June 12 as part of the Swallow Hill Summer Concert Series.
Swallow Hill Music returns to Four Mile Historic Park this summer with a concert series featuring tribute acts celebrating some of music’s most beloved artists.
Whether it is the classic rock sounds of The Beatles and the Grateful Dead, pop classics from Judy Garland, or the unmistakable hip-hop of the Beastie Boys, this summer’s lineup of tribute artists has a little something for everyone.
Music lovers are encouraged to pack a picnic dinner and spread out on the lawn to take in a night of music and memory-making in a family-friendly environment. Outside food and non-alcoholic drinks and coolers will be allowed, but outside alcohol is not permitted. An onsite bar will be available.
For more than two decades, Swallow Hill has filled the summer evenings with music at Four Mile Historic Park. Get your friends together and join us!
The Wednesday night concerts begin at 6:30 p.m., with Four Mile Historic Park opening at 5:30 p.m. Four Mile Historic Park is located at 715 S Forest Street in Denver. Tickets are $20 general admission ($15 for Swallow Hill Members, $10 for kids 4-12, children 3 and under are free). Visit www.swallowhillmusic.org/four-mile for more information or to purchase tickets.
Get the full lineup and complete details below.
June 5 — Traveling Wilburys Revue – Tribute to Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and more
June 12 — Starwood – Tribute to John Denver
June 19 — 3eatles – Tribute to The Beatles
June 26 — GET HAPPY! Celebrating 100 Years of Judy Garland
July 3 — Sabotage – Tribute to the Beastie Boys
July 10 — Sugar Britches – Tribute to John Prine
July 17 — Shakedown Street – Tribute to the Grateful Dead
Founded in 1979, Swallow Hill Music is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to build community through music performance, education, and outreach. SHM is a music school and performance venue that also produces community events throughout the Denver metro region. It is an SCFD Tier II organization with a $5 million annual budget. SHM is a nationally revered hub for concerts, classes, and community events. It is also a recipient of both the Mayor’s and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and an inductee of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and Folk Alliance International’s Business Lifetime Achievement awards. For more information visit www.swallowhillmusic.org
by Mark Smiley | Mar 18, 2024 | Main Articles
Mayor Cuts Service, Hours At Parks & Recreation, DMV, Plans More; The Mayor, City Are Prioritizing Migrants Over Them
by Glen Richardson
Slighting Streets: Denver’s East Sixth Ave. Parkway — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — and the city’s 15 other parkways will no longer be cared for by Parks & Recreation.
Given the callous title of “coldhearted” after refusing to ban homeless camp sweeps in cold temperatures, merciless Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is winning a new title, “cutthroat.”
With 40,000 migrants — almost 5% of the city’s entire population — having arrived here from Venezuela and other places in the world in the last 12 months, Johnston has announced enormous cuts to city services, hours due to the burden of migrants, and its stress on city resources. Furthermore, he warns. “This is the first phase of cuts and the city aims for reductions across many departments.”
DMV Decelerates: DMV is no longer processing vehicle registration renewals in person, only online. Only new registrations are currently being processed in person.
Homeless Growth
The migrant burden, of course, is on top of the more than 4,000 homeless people either sleeping on city streets or in shelters. Denver now ranks as having the nation’s fifth-largest homeless population.
Moreover, Denver ranks third nationally in the increase of homelessness in a single year. Sadder still, the Mile High City ranks second in the country with the largest upsurge — at 116% — in the number of homeless families with children.
Adding it up: The homeless population grew 32% in the 12-month period at the end of 2023. At least 311 homeless people died in Denver last year, more than any other year.
Fading Flower Beds
Drab Denver Deed: Mayor’s decision not to plant the city’s annual flower beds — roughly 545 citywide — is about to turn the Mile High City drab, including at Wash Park.
Due to the city’s surging migrant burden, Johnston is initially reducing hours and services at Denver Parks & Recreation and
Denver Motor Ve
Destitute In Denver: Denver’s homeless population, or people without housing, grew 32% in the 12-month period at the end of 2023.
hicles (DMV). He emphasizes, moreover, that the initial reductions are just the first phase of cuts and that the city’s intentions are to make equal slashes “across many departments.”
Cuts in services, hours at Parks & Recreation are already underway. For many if not most citizens and visitors to Denver, the most appalling is the decision not to plant the city’s annual flower beds. The Mile High City normally plants roughly 545 beds each year. The distressing decision will eliminate all of them unless the plots are planted by volunteers.
For generations the city’s flower beds have been a way of cultivating community. Among those that will be missed the most: The two at Wash Park — one a replica of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Garden. Likewise, the decision crushes the colorful gardens at City Park; plus, the perennial flower beds on 7th Ave. Parkway. The verdict will also abolish Alamo Placita Park’s formal garden that has always beautified the drive along Speer Blvd. near Downing St.
City Workers Impact
Reduction in days and hours at Parks & Recreation are already underway, but do not involve layoffs of current employees. However, hourly workers can expect fewer hours, and on-call and seasonal workers will be most impacted.
Regional Centers that were open seven days a week will only be open for six days a week. Those open six days a week, will stay open for the same number of days, but the hours of operation will be reduced. Summer Recreation Programming in Denver will be reduced by 25% across the program.
As for the seasonal workers, the mayor admits that some seasonal workers have been with the city for 20 years. Declaring he’s not hiding the fact that the decision will matter to a lot of city employees that are on the frontlines, “It’s a plan for shared sacrifice,” he says. Adding, “This is what good people do in hard situations.”
Downturns At DMV
The DMV has also started making changes to services and hours. They are no longer taking vehicle registrations in person. Everything has been moved to online.
In addition to no longer processing vehicle registration renewals in person, DMV is taking them online, through the mail, or at kiosks. New registrations, however, are still being processed in person.
Sites have started rotating weekly DMV closures. Only DMV’s central spot at Tremont is staying open permanently. The city’s satellite spots are rotating, closing one week at a time.
Destitute In Denver: Denver’s homeless population, or people without housing, grew 32% in the 12-month period at the end of 2023.
Savings Vs. Spending
According to the mayor, the cuts to Parks & Recreation and DMV will save roughly $5 million. Denver has also already “paused” new applications submitted by businesses and families for public events, special occasions, and tournaments.
Since December 2022, Denver has spent $42 million supporting migrants. The state of Colorado recently awarded the city $3.5 million in reimbursements, and the Department of Homeland Security has approved up to another $9 million for the city
Countless citizens continue to criticize the city, suggesting the Mile High City and the mayor are prioritizing migrants over them.
School Influx Soars
It’s not only the city of Denver that has been affected by rising migrant counts, so has Denver Public Schools (DPS).
More than 6,000 new migrants have enrolled in DPS schools since this summer. Currently the district is enrolling about 100 new students a week and the number isn’t slackening off.
DPS officials say at least 25 schools have 50 or more new students.
