The Owl Saloon
Extreme Pro Developer Council Members Kendra Black And Mary Beth Susman Will Face Opponents In Spring City Election
by Glen Richardson
Two members of Denver City Council deemed by some to be in the back pocket of the developers are overturning quiet residential neighborhoods in favor of unpopular high-density projects and are going to be challenged this upcoming municipal election to be held May 7, 2019. Councilmember Mary Beth Susman of District 5 and Councilmember Kendra Black of District 4 will be opposed by challengers Amanda Sawyer and Colleen Zaharadnicek respectively.
Black and Susman were part of the large council majority that approved another massive high-density development, this time at the former CDOT property near Colorado Boulevard and Arkansas. Black and Susman were viewed to have mocked and belittled residents of Virginia Vale who opposed the massive development and effectively taunted residents to try to do something about developers’ absolute control of the City Council.
Following the four-hour hearing many residents attending the event were once again outraged by the actions of Black, Susman and the other councilmembers. “Virginia Village is the latest victim in Denver City Council’s efforts to force development and density into every Denver neighborhood,” said Denver resident Florence Sebern. “Existing guidelines were either ignored or misapplied; the registered neighborhood organization was co-opted; and the much-touted ‘affordable housing’ will be subsidized via DURA and CHFA. No wonder developers love them.”
But it appears that Sawyer and Zaharadnicek are going to take up the incumbent’s challenge for residents to do something about the actions of the existing council by putting their names up for election.Developers and their lobbyists are expected to heavily fund the re-election campaigns of Black and Susman while Sawyer and Zaharadnicek will depend onaverage citizens going door to door to their neighbors to get out the vote against the well-heeled incumbents.
Sawyer who is challenging Susman is a longtime resident of District 5 which includes Hilltop and Crestmoor Park with her mother and brother living in the area. A mother of three girls she is a licensed Colorado attorney with an MBA and is an entrepreneur. Her campaign will concentrate on neighborhood safety, property values and the economic future of the city.
Zaharadnicek, a University Hills resident who is opposing Black, is a real estate developer who grew up in Denver and spent time abroad in Prague, and returned to Denver in 2013 to a town she did not recognize. “The boom blew my mind. I kind of wasn’t really expecting it. . . . I saw a lot more visible homeless people. I had a lot of friends that complained about the market — they still can’t rent and they still can’t buy.”
Black and Susman have incensed some residents by pushing heroin injection sites for local neighborhoods. A local businessperson who did not want to be identified for this story noted: “It is one thing to destroy neighborhoods by overcrowding and density and another to be useful idiots for the Sinaloa cartel. Yes they would cause heroin to become essentially legal in Denver and how many lives they would destroy is untold. It is not compassionate to subsidize heroin use by providing needles, syringes, Naloxone and attendants. We need City Council members who care about our kids and not making life easier and more profitable for Honduran drug dealers. These two elected officials are a disgrace and a danger to any community.”
Another issue which may become a hot button topic during the spring campaign is the refusal of Black, Susman and the rest of the Council to hold Mayor Michael Hancock responsible for his sexual harassment of Denver Police Detective Leslie Branch-Wise and the use of taxpayer funds as hush money to try to buy the silence of the police detective.
While beating incumbent City Council members has never been easy in Denver the victory of Rafael Espinoza over incumbent Susan Shepherd in District 1 in the last city election shows that in can be done.
The election date for Denver is May 7. If no candidate for an elected office obtains 50% of the vote, a runoff of the top two candidates will be held on June 4.
Citizens Outraged: Some voters in District 4 and 5 are outraged at Black and Susman for voting to place heroin sites in their neighborhoods, as well as their helping developers destroy Denver neighborhoods with high-density developments and attendant traffic jams.
Holly Street Super Block: The Denver City Council has given approval for a 12-acre portion of the former CDOT headquarters property along Arkansas Street. The developer and the city declined to say how they would address the massive traffic jams the development will cause in the Virginia Village neighborhood and along Colorado Boulevard.
Glendale Partners With Guinness, Ushering In Next Phase Of Professional American Rugby
by John Arthur
Writer for and on behalf of the City of Glendale
The game is on. Not that game, the RUGBY game. You sidle up to the bar or open the fridge. The choices seem almost endless, but there’s only one thing that will do: you want the beer that’s almost synonymous with the game. The two-and-a-half century old brewery that not only helps define the international sport of rugby, but international itself. Guinness was established long before rugby, and has been a staple for beer drinkers ever since. As the game has enjoyed its rise to global status, becoming the second most watched sport on the planet, Guinness has been alongside, quietly but profoundly improving the experience for fans new and old, and providing the heft of additional history to the enjoyment of beholding a sport that marries inclusivity and athleticism.
You pop the cap. The bartender pulls the tap. Dark, cold Guinness flows. The head is rich and creamy; making its way back up from the bottom of the glass in a swirl that is unique to the world’s most famous Irish Stout, and one of the best-known brands on the planet. Founded by Arthur Guinness in Dublin in 1759, it’s not only one of the most recognizable beverages in the world, but among the most successful beer brands ever. Brewed with barley roasted in house, Guinness is dark- ruby red under the light — and has a distinctive, unforgettable flavor.
Like the beer, the history of the Glendale Raptors is also unique, particularly as one of the most successful rugby endeavors ever in the United States. Though considerably shorter than that of the newly signed sponsor, Glendale has been the home of American rugby for more than 10 years, attracting international talent, coaches, the attention of a dedicated fan base, and big-name partners like Guinness. Over more than a decade, Glendale has established itself as the epicenter of rugby in the United States, the last genuinely untapped market for the sport in the world. As the team has grown its fan base, its talent pool, and its future, it has relied on sponsor partners to help, and has delivered an impressive return on investment for those that have seen the potential of rugby.
Guinness parent company Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Baileys, and, of course, Guinness — to name just a few. Headquartered in London, and operating in more than 180 countries, they’re a force in a thirsty world. The Glendale Raptors are proud to announce a sponsor partnership with the beverage juggernaut, and look to reinforce Guinness as the beer of choice for American rugby fans. Pete Javorek, Diageo Distributor Manager for Colorado and Utah, explains that the partnership is a no-brainer when seeking to properly represent the company’s biggest beer brand: “With consumers seeking the quality and heritage of beers like Guinness and rugby on the rise, it was a natural fit for us. We’re excited to be working together with the Glendale Raptors,” he said.
Javorek works with 18 distributors in Colorado and Utah, managing beer forecasting, planning, and distribution — ensuring proper brand representation in the market. Aligning with the Glendale Raptors promises that representation and recognition will only grow as the 2019 Major League Rugby season gets underway in the new year. In addition to having other well-known Irish beers like Harp and Smithwick’s in its portfolio, Diageo recently completed construction of a new home for Guinness in America specifically for the United States market. The Maryland facility will focus on new innovation beers, as well as the production of Guinness Blonde, a relatively recent offering that, unlike the traditional stout, is golden in color, and made with American ingredients and by American brewers. Javorek notes that Diageo and Guinness are happy to be part of the growth of rugby in the U.S.: “It’s a natural fit for us, and we want to use the Raptors image and draw to expand to more professional teams in the league. Rugby and Guinness have been around together for a long time, and it’s something we want to continue doing. We think the sport is on the rise in the U.S., rugby is a big draw, and we want to grow both brands together.” The Raptors understand that draw, and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the world’s most famous stout.
Photo by Seth McConnell
Glendale Raptor Prop Luke White takes the ball into contact
against the Utah Warriors in Major League Rugby. Glendale has been the home of
American rugby for more than 10 years, attracting international talent,
coaches, the attention of a dedicated fan base, and big-name partners like
Guinness.
Courtesy of Guinness
Founded by Arthur Guinness in Dublin in 1759, Guinness is not only one of the most recognizable beverages in the world, but among the most successful beer brands ever.
Super Search Finalist Susana Cordova At Center Of DPS Controversy: Which Way Will She Go?
by Ruthy Wexler
The November 29 announcement that Susana Cordova had been chosen as the sole finalist for Denver Public Schools (DPS) Superintendent came as good news to some but an unpleasant shock to others. Ever since former DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg said on July 17 that he would step down, rumors persisted that DPS insiders had already handpicked Deputy Superintendent Cordova as his successor. But days after Boasberg’s announcement, Denver’s Board of Education (BOE) made one of their own: they would conduct an utterly transparent, community-informed, nationwide “Super Search” to find, as BOE President Anne Rowe said, “the best possible individual to lead DPS forward.”For four and one-half months, over 4,500 citizens — families, students,educators, even DPS’s staunchest critics — attended community forums to say what they wanted in a new superintendent. Then the BOE called a last-minute meeting to say they had a finalist: Susana Cordova.
Critics got their mojo back and denounced DPS for wasting taxpayer money with the elaborate (nine Town Halls, 100 small forums, two consulting firms) and expensive ($161,375) Super Search. But Rowe proudly pointed to the high level of community involvement and, brandishing the 86-page Community Report, she defended the coincidental nature of the board’s choice: “Cordova possesses every attribute the community said it wanted.”
Was Susana Cordova truly the best person to lead DPS forward? Or had the Super Search been, as many claimed, a “super sham?”
Continue Or Confront?
Part of the answer, some said, lay in the mess Boasberg left behind as he flew off to Singapore for his new job. Besides scandals at several high schools, a more difficult-to-address mess lay in the educational policies Boasberg had cemented into the city’s school system, policies that a new superintendent would either continue — or confront.
Many parents and educators agree with East High Principal John Youngquist’s statement that “DPS needs to address failure.”
For 15 years, DPS has hewed to only one education theory: the data-driven “reform” model. Boasberg did not just follow his friend and predecessor Michael Bennet’s reform ideas. Aided by an unusually long tenure (10 years) and cooperative (or convinced) boards, Boasberg brooked no opposition as he installed reform notions like high stakes testing, evaluating teachers on student test scores and closing neighborhood schools.
In recent years, however, evidence has flowed in that reform educational notions make bold promises but bear little fruit. The Gates Foundation admits “We haven’t seen the large impact we had hoped for.” Closer to home, in April 2018, the National Association of Education Progress (NAEP) released data showing DPS’s “achievement gap” between low-income students and those from more affluent backgrounds as unusually large. Another study showed that gap to be third largest in the nation. Even pro-reform groups like A+ Colorado admit “Denver has “some of the largest [achievement] gaps between different groups of students.” Since 70% of DPS students are black or Hispanic, a majority low-income, many parents have grasped the significance of the achievement gap.
Increasing numbers of Denver parents and teachers haveformed and joined community groups to “take back” their public schools. Manyworked to elect school board candidates who felt similarly. This last election,two such candidates, Dr. Carrie Olson and Jennifer Bacon, won seats — and on November 29, voted “no” on the resolution to approve Cordova as sole finalist.(There were three finalists, but two dropped out.)
After the resolution passed, 5-2, Cordova said, “I learned a lot from Tom, but I am not him … I’m a much more collaborative leader.” Some believed Cordova was signaling her intention, once appointed, to listen more closely to the community than Boasberg ever did.
The BOE is due to appoint someone — almost certainly Cordova — on December 17. Until then, Cordova anticipates showing — at community meetings around the city — ”what I believe and who I am.”
Who Are You?
Referencing the list of attributes the community said it wanted, one DPS principal said, “They want an educator above everything. Susana has spent her entire career as a teacher, principal, administrator. Check. They want someone committed to Denver … who sends their kids to DPS schools. Check, check, check …”
Board Vice President Barbara O’Brien said Cordova fulfills other community requests “coming from the Latino community and being bilingual.”
On December 5, at North High, in Cordova’s first appearance since being named finalist, a colleague described Cordova as “warm, caring and sensitive,” then opened the floor for questions.
“What will you do about the achievement gap?” a parent asked.
“Being Latina … the achievement gap is very personal to me,” Cordova began. “I know what that gap means to families … jobs …” She then proceeded to deliver upbeat generalities; e.g., “With support, our schools can improve”; “We need to value our teachers more”; which caused an observer to mutter, “Platitudes will get her nowhere. She needs a specific plan!”
Only when asked twice if “school closings are still on the table, “ did Cordova go specific. “I think [closing a school] has to be one of the tools in our toolbox,” she finally said.
Why Not Cordova?
“The strategies [Cordova] championed as deputy superintendent are now being held up as examples of why the reform movement is not working,” says teacher Anna Noble.
“If these policies aren’t working, why would we want someone who believes in them to be superintendent?” says former BOE member Jeannie Kaplan.
“I went to the [December 5] meeting with an open mind,” says Jane Diamond, activist and DPS parent. “I believe that Susana is a bright and sincere person. What I didn’t hear was passion, innovation, energy, anything new or inspiring.”
“New direction is needed,” insists DPS parent Maggie Miller.
Activist Brandon Pryor recently brought attention to Cordova’s involvement in the “AmeriCorps scandal.” The AmeriCorps program, overseen by Cordova and two others, was terminated in June 2018, when a state agency discovered DPS hadn’t complied with requirements and must pay the program back. “This will set taxpayers back millions,” said Pryor, who said the real scandal was Cordova’s complicity “with a program that allowed unlicensed individuals to teach in DPS classrooms.”
Conflict Of Interest?
Cordova is married to Eric Duran, Managing Director in the Denver office of D.A. Davidson, a firm that has participated in bonds where Denver tax dollars go to a charter school. Contradicting O’Brien’s insistence that “there is no conflict of interest … Eric’s firm has not done business with DPS charters for 10 years,” public records show only a few years back, Duran’s firm did an $8.3 million-dollar deal with a DPS Charter School known as Highline.
Duran’s firm has pledged “not to conduct business with DPS.” But some point to Cordova’s already profiting from charter school bond deals as sufficient conflict of interest.
A Little Help From Her Friends
Months before the Super Search meetings began, parents and community leaders were urged through phone calls from a DPS insider to be “part of the campaign to support Susana Cordova.” One parent said the caller “insisted ‘Susana was her own person.’ So I asked, ‘Then why does she support Boasberg’s policies?’ and they said, ‘Oh, she can’t say no to her boss!’”
“It could be Susana has been in DPS too long,” mused Kaplan, whose vast store of knowledge about DPS and fairmindedness are respected on all sides. “But maybe … she’s biding her time, waiting till she’s confirmed to break out of the mold.”
Endgame
In a November 28 post on her blog Kaplan for Kids, Kaplan gave a blistering assessment of DPS’s history and suggested that DPS, rather than learning from failure, seeks to hide that failure by appointing Cordova.
In a more recent conversation, Kaplan said she wished Cordova well. “I want her to succeed! And I think she could, if she sees this as a great opportunity. But in order to succeed, she has to reach out to the other side.
“A perfect way to do that,” Kaplan said, “would be to name Antwan Jefferson — he does amazing work — as deputy superintendent. That would bring a whole other part of the community into this discussion.” “She could, if she really wanted to, be a bridge-builder! And that would be so amazing for DPS.” Others say that Cordova should pick a deputy superintendent that aligns with her as well as the majority of the BOE opinions.
