The Denver City Council’s agent of change and de facto
leader Candi CdeBaca is planning to have the City Council pass a bill to change
the City Charter to allow Denver voters to elect the city’s Sheriff as is the
case almost everywhere else in Colorado. Given the disaster the Sheriff’s
Department has become, the voters could not do worse than Hancock’s picks over
the last nine years. Even the union representing the Sheriff deputies believes
that such a reform is long past due.
It is difficult to catalog all of the scandals that have
befallen the office over the last few years, starting with the death of
mentally ill Michael Lee Marshall while in custody. The lawsuits alone have
cost the taxpayers a staggering amount of money, including the most recent $1.55 million
settlement paid to 15 female Sheriff deputies for “severe and unwelcome sexual
harassment by male inmates . . . fostered by the failure of the Sheriff’s Department
to take reasonable steps to prevent it.” The next big hit to the taxpayers will
be from the female inmate forced to give birth to a child alone in a Denver
jail cell.
Patrick Firman
Denver Sheriff Patrick Firman resigned effective October 14
after years of mistrust from deputies and community activists, who said that
was the price of filling the position with a man who was never the right person
for the job. “Nice guy, just wasn’t suited to be Sheriff,” said Lisa Calderón,
chief of staff for Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca.
If he were so ill suited for the job, why in the world was
he appointed by Mayor Hancock in 2015 after a long search process? Because it
was a workie, workie like everything else the Mayor does. If you think anything
is going to change as long as the Mayor gets to appoint the Sheriff, you would
be mistaken. For the interim Sheriff, Hancock has appointed a woman, Fran
Gomez, who is even more unqualified than Firman. She was briefly with the
Sheriff’s Department in the 1980s and then after years doing police work in
Aurora and Commerce City she retired. In August of last year she apparently
unretired and got the “no work” job in the Sheriff’s Department as the
“Director of Professional Standards.”
What caused the sudden hiring and incredible rise through
the ranks to the top in a little over a year? According to the Deputy Sheriff’s
union it is due to the fact she is the wife of one of Hancock’s security
detail. Hancock apparently counted on that fact being obscured by the fact she
is the “first” female Denver Sheriff of any sort and has a Hispanic last name.
Almost everyone expects that under Ms. Gomez things will go from bad to even
worse at the jail. This will be followed by the appointment of another gross
incompetent as the permanent Denver Sheriff.
Denver’s citizens really do not have to put up with this
pathetic hiring carousel for the Sheriff position. We should choose the best
candidate for Sheriff ourselves. Voters are not perfect of course, as evidenced
by the fact we have elected Michael Hancock three times. But candidates for the
office will have to at least try to convince us why they would be well-suited
for the job. We can’t do a whole lot worse than choosing as interim Sheriff a
person whose only qualification is that she is the wife of a man on the Mayor’s
security detail.
Fran Gomez
The positions directly below the Sheriff are also presently
political patronage jobs chosen by the Mayor for all of the wrong reasons. An
elected Sheriff could at least pick individuals he/she believes are best suited
to help do what is a very hard job, rather than simply to people whom a Mayor
owes a favor.
Having an elected Sheriff is only the beginning of the
process to provide some checks and balances in the City Charter over present
and future corrupt and out-of-control Mayors.
Lord Acton famously stated: “Power tends to corrupt, and
absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
It is time in Denver for a little less absolute power and a
lot less public corruption.
Big things are happening at the Denver Art Museum (DAM).
With recent announcements regarding its phased re-openings of their latest
renovations plus the highly anticipated Claude Monet exhibit, all eyes are on the
DAM.
Claude Monet Waterlilies and Japanese Bridge: Claude Monet, Waterlilies and Japanese Bridge,1899. Oil on canvas; 35-5/8x 35-5/16 in (90.5 x 89.7cm). Princeton University Art Museum: From the Collection of William Church Osborn, Class of 1883, trustee of Princeton University (1914-1951), president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1941-1947); given by his family, 1972-15. Photo Credit: Princeton University Art Museum/Art Resource, NY.
Opening October 21, 2019, the DAM will be the host to the
most comprehensive collection of Claude Monet paintings that the United States
has seen in more than two decades. Claude Monet: The Truth of Nature will
feature about 120 works spanning the famed artist’s entire career, focusing on
his extensive travels and intimate relationship with nature. The exhibit will
examine Monet’s interest of changing environments, the reflective qualities of
water, and the effects of light. Plus, the exhibit will explore his journeys to
various places including the Normandy coast, London, Norway, and the
Netherlands.
“Throughout his career, Monet was indefatigable in his
exploration of the different moods of nature, seeking to capture the spirit of
a certain place and translating its truth onto the canvas,” said Angelica
Daneo, Chief Curator and Curator of European Art before 1900 at the DAM.
The exhibition will fill three distinct galleries totaling
about 20,000 square feet. Featured works will include artworks from the
beginning of his career with View from Rouelles, the first painting Monet
exhibited in 1858 when he was 18 years old, up to his later work of The House
Seen through the Roses, completed just a few months before his death. Other
highlights will include Under the Poplars from a private collection and Water
Lilies and Japanese Bridge from the Princeton University Art Museum.
Ponti: The Ponti is named after the original Martin Building designer and Italian architect, Gio Ponti. The restaurant will offer a distinct space for museum visitors and the surrounding areas. Rendering of The Ponti, provided by BOSS architecture.
In coordination with Museum Barberini in Postdam, Germany,
the DAM will be the single U.S. venue for this exhibition from October 21, 2019
through February 2, 2020, moving to the Museum Barberini in the spring of 2020.
Beyond the DAM’s latest exhibit, other exciting
announcements were recently made regarding the museum’s renovations. In June
2020 the DAM will begin its phased reopening with the reveal of the three
levels of the Martin Building (formerly known as the North Building), the new
Sie Welcome Center, and the Bartlit Learning and Engagement Center. To
commemorate the building’s 50th anniversary, the completed renovation will be
revealed at the end of 2021.
New Restaurant: Café Gio, will be a fast-casual dining option open seven days a week during the museum business hours. Rendering provided by BOSS architecture.
Coinciding with the first reopening phase of the DAM’s
Martin Building will be the unveiling of two new dining establishments (located
inside the Sie Welcome Center) set to open in June 2020, The Ponti and Café
Gio. Named after the original Martin Building designer and Italian architect,
Gio Ponti, both restaurants will offer two distinct spaces for museum visitors
and the surrounding areas.
New Welcome Center: View of welcome center from 14th Avenue Parkway. The new Sie Welcome Center will be unveiled in June 2020. Rendering by Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti.
The Ponti brings a big name to the table with Jennifer
Jasinski as the consulting chef. As a James Beard Award winner and popular
Denver chef of Euclid Hall, Bistro Vendome, and others, Jasinski will develop
menu concepts and have a strong influence in the selection of the restaurant’s
culinary staff. Combining art and dining, The Ponti will offer a seasonal menu
with locally sourced ingredients with an emphasis on vegetables, handmade
pastas, plus meat and fish. The artfully designed and well-crafted restaurant
will boast both indoor and outdoor dining, with its expansive outdoor terrace.
“Creativity at the Denver Art Museum won’t stop at the
galleries when we begin our phased reopening. We’re delighted to present artful
dining experiences to the museum visit, alongside an incredible staff with the
expertise to bring our vision into reality,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick
and Jan Mayer Director of the museum.
New Courtyard: Courtyard view toward Welcome Center. Rendering by Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti.
The other restaurant set to open, Café Gio, will be a
fast-casual dining option open seven days a week during the museum business
hours. Visitors will be able to enjoy both indoor and outdoor seating, as well,
at the café.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used
when we created them.”
— Albert Einstein
The importance of recycling seems, to some degree, to have
taken a back seat to the divisive nature of the global warming argument. Yet,
regardless of how you choose to process scientific evidence about carbon
emissions and the rising temperature of the planet, the fact remains that
civilization is producing massive amounts of trash. Further, some (not all) of
the elements which end up in the landfill do so unnecessarily, and can better
serve the greater economic good by being redirected back into the consumer
commodities market.
Garbage Piles: Piles of garbage create mounting concerns.
Understand The Economics
Recycling is a bipartisan-friendly notion. From a purely
fiscal standpoint, there are significant, trackable levels of energy savings
that occur with specific types of materials such as aluminum and paper. The
Reynolds Metal Company reports that making aluminum cans from their recycled
counterparts takes 95 percent less energy than manufacturing them from raw
aluminum bauxite. Meanwhile, the American Forest and Paper Association reports
that recycling one ton of paper saves 7,000 gallons of water and enough energy
to power the everyday household for six months.
Consider The Environmental Angle
From an anti-pollution approach, according to denvergov.org,
the average family can lower greenhouse gas emissions by 340 pounds of carbon
equivalent per year by simply recycling all of its mixed plastic waste. Also,
the Glass Packaging Institute offers further eco-friendly evidence by reporting
that glass recycling can reduce water pollution by 20% and air pollution by
50%. These stats are backed by the National Recycling Coalition, which reports
that eight to 10 major types of water and air pollutants can be reduced through
recycling. Plus, less garbage means less land that must be allocated for
landfills.
Choose Your Facts And Act
The key to reducing the financial and environmental burden
of unnecessary waste lies in the average citizen adopting a mindset of cyclic
thinking in exchange for cause-and-effect behavior. This means integrating
recycling into your long-term habits and routines rather than practicing it as
an afterthought once the trash has already been produced. Whether you are
driven by economic practicality or eco-friendly concern, here are seven ways
you can do your part to expand the effort to reduce waste that is unnecessarily
dumped into the ground.
Buy Recycled
Purchasing products that are made from or packaged in
recycled materials helps increase the demand within this segment of the
consumer product market. These can be paper goods, building materials made from
recycled plastic and steel, refilled printer cartridges, activewear, smartphone
covers and tote bags — just to name a few.
BYOB (Bring Your Own Bags)
Speaking of bags, you can greatly reduce paper and plastic
waste by supplying your own means of getting your groceries home. The Recycling
pages on denvergov.org repeatedly state that plastic bags cannot be recycled
because they jam up the materials sorting machinery. That’s right — all plastic
bags, even though you can reuse them once or twice around the house —
eventually end up in the landfill. If everyone stopped relying on them, demand
for landfill space could be systematically reduced.
Decontaminate Containers
Food containers that are placed in the recycle bin without
first being rinsed out introduce contaminants into the process as the organic
material begins to decompose. You can reduce the amount of items which end up
in the landfill because they are full of food residue by giving items such as
yogurt cartons, jelly jars, tin cans and juice bottles a sufficient rinse before
recycling. This scenario includes the ever-present and confounding pizza box.
While the box bottom, if covered in grease and residue, cannot be recycled — it
can be composted by cutting it into small pieces and placing it in your
backyard facility. Meanwhile, the box lid, as long as it is grease-free, can
always be recycled.
Purchase Less Packaging
Your shopping protocol can involve a “buy less packaging”
approach by making a plan ahead of time to curtail old habits in the produce
section. Specifically, by choosing to not place fruits and vegetables which you
plan to wash anyway into plastic bags as you pick them off the shelf. You can
also choose products in compostable packaging (as indicated on the label) and
you can buy items you consume regularly in bulk.
Donate Don’t Discard
Unwanted goods such as furniture, household items, cooking
utensils and clothing do not have to be thrown away — especially if they are
still functional or can be easily repaired. By taking them to your local thrift
store, they can be reappropriated by someone who needs them instead of winding
up in the landfill while still having value.
Maximize Organic Matter
According to the EPA, 30% of everything people throw away is
comprised of food and yard waste. Grasscycling and composting are excellent
ways of reducing the amount of plastic bags and fuel needed to haul away grass
clippings and uneaten scraps. In turn, you are helping to save landfill space
by placing organic matter in your own backyard — which enriches the soil, reduces
the need for synthetic fertilizers and lowers your carbon footprint by
decreasing methane emission from the landfill.
Go Out Of Your Way
Aluminum Cans: Properly recycled aluminum can be turned back into usable cans for a fraction of the costs of processing raw aluminum bauxite.
If you’re already a proactive Denver recycler, you may have
more items than can fit in your purple recycle bin. If this is the case, you
can access the Cherry Creek Recycling Drop-off facility for overflow items that
do not belong in the landfill as well as compostable materials such as food
scraps and yard clippings. This is a service for Denver residents only, not for
commercial entities.
In the realm of environmental issues, there are some areas
where opinions are not unanimous. When it comes to recycling, however, any way
you look at it (especially not facing downward into the landfill) makes
practical, economic, eco-friendly sense.
Residents in the Huntington Estates neighborhood are crying
foul that two doctors are allowed to allow their property to continue to be in
disrepair and neither the neighborhood covenants nor Arapahoe County can stop
them.
No Response: Members of the HOA leadership team have tried to contact the Brauns on numerous occasions about the property but they have not received a response.
“All of us are tired of looking at the dilapidated and
unoccupied house,” Dick Pond, the treasurer of the neighborhood Home Owners
Association, told the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle in an email. “The HOA and
a few neighbors have tried to contact the Brauns about it, but we keep getting
the same answer, that they’ll be selling it soon.”
The owners, Tom and Carol Braun, left their house on East
Evans Way 15 years ago after purchasing a bigger home on the other side of the
neighborhood. Now, their old house sits on a plot of dead grass and overgrown
shrubs. Bits of glass from the windows litter the yard.
Pond and other members of the HOA leadership team have tried
to contact the Brauns on numerous occasions about the property. They’ve also
sent letters to their new residence warning the Brauns that if they hold on to
the property too long they might miss out on the wave of rising home values in
the area.
“Values in the city and our local area are on the rise and
several families in the neighborhood are trying to sell or will be soon,” one
letter dated April 28, 2013 reads. “This could again be a lovely home, if only
it were occupied and maintained. However, many solar panels are missing or
broken, gutters are falling off or missing, and the front yard is dirt and
weeds.”
The Brauns did not respond to repeated requests for comment
for this story.
Power Of Association
Broken Windows: Bits of glass from the broken windows litter the yard of the Brauns’ ome on East Evans Way. The Brauns abandoned their home 15 years ago.
State laws generally give HOAs vast powers to control the
aesthetics of their neighborhood. Each county adopts their own laws regarding
the powers of these associations as well.
However, those laws are only enforceable if the HOA is
registered with the state. HOAs that make more than $5,000 per year are
required to register with both the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and
the Director of Real Estate (DRE). Those making less than $5,000 annually only
register with the DRE and are not held to the same standards of reporting.
Huntington Estates’ HOA is informal, as resident Paul Hanley
describes it. While this structure may benefit homeowners in that there are no
monthly HOA dues to pay, it also makes it difficult to take decisive action
against the Brauns.
“The covenant governing the neighborhood was written back in
the 1960s, and it’s weak compared to today’s standards,” Hanley said. “But,
this is what happens when you don’t live in a municipality. You may pay less in
taxes, but you get less government in return.”
Residents have contacted Arapahoe County about the Brauns’
house many times, but the County’s answer is never simple. Since Huntington
Estates is located in unincorporated Arapahoe County, local ordinances don’t
carry much weight. Instead, the county relies on the principles of fairness to
adjudicate disputes among neighbors.
“They’ve basically told us that because the farmers and
ranchers nearby can allow barns and other structures on their property to
dilapidate, then so can homeowners in Huntington Estates,” Hanley said.
Hanley also admitted that some residents had discussed
attempting to strengthen Huntington Estate’s covenants, but doing so requires a
unanimous vote among homeowners.
“It would really just be more trouble than it’s worth,”
Hanley said.
Living Trust
Abandoned Home: This home in the Huntington Estates neighborhood has neighbors upset as two doctors abandoned their property in 2004 and have allowed it to be in complete disrepair. Neighbors are concerned for their property values as some gear up to sell their property.
According to Arapahoe County property tax records, the Brauns’
house is currently owned by a living trust in Carol’s name. Typically, wealthy
homeowners put property into living trusts if they plan on passing it on after
death.
Some residents worry that there may be a financial incentive
for the Brauns to let their property dilapidate, and that this incentive could
negatively affect their home values.
“Many neighbors have expressed concern about your disregard
for the condition of the abandoned house and about the market values of their
own properties as a result,” the HOA letter reads. “In addition, the community
is concerned about any potential health or environmental impact as a result of
the continued declining condition and lack of care for the property.”
Colorado is one of 38 states that doesn’t charge an estate
tax. Even so homeowners can still be charged a federal estate tax after their
death. Under prime circumstances, married couples can protect up to $22.28
million under the federal exemption guidelines. A single homeowner can protect
an estate valuing up to $11.18 million, according to the IRS.
By allowing their home to dilapidate, the Brauns could avoid
paying estate taxes all together. They currently own two homes, one of which
was purchased for just under $600,000 while the median home value of the
neighborhood is close to a half-million. Factor in a few savvy investments and
they could be leaving behind a nice nest egg with no tax burden.
However, the majority of the neighbors just want the problem
to go away. They’re tired of seeing the home slowly crumble while homes that
are near it have had a tough time staying full.
“This is really a case of buyer beware,” Hanley said. “We’re
basically subject to the goodwill of our neighbors on this one.”
