by Mark Smiley | Dec 17, 2017 | Main Articles
by Glen Richardson
Open Season: Paul Rosenthal, a Democrat for House District 9, is faced with sexual harassment claims. Some are saying not all accusations necessarily have merit and that it is open season on some high profile people.
The sexual harassment claims that are sweeping the country have also hit the Colorado legislature with claims made against four different legislators including Paul Rosenthal, a Democrat representing House District 9, which includes Glendale and parts of the Cherry Creek Valley.
Rosenthal who is openly gay initially was accused by Thomas Cavaness, a political organizer for Jared Polis, of inappropriately touching him at a political campaign event some time before he was first elected to the legislature in 2012. The Denver Post came to his defense in a lead editorial asserting that they did not believe “anything in Cavaness’ report precludes Rosenthal from remaining in office. The Post noted that the alleged incident occurred before Rosenthal was elected for the first time in November 2012 and questioned what jurisdiction the Speaker’s Office would have in the first place.
The Denver newspaper noted that the two men had exchanged friendly Facebook messages around the time of the campaign event and that Cavaness couldn’t recall when exactly the harassment occurred.
The publicity of the Cavaness claim caused a second complaint to be filed with Speaker of the House Crisanta Duran, reported first by Fox 31 Denver News. The man is identified only as “Dan” and asserts he was the roommate of Rosenthal back in 2007 and 2008 when he said Rosenthal made “several inappropriate comments” and that he had appeared unannounced while he was sleeping. He said he wrote the complaint to Duran, stating that he could no longer “remain quiet.”
The second complaint was generally greeted with disbelief and derision. Rosenthal’s attorney Harvey Steinberg remarked, “The only thing more ludicrous than this complaint is that FOX 31 would report it.”
Then on November 17, 2017, it was reported in The Denver Post that sometime earlier Heather O’Donnell, an attorney and former legislative policy aide, complained to her boss, Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, that Rosenthal repeatedly attempted to get her to set up a meeting with her brother saying he found him “attractive” and he could help him professionally.
She declared his actions to be “predatory.” Kraft-Tharp in turn reported it to Duran but O’Donnell declined to file a formal complaint. The Speaker’s Office provided Rosenthal with materials concerning workplace and sexual harassment policies.
Anecdotally, the complaints do not appear to be gaining much traction in the 9th District. Sally Perone indicated, “Rosenthal tried to be introduced to somebody’s brother and said something inappropriate to his roommate a decade ago. Is there any human interchange that is not sexual harassment these days? Perhaps politicians deserve it, but this is really open season on them.”
A local shop owner on Colorado Boulevard who did not wish to be identified stated, “It is the season of the witch. The press giving such exaggerated coverage to claims such as those against Rosenthal do a real disservice to the people who have suffered real sexual assault and harassment. The real claims now get lost among all the clutter. It is a real shame.”
Rosenthal who will be up for re-election in 2018 for his final term has always received above 60% in his prior election efforts for the District seat.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 17, 2017 | Glendale City News
by John Arthur
Writer for and on behalf of the City of Glendale
Recently renovated, Glendale Hampton Inn & Suites is a trusted travel haven and guarantees service and comfort.
Sponsor partnerships are a pillar of the Infinity Park experience, an essential element of what makes Glendale the focal point of rugby in the United States. Though the venue has many sponsor partners, few have as lasting and mutually beneficial history as Hampton Inn & Suites Denver-Cherry Creek. Just as Infinity Park celebrated the first decade of its existence in September 2017, next year will mark 10 years of fruitful partnership with Hampton. Erica Olenick, General Manager of the hotel, reports that being the official partner hotel to the Glendale Raptors “makes the Hampton Inn & Suites a place to go to, not just through.”
With more than 2,000 locations across the globe, Hampton by Hilton, the company that owns and operates Hampton travel destinations, is a truly international operation. Opening its doors in the heart of Glendale in 1999, the Hampton Inn & Suites Denver-Cherry Creek features 133 spacious guest rooms and suites, all well-suited to provide great value and comfort to both leisure and business travelers. General Manager Olenick reports that in addition to the hotel’s excellent location, it offers the chain’s signature Clean and Fresh Hampton Bed, alongside generous complimentary extras like a hot breakfast, WiFi, and all-day coffee. The Glendale location is also eagerly anticipating the completion of renovations to its indoor pool, hot tub, and scenic deck.
Alongside the rest of Glendale, and rugby fans nationally, the hotel is also looking forward to next year’s arrival of Major League Rugby and the emergence of the Raptors as a founding member of the new professional organization. Olenick reports that the hotel’s original partnership with Glendale’s flagship sporting venue was based on proximity to the facility (some guest rooms even feature a view of the pitch and Jumbo screen), but that the relationship blossomed over the years as the hotel recognized that sponsorship possibilities at Infinity Park were endless.
New for 2018, Hampton Inn & Suites will become the official hotel partner for the Glendale Raptors professional team, housing not just fans and visitors, but also rival teams and coaches. Olenick anticipates that the hotel’s historic successes in this long-term partnership will compound in the coming year: “Based on a successful tenure sponsoring Infinity Park, the Raptors, the Merlins, and great events like the RugbyTown Sevens tournament, our additional sponsorship will continue to foster the relationship we have with the players and visitors who stay with us each year.”
Olenick noted that the energy from local and visiting teams is contagious, and the Hampton staff has found how easy it is to become major fans of the sport. “We are thrilled to be an official partner of the Glendale Raptors. We support our local community — we are driving pride and team spirit
New for 2018, Hampton Inn & Suites will become the official hotel partner for the Glendale Raptors professional team, housing not just fans and visitors, but also rival teams and coaches.
within the hotel. When teams stay with us, their energy brings the excitement of rugby not just to the city of Glendale, but also to our staff and guests.” Glendale’s Hampton is poised to make waves in 2018 as Major League Rugby bursts onto the American professional sports scene, further capitalizing on the 10-year partnership.
A trusted travel haven, Glendale’s Hampton Inn & Suites offers guaranteed service and comfort, just as Glendale rugby assures its fans of competition at the highest level. Asked about the hotel’s relationship with Infinity Park, Olenick offered this final reflection: “We are proud to have been a sponsor of Infinity Park from the very beginning. It has been rewarding to see the organization’s hard work and dedication p
Some of Hampton Inn & Suites rooms feature a view of Infinity Park, highlighting the proximity of the two locations.
ay off. The possibilities of what Major League Rugby could bring to Glendale are endless, and we could not be more excited for what’s to come.” Alongside Olenick and her team, anticipation in Glendale and the rest of the world is high for the arrival of professional rugby in the United States. With all eyes on the future, Glendale and Hampton will continue their lasting and meaningful partnership, ushering one another into a new era of success.
by Mark Smiley | Dec 17, 2017 | General Featured
Piano Playtime For Preschool Children Hits All The Right Notes With Valley Parents
by Glen Richardson
Child’s Play: Students at newly launched Gymboree Play & Music get the best possible start in overall brain development, confidence, and just plain old fun.
All right everybody gather around because the Piano Playtime kids are here. What kind of tune do you want to hear? They can play anything you want because they’re smart.
What is Piano Playtime you ask? It’s a carefully designed program for two-and-a-half to five-year-olds. Around for more than 30 years, it currently serves many private preschools in Denver’s north and west suburbs. This fall the program was formally launched at Gymboree Play & Music at I-25 and Hampden. In-home classes for groups of four or more are also offered.
Why? It gives your young one the best possible start in overall brain development, confidence, and just plain old fun! Many Piano Playtime veteran families have watched their young ones grow into amazing young musicians. They have balanced interests and varied strengths and continuous joy in learning. The program uses a rich, play-based curriculum for preschoolers. It is based on recent research in early piano learning to promote child brain development. Instruction is rooted in Gordon Research, Kodaly, Montessori, and Suzuki principles. It uses “ear before eye” for concentrated neuro-network activity. It builds higher intelligence, encourages full brain integration and full use of all sensory inputs.
Studies Support
Many recent studies in Neuroscience conclude that learning to play the piano during the preschool years is the most beneficial of any activity for building intelligence and brain function, increasing neuro-networking, concentration, coordination, confidence and brain integration. Learning piano before the age of seven grows physically larger brains. Moreover, preschool classes in violin, computers and foreign languages pale in comparison.
Piano Playtime has been carefully designed in program and curriculum to emulate language learning and literacy because music is a language, the universal language. We all learn to fluently speak our mother tongue by age six, quite miraculously without any formal study. Just being in a community with loving family, friends and loved ones gives the impetus to learn our language in a very natural and amazing way, auditory. Thus, music, specifically piano, is learned in the same way, beginning at age three when the auditory inputs are at their maximum and finger isolation begins to develop.
This is especially important for little boys. They are typically born without the ability to integrate L/R brain and are often 12-18 months behind in brain development throughout the preschool-early elementary years.
Preschool Brilliance: The piano tops computer, foreign language and violin classes in helping preschoolers function at higher levels.
Keyboard Playing Field
Many parents spend $50 or more per month for their preschoolers to play sports or other activities that have little effect on brain development or basic intellectual growth through increased brain size. Piano is the only activity that has been proven to do this. The studies are numerous and staggering in their conclusions: such as the piano tops computer, foreign language and violin classes in helping preschoolers function at higher levels and use more of their brain not only during class times but transferring to all other areas of neural function. The benefits last for a lifetime. Seems like a small price to pay for such enormous benefits.
Considering how critical the preschool years are for developing neural networks that last a lifetime, it seems shortsighted in point of view to keep preschool piano as a “luxury” rather than a staple for preschoolers.
Pre-K Standards
Piano activates, accelerates and permanently expands many neuron centers of learning. This includes speech-language, fine motor, auditory processing, visual-spatial reasoning, social-interactive, cognition, confidence and more. Playing by ear, learning beginning pre-reading skills, improvising, and creating music are all basics of the Whole Music Approach (WMA).
The program offers a well-designed curriculum based on research, natural developmental stages of children. Furthermore the curriculum is in alignment with the MENC National Standards for Pre-K. Providing fun and motivational support are key principles of the approach. WMA facilitates interactive learning and positive life skills. Parent education is a vital part of the curriculum.
The staff works with parents and caregivers to understand the vital happenings within the children’s environment that stimulate accelerated brain development, intelligence and activate nourishing relationships within the family through the children’s day to day musical learning. They make sure that parents know what is happening in the classes, encourage parent attendance and provide in-home music activities. A small class size of four to six children makes it piano intensive. Along with deeply caring parents, family, teachers and community, these benefits can only help expand the forward movement of human evolution.
Playful Package
“Play” is learning for the young child and the program takes your child’s play seriously. There is no other time in a child’s life when piano is so critical for accelerated brain growth. At Playtime classes in Denver and the Cherry Creek Valley, the Whole Music Approach (WMA) is used to develop young musicians who can play by ear, improvise freely and later compose and read music.
Youngsters are encouraged to create their own pieces, based on what they have mastered through reading music. Whatever style of piano kids and their parents would like to learn, instructors can customize lesson plans. The Whole Music Method paired with a piano is also perfect for students to create a life-long love of music. Kids are encouraged to participate in regular recitals and on-going performances and concerts.
