by Mark Smiley | Apr 27, 2018 | Travel
Scholarships Will Help Fund YMCA Summer Camp Programming
by Mark Smiley
Finding high-quality, affordable childcare can be a challenge for any family. Every year, the YMCA of Metro Denver serves more than 2,700 children in summer day camps as a leading child services provider. By offering scholarships to those in need, parents have found a safe, nurturing environment without the high price tag.
In 2017, the YMCA distributed over $750,000 in scholarships across the metro area. This year in Glendale alone, the YMCA estimates they will award $30,000 in scholarships for child care at the Glendale Sports Center. For one working father, these scholarships have been invaluable to his family.
“The Y offers a helping hand when you need it,” said Jdell Garner, father to 9-year-old Rosa Garner, who attends YMCA summer camp and after school programming at the Glendale Sports Center. “The extra funding has been a blessing. Without them doing that, Rosa wouldn’t be here.”
YMCA summer camps feature field trips, fun physical activities and educational weekly themes which allow kids to learn, play and thrive in a secure environment. Rosa Garner said, “I look forward to being here and I feel safe at the YMCA.”
Since enrolling Rosa in childcare at the Y nearly five years ago, Garner has noticed a change in her character. He said, “Rosa is learning how to be a leader and a young adult when she’s at the YMCA. She interacts with supervisors, stays organized and welcomes new kids.
He continued, “It’s a very uplifting experience to have her here. She normally comes home very happy and as long as she’s happy, I’m happy.”
The YMCA is recognized as a leader in childcare not only for the safe environment but the imaginative activities that nurture a child’s spirit, challenge their minds and strengthen their bodies. There is also a strong sense that anyone and everyone is welcome and respected.
“The YMCA of Metro Denver believes everyone should have the opportunity to participate in YMCA membership and programs regardless of their ability to pay,” said Nicole Limoges, Executive Director of the YMCA Sports Branch and Glendale Sports Center at Infinity Park. “Luckily, we are able to provide the amount of financial assistance we do because of the generosity of our donors.”
The YMCA of Metro Denver manages the Glendale Sports Center, a state-of-the-art fitness facility featuring programs that support physical, intellectual and spiritual strength. Glendale summer camp scholarships go quickly each year. Limoges recommends applying for 2019 programming in early February. For more information on child care at the Glendale Sports Center managed by the YMCA, visit www.denver ymca.org/glendale/child-care-day-camps.
by Valley Gadfly | Apr 27, 2018 | Valley Gadfly
Sunlight is a natural resource we’ll run out of one day. Plan to make use of it this month. It’s May after all. Think of each unit of time as all in a day’s play. In fact, you’re as welcome as the flowers in May. Shakespeare called it “the merry month of May.” Fennel Hudson put it this way: “May, more than any other month, wants us to feel alive.”
As the Book of Songs suggests: “Sweet May hath come to love us, flowers, trees, their blossoms don; and through the blue heavens above us, the very clouds move on.”
Here are our warm and sunny choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so your garden grows and you can breeze through each day like it’s a picnic in the park:
3 Race to the Bar Car on Colorado Blvd. for the annual fundraiser Talk Derby to Me party on May 5, noon to 7 p.m. Sway to the music of live bands, city’s top hat contest, plus fun games. Information: 720-524-8099.
3 Cinco De Mayo fest in Civic Center Park keeps the fun going May 5-6. See Saturday parade plus low rider car show. Information 303-534-8342.
3 Keep May fun with free lessons at the Wash Park Lawn Bowling Club May 12, 10 a.m. Information: washingtonparklawnbowlingclub.com.
3 Hear St. Martin’s Chamber Choir sing Howell’s Requiem at Saint John’s Episcopal Cathedral May 18, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-298-1970.
3 Make your home tidy and trim with upholstery, drapery, cushions and pillows from Boris’s Upholstery. Enjoy great discounts on home décor fabrics in extensive selection of styles. Information: 303-751-2921.
3 Show mom she’s cherished with Mother’s Day specials May 13 at the Monaco Inn Restaurant. Information: 303-320-1104. Or take her to brunch at Salvage Restaurant, 10 a.m-2 p.m. Information: 303-751-2113.
3 Take the kids to the Children’s Book Fest for activities and reading at the Tattered Cover on Colfax, May 19, 1-3 p.m. Information: 303-322-7727.
3 Hurry, French artist Edgar Degas’ A Passion For Perfection is on display at the Denver Art Museum through May 20. Information: 303-892-1505
3 Don’t miss this year’s Denver Ukefest presented by Swallow Hill Music. Weekend kicks off May 10 at Brews on Broadway. On May 11, festival moves to Swallow Hill highlighted by uke supernova Taimane and two-time Grammy winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer. Saturday May 12 has a full day of workshops and community events. Evening concert features Craig Chee, Sarah Maisel and Gerald Ross. Information: 303-777-1003.
May’s calling and it’s not on your phone, it’s outside. Get out of the house early to dig in your garden, explore the parks, eat locally and stargaze the night away. There are soulful bistros, hidden wine bars and wonderful patisseries to find. Discover the thrill of professional rugby. Squeeze in a little golf or spa time to take away winter’s stress.
Plan a picnic in the park with the kids. At weekend gatherings, weeknight dinners and on restaurant patios we gather to eat, drink, socialize and bask in beautiful views.
“April is the cruelest month,” T.S. Eliot famously wrote. But then for Camelot Lerner and Loewe declared May is here: “It’s mad, it’s gay, a libelous display. Everyone makes divine mistakes, the lusty month of May. Whence this fragrance wafting through the air, tra, la la la la.” To whence I ask: Why I’m only wishing to go a-fishing?
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 27, 2018 | Feature Story Bottom Left
I have often said that the internet has done more to divide and enrage us as a society than most people probably anticipated when Al Gore created it. The power of social media can be great when we get constant feeds of kittens playing with giant balls of twine, but usually it’s just people screaming about guns, Trump, the police and how cruise ships are filled with dangerous viruses. Honestly can anyone tell me that we are truly better off with the internet than we were before it? We are a bunch of whining, celebrity-obsessed, political junkies who use this little handheld device to try to convert those who have opinions different than our own, and we wield this power with extreme prejudice.
BUT, and this is a big BUT, there are a few AWESOME things that have emerged from the internet cesspool. In my opinion the very best thing the internet and our cell phones have given us are ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft. These apps have allowed so many people access to fast, reliable, cheap transportation that didn’t previously exist in cities like Denver, Des Moines or Detroit.
Sure, if you live in Manhattan or Chicago there are taxis everywhere (if they are willing to pick you up), but in most cities the wait for a taxi can be too long and the prices too arbitrary. Uber/Lyft have an ingenious product that allows us to quickly get a ride, allows us to know who the driver is before the car arrives (and how other passengers have rated the driver), and even lets us know the price before we order the ride.
Plus it allows people who need full or part-time work an opportunity to make some money on a schedule that works for them. Unlike taxi drivers, Uber/Lyft drivers know who they are picking up and they can decide based on the passenger rating if they even want to pick them up. While it is not a perfect system, it has significantly reduced the amount of DUIs we have seen in our office as many people would prefer an easy, cheap ride compared to an expensive, life-changing DUI. This is technology working for us in a self-contained system that makes sense and is easy to use and understand. Hooray Uber/Lyft!
However, the influx of paid drivers on the roads has not been without the drawbacks. While our law firm has seen a decrease in DUIs (That’s a Good Thing!) we have seen an increase in automobile accidents that occur where our clients are either passengers in an Uber/Lyft, have been hit by an Uber/Lyft driver, or are Uber/Lyft drivers themselves and have suffered injuries.
So, the question we are often asked is: “Can I file a claim against Uber/Lyft for these injuries?” And the answer is absolutely YES. In fact, Uber/Lyft acts just like any other business. These are massive companies with significant liability insurance policies in case you have suffered a bad injury (as a passenger or while driving your own car). In addition, and this is critical, you can still use your own medical payment coverage on your auto policy to help defray the costs of medical expenses while the case is resolving.
Further, in catastrophic injury claims your own underinsured/uninsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage can also work in conjunction with Uber/Lyft’s coverage to maximize your recovery. As I’ve stated many times before, when discussing automobile insurance, the best investment you can make for yourself and family is to purchase as much UM/UIM coverage as possible through your own auto policy. Trust me. I’m not an insurance broker, I don’t make a penny if you buy more insurance, but I have seen the effects of what happens when insurance brokers don’t do their jobs correctly. Remember: Purchase the maximum medical payment coverage and maximum UM/UIM coverage available.
If you are an Uber/Lyft driver you might need help too. We have represented many of you who were injured by another careless driver and you have the right to recover for your injuries. Be aware that your own personal automobile policy may NOT offer you the same medical payment or UM/UIM benefits if you were driving your car for Uber/Lyft at the time of the accident.
Automobile insurance carriers are getting smarter (and cheaper) and they don’t want to act as your worker’s compensation in the event of a workplace accident. It’s important you understand your coverages in the event you are involved in a catastrophic accident. The worst time to find out you have bad insurance coverage is after the accident has already occurred. And don’t think for a second that Uber/Lyft will pay you work comp benefits if injured, this is usually an add-on you need to have purchased through the company.
So, to the thousands of you using Uber/ Lyft in the Denver metro area I say good job! Way to be responsible. The other drivers who are busy tweeting obscenities, smoking weed or taking selfies never think about how their bad decisions could ruin another person’s life. For all the bad the internet has given us it’s nice to have a few products out there that make a real difference in our lives. But if you are involved in an accident in any fashion with an Uber/ Lyft driver (or a taxi cab for that matter) you have options and we would be happy to help you! Now you can resume your normal internet surfing.
Danny is a managing partner of Foster, Graham, Milstein & Calisher (FGMC). His practice focuses on personal injury. The law firm of FGMC, located in Cherry Creek, is a full service law firm focusing on: criminal defense, personal injury, real estate, litigation, liquor licensing, construction law, tax/estate planning, bankruptcy and zoning. This article does not create an attorney-client relationship and is for informational use only (what do you expect from an attorney!)
Danny Foster, Esq.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 27, 2018 | Editorials
The most recent scandals of Mayor Michael Hancock involving his sexual harassment of Police Detective Leslie Branch-Wise and the payoffs to hide his actions with taxpayer funds, have raised the uncomfortable question of exactly what function does the 13-member City Council actually serve?
The City Council costs Denver taxpayers millions every year. The individual Council members annually make $91,197 with City Council President bringing in $102,197. They recently gave themselves a 10.3% raise to be phased in. In addition, they have a plethora of generous government perks and benefits. Each has his or her own paid assistant as well as a generous allowance for an office. But that is just the tip of the iceberg with an entire staff for the City Council as a whole, travel benefits and the list goes on and on.
What do we the citizens get for all that money? It appears to be virtually nothing. The City Council simply rubber-stamps almost every high-density development brought before them from the Community Planning and Development Department, notwithstanding the pleas and howls of residents from across the city.
Yes, we have a so-called “strong mayor” form of government in Denver but it is not technically yet a dictatorship, although a majority of the City Council seem to treat it as such. While claiming that the City Charter gives them little power, the Council a few years back gave up its role in overseeing the parks and open space in the City and County of Denver. As a result, the Mayor has destroyed or monetized park after park from City Park to Hentzell Park to Overland Park and on and on.
In theory, under the City Charter the City Council appropriates all money to run the city, passes or changes laws and investigates wrong doing by various city officials. In fact, it performs none of those functions. The mayor prepares the budget and doles out small favors to individual council members in return for passing the budget and then rubberstamps all expenditures thereafter. No meaningful legislation has been passed for years other than changing the zoning laws to make them ever friendlier to high density developers.
The joke of the investigative powers of the City Council were on full display regarding Detective Leslie Branch-Wise. Councilman Rafael Espinoza wrote a confidential letter demanding an investigation into the sexual harassment by the mayor, which was leaked to the press. The City Council first declined to investigate saying they didn’t want to re-victimize Ms. Wise-Branch. When Branch-Wise in fact demanded that they investigate and have open hearings they then stated that the City Attorney, who is controlled by the mayor, told them they can’t. Well that was easy.
In the last City Council election in 2015 we strongly endorsed Wayne New, Paul Kashmann and Rafael Espinoza. Each of them overcame long odds and all of the money of lobbyists and high-density developers and pulled upset victories. Each of them has regularly voted against the worst of the high-density developments and the destruction of open space and parks.
They are, of course, a minority of three in a 13-person council. But it is not sufficient to simply be the “vote of the people” but they needed to be the “voice of the people” and in that regard they have abysmally failed. Given their mild if not meek personalities they raise not one peep about the destruction of the city and the quality of life for its citizens. There is no public opposition in the public arena by any of them to any of the worst of the worst of the mayor’s and his administration’s actions.
Of course, while we have a strong mayor form of government, Mayor Hancock is anything but a “strong mayor” and in fact he is a total “empty suit” or more accurately an “empty workout outfit.”
Perhaps we should amend the City Charter and convert the government to one run by a High Commission. One person would be designated to it by the Brownstein Law Firm, one from the lobbying firm of CRL Associates, two from the crony capitalist executives comprising Colorado Concern with the High Commission rounded out with three high density developers. That way at least when Denver citizens petition the Denver government to address their grievances they are talking to people who could actually get something done. We would finally have that “open, honest and transparent” Denver government that Mayor Hancock spouts off about ad nauseum.
In the meantime, the 13 City Council members will continue to draw their soon to be six figure salaries while doing absolutely nothing other than ignoring the voices of citizens who still bother to go to City Council meetings having not yet heard that they are talking to little more than cardboard figures placed behind a large dais in the ornate Denver City Council Chambers. The High Commission form of government comprised of the real powers to be in Denver sounds reasonable in comparison and would be a lot less expensive for all involved.
— Editorial Board
