by Mark Smiley | Sep 29, 2014 | Editorials
Bob Coté the founder of the alcohol and drug rehabilitation center Step 13 was truly one of a kind as was the charity he founded. A former boxer from the mean streets of Detroit he knew what it was to be an alcoholic and homeless in Denver. He had been a white collar salesman who was able to hide his addiction for a while before spiraling down into alcohol dependence and hopelessness. He was at heart a “street fighting” man who took no gruff from anyone no matter how important or mean they were.
Having saved himself from addiction and despair he walked the alleys and byways of pre-yuppieized downtown Denver carrying a baseball bat searching for souls to save from the hell he personally knew all too well.
Even the name of the charity he founded “Step 13” was as idiosyncratic as its founder. It is almost universally initially assumed that it refers to a proposed next step after the 12 step program of Alcohol Anonymous, but instead it is homage to the original 13 colonies of America and Jesus and his 12 disciples. He quickly found out that modern American governmental agencies (federal, state and local) wanted absolutely nothing to do with any charity whose name was picked to honor patriotism and Christianity. They would do whatever they could to destroy a man who was quickly succeeding in making a real difference in lives of homeless drug and alcohol addicted men in Denver.
He said he knew what these men needed, as he had needed it so badly in his time of despair — “A hand up, not a hand out.” He wanted for those he helped what all men wanted (including himself) — dignity and self respect. He believed that only came from work and self reliance. He could never figure out why people like John Hickenlooper for all his purported concern about these men never got it. In his mind all that the Hickenloopers of the world offered these men was dependence and suffering or as he called “suicide by the installment plan.”
He viewed most of the members of the Denver City Council as “jackals” and “hyenas” who poured money into programs like the “Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness” (now known as “The Road Home”) which in his mind were simply bureaucratic sinecures for those who have never actually helped another human being in their entire lives. He viewed the Coalition for the Homeless as little more than the “Coalition to Exploit the Homeless” where the top personnel pay themselves handsome six figure salaries on the backs of the homeless.
That his charity Step 13 succeeded without ever taking any money from the government was amazing to him. He saw himself as a type of rough-hewed Forest Gump. More by accident than design he found businessmen like Bill Daniels and Cortlandt Dietler who were will willing to support and fund his vision while he worked tirelessly to make Step 13 a self-sufficient enterprise.
When he died last September replacing him seemed impossible. But the individuals who are on the Board of Directors had seen with their own eyes how Step 13 had literally saved men from their own destruction and that for such an organization to die while the harmful and invidious government funded programs lived on to exploit and destroy the lives of the humans they purported to help was too much to bear.
After months of fruitless efforts they found a man who seemed to be just the type of person they were looking for — Peter Droege. He was not in any sense a younger Bob Coté — that mold had been broken and thrown away when Coté came into the world.
Moreover, Peter Droege is most definitely not a “street fighting” man but rather the son of two artists who went to Central City to escape the real world and open up a gi
ft shop to display and sell artistic items. He attended the University of Wyoming and then headed out to California to be a journalist in Los Angeles. He returned to Colorado to work on various local publications. He joined the Daniels Fund, the billion dollar legacy of cable pioneer and Step 13 supporter Bill Daniels, where he rose to Vice President of Communications before coming over to Step 13 as its executive director.
Droege has had his own battles with “demon rum” and knows what addiction can do to you. He met Coté in 2001 and helped co-chair the 25th Anniversary of Step 13 held at Infinity Park just prior to Coté’s death.
Bob Coté made it abundantly clear to you whether he liked you or not. His magnetic personality attracted many people, but he also repelled more than his share of individuals sometimes unnecessarily. He just couldn’t help himself when he found himself in the presence of someone he believed to be a self important phony whether or not the person could have been of great aid to his enterprise.
Peter Droege on the other hand is a uniter. Quickly after meeting him, he makes you feel that you have known him your entire life and the two of you are the closest of friends. His infectious, positive enthusiasm makes you feel that just about anything can be accomplished.
He has already made important alliances including one with Goodwill Denver. He has adopted as his own the mantra “Get a job, get a better job, get a career.” He believes to his core, like Coté before him, that finding jobs and careers for the men who Step 13 assists is the key to making them whole again. Goodwill Denver’s Career Connection Centers are one-stop shops for career developments that work perfectly with Step 13’s mission.
He has also been successful in getting more and more people to contribute cars, boats, motorcycles etc. to Step 13 for them to repair, fix and resell while making sure the donor gets the highest allowable tax deduction for his or her donation.
The unique Step 13 organization appears in good hands with Droege, although when you refuse all governmental funds you are constantly going to be challenged in obtaining necessary funding.
If you want to give to a charity to make yourself feel good there are lots of organizations out there with which you can accomplish your goal. If you want give to an organization that really does make a life-changing difference in the lives of others, Step 13 has proved to be just such a charity, first under Bob Coté and now under Peter Droege.
— Editorial Board
by Mark Smiley | Sep 29, 2014 | Feature Story Bottom Left
It’s sad that I have to start out my column this month by warning those of you who are easily offended or so politically correct minded that this article may upset you. If you are either of those types just do us all a favor and stop reading now. For the rest of you, carry on!
This month I have been doing a lot of self-reflecting about some of the different “types” of women I have dated over the years and I thought it would be fun to illustrate a few examples. Please keep in mind I have dated and been in relationships with well-adjusted women who don’t fall into any of the categories that I have created. But let’s face it, writing about those women would just be plain boring to read. Also keep in mind I am not singling out women just to single them out. The fact of the matter is that I am not homosexual
and my dating experiences come from women, plain and simple. So ladies, I am sure you have some “types” of guys that you and your girlfriends have labeled as well and I would love to hear about them and include them in my next column if you email me at the moderndater@gmail.com.
Ok, now let’s get to the good stuff. Here are a few “types” of women that I have dated. Remember some women may possess a bit of each one of these but I am going to break them down by naming them individually.
Ms. Damaged Goods: This poor soul has been wrecked by life and relationships and she has no idea where to begin picking up the pieces. By nature she is sweet to a fault and that is a huge component to why she is so damaged. Personally I am touched by these women because my heart wants them to feel healed and ready for life but in my experience it is too hard to help them without it affecting my life in an adverse way.
The Daughter: Ok, now don’t be a perv, this is not an incestuous situation. Let me explain. Many men, including myself, like to date women our junior for many reasons. I’ll save that explanation as to why for an entirely different article. I have always said I feel like I raised three or four different women because it is natural for me to share my life experiences with them when I see them making obviously poor choices that I have already gone through in hopes that I can spare them some aggravation from making the same mistakes. Needless to say this is never good in the long run because the roles turn into more of a Father — Daughter relationship than an equal partnership. It’s fun in the beginning though!
The Mother: God bless this woman. Every man loves a caretaker and the mothering type does a great job. She is there for support, advice, stability and just great for an overall soft place to land. The only problem is I’m not physically attracted to you, but I do like the comfort so I have to be careful dating this type when I see it working toward that role.
The Man Hater: Guys, you know this woman. This lady has to have a man in her life yet she hates every one of us and she isn’t afraid to vocalize it. I think the Man Hater started out as Ms. Damaged Goods and just never put it together.
The Man Eater: I find this woman all the time, probably because she’s a challenge. This woman has it together and knows she can play men like a fiddle. She is smart, sexy, and secure in herself and puts out a “I don’t need you” energy and she usually gets whatever she wants when she wants it no matter what she has to do to make it happen.
The Stalker: What can I say about the Stalker that you don’t already know? Just because you eliminated her from your life doesn’t mean she’s gone, in fact, she’s everywhere. She combs through your social media to try and stay up on who you associate with and what you’re doing, she tries to remain in contact with your friends, she makes sure to pop in on you via text, phone and email even though you’ve made it clear you don’t want further contact. This can actually be a very scary thing to deal with.
The Groupie: The ladies are actually very sweet. I don’t care if you’re in show biz or not we’ve all had a groupie. This girl adores you and you can do no wrong and is similar to “Couch Girl” who I’ve written about in the past. She is just a fan of you and she will do just about anything you ask. Don’t mistake her for the Stalker because she actually has your best interest in mind. Be good to her.
The Man Molder: This woman is not dating to find you; she’s dating to find someone who fits an idea in her mind. I have been seeing quite a few of these women as of late for some reason. Whatever notion of where she should be in her life is what she is after. She may be ready to be married or have kids or just have a man to have a man. Forget getting to know each other, whatever is in her mind is what she will want you to be regardless of who you are or what you want. This woman scares the bejeezus out of me.
I could keep this going forever but my column is only allowed to be so long so I have to stop here. I do want to hear about the types of people you date, man or woman, just email me! Lastly don’t forget about my new Modern Dater Club where viable Colorado daters meet up to go on fun excursions together that are prearranged and hosted by me. The first outing will start with a happy hour and then a limo ride to a cooking school where singles pair off and rotate while we assemble a feast that we will all partake in at the end. Super excited to introduce “Circle Cooking” to you and if you would like more info on how you can be a part of this exclusive club just email me or hit me up on www. the moderndater.com. See you there!
Your pal, Sheik
by Mark Smiley | Sep 29, 2014 | Feature Story Middle Left
Apple announces the iPhone 6 and 6Plus. Did you hear? If not, you live under a rock. The Samsung readers can skip this section. You’ll probably chuckle knowing the iPhone is almost to your feature level. Thinking about getting a new iPhone? Hop in line and grab a Snickers since 10 million went off the shelves in the first two weeks. I would recommend ordering online. Should you upgrade? Why not? My recommendation is always to try out the new device. Head over to the Apple Store and play around with the phones. You may find the 6Plus to be too big. You’re almost placing an iPad Mini to your ear to make calls. Some of the highlights: Larger than the current iPhones, 6 is 4.7” and the 6Plus is 5.5”; thinner, lighter with longer battery life (we’ll see about that one); and, faster focus for camera with clearer pictures.
For those not upgrading their phones, Apple released the newest operating system, iOS8, or as I call it, “iOS The Ocho.” This upgrade offers some benefits such as, Apple Wallet, which allows you to use the device for payment as you would with your Chase credit card; heart rate monitor and activity tracker; a smarter Spotlight index; a more educated keyboard guess ahead functionality; easier method of adding pictures and voice to text (remember when we used to use the phone to talk?); and, Mac users can operate between their device and computer.
An important note about upgrading, once you do so, there is no turning back to a previous version. Don’t worry. If you don’t like “The Ocho,” there will be another release next year. The upgrade can be performed using wifi. Like any Apple release, there is a gotcha. This is the gotcha, you’ll need 5Gb of free storage space on your device to upgrade. Click on Settings> General>Usage to display the available storage. The download file is 5Gb, however the file will take up — 1Gb after the full download is complete. It needs the storage availability to perform the download. An alternative is to download the file through iTunes and upgrade the device while connected to your computer. You will only need — 1Gb of available storage to upgrade in this manner. As always, back up your device, save your pictures and glance through your apps to check for data that may be lost with the upgrade. Never assume everything will be as it was before upgrading to “The Ocho.” On a lighter note, if you are in the market for a new phone, but do not wish to carve out the $199 for the 6, check out the iPhone 5c 8Gb (free) or iPhone 5s ($149).
What to do with those pesky old phones that start filling your storage after you upgrade? Look into trade-in programs with Best Buy, Target and Amazon. There are sites that offer cash for phones, such as Gazelle and Glyde. Donate them to cellphonesfor soldiers.com or ncadv.org. There are many places to receive a trade, cash or to donate your phones. Other ideas? Clear off your data and load child friendly apps for your kiddos to use. Baby monitor with Cloud Baby Monitor. Home monitor and video with Presence. Navigation tool with heads up display for your windshield using Hudway. Or keep it handy as a video recorder, personal organizer, a camera, send email or surf the web at Starbucks instead of using the battery of your actual phone or music storage. Remember, your old device is still usable even if you are no longer paying for cell phone use. They are wifi devices.
Cool Apps
Workboard… manage a team or part of a team that often has tasks, goal and action items? Check out this app that shares your goals, list the action items, action item owner and status. Real time visibility. Great tool! | Unsplash… a free high resolution photo site with permitted used from originating photographers. The site is not easy to search, however the photos are clean and clear for inserting into documents, websites and presentations. | Powtoon… a free cartoon creation site, which seems to be the latest marketing rage. Maybe an interesting spin v. Powerpoint or a complement to your presentation. | Piktochart… creative slide site. Can you tell I spent a number of hours creating presentations and researching content in September? | How about a fun one? Now the 20 somethings will need to Google the word, “typewriter,” for this next app called Hanx Writer. It was created by Tom Hanks, yes the actor. He apparently is a typewriter collector. This app turns your iPad keyboard into a typewriter, including the “ding” at the end of a line. Ding!
How are you, and or your business using mobile technology? Are you using this technology to entice new hires to join your company? Are you eliminating hardware and going cloud? Has it allowed you to hire employees from outside your area? I’d like to hear your story for a future column.
Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.
Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly twenty years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses use NetSuite software to run and manage all of their business applications. It’s web-based, so businesses can access their information from anywhere; It’s flexible, which allows the software to be customized for their business; and, it is built on a single platform, which businesses appreciate since they can often eliminate multiple software solutions. Trending companies, such as Box, GoPro, FitBit and Dropbox use this software to run their business. Reach out to Brian to learn how your business can benefit with this software.
by Valley Gadfly | Sep 29, 2014 | Valley Gadfly
This is the month of monstrous peril: Grave robbers, ghoulish experiments, scary costumed creatures and flickering jack-o’-lanterns. Halloween is outrageous and yet we love it. Like Frankenstein, through the gloom we see the “creatures” yellow eye open and its limbs begin to twitch. Each October we again become archetype mad scientists.
To enjoy Halloween you need a big imagination and a scary spirit. It captures something fundamental about our evil, suppressed rage and disturbing dark impulses.
Through troubling dreams of monster-haunted suspense, here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to fill you with fearful fun and fairy tale fantasies:
3 Select monstrous pumpkins while enjoying fantastic fall family fun at the Pumpkin Harvest Festival in Four Mile Historic Park Oct. 4-5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Make crafts, dance to live music. Information: 720-865-0800.
3 Feast on mega stereo systems and latest headphone technology at Audio Fest in the Marriott Tech Center Oct. 10-12. Information: audiofest.net.
3 See 13 exciting new art sculptures being installed this month along Havana Street — 6th Ave. to Dartmouth. Information: 303-360-7505.
3 Catch the regional premiere of the family life drama The Outgoing Tide at Lowry’s John Hand Theatre, Oct. 10-Nov. 5. Information: 303-562-3232.
3 Being unnerved by your car’s slipping or leaking transmission? Don’t be spooked, take it into locally owned AAMCO Transmission on West Alameda for a maintenance special to unmask problems. Information: 303-462-2626.
3 Transport your taste buds to India and enjoy the exotic and authentic flavors at Little India. Information: 303-871-9777 or 303-298-1939.
3 Enjoy Colorado Symphony’s zany musical Spooktacular with costumed musicians at Boettcher Hall Oct. 26, 1 p.m. Information: 303-623-7876.
3 Sink your teeth into Colorado Ballet’s gothic horror drama Dracula playing at the Ellie Caulkins, Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Information: 303-339-1630.
3 Escape the Halloween funk for a night and take in the John Denver Tribute in the Buell Theatre at the DCPA Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Enjoy the music of John Adams and his nine-member band. The performance celebrates the Wilderness Act and features John Fielder’s wilderness photographs. He has chosen images to marry with 24 John Denver songs including Rocky Mountain High and Annie’s Song. Information: JohnFielder.com.
Most of us are fragile characters. Our ordinary thoughts can be grandiose and delusional. Truthfully we are often cowardly, fearful, spineless and weak. Yet during the Halloween season we are “galvanized” into sudden activity like a jolt of electricity. We develop a carnivorous appetite that is scary, stomach turning and spine chilling.
The shock is that this season can also be a quest to understand what life actually means. What makes human existence more than the low hum of an electrical connection?
Eek, this is the month when you can be “anything” you imagine. Maybe that is what this freakish, wacky season is all about: To remind us to be audacious, impulsive and daring and not get trapped in the everyday routine of our “normal” identity. Akin to Frankenstein inventing the safety match, this could be the time for striking successes.
— Glen Richardson
