by Mark Smiley | May 22, 2015 | Main Articles
O’Brien Upsets Nevitt For Auditor
Kashmann Upsets Adams In District 6
Shepherd First Incumbent To Lose In 28 Years
New And Jones In Runoff On June 2
by Charles C. Bonniwell
The City and County of Denver’s municipal election on May 5, for mayor and all 13 council seats was considered relatively tame since incumbent Mayor Michael Hancock had no major opposition, but beneath the surface a major revolt appears to be gaining momentum which may be culminated in the four runoff elections on June 2. Hancock, and the real estate developers and unions that support him, had recruited a series of candidates and lavished them funding and logistical help. Many of them were also endorsed by The Denver Post which has strongly backed the mayor ever since he assumed office, and after an early dispute over whether the mayor had been a client of a prostitution ring known as Denver Players/Denver Sugar.
Perhaps the most surprising upset occurred in the Auditor’s race where former Colorado State Auditor Timothy O’Brien won by six percentage points over Councilman Chris Nevitt. The councilman was strongly backed by Mayor Hancock and his financial supporters along with outgoing auditor Dennis Gallagher. Nevitt raised close to $400,000, much of which came from unions, real estate developers and lobbyists, such Marcia Garcia Berry of CRL Associates who was Nevitt’s campaign treasurer. Nevitt also had the strong backing of “super lawyer” Steve Farber and his fellow attorneys at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP.
O’Brien, in turn, raised approximately $40,000 and had to lend his campaign an additional $40,000 to get his message out in the waning days of the campaign. Notwithstanding the fact that Nevitt was considered the heir apparent to Hancock as mayor of Denver, O’Brien took almost 55 percent of the vote. O’Brien supporters indicated that they thought reasons for the upset included O’Brien’s professional background and demeanor compared with Nevitt’s lack of qualifications for the post. What may have also contributed to Nevitt’s defeat was the fact that he supported two 31 story apartment buildings which some resi
dents believe will permanently scar the Denver skyline and a general dissatisfaction with City Hall being under the control of real estate developers.
Almost as surprising as the O’Brien upset was the victory of Rafael Espinoza. For the first time since 1987 an incumbent councilperson (Susan Shepherd) lost, and she lost badly. Rafael Espinoza garnered an amazing 69 percent of the vote. Shepherd set a potential record for lowest percentage of the vote ever by an incumbent councilperson getting only 31 percent from the voters. Shepherd, like Nevitt, had originally won in 2011 with overwhelming union support, but after the election, she became close to developers who got approval for projects in Sloans Lake and West Highlands. Members of neighborhood groups that opposed developments
approved by Shepherd, like No High Rises in West Highlands and Sloan’s Lake Neighborhood Association were believed crucial in the electoral tsunami. Shepherd was also lavishly supported by Steve Farber and members of his firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP according to financial disclosure records.
Another upset was the victory of former Washington Park Profile publisher Paul Kashmann over another Hancock picked candidate Liz Adams. She was also endorsed by popular outgoing Councilman Charlie Brown and The Denver Post as well as the coterie of lobbyists and real estate developers and members of the ubiquitous Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP law firm. The race in District 6 mirrored that in District 1 and the auditor’s race where some residents believed excessively dense and under planned real estate developments were being rushed through the City Council.
Whether the citizen revolt will be complete will depend on the runoff races on June 2.
In particular the races in Districts 10 and 11 involve neighborhood candidates against candidates picked by Mayor Hancock and his supporters. In the first round f
ormer Cherry Creek North Neighborhood Association President Wayne New held a small lead (35% to 33%) against former Denver Planning Board member Anna Jones who is supported by the ever present Steve Farber and real estate developers. New surprisingly has the endorsement of The Denver Post.
In northeast Denver’s District 11, Mayor Hancock and Steve Farber’s candidate is Stacie Gilmore, wife of Scott Gilmore who is the appointee of the mayor as the Deputy Manager of Parks for Denver. Stacie Gilmore’s lack of independence and ethical challenges in voting on matters concerning the Parks and Recreation Department have become major issues in the race. Her opponent Sean Bradley is the president and CEO of the Denver Urban League. District 11 is one of the places in Denver where the mayor’s sub silencio support is believed to be of help. The ethically challenged Gilmore also has the endorsement of The Denver Post and money from members of the Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP law firm. In the first round Gilmore garnered 38 percent of the v
ote to 25 percent for Bradley.
While the May 2 results were generally a cause of celebration for neighborhood groups and grassroots activists there was one stain for them in the victory of Kendra Black in District 4 (Hampden area) over Halisi Vinson and Carolina Klein. Vinson had the strong endorsement of former mayor Wellington Webb and park advocates, but Black raised almost $200,000. One disappointed Vinson supporter who knows Black from the Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association noted that “at least the money boys got a win after so many other losses. She will do as instructed which will be sad for parks and neighborhoods in District 4, but her big money supporters will make a lot of money. Our neighborhood groups see her as the next Susan Shepherd. We have pledged to keep a close eye on what she is up to over the next four years. She is, according to people who know her, both amoral and dumb which is never a good combination.”
The runoff election is set for June 2 with ballots already being mailed by the Office of the Denver Clerk and Recorder.
by Mark Smiley | May 22, 2015 | Glendale City News
Avenging last year’s loss to San Francisco Golden Gate, the Glendale Raptors scored first and held off the defending champions to win their first Pacific Rugby Premiership title at Infinity Park Stadium May16. In a repeat of the finals here last year, the hosting Raptors this time lived up to their promise with a 25-11 victory.
In the 2014 finals San Francisco edged Glendale 39-38. San Francisco won here again in March as part of a series split between the two teams during regular season. The Raptors defeated Golden Gate in San Francisco on Valentine’s Day.
Fullback Max Statler slipped a tackler and the Raptors went up 7-0 in the first five minutes of this year’s showdown match. Earning two penalties, Golden Gate drew the game within a point at 7-6. After stealing a lineout deep in Golden Gate territory, Preston Bryant slipped a tackle and scored a try to give the Raptors a 12-6 halftime edge.
Statler Extends Lead
Less than a minute into the second half Golden Gate scored but missed a straightforward conversion to leave them again trailing by a point, 12-11. Glendale added to the lead with a 40-meter kick extending the score to 15-11. Going wide the Raptors sprung Dustin Croy down the right sideline. The winger found Statler streaking inside to extend the lead to 20-11.
A run by Hanco Germishuys moved Glendale to within meters of the goal. Preston Bryant followed with a scoring run giving Glendale a 25-11 lead with 12 minutes to play. The 18-year-old Germishuys, who came into the game as a substitute, “Made a massive impact with all his carries and tackles,” observed Team Captain Zach Fenoglio following the game. “Hanco is an extremely talented young player and definitely deserves a lot of credit in helping us get the win.”
Turnover Stops Threat
With the clock ticking late in the game and San Francisco threatening, Dustin Croy forced a turnover. Despite playing the final minutes with a Glendale player in the sin bin the score remained unchanged at 25-11. Preston Bryant and Maxwell Statler shared Player of the Match honors.
“It definitely didn’t disappoint in the sense that both sides came out wanting to win a championship,” suggested Fenoglio post game. “I was really proud of how the boys fought to get the W.”
Added Raptors scrum half Mose Timoteo, “My thoughts were that it was going to be tough, but the guys were up to the challenge. When we were warming up, guys were ready and the coach mentioned it was our best warm-up of the season.”
The championship was the first for Glendale, but the second for the 38-year-old Timoteo, who joined the Raptors after captaining San Francisco in last year’s final.
“We started off well,” said Raptors Head Coach Andre Snyman. “We’ve always been saying that we wanted to get on the scoreboard first and that’s what happened. I think our patience was most impressive. We kept the ball and our defense played well.” The coach’s bottom line: “I honestly believe all 23 guys played really well. There were some good ball carries and a heroic defensive attitude. I can’t single anyone out, it was a team effort,” he concluded.
by Mark Smiley | May 22, 2015 | Editorials
If there is any group of individuals who feels under siege in this country it is police officers. They are under attack from the mayors of cities from Denver to Baltimore. The President of the United States appears actively hostile to them at times while the U.S. Department of Justice appears ever ready to take over local police departments. When a local Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby declared that she will do justice for Freddie Gray by prosecuting, if not persecuting, every police officer who came in contact with him the day he died, no police officer can feel safe from a vengeful city hall.
Part of the problem police officers have is more and more videos cropping up showing what appears to be police brutality, or even worse, in some cases murder. Moreover, police trying to arrest individuals legitimately, filming their activities is both illegal and dumb. Mandatory body cameras will help diminish the filing of false charges against police officers and hopefully change the attitude and actions of the small percentage of officers who believe they are above the law.
The police across the country need to undertake a sustained public relations campaign or the hostility and animus leveled at them by many in the public will only get worse. At one time the police could count on strong support from middle class individuals, but that is all going away as the Greatest Generation dies off and the Baby Boomer Generation and those that have come after feel no such connectedness to law enforcement.
The vast number of citizens’ only contact with police is a result of traffic enforcement. If a town’s traffic enforcement is corrupt, as it is in Denver, Campo, Mountain View, Morrison, Nunn and Manzanola, then the residents of those towns and people traveling through lose respect for law enforcement. Towns with crooked traffic enforcement tend also to have crooked or at least highly suspect police and sheriff activities.
The Denver Post recently had an illuminating editorial in which it urged the state to limit the amount a town’s budget can come from traffic enforcement to 20 percent. Each of the towns listed above would be drastically affected by the proposed law with of course the exception of Denver whose corrupt traffic enforcement was not addressed or noted in the editorial.
The city of Glendale was once the town in Colorado most noted for its corrupt traffic enforcement. When the town was formally incorporated in 1952 it had little town revenues. To bring in money the mayor would get into his Cadillac with some members of the city council and head out to Colorado Boulevard and Leetsdale Drive in search of innocent motorists. When the mayor spotted what he considered a traffic violation he would put a light on top of the roof and hunt down and ticket the motorist.
Over the years Glendale became rich with the coming of Target and other big boxes as well as many bars and restaurants along East Virginia Avenue. Its police force grew and grew but exploiting motorists along Colorado Boulevard and Leetsdale Drive continued on unabated. The police force also became known for its brutality, as a cross look to a police officer on Saturday night on East Virginia could end up in a beating.
When the Glendale Tea Party took over City Hall in 1998 they tried to put a stop to the corrupt traffic enforcement and excessive police brutality but it was not easy. They undertook a study that showed the traffic enforcement regimen actually cost money after the price of police time and administrative overhead, including the salary of the municipal judge, were factored in. The police chief balked, along with the municipal judge, at any changes. Eventually the city canned the police chief when he was overheard saying that a beating of a suspect was good for police morale and the municipal judge quit as his salary was cut. Today, you have to almost try to get a ticket in Glendale as most normal traffic violators are given just a warning unless the vehicular conduct is truly egregious. Colorado Boulevard and Leetsdale Drive are safer places to travel because of it and the police brutality has disappeared.
But don’t tell Denver. Its police officers routinely set up speed traps all over the city including along University Boulevard and Leetsdale Drive where the posted limit is far slower than a motorist would expect. Moreover, as the Denver City Auditor declared in his comprehensive report on photo radar, the only real purpose for the program appeared to be to generate money for the city. The corrupt traffic enforcement accompanies, as it did in Glendale, excessive brutality cases at the Denver jail and on the streets costing millions in lawsuits by Denver residents. When police officers see that their job is not simply to “Serve and Protect” but “Abuse and Exploit” it affects their attitude in all aspects of their job.
The Denver Mayor and City Council under the absolute control of real estate developers don’t make any money off the police so they by and large don’t care what is happening. But the rest of the state is getting sick of it. In this last legislative session, best remembered for partisan gridlock with a divided legislature, two competing bills passed in a year aimed at Denver.
H.B. 1098 bans photo radar enforcement and red light cameras altogether while S.B. 276 requires a citizens’ vote and strips federal highway funds from local governments that do not hold an election before 2017. Both bills are now on Governor Hickelooper’s desk who has stated that he “hate[s] those things [photo radar and red light cameras], everybody hates them” but he believed they saved lives. Of course he did not say why he had such a belief only that he so believed. Every study, including an independent study commissioned by the Chicago Tribune, determined the exact opposite.
The governor also declared that he believed photo radar and red light cameras should be a matter local governments should decide. By that statement he was not saying the citizens should get to decide as provided in S.B. 276, but rather the decision should be left to that elected and/or appointed official who can be bribed and bought as was the case in Chicago.
If he vetoes both bills his tepid popularity would take another substantial hit, but some say that he doesn’t really care as he is now term limited. In the end, perhaps the suggestion of Senate President Bill Cadman should prevail. He called for a statewide vote. It could be coupled in a companion vote on The Denver Post recommendation that limits revenues from traffic tickets to a percentage of a town’s budget. Imagine a state in which no city has the type of corrupt traffic enforcement policies which pollutes police agencies and the public perception of police officers. Apparently the governor can’t.
— Editorial Board
by Valley Gadfly | May 22, 2015 | Valley Gadfly
May was full of promises, but what with buckets of rain most days plus snow on Mother’s Day everyone we talked to “was predictin’ that the summer’d never come.” Thus like most of us I’m hoping Oscar Hammerstein’s “June is bustin’ out all over” tune comes true. Because the “feelin’ is gettin’ so intense jest because it’s June, June, June!”
Summer is a promissory note signed in June (summer begins June 21), its long days are spent and gone before you know it, and due to be repaid next January.
Here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertainment so mellow that the gentle June day breeze will allow you to bask in the sun with exposed skin agleam:
3 Don’t let June flicker by without seeing the Monday Movie Madness shows at Glendale’s Infinity Park Stadium. Dates are June 1, 15 and 29. The free movies start at 8 p.m., gates open at 7 p.m.
3 Attend a stunning summer evening at Vineyard Wine Shop’s Rosé Soiree at the Inn at Cherry Creek June 6, 6-9 p.m. Information: 303-355-8324.
3 He’s a master on the grill and the life of every tailgating party. He also loves good clothes. So find dad a Father’s Day gift he’ll love and wear from the cozy and well stocked Sully & Co. Information: 720-398-8064.
3 Roar into June to see 5,000 classic cars at the Cruzin’ Havana Car Show and Poker Run June 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: 303-360-7505.
3 For fun and excitement catch the National Rugby Championships at Infinity Park, June 13-14. Information: www.glendaleraptors.com.
3 Enjoy a fun, healthy 2.5 mile Walk For Autism at Sloan’s Lake Park with entertainment and a kids zone June 14, 8 a.m. Information: 720-214-0794.
3 You can’t top the food, fun and live music at Beats On The Creek adjacent to Coohills on Tuesdays, June 16-Aug. 4. Information: 303-623-5700.
3 Drum up friends and beat it to the Auraria Campus for the free Pan People Music Festival June 20, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Information: 720-222-9553.
3 Summer blossoms with an array of art markets but the best quality art destination is the Summer Art Market (SAM), June 13-14. Free, it showcases fine art produced by members, faculty and students of the Art Students League on the streets surrounding the League building at 200 Grant St. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, until 5 p.m. Sunday. There’s food, live music and entertainment. Information: 303-778-6990.
Summer Solstice (June 21) marks the beginning of the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day, the North Pole is tilted toward the sun at the highest degree of angle. Places in the hemisphere experience the longest hours of sunlight throughout the year on that day. Solstice is rooted in both ancient mysticism and nature.
What is one to say about June, the time of a perfect young summer? It is the fulfillment of earlier month promises, and as yet no sign its beauty will ever fade.
In June your hair gets lighter, the skin darker and the music louder. You can hear Nat King Cole’s distinct, mellow voice singing, “Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Those days of soda and pretzels and beer.” You quickly understand why Tin Pan Alley’s Charles Tobias added: “You’ll wish that summer could always be here.”
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
