by Heather Brecl | Nov 16, 2023 | Main Articles
by Heather Brecl
Noisy late-night car rallies in Denver parking lots in residential neighborhoods are causing residents to feel unsafe and unnerved at home.
Loud mufflers and cars peeling out in a never-ending parade of people coming and going from the rally in front of residential buildings.
Denver residents living next to the big box store parking lots in Denver and Glendale are sadly familiar with sleepless nights caused by racecar rallies that seem to never end. Beginning long after dark and lasting until the wee hours, the loud and highly disruptive car rallies pop up monthly on a seemingly unexpected weekend night.
Unfortunately, these gatherings are becoming a more regular occurrence and are creating a sense of lawlessness, making residents fear for the safety of themselves and their loved ones returning home late at night. Denver resident Margaret W. (last name withheld upon request) lives in apartments that overlook the parking lot where Best Buy and Hacienda are located, at the corner of I-25 and Colorado Blvd. She said that her teenage daughter works at a local restaurant and often works the evening weekend shift. She is extremely fearful for her safety as she returns home from a long night’s work not knowing what she’ll encounter and cannot safely make her way up the street to the parking lot of their building.
From her balcony, she watched the cars screech both into and out of the parking lot circling up and down the street, completely ignoring any pedestrians walking by or residents trying to come and go in the neighborhood. So far, the police have been unable to do anything to stop the madness. “The people who gather at these rallies on nights when there is usually a big event somewhere downtown — they know that the cops won’t come since there are bigger problems to address,” said Margaret W. “They are getting braver, louder, and more reckless as the weeks go on. I’m getting to the point where I dread the weekends, knowing that there might be another rally.”
Glendale City Manager and attorney Chuck Line stated that “these late-night car rallies are examples of the general lawlessness created by the decriminalization of everything. They are just symptoms of the same disease. By decriminalizing things like shoplifting, people feel as if they can get by with whatever they want and they participate in behavior that they wouldn’t normally do. There just aren’t consequences anymore for doing the wrong thing.”
He recalled seeing gatherings of car enthusiasts that he saw posted in the neighborhood decades ago that were called “Coffee and Cars” with sanctioned gathering spaces. People who thought about peeling out for the thrill of it stopped doing it because they didn’t get by with the behavior. The late-night car rallies today teeter constantly on the edge of illegal behavior with reckless driving, noise violations, and endangerment of people living in these communities.
Margaret W. said there was yet another pop-up late night rally in the Best Buy parking lot with hundreds of cars, food trucks, and screeching tires as people slowly but steadily entered and then exited the lot lining up on East Mexico Avenue on their way back to I-25. Distressed and unable to fall asleep until 2 a.m., Margaret listened to the deafening music and roaring engines for over four hours, followed by the sounds of cars peeling out and racing one after the other onto I-25 headed northbound.
Discouraged and feeling helpless, Margaret has made countless calls to the non- emergency police number, hoping to get some peace back in her neighborhood where she has lived for over seven years. “I am very sad to see what is happening on a regular basis right across from my doorstep. I don’t feel safe anymore and wish I could do something to make the nonsense stop.” To her dismay, her calls to authorities have been fruitless and she has been unable to get any police presence to try and control the situation.
Line emphasized that the city is deeply committed to the welfare of their residents and community. “We are and will continue to be vigilant in responding to any calls we receive about these rallies and will take measures to do whatever we can to keep people safe. We encourage anyone witnessing these happenings and who have concerns to make calls to the non-emergency police number to report what they see and hear. Together we can get on top of this. If you feel like there is something illegal happening, please call.”
For local businesses, dealing with the rallies is a precarious situation. While they are not sanctioned by the businesses, the public is free to both park and gather in the parking lots. And certainly, not everyone participating in the car rally is engaging in criminal activity. This puts business owners in a difficult position as they do not want to discourage people who may be there just to stop or do business but want to make sure that their community remains a safe and welcoming place for their patrons.
Margaret W. remains hopeful that other residents will speak up letting authorities and business owners know how they feel so that her neighborhood will continue to be a place that she wants to call home.
The non-emergency police number for Glendale is 303-759-1511 and for Denver, dial 720-913-2000.
by Charles Bonniwell | Nov 16, 2023 | Editorials
At one time not so long ago, everyone loved bicyclists. What is there not to love? The vast majority of people have ridden a bike some time in their lives. Bicycling is great for your health, it lessens automobile traffic, and is helpful to the environment as a whole. But as Eric Hoffer surmised, every cause starts as a movement, becomes a business, and finally a racket. Even many bicyclists intensely dislike the bicycle lobby in Denver, as evidenced by the many communications this publication received on last month’s lead story: “7th and Williams Fiasco.”
Developers use the bicycle lobby to argue that they should not have to provide adequate parking for their high-density apartment buildings. Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) has been captured by the bicyclist lobby and is busily screwing up streets across the city with ridiculous and ugly plastic bollards, roundabouts, and striping all in the name of “bicycle safety.”
Whether it’s at Williams and 7th, Broadway, or Marion Parkway, DOTI’s work is reviled by residents, businesses, pedestrians, and bicyclists, and just about everyone else with the exception of the bicycle lobby and tone-deaf politicians like District 5 Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer. Moreover, this is just the beginning. DOTI has many other so-called “bicycle safety” projects on its books throughout the city.
The worst part of it is, as letters to this paper demonstrate, that DOTI’s monstrosities do not provide bike safety, but just the opposite for everyone involved, including bicyclists. Accidents are piling up along the streets that DOTI has jerry-rigged, and in particular, where it has installed roundabouts on streets not designed for them, with trucks, buses, delivery vans, and other larger vehicles having to careen around them.
The intersection of 7th and Williams alone has seen four accidents between September 25 and October 6, bringing the total amount of accidents since the installation of these roundabouts to nine, as reported to the Chronicle by Kitty Koch, Denver resident.
But the baleful influence of the bicycle lobby is not limited to the actual streets of Denver. Last fall, Ordinance 307 was pushed by the bicycle lobby and was narrowly passed. This ordinance imposes fees on Denver homeowners from $110 to $1,000 per year for sidewalk repairs (see “Bicycle Lobby Peddles Tax That Forces Property Owners To Fix City Sidewalks”, January 2023 edition of the Chronicle). Voters who live in apartment buildings are not directly affected, but homeowners are. They have taken their outrage to Denver’s City Council, which has been delaying the implementation of the now highly unpopular fees, but the day of reckoning is coming.
Undoubtedly, the bicycle lobby is searching for other opportunities to make the lives of Denverites worse and more costly as that lobby is a monster that must be fed. What can you do about it? Well, supporting the expected recall effort of Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer, who is a pitchwoman for the bicycle lobby, would be a positive step. Electing someone who returns calls and cares about his/her constituents and not just pressure groups is never a bad idea.
— Editorial Board
by Glendale Sports Center | Nov 16, 2023 | Glendale City News
Try These 3 Tips And Give Yourself Grace!
By Jennifer Lease, RD, CDN, Director of Nutrition Initiatives, YMCA of Metro Denver
Are thoughts of all the holiday sweets and treats causing you stress?
Do you feel like you can’t enjoy your favorite holiday foods when you’re working on your health?
Are you worried that what you eat during the holidays will throw off progress toward your goals?
You’re not alone!
The holiday season is a time of celebration that usually comes with lots of sweets, treats, and traditional dishes that feel indulgent. It can be difficult to find balance during the holidays — wanting to enjoy all the foods you love while being mindful of your health.
You might hear that word balance and feel frustrated by it. What does it even mean? Balance means enjoying nutritious foods most of the time, while giving yourself grace (and space) to enjoy those sweets and treats.
So, how can you find that balance during the holidays and enjoy your favorite foods without the side order of guilt? Here are some tips:
- Balance your plate and practice portion control
You can enjoy a bit of everything with some balance and portion control. Plus, you’ll feel better after the meal, too! The basics of a balanced plate include protein, veggies, and a starch or grain. Try filling half of your plate with veggie dishes and then take a smaller portion of the others you want to try. Holiday dishes tend to be heavy, starchy foods, so don’t forget to add some protein like turkey or chicken to your plate to create that balance. Then, enjoy every bite!
- Move your body
Move your body, not because you think you should make up for eating those holiday treats, but because movement makes you feel good both physically and mentally. Movement can set a positive mindset for the day and the after affect is the feeling of doing something good for your body. Movement also helps with digestion. If you’re feeling super stuffed after a holiday meal, some exercise can help you feel better. Remember, it’s important to find exercise that you enjoy and that truly feels good for you. Exercise is often looked at as punishment for eating “badly,” but it’s really part of a healthy lifestyle that contributes to your overall well-being.
- Remember that every day is a new day
A healthy lifestyle should be sustainable. This means having flexibility and leaving space for the foods you enjoy. You don’t need to “compensate” for what you eat at the holidays. You don’t need to work out for three hours the next day to make up for last night’s meal. Instead, make the intentional choice to enjoy what you want and to be present in the holiday season. Each day is an opportunity to get back on track with your regular eating habits and routine.
Do you want to take the guesswork out of nutrition and work to set realistic healthy lifestyle goals? The nutrition team at the YMCA of Metro Denver can help. Try our Mindful Eating Series starting in January 2024. Reach out at nutrition@denverymca.org or visit us at denverymca.org/nutrition.
by Peter Boyles | Nov 15, 2023 | Blasting with Boyles
Blasting With Boyles
OPINION
This is not the column I first wrote for this edition of the newspaper. Originally, I was going to write about the Israel/Gaza conflict. In fact, I did and decided this was simply not the time and place to give people a history lesson. I had another working topic for the column, and last night it dawned on me I haven’t given thanks or gratitude for anything in most of my adult life. And, 2023 has been one hell of a year and there are so many people and so many things I’d like to give thanks for this time of year.
It became really apparent to me I haven’t stopped and thanked people or, for that matter, given thanks for how lucky I really am.
Christmas is all wrapped up in traditions that really came from the pagan beliefs, and I have always rejected everything involved in the seasons, and now this year it really is important to say to a number of people thank you for virtually and literally saving my life.
In spring of 2023 my health took a really sudden decline, and I ended up hospitalized for nine days. I had a blood infection, passing blood, my heart was out of rhythm, I gained a tremendous amount of water weight, and my dear friend and physician Dr. Julie McCallen took one look at me and put me in the hospital. I was there for nine days. Dr. Nelson Prager came in for the rescue, and when I was dismissed, like I do every year, went to Sturgis. And my experience in Sturgis, was arrhythmic heart, and I was hospitalized in a little small hospital in Sturgis, South Dakota. I had to sign a waiver, and was driven back home, and again into the care of Dr. Prager. I went into the hospital and came out with a pacemaker. When the wheels really came off me in Sturgis, Vinnie Terranova, Ken Deal, and General True Eyere got my motorcycle loaded up and my friend Yvonne drove us all home. Friends and people like that don’t come around all that often.
I’m watching my daughter, who’s the toughest person I know, reclaim her health. I have a wonderful grandson who hopefully doesn’t follow in my footsteps, but it looks like it may happen, and my son and daughter who looked after me beginning in the spring until now, thank you. My weight is back down, I’m in the gym seven days a week working at levels with the lifecycle and weights I never was before, and I had a great 80th birthday.
In 80 years, I don’t think I’ve ever turned around and said thanks to anybody, and going into 2024 with a big project ahead of me, and my family doing very well, and my friends I love, and I’ve never looked at anybody and said thank you. I always figured that prayer, “Give me this one, Jesus and I’ll get the next one on my own.” I don’t think it’s an awakening but it sure as hell was a cattle prod in my rear end. I constantly and in different websites see old pieces of my life, old radio hands, and the death toll is mounting.
And I just want to say I’m really looking forward to the coming Christmas season. Not for religious reasons but it simply marks that magic time that I see through my grandson and that I remember as a little boy.
Especially to the Chronicle and Salem Broadcasting, and all those physicians, and most recently Dr. Tim Watt, I say thank you all very much. And so many other people thank you very much and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Let’s see what’s around the next corner.
I feel like that final Calvin and Hobbs classic cartoon when they’re both on the bobsled in the white snow and they talk about going on an adventure. Everything from here on out is going to be an adventure.
— Peter Boyles
