by Mark Smiley | Oct 21, 2022 | Travel
by Mark Smiley and Jeff Stiglic
Chocolate Pairing: Lady Justice Brewing on East Colfax in Aurora hosted a chocolate and beer tasting on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at their taphouse.
Pints For Prostates: The 13th Rare Beer Tasting was held on October 7, 2022. Amazing and rare beers were spread out over three floors of the McNichols Civic Center Building. The event helped raise awareness for prostate cancer.
Away from the Colorado Convention Center, there were some notable events during the week, including a chocolate and beer pairing at Lady Justice Brewing in Aurora, a Sam Adams and Dogfish Head brunch, and the 13th Pints for Prostates Rare Beer Tasting.
First, David Nilsen, freelance beer journalist and Advanced Cicerone, led a chocolate and beer tasting at Lady Justice Brewing on East Colfax in Aurora on Thursday, October 6, 2022. Guests were treated to high end chocolates paired with specialty beers on tap at Lady Justice.
The Lady Justice Brewing Company was founded by Betsy Lay, Kate Power, and Jen Cuesta during their 2010 service in AmeriCorps‚ asking the question “why can’t we brew beer and give back to our community?” What began as a small operation on a custom-built homebrew system in a tiny storage space has grown into a flourishing taproom and movement.
Next, Sam Adams and Dogfish Head once again collaborated for a brunch held at Rhein Haus Denver on Market Street in Denver. Founders of each brewery, Jim Koch (Sam Adams), and Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), addressed the crowd and talked about their collaboration and shared beers including the latest release of Utopias and Gold Medal winner in the non-alcohol beer category, Just The Haze.
Last, the 13th Rare Beer Tasting was held on October 7 at the McNichols Civic Center Building. This event was organized by Pints for Prostates, a grassroots campaign designed to raise awareness among men about prostate cancer and the importance of early detection in fighting the disease. The group was founded in 2008 after beer journalist Rick Lyke was diagnosed at 47-years-old and successfully treated for prostate cancer.
Pints for Prostates works to engage men in a conversation about their health in a relaxed and non-threatening way. By having some fun with a topic they would rather avoid, they are able to reach a population of men who might otherwise ignore traditional health messages.
Brunch: Sam Adams and Dogfish Head held a brunch at Rhein Haus Denver on October 8, 2022, and featured some of their most popular beers.
On an annual basis Pints for Prostates appears at nearly 100 events across the United States. These include beer festivals and gatherings at bars and breweries.
Since its inception in 2009, the Denver Rare Beer Tasting has attracted some of America’s most respected craft breweries who generously serve their most exotic beers. A total of 201 breweries from 43 states have poured at the event during the first 12 years. Only seven breweries have participated in all 12 Denver Rare Beer Tastings and another 35 breweries have poured at least five times, while 80 have made a single appearance at the event.
For more information about Pints for Prostates, visit www.pintsforprostates.org. For more information on Lady Justice visit www.ladyjusticebrewing.com. They are located at 9735 E. Colfax Avenue.
by Regan Bervar | Oct 21, 2022 | General Featured
“No man is a failure who has Friends.” — Clarence the Angel, It’s a Wonderful Life
by Luke Schmaltz
It is a Monday afternoon in early October 2022. Jim Norris is working behind the coffee bar at Mutiny Information Cafe, holding down barista duties for the nth day in a row. He is owner and proprietor of “The World’s Most Dangerous Bookstore” along with his partner Matt Megyesi. The duo have been through the literal wringer of late, having dealt with Megyesi’s faltering health, employee theft, extreme vandalism, and the most dreaded of all — the Denver Department of Finance.
The emotional shellshock of the last 24 months is wearing on him, when out of the blue, the employee who is supposed to relieve him calls to say they are running “about 90 minutes late.” He sighs, puts down the phone, and makes himself another Americano.
Pillar Of Personality
Mutiny partners Jim Norris and Matt Megyesi are beloved stalwarts of the Denver indie arts scene.
Mutiny occupies what is unequivocally the most vibrant stretch of South Broadway, perched as the flagship business on the southeast corner of Ellsworth. As anyone with a pulse knows, “vibrant” means lots of pedestrian traffic and in today’s Denver — where there are people there is trouble.
Regardless, the personality and mojo spilling forth from Mutiny’s front door bears the unmistakable essence of everything good about the independent business culture of Denver. Humility, respect, openness, equality, diversity, unity, strength, and self-reliance practically ooze from every shelf, nook, and cranny of the place.
The place is a hub for writers, artists, musicians, comedians, magicians, and anyone with a creative streak. If you have seen an art opening, comedy show, or live music performance in Denver anytime in the last nine years, chances are that media had origins of some sort within the walls of Mutiny.
Mutiny Information Cafe is a hub for creatives of all types and a top retail destination for records, coffee, novels, comic books, and more.
Meanwhile, the two-way conveyor belt churning past the store’s front windows presents the usual menagerie of South Broadway human fare. It is a hodgepodge of characters, personalities, and temperaments indicative of a district buzzing with artists, writers, and yuppies, yet simultaneously gripped by addiction, crime, and fear. There are jugglers, skateboarders, survey takers, families with baby strollers, panhandlers, stumblers, mumblers, vapers, smokers, tweakers, buskers, and much more.
Such high-volume foot traffic usually bodes well for a retail business, but there’s trouble in paradise. While the eclectic personality of Mutiny attracts earnest spenders looking for caffeinated drinks, novels, vinyl records, and comic books — it also attracts folks who are looking to get even with their misfortunate lot in life by stealing anything they can get their hands on. “They’ll swipe anything that is not nailed down,” Norris explains. “Crime is terrible around here because of the extreme economic disparity at work. There are too many rich people who don’t give a shit,” he says.
Summer Of Bummers
Mutiny Information Cafe has been brutalized by circumstances over the last couple of years.
Emerging from the aftermath of Covid was tough for everyone, as any small business owner who was lucky enough to survive 2020/2021 will tell you. Mutiny is no exception, having suffered loss of revenue by having to briefly curtail the business alongside everyone else in the neighborhood.
In addition to the store’s acute challenges with loss prevention, Megyesi suffered a near-fatal heart attack several months ago, which shouldered Norris with 100% of the administrative burden. Around then — just this past summer — vandals began targeting the store. They broke the glass on the front door, terrorized the staff, and eventually became brazen enough to smash out a large section plate glass on the store’s west-facing facade.
Meanwhile, Megyesi’s absence caused the business’s quarterly taxes to be overlooked and to go unpaid, which drew the impatient, ruthless ire of the Denver Department of Finance. The agency dropped off a scant two (2) notices of unpaid taxes before locking Norris and Megyesi out of their own business without considering a more copacetic solution. “They came in twice, left a card, and then locked us out,” Norris said.
The irony here is that, if a business owes taxes, one would think they should be allowed to remain open and operational so that they could have a chance to make the money to pay said debts. Yet, this sort of logic does not resonate with tax collectors who have their emotions lobotomized before being sent out into the field.
Down But Not Out
Mutiny was saved from the tax man by a collective of nearly 1,000 Denver friends and supporters.
Upon being shut down by the city, Norris and Megyesi were beside themselves as their mutual boyhood dream and livelihood had been ripped from their grasp. The impending tragedy was not to be, however, as friend of the store Kyle Sutherland launched a GoFundMe campaign intended to meet and surpass the store’s $35,000 tax bill along with the attached GoFundMe fees. The total goal was just over 42,000 — 42,126 to be exact. The last three digits are Norris’s and Megyesi’s lucky numbers.
As Norris recently explained in an interview with the Denver Gazette, “Matt and I chose 126 as our random lucky number when we were teenagers. You’ll notice it all over the store. It’s sort of like when people say Jesus appears to them on toast. If he can appear on toast, he can appear anywhere. It’s a good-karma thing.”
Word of the shutdown and the crowdfunding campaign spread through the community like wildfire, thanks to good old-fashioned word of mouth and new-fashioned social media. Thanks to the networks of Sutherland, local artist standout R. Alan Brooks, and dozens of others, the goal was met and surpassed in a mere 24 hours by 925 donors. This uncanny overnight fundraising effort, especially in the midst of an economic downturn (read that as a recession) is a testament to Morris and Megyesi popularity and good karma. “We are overwhelmed with goodwill,” Norris says. “We went from tears of sorrow to tears of joy in 24 hours.”
On October 29, 2022, Mutiny will hold a “Thank You Party” for all the friends who donated to the crowdfunding campaign which facilitated their resurgence. The FREE event will be held at the Oriental Theater from 7 to 11 p.m. and will feature performances by Bolonium, Team Nonexistent, Kodama, Magic Mo, DJ Konz, and MC R. Alan Brooks.
All Images Courtesy of: Mutiny Info Cafe
by Glendale Sports Center | Oct 21, 2022 | Glendale City News
by Jennifer Lease, RD, Senior Manager of Nutrition at the YMCA of Metro Denver
The holiday season can feel hard when you’re focused on your health. November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and whether you’re someone working to prevent a chronic disease, like Diabetes, or manage one, the holidays can bring up stress and fear around food choices.
Here are some tips to help you stay on track with mindfulness, self-compassion, and flexibility that allow you to stay present and enjoy this time of year:
Be mindful and intentional
about your choices.
This is really all about approaching your choices and behaviors without judgment, and giving yourself permission to make the choices you do. When it comes to the holidays, there’s usually special dishes with meaning for you, as well as sweets and treats you look forward to. You deserve to enjoy those! It’s important to give yourself genuine permission to enjoy those foods so you’re not left feeling badly about those choices. Even when preventing or managing a chronic disease, there’s still room for including these foods. With intention, you can choose the dishes you don’t want to miss, include them on your plate in portion sizes that feel good for you, and feel guilt-free afterwards.
Practice gentle nutrition.
You can still keep nutrition principles in mind during holiday meals, with a bit of flexibility and grace for yourself at the same time. You can enjoy a bit of everything with some balance and portion control (and you’ll feel better after the meal, too!). The basics of a balanced plate to support blood sugar control 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 on starchy foods, so don’t forget some protein (like turkey or chicken) to create balance. Remember to check in with your hunger and fullness cues as you enjoy your meal, too, so you can stop eating when you feel comfortably full.
Don’t overcompensate for the holidays — you can get right back on track.
This may sound easier said than done. We tend to overcompensate after more indulgent meals, like those during the holidays — this can look like restricting your food intake for a day or more, exercising more than usual, or even punishing yourself with negative self-talk. The ways we overcompensate can actually worsen blood sugar control and backfire. It’s important to remember that every day is a new day to reset. When you’re mindful and intentional about your food choices and practice gentle nutrition, this feels easier — you’re better able to move onto the next day, getting back on track with your usual eating patterns to support your health.
The holiday season should be a time of joy and celebration, and that includes lots of yummy food! If you find yourself feeling stress, anxiety, or fear about food as you approach holiday meals, our Health & Well-being team at the Y can help. Learn about all of our nutrition programming and our Diabetes Prevention Program at den verymca.org.
by Charles Bonniwell | Oct 21, 2022 | Editorials
There is an old saying in politics that there are two major parties in America and one is the party of evil and the other is the party of stupid. The Republican Party is viewed as the party of stupid and that is particularly true in Colorado. The Republican Party in 2001 was on a roll looking like it would be the dominant party in the state. The Democrats then began changing the election rules to their benefit.
First, they put on the ballot a requirement for all mail-in ballots, which was overwhelmingly rejected by the voters in 2002. But then, with the help of the Republican Secretary of State, no excuse absentee balloting was instituted in 2004. In 2013 with Democrats in control of the Governor’s office, the Senate, and the House, they adopted all mail-in balloting even though the voters had previously rejected it. Did the Republicans then put on the ballot a rejection again of all mail-in balloting? No, of course not. Then in 2016 they had the voters approve semi-open primaries where independents could vote in either major party primary (although not in both).
By 2018, the Democrats and gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis began widespread ballot harvesting, and no Republican has since won any statewide election. It is well known that ballot harvesting is an invitation to voter fraud. What is more shocking is what is allowed with ballot harvesting. Did Colorado Republicans then go to court like in Delaware which found it unconstitutional? No. Did the party support closing its primary by ballot or by the courts? No. Did they support a ballot initiative to outlaw ballot harvesting? No.
Instead the changes have resulted in primaries where independent voters choose semi-Democrats as Republican standard bearers like Joe O’Dea for U.S. Senate and Pam Anderson for Secretary of State. Conversely, Democrats often have single person primaries, and their candidates tend to appeal to their base of voters.
Jon Caldara, The One-Eyed Man in the Party of the Blind
Republicans, like former state party chair and Congressman Ken Buck, call the Colorado system the “gold standard.” Former Republican Secretary of State Wayne Williams goes on television in an ad, paid for by the taxpayers’ COVID-19 funds praising the system, and the spot acted as a political advertisement for Democrat Jena Griswold for Secretary of State.
What have Republicans done to protest the clearly one-sided political system? They have told all their voters to wait until election day and vote in person. Brilliant! It guarantees a lower turnout by Republicans and Republican leaning independents, as with only one day to vote, all type of emergencies can develop preventing even the most ardent person from voting that day.
Conversely, the Democrats urged their voters to vote as soon as possible and give their ballots to trusted Democrat ballot harvesters. Thus, Democrats have a three week Get Out the Vote (GOTV) to get their voters to the polls. Essentially the Republicans have no GOTV as they can’t canvass recalcitrant Republican voters who say they intend to vote in person.
Republicans think ballot harvesting stinks and so they won’t do it. Jon Caldara, head of the Independence Institute, a free market think tank, is at least a one-eyed man in the party of the blind. He wrote a column for the Colorado Gazette (which is controlled like the Independence Institute, by Phil Anschutz) titled “Embrace a Vote Harvesting System.” He makes the obvious point that if one side ballot harvests and the other doesn’t, the one that doesn’t will lose.
But the head of the Colorado Republican Party Kristi Burton Brown doesn’t get it. She has done nothing with ballot harvest or GOTV, at least nothing that is in any manner effective.
Watching elections in Colorado is like watching a heavyweight boxing fight with the Republican Party voluntarily tying one hand behind its back and getting pummeled.
It’s looking more and more like there will be a red wave nationally. But we don’t think it will wash up through the Colorado Rockies. With probably the dumbest state Republican Party in the country, Republicans will likely at most make some minor gains and perhaps win the new 8th Congressional District. It has been said that if Republicans can’t make major gains in Colorado in 2022 it probably will never do so. When you let your opponents write all the rules in their favor and then call it “the gold standard,” you probably don’t deserve to win.
by Valley Gadfly | Sep 28, 2022 | General Featured
From treat streets and haunted houses for kids to ghoulish grown-up parties and pub crawls, Denver is known for its haunted days and nights of fright. To get you screaming back into the Halloween scene, here are our suspenseful, spooky choices for fang-tastic fun:
Halloween — 2022
Dance
Cult Classic: Treat the family to Colorado Ballet’s captivating, colorful Dracula playing at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in the DCPA complex, Oct. 7-16.
Dracula, Oct. 7-16 — Back by bloodthirsty demand, Colorado Ballet opens the season at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House with Bram Stocker’s legendary gothic love story set in 19th Century Transylvania. Ballet features choreography by Michael Pink plus Philip Feeney’s original score. Spotlighting the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, haunting ballet promises goosebumps. When: Oct. 7-8 & 14-15, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 8, 15 & 16, 2 p.m. Information: 720-865-4220.
Family Events
Halloween Spooktacular, Oct. 30 — The Colorado Symphony plays film-TV music at Boettcher. Costumes encouraged, with the best invited on stage at spooktacular event for boys and ghouls. Scott O’Neil conducts the orchestra. When: 2:30 p.m. Information: 720-865-4220.
Pumpkin Harvest Festival, Oct. 8-9. Enjoy sights-sounds, smells of fall at Four Mile Historic Park. Select perfect pumpkin and enjoy live music. There’s face painting, craft stations for kids, plus private bar for adults. When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Information: 720-865-0800.
Glow at the Gardens™, Oct. 18-23. Wander through spooky Denver Botanic Gardens at nighttime with luminous carved pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns with grins and grimaces. Performing artists bring spirits and specters to life. When: 6 to 9 p.m. Information: 720-865-3500,
Harvest Hoot, Oct. 28-30 — Dress in your favorite costume to enjoy fang-tastic bites and fall activities at the Children’s Museum on the Marsico Campus. Enjoy carnival games and boo-tiful crafts, but no trick or treating. When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information: 303-433-7444.
Ghost & Garden Tours
Ghosts of Capitol Hill, Oct. 1-Nov. 11. Visit the sights that inspired the movies The Changeling and Poltergeist, plus Colorado’s most haunted home. You also visit haunted mansions with paranormal activity. When: Thur.-Fri.-Sat., 8 to 10 p.m. Information: 720-372-3849.
Cheesman Park Ghost Tour, Oct. 1-31. Hear hair-raising accounts of paranormal activity at the Cheesman Park Pavilion. Uncover how bodies were moved from the cemetery and decide if park is haunted. When: Weekdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Information: 720-778-1170.
House Of Horrors: For spine-tingling excitement, creep through the Molly Brown House, Oct. 14-29. Visits with spirits played by actors last for 45-60 minutes.
Victorian Horrors, Fri.-Sun., Oct. 14-29 — Creep room to room in the spine-tingling Molly Brown House, hearing horror tales by actors. The 45-60-minute spirit visits enliven their existence. When: Entry times from 6 to 9 p.m. Information: 303-832-4092.
Music
Spooktacular XII, Oct. 15-16 — The “Director Strikes Back” with the 12th Mile High Freedom Bands’ haunting of Historic Grant St. Symphonic band musical has an all-age matinee followed by a show with alcohol. When: 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Information: 720-515-6432.
Disney’s Hocus Pocus, Oct. 21-22 — Musical about deserted house, witches, and mystic cat at Boettcher. Exploring house, the brother-sister awaken witches. They steal the witches’ book of spells to stop from becoming immortal. When: 7:30 p.m. Information: 720-865-4220.
HalloQueen 2022, Oct. 22 — Two sets at the Ogden Theatre: Jukebox the Ghost, then a costume contest. Second set as Queen, has Ben Thornewill on piano/vocals; Tommy Siegel, guitar/bass/vocals; and Jesse Kristin on drums/vocals. When: 9 p.m. Information: 303-832-1874.
by Jessica Hughes | Sep 28, 2022 | Travel
by Jessica Hughes
Up close, tarantulas seem larger than life reaching up to two inches in length.
This autumn, while many will head out west to see the state’s fall foliage, take the time to travel east for a change of scenery to see the Tarantula Trek. Beginning in September and through the month of October, many tarantulas scurry across the southeast portion of Colorado’s Eastern Plains near La Junta.
While there are numerous species of tarantulas, the Oklahoma Brown Tarantula is the one you are most likely to spot. This dark brown to black species is common here because its females prefer to make their burrows in the plentiful quiet prairies on the Comanche National Grasslands of Southeast Colorado.
While this phenomenon has always been called a migration, it is actually an annual mating ritual performed by male tarantulas. “We have traditionally called it a migration,” says Pamela Denahy, the director of tourism for the city of La Junta. “We are currently in the process of re-branding to call it the Tarantula Trek.”
The Comanche National Grassland creates the perfect habitat for mating tarantulas. Visit La Junta photos
The process for seeking out a mate begins when male tarantulas reach maturity at the age of eight to 10 years old. Prior to this, the males have not left the grasslands at all, until they reach mating age. During mating season, you are likely to spot one at a time, but you may be lucky enough to see a group of these males using their sense of touch and vibration to locate the females.
The tarantula can grow up to two inches in length with a leg span of up to five inches.
They can travel as far as 20 miles and oftentimes are in groups searching for a mature female. Males who have reached sexual maturity will travel up to a mile to find a mate, and once he finds one, he’ll perform a courtship dance. Certain body language cues and rituals are used for mating. One of these is “drumming” or “tapping,” which a tarantula may use to indicate interest in a potential partner.
A male tarantula treks through Vogel Canyon near La Junta.
Using the 443,000-plus acres of the Comanche National Grassland, the male tarantulas roam far and wide looking for their mates. But there are certain areas accessible to visitors for easy viewing. Popular places include Vogel Canyon (15 miles from La Junta), Sierra Vista & Timpas Picnic Area (about 20 miles from La Junta along Hwy. 350), and Delhi (36 miles from La Junta on Hwy. 350).
A short drive from La Junta, Vogel Canyon is the most popular destination for viewing the tarantulas because of its accessibility. Plus, it has something for everyone — with four hiking trails that take you to the mesa top or canyon floor, plus quiet picnic areas, making this an ideal day trip for visitors.
Denahy says a great driving route to consider is La Junta to Timpas (on Hwy. 350), east on County Road N, south on County Road 25, east on Forest Service Road 2200, north on Hwy. 109 back to La Junta.
The best time for viewing is an hour before dusk during mid-September thru October and even into early November — depending on the weather. September is peak season, starting mid-month. They don’t really like it too hot, and they don’t like to be out after the first freeze.
But the common question everyone asks Denahy says is “is it safe?” “Yes, it is safe to view them. Tarantulas are much more terrified of you than you are of them. Despite common misconceptions, they are not aggressive. In fact, they are more likely to flee from a larger-than-life human being,” assures Denahy.
Join the city of La Junta for the Tarantula Festival, October 7 & 8, 2022, with fun activities and educational facets for the entire family to enjoy.
Contact the Comanche National Grassland Resource Office for additional ideal viewing locations in and around La Junta at 719-384-2181 or info@visitlajunta.net for additional information.
