by Mark Smiley | Nov 19, 2021 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley
Looking for a unique holiday gift idea? Longtime Glendale Chamber Ambassador Laura Lieff wrote a book called Wookie Is Not His Real Name which provides a comprehensive look into snowboard culture through the eyes of a local legend and his community. The biography also illuminates how the life-altering circumstances of a professional athlete were handled with heart and humor. Following a career-ending injury, after which he was told he would never walk again, Wookie endured severe physical, mental, and emotional lows that changed the trajectory of his life. Exemplifying his strength and determination, he pushed through to make it back on his feet and back on a board.
The book is easy to ship and the perfect gift for anyone interested in reading about Colorado snowboard history, sports, family, local lore, Vail Valley culture, fatherhood, coming back from an injury, the outdoors, professional snowboarding, and snowskating, among other topics.
Lieff says, “My goal with this book was to demonstrate how far Wookie has come and how he clawed his way back to the top with courage, grace, and a lot of heart. The biography also shows that even with all the press and praise he’s received throughout the years for snowboarding, and his overall outdoorsmanship, being a father is his greatest achievement.”
Before moving to the Vail Valley in 2013, Lieff was an editor for the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle and a Glendale resident for seven years. She now runs her own business, Lieff Ink, and is a writing tutor at Colorado Mountain College and Vail Mountain School. On Friday nights she hosts a radio show on 107.9 Radio Free Minturn.
Wookie Is Not His Real Name can be found in bookstores and retail locations throughout Colorado, including The Bookies. For more information on the book, or to purchase online, visit www.lauralieff.com /book.
by Mark Smiley | Oct 22, 2021 | Main Articles
by Glen Richardson
Upstream: Just a half mile up Cherry Creek from Cherry Creek North, in the city of Glendale, there is also a hotel boom occurring, including at CitySet a hotel/dining complex anchored by two hotels (Residence Inn and Hilton Garden Inn) separated by a dining plaza featuring over a half dozen restaurants and eateries.
After Metro Denver suffered the greatest loss in hotel occupancy levels since the Great Depression, there’s been a surprising upsurge in Cherry Creek North and Glendale. Despite the addition of four hotels since 2016 in Cherry Creek North, luxury lodging in the 16-block mixed-use district reports growth in occupancy, length of stay, and types of visitors. Glendale, in turn, expects a return to pre-pandemic occupancy levels as soon as the end of the year.
However, in downtown Denver with more than 50,000 first-class hotel rooms, the loss of convention and meeting business continues to drag down occupancy. Hotels downtown are forecast to average just 48.8% occupancy this year, up from 39.2% in 2020. Average daily room rates are expected to be up just slightly (0.7%). Visitors are looking for more amenities, rather than conference rooms and convention spaces. Cherry Creek’s JW Marriott, for example, is outperforming many downtown hotels.
With the rise in travel, hotels downtown can’t hire back the number of employees needed to meet the demand. Tony Dunn, General Manager of the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, told 9News Denver, “We thought it would be a problem for two-three months and it has become a 12-13-month problem.” Nevertheless, the Mile High City continues to renovate hotels while adding new hotels, including a half-dozen expected to open by year’s end. Another six to eight are expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
Some, however, fear that downtown Denver has become stigmatized as an unsafe area with homelessness, uncleanliness, graffiti, and rising crime rates becoming impossible to ignore.
New Hotel Mecca
Travel Hot Spot: The walkable, tree-lined blocks in Cherry Creek North have helped the district hotel business snap back. The JW Marriott and the district’s newer hotels report growth in occupancy, length of stay, plus new types of visitors.
For more than a decade, the recently remodeled 196 guestroom JW Marriott on Clayton Lane was the only hotel in Cherry Creek North. Then in August of 2016 the Halcyon — a luxury boutique space with 154 rooms-suites opened. Since then, three more hotels opened their doors. They are the 170-room Moxy on Josephine St. in 2017, the 201-room Jacquard on Milwaukee in 2018, plus the Clayton — a Member Club & Hotel — that opened this year. The additions have transformed the district from a place to visit to a place to stay.
Now, within 16 blocks, tourists, travelers, and sightseers can choose from five hotels offering a combined three rooftop pools plus several speakeasy-style bars. Each offers exceptional dining focused on providing unique experiences for their guests.
Hidden Hip Spots: Several Cherry Creek hotels have speakeasy-style bars, including the B&GC, a clandestine drinking spot in the Halcyon revived from ruins of a former post office.
Just a half mile away up Cherry Creek the 0.6 square mile City of Glendale has also been increasing hotel space. In 2012, CitySet, a hotel dining complex at the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Cherry Creek Drive South, was completed with over one-half dozen restaurants and anchored by two hotels — 210 room Hilton Garden Inn and the 125 room Residence Suites Cherry Creek. The small city surrounded by Denver has a total of seven hotels with an aggregate of 1,026 rooms. Glendale Deputy City Manager Chuck Line stated that while revenues from hotels in Glendale were down 53% in August, compared to 2019 by August of this year, it had climbed up to being down only 17% compared to 2019.
Swing In Visitors
RugbyTown: Glendale markets itself as RugbyTown USA and features Infinity Park a stadium that holds international test matches attracting fans and players from across the globe that stay in Glendale’s seven hotels accommodating over a thousand rooms.
Since reopening their doors, the district’s hotels have seen a shift in the type of visitor to Cherry Creek North. For one, hotel leisure travel has increased from 50% to about 75%. They now fill many of the rooms that group and business travel once did.
Moreover, the average length of stay increased from about 1.5 nights to two. In addition, front desks are welcoming many guests who have never before chosen to book a room outside of downtown Denver.
“Adding hotels has been huge for the identity of Cherry Creek North,” says Candace Duran, Sales-Marketing Director at the Halcyon. “It’s so inspiring to be part of the maturation of the district. They make it easier to stay past 5 p.m., which keeps more people in the neighborhood and supporting area businesses.”
International Destination: Glendale’s Hampton Inn, along with other hotels in the village, are an international destination as rugby players from around the world stay here for international rugby test matches and other rugby tournaments.
Glendale’s hotel occupancy has been greatly enhanced with the addition of the world renown rugby stadium complex named Infinity Park. The governing body of rugby union in the United States, USA Rugby, has moved to Glendale, and national teams from across the world are now playing international test matches in the stadium, along with games featuring Glendale’s own highly acclaimed team with top flight national players known as the American Raptors. The Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce COO Jeff Allen noted, “As a result of having national rugby championships and international test matches, our hotels are often filled with many international visitors on any given weekend. It has given Glendale a cosmopolitan feel that it certainly never had before.”
Shift From Downtown
“People historically came to Denver for the iconic attractions, shows, and sporting events, but began looking for something new when everything shut down,” explains Sean McNamara, JW Marriott’s Sales-Marketing Director. “Cherry Creek North provided the safety of being outdoors while also being known as a shopping, art, and dining destination.”
Charting Downtown Decline: Chart by the Downtown Denver Partnership compares downtown activity today compared to pre-pandemic levels.
District hotels also found that offering discount rates and unique package deals throughout the pandemic opened up new possibilities for value-conscious travelers looking to book an exceptional last-minute staycation. Deals included gift cards or complimentary passes to the district’s walkable dining, spa, fitness, and shopping options.
“We saw so many guests who had never stayed in Cherry Creek North before,” says the Jacquard’s Melissa Bush, Sales-Marketing Director. “People could suddenly get a luxury hotel experience at a price point that worked for them.”
Quick Recovery
Splish, Splash: Three Cherry Creek hotels feature rooftop pools to attract guests including this one at the Halcyon. Visitors are looking for more amenities, rather than conference rooms and convention spaces.
Now, rooms and occupancy rates in Cherry Creek North are nearing pre-pandemic levels, which is especially encouraging compared to hotel recovery nationally. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report projects U.S. hotel occupancy this year to increase to 57.1%, with average daily room rates gaining 8%.
In Cherry Creek North, Duran reported that the Halcyon has exceeded financial goals for several months in a row, while JW Marriott’s McNamara saw steady and continued increases in both occupancy and average daily rate from June to November of 2020, with growth continuing this year.
Nick LeMasters, CEO of the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District, believes the neighborhood “has emerged as a premier travel destination for people from near and far.” He adds that with five hotels, a high concentration and variety of restaurants and boutiques, and walkability of the area, “ It makes sense that people come to visit and end up staying.”
Glendale’s Allen emphasizes that, “The corridor along Cherry Creek streams from Glendale through Cherry Creek North, and now has enough hotel venues and dinner, sporting, and entertainment outlets to favorably compete with anybody in Colorado. These are very exciting times for this area.”
by Mark Smiley | Oct 22, 2021 | Main Articles
by Mark Smiley
Tickets Still Available: Tickets for the exhibit start at $39.99 and are available at www.denvervangogh.com.
The original Immersive Van Gogh exhibit launched on time and without delay on September 30, 2021, in Denver. The immersive exhibit highlights 400 of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings. It is housed at Lighthouse Denver at 3900 Elati Street, located in the former Regency Hotel, just west of the River North Art District (adjacent to I-25).
The Original Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit was designed by Massimiliano Siccardi and opened in Paris, where it attracted 2 million visitors. The exhibit merges video, animation, and other technology to offer something completely different than visiting a traditional art show.
The iconic Regency hotel plays host to this exhibit and provides guests with a new way to experience one of the world’s most iconic post-impressionist artists. “It’s truly a unique piece of art,” said Lighthouse Immersive Producer Corey Ross. “It ties together several things into what I see as a new genre. On one hand you have the art of Van Gogh on display. You also have an animated film. And then we have the experiential element of it. The public gets to walk through and choose their own experience.”
Rising to blockbuster status with over 2 million tickets sold, Immersive Van Gogh is proving to be one of the hottest shows sold-out in Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. With extended runs now available, audiences will have the opportunity to step into this historic space that has been transformed with Van Gogh’s paintbrush in a swirl of color, brought to life with over 90,000,000 pixels of animation spanning over 500,000 cubic feet of projection with 100 projectors.
Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated designer David Korins, known for his set designs, featured in numerous Broadway hits including Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen, serves as the Creative Director for the Denver installation. Korins, who also served as Creative Director for the recently opened New York City exhibit, will design unique and experiential elements to transform Lighthouse Denver into a truly one-of-a-kind venue, crafting an experience unique to Denver.
Technological Wonder: The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit merges video, animation and other technology to offer something completely different than visiting a traditional art show. Photo Credit Michael Brosilow
“We have been delighted to see the way Immersive Van Gogh has been embraced by the city and people of Denver,” said Ross. One of every three residents of Denver has purchased a ticket making it a hot ticket in town.
“We’ve created a unique and enthralling production where Denver residents and visitors alike can quite literally surround themselves with the work of Vincent van Gogh, one of the greatest artists who ever lived,” added Producer Svetlana Dvoretsky.
“We all know that Van Gogh struggled with mental illness,” said Ross. “With depression, with isolation, with loneliness. I think coming out of the pandemic, more than ever, the public can relate to some of what he experienced, particularly the isolation and loneliness. Yet, here we are 130 years after he passed away [he committed suicide at age 37 in 1890], his pieces are known, are still beautiful to us, are colorful and uplifting, and most of all they transcend the difficult experience that he had. That transcendence, to me, is very cathartic to the public.”
Tickets start at $39.99 and the exhibit will run until at least February 6, 2022. For more information about Immersive Van Gogh, visit www.denvervangogh.com.
by Regan Bervar | Oct 22, 2021 | Main Articles
A User’s Guide To Navigating DIA During The Busy Winter Months
“I’m one of those people at the airport holding a pillow like a little kid.”
by Luke Schmaltz
Every holiday season, in the far northeast corner of gerrymandered Denver County, Denver International Airport bustles like a series of big top circus tents swarming with activity. Somewhere around the beginning of November through the new year, this hub of hustle begins to sing with every possible tone of neurosis brought on by the madness that is inherent to holiday travel.
Thousands of Denver residents, in their obligatory impetus to see their loved ones every year, scramble out of bed during the wee hours, grab their luggage, and head out to what may unfold as a day without incident or — more likely — an experience that reads like a migraine-inducing travel nightmare. The problems begin when you get in the car and head toward Peña Boulevard and can continue to the security lines, the concourses, and beyond. Thankfully, there are a few steps you can take for navigating this gauntlet of woe which may help your excursion to be a tolerable one at the very least.
Get There For Cheap
Real Estate entrepreneur Tyson Murray has figured out the hassle-free secrets to DIA travel.
Denver realtor and onetime DIA bartender Tyson Murray offers a few insider tips from a guy who used to commute to the airport multiple times a week for several years. He emphasizes the importance of not driving as a means of saving time and money while avoiding unnecessary stress. “Driving to DIA sucks,” he attests. “It’s expensive to park there, and as of late, there have been a rash of car thefts and break-ins in the parking lots. The train is cheap ($10.50 each way), reliable, always on time, and super easy. It’s 35 minutes from Union Station to DIA,” he says. Additionally, it is important to note that due to staffing shortages related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mt. Elbert and Pikes Peak shuttle parking remain closed.
Connect With Ease
Folks who are willing to forgo the autonomy of driving their own car can discover a respite of convenience amid the headaches of traffic and parking. “Going to DIA has never been easier in my opinion,” Murray explains. “I love taking the Light Rail from Union Station. I love that building and I’ll take any excuse to hang out there for a few minutes.” Murray also offers a valuable tidbit about circumventing long security lines. “If you disembark from the Light Rail at the South Entrance and South Security Check line, take the extra five minutes to walk to the NORTH Security Check line — it’s usually less crowded. Or, if you don’t mind walking an extra half mile or so, go upstairs to the Pedestrian Bridge security and catch the train from Terminal A if you need to go to Terminals B or C. Also, usually much faster.”
Arrive Far In Advance
Murray also urges travelers to be extra vigilant with their timelines. “Get there early,” he exclaims. “I’m the guy who would rather be an hour early than 10 minutes late, So, I always go at least a half hour before I need to, which means getting to the airport two or so hours before my flight boards. It just takes away any stress or anxiety if there are delays in security or service, which there will be. And it leaves ample time for the obligatory airport Bloody Mary.”
Keep It Together
The Denver International Airport awaits travelers like a big-top circus tent brimming with barely-controlled chaos.
Meanwhile, the manager of DIA’s Tapas Sky Bar and Little Man Ice Cream — Zeth Pedulla — offers a few critical insider tips for a positive DIA experience. Primarily, he stresses the importance of keeping your head together and avoiding a compromised mindset which can result in rude, inconsiderate behavior toward airport employees. “Don’t get shit-faced hammered. That’s rule number one,” he says. “There is absolutely too much going on these days at the airport for you to be smashed. There are four bars on Concourse C from where you get off the train and where I am at (Tapas Sky Bar). I know that there can be delays but pace yourself. My staff and I have to not serve or cut people off all the time. This is where you see people lose their shit. There are several types of security that work at DIA, and they are just waiting for something to happen. I have seen everything from DPD refusing to let people on their flights all the way to TSA saying you’re not ever flying again. Ouch!”
Remember How To Read
DIA travelers can experience problems when they succumb to rudeness, drunkenness, drug use, illiteracy, and nudity.
Wandering around in circles at DIA happens when people panic and fail to be able to read large print English on signs posted everywhere. Pedulla cites this as one of the most common tells of a person having a bad day at the airport. “Some travelers become over-stimulated by all the hustle and noise, and they forget the fundamental skill of finding their way by reading signs,” he says. “There is signage everywhere indicating where the restrooms are. It’s the same for the terminals and baggage claim. There are signs at least every 20 feet or so telling you where to go.”
Keep Your Shirt On
Pedulla goes on to explain how the hysteria inherent to holiday travel can really take a toll on some people — eliciting terrible, outrageous, unbelievable behavior. “All the time, I have entitled people tell me ‘I need service now because I have a plane to catch!’” Pedulla says, “Guess what? Everyone has a plane to catch. DIA bars are designed to be fast. Everyone gets served in order so just be cool and you will be served in a timely manner.” Rude behavior from bar and restaurant patrons can escalate to other odd activities which can permanently hinder someone’s travel plans. “I have gotten pretty close with the cops out here and boy, do they tell some stories.” Pedulla explains. “Drug use in bathrooms is a big one. Everything from people getting caught shooting heroin to smoking meth. Nudity happens more than you would think. The one that gets me the most is when people try to jump security to get to their plane. Why in the hell would you think that’s a smart idea?”
Sure, there are plenty of things that can obstruct your path to the skyway at DIA. But, if you plan far in advance and keep a level head, you just might make your destination without getting lost, getting arrested or otherwise embarrassing yourself. Bon voyage.
by Regan Bervar | Sep 27, 2021 | Main Articles
“Space has the ability to produce a triple bottom line, or ROIII: Return on investment, innovation, and inspiration.” — Robert C. Jacobson
by Luke Schmaltz
If you ask most Colorado residents to name the top attractions that define their state, you’ll hear things like professional sports, recreational and medical cannabis, and year-round outdoor recreation and adventure. Yet, most folks may be unaware that, according to the Colorado Office of Economic Development and Economic Trade (choosecolorado.com), the Centennial State holds the top ranking in private aerospace employment concentration and is host to the nation’s second largest aerospace economy.
High Speed Flight: Boom Supersonic aims to use ultra-high-speed flight to get travelers to their destinations in under half the normal time.
A July 29, 2021, article in The Denver Post announced the addition of yet another aerospace company to the local roster — PteroDynamics — a California-based company that will soon be headquartered in Colorado Springs. The piece quotes Governor Jared Polis as saying, “Colorado continues to be the leader in aerospace and defense industries, so this new announcement and the 186 good news jobs that come with it further strengthens our reputation as the nation’s best place for aerospace.” Additionally, according to a 2020 report by the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Colorado is home to 290 aerospace tech companies employing a total of 33,460 employees with over 500 organizations specializing in aerospace products and services. Over the past five years, aerospace employment has grown over 30% in Colorado — placing the state 12% higher than the national average.
The industrial roll call is impressive and diverse. The list of companies runs the gamut in terms of size and configuration — comprising a variety of private sector startups, medium-sized companies, and large corporations with household name recognition. While this is far and away from a comprehensive list, here is a brief sampling of the sort of incredible innovation and forward-thinking commerce taking place in your own backyard.
Boom Supersonic
According to Founder and CEO Blake Scholl, the Denver-based company was built on a philosophy of “Speed, safety, and sustainability without compromise,” as explained in a company promotional video. “We’ve made incredible advancements in the foundational technology for designing, developing, and building aircraft,” Scholl continues. “We have advanced aerodynamics, new materials, and significantly more efficient engines.” The company boasts the XB-1, the industry’s first-ever independently developed supersonic jet. Which has served, through trial, error, and improvements upon both to inform every aspect of the company’s passenger airliner, Overture. Boom Supersonic designed this commercial jet to serve travelers with flight times twice as fast as current commercial airlines.
Atomos Space
Missile Launch Technology: Boecore specializes in early warning missile launch technology, among other things.
Dedicated to meeting and exceeding the satellite-launching needs of the telecommunications industry, this award-winning Denver-based company is currently under contract with NASA. Their philosophy is to end the launching of single-use rockets to launch satellites into space. In a company website video, Co-Founder and CEO Vanessa Clark equates the current practice to “flying passengers one at a time in a Boeing 747.” She explains, “At Atomos, we are building and operating space tugs — transportation vehicles that are the connecting flights for space. Rockets no longer need to go to the specific orbit for a specific satellite. With space tugs, rockets can launch all satellites to a single drop off point, and we’ll take them from there.” Essentially, Atomos is the world’s first satellite rideshare company. The benefits are threefold: decreased cost to get into space, increased number of satellites per launch, and reduced wait times for a scheduled launch.
Boecore
This Colorado Springs-based aerospace and defense engineering company is women-owned and operated and maintains a small business status with fewer than 200 employees and a personnel-centric company culture. Their website states that they specialize “in software solutions, systems engineering, cybersecurity, enterprise networks, and mission operations.” With a client base consisting mainly of government agencies, Boecore boasts a highly respected company reputation as well as an impressive array of industry awards, including the 2020 Pro Patria Award for Extraordinary Employer Support, Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Best Workplaces in Colorado Springs — among many others. Company innovations include early warning missile launch technology, space operations software solutions, Battlespace Operational Readiness Game (BORG) training modules, and many others.
York Space
This Denver-based company operates a “mega-facility” for commercial manufacture of satellites for companies who want to operate satellites in orbit. A news blog released earlier this year on the company website announced the recent expansion of its headquarters into a 100,000 square-foot facility. Company CEO Dirk Wallinger recently told CNBC the expansion adds “a true robust production capability to help secure our supply chain and help us expand the contracts that we’re working on with existing customers.” He went on to explain that the upgrade will take the company’s current manufacturing of 1,000 spacecraft per year and, “blow that out of the water as far as total production capacity goes.” York’s business model leverages a proprietary design known as the S-CLASS platform. The design is based on a three-axis stabilized spacecraft intended for constellations and designed for mass production. Buyers can use the modules for a variety of missions such as weather monitoring, communication, and observation.
The list goes on and on — including recognizable monikers such as Lockheed Martin, EnerSys, Merrick & Company, Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation, Ascent Solar, and many more.
It Begs The Question
With all these engineering geniuses in proximity, it is utterly baffling that Colorado — specifically the Front Range and the Western Slope I-70 corridor — are facing widespread engineering mishaps and systematic infrastructure breakdown. You would think that the elected leaders, with immediate access to such innovation and solution-oriented implementation, would reach out and ask for a bit of advice from folks who truly know how to solve problems. It is possible, however, that most of these aerospace firms have blocked incoming calls from government phone numbers. Or perhaps they are all simply too smart to get involved with politicians and bureaucrats. Or maybe — just maybe — given Colorado’s elevation and relative proximity to the stratosphere, they are all working in unison to find the quickest way off this troubled planet, if only for a little while.
by Regan Bervar | Sep 27, 2021 | Main Articles
“We didn’t start the fire/It was always burning, since the world’s been turning.” Billy Joel
by Luke Schmaltz
The brown cloud which frequently blankets the Mile High City has long been recognized as an unfortunate byproduct of progress. Since the 1980s, locally produced carbon emissions from coal-based energy production, oil refinement and the automotive combustion of gasoline has created a problematic airborne miasma. In the last few years, Denver has been given distinction among the top 10 cities with the poorest air quality in the United States. Federal records show air pollution was at elevated levels for more than 260 days a year in 2019 and 2020.
Meanwhile out West, the Golden State is leading the way in the creation of a different type of pollution, wildfire smoke. Just as California exports entertainment, social trends, and hordes of transplants, it also sends a generous share of air particulates from incinerated vegetation to round out its contribution to Colorado. A place that, as anyone who lives here knows, is already dealing with its own wildfire crises.
At times, the brown cloud over Denver can, in part, be attributed to the California wildfires.
Paper Is Made From Wood
To understand the proliferation of pollution, all you have to do is follow the money. America’s addiction to coal-based energy and oil-based propulsion has stakeholders running the ship aground who are perched in plain sight. The same is true with wildfire-based pollution. The logging industrial complex, which is particularly busy in some parts of California, is making a mint while communities are being destroyed, lives are being lost, and Colorado is choking on the ashes.
So far this year, Cal Fire (fire.ca.gov/inci dents) reports 7,377 fire incidents which have killed three people, destroyed 3,285 structures, and burned 2,243,663 acres of forest. The latter statistic is of particular interest here, as the massive plumes of smoke are systematically swept up by jet streams, carried inland, and deposited at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains.
A Climate-Driven Performance Enhancer
Lucy Walker’s film “Bring Your Own Brigade” tells the story of how concentrated fuel sources are creating fires that can’t be stopped.
Clearly, this phenomenon is ramping up in tandem with global warming. Unnaturally dry conditions can turn large expanses of forest into an incendiary event waiting to turn the tiniest spark into a nightmare inferno. Some of these blazes occur in clear-cut areas which have been recently “thinned” by logging operations both private and government-operated. For decades, the United States Forest Service (USFS) has conducted these “thinning” initiatives under the guise of “fire prevention” but the data overwhelmingly demonstrates that wildfires tend to spread faster and with much more intensity in clear-cut areas due to dry conditions and contiguous acres of branches and logs which were left over from the logging process. Recent examples include the Dixie Fire which incinerated large parts of the Sierra Nevada town of Greenville and the Caldor Fire which destroyed the entire town of Grizzly Flats, CA.
Chad Hanson is an Author and ecologist with the John Muir Project. He recently published Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Planet.
Author Chad Hanson blows the California wildfire story wide open in his new book, Smokescreen.
Hanson is an expert in the phenomenon and the region, having conducted fieldwork for his doctoral dissertation in the aforementioned Greenville. In a recent article published on Grist.org, he explains, “The primary focus of the agency’s forest management efforts is selling public trees to private logging companies, which generates about $150 million each year. That may sound like a small portion of its $2 billion budget for land management, but logging also brings in more than $1 billion in annual Congressional appropriated funds, which generate additional revenue that goes back into the agency’s budget.” In a clever pivot, the USFS recently stopped using descriptive terms like logging and timber harvest and instead began conducting the same activities under the banners of terms like forest health, ecological restoration, and fuel reduction. But, as Hanson points out, “Make no mistake. It’s all just logging.”
Rural Overpopulation
There is another dimension of the fire industrial complex at work in California, but it stems from an opposing set of dynamics. Commercial land which has been clear cut is being replanted with dense concentrations of trees slated for harvest as soon as they have matured to a certain height and width. The problem here is that thick concentrations of trees, especially those reduced to drought-choked rows of veritable matchsticks, create an overly-abundant fuel source — one which burns with unstoppable ferocity.
Contrary to popular opinion, clear cutting large sections of forest contributes to the wildfire phenomenon.
Lucy Walker is an Oscar-nominated director whose recent release “Bring Your Own Brigade” is once again heating up the wildfire debate. The film was shot in 2018 during the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, CA. While the piece makes a strong case for the need to reverse climate change, it also documents how efforts from the USFS and private corporations have created dense forests where a sparse topography once existed — setting the stage for heat- and drought-driven wildfires to thrive. “Comparing photographs makes it very clear,” she explains in the narration. “You can see the changes [through time] and you can see what ‘fire suppression’ has done. Forests just didn’t used to be this thick.” An unnamed resident interviewee confirms this, explaining, “In the past it was more of a savannah situation. Bigger trees spaced farther apart. Now, you’ve created a heat source you can’t stop.”
Professor Pyro
Gary Stephen Maynard, a Criminology professor and holder of a doctorate in Sociology, is accused of lighting forest fires in California.
Gary Maynard is a tenured academic of the California Collegiate system, teaching — quite ironically — criminal justice. The esteemed professor has, until recently, been an enthusiastic contributor to the Golden State’s greatest airborne export. In July and August of 2021, he allegedly went on an unprecedented spree of arson and wholesale destruction. He was recently accused of having set a series of half a dozen fires in the Lassen and Shasta Trinity National Forest areas. These blazes, according to agents from the USFS, were designed to trap authorities and firefighter crews.
Maynard also holds a doctorate in sociology from Stony Brook University in Brookhaven, New York, as well as two additional master’s degrees. Pinpointing his motives will no doubt be a challenge, and reports of court proceedings offer little insight into his mindset — other than repeated denials and blue streaks of profanity aimed at police officers. Whether this is an isolated incident and Maynard is an anomaly, or he is part of a bigger scheme to create anarchy is undetermined. Yet, given the climate of general mania which seems to have much of the general populace in its grip, the idea of a cabal of arsonists creeping about the California woods with a penchant for pyromania is not exactly farfetched.
While California wildfires are certainly not the main culprit of poor air quality in Denver, they are a definite contributor. Hanson and Walker have demonstrated the cause of some of these catastrophes while Maynard has shown how easy they are to ignite. While not wholly unavoidable, wildfires could be reduced were it not for the almighty dollar. This paper byproduct of trees seems to skew the logic of even the most perceptive of people. In this case, it is especially true for those with large government contracts worth many millions of dollars and not a damn to give about who chokes on what, where or when.
