by Regan Bervar | Apr 23, 2021 | Main Articles
“An old building is like a show. You smell the soul of an old building. And the building tells you how to redo it.” – Cameron Mackintosh
by Luke Schmaltz
Casa Bonita stands shuttered alongside West Colfax like a circus gelding locked in a corral for which there is no key. First opened in 1974, the one-of-a-kind survivor from a bygone era is a testament to the optimism, pageantry and imagination of the previous century. But alas, it is currently silent as a result of COVID-19.
The Pink Palace is in the red. This 85-foot, 22-karat-gold domed tower can be seen for miles around.
As it was for most other Colorado restaurants, the mandatory order to close in March of 2020 was a crippling blow. Rather than partially reopen in May of 2020, Casa Bonita management chose to forgo the near-impossible strictures that social distancing would have placed on an entertainment concept built on human interaction.
Finally, more than a year later, there are rumblings of reopening — and a notice on the restaurant’s website confirms these murmurs. Yet, if there’s anything the last year has taught people, it is to not believe everything you read online. This is why a group of Denver residents and longtime natives who have lasting memories of this cherished institution are not going to take the possible death of fun sitting down.
Locals To The Rescue
Savecasabonita.org is a recently-launched initiative intent on spreading awareness of the cultural and historical importance of 52,000-square-foot restaurant, Casa Bonita. Led by Denver icon and Casa Bonita superfan Andrew Novick, this collective of innovators and entrepreneurs represents a larger segment of the Mile High populace that feels this beloved destination deserves another chance. “We have a large group of people in our consortium,” Novick begins. “The group we put together is made up of restaurateurs, folks who have built businesses from the ground up and branding experts. One of our people is a Latina businesswoman and we’ve talked a lot about the food and the cultural appropriation of Casa Bonita. The last thing we want to do is be a bunch of white men running a Mexican restaurant.”
Proponents don’t want Casa Bonita to suffer the fate of The Miner in Black Bart’s Cave. Photo by Andrew Novick
An Unforgettable Experience
For those who have never been there, a visit to Casa Bonita is an immersion into experiential art, culture, kitsch and otherworldly wonder. It’s an escapade into a circus-like realm of cliff divers, puppeteers, gunfighters, family photos, cave adventures, arcade overindulgence and a hype man in a gorilla suit. And yes, there’s the Mexican fare, which can leave a bit to be desired at times, but the meals always finish strong with delectable honey-soaked sopapillas. “It’s always been about the experience, not the food.” Novick explains. “I mean, how many restaurants last for [almost] 50 years?”
Money Talks
Andrew Novick is Casa Bonita’s #1 fan. Photo by Jerilee Bennett.
Rather than attempt to influence the owners of Casa Bonita via community petition, Novick and his associates chose to start a GoFundMe campaign, as a monetary donation signifies a greater commitment than just a signature. With a goal of $100,000, the fund is quickly gaining steam and, at the time of this writing, sits at nearly half of the way in just three weeks. Novick is quick to point out that the money is not intended to pay any current debts the restaurant’s parent company may have outstanding. Rather, the funds would serve as a capital-bolstered basis for participating in the conversation about the future of the restaurant. Novick explains, “We are fundraising to have the power to have a voice in the conversation.” This could play out in any number of ways, from funding a PR campaign to advertise a grand re-opening to procuring legal counsel to broker a deal between the current owners and potential new investors.
A Wild Ride
Casa Bonita’s centerpiece, 30-foot-tall indoor waterfall is modeled after the cliffs of Acapulco and pumps 26,427,000 gallons of water per year, which supplies its 14-foot-deep pool into which cliff divers and actors plunge during the shows.
Understanding the history of the Casa Bonita ownership can be as overwhelming as a visitor’s first foray into Black Bart’s Cave. Initially, it was one component in a chain of themed restaurants that began in Oklahoma City, and branched out to Tulsa, Okla.; Little Rock, Ark.; Fort Worth, Texas; and Lakewood, Colo. The chain was the brainchild of artist, innovator and business mogul Bill Waugh, who was responsible for numerous spectacles of themed entertainment including the Crystal’s Pizza and Taco Bueno chains. In 1982, Waugh sold his company to Unigate, who, in 1992, sold it to CKE restaurants (owners of Carl’s Jr.) who then created a spin-off company in 1997 for the two remaining locations. Today, that company is known as Summit Family Restaurants which is a subsidiary of Star Buffet. When it comes to a discussion about the current state of affairs at the Pink Palace, however, no one at either entity is currently available for comment.
Stay Positive
Meanwhile, Novick and company are holding out for a positive outcome wherein the company culture is modernized, the menu is updated and the Casa Bonita fun machine gets jump started back into action. “We want to make sure that in the future, we (savecasabonita.org) are an important voice,” Novick says. “Whether someone else procures it or if they reopen, we want them to know we are the voice of the community and the fans. The funds we generate could be used to create awareness of the reopening and to revitalize the work environment for employees.” An electrical engineer by trade, Novick is also a realist. Concerning a scenario where the funds raised by savecasabonita.org do not afford them a seat at the negotiation table to have their voice heard by the owners or future buyers, he clarifies, “I want to point out that should the funds not be put to use, all donations will be immediately returned to the donors.”
Dream On
Casa Bonita is a Landmark of the Lakewood Historical Society.
As far as procurement of the intellectual property and the business model goes, just like any dedicated Casa Bonita regular, Novick and company are also dreamers. Ideally, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of South Park) would swoop in, buy out Star Buffet, and entrust the locals to run the zoo. The duo made Casa Bonita a worldwide household name in a 2004 South Park episode which prominently featured the restaurant in all of its fantastically ridiculous glory. In this “everyone wins” scenario Novick, who celebrated his 300th visit to Casa Bonita in 2019 with a wildly successful charity event, could play an integral role. “I’ve done food events, experiential events and experiential art,” he explains. “I feel my role could be VP of experience.”
For now, however, the reality of the situation is that a huge piece of Denver history and yet another beacon of the soul of the city is at stake. Star Buffet filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 6, 2021. So, the harsh fact of the matter is that currently, it’s all about money.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 23, 2021 | Main Articles
Criminal And Civil Failure To Report Gifts Added To Sexual Assault And Harassment Claims
by Glen Richardson
Worries Mount: Denver School Board Director Tay Anderson’s legal problems are growing. Two progressive organizations he has been a part of (Black Lives Matter 5280 and Never Again, Colorado) have accused him of either sexual assaulting or sexually harassing female members. Now the nonpartisan Campaign Integrity Watchdog has filed civil and criminal complaints concerning tens of thousands of gifts he has alleged to have solicited.
Tay Anderson, the highly controversial 22-year-old Denver School Board member’s legal problems are escalating at a dizzying pace. He is now facing new criminal misdemeanor allegations relating to his failure to file required reports on his repeated solicitation for gifts related to myriad events including claimed medical expenses, a trip to Washington, D.C., and a baby gift registry.
Sex Assault And Harassment
He was previously accused of sexually assaulting an unnamed woman by Black Lives Matter 5280 (“BLM”) which he denied and claimed he needed more information. BLM demanded that Anderson issue a public apology and seek assistance from a licensed professional with relevant expertise before he was welcomed at the group’s meetings or events. The group later stated that more women had come forward.
Anderson then acknowledged a May 2018 Denver Public Schools investigation found that he had engaged in retaliation while advocating on behalf of former Manual High School Principal Nick Dawkins, whom the district had investigated following employee complaints of harassment and bias.
The six female members of a gun reform organization, Never Again Colorado, which Anderson served as president in 2018, issued a statement that Anderson created a hostile work environment making them feel unsafe by, inter alia, “talking in code about female board members in front of them (with romantic/sexual subtexts), daring female board members to perform sexualized actions, having conversations comparing the attractiveness of female board members, and making lewd comments in private to female board members.” The women were underage at the time of the incidents.
This time Anderson apologized and stated he would now “plan to engage and consult with restorative and transformative justice professionals.”
Anderson declared that he welcomed any investigation of his conduct. On April 6, 2021, he got his wish when the Denver Public Schools Board of Directors announced that it had secured an agreement with the Investigative Law Group to investigate the claims of women that he had assaulted and harassed them.
Anderson alienated many of his white female supporters in Central Park (formerly Stapleton) and elsewhere when he tweeted out “My brother really picked out a white woman with pumpkin pie over me for thanksgiving. This is another level of hurt.” The outrage over the implied racism caused him to delete the tweet.
Cornucopia Of Gifts For Anderson
Campaign Integrity Watchdog, LLC, a non-partisan organization dedicated to campaign integrity and transparency of public officials filed an Economic Crime Complaint with the Denver District Attorney’s Office alleging criminal misdemeanors by Anderson for failure to report numerous fundraising solicitation schemes including:
- Anderson claimed unspecified medical expenses alleging that on July 29, 2020, he “was a victim of assault by the Denver Police Department while standing in support of people experiencing homelessness” and hit his head. His campaign manager created a Go Fund Me page in which he received over $13,000 in gifts. He was required to report all gifts above $65 but failed to do so according to the Complaint.
- Anderson personally created a Go Fund Me page on September 19, 2020, to pay for his and others trip to Washington, D.C., for the funeral of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and raised almost $13,000 and the Complaint indicates he again failed to report the same.
Gifts Galore: Campaign Integrity Watchdog has filed civil and criminal complaints against Tay Anderson for his failure to disclose tens of thousands of dollars of unreported gifts.
It also appears that Anderson began soliciting gifts in late 2020, of up to $1,000 on the Target website for a child he was expecting. There appear to be only 11 gifts he registered for that have not been purchased for him at press time. Anderson has had an interesting relationship with Target. He had tweeted that he and family members had been racially harassed at an unspecified Target location. Then on November 30, 2020, he tweeted that he had collapsed from severe chest pains while shopping with his family at Target. His failure to report the Target Baby Registry gifts would appear to potentially violate C.R.S. Sec. 24-6-203.
Anderson would not be subject to jail time under the statute but could be punished by a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation and the Complaint alleges multiple violations. Campaign Integrity Watchdog also filed a Complaint with the Colorado Secretary of State alleging campaign and political finance violations of C.R.S. Sec. 24-6-203, based on the same set of facts. The Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, could impose her own fines under Colorado law.
Campaign Integrity Watchdog officer, Matt Arnold, stated that “public officials who deliberately evade the legal disclosure requirements for financial activity betray the public trust. Elected officials — and those seeking to obtain or retain elected office — cannot be above the law. Such ‘official’ violators must be held accountable to the law, so that ‘some animals — are not more equal than others’.”
Controversial Glendale Meeting
Tay Anderson became well known to Glendale residents when in July of last year, he appeared at a City Council meeting with State Representative Emily Sirota to protest Glendale agreeing with Governor Polis on masks while opting out of Tri-County Health Department’s requirements. He managed to alienate many at the meeting by verbally mocking and denigrating anyone who spoke with a position contrary to his own.
Anderson did not respond to requests for comment on the latest charges against him.
by Regan Bervar | Mar 19, 2021 | Main Articles
“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful … more alive.” – Alice Waters
by Luke Schmaltz
It is with hopeful trepidation that most Denverites look to the summer months. Yet, while the vaccine rollout is having a diminishing effect on the pandemic, it may still be too soon to dig the picnic basket out of the attic. Regardless, Denver offers a dizzying array of festivals, fairs and outdoor events every year. Sadly, as most residents know all too well, most of them had to be skipped in 2020. With any luck, circumstances just might improve to where the simple joy of gathering with friends to enjoy the warm weather, great food and diverse entertainment the Mile High City’s legendary events have to offer.
“Pandemic fatigue” is one of the softer terms folks are using to call what most honest people are describing with more vivid language such as extreme shut-in fever, Covid-19 craziness, or isolation delirium. While reaching herd immunity through vaccination is a process that disrupts nature in a good way, social distancing is fairly unnatural for most, and could be blamed for the all-too ubiquitous modality of depression and malaise among the populace.
Taste Of Colorado
Taste: Taste of Colorado draws hordes of hungry visitors to downtown Denver every year.
Originally dubbed the Festival of Mountain and Plain, this gathering was established in 1895, and revived in 1983 by the Downtown Denver Partnership. Every year, restaurateurs, foodies, chefs, sauciers, pastry cooks and gustatory retail vendors of every stripe gather to market their businesses, showcase their talents and sell their treasures. The event happens every Labor Day weekend and is tentatively scheduled for September 4, 5 and 6, 2021. Britt Diehl, Senior Manager of Public Policy & Special Projects at DPP, explains, “… unfortunately we don’t have anything to report at this moment — we are looking at options based on public health guidelines/outlooks.”
CHUN People’s Fair
Every summer, the Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods Association (CHUN) throws a party in Denver’s Civic Center Park that offers something for anyone and everyone. This celebration of music, creativity and diversity welcomes artists, performers and spectators from every background imaginable in a two-day event that features music on over half a dozen stages. Typically held over the first weekend of June, the Fair was canceled in 2019 amid rumors of declining revenues and in 2020 for obvious reasons. Whether it is set for a resurgence in 2021 remains to be seen.
Cherry Creek Arts Festival
Arts Festival: The Cherry Creek Arts Festival hosts artists of every sort from around the world.
This event is perhaps the most approachable of all the offerings in an otherwise upscale, exclusive district. 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of this celebration of “Artivity” otherwise known as “Art for Everyone.” The event features “visual and performing arts and educational and immersive art experiences” and attracts upwards of 350,000 visitors along with 260 local and regional artists and hosts. The date for 2021 is yet to be set in stone, but if it takes place, it will most likely do so over the Fourth of July weekend — Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 2, 3 and 4.
First Fridays
Denver art lovers have a total of six art walks to choose from on the first Friday of every month. These varied and diverse offerings take place across an array of vastly different districts and offer the city’s finest in galleries, museums and studios. These art walks take place in the River North Arts District, the Art District of Santa Fe, Golden Triangle Museum District, Tennyson Street Cultural District, South Pearl Street and 40 West Arts District and Block 7 Galleries. The latter is the most family-friendly of the lot, featuring a variety of dining options, a movie theater and a wintertime ice rink. Visitors to the previous five gatherings can expect to encounter a diverse offering of food trucks, restaurants, bars and breweries. Face masks are currently required by most establishments.
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo: Cinco de Mayo is a beloved cultural tradition that will be celebrated regardless of an event being scheduled for downtown Denver.
This festival commemorating the victory of the outnumbered Mexican Army over French forces during the 1862 Franco-Mexican War takes place on or around the 5th of May. This year, that date falls on a Wednesday, so the tentative Civic Center Park celebration will take place on the weekend prior — depending on what event planners decide in what will most likely be an 11th-hour verdict. The two-day event attracts over 400,000 visitors and is particularly well known for offering an incredible array of Colorado Mexican cuisine and hosting events such as the Green Chili Bowl Cook-Off, a taco eating contest, a lowrider car show, and the infamous Chihuahua races.
The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat: The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival lights up Sloan’s Lake Park and has a definite date set for September 2021.
This unique gathering describes its mission as “the premier organization celebrating and promoting the culture, contributions and accomplishments of Colorado’s Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.” Thankfully, this year’s event has a set date for September 25 and 26, in Denver’s Sloan’s Lake Park. Historically, the festival has taken place in July, but for 2021 event planners are no doubt hedging their bets on the theory that the pandemic curve will most likely flatten by fall rather than summer. Visitors can expect an otherworldly immersion in arts, entertainment, cuisine and of course — dragon boat races.
Large gatherings which are sanctioned and approved by the powers that be will return eventually, here’s to hoping it is sooner than later.
by Mark Smiley | Mar 19, 2021 | Main Articles
Wash Park Home Built In The 1890s Faces Wrecking Ball; ‘Park Won’t Be The Same If Home Is Razed,’ Residents Stress
by Glen Richardson
Stunning Site: Home, sweet historic home’s prominent location creates an established and familiar feature for both Wash Park and the Mile High City.
In a neighborhood where real estate is in high demand, demolition threatens a rare Wash Park Queen Anne home built no later than 1890. Neighbors were surprised and shocked when a demolition notice was posted at the 800 S. Franklin St. home by the City & County of Denver.
The oldest occupiable property from the 19th Century remaining in the neighborhood, it is located on a large corner lot across Franklin St. from Wash Park and across E. Ohio Ave. from St. John’s Church. The home is a rare remaining example of the Queen Anne Style in West Washington Park.
Representing the distinctive visible characteristics of a Queen Anne, it has the asymmetrical massing including projecting octagonal bays, steep gabled roofs, deep classical eaves and hooded windows. The porch features Tuscan order columns and classical entablature — an architectural section located above the columns on the building’s exterior. Largely developed 
in the period between the world wars, many of the houses in the neighborhood were constructed in more revivalist or eclectic styles such as Tudor revival or Craftsman.
Saving Historic Site
Ironically the bid to bulldoze the $2,300,000 home was posted in March as Historic Denver began celebrating five-decades of saving and highlighting historic treasures under threat of annihilation. The non-profit got started by saving the Molly Brown House from demolition in 1970. The organization is hosting a 50th bash at the Molly Brown House Museum now through Sept. 19. The celebration includes a “50 Actions for 50 Places” campaign for sites worthy of preservation action.
Sixth generation Coloradan Drew Carder — who has spent nearly his entire life in Wash Park — is among the neighborhood admirers and supports nominating the Franklin St. home as a community mecca worthy of preservation protection. He says he doesn’t know much about the home other than it is one of the last remaining pieces of the neighborhood’s history. “I feel like this community should be given more of a chance to respond.”
Like Carder, Justin Moorland has spent most of his life in or around Wash Park. Today he lives on the 600 block of S. Gilpin, one block away from the Franklin St. house. “It has always been my favorite home at the park. I find it unique because of its obvious age, modesty and setting. It is truly from another era.” Admits Liz Schanker, “I guess that proximity gives me extra incentive to save the home.” She lives right next door to 800 S. Franklin and says she has lived in Wash Park long enough to be able to imagine the structure that would go up on the site and doesn’t want that to happen. “There is a plethora of new, urban mansions in the neighborhood but only one white farmhouse that predates the park.”
Stunning Setting
Stunning Site: Home, sweet historic home’s prominent location creates an established and familiar feature for both Wash Park and the Mile High City.
Set far back from Franklin St., the home has an unusually large front yard at the corner of E. Ohio. Because of the house’s large, open lot and prominent location, it creates an established and familiar feature for both Wash Park and the Mile High City. One of the neighborhood’s first buildings, it was constructed before the City of Denver became the City and County of Denver. Moreover, despite its age the house retains a high degree of integrity.
The original Queen Anne structure has experienced some alterations including the stuccoing of the masonry, the northern addition plus alterations to some window openings. Nonetheless, it still retains integrity of design, materials and workmanship to communicate its Queen Anne style. The home is in its original locations, and while the area around the house has been altered over time, the house retains its setting through its relationship to Washington Park and Smith Lake. The interior includes a breakfast nook, vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets and fireplace. The structure is encircled by a wrap-around front porch.
Bid To Bulldoze
Wash Park developer-builder Aaron Grant is the person seeking demolition of the historic home. He is owner-managing-broker of South Gaylord St.-based Grant Real Estate Co. Retailers and residents will recall it was his firm that bulldozed long-standing stores along Denver’s second oldest commercial block to build Park Coworking. The company website claims, “We maintain history and character in the Wash Park neighborhood through real estate design and development.”
In conversations with relatives of the owner who sold the house to Grant Real Estate, neighbors were purportedly told that Grant articulated to them “what they wanted to hear as a seller.”
Treasure Threatened: Demolition threatens this rare Queen Ann home located across Franklin St. from Wash Park. The oldest occupiable property from the 19th Century remaining in the neighborhood, the house has retained a high degree of integrity despite its age.
At the time he was purchasing the property, Grant also allegedly indicated that he wanted to keep the shell of the home and remodel the interior. “We know now this was probably never his intent,” they say.
Noteworthy Owners
According to the Denver Assessor’s records, 800 S. Franklin St. was constructed in 1890. If the date is accurate, it would make the house one of the earliest remaining buildings in the West Wash Park neighborhood. Additionally, it confirms the house was built prior to the City of Denver becoming the City and County of Denver, which was not until 1902.
The earliest record of home ownership was by lumber tycoon Joseph Sterling who started Sterling Lumber & Investment Co. Records suggest, however, the house may be older that 1890 as a 1900 fire destroyed building records prior to 1890. The last prominent person to live in the Franklin home was William H. Burnett, a distinguished jurist who served on the Denver County Court for 17 years.
In 1964 Burnett served as President of the Judicial Research Foundation and became head of the American Bar Association’s Section of Judicial Administration. The judge lived at the Franklin St. address with his wife Margaret from 1963 until his death in 1973. He was at the height of his career when he lived at the address, therefore the property bears a strong association with him and his significance as a local judge and reformer.
by Regan Bervar | Mar 19, 2021 | Main Articles
“Humans are startlingly bad at detecting fraud Even when we’re on the lookout for signs of deception, studies show, our accuracy is hardly better than chance.” – Maria Konnikova
by Luke Schmaltz
Over the last year, the pandemic has proven that there is no level of trickery that is too low for some people.
Humanity’s ever-industrious scammer contingent will seemingly stop at nothing to achieve its prime objective — to separate you from your money. The current populace of frightened, poorly informed, emotionally vulnerable people has created a lush marketplace for fraud. Folks who desperately want to stop isolating, masking and disinfecting their lives away and get back to living them instead are falling victim to COVID-19 vaccine scams.
These ploys are disguised as websites, emails, phone calls, text messages and — yes — personal visits to your home. The perpetrators make an offer, convince victims to provide personal information or money and then they disappear. Here are some of the scams currently underway and how to spot them.
Free Vaccines: The vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and other companies should be free, no exceptions. Image: Johnson & JohnsonFree Vaccines: The vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and other companies should be free, no exceptions. Image: Johnson & Johnson
All Vaccines Should Be Free
Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and their emerging vaccine-making counterparts are being compensated by the U.S. Government. There should be no cost to you other than a small administration fee, if any. If someone approaches you via phone call, text message, email, or in-person visit with an offer to “sell” you a dose or a vial of vaccine, report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Sinovac is a China-based company which has tested a successful vaccine, yet this is not approved for distribution in the United States. Regardless, several social media campaigns were running ads claiming to be making this vaccine available for American consumers — for a price.
Scammers Have Bad Grammar
Anyone with a computer, an internet connection and a few basic skills can make websites and send emails. Since most of the vaccine scams are purported by criminals who are overseas, their lack of skill with the English language will be apparent in the text of the email or website landing page. In the case of an email, look for basic mistakes in punctuation, pluralization, spelling and euphemistic language. Also, no signature on an email is a red flag as is any email that appears to be from a government agency, pharmaceutical company, or a vaccine distributor. Websites offering vaccines will be using a specific set of keywords in their titles to attract traffic. Be on the lookout for terms such as “private vaccine, testing update, COVID validator, cure COVID, testing update, Corona vaccine and COVID -19.”
Phishy Phone Calls
Phone Scams: Phone calls from scammers are the main way scammers separate people from their money.
Stateside scammers or those with a believable command over American English may call you out of the blue. They will claim to be working in some sort of an official capacity, either for a pharmaceutical company, a healthcare provider, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or some branch of the U.S. Government. The next giveaway is that they will ask you to “verify” your identity by providing them with some sort of personal information whether it is your Medicaid policy number, your birth date or your SSN. Some of them may go so far as to tell you they are going to show up and personally administer the vaccine for you. Remember this: whether on the phone or via email, verifiers are liars.
Bad Business
BBB: The Denver Better Business Bureau is keeping tabs on local and international scammers via their Scam Tracker Tool.
Meanwhile, the Denver chapter of the Better Business Bureau is keeping tabs on these scammers. Content and PR Specialist Keylen Villagrana offers insight into an array of both international and locally-run
scams. “Fake unemployment claims, stimulus check scams, puppy scams ([they] are rising as more people are working from home) and employment scams for work-from-home positions. [There is] even an elaborate romance scam operating overseas where victims are turned into ‘money mules’ in order for scammers to retrieve fake unemployment claim money. They use victims for their U.S. based bank account and ask them to wire money to a bank account [that is] very likely overseas. (Wire transfers can’t be traced),” she says. Of all the current ruses, one is unanimously more popular than the others. Villagrana explains, “Consumers are contacted after they have received the COVID-19 vaccine (although many are contacted that haven’t even received the vaccine), to take a survey and in exchange for a ‘gift.’ All they have to do is pay for shipping and handling ranging from $2.99-$19.99 depending on
the gift they choose. Most never receive anything and some have reported unauthorized charges.” Folks are in luck, however, as this agency keeps a running tally on all past and current scams via their “Scam Tracker” tool available here: www. bbb.org/scamtracker.
Trash Can Treasure
Ads such as the one mentioned above claiming to be selling vaccines should be disregarded. The messaging features such as Facebook Messenger are also avenues scammers will take to try and get your attention through personal messages containing “incredible” deals on Covid-19 vaccines. The main rule of thumb here: if it sounds too good to be true, it’s a scam.
Legitimate Source: Immunize Colorado is one of the legitimate sources of “real” vaccinations.
Some Lines Can’t Be Skipped
Yet another scenario involves scammers who claim to be able to do the legwork for you and “track down” your vaccination. Others offer a similar service by promising that they can use their contacts in the medical industry to help you “skip the line” and get a vaccination sooner than the current tiered rollout system allows. These are scams that will require the service fee be paid in advance and once the money is sent, that’s all she wrote.
Thankfully, legitimate sources are standing by to provide citizens with answers about the specific tiers of the vaccine rollout and where the efforts are on the projected timeline. You can find out more by going to Colorado Vaccine Equity www.colorado vaccineequity.org, Immunize Colorado www. immunizecolorado.org and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment covid19.colorado.gov.
by Mark Smiley | Feb 19, 2021 | Main Articles
Glimmer Of Hope As My Fair Lady Is Set For August Opening; Renovated Clocktower Cabaret, Cleo Parker Dance Already Open
by Glen Richardson
Red Rocks Recovery: Opening of the 4,000-person Red Rocks Amphitheatre when the weather warms up would be a sure sign Denver’s urban heart is pumping again. AEG Presents has yet to signal it is booking summer concerts.
From restaurants to retail the Cherry Creek Valley is slowly reopening for business. But Denver’s urban heart — live concerts, theatre, comedy and the creative arts — remain mostly shut down creating an economic calamity that has drained the cultural lifeblood of the city.
Up until now the city’s pace-setting institutions — the Denver Center for Performing Arts (DCPA), Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Colorado Convention Center — have been dark since the pandemic hit. So have a half dozen other theaters plus key dance, music and performance spaces. Reopening has proved far more daunting than anyone could have imagined.
Statewide mass Covid-19 vaccinations efforts plus restrictions lowered to Level Yellow in 33 counties, including Denver, have reignited hope and anticipation that venues and productions will begin reopening this summer. The opening light switch, in fact, has already been flipped at several spots and entertainment insider chatter suggests that opening could be imminent at additional venues by summer-fall.
Glimmer Of Hope
Against All Odds: The Denver Center for Performing Arts is tentatively planning to present Broadway’s touring version of My Fair Lady in the Buell Theatre Aug. 11-22. All of DCPA’s venues have been closed since the pandemic hit.
With summer solstice just 112 days subsequently to March 1, there are signs that the cloud of Covid-19 is starting to lift and the city’s cultural scene will reignite.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has announced that Saturday Night Alive will return June 12. The 40-year-old fundraiser has been reconceived in order to follow public gathering restrictions. “Currently, we hope to welcome both a virtual audience as well as on-site guests,” explains DCPA President-CEO Janice Sinden. “We envision an evening that can accommodate a smaller, in-person gathering and leverage the HD broadcast capabilities of the Seawell Ballroom.”
Furthermore, DCPA is tentatively planning to present Broadway’s touring version of My Fair Lady in the Buell Theatre Aug. 11-22. From the Lincoln Center Theater, the New York Times says revival of the musical “reminds you how indispensable great theatre can be.”
Small Venue Test
Convention Comeback: Meetings, tradeshows at the Colorado Convention Center aren’t likely in large number until the second half of the year. Booked through 2023, the city seeks to hang onto the business.
On its 15th anniversary The Clocktower Cabaret under the historic D&F Clocktower on the 16th Street Mall launched live shows beginning Valentine’s Day. Additional shows are expected this month in the nonprofit company’s 240-seat theater following months of renovation.
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance has also reopened her 240-seat theater in the former church site at 119 Park Ave. West. Official opening followed frenzied work to renovate the 24,000-sq.-ft. complex. Up to 20 area performing arts companies that have survived the pandemic are lined up to rent the space. Included are spin-off dance companies Moraporvida Dance, Nu-World Contemporary Dance Theatre and Feel The Movement.
Larimer Lounge is testing the waters with a Denver-via-Ecuador pop artist Neoma concert on July 10 followed by rock combo Matt Rouch & The Noise Upstairs the next day. Then on July 24 indie folk duo Shovelin Stone is scheduled to perform. The Larimer Lounge’s sister club, Globe Hall, is serving a barbecue dinner and a show and if all goes well, that venue will begin hosting shows of its own. While the Larimer Lounge experiments with dinner service, restaurants are reversing the test by trying out concerts to build business during the pandemic. Lost City Café in River North, for instance, plans to kick off a summer-long benefit series on its patio.
Ratings, Tech & Cash
Dancing Into Renovated Digs: Cleo Parker Robinson Dance has also reopened its 240-seat theater on Park Ave. West. Up to 20 area performing art companies that have survived the pandemic are lined up to use the space.
Official ratings, technology and money are also key factors playing into the comeback of concerts and events. If, for example, the state moved the pandemic dial to Blue, DCPA would be able to entertain 175 guests in the newly-renovated Wolf Theatre. Moreover, fundraisers and weddings could host up to 175 guests in the Seawell Ballroom.
The pandemic has triggered technology while also altering event formats. After going digital last year, City Park Jazz is bringing back the free live concert, but with a mix of both virtual and live programming.
With a $2 million anonymous gift, the Colorado Symphony is now able to pay its employees through this summer. Moreover, Conductor Christopher Dragon’s contract was renewed through the 2022-24 season. Likely, it will also mean Boettcher Concert Hall will have additional live concerts plus the return of Symphony concerts to Red Rocks.
Sway Of Promoters
Recapturing Denver’s pre-pandemic momentum will require the booking of touring entertainers, shows and events by Denver’s two major event promoters AEG Presents and Live Nation. Founded by Philip Anschutz, AEG is the exclusive ticket seller for all Denver venues including Red Rocks. Summer shows here remain iffy despite the warmup including those booked by AEG at the Bluebird, Ogden and Gothic Theatres.
The odds aren’t much better at the Marquis Theatre or Summit and Fillmore Auditoriums that Live Nation books. Variety, however, did report Live Nation was “confident live music would return this summer.”
Financially it normally doesn’t make sense for national touring musicals or shows to visit Denver if they can’t also perform elsewhere around the country. Bottom Line: Shows and entertainers coming to Denver earlier than this fall (2021) will likely be one-offs, series from a single artist at a single venue, or regional tours playing unconventional venues.
Bedeviled Path Back
Fundraiser First: The showcase of live theatre has announced that the 40-year-old fundraiser Saturday Night Alive is returning June 12. Event will feature both on-site guests and a virtual audience.
The trajectory of infections, vaccinations and “overall behavior” will determine the number and size of this year’s summer-fall openings. The fear, of course, is that it only takes one super-spreader event to ruin it for everyone. Just as Denver seemed like it was finally in a place where people could plant a flag on the ground and claim a fresh start, trouble erupted.
After reopening three weeks earlier, the 40,000-sq.-ft. Grizzly Rose — known for hosting country music and featuring a 2,500-sq.-ft. dance floor — was caught by TV and social media cameras packed with hundreds of people inside the dance hall without masks when only 50 people were permissible.
Owner Scott Durland quickly closed the venue just north of Denver off I-25 voluntarily. Just two days later, however, Tri-County Health ordered the site shut down until further notice. The club had been cited for the same violations last fall.
