Monaco Inn
Walmart: A One Stop Shop for Holiday Shopping
By Mark Smiley
Walmart is seen as an affordable and go to store to do holiday shopping, offering an assortment of gifts. With over 1,000 new toys, 500 Walmart-exclusive items, and a selection of lab-grown diamonds, shoppers can find a gift for everyone on their list.
Top products and deals for 2023:
Apple Watch Series 9, 41mm, GPS – $349.00 (Save $50.00)
Samsung 65” TU690T 4K Tizen TV – $398.00 (Special Buy)
50″ Class onn. Roku TV – $148.00 (Special Buy)
AirPods (2nd Gen.) – $69.00 (Save $30.00)
Barbie Playset – $12.97 (Save $9.00)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RC – $25.00 (Save $24.97)
LEGO Technic – $25.00 (Save $15.00)
Dyson V12 Slim Absolute Cordless Vacuum – $449.99 (Save $200.00)
Ninja Professional Blender- $50.00 (Special Buy)
Signature by Levi Strauss & Co Jeans – $15.00 (Save $4.94)
Crocs Men’s and Women’s Unisex Baya Clog Sandals – $19.99 (Save $30.00)
The retail giant provides a best-in-class omnichannel shopping experience, recognizing that nearly half of its customers shop both online and in stores. With an enhanced website featuring hyper-personalized content and improved search functionality, Walmart ensures a seamless exploration of its product offerings. The addition of Brand Shops, augmented and virtual reality features, and over 500 shoppable recipes further enhances the online shopping experience, making it easier for customers.
Walmart’s commitment to convenience extends to its expanded suite of pickup and delivery options, including late-night Express Delivery until 10 p.m., a Live Shopper feature, and On-Demand Delivery slots. Walmart+ members can take advantage of InHome, a service allowing items to be delivered directly to their fridge or countertop, with the added convenience of returns picked up and returned to the store. As the demand for delivery increases during the holidays, Walmart is ready to meet customer needs with additional delivery windows, ensuring a hassle-free shopping experience for all.
Visit www.walmart.com to shop.
Thievery Corporation Brings Their Brand of Electronic Dance to Mission Ballroom
By Julie Orth
On October 21, 2023, Thievery Corporation performed at Mission Ballroom in Denver. Mission Ballroom has a capacity of 3,950 and is owned and operated by AEG Presents. Thievery Corporation has been dazzling audiences for 25 years with their music spanning over a dozen albums. Their electronic dance style, led by Eric Hilton and Rob Garza, respectfully incorporates tastes of international cultural styles, without ever falling into the trap of cultural appropriation. “We always wondered: with so much incredible music in the world, why would anyone limit themselves to one genre?,” said Hilton. “Well, we found out – it’s far easier to stay in one lane than to genre hop.”
The crowd at the Mission Ballroom came ready to dance. DJ Shadow opened the show and was able to get the crowd to do just that. Fans were anxious for Thievery Corporation to hit the stage as their last Denver show was cancelled due to blizzard conditions two years ago.
Some spectators opined they had been listening to this band for years and they sounded better than ever. The spacious venue allowed for plenty of space to dance. Thievery Corporation’s tour continues in December. For more information and for tour dates, visit www.thieverycorporation.com.
Merrill Middle School Wins Girls Softball DPS Championship
The Merrill Middle School Jaguars girls softball team won their 4th consecutive DPS Championship on October 17, 2023, by beating Denver Green School Northfield 8-5. The game was played at All City Stadium on the South High School campus. Merrill Middle School is located at 1551 S. Monroe Street in Denver.
The 14th Denver Rare Beer Tasting Featured Amazing And Hard To Find Beers Under One Roof
by Mark Smiley
The 14th Denver Rare Beer Tasting was held on Friday, September 22, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the McNichols Civic Center with 63 breweries pouring some of the hardest to find beers on the planet. Pints for Prostates sponsored a free health screening before the event, which is a five minute blood test valued at $700.
The all-inclusive ticket included four hours of beer sampling, the opportunity to meet the people who brewed them, buffet lunch, collectible tasting glass, t-shirt, and program.
The brewery roster this year had many fan favorites from the previous 13 events, along with 22 first-timers and one other that previously only participated remotely during COVID. This year breweries from 24 states participated, including 18 from Colorado. The beers poured at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting represented a range of styles and many represented one-time small production runs or the last remaining supplies of a noteworthy brew.
“Not only is the event a chance for beer fans to get to try limited edition beers, it is an opportunity for them to take charge of their health,” said Rick Lyke, founder of Pints for Prostates. “The generosity of the participating breweries enables Pints for Prostates to reach people through the universal language of beer with an important health message. We’ve been able to provide free health screenings for thousands of men over the years because the craft beer community has made the Denver Rare Beer Tasting an annual celebration of beer passion.”
“We created the Denver Rare Beer Tasting to be a special experience for beer fans and brewers, with a mission,” said Lyke. “This is not only one of the top annual craft beer events in the country, it’s also a time to remind people about the importance of early detection in fighting prostate cancer. A simple blood test in 2008 saved my life and we want guys to understand that paying attention to regular health screenings can help them to take charge of their health.”
Learn more about Pints for Prostates and how they use the funds they raise by visiting pintsforprostates.org. The website has a transparency page that provides details on the 501(c)3 charity, including complete IRS filings.
Colorado Welcomes Its Second Troll: Rita The Rock Planter
by Jessica Hughes
In the mid to late 1800s, gold and silver are what brought people to Victor, a historic mining town located outside of Cripple Creek. But now another treasure brings visitors to this small mining town, only you don’t have to dig underground to find it.
Colorful birdhouses guide the way to Rita.
A larger-than-life troll, Rita the Rock Planter, by Danish recycle art activist, Thomas Dambo, has made its way to Victor. Dambo, who refers to himself as a “recycle artist,” believes in turning trash into art and uses recycled materials to make his famous trolls.
Rita is now one of 119 trolls found all over the world, melting the hearts of the young and old with their charming faces and playful demeaner. Dambo and his crew, plus volunteers who often travel long distances to help build these whimsical sculptures, build the trolls using local scrap wood and recycled materials, placing them amongst nature to naturally die out and return to the earth’s soil. He uses these materials to show the world how much potential and beauty lays hidden in our trash.
All in a span of 12 days, it took a crew of 100 local volunteers, Dambo himself, and his crew to finish Rita the Rock Planter. But Rita wasn’t Colorado’s first troll sculpture. In 2018, “Isak Heartstone,” a 15-foot troll made of foraged sticks and recycled wood, was installed by Dambo and his team on the outskirts of Breckenridge. Isak garnered so much attention and love from visitors, the local residents resisted its newest resident who brought in excessive foot traffic. After much debate, the city council made the decision to relocate the troll near the Illinois Gulch trailhead.
So far, Rita’s presence hasn’t caused any problems, in fact she’s brought in nothing but love and affection from locals and visitors alike. The town of Victor has accepted Rita with open arms by thoughtfully placing colorful birdhouses throughout its downtown streets, guiding the way to the trailhead. Her location is even sketched on the town’s map and her picture has been added to Victor’s welcome sign on H
WY 67 — making it nearly impossible to miss Rita.
Visitors can find Rita gathering rocks atop the Little Grouse Mountain Overlook. There are two parking lots at the trailhe
Rita the Rock Planter is the 119th troll artist Thomas Dambo has built.
ad, a lower and an upper lot. To hike the full one-mile loop, start at the lower parking
lot, or begin at the upper lot for a shortened version of the hike. You’ll know when you’re there with old mining relics of the American Eagle Mine at the trail’s entrance and the story of Rita welcoming you — “A hundred suns, that is how long a nap is for a troll. When Rita woke again, her mountain side has grown a hole. The humans must have dug them in their search for shine rock. But someone could fall in, so Rita went to tidy up.”
To see where all of Dambo’s trolls live, X marks the spot
Views from the Little Grouse Mountain Overlook.
on his Troll Map. Learn more about Dambo and trolls visit thomasdambo.com.
All images by Jessica Hughes