׉?ׁB!בCט  u׉׉ 7cassandra://wJkENwqlBy9HD1WnvxUqfwa7OCTyDDfJnNkb7QX_h2Ud`׉ 7cassandra://Og2v4wIMggBPTvYYaeVVncnqBTIfeoUpCsDmAGGhp5Y͂`q׉ 7cassandra://iaY44QeVMs798tniYZ_on6aKpu48iZPBJdaxAL0unNg-`׉ 7cassandra://AS-k4Pb2RZwEH-cDmZaE9xrDsxVnE512QDTMMqjx_cU OX͠T^, kט u׈}\נ^, k <Ǵ9ׁHhttp://DENVERVOICE.ORGׁ ׁ Ј׈E^, kq׉E$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE DENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY DENVERITES, COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND BUSINESSES SHOW US THAT POSITIVE CHANGE AND ACTIVISM IS ALIVE AND WELL. PAGES 4-11 REACHING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE TAY ANDERSON DID HIS HOMEWORK AND TOOK ACTION TO ENSURE ALL VOICES WOULD BE HEARD PAGE 6 COMPASSIONATE COLORADO LIVES UP TO ITS NAME COLORADANS BAND TOGETHER TO COLLECT AND DELIVER SUPPLIES TO COVID-STRICKEN NAVAJO NATION PAGE 9 LOCAL ARTISTS OPEN UP NEW AVENUES AMID PANDEMIC DESPITE THE STRAINS OF THE PANDEMIC, FOUR LOCAL ARTISTS DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THEIR CRAFT PAGE 10 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 3, 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 EVENTS / PUZZLES BACK PAGE JULY 2020 | Vol.25 Issue 7 SINCE 1997, WE HAVE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO WORK. DONATE TODAY TO ENSURE OUR VENDORS CONTINUE TO HAVE JOBS. (DENVERVOICE.ORG) FROM YOUR VENDOR: CREDIT: GILES CLASEN ׉ 7cassandra://iaY44QeVMs798tniYZ_on6aKpu48iZPBJdaxAL0unNg-`^, kr^, kq בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://DWbhfsqcNLAzmFyu-cv9jTKNWSWyEyfPNHt7pbn3L-A=`׉ 7cassandra://lEpCFNFU8C_3egLDbHWd4OaatOaEWsrvqOevY3cQNUw]`q׉ 7cassandra://xT1_O_VA65a0-5OsTRtePUDkE0uLGDJYSfhYVXemiDw`׉ 7cassandra://S2s7WVTIWilIn7Nlms-fDv_8EUBihyaB0ypfzeQ-KW8?I͠T^, kט  u׉׉ 7cassandra://8i1TLvVFEJKMGRfQVqJUDyLFsLH2sdHSSjWA0t_t11Mq`׉ 7cassandra://wWJdWaHyELofdDyGFfezSlEOKoYjvkyAfrm4BPeL-Aẃ`q׉ 7cassandra://JvoC6bJjEVzi_CHm2_B9Y1CVuEwlccLGfjtYqJxLHj4%5`׉ 7cassandra://9D6XJz2RbHk5YT_IyCkT8B881oPxz5e8oEJWnvXeU08/\͠T^, kנ^, kҁ\ 9ׁHmailto:ads@denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, kp 9ׁHmailto:program@denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, k1e 9ׁHmailto:editor@denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, kq& 9ׁHhttp://CE.ORGׁ ׁ Јנ^, kq_ 9ׁHhttp://DENVERVOICE.ORGׁ ׁ Јנ^, k{A 9ׁHhttp://Medium.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E)EDITOR’S NOTE TYPICALLY, WE PUBLISH our tourism issue in July, showcasing some of Denver’s hidden gems like street art, breweries, independent bookstores, and coffee shops, as well as locally-owned restaurants. Facing the reality that it may be ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR a while before local attractions, eateries, and entertainment venues fully re-open, we decided to focus on a different aspect of Denver’s hidden treasures by sharing stories of individuals, whose advocacy on behalf of marginalized communities or ability to navigate through the murky uncertainty left in the wake of COVID-19, enhance the quality of life for all Denverites. In this issue, we introduce a photographer/performer/ makeup artist, dancer, visual artist, and musician, who have found a way during the pandemic-caused shutdown to practice their different forms of art, while making money doing so. Also in this issue, Paula Bard writes about Courtney and Jules Carag, who have partnered with local businesses and nonprofits to feed those sheltering in local encampments. Terese Howard with Denver Homeless Out Loud and Tay Anderson, director-at-large for the DPS School Board, are not exactly “hidden” gems, but when it comes to taking action and spreading compassion, kindness, and hope, both Howard and Anderson are shining examples of true leadership. Denver’s best-known nickname is the Mile High City, but it is also known as the Queen City of the West. The individuals and organizations we feature in this issue are the rare gems who make this city shine. We hope you enjoy learning more about the people covered in this issue and the remarkable work they do to bring awareness to their causes and the people they serve. ■ JULY CONTRIBUTORS PAULA BARD is an award-winning fine art photographer, writer, and activist. She lives on a mountain top southwest of Denver. GILES CLASEN is a freelance photographer who regularly contributes his work to the VOICE for editorial projects, fundraisers, and events. He has also served on the VOICE’s Board of Directors. ROBERT DAVIS is a freelance reporter for the Denver VOICE. His work has also appeared in Colorado Public Works Journal, Fansided, Colorado Journal, and Medium.com. DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG @OCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Seybold MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Kelly Nix GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing DOUG HRDLICKA is a Denver native who reports on the city’s changes. PHOTOGRAPHERS/ILLUSTRATORS Paula Bard Giles Clasen WRITERS Paula Bard Giles Clasen Robert Davis Maggie Hadden Doug Hrdlicka Gregory Miller Benjamin Eric Nelson WHAT WE DO The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We give our vendors a job and help them tell their stories; this creates a space for them to be part of a community again. Vendors purchase copies of the VOICE for 50 cents each at our distribution center. This money pays for a portion of our production costs. Vendors can buy as many papers as they want; they then sell those papers to the public for a suggested $2 donation. The difference in cost ($1.50) is theirs to keep. WHO WE ARE The Denver VOICE is a nonprofit that publishes a monthly street newspaper. Our vendors are men and women in the metro Denver area experiencing homelessness and poverty. Since 2007, we have put more than 4,000 vendors to work. Our mission is to facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community. We are an award-winning publication, a member of the International Network of Street Papers and the Colorado Press Association, and we abide by the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Michelle Stapleton, Vice President Lori Holland, Treasurer Jeff Cuneo, Secretary Donovan Cordova Raelene Johnson Josh Kauer Craig Solomon Zephyr Wilkins EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT editor@denvervoice.org VENDOR PROGRAM program@denvervoice.org • 303.539.7226 ADVERTISING ads@denvervoice.org MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 VENDOR OFFICE 1600 Downing St., Ste. 230, Denver, CO 80218 With the money they make selling the VOICE, vendors are able to pay for their basic needs. Our program provides vendors with an immediate income and a support group of dedicated staff members and volunteers. Vendors are independent contractors who receive no base pay. OFFICE HOURS: For the immediate future, we will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open. New vendors must arrive between 9 and 10 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE July 2020 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US ׉ 7cassandra://xT1_O_VA65a0-5OsTRtePUDkE0uLGDJYSfhYVXemiDw`^, ks׉E"VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY & LOCAL NEWS OUR Streets: MIGUEL BY PAULA BARD I STAY ON THE STREETS NOW, pretty much in front of the Mission (sleeping quarters upstairs are not wheelchair accessible). I grew up in Curtis Park. This is my neighborhood. I’ve been in a wheelchair for about three years. Something just happened with my back and my legs with my nerves not acting right. The doctors — it’s always three visits to get anything done. It’s the same drill for everything. Come on, man. I don’t like that. I don’t need more mind games. It’s been a financial strain because I get no money. I’m not getting food stamps. No ID. All my stuff has been stolen twice. CREDIT: PAULA BARD Out here I’ve got friends I consider family, we’re all out here struggling together. All going through the same things. ■ Author’s Note: In the fall of 2015, just ahead of Colorado’s winter, Denver sent the full force of its police department and SWAT team to destroy five tiny homes that people “living without homes” had built north of downtown. Something in me snapped: Denver is behaving like a bully! Denver has more than 6,000 people without homes, and more than 3,000 trying to survive on its streets. It is an ugly business. In 2012, Denver passed an urban-camping ban making it illegal for the homeless to protect themselves with “any form of cover or protection from the elements other than clothing.” Violations can bring a $999 fine or a year in jail. I began walking those streets where the homeless are trying to survive, photographing the faces and collecting the stories of those my city has abandoned. So began OUR Streets – stories of Denver’s unhoused residents. DHOL posted videos of the` Denver Department of Public CITY OFFICIALS FAIL TO PROVIDE REQUIRED HOMELESS SENSITIVITY TRAINING BY ROBERT DAVIS DENVER OFFICIALS HAVE FAILED to provide sensitivity training, which is required by the February 26, 2019, settlement agreement in Lyall v. City and County of Denver. The training is for city employees and contractors who regularly interact with homeless people. The training requirements contained in the settlement are: “Denver’s Road Home shall develop training on homeless sensitivity for City employees and contractors who regularly interact with people who are experiencing homelessness. Denver Homeless Out Loud and other advocacy groups may provide suggestions or recommendations concerning the sensitivity training, but Denver’s Road Home shall retain the ultimate responsibility for developing and providing the training. The sensitivity training shall take place on an annual basis.” The Denver VOICE filed two open records requests with the Department of Housing Stability (HOST), one in January and again in June, to retrieve any documents from Denver’s Road Home related to sensitivity training conducted. Denver replied that the training had not taken place yet. Attorney Jason Flores-Williams, who represented the homeless plaintiffs in Lyall, told the Denver VOICE that he “isn’t going to be a jerk about” the city not providing the training because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For their part, Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) put together a three-page document outlining several aspects of the homeless experience that city officials need to keep in mind during their frequent interactions with homeless people. Specifics covered in the training document include accessibility to basic life-sustaining activities such as eating, sleeping, and using the restroom, as well as understanding the trauma underlying the homeless experience itself. “We will never address homelessness in our society if we do not treat it as the systemic problem it is, as opposed to an individual problem of individual homeless people,” DHOL’s training document reads. Meanwhile, the city has conducted several homeless sweeps of camps, including sites near the state capitol, in Lincoln Park, on the property of St. John’s Catholic Church, and others. Many of these camps have been cleared by city employees before providing the required seven-day notices stating when and where a homeless sweep will occur. Health and Environment (DDPHE) employees clearing a camp from 21st Avenue. and Stout Street. City employees posted a notice saying the camps would be “access restricted” only minutes before conducting the sweep. In mid-June, DDPHE also cleared a camp of more than 250 residents from the area near 22nd and Stout St., claiming that the camp presented a threat to public health. However, the city recently conducted voluntary COVID testing within the camp and found no cases of COVID. At the time this article was written, more than 100 homeless people living in the city’s shelter system have tested positive for COVID. It remains to be seen when the City will be able to provide the sensitivity training. ■ HOMELESS COMMUNITIES CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE DURING GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS BY ROBERT DAVIS SEVERAL HOMELESS COMMUNITIES in Denver found themselves caught in the crossfire between Denver police officers and rioters as some of the protests over the in-custody death of George Floyd turned violent. A camp in the Lincoln Park neighborhood had a tent burned by a smoke bomb Denver police officers threw at protesters. Another tent and several blankets were also damaged during the encounter. And another camp at Colfax and Broadway was forcibly removed as police fired pepper balls and tear gas at protesters indiscriminately. One woman at the camp was hospitalized for stomach issues she believed were caused by the amount of pepper spray police officers used. Amidst the chaos that ensued during the first nights of the protests, some homeless people in the community still aren’t blaming the police for their tactics. “I actually thanked the cops because nobody got blown up and they left us alone,” a man identified as Rook told Denverite. “The cops did their work right.” However, the ACLU of Colorado and Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL), a housing rights advocacy organization, both condemned the police tactics that led to the injury of protesters and the city’s most vulnerable residents. DHOL activists drew a link between the George Floyd protests and the plight of homeless people across the country. “Police terrorize people for being homeless, who are forced to survive in public, every day. These fights are all together,” they wrote in a Facebook post. The ACLU took issue with the militarization of Denver’s police force and the city-wide curfew implemented in response to the protests. “We are alarmed at the increasing militarization of Denver police, and Mayor Hancock’s decision to impose a weeklong curfew in Denver and Governor Polis’ decision to call in the Colorado National Guard,” the organization said in a statement. “This city-wide curfew is an unprecedented and extraordinary measure that poses a risk of selective enforcement in Black and Brown communities.” The National Alliance to End Homelessness found that more than 60 percent of homeless people nationwide are non-white, even though minorities make up 25 percent of the population. In Denver, more than half of the city’s homeless population is non-white, according to the 2019 Point in Time count. During the protests, three homeless people were arrested for curfew violations. Each of them was subsequently released and all charges against them were dropped by the Denver District Attorney. In response to the treatment of protesters and vulnerable communities by city police officers, lawmakers introduced SB-217, known as The Law Enforcement Accountability Act. The bill would end qualified immunity for police officers and require their body cameras to record any contact police officers have with the public. “Now is the time for accountability. We are committed to working with lawmakers and stakeholders from all communities, in every corner of our state, to create and reform systems and policies that tear down the systemic and structural racism that is tearing our country apart,” the ACLU said. ■ JAVIER DE JESUS SITS AT HIS CAMP ON 13TH STREET AS BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTORS GO BY. “The protests made everything feel a lot more dangerous out here. Fires. Pepper Spray. More people. More police. It is more dangerous right now. I support what they’re doing. I’ve experienced police brutality. That’s why I’m homeless. The police arrested me over a fi ght with my wife. I made the mistake of calling the police when she was out of control. When they got there, they arrested me. That arrest literally destroyed my life, took everything from me.” PHOTO CREDIT: GILES CLASEN tied July 2020 DENVER VOICE 3 ׉ 7cassandra://JvoC6bJjEVzi_CHm2_B9Y1CVuEwlccLGfjtYqJxLHj4%5`^, kt^, ks בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://qRH7w6DHxlcSE41t0A0YysLPbc2tNY3GaEP-6aa_eJ8t`׉ 7cassandra://9ezdE_XpUONxD3sfAjMJDcRKihk9ogYXgBao142exCU~6`q׉ 7cassandra://xRGck77pgKytIOcMnvmDNntN7aZYTs1300eC2AuwUFA(`׉ 7cassandra://lf2AIEZxllnxqYVvEZFLux4OdMONN2_MKIRVW5bUo6g͠T^, kט  u׉׉ 7cassandra://QvlgduFluUV_jSBh55DR26rAgPBECEVQMVJRqc_2NnY9`׉ 7cassandra://nbjhNejzYCattgSLDmcpemrF2aNXejnWNsh9IWbKWtwz`q׉ 7cassandra://KyODIb1jFhrgqJJrxTY1pZz0ecHbZt0IWl7xffBy8M8(s`׉ 7cassandra://e7hfpTPdWaBz803bZsLVygd8s7L4KUBe9ziPkiV-VUU"͠T^, k׉EDENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY CREDIT: PAULA BARD TERESE HOWARD WITH DHOL TALKS ABOUT DENVER’S ONGOING SWEEPS BY PAULA BARD TERESE HOWARD works with Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL), a gritty, five-person organization that strives relentlessly to give voice to Denver’s citizens experiencing homelessness. She walks the large encampments growing on the northern edge of downtown and knows first-hand the extent of this humanitarian crisis. Recently, the Denver VOICE spoke with Howard about Denver restarting the “sweeps” after a several-month respite dictated by the CDC as a safety measure during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Sweeps consist of the city breaking down homeless encampments, scooping up people’s belongings, forcing the people to move, and often fencing off the area. Sweeps have been a regular activity for years, the city’s attempt to quell Denver’s exploding homeless population. DHOL blasts out news of the streets on social media, and they raise legal challenges to the city over the inhumane treatment of those without homes. They bring bills to the legislature and ballot initiatives to the City of Denver, seeking to bring down (so far, unsuccessfully) Denver’s camping ban, which has made life a living hell for those on Denver’s streets. In the last week of May, during the sweep of the blocks around California Street and 22nd Avenue, DHOL handed out 100 tents in three days and fed 60 people home-cooked dinners. They also helped many of the displaced relocate their meager belongings. DENVER VOICE: Terese, give me your take on what is happening to the community because of the harassment, moving, and displacement. Do you get a sense of what it does to people with this much disruption in their lives, the trauma associated with it? Terese Howard: So, with Corona, a lot of outside help dried up. There was a period of about two months when there was relative stability. Not the regular sweep disruption. During that time, people were starting to build community in a much deeper way, like really getting to know their neighbors. There was a lot more effort to keep the camps clean, folks were up to invest in the space. What happens when people have stability, and they are able to put their lives together? I see people more likely to get jobs, more likely to work on social progress things, more likely to stay in contact with case managers. Increased general understanding of who’s your community, looking out for each other. 4 DENVER VOICE July 2020 Safety issues? Safer for women? Able to get help if they need it? Yeah, people know this [tent] is where I can go, they stay in this tent, this is who I can talk to. When it isn’t a stable camp, this all gets disrupted, throws people into a lot of chaos. Folks don’t know where to go; people lose property, disconnect from friends and social safety nets. Moving to another camp with no safety net, they don’t know who can help out. People that are disabled and have health issues depend on other campers to look out for them. [So, when camps are disrupted] they are left on their own. In the camps when people are disabled, do other people in the community help them out with things, get food, set up tents? Would you agree with the statistic that 40 percent of those living on the street without homes are disabled? Yes, and various types of disabilities, like some folks who have a physical disability where they are not able to set up a tent or move or haul things, they depend on somebody else to do that for them. That’s one of the most tragic things about the effects on so many people that are super vulnerable and disabled or are struggling, [they] just get totally screwed. They depend on a safe encampment to turn to when they have crises and other needs. ׉ 7cassandra://xRGck77pgKytIOcMnvmDNntN7aZYTs1300eC2AuwUFA(`^, ku׉EwDENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD What kinds of crises? Mental breakdown or women that are raped or abused, couples that are having relationship problems . . . People with physical disabilities can’t take care of themselves, they need someone to go get food for them, throw away the pee bottle for them, and give them that level of care. And when it comes to the sweeps and that level of disruption when you’re physically disabled, the process of packing up and moving is super difficult if you don’t have a community that you are doing that with. As to shelters, if you choose to stay in a shelter, you have no level of autonomy or control over what you do or what things you have with you. Just the fact that we don’t even think about valuing these things, the ability to choose who you hang out with. Who you are sleeping next to. . . Having some extra things, the value of the privacy of a tent, a visual barrier from other people. How is it that as a society, we can’t see the value of all these things, completely bypass all of these and say no, shelters are the answer!? Just a roof and warmth. Ah, no, like are you completely ignorant of other human needs and desires, like human choice and freedom? Shelters are not conducive to that. And people just think you’re homeless, you don’t have the right to make those kinds of choices. You give up your rights You should be able to sleep till 8 a.m.; you should have that as a choice. Yeah, it is so ridiculous how disconnected we are from the human experience, and like why people choose different environments. Why do you think people are disconnected from this experience? I don’t know. Part of it is just discrimination against the homeless community, you know, they don’t deserve those freedoms, luxuries, or whatever. These are luxuries, aren’t they? That’s what they act like, like a couch, for example. If you are a homeless person and you have a couch? People flip their shit. They’re like “a couch, you’re homeless!” Things like that, like having more stuff, like having a pet. But all these things are things that housed people already have. Most housed people have TVs and couches. They are used to having these. But I do think a lot of it comes from, things about our own lives in general, as a housed society in general — like we’re not thinking about the privileges of the house, that may be part of CREDIT: PAULA BARD July 2020 DENVER VOICE 5 it. Like people are blind to their privileges, they’re just used to having these privileges so don’t actually recognize that those things are of value. Or understand them as human needs. I would wonder if people just find it hard to pay attention or if they have been taught not to see. Do we have an inability to see and take in another human being’s experience, a lack of empathy? People turn to the most egregious things first, even if it’s a perfectly clean, low-profile camp. These camps still get the heat of the neighbors. It is the idea of the tent representing the person who is not living in society. Breaking the rules. Rule-breaking, fear of people outside. Challenges the whole system, somehow something is wrong with the whole system. Also, there are these huge cultural differences, ways of dealing with conflict. Very different ways of dealing with a lot of things. Street culture vs. upper-class house culture. A lot of it is race-related, a lot of racist stuff. Yelling loudly to find community solutions (for instance), turning to violence as opposed to calling cops, not using the criminal justice system. Not trusting the criminal justice system is very much a race issue. At this point, 40 percent of the nation’s homeless population is African American. Things like that are major cultural differences. And this is an issue with service providers, too. Most of them are middleclass white folks and don’t necessarily set the services up in a way that understands that there are differences in cultural ways of being. On the housed neighbor-side, they look down and see people yelling at each other and think there’s some kind of fight going on. It might just be people joking or whatever. ■ ׉ 7cassandra://KyODIb1jFhrgqJJrxTY1pZz0ecHbZt0IWl7xffBy8M8(s`^, kv^, ku בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://PacAGLs5IZZUuQY6gdlI1QoyGlHQff3NSC_63d_VhAkJ`׉ 7cassandra://VK1advZ_Yr2mxqyrcTeRn-A_4gpkOwNgHifSqzZVqMcy`q׉ 7cassandra://lCWIS_8kIuOE2htoldH39GkVjuv3TvuK2K5TUZ1p_qM)`׉ 7cassandra://WPfxL4HgYEc0-8ZM52elaQn0uadOxqUXBmbuLpI7PD8 P ͠T^, kט  u׉׉ 7cassandra://m3AlhQDibNsmYVQ3JsrfEBbSxWMS11_MI7Q92DIDjVE"N`׉ 7cassandra://haQ3WpIGyfB1cZ6PFqQRgyowr5YlkQJFdNzCUwRRMGsx#`q׉ 7cassandra://-yi3E721ahYHSd0JtU6McfpePHwKnum46TL3TuRvDRM&`׉ 7cassandra://R6CTDuKfU4-mFDrD6HrWWCqmIMJ3gmIsug7pVv-GElw# ͠T^, k׉EvDENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY CREDIT: GILES CLASEN REACHING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE: A CONVERSATION WITH TAY ANDERSON BY GILES CLASEN TAY ANDERSON IS IN HIS FIRST TERM as a Denver Public School Board member, serving as its at-large director. He was elected at 21 years-old beating two older – some might say – more experienced candidates. He started participating in social activism at a young age and has experienced time in foster care and as a homeless teenager. Anderson has been vocal on social media about what he perceives as injustices, and in what direction the Denver Public Schools should go to address the needs of minority students. Just one month after being elected to his position on the DPS School Board, Anderson received the Rising Star Award at the Colorado Democrat’s 3rd Annual Obama Dinner – which no doubt is the first of many awards he will receive for his thoughtful leadership. Here are excerpts from a recent conversation with Anderson, edited for length and clarity. GETTING STARTED “My senior year of high school I was a homeless student trying to figure out what my place in society was. And it became apparent that we didn’t have representation. I was reflecting on a conversation that I had with then-schoolboard member Happy Haynes around a decision that was made to co-locate my current high school with a middle school. And I asked her, 6 DENVER VOICE July 2020 ‘Why wasn’t our decision – our voices – why weren’t our voices included in your decision, and what do we need to do to have our voices heard?’” And she responded, “Well, you need to run for School Board and win like the rest of us.” “So, I ran for School Board in 2017 as an 18 year-old high school senior, and I lost. I came third place, got 6,200 votes, and lost to Vice President Jennifer Bacon. I then went to work for DPS, where I started off as an executive assistant to my former principal. Then I went in to [work with a first-grade class] and did some para-professional work. From there, I went into campus safety and did some work in Aurora Public Schools. Finally, I moved over to Denver Public Schools and started my career in restorative justice programming. “Throughout my time at North [High School], I decided, ‘I’m going to run for School Board again.’ But this time, for the whole city. And a lot of people doubted [my] ability to run for school board at a citywide level if I just lost a district level. So, I said, ‘I believe we can get this done. I just need you to believe in me.’ And there were people that told me there was no way Denver would elect a 21 year-old Black male to a citywide seat. That’s just not possible. I said, ‘All right, cool.’” When he ran for the School Board, Anderson faced a Republican opponent and a Democratic opponent. A registered Democrat in an unaffiliated race, Anderson was outspent. “One of my opponents raised millions of dollars, and they had millions of dollars supporting them on the soft side, and I won. It was a shocker. We came out with 51 percent of the vote in a three-way race. 67,213 votes. We led with an 18,000-vote margin. And we won 82 percent of Denver precincts. And that was all through community activism, grassroots, and meeting people where they were at.” STAYING IN THE FIGHT Those who have observed Anderson over the past few years have seen him emerge as the community leader he was destined to become. They also have seen that Anderson is not one to give up easily.” “You often see politicians lose a race, and then they disappear,” said Anderson, “but I decided to stay in the fight. It’s not like I went and did something else and then tried to run again. I did exactly what I loved. I wanted to make sure people were able to see themselves reflected in the classroom. So, I stayed in education. I did the fight, did the work, and came out on top because I led with bold ideas that had real solutions.” ׉ 7cassandra://lCWIS_8kIuOE2htoldH39GkVjuv3TvuK2K5TUZ1p_qM)`^, kw׉E=DENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY CREDIT: GILES CLASEN CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Since winning his seat on the school board, Anderson has seen almost every one of the issues on which he ran come to fruition. “We’ve ended [having police officers present] in schools. We’ve provided gender-neutral restrooms. We’re now a safe storage district. We updated our policies to educate our kids and families on how to properly store their firearms. We endorsed a measure for students to be able to vote in school board elections. There’s so much more work to do, but the majority of the things I ran on have already been accomplished in under 200 days. “I worked in a school that had two SROs (school resource officers) on site. Some days, they weren’t there, some days they were. I’ve dealt with fights. I’ve dealt with drugs. I’ve dealt with weapons. [We were able to work with officers] by having good communication with my team and with the school administration about when to properly get involved, the cops involved. The cops in Aurora were actually kind of a hands-off approach most of the time. They sent a lot of stuff back to the school. But there were non-negotiables. “I can’t take a weapon and then not expect the [school resource officer] not to do anything about it, right? So, there are non-negotiables, and then there are things where we can have a little bit more leverage in saying, ‘Is this something that they can just be given a detention or suspension for, versus them getting a ticket that impacts them their entire life?’” DRAWING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE Anderson recognizes the importance of establishing relationships through open communication, but his own experience is what sets him apart from most community leaders. “I think it really came down to understanding the background of the students,” said Anderson. “Not all students have the same background, nor do they share the same story. And so, listening to those kids and their stories also impacted the way that I did my job. Nobody wants to see kids get in trouble. There are times where you must be able to step in and say, ‘How can I help?’ versus, ‘You’re doing this wrong.’ “When I was homeless, I had a family near northeast Denver that took me in and allowed me to stay with them [until] six months after I graduated high school, and then I decided to save up my money and get my own place and move out. And that’s how that happened. “The first week [I was homeless], I was on the street, and then I went to living with my family. [Denver Public Schools] gave support because they have a program for homeless students. [I became homeless] just because of disagreements in the home and just…just situations that led to us departing or going our separate ways. Me and my mother have a really good relationship now. I’ve never met my father. STANDING WITH HIS COMMUNITY “I got involved with Black Lives Matter in the summer of 2016, when Philando Castile was killed. I don’t know if it impacted my campaigns because that was years before I ran. But I was in the community doing activism before I was elected. It was definitely a plus. “I’ve been showing up for my community since, so it’s nothing new to have me out there helping lead. I was on the front lines of the gun control movement here in Colorado and other different movements…I’ve been out doing this work, so it was no surprise that I would be there. I think all elected officials should be helping with their communities. “I was there when the [protests] started the first Friday night [in May 2019], when the riots began. But I got out when they started tear gassing the crowd. “I’m a Black male, so it directly impacts me. I’ve been pulled over; I’ve had negative interactions with law enforcement. I understand, and I live this every day. So, it’s no surprise that I would be out during these times trying to make sure that we’re consistently saying, “Black lives matter.” Because I could have been in one of those who have been killed by police. “[Students] want to use their voices, and so I want to make sure that I’m helping them use their platform. That’s been something that I want to make sure that we’re able to continue to do. They’re my students, so I want to make sure that they’re supported. “I believe that we need to divest certain funds from the police department and put them toward community-based resources. USING THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES “If you’re having a mental health crisis, instead of having a law officer show up to your home, you would have somebody that specializes in mental health showing up to your home. There are several different ways that you can, that we can, help our communities versus calling law enforcement that may not have the same specialty like others do. “I want people to remember to stay involved, continue to support people that are running for office at the local level, state level, and the national level that are going to do a good job for their community, and to make sure that we’re always putting our future generations first. “Now we got to start talking about destroying systems that continue to uphold oppression and white supremacy because they’re everywhere.” Anderson understands there is no simple solution to erase the long history of racism, but that will not hold him back. “It’s going to be a complex process, bringing everybody together to make sure we can bring those changes that we want to see, but we must continue to keep the pressure on and make sure that we’re changing our systems. It’s going to be through elections. It’s going to be supporting those in office that are currently trying to make a change. We need to make sure that people understand there are leaders fighting for them that actually have the power to change policy and to change the laws.” ■ July 2020 DENVER VOICE 7 ׉ 7cassandra://-yi3E721ahYHSd0JtU6McfpePHwKnum46TL3TuRvDRM&`^, kx^, kw בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://hh_YZUQ5agwtgXPnkRc30zQhks6sbMxlClGvgAc57s4`׉ 7cassandra://hkmj7tWvJ4FqehOxBDcsF9Yt5EO5IsdwYPDI92e-GqYmh`q׉ 7cassandra://OAT2ry7QgBMWH_QyXiUS-35hzv1hG7QDbe_1zPZRFdk',`׉ 7cassandra://zsHVGQx790EJLcuhx7uGUCoBp1QjfQ7Mws8T9rkLXFU͠T^, kט  u׉׉ 7cassandra://FGtkoYEN3NbGGRYHwaZYBUJyvuiAMFUHFgf8gitas6c6`׉ 7cassandra://p1U8TR6QAet5ch73EIu-me2gkuaVLKJDa52vmeVIzgErF`q׉ 7cassandra://0W6OMP6ZaCpgt95LxBqWSurQNl8t0wXUJJwtT-t6_ZA$`׉ 7cassandra://9jFOEAo5BgxkZ-SpY92QaNBeGIaaUt6DVX1EP0ATcU8G ͠T^, k׉E 5DENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY CREDIT: GILES CLASEN COMPASSIONATE COLORADO LIVES UP TO ITS NAME BY GILES CLASEN LUCAS GARCIA HASN’T HAD ANY SECOND THOUGHTS about starting an organization to provide aid to Navajo Nation and other tribes during the coronavirus pandemic. He has not backed down from the hard work or the challenges. There were no second thoughts when towing his trailer to Page, Ariz., broke down at 6 a.m. trying to haul a trailer up I-70. There were no second thoughts when the whole team had to pull over, brakes smoking, after hauling trailers over Wolf Creek Pass near Pagosa Springs, Colo. There were no second thoughts even when learning that the hotel they booked in Page had closed. “[Members of the Navajo Nation] need our help, so we’ll do what it takes to help,” Garcia said shrugging off the adversity. Garcia started Compassionate Colorado in the Spring of 2020, but the initial goal had nothing to do with helping Native Americans. “I’m a high school teacher. When school was out [because of COVID-19 shutdowns], my job was kind of null and void,” Garcia said. “I wanted to help out people with the virus. I went to Safeway, and I saw a lot of elderly people there. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN I started that day just shopping for people. I stood outside Safeway, and when people came into the parking lot I would hand them my card and volunteer to shop for them so they didn’t have to risk their health in the store.” Garcia continued to help elderly people shop for a couple weeks, eventually putting a notice up on Facebook volunteering to help anyone in need. While looking at Facebook, Garcia noticed it wasn’t just people in his neighborhood who needed help. He also noticed the people needed more than just having someone shop for them. Through Facebook, Garcia learned about the needs of the Navajo Nation in New Mexico and Arizona. The Navajo Reservation has had a higher rate of COVID-19 transmission than almost any other region in the country. Part of the problem is that most individuals living on the reservation don’t have access to running water, making sanitation against the virus an even more difficult feat. The Navajo Reservation has also shut down most economic activity due to COVID-19. This has had a disproportionate financial impact on a community already 8 DENVER VOICE July 2020 ׉ 7cassandra://OAT2ry7QgBMWH_QyXiUS-35hzv1hG7QDbe_1zPZRFdk',`^, ky׉EDENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY CREDIT: GILES CLASEN CREDIT: GILES CLASEN struggling with poverty. The need for basic supplies was incredible. Garcia connected with a few different Navajo individuals and organizations to learn what he could do to help. Then, he posted his plans to help on Facebook. “The community of Colorado caught on to what we were doing and came out big with donations,” he said. Like the Pied Piper, Garcia started drawing in others to his cause. Among them was Ashlee Lewis, who learned about what Garcia was doing from a friend on Facebook. She had never met Garcia but felt compelled to join his cause. “I was making masks for anyone who needed it,” Lewis said. “A friend said they saw a Facebook post about getting things to Navajo Nation, so I reached out to Lucas. I knew I had to get involved.” Lewis has been involved in nonprofit work for many years and is the executive director of The Initiative, a Denver-based nonprofit that advocates for individuals with disabilities who are the victims of abuse. Her nonprofit experience helped build an organizational structure for Garcia’s work. The two created a donation website to make it easy for individuals to send supplies to Native Americans. Compassionate Colorado now has 25 volunteers along the front range who collect donations from individuals then bring the donations to Garcia’s house right before scheduled delivery to the reservation. Once the items are collected, they are loaded onto trailers and a camper and towed to communities on reservations in South Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Every step of the process is completed by volunteers, including towing the items to where they are needed. The most difficult part of the process is the delivery. “It has been a lot of work to rent a truck,” Lewis said. “We did not anticipate how heavy our loads would be. We did not expect the difficulty of getting through the mountains. The cost of the truck rental is really expensive. The travel times are much worse than we anticipated. Something that should take 7 hours ends up taking us 12 hours to get there. We expected it to take 12 hours to drive to Arizona. Instead, it took 17 or 18 hours. We are so grateful for our wonderful volunteers.” The most difficult part so far has been getting over Wolf Creek Pass. “I was afraid we all were afraid to go over it,” Garcia said. “Halfway down we had to stop and take in the beauty, take pictures, take a deep breath, and take in what that area had to offer. We had to stop to let our brakes cool down, too.” Alicia Martin is one of Compassionate Colorado’s contacts in Page. She and her dad, Franklin Martin, have gathered the donated water and items from Compassionate Colorado and have been getting the donations to individuals and families living on the reservation. They live in the Bodaway-Gap chapter of the Navajo Reservation, where few people have electricity in their homes, and fewer have plumbing. The reservation has been shut down since the early days of the pandemic, and many families have moved back to the isolated reservation to escape possible exposure to the virus. The Martins are driving water, food, cleaning supplies, and hand sanitizer down unmarked roads to deliver what Compassionate Colorado has collected to houses that have no addresses. “We’re trying to keep people home,” Franklin Martin said. “We’re delivering food. We have disinfectants and Clorox to help them clean everything. We clean everything they get [from Compassionate Colorado]. We inform them not to go anywhere. This virus is not good.” So far, Compassionate Colorado has delivered more than 3,000 gallons of water as well as thousands of food and cleaning items. When a delivery is made, every single item is disinfected by hand, using a bleach mixture to ensure the coronavirus won’t inadvertently be carried onto the reservation. “Our biggest fear is taking COVID to the reservations,” Lewis said. “So, we are making sure we are taking all the safety precautions we can. Masks, gloves, and we are starting to implement getting ourselves tested before and after each trip.” The organization’s work is starting to have an impact for communities on the Navajo Reservation. “Since compassionate Colorado – there is a tiny relief,” Alicia Martin said. “Groups [on the reservation] reached out and asked for help. People I know have reached out or given us the names of family members they want us to check on. We have supplies to help.” For Compassionate Colorado, the work is just getting started. They have filed paperwork to become a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and are planning to help Native communities through the pandemic and beyond. “With every delivery – once we are unloading – we take a moment on the side to share a few tears together,” Lewis said. “Because of the work, the organization, the volunteers, and everything it took to get there, it is a huge relief of mission accomplished when we get there. There is so much more to do.” ■ July 2020 DENVER VOICE 9 ׉ 7cassandra://0W6OMP6ZaCpgt95LxBqWSurQNl8t0wXUJJwtT-t6_ZA$`^, kz^, ky בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://cgpndeWeCHVUyPX8LjnehLtQl7qzi25nsq2YxBqvOT8V`׉ 7cassandra://lYS0v8T6EvGXGOFLE9tmYQ2PoKDZqgX0_AfHXwuc_Fop`q׉ 7cassandra://TMbAISP3tFj_BD7WR3MNFXWoCkE7lK-7YvIBh795B_s%Z`׉ 7cassandra://v8aLz_43mhswlvDCVmZxv4Px0ON4x1EcQvRXZSu6g9Qt(͠T^, kט  u׉׉ 7cassandra://zUImoUJn4nUl5M2njls2iICMnVMkkNTh6eJcIgRNxsg`׉ 7cassandra://8xtPIrIhKCvt97QF79ObLWSo1kcJwUj3ox6Yf04IV-Qy`q׉ 7cassandra://9B5w0MF2SQaNzx0orGXifBXnwiwUnDLuTfYFr-q88n4$`׉ 7cassandra://Pnm04Tp0p19ltlX8z4_YbD2HjjETIvQ5fp0jrVE_T3I* ͠T^, k׉EDENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY RACHEL GRAHAM. CREDIT: DOUG HRDLICKA KYMI PARKER. CREDIT: DOUG HRDLICKA DURING PANDEMIC, LOCAL ARTISTS OPEN UP NEW AVENUES BY DOUG HRDLICKA THIS SUMMER, although restricted in many ways, can still be the year we hoped for ourselves as we faced the end of December and looked forward to the year ahead. That resolution of new skills to learn, books to read, or healthier routines to adopt may seem like a vestige of 2019, but it is most certainly not. Amid the throes of a pandemic are people dedicated to their craft, who are opening up avenues for people to share in that craft and stay the course. Following is a look at four Denver-based artists, whose creativity is an inspiration for those of us who, despite the strains of the COVID pandemic, have a desire to learn and fulfill personal resolutions. RACHEL GRAHAM is trained in theater and has made a career as a performer, starring in shows such as Peter Pan. Her keen knowledge and predilection towards all things theater would lead to opportunities in directing and teaching. Her understanding of stage acting would give way to photographing performances in which she had no role. Before the pandemic forced theaters to close, Graham’s schedule was rigorous and booked as far out as October, but such a demanding schedule is merely business as usual for a workaholic. “I started shooting shows when I wasn’t in the cast, and I slowly became one of the number one theatrical photographers in Colorado,” said Graham, who typically booked two to four shoots each week. “On March 10, the rug was just ripped out.” The pandemic would come, and a wave of closures would 10 DENVER VOICE July 2020 follow, devastating Graham’s schedule for the foreseeable future. It was a huge blow. But those who work in theater learn resilience because “the show must go on,” and Graham refuses to let the curtain drop before the scene is through. She was taken back by the onslaught of closures, and her prosperity seemed slight, but a new calling would emerge. A parent reached out to her through Facebook asking if she had any classes on Zoom available for children. At that time Graham didn’t offer such a class, nor was one in the works. Recognizing the situation as an opportunity, not just to get back to work but to teach aspiring young actors a trade that will surely help them on their path, Graham built a syllabus. Being an actor in theater means versatility, and one skill that can be the difference between appearing on stage and watching as an audience member is the performers’ makeup. Applying stage makeup may seem like a simple task but it requires artistry and focus. Graham’s vocation and natural curiosity lend themselves to such knowledge and ability. “If you learn how to do it, and you also have the skills and the reference sheet, when theaters are open again, [the art of applying stage makeup] would be a handy skill,” said Graham. The course Graham designed is offered in two parts, the first being about how to work with stage makeup. This class begins with contouring and smoothing everything out. Next, Graham teaches shadowing and highlighting to give shape, leading to the darkening of hard lines that look real even to the people in the back row of the theater. Lastly, part one of the course addresses texturing. The combination of all these techniques allows a person to change their face to nearunrecognizable, and the final result of the first course teaches how to apply makeup to transform an actor of any age into an old person with liver spots. The second part of the course is all about the special effects of stage makeup. This is where her students learn the technique of creating scars, or blisters, or applying mermaid makeup — whatever is needed to give life to fantasy and sci-fi. The art of makeup is like many other crafts in that if it’s done with skill and diligence, then it will appear easy, but that assumption can’t be further from the truth. A big part as to why it is difficult can be partly attributed to the time required. The makeup needs to be stripped or reapplied during a performance while maintaining true-to-life contouring because even a green-faced ghoul has textured skin with highlights and shadows. “I’ve always wanted to do a makeup class,” said Graham, “and they [theaters] give me all these duck noises of excuses, and I’m like ‘ok, well I think it will be cool, I think the kids will like it.’” It took a pandemic for Graham to be able to teach stage makeup, and she suffered a great loss, but future performers and makeup artists will be better prepared with her guidance. So, whether for theater or the zombie walk, makeup is a skill that will most certainly serve whoever learns it. If classes on stage makeup aren’t your forte then perhaps dance is. And not many move with grace and poise like Kymi Parker. KYMI PARKER began dancing when she was eight-years-old, focusing on classical. Her training began in Albuquerque, N.M., and she would grow in technical skill but found it hard for the genre to accept all body types, and she was often discouraged from pursuing it as a career. “My entire life I’ve said I want to grow up and be a professional dancer,” said Parker, “Many teachers and my parents were like ‘You’re good but…,’ and it was always because dance was a mean-ass world. There is very little body positivity in classical dance.” But when she was in her early 20s, she took a trip to Denver to visit her sister and found The Clocktower, where she saw for the first time, professional dancers of all cut and creed performing ׉ 7cassandra://TMbAISP3tFj_BD7WR3MNFXWoCkE7lK-7YvIBh795B_s%Z`^, k{׉EDENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY with eloquence. Upon returning home, Parker quickly found a burlesque performance group who took her in and elevated her to a status of such notoriety that when The Clocktower had an opening, she auditioned, and they took her on. “I was walking down 16th Street Mall, saw The Clocktower Cabaret clapboard about the show that was happening that night and was like, ‘This looks awesome, let’s go see what it is.’ I went and saw my very first burlesque show ever, and it was this moment where the emcee and the performers looked more like me than any other professional dancer.” She made similar strides there and became a staple in the community. Then, the pandemic hit. Like many others, Parker’s job ended abruptly, but nothing can be gained through submission, so she took to the web to impart a “lifetime of training and performance” to those who wish to express themselves through movement. Parker teaches a variety of dance, from ballet techniques to burlesque. She has taught in professional studios before but prefers small, more intimate classes. The idea behind it is people want specific things out of a class, and her ability to cater to the desires of the individual gives them a greater experience. “When you do private lessons and have one or two people, it is so much easier to be like ‘Hey, do you have any physical limitations?’ I just think that the amount you can absorb in an hour of private lessons as opposed to a class is so much more.” Along with teaching classes, Parker and The Clocktower ensemble will be live streaming shows. On the docket are Disney performances and a variety of other shows. It could be, though, that reorganizing your apartment or house to impart something reflective of yourself or cozy for evenings in is the goal. Well, best begin with the walls, and nothing cures monotone décor much like art. LA’ DONNA JONES sums up her work as “loud colors.” It is of no particular style or genre, but merely a melding of how she experiences the world. “I’ve always thought about that question, ‘What is the style of my art?’” Jones said. “I don’t know how to legitimately answer that question, and the reason why is because I don’t know what that means. That work style is very like, sterile. I have to categorize how I feel… I don’t know,” Jones added. Much like the previous two artists mentioned, Jones has dedicated her life to her art. It flows through her like a river cutting through a canyon emerging on canvas as a single piece greater than the parts it took to make. Landing with it is the success of overcoming self-doubt and all the challenges it takes to believe that course is the correct one. Jones was born in Madison, Wis., where she connected to her desire for art and to produce it, a practice that drove her. There was a five-year lapse when she felt the pressure to get a “real job” and ended up in a job as a debt collector. The job deprived her of what she lived for, art. And it wasn’t until a particularly hard call with an elderly woman who just lost her husband when Jones examined her course and concluded that it was time to step back to the thing that gave her life. “She told me that living your life for someone else is so easy, being who you are is so much harder, but it’s worth it,” said Jones about the conversation she had with the elderly woman. “I was like, ‘I got to go.’ I’m 26 years-old and I don’t know what I’m doing with my life, but this isn’t it.” That move led her to meet people who were connected to the art world and saw in her what she knew was in herself. She began teaching and commissioning work, and those people who were integral are still part of her life today. She eventually found herself in Denver, where she continues to build a network of artists to give to the world what it gave to her and facilitate the flow of art from the marginalized artist to the curator or enthusiast. “I don’t want to be fearful; I don’t want to be afraid to be me, and I don’t want other people to feel that way, especially teenagers. Teenagers are going to be a huge part of this program,” Jones said about the soon-to-be artist collaborative Brush Box Arts. To have a piece commissioned by Jones, the buyer undergoes a process where she seeks to understand you, to know what moves you, and show what’s in your heart through her loud colors. “You reached out to me for my particular version of art and with that being said I have to give it to you my way. But I need to know you a little at least to get a feel of what you’ll see when you walk past your piece, will you see you or will you see me, or will it be a feeling you try to evoke in your home?” said Jones. All art creates a story, one that moves us, and it does so by taking us on a journey provoked by our own understanding of the world. It works like a ship and its crew, synchronized to land us at a destination, and if theater was the crew, painting the ship, and dance the tasks it takes to operate, then music would be the wind that moves it. DAN GRANT is a music teacher who tutors online. He found music as a teenager and, as unlikely as it sounds, developed a fondness for it through skateboarding. “Skateboarding kind of opened some doors to some music that I didn’t know existed, and it sparked a passion in me,” said Grant. It wasn’t until after high school that Grant sought to elevate his love for the art and turn it into a lifelong pursuit. He had taken lessons early in life and grew his talent through practice. He would later audition at Metropolitan State University and be denied. Dedicated as he was, it did not temper his desire. Before his second audition, Grant took lessons. A friend of his reached out and offered to teach art music, a category that enlists both classic and jazz. The interim between auditions was six months, but what he gained in that short period set him apart from his prior attempt. “The second audition I passed with flying colors,” said Grant. “It’s really important to distinguish what I was interested in and what these people wanted to hear.” For the next four years, music would be what sustained him, it was in the water he drank and the air he breathed. Grant would practice for recitals and join multiple bands over his tenure at MSU. He would gradually begin sharing his knowledge of piano and guitar and tutor other aspiring musicians. And if any of his students part with something, it should be to strive in being the player that they can be. “Music is about you,” said Grant. ”If you’re somebody who’s interested in it — I always encourage it — if you do it, realize it’s about you and your development. The benefits, I think, are pretty high.” We have all lost a great deal because of the pandemic, but what is certain is that many of us refuse to fold under the pressure and instead find that spark within that allows us to rise to the challenges. ■ LA’ DONNA JONES. CREDIT: DOUG HRDLICKA DAN GRANT. CREDIT: DOUG HRDLICKA July 2020 DENVER VOICE 11 ׉ 7cassandra://9B5w0MF2SQaNzx0orGXifBXnwiwUnDLuTfYFr-q88n4$`^, k|^, k{ בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://B_2uvNRSMW65cdyrk4_W2ImUs7IWxhBhxBEUWsmGEIg`׉ 7cassandra://DuS1jaiLzbm3PAlmINt3G67DLY_ig_X1W_Pk21v4a_c̀`q׉ 7cassandra://4oXO736MuKmNey8Q1p4LWSz3d8urj0I4Q25hQb_QI4M,`׉ 7cassandra://9gmvFJmFZT8MicIISy9WnT0PJKEpFssB8Y_vs4doIJ4͠T^, kט  u׉׉ 7cassandra://0_5NPtQ8r-rIj22SoWg8EJBr3NSlXkxH8jz_Xi8Q4cs`׉ 7cassandra://yC99Tb-4Ewd1THbUGuEtpMphwKXxZ-P85k8_JylOyFAF`q׉ 7cassandra://Aho5ztPeLYJO4xm6ye-kTukjGNUXVaxcKyBT-qNyetA`׉ 7cassandra://AL19Cn03BO6eujh4j1gZDaCdkimWnJaHiBT609Q75Xg͠T^, kנ^, kň9ׁHhttp://writedenver.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, kasX9ׁH,http://lighthousewriters.org/workshop/denverׁ ׁ Ј׉E DENVER’S HIDDEN GEMS OF HUMANITY SHAPE-SHIFTING WITH COMMUNITY CARE COLLECTIVE BY PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD WHILE THE WORLD WAS SHUTTING DOWN in mid-March, Community Care Collective became sharply aware of the growing hunger around them. The health care clinic in Curtis Park, north of downtown Denver, slowly turned its focus to food justice and partially away from health care, acupuncture, and LGBTQ support. The Curtis Park neighborhood is now laced with burgeoning homeless encampments. Boxes and stacks of food have now edged out the clinic space, leaving just a few treatment rooms. Community Care Collective, still living up to its name, has become a bustling place with a new purpose. When I asked Courtney Carag, a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist about Community Care Collective, she responded, “Is it food justice? I think it’s one arm. We believe food is a right, not a privilege.” Courtney and Jules Carag, the energetic force behind this evolving project, feed 1500 sandwiches a week from their makeshift wagon, hand-pulled through Curtis Park, and then on to the homeless encampments north of downtown. Eight to 10 volunteers help make hundreds of sandwiches and fill multiple brown paper bags with overflow donations from Food Bank of the Rockies, Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage, and Food Not Bombs. Their diversified offerings include ham and cheese, turkey, salami, peanut butter and jelly, bagels and cream cheese. They always offer a choice and a bottle of water. “We started with ham and cheese, but we needed more options. Some people don’t eat meat, some people don’t eat pork, and the whole point is everybody gets fed regardless. So, we make sure there is something for everyone. Some people don’t have any teeth, or are in immune-compromised conditions and have trouble swallowing. We have donations of liquid and protein meal drinks; they love these.” Courtney tells me this while hauling multiple containers overflowing with paper bags up a flight of stairs to their borrowed car/supply van. 12 DENVER VOICE July 2020 CREDIT: PAULA BARD And it’s not just food; they distribute toilet paper (2000 rolls since March) and bags of essentials for women. Jules told me, “hygiene supplies are a privilege these days, not everybody has access.” I accompanied them on their route on a warm Saturday afternoon in June. Jules pulled the wagon, and Courtney drove the supply van. Jules hands sandwich bags to many regulars who are grateful and enthusiastic about his visit. They are friends by now, he knows them by name. He tells CREDIT: PAULA BARD them he will be back tomorrow. Lots of smiles, thank you’s. He moves fast, covers a lot of ground from 4 p.m. through 8 p.m. The day I went with them, they delivered 350 sandwiches. They hit the streets Monday through Saturday. In these trying times, as they deliver food to the housed as well as unhoused. Courtney and Jules expect more hungry folks in their neighborhood as summer rolls on, and they are ready for them. ■ ׉ 7cassandra://4oXO736MuKmNey8Q1p4LWSz3d8urj0I4Q25hQb_QI4M,`^, k}׉EIN YOUR OWN WORDS WRITING THROUGH HARD TIMES Each month, the Denver VOICE publishes a selection of writing from workshops sponsored by Lighthouse Writers Workshop. The Hard Times Writing Workshop is a collaboration between Denver Public Library and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. This workshop is open to all members of the public—especially those experiencing homelessness. Contact the Lighthouse Writers Workshop for details about virtual Hard Times writing workshops: lighthousewriters.org/workshop/denver-public-library-hard-times The Lighthouse sponsored workshop at The Gathering Place is specifically for that organization’s clients. To check out more writing by the poets featured in this column, go to writedenver.org. GREGORY MILLER GOD IS Read them all, and all the arguments lead us back to what we already believed. A very few seekers work through all the discussions, arguments, proofs, experiments and experiences, doing all this over decades, becoming distracted by the demands of real life. But then these serious searchers return to the quest again and again. Those few thinkers courageously refused bullying in favor of their hearts and minds. Remember the three key issues: Creation; Life; and Free Will. MAGGIE HADDEN DUST TO DUST May the bridges I burn one day light my way home, But no one welcomes you after the mess that was made, After the house of lies you built fell to pieces, The life you had pretended to live crumbled into dust, I was a dream seller, spinning lies at will, Weaving untruths for survival, Taking from the hand that fed, Stealing from your soul, The ties that bind us together Became the ropes I used to hang myself with, No one could save me, Not even myself, So how would you welcome me home? After I looted and destroyed, Pillaged and then I ran, As I bring back the ashes from the bridges I had burned, I carry the rubble now, on my back, I breathe new life into this mess I left, Dust to dust, I’m coming home. BENJAMIN ERIC NELSON WHEN ONE MUST GIVE Heart of stone Precursor to ill will Left alone Savagery of mind until The crib is broken The tree breaks Words unspoken We retaliate Careless we fall Prepared to stand Sick of it all No way to understand Love... it just is When one must give PRESENTED BY: July 2020 DENVER VOICE 13 ׉ 7cassandra://Aho5ztPeLYJO4xm6ye-kTukjGNUXVaxcKyBT-qNyetA`^, k~^, k} בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://dDgkBXALMXBxaYN-NwSWaiHjog8Surlzj6eYV_4qdmI`׉ 7cassandra://EeRwILXJZ0oQlwIbZSWFUbyLDLOQ_1baV0L7XCy6iN0aa`q׉ 7cassandra://ksHe1byWpIWs4sCLIX6wB0jV0qK20_lrNvonQm2nBo8`׉ 7cassandra://jP38SLMf3YpaWUD0x_l1vh8hC9AolWPzAxbn0143l9QV,͠T^, kט  u׉׉ 7cassandra://Bh4VK4ukHvnqiZ-6jP76aDrUcr4yXtojse-Cpi5MaA4!`׉ 7cassandra://SzacHMxxxnlmjjPrhiAHeD8f6cQsO-XPrsvgAvNyP7Ec`q׉ 7cassandra://mLRO4gGAFoqR6JZDrjRZwHIOmAatVy6Ez7RB6hhSeOwd`׉ 7cassandra://auBHvlnkAbpQ_nLndXAip8u-dWSiTrQ7dcDir-QkOJQtX͠T^, kנ^, ķ̲́ 9ׁHhttp://DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATEׁ ׁ Јנ^, kw/̧ 9ׁH$http://harmreductionactioncenter.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, k 9ׁH&http://frwoodyshavenofhope.org/contactׁ ׁ Јנ^, k8̪ 9ׁH#mailto:contactah@attentionhomes.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, kN 9ׁHhttp://work-now.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, k B̏ 9ׁHmailto:info@hepc-connection.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, k8̲ 9ׁH&http://feedingdenvershungry.org/eventsׁ ׁ Јנ^, kՁ\ 9ׁHhttp://mealsforpoor.orgׁ ׁ Јנ^, k8̽9ׁHmailto:EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORGׁ ׁ Ј׉EFDONORS DONOR LIST WE LOVE OUR DONORS! WHEN YOU SUPPORT THE DENVER VOICE, YOU ARE HELPING SUPPORT HUNDREDS OF HOMELESS AND IMPOVERISHED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING TO REALIZE SELF-SUFFICIENCY THROUGH EARNING A DIGNIFIED INCOME. YOUR GIFT MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. HERE, WE LIST THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN $500 AND MORE IN THE LAST YEAR. DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATE $25,000+ Denver Foundation The NextFifty Initiative Help Colorado Now $10,000+ John & Laurie Mcwethy Charitable Fund Kenneth King Foundation Max & Elaine Appel $5,000 - $9,999 Anschutz Family Foundation Community Foundation of Boulder County Jerry Conover Meek-Cuneo Family Fund $1,000-$4,999 Josh Kauer Bright Funds Network for Good Matthew Seashore & Nikki Lawson Arc Thrift Stores Jeremy Anderson City Side Remodeling Matthew Rezek Schuster Family Foundation Russell Peterson PEN America Craig & Teresa Solomon Jim Ashe Wynkoop Brewery George Lichter Family Foundation Walker Family Foundation The Sidney B. & Caleb F. Gates Jr. Fund Kauer Construction & Design Gaetanos Restaurant Patrick & Jan Rutty Conover/Wonder Family Fund Gaelina Tesfaye Donald Weaver Phoenix Capital $500-$999 Comedy Works Michelle Stapleton & James Thompson Michael Dino Christine Muldoon and Pete Iannuzzi Jill Haug Caring Connection Alistair Davidson Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop, Inc. Keyrenter Property Management Denver Gaspar Terrana Travis & Margaret Ramp Elizabeth A. Mitchell Stephen Saul Leigh Bingham and Chris Forgham James Stegman William Thorland Betty & Warren Kuehner Zephyr Wilkins Celestina Pacheco ACM LLP Cuneo Law Firm Paul Hoffman Paul Manoogian Jim and Nancy Thomas Peggy Mihelich Susan B. Jones 14 DENVER VOICE July 2020 SPONSORSHIP LEVELS THE DENVER VOICE’S ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT LEVELS PROVIDE BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN WORK EMPOWERMENT, HOMELESS PREVENTION, THE CHALLENGING OF COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS, AND TO BE A PART OF PROVIDING OUR COMMUNITY WITH QUALITY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE THROUGH OUR WRITERS AND VENDORS – AN INVALUABLE PART OF DENVER’S COMMUNITY. YOUR INVOLVEMENT WILL HELP HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING POSITIVE ACTION TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS AND IMPOVERISHMENT. AS A SPONSOR, YOU HAVE A WAY TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND GIVE SOMETHING BACK AT THE SAME TIME. ANNUAL SPONSORSHIPS BENEFITS INCLUDE YOUR LOGO LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE HOMEPAGE, MONTHLY AD SPACE IN OUR PAPER, AND SPECIAL EVENT PERKS FOR YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES ALL YEAR LONG. IT’S A GOOD DEAL FOR A GOOD CAUSE, AND YOUR GIFT IS 100% TAX-DEDUCTIBLE! ABOVE THE FOLD: $5,000 • One complimentary full page ad in the newspaper ($1,000 value) • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Above the Fold Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper GALLEY: $2,500 • One complimentary half page add in the newspaper ($600 value) • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Galley Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper HONOR BOX: $1,000 • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Honor Box Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper FLY SHEET: $500 • Two complimentary tickets to our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event ($50 value) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Fly Sheet Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper ׉ 7cassandra://ksHe1byWpIWs4sCLIX6wB0jV0qK20_lrNvonQm2nBo8`^, k׉E %RESOURCES RESOURCE LIST FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER DIAL 211 FOR A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF RESOURCES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THIS LIST. IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG. FREE MEALS AGAPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2501 California St., Sat., 11am CAPITOL HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1100 Fillmore St., Saturday lunch at 11:30am CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES Go to mealsforpoor.org for meal locations CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 1530 Logan St.; Sandwiches & coffee Mon-Fri 8:30am CHRIST’S BODY MINISTRIES 850 Lincoln; Mon. closed, Tues.-Thurs. 10am-3pm, Fri. 8am-11pm; groceries & hot meal on Sat. at 2pm (at 16th & York); Sun. church service at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. CHRIST IN THE CITY Home-cooked meal; Civic Center Park at Colfax & Lincoln at 1pm every Wed. & 2nd Sat. at 12pm CHURCH IN THE CITY 1580 Gaylord S., breakfast every Tues.-Thurs. at 8:30am, free hot meal every Thurs. at 4:30pm. CITYSQUARE DENVER 303.783.3777, 2575 S. Broadway; Food pantry Tues. 10-6 DENVER INNER CITY PARISH 303-322-5733, 1212 Mariposa St, VOA Dining Center for Seniors, free 60 yrs and older, Wed.-Sat. 9am-12pm. Food Bank, Wed.-Fri., tickets at 9am, food bank open 10-12pm. DENVER RESCUE MISSION 1130 Park Avenue West, 3 meals 7 days/week: 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm 303-294-0157 FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 1101 W. 7th Ave. 303-607-0855. Monday-Friday 7-1. Not open weekends. Breakfast is at 8 a.m., and lunch is served at 11 a.m. FEEDING DENVER’S HUNGRY Food service on the second and fourth Thursday of each month; locations found at feedingdenvershungry.org/events FOOD NOT BOMBS Wed. 4pm/Civic Center Park HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45pm-7:30pm HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH 910 Kalamath, community dinner on Thurs., 6-6:45pm, men’s breakfast 1st Sat. of the month, 8-10, women’s breakfast 2nd Sat., 9-11. HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., sandwiches, Mon.-Sat., 10-10:30am JORDAN AME CHURCH 29th and Milwaukee Streets, Tuesday lunch 11:30-1:00 OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St., Sat. morning breakfast: 8am, Sun. dinner (required church attendance at 4:30pm) meal served at 6pm. 303-830-2201 PEOPLE’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2780 York St, Hot lunch Mon. 11am-12:30pm. ST. ELIZABETH’S Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. on Auraria campus, 7 days/week, 11:00am; food, coffee. ST. FRANCIS CENTER 2323 Curtis St., Wed. & Fri. 3-4:30pm (except third Wed. of each month). ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN 1600 Grant St., Street Reach meal Mon. 1-4:30pm. Grocery room open at 11:30am every Mon. ST. PETER AND ST. MARY 126 W. Second Ave., dinner at 6 on Tues. 303-722-8781 SAME CAFÉ 2023 E. Colfax Ave. restaurant serving mostly organic food—not free, but pay what you can or work off your meal in the kitchen: Open Mon-Sat, 11am to 2pm, Closed Sun. & Holidays, 720-530-6853 SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. 3 meals, Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm. 55+ STREET BEAT, ARVADA SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS 7090 64th Ave. Arvada; food/clothing every 3rd Sat. 2-4pm. 303-422-2369 TRINITY UNITED METHODIST 1820 Broadway, meals served Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 11:45-12:15 URBAN OUTREACH DENVER 608 26th St., Thursday dinners, 6pm-7pm VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA 2877 Lawrence St., breakfast (8am), lunch (11:30am) and dinner (5pm) Mon.-Thurs., 12pm on Fri., 1pm on Sun. Food & clothing bank 9:30-4pm Mon.-Thurs. CAREER SERVICES COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER, Level 4, Denver Central Library, 14th Ave. & Broadway. 720-865-1706. Hours: M & Tu 10am-8pm; W, Th, F 10am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm & Su 1-5pm; FREE services include computer/internet use, wifi, computer classes, job search/resume classes and one-on-one tech help appointments. THE WESTSIDE ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER Denver Department of Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd., M-F, 7:30am-4:30pm; Services include: employment counseling, assisted job search, résumé preparation, job/ applicant matching, phone bank for calling employers, access to computers, copiers, fax, etc. MEDICAL & DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY L.I.F.T. CAREVAN at Open Door Ministries, 1567 Marion St. Tues. 9-12:30 DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER 303-436-6000, 777 Bannock St. HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800; 231 East Colfax; Monday-Friday, 9 am -12pm. HIV/Hep C/ Gonorrhea/ Chlamydia testing available. Our services are restricted to active IV Drug Users. Offers clean syringes to active users, as well as safety training on how to properly dispose of dirty syringes. LIVER HEALTH CONNECTION 1325 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite B302, (800) 522-4372, info@hepc-connection.org The mission of Liver Health Connection is to educate the general public about hepatitis C and to provide resources and support for those affected by the virus. Free Hep C testing offered. INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER 303-296-1767, 3800 York St. Mon, Weds-Fri 8-5; Tues 9-5; Sat 8-2. Emergency walk-ins. SALUD CLINIC dental 303-286-6755, medical 303-286-8900, 6075 Parkway Drive, Ste. 160, Commerce City; Medical Hours: Mon.-Wed. 8am-9pm, Thurs.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Sat. (Urgent Care only) 8am-5pm; Dental Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Pharmacy Hours: Mon.-Fri. 1-5pm; After Office Hours: 1-800-283-3221 STOUT STREET CLINIC 303-293-2220, 2130 Stout Street; Clinic hours for new and established patients: 7am-4pm Mon., Tues., Thurs., & Fri. The clinic is open Wed. 11am-7pm. VA MEDICAL CENTER 303-399-8020, 1055 Clermont St. WORKNOW work-now.org; 720-389-0999; job recruitment, skills training, and job placement DROP-IN & DAYTIME CENTERS ATTENTION HOMES 303.447.1207; 3080 Broadway, Boulder; contactah@attentionhomes.org. Offers safe shelter, supportive programming, and other services to youth up to age 24 CITYSQUARE DENVER 303.783.3777 2575 S. Broadway; Mon-Thurs 10-2, Denver Works helps with employment, IDs, birth certs; mail services and lockers FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 303-607-0855; 1101 W. 7th Ave.; frwoodyshavenofhope.org/contact-us; Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Six private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch & more. THE GATHERING PLACE 303-321-4198; 1535 High St.; Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm, Tues. 8:30am-1:30pm. Daytime, drop-in center for women, their children, and transgender individuals. Services include: meals, computer lab, phones, food bank, clothing, art programs, GED tutoring, and more. Also, referrals to other resources and services. HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800, 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri. 9am-12pm. Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harm-reduction counseling, safe materials, Hepatitis C/HIV education, & health education classes. harmreductionactioncenter.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., can help with lost IDs and birth certificates HOPE PROGRAM 303-832-3354, 1555 Race St.; Mon.-Fri. 8am-4pm. For men and women with HIV. LAWRENCE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER 2222 Lawrence St.; 303-294-0157; day facility, laundry, showers, restrooms, access to services OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St. Mon.-Fri. 7am-5:30pm. Drop-in center: bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, WIFI ST. FRANCIS CENTER 303-297-1576; 2323 Curtis St., open daily from 6am-6pm; Storage for one bag offered, when space is available. Satellite Clinic hours- Mon., Tues., Thurs, and Fri. 7:30-3:30; Wed. 12:30-4:30 SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave, TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, and more for those 55 & older. SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES) 2017 Larimer Street; Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30 years old. Services include: meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, Internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. Tues.-Fri. 12-4pm & Sat. 11-2pm. THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) 2100 Stout St. 303-291-0442. Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am. If you are a youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, please contact 303-974-2928. URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) Youth 14-24 in Denver & Colorado Springs. Services: overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skills and training, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing. Urban Peak: 730 21st St. 303-974-2900. July 2020 DENVER VOICE 15 DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON THE BACK PAGE ׉ 7cassandra://mLRO4gGAFoqR6JZDrjRZwHIOmAatVy6Ez7RB6hhSeOwd`^, k^, k בCט u׉׉ 7cassandra://FvWj34T42wHBYegrJwVF1KjOva9Atp2m8kSrfIUyS6oԟ`׉ 7cassandra://YGzscjup9tcmx0fdBnIF9PEI99Qlm99H2uJWK1SxOR4gJ`q׉ 7cassandra://vmkwqvgdhR8IxJsf9tIQ9AEs24aZhfO4nta3aFTG-jM# `׉ 7cassandra://Brl3z1yMr5QTCbnBBTSpknShT-oM1l_7j6Gfm3lQ1yA2̀͠T^, kנ^, k̢̚ 9ׁH%http://facebook.com/McNicholsBuildingׁ ׁ Јנ^, k̚  9ׁHhttp://facebook.com/houseofpodׁ ׁ Јנ^, k̵̚ 9ׁH(http://facebook.com/ArapahoePhilharmonicׁ ׁ Јנ^, k̚  9ׁH:http://msudenver.edu/cva/events/sociallydistantcultureclubׁ ׁ Јנ^, k̚X 9ׁHhttp://denverbazaar.comׁ ׁ Јנ^, kRF9ׁHhttp://Denver.netׁ ׁ Јנ^, kZ̻s 9ׁHhttp://DEARDENVER.NETׁ ׁ Ј׉E PUZZLE COURTESY OF STREET ROOTS, DENVER VOICE’S SISTER PAPER IN PORTLAND, OR PUZZLE COURTESY OF STREET ROOTS, DENVER VOICE’S SISTER PAPER IN PORTLAND, OR EVENTS COURTESY OF DEAR DENVER DEARDENVER.NET PUZZLES Thanks to Deborah Lastowka, with Dear Denver.net, for coming up with some great ideas for entertainment people can enjoy while practicing social distancing. WEEKLY CURBSIDE FARMERS MARKET A weekly curbside Farmers Market featuring fresh produce, baked goods, family meals, to-go cocktails, pantry staples, pet goods, and more! DATE: Thursdays – Sundays; visit website for order/pickup times. COST: Free entry MORE INFO: denverbazaar.com COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 SOCIALLY DISTANT CULTURE CLUB The Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Center for Visual Art (CVA) presents the Socially Distant Culture Club. Culture Club is CVA’s “arty” hour where art makers of all types can virtually gather to explore creative techniques. Discussions take place via Zoom. DATE: Jul 1 and 8, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. COST: Free MORE INFO: msudenver.edu/cva/events/sociallydistantcultureclub ACROSS USICCONNECTS SERIES Join the Arapahoe Philharmonic for their weekly Tuesday night MusicConnects Series featuring live and recorded performances by Philharmonic musicians and special guests. DATE: Jul 7, 14, 21, and 28, 7 p.m. COST: Free MORE INFO: facebook.com/ArapahoePhilharmonic 1. Priests’ vestments 5. Not level 10. Classic clown 14. Hilariously funny thing 15. Fragrant wood 16. Th or’s father 17. DEET, e.g. 20. Passionately orates 21. Debacle 22. Plumed military cap 23. ___ and Jerry 24. Picturing 31. Amorphous mass 35. Th e New Yorker cartoonist Edward 36. And others, for short 37. Dalai ___ 38. Back muscle, familiarly 39. Crowning point 40. Elliptical 41. Rwandan people 43. Quaker’s “you” 44. Fangs 47. General pronoun 48. American symbol 52. On the train 56. Th urgood of the Supreme Court 59. Loss of neuromuscular coordination caused by degeneration of the spinal cord 61. Brio 62. Fair-sized musical group 63. Brings home 64. “...or ___!” 65. Plant bristles 66. Greek war god DOWN 1. Bone-dry 2. Queues 3. “Garden of Earthly Delights” artist 4. Inscribed pillar 5. Th ey speak louder than words 6. School session 7. Bad day for Caesar 8. Drink from a dish 9. Girl Scout cookie 10. Gaucho’s weapon 11. Lyric poems 12. Galvanizing metal 13. Able to see right through 18. Wedding reception centerpiece 19. Fancy wheels 23. African fl y 25. Curved funnel 26. All worked up 27. “Cool!” 28. Allergic reaction #SUMMEROFPOD Join leaders in the podcast space as they share their experiences with launching, marketing, monetizing, and sustaining their podcasts. Classes will take place via Zoom. DATE: Jul 7, 14, 21, and 28, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. COST: Free but donations are accepted. MORE INFO: facebook.com/houseofpod 29. Label 30. Delight 31. Alliance 32. ___ lamp 33. Arabian Sea nation 34. Indonesian island 41. Sinews 42. Stress, in a way 45. Benchmark 46. “And ___ thou slain the Jabberwock?” 49. Accra’s land 50. Less strict 51. Upper crust 52. On the safe side, at sea 53. ___ weevil 54. Edible Andean tubers 55. Bang-up 56. ___ Blanc 57. Length x width, for a rectangle 58. Colleen 60. Water tester MCNICHOLS BUILDING – TOUR OF SUMMER EXHIBITIONS Join curators and special guests online as they guide viewers through the summer exhibits. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions via Facebook chat. DATE: Jul 10, 12 p.m. COST: Free MORE INFO: facebook.com/McNicholsBuilding ׉ 7cassandra://vmkwqvgdhR8IxJsf9tIQ9AEs24aZhfO4nta3aFTG-jM# `^, k׈E^, k^, k ,7-2020^cba