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Mike Johnston is poised to bring 1,000 homeless people indoors. What comes next in Denver’s strategy?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

Denver is nearing the finish line of Mayor Mike Johnston’s five-month sprint to move 1,000 homeless people off the streets — and with days to go before his self-imposed deadline, he and his team appear poised to pull it off.Just two months ago, Johnston’s mission was very much at risk of failing. Just 168 people had been brought inside as part of the initiative that has defined his short tenure in the mayor’s office. And neighborhoods were pushing back hard against vacant properties tabbed to host homeless micro-communities.Local politics have continued to challenge the mayor, forcing his administration to pivot more strongly to hotels to meet the target of his House 1,000 initiative which came with a target set for the last day of 2023, this Sunday. Johnston also has weathered recent controversy over shifting definitions of what counts toward that 1,000-person target, as local media reported that his office was using looser criteria than originally announced...

Two Denver pizza favorites head for the hills of Golden

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

Two of Denver’s favorite pizza places are heading west for a pepperoni showdown.Both Blue Pan Pizza (which specializes in Detroit-style pies) and Fat Sully’s (known for its gargantuan New York-style pizzas) opened new locations recently in Golden.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | Another favorite Denver restaurant opening at DIA Restaurants, Food and Drink | A classic Colorado pizza joint holds on against stiff competition Restaurants, Food and Drink | 6 extreme Denver food challenges, from 3-lb. grilled cheese to ultra-spicy wings Restaurants, Food and Drink | Former Greenwich executive chef cooking up his own pizzeria Golden “is growing into a top Colorado destination — for outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts and the Colorado culinary community alike,” said Drew Shader, the former University of Colorado football player who founded Fat Sully’s, Atomic Cowboy and Denver Biscuit ...

Things to do this weekend: Sex-positive comedy, a Middle-Earth movie marathon

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

Nikki Glaser’s naughty NYE laughsSaturday-Sunday. Comic, writer and podcast/reality TV host Nikki Glaser isn’t just a sex-positive anthropologist — although she’s most certainly that — she’s also a veteran of Comedy Central’s Celebrity Roasts. That makes her a perfectly acerbic voice to close out another difficult year, which she’ll do at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 30, and Sunday, Dec. 31.The Good Girl Tour shows are at 7 p.m. both nights at 1621 Glenarm Place in downtown Denver. Tickets for the anything-goes (and very 21-and-up) shows are $45-$69.50 at paramountdenver.com or ticketmaster.com.For more things New Year’s Eve parties, fireworks, and all-ages activities, check out our roundup at denverpost.com/things-to-do.This promotional image from the 2020 Blu-ray re-release of “Lord of the Rings” shows the hobbits Samwise Gamgee (played by Sean Astin, left) and Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) on their way to ...

Colorado ski area to close for entire 2023-24 season due to mechanical failure

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

A ski area in southwest Colorado will remain closed for the 2023-24 winter season after discovering a mechanical issue with its sole chairlift.Related ArticlesOutdoors | Aspen Snowmass owner sues over influencers shooting high-end fashion content on slopes Outdoors | What to do during Colorado winter when you don’t ski Outdoors | Cozy new Colorado retreats great for a winter getaway Outdoors | Opinion: The ski bum will soon be extinct if resorts don’t act Outdoors | Colorado Avalanche Information Center records over two dozen avalanches in Vail, Summit County last week Hesperus Ski Area near Durango announced the decision Wednesday, stating the gearbox on its Bighorn chairlift failed and cannot be replaced because there are no comparable parts available on the market. Neither downhill nor uphill skiing will be permitted, as the parking lots and mountain terrain will not maintained. No tubing ...

Housing is so expensive in Colorado that school districts are becoming landlords to attract teachers

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

Leaders in Colorado school districts are trying to solve a big problem: They want to attract and retain teachers, bus drivers and other educators, but the state’s high cost of living keeps outpacing employees’ wages even after administrators dole out raises. So now they’re entering the housing market themselves.Districts are building tiny homes, becoming landlords and partnering with developers so that they can find ways to either lease housing to their employees at below-market rates or make homeownership possible for workers who otherwise would be priced out of buying property. School districts in Colorado’s pricey high country are leading such efforts, but at least one metro Denver district — the Douglas County School District — is eyeing a partnership with developers to turn district land into housing for its employees.Superintendents in Douglas, Summit and Pitkin counties said they are having to jump into the housing market because simply raising s...

Colorado River: A crisis from headwaters to delta

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

The Colorado River is one of the most significant rivers in the western United States. The basin includes seven states- Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California as well as parts of Mexico. The river’s history is closely tied to the development of the American West.Today, this 1,450-mile-long river continues to serve as a vital water source, sustaining the needs of millions of people and playing a crucial role in supporting agriculture, industry, and urban life throughout the Southwest. The challenges of finding sustainable solutions for water management, compounded by the impacts of climate change, are pushing the river to the edge of crisis.This project explores the complex challenges facing the Colorado River basin through a visual journey using photography, informative graphics and maps. The exploration includes voices from often-overlooked Native tribes with deep connections to the basin’s water and traverses all seven basin states, extending sou...

Myth or reality? Bigfoot sightings reported in Colorado 130 times over past century

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

Coloradans may be surprised to learn that, since 1926, Bigfoot has been spotted stomping through the state 130 times.That’s according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, based in Dana Point, Calif. It may also be surprising to learn that a Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization actually exists.Than again, polling has shown that more than 1 in 5 Americans believe the big guy is out there, just out of sight. That’s roughly the same number who believe the universe began with the big bang.The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization is headed by Matt Moneymaker — a researcher featured in Animal Planet Channel’s reality documentary TV series “Finding Bigfoot” — who’s pursued the hairy, large creature, also referred to as Sasquatch, since the 1980s.In Colorado, sighting reports typically come from the mountains. Bigfoot apparently isn’t a fan of the Eastern Plains, and tends to avoid the big city traffic, too.“If you liv...

Two muralists leaving an enduring impression on Denver’s urban walls

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

Editor’s note: An untold number of unheralded artists live in Colorado, those creators who can’t (or don’t want to) get into galleries and rely on word of mouth, luck or social media to make a living. You’ve likely seen them on Instagram, at festivals or at small-town art fairs. This occasional series, Through the Lens, will introduce you to some of these artists.In many parts of Denver, the intersection of urban landscapes and artistic expression comes to life through a breathtaking kaleidoscope of murals adorning the city’s walls. These larger-than-life masterpieces, painted in vivid hues and with rich narratives, have played a pivotal role in reshaping the city into an expansive, open-air tapestry.Related ArticlesThe Know | The nation’s first VFW isn’t a smoky bar with vets telling war stories. Here’s what Post 1 in Denver is doing instead. The Know | The best Colorado art exhibits of 2023 (including three you can still see) ...

Amid national theater crisis, Denver has staged a comeback. Will it last?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

For the past three years, the theater world has been in crisis. Across the country, companies have staged fewer shows and laid off employees. Some have stumbled financially while others — mostly in entertainment-rich cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — have even closed.The state of the industry has garnered headlines. A New York Times op-ed from last summer argued that American theater is imploding before our eyes, soon to collapse without a bailout.Denver hasn’t been immune to these challenges. Attendance is down here even as it has dropped 20% nationwide since the beginning of 2020 — and could drop even further, according to American Theatre, a magazine that covers theatrical news and trends.And yet Denver’s theater scene is doing measurably better than most. Unlike other cities, there have been no major closures. Instead, the buzz for some shows has built far in advance of their openings, while upcoming titles for next year have recorded ...

Bison vs. urban growth: Rocky Mountain Arsenal seeks solutions to water runoff

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:15:52 GMT

A growing herd of 250 bison, re-introduced at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to help restore toxic wasteland to the native short-grass prairie, often descends through a floodplain to reach First Creek and cross to northern half of the refuge.But torrents of water spilling off the rapidly urbanizing parts of Denver and Aurora east of the 25-square-mile refuge have torn into the floodplain, carving a gully that blocks the bison from crossing the creek.“This is a human-created challenge resulting from all the development,” biologist Sarah Metzer, the refuge’s supervisory ranger, said. “Bison are nimble animals but they’re going to have a hard time moving across this creek and getting up that other side.”Biologist Sarah Metzer, looks over flood damage at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Denver on Dec. 12, 2023. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)The deepening gully has become an obstacle for both the rec...