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Denver book club: “The Chinese Groove” and other quick reviews from readers, staff | Opinion

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. Sure, you could read advertising blurbs on Amazon, but wouldn’t you be more likely to believe a neighbor with no skin in the game over a corporation being fed words by publishers? In this new series, we are sharing some mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email [email protected] (Mariner Books)“Stealing,” by Margaret Vreble (Mariner Books)A Native American girl’s life is seemingly idyllic — until she is suddenly sent to a Christian boarding school in the 1950s due to some event that she doesn’t consciously remember. Her experience at the school is horrific on many levels. She starts a journal, which she uses to bring her comfort through remembering her life prior to landing at this school and which she also uses to slowly remember what happened to land her th...

16 Colorado lakes and reservoirs for a dreamy summer day

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

What could be more idyllic, more Colorado, than spending a day or weekend at a lake? Smooth glassy water reflecting the peaks, fish jumping, birds chirping; you’ll understand why John Denver sang about “the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.”From natural, frigid alpine lakes to slightly-less-frigid valley reservoirs to a couple of places where you can even swim comfortably, Colorado has some 4,000 bodies of water to choose from. With that in mind, we’ve put together some great destinations to add to your summer travel itinerary.Lakes for motor boatingBlue Mesa, in the center of the state between Gunnison and Montrose, is a boater’s paradise. It’s also the largest lake in Colorado, at 14 square miles. As the name implies, the waters are crystal blue and deep enough for large boats. Secluded canyons abound where you can drop anchor and enjoy a cold dip or just the peace and quiet. And the fishing is spectacular – the reservoir is home to ...

Aspen is bursting with festivals this summer

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

Aspen’s modern-day founders believed in a community that included arts and culture, kind of a “whole person” town where nature and community could be restorative.A shot from the JAS Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival in 2012 shows the outdoor crowd enjoying the music.Their efforts to create this began in the 1940s and resulted in the founding of the Aspen Music Festival and the Aspen Institute, and laid the fertile ground for other organizations to start up and thrive in the mountain town of about 7,000 people.This summer, Aspen is bursting with festivals and annual events that could keep even locals’ heads spinning from the possibilities of how to choose between great thinkers, delicious food, music and more.Many of the city’s festivals and other events happen each year, but some are new on the scene.The Aspen Food & Wine ClassicThe classic, from June 16 to 18, celebrates its 40th year in 2023. However, it’s sold out already so unless you have a ticket, this is your hint to plan...

Startup Oso Meals looks to add more flavor to backcountry dining

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

Oso Meals is bringing “abuelita-approved” food to the mountains.A couple years ago, friends Dominque Barrera and Felipe Vieyra took a backpacking trip in the area of Lost Lake near Nederland. They ate packaged freeze-dried beef stroganoff and mac and cheese, and dreamed of something better.“We were reminiscing and thinking, wouldn’t it be cool to have our grandmas cooking in the backcountry,” Barrera said. “With new technology and good science, there’s no reason you can’t have good food.”The result is Oso Meals, a line of freeze-dried meals with options like posole and huevos rancheros. Since launching on Kickstarter in spring 2021, the company has sold roughly 2,000 meals, according to its founders, and landed in local REI stores.Vieyra, who was born in Michoacan, Mexico, and moved to Colorado at age 2, and Barrera, born and raised in Five Points, grew up eating authentic homemade food like huevos migas and spicy enchiladas.When they got back from the trip, the duo brought their fr...

Family of Jor’Dell Richardson demands video footage of 14-year-old’s fatal shooting by Aurora police

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

The family of a 14-year-old boy shot and killed by an Aurora police officer last week is demanding the department release video footage of the shooting and the name of the officer who fired the shot, saying they want to understand exactly what occurred in the fatal encounter.“We need to know what happened to him,” said Jaleesa Smith, the boy’s aunt. “His mother is grieving. He is a 14-year-old child.”The boy, Jor’Dell Richardson, was killed by an Aurora police officer on Thursday afternoon after he and other teens robbed a convenience store near Eighth Street and Dayton Avenue of vape cartridges, according to the Aurora Police Department’s news release. The news release said at least one teen threatened the store’s clerk with a gun.The incident began about 4:20 p.m. when an Aurora police gang sergeant, who was on routine patrol, noticed several teenagers wearing medical masks and hooded sweatshirts walking toward the store. The sergean...

Colorado launches new codes aimed at making buildings electric ready

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

Colorado is rolling out model building codes that will make new construction ready for solar panels and electric vehicles and appliances, all intended to help the state cut greenhouse gas emissions and make the transition to renewable energy.The codes will apply to new buildings and ones that undergo substantial renovation. Starting July 1, municipalities that update their building codes or adopt new ones must approve codes that meet or exceed both the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and the new state requirements.A 2022 law directed that a board made up of members from different interest groups and appointed by the energy office and the Department of Local Affairs develop the building codes.“The legislature saw the importance of buildings to meeting our state’s pollution reduction targets. Buildings are one of the top five sources of greenhouse-gas pollution,” said Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office. “We can’t achieve our...

A new Denver nightclub wants to change downtown’s nightlife stigma

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

Johnny Christmas and Andy Mora want to change the stigma surrounding nightclubs.Denver has had a rough go with its nightclub scene over the past few years. Beta Nightclub at 1909 Blake St. was shut down in January 2022 after violating multiple laws by hiring unlicensed security guards, allowing people to drink after hours and creating an atmosphere where fighting was common. NATIV Hotel, which had its own nightclub in the basement, filed for bankruptcy last year and sold in a foreclosure auction. And criminal activity and shootings have scared off new business owners looking to take on the nightlife crowd in LoDo.Villa Denver owners Johnny Christmas, left, and Andy Mora, right. (Photo by Juliana Moskow Photography for Villa Denver)But Christmas and Mora, who met while working at NATIV Hotel and have 20 years of experience combined — along with Wynkoop Financial’s Brandon Jundt — want to be the change they wish to see from within the industry.“We knew Market Street would ...

Hard Rock Cafe officially closing in Denver after 25 years

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

Hard Rock Cafe is dimming the lights on July 29.As The Denver Post reported in May, the Florida-based rock-n-roll-themed cafe’s lease is up in July, and the company officially confirmed the 16th Street Mall mainstay’s closure this week.“Since the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe Denver in 1998, Hard Rock International has enjoyed serving the Denver community and playing a role in the city’s celebrated dining culture,” a spokesperson told The Denver Post in a statement. “In July 2023, the lease for Hard Rock Cafe Denver, located on 16th Street will expire. The location will permanently close as a result. We are currently expanding operations in 50 locations within the next five years and are open to having another location within the Denver market, if the right space can be identified.”Hard Rock Cafe made its debut with its 20-foot neon guitar sign at 500 16th St. Mall in downtown Denver when the Denver Pavilions first opened in 1998. The company is laying off 54...

Fire tears through apartment carport, leaving vehicles burned in Hemet

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

Hemet firefighters responded to an apartment complex and carport fire Monday night.The fire was reported around 10 p.m. at the Greentree Park Apartments in the 1100 block of West Devonshire Avenue. Crews arrived to find a section of the apartment complex and a carport fully involved with multiple cars burning. Video shows firefighters aggressively attacking the flames, which were knocked down in about 15 minutes. It was unclear exactly how many vehicles were damaged in the fire.The cause of the blaze was unknown and no injuries were immediately reported.

Coroner Says Cousin Of BLM Cofounder Died Of Enlarged Heart While In LAPD Custody

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 13:01:58 GMT

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner— Coroner determined Keenan Anderson, who died in LAPD custody January 3, may have been caused by cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart, and cocaine use.Anderson, 31, was a cousin of Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder Patrisse Cullors and was arrested for what LAPD said was a possible DUI incident.Arresting officers deployed a taser on Anderson for more than 42 seconds before he was transported to Santa Monica Medical Center and pronounced dead that same day.LAPD Chief Michel Moore expedited the police bodycam footage of the incident as public concern increased days after Anderson’s death.Protests and vigils led by BLM ensued on the corner of Venice Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard where Anderson was arrested and taken into custody.BLM often pointed to the deaths of Anderson, Takar Smith and Oscar Leon, all of whom died in police custody in January, as a rallying cry against LAPD. The organization also said the footage of the Anderson inci...