It’s Tuesday, and we’re digging into all the local stories that matter this week. First up, the beloved Japanese restaurant Domo is reopening! But will TikTok ruin it again? Then, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi check in on the state legislature, where debates are heating up around Governor Jared Polis’s big housing proposal and guns in the wake of the East High School shootings. And finally, can anyone trust the developers promising big things for the Park Hill Golf Course? Their plan for parkland, housing, and commercial development is on our April 4 ballots, and we got tons of feedback from listeners who’ve worked with Westside Investment Partners.  For more details on the Park Hill Golf Course Community Benefits Agreement, one of the signatories made this website to share the text of the document and explain some of its key provisions. If you have more questions before you vote on 2O, let us know! We’ll try to help figure them out.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: New Era Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During this school year alone, East High School has been the site of swattings, violent threats, and multiple shootings — some ending in death. The students have led walkouts and protests at the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to confront the issue of gun violence face-to-face. Clara and Gracie Taub are East High sophomores and members of their school’s chapter of Students Demand Action. After a recent demonstration at the Capitol, they sat down with host Bree Davies to talk about what it’s like to be at East High right now, as well as their efforts to end gun violence in schools and across the country. The tweet discussed in this episode came from Colorado State Senator Larry Liston. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: New Era Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year alone there have been two shootings at East High School, prompting mass student walkouts, renewed calls for gun control, and, in a surprising turn of events, the return of police to Denver schools. So we are channeling our outrage with one of our favorite returning guests, Ann Marie Awad, and digging into gun laws, school safety, mental health, and more. Plus, underreported stories from the week and then Hey Denver editor Adrian González joins us to recommend some cool events for your weekend.  Read more about the stalled appointment of DIA CEO Phil Washington to run the FAA; and the show Bree mentioned featuring teen photography at PlatteForum. Here are some links to the weekend events we discussed: Una Historia de la Cumbia! with Ciudad Reina (Five Points) Beginner Mushroom Cultivation Class (Wheat Ridge) Elephant Revival Reunion Show (RiNo) Brunch Run Club (Downtown) For even more weekend event recs and local stories that matter, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Acappellooza! Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between the mayor’s race and the Park Hill Golf Course, our ballots for the April 4 election are jam-packed! But don’t overlook the two innocuous-looking zoning questions 2M and 2N. They may seem insignificant, but they could have big implications for the literal shape of our city. Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval (District 1) helped get 2M and 2N on the ballot, and she sits down with host Bree Davies to explain where they came from, what they’d change, and why they matter.  To catch up on the full backstory behind Councilwoman Sandoval’s effort to reform the Zoning Board of Adjustment, you can hear our episodes tracking the story here: Why Can’t This Northside Couple Build an ADU for Their Disabled Mom How an Obscure Zoning Board Got Reformed (And Why It Matters) For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christie Buchele is one of Denver’s hardest working comedians, but her new one-woman show, “Lost & Found,” isn’t about the jokes. Christie is currently undergoing psychedelic-assisted therapy, a revolutionary approach to healing trauma. It features intense talk therapy sessions while under the supervised use of MDMA (aka ecstasy). After Colorado voters decriminalized psychedelics last year, Christie stepped into this new world of treatment and it inspired her to write and create a performance about what she’s learned about herself, her disability, and her experience in the world. Host Bree Davies talks to Christie about how her experience with psychedelics has changed her approach to art and her advice to people curious about psychedelics.  You can see Christie perform Lost & Found tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Buntport Theater. Tickets are $15. Don’t worry if you can’t make it! She’ll be performing it again at the Denver Fringe Festival in June.  Follow Christie Buchele on Instagram for more info on her upcoming shows and workshops. Learn more about psychedelics-assisted therapy through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Christie also mentioned this study on the impacts of MDMA therapy for individuals with PTSD. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Tuesday and we’re talking about the big stories around Denver this week. The Park Hill Golf Course saga gets even messier, as a new lawsuit throws the developers’ trustworthiness into question. Then, just as it celebrated 20 years as a LoDo staple, Blake Street Tavern announced plans to close — but the reason why isn’t totally clear. And of course, Mayoral Madness continues, with one candidate dropping out and another pulling in big bucks from a Silicon Valley billionaire. Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi to dig into details, plus we hear a hilarious entry from a listener’s elementary school diary!    Paul mentioned a leaked deposition from a recent lawsuit involving Westside Investment Partners, owners of the Park Hill Golf Course. For more details on the lawsuit, Denverite covered the whole situation.  Bree mentioned campaign finance reports for the 2023 Denver election, which you can access through the Clerk and Recorder’s website. Want to hear more embarrassing childhood stories? City Cast Denver is co-hosting Mortified on April 13th, and you can watch host Bree Davies and a line-up of fellow former angsty teens read directly from their diaries. You can buy tickets or win a pair by sharing with us the cringiest, angstiest teenage memory you’ve got. Bonus points for a Denver twist! To enter, call the Teenage Angst Hotline and leave a message at (720) 500-5418‬. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Images of our Wild West past often evoke the work of men: miners, railroad titans, fur trappers, cowboys, and land speculators who wandered the dusty streets of early Denver. But on those same streets we now call LoDo, women were at work, too — businesswomen known as madams ran parlor houses and brothels that catered to a growing city. While life for these women may have seemed glamorous, the sex workers they employed often inhabited a much darker existence. Host Bree Davies sits down with History Colorado’s Assistant Curator of Serials, Ann Sneesby-Koch, to dig into the nuanced, complicated, and fascinating world of early sex work in late 1800s Denver. Bree mentioned the Denver Art Museum’s decision to take Emma Bunker’s name off a gallery; be sure to check out our episode with Denver Post investigative reporter Sam Tabachnik, who broke the story last year.  Read more on the transfer of bison to the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Treta is the owner of Treta Design and Build Inc., a contracting company, and he wants to be mayor. He talks to host Bree Davies about why he loves electric vehicles, Chipotle vs. Illegal Pete’s, how to make Denver less “fugly,” and his plan to build a neighborhood out by the airport to house our unhoused neighbors. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Chris Hansen Mike Johnston Kelly Brough James Walsh Kwame Spearman (Dropped out on March 16) Terrance Roberts Debbie Ortega Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debbie Ortega is currently an at-large representative on City Council. She has served on council and worked in local government for more than 40 years, and she wants to be Denver’s next mayor. She sits down with host Bree Davies to talk about her support for the failed 2021 bond to build a new arena at the National Western Center, her vision for our transportation network, and Casa Bonita. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Chris Hansen Mike Johnston Kelly Brough James Walsh Kwame Spearman (He dropped out on March 16) Terrance Roberts For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re talking about the local stories that mattered this week — which of course involves the mayor’s race. Ballots are out, so producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies invited Axios Denver reporter Alayna Alvarez to tease apart the narratives jammed into all the candidates’s TV commercials. The crew reviews campaign fundraising totals, messaging, music, and what voters might glean from these 30-second intros to just some of the 17 names they’ll be facing on their ballots. Then, newsletter editor Adrian González rounds up his picks for the weekend, which involve alpacas, brunch and ballots, crawfish boils, and bug-eating! We organized the candidates in reverse order based on overall fundraising (and who has published a campaign ad, of course). See all the fundraising totals for yourself here: https://denver.maplight.com/public After we recorded this episode, we heard back from the city’s planning department on our question about street addresses. Here’s what a spokesperson said: “In 2018, the City and County of Denver began adding directional designations to north and east addresses in the city and encouraged residents and property owners to do the same. The goal was to increase the accuracy of addressing in our city! While people on Denver’s west and south sides were already accustomed to including a W or S in their address to more clearly indicate their location, directional designations for addresses on the east and north sides of town were something new. A property or home on a street that runs north/south and is located north of Ellsworth Avenue would include an N in their address. Example: 3880 N Newport Street instead of 3880 Newport Street A property or home on a street that runs east/west and is located east of Broadway would include an E in their address.  Example: 2401 E Colfax Ave instead of 2401 Colfax Avenue With these additions, we aimed to create improvements for everyone: Improve the ability of police and fire staff to respond to calls Reduce confusion, eliminate ambiguity Create efficiency and consistency among us all” Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since that day last December, when the South Park guys announced that Casa Bonita would be re-opening this May, we’ve been salivating for details. Nearly 12,000 fans have RSVP’d merely to wait in line for opening day. And this week, our friends at 9News flew a helicopter overhead to reveal that the iconic fountain has been restored and refilled. As we wait for more details (including that yet-to-be-named opening date), we’re sharing a conversation from last August with 9News investigative reporter and fellow CB aficionado Jeremy Jojola. For more details and those photos Bree mentioned, don’t miss Jojola’s report on his investigation into the Casa Bonita redevelopment. Bree also mentioned the “St. Pittie’s Day” pitbull adoption event at the Denver Animal Shelter — check out the canine cuties available for adoption!  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twelve-term congresswoman Pat Schroeder passed away this week at the age of 82, leaving behind an important legacy that changed the way all Americans — particularly women — live, work, raise families, and hold power in this country. Schroeder helped pass the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act — she even spearheaded the effort to convert Rocky Mountain Arsenal from a toxic military-industrial site to the wildlife refuge it is today. But she meant a lot more than that to the Denverites she represented for 24 years. Host Bree Davies talks with Westword Editor-in-Chief Patty Calhoun about the congresswoman’s indelible impact on Denver.  For even more on Pat Schroeder, check out the episode where we debated which local icons would go on Denver’s Mt. Rushmore. You better believe we picked her.  Bree mentioned the new “Coors-icles” and Shannon Sharpe’s take on the Ja Morant/Shotgun Willie’s situation. Get even more news from around the city, delivered to your inbox every morning by subscribing to our newsletter Hey Denver. All you have to do is text “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Tuesday, and we’re taking a look at the stories that matter to Denverites this week. Obviously that means Casa Bonita. The May reopening is approaching, and more than 11,000 people have RSVP’d to wait in line when the official opening date is announced. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi speculate about Casa Bonita 2.0, then they dig into stories about state GOP’s recent election of Dave “Let’s Go Brandon” Williams to lead the party, new rules for composters, and a controversial school closure in Sun Valley. Plus, after our episode laying out important rules for surviving Denver two weeks ago, we got tons of your submissions for more rules. Paul and Bree talk through our faves.  Bree mentioned statements about the Fairview Elementary closure from Councilwoman Jamie Torres and DPS Board Vice President Aoun’tai Anderson.  Hang out with us in person and hear Bree read her high school journals at the next edition of Mortified Live, happening April 13th! And if you want a chance to win a pair of free tickets to the event, leave us a voicemail with your own angsty, cringey, embarrassing teenage memory — bonus points if it’s got a Denver twist! The number to call is 720-500-5418. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver is the Mile High City. Literally, that means we are one mile closer to the sun and that much more vulnerable to skin cancer. But we don’t talk about it! Maybe that’s why 9News meteorologist Kathy Sabine never thought it would happen to her. But early last year she got the all-too-common diagnosis, and she knew her life was going to change. So how does a beloved TV personality deal with a problem like skin cancer? Host Bree Davies sits down with Kathy to talk about her treatment, the reaction from viewers, and why she’s speaking out against the skin cancer stigma. Bree mentioned Westword’s report on the Casa Bonita reopening event on Facebook. Wanna get yourself checked for skin cancer? The American Cancer Society and American Academy of Dermatology offer free screenings.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Terrance Roberts is a former gang member-turned-Park Hill community and civil rights activist. He sits down with host Bree Davies to explain his goal of making Denver a 24-hour city, why he thinks we need public banking, how he’d try to stop youth gun violence, and why he’s a “no” on the proposal to redevelop the Park Hill Golf Course. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Chris Hansen Mike Johnston Kelly Brough James Walsh Kwame Spearman Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kwame Spearman is on leave from his job as CEO of Tattered Cover, which is also co-owns, and he wants to be mayor. He sits down with host Bree Davies to talk about his plan to make Downtown a better place to do business, he personal experience with psychedelics, and how he’d bring his experience running Denver’s most iconic bookstore to the mayor’s office.  We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Chris Hansen Mike Johnston Kelly Brough James Walsh Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re rounding up the stories that caught our eyes — and noses — this week. Producer Paul Karolyi is joined by host Bree Davies and returning favorite, public radio vet and podcast host Jo Ann Allen. First, the issue of public safety in Denver in 2023 has gotten a lot of attention from mayoral candidates on the campaign trail in the last few weeks. A recent piece in Colorado Newsline from Chase Woodruff has us wondering: what does “safety” even mean? Then, in a recent op-ed for the Denver Post, Jo Ann asks a very stinky question: Why can’t Denverites seem to scoop up their own dog’s poop? Finally, newsletter editor Adrian González rounds up the best stuff going on in Denver this weekend!  Paul mentioned this episode from earlier in the week about the state of the film industry in Colorado. Check out the latest season of Jo Ann’s podcast “Been There Done That.” Wanna follow our weather expert? Rain or Shine, he’s Andy Stein on TikTok and all socials. Hang out with us in person and hear Bree read her high school journals at the next edition of Mortified Live, happening April 13th! And if you want a chance to win a pair of free tickets to the event, leave us a voicemail with your own angsty, cringey, embarrassing teenage memory — bonus points if it’s got a Denver twist! The number to call is 720-500-5418. Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Hey Girl Friday Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Of all the dinosaurs, we Coloradans have a special connection to the Stegosaurus. So much so that in February, state lawmakers introduced a bill to create a new license plate honoring the 1876 discovery of our favorite ancient armored herbivore. But that’s not the only reason why our state — and the Front Range in particular — has had such a huge impact on the discovery and study of dinosaurs globally. Host Bree Davies sits down with Dinosaur Ridge’s Erin LaCount, one of Colorado’s foremost dinosaur educators to unearth the story of "the bone rush" and explain how Morrison became one of the most important sites for dino-lovers everywhere. For even more local dino stories and facts, check out Dinosaur Ridge’s new podcast! We want to know: What does “safety” mean to you? It’s become one of the biggest debates in the mayoral race, so we want to talk about what safety means to real Denverites. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your answer on the show soon: (720) 500-5418‬ Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Hey Girl Friday Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Republican Party of Colorado is in tough shape. They’ve been on a major losing streak since Cory Gardner was elected to the Senate in 2014, and it’s unclear if they can turn things around. But that’s the job six senior Republicans are vying for this weekend as the state GOP convenes to elect a new leader. So host Bree Davies called up one of the last successful Republican strategists in Colorado, Dick Wadhams. He managed statewide campaigns for senate and governor, chaired the state GOP from 2007 to 2011, voted for Trump twice, and he has a lot to say about what the GOP could — and should — be doing to win over Colorado voters.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ City Cast Denver is hiring! We’re looking for a Senior Account Executive and an Audio Producer to join the Denver team. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Hey Girl Friday Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 95th Academy Awards will be presented this Sunday in Los Angeles, and at least a couple Coloradans are up for an Oscar. But why not more? And why are so many theaters closing across the metro area? To help celebrate the biggest week in Hollywood, producer Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Adrian González are surveying the local film landscape, from big changes that could be coming to our state film incentive program to the recent string of theater closings to the secret Canadians who saved The Mayan. Are you going to be watching the Oscar’s on Sunday? Join the official City Cast Denver Oscar’s Pick ‘Em Pool and see how your predictions stack up against Paul and Adrian’s. Sign up and make your picks here.  This episode was recorded on location at the Jewish Community Center during their Tzedakah 4 Kids fundraiser supporting the JCC’s ESL and summer programming. If you’d like to support those programs, you can make a donation here: https://www.jccdenver.org/tzedakah-4-kids/ We discussed the new Denver Arts & Venues/CineFe study on the local film and TV industry and the recent Regal and Elvis Cinemas closings.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Hey Girl Friday Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between the high price of natural gas and the push for green energy, conservatives in Colorado have in the last few years become increasingly interested in nuclear power. They have called to replace the old coal plant in Craig with a new small-scale reactor, and GOP state lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would have reclassified nuclear as “clean energy.” Across the country, people are reconsidering the highly stigmatized and highly powerful technology. So today, we are revisiting the story of Colorado’s first and still only nuclear power plant, Fort St. Vrain. Our producer Paul Karolyi first reported this story for Colorado Public Radio in 2019. This episode features an extended version that ran on the podcast Range & Slope. It also features an original, explicit song by Jesse Wooten of the local band Creekbed. Bree mentioned the GoFundMe for Luis Garcia.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Walsh is a professor of political science and labor history at CU Denver, and he wants to be mayor. He talks to host Bree Davies about how he’d make Denver the most worker-friendly city in the country, universal basic income, and what he learned riding his bike to all 77 neighborhoods.  We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Chris Hansen Mike Johnston Kelly Brough Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly Brough served as president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and chief of staff for then-mayor John Hickenlooper, and she wants to be mayor. She sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about fixing Denver’s downtown problem, expanding the STAR first responder program, and keeping reckless scooter drivers off the sidewalks. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Chris Hansen Mike Johnston Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday, and we’re rounding up all the local stories that mattered this week. At the top of that list: Denver is the third best place in the country to live if you’re Gen Z, according to a recent survey. But what the heck does that mean? We invited Shana Saint-Phard, a young reporter from the TJ Journal, Thomas Jefferson High School’s student paper, to give us an inside look at Gen Z life in Denver, swap some overlooked stories of the week, and help us pick the Official City Cast Denver Maybe For Your Weekend. Check out Westword’s piece on how to celebrate today — 303 Day. Read Shana Saint-Phard’s work in the TJ Journal, from Thomas Jefferson High School.  Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Politico published its rules for surviving Washington DC, it got us thinking: What are the essential rules for surviving Denver? From how to dress for all occasions (hint: cowboy boots and Tevas carry the same fashion clout) to the question of ‘to smother or not to smother,’ host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and returning fave, Westword reporter Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, to lay down our unofficial rules for how to make it through Mile High.  Do you have tips for how to survive Denver? Tell us about them! We want to create the definitive list, and we need your help. Text or call the Surviving Denver Hotline at 720-500-5418, or email us: denver@citycast.fm. Bree mentioned the livestream from the Standley Lake eagles. And if you haven’t already, here’s where you can find and read Conor’s complete archive of articles at Westword.com. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Xcel Energy posted $1.7 billion in profits in 2022, yet many Coloradans have seen their energy bills double and in some cases triple this winter. From difficulties accessing payment-assistance programs to frustrations with the arduous process of converting to solar energy, Coloradans are fed up with their power utility. So is this what living with a monopoly feels like? Today host Bree Davies sits down with Xcel Energy Colorado president Robert Kenney to hear how he’s balancing the needs to keep his customers warm, his shareholders happy, and our planet safe from climate catastrophe. If you or someone you know is struggling with high energy bills this winter, Robert recommended sharing this link to resources and programs Xcel offers. Robert also recently wrote an op-ed for The Denver Post laying out ways Xcel is helping customers burdened by big bills.  Bree also mentioned this recent story from Sam Brasch at CPR about Xcel Energy’s support for a nonprofit that’s been defending natural gas and pushing against the green energy transition, Coloradans for Energy Access. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of research and planning, Colorado Democrats introduced a big package of gun reform laws last week that tackle everything from an increased age limit for gun purchases to the expansion of red flag laws — and this is just the beginning. Meanwhile in the Mile High, the recent toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has Denverites wondering if something similar and equally dangerous could happen here and what politicians are doing about it. Plus, what two years into Colorado’s wage transparency laws reveal about our job market and how butterflies, bees, and other bugs could positively impact new development. Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Erin O’Toole to break down these topics and discuss Denver’s newest sloth resident and why a Star Wars-inspired name could perfect for the cute baby mammal.  Bree mentioned a previous conversation with legislators about gun control: Why Rep. Sullivan Thinks His Colleagues Won’t Talk About Guns. And she referenced a Denver Gazette article on red flag laws and the Club Q shooting, Colorado Sun reporter Tamara Chuang’s excellent, ongoing reporting on jobs and the economy in Colorado, and she discussed with Erin Axios Denver's recent coverage of the Butterfly Pavilion's call for more pollinator-friendly development. Want to name Denver’s newest baby sloth? The Denver Zoo wants your vote!  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The City and County of Denver recently joined cities across the country in banning TikTok from all government devices — meaning city employees cannot download the app on any publicly owned phones. As concerns mount about the Chinese-owned app’s access to Americans’ data, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet has called on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their stores entirely — meaning no more boutique fashion shows, no more local food adventures, no more pedestrian advocacy, no more access to an inclusive workout coach, and that's just some of the great local accounts we follow. Senator Bennet joins host Bree Davies to explain why he’s so concerned about TikTok and what he’d tell the Denverites who love it. For more, you can follow Senator Bennet on Twitter @senatorbennet, or read a variety of statements he’s made and legislation he’s proposed on the issues posed by TikTok and social media generally: 1. Sen. Bennet’s letter requesting Apple and Google remove TikTok from their app stores 2. Sen. Bennet’s statement after his meeting with the TikTok CEO 3. Sen. Bennet’s Digital Platform Commission Act And if you’re upset about the prospect of missing out on all the TikTok recipe videos, don’t worry! Sen. Bennet gave us his favorite tofu recipe. You can find that and more local stories that matter in our newsletter Hey Denver. Subscribe now by texting “Denver” to 66866. We’re hiring! City Cast Denver is looking for an audio producer to join our team. If you live in Denver, love local news and culture, and you know your way around a DAW, check out the full listing and apply by March 10.  Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: JCC presents the Jewish Film Festival (March 11-19) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Johnston served in the state senate for eight years, ran for governor and the U.S. Senate, and most recently was president and CEO of Gary Community Ventures — and he wants to be mayor. He sits down with host Bree Davies to talk about his plan to end homelessness in Denver during his first term, his stance on rent control, and the proposal to widen Peña Boulevard. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Chris Hansen Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Hansen is a trained engineer and state senator who has represented Denver for the past six years, and he wants to be Denver’s next mayor. He sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about his controversial TV ad, how he’d lead the Denver Police Department, and his plan to tackle housing costs and homelessness.  We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Trinidad Rodriguez Thomas Wolf Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re digging into all the local stories that mattered this week. First, more Mayoral Madness because the debates in recent weeks have gotten pretty spicy on the topics of housing, homelessness, and how candidates feel about the camping ban. Then, we take on a Denver sports mystery: who is really behind the mountain lion mask? Because the Nuggets’ mascot has been missing a lot of half-court shots recently… Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Westword staff writer, regular Cast Denver guest, and sports fanatic Conor McCormick-Cavanagh to break it all down. Plus, newsletter editor Adrian González shares his list of fun things to do this weekend and we pick the official City Cast Denver Maybe — as in, maybe you’ll see us there! Here’s some of Conor’s reporting on the Rocky mascot mystery, and stay tuned this weekend for more Mayoral Madness! We talked about our forthcoming interviews with Mike Johnston and Chris Hansen. Those are running Saturday and Sunday, but you can hear all our mayoral interviews here: https://denver.citycast.fm/home/mayoral-madness/ We mentioned Chris Hansen’s TV ad and the 9News debate. Here are the events we considered: Murder Mystery Dinner at The Fort Mile High Skate Fest Cupid’s Undie Run Denver Nuggets vs L.A. Clippers For more great weekend recs, subscribe to Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Craft breweries can be as intimidating as they are plentiful. But there’s lots to enjoy in the local brewery scene even if you’re not a major beer lover. And newsletter editor Adrian González and producer Paul Karolyi are not beer lovers. They are beer likers, and they are here to help. Host Bree Davies sits down with Paul and Adrian to talk through their favorite breweries for non-alcoholic options, vibes, food and, yeah, also the beer.  All the breweries we mentioned: Dry Dock Brewing (Aurora) Raices Brewing (Sun Valley) Ratio Beerworks (Five Points) TRVE Brewing (Baker) Station 26 Brewing (Park Hill) Alpine Dog (Uptown) Black Sky Brewing (Santa Fe Drive) Bull & Bush (Glendale) Dos Luces (South Broadway) Goed Zuur (Five Points) Strange Craft Brewing (Lincoln Park) Brewability (Englewood) Great Divide Brewing Co. (Downtown) Copper Kettle Brewing Company (Indian Creek) Which great breweries did we miss? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your recommendation on the show: (720) 500-5418‬  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new podcast “Alphabet Boys” is making waves across the country with revelations about how the FBI used an undercover informant to infiltrate the racial justice movement in Denver in the summer of 2020. Told using secret recordings, the story revolves around Michael “Mickey” Windecker, a self-proclaimed counter-terrorism expert who drove a silver hearse full of guns and tried to convince activists to take on increasingly violent plots. Producer Paul Karolyi talks to Alphabet Boys host Trevor Aaronson and one of the activists Windecker targeted, Zebbodios “Zebb” Hall about how Windecker operated and how he undermined the protest movement. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver What would you say is an essential rule for surviving Denver? We’re making our own Denver survival guide, and we need your help. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your rule on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A series of mysterious incidents in late December forced the Suncor refinery in Commerce City to shut down for weeks. The refinery is reviled by environmental activists and neighbors for its history of polluting our air and water, but it’s also responsible for about 40% of Colorado’s supply of gasoline. So, what if the shutdown was permanent? What if Mother Earth snapped her fingers and it disappeared? Denver Post reporter Noelle Phillips has been covering Suncor for years, and she’s on today with producer Paul Karolyi to explain the current situation and imagine what a Denver without Suncor would look like.  Catch up on all Noelle’s reporting on Suncor here: https://www.denverpost.com/author/noelle-phillips/ At the 9News mayoral debate last week, Ean Thomas Tafoya took aim at Chris Hansen over a recent TV ad. Check out our interview with Tafoya, and the rest of our Mayoral Madness coverage — and make sure to stay tuned for our interview with Chris Hansen this weekend. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas Wolf is an investment banker who has worked for JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, and Crewe Capital, and he wants to be mayor. Thomas sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about how he’d support the arts community, combat gentrification, build bike lanes, and, of course, Casa Bonita.   We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! And if you’ve got a question you’d like us to ask the candidates, or one candidate in particular, email it to us at denver@citycast.fm. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trinidad Rodriguez is an investment banker who’s served on the board of the Denver Housing Authority and as policy advisor for the Governor’s Policy Office and Office of Energy Conservation, as well as Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources, and he wants to be mayor. Trinidad sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about his plan to improve public safety, his stance on rent control, and how he’d support Denver’s remaining late-night diners. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before Election Day on April 4. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón Ean Thomas Tafoya Thomas Wolf Keep up with Mayoral Madness on our site! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Friday and we're rounding up all the stories that mattered to Denverites this week. First, TikTok: is it a source of endless entertainment and information or a Chinese surveillance operation? And which should we be worried about more? The City of Denver banned the social media app from government-owned devices this week and Colorado’s senior senator Michael Bennet (Democrat) is joining Republican calls to ban it from the app stores, so we’re digging into the local implications of the TikTok situation. Producers Paul Karolyi and Erin O’Toole are digging in with Hey Denver newsletter editor Adrian González. Do you have a favorite local TikTokker? We want to hear about them! Email us your fave at denver@citycast.fm, or text or leave us a voicemail at (720) 500-5418. We also talked about Denver’s bachelorette party ranking, the El Paso County Sheriff’s response to the allegations of racism we talked about on the show yesterday, the war against prairie dogs in Aurora, touching dead birds, the Mountain Plover Festival, and what should be our official state smell.  Mayoral Madness continues this weekend! We’ve got interviews with two more candidates -- investment banker Thomas Wolf and state policy advisor Trinidad Rodriguez — coming Saturday and Sunday. Catch those and all the other candidate interviews we’ve done so far at https://denver.citycast.fm/home/mayoral-madness/ We’re taking Monday off for President’s Day. See you Tuesday! Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Courtney and Nicole Mallery were thinking about buying a ranch on the Eastern Plains, other Black people in Denver told them to “be careful out there.” But it was the Mallerys’ dream to live off the land, so they bought some land east of Colorado Springs anyway. A simple dispute over their property line quickly escalated with slaughtered livestock, allegations of a racist conspiracy involving the local sheriff, felony charges for the Mallerys, and nearly $200,000 in donations to a GoFundMe supporting their cause. Producer Paul Karolyi sits down with the president of the Rocky Mountain NAACP, Portia Prescott, to talk through the case, the changing shape of racism in rural Colorado, and the legislation she thinks would have ended this whole thing before it started. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department has disputed the allegations of racism at length. For more, 9News covered their press conference earlier this week.  Paul mentioned the rally planned for this Friday at the Capitol in solidarity with the Mallerys and in support of the CAREN Act. It’s set to begin at 9 a.m. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Do you have a Denver moment of joy you’d like to share? We want to share the good vibes. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colorado has banned rent control since 1981. But with the cost of housing on the rise across the state, including here in Denver, some lawmakers are trying to change that. While Governor Jared Polis has already come out against their proposal, Javier Mabrey thinks he can change the governor’s mind. State Rep. Mabrey is an evictions defense attorney representing southwest Denver, and he’s on today with host Bree Davies to explain why now’s the time to legalize rent control, how it would work in Denver, and how it could fit in Polis’ long-term vision for housing. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver We're on the hunt for Denver's best hot sauce! Leave us a voicemail with your name, neighborhood, and your favorite local hot sauce, and we'll try to track it down for a taste test on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Valentine’s Day, so we’re surveying the dining scene with Westword’s food editor Molly Martin and editor-in-chief Patty Calhoun. First, Molly’s recent piece about giving leftovers away to an unhoused person sparked a heated conversation online about how “dangerous” it is to dine out downtown right now. So we’re digging into that thorny topic, then Molly and Patty report back from visiting two iconic Denver-area Western restaurants: The Fort, which is turning 60 this year, and El Rancho, which was recently reopened with new owners and Chef Frank Bonanno.  Help celebrate The Fort’s 60th anniversary with a big party this Friday, Feb. 17. Get all the details here.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Brown v. Board of Education, Denver Public Schools created a de facto segregation that was so bad, a group of Park Hill parents sued and their case went all the way to the Supreme Court. That landmark decision in 1973 led to decades of busing, white flight, and now “school choice,” prompting many parents and activists to ask, has DPS become de facto segregated again? To mark the 50th anniversary of Keyes v. School District No. 1, Chalkbeat reporter Melanie Asmar worked with Historic Denver on a new project uncovering the half-century fight to desegregate Denver schools, the challenges that remain today, and the story of one school that’s been at the center of it all: Park Hill’s Stedman Elementary.  Parents, don’t forget! Round one of Denver Public Schools’ choice process ends on Tuesday, February 14.  Rachel B. Noel and educator Debbi Blair talk about the Noel Resolution in this clip from the Higher Education Diversity Summit. For more on busing, check out this 2019 piece featuring locals recalling their own busing experiences.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ean Thomas Tafoya is an environmental justice advocate and community organizer with 20 years of experience working with and within local government, he led the campaign to pass the Waste No More ballot initiative in 2019, and he’s running for mayor. He sits down with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about Xcel Energy, Public Safety, and the Park Hill Golf Course. Ean wants you to know that he remembered the name of the coffee shop he mentioned. It’s the Curious Coffee near Colorado Blvd. and I-25. We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before the April 4 election. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod Lisa Calderón For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Calderón is the executive director of Emerge Colorado, previously served as chief of staff for City Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, and she’s running for mayor. She sits down with Host Bree Davies to talk about her plan for “transformational transportation,” how she’d adjust the police budget, and her plan for downtown.  We are inviting all 17 candidates for interviews before the April 4 election. So far, we've talked to: Renate Behrens Leslie Herod For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re digging deep into all the local stories that mattered this week. First, the mayor’s race isn’t the only big decision facing Denver voters this April. We’ll be picking new City Council members too, and those races are starting to take shape — and in one case, getting pretty nasty. With host Bree Davies out of town, producers Erin O’Toole and Paul Karolyi are talking politics and swapping Valentine’s Day recs with CPR senior host and hopeless romantic Nathan Heffel.  We talked about the anonymous mailers attacking D9 councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, the big names in the at-large race, and the swingers club in Centennial.  Our picks for your Valentine’s Day: Donate blood Valentine’s Day Heart-Shaped Pizza Class at Joy Hill B&GC Speakeasy The Cooper Lounge at Union Station And, the weekend events Adrian brought for our consideration: “Titanic” 25th Anniversary Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at History Colorado Monster Jam Superb Owl All-You-Can-Eat Buffet City Cast Denver is hiring! We’re looking for a Senior Account Executive to join our revenue team. Do you know someone who might be a good fit? Are you someone who might be a good fit? Check out the full listing here and let us know if you have any questions! Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly three years of a global pandemic have done a number on downtown Denver — high vacancy rates, shuttering businesses, low foot traffic, and crime and safety concerns abound. It’s clear every mayoral candidate is going to need a plan to bring life back to our economic center, but the question is how? When Federico Peña was elected mayor in 1983, he faced a very similar set of challenges downtown. But he turned it around with his campaign to “Imagine a Great City,” leading to a period of sustained growth and prosperity. So as we gear up for the mayoral election on April 4, producer Paul Karolyi spoke with Peña about how he did it and what he’s hoping to hear from candidates today.  City Cast Denver is looking for a Senior Account Executive to join our revenue team. Do you know someone who might be a good fit? Are you that person? Check out the full listing here.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Help us find Denver’s best hot sauce! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we’ll track down that hot sauce: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you pay $80 for an Uber to the airport, how much of that fare goes to the driver? A recent survey of local gig drivers showed that they’re only making an average of $5.49 per hour. That data has brought the debate over gig work back to the state legislature, where some lawmakers are pushing a new “Gig Worker Transparency” bill to require these tech platforms to disclose information about payments to both the drivers and their customers. Today host Bree Davies talks with Uber and Lyft drivers Munir Abuzawida, Michael Machar, and Zaw Tun to get a full picture of what it’s like to work in the gig economy in Denver in 2023.  For more from Michael Machar on their recent advocacy work, here’s an op-ed he recently published with the Colorado Sun. Michael, Munir, and Zaw have been organizing with other drivers through a new organization called Colorado Independent Drivers United.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Tuesday and we’re breaking down the big stories of the week so far: The mayor’s race is heating up, and we’re finally getting to know the lesser known candidates — like Andy Rougeot, who made some big claims on AM radio recently, which 9News promptly investigated. Then, there’s the story of Maggie Barton, a teacher who was fired from All Souls Catholic school in Englewood — the Archdiocese claims it wasn’t because she’s gay. Later, we talk local business, with VF Corp’s recent slump and Duffeyroll’s surprising growth. Finally, we debut “Paul’s Movie Corner” so producer Paul Karolyi has an excuse to talk about a weird Netflix movie starring Kevin James as the Broncos incoming head coach, Sean Peyton. (Oh, and we have a Casa Bonita update, but shhhh it’s top secret!) Thanks to 9News, CPR, and Denver Business Journal for their reporting and to Bree’s unnamed friend who may or may not have snuck her a photo of the inside of a still-in-progress Casa Bonita renovation.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Should we invite some expert guests to watch the Sean Payton biopic with us? Let us know with a text or a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Mortified Live: Doomed Valentine’s  How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Black History Month, and we’re thinking about the people and experiences that have been foundational to this place. Much of who and what has been depicted as Colorado history paints a picture that is not very diverse, let alone accurate. But Colorado’s history is Black history — today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Dexter Nelson II, History Colorado’s associate curator of African American History and Cultural Heritage, about The Dry, a Black homestead that dried up long ago. The tale of The Dry is one of Black excellence and perseverance in the face of harsh environmental and social conditions. You can learn more about the Black Heritage Trail and download the new History Colorado app. Additional music in this episode is by Jason Shaw and adapted here under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.  In the newscast, Bree mentioned the cute baby sloth born last week at the Denver Zoo, which you can see here. Want to work for City Cast Denver? Check out our latest job posting for a Senior Account Executive.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How To Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renate Behrens worked as a caretaker in Germany before moving to Colorado to get married, and she wants to be Denver’s next mayor. She speaks with producer Paul Karolyi about transportation, homelessness, and Casa Bonita.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leslie Herod is a state representative serving parts of Denver, and she wants to be Denver’s next mayor. Host Bree Davies speaks with her about the rising cost of energy, public transportation, the Park Hill Golf Course, and Casa Bonita.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re talking about the stories we couldn’t stop thinking about this week. Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and returning favorite, public radio veteran and host of the Been There Done That podcast, Jo Ann Allen. Inspired by multimodal-transit advocate Molly McKinley’s op-ed for Westword, the crew talks through the failures of Vision Zero and questions Denver’s ability to get transit and pedestrian infrastructure right. Then, Jo Ann connects the brutality of Tyre Nichols’ murder at the hands of police with a recent incident in Colorado Springs. Finally, newsletter editor Adrian González joins with some ideas on how to spend your weekend.  Paul discussed the success of Vision Zero in Oslo, Norway, and mentioned Denver’s big new transportation vision document laying out how the city plans to shift away from car dependency and toward more biking, walking and public transit.  Jo Ann mentioned an opinion piece from Charles M. Blow in the New York Times about the murder of Tyre Nichols.  Here are the events Adrian brought us to consider: Museo’s First Friday Celebration of Afro-Latinx Identity Los Mocochetes in Concert Soleful: MCA’s Closing Night Celebration of The Dirty South USA Curling Championships Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve tackled breakfast burritos. We’ve eaten our way through Denver’s donut scene. We’ve chowed down on fried chicken and compared Denver-style, Mission-style burritos. Finally, we’re taking on the toughest tussle of them all: tacos. But not just any tacos, we’re talking al pastor street tacos. Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi, newsletter editor Adrian González, and producer Erin O’Toole to taste test four of the top street tacos from across the metro area. An old school favorite, a downtown newcomer, an urban-suburban superstar, and an esteemed west, West side staple go head-to-head as the City Cast Denver crew decides: Who makes Denver’s best street taco? Our street taco competitors: La Diabla Pozole & Mezcal El Taco de Mexico Tacos Selene La Calle Taqueria Y Carnitas For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been in Denver for a while, you’ve seen the work of internationally renowned artist Anthony Garcia. Born n’ raised in Globeville, he paints with bold, bright colors and serape-inspired patterns to create murals that enrobe whole buildings across the metro area and take over gallery walls from Miami to Amsterdam. Recently, the artist collaborated with the GES Coalition, an environmental and housing justice organization created by and serving the Globeville Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods, to paint two homes taken from GES families through eminent domain. Host Bree Davies met up with Anthony and GES Coalition organizer Alfonso Espino on the block where these two houses still stand to talk about how art, activism, and community connection made this painting project a reality.  And make sure to follow our instagram to see these beautiful new pieces for yourself! For the whole backstory to the Torres family’s displacement through eminent domain, we recommend this feature story from Westword.  The GES Coalition is working on a variety of different projects to advance their campaign and strengthen their land trust, including this new affordable housing/library project that could be coming soon.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Or instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Got a moment of Denver joy you want to share? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you have what it takes to be “entertainer (wet)” — aka, a cliff diver at Casa Bonita? The South Park guys are hiring ahead of their planned May re-opening. Meanwhile, many Denverites’ energy bills have more than doubled in the past few months while Xcel posted massive profits for 2022 — so, what gives? And on the transit front, RTD is debating a policy change that would prohibit passengers without a set destination from riding the light rail. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi break down these local stories and more as they dig what Denverites are talking about this week. Plus, Paul and Bree answer a listener question about population growth and revisit the hilarious vanity license plate convo from last week.  Paul mentioned Xcel’s record profits, Jon Caldara and the Independence Institute’s crusade against Xcel, and Xcel’s tips for reducing your energy bill.  Don’t miss our guide for how to help our neighbors struggling to pay energy bills, which we published in our newsletter Hey Denver yesterday. You can subscribe to Hey Denver for even more news from around the city by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Mortified Live: DOOMED VALENTINE’S  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time in his now five years as governor, Jared Polis is focusing on housing. Whether its an urban, rural, or suburban community, every part of Colorado is just too expensive. So how does our uber-popular, tech-loving, libertarian-leaning governor plan to tackle the housing issue? And what would a hypothetical future Polis-opolis look like? CPR state politics and housing reporter Andy Kenney is on today with our chief Polis watcher and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about how the Governor thinks about housing and how he could re-shape our cities.  Hear more from Andy and the CPR politics team as they cover the housing debate at the Capitol on the Purplish podcast.  Andy mentioned State Sen. Julie Gonzales and the rare moment of bipartisanship over housing at last year’s legislative session. Don’t miss our interview with Gonzales about how that all went down.  Paul mentioned the recent closure of the Tea with Tae shop at 16th and California.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re rounding up the stories that caught our eye this week. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Denver Post reporter Elizabeth Hernandez to chat all things fowl and lewd (as in crude license plates!) Demand for chicks and home hen house supplies has skyrocketed as consumers reel from the egg shortage, and Elizabeth has the inside scoop. We’re also talking about personalized license plates and what the DMV has decided which ones are too hot for your Honda — sorry FASTMFR and SHAGWEL, you’re not getting those plates! Stay til the end for our recommendations on the best things to do this weekend in Denver with newsletter editor Adrian González! Plus, Paul and Bree talk about the mayor’s race and how, exactly, City Cast Denver hopes to best inform voters on this crowded field of 17 candidates. We want to hear from you, too! Do you have a question you’d like every candidate to answer? Or one question for a specific candidate? Leave us your name, neighborhood, and question in a text or voicemail at 720-500-5418. Paul mentioned Colorado’s slowing population growth and the full list of rejected personalized license plates.  Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866] Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. And boy, do we in the West really need to figure out how to use less water. The federal government has imposed a February 1 deadline for the seven Colorado River Basin states to come up with a new conservation plan, so what would be realistic for us in the Denver metro area to contribute? Colorado Sun environment reporter Michael Booth is on today to talk about two new innovative water projects — a “MacGuyver-esque” wastewater recycling system in Aurora, and the new “cloud seeding” effort outside Longmont.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On our hunt for Denver’s best street tacos, we stumbled on a story we had to share: After decades working in other peoples’ restaurants on the Northside, Jose Ramirez ventured into the suburbs to open Los Dos Potrillos in 2002. Serving his version of Colorado’s famed green chile alongside dishes reflecting his hometown of Jerez, Zacatecas in Mexico, Jose gained a loyal following. Now Jose’s sons, Luis and Daniel, have taken over Los Dos with big dreams to become the “Shake Shack of Mexican food.” The brothers now oversee four locations across the metro area, have launched a brewery, are planning a fast-casual spin-off, and have their sights set on 20 more new locations across Colorado in the next few years — including a massive, 8,000-square-foot Los Dos flagship in Castle Rock. So ahead of their next opening in Northglenn next month, host Bree Davies sits down with the Ramirez brothers to talk about their take on Den-Mex. What do you think? Does Los Dos Potrillos make the best street tacos in Denver? Or is there somewhere else we absolutely have to try? Leave us a voicemail with your name, neighborhood, and your favorite local street taco purveyor, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬.   Bree mentioned the launch of universal preschool in Colorado. Click here to learn more and check your child’s eligibility.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Tuesday and we’ve got everything you need to know about the local stories Denverites are talking about: Meth residue found inside libraries in Englewood, Boulder, and Littleton is causing concern, the gun debate heats up at the Capitol after another mass shooting, and we regret to inform you that the Aurora police department is at it again. Plus, all the taco news you can use — first, Westword’s deep dive into the Taco Bell-rat poisoning scandal exposes some flimsy evidence; and second, we hear from a listener about his favorite immersive street taco experience in Westwood. Two recent Aurora Sentinel op-eds encapsulate the frustration with Aurora’s police department: Dave Perry’s “Aurora Police Department problems are so bad, someone should call the cops — somewhere else” and “Stop protecting Aurora police from themselves — the city must protect the public first” from the Sentinel Editorial Board. We’re going to have a full update on Monday evening’s Park Hill Golf Course vote at City Council later this week, but don’t miss our breakdown of the whole saga on Monday’s episode.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For almost 100 years, the Park Hill neighborhood has featured an 18-hole golf course. But then a major developer, Westside Investment Partners, bought the land and put forth ambitious plans to redevelop the site into a walkable new community and park. The purchase sparked a neighborhood fight that’s escalated into a city-wide debate over housing, growth, and change. And if City Council approves Westside’s rezoning request tonight, Denver voters will decide on the defunct golf course’s future on April 4. It’s a complicated and controversial situation, so host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are sharing some clips from past interviews and catching you up on the saga of the Park Hill Golf Course.  Check out our past coverage of the Park Hill Golf Course fight: WTF is Happening with the Park Hill Golf Course? (Part One) Park Hill Gold Course (Part Two): The Developers Speak! If you want to learn more about Westside Investment Partners’ vision for the Park Hill Golf Course, here’s a link to their website.  Friend of the show Conor McCormick-Cavanagh reported more details about the 303 ArtWay Heritage Trail for Westword. Bree mentioned the Beast Fingers Climbing Gym in Globeville needing support, which you can do on their website. Read the full saga of the gym in this Westword piece from Catie Cheshire. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver We want to hear about your moments of joy in Denver! Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your story on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and that means we’re looking back at the local stories that mattered this week. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by returning fave Sam Brasch of Colorado Public Radio. We discuss the hot topic of gas stoves and how Colorado got tangled up in what at first seemed to be a very Florida mess. Plus, our resident nerd Paul runs a game of “Did Governor Polis Actually Say That?” as Sam and Bree try to guess which geeky pop culture references came out of the governor’s mouth. As always, newsletter editor Adrian González joins the crew to share some fun things to do this weekend around the Mile High.  Don’t forget to send us your street taco recs! Text or leave us a voicemail with your favorite spot, your name and neighborhood at 720-500-5418. Paul mentioned the alleged rat poisoning at a local Taco Bell. Learn more about the Denver climate rebates for electrification on the city’s website.  Read guest Sam Brasch’s reporting on the Healthy Homes Program over at Denverite.  Looking for more ideas for your weekend plans? Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866, or click here.  We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, New Belgium Brewing ruled the craft brew scene in Colorado, and Fat Tire was its flagship beer. When the Fort Collins–based brewmasters debuted their signature amber ale in 1991, it inspired imitators, dominated shelves, and satisfied beer lovers for decades… until it didn’t. This week, New Belgium announced they were giving Fat Tire a whole new look and taste. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Denver Post editor and unofficial Colorado Beer Man Jonathan Shikes about what it means for an old favorite to be reformulated, repackaged, and re-introduced to a new generation of craft beer drinkers Denver Post’s cannabis and beer reporter Tiney Ricciardi wrote about the big changes at New Belgium earlier this week.  And Jonathan mentioned Axios reporter John Frank’s assessment of the new Fat Tire. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mayoral hopefuls are rolling out their strategies to tackle public safety and homelessness, and others have set social media abuzz with plans for more snow plowing — in other words, the race is on! But there’s still a crucial hurdle to clear before the dozens of aspiring leaders make the ballot: 300 verified, unique signatures from registered Denver voters. With that deadline coming up this Thursday, some candidates may not end up running after all. Today on the show, host Bree Davies chats with Westword editor in-chief Patty Calhoun about who’s saying what, whose ambitious plans she’s watching, and the historic precedent for snowplows swaying mayoral elections. Bree mentioned Kelly Brough’s comments on sweeps (9News) and the comments from one of her supporters (Denverite).  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Western Stock Show has been an annual attraction in Denver since 1906, bringing cowboys, cowgirls, farmers, ranchers, and agri-business titans here to buy, sell, show, and celebrate all things agriculture. But the big question is, how relevant is this famous show to an evolving modern city like Denver today? We wanted to understand what it meant to one Arvada family, so today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi tagged along with the Leathermans on a trip to the National Western Complex to meet their goat farmer daughter and watch her (and her goat) in the junior market goat show. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Mortified Live: DOOMED VALENTINE'S Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday! And we’re looking back at the news of the week with one of our favorite returning guests — podcaster extraordinaire and weed expert Ann Marie Awad. She joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dig deep into two debates over the state of our streets. Does Denver suck at plowing snow? And should we decriminalize jaywalking? Plus, Bree has a few words of remembrance for the great architecture critic Mary Voelz Chandler who passed this week, and as usual, we’ll help you pick some cool stuff to do this weekend.  We mentioned Michael Paglia’s remembrance of Mary Voelz Chandler for Westword (and her own excellent blog, Chandler in Denver, and her 2021 appearance on our show), Jim Charlier’s epic twitter thread on plowing policy, and this Denverite article on the plowing problem: Is Denver Bad at Snow Plowing? For more cool event recs and news from around the city, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Westwood Academy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise We reached out to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure for comments on the plowing situation. Here are their responses, edited for length: CCD: Do you know if DOTI has any plans to re-assess its snow removal strategy? If so, how does the changing climate factor into those plans?   The storm we received on December 29 was a particularly challenging storm event in that it was a wet, heavy, spring-like snow that hit during the coldest time of year. The snow also fell at very fast rate (1 to 3 inches an hour). Conditions on the main streets improved with subsequent passes by the plows. It was unusual for us to have a spring-like storm in December. So, we will be looking at… was this a one-time thing? Or a new trend amid global warming? These are the things that we’ll look at --- any new trends over the course of several seasons and see if we need to adjust. Here is more on that:   we assess our snow program after every snow season, especially as we install more and new kinds of bike infrastructure, to evaluate what kinds of new equipment we might need, and so that we can make a budget ask for it.  we will want to keep main streets a priority to ensure emergency vehicles and people can get where they need to go. we’re interested in continuous improvement and in discussing snow removal approaches that better support alternative modes of travel during the winter months, and large-scale programmatic changes will require expansions in people and in equipment. COVID put us in budget reduction mode, but as our city recovers, there may be opportunities in upcoming budget cycles to reignite discussions about service level expansions that the administration and elected officials want to fund.   CCD: I saw that the budget for plowing was $3 million in 2019. I can’t seem to find a more current budget. Do you happen to have that figure as well? We have about $3M in 2023 as well. If we need additional dollars due to an unusually active snow season or a big event at the end of the year, we would ask for a supplemental. Safety comes first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grocery prices are through the roof, but gas is under $3 a gallon. The housing market in Denver finally seems to be cooling, but mortgage interest rates are high. Governor Polis campaigned for re-election on how well Colorado is doing, but some experts say a recession is looming. So, what gives? What’s going on with Denver’s — and Colorado’s — economy and how should we feel about it in 2023? Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Rich Wobbekind, senior economist at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, about inflation, the job market, and if we should be worried about that recession or not.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Westwood Academy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Given the city’s strained resources, the expansion of recycling and compost service next year will be a significant burden that might not come with the hoped-for environmental benefits.” Denver’s auditor Tim O’Brien wrote those words back in November about the 2023 rollout of some big changes to our waste removal system. Denverites will soon have both compost and recycling pickup weekly for free — but residents will also be charged by volume for trash service. Plus, voters approved the Waste No More ballot initiative, making it mandatory for all private businesses (including apartment buildings) to offer compost and recycling. We wanted to see for ourselves how the rollout is going, so host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi took a trip to The Dump, AKA the Denver South Transfer Station on S. Cherry Creek Drive, to talk with Denver’s trash experts. Vanessa mentioned the waste directory that can help you figure out where to put your waste. You can find that at Denvergov.org/recycle. Bree mentioned the city’s waste information app, which you can find by searching “Denver trash and recycling” in the app store of your choice. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Westwood Academy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Tuesday and we’re bringing you a midweek roundup of news across the metro area: As migrants and asylum seekers continue to show up in Denver, things get more complicated — we have the latest on Governor Polis’s recent people-moving plan. Plus, another dude jumps in the race for mayor, e-bike rebates are back, and why Su Teatro is burning their mortgage (it’s for a really good reason, we promise!) To round out the show, we help a listener with her burning question: how do adults make friends in Denver? Paul mentioned this tweet from mayoral candidate and Western wear enthusiast Kelly Brough.  Here are some links to learn more about the stories we mentioned: Tattered Cover CEO Kwame Spearman Is Running for Denver Mayor [Westword] Letter to Colorado governor highlights growing frustration with migrant crisis [Denver7] Denver e-bike rebates are back, but smaller [Axios] Su Teatro’s 50th anniversary production: Torch a mortgage. This won’t be fiction. [Denverite] Mayoral candidate Chris Hansen’s spicy snow plow tweet Denver’s planning to shut down emergency migrant shelters at rec centers [Denverite] For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Westwood Academy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Denver Broncos opened their 2022-23 season with Mile High expectations. A new ownership group led by deep-pocketed Walmart heirs made a big splash signing superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to a $245 million contract, and the new head coach Nathaniel Hackett boasted a championship pedigree (his father Paul Hackett coached Joe Montana to a Super Bowl victory in 1984.) Still, the losses piled up, and our Donkeys ended the season yesterday, far from playoff contention. We invited our sports guy Jake Shapiro of Denver Sports back to explain where the Broncos could go from here, what should be done about Russell Wilson, and what it all means for the long-rumored plans for a new stadium which, depending on if —or where— it gets built could reshape Denver as we know it.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Westwood Academy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re back in studio rounding up the news of the week! The legislative session kicks off Monday, and after the GOP‘s face-plant in November, the Dems hold a super majority. So, what are they gonna do with all that power? Our official state politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval joins producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to dish her legislative speculation. Plus, we’re talking all about the Stock Show, which stampeded back into town on Thursday. Think you know about one of the biggest agricultural events in the region? Paul puts Justine and Bree’s Stock Show knowledge to the test. Plus, stay tuned until the end of the show for some sweet weekend recommendations and a bittersweet goodbye (and hello) for the City Cast Denver team.  Definitely check out Dos Luces Brewery’s site for a better explanation of their special chicha and pulque brews. The events we considered for the Official City Cast Denver Maybe For Your Weekend: inspiraHike for the new year! Sensory friendly morning at the DAM Movies at the CO Symphony - Harry Potter Beer dinner at Dos Luces Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next time you find yourself in LoDo or wandering around near Union Station, look down. Just below the streets of downtown, there’s a maze of old, out-of-commission tunnels that used to connect our hotels, restaurants, and stores of yore. Glimpses of these alternative pathways still exist at street level, if you know where to look. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Tracy Beach, author of “The Tunnels Under Our Feet: Colorado’s Forgotten Hollow Sidewalks,” about this turn-of-the-last-century phenomenon. Beach explains what the tunnels were used for, who used them, and how to spot the remnants of these lost transit spaces today.  Bree mentioned our tour last year of the Pueblo-themed Fuel & Iron Bar (which has since rebranded as Honor Farm), the racist anti-Chinese riot of 1880 (which she discussed with Dr. William Wei in 2021), and her interview with Coffee at the Point owner Ryan Cobbins from last year.  Check out the Hey Denver newsletter for even more news, Denver history, and fun stuff to do! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re catching you up on all the top stories of the week so far: The Broncos went from bad to worse. Tattered Cover’s OG owner passed away. Denver continues to greet busloads of migrants and asylum seekers, even as the city and aid groups are overwhelmed. The Suncor Oil Refinery was shut down temporarily, which could impact air quality (in a good way) and gas prices (in a bad way). Oh, and a 16th Street Mall institution may have closed its doors forever.  We know you, our listeners, like our Friday news roundups, so host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are trying out this new mid-week wrangling of top stories and info! Let us know what you think: reach us via email denver@citycast.fm or leave us a message on the City Cast Denver hotline: (720) 500-5418‬. Bree mentioned Axios’s coverage of the migrant situation; if you’d like to help, the city has shared information on needs and donation options on its website. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We can’t predict Denver’s future, but — what if we could get some guidance from the universe on how our 2023 will be? To start off the new year, host Bree Davies called up her favorite tarot reader, astrologer, and astral guide Lady Speech for a reading. In a take on the traditional three-card tarot spread, Lady Speech pondered our big questions: Will Denver’s mysterious “downtown dilemma” be solved? Can the local arts scene keep thriving and bring some stability to our artists? What in the heck is going to happen with our 2023 mayoral election?  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver. And Instagram: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Programming Note: We’re taking some time off around the new year. We’ll be back with new episodes starting on January 3. All this week, Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi counted down Denver’s top five stories of 2022. Today, we’re revealing #1, what should be done about downtown? 5. Hockeytown, USA 4. Tipping Fatigue 3. The Rise of Worker Power 2. Legal Reefer Madness 1. The Downtown Dilemma This episode originally aired on April 1, 2022, and features Bree, Paul, former producer Xandra McMahon, and Denverite reporter Kyle Harris. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weed. It’s been legal for 10 years, and it feels more fraught than ever. All this week on City Cast Denver, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are counting down 2022’s top five stories in Denver. Today, #2, how had legal weed changed Denver? And how has it remained the same? 5. Hockeytown, USA 4. Tipping Fatigue 3. The Rise of Worker Power 2. Legal Reefer Madness 1. ??? Continue listening to the 1800 S Broadway Saga! Part Two Talkback We also mentioned this episode where we visited Tetra Lounge, Denver’s first-ever, smoke-friendly public weed consumption site. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 If there’s still Twitter… @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2022, what a year, am I right? Lots of ups, lots of downs. And we made it. All this week on City Cast Denver, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are counting down 2022’s top five stories in Denver. Today, #3, grocery workers, baristas, gig workers, cannabis growers, public employees, etc. etc. etc. 5. Hockeytown, USA 4. Tipping Fatigue 3. The Rise of Worker Power 2. ??? 1. ??? This episode originally aired on January 14, 2022. Other workers’ rights stories we’ve done: Why Are King Soopers Workers Going on Strike? ‘I Walk In Everyday Expecting To Be Fired’: Inside The Starbucks Union Effort She Says Amazon Fired Her For Speaking Out. Now She’s Fighting Back For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us while there’s still Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the days tick down to the new year, we’re looking back at 2022. All this week on City Cast Denver, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are counting down the 2022’s top five stories in Denver. Today, #4, the bill is here. How much are you gonna tip?  5. Hockeytown, USA 4. Tipping Fatigue 3. ??? 2. ??? 1. ??? This episode originally aired on September 9, 2022. Newsletter editor Peyton mentioned this funny video that lays out an argument against tipping and the Bonanno Concepts’ explanation of their service fee. Check out the other episodes we’ve done on tipping: Should Tipping Have a Place in Our New Normal? These Service Industry Vets Have Choice Words For Your ‘Tipping Fatigue’  Your Questions on Coffee, Tipping, and the Megadrought For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are counting down the top five stories in Denver in 2022. Today’s episode kicks off with some honorable mentions and #5, a turning point moment for local hockey. 5. Hockeytown, USA 4. ??? 3. ??? 2. ??? 1. ??? A longer version of this episode originally aired on July 1, 2022.  Dive into our coverage of the runner-up stories of the year: We Get Lost in David Byrne's ‘Theater of the Mind’ Denver Deserves Sidewalks. Will Voters Agree? Can Denver Rethink What We Throw Away? How Denver Voted Does Denver Have a Parking Problem? For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as we were setting our away messages and logging off for the holiday season, Denver got the biggest news of the year: the South Park guys announced an official reopening date for Casa Bonita! Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi jumped on the mic to share their first reactions to the video announcement from South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and their head chef, decorated culinary master Dana "Loca" Rodriguez.  We swear, this is real!! Check out the video for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rogxbMwifw And keep your eyes on the feed next week. We’ve got a really fun end-of-year project that we’ve been working on to share. For more on the Casa Bonita saga, our most recent episode on the topic was published on August 16, 2022, and featured 9News reporter Jeremy Jojola's investigative look into the CB re-opening project. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver is about to put another interesting year on the books. Depending on how you look at it, we celebrated some major victories… and took some embarrassing Ls. Today on the show, host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and a couple of regulars from Westword, editor in chief Patty Calhoun and staff writer Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, to discuss their picks for the most epic wins and fails for the city in 2022. Programming note: We’re off tomorrow, but we’ll be back next week with something really cool to ring in the new year.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866. Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight marks the fourth night of Hanukkah, and it’s time to settle the age-old question: who makes the best latke in Denver? Two brave home chefs stepped up to challenge three local Jewish restaurant institutions — Zaidy’s, Rosenberg’s, and Safta — at the Jewish Community Center’s first annual best latke competition earlier this week. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi were on hand to eat too many latkes and vote alongside the community to see who would take home the coveted golden latke and reign supreme as the latke champion of Denver. The JCC is hosting candle-lightings and other free events to celebrate Hanukkah. Learn more at jccdenver.org. Bree mentioned an opportunity to make $25/hour to help migrants arriving in Denver in need of support during the upcoming cold.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Additional music in the episode was performed at the event by Carly Coons, assistant director of Jewish Explorers, a program of JEWISHcolorado. Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we longingly wait for snow to blanket the Mile High in time for the holidays, there’s always the mountains — the place where we can reaIly get that Colorado winter experience, AKA hot springs! And boy, does our fair region have a lot of different kinds of places to choose from. So are you looking for a hideaway in the woods or a swimming pool at a resort? Do you prefer wearing a swimming suit or your birthday suit? What hot springs behavior makes you cringe? Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia to dish on their fav hot springs destinations across Colorado and beyond. A list of all the hot springs we discussed in today’s episode: Conundrum Mt. Princeton Indian Hot Springs (Idaho Springs) Glenwood Springs Strawberry Park Iron Mountain Hot Sulphur Springs Valley View (Orient Land Trust) Montezuma (Las Vegas, NM) Ojo Caliente (NM) Durango Cottonwood  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Tell us about your favorite hot springs on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Or does parking have a Denver problem? It’s an age-old question that’s become particularly controversial lately, with increasing concerns over the vitality of downtown. So what could be done to fix our parking problem? And is parking even the right thing to focus on? Host Bree Davies gets to the bottom of it with Denver’s number one urban planning power couple: Frank and Jill Locantore. Frank was last on the show representing the Colfax Ave. Business Improvement District, an epicenter for our parking woes; and Jill is the executive director of Denver Streets Partnership and the architect of the #DenverDeservesSidewalks campaign, which voters approved by a wide margin back in the November election. Jill mentioned a great tweet thread from past City Cast Denver guest and CPR transportation reporter Nate Minor.  For more on parking, Frank recommends this video from Vox: “The High Cost of Free Parking.” In the newscast, we mentioned that the city is looking for volunteers to help with the influx of more than 900 migrants and asylum seekers who have come to Denver in the last few months. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend, we’re excited to share the first episode from the new season of Laws of Notion, the podcast produced by The Institute of Science and Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. This new season is all about a big story we’ve been talking about all year: water. There’s not enough of it! Or maybe we just don’t know what to do with the water we’ve got? There are a lot of challenges facing Colorado when it comes to water, and this episode is a great place to start understanding them on a deeper level.  You can learn more about The Institute of Science and Policy at institute.dmns.org. And to access more podcast episodes, along with additional content, go to LawsOfNotion.org.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cost of groceries is too damn high! And it could be going even higher, based on the reporting from our guest for this week’s news round-up. Denver Post reporter Megan Ulu-lani Boyanton joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s look into the local impacts of the proposed $25 billion Albertson’s/Kroger merger, the old law driving up the price of eggs, Dairy Queen, and more. Plus, Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia joins us to pick our Official Maybe For Your Weekend, because as usual, she’s got lots of great ideas for cool stuff happening across the city in today’s Hey Denver newsletter.  Here are Megan’s stories on Kroger/Albertson’s and AG Weiser, and the new regulations on eggs. Here are the stories we thought went overlooked this week: Megan - “From heart disease to IUDs: How doctors dismiss women’s pain” Bree -”Certain Denver Parks Warn Adults Without Children to Stay Away” Paul - “Scientists Achieve Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough With Blast of 192 Lasers” Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An astounding 85% of all pizza cheese is supplied by the Denver-based company Leprino Foods, which is controlled by one man, the reclusive billionaire James “Jim” Leprino. But that’s pretty much all we knew about Leprino until recently, when his nieces took him to court and forced the family’s billion-dollar succession drama into the public record. Producer Paul Karolyi sits down with reporter Helen Xu (also known as Helen X), who was in the courtroom for Westword, to share previously unknown details about how Leprino cornered the mozzarella market, his humble origins in his father’s Northside Italian market, and the inner workings of one of Denver’s most fascinating and secretive companies.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a highly controversial vote two years ago, Coloradans narrowly approved a proposal to reintroduce wolves to the state. But a breakdown of the vote revealed the more complicated challenge ahead: urban voters, who may not have direct interactions with the wolves, overwhelmingly said yes, while rural voters — like ranchers, who have concerns about livestock safety — tended to skew against the measure. So how is this actually going to work? Colorado Parks and Wildlife released a draft of their plan to reintroduce wolves last week, and today CPR reporter Sam Brasch joins host Bree Davies to talk about the vote, the plan, and why scientists think it’s a good idea to bring these deadly predators back to Colorado. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Colorado Springs is still dealing with the aftermath of the Club Q shooting, there’s something else that’s clung to the city in a negative way: its reputation as a conservative, fundamentalist Christian stronghold that espouses strong anti-LGBTQ beliefs. That stereotype has never defined it for the people who actually live there, though — and now that the world is looking at Colorado’s second largest city, many in the community want to challenge what those outside the Springs think they know about this special place. Today on the show, Representative-elect Stephanie Vigil  — who will be representing the district where Club Q is located — joins host Bree Davies to talk about the vibrant, creative, and diverse community that they say defines the city they know.   We talked about the Ted Haggard and the New Life Church, which was rocked by scandal in the early 2000s.   Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866] Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver We’re looking for your hot springs recommendations! Leave us a voicemail with your name, neighborhood, and favorite mineral pool and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The alleged shooter who opened fire inside Club Q last month, killing five people, had prior run-ins with law enforcement, including reportedly threatening members of his own family with a homemade bomb. It would seem to be a textbook scenario for use of Colorado’s red flag law to prevent the purchase of weapons used in the attack. But that didn’t happen — and that’s left many wondering if ordering those weapons to be confiscated would have saved lives. Today on the show, Colorado Sun reporter Jesse Aaron Paul talks with host Bree Davies about the complexities of red flag laws, and what’s next in the ongoing legislative fight to stem gun violence. Follow Jesse Paul’s reporting on the Club Q shooting in The Colorado Sun. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s another Friday news roundup! This week, podcaster and cannabis expert Ann Marie Awad joins producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies to dig through local stories big and small. First, the crew discusses the recent controversy around the Colorado Healing Fund and talk about “solidarity not charity” models of giving, like mutual aid networks. Then, Paul, Ann Marie, and Bree dig into a highly controversial listener question about parking in central Denver. Finally, newsletter editor Peyton Garcia pulls up to the table to bring us her top four picks for the Official City Cast Denver Maybe For Your Weekend!  Bree mentioned the recent RTD customer satisfaction survey results.  Ann Marie and Bree mentioned several mutual aid networks, support programs, and food access organizations in the metro area: Denver Community Fridges Rocky Mountain Mutual Aid Network Denver Food Rescue Snow Angels - snow removal And here’s the piece Bree wrote about how mutual aid works Folks looking for an alternative to the Colorado Healing Fund can support Club Q survivors through this GoFundMe, set up by Good Judy Garage. Here are the events Peyton proposed for our Official Maybe For Your Weekend: Festival de Tamale y Atole - Westwood (who is definitely NOT paying Peyton ;) ) Ugly sweater contest at Park Meadows Mall Xmas movie night - Grounds for Dismissal Coffee + s’mores board - Aurora 37th Annual Children’s Hospital Toy Drive - Aurora Sports Park Find even more cool events every week - subscribe to our newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866. For updates from on the construction at the Central Library, check here: https://www.denverlibrary.org/central-library-bond-updates. Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten years after Lakewood baker Jack Phillips refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding, a similar case went before the Supreme Court this week — yet again involving a Denver-area professional refusing to serve same-sex couples. But the make-up of the court is very different, and the outcome is anyone’s guess. CPR’s justice reporter Allison Sherry was in Washington this week to hear oral arguments, and she’s on today with host Bree Davies to break down the case — what’s at stake for our civil rights laws and why Coloradans keep bringing this type of case.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver lost so many restaurants to the pandemic — RIP Racines, To The Wind, Tables, Piatti, etc. — but there are great new spots popping up all the time and plenty of old favorites going strong! So we’re looking back at a killer year in Denver dining with Westword’s food editor Molly Martin, who just published her annual list of 100 restaurants we can’t live without. Is the food hall trend floundering? Do celebrity chefs have any cache left in Mile High? And what’s behind the rise of the bakery/restaurant? Molly’s got her finger on the pulse and her eyes on the menu.  Restaurants Molly specifically mentioned: El Taco de Mexico (Santa Fe.) Sam’s No. 3 (Glendale, Aurora, Downtown) Bakery Four (Tennyson St.) Bánh & Butter Bakery Cafe (East Colfax) Bourbon Grill (Uptown) Oak at Fourteenth (Boulder) Corrida (Boulder) Three Saints Revival (Downtown) The Wolf’s Tailor (Sunnyside) Blazing Chicken Shack (Park Hill) Hits the Spot (Lakewood) Poppie’s (University Hills) Mama Lolita’s (Broomfield) Stone Cellar Bistro (Arvada) Denver Central Market (RiNo) Apple Blossom (Downtown) Bodega (Valverde) Bree and Molly also discussed the ups and downs of food halls, including the recent change-up at Zeppelin Station, and the latest celebrity chef to open a new spot in Denver, Ludo Lefebvre.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sure, Denverites love the Parade of Lights and the tree lighting at Union Station. But what else is there to do here during the holiday season? Today on the show, host Bree Davies is joined by newsletter editor Peyton Garcia for a rundown of some of the best Christmas-y things to do, see, and eat in the Mile High. From pop-up bars and holiday markets to tamale tastings and visits with Santa, we’ve got a variety of seasonal recommendations to fill your December calendar and make the yuletide great! Stuff we mentioned: Christkindl Market at Civic Center Park (Plus, Peyton mentioned this list of first-timers tips) Denver Zoo Lights Camp Christmas (Listen to Bree’s tour with director Lonnie Hanzon from last year) Holiday Tea at Hotel Boulderado  Miracle, the Christmas cocktail pop-up Festival Del Tamal Y Atole For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Denver Post published a blockbuster three-part investigation last week, unveiling the spokes of an international criminal conspiracy with Denver as a key hub — the Denver Art Museum, in fact. Their fifth floor Bunker Gallery is so-named for Emma C. Bunker, “The Scholar,” as she was known in court papers connected to the scheme. From her Denver home, she validated and elevated the false claims of Douglas Latchford, an art dealer and collector who trafficked in priceless relics looted from southeast Asia. Producer Paul Karolyi talks to reporter Sam Tabachnik, who investigated the story for more than a year, including on the ground in Cambodia and Thailand.  Paul mentioned the new venue for Frozen Dead Guy Days and Denver’s laudatory efforts to replace lead water pipes.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to have a safe space? We tackle that question from two different directions in this week’s Friday news round-up. First, Club Q’s owner has pledged to re-open after the mass shooting left 5 dead and 22 injured less than two weeks ago. Will it still be a respite for the LGBTQ community of Colorado Springs? And second, dozens of parents and students from Athmar Park’s American Indian Academy of Denver — a charter school rooted in indigenous values — flooded the Denver Public Schools board meeting on Monday to protest the possible closure of their school. But should it stay open right where it is? Public radio veteran and fan favorite guest Jo Ann Allen returns to break it all down with host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi. Plus, Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia joins us to pick our official Maybe for your weekend. Jo Ann mentioned this episode of her excellent podcast Been There Done That with Mia Yamamoto.  For more on the American Indian Academy of Denver, guest host Avery Lill and former CCD producer Xandra McMahon visited the school and talked to its founder almost exactly one year ago.  Are you feeling the holiday spirit? Help us get in the mood! Leave us a voicemail with your name, neighborhood, and favorite Denver holiday tradition, and you might hear it on the show soon. Our number is 720-500-5418. Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866, and check out today’s newsletter for Peyton’s list of spots to watch the USMNT take on the Netherlands at the World Cup on Saturday. Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Libertarian Party celebrates its 51st birthday next week — that’s 51 years pushing a fiscally conservative, socially liberal agenda. And the party’s origins trace back to a living room in the Denver suburbs — Westminster! — when a group of people fed up with the Nixon administration imagined a different way. Their message has shaped Colorado in many ways in the decades since, but why was Colorado the perfect place for this political ideology to be born? And is Governor Jared Polis really a secret Libertarian? Today on the show, author and former party leader Ari Armstrong joins host Bree Davies to talk about Libertarianism’s impact on local and national politics, why Colorado became the birthplace of this movement, and more.  Read Ari’s work on his website. Here’s the interview with party founder David Nolan: https://lpedia.org/wiki/Document:Memoir_2001_David_Nolan_Reflects_on_the_Libertarian_Party_on_its_30th_Anniversary Looking for more Denver news you can use? Sign up for our daily newsletter, Hey Denver, by texting “Denver” to 66866 You can also find us on Twitter: @CityCastDenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With no fewer than 20 declared candidates, the race to be Denver’s next mayor seems to be getting more crowded by the day. And more of those candidates might have a fighting chance this year, thanks to the new Fair Elections Fund, which matches certain campaign contributions with public money. But there’s only so much money available, and some of the requirements could make this election in particular a bit unwieldy. Producer Paul Karolyi talks with Westword editor Patty Calhoun about what she’s seen in 45 years of covering mayoral elections and if this fund is, indeed, a game-changer, as some have called it. Find out more about the Fair Elections Fund and its ramifications in this article from Westword. Paul mentioned James Leprino, the reclusive pizza cheese billionaire who hasn’t been photographed in public since 1978. His family is in court this week fighting over his billions, and if you want to learn more, the only interview we could find was with Forbes in 2017: “This Secretive Billionaire Makes the Cheese For Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s” For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a milestone year for Su Teatro, the 50-year-old Westside institution and third-oldest Chicano theater in the country. They’re also close to paying off the mortgage on their building, cementing their place in a part of town that has seen so much change — and displacement — over the years. Host Bree Davies sits down with Su Teatro’s Executive Artistic Director Tony Garcia to hear the story of how Su Teatro came to be and why their mission is still important. Starting this weekend, Su Teatro is bringing their acclaimed play “The Westside Oratorio” back to the stage. Learn more and buy tickets at http://suteatro.org/the-westside-oratorio/ Paul mentioned the indictments in connection with the killing of Christian Glass. He also talked about the World Cup, which would be great to watch at these local spots recommended by our pals at Westword. Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 and learn more at https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Youth on Record’s Underground at the Showcase podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’re celebrating Cyber Monday today or thinking about a wardrobe refresh for the new year, it’s time to talk fashion. Do Denverites have style? Do Crocs, cargo pants, a puffer jacket, and a cowboy hat count as fashion? LA-based designer Lil Fresh Sam grew up in Denver and now styles superstars like Doja Cat and Method Man. She sits down with host Bree Davies to talk about about finding her style in a fashion-challenged Denver, how she’s styling mayoral candidate Leslie Herod, and whether or not Denverites have style.  Looking for great local charities and nonprofits to support on Giving Tuesday tomorrow? We rounded up a list of our favorites in today’s edition of our newsletter Hey Denver, which you can subscribe to by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a difficult week in Colorado, as the nation reels from yet another mass shooting — this time apparently targeting the LGBTQ community at Club Q in Colorado Springs. So we’re taking a break from the news to have some fun. Host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia swap tips for surviving DIA this holiday season. Then, producer Erin O’Toole shares your craziest edibles stories and we pick a winner to receive a private dinner with world-class cannabis chef Jarod Farina, AKA Chef Roilty.  Programming Note: We’re taking the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving, so City Cast Denver won’t be back in your podcast feed until Monday morning.  For even more DIA hacks, Peyton rounded up a bunch of reader-submitted ideas in our newsletter Hey Denver. And don’t miss today’s newsletter to see that pic of Emily N. You can subscribe to Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Bree also mentioned Westword editor Patty Calhoun’s 2017 articles about the “Interior Garden” art piece at DIA. Learn more about DIA’s food delivery service, therapy animal program, and other things to do at DIA.  A few airport restaurant recs from the team: Root Down La Casita Shake Shack Voodoo Doughnut Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone knows Denver’s got a housing shortage — but so many proposed fixes seem too expensive, too controversial, or just too out of reach. So what if we took some of the city’s existing structures and turned them into, well, places for people to live? That’s what Monica Martinez and The Fax Partnership decided to do when they bought two dilapidated old motels on East Colfax. These vestiges of a time when Route 40 was a tourism paradise have since become makeshift affordable housing — but Monica hopes her organization can bring stability, upgrades, and eventually, more housing to these properties. Monica joins host Bree Davies to explain why, as executive director of an East Colfax-centered non-profit, she chose to take on the housing crisis, one motel at a time.  Bree also mentioned this Denverite report on Denver Rescue Mission.    For the latest affordable housing developments and other news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 As of this writing, we are (were?) still on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Youth on Record’s Underground at the Showcase podcast Mental Health with Marielle Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shortly before midnight on Saturday, November 19, a 22-year-old armed with a semi-automatic weapon entered one of Colorado Springs’ few LGBTQ+ nightclubs, Club Q, and opened fire on the crowded dance floor, killing 5 people and injuring at least 25. The attack comes after Colorado Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl, deployed increasingly anti-queer rhetoric in the lead-up to the midterm elections earlier this month. Journalist Heidi Beedle reports on far-right extremism for the Colorado Times Recorder and was on the ground covering the aftermath of the shooting on Sunday. She sits down with host Bree Davies to talk through what happened over the weekend and the connections she sees with the increase in anti-queer rhetoric around the election.  Our friends at CPR have put together a list of resources and ways to help out the victims of the shooting: https://www.cpr.org/2022/11/20/colorado-springs-club-q-shooting-resources-how-to-help/ Find more of Heidi’s reporting here: https://coloradotimesrecorder.com/author/heidi-beedle/ We'll be covering the aftermath of the Club Q shooting in our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver, which you can subscribe to by texting Denver to 66866. Share your thoughts! Just leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Mental Health with Marielle Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When city officials threatened to shut down yet another hip-hop club late last week — this time Roo-Bar Lounge at 3480 Park Avenue West — co-owner Jugurta Tighrine made a provocative allegation: “They don’t want hip-hop.” And in a city that has never made waves on the national hip-hop stage, we take on a big question: Does Denver have a hip-hop problem? Longtime promoter and champion of the local music scene Ru Johnson joins host Bree “Coco” Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to offer an insider’s take. Then we tackle a doozy of a listener-submitted question and hear from Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca on this weekend’s annual Feed-a-Family event in honor of “Daddy” Bruce Randolph and Rev. Ron Wooding. Wanna volunteer or donate to support the Daddy Bruce Feed-a-Family Thanksgiving drive this weekend? Here’s the link to volunteer for a shift, and here’s the link to donate.  For the latest on the Boebert-Frisch race in CD3, here’s a report from last night from the Colorado Sun.  Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866. Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Mental Health with Marielle Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With enrollment declining across Denver Public Schools and funding as scarce as ever, Superintendent Alex Marrero has thrust the highly dysfunctional DPS board into a controversial and traumatic debate over school closures. Parents, students, and activists are up in arms over his proposed “consolidations,” and for many board members, the issue is personal — past school closures motivated them to run for the board in the first place. So will the board approve his list of closures or somehow find another way out of this mess? Host Bree Davies talks to producer Paul Karolyi about how the district got into this situation; then she sits down with DPS board member Michelle Quattlebaum to talk about about why she’s approaching this vote differently than any other she’s cast before. For more on the proposed closures, check out our friend at Chalkbeat Melanie Asmar’s recent reporting. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Mental Health with Marielle Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How long would you wait in line for a killer mimosa and huevos rancheros? What about a great bloody mary and a stack of pancakes? One of Denver’s most divisive brunch chains, Snooze, is opening a new location at 101 N Broadway this week, so we’re talking all things brunch. Host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia are breaking down the best simple brunches, brunches for big groups, vegetarian brunches, and the big kahuna: What’s the best brunch in Denver? Brunch spots mentioned in this episode: Snooze Rupert’s at the Edge Pete’s Kitchen Bob’s Diner Village Coffee Shop Lookin' Good Restaurant and Lounge Zaidy’s Deli & Bakery Mercury Cafe The Broadmoor The Empress Star Kitchen City, O’ City Watercourse Foods The Wooden Spoon Syrup Breakfast on Broadway The Cookery at Myrtle Hill Denver Biscuit Company Lucile’s Creole Cafe Dozens For even more brunch, check out this piece from the Denver Post about the recent surge in brunch options around Denver. And for all the Snooze-heads out there, here’s a great article from Denver Eater on how they cracked the brunch code.  Subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Youth on Record’s Underground at the Showcase podcast How to Buy a Home Podcast Mental Health with Marielle Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holidays are right around the corner. Wouldn’t it be fun if you could add a little something extra to your turkey and mashed potatoes… you know, like weed? Colorado’s decade of recreational weed has ushered in a growing movement of ambitious cannabis chefs — experts who have found new, interesting, and tasty ways to marry fine dining and fine bud. Today on the show, decorated culinary champ Jarod Farina of Chef Roilty cooks up a game-changer for the City Cast Denver crew. Farina explains how to easily make edibles at home, how to dose your meals properly, and answers our burning question: did he get Bobby Flay high on TV or what?  Plus! We’re giving away a night of in-home fine dining with Chef Farina! All you have to do is leave us a voicemail with your worst edibles experience, and you will be entered to win a private dinner for four with a decorated cannabis chef — a $500 value. Call 720-500-5418 and tell us your worst weed-eating story. Deadline to enter is midnight on November 20, 2022.  But if you don’t want to risk it, you can book Chef Farina through his website and peruse his various how-to guides there too.  Check out Hey Denver, our weekday local-centric newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Mental Health with Marielle Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Holly” debuted at the Denver Film Festival earlier this month and caught a lot of local attention. Based on a book by investigative journalist Julian Rubinstein, “The Holly” centers on Terrance Roberts, a former gang member who left that life behind and returned to his Park Hill neighborhood to work as a community activist. But things went sideways and Roberts found himself targeted in an alleged conspiracy involving Denver police and local government officials. The book and the documentary have generated a lot of interest over the last year, only to be made more fascinating when Roberts announced his candidacy for mayor. Regular contributor Theo Wilson also grew up in Park Hill, and met Roberts through various community circles. He joins host Bree Davies to talk about what makes Terrance Roberts such a compelling mayoral candidate. Bree mentioned this earlier City Cast Denver episode with Terrance Roberts himself and author Julian Rubinstein. Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 Hi, we’re on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Mental Health with Marielle Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Election day might be over, but Colorado’s still reckoning with some big decisions voters made this midterm, annnnd we have questions: What’s going to happen with Congressional District 3, where MAGA darling Lauren Boebert is in a shockingly close race with Democrat Adam Frisch? And what about the decriminalization of psychedelics? This is the beginning of what could be a massive industry, but will it even be commercialized in the first place? And does our back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokić have a role in our electoral outcome? Producer Paul Karolyi, host Bree Davies and Westword editor-in-chief Patty Calhoun tackle all these questions and more, plus some special hot takes from some of City Cast Denver’s favorite contributors.  Paul mentioned the city’s new Business Facade Improvement Program, the Colorado Sun’s oral history of the fight for legal weed ten years ago, and Westword’s interview with indigenous comic Josh Emerson about the Native Comedy Showcase at the Hi Dive this Sunday.  Get more deets on the City Cast Denver official “maybe” event of the week (as in maybe we’ll be there!) in editor Peyton Garcia’s newsletter, Hey Denver!  You can also subscribe by texting DENVER to 66866. We are definitely still on Twitter, ‘til that ship sinks: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like so many other Coloradans, we are watching with bated breath as the race for Colorado’s Congressional District 3 goes down to the wire. We never saw it coming, but it seems like MAGA celebrity congresswoman Lauren Boebert could actually lose. Ballots are still trickling in from across the southern and western Colorado, so host Bree Davies called up Pueblo Chieftain politics reporter Anna Lynn Winfrey, who has been camped out at the Pueblo Clerk and Recorder’s office reporting on what could turn out to be the upset of the year. Check out Anna Lynn Winfrey’s coverage of the CD3 race for the Pueblo Chieftain.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are the baristas at Thump really rude, or is there more going on with Denver’s coffee scene than we realized? Our episode on the best (and worst) coffee shops in the city really struck a nerve with our listeners, and today on the show we’re sharing some of those responses, as well as other questions and comments you all had on Denver’s recent bout of “tipping fatigue” and Denver’s role in the West’s water crisis. Catch up on our recent episodes on coffee, tipping and water: Roasted! Denver’s Best (And Worst) Coffee Shops Should Tipping Have a Place in Our New Normal? ‘Tipping Fatigue’ Hits Denver These Service Industry Vets Have Choice Words For Your ‘Tipping Fatigue’  Could Denver Run Out of Water? Is Denver Hoarding Water? Water Woes in the ‘Burbs, Touchdown Trouble at Mile High In his voicemail, Nate mentions these five coffee shops as Denver’s best: Sweet Bloom, MiddleState, Corvus, Little Owl, and Huckleberry. Here’s the New York Times article on Illegal Pete’s that we talked about. Bree mentioned this explainer about why “hipster coffee” tastes sour. Also, here’s the Denver Post article we mentioned about the closing of Amethyst Coffee this fall. And don’t miss our conversation last year with Elle Taylor, the shop’s co-owner.  Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The midterm elections were tight across the country, but the Democrats held their ground in Colorado, with Governor Jared Polis and Senator Michael Bennet cruising to reelection yesterday. But what about the other important state offices, ballot measures, and all those local ballot initiatives — sidewalks, eviction defense, recycling, library funding, etc.? The City Cast Denver crew was up late to bring you the results and context for what’s to come. For a full breakdown of all the latest results, we’ve got you covered in our newsletter Hey Denver: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/  Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Got something to say about the election results? We’ll be talking more about the fallout from this one, so leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When “How to Build a Sex Room” premiered on Netflix in July, it took the home renovation reality show formula to an entirely new, R-rated place. Oh, and it was filmed almost entirely in Denver with local couples! With its screening at the Denver Film Festival this month sparking new conversations about the show and the many diverse sexual proclivities of Denverites, we decided to bring some of these conversations to the podcast. Today, producer Erin O’Toole talks with the show’s executive producers Scott Feeley and Corinna Robbins about why they filmed here, what the reception has been so far, and what exactly a sex room is. Go vote! Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the weather changes and we turn toward our favorite snowy outdoor activities, camping is often left out of the picture. But beyond skiing, snowboarding, and maybe snowshoe trekking, have you ever considered pitching a tent in the high country during the winter months? Patricia Cameron — writer and executive director of Blackpackers — thinks you should. Coming off a trip to Alaska where she camped on a glacier, the outdoor expert returns to the show to talk with host Bree Davies about why camping in the snow can be fun (and actually isn’t that much different than sleeping in the great outdoors any other time of year!). Patricia mentioned this winter camping guide she wrote a few years ago for the Denver Post.  Bree promised some last-minute help finding your nearest polling place and ballot drop-off.  Looking for more resources on the ballot issues? Check out the Hey Denver newsletter, which you can subscribe to by texting DENVER to 66866.  We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the Friday before Election Day, and all through the state, every political creature is stirring — donkey, elephant, and mouse. So you know we’re talking all things Colorado politics — and not Christmas (it’s too early, Bree, if you read this). Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and City Cast Denver state politics correspondent Justine Sandoval to discuss which ballot issues we’re keeping an eye on and which candidates are saying the weirdest things. Plus, Justine talks about the transphobic mailers many (assumed) Spanish-speaking households in Colorado received, and what issues might not be “on” the ballot this election, but are playing a part in how we’re voting.  Still looking for guidance on how to vote on the psychedelics measure we talk about? Check out our four-part series “Ballot Trip” on the push to decriminalize across the state.  Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between David Byrne’s “Theater of the Mind” and Immersive Dalí, the hottest trend in Denver art is the immersive experience. But all these shows are so different! And too many of them feel like cash grabs. At least, that’s how they look to host Bree Davies, a bonafide immersive skeptic. So we called up Dr. David Thomas, AKA the “Professor of Fun,” who also happens to be co-founder of Immersive Denver, to make the case for this new art form.  If you haven’t heard our first episode with Professor of Fun David Thomas breaking down why Casa Bonita is fun, don’t miss it! Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As usual, there’s a lot on the Denver ballot this year. We’re voting on everything from library funding to expanding recycling and composting across the city — but what, exactly would any of these measures do? Ballot language is notoriously cumbersome and vague, so today on the show, producer Paul Karolyi sits down with host Bree Davies to break down a few key decisions voters will make on this year’s Denver municipal ballot. They’ll cover Initiated Ordinances 305, 306, and 307, along with Referred Questions 2I, 2J, 2K, and 2L.  For more on the ballot, check out Monday’s edition of our newsletter Hey Denver, where editor Peyton Garcia rounds up a bunch of great resources on local and statewide issues PLUS shares links to our past episodes where we chat with folks and organizations behind some of Denver’s initiatives.  (Or just subscribe to Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866!) Find us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret: Colorado loves the Grateful Dead… and all the jam bands that formed in the shadow of the influential group (see: String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, and Yonder Mountain String Band, just to name a few!) But a band is nothing without the fans. So why has this place become such a haven for Deadheads? In advance of founding Grateful Dead member Bob Weir’s back-to-back shows at Mission Ballroom this weekend, host Bree Davies talks with CPR host and reporter Vic Vela — a self-professed Deadhead — about the band’s lasting impact on our state.  Check out Vic’s podcast, Back From Broken, where he talks with others working through substance use disorders and mental health issues.  Bree mentioned the recent troubles at Sancho’s Broken Arrow, the Grateful Dead-themed bar on Colfax. For more, don’t miss our episode last summer about the sexual assault allegations facing Sancho’s former owner Jay Bianchi: “Denver’s Jam Band Scene Has an Ugly Open Secret” Read and subscribe to Hey Denver, our weekday newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Were you at that Dead show at City Park in the 60s? Tweet us @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A search for clues at Lakeside Amusement Park. A clandestine meeting at Union Station. A round of putt-putt through an old motel. These are scenes from Erika T. Wurth’s new indigenous literary horror novel “White Horse,” which sends readers on a fast-paced mystery across Old Denver and beyond. The Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee author joins host Bree Davies to talk about how she built this literary horror-mystery hybrid from her own experience growing up as an urban Indian around Idaho Springs, and why she chose to take on the gilded legend of The Stanley Hotel — and add her own mythical, indigenous twist to it.  "White Horse” goes on sale tomorrow, and Erika will be speaking and reading from book in Denver twice this week: 5:30 p.m., Nov. 1, Meow Wolf Denver (1338 1st St.) 6:00 p.m., Nov. 3, Tattered Cover on Colfax (2526 E. Colfax Ave.) Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 What do you think is the creepiest place in Denver? Tweet at us @citycastdenver Got any last-minute questions about your ballot before election day next week? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we might answer your question on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ladies and gentlemen, it's the Halloweekend! So we invited the biggest Halloween freak we could find — host Bree Davies’ friend Thad Mighell, who is also co-curator of Understudy — to swap some of Colorado’s spookiest stories and talk about our favorite local haunted houses. Along with newsletter writer Peyton Garcia and producer Erin O’Toole, the crew talks murders most foul, hauntings, and tales of ghosts you might encounter right here in the city. Plus, Thad gives us some expert recs on the best haunted house attractions in the Mile High so you can plan your spooky, scary weekend! Peyton mentioned Philip Jett’s book about the Adolph Coors murder, The Death of an Heir, which came out in 2017.  Subscribe to Hey Denver, our kickass weekday morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) HeyDenver.org - a queer-focused sexual health nonprofit Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the November 8 midterms just around the corner, some voters are feeling anxious about election security. And others are more worried about all the ghosts, ghouls, vampires, and all the other monsters that are emboldened this time of year. So today on the show, Denver’s Clerk and Recorder Paul López sits down with host Bree Davies to make the case for why voting in Denver is among the easiest and most secure in the country — and why you’re way more likely to come face-to-face with an actual ghost than election fraud. If you have questions about the election, take Clerk López’s advice and make your first stop denvervotes.org.  Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866. But that’s only if you want more news, cool events, and awesome things to do around Denver delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If we do not stand up when they go to steal the election, our country is over. It’s over.” That’s what local conservative provocateur Joe Oltmann said on his podcast earlier this week in response to a segment about Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems on 60 Minutes. So yes, Tina Peters lost her primary to become the GOP’s nominee for secretary of state, but the Big Liars are still here, and they’re still lying about the outcome of the 2020 election. Westword editor Patty Calhoun has been obsessed with Colorado's connections to the Big Lie, and she’s on with host Bree Davies to break down all the lies they’re already telling about the 2022 midterms.  Bree mentioned Oltmann’s suggestion that conservatives throw “ballot box parties” and our episode with Coffee at the Point owner Ryan Cobbins about the predatory development scandal he has been dealing with on Welton St. Patty mentioned the page on Dominion’s website where they’ve been debunking conspiracy theories.  For more election news, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866. Are you a Twitter person? Follow us @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s that time of the year again, when Spirit Halloween pop-ups fill all the empty box stores around Denver, hawking mass-produced costumes and cheap plastic decorations. But Denver also has a handful of quirky, unique costume shops, too! Host Bree Davies loves The Wizard’s Chest on South Broadway, so today we’re taking a swing through the racks with one of their costume experts to get some inspiration, her take on the hottest trends, and professional advice before the festivities this weekend.  Some links to the other great, local costume shops that Sophie mentioned: Reinke Bros. Disguises Fun Services Bree talked about the Denver Post’s report that Welton St. Cafe is working on a big new remodeled space at 2883 Welton St. Check out our episode on the soul food staple for more.  For even more Halloween fun this week, subscribe to our newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Have you ever had a Denver-themed costume? Tell us about it on Twitter or, even better, share pics and tag us @citycastdenver! Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Denver Film Festival (11/2 - 11/13) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Denver’s minimum wage set to go up on January 1, we have got our eyes locked on the local dining community. At least one business has preemptively closed. Others are ratcheting up menu prices. And, as we discussed recently, many Denverites are already experiencing tipping fatigue, plunking down less and less of their hard-earned cash on top of new, unclear “service charges.” What is the well-intentioned diner to do? We reached out to the co-hosts of the hilarious 3 Stars Podcast — Brad Kaplan, Samatha Bolte-Woods, and William Phillip Tyler Hutcheson. They are service industry veterans and have lots to say about tipping fatigue, the minimum wage, and those mysterious service charges.  Serious, 3 Stars is super fun and funny. Each week, Brad, Samantha, and Bill read yelp reviews for local restaurants and review the reviewers right back. Learn more and subscribe here: http://3starspodcast.com/ For even more news and inside info on dining in Denver, subscribe to our newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Do you have tipping fatigue? Let’s talk on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend, we’re proud to present an episode from our friends at History Colorado and their podcast “Lost Highways: Tales and Investigations from the Shadows of the Rocky Mountains.”  A few weeks ago, we brought you the little-known historical tale of Black homesteaders and The Dry, which has been preserved thanks to some innovative work being done at History Colorado. This episode of “Lost Highways” explores another, much better preserved story of Black homesteaders in Colorado and their community near Greeley, called Dearfield. A fourth season of Lost Highways is in production now, with a planned release beginning in January 2023, with eight episodes exploring where the myths and realities of the West converge. They’ll look at the complicated history of western films as propaganda, the vexing management of wild horses, the legacy of the west's first black millionaire among others. Subscribe to Lost Highways wherever you get your podcasts and learn more at HistoryColorado.org. Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two things seem to be in short supply around Denver these days: water and touchdowns. After signing superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to a five-year $245-million contract over the summer, our beloved Denver Broncos have managed to score only seven touchdowns in six games. Maybe they’re thirsty or something? Castle Rock and Arvada sure are. Like the rest of Colorado, those two Denver suburbs are looking at a dwindling water supply and increasing population — but they’re responding very differently, with a turf ban in Castle Rock and big new connection fees in Arvada. But could there be another way? Denver Post columnist Jo Ann Allen joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to work through our collective growth anxieties and commiserate over the Donkeys. In addition to being one of our favorite guests, Jo Ann is a public radio veteran and the host of the Been There Done That podcast, which tells the real life stories of and by the Baby Boom Generation. Don’t miss her recent episode with Marc Maron! We discussed past guest Michael Booth’s recent piece for the Colorado Sun about new water policies in Arvada and Castle Rock.  Subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver a big batch of curated event recs for your weekend. All you’ve got to do is text “Denver” to 66866 What do you think is wrong with the Broncos? Let’s hash it out on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The future of the neighborhood liquor store is at stake in next month’s election, at least if you listen to the owners of neighborhood liquor stores. There are three big state ballot measures each with major implications for alcohol drinkers and sellers alike. But what would these initiatives actually change? Why is DoorDash spending so much money supporting them? And why are those mom-and-pop shops so worried? Colorado Sun politics reporter Jesse Paul is on today with host Bree Davies to break down all the booze on your ballot.  For more 2022 election coverage from Jesse Paul and the rest of the Colorado Sun’s politics team, check out their full voter guide, plus more on Proposition 124, Proposition 125, and Proposition 126. Did you hear that Denver’s elections office made a translation error on our ballots? Get the whole story in Hey Denver, our weekday morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Gotta burning election question for Clerk Paul Lopéz? Text it to us or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we might ask the clerk: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Larimer Square has for decades been a draw for tourists, a nightlife destination, and a place to get a fancy steak dinner. And while the shops, offices, and restaurants populating the storefronts have turned over many times, the turn-of-the-century brickwork, stone masonry, and ornate woodwork have stood the test of time. But the Mile High’s first-ever certified historic district is on the verge of yet another big shift, as longtime tenant Bistro Vendôme joins the list of high-profile departures from the block. Westword Editor-in-Chief Patty Calhoun joins Host Bree Davies to answer the big question: What’s going on with Larimer Square? Patty mentioned Bree smoking at the now-defunct Paramount Cafe — an experience Bree wrote about for Westword more than a decade ago.  For a full timeline of the historic preservation efforts around Larimer Square, here’s a write-up from Historic Denver.  The man in charge of Denver’s elections, Clerk and Recorder Paul López, is scheduled to be on the show soon. Do you have any questions about the election next month? We’d love to pose your question to the clerk. Send it to us as a text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and we’ll ask him! (720) 500-5418‬ Subscribe to Hey Denver, our fresh and snappy morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Pepsi broke ground last month on a massive, new bottling plant out by DIA, PepsiCo Beverages president of North America’s West Division Johannes Evenblij told CPR: "We're thrilled to call Denver, a city that shares so many of our values, home to PepsiCo's most sustainable U.S. plant location.” So yes, the new plant will be Pepsi’s biggest in North America. And yes, many Denverites love a nice, cold Pepsi. But does Denver share Pepsi’s values? And could Denver be more than just a Pepsi town, but THE Pepsi town? Host Bree Davies sits down with producer Paul Karolyi and Diet Pepsi-lover slash artistic director for the Sie FilmCenter Keith Garcia to hash it out.  What do you think? Is Denver a Pepsi town or more of a Coca-Cola place? Tweet at us @citycastdenver or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Bree mentioned the UFCW Local 7’s response to the Kroger/Albertson’s merger.    Subscribe to Hey Denver, our awesome morning newsletter, by texting “Denver” to 66866 Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Local historian Phil Goodstein is an… interesting Denverite. On one hand, he has done more than anyone to document our changing city over the course of dozens of books and his monthly newsletter, The Naysayer. On the other, he’s widely known as Denver’s “crankiest historian” for his radical views and sardonic sense of humor. Producer Paul Karolyi has been interviewing Phil on various topics over the years, and his new book on the history of Denver Public Schools covers Bennet’s time as superintendent. So who better than our anti-establishment historian to tell the story of our senior senator as he’s running for re-election next month? Phil is offering walking tours of Denver’s haunted history throughout the rest of October. Just bring $25 to the east lawn of the Capitol building for a two-hour walking tour on any of the following days: 7-9 p.m.: Oct. 21, 22, 28, and 29 6-8 p.m.: Oct. 31 He’ll also be giving a lecture and signing copies of his new book, “Schools for a New Century,” at 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 6, at Broadway Book Mall (316 S. Broadway) We have a daily newsletter! Sign up for Hey Denver online https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ or by texting DENVER to 66866. Connect with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver was abuzz this week with two big celebs in town to mark major milestones: First, Blink-182 lead singer Mark Hoppus was at Ball Arena Wednesday night for the Colorado Avalanche’s home opener, where he led the crowd in the now-traditional singing of his band’s 1999 hit “All The Small Things.” But the Avs’ owners — the Kroenkes — have let another year pass without a new Comcast deal, leaving the Stanley Cup champs largely off Denverites’ televisions. And second, President Joe Biden made the trek up into the mountains to designate a new national monument at Camp Hale, the historic home of the legendary 10th Mountain Division. So today, host Bree Davies and producers Paul Karolyi and Erin O’Toole are digging into the latest round of the Altitude/Comcast fight and the politics of Camp Hale — plus, a new historic preservation fight brewing in Cherry Creek North.  Bree mentioned Michael Paglia’s write-up on the Richard Crowther home for Westword. There’s a bazillion cool things happening in Denver this weekend. To get our curated picks, subscribe to our newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter! We’re at @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer, spring, winter, fall… every season is coffee season! It’s no secret, Denver has an excellent selection of coffee shops to cater to our every java whim — but which ones are the best? Who serves up the best vibe? Which shop’s food menu is top notch? Which coffee shop in Denver has, uh, the best coffee? Producer Paul Karolyi joins host Bree Davies to chat about some of their fave spots and offer recommendations on the best coffee shops in Denver to get that good good wifi, a great table on the patio, and a perfectly roasted cup of joe. Here are the coffee shops we mentioned: Boyer’s Coffee (I-25 and 270, with distribution all over the city) Dazbog (Various locations) Stella’s (South Pearl) Bardo (South Broadway) Crema (RiNo) Vinh Xuong Bakery (Alameda and Zuni) St. Mark’s Coffeehouse (17th Ave.) Kaladi Coffee Roasters (Various locations) Cultura Chocolate (Morrison Road) Thump (Cap Hill) But we want to hear from you too! What's your favorite coffee shop? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ We also want to shout out Coffee at the Point, a solid coffee shop in Five Points that is running a GoFundMe to help them re-open. Don’t miss our episode with owner Ryan Cobbins about the predatory development situation on Welton St. that, in part, led him to temporarily close his shop. Did you know we have a newsletter, too? Sign up for Hey Denver by texting DENVER to 66866 We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 1864 Sand Creek Massacre was one of the most horrific moments in Colorado history — hundreds of Cheyenne and Arapaho women, children, and elders were murdered by U.S. soldiers as they camped under a white flag of peace. More than 150 years later, the painful remnants of this brutal mass murder are still fresh for many survivors’ descendants, but they haven’t always been treated respectfully by those in charge of commemorating our state’s history. Host Bree Davies sits down with Westword editor Patricia Calhoun to talk about the story she broke about the last time History Colorado tried to open an exhibit dedicated to the Sand Creek Massacre, in 2012, and the decade of soul-searching that led to the new one opening next month.  Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland recently dedicated more than 3,000 additional acres of land to become part of the Sand Creek Massacre Historic Site. Almost a decade after the first ill-conceived History Colorado exhibit closed, the museum will open a brand exhibit with support of the tribes next month.  We talked extensively about Patty’s 2013 Westword investigation, “A Century and a Half Later, the Wounds of Sand Creek are Still Fresh”, which looked into History Colorado’s mishandling of its first Sand Creek Massacre exhibit.  In the newscast, Bree mentioned Camp Hale — Learn more about the new historic site from our pal, reporter Catie Cheshire at Westword, in this story: ”Five Things Joe Biden Should Know About Camp Hale and Leadville”. Check out our newly redesigned newsletter! Read and subscribe to Hey Denver here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

World-renowned art-rock icon David Byrne is not from Denver. So we were as surprised as anyone when he announced that his mysterious new project, an immersive theater experience rooted in neuroscience, would premiere in the Mile High. “Theater of the Mind” has been showing for a few weeks now, and our producers Paul Karolyi (a theater neophyte) and Lizzie Goldsmith (a huge theater lover) have both taken part. So today, host Bree Davies sits down with Paul and Lizzie to talk about their experiences, how the show fits into Byrne’s career arc, and what this high-profile premiere says about the state of immersive theater in Denver right now.  For another take on Theater of the Mind, Bree mentioned our pal John Wenzel’s review in the Denver Post.  For more of Lizzie’s enthusiastic take on the local theater scene, check out her recent coverage for Westword! We’ve got way more news, helpful info, and cool events in our daily newsletter, which just got a cool new name — Hey Denver! It’s the perfect time to subscribe and check out our brand new look: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have you seen Theater of the Mind? Let us know what you thought on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Incumbent governor Jared Polis is polling way up on his Republican challenger Heidi Ganahl, so she’s looking to gain traction ahead of next month’s election. But was stoking panic about furries in Colorado schools the way to go? Today, host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and Westword editor Patty Calhoun dig into the governor’s race and the shocking firing of renowned historian Patty Limerick from CU Boulder’s Center of the American West, which she co-founded 36 years ago. Plus, stick around for the Official City Cast Denver Maybe for your weekend.  We mentioned past City Cast Denver guest Jason Blevins’ reporting on the Limerick firing. There are sooooo many cool events happening in Denver this weekend. Find the one for you in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think about #FurryPanic? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The streets of Denver are already awash in crisp American lagers, hazy New England IPAs, ultra-tart fruited sours, and the darkest porters, because thousands of brewers and beer lovers are descending on Mile High for the Great American Beer Festival this weekend! After a two-year absence, the country’s biggest celebration of all things beer returns to downtown Denver, but this year it brings an uncomfortable question: Do craft brewers still want a massive fest like this? Host Bree Davies sits down with the Colorado Beer Man himself, Jonathan Shikes, to get some answers.  Jonathan is also Entertainment Editor at the Denver Post, where this week he and his colleagues published a few great stories on the return of GABF: GABF turns 40: How Colorado’s biggest beer festival shaped the American craft industry Big beer competitions like GABF could see a major shakeup this year What will fill Falling Rock Tap House’s void during the Great American Beer Festival? For even more from Jonathan on beer, check out his book: “Denver Beer: A History of Mile High Brewing.” We’ve got plenty of non-beer news you can use in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What’s your current favorite local brewery? Give em a shout out on Twitter and remember to tag us! @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fall is here and the chiles are roasting — but at The Original Chubby’s Burger Drive Inn, it’s always green chile season. For more than half a century, the Cordova family has been serving up some of the city’s spiciest and most beloved green chile, smothering everything from burritos and rellenos to burgers and fries. But it turns out, the secret to Chubby’s magic isn’t just heat and spice — it’s a whole culture spawned from the family’s matriarch Stella Cordova. Today on the show, City Cast Denver politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval joins host Bree Davies to give a neighborhood insider’s take on the sprawling Chubby’s family empire and her tips on how to have the best Chubby’s experience.  We gleaned a lot of great info on the Cordova family from “Smothered: The Saga of the Chubby's Empire,” Adam Cayton-Holland’s 2007 Westword piece (which includes a conversation with the late, great Stella Cordova herself!) Bree mentioned our episode about the global meat giant JBS’s new plant-based subsidiary Planterra. Get even more news, events and useful Denver in our newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fall is in the air… and by that, we mean the air is filled with the tantalizing aroma of roasting chiles, ready to be bought by the bushel from farmers markets and roadside stands all over the state. But how did this become such a time-honored tradition in Colorado? Today on the show, we’re revisiting our conversation with Ron Morales, whose family has been roasting green chiles in a parking lot at 52nd and Sheridan for almost 30 years. Ron shared his story last October with producer Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Morales Family Chile Store. Plus, our producer Lizzie Goldsmith caught up with Ron this week to see how the 2022 chile season is going, and hint: It. is. hot! Get a glimpse of the Morales Family Chile Store in this CBS report from last week. If this episode gets you in the mood to buy some fresh roasted chiles of your own, there’s a helpful list of where to do that at denvergreenchili.com. (But really, all you need to do is stop at the next stand you see on the side of the road!) Bree mentioned a survey from the Denver Public Library, which is taking responses until Oct. 6. Find it here: denverlibrary.org/survey  Our newsletter is chock-full of useful news - subscribe here! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tweet us your green chile recipe: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Proud Boy spotted at a Northside supermarket. Local elected officials and law enforcement found on a leaked Oath Keepers email list. Members of the Far Right are still here and more visible than ever. So what is to be done about the white supremacists among us? Our pal Theo Wilson went undercover in the Alt Right a few years ago. (Maybe you were among the millions to see his TED talk?) But his thinking has evolved since then. So with another contested election a month away, Theo is on the show today with host Bree Davies to talk it out.  Bree mentioned the infamous Denver cop Buster Snyder, who she discussed with historian and comics artist B. Erin Cole on our walking tour of Queer Cap Hill. In the newscast, we mentioned the closing of Japanese restaurant Domo. Former City Cast Denver guest Gil Asakawa wrote a lovely piece on it for Westword. Campaign season is definitely ramping up, and we’ve got lots more politics news in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The epic conclusion of Pizza Week is here! With our host Bree Davies out with COVID, it’s up to producer and Denver Pizza Podcast co-host Paul Karolyi, newsletter writer and resident foodie Peyton Garcia, and a special guest pizza expert to pick the best pizza in Denver. Will it be the Old Denver champion that’s been slinging New York-style pies for 28 years from the south suburbs? Or the heavily favored Blue Pan Pizza, the best in class of New Denver’s pizza renaissance? There is such thing as life after Pizza Week! Fill your weekend with cool events and happenings with today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think of Megan’s hub-and-spokes pizza theory of Denver pizza? Let us know on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colorado Tattoo Convention (9/29 - 10/2) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Pizza Week: Day 3! What is the deal with all these local pizza parlors offering honey for your crust? That simple question launched producer Paul Karolyi on a five-year quest to the original Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs and deep into the darkest corners of Denver’s pizza ovens. Today, host Bree Davies teases apart Paul’s complicated relationship with Beau Jo’s and “Colorado-style pizza.” Plus! Paul’s been doing some more reporting since we initially published this episode in April, and he’s got a major update to the story. More police blunders and more pizza in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Do you like to eat your crust with honey? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pizza Week continues! Our producer Paul Karolyi is a certified pizza obsessive, searching low and Mile High for the most tantalizing combinations of cheese, crust, and sauce. But that search has yielded more questions than answers, especially around authenticity and Beau Jo’s, the infamous Front Range pizza chain that trademarked the phrase “Colorado-style pizza.” Today, Paul poses his most vexing pizza questions to local pizza expert Carol Helstosky. She’s a professor of history at the University of Denver, author of “Pizza: A Global History,” and fellow traveler on the never-ending quest for perfect pizza.  All the pizza places we mentioned today: Marco’s Coal-Fired (LoDo) Domino’s (Various) Pizza Hut (Various) Beau Jo’s (Idaho Springs, etc.) Anthony’s (Various) And today’s listener recs: Pizzeria Leopold (Lakewood) Pizzeria Lui (Lakewood) Cosmo’s Pizza (Various) Carol also has a hot tip for the home pizza chefs out there:  “Before you put the pizzas in, when your oven’s as hot as it will go, throw in 3-4 ice cubes. It really makes a difference in the crust.” We’ve got sooooo much more pizza goodness in today’s CCD newsletter, plus some real news and useful info: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tell us all your deepest, darkest pizza secrets on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Colorado Tattoo Convention (9/30 - 10/2) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to City Cast Denver’s Pizza Week! We’re kicking off our week-long celebration of (and descent into madness through) Denver’s best crust, sauce, toppings, and cheese with a wide-ranging chat on the precarious position of Denver pizza today. Even before the pandemic, the Mile High City’s pies were wildly underrated, and we think it’s time to stand up and be proud of all the awesome pizza that we have! Westword’s food editor Molly Martin joins host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia to chew on some local pizza history and lay down a roadmap for Denver’s shining pizza future. Paul mentioned the Denver Pizza Podcast that he co-hosts with his wife Megan Arellano.  All the pizza places we mentioned in this episode: Cart Driver (RiNo) Redeemer (RiNo) The Greenwich (RiNo) Joy Hill (South Broadway) Blue Pan Pizza (West Highland, Congress Park) Big Bill’s New York Pizza (Centennial) ShowBiz Pizza (RIP) Little Caesar’s at (Kmart [RIP]; Various other locations are still open. The mascot had his chest hair removed, too.)  Domino’s (Various) Anthony’s (Various) Pizza Hut (Various) Carl’s Italian (West Highland) Lechuga’s (Highland, Lakewood) Organ Grinder (RIP) Beau Jo’s (Idaho Springs, etc.) Pizza Pals Playzone (Inside Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station; Designed by Everything is Terrible) Crush Pizza + Tap (RIP) Rosalee’s (Longmont) All the other pizza places listeners and readers recommended: Everyday Pizza (RiNo) Mod Pizza (Lowry, etc.) Papa Murphy’s (Various) Osteria Marco (Larimer Square) Funky Flame (Sunnyside) Pietra’s (Wheat Ridge) Patxi’s (Uptown, Cherry Hills, etc.) Kaos Pizzeria (South Pearl) Pie Hole (South Broadway) Walter’s 303 (Lowry, Uptown, Littleton) Ester’s (Virginia Village, Park Hill) Pizzeria Lui (Lakewood) Brooklyn’s Finest (Downtown, Regis) Denver Pizza Co. (Various) Hops & Pie (Berkeley) Pizzeria Locale (Various) Oblio’s (Recently redesigned their menu away from pizza, but still open in Park Hill) Grabowski’s (RiNo) Even. More. Pizza. Plus, some real news and useful info in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Talk pizza to us: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 10, 2020, Isabella Thallas was out for a walk in the Ballpark neighborhood with her boyfriend Darian Simon and his dog, Rocco. Out of nowhere, Bella — as friends and family called her — was killed and Darian was seriously injured. The couple was shot in broad daylight by a man they had never met. Peter Sagal is the longtime host of NPR’s “Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me” and a Chicago resident, but he was so compelled by the lack of coverage of this particular Denver shooting that he decided to write about it himself. Host Bree Davies sits down with Sagal to discuss his recent report for The Atlantic, “Killed For Walking a Dog: The mundanity and insanity of gun death in America.”  Bree mentioned the response we got to our recent e-bikes episode from Denver’s Climate Action Office, which operates the city’s wildly popular e-bike rebate program. Here are a couple of key comments from the spokesperson’s response:  "I wanted to take a moment and share that our [Office of Social Equity and Innovation] team has actually pointed to our agency as an example of how to fold equity into this work, not as an afterthought. We’re pretty proud of that, and of the fact that most of the funding for e-bikes has gone towards the income-qualified program." "Ben Chavez brings up a good point about access, and I think we collectively – in the city and beyond – are thinking about the many ways people need to get around. The Office of Climate Action weighs in on some of the how. E-bikes are a cleaner option and can often replace car trips; we don’t intend for everyone to adopt e-bikes. They are one part of the broader mobility puzzle. We will probably need cars for a good number of decades ahead us (hopefully mostly EVs soon enough), and the driving experience for people who need cars, such as larger families or multigenerational households, should improve as other options emerge." Catch more news from across Colorado in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colorado Tattoo Convention (9/30 - 10/2) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has Houston been so good at tackling its homelessness problem that Denver can take a page from its playbook? Last week, a group of local politicians and staff made a trip to Texas to see exactly how the country’s fourth-largest city has housed 25,000 people in the last decade. But while they were out of town, the Mile High was shoved into the spotlight when Fox News got wind of the soon-to-be-launched Denver Basic Income Project, a pilot program that would put cash directly in the hands of Denverites in need. Today on the show, host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and Westword staff writer Conor McCormick-Cavanagh to dig into these stories and discuss what it all could mean for the future of Denver’s housing situation.  Paul mentioned the recent kerfuffle over Douglas County’s approach to homelessness and friend of the show Chris Walker’s recent interview with Councilman Chris Hinds about his trip to learn more about the “Houston model.”  Looking for something fun to do this weekend? City Cast Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia has you covered. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colorado Tattoo Convention (9/30-10/2) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much of who and what has been depicted as Colorado history paints a picture that is not very diverse, let alone accurate. Recently, History Colorado has been on an inward and outward journey of course correction — questioning everything we think we know about how we as a state came to be. Today on the show host Bree Davies talks with Dexter Nelson II, History Colorado’s new associate curator of African American History and Cultural Heritage, about The Dry — a Black homestead that dried up long ago and a story of Black excellence and perseverance in the face of harsh environmental and social conditions. You can learn more about the Black History Trail and download the new History Colorado app. Additional music in this episode is by Jason Shaw and adapted here under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.  🍕 Calling all pizza freaks! 🍕 We want your hottest takes! 🍕 We're working on something big and very cool. So leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show next week: (720) 500-5418‬ Get even more news and ideas for your weekend in our daily morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think about The Dry? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fall officially begins this Thursday, September 22. But what makes fall in Colorado so special? How do we celebrate the changing of the seasons? Today on the show, host Bree Davies chats with producer Erin O’Toole and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia about all things fall — from the best drinks to sip to the best corn mazes to explore, and all the ways to really soak in those autumnal feels, we’ve got you covered.  Here are a few of the farms, corn mazes, and festivals we’re looking forward to: Pumpkin Harvest Festival, October 8-9 Pumpkin Nights, October 17-November 3 Fritzler Farm Park, through October 30 7th Generation Farm We also mentioned last year’s pumpkin-themed conversation, this interview with scare actor Danielle Look (plus other spooky Halloween tales), and this episode about the Morales family, who have been roasting green chiles for almost 30 years. Peyton has also rounded up some of your comments on our past episodes. Tap into the hot goss by reading and subscribing to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Colorado Tattoo Convention (Sept. 30 - Oct. 2) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s election season and there’s some big ticket races going down in Colorado. But the one to watch? Congressional District 8. This newly drawn district stretching from Commerce City to Greeley is getting a lot of attention as Democrat Yadira Caraveo and Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer battle for the brand-new seat. But this race is also about representation: The district is home to many voters who identify as Latino and Hispanic, and the race is on to win their votes. But what matters to these voters? Host Bree Davies is joined by City Cast Denver state politics contributor Justine Sandoval to break down the nuances of this voting bloc — and why such an ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse population shouldn’t be treated as a monolith. (Just a note of transparency: Justine is a political strategist who works for various Democratic campaigns, offices, and efforts. The views expressed on City Cast Denver are her own.) A new poll of Colorado Latino voters finds the economy and inflation, gun violence, and climate change are among the issues they find most pressing ahead of the November election. You can read more here.  Bree mentioned this article from CPR: Latino voters could be decisive in Colorado’s biggest races, and the campaigns know it Learn all about tarantula migration in La Junta from our weekday newsletter! Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 11, 22-year-old Christian Glass called 911. His car had gotten stuck just outside of Silver Plume and he needed help. He told the operator that he was scared. Police responded — and just a few hours later, he was dead. The story came to light again this month when police body camera footage was released, raising new questions about how a man who called 911 himself asking for help ended up dying at the hands of police. Today on the show, host Bree Davies walks through the situation with Colorado Public Radio’s criminal justice reporter Allison Sherry, and talks about the larger implications of what happens when law enforcement approach someone in a mental health crisis. Read Sherry’s latest reporting on Christian Glass’s killing here. We’ve got even more news Denverites are talking about in today’s newsletter. Subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colorado Tattoo Convention (Sept. 30 - Oct. 2) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week, Bree sat down for an emotional conversation about walking with Jonathon Stalls, the man behind the wildly popular @pedestriandignity TikTok account and author of a new book, “Walk: Slow Down, Wake Up, And Connect At 1-3 Miles Per Hour.” His book is full of meditations and visualizations drawing on his experiences walking across Denver, and in this bonus episode we’re proud to share a recording of Jonathon reading one of those visualizations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The summer of the e-bike is over. Thousands of Denverites are now happily zipping around on these climate-friendly fun machines, thanks to the city’s wildly successful rebate program. But will the energy stick around when Hot E-Bike Summer turns into a wet, cold, snowy winter? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi tested out a couple of e-bikes earlier this week, and today they’re going inside the mind of a Big E-Bike Guy, Westword reporter and friend of the show Conor McCormick-Cavanagh. Also in this episode, you’ll hear a few clips from our ride with past guest Avi Stopper of Bike Streets and MacKenzie Hardt of Hardt Family Cyclery, who generously lent us the bikes and would happily set you up with a test ride for yourself. Paul mentioned Conor’s recent story about the drastic increase in car thefts in Denver, and Conor spoke about his experience buying and riding an e-bike, which he documented here for Westword.  Don’t miss Conor’s latest story on self-proclaimed made man and mayoral candidate Valentes Corleons, including those killer photos we talked about. And of course, if you haven’t heard our episode with Conor about Valentes, don’t miss it. What’s at the other end of this weekend’s bike ride? We’ve got a big list of cool stuff to do this weekend in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think about e-bikes? Let us know at @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk about transit a lot — but how often do we talk about, well, walking? The pedestrian experience is often overlooked in the modern city, but Jonathon Stalls is working every day to change that. In his new book, “Walk: Slow Down, Wake Up, And Connect At 1-3 Miles Per Hour,” he offers meditations and visualizations about getting around in the world, and shares his own challenging life experiences that caused walking to become his “medicine.” Stalls joins host Bree Davies to dig into the whys of walking — and how he has used social media to bring others into the world of pedestrian advocacy. Check out Jonathon’s wonderful TikTok, Pedestrian Dignity.  It’s Thursday, which means Peyton’s Plate is serving up a new hot & tasty dish! Read all about it in the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the conspiracy theories to the seemingly endless construction, there’s never been a shortage of issues at Denver International Airport. And just this week, we learned that regulators have, for 12 years, looked the other way when it comes to an elevated risk of mid-air collisions at two of DIA’s runways! Host Bree Davies gets into the good, the bad, and the weird at DIA with Westword editor Patty Calhoun, from the political climate that led to DIA’s construction in the 90s to its controversial public art and those runways that are just a little too close together. Bree and Patty talked about the sounds you hear riding the train to and from the terminal. You can learn more about that here.  Here’s the Colorado Sun article Bree mentioned about the FAA’s recent notice concerning potential mid-air collision risks at DIA. Fly above the fray and get the Denver news you need in our daily morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What’s your take on DIA? Let us know on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Japanese food has always been a deeply personal obsession for local author Gil Asakawa. He grew up in Japan and made his way to Denver in time to witness first-hand what he calls a “cultural evolution — nay, revolution” in the availability of Japanese food in America. Now with ramen shops and sushi bars drawing crowds all across Denver, Asakawa’s got a new book out combining memoir with history, called “Tabemasho! Let’s Eat! A Tasty History of Japanese Food in America.” So we invited Asakawa back to the show to go deep on his love of Japanese food in Denver, from Benihana and Sakura Square to his family’s unique relationship with the defunct Denver Tofu company. Plus, don’t miss Asakawa’s personal recommendations for the best Japanese food in town.  Looking for even more inspiration for your next night out? Chow down on our daily morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What’s your favorite Japanese restaurant in Denver? Tweet at us @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the end of an era for Denver — Rocky’s Autos has closed its doors for good after 40 years. So, the north Federal staple is out of the car game — but the thing we’ll miss the most? The dealership’s crazy TV commercials featuring the adventures of Audra, Officer Odell, and of course, The Shagman. After we heard the news about Rocky’s going dark, we called up Ron Vigil — the Shakespearean actor behind the infamous Shagman — to get his final thoughts on playing a uniquely Denver-famous character for more than two decades.  Keep up with The Shagman’s shenanigans on Instagram or check out his production company. Bree mentioned a previous City Cast Denver episode with reporter Yesenia Robles about the Adams 14 school district drama. More news you can use. Subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tweet us your favorite Rocky’s Autos commercial! @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver’s minimum wage is going up to $17.29 starting in January, and with restaurants already on the brink, Denverites can. not. stop. talking about tipping. Many local restaurants are adopting service fees to balance things out, but according to a new survey, Denverites are feeling “tipping fatigue.” What can be done? Host Bree Davies, newsletter editor Peyton Garcia, and producer Paul Karolyi are digging into this multi-faceted problem and looking at some new ideas local restaurants have tried to fix it. Plus! We debut a new segment. There’s tons of cool stuff happening around the city this weekend, but only one event will get the official City Cast Denver stamp of approval. Stick around to the end of the show to find out where you’re most likely to find us this weekend! We previously discussed tipping on the show last summer, when producer Paul Karolyi interviewed Elle Taylor, co-founder of Amythest Coffee, about their decision to eliminate tipping and pay all their employees a living wage.  Paul made a joke about the Palisade peach grower who also happens to be a 9/11 truther. Read all about him in this great story from friend of the show Andrew Kenney, politics reporter with CPR. Peyton mentioned this funny video that lays out an argument against tipping and the Bonanno Concepts’ explanation of their service fee. Peyton’s got even more awesome recommendations for your weekend in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Are you a big tipper? A begrudging tipper? A cow tipper? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: The Colfax Crawl, presented by the Colfax Ave. Business Improvement District Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver has a trash problem. And so far, efforts to improve recycling and composting rates have fallen far short of the city’s goals. In June, city council adopted a plan to make recycling and composting easier for homeowners. And this November, voters will have their say on a ballot initiative that would require businesses and apartment buildings to provide compost and recycling pickup. Ean Thomas Tafoya —co-founder of Headwaters Protectors, co-chair of the Colorado Environmental Justice Action Taskforce, and state director of GreenLatinos— stopped by to chat with host Bree Davies about the Waste No More initiative and his run for mayor. Oh and Bree mentioned some Rocky’s Autos commercials you might enjoy. RIP Rocky’s! Peyton’s got allll the food news to get you through to the weekend! Read and subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hi. We’re on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: The Colfax Crawl, presented by the Colfax Ave. Business Improvement District Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver’s Chief of Police Paul Pazen is retiring. After 28 years on the force, Chief Pazen was appointed to the position in 2018 by Mayor Hancock. Since then, he’s faced increasing scrutiny for the police’s behavior under his leadership — including a $14 million settlement for police brutality against protestors during the George Floyd uprisings and, most recently, police shooting and injuring six innocent bystanders on a crowded street in LoDo. Today on the show, Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies to discuss Pazen’s departure, what the new chief is walking into, and what the next state and city elections have to do with the police’s role in Denver. For more on Chief Pazen, check out Bree’s interview with the man himself from earlier this year. Patty mentioned her last appearance on the show, when she told the story of Elvis the cop lover’s admiration for Denver’s own Fool’s Gold sandwich.  Hey! We have a newsletter. It’s great. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We’re on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: The Colfax Crawl, presented by the Colfax Ave. Business Improvement District Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the entire month of August, public transportation was completely, utterly FREE. The no-cost ride effort was in part meant to lure drivers out of their cars and mitigate our annual, late-summer problems with air quality. We wanted to know how this $14-million “Free Fare for Better Air” experiment actually worked for people, so producer Lizzie Goldsmith spent the month riding buses and light rail, and talking to dozens of RTD riders about their experience. Today, she chats with host Bree Davies to share some stories and try to answer the big question: Was the free fare worth it? Get all the news you need here in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tweet us pics of your RTD transit stop @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colfax Avenue BID presents The Colfax Crawl Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Labor Day weekend is upon us! We put our heads together and came up with our favorite places around Colorado to fill that one extra day. We’re talking tourist traps, killer hikes, dynamite vistas, and an Estes Park salt water taffy hack that you’ll never forget. Host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia are gossiping about the very best day trips that are a less than two-hour car ride outside Denver. Bree mentioned this recent Colorado Sun story about Leadville’s recent transformation. Patty Calhoun wrote in to suggest the one-of-a-kind World’s Wonder View Tower, which she co-owns.  Looking to catch up on some news before clocking out for the long weekend? Check out our morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What great day trips did we miss? Let’s talk. We’re on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a new space race on, and getting back to the moon or Mars is only part of the fun. There’s money to be made out there! At least, that’s what a lot of smart people in Colorado are banking on. They’re still sorting out little stuff like how and why. So today, producer Paul Karolyi sits down with Denver Business Journal senior reporter Greg Avery to talk about what’s fueling the country’s second-biggest commercial space industry and introduce us to the Colorado-born Orion spacecraft, which is currently sitting on the launchpad in Florida awaiting takeoff after an aborted launch Monday morning.  Here’s Greg’s latest on the Orion launch, now planned for this coming Saturday. Catch up with all the Denver news you need to know in our morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Blast off with us to Planet Twitter: @citycastdenver The 150th Colorado State Fair is open through Monday, and we want to know if it’s worth the trip! Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts, name, and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬. Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the very first Chipotle opened on E. Evans Ave. in 1993, hungry DU students fueled the restaurant to world domination, ushering in a new fast yet casual style of dining along the way. Nearly thirty years later, the dining experience is once again at a turning point, with eaters still unsure what exactly they want out of a post-pandemic night out. Westword’s food & drink editor Molly Martin recently stopped by two new fast-casual chains that just opened right across from the original Chipotle on Evans — BirdCall and Next Level Burger. Both are hoping to attract DU students with new types of service and climate-conscious menu options. So producer Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia tried both and invited Molly on the show to compare notes. Check out Molly’s first impressions at Next Level Burger and BirdCall. There’s so much more interesting stuff happening in Denver. Subscribe to our morning newsletter and don’t miss a beat! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have you tried Next Level Burger or BirdCall? We want to hear what you think! Tweet at us @citycastdenver or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Legal Help in Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s no faster route to a bad day than having your car towed. And especially in the last few years, complaints of predatory towing have been on the rise across the Denver metro area. State lawmakers have been debating the problem, and earlier this month they enacted a new “towing bill of rights” that promises to shift the balance of power away from the towers. Community organizer, journalist, and City Cast Denver contributor Theo Wilson is back to explain why he’s optimistic about this new law and what can happen when a “poverty tax” like predatory towing gets out of hand.  What exactly is in the new towing law? Check out this full breakdown from our friends at CPR: https://www.cpr.org/2022/06/08/tow-companies-give-notice-new-law/ Paul mentioned a CBS Colorado story about the new towing law, the Coors family’s big plans for Golden and Denver Water’s latest conservation pledge.  Fill your week with curated event recs, new restaurants and food trends, and more with our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since Denver Water was founded in 1918, the agency has demonstrated enviable foresight, building out a massive infrastructure across 4,000 square miles to ensure Denver’s population (and economy) can continue to grow. But now that reservoirs and rivers are drying up across the West, is it time for Denver to share the wealth? Today, Colorado’s top water reporter, Luke Runyon of KUNC, joins producer Paul Karolyi to explain where Denver fits into the recent conflict over the Colorado River and offer an outsider’s perspective on Denver Water’s ambitious growth.  For more from Luke Runyon, you can find all his water reporting for KUNC here.  Paul mentioned his June interview with Denver Water’s chief planner Greg Fisher, Denver Water’s Gross Reservoir Expansion Project, and the Denver Post’s report on mosquito problems in southeast Denver.  Thirsty for more Denver happenings to start your week? Take a big sip from our daily morning newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Legal Help in Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 17, Denver police shot into a crowd of hungry club-goers waiting for a bite to eat around let-out time in LoDo, injuring seven people. And in response, the city decided to ban… food trucks. So with our host Bree Davies out for a few days, we wanted to share this episode from last December, when the city took a very different approach to keeping the peace in LoDo. It’s a profile of nightclub kingpin Valentes Corleons, who believes he was railroaded by the city — just like the food truck operators now. It also features Westword reporter and friend of the show Conor McCormick-Cavanagh.  Oh, and we added some extra good stuff to this version. Call it a director’s cut.  For more on the LoDo let-out situation, check out our recent episode with Westword editor Patty Calhoun where she breaks down some alternatives the city isn't trying. Still looking for fun stuff to do this weekend? We’ve got you covered with a curated events round-up in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter! @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could it be true? Could Colorado really be working toward our climate goals… and actually stop widening our highways? According to a new plan in front of the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG), yes. After a state mandate set new standards for greenhouse gas emissions related to our transit habits, DRCOG could vote to shift hundreds of millions of dollars toward better public transit infrastructure, bike lanes, sidewalks, and more. Colorado Public Radio’s transportation reporter Nathaniel Minor is back on the show today to talk about why this could mark a “seismic shift” for our transit system and, for the first time in Host Bree Davies’ life, stop the expansion of I-25 and C-470 in the city.  DRCOG is currently looking for public comment on this big new plan. Submit yours here ahead of their board’s vote scheduled for Sept. 21.  Bree mentioned that the City of Denver is looking for your input on the “shared streets” idea. You can do that here.  And you can read more about the downtown highway that almost happened here. More news you can use in the City Cast Denver newsletter: Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We’re on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The secret is out: Denver is an awesome place to live. But in the past 15 years, that’s led to a massive influx of new residents who collectively pose an essential Denver question: How do we get bigger without sacrificing what made this city great? Fortunately, there’s an iconic local institution that answers that question every day in the form of great burgers, good vibes, and a consistently high quality experience — despite a similarly massive expansion over the past few years. So today, host Bree Davies visits the original “Black Sheep of Cherry Creek,” AKA the Cherry Cricket, to uncover the secret to managing growing pains.  Get all the news you need and a bunch of fun things to do and places to eat in our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We want to hear what you think about the Cherry Cricket! Got a favorite burger topping combo? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home podcast Legal Help in Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Denver Broncos open their regular season on September 12 against the Seattle Seahawks, they’ll look completely different than last year. They’ve got a new celebrity quarterback, a new goofball head coach, and a brand new ownership group — led by one of the richest people in the world, Rob Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune. Our sports guy Jake Shapiro from Denver Fan 104.3 is back to introduce host Bree Davies to the new Broncos and explain why local football fans are so optimistic. Bree mentioned this editorial from Colorado Newsline about the new Broncos’ ownership group.  Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home podcast Trade Coffee Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Students head back to Denver Public Schools today — but what in the heck is going on with the district’s school board? DPS’s governing body has been all over the news lately, and for all the wrong reasons. Infighting, accusations of misogyny and racism, and power struggles have plagued this teachers’ union-backed slate of elected officials, and there are fears their personal disagreements are impacting students and teachers. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Chalkbeat Colorado’s senior reporter Melanie Asmar about what the heck is going on with Denver’s divided school board.  Check out Melanie’s reporting for Chalkbeat Colorado on the ongoing Denver school board drama.  Melanie mentioned DPS board president Xóchitl "Sochi" Gaytán’s recent interviews with Westword and Denver7, which we excerpted in this episode. We want to hear your favorite way to enjoy a Palisade peach! Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Find more news you can use. Read and subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Legal Help in Colorado How to Buy a Home podcast Trade Coffee Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which four people embody the spirit of Denver? Which four represent the very highest of our ideals? Which four represent us to the world? Community organizer and all-around Denver OG Ben Chavez joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi for the Friday news round-up, then we grab our granite chisels and duke it out over who should be repped on Denver’s Mt. Rushmore. Ben is co-organizing La Raza Park Day, going down this Sunday, August 21, from 1pm to 5pm. It’s free and families are welcome! Paul mentioned e-bike mania, Hickenlooper and the climate bill, and Aurora’s latest backasswards proposal to “help” our unhoused neighbors.  What are you doing this weekend? Newsletter editor Peyton Garcia has a big ol’ list of cool stuff for you to do. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Who did we forget to put on our version of a Denver Mt. Rushmore? Let us know on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stuck between highways and hidden under a viaduct, the Sun Valley community has quietly gone about its business — until a few years ago, when it started getting a lot more attention and big money interest in its land. Meow Wolf has moved in, a new Latino cultural museum is on the way, and lots of big housing developments are in going up. But what do the people of Sun Valley want? On the show today, Glenn Harper, Manuel Aragon, and Lindsay Miller of Sun Valley Kitchen explain what makes Sun Valley so wonderful — and why they are inviting people to not “discover” this neighborhood, but come celebrate it at this weekend’s Sun Valley Rising Night Market. Bree mentioned a 5280 Magazine interview with local activist and educator, Tim Hernandez.  Pull up a chair for newsletter editor Peyton Garcia’s Denver food news round-up. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Find us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Around 1:30 a.m. on July 17, just as the bars and nightclubs were letting out in LoDo, Denver police confronted an allegedly armed man and shot into a crowded street in LoDo, injuring 6 innocent bystanders. The city’s response? Ban food trucks from the neighborhood. Host Bree Davies sits down with Westword founder and editor Patty Calhoun to get some historical perspective on the persistent late-night issues in LoDo and hear her thoughts about what’s actually causing the problems — and how to fix them.  Plus, to commemorate this week’s 45th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, Patty shares the real Denver story behind Elvis’s famous peanut butter and bacon sandwich.  Bree mentioned that law enforcement officials released body cam footage from the July 17 shooting. You can watch that here, via the Denver Post.  We’ve got even more about the LoDo situation and the fallout from the July 17 shooting in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Legal Help in Colorado  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker bought Casa Bonita last year, Denverites have been worrying, speculating, and looking forward to the day when the pink palace on West Colfax will re-open. Stone and Parker say they want to “change nothing, improve everything,” but what exactly does that mean? 9News investigative journalist Jeremy Jojola recently set his sights on the South Park guys’ Casa Bonita renovation project, and he’s on the show today to share all the juicy, insider details he uncovered.  Here’s a link to Jojola’s report on the documents outlining the Casa Bonita renovation, and here’s a recent interview Matt and Trey gave to the Denver Post on their investment in this project.  We’ll be following every twist and turn in the Casa Bonita saga as it develops. Subscribe to our daily newsletter and you’ll never miss a beat: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ How do you feel about the changes happening at Casa Bonita? Tweet at us @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret: most Denver neighborhoods have sidewalks that are pretty terrible. In fact, around 40 percent of sidewalks around the city are either nonexistent, in bad shape, or are not accessible for people using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Part of the reason our sidewalks suck? The city doesn’t have a dedicated funding stream to pay for construction or maintenance. But this November, voters will decide if a new ballot initiative, Denver Deserves Sidewalks, can change our mobility fate — by asking property owners to chip in a little each month. On today’s show, host Bree Davies talks with Molly McKinley of Denver Streets Partnership to learn more about why they hope voters will say YES to sidewalks this November. Got a janky sidewalk in your neighborhood? Tweet a pic to us @citycastdenver! Or share your worst sidewalk experience by leaving us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Sign up for our morning newsletter here. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Legal Help in Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The City Cast Denver crew is back at the table with a new local food challenge and this time, we’re taking on sandwiches. While the Mile High is overflowing with great grinders, subs, hoagies, and tortas, today’s showdown is all about two out-of-town chains that Denverites have embraced as our own: Cheba Hut vs. Snarf’s Sandwiches. Which tasty sub will reign supreme? Host Bree Davies is joined by newsletter editor Peyton Garcia, plus producers Paul Karolyi and Erin O’Toole for a great debate over who puts the best meat and cheese (or guacamole and cream cheese???) between two perfectly toasted pieces of bread. Looking for more City Cast Denver food battles? We’ve also taken on the best burger, enjoyed the local delicacy of breakfast burritos, taste-tested fried chicken, indulged in Denver’s most decadent donuts, and compared Illegal Pete’s and Chipotle! Peyton mentioned a story she wrote on Quizno’s earlier this year: https://denver.citycast.fm/2022/03/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-a-denver-sandwich-empire/ Paul quoted from this Celebstoner.com interview with Cheba Hut founder Scott Jennings: https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2021/03/04/cheba-hut-founder-scott-jennings-interview/  And finally: some Casa Bonita news!!!! Read and subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tell us about your dream sandwich on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 3 million Coloradans are receiving $750 checks in the mail this week, but who’s to thank? Is it Governor Jared Polis and the Democrats, who re-branded and re-worked our tax policy to create this ‘Colorado Cashback’? Or is it the conservatives who convinced Colorado voters to approve the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (aka TABOR) in 1992 and have defended it ever since? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi dive into the politics of TABOR to figure out the real story behind these $750 checks.  For an even deeper dive, Bree recommends The Taxman, CPR’s podcast series about the origins and lasting impact of TABOR.  Want to get more plugged in to all the cool stuff happening in Denver? Subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What are you doing with your $750? Tell us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 15, Ma Kaing was shot and killed outside her home in the East Colfax neighborhood. The mother, restaurateur, and beloved community member was the latest victim of gun violence in Denver. But soon after Kaing’s death, her community came forward with serious concerns over the effectiveness of 911 calls made from the Denver neighborhood that sits on the border of Aurora. Today, host Bree Davies sits down with Denver Post reporter Noelle Phillips to talk 911 call centers, emergency response, gun violence, and East Colfax’s unsteady relationship with their councilwoman.  Read more of Noelle Phillips’s reporting on the East Colfax community tragedy in the Denver Post. A GoFundMe has been set up to support Ma Kaing’s family.  For more on the removal of the racist Chinatown plaque Bree mentioned, here’s the report from Rocky Mountain PBS. Listen to our episode with Dr. Wei from last August to learn more about Denver’s lost Chinatown. Casa Bonita is back in the news this week, and you know we’re all over it. Get the latest in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Park, AKA the show that introduced the world to Casa Bonita, is celebrating 25 years on TV this week. That’s hundreds of episodes packed with thousands of jokes made at the expense of politicians, pop stars, and us, the faithful residents of Colorado. Host Bree Davies sits down with her friend and South Park superfan Kalyn Heffernan to talk all things Kenny, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman. A musician, artist, former mayoral candidate, and disability rights activist, Heffernan has a deep love for South Park’s irreverent humor and the version of Colorado portrayed on the show, and Bree wanted to get to the bottom of that love.  If you want to join the 25-year anniversary celebrations, there’s a two-night live music extravaganza happening at Red Rocks with creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, along with their band-friends Ween and Primus. Of course, South Park is also cashing in on the immersive experience trend with a shipping container wrapped in Cartman’s image, peddling photo-ops and memorabilia for fans to see and pose with. That’ll be outside the concert and at McGregor Square this weekend. More on that here.  Bree offered an update on BALLOT TRIP, our four-part investigation into the future of psychedelics in Colorado. To hear the whole series, here’s where you can find part one, part two, part three, and part four. Catch up on all the Denver news with the CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Got a favorite South Park joke about Colorado? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

***This is the final episode in our four-part series on the future of psychedelics in Colorado. To get the rest of the story, here’s where you can find part one, part two, and part three. ***UPDATE (9/21/22): This episode has been updated to correct our characterization of SPORE's position. SPORE is not neutral. In fact, after this episode was originally published on 8/8/22, Matthew Duffy published an op-ed in the Denver Post urging voters to reject the Natural Health Medicine Act in November. Who will decide the future of psychedelics in Colorado? Is it the big-money, out-of-state campaign with nationwide ambitions? Or the grassroots-driven Decriminalize Nature measure that wants to take things a little slower? In this final episode of our four-part series Ballot Trip, award-winning investigative reporter Chris Walker highlights the grassroots approach and why their organizers are wary of moving too fast.  Get all the Denver news you need, plus cool events happening this week and more in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter! @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s only been six weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ripple effects are still being felt across the country — including here in Colorado, where surprising new fronts have opened in the battle to keep reproductive healthcare safe, legal, and accessible. Today, host Bree Davies sits down with two Colorado experts on abortion issues: Denver Post reporter Elizabeth Hernandez shares insight from her reporting on healthcare providers and Coloradans looking for reproductive healthcare, and Justine Sandoval, a political insider who’s been working on abortion rights legislation for close to a decade.   Find all of Elizabeth’s fantastic reporting on the local ripple effects of the Roe decision via The Denver Post. Justine mentioned supporting abortion access advocates already doing the work, like: Cobalt, COLOR Latina, and National Abortion Funds.  Looking for fun stuff to do this weekend? Check out the City Cast Denver newsletter for editor Peyton Garcia’s handpicked list: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Find us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver is home to many neighborhoods, cultures, and people. But lately, our host Bree Davies has been stuck on a certain kind of Denverite: the Denver Foo. Thanks to the @DenverFoos303 Instagram account, you can stay up-to-date on where local Edgars get their Polo shirts, what’s really going down in LoDo after let-out, and who serves the best tacos on a paper plate in the city. Bree sat down with Benny, one of the guys behind the IG account, to talk about what makes a true Denver Foo, what this particular subculture says about Denver, and why this account is an appreciation — not an appropriation — of a certain style of Mile High human.  More news you can use in our daily City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Give a shout out to the Denver Foo in your life on Twitter, bud: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The journalist and community organizer Theo Wilson is fresh off a high-profile new gig, hosting his own show for the History Channel. On “I Was There,” Theo explores the history you know from an angle you don’t know. So we invited Theo to give the “I Was There” treatment to an issue many Denverites are dealing with in different ways: our housing crisis. It turns out Theo is in the market to buy a home himself, and he’s got tons of insight from history, his research into other housing models around the world, and his own personal experience to help point us in the right direction.  Theo mentioned that he is taking advantage of a new housing equity program called the Dearfield Fund. Check out our episode from March 9 with another beneficiary of the program and one of the folks who designed it to learn more.    Craving more Denver news? Subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter! @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time in the history of legal weed, sales are falling. It’s an unthinkable turnaround for an industry that was once seen with limitless potential, and it’s going to mean a loss of tax revenue for all the public services funded by cannabis sales. So why are weed sales dropping? Ricardo Baca is the founder and ceo of Grasslands, a cannabis-focused PR agency. He’s been digging into the numbers, and he sees more than what’s on the surface. Host Bree Davies sits down with the veteran cannabis journalist-turned-weed biz insider to parse out what, exactly, is going on with cannabis in Colorado.   Oh, and- We’re doing another food battle! This time, it’s a showdown between Denver’s favorite sandwich chains: Snarf’s vs. Cheba Hut. So which colorful sub-maker will reign supreme? Or is there another local sandwich maker that deserves a spot in this battle? Leave us a voicemail with your take, name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Bree mentioned Mutiny Information Cafe’s GoFundMe, which you can support here. Get all the Denver news you need, plus event listings and more fun tidbits and bobs in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

***This is the third episode of a four-part series on the future of psychedelics in Colorado. To hear the whole story, you can find part one here and part two here. Recently, news broke that at least one of the dueling campaigns to get a psychedelics measure on the November ballot has been successful. This means Colorado voters will decide on Initiative 58, also known as the Natural Medicine Health Act, which is the one that aims to to legalize psychedelics, but also regulate their distribution at licensed “healing centers.” It’s a controversial proposal with big money behind it. This time on BALLOT TRIP, investigative journalist Chris Walker explores the origins of this scheme, including its surprising financial backer, and looks at how a similar initiative is already playing out in Oregon.  We’ve got all the news you need to start your week right here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter! @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Trade Coffee How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been all over the news: RTD is going FARE-FREE for the entire month of August! Our elected officials pushed for the transit agency to adopt a month of no-cost rides in an effort to combat Denver’s chronic smog problem. But the move also comes as the metro area grapples with a decades-old traffic congestion issue that many think could be solved if car drivers would just fundamentally change everything they know about their own transit habits. Today on the show, producer (and bike-loving) Paul Karolyi sits down with host (and unabashed single-occupant car driver) Bree Davies and special guest, retired public radio heavyweight (and public transit lifer) Jo Ann Allen to get deep on RTD.  Don’t miss Jo Ann’s new column for the Denver Post! The first one is out now, and it’s all about Black generational wealth. We are also delighted to recommend Jo Ann’s podcast, Been There Done That!   Paul mentioned a couple of articles about RTD’s month of free fares: this one from the Washington Post profiling a Denver bus driver, and this one from friend of the show Nate Minor for CPR about the time RTD offered free fares in the 70s.  Looking for something fun to do this weekend? We’ve got you covered in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter! @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Control Group Productions presents THE END How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After our episode yesterday with Planterra CEO Darcey Macken, City Cast Denver’s resident vegetarian, producer Paul Karolyi, and “flexitarian” host Bree Davies were itching to talk more about protein. Today on the show, Paul and Bree discuss their experiences with non-meat, plant-based, and animal-alternative options in Denver and tackle the big question: does the Mile High’s reputation as a literal cow town still hold true? Or are we a city that can celebrate an array of culinary, veg-friendly options that go beyond the “meat and potatoes” stereotype of our past? If this episode has you hungry, check out today’s City Cast Denver newsletter, where editor Peyton Garcia digs into her fave dish at Tamayo. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tell us your fave vegetarian/non-meat restaurant or menu item on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Summer of Soul How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plant-based protein is all the rage, with Beyond- and Impossible-branded products popping up in grocery stores and on fast food menus across the country. But there’s a plucky new local startup, Planterra, angling for its share of this new market, and they’ve got a not-so-plucky parent company lurking behind the scenes, armed with data and know-how from running a global “protein” business. That company? JBS, the largest meat producer in the world. Producer Paul Karolyi sits down with Planterra CEO Darcey Macken to hear all about JBS’s first step into the plant-based arena, starting with a production plant here in Denver.  For more on Planterra’s business plans, here’s the Denver Business Journal story where we first learned about the company.  All Coloradans can expect TABOR refunds in the mail soon. Wanna know why? We’ve got a full breakdown in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: The How to Buy a Home Podcast Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks: Summer of Soul Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver is a dog city, that’s for sure. But what happens when dogs run free at one of many informal “dog parties” popping up in parks across the city? Host Bree Davies sits down with producer Erin O’Toole and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia to talk about park-roaming dogs and their scofflaw owners, the controversy around these so-called dog parties, and some reader comments about the great off-leash dog debate.  What do you think about all the off-leash dogs running amok in our parks? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Check out our morning newsletter to find out more of what’s going on in the city. Read and subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Catch our tweets @citycastdenver! Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: The How to Buy a Home Podcast Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks: Summer of Soul Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cannabis has been legal in Colorado for close to a decade. In 2019, Denver decriminalized psilocybin. Soon, voters will be asked to consider changes in the regulation of psychedelics statewide. But before Colorado has the chance to capitalize on this latest potential drug policy shift, some experts are sounding the alarm. Will historic inequities that followed other legalizations play out with psychedelics, too? In the second episode of Ballot Trip, a new four-part series from City Cast Denver, award-winning investigative reporter Chris Walker digs into the potential impacts of plant medicine legalization. He talks with plant medicine healers, ancestral knowledge keepers, and advocates who fear that if the legalization and decriminalization of psychedelics isn’t laid out carefully, communities could be harmed.  As Chris mentioned in the episode, here are Kuthoomi Castro’s resources for listeners interested in decolonization work in the psychedelics space: Dr. Rocio Rosales Meza, a Seer, Medicine Woman, Counselor, and Educator, and Puma Fredy Quispe Singona, an Andean Medicine Man.  This reporting is supported by the Ferriss-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Reporting Fellowship. More news you can use in newsletter form. Read and Subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have psychedelics helped you? Tell us about your experience on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are many narratives about Denver — we’re a boom n’ bust town, we’re a weed town, we’re, well (in the eyes of one rural Colorado politician), a “toilet bowl.” Earlier this week, Mayor Hancock shared his own, albeit bland, narrative of the Denver he’s been in charge of for the last 11-plus years. Over at Westword, editor-in-chief Patty Calhoun and the crew pondered that same narrative and asked: has Denver lost its mojo? On the show today, host Bree Davies sits down with Patty and Westword staffer Conor McCormick-Cavanagh to discuss what makes Denver worth celebrating, and what we can do to put that pep back in our Mile High step.  Check out Westword’s latest cover story contemplating the mojo question from Patty, Conor, and a slew of other great writers. Listen to our episode from earlier this week where Paul and Bree discuss Mayor Hancock’s final State of the City address. (Conor did a great summary of the speech for Westword, too!) Looking for cool stuff to do this weekend? Editor Peyton Garcia’s got you covered. Read and subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colfax Ave. BID presents Independents Day Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks: Summer of Soul Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outdoor concerts are a staple of the Colorado experience, and this month, Levitt Pavilion Denver is celebrating five years of bringing live shows to the Ruby Hill neighborhood. On the show today, host Bree Davies talks with Levitt’s Interim Executive Director, Andy Thomas, and Marketing and Development Director Jessi Whitten about why Levitt is about more than live music — it’s about creating community, paying local musicians fairly, and creating the next generation of Denver music lovers, movers, and shakers.  Levitt Pavilion Denver still has dozens of free and ticketed shows coming up this season — check out their concert calendar for a list of great local and national acts to see this summer and fall! Miguel Aviña, front-person for the band iZCALLI, was mentioned several times — hear his interview with City Cast Denver from a few months ago! All the news you need, right here in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Share your Levitt Pavilion Denver memories with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colfax Ave. BID presents Independents Day Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks: Summer of Soul Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s host Bree Davies’ Sweet 16 sober anniversary and she’s ready to celebrate! Because not-drinking can sound like a drag, Bree wanted to shed some light on what can make a bar inviting to those who don’t imbibe. She invited friend of the show, Artistic Director at the Sie Film Center AND fellow non-drinker, Keith Garcia, to chat about how to go out on a Friday night and find fun in Denver, whether you choose to drink or not.  Keith mentioned the monthly-ish queer-centered dance party Junk Drawer and the new event space slash hair salon Scorpio Palace on Brighton Boulevard. Bree talked about Clearheads, happening this Sunday at Fort Greene; check out our May interview with the party’s founder, Jen Korte! More news you can use: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Where are your fave spots to get fun, booze-free drinks? Tell us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colfax Ave. BID presents Independents Day Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Monday, Mayor Michael B. Hancock offered many thoughts and some interesting prospects for Denver’s future in his last State of the City address. Winding down his third and final term as Denver’s mayor, Hancock focused mostly on what he’s done for us lately — like championing programs and policies to address housing and homelessness and announcing the new Denver Institute of Racial Equity, Innovation and Reconciliation, a think tank that’s supposed to improve public safety. Today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi break down Hancock’s speech, respond to some of his claims, and ask: What will be Mayor Hancock’s true legacy?  To read or watch Hancock’s whole State of the City address, click here.  Paul mentioned a Westword story about the Denver Basic Income Project. You can read that here.  There’s plenty more Denver news you might want to know. Fortunately, we’ve rounded it all up for you in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Summer of Soul Colfax Ave. Business Improvement District presents Independents Day Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psilocybin, AKA magic mushrooms — maybe you’ve heard of ‘em? Or, you know, tried them for yourself? Because here in Denver, voters decriminalized psilocybin back in 2019, but the statewide fight to regulate naturally derived psychedelics like mushrooms — and mescaline, ibogaine, ayahuasca, and DMT — is only just beginning.  In the first episode of a new four-part series for City Cast Denver, award-winning investigative reporter Chris Walker brings us Ballot Trip, a deep dive into debate over how psychedelics will fit into life in Colorado. From practitioners of traditional, ancestral healing work to the multi-million dollar PAC behind policy reform in Washington, Chris explores the many perspectives that exist within the world of legalization and decriminalization of psychedelics.  Get more news you can use from the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Have you ever had your car towed in Denver? Was it by a company called Wyatt’s Towing? You are far from alone. Attorney General Phil Weiser is cracking down on predatory towing, and we want to hear from you. Tell us your Wyatt’s Towing stories! Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colfax Ave. Independents Day (July 22-24) Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when an anti-gang activist shoots someone at his own peace rally? For Terrance Roberts of Northeast Park Hill, that question came to define his life following that very incident on September 20, 2013. Award-winning journalist Julian Rubinstein spent seven years reporting Roberts’ story. The resulting book, “The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun, and the Struggle to Save an American Neighborhood,” came out in May 2021. It won a Colorado Book Award for best general nonfiction, and has been made into a documentary film that premiered at this year’s Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride. And recently, Roberts announced a run for Denver mayor. Roberts and Rubinstein joined host Bree Davies last May to talk about the book, the nature of gang violence in Denver, and police reform. NOTE: This interview originally aired in May 2021, and is back as part of our special summer book series. Learn more about the documentary film "The Holly," which Julian Rubinstein directed, at TheHollyFilm.com  Connect with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver And sign up for our morning newsletter! Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks: Summer of Soul Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In “The Guide,” Colorado author Peter Heller weaves a suspenseful tale centered on Jack, a young wilderness and fishing guide at an elite resort near Crested Butte. Things aren’t quite as idyllic as they seem, though, and Jack finds himself questioning what he sees and hears at every turn. Heller joined City Cast Denver’s Peyton Garcia for a conversation about his inspiration for the book, and what it was like writing a fictional story set during a pandemic — while actually experiencing the pandemic in real time.  NOTE: This interview originally aired in August 2021, and is back as part of our special summer book series. Tune in all week for more!  Learn more about Peter and his work at PeterHellerAuthor.com  We’d love to know what your favorite summer book is! Tweet us @citycastdenver Or leave us a voicemail with your name, neighborhood, and the title of your favorite book and why you love it. (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenny Shank grew up in southeast Denver, but when it was time for school, she was bused all over the city — from an elementary school with a Chicano-rooted curriculum on the West Side to a predominantly Black middle school near Five Points. And it was those experiences that informed her new collection of short stories, “Mixed Company.” It explores all the awkward, comical, and challenging ways that very different kinds of Coloradans can find connection. The book has been awarded the George Garrett Fiction Prize and a Colorado Book Award since it was released last November — which is when host Bree Davies sat down with Shank to talk about their shared history with Denver Public Schools and busing, and how they understand their similar education experiences differently today. NOTE: This interview originally aired in November 2021, and is back as part of our special summer book series. Tune in all week for more reading recommendations! To learn more about her work including “Mixed Company,” check out her website, JennyShank.com And for more on Denver’s history of busing, check out our episode from September 8 with playwright Alicia Smith Young!  What books are keeping you company this summer? Tweet us your recs! @citycastdenver Sign up for our morning newsletter! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Almost 20 years ago, Erika Krouse took a job as a private investigator. Her first big case? A massive sexual assault scandal that revealed a toxic culture of abuse within CU Boulder’s prized football program. Krouse’s new book, “Tell Me Everything: The Story of A Private Investigation,” is part true crime thriller and part memoir, as she weaves together her recollections of the case with the story of her own experience with sexual assault. City Cast Denver’s Peyton Garcia spoke with Krouse about what it was like going up against an institution as powerful as the University of Colorado, the legacy of the case today, and how she saw her own story in the stories of the survivors.  NOTE: This interview originally aired in March 2022, and is back as part of our special summer book series. Tune in all week for more reading recommendations! Warning: While there are no graphic descriptions, this episode contains discussions about sexual assault. Learn more about Erika Krouse and her work at erikakrousewriter.com. And for more about the scandal at the heart of Krouse’s book, ESPN has a full timeline right here. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Control Group Productions presents THE END Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colorado isn’t usually the first state people think of when it comes to barbecue. But it turns out, we have our own barbecue story to tell — and our Black community is at the center of it all. James Beard award-winning author Adrian E. Miller has that story and more in his most recent book, “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.” He joined host Bree Davies on the show last May to talk about everything Colorado barbecue, from the 1898 barbecue riot at the Stock Show to the legacy of “Daddy” Bruce Randolph and his son, Bruce Jr. NOTE: This interview originally aired in May of 2021, and is back as part of our special summer book series. Tune in all week for more!  Learn more about Adrian and his work at adrianemiller.com What’s your favorite barbecue spot in Denver? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Control Group Productions presents THE END Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

***UPDATE (7/8/22): Since we published this episode this morning, we received a clarification from a Meow Wolf representative. She wrote in response to our guest John Wenzel's description of his reporting process: "The Denver Post article came out Wednesday morning, but the Meow Wolf Workers Collective Convergence Station Organizing Committee didn't formally reach out to CEO Jose Tolosa about the union until after 5 p.m. that day, after the article was published. Meow Wolf's brief statement and lack of answers to John's questions did not come from an unwillingness to be transparent, but rather a lack of information as the situation was still evolving." Since Meow Wolf opened the doors to Convergence Station in Denver last year, the Santa Fe-based arts collective-turned-corporation has been the talk of the town. They brought jobs, global clout, and millions of dollars to the often overlooked Sun Valley neighborhood. But the company has also struggled with lawsuits related to gender discrimination in Denver and fair pay issues in its home state. Now, the Meow Wolf Workers Collective says employees here have taken steps to unionize. Today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by Denver Post arts reporter and critic John Wenzel, whose recent piece digs into the unionization efforts at the Denver Meow Wolf outpost.  Bree also mentioned this story past guest Jason Blevins wrote for the Colorado Sun this week about the Rainbow Family gathering, which went down last week in Routt National Forest Still don’t have plans for the weekend? We’ve got a rundown of curated picks in today’s newsletter https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have you been to Convergence Station yet? Let us know what you think on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Control Group Productions presents THE END Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All it takes is one rush-hour morning to see that Denverites love their cars. Some city officials think having more environmentally friendly options — like e-scooters — are key to breaking that dependence. But are scooters really the best option for Denver’s busy, crowded streets and sidewalks? Not everyone is a fan of the compact devices that zip around with abandon, and can be parked seemingly anywhere. Host Bree Davies checked in with District 10 councilman Chris Hinds, a scooter skeptic, to hear about his dive into this hot-button issue.  If you’re a scooter lover hoping to be a good citizen of our shared streets and sidewalks, our friends at Denverite put together a very helpful guide for how to ride a scooter and not be a jerk.  Hungry? Editor Peyton Garcia chows down on the latest Denver food news in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Scooters: Menace, public good, or both? Let us know what you think and follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Control Group Productions presents THE END Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been said that Colorado has everything… except a beach. But ever since 1979, Water World has filled that ocean-sized hole in our hearts, serving up family fun in the form of wild rides, crazy slides, and zillions of funnel cakes along the way. Host Bree Davies has loved visiting Water World since she was a kid, so one recent morning we asked for a behind-the-scenes tour to see what you don’t see from the bird’s eye view of Alpine Springs gondola — everything from a backstage look at the animatronics powering Voyage to the Center of the Earth to the engineering marvel literally making waves at Thunder Bay.  Share your favorite Water World memory with us on Twitter! We’re @citycastdenver Worried about monkeypox in Colorado? Newsletter Editor Peyton Garcia has a breakdown of all things monkeypox in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Control Group Productions presents THE END Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like many American cities, Denver and its adjoining suburbs have had moments defined by malls. From Cinderella City to Villa Italia, Buckingham Square to Westminster, malls have come and gone, but created indelible memories for many Denverites. These intergenerational spaces played host to first jobs, first dates, and for many teens, first parent-free experiences in the public realm. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with author and architecture critic Alexandra Lange about her new book, Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall. Together, they trace the architectural and social history of Denver through the lens of a built environment meant for shopping — but remembered for so much more. Bree and Alexandra talked about beautiful images of dying malls — like these photos from Seph Lawless. (Pssst… today’s blooper comes courtesy of these amazing in-store tapes from KMart that someone kindly posted to the Interwebz. Also, Bree recommends the album Vacant Places by Hantasi if you really want to immerse yourself in the mall’s aural aesthetic.) Want more Denver metro mall history? Read and subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Shout out your fave Denver metro mall of yore on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What an up and down week it was in Denver. Elections officials were counting primary votes (some had to be counted twice!) and the final results for one key race arrived less than an hour before host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi started recording with Westword editor Patty Calhoun on Thursday morning at the Westword office. At the same time just down the street, the Stanley Cup was slowly approaching, with hundreds of thousands of hockey fans swarming downtown to watch as our victorious (and increasingly drunk) Colorado Avalanche paraded from Union Station to Civic Center Park. In short, it ruled!  A programming note: We’re taking a long Fourth of July weekend, so there’ll be no new episode in your feed or newsletter in your inbox until Tuesday morning.  Paul mentioned a 9News report on Democrat-linked spending in the Republican primaries. Here’s a link to see that for yourself.  Still don’t have plans for the Fourth of July weekend? Newsletter editor Peyton Garcia has you covered: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Did you attend the Stanley Cup parade on Thursday? We want to see your pics! Tag us @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Control Group Productions presents THE END Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

***Due to a technical error, some subscribers downloaded a mostly silent, 1.75 hour long version of this episode. This is a re-uploaded, correct version. After a recent visit to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, our former producer Xandra McMahon proclaimed, “Ugh, why do we have zoos?” That episode didn’t go over so well with the folks from the Denver Zoo, and they invited us to come see for ourselves why zoos are still cool. So newsletter editor Peyton Garcia (zoo lover), producer Paul Karolyi (zoo skeptic), and host Bree Davies (zoo ambivalent) stopped by recently for some fresh perspective. We finally have results from Tuesday’s Democrat and Republican primaries. Peyton’s got a round-up of all the key races in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Would you rather visit the Denver Zoo or the Wild Animal Sanctuary? Tweet at us @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Control Group Productions presents THE END Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The long Fourth of July weekend is upon us, and producer Paul Karolyi hasn’t planned anything — let alone an epic camping trip. Newsletter editor Peyton Garcia, on the other hand, is a camping pro. So Paul and Peyton hopped on the mics to talk through the whole process: when to start planning, getting out of REI without going broke, what gear is worth the trunk space, stepping up your campfire cookery, and the great bluetooth speaker debate!  Oh, and if you’re interested in an outdoor adventure minus the fossil fuels, past guest Nate Minor recently wrote a helpful guide for car-free hiking and camping for Colorado Public Radio. And if you, like Paul, neglected to book a campsite, 5280 Magazine has a great guide for booking a last-minute campsite right here.  Paul mentioned our episode from earlier this year with Councilman Jolon Clark explaining why he was so excited to get Denverites to pay for trash pickup service. That plan passed City Council Monday night, so it’s a perfect time to revisit that episode. Wanna see Peyton’s camping checklist? She’s got that and more camping tips in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Do you know of a local reproductive healthcare provider in need of support? Or maybe some kind of related service provider that Denverites should know about? We want to help get the word out, so tweet at us @citycastdenver, or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Cale Makar, Devon Toews: These difficult-to-spell names will be etched onto the Stanley Cup this summer, alongside those of their teammates, coaches, staff, and so many other champs to come before them. The Avalanche won it all on Sunday night, sending thousands of hockey-loving Denverites into the streets to celebrate — mostly responsibly — and City Cast Denver’s sports guy Jake Shapiro was there. Now also a sports analyst for DenverFan.com, Jake is back on the show today with producer Paul Karolyi to talk about the Cup riot that wasn’t and break down the Avs’ big win.  Plus, this episode includes a re-run of one of our favorite Avs’ stories from last year. Click this link after you listen to see their Reverse Retro for yourself.  We have a new producer! Get to know Erin O’Toole in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Were you downtown Sunday night? Get any good pics of the drunken debauchery? Tag us on Twitter @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five Points is rooted in Denver’s Black history and culture, with monuments to the swinging jazz age and soul food eateries still dotting the historic Welton St. corridor. But the iconic Rossonian Hotel remains vacant and many Black-owned businesses have closed or been forced to move in the last few years. So what is it going to take to revitalize Welton St.? Host Bree Davies recently sat down with Five Points Business Improvement District president Ryan Cobbins to connect the dots between gentrification, the pandemic, and a once-promising business deal that now has him fending off lawsuits. Cobbins is also the owner of Coffee at the Point. Bree mentioned the displacement of the Welton St. Cafe from its longtime home, but there’s good news! They recently announced on Instagram that they’ve found a new permanent location on Welton and in the meantime they’re serving takeout out of 2258 California St. For more details on Matthew Burkett’s work in Five Points with the FlyFisher Group, here’s a link to Westword reporter Conor McCormick-Cavanagh’s article breaking down the various deals and what went wrong.  We are still thinking about the Supreme Court’s Friday decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, so newsletter editor Peyton Garcia rounded up some local abortion resources and information in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/. And if you haven’t heard it, check out our episode about the local implications that we published back when the draft opinion leaked.  What’s your favorite local business in Five Points? Tweet at us @citycastdenver, or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday, and we’re still deep in this Colorado primary conversation. But today, we’re talking about the craziness on the GOP side — and what role independent voters could have in next week’s primary election. Today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by Ian Silverii, a longtime Democratic Party insider, to dissect the Republican candidates and chat about what, exactly, you should be doing with your Republican or Democratic primary ballot. (Hint: he wants you to fill it out!) For more of Ian's political analysis, check out the awesome podcast he co-hosts, The Get More Smarter Podcast. Ian mentioned past CCD guest Ryan Warner’s longform interviews with GOP gubernatorial candidates Greg Lopez and Heidi Ganahl.  Still not sure how to vote in this primary? Check out this helpful guide from Colorado Public Radio. Looking for fun stuff to fill your weekend? https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Are you an unaffiliated voter planning to return the GOP primary ballot? Let us know how you’re thinking about the candidates on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: CU Boulder’s Masters of Journalism Entrepreneurship program Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democratic primary for House District 6 in central Denver is a hot one, with unprecedented amounts of money flowing in and plenty of media coverage. But the question at the heart of this race: How progressive is Denver? This democratic showdown could reveal the answer, and there are two candidates who hold the key: Elisabeth Epps and Katie March. Today, host Bree Davies talks with March about how she approaches her ongoing work on gun control, and how she laid the groundwork for her campaign after spending years as a Dem State House staffer. Be sure to check out our episode from yesterday with March’s opponent, Elisabeth Epps.  In today’s newsletter, editor Peyton Garcia digs into the legacy of LGBTQ+ rights pioneer and former Boulder County Clerk, the late Clela Rorex. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have you dropped your primary ballot in the ballot box yet? Brag about it to us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the race for the House District 6 seat the most interesting primary in Colorado? It’s certainly among the most expensive and the most divisive, with all eyes on the Democratic candidates for the office: Elisabeth Epps and Katie March. In this last week before the polls close, we’ve invited both candidates to come on the show. Today, Bree talks with Epps about why she’s running for office, what HD6 needs the most right now, and why she isn’t “too progressive” to get elected.  Stay tuned tomorrow, when her opponent, Katie March, is scheduled to join us.  Hear our episode from last summer with Elisabeth Epps, where she talked with producer Paul Karolyi about ending cash bail.  You still have a week to say your goodbyes to Bonnie Brae Tavern! Bree took a trip to the 88-year-old establishment last weekend — see pics in our newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What Colorado primary race are you watching? Tell us on Twitter @citycastdenver, or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver has always been home to revolutionary movements — Chicano civil rights, disability justice, and the fight for LGBTQ+ equality have all played out here across decades. For each of those movements, geography plays an important role, like Capitol Hill, where queer people found refuge, support, and community. Ahead of PrideFest this weekend, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi join comics artist and historian B. Erin Cole on a walking tour of Cap Hill, as seen through a queer historical lens. B. Erin has researched and illustrated a map with markers from the State Capitol to Cheesman Park — but it’s the flipped homes, demolished buildings, and long-gone bars in-between that tell the deeper story of the neighborhood's vibrant LGBTQ+ history.  B. Erin Cole’s illustrated map of queer Capitol Hill can be found as part of History Colorado’s Rainbows and Revolutions exhibit, on view now. Find more of B. Erin’s work here.  In today’s City Cast Denver newsletter, producer Lizzie Goldsmith has a roundup of summer theater events. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have your own memory or shoutout for a queer space in Denver? Tell us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Queer America Clothing Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As of this year, Juneteenth is officially a state holiday in Colorado — but Denver’s Black community has been recognizing and celebrating June 19th for decades. A staple celebration in Five Points since the 1960s, an official Juneteenth music festival launched in the community in 2012 and is going strong today. (For more on the history of the Mile High’s Juneteenth history, check out our newsletter from earlier this week.) Today on the show, we share a story we aired last year with producer Xandra McMahon walking down Welton St. with Norman Harris, an organizer of the annual Juneteenth music festival. Norman digs into the past, present, and future of this celebration of Black life, culture, and community in Denver. Looking for even more great things to do this weekend? Check out Newsletter Editor Peyton Garcia’s top picks: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Does your family have a Juneteenth tradition? Tell us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Don’t Tell Comedy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of low test scores, concerns of gang activity, and accusations of discrimination against Spanish-speaking students, a new state-mandated “reorganization” order could seal the fate of the Adams 14 school district — schools may close and thousands of students could be forced to attend classes outside their community. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks to Chalkbeat reporter Yesenia Robles about where the school district sits now, how it got to such a dire state, and where the people of Commerce City stand when it comes their much-maligned schools. Read Yesenia Robles’ in-depth reporting on the Adams 14 situation in English and Spanish for Chalkbeat. Bree mentioned the latest on the impending Rainbow Gathering. Hear our interview from earlier this year with a veteran RG attendee addressing the controversy. Celebrate Juneteenth this weekend with a great list of events from City Cast Denver Newsletter Editor Peyton Garcia. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Are you an Adams 14 alum or have kids in the district? Tell us how you feel about the situation on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s prime outdoor-dining season in Denver. But what, exactly, makes a good patio? Today on the show, host Bree Davies is joined by newsletter editor and foodie extraordinaire Peyton Garcia to discuss the role of ambiance and a killer view when it comes to judging the perfect patio scenario. From our favorite rooftop party spots to those calm, garden-like hideaways, Peyton and Bree share a robust list of restaurants and bars doing outdoor dining in Denver right.  Bree also mentioned James Beard Award winner Adrian Miller, who stopped by our show last summer to talk about his book, “Black Smoke: African-Americans and the United States of BBQ.” In today’s City Cast Denver newsletter, Peyton digs into the history of the Denver Zoo (and stay tuned for a companion podcast episode about the zoo, coming soon!) Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Share your fave Denver patio spots with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Got something to say about Denver? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Don’t Tell Comedy Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten years ago, Tom Sullivan lost his son Alex in the Aurora theater shooting. It was a tragedy that sparked a political career, with Sullivan stepping up to run for office and lead a decade’s worth of gun reform campaigns. But those campaigns have had limited success, and mass shootings continue to plague our community. So now that the City of Denver is trying to get more guns off the street and Sullivan is campaigning for a seat in the state senate, host Bree Davies sat down with him to discuss the challenge of local gun policy, explain his theory on the political gridlock, and respond to critics who say that Denver’s ban on concealed carry in public buildings and parks will lead to more racial profiling.  Bree interviewed one of those critics, Anubis Heru, co-owner of the 1770 Armory and Gun Club, a few weeks ago on the show. You can listen to that episode here.  Bree’s also got updates on a couple more past stories, about FashioNation and Denver’s teen drag scene, in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: The How to Buy a Home Podcast Wonderful Waste  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do we really need the moisture? Or is that just something Denverites like to say? Recently, local news has been awash in headlines about the state of Colorado’s water supply, and it’s got us wondering: Is Denver at risk of running out? Are we good or bad at the natural resource game? Are we water suckers or water misers? Today on the show, Producer Paul Karolyi talks with Denver Water’s chief planner Greg Fisher about the Mile High City’s own H2O situation and what — if anything — Denverites could to do better when it comes to our water usage.  Paul mentioned several scary water stories, including Governor Polis signing a bill last week offering cash to folks who rip out their water-sucking lawns; Aurora looking at banning future lawns and golf courses; and then there was a potential (but ultimately shelved) plan to pipe water from the San Luis Valley to Douglas County. Learn more about Denver Water’s Garden in a Box program and sign up for their fall sale here: https://www.denverwater.org/residential/efficiency-tip/garden-box-sign-fall-sale Thirsty for more water knowledge? Newsletter editor Peyton Garcia has got you covered in today’s edition: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have you replaced your lawn? Share some pics with us on Twitter! @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask any Denverite, and they’ll tell you: Everything here is getting more expensive, especially housing. So we’re digging into two stories that could have a huge impact on our real estate market: Walmart heir Rob Walton’s purchase of the Denver Broncos, including a huge parcel of land around Mile High Stadium, and City Council’s approval of a long-awaited, much-talked-about affordable housing policy. Can either bring Walmart-style “great prices” back to Denver? Westword reporter Conor McCormick-Cavanagh is back on the show with host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to help get to the bottom of it.  Paul mentioned this article from the Denver Post about how Denver took inspiration from Atlanta’s affordable housing policy.  Lookin’ to have a kickass weekend? Newsletter editor Peyton Garcia has got you covered: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think about the Walmart-ification of Denver? Let us know on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 13 years, the Black Actors Guild created and performed some of the most provocative and entertaining plays in Denver. They started out as students at Denver School of the Arts and went on to bring in as much as $700,000 per year through their plays and arts education courses. But after a rough couple of years, they’re closing the curtain. So host Bree Davies sat down with her friend and Black Actors Guild co-founder Ryan Foo to talk about the state of theater in Denver and answer some big questions: Is “diversity” still just a buzzword, or are our arts institutions actually doing the work? What can theater companies do to uplift and make space for younger creators — and audiences — of color? If Denver can attract big, sell-out Broadway shows but not support local artists in the same way, has the city become a victim of its own success? We mentioned Ryan Foo’s latest immersive theater-party, IllFooMinati VI, happening tomorrow and Saturday night at the Savoy Denver. Tickets and more information here. More news you can use in our daily City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Find us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Wonderful Waste Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s outdoor swimming pool season! But Denver Parks and Rec has a shortened operating schedule and Colorado is facing a lifeguard shortage (along with the rest of the country). Still, there’s plenty of reasons — and places — to swim in and around Denver. Today on the show, host Bree Davies chats with producer Paul Karolyi about what’s up with our pool sitch and how the key to your best poolside summer yet may mean looking outside Denver city limits. Paul mentioned this NPR piece with a surprising explanation for the lifeguard shortage and this Denver Post article from City Cast Denver’s favorite meteorologist Andy Stein about how long Denver could keep its outdoor public pools open. Bree talked about a whole gang of good pool options in surrounding municipalities that won’t break the bank:  Brighton Oasis (Brighton) The Splash at Fossil Trace (Golden) Pirates Cove (Englewood) The Bay (Broomfield) H2O’Brien Pool (Parker) Island Kingdom at Elitches Check out the City Cast Denver newsletter, where today, Peyton digs into the new City Council-approved affordable housing mandate. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Share your best pool recs with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Optimum Joy Wonderful Waste Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver Public Schools let out for the summer last week, which means DPS superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero now has one full school year under his belt — and it was a rough one. Declining enrollment sparked fears of school closures. A beloved Northside teacher was let go, prompting student walkouts and protests. Mass shootings tested DPS’s security plans and resurfaced the debate over cops in schools. And oh yeah, COVID-19. Host Bree Davies sits down with Dr. Marrero to go through the ups and downs, and his plan for the future. For more on the issues Bree discussed with Dr. Marrero, here’s a few links: Recommended school closure criteria presented to Denver school board [Chalkbeat, 6/2/2022] Denver school board votes to phase police out of schools [Chalkbeat, 6/11/2020] He’s a Beloved Northside Teacher. Why Did DPS Let Him Go? [City Cast Denver, 5/11/2022] One Denver Teacher Says They’re Not Just Burned Out, They’re Being Set on Fire [City Cast Denver, 1/11/2022] With the school year wrapping up last week, there’s been a ton of news related to DPS and other schools across the state. Newsletter Editor Peyton Garcia has got all the important stuff rounded up for you in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think about the possibility of school closures? Tweet at us @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret that Denver’s housing market is nuts. But when we sit down to talk about the causes and solutions for our ongoing issues with housing, things tend to get heated, complicated, and divisive. So, we’re looking to Denverites for their “big ideas” to help steer this and other conversations about our city’s future. What can the Mile High do to make this place better for everyone? Today on the show, Host Bree Davies talks with fellow housing wonk Adam Estroff, member of YIMBY Denver and aspiring politician, about what he thinks we can do right now to put Denver on a better course toward more affordable — and attractive — housing. Check out Adam’s campaign for city council, representing “Lucky” District 7. This is the Denver Post article about the city's landmarks that Adam mentioned in the episode. Colorado primary ballots start arriving in mailboxes this week. Editor Peyton Garcia has all the voting resources you need in today’s City Cast Denver Newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We’re on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer’s (almost) officially here, and we’re here for it! Today on the show, Producer Paul Karolyi is joined by Newsletter Editor Peyton Garcia and Host Bree Davies to chat about what makes summer the best season in Denver. From short mountain jaunts to cool new art installations, the City Cast Denver crew has lots of ideas for your next weekend outing.  Bree’s Picks: Go for evening bike rides! (Grab some lights at Yawp Cyclery or another local bike shop) Pack a picnic for a summer concert at Levitt Pavilion or the Denver Botanic Gardens Peyton’s Picks: Eat your way through a food festival! Especially Top Taco and Burger Battle  Find your own dang hiking/camping/backpacking spot with help from Colorado Parks and Wildlife Paul’s Picks: James Turrell’s newest Skyspace opens on June 18 at the Green Box Arts Festival.  Go stargazing and spend a single night camping at the Pawnee Buttes Peyton’s got even more fun stuff for your weekend in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Where’s your favorite place to swim in the metro area? Send us an email at denver@citycast.fm, or call us at (720) 500-5418 and let us know! ‬  Catch us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If I-70 had a mayor, it would be Alejandro Brown. He started the I-70 Things Instagram account a few years ago when he was stuck in ski traffic. It was a fun way to share silly moments and crazy stuff people (and animals) were doing on the side of the highway. But then, something changed — Alejandro realized that the account could also serve as a public service, too. Today on the show, Host Bree Davies talks with Alejandro about why I-70 Things seems to resonate with so many Coloradans (200,000 and counting!), how he’s managed to encapsulate our complex relationship with the well-traveled highway, and why he chose to use his powers for good. Wanna know the latest local restaurant hot goss? Peyton Garcia’s got all you need to know in today’s City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We’re on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Wonderful Waste Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drag has come a long way in the past century — and more recently, thanks to shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, the culture and art form have fully entered the mainstream. Now, a whole new generation of performers who grew up watching Ru and her kin have created scenes of their very own. Like here in Denver, 17-year-old Jameson Lee and his mom, Robin Fulton, created Dragutante, an annual event spotlighting kid drag performers. Host Bree Davies talks with Jameson and Robin about the new Discovery+ docu-series spotlighting their story and why it is crucial now more than ever to support young people in their quest to express themselves on stage and in life.  Watch Generation Drag starting TODAY on Discovery+ (which has a seven-day free trial option!) With Parks & Rec delaying outdoor public pool season to June 13, we want to know: Where are the best places to swim in the Denver metro area? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood at (720) 500-5418, and we might share it on an upcoming episode! Suncor has been polluting neighborhoods around its Commerce City refinery for 90 years, so it might be a bit of a shock to learn about their “climate champion” reputation in Canada. Producer Paul Karolyi has the story in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Wonderful Waste Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Way back in 2018, the theater wizards behind Control Group Productions started dreaming about what it might feel like to live in a not-so-distant future Denver wrecked by climate change. Then the pandemic came along and, as they say, “helped with that.” This weekend, they are premiering The End, an immersive bus tour of our local culture and ecology — just, you know, a heck of a lot drier, meaner, and set in that imagined future. City Cast producer and resident theater buff Lizzie Goldsmith got a sneak peek behind the scenes of The End, talking with cast members Caroline Sharkey and Krista Zozulia. Today on the show, she brings us along for an early preview of the apocalypse. Producer Paul Karolyi mentioned Denver’s public pools and the application to become a lifeguard. Please share it far and wide so our public pools can stay open longer! Looking for a good way to help stave off climate catastrophe? Peyton Garcia takes a look at lawn replacement and native plant alternatives in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks CU Boulder’s Master of Arts in Journalism Entrepreneurship  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s no secret — Denver’s a car-centric place. But it doesn’t have to be! Today on the show, we’re bringing you a conversation with transit advocates and experts about what we could do differently when it comes to embracing multiple modes of getting around, while keeping equity and the climate in mind. Host Bree Davies is joined by Marcus Robinson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ride for Racial Justice; Grace Rink, Chief Climate Officer for the City of Denver; and Skyler McKinley, Regional Director for Public Affairs at AAA. The conversation recorded in front of a live audience as part of the Transportation Solutions Foundation’s annual Road Ahead conference, which took place yesterday at the Denver Botanic Gardens.  Fill your long weekend with all sorts of cool stuff to do using our handy dandy events round-up in today’s City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Just a note: We’re out for Memorial Day, so you won’t see a new podcast or newsletter until next Tuesday! On Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During World War II, the U.S. government incarcerated more than 10,000 Americans of Japanese descent at a concentration camp smack in the middle of desolate, hardscrabble southeast Colorado. It’s an ugly chapter in American history that has, in the last few years, been subject to renewed interest and attention from archaeologists, historians and, most recently, horticulturalists. Colorado Public Radio’s Ryan Warner has been following a surprisingly heartwarming story to come out of this dark time. Today, he sits down with Host Bree Davies to talk through the legacy of Camp Amache, the story of the Amache rose, and what it has meant to at least one survivor. For more on the story, check out Warner’s original story and his update from earlier this week.  Also, stay tuned to the end of this episode for a note from Bree on our recent episode about Denver’s new concealed carry ban.  We are heartbroken by the mass killing at an elementary school in Texas earlier this week. In our newsletter today, Peyton Garcia has got a bunch of links to help if you want to help out or get involved: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/.  Join us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there’s anything constant about Denver, it’s change. Recently, Host Bree Davies was driving down Colfax and noticed that a lot of things about her favorite street in the city were in flux. Block after block, recognizable buildings were now holes in the ground; other familiar parts of the built environment had been fenced off; and many beloved businesses were closed. Bree took her woes online and Frank Locantore, Executive Director of the Colfax Ave Business Improvement District, reached out with an offer — a tour of the strip by foot, to offer a different perspective on the block-by-block transformation in progress. Today on the show, Frank, Bree, and producer Paul Karolyi wander together and talk about what the street has been up to and why we should be embracing the Colfax of the future.  For more on the long-awaited Colfax bus rapid transit system — or BRT — discussed in this episode, check out all the details on the City of Denver’s website. Bree mentioned the sexual assault allegations against jam band promoter and notorious dingdong Jay Bianchi. Here’s our episode about those allegations from last summer. Remember a couple years back when Denver nearly tore itself apart over the effort to cull our flocks of geese and use the fowl to help feed families in need? Peyton’s got an update on how that’s been going: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Optimum Joy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting on June 17, Denverites registering a phone number might get a new area code: 983. Yes, it can spell W-T-F, but that’s not what’s got people talking. Old Denver heads are proud of their 303 and, to a lesser extent, 720 area codes! So host Bree Davies (720), producer Paul Karolyi (614), and newsletter writer Peyton Garcia (720) are wading into the messy native/transplant conversation and uncovering some neighborhood history along the way.  In the newscast, we mentioned the latest developments in the creation of the Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. Check out our episode with Raven Payment from last month for more of that backstory. The Avs’ playoff run is getting ugly, but the worst of it is playing out off-ice. Paul has the latest on the racist threats made against Avs center Nazem Kadri in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ We're also on Twitter @citycastdenver! Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver City Council voted last week to ban the concealed carry of guns in city buildings and parks, with the goal of making these areas “gun-free” zones, according to City Attorney Kristin Bronson. But Anubis Heru, co-founder of 1770 Armory and Gun Club in Five Points, doesn’t think that’s the answer to the problem of rising gun violence. Today on the show, he talks with Bree about racial profiling, the importance of gun training and education, and why he thinks concealed carry in parks especially actually keeps people safer. Did this weekend’s snowstorm wreak havoc on any trees in your yard? If so, you’ll want to check out today’s newsletter, where Peyton has the details on getting those branches included in your trash pickup this week: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What’s your take on the concealed carry ban? Let us know on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsor of today’s episode: Optimum Joy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Stan Kroenke-owned Colorado Avalanche are tearing up the NHL playoffs, but the billionaire tycoon still won’t make a deal with Comcast to allow most Denverites to watch. Now, Kroenke wants to tear up the parking lots around Ball Arena in favor of a brand-new 55-acre downtown neighborhood — which could mean some downtown Denverites would lose their views of the mountains. So today on the show, host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and Westword editor Patty Calhoun are pulling back the curtain and talking about all the things Mr. Kroenke doesn’t want you to see. We talked more about the new Pueblo-themed bar at the beginning of this episode, including John Rodriguez’s op-ed for Westword. Here’s a link to that piece: https://www.westword.com/restaurants/pueblo-appropriation-brand-fuel-iron-colorado-14042148 Wanna pack your weekend with fun stuff? Peyton’s got you covered in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tell us your hope and dreams for what the sea of parking lots around Ball Arena could be on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks Optimum Joy Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we heard about a new bar opening in downtown Denver themed after the city of Pueblo, we were skeptical, to say the least. Who would want to theme a bar after a Colorado town? Would this place make a mockery of our southern Colorado cousin? And really, how could you even capture the essence of such a misunderstood and overlooked place like Pueblo, anyway? Host Bree Davies wanted answers, and she knew just who to call: her best friend, David Casados, a born and raised Puebloan. Today on the show, Bree, David, and producer Paul Karolyi head down to Fuel & Iron in the heart of LoDo to sip on a fancy cocktail named after the Pueblo neighborhood of Aberdeen, dig into a version of Pueblo’s famous “slopper,” and try to figure out if this place is legitimately Pueblo.  At the top of the show, we mentioned John Rodriguez’s editorial in Westword about the bar: https://www.westword.com/restaurants/pueblo-appropriation-brand-fuel-iron-colorado-14042148 Fuel & Iron’s owners response to that editorial: https://www.westword.com/restaurants/pueblo-denver-fuel-future-investment-opinion-14087932 Check out our newsletter, where today, the City Cast Denver crew shares their hottest takes on Denver’s new area code. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Are you a Puebloan living in Denver? Tell us what you miss about your home city on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Styler Rising opened Metamorphosis Fitness in 2015, they focused on creating a place that embraced exercise, strength, and transformation. But what Styler didn’t realize was that they were also providing something else — a safe, queer-affirming gym environment. So, the fitness business went through a transformation of its own, and things really took off after a TikTok about the gym went viral. Today on the show, Bree talks with Styler about all the work they have done to create a cool, welcoming place for all bodies who want to get fit. Want to own 800 pounds of prime Denver history? Bree’s got an exclusive lead on a very interesting opportunity in our newsletter today: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you love most about your gym? We’ll share all the local love on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the waning hours of their 2022 legislative session, the Colorado General Assembly finally reached a compromise on a bill meant to stop the spike in fentanyl-related deaths across Colorado. After months of debate, they agreed to toughen punishments for possession of smaller amounts of the synthetic opioid. Just like the lawmakers, we made this bill our top priority for the legislative session, so Bree and Paul are looking back at how it all went down, unpacking what made it into the bill, and what’s next.  To get a full picture of how this debate played out, here’s a rundown of our recent coverage: “More Like Poisoning than an Overdose” with Attorney General Phil Weiser (February 22, 2022) “Why the New Fentanyl Bill Has Harm Reductionists Concerned” with Harm Reduction Action Center executive director Lisa Raville (March 29, 2022) “Inside the Fentanyl Fight at the Capitol” with State Representative Leslie Herod (May 2, 2022) Here’s a few of our sources for this conversation:  For a breakdown of all the little things that were included in the final version of the fentanyl bill, check out this piece from Colorado Public Radio. This Denver Post article has a good explanation of the closing minutes of the legislative session, when a flurry of compromises led up to the final vote. Bree mentioned a new repatriation effort underway at the Denver Art Museum. For more on that fascinating story, Peyton’s going deep in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ How do you feel about the fentanyl bill our lawmakers delivered? Share your thoughts on Twitter and tag us @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home Podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Move over Greta Thunberg, Colorado’s got its own wunderkind climate champion. Her name is Madhvi Chittoor. She’s 11-years-old, and she lives with her parents in Arvada. But every chance she gets, Chittoor zips across the world speaking out against plastic pollution, leading climate rallies, and meeting with world leaders, like Vice President Kamala Harris. Today, Bree sits down with Chittoor to talk about her life in activism, her budding music career, and her latest legislative achievement, a bill that would ban the sale of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” across Colorado.  Check out this profile of Chittoor from Conrad Swanson at the Denver Post for even more on her inspiring activism: https://www.denverpost.com/2022/04/26/colorado-pfas-madhvi-chittoor-environmental-activist/ For more, here’s the full Denver7 report on the PFAS bill that we excerpted in this episode and, per Chittoor’s recommendation, CNN’s documentary, “Midway, A Plastic Island.”  Chittoor’s album, “I am… Princess Genius,” is available through her website, and we found it on Spotify here. After the Colorado state legislative session wrapped up last week, Governor Jared Polis has got to get out his signing pen. Peyton’s got a breakdown of all the important stuff that hit his desk in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ How was your Denver weekend? Hit us with a pic on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been ten years since Denver enacted an urban camping ban, providing the legal basis for what many housing activists are now calling “Denver’s Decade of Doom.” So to mark the occasion, we are bringing you this bonus episode of the new Elevated Denver podcast. Their hope for the podcast is to build compassion for the experience of being unhoused, to see this as a system issue and not an individual issue, and to spark hope for solving homelessness.  You can learn more about their broader advocacy project, subscribe to the Elevated Denver podcast, and listen to the whole 10-episode series here: https://elevateddenver.co/podcast/ Here’s how they describe this episode: “Myra takes on her journey from being housed to being unhoused, and then searching out the resources she needed to get back into stable housing. *Trigger warning: Myra's story may be triggering to some of you. Please take care.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ten years ago this week, Denver leaders signed an urban camping ban into law. Since then, folks across the city have experienced displacement, skyrocketing housing costs, and fewer and fewer sheltering options for those living on the margins. Today on the show, Bree sits down with Denver Homeless Out Loud cofounder Benjamin Dunning and Westword reporter Conor McCormick-Cavanaugh for a wide-ranging conversation on how Denver got here and what the future looks like for a city that desperately needs more affordable housing options. For a thorough breakdown of Denver’s recent history dealing with our housing crisis, do yourself a favor and spend some time with McCormick-Cavanagh’s terrific feature story from last December: https://www.westword.com/news/denver-homelessness-decades-hancock-hickenlooper-pena-12975252 Interested in the work advocates and the unhoused community are doing? Denver Homeless Out Loud offers resources and information, like this “Seven Myths of Homelessness” list. Also, events commemorating the “Decade of Doom” culminate this weekend. More info here.  Wanna have a kickass weekend? Peyton’s got a rundown of cool events and other stuff to do in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ If you were running for mayor in 2023, what would be your stance on the urban camping ban? Repeal it or extend it? Tell us why on Twitter @citycastdenver or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood and we might play it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 27, Gary Arellano was shot and killed in La Alma-Lincoln Park. The city’s response? Fence off the park to the community, something that Arellano’s family says is in direct opposition to what he would have wanted. And this wasn’t the first time the park has been closed to the public because of violence. So what’s to be done in this rapidly gentrifying neighborhood? Denver Post reporter Elizabeth Hernandez has been reporting on the situation at La Alma-Lincoln Park, and she’s on the show to explain what happened, why, and explore this moment’s connections with the historic displacement of Auraria, just on the other side of Colfax.  Gary Arellano’s family is hosting a benefit this Saturday, May 14, at The Denver Inner City Parish from 1-6 p.m. You can find details for that, a link to their GoFundMe, and their petition to “Save La Alma Park in Honor of Gary Arellano” here.  The Park Hill golf course drama continues and Peyton’s breaking it all down in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Do you have a connection to La Alma-Lincoln Park? Tweet us: @citycastdenver. Or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this year, North High School teacher Tim Hernández came on the show to talk about his experience teaching in a pandemic. But he also spoke passionately about the cultural significance of the work he does as a Chicano teacher on the Northside, and the importance of teaching Chicano and Latino history to his mostly Latino classes. So last week when Tim posted online that he was being let go from his beloved Northside school, we knew there was more to the story. Today on the show, Bree talks with Tim about his impending departure from North High School, and why — in a city with a supposed teacher shortage — a devoted, community-centered educator like him would be let go. On the show today, Bree also mentioned “Denver’s Decade of Doom,” a term some housing and unhoused community activists are using to mark the 10-year anniversary of Denver’s urban camping ban this week. See their event page for more details about the planned week of “grievance and action.”  Read and subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Say hi on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s our producer Xandra’s last hurrah in Denver before she heads off to Philadelphia. So we had to ask: What‘s on your bucket list before you leave Colorado? Her number one choice was a trip to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keensburg, home to 38 tigers that once belonged to the man they call the Tiger King. So we sent her off to visit this past weekend. Bree sits down with Xandra to get the inside scoop on what the sanctuary is like, what kinds of animals you can find there, and why this space made just for lions, tigers, and (very big) bears feels so different from visiting a traditional zoo.  Plus: you, our dear listeners and readers, had some fantastic recommendations for Xandra’s bucket list and Peyton rounds them up in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Chit-chat it up with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver is sooooo bad at recycling and composting. In fact, our diversion rate — the amount of waste we divert from landfills to recycling and composting — is a paltry 26%. So how did Denver get so far behind when it comes to trash? And what are we doing to catch up? Councilman Jolon Clark has been pushing for one surprising, seemingly counter-intuitive measure since he was elected to City Council in 2015, and it looks like he might finally have the support to make it happen this year. So Bree sat down with Councilman Clark to hear why he wants Denverites to start paying for our trash.  Councilman Clark mentioned an initiative that’s going to be on Denver’s ballot this fall to require all businesses, including apartment buildings, offer recycling and composting bins. Here’s a link to learn more about the Waste No More initiative. The City of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency recently adopted Clark’s new pay-for-trash proposal and incorporated it into their broader plan to increase our diversion rate to 50% by 2027.  After complaints from the neighbors, Number 38 is no longer allowed to host super loud concerts in RiNo. Peyton’s got the whole story and all the news you need to know to start your week right here in our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenver] Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve brought you a burger crawl, a breakfast burrito battle, and a fried chicken chowdown. Now, we’re tackling something sickly sweet and asking the big, round, frosted question: Who makes the best donuts in Denver? Peyton, Paul, Xandra, and Bree took on the task of taste-testing four of the top contenders in the Mile High City (and may have suffered a collective sugar overload in the process, so you don’t have to). Settle in as we debate who bakes, fries, (and in one case, blowtorches) the best dang donuts in Denver.  It’s Friday! Peyton’s rounded up all the cool stuff happening in and around the Mile High in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/  Tweet at us: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jen Korte likes to throw big parties. She also doesn’t really drink that much. But as a musician, Korte has seen first-hand how much art and music are often intertwined with drinking culture — so, she set out to change that. The result is Clearheads: A Booze-Free Hang, Korte’s monthly party happening this Sunday, May 8, from 12pm to 4pm at Fort Greene bar in Globeville. The all-ages party de-centers alcohol, while refocusing on community, entertainment, and fun. Bree talks with her old friend Jen Korte about what makes Clearheads feel so fresh and what’s driving the increasing interest in sober bars and booze-free gatherings all across Denver.  For more information or tickets to Clearheads: A Booze-Free Hang, check out Eventbrite. It’s Cinco de Mayo! Peyton has a hearty list of ways and places to celebrate today and throughout the weekend in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Gotta a go-to bar or restaurant that serves your fave mocktail? Tell us on Twitter: @citycastdenver This episode is sponsored by the How to Buy a Home Podcast.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Supreme Court is planning to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 50-year-old decision guaranteeing federal protection of Americans’ right to an abortion. That’s according to a leaked, draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito published by Politico earlier this week. What would that decision mean for Colorado, where our state just put a new law on the books defending abortion rights? Bree and Xandra are talking out the local implications of a decision that could affect every person in this country.  Our brilliant, thoughtful listeners sent us a couple of suggestions for how to contribute to the effort to protect abortion rights: Abortion Care Network and Colorado Doula Project.  Tell us what you think about the status of abortion rights in Colorado! Leave us a message or text us with your name and neighborhood and we might share your message on the show: 720-500-5418 For a deeper dive into the local policy implications of this threat to abortion access, Peyton has got you covered in today’s City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Were you at any of the pro-choice rallies yesterday? We’d love to see some pics! Tweet them at us @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver Public Library’s Central Branch is one of the city’s most beautiful, iconic structures, with a design by world-renowned architect Michael Graves. Graves’ addition to the original 1955 Burnham Hoyt designed structure came in 1995 — while still gorgeous, in the past few years, the library has really started showing its age. But thanks to Denver voters — who approved a bond package in 2017 — the library received the funds for a massive renovation. Last week the newly renovated children’s area opened to the public for the first time. Today, join Bree on a trip through DPL’s present and future with the central branch’s administrator Rachel Fewell.  Want more Denver news fresh in your inbox everyday? Subscribe to our newsletter! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ If you visit the new children’s library, share photos with us on Twitter! @citycastdenver Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: How to Buy a Home podcast Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone agrees that the synthetic opioid fentanyl has become a serious threat to the health and well-being of Coloradans — but the question of what to do about fentanyl has sparked one of the hottest debates of this year’s legislative session. Lawmakers are reaching across the aisle in both directions. Harm reduction advocates are rallying on the steps of the Capitol. Law enforcement officers are calling for stiffer penalties. Rep. Leslie Herod has been at the center of it all, and today on the show, she takes Bree inside the “political hell” around the fentanyl issue at the Capitol. For more on the new e-bike and other green rebates offered by Denver’s new Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency Office, check out their website and see what you’d be eligible to save. A shooting at La Alma Lincoln Park upset plans to celebrate Denver’s Chicano murals this week. Peyton’s got the story in today’s City Cast Denver newsletter, alongside all the other news you need to know today: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ With less than two weeks left in the Colorado legislature’s session, what do you hope they get done? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re talking politics. Specifically, we’re talking politicians — this week, some Colorado legislators were up to no good. Paul is joined by Bree and Westword editor and founder Patty Calhoun to talk about Gov. Polis’s promise to “gift” taxpayers money (that’s already ours), Rep. Matt Gray’s DUI arrest, and Rep. Dave Williams’s court battle to get his bogus nickname on the ballot. Plus, Xandra is leaving us for Philly — but before she goes, Paul and Bree help narrow down her very Colorado bucket list.  Got suggestions for the best Colorado things Xandra should do before she jets off to the East Coast this summer? Call the “Xandra’s Big 303 Bucket List” hotline and leave her a message: 720-500-5418. Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Check out Peyton Garcia’s picks in the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ If you heard yesterday’s episode about Beau Jo’s, we know you’ve probably got piping hot takes on “Colorado Style Pizza,” sooooo tweet them at us! @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two years ago, producer Paul Karolyi and his wife, Megan, reviewed local iconic pizza joint Beau Jo’s for their show, the Denver Pizza Podcast. (Spoiler alert: they weren’t impressed.) But the experience turned into an obsession for Paul who had to get to the bottom of why Beau Jo’s was considered the only “Colorado-style pizza” around. Now that Beau Jo’s is opening a new location in Lone Tree, Bree thought it would be a good time to ask Paul about his strong feelings about the institution, and discuss his in-depth pizza investigation into the phenomenon of putting honey on the crust and how Beau Jo’s trademarked the term “Colorado-style pizza.”  Paul and Megan’s full pizza investigation: Range & Slope: The Honey Trap For more Denver food news, Peyton’s got you covered with today’s roundup! Check it out here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think of Beau Jo’s? Let us on know on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Denver continues to grow and change, there’s a constant conversation happening about our identity. Who are we as a city? What makes Denver, well, Denver? One characteristic often in question is the way we speak. Do we have an accent? Is there a way — or more than one way — Denverites talk? Turns out, there isn’t a lot of information out there on our particular speech patterns, but researchers at CU Boulder are on the case. Today on the show, Host Bree Davies talks with Jeremy Calder, an assistant professor in the linguistics department, and graduate student Andrew Ting about their “Voices of Colorado” project and what they’ve learned about how Denverites speak.  Think you have a Denver accent? Jeremy and Andy need your help! Check out their Voices of Colorado project on Facebook. Have you ever eaten a hot dog from a stand outside Home Depot? Well, strap in, because those hot dog vendors have been in a years-long battle with the company, and all processed meat fans are gonna wanna read Peyton’s breakdown of the situation in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think about the Denver accent? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver, or text or leave us a voicemail at (720) 500-5418‬. Just remember to include your name and neighborhood, and we might play it on the show! Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the movie “Dodgeball”? The one where Vince Vaughn saves his neighborhood gym by bringing together a team of misfits to win a quirky adult version of a kids' game? Over the past few years, the plot of “Dodgeball” has been playing out here in Denver, but centers on a parkour gym called APEX and a scrappy group of Coloradans who are now two-time national champions at World Chase Tag, a relatively new sport that exploded in popularity during the pandemic, with tournaments airing on NBC and ESPN. The APEX squad is now in training for the tag world championships in May. So earlier this week, Bree visited their backyard practice arena to meet some of the players and watch them in action.  The rules of chase tag are simple — "1 chaser, 1 evader, 20 seconds, don't get caught!" — but seeing the sport in action is something else entirely. Check out APEX’s latest national championship match from last June here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n29ni9Khe14 We asked for your recycling and composting tips, and you answered! Peyton rounded up your responses in today’s newsletter. Read and subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have you ever caught World Chase Tag on TV? Tell us what you think on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With one week left in the NHL’s regular season, the Colorado Avalanche are sitting pretty at the top of the standings. Though widely considered favorites to win the Stanley Cup, the team is known to underperform in the post-season. So, is this the year? Can the Avs can get it done? Or could another early exit lead to big changes within the franchise? Producer Paul Karolyi sits down with City Cast Denver sports guy Jake Shapiro to preview the Avs’ playoff run. Jake and Paul briefly discuss the Avs’ connection with the old Quebec Nordiques and their beautiful powder blue uniforms. For more, check out this episode from last year.  Take a look at today’s City Cast Denver newsletter, where Peyton Garcia breaks down this year’s wildfire forecast: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Shoot us your Avalanche hot takes on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the City Cast Denver green and mean Earth Day special! Producers Paul Karolyi, Xandra McMahon, and Lizzie Goldsmith are joined by newsletter editor Peyton Garcia to talk climate wins and fails. From Denver’s lag in recycling (and plans to rectify that) to beef fat being used to power airplanes, there’s been a lot of environmental news around Colorado lately. We also talk about the most endangered river in America (spoiler: It’s the Colorado River), rebates for e-bikes, DPS Students for Climate Action, and more. For more on the Colorado River, check out the book The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko. Have thoughts or tips on how to recycle or compost efficiently in the city? Give us a call and 720-500-5418 and let us know! Looking for things to do this weekend? Peyton has you covered in the newsletter. Subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tell us how you recycle and compost in the city on Twitter: @citycastdenver Today’s episode is brought to you by Choir League. Check out their concert, “Choral Bangerz,” at the Stanley Marketplace this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She dazzled the judges all season with her Victorian baby doll style, and now Denver’s own Willow Pill has made it to the finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” If she wins, Willow would become the second Drag Superstar hailing from the Mile High City. Her mentor, friend, and fellow oddball Yvie Oddly won in 2019. But Willow has been dreaming of Drag Race success for longer than that, since she was a baby queen at Colorado State University. Bree sat down with Willow ahead of Friday night’s finale to talk about her experience on the show, how it’s helped her discover new things about her gender identity, and why Denver’s drag scene keeps producing these weirdo, eccentric queens.  Peyton has rounded up ways you can celebrate Earth Day in the newsletter. Find that edition and subscribe to get future ones here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Share your reactions to the “Drag Race” finale with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Today’s episode is brought to you in part by the How to Buy a Home podcast. Learn more at https://www.howtobuyahome.com/podcast/. Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could you imagine a better way to spend 420 than a sweet hang at Denver’s first-ever, smoke-friendly public weed consumption site, Tetra Lounge? Join host Bree Davies and City Cast Denver weed contributor Ann Marie Awad as they talk through Denver’s up-and-down relationship with public weed consumption and chat with Tetra’s owner, Dewayne Benjamin. There’s a ton of 420 stuff going on today, as usual, so Peyton rounded up your best bets in today’s edition of the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Get our tweets @citycastdenver Today’s episode is brought to you by Choir League. Check out their concert, “Choral Bangerz,” at the Stanley Marketplace this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the news dropped a few weeks ago that 30,000 hippies are likely to descend on Colorado this summer for the 50th annual Rainbow Gathering of the Tribes, the backlash was swift and vocal. A Reddit post on how to take action against the Rainbow Gathering even garnered more than 600 comments in less than 24 hours. Wildfire risk and the environmental impact of this weeks-long shindig were some of the major concerns cited. But one thing the City Cast crew didn’t see in any of the coverage? Information from an actual attendee of the Rainbow Gathering. So we called one up. Tenali Hrenak has been going to Rainbow Gatherings all over the world for more than 20 years, and he chatted with City Cast Denver Host Bree Davies about what this event is really all about, what myths need to be dispelled, and if Coloradans have a reason to be concerned. Hrenak has been collecting field recordings from Rainbow Gatherings for his own podcast. Learn more here: https://soundsfromtherainbow.org/ Catch up on the latest Denver happenings via our daily newsletter! Check out past issues, or sign up here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Want some more back-and-forth in real time? Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver’s brown cloud is in the news… again. And it doesn’t seem to be getting better. In fact, in a new move by the EPA, the Front Range’s air quality has gotten so bad, it’s been downgraded from a "serious" to "severe" violator of national ozone standards. But what does it actually mean for Denverites when it comes to quality of life? Are we looking ahead to another summer locked indoors because our air quality is so terrible? Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with CPR climate reporter Sam Brasch about what, exactly, this new EPA categorization means, how it will impact our lives, and what — if anything — we can do about it.  Read Sam Brasch’s reporting for Colorado Public Radio: The EPA moves to declare the Front Range a ‘severe’ air quality violator. Here’s why that matters. City Cast Denver’s Peyton Garcia has rounded up some of the most outrageous hot takes about Denver in today’s newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Chat with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In less than a year, Denverites will start casting their votes for the next mayor of our city. It may seem early in the race, but the field is likely shaping up to be an already crowded one. From a former gang member-turned-community activist to several state legislators throwing their hats in the ring, there’s plenty of interesting potential mayors to talk about. And it’s not just the mayoral race that will be juicy — lots of city council seats are up for grabs, and those people can make a big difference in the trajectory of Denver, too. Producer Xandra McMahon is joined by host Bree Davies and Westword founder and editor Patty Calhoun to preview the 2023 city election and provide some hot insider campaign goss.  Looking for things to do in Denver this weekend? The City Cast Denver newsletter has you covered. Find today’s issue and subscribe to future ones here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ How are you feeling about the city election this far out? Tweet us @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 1987, FashioNation has been outfitting Denver’s goths, punks, ravers, and fest-goers with wild streetwear and the latest in counterculture style. The little indie boutique sells everything from leather pants and platform boots for teens and adults to tutus and bowling shirts for rockabilly babies and toddlers. When Pam and Paul Italiano set out to share their love of clothes and music, they didn’t imagine they would one day be celebrating 35 years in Denver. The secret to their success? FashioNation is a true family business. Pam and Paul have dedicated their lives to the store, and now their daughters Mia and Sydney are helping out too.  But Mia and Sydney are more than just sales people — they’ve transformed FashioNation into a global attraction, all through the viral magic of TikTok. Today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Xandra McMahon take a trip down to south, South Broadway to visit the Italianos and hear the story of how FashioNation has stayed weird and wonderful for three decades. And of course, Mia and Sydney give us the scoop on what their millions of followers on TikTok think about Denver’s coolest goth and punk clothing store. For pictures of FashioNation and more on the history of the store, check out (and subscribe!) to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What are your fondest memories of FashioNation? Tell us via Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Denver cyclist Marcus Robinson, biking equals freedom. It’s a chance to experience new things and reach places he’s never been able to reach before. It was this idea that was at the heart of his Ride for Racial Justice organization that started in 2020 amid the protests over the murder of George Floyd. He thought if he could get people talking to each other about race from the seat of a bicycle, folks might be more open to listen. Robinson has continued to push for racial equity from his bike, most recently by testifying in favor of the “safety stop” bill recently passed by the state legislature. The safety stop, or “Idaho stop”, would let cyclists roll through stop signs legally. It might seem like a small change, but producer Paul Karolyi chats with Robinson about how this is a big win in the fight for racial justice and safety. We first heard about Robinson and Ride for Racial Justice from past City Cast Denver guest Nathaniel Minor. Check out his piece for Colorado Public Radio on the Idaho Stop here.  Newsletter writer Peyton Garcia has a breakdown of Denver’s consideration of a concealed carry ban for its parks. Find today’s edition and subscribe to get future ones in your inbox here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Let’s be friends on Twitter! @citycastdenver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We got a crap-ton of super interesting voicemails about our story on 1800 S. Broadway, the once and future weed lounge. So producers Paul Karolyi and Xandra McMahon are taking your calls and talking it out. And if you don't know what this is about, check out part one and part two of our story on real estate developer Josh Horwitz's effort to carry on his father's legacy by opening a weed lounge in a contentious spot on South Broadway. Do you have something to say about 1800 S. Broadway or smoking weed in public? Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood and we may play it on the show: (720) 500-5418 Xandra mentioned a story she reported a few years back about weed tourism. You can listen to that whole story here: https://www.cpr.org/show-segment/as-marijuana-mainstreams-bus-tours-view-themselves-as-industry-ambassadors/ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since the killing of Elijah McClain in 2019, the Aurora Police Department has been mired in turmoil. Now, the chief of police they hired to help reform the department has been fired. Former Chief Vanessa Wilson spoke publicly about her firing for the first time yesterday, and Colorado Sentinel managing editor Kara Mason is on the show today to explain how we got here and why it matters.  Want some of Bree’s insider tips on the best stuff in Denver? Check out today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Chit-chat with us on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you haven’t heard part one of our look at 1800 S. Broadway and the dawn of public weed consumption in Denver, scroll back in your podcast feed to last Friday or click here. When the city of Denver opened applications for marijuana hospitality businesses last year, the new program attracted a diverse mix of go-getters, from the owner of a private marijuana club who wanted to go public to a Cap Hill mansion whose owners thought weed would help attract more tourists. Among them was an enterprising young real estate tycoon, Josh Horwitz. He applied to open a weed lounge at 1800 S. Broadway, the exact spot where Habibi Hookah Cafe undermined the trust of the neighborhood with excessive late-night partying and violence. The neighbors are organizing to stop Horwitz and City Councilman Jolon Clark is opposed to his permit, but no one has heard his side of the story. Until now.  This isn’t the first time Denver has tried to set up a regulatory framework for marijuana hospitality businesses. They tried before a few years ago, but the rules were so restrictive that only one business ever opened. You can learn more about that and Denver’s long on-again, off-again relationship with weed in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What do you think should be done about 1800 S. Broadway? Let us know on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since Coloradans started taking the prospect of legal weed seriously, stoners have wanted a place to partake in public. The city of Denver opened permits for public consumption businesses a few years ago, but the regulations were so restrictive that only one business was ever able to open. But after last year’s sweeping revamp of our weed laws, a wave of new ganjapreneurs have come forward with proposals for how they’d want a public weed lounge to look and feel — and, more importantly, where one could actually open. It’s a new era of legal weed, and it’s begging the age-old question: if not here, where? Producer Paul Karolyi stumbled upon a red-hot neighborhood battle over one proposed weed lounge a few weeks ago. Today on the show, he breaks it down with producer Xandra McMahon and host Bree Davies.  Stay tuned to the show next week for part two of our look at the fight over 1800 S. Broadway. In the meantime, we want to hear from you! Are you excited to smoke weed in public? Would you want a weed lounge in your neighborhood? And how do you feel about the debate over this one in particular? Text or leave us a voicemail at (720) 500-5418‬, and we might share your thoughts on the show! No weekend plans? No problem. Peyton’s got a rundown of all the cool stuff happening in Denver this weekend in our newsletter today: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Share your hot takes on 1800 S. Broadway with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daylight Saving Time. Love it or hate it, it’s part of our lives… but if a new law passes in Colorado, it might change our concept of time forever. The bill already passed Colorado’s House of Representatives, and now the Senate is considering adopting DST year round, meaning we would never have to change our clocks again. But how would this impact our days? What does it mean for our sunrises and sunsets? And why do our ski resorts care so much about it? Today on the show, host Bree Davies took these questions to our resident weather expert, meteorologist Andy Stein, who researched everything we wanted to know about the fight over Daylight Saving Time.  A whole lot of news broke over the last few days, and City Cast Denver newsletter writer Peyton Garcia has a round-up— read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Give us your Daylight Saving Time hot takes via Twitter: @citycastdenver We’re hiring a producer to help make City Cast Denver! If you love Denver and know your way around an .mp3, let’s talk. Email questions to paul.karolyi@citycast.fm and check out the job listing here: https://citycast.fm/audio-producer-city-cast-denver/ Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Janae Burris used to fudge the numbers when people asked how long she’s been doing stand-up comedy. “I kind of stopped doing that, though,” she told the Denver Post earlier this week. “I’ve gotten to the point in my [career] that I can tell people the truth and still get jobs.” But now that the stand-up scene is finally creeping back after two years of terrible comedy over the internet, Burris is on the precipice of great change: She’s eight and a half months pregnant. To document this unique moment, she’s recording her first big comedy special in front of a live audience at the Aurora Fox Arts Center next week, and she’s on the show today to talk with host Bree Davies about being funny while pregnant. Learn more about Burris’ special, “Long Overdue,” and get your tickets to the taping here: https://www.aurorafoxartscenter.org/janae-burris-is-long-overdue Maybe you heard that election denier and My Pillow Guy, Mike Lindell, was on the steps of the Capitol yesterday for an election conspiracy rally? Peyton Garcia has more on that event, and all the other news you need to get through your day in the CCD newsletter. Subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Let’s be friends on Twitter! @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It might be a false spring, but can you blame us for letting a little nice weather get us excited for camping season?! Some of us, at least. Host Bree Davies has never been super outdoorsy, and all the gatekeeping around the best spots and the reports of overcrowding at our state and national parks don’t make it seem that appealing. So we invited Blackpackers founder and outdoors educator Patricia Cameron to help make it all feel a little more approachable.  Check out this piece Cameron published in 2019 about her journey to the outdoors: https://www.elevationoutdoors.com/go-outside/feet-to-the-ground/ One of Denver’ biggest companies is going to court. Learn all about dialysis giant DaVita and the eccentric former CEO at the center of the case in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What are your favorite hikes or campsites? Let’s swap notes on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“There is no accurate picture” of how many indigenous people have been murdered or gone missing in Colorado, according to our guest today, Raven Payment. Amid a growing, international movement to address the crisis of MMIR — Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives — she helped form a task force to take on the issue locally. Step one? Push for legislation to create a state office that can figure out exactly how big this problem even is. Today on the show, Host Bree Davies talks with Payment, who identifies as Kanien'kehá:ka and Anishinaabe, about her work on the task force and how the creation of this office could help Indigenous people all across Colorado.  Our guest Raven Payment mentions a couple of times how the Urban Indian Health Institute’s 2017 report on MMRI was a catalyst for organizing around this issue. If you’re interested, here’s a link to that report: https://www.uihi.org/resources/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-girls/ 30,000 hippies are descending on an as-yet-undisclosed location in Colorado this summer. It’s an annual event called the Rainbow Gathering, and it’s got lots of folks really worried. Catch up on the whole backstory in today’s newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Hang out with us on Twitter! We’re at @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Union Station is a mess. At least that’s what news outlets keep saying about the transit hub and fancy downtown hangout. In the last six months, complaints of violence, open drug use, and people sleeping in the public space have become the narrative of Union Station, painting it as a scene of constant chaos. At the beginning of 2022, Mayor Hancock responded by swarming the place with police — as a result, he said that DPD had made 700 arrests since January.  The City Cast Denver crew hadn’t made a trek down to the shiny train station since before the pandemic, and knew it was time to see for themselves what was going on there. Host Bree Davies and producers Paul Karolyi and Xandra McMahon met up with Denverite reporter Kyle Harris — who has covered issues at Union Station extensively — for a walk around the downtown spot. They wanted to see for themselves what, exactly, was so concerning.  Read more of Kyle Harris’s original reporting on Union Station for Denverite:  We spent 18 hours at Union Station. Here’s everything we saw and heard. A swanky Union Station high rise holds clues about how the rich and poor will coexist (or not) downtown Denver police have arrested more than 700 people at Union Station this year — only a third for drug crimes Just a note: Street sweeping starts today! Find out when to avoid that parking ticket in your neighborhood and more in today’s City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Say hello on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News broke last week that local music non-profit Youth on Record was buying a stake in the Underground Music Showcase, one of Denver’s biggest annual music festivals. But this is far from any run-of-the-mill music biz deal: YOR’s Executive Director, Jami Duffy, sees the UMS as a platform to propel a “musicians’ middle class” in Denver and beyond. Today on the show, Duffy chats with host Bree Davies about her long-term plans to turn a staple Denver music fest into a pipeline for careers in the arts, while also cultivating a better experience for music fans. Read and sign up for the City Cast Denver newsletter, where today, Peyton Garcia tells the story of how the modern day coffee break has its origins in a labor dispute that happened in CO: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Tell us your favorite UMS stories on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The push to unionize Starbucks workers started in Buffalo, New York, with one small group of baristas stepping forward to call for better working conditions at their cafe. Then slowly, one by one, workers at more than 120 Starbucks locations across the country petitioned for union elections at their shops, including here in Denver, where three separate Starbucks are now in the middle of organizing campaigns. Host Bree Davies sits down with two baristas — Jack Janzen and Hannah Mehlman — to hear why they’re trying to unionize their Starbucks at Leetsdale and Holly, and how the coffee giant is pushing back.  WE’RE HIRING! We are looking for an audio producer who loves Denver as much as we do! We’re looking for someone who wants to help us continue to tell beautiful, complicated, compelling stories about the people and things that make this city what it is. Think you or someone you know fits the bill? Take a peek at the official job posting here. In today’s newsletter, Peyton has all the juicy gossip about the Outdoor Retailer show leaving Colorado and heading back to Utah. Find that newsletter and subscribe to future ones here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ By the way, tell us what you think of the newsletter! Fill out this short survey and get entered to win two tickets to RadioLab’s Jad Abumrad live at the Paramount Theatre. https://denver.citycast.fm/survey/ Let’s connect on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With fentanyl-related deaths spiking across Colorado, our elected officials have been debating new measures to better protect people from the highly potent, synthetic opioid. Should they go after drug users who are at risk of unwittingly taking a lethal dose? Should they focus on dealers and manufacturers who lace their goods with fentanyl? And what are the roles of “overdose prevention sites” and harm reduction, a strategy borne from the failures of the war on drugs? Now that they’ve formally submitted their bill at the state legislature, it’s time to dig in. Host Bree Davies sits down with Harm Reduction Action Center’s executive director Lisa Raville to break down the policy and politics around the new Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Act. For additional perspectives on this new bill, Peyton has got a deep dive in our newsletter today. Read and subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ And if you’d like a more thorough breakdown of the fentanyl situation, Harm Reduction Action Center and Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition co-published a brief, titled “Fentanyl in Colorado: Overview and recommendations for addressing the overdose crisis.”  Don’t let another day go by without RTing a great Denver tweet and tagging @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Too often there’s inherent bias at play when we think about who makes a good firefighter — strong, athletic… manly. “I think that we forget sometimes that the people we are serving like to see a familiar face when they're having their worst day,” says Kathleen Vredenburgh, who wants people to know that firefighting requires a lot more than just physical strength. She was named deputy chief of Denver Fire last month, making her the highest ranking woman in the fire department’s 156-year history. Today on the show, Host Bree Davies talks with Vredenburgh about her experience as a firefighter and her work getting other women to join the department. In today’s newsletter, City Cast Denver’s Peyton Garcia breaks down the $14 million settlement protesters won in an excessive force case against DPD. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Catch us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re chatting about stories big and small in Denver this week, starting with Union Station — which can’t seem to get a decent headline in its favor these days. Producer Paul Karolyi is joined by host Bree Davies and Patty Calhoun, founder and editor of Westword, to discuss perceptions of crime downtown and the re-opening of a beloved Denver Mexican restaurant. Plus, the pickleball player who’s landed himself in a real pickle with the police. Read the latest from Westword on crime statistics at Union Station here: https://www.westword.com/denver/Print?oid=13699478 For more on the pickleball power struggle, Denverite’s Desiree Mathurin has been all over this story: Here’s the original piece and here’s the follow-up.  Get the whole backstory on the Outdoor Retailer trade show’s move back to Salt Lake City from past City Cast Denver guest and Colorado Sun reporter Jason Blevins: https://coloradosun.com/2022/03/23/outdoor-retailer-leaving-denver-salt-lake-city/ The Denver Post story about the situation downtown and at Union Station that we talked about is here. Paul shouted out his father-in-law and his favorite Longmont brewery, Wibby Brewing. For directions to their taproom and more, click here: https://www.wibbybrewing.com/ Peyton’s got a roundup of fun things to do this weekend in our daily newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Chit-chat with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Oh, and we’re hiring!! https://citycast.fm/audio-producer-city-cast-denver/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The painter Stevon Lucero was his own person through and through. He created his own style, which he called “metarealism,” and through painting he explored the outer bounds of consciousness, connecting dots no one else saw. When top Denver art galleries didn’t seem interested in him or other Chicano artists, they started up their own thing — Chicano Humanities and Arts Council, or CHAC — paving the way for a surge of interest in Chicano art today. Lucero passed away last year, but not before finishing a room at the hottest gallery in town, Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station, where “meta” is the name of the game. Host Bree Davies visited Convergence Station with Lucero’s wife and fellow artist Arlette Lucero to discuss her husband’s legacy and the special exhibition of his works opening there tomorrow. Peyton’s got all the hot Denver food gossip in our newsletter today. Read and subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Do you have a favorite Stevon Lucero painting? Share a pic with us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About an hour west of Denver is a place called Lincoln Hills, an outdoor recreation destination created especially for — and built by — Black people. For 100 years, it has offered a safe, welcoming space for Black folks from across the country to come enjoy all the natural beauty Colorado has to offer. Today on the show, host Bree Davies sits down with past City Cast Denver guest host donnie l. betts, whose Lincoln Hills documentary which screens at History Colorado next month, and retired judge Gary Jackson, whose great grandfather was one of the original builders of Lincoln Hills and whose family has owned a cabin there ever since.  History Colorado is celebrating Lincoln Hills’s 100th anniversary all year long. On April 15th, they’re hosting donnie l. betts for a screening of his documentary and a Q&A. Then, on June 3rd, they’re hosting Gary Jackson for a talk on his experience and research into the Lincoln Hills story.  There a restaurant in Denver that’s taking a stand against drug cartels by… taking avocados off their menu. Peyton’s got a deep dive into why in our newsletter today: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Have you ever been to Lincoln Hills? Tag us in your pics! @citycastdenver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lipgloss is one of the longest running indie club nights in the country — and it takes place every Friday evening, right here in Denver. Started by DJ Michael Trundle and a group of friends in 2001, Lipgloss is a music connoisseur’s dream: when you hit the dance floor, you’re apt to hear everything from The Killers to The Supremes to Fontaines D.C. Trundle has been the sole DJ behind the turntables for the last half-decade or so of Lipgloss, but he’s been at the heart of the dance night from the beginning. Today, he joins host Bree Davies to talk about how the little indie dance night that could has survived —and thrived — for more than two decades in Denver, and what’s next as it moves to its latest location, HQ, on South Broadway. Looking to take in some live theater next month? Our producer Lizzie Goldsmith has got recommendations, plus a behind-the-scenes interview about Curious Theater Company’s latest production, “Refuge.” Find that and subscribe here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Wanna advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 800 Coloradans have received aid-in-dying medication since voters approved a controversial law giving doctors that prescription option under certain circumstances in 2016. While the debate over the right to die has grown no less controversial in the past six years, one leading eating disorder doctor based in Denver wants to expand access to people with severe eating disorders, prompting alarm within the psychiatric field across the country. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Colorado Sun reporter Jennifer Brown about this new turn in the death-with-dignity debate and what it could mean for people who suffer from life-threatening eating disorders all across the country.  Read Jennifer Brown’s report for the Colorado Sun here: https://coloradosun.com/2022/03/14/denver-doctor-gaudiani-aid-in-dying-aneroexia-patients/ There is a ton going on at Denver schools right now, so Peyton rounded up all the important stories for you in our newsletter today: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday! And we’re looking back at two years in Denver since lockdown. What’s changed about the city for the better? What structural, social, and political shifts do we want to keep with us from these pandemic times? How did we survive the two-hour prohibition of weed and alcohol sales that sent many Denverites running Black Friday-style to their nearest dispensary and liquor store? The whole team is here — Host Bree Davies, Producers Paul Karolyi and Xandra McMahon, and Newsletter Writer Peyton Garcia — and we’re trying to focus on the silver linings, like city council going online and the joys of car-free streets.  Want to snag a couple free tix to see Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad at the Paramount on April 17? We’re giving a set away, and all you have to do is write a nice review of City Cast Denver wherever you listen to podcasts and send a screenshot of that review to denver@citycast.fm by April 1. Because, come on, it’s Jad freakin’ Abumrad. One of the greats.   Wanna know what to do this weekend in Denver? Read and subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Find us lurking on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads: citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Almost 20 years ago, Erika Krouse took a job as a private investigator. Her first big case? A massive sexual assault scandal that was exposing a toxic culture of abuse within CU Boulder’s prized football program. Krouse’s new book, “Tell Me Everything: The Story of A Private Investigation,” is part true crime thriller and part memoir, as she weaves together her recollections of the case with the story of her own experience with sexual assault. City Cast Denver newsletter writer Peyton Garcia sits down with Krouse to talk about what it was like going up against an institution as powerful as the University of Colorado, how she saw her own story in the stories of the victims, and the legacy of the case today.  Warning: While there are no graphic descriptions, this episode contains discussions about sexual assault. If this is your first time hearing about the scandal at the heart of Krouse’s book, ESPN has a full timeline right here. Catch all the latest Denver food news and gossip in our newsletter today, including Peyton’s take on the James Beard Award finalists: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Follow us on Twitter @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was a time when food trucks were the hottest thing out there, and it seemed like every chef and restaurateur wanted to sell sushi burritos on a street corner for $15 a pop. But now that the novelty has worn off, where do food trucks fit in Denver’s dining scene? And what does it take to start one now? We’ve been looking at all aspects of Denver dining alongside Denver Restaurant Week this week, and today host Bree Davies speaks with Maria Rangel, a former EMT who left healthcare to start cooking and selling gorditas out of a truck in the middle of a global pandemic.  Find out where Rangel is going to be serving up gorditas and vegan green chile next at maizdenver.com. Interested in learning more about the business course Rangel took at Mi Casa Resource Center? Check out micasaresourcecenter.org.  Did you know Bree has a tattoo dedicated to the old Colfax laundromat Smiley’s? Well she does. And now that the old Smiley’s building is being demolished, Bree shared some of her Smiley’s stories in our newsletter. Read and subscribe at denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What’s your favorite local food truck? Tell us on Twitter @citycastdenver] Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denver Restaurant Week is the perfect occasion for a nice night out without breaking the bank. And that means Frank Bonanno’s restaurants have been packed. Along with his wife Jacqueline, he runs a growing empire of restaurants across the city, including the flagship fine dining spot Mizuna and the downtown food hall Denver Milk Market. Host Bree Davies interviewed Bonanno almost exactly one year ago when Mizuna was celebrating its 20-year anniversary under the shadow of a possible sale and demolition. So we invited him back ahead of our one-year anniversary for an update on Mizuna’s real estate situation, an explanation of some of the changes he’s made during the pandemic, and his thoughts on the future of Denver’s dining scene.  Do you want a chance to see Radiolab founder Jad Abumrad at the Paramount Theater on April 17? We’re giving away two free tickets, and all you have to do to enter is write a really nice review of City Cast Denver wherever you listen to podcasts, and rate us 5 stars. Then, take a screenshot of your review and send it to us at denver@citycast.fm by April 1. There is an HOA in Green Valley Ranch that has foreclosed on more than 50 homes, according to recent reports from Denverite and Denver7. Peyton’s got a full breakdown of the story in our newsletter today: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ What’s your favorite Denver restaurant? Tweet at us @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Denver Restaurant Week and we’re exploring all aspects of the dining scene. Today, John Hinman is a pastry chef and the owner of Hinman Pie. But he’s also the founder of Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness, or CHOW, a nonprofit offering support groups and mental health courses to restaurant workers that’s grown by leaps and bounds in the last two years. Host Bree Davies sits down with Hinman to talk about how his own mental health struggles led to CHOW, the specific challenges of working in Denver restaurants today, and what kinds of positive changes he’s seeing in the local food world.  If you’re interested in attending one of CHOW’s support group meetings, check out the Denver chapter’s in-person gatherings on Monday nights at 6 p.m. at 1633 Fillmore Street. Follow @CHOW_org on Instagram for up-to-date information on meetings and other resources. In today’s City Cast Denver newsletter, local musician Arnie Swenson remembers his friend, collaborator, and jazz great Ron Miles, who passed away last week: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/ Check us out on Twitter: @citycastdenver Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices