Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Tasty Colfax is Tonight


Tuesday, July 31st - 2012
5:30 to 8:30pm

     It's time to get your Tasty on! Sample the rich and varied cuisine along one of America's most colorful byways. Stroll from restaurant to restaurant, tasting tantalizing selections from 13 Colfax eateries:
   There's also live music:

  
Olivia Rudeen at Hooked on Colfax
The WHALES at Uber Sausage
Cold Turkey Acoustic at Steve's Snappin Dogs
Orange Peel Moses at The Shoppe
Rob Drabkin at Church of Cupcakes

and AFTER PARTIES!

Purnell Steen and Le Jazz Machine will be performing at Annie’s Cafe at 8 pm. End your stroll with a fantastic after-party and free movie ticket at Denver Film Center//Colfax starting at 8:30pm


This is the Best Colfax Block Party, Period! 
Tickets are only $25 THE DAY OF THE EVENT, kids under 12 are free! 

BUY TICKETS FOR ONLY $25!
(Day Of Event, kids under 12 are always free!)

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Tasty Colfax 2012 Ticket

Taco Eating Contest at Mezcal


Chris Daniels Live at Twist and Shout

      Twist and Shout is honored to announce an in-store performance with Colorado music legend Chris Daniels on August 7th at 6 pm. He is known for playing with countless great musicians including B.B. King, Blues Traveler, The Neville Brothers, Delbert McClinton, Robert Cray, Al Kooper and Bonnie Raitt. Daniels has graced stages all over the world including international festivals like Ribs & Blues Festival; festivals in Belgium, Paris and Amsterdam. Chris Daniels is an Assistant Professor at the College Of Arts & Media, University Of Colorado Denver campus. He is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, producer, executive director and much more. We will be celebrating the release of Chris Daniels & Friends' new album Better Days (featuring his great new single "Medical Marijuana"). Don't miss this opportunity to see a Colorado legend. Pick up his new album (out now!) and see him live August 7th at 6pm.

Scene on Colfax - The Colorado Rapids

The Colorado Rapids Soccer Team at Civic Center Park on Colfax Avenue - Photo by Bart Young

Monday, July 30, 2012

Best Jukebox on Colfax

According to Jon Solomon of Westword, four Colfax Avenue jukeboxes made the 10 Best in Denver list:

Streets of London Pub - Photo by Jim Wills
9. The Streets of London Pub - 1501 East Colfax Avenue
With a moniker like Streets of London, you'd think the jukebox would be U.K.-centric, but it's a lot more than that. Sure, there's a 2-Tone ska compilation, Duran Duran's Decade, Total Madness, the Very Best of the Jam and a few Led Zeppelin albums, but there's also a whole lot of American rock, including Jimi Hendrix, Joan Jett and Kiss. Blues fans might dig the selection of Albert King and John Lee Hooker, while the punk set will like the Husker Du and Helmet.
Nob Hill Inn - Photo by Jim Wills
7. Nob Hill Inn - 420 East Colfax Avenue
The jukebox here is heavy on the country, everything from older stuff like Patsy Cline to newer country like Toby Keith. And there's also some Merle Haggard and David Alan Coe, who could probably eat Keith for dinner. Sprinkled in with the country and some blues are some classic-rock mix CDs that include the likes of CCR, George Thorogood, the Stones and ZZ Top.  
P.S. Lounge - Photo by Jim Wills
6. P.S. Lounge - 3416 East Colfax Avenue
Another diverse one, the P.S. Lounge's juke sports everything from the blues -- acts like John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan -- to jazz players like Chet Baker, Herbie Hancock and Charles Mingus, to classic rockers like Jethro Tull and the Doors and country folks like Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash. There's enough alt-rock variety to appease most tastes, whether it be Oasis, Vampire Weekend or the Cure. There are also quite a few mixes thrown in from various decades, as well as soundtracks from, for instance, Pulp Fiction and Swingers.
Lion's Lair - Photo by Jim Wills
2. Lion's Lair - 2022 East Colfax Avenue
Winner of the best juke box last year and in 2004, Lions Lair's juke has one of the most eclectic collections in town. It's stocked with everything from Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters to the Stones and Zeppelin to Hendrix and Iron Maiden. Oh, and there's some Black Sabbath and AC/DC thrown in for good measure. Of course, punk is present and accounted for, too, with the likes of the Clash (Joe Strummer drank here), X (John Doe plays the Lair nearly every time he comes to town) and Iggy. And along with at least five discs by Bruce Springsteen and a few by soul singers such as Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield, you'll even find Miles Davis's watershed recording, Kind of Blue.

What's the best jukebox on Colfax Avenue? Please write in your comments!!

Local Artist ZEZ at Goosetown Tavern

     Local artist ZEZ will be hosting a closing show for "Round 3" at the Goosetown Tavern Tuesday July 31st along with special guest DJ Gatsby. Hope to see you then! 

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Visionbox Presents 'Women's Waxen Hearts'

Visionbox Presents
'Women's Waxen Hearts' 
An Evening of solo Shakespeare work & Scene Study

Visionbox, a new professional actors’ studio and multimedia production company in Denver, will present the final open rehearsal of Shakespeare work for the 2011-2012 season Saturday, August 4th, 2012, at 7:00pm at L2 Arts & Culture Center, 1477 Columbine St., Denver 80206. Directed by Jennifer McCray Rincon, Executive Artistic Director of Visionbox, the evening will include solo Shakespeare pieces, scene study and the season-end party.

Summer Intensive students and members of the Visionbox Professional Ensemble will share material worked on in the Shakespeare Intensive, with a special focus on developing solo pieces for a Fall 2012 Festival at L2. Featuring Visionbox Actors and Visionbox Professional Ensemble Members: MacKenzie Beyer, Margaret Whittum, Cipriano Ortega, Sophia Johnson-Grimes, Kari Delany, Tessa Nelson, Becca Gholson, Marguerite McKenna, Donato DeLuca, Ben Morrow. FREE WINE, FOOD, & DISCUSSION

The mission of Visionbox is to develop the work of visionary artists through professional training and public performance.  Ms. Rincon founded Visionbox in 2011 to meet a need for more professional training for actors and artists in Denver.  Ms. Rincon is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, a Fulbright Fellow, and was the Head of Acting at the National Theatre Conservatory for 18 years.  Visionbox is developing a new performance modality called low-friction, that emphasizes process over product, and the essential relationship between the actor, text and audience, with minimalistic multimedia production elements. Visionbox is currently in residence at L2 Arts & Culture Center on East Colfax Avenue.  L2 Arts and Culture Center has a newly renovated 500 seat theater, and is a presenter for local arts events including Swallow Hill and The Denver Film Society.

Visionbox presents 
'Women's Waxen Hearts' 
An Evening of solo Shakespeare work & Scene Study
Date:                     Saturday, August 4th
Time:                    7:00pm
Venue:                 L2 Arts & Culture Center, 1477 Columbine St., Denver 80206
                                (Free parking at East High School lot, enter from 16th Ave.)
Tickets:                 FREE
Visionbox is a project of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center.

Reggae BBQ Smashout Tonight!


Friday, July 27, 2012

Know Your Rights Workshop


Join us this Saturday at 10am for our Community Know Your Rights at the RAP office (1400 Dayton St. Aurora, CO 80010). Come and learn about your rights and the laws and programs that affect immigrants in the state of CO.
Acompañenos este Sabado para nuestro Taller de Conozca sus Derechos Comunitario a las 10am en RAP (1400 Dayton St. Aurora, CO 80010). Venga y aprenda sobre sus derechos y acerca de las leyes y programs que afectan a los inmigrantes en el estado de CO.

Aurora Arts District Seeks Volunteers

     The Aurora Arts District is seeking volunteers to help with events, artist opportunities, and marketing. We'd like to invite you to an informational meeting to learn more about the AAD and see how we can work together to enhance this emerging creative district! Meeting time includes a walking tour of the Aurora Arts District during our 2nd Friday event Art on the Fax. Please forward information to anyone else that may be interested in attending. Everyone is welcome! For more info on our volunteer opportunities, please visit our website http://auroraartsdistrict.com/contact-us/volunteer/

Date: Friday, August 10, 2012
Time: 6pm-8pm
Address: 9801 E Colfax Ave, Aurora CO 80010


Thanks,

Satya Wimbish
events@auroraartsdistrict.com

Summer Brew Fest Tonight!

 
     The annual Summer Brew Fest takes place tonight at Mile High Station, 2027 West Colfax Avenue, from 7 to 10 p.m. The festival features 125 beers from nearly fifty breweries, live music and a silent auction. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door and can be purchased on the festival's website; a portion of the proceeds will benefit Swallow Hill Music Association.

The Informants at Three Lions Pub

The Informants play Three Lions Pub at 2239 East Colfax Avenue on Friday, July 27th

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Colfax Critter Crawl

     The Colfax Critter Crawl is a pub crawl with a purpose. The first annual pub run is being held on Saturday July 28th. Pre-race registration is being held at the Irish Snug at 1201 East Colfax Avenue, #100 Denver, CO from 6-7pm and start time is 8pm.
     The theme is a 1980’s inspired “fun run/crawl” to 15 of Colfax’s most colorful establishments. So break out your headbands, your legwarmers, you most 80’s inspired gear to help support the MaxFund Animal Adoption Center for Dogs and Cats.
    Please leave your four-legged friends at home!
     Get your tickets early!!! For only a $20 donation, you will receive discounted drink specials at all 15 participating locations. 100% of the proceeds go directly to the MaxFund, Colorado’s only true no-kill shelter for dogs and cats.
     You will receive:
  • Souvenir race bib commemorating the event.
  • $2 beers and $3 shot specials at each location.
  • Opportunity to win great prizes for best costume, last man standing and many others!!!
  • Also, for just $5 more, you can enter to win an all you can drink Pabst Blue Ribbon party for 20 people. Generously donated by the Squire Lounge (1800 East Colfax Ave, Denver, CO), this prize will be raffled off the night of the event and entitles the winner to 4 hours of fun and all you can drink PBR at a night of your choosing.
     You can buy tickets here.
     For more information e-mail: admin@colfaxcrittercrawl.com

Participating Bars

     About MaxFund

     MaxFund is a non-profit organization that was established in May of 1988 to provide medical care for injured pets with no known owners, and to seek out new homes for these animals once they have recovered.
The MaxFund provides emergency care and a home for injured animals until the owner is located or a suitable home is found. This service is provided, without cost, to the caring person who notifies the MaxFund.
      The MaxFund is a TRUE no-kill shelter. There is no pre-sorting of animals into "adoptable" and "non-adoptable" categories. The MaxFund takes every animal it has the space for. EVERY animal is kept until its owner is found or it is placed in a new adoptive home. The only reason for euthanasia is when it is in the humane interest of the animal. No animal is discarded to municipal shelters for them to be euthanized when the prescribed number of days run out. Because the animals usually start off with a medical bill and period of recovery and rehabilitation, and because they are a true no-kill shelter, their operating costs are much higher than other shelters.

Church of Cupcakes

Like churchgoers to church, cupcakes are something we have faith in.

     Not that we’ve ever had the gumption to worship a cupcake…okay, we confess, maybe we have. But there’s something about church that resonates so much with us about cupcakes…
     Maybe it’s because they trigger a certain sensation that only a cupcake can. A mental turning point, if you will. Like, say, hiking a mountain. Once you’re done, the sense of “Oh yeah, baby!” is almost too intense to describe. Or kayaking a crazy river. After rafting over raging rapids and conquering blue waters, you lay back, look at the sky with euphoric bliss and repeat over and over with a perma-grin on your face, “Ahhh – the good life.” Of course, that’s the Church of Mother Nature. We worship her, too.
     So, that’s how cupcakes make us feel. From the bottom of our toes to the tips of our buttercream-frosting-tipped noses, they simply make our soul happy.
     So – we figured – why not create an entire faith-based community around the notion of a cupcake? We scream in response, “Worshippers Welcome!” And so was born Church of Cupcakes: locally-sourced, organic, tasty and eco-friendly fun built into all that we do…with a few cupcakes here and there. No harm done.
     Now we ask, what are you religious about? Whatever it is, just believe. And eat a cupcake. We’re sure that’ll help you make up your mind.

About Porche

     Owner Porche (say: Poor-chee) Lovely masterminded the concept of Church of Cupcakes as a tribute to her lifelong commitment to the core philosophies that make Colorado tick – organic, eco-friendly and locally-sourced – while also paying tribute to her own inner child and youthful intentions…that everything we do should be fun, wholesome and amazing!
     Inspired by product design, logos and ads from the 1950’s, the vision for Church of Cupcakes is sinfully simple – clean, vintage-y, retro design – with a flair for the irreverent, as detected in the cupcake menu selection: Missionary (Vanilla), Venerable Velvet, Sprinkle Salvation and so many more.
     With it’s edge and ironic humor, Church of Cupcakes is a fresh approach to the standard cupcake shop, entertaining the consumer with cheeky in-shop games, retail items and – of course – menu selection.   
     Porche’s combined experience working at Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, the Food Network’s Sugar Rush and with local pastry shops has helped narrow her focus on what’s most important to her – having fun with fabulous food (all the while maximizing flavor and minimizing environmental impact)!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Holmes did NOT hang at The Zephyr Lounge on Colfax.

     Rumors have been flying all over the AP Wire and other international news agencies about the shooting incident at the Century 16 Theater in Aurora, Colorado, including James Holmes' alleged time spent drinking at his "favorite local hang": The Zephyr Lounge at 11940 East Colfax Avenue. That's simply not true, because according to Zephyr Lounge owner Myron Melnick, he's never set foot in the place.
     Drinking stories emerged from "employees" and regulars at the bar involving Holmes, such as one from Jack Mitchell, a 45-year-old furniture mover, who took pity on the lonely figure and joined him for several rounds of a “Two for two dollars” beer promotion that night. "On Tuesday he was drinking beer at the Zephyr Lounge on East Colfax Avenue, close to his apartment, and appeared to be acting normally," he said. “We talked about the Denver Broncos NFL team and he came across as a bright guy who carried himself with a bit of a swagger.”
     He added that Holmes wore a pair of sunglasses pushed back on his head and was carrying a backpack. “It makes me shudder to think now what he might have been carrying in it,” said Mr Mitchell, “but at the time I just thought he was a student type who probably carted his books around like that.”
     Another regular at the Zephyr, Rachel Reed, 25, described him as “usually the silent type who’d probably have run a mile if a girl showed interest in him”.
     But she said one night he flipped when she played rapper Lil Wayne on the jukebox. She said: “He made some racially charged comments about rap. I was shocked by his outburst. It was scary.”
     As a result of the mass media exposure, the phone at the Zephyr Lounge has been ringing off the hook with queries from reporters worldwide.
The Zephyr Lounge
     But Zephyr Lounge owner Myron Melnick declares emphatically that James Holmes did not drink here. According to Westword's Dave Herrera, Melvin Evans is the man who claimed to have been working at the Zephyr a few Sundays ago, when Holmes came in to listen to karaoke. But according to the bartender, Evans hasn't worked at the bar in years. "He was laidback, kept to himself, never really talked to anybody," Evans, wearing mirrored sunglasses, had said of Holmes. "The conversations we did have were very short. I mean, he was somebody that you wouldn't even look at twice walking down the street. Very, very mellow."
     "Melvin is full of it," says Myron Melnick, who took the Zephyr over from his father, Barry, nearly a decade ago. "Melvin worked here four years ago." That's when he worked the door, anyway. According to Melnick, Evans came back two years ago and worked the parking lot from midnight to 3 a.m. for eight weeks. So no way could he have seen Holmes, who moved to Aurora last year, at the Zephyr.
     For that matter, "None of my bartenders have ever seen the guy," Melnick says. "We pretty much know who comes in here. I'm not here 24 hours, but I'm here a good amount, and I've never seen him, and I've called all the help, and none of them have seen him in here."
     But he's seen plenty of reporters following this story. One gentleman from ABC got sideways with him, telling Melnick, "Well, I've got three people who say they've seen him there," he relates. "I've got this guy who works here who came in about this time and he said, 'Oh yeah, that guy was selling dope and CDs outside in our parking lot.'
     "I'm sorry," Melnick concludes, "I don't think the PhD candidate was selling dope and CDs in my parking lot. And keep in mind that during the time people claimed to have saw him here, he had dyed his hair orange. I think everyone would notice if Bozo the Clown walked in."

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Film: Reveal The Path

Reveal the Path

USA, 2012, 90 Minute Running Time
Genre/Subject: Documentary
Opens Friday, July 27th at the Denver FilmCenter/Colfax
 
     Digital presentation - A visually stunning adventure by bike: Reveal the Path explores the world’s playgrounds in Europe’s snow capped mountains, Scotland’s lush valleys, Alaska’s rugged coastal beaches and Morocco’s high desert landscapes. Ride along and get lost in the wonders of the world. Enjoy the authentic locals living modest yet seemingly fulfilling lives, leading us to question what it means to live an inspired life - however humble or extravagant. Filmed across four continents and featuring Tour Divide race legends, Matthew Lee & Kurt Refsnider, this immersive film is sure to ignite the dream in you.
     Join in as the creators of Ride the Divide take you on an adventure that will leave you with an eager desire to chart your own course to far away lands or simply to discover with eyes wide open what’s right around the bend.



 
Reveal the Path Trailer from Mike Dion on Vimeo.

DIRECTOR: Mike Dion
Producer: Mike Dion, Hunter Weeks
Principal Cast: Matthew Lee, Kurt Refsnider

Official Film Website

Monday, July 23, 2012

Film/Still: Short Films of Maya Deren

Film/Still: Short Films of Maya Deren  

Thursday, July 26th at 7pm at the Denver FilmCenter/Colfax
Presented by the Clyfford Still Museum

 
     16mm presentation - Clyfford Still Museum and Denver Film Society delve into the summer’s programmatic theme of music, movement, and modernism with an evening of short films by avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren. Like the Abstract Expressionists, Deren (1917-1961), who was also a choreographer, dancer, poet, writer, and photographer, was known for a radical aesthetic, the exploration of timeless ideas, and innovations in her medium. Join Clyfford Still Museum staff for a post-film discussion that explores the intersection of visual and conceptual interests between Deren and Still lead by Melinda Barlow, Ph. D.

     Melinda Barlow, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Film Studies at the University of Colorado,
Boulder, where she received the Boulder Faculty Assembly Excellence in Teaching Award. A film historian who also researches the art of mentoring women, she is the editor of Mary Lucier: Art and Performance (2000). Professor Barlow is currently writing a book on film, female identity, and art collecting titled My Museum: A Memoir in Art, which includes the essay “Who Was That Masked Woman? Rediscovering the Hidden Mother,” published last year.

DIRECTOR: Maya Deren
Running Time : 75 Minutes

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Scene on Colfax - The Bad Kittie Salon

The Bad Kittie Salon at 2909 E. Colfax Avenue in Denver, Co.

U.S. Air Guitar National Finals at The Bluebird Theater



     Last night, The U.S. Air Guitar National Finals — the Super Bowl of air guitar competitions — took over Denver's Bluebird Theater as rock-stars-sans-guitars from around the country gathered to out-play each other and competed for a chance at the world championships in Oulu, Finland, on Aug. 24. The Rocky Mountain Regional and Wild Card Competition finished up Thursday at Bender's Tavern, and the over-the-top outfits, lightning fingers and rock faces were at the ready Saturday night for the battle to decide who shall rule over the (invisible) guitar gods!
     The following video is Ryan "Dreamcatcher" Layman performing his air guitar ballet on the "Everyday!" show (weekdays at 10am on KWGN Channel 2). This man is a ninja...in a poncho.



     This year's national title was awarded to Airistotle -- born Matt Burns of New York City. The air-guitar player now heads to Finland for the Air Guitar World Championships. This year was the first year Denver hosted the finals, after hosting a regional event last year. Over the last two months, US Air Guitar held regional competitions in fifteen U.S. cities, where a panel of judges chose the best air guitarist. The regional winners were flown to Denver to compete for the national title.

Airistotle 

Paint Genius Painting a Brighter Future

 
     Paint Genius, located at 5218 E Colfax Avenue in Denver, was created to champion the reuse and recycling of paint and to provide expert painting services to save you money and time on your painting projects. Since its inception in 2009 as the first paint recycler in the Denver Metro area, Paint Genius (formerly Mix Paints), has been collecting paint to be recycled, developing professional processing policies and systems, and creating infrastructure for paint recycling in Colorado to make sure that we’re creating a high quality product that provides all the benefits of the best paint products, while still staying affordable. We have an affinity for paint, a love for people, and cherish our beautiful planet. Paint Genius is committed to keeping Colorado beautiful by keeping paint out of landfills and reducing the environmental impact of paint and painting services.

Handcrafted, High Quality Recycled Latex Paint in Any Color

     Paint Genius offers high quality, low cost eco-friendly paint for any project. Our paint is a recycled product containing at least 95% post consumer latex. Unlike some materials, like plastic or paper, which become weaker the more they are recycled, paint maintains its integrity no matter how many times its recycled. This means that our recycled paint maintains the integrity of the original paints we used (like Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, and all the other brands you’re used to seeing at the hardware store). Recycled paint has a higher solids content than conventional paint, and is naturally low in VOCs because it has already been exposed to the air and some of the toxins and water have already evaporated. As a result, recycled paint has more of the good stuff and less of the water and chemicals.
     Our team of trained paint professionals can custom match any color and sheen for your painting projects and provide guidance and support every step of the way. Custom-matched paint is specifically mixed for either interior or exterior applications. It is available in flat, eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss.

Better for Your Wallet

     Our handcrafted recycled paint is competitively priced to give you beautiful, high quality without costing an arm and a leg. Pricing is based on color and volume, as follows:
Whites, Very Light, and Pure Colors: $18/gallon with 5 gallon minimum. $20/gallon with less than 5 gallons.
All Other Colors: $16/gallon with 5 gallon minimum. $18/gallon with less than 5 gallons.

Beautiful, Complex Colors

     Our Mix Masters blend custom matched colors from many different colors of latex, which contain a broad range of pigments. Standard paint colors from traditional paint stores are usually a blend of only three pigments. Our paint contains a broad range of pigments, from red to purple and everything in between. This allows the paint to reflect a broader range of light and coordinate more easily with the colors of nature and the environment around them. They are chameleon-like in their ability to pick up colors from adjacent surfaces and to change in character as the light changes.
     Not only do our paint colors work well with the natural and designed materials around them, they work well with each other. Using recycled paint can ease much of the worry of selecting potentially bad color combinations. It’s difficult to make a mistake with paints that are cross-blended and matched from the same raw inventory. Pretty neat, huh?
  
Easy Application, Matched for Any Project

     Recycled paint can be used for interior or exterior projects, and can be brushed, rolled, or sprayed. Because the paint contains a combination of acrylic and vinyl resin with different sheens, contractors and customers alike have reported that it is durable and can be washed and scrubbed with soap and water. 

Better Coverage

     Because recycled paint contains slightly less water, the paint often covers in one coat and it receives exceptional feedback from contractors and painters who use it. We ensure that only good-quality latex paint is mixed into our paint. Our paint is thick and luscious and is considered by professionals to be the same quality as paint that sells for 2 or 3 times the cost of our paint. 

Warranty

     Our handcrafted recycled latex paint will remain intact and free from functional defects for four years from the date of purchase if applied by a Paint Genius Certified Painter to an appropriate and properly-prepared and primed substrate in accordance with the instructions on the product label and product data sheet. If this paint does not perform as specified, return unused portion, along with proof of purchase, to Paint Genius. Paint Genius or the original contractor shall either replace the paint with paint of equal value at no cost to the purchaser, or refund the purchase price for the paint. 

Free Paint

     Got a small project you’re working on? Our Colfax store stocks partial to full cans of quality Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Behr and Kwal paints. Take it as-is for reuse on your next painting project. As long as you promise to give it a good home, we’ll give it to you free of charge, as a thank you for keeping more paint out of our landfills.

Stop by or Call it in!

     Stop by our store with a sample for us to match, or call in a color from another paint manufacturer and we’ll match it for you in 24 hours.
Left to Right: Rob Peterson, Justin Carter, Sarah Wells, Paint Genius Owners


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Ed Moore Florist Celebrates 30 Years!


We don't just "take the order"....
We "personally fill your order"
We would love to help you with your floral needs today.

     Take care of all of your anniversary, party, graduation, get-well card, funeral, or holiday floral needs at ED Moore Florist, located at 6101 E. Colfax Avenue in Denver, Lydia Mary, AIFD has owned the store for thirty years and is accredited by the American Institute of Floral Designers.

Smiling after sushi: The staff of Ed Moore Florist celebrated the store's 30th Anniversary July 1, 2012!

Friday, July 20, 2012

In Memorium


Karolina McLean Art Show


T.J. Miller's 'Denver' Music Video

T.J. Miller's "Denver" video has only been online for a little over a week and already everyone can't stop singing: "Denver, Denver, I'm from Denver, Denver." The video features several Colfax Avenue landmarks, including Civic Center and Casa Bonita. T.J. Miller is the first non-employee to legally dive off the cliffs in Casa Bonita's 38 year history!



The Evil I-Hop

     I swear that back in the day when I used to walk by the old International House of Pancakes at 2001 East Colfax Avenue at night, the parking lot next door would glow in the dark, giving off an eerie, phosphorescent light. I could write it off as the results of a Colfax Crawl, but when I came back years later, very much sober, it was still lit up like Christmas. I decided to do a little research on the site, and I wasn't hallucinating after all!

     International House of Pancakes (IHOP) and Larry’s East Side Amusement Center/Trading Post were two businesses located on the site of the old Schlesinger Radium Company, which operated a radium reduction plant, and also operated a laboratory at the East Colfax location. Research, high fractionation, and radium measurements were conducted at the laboratory. The building that housed the laboratory was demolished prior to 1950. Another part of the unit was occupied by an apartment complex from 1924 to 1939 and a car sales lot from 1939 to 1962. The IHOP restaurant was built in 1965. The other building on this unit houses Larry’s East Side Amusement Center and Trading Post. This building existed at the time that Schlesinger operated its laboratory by apparently was not used for radium processing as no contamination was found inside the building.

      Radium is over one million times as radioactive as the same mass if uranium. Its decay occurs in at least seven stages; the successive main products have been studied and were called radium emanation or exradio (now identified as radon), radium A (polonium), radium B (lead), radium C (bismuth), etc. Radon is a heavy gas, and the later products are solids. These products are themselves radioactive elements, each with an atomic weight a little lower than its predecessor.

     Remedial activities at the site began in March 1990 and concluded in March 1991. The International House of Pancakes Restaurant located on the property was closed for a period of six weeks to allow for cleanup activities. Approximately 89 tons of contamination was removed from the interior of the IHOP and 670 tons of contamination was removed from the parking lot located directly east of the IHOP. Excavation of contaminated material was performed by hand and conveyor belt in interior areas and back-hoe and front-end loader in exterior areas. Removal was directed by field personnel who measured radiation in the excavated areas with hand-held detectors. Excavations were also guided by soil sample analyses. After the removal of the material was completed based on the readings of the field instruments, verification was performed by collecting and analyzing soil samples.

     Now the site has been purged of its former illumination, and I haven't seen the asphault Aurora Borealis since. Chalk this one up to just another night on Colfax...

     It's been twenty-one years since the cleanup and in the place of the Evil I-Hop now sits Mama's Cafe, serving a variety of foods ranging from Mexican to the best fried chicken you’ve ever had! They serve breakfast 24 hours a day and also offer a senior menu that is served until 10pm. And for the vegetarians, they offer a selection of vegetarian dishes. They have a wide variety of homemade pies and cobblers baked daily, also available in sugar free and for pre-orders. Come on in and try them out!


Thursday, July 19, 2012

Celebrate Belgian Independence Day with The Cheeky Monk

     Join the revelry this Saturday at The Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe, located at 534 E. Colfax Avenue, as they celebrate Belgian Independence Day! $6 Tripel Karmeliet, Kwak and St. Feuillien Blonde - special paddle featuring Duvel, Ommegang & Maredsous - plus other drink specials, giveaways and the return of the Kwak-ttro!

Mod Livin' Summer Sale


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

El Diablo/Sketch Food & Wine Temporarily Re-Open at Rockbar


“Pop-up Restaurants” to continue food service during discussions with City to re-open historic building

DENVER – The popular El Diablo Restaurant and its sister restaurant, Sketch Food & Wine, will temporarily re-open at Rockbar located at 3015 East Colfax Avenue between Milwaukee and St. Paul Street. Rockbar is part of the restaurant group owned by restaurateur Jesse Morreale who also owns El Diablo and Sketch.
    
     Beginning tonight, Rockbar will be serving food and beverage favorites from El Diablo’s menu and, in addition, donations will be solicited to help the more than 100 employees of El Diablo and Sketch who have been negatively impacted by the recent closing by City inspectors of the historic hotel that housed the two restaurants at 1st and Broadway.

     After operating for more than three years with approvals from various building and safety agencies of the City of Denver, city inspectors last week surprised the restaurant’s owners, patrons and employees when they closed the historic building that housed El Diablo and Sketch. Morreale and his representatives are making all possible efforts to try to work with the city to re-open the space in a timely manner and get the employees back to work.

     “There’s been a lot of misinformation being put out there about this situation,” Morreale stated. “The facts are this: the building has operated safely and without accident for over three years with the City of Denver’s approval, including approvals by the City’s building, health, excise & license, and zoning departments, the Denver Fire Department, and other agencies of the City. It is unfortunate and frustrating that the City has now inexplicably decided that the building is unsafe, but as we have done in the past, we have been and will continue to meet with the City and do our best to prove that the building continues to remain as safe as it has been since we opened.”

     “We are losing revenue and the City is losing tax revenue, but most importantly to me, well over 100 employees are out of work because of the City’s decision to close the building. We respectfully ask the citizens of Denver to join us at Rockbar to support El Diablo and Sketch Food & Wine, but primarily to help out the employees who have not been able to work for the past week due to the City’s decision.”



Frozen Yogurt & Smoothie Craze Hits Denver!

...with The Opening Of Another Red Mango

Taste the All-Natural Difference FREE at the July 20th Grand Opening Event 


      DENVER -- Red Mango® was named the #1 Frozen Yogurt and Smoothie Chain in America by the 2011 Zagat National Chain Restaurants Survey, and it's now available in Denver, Colorado.
      The frozen yogurt craze officially continues to make its way to Denver with celebrating the opening of another new Red Mango store at 2504 E. Colfax Avenue, located in the Tattered Cover Complex. The new location is among more than 180 Red Mango stores now open for business across North America.
      David and Katie Akerson, owners of the new Red Mango in Denver, will host a grand opening celebration on Friday, July 20th from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. During the grand opening event, Denver residents will be treated to a free small yogurt with their choice of toppings and the first 100 guests will get a free Red Mango cooler and other great giveaways while supplies last.
      "We were craving Red Mango after first tasting it in New York," said Katie Akerson. "Red Mango truly stands in a class of its own and we are looking forward to serving this refreshing, healthy frozen yogurt in a stylish shop made with local beetle-kill pine and CFL lighting."
      Red Mango of Denver offers customer 10 delicious all-natural flavors of frozen yogurt to choose from like, Classic Strawberry Milkshake, Classic Vanilla Cookie Cream, and Classic Milk Chocolate, as well as Original, White Peach, Mango, and Pomegranate. Red Mango is nutritious and packed with probiotics for a healthy alternative frozen treat and each serving is around 100 calories. Customers can garnish their yogurt with healthy, natural toppings including fresh fruit, nuts and granola as well as fun toppings like gummy bears, M&Ms® and Ghirardelli® chocolate sauce.
      As part of the grand opening celebration, the owners of the new Red Mango store in Denver will be collecting donations on behalf of the American Red Cross in response to the multiple wildfires across the state.
      Visit www.redmangousa.com for more information about Red Mango's delicious, all-natural frozen yogurt treats and meal options including parfaits and smoothies. You can also visit the Red Mango of East Colfax on Facebook to learn about new flavors, special offers and upcoming events by visiting them on Facebook or follow Red Mango on Twitter.


About Red Mango:

     Red Mango, one of the fastest growing retailers of all-natural nonfat frozen yogurt and fresh fruit smoothies, opened its first U.S. store in July 2007 in Los Angeles, and has since celebrated more than 180 store openings in North America. Red Mango was named the number one smoothie and frozen yogurt chain in America in Zagat's 2011 National Chain Restaurants Survey. Other awards have included the prestigious Nation's Restaurant News' "Hot Concepts!" award and the industry-recognized SupplySide's "Scientific Excellence Award," as well as best frozen yogurt honors in Dallas, Seattle, Las Vegas, Chicago, Utah and New York by highly-regarded independent publications. Headquartered in Dallas, Red Mango serves uniquely delicious frozen yogurt that is all-natural, nonfat and lowfat, gluten-free and fortified with beneficial live and active probiotic cultures like GanedenBC30® (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086), which helps support the immune and digestive systems when consumed as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Red Mango is the first frozen yogurt retailer to earn the National Yogurt Association's Live and Active Cultures seal for meeting the required criteria for healthy frozen yogurt. Red Mango recently expanded its menu to include satisfying meal options such as its all-natural fruit and yogurt parfaits and fresh fruit smoothies.
     

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Bob Dylan crashed in the Mile High City, 1960

Twenty fabled moments in Denver music: #11
Bob Dylan
      Did you know Bob Dylan once spent a summer in Denver as a then-unknown teenager with a fake accent, sleeping on a floors and gigging at the Satire Lounge on Colfax Avenue? He was nineteen at the time. It was just a year after the young Robert Zimmerman adopted his iconic stage moniker and around the time he'd discovered folk music, Woody Guthrie and the travails and romance of hobo life. There was also the obvious Kerouac mystique. Dylan, enamored of this, yearned to shed his small-town Minnesota persona and embody a new one. What better way to do this than to hitchhike out West carrying only a guitar and a suitcase?
      Denver already had a vibrant folk scene in 1960. When Dylan arrived, he met a singer and club manager named Walt Conley, a Denver native who was dialed into the local goings-on here. He was booking acts at the Satire, such as the Smothers Brothers and Judy Collins (who had graduated from East High School just a few blocks down Colfax Ave.) He was also playing gigs at a downtown venue called the Exodus, which was the place to see singer-songwriters in those days. Incidentally, Conley, who died in 2003, was given his first guitar from Pete Seeger while working on a ranch near Taos. The stuff of legend, no doubt.
     If Dylan made any impression on the locals here, it was not an especially positive one. Folks were annoyed by his fake Oklahoma accent, and it's more likely Conley took pity on Dylan than admired his performance. The fact that he had subscribed completely to the hobo aesthetic (this was before "shabby chic" entered the pop lexicon) probably didn't help, either. Dylan played just a few gigs at the Satire, opening for the Smothers Brothers, before getting kicked out.
     So he moved west. This time the singer played at a now-defunct bar in Central City called the Gilded Garter, a rough, shaggy venue where the locals mostly ignored him. He was in the West alright, and in a little Front Range mining town filled with the kind of rural folks Guthrie praised in song. But he was also broke, probably homesick, and having no success in Colorado.
     Upon his return to Denver, Dylan was not finding life any easier. Conley refused to let him stay at his place at 1736 E. 17th (now an empty lot next to the Bocaza Mexican Grille), so Dylan rented a cheap hotel next to the Exodus, at the corner of 19th and Lincoln. He stuck around for a few weeks, made a few friends and learned some new songs. That all ended one day when banjo player Dave Hamil discovered some of his records missing. Dylan was suspected of taking them. Theoretically, the singer could have taken the records to learn some new songs from them, but considering some were Broadway show tunes albums, this was unlikely.
     Hamil and Conley went to Dylan's hotel to confront him, and, being locked out, called the cops. When they showed up, they found the records in an alley three stories below Dylan's hotel window. No one pressed charges, though Dylan was so upset that he was crying when being interviewed by the police. He decided it was time to leave.

National Jewish Health: 15 Years at the Top

National Jewish Health Named #1 Respiratory Hospital in the Nation

National Jewish Health has been named the best respiratory hospital in the nation for the 15th consecutive year, in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings of America's Best Hospitals.
     "Fifteen years at the top is evidence of our continued commitment to the best coordinated care, and the highest level of innovation," said Michael Salem, M.D., President and CEO of National Jewish Health. "We are proud to be the only hospital west of the Mississippi with a national number one ranking among the 17 categories rated by U.S. News & World Report. That singular distinction is something that Coloradans take pride in, and is an important resource for the nation." 
      National Jewish Health has been nationally ranked in respiratory care every year that the magazine has ranked this specialty, including the number one ranking for the past 15 years. U.S. News ranks hospitals nationally based on a combination of care-related factors such as the opinions of board-certified pulmonologists around the nation, who were asked to name "hospitals they consider to be the best in their specialty for complex or difficult cases." Other factors include patient outcomes, nursing, patient services and technology.
     National Jewish Health, located at the corner of Colfax Avenue and Colorado Blvd., was also recognized by U.S. News in the metro Denver and Colorado regional rankings as the second-ranked hospital overall, an outstanding achievement for a specialty-care hospital. In addition to respiratory medicine, National Jewish Health provides care for children and adults in cardiology, gastrointestinal medicine, cancer, allergies, rheumatology, immune and infectious diseases.
     "We recognize that our patients' problems often involve more than just the lungs, and have invested significant resources to provide a truly integrated and coordinated approach to caring for the whole patient," said Rich Schierburg, Chair of the National Jewish Health Board of Directors. Due to a change last year in its ranking methodology, U.S. News now lists National Jewish Health with our academic affiliate, the University of Colorado Hospital.
     National Jewish Health is an international leader in respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders. Patients come to National Jewish Health from around the world, and are provided comprehensive, coordinated care of the highest standard, from evaluation and diagnosis, to treatment and management of their issues.
     "Close to a third of our patient revenues come from outside Colorado. Our Trustees hail from New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles to Florida, Dallas and Chicago," said Wendy and Stephen Siegel, Co-Chairs of the National Jewish Health National Council of Trustees. "Clearly the reputation and influence of  National Jewish Health reach a national and international audience."
     In addition to offering unparalleled patient care, National Jewish Health faculty conduct groundbreaking research, and educate physicians, scientists and other healthcare professionals from around the world. As part of its benefit to the community, National Jewish Health operates a free K-8 school on the main health campus for about 90 chronically ill students who are challenged with difficult illnesses.
     National Jewish Health faculty provide direct patient care at 19 locations throughout Colorado, including the University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Rose and Swedish Medical Centers, Denver Health, Colorado Acute Long Term Hospital, Craig Hospital, Select Specialty Hospital, Lutheran Hospital and Porter and Littleton Adventist Hospitals. In addition, National Jewish Health provides specialty care in clinics in Englewood, Highlands Ranch, Aspen Valley, Basalt, New Castle and Vail Valley. Sleep services are provided at the main health campus and in collaboration with Sage Hospitality Resources at Marriott Towne Place Suites in Broomfield and Littleton.
     The U.S. News ranking is just one of many honors and accomplishments for National Jewish Health, including extraordinary research funding and impact, publications in prestigious scientific journals, national recognition of its physicians and scientists, and contributions to national care guidelines. Charity Navigator, the nation's largest and most respected independent evaluator of charities, recently awarded National Jewish Health its fourth consecutive four-star rating in recognition of sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.

SOURCE: National Jewish Health

Rock and Roll Bingo


Monday, July 16, 2012

Update on the Diamond Foods Recall by Green Buddies, U.S.A.


     Green Buddies, U.S.A., located two blocks west of Colorado Blvd. at 3805 E. Colfax Avenue, is a grocery store for dogs and cats. Their mission: To enhance the well-being of Companion-Animals by offering "Healthy" foods manufactured exclusively in the United States of America.
     As a public service to all of their current and future customers, Green Buddies wanted to make sure the pet loving community was made aware that there has been an update to the Diamond Foods recall: 

     "Diamond Pet Foods has now had a salmonella alert in their Missouri Plant. We do not have any of the product with concerns currently in our store; however, we do ask our customers purchasing Diamond Pet Foods to check the Diamond Pet Food Recall website http://diamondpetrecall.com or pet owners may call Diamond Pet Foods toll-free at 1-866-918-8756 Monday-Sunday 8am-6pm EST. 
     To our valued customers, we apologize for these concerns as Diamond Pet Foods strive to locate the source of the salmonella challenge.  To date, we have sold 17 total 18 lb. bags of Diamond Naturals Small Breed Lamb & Rice since September 7th, 2011 with no known challenges, and we do not have any of the Production Codes of challenge in house.   If you have any further concerns, please do not hesitate to call us.       
     We appreciate you and support you during this challenging recall.
     Sincerely,
     Suann, Josef, and TEAM"
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