Tower Ledger Aug

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Adventuresin Ecuador

10

Hot Air

Ballooning

IN THE NEWSFEATURING

2

Of Bears andPandas

9

New Housinglegislation

10

Power ofEmpathy

15

DiningDetective:Gemelli's

14

Denver ArtMuseum

It’s the biggest event in Denver’s recenthistor, and Denver native son Mike Dino isat the center of it.AsExecutiveDirector of the HostCommittee,Dino has beenat groundzero of theeffort not onlto put on theconvention,but he plaeda critical rolein landing it.Dino, partof a long-timeDenver fami-l, is a 1982graduate of Regis HighSchool (whenthe school wasstill in NorthDenver) and a1986 graduate of Regis College, where he was a standout basketball plaer. As such,he especiall aware of the opportunit tobring the convention home.

At a private part hostedb Tennessee Democraticad man John Rowle, peo-ple and politicians gatheredfrom around the countr atDenver's Pi Bar. Just part of the convention hubub, suchevents are the heart of con-vention, where networkinggets done and business con-ducted.Among the attendees were Congressman LacCla from Missouri, minorleague baseball team owner John Simmons of Illinois,Annette Taddeo, a risingDemocratic star andDemocratic congressionalnominee from Florida andNorth Carolina politicalconsultant Thomas Mills.And to a one, all were smil-ing when the describedtheir visit to Denver.All were on their firstextended visit to Denver,and b turns, charmed bour downtown and hospi-talit. Cla, in particular, was enthusiastic about there-use of older buildings,and compared it to preser-vation efforts in hishometown of St. Louis.Mills was looking forwardto a round of golf atBroomfield's OmniInterlocken. Taddeo seemedver happ to be in Denver,making connections andraising mone for a toughcongressional campaign inFlorida.Down the 16th StreetMall, thousands of visitorsfrom throughout the coun-tr mingled and shopped,and bit further, the genuinemedia circus of MSNBCstreetside studio drewenthusiatic crowds, engag-ing in a bit of street theater.Throughout Downtown,police presence was heav,but the folks in blue werelargel outwieghed b acavalcade of colorful ven-dors, man from around thecountr. One couple, sellingt-shirts and button onWelton, hailed from Boston,

3

Denver native at heart ofDemocratic Convention effort

by Guerin Lee Green

August-September 2008

published monthly

Stapleton, Lowry, Park Hill, and North Aurora

Issue 9 Vol 2

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t a p l e t o n

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P . O . B o x 4 6 0 1 4 2 D e n v e r , C O 8 0 2 4 6

* * * T I M E S E N S I T I V E M A T E R I A L * * * P O S T M A S T E R P L E A S E D E L I V E R B Y S e p t 1

P R S R T S T D U . S . P O S T A G E P A I D D E N V E R , C O P E R M I T N O . 3 5 3

Denver shines for convention

Lowry:Who'sresponsible

Colorado Style

Tower Ledger

continued on page 11

The issue of who will beresponsible for the environ-mental issues in theredevelopment of a landfillparcel at Lowr.Neighbors and activistare tring to get answers.The State of Coloradosas the Air Force will beresponsible for remedia-tion.The Air Force refusesresponsibilit, pointing tothe Lowr RedevelopmentAuthorit. But that entitceases to exist in 2009.On Januar 26, 2008,Foster, Graham, Milstein &Callisher LLP filed a Letter

continued on page 4

“I’m ver proud to be involved inthe endeavor. I grew up ten minutesfrom the Pepsi Center. M mom grewup in a house that was a couple hun-dred ards fromthe Pepsi Center(which was laterremoved to makeroom for I-25),”said Dino.“KnowingMike for twentears, travelingaround the state with him, he hasalwas been proudof Denver— verconscious of placeand connected toits heritage. Wherehe’s from hasalwas been a bigpiece of who he is,and it’s especiall wonderful to seesomeone with suchdeep roots be a part of this historic event,”sas Cherr Creek News Publisher GuerinLee Green.

continued on page 4

Aug-Sept 2008

Tower Ledger .tl.cm2

ConTribuTing EdiTors

Devon Barcla, Angela SassevilleMark Mehringer, Helen Hand, Sophia Throop,Danielle Corriveau

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Lisa Digan, Sophia Throop

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arT dirECTor

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advErTising & EdiToriaLinquiriEs:

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Tower Ledger is published monthly by Emporia Publishing,and printed by Longmont-Times Call. Copyright © 2008 byEmporia Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction withoutpermission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes toEmporia Publishing,POB 12487 Denver, CO 80212. This pub-lication welcomes editorial submissions but assumes noresponsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manu-scripts, photographs, artwork or other material.

sTaPLETon, Lowry, Park hiLL.hiLLToP, haLE, Mayfair,CrEsTMoor, MonTCLair, andnorTh aurora

Issue 8 • Volume 2 • Aug-Sept 2008

Tower Ledger

While Vladimir Putin’s Russia

used the Olmpics to demonstratebrazenness and old-fashioned hardpower, China has been demonstrat-ing its soft-power, its growingeconomic might and the dnamism of one of the world’s oldest cultures.Neither displa has cast Bush-eraAmerica in a particularl good light.The Bush administration has putits eggs in the hard power basket. Anoptional war based upon credibilit-eroding evidence has left the U.S. without dr powder. An overstretchedmilitar and an unending war in Iraqmeans that Russia can act with impu-nit to crush Georgia, a western all.Russia does not want a NATO mem-ber on its Georgian doorstep, and if the bear must kill a few thousand and wreck a neighbor republic, that’s fine.Europe, dependent upon Russiannatural gas, can do nothing. The U.S.,in even poorer standing, blustersabout with vague ultimatums andpolitical speeches, making the nationlook even weaker to those who under-stand power flowing from the barrelof the gun.Russia wants its old status as agreat power back. It has stolen bil-lions from western individuals andcompanies who invested there. Therehave been no repercussions. It haskilled dissidents abroad with no com-punction. No repercussions. Wh would we expect an now, for itsshow of force in Georgia? In Putin’sees, this has far more justificationthan our invasion of Iraq-- and hecares little for noble intentions. Bushhas misjudged Putin badl. In theend, Putin will be recorded as thestrong man who restored a weakRussia. Will Bush be remembered asa weak man who hobbled a strongAmerica?Russia is attacking Georgia as anAmerican prox. No doubt there aretangled motivations for Putin, butthe are sstematicall destroing amilitar that has been bought andpaid for b the U.S. The Georgiansare reporting that Russians havepainted George Bush’s name onunexploded ordinance.China, which won the Olmpicgold medal count, has put on a daz-zling show. Atrocious human rightsrecords are well-covered b beaut

Of Pandas and Bears

By AMANDA BALDWINBack b popular demand, the 5thannual SUN Kickball Tournamentis scheduled to kick off promptlat 10 am on Saturda, September20 at Central Park (where Beelerand MLK meet). In the past wehave had as man as 250 peopletake part in the competitive adulttournament. There will also be anorganized, fun, kid tournament tokeep the oungsters bus. It’s agreat opportunit to have fun, seefriends, meet neighbors and enjo agreat outdoor activit.The registration deadline isSeptember 11. All are welcome tosign up as teams, small groups orindividuals. Teams will be formedfrom small groups and individuals.Teams can be up to 20 people, but9-14 plaers will need to be on thefield and there must be at least 4males and 4 females plaing at alltimes per team. There will be ateam / individual registration feethis ear: $50 per team or individu-als are $5 per person. The fee willhelp offset costs for the event. Allpaid registrants will receive a 2008SUN Kickball Tournament t-shirt.There is a limit of 16 teams, sobe sure to register earl to secureour spot. Kid's teams (free) willbe formed the da of the event and we will have other entertainmentfor the kids including a bounccastle.To register, please go to www.StapletonKickball.com and com-plete the online registration formor contact Amanda Baldwin at 303-601-5591.Refreshments will be providedfor plaers and spectators b manlocal Stapleton restaurants andbusinesses. If ou are interested inbecoming a sponsor of this event,please contact Amanda Baldwin at303-601-5591.

Continued on Page 8

AroundStapleton:KickballReturns

TOPS IN THE FIELD

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Stapleton Founders’ Green,E. 29th Ave. & Roslyn St.Sundays, 8:30 am - 12:30 pmJune 15 - September 28

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Aug-Sept 2008

Tower Ledger .tl.cm3

Adventures in Ecuador

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For the benefit of the two people inall of Denver to whom I haven't excit-edl blabbed the stor of Jerem's andm upcoming (we hope!) move toCuenca, Ecuador, here's the short stor.Bo and girl (oka… more like gee-zer and geezerette in training) meet inthe autumn of their lives. Bo and girlfall in love, get married, and settle downblissfull into their Northwest Denverlife. Bo and girl formulate 10-15 earplan to relocate to another countr. Girlturns 50, has one-da mid-life crisis,tells bo the can't put their lives onhold for 10-15 ears. Girl wants to movesooner. Bo acquiesces to girl (as smartbos are prone to do). Bo and girl doresearch and settle on Ecuador.Up to snuff? Good, because I reall want to share the stor of our recent-and first-trip to Ecuador. What wediscovered was that everthing we'dheard about the lovel cit of Cuenca was true: spring-like climate, warm and welcoming people, inexpensive livingand an emphasis on the arts. Knowingabout these things in concept and expe-riencing them firsthand, however, weretwo different things. And in addition,there were some unexpected delights.First of all - there were the stares. Jerem is 6'3" and I am 5'10" and weare fair-skinned. The tpical dark-skinned Ecuadorian stands no tallerthan 5'5" (and those are the men!)While there are a handful of Americansand Europeans in Ecuador, the nativesapparentl are not used to couples of our stature. After a few das, we no lon-ger noticed the looks, but the first da was an experience!After our long flight, Jerem predict-abl conked out in our comfortable andspacious room at the Casa Ordonez. I,in tpical Tigger-like fashion, boundedout the door to check out the cit. Twohours later, I appeared in the hotel lobb-- where Jerem had wandered to have acocktail with the proprietor. "He,"proclaimed I in jubilation, "I'm HOT inEcuador! All the cab drivers honkedtheir horns at me and waved!" I coquett-ishl strutted m post-menopausal self across the room - to be informed bthose in the know that the taxi drivershonk at darn near everone and ever-thing - especiall Americans who are aptto be a fare. Throw in the fact that Itower over the men and let's just sa thestares were more of curiosit than lust.Oh well… the fantas was fun whileit lasted.The second surprise was how quick-l we acclimated ourselves to the pricesof Ecuador. After two das, we howledin indignation if we were charged morethan $4.50 (including tip) for a three-course lunch. With bananas priced at 6¢each, cab fare across town at $2.00 anda glass of wine at $2.50 it's eas to see wh. And speaking of food and wine -this is the first vacation I've ever taken where I ate (and drank) to m heart'scontent and didn't gain weight. Thecombination of health, fresh foods(organic, even) and all the walkingmeans there'll be no need for a gmonce we move. And that doesn't applto just us, for we encountered ver fewoverweight people in our travels - inspite of the pastr shops on ever cor-

Ecuadorian market. Photo by Maureen Thomson.

continued on page 6