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20,000 lbs. of BBQ, Vail is funny, a Memorial anniversary, and more things to do in Denver this week

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

BBQ blowout at Empower FieldSaturday-Sunday. Barbecue fans will assemble on Saturday, May 27, at Empower Field at Mile High, for the 5th Annual Q BBQ Fest. The event features 3,000 square feet of grill space and no shortage of ribs (8,000 lbs) and brisket (5,000 lbs), with only slightly smaller amounts of chicken, sausage, beans and potato salad.Related ArticlesThings To Do | What to do this weekend in Denver: Firecracker Comedy and Sun Valley night market Things To Do | Things to do this weekend: Alpaca happy hour, railfans in Golden Things To Do | Gluten-free foodie fest, Herb’s Bar turns 90, Cinco de Mayo in Five Points, and more things to do in Denver this weekend Things To Do | Things to do this weekend: Big Stir Fest, car-free Garden of the Gods, Dia del Nino The event also includes live music, beverages, BBQ tutorials and demos, games and family activities. On Sunday, May 28, the Colorado Brewery Running Se...

A singular performance suppresses the flaws of “On the Exhale” 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

It would be too flippant to say playwright Martín Zimmerman’s drama, “On the Exhale,” begins with a bang. Although, its ensuing tragedy does — a series of bangs, in fact.But Curious Theatre Company’s provocative production about one woman’s encounter– first tragic and then illicit — with guns begins with a breath. The play’s scripted, interstitial breaths — its pauses — begin with an embodied intake of air and end with an amplified exhale and the tingle of chimes as if the character were meditating in a temple of deeply American doom.In a singular performance, Dee Covington plays the show’s sole character. Although the unnamed university professor holds forth for 75 minutes, Zimmerman hasn’t written her a traditional monologue. At times, “On the Exhale,” sounds like a spoken-word poem, rife with urgent verse. But with a twist: Our guide eschews the first-person narration. Instead, she leans into the abysmal darkness of her journey using the second person.“You always imag...

Fort Collins a big winner in Apple’s new purchase agreement with Broadcom

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

Fort Collins will be a major beneficiary under a new multi-year, multi-billion dollar deal that Apple, maker of the iPhone, has struck with Broadcom, a leading maker of chips and other equipment for the communications industry.“We’re thrilled to make commitments that harness the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit of American manufacturing,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement Tuesday. “All of Apple’s products depend on technology engineered and built here in the United States, and we’ll continue to deepen our investments in the U.S. economy because we have an unshakable belief in America’s future.”Although a specific amount wasn’t provided, the commitment comes out of a pledge Apple made in 2021 to spend and invest $430 billion in the U.S. economy over five years through more purchases from domestic suppliers, locating data centers in the U.S., and direct capital investments in the country.Over the years, Apple has come under fire for its heavy reliance on Chi...

Owner of downtown Denver high-rise apartment sues after glass panes on balconies shatter

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

The owner of a downtown Denver high-rise apartment building is suing a slew of companies for construction defects after glass panes started crashing from balconies last year.Real estate investment trust Equity Residential, which purchased the 274-unit Eviva on Cherokee Apartments building in early 2019, filed the lawsuit over the alleged “negligently constructed balcony railing systems” against four parties: real estate developer The Integral Group LLC, commercial construction and architecture company The Beck Group, railing manufacturer and supplier GRECO and fence contractor Metro Fence Company.“The risk of glass panes falling from the Property’s balconies presented an immediate and substantial safety risk to balcony occupants, pedestrians, and property below,” according to the lawsuit.Now, Equity Residential wants a reimbursement of the almost $600,000 it spent “to remedy the poorly constructed balcony railing systems,” on top of interest, atto...

Denver police officers mishandled domestic violence call, missed woman’s serious injuries, commission finds

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

Two Denver police officers mishandled a woman’s call for help during a domestic violence situation two years ago, missed that the woman was seriously injured and left her with her abuser, according to the city’s Civil Service Commission and police disciplinary records.Officers Brian Finneran and Corey Stuper say they did nothing wrong during the 2021 incident and last week filed an appeal of a Civil Service Commission hearing officer’s ruling upholding the disciplinary case against them. The two officers were both suspended for 10 days for failing to thoroughly investigate the domestic violence report and were also orally reprimanded for failing to turn on their body-worn cameras during the call, according to disciplinary letters obtained by The Denver Post.The incident began on the night of June 5, 2021, when a woman in the city’s Baker neighborhood called her daughter and whispered to her daughter to call 911, according to the police records. Over a series ...

Avoid the crowds at Utah’s Zion National Park with these travel tips

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

Warming my hands around a campfire just outside Zion National Park, I scan the horizon and take in the panoramic view: As the sun begins to set in southwest Utah, the region’s famed Navajo sandstone glows pink in the fading light. I hear the eerie, cascading notes of a canyon wren calling somewhere nearby.There’s not a soul in sight at this secluded Bureau of Land Management (BLM) site. Though we can see some of Zion’s iconic landscapes from our quiet perch atop Smith Mesa, including the Towers of the Virgin rock formations, my friends and I are miles away from the thousands of travelers who flock to the national park each day.Last year, Zion was the country’s third-busiest national park, with 4.69 million total visits. For travelers who want to experience Zion’s colorful sandstone cliffs and slot canyons, especially during the busy summer months, the park’s popularity typically means crowded hiking trails, long lines at entrance stations, jam-packed shuttles and full-to-the-brim pa...

New owner of acoustic music hub plans to keep pulling Denver’s heartstrings

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

Ian Dehmel sees the future of folk music every time someone walks through his door and gazes up at the wall of acoustic instruments that includes shiny new guitars but also a 120-year-old ukulele.“We’ve sold guitars to people in Norway, mandolins to Italy and banjos in Japan — where the bluegrass scene is huge,” said Dehmel, 38, owner of the Denver Folklore Center at 1893 S. Pearl St.. “But in terms of relevance, I find that there are still people of all ages coming into the actual store. I just had a 6-year-old in here buying her next-step mandolin.”Dehmel competed his $500,000 purchase of the Denver Folklore Center in May from co-owners Claude Brachfeld and Saul Rosenthal. Prior to that, Brachfeld and Rosenthal — both longtime customers — had bought the acoustic-instrument store and custom repair shop from founder Harry Tuft, who welcomed legends such as Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie and Bill Monroe to...

Should more Colorado workers get cash tips? Polis vetoes effort to expand law

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

An attempt by Colorado lawmakers to allow more workers to receive cash tips was rejected by Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday. The legislation had been intended to help low-income workers, but Polis said he was wary of what he cast as the bill’s unintended consequences.HB23-1146 would’ve prohibited most employers from punishing workers for accepting tips. The measure exempted health care and gambling workers, as well as employees who work with the elderly or in fields that require licensure. Rep. Alex Valdez, one of the Democratic sponsors, told fellow lawmakers in February the bill was intended to put more money in low-income Coloradans’ pockets during a period of inflation. He pointed to grocery baggers or other service workers who face possible reprimands from their bosses for accepting cash gratuity.Though it passed on a near-party line vote in the House, even some Republicans voiced support for the bill. Rep. Rick Taggart, of Mesa County, said he found it “obj...

Expect big crowds for the summer travel season -- and big prices, too

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

The unofficial start of the summer travel season is here, with airlines hoping to avoid the chaos of last year and travelers scrounging for ways to save a few bucks on pricey airfares and hotel rooms.Some travelers say they will settle for fewer trips than they hoped to take, or they will drive instead of fly. Others are finding different money-saving sacrifices.Stephanie Hanrahan thought she'd save money by planning ahead for her daughter's birthday trip to Disney World in Florida. Instead, it ended up costing the same as the Dallas-area family's trip for four to California last summer, so now her husband and son are staying home.“We just had to grit our teeth,” said Hanrahan, a writer and speaker who also runs a nonprofit, as she and daughter Campbell waited for their flight last week at Dallas Love Field. The number of people going through U.S. airports hit pandemic-era highs last weekend, and those records are almost certain to be broken over the Memorial Day holiday. AAA predic...

Santa Clara: Grand jury transcripts reveal how 49ers handled leaked report

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

In the hours and days after Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker allegedly leaked a confidential grand jury report to the San Francisco 49ers, the team and its consultants intently strategized about how to shape public opinion of its explosive details and undercut any political leverage the findings could give Mayor Lisa Gillmor, according to transcripts of the investigation obtained by this news organization.The 850-page transcript from the March and April criminal grand jury hearings offers a detailed look into how the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report, “Unsportsmanlike Conduct,” became public days before its official release and the ensuing fallout over its expose of the cozy relationship between the team and the city council.In April, Becker was indicted with a misdemeanor for leaking the document and felony perjury for lying about the leak.The report criticized five Santa Clara councilmembers — Becker included — for taking regular closed-doo...