Denver in 5 minutes: What you need to know today, Aug. 30

2 min. read
Akhalya Blanton skips rope at Five Points’ Sonny Lawson Park with Black Girls Jump, an organization committed to promoting active lifestyles for kids. Her mom Tamara (right) is the president of the Denver chapter. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite) five points; sonny lawson park; kids; jump rope; black girls jump; kevinjbeaty; denver; denverite; colorado;

Today's news includes 16th Street Mall, delayed trains and the politics of beer. Let's hop to it.

Why Beethoven is popular on the 16th Street Mall:

Some of the Mall's classical music was installed by landowners to repel "vagrants." Megan has a closer study of how the Mall's design influences its users. Great read. (Denverite)

Some brewers sold out. Is that so bad?

The owners of Breckenridge Brewery and two other newly purchased beer makers talked to Westword about why they decided to sell. A gigantic corporation "can take care of my people better than I ever could have.” (Westword)

A rebuilt DIA is closer to reality.

The main terminal could become an attractive open-air concourse, rather than a giant security line, but construction could force the closure of all the current restaurants and stores in the terminal. The potential developer has promised to help their employees. (Denverite)

Contractors were punished for the A-Line situation.

Denver Transit Partners reportedly lost out on about $60,000 from its $10.8 million contract on the train to the plane. Among the train's failings: The very first runs, for media and dignitaries, were delayed. (CBS 4)

Oil drillers are feeling relieved.

We learned yesterday that Colorado voters will not get to decide whether fracking should be limited here. In response, stocks for Colorado oil companies rose by up to 4 percent. That's a boost for an industry that has been wounded by lower oil prices. (Denverite/CNBC)

Who patrols Denver's disability parking spots? Mostly one person.

Last year, a single volunteer wrote 39 percent of the tickets issued in Denver for wrongful use of a handicapped parking spot. I would like to meet that person, because I too get disproportionately annoyed at traffic rule-breakers. Following an audit of the program, the city is now considering hiring more enforcement folks. (DP)

Trump on the TV:

His campaign is buying ads in Colorado and a bunch of other swing states, although some people don't think we're a swing state any longer. Expect to see "struggling workers in crumbling neighborhoods," and then Trump's vision of "happy workers enjoying higher wager and more jobs."  (NYT)

Bye, y'all.

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