You had an action-packed week as usual, Denver. Even if Denver's high holiday isn't really your scene, I guarantee you were maligned somehow by traffic it caused. But fret not, this week in photos does not completely revolve around reefer.
Let's take a peek and reflect.
I'll start with last Saturday, when the Tax Day march took over Civic Center Park. I met David Reed, who was sitting on a sculpture above the crowd. He was very amped up about the whole thing.
Andy, too, met a bunch of interesting and fired up people. But along the parade route he met an unimpressed man named Dread who's said he's seen better.
On Easter Sunday Evergreen Newspapers' Chancey Bush and a handful of other photographers made their way early that morning to catch sunrise mass on the rocks, a predictably gorgeous photo op.
On Tuesday, Adrian and I went up to Five Points/RiNo where the Block Distilling Company will soon open. It was first of two shoots this week where we got to meet founders of new businesses who were sculpting buildings' skeletons into their visions of the future.
Someone else who had a vision? Miguel Lopez, our first stoned subject of the week. Andy met up with him to find out how the old-school stoner who once interned alongside a young Michael Hancock became the captain for the city's massive 4/20 rally.
But let's not get high just yet. Last week had a couple important things to do before it kicked its feet up.
On Wednesday the governor and both Republican and Democratic representatives from the State House and Senate were pleased to announce they had transcended party lines to introduce a bill that helps homeowners and contractors deal with construction defects.
The bipartisan camaraderie was nice while it lasted. It wasn't long before legislators were back to shouting at each other over last-minute issues like transportation funding. They've got less than a month to settle things before the legislative session is over.
What was interesting about the construction defects bill is that it's supposed to make building new housing little less risky, which in theory will help create more affordable housing. Coincidentally, a committee upstairs was considering a bill that would create a "homeless bill of rights." Activists behind the bill cite unattainable housing prices as a reason that homelessness has become pervasive in Denver.
And now for a couple beams of sunlight. First is this literal lighting pouring in over historic timber in a warehouse that will soon become a winery.
The second sundrop is Zury, Jeanette Vizguerra's daughter who was skipping across the steps at the First Unitarian Society of Denver as her mother announced to a crowd of reporters that she had been named one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people.
OK Denver, now we can party. Thursday, April 20th, was 4/20, the stoner holiday. While rain-soaked crowds enjoyed 2 Chainz at Civic Center Park, a more somber celebration was going down on South Logan inside the International Church of Cannabis. You heard me.
Megan investigated to see how the heck this is even legal.
I was backlighting in church so I did not get to see the annual plume of smoke go over Civic Center, but Westword's Lindsey Bartlett did. Of course smoking in public is still illegal. Isn't it odd we break the law super visibly once a year?
The next day at Civic Center was something of a hangover. Garbage was cleaned up after the rally ended, but someone (something?) tore into the bags and strew trash all over the grass. The Denver Post's RJ Sangosti caught the mayhem.
And for those stoners who got the munchies and wanted something pretty to eat, Ashley provided a list of Poke options in Denver. Poke bowls, the deconstructed sushi offering, tends to be very photogenic.
Someone else who may have had the munchies? Bees. The hungry critters started their swarm season early this year as tasty, pollen-covered flowers bloomed early again this year. I followed Gregg McMahan around for a few days, an incredibly passionate beekeeper who removes masses of bees from people's yards this time of year. He is a hilarious human being and therefore a perfect video subject.
And there you have it Denver, another glorious week behind us. On to the next adventure!
