This week in Denver photos, April 15-21: lots of weed and a couple beams of sunlight

You had an action-packed week as usual, Denver. Lets take a peek and reflect.

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The International Church of Cannabis' colorful painted ceiling. S. Logan Street, April 4, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  420; marijuana; international church of cannabis; washington park west; kevinjbeaty; denver; denverite; colorado;

The International Church of Cannabis on April 20, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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.

David Reed holds an American flag over the crowd at the Tax Day march calling for President Trump to release his returns, April 15, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  tax day; tax march; protest; copolitics; kevinjbeaty; denver; denverite; colorado; civic center park;

David Reed holds an American flag over the crowd at the Tax Day march calling for President Trump to release his returns, April 15, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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.

Kraig Weaver and Michelle Flake inside the future site of their Block Distilling Company, April 18, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  five points; rino; block distilling company; food; development; nightlife; denver; colorado; kevinjbeaty; denverite

Kraig Weaver and Michelle Flake inside the future site of their Block Distilling Company, April 18, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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.

Miguel Lopez. (Andrew Kenney/Denverite)

Miguel Lopez on Capitol Hill. (Andrew Kenney/Denverite)

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.

Governor John Hickenlooper before a press conference on a compromise bill to address issues surrounding construction defects, April 19, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  denver; denverite; kevinjbeaty; colorado;

Governor John Hickenlooper before a press conference on a compromise bill to address issues surrounding construction defects, April 19, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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.

Ray Lyall listens as a bill goes to committee that would ban Denver's urban camping ban at the state level, April 19, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  right to rest; homeless; camping ban; denver; denverite; kevinjbeaty; colorado;

Ray Lyall listens as a bill goes to committee that would end Denver's urban camping ban at the state level, April 19, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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.

Dust in the rafters inside Bigsby's Folly on Wazee Street in RiNo, April 19, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  five points; rino; construction; development; bigsbys folly; winery; Denver; colorado; denverite; kevinjbeaty

Dust in the rafters inside the future site of winery Bigsby's Folly on Wazee Street in RiNo, April 19, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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.

Jeanette Vizguerra's daughter Zury goofs off as her mom makes a speech after being called one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people, April 20, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  immigration; undocumented; sanctuary; first unitarian society; jeanette vizguerra; kevinjbeaty; denver; colorado; denverite;

Jeanette Vizguerra's daughter Zury goofs off as her mom makes a speech after being called one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people, April 20, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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.

Mia Jane burns a jimmie at 4:22 inside the International Church of Cannabis on S. Logan Street, April 4, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  420; marijuana; international church of cannabis; washington park west; kevinjbeaty; denver; denverite; colorado;

Mia Jane burns a jimmie at 4:22 inside the International Church of Cannabis on S. Logan Street, April 4, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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?

Rain or shine. ??⛈ #weedsnob #cannasseur #cannabiscommunity #cannabis #denver #420rally #420 #happy420

A post shared by Lindsey Bartlett ? (@lindse_y) on

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.

Now mostly cleaned up, Denver awoke Friday to piles and piles of trash covering Civic Center the morning after the annual 4/20 rally downtown, April 21, 2017. Rally organizer Miguel Lopez said volunteers were cleaning up the area around 10:30 p.m. Thursday night when a man went through the park, tearing up trash bags. When volunteers confronted him, Lopez said the man threatened them with a knife.⠀ ⠀ In this photo, Dawnarie Brook’s breaks for a moment while picking up trash in Civic Center Park. “This is where I live- I can’t leave it like this…people are animals,” said Brooks, a homeless women living in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) @rjsangosti ⠀ ⠀ Read and see more, link in bio

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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.

Spicy salmon poké at Ohana in Highland. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  food; poke bowl; highlands; ohana; kevinjbeaty; denver; colorado; dneverite;

Spicy salmon poke at Ohana in Highland. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

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.

That's 15,000 bees on a single bush, just a regular day during swarm season in Denver. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)  bees; animals; insects; swarm season; denverite; kevinjbeaty; denver; colorado

That's 15,000 bees on a single bush, just a regular day during swarm season in Denver. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

And there you have it Denver, another glorious week behind us. On to the next adventure!

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Denverite members have made the decision to financially support local journalism that matters to you. Ready to tell your networks why? Sharing our “About” page with your own personal comments could really help us out.