Hi. It's Friday, so we're going to get straight to the fun stuff, followed by the rest of your news roundup.
Fun stuff:
Griffins are a kind of lost symbol of Denver: They're part eagle, part lion, and they're protectors of mountain treasure. Kevin has been tracking down the lost griffin statues that once stood on the old Arapahoe courthouse. (Denverite)
Things to do for you this weekend, courtesy of Ashley. The Georgia Art Space on Mariposa looks fun tonight. (Denverite)
Caffe Sanora ends its run on East Colfax, to be replaced by a biker-themed cafe. Meet the new owners. (Denverite)
Elvis Costello will be part of the inaugural Beaver Creek "Hike to the Mic" music festival next weekend, as Daliah Singer reports. (5280)
Crews found a T. rex tooth near the Thornton triceratops. (Denverite)
Check out today's edition of our Denverite Now podcast!
Outdoors & environment:
Denver's elected leaders will consider banning smoking and vaping from the 16th Street Mall. (Denverite)
Dan Elliott has a great breakdown of why the West's wildfire season is so bad this year. (AP)
The mountain resorts look like they're on pace for record summer revenue. It may be due to rising prices and more hotel guests, as Eli Pace reports. (Summit Daily)
Politics:
Republican Rep. Mike Coffman is holding off on forcing a vote on his BRIDGE Act, which would have extended the DACA program. He says he's giving Republican Speaker Paul Ryan time to make a long-term fix for the young, undocumented people protected by DACA. (The Hill)
Erica explains why Colorado isn't one of the states suing over the DACA repeal. AG Cynthia Coffman said that "no court fight will provide a lasting solution." (Denverite)
Trump's justice Department is siding with the Lakewood baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. See our earlier explainer here. (Washington Post/Colorado Politics, Denverite)
Nonprofits, developers and institutions have put more than $1.3 million into the marketing campaign that will try to convince Denver voters to approve a $937 million debt-spending package. (DP)
Mayor Michael Hancock says Amazon's second headquarters would be a "mega prospect" for Denver. Amazon is soliciting proposals from cities across North America. (Denverite)
Sporting:
On Monday night, Beth Mowins will call the play-by-play for the Broncos' home game. She's the first woman to do that for an NFL game since 1987, as Anthony Cotton reports. (CPR)
A small group of people from Denver's homeless shelters are regular attendees at Rockies games. Nice story by Christian. (Denverite)
Oh, and the Rockies won. (AP via Denverite)
