I know we always use historic photos for this feature, but today I felt like mixing it up and looking into the future. No reason. Alright, let's get to the news, which includes lots of stuff we couldn't fit into our newsletter.
Weather
Monday broke a record for the entire month of November, with a high of 81 degrees. Today actually feels like a November day, in November, with cloudy skies and a high near 49. Crazy, I know. (Denverite)
Walking
Denver City Council gave initial approval to a $4 million plan to help homeowners fix their sidewalks. Hey, it's a start. Unfortunately, a new report puts the cost of a fully functional sidewalk network closer to $1 billion. Andy has that story. (Denverite)
Federal Boulevard is the city's deadliest corridor for pedestrians, and CDOT's plans won't do much to change that. David Sachs reports. (Streetsblog)
Smoke
No one was injured in a structure fire in Arvada Monday afternoon that damaged two apartment units, but the smoke could be seen for miles. So if you saw that, that's what was up. (9)
Sexual assault
At least three massage therapists with the chain Massage Envy have been accused of sexual assault in Colorado in the last five years, Jennifer Kovaleski reports. The Denver Channel went looking for complaints with state regulators after a Buzzfeed investigation found widespread problems with how the chain and its franchisees deal with reports of assault by its employees. (7, Buzzfeed)
Taxes
A Boulder County man is suing to stop the entire process of property tax assessments and collections because, he says, the appeals process in Boulder is that broken. Jerd Smith has the story. (Daily Camera)
Colorado breweries would see their taxes slashed under the GOP tax plan. The cuts would benefit small and large brewers alike and last for two years, but they're unlikely to, um, trickle down to the price of a six-pack. Mark Matthews reports. (DP)
Bedfellows
Doug Friednash came to the governor's office from the governor's very own lobbying firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. After three years as chief of staff, he's headed back there. Here's a local look at the relationship between government and lobbyists. (IBTimes)
One of the groups weighing in to defend the right of a Lakewood baker to not make cakes for gay couples was founded by Roy Moore, the Republican Senate candidate from Alabama who was once banned from his local mall for creeping on teenage girls. Mark Matthews again. (DP)
Politics
A lot of people are running for governor in 2018. A little bit ago, we looked at the Republicans. Today we rounded up the nine Democrats, major and minor. With plans for more renewable energy and better health care access and debt-free college, these candidates largely are running to the left of centrists like Hickenlooper and former Gov. Bill Ritter. (Denverite)
Gentrification
Mayor Michael Hancock and Council President Albus Brooks, who represents Five Points, have come in for their share of criticism in the protests over Ink! Coffee's poorly received gentrification joke. They say they stand with the community, while protesters see them as encouraging the larger economic forces in play. Jon Murray reports. (DP)
Even if you've read the other takes, don't miss Julie Turkewitz's dispatch. She found great quotes like this one: “We started coming down here to Denver a couple years ago and then stumbled into RiNo four months ago, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is like Brooklyn when I loved Brooklyn!’ So I really see a lot of potential.” (NYT)
The national attention sent dictionary searches on "gentrification" and "gentrify" surging. (Denverite, Merriam-Webster)
Immigration
ICE has continued the controversial practice of courthouse arrests despite the objections of Denver leaders. Chris Walker obtained a memo from a state probation office that outlines how they help ICE agents arrest their clients. (Westword)
Legacies
The Colorado Music Hall of Fame will induct Charlie Burrell, a famed jazz bassist who was also the first black symphony musician in the country, along with a number of East High School alumni and the school itself. Kevin has that story. (Denverite)
