We have a lot of interesting news today, including best restaurant picks of 2017, what the mayor has to say about his relationship to developers, what residents have to say about Stapleton's name and my Hanukkah tip for Denver newcomers.
Read on.
Living
A lot of the trendy new restaurants opening in Denver are expensive -- but also very tasty! If you're going to splurge just this once, on a date night or an end-of-year treat for yourself, Ashley picks the places you should make a reservation. (Denverite)
Hanukkah starts at sundown tonight. Sundown is officially 4:36 p.m., and if you actually get home that early, then bless you. If you can't find candles anywhere, go to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I lived here for years before someone told me that, so if you're new to town, you're welcome.
If you're looking for kids activities, opportunities for learning or public menorah lightings, this list should cover it. (Jewish Colorado)
Denver officials have in their hands the application for the city's first public consumption location for marijuana: the Coffee Joint. Kathleen Foody reports. (AP)
Hancock
Jon Murray looks at the challenges that will face Mayor Michael Hancock as he seeks a third term -- namely, dissatisfaction with growth and development and questions about how widely its benefits are distributed. (DP)
In a separate piece, Murray allows the mayor to answer the charge that he's too friendly with developers. Hancock reminds people of the dire economic straits the city was in back in 2011, when he was first elected.
“This city was in trouble. We needed an economic vision. We set about a vision of building our small and start-up businesses in the city of Denver and moving on the development of the city, because development instantly creates jobs and it creates investment. And we needed to do that to get the city humming again." (DP)
The mayor's team is heading to Vancouver to observe safe injection sites there. Denver is considering launching the state's first such facility to help addicts live to fight another day. Andy has that story. (Denverite)
Getting around
With enabling legislation at the state level and a public-private partnership with Panasonic, Colorado is trying to be a leader in the development of autonomous vehicle technology and its application to transportation problems. Dave Nyczepir reports. (Route Fifty)
A car rear-ended a police car -- which then struck another police car -- Monday night on South Broadway near Ellsworth. Denver police say the officers were responded to an alarm. I happened to walk past this, and it looked like a thing one very much doesn't want to do. A man was aggravating the cops by lecturing them about safe following distances. However, the driver of the civilian vehicle was arrested on suspicion of DUI. (9)
Names
Residents of Stapleton gathered Monday to discuss whether they should change the name of the neighborhood, which recognizes five-term Denver mayor and Ku Klux Klan member Benjamin Stapleton. Some wanted to find redemption and others wondered why you would want to. I was there, and this is what I heard. (Denverite)
Police shooting
The Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office has cleared deputies there of any wrong-doing in an October shooting that killed a former colleague who came to the sheriff's department with a loaded gun. Rick Sallinger reports. (4)
Absence
As of Sunday, Denver had gone 62 continuous days with no measurable snowfall. Unless my eyes deceive me, it's now 63 days and likely to get to 64. That's getting pretty close to a record. (Denverite)
The bell in the clock tower on the 16th Street Mall has fallen silent, a victim of some sort of mysterious clock ailment brought on by the time change and a power outage. Andy has that story. (Denverite)
Science
Astronomy enthusiasts want to build Colorado's most powerful telescope on top of Pikes Peak. They're waiting to hear what the Forest Service has to say. Conrad Swanson reports. (Gazette)
