Our favorite moments, portraits and animal photos of the year
There’s a lot going on in here (because there’s a lot going on out there).
Tea time at Simon Kaganov's and Alla Sheherbi's home at Windsor Gardens, Nov. 16, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Welcome back to year-in-review season, dearest Denverite readers. Let’s celebrate another revolution around the sun with this look back at the news, moments, faces and (crucially) animals we came across in the city. There’s a lot going on here, and that’s a pretty good reflection of Denver itself.
Moments we encountered:
Canada geese fill a temporary enclosure as USDA biologists cull them from City Park, July 1, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
A pho eating contest at the Little Saigon Night Market. Federal Boulevard, June 21, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Armando Peniche-Cruz's granddaughter, Athena, plays with a rubber-glove balloon as he undergoes radiation treatment down the hall. July 18, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Mike Coffman prepares to make a victory speech for his run at the Aurora mayor's office on the steps of the city's municipal building. Nov. 14, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Alexander Hamilton, aka FranziaMan, does his thing in the parking lot behind The Gin Mill before the Denver Cruiser Ride on July 31, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Aurora Police officers make a line in the street as immigration activists march on the home of Johnny Choate, warden of GEO Group's contract immigration jail in Aurora. Sept. 19, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
A protester who asked not to be named rips apart a flag with GEO's logo on it, the contractor operating Aurora's private immigration detention facility, June 14, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Autumn Lawrence speaks during a community meeting concerning violence in Montbello after her son was shot to death. Sept. 18, 2019. (Esteban L. Hernandez/Denverite)
Walt Collins speaks to a reporter along the South Platte River, June 6, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
A dress rehearsal of "Northside" by Bobby LeFebre at Su Teatro on Santa Fe Drive, June 10, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Someone hangs out near a fan and a window on a hot summer night inside the Newhouse Hotel on West Colfax Avenue, Aug. 4, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Pigeons on a cold Monday evening on Colfax Avenue. Nov. 25, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Cruz Ortega and Aryel Ramos fly off a jump at Ruby Hill Park on a small sled on a snow day, Oct. 29, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Danette Hollowell and the Old Souls play the Rossonian Hotel during the Five Points Jazz Festival, May 18, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Construction workers inside the Denver Art Museum's north building watch the 2019 Womxn's March, Jan. 19, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
City Council District 9 candidate Candi Cdebaca (right to left), Kerrie Joy, Elisabeth Epps and Jessica Campbell-Swanson pore over election results at her shared watch party with mayoral candidate Lisa Calderón, May 7, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Mayor Michael Hancock walks on stage as he claims victory in the Denver mayoral race and celebrates at his election night party. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Terry Knight, representing the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, smudges Jared Polis before he is inaugurated as Colorado's 43rd governor, Jan. 8, 2018. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Lemons tattooed by Amanda Wachob in her exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Feb. 15, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Rodrido Rodriguez and Juan Fernandez ride their mounts through a field in Aurora that's across the street from a recent housing development. Dec. 20, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
People we met:
Most of the people we met at Suave Fest, by the future site of Raices Brewing, Sept. 14, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Kim Ramos sits in a chair adorned with tulle before her quinceañera ceremony began. Ministerio Hispano Presbyterian Church, Dec 14, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Everyone we met on Brighton Boulevard in two hours. Oct. 3, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
"Accidental developer" Bernard Hurley shows a photo of what he looked like before he went to prison. Sept. 24, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Portraits of Chef Angela Ray of Taste the Love Catering (clockwise from top left), Chef Garret Simpson of Bella's Gourmet Sausage Company, Chef Lorrie Gonzalez of Two Feathers Native American Cuisine and Ahmed Hmoud of Marrakech Moroccan Cuisine, May 17, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Loring Wirbel poses for a portrait near his home in Colorado Springs, March 8, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Thomas "Detour" Evans speaks to a reporter during the installation of his "5 Pointers Museum" at the Redline Contemporary Art Center, Oct. 31, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Everyone we met at the Underground Music Showcase in two hours. July 28, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Raad Altaee speaks to a reporter inside his Montbello home as his kids – daughter Rasha, son Idrees and puppy Benji – hang out on the couch behind him. Nov. 21, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Kids roar for the camera inside the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, May 9, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Some of the items left inside Gary Johnson's home west of Washington Park, July 25, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Hedy Red Dexter gives a tour of her magical pink loft in City Park West, April 5, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
A sampling of the crowd at a meeting for Denver's East Area Plan at Johnson and Wales' campus in South Park Hill, Nov. 23, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Luis Sanchez walks part of his daily route in Denver's Goldsmith neighborhood during a "bomb cyclone" snowstorm, March 13, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Gertie Grant poses for a portrait in her home in Denver's Speer neighborhood, Jan. 11, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Animals we met:
Canelo's human William Hernandez holds him up to view a pho eating context during the Little Saigon Night Market. Federal Boulevard, June 21, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Luna Raine and her cat, Alexios, at her place in the Beloved Community tiny home village, March 21, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Annabelle (left) and Sven pose for a portrait inside Sen. Lois Court's Capitol office, April 30, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Billy hangs outside of Denver Elections Division headquarters on a rainy election day, May 7, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Some of the dogs we met at City Park Jazz, July 14, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Baby grackle cheep in a knit nest inside the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, June 29, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Samson, Barbara Dodge's foster-turned-full-time dog, in her Westminster home, April 23, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Denver Zoo's new baby lion is revealed to the public. Sept. 18, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Newly-adopted Archer and his human, Marlena Sacks, frolic in Civic Center Park. May 31, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Some pigeonoid residents of the Cherry Creek Trail, March 26, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Osho the dog meets a photographer at the Co-Op at 1st in Barnum West, Nov. 20, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Say hello to Gumbo, who lives at 2283 N. Ogden St., the old New Hope Baptist Church. Aug. 20, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Charlie the cat poses for a photo at an adoption event at the Governor's Mansion, March 9, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Developer Norbert Klebl's weed-eating goats on site at his Geos Neighborhood in Arvada, March 26, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Bully the bulldog poses for a portrait at Englewood's Cushing Park, Feb. 2, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)
Things to do in Denver this weekend, Dec. 3-5
December brings more holiday events and activities!
You might have to drive slower in neighborhoods if this ordinance passes
The proposed "20 is plenty” ordinance would reduce speed limits on neighborhood streets from 25 to 20 MPH.
STAR, the program that diverts some calls away from police, continues to grow
STAR teams have responded to more than 2,000 calls that would have otherwise gone to police or other city agencies.
Catalytic converter thefts continue to rise but bike thefts slightly decrease
Five Points and Central Park continue to be the hardest hit areas for bike and converter thefts, respectively.
Elisabeth Epps, abolitionist and bail reformist, is running to represent part of Denver at the State Capitol
The move is another example of grassroots activism shifting into more traditional centers of power.
Cleaning the 16th Street Mall, James Kinney has seen it all: zombies, a sword-carrying martial artist
“Like a basketball player, a football player, I know my job, and once I get this suit on I’m doing my job."
The National Western Center executives will still pursue its arena after voters deny funding
Voters chose not to fund the arena meant to be the complex's centerpiece earlier this November.
Frida Kahlo is getting the Immersive Van Gogh treatment
This spring, Denverites can immerse themselves in digital recreations of the iconic artist’s work.
Look out! It’s the friendly Highland neighborhood Spider-Man
Spidey isn't hanging from John Bonath's home because he loves superheroes. Spider-Man is a tribute to the neighborhood.
Former Denver Post printing facility officially ‘blighted,’ paving the way for massive redevelopment in Globeville
What does blighted mean again?
Should Denverites be worried about Omicron, the new COVID strain?
The new coronavirus variant was first detected earlier this November in Africa.
Denverites have $1.7 million to spend on projects. Here’s how many sidewalks, bike lanes or street lights that could buy
14 miles of sidewalks? 17 miles of bike lanes? Ten light poles in parks?
Where are the companies behind all these new Denver buildings based?
In the mix: Five Points, Shanghai and Chicago.
Things to do in Denver this weekend, Nov. 26-28
Holiday light shows are here!
What Denver’s exceptionally dry fall means for the future of snow
We talked to an expert.
There won’t be a public Sand Creek Healing Run this year
But this Indigenous man will still be running.
Denver’s creatives found the pandemic as inspiring as a root canal. They’re glad to be back at Drink and Draw.
The hang for local creatives is back, in the basement of the St. Mark's Coffee House.
Denver plans to send large buildings into the warm embrace of renewable electricity
It’s just pushing more lightly than some other deep-blue cities (cough, Berkeley, cough).
From Aurora to Brooklyn, NY Liberty’s Michaela Onyenwere is always moving forward
The New York Liberty forward and Grandview graduate is living her best life.