Your Guide to Community, Politics, Arts and Culture in North Denver DenverNorthStar.com POLITICS Police and Firefighter Eligibility for Noncitizens, and other Key Denver Ballot Measures PAGE 2
|
Volume 5, Issue 11
| August 15, 2024-September 14, 2024
|
ALWAYS FREE!
Grad 'Fits in our Community' North Denver Regis GLOBAL Makes Work Connection
Music Festivals Strengthen Community By Jacqui Somen
T
he resonant chords from a guitar, the smell of roasted corn from a food truck, children frolicking in the grass. It's festival season in North Denver. What started as opportunities for a few neighbors to come together over shared interests have turned into well-attended gatherings for members of communities in North Denver and beyond. This September, North Denver residents can enjoy music, fun and food at two festivals: the Sunnyside Music Festival on Sept. 14 and Jamming on the Jetty on Sept. 21. Both are free events that gather neighbors with the goal of giving back.
TRANSPORTATION City Revising Proposed Road Designs for West 29th Avenue PAGE 5
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOOYAH ADVERTISING
POLITICS 5 Questions with Denver City Council President Amanda P. Sandoval PAGE 5
ARTS & CULTURE The Denver DJ School Builds a Sense of Community Through Music PAGE 8
THE GRAY ZONE Women Who Broke the Age Code PAGE 14
EDUCATION Denver North Launches New Booster Club PAGE 15 Postal Customer
Coworkers Devin Rafferty and Jordan Stewart enjoy a break outdoors near Booyah’s downtown office. By Xavier Barrios or students, graduation season marks the lever, Discover Card and Aspen Skiing Company, completion of one chapter and the start of anaccording to the company’s website. other. But this season also began a new story Dr. Jeanine Coleman, associate professor and of diversity, equity and inclusion as one group of the program’s director, said people with disabilities students, adorned in caps and gowns, walked across have been historically rejected from higher education, the workplace and other institutions. the stage at Regis University. “Nationwide, 16% of adults with intellectual This chapter was written by the inaugural class and developmental disabilities are competitively of five graduating GLOBAL Inclusive students, the employed,” Gray wrote in an email to The Denver first to complete the university’s program designed North Star. “In Colorado, that number is above averto give students with intellectual or developmental age at 26%, but that number is still very low.” disabilities an opportunity to have a traditional college campus experience. In 2022, The Denver North “[People with disabilities] are part of our commuStar reported on the GLOBAL Inclusive program’s nity,” Coleman said. “They want all the same things launch, and then again in 2023 for a year-in report. that anybody else wants, they want to go to college, they want to make friends, they want to get a job — The unknown of post-graduation was waiting they want these experiences.” for GLOBAL Inclusive student Jordan Stewart, who Booyah CEO Troy Lerner got involved with Resaid the milestone was thrust upon him whether he gis’ GLOBAL Inclusive through his wife, a profeswanted to graduate or not. sor at Regis who was having a positive experience For Stewart, the hardest part of his graduation working with the program and its students. Lerner was that he would no longer see his friends and said he is actively trying to “make the world a betpeers daily. His routine switched from saying, “See ter place,” and this is one of the ways that provides you later,” to the harder, more formal, “Goodbye,” growth to Stewart, other Booyah workers and himStewart said. self, as well as society at large. Navigating this unknown isn’t an easy feat. “This just feels like a natural fit,” Lerner said. “It Stewart said he quickly realized his “bad thoughts” doesn’t feel like we are trying to force something to didn’t provide him much guidance, so he turned to meet a mission statement or a mandate. Instead we “positive thoughts” to help him avoid anxiety. To have found somebody that fits in our community.” provoke these happy thoughts, he said he turns to the During the first year of the program, Gray teachmovie theater as a source of positivity. es a career development class, in which she asks stuStewart said the unknowns of graduation were dents their career goals and interests. From there, also easier to navigate with the familiarity of his Gray said she takes the information and tries to find internship-turned-job at Booyah Advertising in the best individualized pairing through on- and downtown Denver. off-campus internship opportunities. While in the GLOBAL Inclusive program, Students, Gray said, have interests in opening students can participate in an internship or an their own businesses like restaurants, coaching on-campus job, according sports teams or working in paleontology. Once a to their career development PRESORTED placement has been found, Gray works alongside coordinator Lauren Gray. STANDARD the company to develop the student’s role. Stewart’s internship was U.S. POSTAGE “I reach out to employers that are in the industries through the digital advertising company that manthat our students are interested in,” Gray said, “and Denver, CO ages over $100 million in explain what our program is, explain the internship Permit No. 2565 media each year for brands EDDM See REGIS, Page 15 like Western Union, Uni-
F
PAID
SUNNYSIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL On Sept. 14, the Sunnyside Music Festival takes place in Chaffee Park from 11 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. Entertainment will include free yoga with Better Buzz and performances by Dzirae Gold, The Reals, Roka Hueka, Taylor Scott Band and Rocky Mountain Grateful Dead Revue. Attendees can enjoy food, beverages and artisan vendors, as well as a special visit from Clifford the Big Red Dog. Last year, 8,500 people attended the festival.
PHOTO BY AARON SNYDER
Last year’s Sunnyside Music Festival drew 8,500 attendees.
"Our mission is unity through music," said Erin Shumaker, board member and president of Sunnyside Music Festival. "We've got so much divisiveness in our country in a lot of different ways, and this festival is just community, neighbors, music, food. It's a recipe for people to get together and remember that we're neighbors and have common goals.” Sunnyside Music Festival isn't just a fun day for neighbors to gather in the park. The organization also runs a grant program that helps support neighborhood programs. According to its website, Sunnyside Music Festival awarded over $7,000 to North Denver youth music and arts programs in 2024. Recent grants supported class field trips to musical performances for students at Academia Ana Marie Sandoval and funded supplies, instrument repairs and arts programming at Beach Court Elementary. JAMMING ON THE JETTY On Sept. 21, visit Sloan's Lake Park from 1-8 p.m. to enjoy entertainment from Aiden P Band, Kalama Polynesian Dancers, ManyColors, Caitlin Gilmore (kids singalong), BBB Band and Los Mocochetes
See FESTIVALS, Page 15