Hey, Bucket Listers! Ready or not, here comes the election. Our publisher, Vicky Collins, kicks things off this week with her thoughts on election night, as Bucket List collaborates with the Met Media team at MSU Denver to cover the evening across multiple platforms, including a national streaming event called Student News Live. This is an exciting opportunity for student journalists and recent graduates to collaborate on election coverage, and we hope you will support us. We are aiming to raise $1000 so that our team can be paid and have pizza and refreshments for the long night.
Among the more than two dozen issues Denver residents are currently voting on, Proposition 131 may have slipped through the cracks. However, it’s arguably a very important measure because it aims to change the way voting works throughout the state. Advocates argue that implementing a top-four primary followed by ranked choice voting in the general election will result in a more equitable system, whereas critics argue that it allows corporations and wealthy candidates to influence the process. Our Arianna Balderrama digs into the issue and contextualizes how it could affect Colorado.
The city has hired over 500 seasonal workers to work polls this election season, and they are caught in the crossfire of a culture war centered on voting. Election workers across the country have seen an increased amount of threats and hostile actions taken against them. Ryland Scholes spoke with officers and election officials to learn about the safety measures put in place by the Denver Police Department to keep workers safe.
If you need a break from the election, consider celebrating Día de los Muertos. Today, there will be events at La Raza Park from 5-8 p.m., as well as a parade on Santa Fe at 6 p.m. Furthermore, the History Colorado exhibition “De la Tierra: Reflections of Place in the Upper Rio Grande” celebrates Colorado’s diverse Hispanic and Indigenous communities. The installation, which will be on display until April 6, 2025, focuses on Colorado’s border formation after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, as well as the history of the San Luis Valley. Arianna Balderrama explains its historical and cultural significance through conversations with the curator and artists.
Between Halloween and the promotional campaign for the upcoming “Wicked” film, witches appear to be everywhere right now. But for Medicine Mama Kia, a queer, BIPOC witch based in Denver, it’s not simply a seasonal trend; it’s a way of life. Upon meeting Mama Kia on the main campus of MSU Denver, KJ Mayo was immediately interested in finding out more about her life story. Mama Kia was game, and the two discussed her business, Witch Wellness, daily witch practices and feelings about Halloween.
Stuff We Noticed
If you’ve been driving with expired plates around Denver, look out! The Denver Police Department will begin one month of targeted enforcement of expired vehicle registration and temporary license plate violations today. This special enforcement effort is similar to one launched by the department in July. This campaign is being launched in response to citizen complaints about drivers with expired tags. Those who have yet to register their vehicles will face a $95 fine from a Denver Municipal Code citation, in addition to registration/renewal fees.
The Denver Central Library will reopen on Sunday, November 3, after more than a month of intensive construction (and four years of on-and-off construction). This was the final phase of the central branch’s $59 million touch-up, which was approved in 2017 as part of the Elevate Denver bond, with work beginning in 2020. The building’s updates included a grand hall renovation, accessibility improvement, a change to its entrance on Broadway, new restrooms on each floor and more connecting areas, including a dedicated teen space.
Do you like jazz? Well, you’re in luck. The inaugural Denver Jazz Fest will take place April 3-6, 2025. Don Lucoff, president/co-founder of Denver Jazz believes that “the infrastructure is strong here to support a jazz festival.” The event will include 30 shows spread across 10 venues in the Boulder and Denver area. Tickets go on sale today, November 1, and a pre-fest event at Dazzle featuring ECM’s Rubisa Patrol Revisited takes place on November 26.
That’s it for this week, Bucket Listers. Thank you to Huong Dang, Jerry Bell and Joy Gryson for their contributions to our election night fundraiser. We have raised $350 of our $1000 goal, but there are only a few days to go. If you like what we are doing to bring trustworthy news to Denver and mentor the next generation of journalists, please consider contributing. Watch us on election night and encourage your friends and neighbors to subscribe. We’re doing all this in partnership with you!
Warmest Regards,
Toni Tresca
Editor/Bucket List Community News
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