Hey Bucket Listers! It’s Toni Tresca, and I am delighted to introduce myself as the new editor of Bucket List Community News in my first newsletter. I’m thrilled to build on Madison Lauterbach‘s incredible work as the publication’s previous editor, and I look forward to leading the charge as Bucket List continues to uncover Denver’s most unique, community-based stories.
My vision is clear: to tell the untold and underappreciated stories that make a genuine difference in people’s lives. I believe that every voice in our community matters, and I am committed to bringing those voices to the forefront. My first week on the job has been jam-packed so here goes.
Reporter to Reformer
After years of working as a cannabis journalist, Ricardo Baca now owns a public relations firm. And it is not just any public relations firm; Grasslands is a Denver-based cannabis agency that leverages Baca’s journalism background to provide clients with a transparent experience in highly regulated industries like cannabis, psychedelics and AI. Our Aidan Sloan caught up with Baca at his office to reflect on his career and future plans for Grasslands.
Not Just for Straight People
When you think about rodeos, images of drag queens and gay awakenings probably do not come to mind. However, for Nick Villanueva, an associate professor of critical sports studies at CU Boulder, the International Gay Rodeo Association changed his life. Our Cassis Tingley talked to him about the storied history of gay rodeos during the Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo in July.
City Funds + Community Members = Party
On August 3, Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood shut down Decatur Street to revive a once-popular tradition: a community block party. Residents wanted more opportunities to connect with people in their neighborhood, so they applied for a Denver Community Active Living Coalition micro-grant. Our Sadie Gonzales spoke with locals on using city funds to bring people together.
Crawling for Connection
Ty Sondag and Logan Lakos, two Denver entrepreneurs, believe they have discovered the perfect way to get people out of the house: pub crawling. Inspired by their experiences doing pub crawls all over the world, the two wanted to bring the concept to LoDo and RiNo. Jack Ramsey attended the Denver Pub Crawls’ July 26 event to get a feel for the experience and learn how organizers keep attendees safe.
Hot Takes on France Olympics
The French response to the 2024 Paris Olympics is one of the most underreported aspects of the event. While we do not have a stringer in France (yet!), our Louison Leclercq, a French citizen living in Colorado, is on the beat. In her Olympics commentary, she discusses what it is like to have allegiance to two countries.
Stuff We Noticed
A city council committee has advanced Mayor Johnson’s proposal to raise the sales tax to pay for affordable housing. The .5% increase, which officials say would raise $100 million to ease the housing shortage, will be considered by the full council on 8/12. A simple majority is needed by the council to let the people vote in November. The city’s sales tax is already 8.81%, and some, including Council member Amanda Sawyer, who is undecided, argue that the plan does not provide enough time to determine how the money will be spent.
According to National Jewish Health, Denver-Aurora is the 6th worst ozone city in the country. Fort Collins and Colorado Springs are also in the top 20, ranking 16 and 20, respectively. Los Angeles and other California cities top the worst list and Phoenix comes in at #5. NJH reminds us that ozone levels are lower in the morning so plan your outdoor activities accordingly.
A couple of closures in Denver caught our attention. First, Landmark’s Chez Artiste turned off the lights yesterday after over 50 years in the University Hills neighborhood. Independent theaters have taken it on the chin since the pandemic. We also recently lost Landmark’s Esquire Theater. And in the “when it rains, it pours” department, Elway’s is closing its Cherry Creek location because of development on the west side of the mall. It hopes to relocate nearby.
That’s it for this week, Bucket Listers. Thanks, always, for your support. Please tell your friends and neighbors about us too and ask them to subscribe to our free newsletter. If you have ideas or comments, reach out to vicky@teletrendstv.com or me! I’m at tonitresca@bucketlistcommunitynews.com. And if you like what we’re doing, please contribute. We’ll be back here in your inbox next Friday. Until then, have a great weekend.
Warmest Regards,
Toni Tresca
Editor/Bucket List Community News
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