Bucket List Community News
July 12 Newsletter
Hey, Bucket Listers. Exciting news!!! Bucket List Community News has been selected for a cohort of 14 Colorado newsrooms that will be supported with insights and tools to unlock major philanthropic funding. This is a recognition of the valuable work we are doing to provide hyperlocal neighborly news and mentor the next generation of journalists. That said, we are community-supported and also need YOUR contributions during our Christmas in July fundraising campaign so we can continue this work. We’re halfway to our $5,000 goal! 💰
WHO(S) Let the Dogs Out
🐕For the past couple of months, a quiet battle has been fought over the fate of the Westminster Hill Open Space, where an over 400-acre off-leash dog park has been a point of contention. One side wants to keep the park as-is; the other wants to reduce its size in the name of ecological preservation. On Monday, Westminster City Council voted to maintain its size—for now. Our Jackie Ramirez has more details about the park and what it means to Westminster dog owners.
Not Just Humans
🩺Over the past few years, you may have noticed how much longer the wait for a doctor’s appointment has become. Well, it’s not just us humans having this difficulty. Following the COVID-19 pet adoption boom, Colorado has faced a serious shortage of veterinarians. Burnout, a lack of young people entering the field, undervalued staff and an influx of newly homed animals have had a crushing effect. Our Olivia Gryson spoke with vets and Denver pet owners about post-COVID struggles and the enormous bills some owners may face.
Putting the Lit in Disability
🔥During our recent survey, you told us you’d like guest writers now and then and appreciate our arts and culture stories. A couple of weeks ago, we published a story by arts and culture writer Toni Tresca about artists harnessing AI. This week we have another story from him about Christie Buchele, a Denver comedian with cerebral palsy.
French Freedom
🇫🇷America’s Independence Day might have come and gone, but there’s another opportunity to celebrate liberty coming up this weekend. France’s Bastille Day occurs July 14, and it’s a great time to honor the culture of almost 16,000 people in Denver with French ancestry. Our Louison Leclercq is one of them and spoke with two organizations hosting events this weekend and highlighted the controversies in the homeland overshadowing the holiday.
Stuff We Noticed
🛒Your local grocery store could be changing hands soon. This week, Albertsons released a list of 91 stores across the state it plans to sell if a merger with Kroger goes through. The company owns 103 Safeway stores in Colorado, 89 of which were on the list. Two Albertsons-branded stores would also go up for sale.
📺There’s a new kid on the block in Five Points. Denver 7, the ABC affiliate, has left its home on Broadway and Speer for new digs at 2323 Delgany St. The 85,000-square-foot so-called “TV station of the future” broadcast its first newscast Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. The old building at 123 Speer Blvd. will eventually come down. The block was sold to a developer for $35 million after the city council declined to make the old building a historic landmark.
🥺The Fourth of July, with all its fireworks, was a tough night for pets. The Denver Animal Shelter received 87 stray animals over the holiday weekend from July 3 to July 7. Thirty-two dogs alone were brought in on July 5. If dogs are left at the shelter for more than five days, they will be put up for adoption.
🐾Did you read Vicky’s story “Dog at My Feet” that we published this week? She talked about how important our pets are at challenging times or when we are doing difficult jobs, like being publishers of community journalism. We’ve been asking you to make a contribution in honor of our dog correspondent, Ca$h, who passed away earlier this year, or in recognition of the pets who play such important roles in your lives. Send us a photo of your cat or dog, and we’ll do a shout-out. And, please contribute in their name to our Christmas in July campaign!
Thanks to Ginny Jordan and John and Mark Warren of William Blair who are matching the first $2,000 you contribute to our fundraising campaign. Also, a big thanks to our sponsors, Mark and Kelly Williams of Modus Real Estate who are neighbors and believe small businesses should be supporting community journalism too. We are so grateful! You can join them by supporting us with a contribution, telling your neighbors about us and asking your friends to subscribe to our newsletter. As always, make sure to share your ideas with Vicky and Madison. See you next week.
Warmest Regards,
Madison Lauterbach
Editor/Bucket List Community News
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