Terri Gentry is a fourth generation Denverite who has been attending Denver’s Martin Luther King Jr. Marade since its inception in 1986. “It’s always been an event about unity and coming together, with people from all walks of life. Young people, old people, families pushing strollers. Blacks, whites, Latinos, Jews, Christians, Muslims.”
A few months into the pandemic and about a year after he moved from South Dakota to Central Park, Jeff Dunn bought the last bike that was available at a neighborhood bike shop. “I wanted something to do, but I had no plans beyond that,” says Dunn.
United States Congressman Jason Crow is the co-sponsor of a bill that would prevent law enforcement officers from needing to respond to calls involving mental health crises. The bill, which was passed by the House, would provide local governments with grants to form mental health units, instead of police, to respond to certain 911 calls.
We can hardly believe we printed the first issue 22 years ago—though looking around at all that has changed makes it believable. It was a great run, but it’s time for the paper’s smart and energetic staff to carry Front Porch into the future.
As a self-described “country boy,” Felix Merino didn’t set out to become an urban spectacle when he started his dog walking business two years ago, but that’s indeed what he has become.
Colorado State University professor Temple Grandin has long been celebrated as one of the world’s leading authorities on the subjects of animal welfare and autism, so it’s only natural that the new CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center features a facility for equine assisted services bearing her name.
A straightforward critic of the institutional racism she saw in the district, Bailey was also a compassionate leader who believed the system could change and was willing to help.
Closing the achievement gap—which leaves boys who look like Marrero dangling at the bottom—will of course prove to be one of Marrero’s biggest challenges in DPS.
Denver Green School Northfield teacher Justin Barney was selected for recognition by Honored, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping great teachers in the classroom and to inspiring a new generation of talent to pursue teaching.
By many accounts, DPS Superintendent, Susana Cordova, was a star, a real Cinderella story—daughter of DPS secretary becomes first bilingual Latina to lead the district.
“I’m a nerd—I love to learn and share what I learn. The kids say my enthusiasm is contagious; they get excited when the teacher is excited,” says Gerardo Muñoz, a middle and high school teacher who has been named Colorado’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.
When people talk about Sam Gary, humility looms large in the conversation. All who worked with him knew his philosophy: “Lead from the back of the conga line.” For Sam, that meant, “As long as the idea you believe in is getting done, you don’t care who gets credit,” says Mike Johnston, the CEO of Sam’s philanthropic organization, Gary Community Investments.
