🥞 800 pounds of Denver history could be yours
BY PEYTON GARCIA | @CITYCASTDENVER
Wanna own a piece of Denver history?
Hey friends, City Cast Denver Host Bree Davies here — popping in to share something fun for the old Denver heads out there.
The beloved Denver Diner has almost finished its devastating transformation into, ugh, a Chase Bank.
BUT, if it’s any consolation to my fellow Denver Diner lovers, I’ve got a bit of good news for you. Recently, City Cast Denver friend Todd M. of Morry’s Neon let us know that the Denver Diner’s neon sign is up for grabs!
Like, you could own your very own piece of Mile High City history — buuut here’s what’s required if you wanna be the person who saves the sign:
- Be available to come get the sign in the next two-ish weeks.
- Have a trailer to transport it. (Measurements: 17 feet long, 7 feet high, and two-and-a-half feet wide. Our neon expert Todd estimates the sign weighs about 800 pounds!)
- Have a place to safely house the sign.
- Provide some kind of gift or compensation for the crane operator who will be kindly dismantling the sign (for free!) instead of throwing it in the landfill.
Our friend Todd says he believes most of the neon is still intact, and prior to the sale of the building, the sign was operable. If you are interested in taking the Denver Diner’s gorgeous neon home, reply to this email and we will connect you with Todd!
— Bree Davies
From our sponsors: Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center
Chill Out at a Free Community Pool Party
Join the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center in Denver for a community-wide “kick-off to summer” pool party on Sunday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your bathing suit and sunscreen for a day of swimming, fitness classes, games, a bounce house, local vendors, food trucks, and more. Free to attend. For more information visit jccdenver.org.
More news you should know
⛺ Safe Outdoor Space coming to Barnum: The city’s seventh sanctioned homeless encampment will open next month in the Barnum neighborhood at 221 Federal Boulevard on land recently purchased by the St. Francis Center. This site will replace the safe outdoor space at Regis University, whose year-long contract ends in June. St. Francis has plans to build income-restricted housing on the site in 2023. [BusinessDen]
🚩 More trouble for Vanessa Wilson: Robin Niceta, partner of former Aurora police chief Vanessa Wilson, is being charged with retaliation against an elected official (a Class 6 felony) after she anonymously reported Aurora city council woman Danielle Jurinsky for child abuse. An investigation has cleared Jurinsky of any wrongdoing, and the act is believed to be retaliation for comments made by Jurinskly about Wilson. [Denver Post]
- 🔎 Some context: Vanessa Wilson was controversially fired from her post in April. Jurinsky, who has publicly criticized Wilson, was tangled up in the accusations that the firing was a “political hit job.” Wilson’s attorney says the former police chief had nothing to do with the false accusations.
🚫 Denver concealed carry ban approved: On Monday, City Council voted 9-3 to approve banning concealed carry permit holders from bringing their guns onto any city property, including parks. Opponents of the ordinance argue there’s no data correlating concealed carry permit holders to rising rates of violence in the city, and that the ban could increase racial profiling. [Denverite]
✊ Denver paraprofessionals demand a wage they can live on: Paraprofessionals at DPS are calling on the school to increase minimum wage for its support staff from $15.87 per hour to $16. Roughly 200 district employees, parents, and community members participated in a Monday evening rally. Those speaking out say they can’t pay their bills, buy a house, or afford health care on their current wage. [Denver Post]
A gym for ‘the gays and the theys’ 🏳️🌈
“That’s why we named it Metamorphosis, right? Because it’s about the transformation of self … not just physically but spiritually … we provide [our members] with an opportunity to be their authentic selves.” — Styler Rising, founder of Metamorphosis Fitness
This Queer Gym Is Not Only Transforming Bodies, But Lives.
Metamorphosis Fitness isn’t your average gym. Yes, it’s a place for exercise, strength, and transformation — but it’s also a queer-affirmative, body-positive source of community that welcomes anyone looking to get fit. Today on the show, Host Bree Davies talks with owner Styler Rising about this gym with no judgment.
Bonus: a theater rec 🎭
City Cast Producer and resident theater enthusiast Lizzie Goldsmith brings another local show recommendation:
“It’s rare that I leave a show and think, ‘That was so good, I have to go back next week.’ But lo and behold, I saw ‘The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong’ shortly after it opened, and I’m going back this week because I just couldn’t get enough. It was hands-down one of the funniest hours of my life. It’s a play within a play about a murder mystery, but it’s really about what happens when everything that can go wrong in a live production does — to hilarious effect. No joke wears out its welcome, and the physical comedy is especially delightful.”
The show closes May 22. Find out more and get tickets 👉 here.