Presidential debate winner: The University of Denver

No matter how the presidential candidates do in tonight’s debate — whether Mitt Romney continues to do his imitation of Bert on Sesame Street or Barack Obama trips over his teleprompter — a clear winner has already emerged: The University of Denver…

Walmart debate should make presidential debate look like chit-chat

The presidential debate won’t be at University of Denver until tomorrow night, but the great debate is already raging in Denver: Does a Walmart belong in the development going in the former University of Colorado property at Ninth and Colorado? And if it does, should it benefit from tax-increment financing?…

Gaylord Entertainment officially checks out: Bye-bye, Aurora

Six months ago Gaylord Entertainment Co. made its case to Colorado, explaining why a proposed 1,500-room, $824 hotel/resort/convention complex in Aurora was a good deal — good enough to justify the state offering big tax incentives. Today, the company that made that pitch no longer exists…

Why do you lie about Mexicans?

Dear Mexican: Hey, mojado, since when do you think it’s okay to fuck up the facts of your wretched culture and concentrate on the few who have done something with their lives? For the most part, Mexicans are perverted, short, dark, little disgusting animals. You fit into that category. They…

Westword ownership returns to Denver

The first edition of Westword hit the streets of Denver in September 1977. Over the past 35 years, Westword has gone through many changes — as has the publishing industry in general, and the alternative-newspaper industry in particular. But our basic mission has not changed: to cover (and sometimes uncover)…

Westword‘s new ownership a 35th anniversary present

When Westword debuted in September 1977, pundits around town were predicting the demise of the paper. People gave it a month, a week, a year at most. After all, the only business more risky than starting a restaurant was starting a newspaper. And a free newspaper? Forget it…

Sonny Lawson Park: Welcome to the neighborhood

For over a year, neighbors and stakeholders in the area just northeast of downtown — the edge of the Ballpark neighborhood, Curtis Park, Five Points — have been discussing how to improve this part of town. They’ve come up with some answers, and one big question: Why is Sonny Lawson…

Why do gabachos always talk about money?

Dear Mexican: Why do gabachos always feel the need to talk about money or trips they have taken? I always notice this when I am at any restaurant, like they don’t have nada más de que hablar. They make a point to speak loudly for everybody to hear…especially if there…

Walmart v. Trader Joe’s: Red state or blue?

Colorado is the purplest of states, with voters almost equally divided between Democrat, Republican and unaffiliated, and Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in a dead heat here. But there’s another contest that also shows the red state/blue state pull: The debate over Walmart and Trader Joe’s…

How do Latinos refer to themselves?

Dear Mexican: Is it just me, or has what to call our friends from south of the border become a partisan issue? While taking in both political conventions over the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed that Republicans invariably use the word “Hispanics,” while Democrats are far more likely to say “Latino/a.”…

Bill Ritter introduces 90 By 20 Campaign: Dry up, Parker

With rain finally pouring down, it’s much easier to think about water conservation than it has been through this long, hot summer. So former Governor Bill Ritter picked a perfect time to host a teleconference for the 90 By 20 Campaign, which is aimed at reducing usage across the Colorado…

The Rossonian turns 100 in Five Points: Where’s the party?

The Rossonian Hotel turns 100 this year, and so far, there hasn’t been much to celebrate. This former hotel in the very heart of Five Points, at the intersection of five streets in Denver’s historic black neighborhood, was once filled with the sounds of the country’s greatest jazz talent. But…