By last year, the population of Buford, Wyoming, had dwindled to exactly one: Don Sammons, who ran the convenience store, lived in a nearby mobile home and was ready to get out. So he put it up for auction, and Vietnamese businessman Pham Dinh Nguyen bought it for $900,000 –…
The marketing mavens behind makingcolorado.gov, the state’s rebranding campaign, quickly realized they needed to emphasize altitude. Colorado is “king of the mountains,” points out Aaron Kennedy, the state’s chief marketing officer. Still, pushing altitude also created another dilemma: They didn’t want a logo-slogan combo that might confuse being in the…
The “Peak.” That’s what Colorado’s new logo has been dubbed — officially, at least. But plenty of people have their own, unofficial nicknames for the green-and-white triangle introduced yesterday by brandcolorado.gov as the state’s next brand. When we reported yesterday on the new slogan, “It’s our nature,” readers also weighed…
Here in Colorado, it’s in our nature to fight for the state we love — and to get quite cranky when we see something that we don’t think does this state justice. For the past year, Colorado chief marketing officer Aaron Kennedy has led an-all Colorado crew on what’s billed…
Dear Readers: The Mexican wants to beat you to the carne asada case this Labor Day fin de semana, so behold two oldies but goodies I amazingly haven’t yet passed off as new in this columna. The first one is extant and one of my favorite questions ever; for the…
When Colorado’s new brand is introduced next week, it will have a brand-spanking new tag line to go with it. Last month makingcolorado.com, the website that’s been collecting input and keeping people posted on the project’s progress, listed two possibilities that sounded like Cialis ads: “Rise” and “Ever Upwards.” Those…
Dear Mexican: You inspired me to rediscover my culture, my pride as a Mexican and love for my people (though it’s hard to love my people at times). I’m writing a college paper on Latin American issues — more specifically, on Mexican apathy, which is deeply rooted here in my…
When you Google “Colorado Flag” and see crocheted hats, beer-can coolers, tie-dyed T-shirts and incredible tattoos, all bearing the image of that golden sun and the big red C, you’re at first impressed by Colorado’s endless creativity. And then, when you search more and find Sons of the Confederate decals…
Ten northeastern counties are considering seceding from Colorado to protest the state’s perceived snub of rural affairs. Cheyenne County (population 1876, appropriately enough) was the first to put the proposal on its November ballot; Segwick, Yuma, Weld and Phillips have since joined those counties that might no longer want to…
The Broncos may have taken a beating in that preseason game in Seattle Saturday night, but the team’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations still has fans across the country. Here’s proof — an artistic endorsement of the sixteen-year team veteran and Hall of Famer that seems better suited to…
Yes, Colorado has been a lot less colorful since Lew Cady, one of this state’s most creative characters, passed away on August 4. To give him a proper sendoff, family, friends and fans will gather in Central City tomorrow, raising a glass or two or ten in three of the…
We’ve been profiling RTD’s public-art pieces on our Show and Tell blog, and on Monday, the series reached”Winter Crossing,” the stunning mural by Denver artist Stephen Batura that hung at Union Station for a decade — and then disappeared when the historic facility was closed for major renovations. “RTD removed…
Dear Mexican: This pregunta has been simmering in my brain for a while, like slow-cooking birria, and the recent question about whether saying “Viva la Raza” is racist reminded me to ask you. According to José Vasconcelos, the Mexican people are La Raza Cósmica (Cosmic Race), which to me seems…
On Friday the University of Denver’s Pioneer Mascot Steering Committee released its decision on the search for a new mascot — and the decision was no decision. “The research shows that nearly 70 percent of the University community is either receptive or neutral to moving forward with a new Denver…
After months of study by the 76-member Pioneer Mascot Steering Committee, which included an online survey sent to 78,032 members of the greater University of Denver community, the committee just released its decision on the hunt for a new mascot. Is the school’s new symbol for the Pioneers the Elk?…
If at first you don’t secede, try, try again. Ten counties in northeastern Colorado are still considering seceding from the state. Cheyenne County (population 1876, appropriately enough) has already gotten the proposal on the November ballot; Weld County could do the same soon. In this week’s Westword, we offer some…
Dear Mexican: My co-worker was driving to work this morning when she realized she was being followed by a Mexican in his vehicle. He followed her for at least three miles on the road, and during this time he waved at her, smiled when she frowned, and even puckered his…
We remember when rebranding would get you hanged or shot. Or both,” wrote Lew Cady, the just deceased (and very much missed) adman who did so much to help shape the image of this state. How soon we forget. Once again, Colorado has gone back to the drawing board to…
Colorful Colorado became a lot less colorful yesterday. Lew Cady — resident of Central City; graduate of East High School; adman and publisher of the Little Kingdom Come; beer-drinker (and beer-can collector); baseball fanatic; lover of lists and hijinks; wearer of cowboy hats, boots and beards; friend to thousands, grandfather…
For political pundits and satirists, Anthony Weiner is the gift that keeps on giving. Even as he was resigning from the House in disgrace, it turns out that “Carlos Danger” kept living dangerously, sexting other women around the country. How did he find the time to run for mayor of…
Dear Mexican: I’m curious as to the meaning of the term “Viva la raza,” which I have often heard expressed by my friends and family. I know what it translates to, but I don’t know why we say it. I happen to be what some call a “half-breed,” and therein…
Our January 10 issue featured a caricature of Colorado’s Secretary of State on the cover, along with the headline “Scott Gessler Is Always Right.” Gessler liked the article so much that he used it for a campaign fundraiser, promising to give an autographed copy of the issue to “anyone who…
