Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 i 5280 Magazine

[ FROM THE EDITOR ] Our Planet’s Future By the time you read this, the shock that Presidentelect Donald J. Trump will be sworn into office next month will have likely worn off. But given the quirks of the monthly magazine publishing schedule, I’m writing this the morning after our country voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton, and the surprise is still very real. We’re all continuing to come to terms with what this means for America: politically, economically, socially, and environmentally. And, as it turns out, that last element is particularly germane to this month’s issue. Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax” repeatedly, along with a Republican Congress that has been loath to accept the scientific basis for global warming, will now hold the levers of power…

A penchant for precision is advantageous to a chef—but even more so for a chocolatier. Jon Robbins, executive chef and owner of Bistro Barbès and owner of Temper Chocolates, is both. Robbins opened Temper Chocolates in the Denver Central Market in September, and since then he’s been wowing shoppers with fine truffles and confections whose shiny brown shells gleam from across the room. That perfect “temper”—the precise process of heating and cooling chocolate—is a skill that Robbins has mastered. We first tasted his prowess when we sampled one of the peppermint patties at Barbès. The chocolate shell snapped, and the fondant inside was beautifully reminiscent of muddled mint leaf. Now, at Temper, Robbins has a full line of flavors (those peppermint patties; green apple yuzu; salted caramel jalapeño; strawberry basil)…

Nobu Matsuhisa, one of the most successful chefs in modern history, oversees more than 30 restaurants around the globe, from Los Angeles to Cape Town, South Africa. Like fellow traveler Wolfgang Puck, he immigrated to the United States as a young chef, moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s, made a name for himself in Beverly Hills, and then set his sights on the world. Matsuhisa excited celebrities and pleased the rest of the rich with precisely calibrated, inventive, never-weird Japanese food. His expanding brand was a warm, cloned excellence: If you craved Matsuhisa’s famous miso black cod, you’d be able to find it wherever he opened his doors next. Jet-setting Aspen was a logical choice for Matsuhisa, and Vail, too, but Cherry Creek strikes me as a riskier investment…

Ily Iley Look to this LoHi shop’s black-and-white-striped walls for the first hint of its edgy aesthetic. That boldness extends to the clothes—we spotted a blue rabbit Elliat vest ($331, pictured) on our last visit—and the innovative services, such as closet clean-outs and travel packing advice, owners Bailey Lemak and Ilyse Mark offer customers. ily-iley.com Fab’rik It’s rare that we’re willing to drive long distances to browse a clothing rack, but we find ourselves routinely trekking the 25 minutes down to Aspen Grove to see what’s new at Fab’rik. Right now, that’s essential-forwinter items like tunics and Jack by BB Dakota knit sweaters. It’s the customer service, though, that made us regulars. If you don’t find the perfect piece, ask a team member to text you updates on incoming…

She awakens in her youngest son’s bed. The glare from the lights outside shine through the small room’s window, casting shadows like tombstones across the walls. Her seven-year-old’s little chest gently rises and falls under the covers. She presses her palms into her eyes and wipes the sleep away, careful not to wake her boy. She silently lifts her head from the pillow and checks the clock on the dresser. The red numbers read 3:00 a.m. In that instant, she feels relief: Youn will be home soon. Five years after her husband’s murder, this is still her nightly ritual. Few people know this about Mary Kuanen. She is strong: Everyone in her world acknowledges that. Her daughter, her neighbors, the people at the Catholic school where she works, the man…

Studies looking at the implications of climate change typically look at very long-term scenarios— as in, decades from now. But the U.S. Department of Energy recently bestowed a multimillion-dollar federal grant to a team of researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California to study the Colorado River Basin in hopes of getting some shorter-term answers. Ken Williams, the project’s chief field scientist (pictured), and his team are working on the East River in the Upper Colorado River Basin, near Crested Butte. They hope to learn how earlier snowmelt might affect plant life. “If snow melts early and plants start growing earlier, do they grow for a longer period of time, or do they die earlier?” Williams asks. It’s possible that as the time between spring runoff and the…

CATASTROPHIC FIRES As a result of more severe drought conditions, experts expect more wildfires to burn across Colorado and the West. In fact, in 2015 more than 10 million acres burned in Colorado— an all-time high. And a number of factors are making what’s already a bad situation worse. When the U.S. Forest Service’s budget gets eaten up by fire suppression (as 52 percent of the budget did in 2015), less money is available to spend on preventive fuel mitigation and habitat restoration. And thus a vicious cycle is born. UPHILL TREE MIGRATION A 2.5- to five-degree change in temperature is worth about 1,000 to 1,500 feet in elevation gain, meaning living things that prefer cooler air may have to trudge uphill to find it. “Trees don’t just get up…

NATASHA GARDNER Senior Editor The reporting process for “Our Children, Ourselves” (page 134) began more than two years ago, when senior editor Natasha Gardner realized she’d recently written several stories that touched on how Colorado identifies, prosecutes, or prevents child abuse. “It was obvious that I needed to dig in and find out more about such an important topic,” Gardner says. The result is an expansive investigation—which took the writer inside medical exam rooms, courtrooms, and the state Capitol—into the laws, policies, and people in this state aff ected by crimes against children. “This is always a difficult subject to discuss,” Gardner says, “but one that is, quite literally, crying for our attention.” MATT NAGER Photographer Matt Nager often photographs his subjects in their workplaces or homes—environments that help illustrate…

In 2011, Native Eyewear succumbed to peer pressure. The Denver sunglasses company, known for its superb performance specs, launched a ski goggle line because it seemed like all the other sunglasses companies had launched ski goggle lines. Native execs quickly realized their expertise didn’t extend to the slopes and two years later discontinued the goggles (which, if we’re being honest, were pretty runof-the-mill). So when Native decided to debut a second goggle collection this fall, the company enlisted input from a team of experts, including Salida-based ski gear consultancy the Branding Agency as well as pro backcountry skiers and snowboarders like University of Denver alum Romi Kristl. The resulting models share three defining traits: a coating that delays vision-clouding fog for up to eight minutes (the industry standard is between…

You know what’s predictable? Arriving at a party with a nice bottle of wine or a six-pack of craft beer. You know what’s a heck of a lot more fun? Showing up with a batched cocktail—one that you mixed at home, funneled into a pretty bottle, and are now handing over to your surprised host. Most any cocktail (or mocktail, for that matter) can be made in large quantities and stirred ahead of time, but few people do it. Even fewer walk into a bash with a ready-to-go 750-milliliter bottle (or a 64-ounce mason jar) of whiskey sours, Manhattans, or festive punches. “The message is, ‘Let’s get this party started,’” says Jon Feuersanger, beverage director for Beast & Bottle and Coperta. The key is to serve the drinks at their…

Any other night I probably could have ignored the comment. “Let me take that shared plate away…since it’s just you.” But on that particular evening, I sat solo at the chef’s counter as I waited for my partner of eight years to finish packing up his things, leaving a jigsaw puzzle of awkward, empty spaces on the walls of our apartment. That night, the offhand comment chewed at me more than my hunger. I choked on a response and said nothing. When the same server delivered an amuse-bouche—spoonfuls of some kind of pretty curry soup—from the chef to the couple to my left, I perked up. I got even more excited when the pair to my right cooed over the delicate flowers perched atop their gratis bites. At least I…

1 FOR THE FOODIE Need a gift for someone who loves to dine out, linger at brunch, or try new places? The Broadmoor has 10 restaurants, 10 cafes and lounges, and culinary flavors from French to Italian with settings of elegance to a lively English Pub. Give the gift of The Broadmoor Restaurants! 2 FOR THE SHOW-GOER Get ready to dine, tap your foot and enjoy the holiday season at one of The Broadmoor’s Holiday Shows. Make a night of it with your family, or bring your team and make this evening your company Holiday party! Either way, this show is not to be missed with headliner Melissa Manchester! Be sure to check out the special package that features the Beach Boys, coming to the Broadmoor World Arena. 3 FOR…

Fabletics opened its first Colorado location—and 11th in the country—in August to satisfy the hordes of women clamoring for Kate Hudson–designed activewear. Yoga pants start at $24.97. fabletics.com Our favorite thing about Boulderite Nicole DeBoom’s six-month-old Skirt Sports store is the “yes,” “no,” and “maybe” signs on the dressing-room hooks. It makes it oh-so-much easier to organize the piles of comfy running skirts ($55 to $95) we just have to try on. skirtsports.com Local yogis already rock the same pants they wore to power vinyasa to post-half-pigeon happy hour. So they’ll appreciate Canadian retailer Kit & Ace’s high-fashion twist on that one-outfit-all-day mindset. The secret is a luxurious fabric the Lululemon spin-off developed called “technical cashmere,” a blend that incorporates the soft fiber but allows everything from dresses to bras…

Sully & Co Infuse a little East Coast prep into your weekend or work wardrobe with a paisley bow tie, denim shirt, or corduroy jacket from this Jefferson Park shop, which touts a 100 percent American-made line of classic apparel. sullyandco.com Env Denver Unlike in many home closets, men and women get (roughly) equal space at this 13- monthold Platte Street shop. We’re drawn to the guys’ side for its broad range of pieces, from graphic T-shirts to customdesigned hats. Subscribe to Env’s email list for a heads up about events with local designers; America’s Next Top Model contestant and Highlands Ranch native Matthew Smith, whose M8W line launched last year, stopped by the shop this past summer. envdenver.com Moda Man For 13 years, this Larimer Square store has outfitted…

Heat Wave Why you should care that Earth is cooking. The notion that the planet is warming isn’t some crackpot theory put forth by polar-bear-loving environmentalists hellbent on stymieing the fossil fuel industry. It’s a fact. Scientists of all political persuasions are sure of it, and they have statistics to prove it. Since 1880, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is stationed in Boulder, has collected data on the planet’s average land and ocean temperatures. This past summer, the orb we call home reached an astonishing threshold: In 137 years of record-keeping, the mean temp on Earth had never been higher. In Colorado, the trend is much the same. Since 1980, the average daily high temperature has jumped by two to 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit. “The warm years that…

5280: What’s the biggest challenge farmers and ranchers will face over the next three decades? Pat O’Toole: The whole issue of warming in the West is going to pivot on water. We’re transferring our water away from food and ecosystems to [urban population] growth. But people didn’t move to Colorado to look at oil wells and cities. They moved to Colorado to look at ranches and meadows and mountains. That’s what we’re in the process of making choices about right now: Which Colorado do you want? What effects of climate change are you already seeing? In my world, we are seeing earlier runoffs. If the water’s running off earlier, you have to have storage to hold it so you can use it later for your irrigation, hay, fishery, and other…

CHANGE AGENT Chaired by Aspen Snowmass’ vice president of sustainability, Auden Schendler, Protect Our Winters is one of the foremost climate advocacy groups for the winter sports industry. The alliance was founded almost a decade ago by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones after he noticed many of the resorts he loved riding were closing early because they didn’t have enough snow. Today, the nonprofit knits together athletes, resort owners, and snowsports industry professionals from all over the world to raise awareness about climate change. Recent efforts have included a letterwriting campaign that asks the new Trump administration to make action on climate change one of its top priorities in its first 100 days. Thousands of letters will be hand-delivered to the capital right after the inauguration in January. There’s…

If the doomsday predictions have you freaked out, you’re not alone. They’ve got city leaders nervous, too: In 2007, Denver unveiled its first Climate Action Plan and then updated it two years ago, calling for an 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Then, in 2014, the city released the Climate Adaptation Plan. Together, these plans outline the likely scenarios and present ways to reduce our impact and adjust to our new world. Very few of the suggestions come cheap. SAY GOODBYE TO GHGS. The largest portion—35 percent—of Denver’s GHG emissions come from commercial energy use. If we’re going to reduce our GHGs by 80 percent, we’ve got to start there. That can be as simple as tracking your building’s energy usage: Benchmarking alone has been shown…

MORE Raccoons Dubbed “habitat generalists” by wildlife biologists because of their ability to live in a range of temperatures and conditions, raccoons—like deer, elk, and coyote—will likely do just fine with rising temperatures. And so will the ticks, mosquitoes, and other blood-sucking creatures that come along with them. Beetles Hope you like beetle-kill furniture, because there’s likely to be plenty of it by 2050. Milder winter temperatures allow bark beetles, which damage trees themselves and can also carry tree-killing fungi, to proliferate—and mow through trees already stressed by drought. (Drought weakens trees, making it difficult to fight off infestations.) Wildflowers You likely won’t see more wildflowers; you just might have more chances to see them thanks to a longer season. One recent study found that Colorado’s bloom season had moved…

PERFORMING ARTS Dec. 1-30 A Christmas Story, the Musical In this staging of A Christmas Story, audiences will watch beloved 1940s child hero Ralphie Parker scheme to receive his coveted air rifle as a Christmas gift. This production was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Thu-Fri 7:30 p.m.; Sat-Sun 2, 7:30 p.m. Littleton Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Littleton, 303-794-2787, townhallartscenter.org. $25-$44 BEST BET Dec. 2-4 The Flying Steps Classical music and break dancing may not seem like an obvious combination, but German dance group the Flying Steps wows crowds with headspins set to Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier.” Lucky for us, the inventive crew kicks off the American leg of its Flying Bach tour right here in town. Fri-Sat 8 p.m.; Sun 2 p.m. The…

2016 THE RETROSPECTIVE A Deflating Performance For Ol’ Brady Boy Question: What was more satisfying, watching the Broncos win the Super Bowl or watching the Denver defense stymie Tom Brady and his annoying dent chin during the AFC championship game? Answer: the Super Bowl, but only by a little. Let’s Drink To That (Once We Find A Liquor Store) In a rare move of political compromise, Colorado passed a law that will permit large retailers to sell fullstrength beer and wine in all of their stores—but not till 2037. (Right now, chains like Wal-Mart and Target can sell “real” booze at only one location in the entire state, which helps independent liquor stores survive.) Yes, Colorado’s Most Celebrated Cultural Contribution Features A Talking Poo Much to the displeasure of Tom…

PEAK LUXURY You and your crew can have this swanky Front Range retreat all to yourselves. Until recently, the only way to snag a room at Wild Basin Lodge & Event Center, a secluded inn on the border of Rocky Mountain National Park, was to exchange vows. (The rustic 14-acre property was formerly only open to weddings.) As of this past month, though, the lodge’s winter weekend packages allow 10- to 19 -person groups to book the entire five-room hotel for two-day stints through April 31. Not only do you not have to share the elegant lodge—and its Insta-worthy panoramas of Copeland Mountain and Mt. Meeker—with strangers, but the $400 to $600 per person price tag also nets you a Colorado beer or whiskey tasting, no-muss dinners featuring region-specific entrées…

We’d rather spend our time at a concert or sipping barrel-aged coffee than battling the December shopping crowds. Yet the slog is worth it when the thoughtful, locally produced gift you find puts a holiday-cardworthy grin on your best friend’s face. And fortunately, you have us to speed you through the presentfinding labyrinth. Turn the page for eight more curated Colorado gifts—so you can get back to unwinding post-haste.…

Seated behind the wheel of his gray 2014 Audi Allroad, Biju Thomas pulls up to a Denver stoplight. The founder of Biju’s Little Curry Shop picks up his phone and scans his texts. There are questions about the price of chicken, which plates to use for a pending photo shoot, who’s going to deliver to-go orders, and an alert about running out of onions. With one eye on the light, the 46-yearold madly answers the messages. Thomas, who launched his popular fast-casual curry shop two years ago this month, never intended to open a restaurant. In the past, he’d sold wine, worked the register at TJ Maxx, cooked for Lance Armstrong and the RadioShack cycling team, mopped floors, written best-selling cookbooks, made toast for the elderly, raced bikes, worked construction,…

Metalmark Fine Jewelry This small LoHi store, which opened in May, dazzles with its inventive designs and highquality materials. Exhibit A: Kavant & Sharart’s Origami Fan earrings, made of 18-karat yellow gold and nearly a carat’s worth of diamonds ($6,355). themetalmarkhouse.com Two Sole Sisters You’ll find a European-made bootie to fit your fancy—and, of course, your foot—at either the original Boulder or 16-month-old Wash Park location of this swanky store. twosolesisters.com Sherpani Find a tote, crossbody bag, or backpack that boasts clean lines, recycled fabrics, and a lifetime guarantee at this 15-month-old Boulder storefront. sherpani.com Goldyn The Clare V. clutches ($205 to $225) at this longtime high-fashion retailer— which also sells apparel, shoes, and jewelry—feature simple designs with luxurious extras, such as 14-karat-goldplated zippers and chambray linings. shopgoldyn.com Kendra Scott…

Andrisen Morton $$$ This 10,000-square-foot Cherry Creek storefront is the handsome result of Craig Andrisen and Dave Morton’s 38-year-long business partnership. The elegant shop offers sportswear, shoes, and accessories but specializes in suits, whether it’s a lightweight, tropical version for summer or a 100 percent wool flannel number fit for Colorado winters. andrisenmorton.com Suit Supply $$ This global suit retailer, which arrived in Cherry Creek North in 2011, is known for its modern cuts, traditional methods, and all-natural, high-quality materials sourced from Italy. suitsupply.com Ted’s Clothiers $ An Englewood stalwart, Ted’s has been outfitting men in fine Italian wool since 1975. tedsclothiers.com Knotty Tie Co. $ A new suit needs an equally beguiling partner—and no, we don’t just mean someone on your arm. We’re talking about a custom tie, bow…

First published in 1792, the Old Farmer’s Almanac was a sacred text among those who worked the land. Its planting charts, astronomical data, and weather forecasts gave farmers and ranchers a measure of confidence in a line of work with built-in uncertainty. Today, what is now called the Farmer’s Almanac is still published annually, but even the prognosticators at this 224-year-old all-things-ag institution can’t accurately foretell how climate change will affect how we raise crops and livestock. Why? Although farmers and ranchers deal with weather variability all the time, the guessing game is going to get more challenging in the next three decades because, as state climatologist Nolan Doesken puts it, “The route to 2050 will not be a smooth, gentle upward climb—it will be up and down.” Fortunately, farmers…

There’s nothing like adversity to reveal what you’re made of—especially if you’re a tree. That’s the principle behind the work of Scott Skogerboe, head plant propagator at the Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery. For more than 20 years, Skogerboe’s been breeding the tough, adaptable plants—Russian hawthorns, burr oaks�that foresters in Colorado cities are now using to prepare their parks and urban streets CHANGE AGENT for the hotter, drier, and more extreme weather expected in the coming decades. Skogerboe’s quest to create the climate-ready plants of the future began with a college field trip. In 1992, he visited an abandoned federal research station in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where trees and shrubs had been imported from around the world and tested for their adaptabilities to the harsh environment of the high plains. When…

1 More than 60 percent of all new houses in the West are built on the urban-wildland interface, where nature meets development. When the inevitable forest fires ignite and spread, the trees might not be the only things burning. 2 Trees are sponges for mercury, lead, and other metals in the ground; when they burn down, more of those heavy metals penetrate the soil and could eventually wash downstream to water treatment plants that might not be equipped to handle the increase. If you don’t know what high levels of lead contamination in drinking water lead to, you should ask a resident of Flint, Michigan. 3As forests decline, experts like ACES’ Chris Lane say snowpack will melt faster and water will run off more quickly. Areas affected by recent wildfires…

When 67-year-old Wayne Sperling appeared in a Denver courtroom for sentencing on December 30, 2014, his long, snow white beard and button nose made him look like a reallife incarnation of Kris Kringle. But he more accurately resembled a sinister character from Oliver Twist. Sperling faced 10 felony charges related to child abuse but pleaded guilty to just one, a Class 5 felony that carried a sentence of up to eight years in prison. He’d already lost custody of his children. Now the judge would determine what justice would be in a case that had horrified the Denver community. It wasn’t the first time Sperling had appeared in court; it wasn’t even the first time he’d lost custody of his kids. In 2006, two of his children—four and two years…