Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i 5280 Magazine

When Jonathan Hill became a Denver Parks & Recreation (DPR) ranger in 2015, he was excited about working outdoors instead of behind a desk. But he was ill-prepared for at least one of the realities of the job: responding to overdoses in the green spaces he patrolled. “All I could do was perform rescue breaths and wait for the paramedics to arrive,” Hill says. “It was agonizing.” In the years since Hill joined, DPR has improved rangers’ training so they feel more prepared to confront America’s opioid epidemic. “Someone may decline services a thousand times over,” says Joshua Glover, park ranger supervisor for DPR’s downtown district, an area that includes Civic Center, Sunken Gardens, and Lincoln parks. “Because the rangers have a good relationship with the people who hang out…

When COVID-19 arrived this past spring I, like many others, went into a defensive cooking crouch. All the extra time I had on my hands meant producing massive amounts of comfort food for the freezer, and my flour purchases skyrocketed. I fattened myself and my loved ones on various baked and griddled doughs, batters, and hand-cut pastas. Also, scads of pizza. With convenience and time-saving no longer a priority, I moved from my usual reliance on Whole Foods’ pizza dough balls to from-scratch versions, proofing each iteration anywhere from four to 48 hours. The problem with making pizza at home, though, is that most ovens max out at 550 degrees or so and cannot produce the Neapolitan-style puff-and-char crust that is the highest achievement of the art. The texture of…

Long before anyone knew about Big Agnes or its sleeping bags, founder Bill Gamber and former PR manager (now co-owner) Len Zanni went to Outdoor Retailer (OR) to sell magazine editors, product buyers, and gear junkies on their sleeping bag/sleeping pad combo. They only had two prototypes, but the trip to Salt Lake City, where OR was held before it moved to Denver in 2018, was successful: They got a lot of buzz and within the next few years were winning awards. Unfortunately, brands didn’t have the same opportunity this past summer. On April 2, COVID-19 spurred the cancelation of OR’s Summer Market. The show ultimately transitioned to an online platform, where attendees virtually visited brands’ booths and listened to talks. Still, industry members are feeling the absence of face-to-face…

In the early weeks of the pandemic, gear stores braced for catastrophe. With people out of work and stuck at home, they feared sales would plummet. It didn’t take long, though, for Coloradans to realize that social-distancing-friendly trails, rivers, and campsites were open, leading them to Front Range shops to gear up. All at the same time. Exacerbating shortages even further, many manufacturers closed down production facilities due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. “It was like a whiplash,” says Rick Case, founder of Nite Ize. “Retailers were closing their stores, people were staying home, and the demand for product initially stopped.” Then, he explains, people started going outdoors, leading to boosted sales. Meanwhile, larger retailers such as REI struggled to keep up. “Our business is booming because…

SPOOFING Flimflam artists use sneaky tricks to disguise email addresses, sender names, or URLs—often by changing just one word or letter or number—to make it look like you’re interacting with a trusted source. Scammers can even spoof phone numbers, faking the name and number that shows up on your caller ID to make the call look local or like it’s coming from a government agency or even the hospital. ILLEGAL ROBOCALLS These are the randomized, automated calls you get about your car’s warranty expiring or winning that all-expenses-paid Caribbean cruise or being in trouble with the IRS. Not so long ago, the Federal Trade Commission created the National Do Not Call Registry, and we all thought our cells would stop ringing incessantly. Unfortunately, the Do Not Call Registry only stopped…

Warm up by the flames (PSA: always check for local fire regulations and restrictions!) with your outdoor buddy in Kelty’s mesh low loveseat, which includes insulated beverage holders. $110, kelty.com Lighten up your entire campsite with this rechargeable lantern from Littleton’s Fenix Lighting. The hangable illuminator has three brightness levels and a scope of 360 degrees. $60, fenixlighting.com Nab the Ascent down sleeping bag from Sea to Summit, whose North American headquarters are in Boulder. Its duck down is sure to keep you warm even on the most frigid night. Starting at $349, seatosummitusa.com Cortez-based Osprey’s backpacks are wildly popular among gear aficionados, and who are we to disagree? Pack your supplies in its updated-this-year Aether Plus 60/Ariel Plus 60—the mens and womens versions, respectively, include new foam back panels…

Although it’s a frustrating reality that many scammers ultimately get away with their cons, being able to learn about and track consumer fraud is the best way to fight it—for everyday citizens as well as law enforcement. “We know people often feel too embarrassed to report being a victim of a scam,” says the FBI’s Scott Schons, “but people need to understand they didn’t do anything wrong. These crime organizations are very sophisticated.” If you’ve experienced consumer fraud (whether you lost money or not), you can and should report it to one or more of the organizations or government agencies below. And whether or not you’ve ever encountered a scam, you need to know what’s out there so you can spot it when it does inevitably happen; luckily, these groups…

PRICE KEY (Average Entrée) $ UNDER $10 $$ $11 TO $15 $$$ $16 TO $ 2 5 $$$$ $ 26 AND HIGHER. SYMBOL KEY NEW Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened). 25 BEST Indicates inclusion in 5280’s 2019 list of Denver’s best restaurants; we did not release a 2020 list due to COVID-19 disruptions and closures. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change. A 25 BEST Annette $$$ Aurora / American Chef Caroline Glover brings a warm dining experience to Stanley Marketplace with Annette. Enjoy a family-style menu featuring seasonal salads, toasts, and wood-grilled fare. Reservations accepted. Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Ste. 108, Aurora, 720-710-9975. Dinner, Brunch 25 BEST Arcana $$$$…

SMARTWOOL Before founding this apparel manufacturer in Steamboat Springs in 1994, Peter and Patty Duke were ski instructors in Vermont who hated how wet their cotton socks got. Instead of accepting their cold-toed fate, the duo embarked on a mission to find a material that wouldn’t get soggy. After numerous tests, they discovered merino wool, an insulating, moisture-wicking fiber that comes from its namesake breed of sheep. Turns out, it’s not just good for the feet: The company, which was acquired in 2005 by Timberland (now part of Denver-based VF Corporation) for $82 million, also uses it in apparel like sweaters, dresses, and even underwear. The OG: Merino wool socks The Latest: Women’s merino 250 drape-neck hoodie in masala heather, $140; merino 250 base layer colorblock bottom in canyon rose…

CYCLING: In Cherry Creek, Alchemy Bicycles makes an array of high-end bikes; Pearl Izumi produces quality cycling apparel in Louisville for pros and novices alike. alchemybicycles.com, pearlizumi.com FLY-FISHING: Try Denver’s Fishpond for vests, nets, gear bags, and more; Ross Reels makes award-winning reels in Montrose. fishpondusa.com, rossreels.com MOUNTAIN BIKING: Guerrilla Gravity in Jefferson Park sells made-in-America carbon fiber bikes; Reeb Cycles in Longmont offers an assortment of bikes (and was started by Oskar Blues founder Dale Katechis). ridegg.com, reebcycles.com PACKRAFTING: Find Denverborn Kokopelli’s rafts at Confluence Kayaks in Jefferson Park; Alpacka’s boats are made to order in Mancos. kokopellipackraft.com, alpackaraft.com ROCK CLIMBING: Lafayette’s Great Trango Holdings has all the ropes, carabiners, harnesses, and helmets you require; Italy-born CAMP—whose North American headquarters are in Golden—is renowned for its ultralight climbing (and…

IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE I remember his voice. Formal, clipped, rote. He sounded exactly how I imagine a police officer delivering bad news might sound. As he spoke, I could feel the hot flush of anxiety in my earlobes. Ma’am, he said, a bench warrant has been issued for your arrest. It seems you failed to appear for jury duty last month. The thing was, I had shown up for jury duty on August 28, 2018, just a few weeks earlier. I’d sat in Denver’s Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse for four hours before being thanked for my service and released, and I told the Denver Police Department (DPD) officer as much. He sighed the sigh of an overworked, frustrated public servant and told me that sometimes things like this happen; that…

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Ask your phone company about its spam filter technology. The 2019 TRACED Act requires voice service providers to develop authentication technology. Most of the larger companies already offer some measures of protection, but it can’t hurt to ask what’s available to you. 2. Freeze your credit. Sometimes called a security freeze, this free tool allows you to restrict access to your credit report, which makes it difficult for scammers to steal your identity and open new accounts in your name. Doing this does not affect your credit score, but you may need to temporarily unfreeze it if you need to open a new account. You’ll need to contact Equifax, Experian, and Transunion—the three credit bureaus—to freeze your credit. 3. Don’t post your entire life online. We know you…

Listening to Martha Paluch talk about her job will destroy any anxiety-suppressing denial you might’ve been allowing yourself about the shadowy recesses of the internet and the threats that lurk therein. As chief of the economic crimes section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado, Paluch discusses “money mules,” “tracking international IP addresses,” and the “dark web” like other people talk about the weekly budget report. However, the tenor of her voice changes from nonchalant to something approaching glee when the name Leonard Luton comes up. “We got lucky with that case,” she says, “because the fraudsters were here in Colorado.” Although Paluch couldn’t discuss details because Luton had yet to be sentenced at press time, a release from her office in February revealed that Paluch helped prosecute and convict…