Innehållsförteckning för May 2023 från 5280 Magazine

In an era when we’re constantly consuming the highly curated, out-of-context, spit-shined online lives of everyone we know (and even more people we don’t), it’s refreshing and inspiring when someone has the courage to present an unvarnished reality laced with personal vulnerability. When writers suggest doing just that in the form of personal essays, I often encourage them to give it a go. But before sending them off to toil at their keyboards, I always offer the same advice: The best essays deliver emotional rawness and uncomfortable honesty, and if you can’t do that, then don’t do it at all. In this month’s “A Different Me” (page 36), 5280 food editor Patricia Kaowthumrong not only brings candor and sincerity to an essay about how the rise in anti-Asian racism made…

Denver’s loss has become Lyons’ gain. After failing to find the right location for a neighborhood bistro in a larger Front Range city, chef Theo Adley—formerly of the Populist, where he helmed the kitchen before the RiNo spot shuttered in 2019—took his fine-dining chops to the 2,200-resident town north of Boulder and opened Marigold this past July. The restaurant, located on Main Street between a fly-fishing shop and a boutique tattoo studio, serves a rotating roster of fare driven by seasonal ingredients and French and Italian cuisines. For the hospitality veteran, whose resumé also includes being the onetime chef-owner of Boulder’s the Pinyon and the former executive chef at Dunton Hot Springs near Dolores, the foothills enclave felt like the right place to land. “Lyons is a really magical place,”…

A 2020 study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition reported that Denver was the second-most-gentrifying city in the United States from 2013 to 2017. As a veteran real estate agent and president of Denver Public Schools’ Board of Education, Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán has witnessed the displacement firsthand—which is why we asked her to explain how gentrification is affecting the city and its schools. 5280: Who is most impacted by gentrification? Xóchitl Gaytán: At the height of Denver’s gentrification, we were seeing older folks in historical neighborhoods selling their homes to make some cash for retirement. [They and their adult children] would then look to buy but could only afford homes farther north or east into Aurora, Westminster, Broomfield, and beyond. This essentially dissolved so many communities of color [within Denver…

LOOK FOR DOWN-PAYMENT ASSISTANCE Many down-payment assistance programs are available for first-time homebuyers, says Brian Murphy, manager of Front Range Mortgage. Other than Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, which allow for lower credit scores and down payments, the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority offers grants for up to three percent of your mortgage. Plus, each city and county you’re looking to buy in likely offers programs of their own. Visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website for more information. SHOP AROUND FOR LENDERS Don’t stick with the first rate quote you get from a lender. It pays to look at multiple options, says Susan Thayer, real estate agent and co-owner of the Thayer Group. In fact, according to a February study by Freddie Mac, borrowers who got…

Russ, if you’re reading this, thank you. Or perhaps Coach Hackett is more deserving of my gratitude. If I were a linemaker (I’m not), I’d say the odds on which man was my rainmaker were close to even all season long: Russell Wilson at -110 and Nathaniel Hackett at +110. Why? Because rule number one among recreational, small-time sports gamblers like me is to bet against your team, which was easy with Russ “reading” defenses and Hackett calling plays in the red zone. That way, the theory goes, you’ll always win—either in your bank account or in the final box score, which may as well be your heart. I would take a Denver Broncos win any day, in any circumstance, but barring that, a little pad in my wallet softens…

If you walked through Balch Fieldhouse and into the bleachers at Folsom Field during the past two football seasons, you saw them: PointsBet advertisements. They were on the scoreboard, on the sidelines, on the Jumbotron. The marketing bonanza began almost three years ago when CU Boulder signed a much-talked-about, five-year, $1.6 million deal with PointsBet, a sportsbook launched in Australia in 2017 that opened its U.S. headquarters in Denver in September 2021. From day one, the deal was under near-constant investigation, by everyone from the National Council on Problem Gambling to CU’s own Intercollegiate Athletics Committee. Local media was all over it, too, as were the New York Times and Sports Illustrated, among other national outlets. The criticism was multipronged, but it had one clear through line: College-age kids are…

LIVE BETTING Determining whether the next drive will end in a touchdown or if a team will stage a come-from-behind victory while games are being played is what in-game wagering is all about. “Live betting means sportsbooks can get further engagement during a game,” says playcolorado.com’s St. Clair, “instead of just relying on traditional bets that happen before games.” Live betting is trending up, and it’s available for a variety of sports, even fast-paced ones like table tennis, but industry insiders say the NBA, NFL, pro soccer, tennis, and MLB offer the most predictability. Predictability is relative, but St. Clair suggests that MLB is great for live betting. “The biggest reason why baseball is the best is the speed of the game, though the new pitch clock may change that,”…

THE PROCESS How we come up with the Top Dentists list. This list is pulled from the 2023 topDentists database, which is created using peer evaluations and includes listings for more than 900 dentists and specialists in Colorado. To create its list, topDentists asked dentists and specialists a personal question: “If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer him or her to?” The nomination pool comprised all active dentists listed online with the American Dental Association as well as with dental academies and societies. (Dentists could also nominate others who may not be on those lists.) Respondents were asked to consider experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies, and physical results. After the responses were compiled, dentists were…

Walker first heard the story of an Aurora man who was kidnapped while transporting goods to Guatemala five years ago, which ultimately led him to write “Ransom Road” (page 76). EN ESPAÑOL “I did much of the reporting in Spanish, which I picked up when I studied abroad in Argentina.” ONE DETAIL THAT DIDN’T FIT “There was a Winter Park sting operation where Homeland Security tried to nab the alleged bad guys. But you’ll have to wait for filmmaker Elvis León’s movie to find out about that.” ON HARMFUL STEREOTYPES “Transmigrantes are not criminals, despite some people’s knee-jerk reactions.” ON 5280.COM BEST SUMMER EVER Not sure how to make the most of the long days and warm weather? We’ve got you covered. Our comprehensive summer guide includes the best pools,…

Susan Loriho’s samosas are more than fried pastries: They’re a migration story. At a refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing civil war in her native Sudan, six-year-old Loriho first tasted the savory treat, produced by members of the country’s large Indian community. She carried memories of those triangle-shaped pouches with her to the foot of the Flatirons, where she settled in 2006, but she didn’t share them with the world until she was laid off from her job as a preschool teacher at the onset of the pandemic. With time and a bank account to fill, Loriho launched Susan’s Samosas in 2020, selling ready-to-reheat parcels of crispy dough. Her recipes add tender ground beef or chicken and onion to a traditional Indian filling of potatoes, peas, and carrots; then she…

5280: How does someone who’s been in Las Vegas since 1979 view gambling? Johnny Avello: It’s entertainment. In Vegas, it’s always been about table games and keno and slots—and the vibe. In 2018, I went to DraftKings, which doesn’t have brick-and-mortar casinos but offers the easiest way to be entertained: online in approved states. DraftKings has been operating in the Centennial State since day one of sports betting here—why? Mobile betting is great for Coloradans. You don’t have to battle the snow or I-70 to get to the casinos. But more than that, Colorado is a unique state in that it has big-name sports teams and a great sports culture. People like to bet on the home teams, and because Colorado allows betting on college teams, there are a lot…

MONEY TALKS $130,000 Amount lawmakers allocated annually for problem gambling when Proposition DD passed in 2019. ~$2.5 MILLION Amount that HB1402 began providing to fight problem gambling in 2023. $1,107,700 Amount, allocated by the Responsible Gaming Grant Program in February, given to the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado (PGCC) to expand programming at its new Lakewood Problem Gambling Coalition Center of Colorado, work with third parties on gambling behavior research, and hire staff for a program to spread awareness of problem gambling on college campuses. $464,265 Combined amount, allocated by the Responsible Gaming Grant Program in February, given to the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health and the Kindbridge Research Institute to fund research on problem gaming in Colorado and to do a review of gambling treatment quality and availability in Colorado, respectively. OUTREACH…

Whether you bet on the Broncos to win or against the Avs in the Stanley Cup Finals, the dough you handed to the house wasn’t a complete loss. In the Centennial State, the majority of tax funds from sports betting go to the Colorado Water Plan, a project born in 2015 to address the state’s myriad water challenges. “What most people don’t know,” says Lauren Ris, deputy director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), which manages the plan’s framework, “is that the Colorado Water Plan never had a permanent funding stream until sports betting was legalized.” That means in a water-constrained state that’s been experiencing a megadrought since 2000, a plan meant to support statewide water projects that would provide multiple benefits to the state’s H2 O users didn’t…

BARSTOOL SPORTSBOOK Ameristar Black Hawk The 24-foot video wall, 13 betting kiosks, and 29 high-def TVs give this retail sportsbook a suitable man cave vibe. DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK Bally’s Black Hawk Casino DraftKings is one of the biggest players in the online sports betting world—and its retail location in Black Hawk feels about as grand as you’d expect it to be. SUPERBOOK SPORTS The Lodge Casino It’s hard to duplicate Nevada vibes in Black Hawk, but Super-Book Sports is like a small (OK, very small) version of what you’ll find in Sin City.…

DENTAL ANESTHESIOLOGY PAGE 84 Manages pain and anxiety during oral surgery or other dental procedures using general and/or local anesthesia ENDODONTICS PAGE 84 Treats issues related to nerves and the inner portions of the tooth; root canals are a common procedure GENERAL DENTISTRY PAGE 85 Performs preventive dental care and basic upkeep of teeth, including cleanings and X-rays ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY PAGE 165 Removes impacted teeth (such as wisdom teeth) and performs reconstructive surgeries, like rebuilding broken jaws ORAL PATHOLOGY PAGE 166 Studies, identifies, and treats oral diseases ranging from potentially cancerous leukoplakia to canker sores ORTHODONTICS PAGE 166 Modifies bites or coaxes unruly teeth into alignment using braces and other devices PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY PAGE 168 Provides therapeutic and preventive care for kids PERIODONTICS PAGE 170 Specializes in the…

From casual K-pub joint Thank Sool Pocha to Seoul ManDoo (and its giant dumplings), restaurateur J.W. Lee of Seoul Hospitality Group has brought 15 culinary destinations showcasing specialties from his native Korea to the Denver metro area since 2017. In January, Lee cut the ribbon on his newest chapter, Tofu Story, on Aurora’s Havana Street. The eatery, which is centered on an in-house tofu program, is a second location of the successful spot that the restaurant group opened three years ago (and that his aunt operates) in New York City. We spoke with Lee to find out how his team—including two tofu-making experts he hired to train his staff for over half a year—transforms raw soybeans into its flagship ingredient. —Ethan Pan THE PROCESS 1. Lee sources his organic, non-GMO…

Judging 2022’s real estate market as a whole is a knotty proposition, especially considering how antithetical the first half of the year was compared with the second. While mortgage rates began 2022 on a steady climb, in late spring they surged and potential buyers got squeamish. “I had a listing the week before Easter, and the number of showings just dramatically dropped off,” says Colleen Covell, a broker with Denver’s MileHiModern. That shift led to a steady decrease in the median sales price, resulting in a market that’s more buyer-friendly. “In the first half of the year, I had clients who had to bid $350,000 over ask in cash,” Covell says. “In the fall, I got a client who was a twentysomething first-time home-buyer under contract for $440,000 under ask.…

1 TIME IT RIGHT Predicting the future of the real estate market ain’t easy, but Guide Real Estate’s Andrew Abrams says he expects the market to slow way down in late summer this year. “Things generally start slowing down as people prepare for their kids to go back to school,” Abrams says. “May and June are the ideal months to sell a home.” Translation: If your home isn’t already on the market, you need to hustle up. 2 EMOTIONALLY DETACH Selling your home can be as painful as saying goodbye to your first car, the Thayer Group’s Susan Thayer says. But you need to stow away those treasured memories of your little one taking her first steps in the living room, because it will make the process of selling easier—on…

I was born during the 1978-’79 basketball season, when the Boston College point-shaving hullabaloo happened, and I’m just old enough to remember the disgraceful end of Pete Rose’s illustrious baseball career. I was an editor at this magazine in 2007 when NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to betting on games in which he was officiating and making calls that affected the spread. The national indignation exhibited in the face of these wrongdoings was fervent. As a sports fan, I’ve always wanted to believe the athletic pursuits I watch are pure and unaffected by external forces, despite that evidence—and many other instances—to the contrary. And until very recently, most Americans and a majority of professional and amateur sports leagues seemed to agree with me, wanting nothing to do with betting…

Which sports do Coloradans like to bet on most? For the 2021-’22 fiscal year, the Colorado Division of Gaming reported a handle of roughly $4.8 billion. If you’re thinking that, like, $4.7 billion of that was plunked down on the NFL (as in, the Broncos definitely won’t cover the spread), well, you’d be wrong. With $1,197,704,193 in wagers, the NBA trounced the No Fun League by $429,091,748 in bets. What other sports did Centennial Staters put money on? We break it down. PERCENTAGE OF WAGERS BY SPORT…

In a market full of big names like Caesars, FanDuel, and BetMGM, Sky Ute SportsBook is nearly anonymous. Its three-year-old mobile app isn’t as polished as SISportsbook’s and doesn’t offer the kickbacks and free play you’ll find with DraftKings. But that’s exactly what makes it stand out, in what some might consider a charming way. Well, that and the fact that it’s the only tribe-owned sportsbook app in the state. Operated by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe since 1993, Sky Ute Casino Resort has long had slots, craps, blackjack, roulette, and even bingo, but when Colorado legalized sports betting in November 2019, Sky Ute had a mobile sportsbook ready to go within seven months. In fact, the casino’s app started taking wagers 10 months before Sky Ute’s retail sports lounge,…