Evan Hecox looks a little lost standing in the red-and-white-hued world of the Arvada South SuperTarget, amid aisle after aisle of Jimi Hendrix beach towels, seventeen-piece kitchen sets, Lean Cuisine ice cream flavors, cashmere turtlenecks, HD-ready LCD TVs, iPod Nanos and Captain Morgan board shorts. He’s looking for a lamp,…
“I guarantee you, if we don’t get our liquor licenses because of anything you write, not only will your fucking paper be sued, but you will be sued personally. Everything you own will be gone.” Thus began my strange trip into the many worlds of Scottie Ewing. The former professional…
There are A-list celebrities and Z-list celebrities — but the alphabet would have to be expanded to properly categorize Dustin Diamond, who made his name in the late ’80s and early ’90s playing Samuel “Screech” Powers on the time-capsule-ready teen series Saved by the Bell, then pretty much disappeared. But…
Mayor Hickenlooper, I believe I speak for all of Park Hill when I say bienvenue, bienvenidos and welkommen to the neighborhood. And while I understand full well that your reported move to the tree-filled east Denver nook that so lovingly reared me is not yet definite, I choose to ignore…
Last month, staffers at the Denver Post stumbled on a scoop. Brewski namesake and 2004 Republican senatorial candidate Pete Coors had been busted for driving under the influence in late May while motoring home from a wedding reception. Facts were pinned down, and the article was completed on July 13…
This Boy’s Life No holds barred: Jessica Centers, I just wanted to let you know that I’m glad you wrote your story on the Eric Reynolds situation (“Colorado Prison Blues,” August 10). Life is hard enough, and given all the obstacles Eric has had in his short life, my heart…
Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland, whom Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez just chose as his running mate, likely rues her decision to appear on a March edition of Colorado State of Mind, the weekly Channel 6 chat show hosted by Greg Dobbs (pictured). Had she passed, she wouldn’t be in…
Tonight is all about public process, with two major city-policy meetings both running from 6 to 8:30 p.m. So you’ll have to decide if you’re more interested in revamping the zoning code or choosing between light rail and streetcars for north Downing Street. (Or none of the above.) If you…
The August 14 edition of The Big Idea, a CNBC program starring ad agency loudmouth Donny Deutsch, contained a surprise with a local twist. Specifically, one segment was dominated by an investigative report by Channel 7 journo Tony Kovaleski about the laws governing the mortgage industry in these parts. According…
As noted in a recent Message column, Marc Holtzman’s June 22 decision to withdraw from Colorado’s gubernatorial race fell so far down the top-story roster on most Denver-area newscasts that many viewers probably missed it. Yet the nickname he coined for Republican nominee Bob Beauprez — “Both Ways Bob” –…
This week’s Message column concerns high-definition radio, and notes that a trio of stations owned by Clear Channel just introduced HD sister signals. But these aren’t the only offerings of their type in the market. Another three so-called high-def side channels were made available by CBS-owned properties a few weeks…
Ever since the announcement was made that the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News would be sharing the same building, at 101 West Colfax, journos have wondered how these longtime competitors would deal with such close quarters. Chumminess and collegiality? Icy looks and cold shoulders? Or something in between?…
“My best chance of clearing myself of the trouble you’re trying to make for me is by bringing in the murderers — all tied up. And my only chance of ever catching them and tying them up and bringing them in is by keeping away from you and the police,…
When private investigators make the nightly news in Colorado, it’s usually for the wrong reasons. Almost every local P.I. has a story about some other P.I. who’s given the racket a bad name. The trail of slime stretches back a generation, as long as the state has been without any…
Eric Reynolds may be a 29-year-old man, but he still looks like a teenager, even a kid. His face is smooth and unlined, his body small and lithe at 5’5″ and 120 pounds. If it weren’t for the green jumpsuit with his name and Department of Corrections number over his…
Rumor has it that some people really love their jobs — but how many love them enough to want to be buried at their workplace? Former Rocky Mountain News employees H.W. “Bill” Hailey and Lee Casey did. Hailey was a longtime executive who oversaw the Rocky’s transition from a broadsheet…
Kids say the darnedest things. Once when I was substitute-teaching a third-grade class in east Denver, I went around the room and asked every student, one by one, what they wanted to be when they grew up. It’s a hackneyed gimmick, I know, but you wouldn’t believe some of the…
Joe Bevilacqua, the director of FM programming for Clear Channel Denver, is an evangelist for high-definition radio, and his sermons aren’t just lip service. “It’s very exciting, because you get to put new stations on the air,” says Bevilacqua, who’s just launched several new HD channels and has more waiting…
Reel Potential for Humor Where there’s a Will, there’s a way: Why is it so hard to find people who love movies to write movie reviews? While Westword reviews are always well-articulated and thought out, I find that they suck the pure joy out of going to the movies. Robert…
Daniel Libeskind is finally coming to town on August 30 to reveal his concept for the Civic Center. That’s more than two months after his June 15 presentation was cancelled, giving critics plenty of time to wonder whether the rumored 300-foot tower and giant pond would ever materialize. Even though…
In most places, public radio is about as controversial as good citizenship, wholesome values and Mel Gibson circa 1985. But that’s not the case with Colorado Public Radio. As noted in a 2002 Westword feature, the statewide network, which encompasses separate programming streams focusing on news and classical music, is…
A December 2002 Message column entitled “Piracy, Hip-Hop Style” told the tale of Bass Ghost, a Denver emcee whose crew briefly took over a small slice of Denver’s airwaves with Skyjack Radio, a pirate radio station that blasted unexpurgated rap to the masses. The folks at the Federal Communications Commission…
