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Justin Favela brings his inventive piñata-style art to three major Denver galleries this summer

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

There is something both silly and serious about the work of Justin Favela, the Las Vegas-based visual artist whose creations have become a common sight in museums and galleries across the United States.The frivolous part is his way of working — piñata-style — employing the instantly-recognizable method of cutting and overlaying tissue paper in bright colors that was, until Favela came onto the scene, largely reserved for covering actual piñatas.Piñatas are, of course, a staple of traditional Mexican culture that exist somewhere between artisanal craft and party decoration. They commonly have a structure of papier-mâché and they are shaped into donkeys, cacti, kittens or whatever. Children love to smash them with sticks at holiday celebrations releasing the candy hidden inside.The serious side is how Favela uses this style — which he describes as “kind of ridiculous” in a video accompanying his new work at the Denver Botanic Gardens — to make more artful objects that offer broad obse...

How you can “Doo Colorado Right” by burying your poop responsibly in the outdoors

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

When his first daughter was in diapers, Jake Thomas began thinking about the problem of poop, never imagining it would become his life’s work.But it has. Thomas and his brother-in-law, Noah Schum, knew poop was proliferating in popular outdoor recreation destinations across the state, a problem that became magnified during the pandemic when stir-crazy Coloradans overwhelmed recreation resources. Thomas and Schum wanted to eliminate the problem by developing a product that would use nature to decompose buried human waste.The Pact Outdoors bathroom kit, introduced in fall 2021, came with a small shovel to dig holes for burying waste, pellets inoculated with fungi to break it down, biodegradable tissues and a spritzer with sanitary hand spray. The tissues are compressed into tablets slightly larger than breath mints, but when they are squirted with water, they expand into square wipes that measure 9 by 9 inches. Outside magazine named it the best backpacking accessory in its 2022...

This brewery and taco truck keep it real in the Vail Valley | Opinion

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).Across the interstate from the gaudy glitz of the Ritz and the five stars of the Four Seasons is an industrial strip of the Vail Valley where a lot of the real work gets done. There are auto repair shops here, a paint store, wholesale kitchen supplies, the newspaper, pot shops and storage.Pair a Pete’s Stash hazy pale ale with a taco from Rocky Mountain Taco. (Jonathan Shikes)But tucked in amid the trucks and traffic on Highway 6, which acts as a frontage road for Interstate 70 here in the community of EagleVail, is a no-frills oasis where you can relax and enjoy some of the best-tasting, locally made beer and Mexican food between Vail and Beaver Creek.Founded in 2015 by Garrett Scahill, Derek Whiting and brothers Scott and Brian Ha...

Lynn Hill: Neguse and Hickenlooper can protect America’s rock climbing — and its Wilderness Areas, too

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

As a professional rock climber and conservation advocate, I’ve spent my life and career in Wilderness areas. These places are iconic, inspirational, and — in many cases — downright sacred.While simply gazing upon them is a powerful experience, they leave their most lasting impact on those of us who immerse ourselves in them. I want future generations to have that same opportunity, and I’m thrilled that Colorado has visionary leaders like Sen. John Hickenlooper and Rep. Joe Neguse working to make it happen.I support the bipartisan Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act because it celebrates America’s climbing history and its Wilderness areas. Climbing in Wilderness is special and requires a light touch and a low-impact style. The bill would bring much-needed consistency to federal climbing management policy and protect America’s iconic Wilderness climbing. It protects both Wilderness character and sustainable access to America’s most incredible vertical terrain. That’s ju...

Amber Alert issued for 2-month-old girl, mother after alleged kidnapping in Lancaster

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

An Amber Alert was issued Monday morning for a 2-month-old girl and her mother after they were allegedly kidnapped under duress in Lancaster Sunday.Sabrina Sanches, 31, and her baby daughter Itzel Sanchez were last seen around 12 p.m. when they were said to be abducted by 25-year-old Efrain Sanchez-Jimenez, the California Highway Patrol tweeted. Efrain Sanchez-Jimenez (left), Sabrina Sanchez (center), and Itzel Sanchez are seen in this image provided by the California Highway Patrol.Sanchez-Jimenez, who is believed to be armed with a handgun, allegedly sexually assaulted a family member before the kidnapping, authorities said. Authorities said he has threatened to murder his wife and daughter.The family was last seen in a silver 2007 Buick Lucerne with Colorado plate AUI-X94.Authorities are searching for a silver Buick Lucerne with Colorado license plate number AUI-X94.The CHP described Sabrina Sanchez as standing 5 feet, 2 inches tall. She has black hair, brown eyes and was wearing...

Single-family home in Palo Alto sells for $3.2 million

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

270 Davenport Way – Google Street ViewA 2,277-square-foot house built in 1962 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 200 block of Davenport Way in Palo Alto was sold on June 5, 2023. The $3,150,000 purchase price works out to $1,383 per square foot. The property features five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a garage, and two parking spaces. It sits on an 8,064-square-foot lot, which also has a pool.Additional houses that have recently changed hands close by include:In August 2022, a 1,866-square-foot home on Wilkie Court in Palo Alto sold for $2,850,000, a price per square foot of $1,527. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 2,128-square-foot home on the 4100 block of Wilkie Court in Palo Alto sold in May 2023, for $3,150,000, a price per square foot of $1,480. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Maclane Street, Palo Alto, in July 2022, a 1,425-square-foot home was sold for $2,890,000, a price per square foot of $2,028. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms...

California sheriff blasted for joining Gov. Ron DeSantis’ border ‘coalition’

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

Immigrant rights advocates are denouncing Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco for signing a letter promoted by Republican presidential hopeful and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that calls for tighter security on the U.S.-Mexico border.DeSantis’ gubernatorial office Thursday, June 22, announced a “coalition” of more than 90 sheriffs, including Bianco, “who are united in the struggle to keep our communities safe from the ravages of our collapsed southern border.”The announcement featured a letter signed by the sheriffs that praised DeSantis for recognizing “how the porous border has had far-reaching impacts and has stepped in to support public safety.”“We can no longer sit by and watch our nation become overrun by gang activity and drug-related violence, ,” read the letter, which bears the emblems of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and other departments whose sheriffs were signatories.“The undersigned Sheriffs join together to partner with Governor DeSantis and the state of Flo...

8th-grade California teacher arrested on suspicion of molesting 2 girls, possessing child porn

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

An eighth-grade history teacher at McKinley School in Pasadena on Friday denied charges that include allegations he molested two girls and possessed explicit pictures of one of them.Pasadena police arrested Michael Joseph Medina, 35, of Glendale on Thursday. The District Attorney’s Office charged him on Tuesday with seven counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, three counts of lewd acts with a child where the suspect was at least 10 years older than the child, and four counts of possession of child pornography.He pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment Friday at Pasadena Superior Court, Greg Risling, a spokesman for the DA’s Office, said. Medina will return to court  Aug. 3.Both victims are 14. Investigators didn’t say where they believe the crimes occurred.One victim was one of his students and several of the alleged crimes happened before she was 14, police said.“The child porn consisted of sexually explicit photos of the victim and were found on the suspect’s cel...

Something’s eating your garden seedlings? Here are the usual suspects

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

Q. Something has been eating my seedlings out of my vegetable garden. Most of them have just disappeared overnight. How can I figure out which creatures are responsible and how to stop them?Seedlings are attractive to more than a few critters. During the day, birds will pull out tender young plants. They can be easily be deterred by row covers or bird netting. Nighttime thieves are a little trickier to figure out.Rabbits are very destructive to vegetable gardens. (I am sympathetic to Mr. MacGregor, Peter Rabbit’s nemesis.) Once the sun goes down, the cotton-tailed marauders emerge in surprisingly large numbers to devour everything within reach. I once foolishly planted over 100 pansy plants in my yard, only to lose all of them to bunnies in one night. If rabbits are the problem, fencing can help. Motion-activated sprinklers and rabbit repellents may work as well. Trapping and/or poisoning may be tempting, but barriers and repellents are more effective. Snails and slugs, also nocturn...

Should laptops expire? Campaign aims to make electronics last longer to save money and the planet

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:20:30 GMT

With summer vacation in full swing, many California school districts are already sprucing up campuses in preparation for the next school year.For some districts, that revamp includes tossing piles of Chromebooks with fully functioning hardware into the trash or recycling bin.The Google laptops are popular with schools and families due their simplicity and low price. But Chromebooks also come with a built-in “death date,” when software support ends. And once that date hits, the devices no longer receive updates needed to, say, run security programs or access state testing websites, which essentially renders them useless for students and teachers.More than a dozen Chromebook models will hit their death dates in three months unless Google voluntarily steps in to extend them. The end also is nigh for tons of Chromebooks that school districts shelled out millions for in 2020, when they were scrambling to help students go fully remote during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.“It creates a...