Memorial Day Special: America’s Best Wartime Pilots; Bell Tolls For Colorado Veterans
Very few ace fighter pilots are still alive, so a Denver photographer rushed to take their pictures. We hear some of their stories, including one from a graduate from the Air Force Academy who still wonders why he survived as a pilot in Vietnam while his good friend didn’t. Then, the Honor Bell rings at Fort Logan National Cemetery when veterans are buried. A Denver man had the bell made out of frustration. And, hiking through the woods back home, an Afghanistan veteran had a flashback that inspired him to write about his service.
Denver Mayor On Housing And Immigration; New Poet Laureates; Summer Books Of The West
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock speaks to CPR News about the city’s homeless problems, including issues at the Denver Public Library, along with a possible $900 million bond issue, and local immigration policies. Plus, new poet laureates for Denver and Aurora on how their poetry reflects their cities, and how they’ll share their truths — diplomatically. And, recommendations for summer books with a Western flair.
Breaking Bread: Six Coloradans Get Together To Understand Politics And Each Other; New Horizons Spacecraft
A civic experiment: Six Coloradans, three who voted for Trump and three who didn’t, break bread together. They agreed to step out of their political bubbles, sat at our table over soup and sourdough and talked, with no shouting. Then, as the New Horizons spacecraft heads for a target a billion miles past Pluto, a Boulder astronomer joins dozens traveling to South America and Africa to spot the object from Earth. And, an art museum could help fuel Walsenburg’s future.
Mobile Home Park Quandry; Maria Empanada Is A Prize-Winning Hit; Teen Moms Take Center Stage
Mobile homes parks are a form of affordable housing, but these parks often sit on valuable land. A CU Denver sociologist discusses the issues that may arise if that land is sold. Then, the Argentine immigrant and restaurateur who opened “Maria Empanada” in Denver says at first a lot of people didn’t know what an empanada was. They figured it out, and now she’s the SBA’s small businessperson of the year in Colorado. And, a new play looks at the relationship between four generations of teen moms. Plus, why Idaho Springs has a statue of a man who never truly existed.
Why Idaho Springs Has A Statue Of A Man Who Never Lived
The statue is of a cartoon character who had virtually no connection to the town.
Denver’s Housing Woes; Denver Health’s Medicaid Worries; Grand Junction’s Mayor
As Denver’s population has boomed, its housing stock hasn’t. Now some families that were already displaced from the city are being displaced again in the suburbs as they get more expensive. A new study suggests potential solutions for low- and middle-income earners like teachers and retail workers. Then, a quarter of Denverites get their healthcare from Denver Health. The provider says it’ll have to cut services if Medicaid funding is slashed. And, we talk with Grand Junction’s mayor about the economy and a rash of teen suicides in the area.
Kids And Guns; Denver YouTuber Recognized For Blending Humor, Social Justice; Charles Lindbergh Book
A Colorado pediatrician made some surprising discoveries when he and his team interviewed hundreds of young people and their parents about access to firearms. Then, her many YouTube followers know her as “Tazzy Phe.” She’s Muslim, of Pakistani descent, lives in Denver. Her videos are funny and edgy. Plus, Charles Lindbergh sometimes skimmed just 10 feet above the waves as he flew the Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic. A Colorado pilot’s new book takes us inside the cockpit. And, a Denver Public Library social worker says the downtown library has become the city’s largest day shelter for the homeless.
Immigrant Teen Has Big Plans In US; Pet Care For Veterans; Scientists Pursue The Fountain Of Youth; Poetry Recalls Minstrel Shows
A Grand Junction teen has deep community ties and big plans for the future, but only a temporary reprieve from deportation that’s subject to presidential approval. He was brought to the U.S. illegally at age 5. His story is the first in a CPR series about people who stand to be directly affected, for better or worse, by Trump administration policies. Then, a Denver veterinarian will offer free services Saturday to the pets of current and former service members. And, Fort Collins researchers are testing ways to extend the lives of mice, with an eye toward someday keeping humans healthier longer. Plus, a CU Boulder poet’s latest work features characters like Martin Luther King Jr. and singer Eartha Kitt. Also, a new device offers disabled athletes a chance to get back on Colorado’s trails.
Denver Holocaust Survivor’s Liberation; Colorado Author’s Novel On Missing Woman’s Survival In The Wild
Each May, a Denver man celebrates what he calls his second birthday. It was this month — more than half a century ago — that US troops liberated Jack Adler during a Nazi death march. Adler survived the Holocaust, but the rest of his immediate family didn’t. Still, he’s able to find humor in his life. Then, author Diane Les Becquets on her novel “Breaking Wild,” which is set in the Colorado backcountry. The book follows a lost woman who discovers the scariest thing she faces are her own demons. And, a tiny, rural school in eastern Colorado has four seniors in the graduating class of 2017. They talk about their close-knit experience and what’s next.
Today’s Focus Is Food: Feeding Presidents; Changing Chain Restaurants; Leftovers At Coors Field
Some of our favorite culinary conversations are the focus of our show today. First, did you know about BEANGATE? That’s when White House staff scrambled to find out what beans president Lyndon Johnson ate. It’s one of many stories that comes out in a new history of black chefs in the White House. Then, after making a fortune in the tech world with his brother Elon, Boulder’s Kimbal Musk wants to reinvent the chain restaurant. And, what does Coors Field do with leftover food? Well, a group that feeds the hungry gets their hotdogs and other unused food.
Mental Health And Education Changes From Lawmakers; A Trip Up A Denver Tower Crane
Schools and mental health care got a lot of attention from state lawmakers in the annual session that ended last week. There are important changes ahead for students and for Coloradans who struggle with mental illness. Then, it’s easy to lose count of the cranes on Denver’s skyline because of the construction boom. What’s it like to go to work in one everyday? Also, Uber, Lyft and their impact on Denver traffic. Plus, private bills for undocumented immigrants are being targeted by the Trump administration. And later in the show, there’s apparently big money in crafting these days.
It’s A Wrap On This Legislative Session, Or Is It?; Inmates Explore Their Entrepreneurial Spirit
They thought their work was done, but state lawmakers may be called back to the Capitol to deal with issues Gov. John Hickenlooper thinks are unresolved, like transportation funding. They found some new money for roads, but couldn’t reach an agreement for more funding — a deal party leaders thought was a sure thing just months ago. Today, we bring back Sen. President Kevin Grantham and House Speaker Crisanta Duran to talk about what succeeded and what failed during the past session. Then, a Boulder investor hunts for future entrepreneurs in an unexpected place: prison. He wants to bring an inmate training program now in California, New York and Nebraska to Colorado.
Colorado Opioid Crisis Grows With Deadly Drug; Affordable Housing Investments Slow; Architect Ed White; Simpler Fly Fishing
A drug called carfentanil, used as an elephant tranquilizer in China, has killed at least two people in Colorado and deepened the state’s opioid crisis. Then, the prospect of Trump- administration tax cuts has softened the market for tax credits that help finance affordable housing. And, architect Ed White made his mark on Colorado with building design and historic preservation work. He was also a friend of beat-generation writer Jack Kerouac. Plus, as spring fly fishing season begins, a Colorado angler’s book describes a Japanese technique known as Tekara. Also, two Denver moms plan a Mother’s Day version of their show “Pump and Dump” this weekend.
Impact Of Rising Property Values; A Little Known Valley In Rocky Mountain National Park
Homeowners in Colorado got something in the mail recently that may have made their eyes widen. It’s what local assessors think their properties are worth. In some parts of the state, the jump in value was as much as 35 percent. What that means for your community and your property taxes. Then, there’s a little known valley in Rocky Mountain National Park; it’s where you’ll find the headwaters of the Colorado River. The Kawuneechee Valley can tell us a lot about natural and human history. American Indians learned to live in its harsh winter climate, and later, miners established towns there. Also, how the Nederland folk act Elephant Revival keeps the peace.
Pipeline Explosion Fallout; Skyscrapers Generating Solar Power; Child Reader Guest Host
The recent explosion of a home in Northwest Colorado — which killed two people — intensifies the debate over how close homes and oil and gas operations should be to each other. We’ll talk about what the event means for the industry, public safety, and government oversight. Then, how to turn a skyscraper into a solar power plant. And, Newbery Medal-winning children’s author Avi, of Steamboat Springs, was delighted to meet the sixth-grade reader who we brought in to help interview him about his new book. Then, artists who don’t let their disabilities limit them, including photographers who are blind.
Opioid Overdoses At Local Library; Beermaker Molson Coors’ CEO; Yosemite Climber’s Memoir
After a man died in a bathroom, the Denver Public Library became one of the first libraries in the country to dispense a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. And, it’s a year of transition for Molson Coors after an acquisition that made it the world’s third-largest brewer. Then, Estes Park climber Tommy Caldwell scaled Yosemite’s Dawn Wall. His new memoir chronicles intense childhood training, his kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan and his climbs around the world.
