June 4, 2021: Do Vaccine Incentives Work?; Author Steven Dunn Lands Emerging Writers Award
Immunization incentives include everything from drag queens to million dollar lotteries. Plus, acknowledging a nurse’s excellent care. Then, an update on a year of sports betting. And, Denver author Steven Dunn on his time aboard a Navy submarine and why he says there’s no such thing as improper English.
A Nurse’s Exceptional Care Mid-Pandemic
For an ongoing series, Roger Meyer, of Highlands Ranch, emailed us about a nurse whose professionalism stood out. She is Amy Sersante of Arapahoe Endoscopy Center. Ryan connected with them on the phone.
$50,000 Says You Should Know This Submarine Veteran Who Writes About Nas, The Navy And Black Life
Novelist and creative writing professor Steven Dunn says there’s beauty in the things we discard.
June 2, 2021: ‘Identity Capitalists’; Unraveling Roselawn’s Mystery
A local scholar says identity capitalism now figures in the movement for racial justice and gender equality. Then, hundreds of Coloradans are hospitalized with COVID-19 and almost all are unvaccinated. Plus, why didn’t police collect more video at last summer’s protests? Then, a mysterious mass grave in Pueblo. And, Colorado music stars align.
‘Identity Capitalists’ And The Fight For Equality
When it comes to racial justice, and gender equality, there can be meaningful change — or empty gestures. University of Denver professor Nancy Leong’s new book is called “Identity Capitalists: The Powerful Insiders Who Exploit Diversity to Maintain Inequality.”
‘As A Woman’ Is Our Next Selection For ‘Turn the Page with Colorado Matters’
Join us June 30 for our next book discussion featured in “Turn the Page with Colorado Matters.” Ryan’s chosen “As A Woman” by Paula Stone Williams.
May 31, 2021: Stories of Extraordinary Service On Memorial Day
On Memorial Day, stories of service that stand out: a battlefield birthday, an early trainer of Defense Department dogs, a World War II submariner, and women who served but weren’t always welcome. Plus, the veteran who created the Honor Bell used at Fort Logan National Cemetery. And host Ryan Warner shares a memory about “A Wall in Washington.”
May 28, 2021: Sharing The Journeys Of ‘Back From Broken’
In a special episode of Colorado Matters, we share journeys of recovery and stories of hope. Stories of people who’ve come back from broken. That includes CPR’s Vic Vela. His own journey is the inspiration behind CPR’s podcast, “Back from Broken,” which he created and hosts.
May 26, 2021: Denver’s Police Chief On Reform, Violent Crime; Investigating Child Safety
Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen talks about the spike in violence and police reform. Then, a Colorado Sun and 9News investigation into residential treatment centers show they aren’t keeping vulnerable children safe. Plus, the pandemic in India is nowhere close to ending and hits close to home for thousands of Coloradans.
Denver Chief Paul Pazen On Police Reform And Violent Crime
A quarter of homicides and aggravated assaults in Denver in 2020 occurred in tiny slivers of the city. That’s according to the Denver Police Department, which counts five areas of concentrated violence. So the department will deploy what it calls “precision policing … focused on those who cause the most harm.” Meanwhile, outside reformers are calling for an overhaul of public safety in Denver. Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen joins us to discuss the violent crime and the reform process.
May 24, 2021: A Year After George Floyd’s Death, Rethinking Policing; Native Firefighting
A year after an officer murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, we hear from members of a community task force about their vision for how Denver could do less harm to people — from more citizen oversight for cops to a safe injection site for IV drug users. Then, Indigenous students on a Native approach to fighting fires they say could quell future blazes.
May 21, 2021: Colorado’s New State Veterinarian Has A Bigger Job Than You Might Think
Colorado’s new state veterinarian is Dr. Maggie Baldwin. Her job includes monitoring animal diseases not only to protect the health of four-leggeds but to prevent sickness from spreading to humans. There’s a climate change angle to her work, too.
May 19, 2021: For Jordan Finegan, Victim Advocacy Runs In The Family
Jordan Finegan, director of the Colorado Healing Fund, has been raising and allocating money for victims of the Boulder and Colorado Springs mass shootings. Then, Colorado painter Jordan Casteel talks about how her art connects her with people. Plus, a listener remembers the chance to “leave it to Lily.”
Artist Jordan Casteel Finds Connection With The People She Paints
he latest issue of Time magazine features a work of art, a mother holding her daughter. It’s titled “God Bless the Child” by Jordan Casteel, who’s from Denver. It’s part of a special project from Time called “Visions of Equity.” Casteel uses art to understand individual people, as well as her own experience. It’s something Ryan spoke with her about in 2019 before her big debut at the Denver Art Museum.
‘Kitchen Shelf’ Rekindles Memories Of ‘Leaving It To Lily’
The other day we told you that the first Thai restaurant in the U.S. opened in Denver in the early 1960s. Lily Chittivej was the proprietor of Chada Thai. Our story knocked some memories loose for listener Irene Clurman, of Evergreen. She recalls eating at Chada in the 70s. Plus, some good news for food historian Holly Arnold Kinney about her dog-eaten cookbook!
May 14, 2021: Connecting Across The Continental Divide; The Symbolism Of Aprons
Two Colorado writers forged a friendship in isolation by becoming pen pals. They talk about place, politics, and the pandemic. Plus, the Apron Chronicles explores what aprons mean in American society and culture.
