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Beauprez takes on big economic bid for Denver while candidacy rumors build | A LOOK BACK

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Beauprez takes on big economic bid for Denver while candidacy rumors build | A LOOK BACK


Twenty Years Ago This Week: Former U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez had only just been named to lead the Republican Party’s effort to bring the Republican National Convention to Denver in 2016 when his name was suddenly dropped due to a potential gubernatorial bid.

Two weeks earlier, Colorado GOP Chairman Ryan Call had invited 70 business, civic and political leaders — including then Gov. John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock — to the Brown Palace Hotel to garner support for the city’s bid to host the next party convention.

“I am excited, thoroughly jazzed about this whole thing,” Beauprez told The Colorado Statesman at the Brown Palace. “We’re always looking for ways to show the world what a great city Denver is, and what a beautiful state we have.”

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But when asked for clarification on rumors that he was already trying to find someone else to take his place to chair Denver’s RNC bid, he replied, “…100% of my focus and I’m committed to the bid. I have the intention to stay.”

Beauprez did acknowledge that it would place him and others in an awkward position if he simultaneously was leading Denver’s bipartisan effort to lure the RNC into town while campaigning for governor.

When asked bluntly whether he would be running for governor, Beauprez would not confirm or deny when asked flat out whether he’d run.

“We’ll see,” Beauprez hedged. “I’ll admit I’m curious, but have not made a decision.”

As for the rumor that he would announce his gubernatorial candidacy the following week, Beauprez said he’d be at his ranch in northwest Colorado, tending to his buffalo herd.

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In other news, Russell Weisfield brought suit against the City of Arvada, alleging that the council’s four rounds of secret voting to elect Rachel Zenzinger’s successor had violated state law. Weisfield’s suit referenced a 2012 law which required that a public body must record the outcome of the vote for leadership in its minutes.

Councilmember Rachel Zenzinger had stepped down the previous December. She made the decision after being elected by vacancy committee to fill the the state senate seat opened when Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Westminster, resigned in response to a recall effort.

After four rounds of voting, Jerry Marks, was the final candidate out of five selected by the Arvada Council. On the fifth ballot, the council voted unanimously by a non-secret ballot to approve the motion, but their earlier votes were not recorded.

“I had a lot of respect for Rachel Zenzinger when she sat on council there,” said Weisfield. “I wanted to make sure that whoever filled the position was vetted in the best way possible. What was done was not that. There were a lot of issues that raised questions of transparency and openness.”

Weisfield further advocated for amending the city charter to request a special election when filling future vacancies on the council.

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“We have the money to run our representative government efficiently, or at least properly,” Weisfield said. “There’s always money to make sure that our government upholds the ideals of representative democracy.”

Mayor Marc Williams and fellow council members declined to comment on the lawsuit, but City Attorney Marc Daly said that the city had complied with all laws, including providing 24-hour notice of the meeting.

But Dave Chandler, a community activist and member of Citizens for a Better Arvada, agreed with Weisfield and said he was suspicious of the way the Marks was elected.

“It was a very ‘good ol’ boyish’ kind of meeting, which is only going to be exaggerated now,” Chandler said of the all-male council. “There was very little discussion about ‘would this be what the voters in District 1 want.’”

Marks addressed the controversy by pointing out that he was a native of Arvada and had lived in his current house for over 22 years.

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“I know a fair amount of the issues and what goes on in this community from the economic development board to the Arvada chamber… I’m just as qualified and capable as anyone else,” Marks said.

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette.



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Denver, CO

Arizona Cardinals will face Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix for 1st time

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Arizona Cardinals will face Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix for 1st time



Broncos QB Bo Nix is one of an projected four quarterbacks the Cardinals have never faced previously.

The Arizona Cardinals will take on the Denver Broncos in Week 7, facing them at State Farm Stadium. The Broncos’ starting quarterback is Bo Nix.

It will be the first time that the Cardinals face Nix in a regular-season game.

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Bo Nix through 2 NFL seasons

Nix enters this third NFL season. He has led the Broncos to the playoffs twice.

He is 24-10 as a starter and 1-1 in the playoffs.

Through two seasons, he has completed 64.8% of his passes for 7,706 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He has rushed for nine touchdowns in two seasons.

Nix is one of four projected starting quarterbacks the Cardinals will face for the first time ever this season. The others are:

  • Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
  • Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
  • Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.



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This Boulder farm dinner serves up midsummer Slavic vibes with James Beard-worthy fare

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This Boulder farm dinner serves up midsummer Slavic vibes with James Beard-worthy fare


If you were a single Slavic pagan in ancient times, the path to finding true love was fairly straightforward and considerably more exciting than going on a blind date. All you had to do was weave a garland of wildflowers, grab your intended by the hand, hurl yourselves over the roaring flames of a bonfire, and plunge nude into the nearest body of water.

In other words, ancient midsummer festivals of romance were fairly high stakes.

While you likely won’t find anyone risking third-degree burns or stripping nude in Boulder this weekend, chef Bo Porytko is reviving similar energy for a sprawling 10-course fine-dining experience where feast-goers can party like it’s 900 A.D.

The Midsummer Farm Dinner takes place on Sunday at Esoterra Culinary Garden, 8985 Valmont Road, Boulder. The event will bring together a collective of 10 chefs from some of Denver’s buzziest restaurants  — including Molotov, Somebody People, Hearth, Odell’s Bagel, Petit Chelou, Margot, Bear Leek, La Diabla and Rougarou — for a collaborative, long-table meal built around Esoterra’s summer produce. The outdoor feast will begin with arrivals at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $260.

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Porytko, the chef behind Denver’s Molotov restaurant, said the dinner series was inspired by his heritage.

“In Ukrainian culture, we have something called Ivana Kupala, which dates back to ancient times,” Porytko said. “Basically, it’s their midsummer festivities that also act as a mating holiday.”

Don’t worry, coupling up is not required for this event.

“Midsummer is just kind of a fun time,” Porytko said. “It was a good way to harness these weird, culty vibes that kind of suit the farm setting.”

The ancient East Slavic festival of Kupala was celebrated on the evening of June 23-24.

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For guests wondering how that ancient atmosphere translates to a modern dinner on a 100-acre Boulder property, the evening starts on a hospitable note. Guests arrive for James Beard-recognized cocktails mixed by the team from Denver’s Yacht Club. From there, diners have time to explore the farm.

“The way the actual event begins is people come to the farm and get about an hour with welcome cocktails,” Porytko said. “Then you’re supposed to wander, check out the space, take in the farm, and there’s a little bit of education too.”

Attendees are asked to arrive dressed entirely in white. An LED flower wreath will be placed at each setting around a massive table built for 100 people. A maypole will be erected nearby, and a live DJ will guide the evening’s soundtrack. The music will begin to vibe with standard dinner fare before veering into unexpected territory.

Diners sit at a long table under tents during last year’s Midsummer Farm Dinner at Esoterra Culinary Garden in Boulder. The dinner returns Sunday with a menu built around produce grown at the farm. (Jeff Fierberg/Courtesy photo)

“The DJ will play normal music, but then take, for example, a Kelly Clarkson song and turn down the beats per minute so she sounds like she’s speaking in Viking tones,” Porytko said, adding that the DJ will also mix in random Gregorian chants to fit the scene.

As the wine flows, the initial formality of the long table quickly disappears. Porytko said guests naturally start getting up, making friends and moving around the property after a few courses.

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“After 10 courses and eight glasses of wine, people just kind of take it in whatever direction they want,” Porytko said.

A vegetable dish is plated during last year's Midsummer Farm Dinner at Esoterra Culinary Garden in Boulder. (Jeff Fierberg/Courtesy photo)
A vegetable dish is plated during last year’s Midsummer Farm Dinner at Esoterra Culinary Garden in Boulder. (Jeff Fierberg/Courtesy photo)

To translate those festive vibes into an actual 10-course meal, the participating chefs rely on a highly democratic planning process. Justin Freeman, the executive chef of Somebody People in Denver, will help coordinate the logistics, beginning with a digital inventory of whatever Esoterra is currently pulling from the soil.

“There’s a Google Doc that we all use,” Freeman said. “We just ask the owner of Esoterra — Mark DeRespinis — what he’s growing, and then everyone signs up for what ingredients they want to cook with. We really just try to showcase what Mark has.”

Chefs look over the active list, claim the specific vegetables they want to work with and design a dish around them. Freeman then steps in to help arrange the final layout of the courses. He said the event has become an ongoing annual collaboration to give a little praise to the people who are doing all the hard work — the farmers.

The resulting menu leans heavily into hyper-seasonal creativity, starting with Porytko’s own intricate contribution.

“The idea is to highlight items from the farm,” Porytko said. “For me, I’m highlighting their beets, their Badger Flame beets.”

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Porytko is preparing a guinea hen roulade cured in the juice of the Badger Flame beets and stuffed with a chocolate mint mousseline. The dish will be served with a beet mole, a gummied Badger Flame beet and traditional roasted beets.

The rest of the collective will showcase the farm’s harvest through a variety of distinct culinary styles. Freeman is serving grilled fennel with a creamy pistachio sauce, pickled celtuce and seasoned breadcrumbs. Andrew Van Stee of Hearth is contributing Moroccan pistachio carrot rolls, while Miles Odell of Odell’s Bagel is pairing dry-aged ocean trout with a coconut pea puree. Justin Fulton of Margot is preparing charred cucumbers with agretti, coconut broth and yuzu kosho, and Rema Maaliki and Harrison Porter of Bear Leek are bringing braised leeks with leek soubise, albufera and crispy leeks. The lineup also features plates from James Beard chef finalist José Avila of La Diabla, JohnDavid Wright of Rougarou and pastry work by Ali Spahr of Hearth .

Skewers cook over hot coals during last year's Midsummer Farm Dinner at Esoterra Culinary Garden. (Jeff Fierberg/Courtesy photo)
Skewers cook over hot coals during last year’s Midsummer Farm Dinner at Esoterra Culinary Garden. (Jeff Fierberg/Courtesy photo)

The actual preparation happens entirely outdoors. The chefs arrive early in the morning to set up tables, tents and their own Japanese konro grills packed with binchotan charcoal.

“It all happens out in the field, in the middle of Mark’s gardens,” Freeman said. “We set up that morning. We’ll set up the tables, the tents, everything. Then we do all the cooking in front of everyone.”

Diners can stand right by the workspace and watch the dishes come together. For the chefs, the open-air format offers a rare chance to step away from their respective restaurant kitchens and collaborate directly with their fellows.

“For us, as chefs, we just don’t get to see each other very often, so it’s really fun and special when we do,” Porytko said. “We definitely have our own little hangout in the kitchen area with all the chefs, you know — all the weirdos in the corner.”

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Freeman echoed the sentiment, noting the benefit of the format for the guests as well.

“With this one, you’re getting 10 different chefs with 10 different views all coming together under one roof,” Freeman said.

Cooking in an open field does, however, mean operating at the whim of Colorado’s summer elements. Freeman recalled a previous year when a sudden onset of mountain weather forced the culinary crew to quickly shift from grilling to structural defense.

“The first year we had a little bit of rain at the start of it,” Freeman said. “Then the wind was crazy, where we all had to come and grab the tent so it didn’t blow away.”

Hopefully, on Sunday, the weather will remain tame, but guests should prepare for whatever Mother Nature has to throw at them, just in case.

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The event takes place on Sunday, with arrival at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. The location is Esoterra Culinary Garden, 8985 Valmont Road, Boulder. Tickets start at $260 and are available through Tock.





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Denver Broncos Roster Breakdown: Center—The Depth Question

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Denver Broncos Roster Breakdown: Center—The Depth Question


A year ago, the Denver Broncos had some questions about the future of their center position. However, during the bye, the Broncos answered those questions by extending one their starter.

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Even with that extension, the Broncos still have some questions about the position’s future, partly due to the structure of the deal they granted and the position’s depth. 

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Our last installment in this positional series was at offensive guard, where the Broncos are very strong and deep. As we continue breaking down each position on the Broncos’ roster ahead of training camp, let’s examine where things stand at center.

Starter

Luke Wattenberg

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Wattenberg is the starter and will remain so after the big extension Denver gave him in November 2025. Before the extension, his play was solid, but afterward, he looked like a top 10 center in the NFL — then he suffered a shoulder injury.

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Wattenberg’s long-term place with the Broncos will depend entirely on his play, as his four-year, $48 million deal is structured so that Denver can get out of it after the 2027 season. It’s essentially a two-year deal for about $25 million.

If Wattenberg isn’t cutting it or can’t stay healthy, the Broncos could move on and save themselves $23 million. He’s missed six games to injury since becoming the starter in 2024, so the Broncos’ depth could be tested with Wattenberg as the guy.

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Backup

Denver Broncos center Alex Forsyth (54) during the game Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Alex Forsyth

The backup spot is held by Forsyth, a solid run blocker who struggles in pass protection. He has seen the field some over the last two years. When Forsyth stepped in for Wattenberg late last season, he looked much the same as he did in the same role in 2024.

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There are still questions about Forsyth, not only with his play but also with the fact that he is entering the final year of his rookie deal as a 2023 seventh-round draft pick. Denver could be looking for a new backup center after this season, as he could decide he wants a chance to start elsewhere and walk in free agency, especially with six career starts on his resume.

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Wattenberg will be the starter for 2026 and 2027, so long as he avoids the injury bug. He hasn’t been able to stay on the field since taking over for Lloyd Cushenberry III as the starter in 2024, so if the best predictor of future outcomes is past outcomes, the Broncos had better be prepared for Forsyth to see the field at some point in 2026.

The Others

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Washington Commanders guard Michael Deiter (60) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Gavin Ortega and Michael Deiter

Oretega is an undrafted rookie the Broncos brought in, and he has a chance to compete for a practice squad spot. The Broncos brought Deiter in last year after injuries to Wattenberg and Forsyth.

There isn’t a spot for either of these players on the 53-man roster, barring preseason injuries, and it can be tough to keep two centers on the practice squad, even if the players have guard versatility. 

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The Takeaway

While the Broncos have the starting job locked up with Wattenberg for the next two years, their depth is still questionable. Forsyth hasn’t shown the development you want to see, and will be a free agent after this season.

Denver could find itself looking for a center in the 2027 NFL draft to develop in case Wattenberg’s play drops off, or if he isn’t able to sustain the high level of play he displayed after getting his extension late last year.

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