DENVER — The back-and-forth battle to maintain a symbolic piece of art work up at a Denver home of worship continues.
Final week, we instructed you a couple of sculpture in entrance of the Worldwide Church of Hashish that was stirring up controversy within the Washington Park neighborhood.
Town instructed Steve Berke, the church’s founder, the brilliant pink sculpture in entrance of the church at 400 South Logan is unsafe and poses a hazard to drivers. The sculpture was put in about 4 months in the past.
Berk stated town instructed him that he had two weeks to use for a allow. However now he stated town’s Division of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) is telling him the art work has to go.
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Denver7 spoke to a vacationer, Jason Pollock, who stopped to admire it on Sunday afternoon.
“I believe it’s a lovely piece of artwork,” Pollock stated.
The very distinctive home of worship has change into an enormous vacationer hotspot because it opened in 2017. It isn’t your typical church. The congregation makes use of hashish as a sacrament.
“We named our faith ‘Elevationism’ as a result of we imagine that folks ought to try to elevate themselves to a greater model of self,” Berke stated.
He stated the sculpture has nice which means for his congregation and claimed town was going to bulldoze the artwork piece if it wasn’t eliminated.
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Worldwide Church of Hashish continues battle with metropolis of Denver over sculpture
However in a press release, DOTI disputes these claims:
“The concept of us bulldozing in two weeks is ridiculous and wouldn’t align with any established practices,” the assertion learn.
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The division additionally claims that Berke could also be confused in regards to the two-week window for a allow.
“The instruction the church obtained was to achieve out to our allowing crew inside two weeks – to not “get” the allow in two weeks,” the DOTI assertion learn.
A couple of days after the Denver7 story aired, Berke stated he bought one other e-mail from DOTI, that stated partially:
“Though we can not forestall any utility for Encroachment Allow to the Metropolis, we have now taken the time to assessment picture and inspector notes from the sphere, and have fairly decided that the sculpture as put in doesn’t meet minimal placement, peak, and car sight line standards of the Encroachment Guidelines & Rules. Even if you happen to want to skip really useful Steps 1-3 above, it’s anticipated {that a} formal Encroachment Allow utility for the present sculpture as put in might be denied subsequently the present set up isn’t permittable in its present location. Our really useful Steps above will forestall losing your time and payment cost awaiting preliminary outcomes of the allow assessment, when it’s already generally known as not a permittable location,” the DOTI e-mail learn.
“So you may apply for the allow. However we have already predetermined that we’ll reject it,” Berke stated. “So “It is already decided that this sculpture cannot be right here.”
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Berke stated he would not agree and would not perceive why it has already been decided the applying could be denied.
“Whether or not you’re going right here on Dakota Avenue or coming from Logan Avenue, the automobiles on Logan avenue are extra of an encroachment than the sculpture,” Berke stated.
We requested folks within the space what they thought.
Pollock stated he didn’t imagine the sculpture was a hazard.
“By no means,” he stated. “I believe it is lovely.”
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Scott Donahoe, who’s an engineer engaged on drainage within the space stated he additionally believed it wasn’t impacting something.
“I believe the parked automobiles are extra in the best way than the sculpture,” Donahoe stated. “I don’t see it being a difficulty.”
Berke stated he is ready to place up a struggle towards town’s calls for.
“Artwork is artwork. There are not any parameters on the dimensions of artwork this isn’t simply artwork to us. It’s a non secular image, and right here to ascertain our proper to have spiritual liberty and freedom,” he stated. “This can be a holy sculpture, in response to Elevationists. They view this as a logo of spiritual freedom and it ought to keep.”
The Comply with Up
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Children’s Hospital Colorado signed an agreement this week with TriWest Healthcare Alliance to remain in network with Tricare, which will ensure that Children’s medical services for uniformed service members, retirees and their families in Colorado don’t lapse.
The new arrangement, which begins on Jan. 1, comes as Tricare switches third-party companies — from Health Net to TriWest — to administer its healthcare plans. Tricare is overseen by the Defense Health Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense.
In a press release, Children’s Hospital Colorado said the new deal supplants a plan that would have moved it to a non-network participation status with Tricare. Children’s said Tricare reimbursement for children’s hospitals remains “well below the cost of providing care.”
This past spring, Children’s warned that it would have to make cuts to key departments this year because of a change in how Tricare pays for care. The insurer tied the payments to what Medicare would pay for the same services, as Tricare does for services to adults at civilian hospitals.
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The U.S. Department of Defense said the change, which was implemented in October 2023, would save the military up to $45 million in taxpayer funds annually, according to the Military Times.
Children’s Hospital Colorado estimated it had lost about $2.1 million a month since the reimbursement change was put in place compared to how Tricare used to pay. The system estimated about 16,000 kids insured by Tricare receive care at Children’s Hospital Colorado facilities, and about one in five children who receive care at the Colorado Springs hospital and clinics have military coverage.
Children’s this week said it will continue conferring with the Department of Defense, and elected officials, to ensure it can maintain high-quality, specialty pediatric care for all kids in Colorado.
“We are grateful for all the individuals and families who have joined us in our efforts over the past 18 months to address these TRICARE cuts,” the hospital said in a statement. “We will continue to share opportunities where your advocacy can help us preserve critical access to healthcare services for military families like yours at Children’s Colorado.”
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Cleveland Cavaliers (26-4, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (16-11, fifth in the Western Conference)
Denver; Friday, 9 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Cleveland will attempt to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Cavaliers take on Denver.
The Nuggets are 8-4 on their home court. Denver leads the Western Conference with 20.3 fast break points led by Christian Braun averaging 4.8.
The Cavaliers are 9-3 in road games. Cleveland ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference scoring 50.7 points per game in the paint led by Evan Mobley averaging 12.2.
The 119.8 points per game the Nuggets score are 9.6 more points than the Cavaliers give up (110.2). The Cavaliers average 16.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.2 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Nuggets allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nikola Jokic is averaging 30.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 1.7 steals for the Nuggets.
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Mobley is scoring 18.5 points per game and averaging 9.0 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 6-4, averaging 123.2 points, 45.8 rebounds, 33.6 assists, 9.5 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.2 points per game.
Cavaliers: 9-1, averaging 120.7 points, 44.8 rebounds, 29.2 assists, 8.9 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.5 points.
INJURIES: Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: day to day (calf), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).
Cavaliers: Emoni Bates: out (knee), Isaac Okoro: out (shoulder), Dean Wade: day to day (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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