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Montessori school unveils yurt months after students targeted by racist rant at Denver City Council meeting

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Montessori school unveils yurt months after students targeted by racist rant at Denver City Council meeting


DENVER — Afternoon showers on Thursday didn’t stop the unveiling of Monarch Montessori’s newest classroom — a yurt. But the journey to this day hasn’t been easy.

“When we first started looking at the yurt, I was told there is no possibility that you are going to get a yurt permitted in Denver, that would be impossible,” said Monarch Montessori Executive Director Laura Pretty. “That’s why the girls went to city council.”

In May, a group of young girls from the school stood in front of the Denver City Council and asked council members to help bring to life a new space for their music classes. During the meeting, the girls became the targets of a racist rant from an attendee watching via Zoom.

“We can use this as not something that’s going to tear us down, but something that’s going to build us up,” said Jerod Sarlow, a teacher at Monarch Montessori.

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In the months that followed, Petty said the community rallied around them, raising money and getting permitting done in record time.

“What’s neat to see is it’s not impossible. We are a democracy, and we can raise our voice and we can make things happen,” said Pretty.

The round dome will serve as a space for music classes for grades K-5.

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Packed with instruments, the room is an extension of the school’s other outdoor learning areas. The yurt has also become a symbol for the school.

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“I hope that’s the lesson that the girls are taking away from this, that you can speak up and you can make a change and make something happen,” said Pretty.

“I don’t just feel that a child changed history. A child did change history,” said former Monarch Montessori parent Janice Resendez.

Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos

At Denver7, we’re committed to making a difference in our community. We’re standing up for what’s right by listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the featured videos in the playlist above.





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Denver, CO

Broncos OC Joe Lombardi on Bo Nix: “He’s got more arm talent than most people give him credit for”

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Broncos OC Joe Lombardi on Bo Nix: “He’s got more arm talent than most people give him credit for”


A day after Broncos rookie Bo Nix was named the starting quarterback for Week 1, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said the 24-year-old earned it.

Praising his ability to navigate within the pocket and use his mobility, Lombardi called Nix a “quick learner” who doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

“He understands what happened the first time, and he corrects it,” Lombardi said after Thursday’s practice. “He loves football. He studies it and learns every rep he gets.”

As an offensive coordinator for the Chargers, Lombardi heard about Nix through quarterback Justin Herbert — a former Duck. When Lombardi finally turned on Nix’s college film, he was impressed.

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“You’re like ‘Wait, that’s not what I expected. Let me go back a year (and) let me watch some Auburn film,’” Lombardi said. “Everything I looked at, I liked.”

Nix’s ability to throw the deep ball was one of the concerns coming out of Oregon. Even though he completed 77.4% of his passes for the Ducks in 2023, 38.8% of those attempts were fewer than 10 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, 19.5% of his passes were between 10 and 19 yards, and 10.9% were 20-plus yards because of Oregon’s offensive scheme.

Lombardi, on the other hand, believes Nix can let the ball fly.

“He’s got more arm talent than most people give him credit for,” Lombardi said.

Lombardi said it was hard to break the starting quarterback news to Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, but both players have handled it like pros and understand the team’s decision.

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As Stidham and Wilson continue to battle for the backup spot, Lombardi has been impressed with the latter’s development in recent weeks. Lombardi said Wilson’s accuracy has improved as he has gotten more comfortable with the wide receivers.

Lombardi mentioned that the former New York Jets quarterback wasn’t pleased with his performance against the Green Bay Packers but thought he responded by putting together a pair of “outstanding” practices.

“I think we’d be comfortable with any of them playing quarterback for us,” Lombardi said.

Punter battle remains “close”: The quarterback battle is over, but the punter competition between Riley Dixon and Trenton Gill is ongoing.

“It’s still close,” said special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica. “We plan on both players to get an opportunity in the final preseason game, and then we’ll see how it shakes out from there.”

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Against the Packers, Gill punted the ball three times, averaging 48.7 yards per attempt, while Dixon had one attempt for 45 yards. Both players punted the ball inside the 20-yard line.

Wallace, Jones working their way back: Safety Brandon Jones and cornerback Levi Wallace practicing this week has been a pleasant sight for the Broncos.

Both players have missed a good chunk of practice time and were sidelined for the first two preseason games due to hamstring injuries. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said it has been important for Wallace and Jones to be back on the field.

Joseph called Wallace a “super smart” player, so hasn’t been concerned about the former Steelers cornerback falling behind. Joseph said Jones is in a different situation due to playing safety and understanding new play calls.

“Playing football and being in the meeting room is different,” Joseph said. “When guys miss time, it’s critical they get back to the playing field and also off the field, having their studies in check.”

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Colorado weather: Afternoon thunderstorms threaten flooding, large hail, strong winds

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Colorado weather: Afternoon thunderstorms threaten flooding, large hail, strong winds


Afternoon thunderstorms moving across Colorado on Thursday could bring flash floods, large hail and strong winds, according to the National Weather Service.

Widespread showers and thunderstorms are forecast across the mountains today, and will gradually spread into the Interstate 25 corridor and plains this afternoon and evening, NWS forecasters said in a hazardous weather alert Thursday.

Thunderstorms will bring heavy rain and possible flash flooding, especially over alpine burn scars, according to the hazardous weather outlook.

In areas where fire burns hot or long enough — including burn scars left by the Cameron Peak fire in Jackson and Larimer counties, the East Troublesome fire in Grand and Larimer counties, the Williams Fork fire in Grand County and the Alexander Mountain fire in Larimer County — the soil develops a water-repellant layer that reacts like rain on pavement, weather officials said.

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Rainfall that would normally be absorbed by the forest canopy and loose tree litter on the ground instead runs off, starting flash floods during periods of heavy rain.

“If you can look uphill from where you are and see a burnt-out area, you are at risk,” NWS meteorologists said.

Gusty winds and hail are the main threats over Denver and east of the metro area, forecasters said in the hazardous weather outlook.

Expected wind speeds and hail sizes were not available Thursday morning, but NWS categorizes “strong” winds as 60 mph or more and “large” hail as hail from 1 inch to 1 3/4 inch in diameter — between the size of quarters and golf balls.

Storms will be most active in Denver between 5 p.m. and midnight, and strongest across the Eastern Plains between 2 p.m. and midnight, according to NWS meteorologists.

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Denver will see temperature highs of 86 degrees Thursday before dropping into the low 60s overnight, according to forecasters.

Severe weather will continue throughout the week in the mountains and upper foothills, but the metro area can expect only mild afternoon showers through the weekend, forecasters said.



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36 Hours in Denver

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36 Hours in Denver


9 a.m. Play and relax at the city’s biggest lake

Grab a North Carolina-style biscuit of the day (in flavors like feta-oregano or graham cracker, from about $2) at the brick-walled Rise & Shine Biscuit Kitchen and Cafe, tucked away on a north Denver side street, then walk a few blocks to Sloan’s Lake Park. Stroll the 2.6-mile loop around the park’s fist-shaped lake, Denver’s biggest, sharing the path with runners, wanderers, and the occasional bike or scooter, taking in the view of the sometimes snow-capped Rockies to the west and the city skyline to the east.

12 p.m. Try local-favorite restaurants in tiny Edgewater

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Stroll into Edgewater, a city of 5,000 just west of the park, to Edgewater Public Market, one of many upscale food halls that have recently popped up in the metro area, with a satisfyingly diverse collection of booths selling everything from empanadas to elk burgers, with ample picnic-table space and a central bar. Get a refreshing pick-me-up at the bowl-and-smoothie outpost Saints or Sinners? or something more substantial at the Ethiopian specialist Konjo (a vegan tray includes yellow cabbage, red lentils and three rolls of injera flatbread, $14). A few blocks north are several local-favorite eateries, including US Thai Cafe, one of the best restaurants in town for classic dishes like pad thai ($11.25) and vegetable egg rolls ($6.50), served in a cramped-but-comfortable room.

2 p.m. Chill with coffee (and cats) on Tennyson Street

Farther north, explore eclectic shops and cafes on and around the fast-developing Tennyson Street in the Berkeley neighborhood. Pop into the locally owned Inspyre Boutique, which screams “stylish cowgirl” with fedoras in earthy tones and an extravaganza of denim, and the new-and-used outdoor-clothing-and-gear specialist Feral. Pass an hour meditatively scratching tiny ears at the Denver Cat Company ($15 entry, discounts for kids, reservations recommended), run by Denver Cat Rescue, then stop by the Historic Elitch Theater, where both Douglas Fairbanks and Grace Kelly performed before they were movie stars. Preservationists have maintained the blue, 1890s-era building, showing movies and, occasionally, plays and giving tours in the summer. Then relax at Convivio Cafe, opened in 2022, with a chocolatado ($5), an espresso drink packed with chocolate crumbles, befitting the co-owner Vivi Lemus’s Guatemalan heritage.

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6 p.m. Go Australian, American Indian or Italian for dinner

Stick to northwest Denver, where dinner options abound. Two Hands, an Australian brunch-and-dinner spot in a recently reborn plaza at Tennyson and 41st, serves fresh and healthy bowls, like one with salmon and quinoa ($25), as well as a macadamia-nut-pesto cavatelli ($21). Note: The lively dining room can border on loud. Not far away, Tocabe will satisfyingly stuff you with American Indian classics like fry bread filled with meat, beans, cheese and housemade salsas ($11 to $16.50). Or return to Sloan’s Lake Park for Gusto, a sleek new Italian restaurant on the first floor of a condo building, with tall windows overlooking the lake. The pizza-and-pasta-heavy menu has delightful flashes of fruit: The summer harvest salad ($14) is juicy with peaches from Palisade, the western Colorado town known as a fruit paradise, and lemon confit is the star ingredient in the Amalfi pie ($19).

8 p.m. Fill your night with sound and color

Go back in time with a concert at the 97-year-old Oriental Theater, with an old-school marquee, in Berkeley (tickets from $10 to $500). It’s one of Denver’s many classic theaters, including the 1930s-era Mayan on South Broadway and the 1920s-era Gothic in suburban Englewood. Or enter a strange future at Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station, a trippy, 95,000-square-foot immersive-art museum that opened southwest of downtown in 2021. It’s a mesmerizing place to spend a few hours, especially with kids, interacting with Seussian animal mutations and pastel-colored laundry machines, opening endless doors to rooms with so many LED and neon lights that adults may need to recover in the on-site bar afterward. Tickets from $50. It also contains a concert venue, the Perplexiplex. Best to Uber or Lyft; the nearby parking lots fill up quickly because of their proximity to Empower Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos.

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