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December 2, 2005 Page 13NORTH DENVER NEWS

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out how to enter for Pet of the Month at www.northdenvernews.com!

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Hello North Denver. Isnt thispaper the greatest? I love how openit is to the voices of the communi-ty. And I love how intelligent andquirky the community is. I thinkthis paper is far more

fun to read than the BigDenver Press. Even bet-ter than the Big NewYork Press. (Especiallysince the new regime).

I used to write a column in thisrag called Mayas View which someof you old timers might remem-ber. Maya is now nearly five anddoing well, a princess throughand through. Just try putting apea under her mattress! Maya

just acquired another little sister,Marley, a few weeks ago. Now itis Monica, Matthew, Maya, Marynand Marley, Or, for short, Mo MaMa Ma and Ma. Take that Yo Yo

Ma.I stopped writing Mayas viewbecause I moved out of my broth-ers house and began to spendall my time and energy helpingbuild the Dnote. Do you knowthe Dnote? The D can stand formany things, but just now dreamcomes to mind. Whatever comes tomind works, whatever you denote.

It has been over two years sincethe Dnote began. Up until aboutnow I always wanted to tell people

we were younger than we were, wanting to stay in the magic of youth, and hoping our struggleto stay in business was the resultof just starting out. And really, it

was. But lately I have started tak-ing pride in aging, proud to be herethis long, wanting to be able to lieabout being older, telling people

we are the oldest Dnote in Arvada.I love the weight time is giving tothe Dnote, the character, the pati-na that is starting to accrue. Notunlike this paper actually, whichis only marginally older than weare, our big sister.

I write this from the soundbooth of the Dnote, on a Fridaynight, while Lionel Young kicksout his inventive take on bar stan-dards, ripping all kinds of oddriffs on his electric violin intothe middle of Rocking Pneumoniaand the Boogie Woogie Blues. Ashred of the Star Wars theme justflew past me. Lionel is a beautiful

man, legendary. Heres my favoritefun fact about Lionel Young: heplayed first chair violin when LedZeppelin played with the DenverSymphony a few years back. So

he was paid to jam with

Jimmy Page. That beatsanything I got.Speaking of legend-

ary, The Clamdaddys,at the Dnote every

Wednesday night, are also a clas-sic of the age, or, rather, ageless.My personal goal is to have folkhero written in my obituary. Notreally, but I figure it is a good thingto strive for. The Clamdaddys are

worthy of the title. I figure suchthings rub off.

Speaking of the Clamdaddys, abit of local legend: Tommy is thecharacter Zeb in the new Zebra

Junction CD, Waterbourne. Check

out the CD if you get the chance.Google Zebra Junction and youllget to some MP3s. It is the best

work of regional art Ive heardsince The Reals Majestic last

year.And do you know The Reals?

They play around town every nowand then, about once a quarter atthe Dnote. Led by siblings Mattand Cheyenne Kowal, the Realsleave you shaking and smiling. If

you ever get a chance to see themlive, dont miss it. It will be akin toa religious conversion, only with-out having to convert. There is noband in the last few years at theDnote that has gotten me dancingharder.

To truly call yourself a Northsider, you need be acquainted with thelocal Culture. So check out Zebra

Junction, The Clamdaddys andThe Reals when you get the chance.All three bands perfectly embodythe Northside zeitgeist, soundinglike they just rolled down off themountains into the Arvada future.

Lionel Young, however, comesfrom the other direction, soundingmore like he shot out of a cannonfrom New Orleans. But we are gladhe landed here.

To sum up, we are summingup. Hope youll come by and joinus. Ill catch you next month, sameNorth Denver paper, same NorthDenver ink. ***

DNote

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2/11

December 2, 2005Page 14 NORTH DENVER NEWS

bottles a year.Another plus for this plant is that

it doesnt mind being rootbound. Itcan remain in the same containerfor many years and needs nothingbut fertilizing. After it matures,

yearly pruning is necessary tomaintain good bloom. Other thanthat, little care is needed.

Starting Christmas Cactus is

very easy. In the spring after itquits blooming prune it severely.

Take some of the pruned branchesand stick them into some goodpotting soil. I mix my soil one-halfpotting soil and one-half compost.My matureplant has beenin the same potnow for eight

years. Duringthe rootingcycle keep thesoil moist butnot soggy. It

will take aboutthree months

before youcan see thebranches put-ting on new growth. Dont fertilizeuntil you are sure the branchesare all rooted. The plant may setbuds in October and be in bloomfor Thanksgiving, but dont worryabout it. It will probably bloom inseason the next year.

Not all Christmas Cactusbloom at Christmastime. Somebloom for Thanksgiving or evenas late as Easter. If your plantis the right variety it may bloommore than once. Mine bloomsfor Thanksgiving, Valentines day

What can you give a gardenerfriend for Christmas or what can

you, the gardener, give a non-g a r d e n i n gfriend?

First findout if a non-g a r d e n i n gfriend wantsa plant. Every time Ive given a

plant to one of my good friends, sheeither gives it away or deliberatelykills it. Ive given up on her. Nowshe gets gift certificates.

A good plant to give is theChristmas Cactus or schlum-bergera truncata. The flowers comein red, orange, white or pink. Theonly tricky thing about this plant isthat it must have 12 hours or moreof darkness from early Septemberuntil buds form. The room wherethe plant is kept must be cool.Some flower lovers who dont havea north-facing room with twelvehours of darkness put this plant inthe closet nightly until buds begin

to form. I probably would forget totake it out of the closet. My plantsits outside on the patio during thesummer. I bring it inside in lateSeptember or early October whennights begin to cool

During the summer it gets rainand this is usually sufficient as theplant hates overwatering. WhenI water my houseplants I fertilize

with Oxygen Plus. If you over- water, this liquid keeps the wateraway from the roots so the plantcan breathe. Its a bit more expen-sive, but like the Brycreem adsused to say, a little dabll do ya.I will go through two pint-sized

Beverly NewtonNorth Denver Notions

Down the

Garden

Path

and later in the spring. It missesChristmas altogether. My son hasone that delays its bloom untilsometime in February, but onceit starts it blooms for about threemonths. These cacti-bloomingperiods depend on just where thesun is hitting them.

Go to a reputable source whenbuying plants. Nurseries are con-stantly fighting white flies. A goodnursery destroys affected plants.Before you buy, check for mottled

yellow leaves. Larva on the under-sides of the leaves are covered

with a waxy powder. Spider mitesare anothercommon prob-lem, more soin homes thann u r s e r i e s .

They are bornand live out-side all sum-mer and movein when the

weather gets

cold. Theyllsettle in yourplants and

build tiny webs. If your plant hasbeen outdoors during the summerbe sure to inspect it before youbring it in. To check for mites holda white piece of paper under theplant and shake foliage. The mitesare easily seen then because theyare red. Use an indoor plant spraycontaining pyrethrins for control.

Christmas cactus is especiallysuited to our region because our

winter sun drops below the moun-tains early in the day. ***

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With radio and TV ads prom-ising savings of 40% on homeheating costs, and home heatingcosts likely to rise by elephan-tine proportions this winter, nowseems like a great time to investin new windows. But be careful -some manufacturers appear to betaking advantage of heating costfears to promise consumers sav-ings that will never materialize.

Some people are saying youcan save up to 40%, even sayingtheyll refund the difference at theend of the year, explains CarlosPerez of Grande Vista Windows &Doors, Inc. Id never tell anyonethat.

Theres too many variables,says his business partner, Kent Trunck. Whats in the attic? Isthe crawlspace insulated? Howoften are windows left open? Allof these things can affect yourenergy bill. But you can save upto 20-30% with new windows.

And 20 to 30% is good, reallygood, when energy costs are goingup 70%, says Perez.

Common sense and insulationprovide good cost savings, butgetting new windows can makea lot of sense. There are alsonumerous other benefits to replac-ing old single-pane and woodensashed windows. Sound insula-tion is a huge benefit of replacing windows, as well as eliminatingindoor condensation. When youget a thermally insulated window,it eliminates that condensation,says Perez. That has benefitsboth for protecting your walls, which can mold if condensationremains, and keeping your win-dows looking clean.

And double-paned windowsare actually better for sound insu-lation than triple paned, says Trunck. They provide similarenergy savings. Because thepanes are further apart, lesssound is transferred through dou-ble-paned. Close together panestransfer sound better.

What many people dont real-ize, says Perez, is that they dontneed to buy something ridicu-lously expensive to get the energysavings they need. The national

brands are likely to be threetimes the price, while our manu-facturer is as good if not better.Someone who is local is easier todeal with, and it becomes really

important at altitude. Windowsproduced at sea level often swell when transported to Colorado,and this swelling can cause allkinds of problems when it comesto the seals around the windows.

If youre hesitating to replace windows or doors because youhave an older house and youdont want it to lose its charac-ter, you shouldnt wait. Woodframes are great back east, butout here they tend to get dry rot.Weve replaced some that are only10 years old. Its usually easy toreplace windows and doors andkeep the historic style - vinyl win-

dows can be made with woodenveneers, and new windows canbe made from wood. I live in anolder home in Highland, explainsPerez, and its not destroyingthe historical style. In terms ofreplacing the windows, you mightsave upwards of 30% because theold windows are so inefficient.

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Its time to get merry again inNorth Denver. Take a stroll downto 32nd & Lowell, and partici-pate in a holiday scavenger huntor visit with the

Jolly Old Elf him-self. On December

10th, from 11 til 4pm, come down forrefreshments andholiday cheer.

Well have Santaand Mrs. Claus inthe square, along

with free applecider and hotcocoa. Right now,

were working onsome elf girls um,

young, elf women to assist, saysJoy Barrett, ownerof Studio Bead andpoint-person for

the event. BecauseSanta always needsa bit of help duringthe holiday season,Dr. Kerry Iselin has again agreedto help gather childrens requeststhis season, and will be wearingthe same Santa costume his ownfather wore when he performedthe service years ago. Ringing outholiday cheer, carolers from NorthHigh School will be walking thestrip, and festive lighting will fes-toon trees all along 32nd avenue.

With a background in advertis-ing, Barrett says the more expo-sure I can get for businesses, the

more I want to participate. Imalways surprised by the numberof people who think Highlandsis Highlands Ranch. Its four

and a half milesfrom downtown,and we have so

much to offer -Everything fromcreative gift shopsand boutiques, tofabulous restau-rants, independentbookstores, healthcare, massage,acupuncture, evenchocolates and per-fumes.

New to this years festivities, aChristmas-themedscavenger hunt

will have shopperschecking out busi-

nesses they may nothave noticed before not just for greatChristmas gifts, but

also in hopes of finding Maxs ant-ler from the Grinch, or Ralphiesbroken glasses. The hunt willbegin on December 10th, and closeon the 20th. Weve worked hardto come up with a list of 32 fun,

whimsical objects things thatare nostalgic to the holidays, saysBarrett. Participating merchants

will be stamping cards as shoppersfind objects on the list, and whentheyve found everything they candrop the card off at any merchant.

Highlands set for holiday fun- Santa visits December 10

Its a Christmas tradition witha twist. The classic holiday sea-son ballet, the Nutcracker is beingperformed in North Denver with atroupe of talented children.

Performed by the Swansea

Ballet, it is a great chance to intro-duce the classical dance to fami-lies.

The Swansea Ballet began at

Swansea Elementary, but has founda new home at Edison Elementary.

The ballet class is an after-schoolprogram for Edison students, as

well as students from other nearbyschools. Classes are free for stu-dents of the ballet, though dona-tions from the community andfoundations are sought.

Esther Smith started the ballet

in 2001. A former dancer turnedsecond-grade teacher, Smith decid-ed to offer serious after-school bal-let classes to students, many ofthem would have more traditionalavenues to dance foreclosed tothem. After flyering the school,four students showed up for theclass in a nearby recreation center.Without traditional dance studio

equipment, the kids used chairsinstead.

Despite the ballet modest debut,Smith has recruited new students,advancing the school, and attract-ing foundation support to sustain

the program. Swansea Ballet is anow a program of the Center forNon-Profit Development.

The programs future seems

secure its board includes ColleenColarelli, President and CEO ofGirls, Inc., Tisch-educated filmand video producer Yvette Pita, as

well as school board member Rev.Lucia Guzman. The Edison gym-nasium is a big step up from theold days in the cafeteria, and overtime the ballet has become moreestablished and professional. The

Nutcracker represents the seasonshighlight for the ballet, and alwaysdelights audiences.

Performances are at 2:00 pmon Sunday, December 4th, and6:30 pm on Monday, December5th at Edison Elementary, 32ndAvenue and Perry. Tickets are $10and can be purchased at the doorbefore the show. ***

Swansea, North Denver'sown ballet

Once the event closes, the winnerof the hunt will win a huge gift boxof presents everything from hair-style to massage, gift certificates.Its going to be really something.

There are so many great shopsand services in the area, werereally hoping this scavenger hunt

will encourage people to discoversomething theyve never noticedbefore, says Barrett. And besides,

its been a lot of fun. The Highland Merchant

Association operates a websitedetailing events in the neighbor-hood, including the scavengerhunt. To download a stamp card,find contest details, or just findout more about the Highlands,check out www.highlands-square.com. ***

Joy Barrett, the brains and brawnbehind the Scavenger Hunt.


5/11


Now that its December, youreprobably busy with family gath-erings and holiday celebrations.Still, try to find some time to thinkabout a non-holiday topic: taxes.You may have until April 17, 2006,

to file your taxes, but you onlyhave until the end of the year tomake some moves that could ben-efit your tax situation - so youllneed to take action soon.

Here are some suggestions toconsider:

Maximize your retirementaccount contributions. If you haventmaxed out on your 401(k), seeif your employer will allow youto make additional contributionsbefore year-end. For 2005, youcan contribute up to $14,000 (or$18,000 if youre over 50 yearsold). You typically fund your 401(k)with pre-tax dollars, so, the more

you contribute, the lower your tax-able income.

Donate appreciated securities tocharities - If you have stocks thathave appreciated greatly over the years, you might want to donatesome shares to charitable orga-nizations. Suppose, for instance,that you bought shares of XYZstock for $250, and that they arenow worth $1,000. If you were togive these shares to a charitablegroup, and you are in the 28 per-cent tax bracket, you would geta $280 tax deduction, based onthe shares current market value.Furthermore, because you are not

selling the shares, you will avoidhaving to pay any capital gainstaxes on your $750 profit.

Sell your losers - Did any ofyour stocks lose value in 2005? Ifso, you may want to sell some ofthem to take the tax losses. If theselosses exceeded your capital gainsfrom selling appreciated stocks, you can deduct up to $3,000 (or

$1,500 for married couples fil-ing separately) against your otherincome, reducing the amount on which you must pay taxes. Andif you lost more than $3,000, youcan carry over the excess into sub-

sequent years. o Consider buyingbig-ticket items now - If you areplanning on buying a car, boat orother big-ticket item, you maywant to do so before the end of theyear. If the total sales tax is morethan your state or local incometaxes, you can choose to deductany of these taxes on your 2005federal tax return - but this is thelast year in which this benefit willbe offered.

Defer income when possible- Ifyoure self-employed, defer billinguntil late December. If you work fora company, and youre scheduledto get a year-end bonus, see if you

can put it off until January.Delay exercising non-qualified

stock options - You will be taxedon any non-qualified stock optionsyou exercise, so you may want todelay exercising them until next year. (Before you make this deci-sion, though, youll want to evalu-ate the price and prospects ofthe stock on which you hold anoption. If you hold an option toolong, you will eventually be forcedto exercise it; if the stock price isdown at that point, you might notmake much of a profit - and, in aworst-case scenario, your optioncould become worthless.)

If you are unsure about whichof these suggestions may beappropriate for your individualsituation, see your tax adviser.But dont wait too long - 2006 willbe here before you know it.

You can reach Eric Jasperat 303.458.6655 for more sound

financial advice. ***

Time to think about year-endtax tips

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We have a lot to be thankful for during the holidaysbecause of you our friends and neighbors here in(town name). It is a pleasure to be part of this community.Enjoy the holiday season.

happy holidays

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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December 2, 2005NORTH DENVER NEWSPage 18

Renee Fajardo

North Denver NotionsIn the 1930s philanthropist

Christine Sterling and other cityleaders began a campaign topreserve and restore the pueb-lo. David Alfaro Sisqueiros wascommissioned to paint the con-

troversial muralAmerican Tropicalon the Italian Hallin 1932. He wasdeported from theU.S. after the mural was completed. The Olvera Street

market was also renovated at thistime and an influx of Hispaniccrafters, artisans, blacksmiths,glass blowers, restaurateurs andother vendors were solicited tobreathe life back into the ailinghistoric area. Many of the familiesof the original vendors still own

and operate business in this now-thriving living market place.

Here amidst the rich historicalcontext of L.A.'s struggle for iden-tity it has been the Olvera Streetmerchants, the Placita parish-ioners and the Cathedral of OurLady of the Angels, said to be oneof the most innovative architec-tural wonders of the 20th centurya few blocks south of the Plaza,that have been instrumental inpreserving and promoting two ofthe most revered holy days forHispanic Catholics. These threeentities work together individuallyand collectively every December to

celebrate La Virgen de Guadalupeand Los Posadas in what is oneof the nation's most spectacularholy day celebrations. Their com-bined efforts provide a vibrantlyspiritual atmosphere of camara-derie and pageantry for the wholecommunity.

If you live in the southwestspending the Christmas holiday'sin Taos Pueblo in New Mexico is notconsidered unusual. Here in thewilds of the west, we are steepedin the history and blending of

culture and sacredbeliefs between theEuropeans and theindigenous natives.Amazingly enough,California too has aPueblo that is justas historically rele-vant as the Pueblos of our region.El Pueblo, located in downtownL.A., is even unknown to most LosAngelinos. But it is here that theHoly Days of December are cel-ebrated, with some of the UnitedStates most stunning pageantryand touching symbolism.

The ElP u e b l oH i s t o r i cMonumentis the birthplace ofthe Cityof Angels.F o u n d e din 1781 bythe Spanishg o v e r -nor of theCalifornias,Felipe deNeve, thePueblo dela Reina deLos Angeles

was settled by 11 original fami-lies. The forty-eight pioneers werea mixture of Indian, Europeanand African blood. Their ethnicand cultural backgrounds wouldset the stage for a city that wouldbecome known for its diverse cul-tural background.

El Pueblo, situated in the areaknown as The Plaza, is now ownedby the city of L.A. It is a historiccomplex of 27 buildings and acentral plaza. The oldest building,the Avila Adobe, built in 1818, was once home to the power-ful ranchero Francisco Avila. TheSepulveda House, built in 1887, is

the most modern of the pueblo'sbuildings. The Old Plaza CatholicChurch, "La Placita," built in1882, has continually served thesecular and religious needs ofL.A.'s Hispanic community. In itshalcyon days the pueblo was alsohome to the French, Chinese,Italian and Anglo-Americans.

Holy Days in the

City of Angels at

El Pueblo

Las Posadas procession. Photo by Renee Fajardo.

see EL PUEBLO on page 23

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7/11


The world is filled with trouble, anddisappoint-

ment lurks around everycorner. I stopped tak-ing the daily newspa-

per and have almoststopped watching news on TV. "Ifit bleeds, it leads." That seems tobe the motto of most news organi-zations. The war in Iraq rages onand the body count climbs daily.People murder, maim and cheatone another. If that isn't enough,natural disasters leave thousandsdead or destitute. I'm so tired ofhearing about it that I get mostof my news from The Daily Show

with Jon Stewart.Is that a reason to abandon

hope? I don't think so.Even if the newspapers don't

report it, good things happen every

day, too. Maybe the reason disas-ters make the news is becausethey are unusual events. Everyday doctors help people heal, par-ents love and protect their chil-dren, teachers impart knowledge,plumbers and electricians makesure our houses function. Nature?Most of the time, the sun shines,rivers flow, and flowers grow eventhrough cracks in the sidewalk.

"Don't get your hopes up" is anexpression I heard way too much

when I was growing up. It didn'tmatter if I was running for studentcouncil, studying for the countyspelling bee or applying for a job.

My mother's response was alwaysthe same: "Don't get your hopesup."

It made me mad every time

she said it, because when shesaid "Don't get your hopes up,"

I heard, "You're notgood enough." Yourclassmates won't votefor you, you won't win

the spelling bee andthat company will never hire youbecause YOU ARE NOT GOODENOUGH.

What's wrong with hope, I won-dered. Isn't it supposed to be avirtue?

"I don't want you to be toodisappointed," my mother wouldsay. That told me that if I didn'tget what I wanted, I wasn't strongenough or smart enough to handlethe disappointment. The message

was pretty clear. It is better not tohope for anything because then

you won't be disappointed when you don't get it or achieve it or

become it.I think that's a pretty mean-spirited message. Some wise per-son said, "Never deprive someoneof hope. It may be all they have."

We saw an abundance of hopehere in North Denver during thefundraiser back in September forvictims of Hurricane Katrina. It

was an outpouring of love for peo-ple across the country that wedidn't know, would never meet.

The weather was gorgeous andhundreds of people came from allover the neighborhood and every-body wanted to give something, tohelp in some way. It was a wonder-

ful thing to see and be a part of.Listen to Margaret Mead, whosaid, "Never doubt that a smallgroup of thoughtful citizens can

Dixie DarrNorth Denver Notions

Season of

Hope

change the world. Indeed, it is theonly thing that ever has." Everyday in some small way, we eachdo things that could change the

world.Last month Oprah did her annu-

al favorite things show. One of herfavorite things was a moisturizercalled Hope in a Jar. I love thatidea. On the jar is printed, "Wherethere is hope there can be faith.Where there is faith miracles canoccur." Don't you wish you reallycould buy hope in a jar? Whenever

you needed a dose of hope, all you'dhave to do is unscrew the lid.

That's what the holiday seasonis all about: opening the jar of hope.It is a time of darkness, with thelongest nights and shortest days ofthe year. Anne Lamott said, "Hopebegins in the dark, the stubbornhope that if you just show up and

try to do the right thing, the dawnwill come. You wait and watch andwork: you dont give up."

It reminds me that there isanother definition to presents. Weare all busy now buying thingsfor our loved ones and wrappingpretty presents to pile under theChristmas tree. But events like thefundraiser demonstrate that weneed to be present for one another.We need to show up and do our

work. We need to feel the presenceof our family, friends and neigh-bors. That may be the best gift ofall.

* * *

Dixie Darr wishes you a joyousand hope-filled holiday season. Youcan reach her at [email protected].***

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see FRIEND on page 22

Highlands United

Methodist Church3131 Osceola Street

Corner of 32nd Ave.

and Osceola303.477.5857

[email protected]

www.highlandsumc.com

Worship 10:00 am

Sunday School for all ages

9:00 - 9:45 am

Fellowship Hour 11:00 am

Highlands United Methodist Church

Serves Open Communion

All are WelcomeChild Care provided at all Services

Open HeartsOpen Minds

Open DoorsAll are welcome

Rev. Betty Bradford

found us a flat through the NewYork Times. It was close to whereour classes were to be held, butthat was all we knew about it.

On the night of our depar-ture, we didnt get very far. Too

many passengers weretaking advantage ofthe cheap rates andthere were not enoughplanes. Our flighttime was pushed from6 p.m. to 8, then 10,then midnight. We

drank countless cups of tea and were shoved and muttered at byvast numbers of disgruntled peo-ple. Desperate for sleep, we curledup at the airport with our luggageas lumpy pillows. I dont think weever said the word to each otherbut we knew, then and there,that the best test of friendship ishow friends behave towards eachother during unusual, unexpect-ed, dismaying, difficult, worrisometimes. We arrived in London justtwo hours before our first classes

were to begin, deciding no sleepwas better than trying to unpack,nap, and get to class on time. Onthe long flight over, Renae becamefriendly with a woman and herdaughter who invited us to theirhome for our first weekend inLondon.

Friends have quirks and habits.One of us snores a bit, one of uslays out our personal items thatmust never be moved or touchedbut must always be within reach,one of us dislikes certain typesof clothes hangers. We believe wehave reasonable foibles. Habits

with a small h are mostly whatanother person can live with. Imleaving for class in seven minutes.Are you ready? Im definitely a bitslower, usually reading or writinguntil the last minute, then cre-atively throwing on some clothesand putting notes together. Ilike a leisurely breakfast; Renaecan dash off with a yogurt in herbackpack. Sometimes its easier tocompromise; other times we eachgo our own way.

Some friends have HABITS. An

English friend invited us on atrip to Holland during one of ouruniversity holidays. Leaving herhouse at 3 a.m. for the Dover ferry,scheduled to depart at 6 a.m., ourfriend sped along single-lane, rain-soaked, leaf-covered roads, fright-ening us dreadfully. In her tinysports car, I sat on a pull-out seatthat leapt from its moorings eachtime we hit a wee bump in theroad. Like two terrified children,Renae and I said nothing as wehuddled in our seats, clinging toeach other. People who drive likethat never take notice of anyoneelse. Our friend chatted about

this and that Belgium, Holland,people she wanted us to meet, therain (now a considerable thunder-storm) - as she drove madly on,rounding curves on three tires.We vowed never again would wedrive with her, but broke that vowon our return trip from Hollandand again on a trip to Chichester.

Renae and I travel together withvast amounts of flexibility andadaptability. We need it! In Italyone year, we misread the depar-ture times of the bus that wouldtake us from Siena to Perugia. Bythe time we almost had the sched-

Theres an interesting pointabout friendship. You can knowsomeone for many years in a par-ticular setting, but until you travel

with that person, you dont reallyknow them at all you just think

you do.Every year since

1980, my friend Renaeand I have left husband(hers), children (hersand mine), and whenthey were very young,our grandchildren athome for our own destinationsoverseas. Now that some of thegrandchildren are older and civi-lized, we have occasionally inviteda couple of them on trips with us.

Occasionally too, we have trav-eled with other people, both sepa-rately and together. But in the finalanalysis, when the idea for a par-ticular trip beckons to both of us,theres no debate or discussion.Lets go, we say. And we do.

It isnt as if our travel styles orthe way we see things are complete-ly similar. How dull that would be!It is our differences that make ourtravels together so stimulating andrewarding. Renae, for instance, isfar more outgoing; Im basicallyreserved. Her sociability has gottenus into places supposedly off-lim-its according to posted signs (andonce or twice into slight difficulty).

In general however, our back-grounds, our tastes and interestshave much in common. We bothlove history, theatre, music, art,

politics and philosophical discus-sions sometimes the last two

with strangers. We enjoy meetingnew people (I would add a caveatto that since it takes me longer andIm a bit more chary), and discov-ering new places.

Were also adventurous andspontaneous. In our travels, wehave been known to change plansby changing directions at railwaystations to indulge our whims,thereby enriching our lives. One

year we changed trains becauseit was enormously important tosee as many of the places in Arlesthat inspired Vincent Van Gogh as

possible: from the apple orchardsto the cornfields, the almond treesand the sunflowers, a ruined abbeyand the Rhone River. We talked inmournful tones about Van Goghsillness manifested by the piece ofear he cut off, his friend Gauguinsdisappearance and his time at thehospital.

One year, to humor me for anarticle I was writing, Renae agreedto stay in youth hostels in Englandand Scotland. A friend of mine

joined us at our first hostel inLondon. The room with threebeds was so small that we had todress and undress one at a time,

then crawl into bed to stay out ofthe way. On the second day, thehostel ran out not only of toast buttea as well. Shocking, said myfriend, and promptly moved out toa real hotel. Renae and I didntcare. After all, a room in a hostelor a hotel is merely there to beslept in after all of each days fasci-nating activities are finished.

Our first over the pond adven-ture began when Renae, on sabbat-ical from teaching to take coursesin London, asked me if I wantedto go. My response took seconds.Of course. I quickly applied fora graduate course and my father

Rachel Pollack

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The Park Peoples Denver DigsTrees program will be distributingtrees for planting along Denverstreets on April 22, 2006. Denverresidents who have room to add astreet tree at their property needto submit a street tree requestform by January 31, 2006.

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10/11

NORTH DENVER NEWS December 2, 2005Page 22

all were full. We searched outour new friend several times inand around St. Mark's Square.He made a number of telephonecalls on our behalf and found usa room. (I think he was smitten with Renae; she thinks he wasmad about me). What a placehe found for us: a former girlsschool with enormous rooms, softbeds, high ceilings, a ballroomand beautiful gardens where wewere served breakfast each morn-ing. Although we were quite farfrom the Grand Canal, we man-aged a series of vaporettos until

we arrived at the square, wherewe began each day to wander andsavour Venice.

One evening, after watchingfireworks and other festivities cel-ebrating the birthday of Venice, we ran for the last vaporetto,scheduled to depart at midnight.But at ten minutes before mid-night, we discovered the last onehad left without us and there wasno way to get back to our place,other than on foot. I was tired butRenae was exhausted. It fell to meto lead us back. Theres a part ofme that few people know about:I read maps badly, get lost eas-

ily, which is to say that I have nosense of direction. Now Venice, atplay during the day and evening,is well-lit and crowded with plentyof people to ask for directions.But winding cobbled streets seenby light of day with throngs ofpeople chatting and laughing are,after midnight, dark and deso-late. The further we walked fromthe heart of the city, the scarier it

ule figured out, it was too late.Renae noticed a couple packingup their car and ran to ask themif, by chance, they were drivingthrough Perugia? Si, si. The nextthing I knew, we were loadingour luggage into their red sportscar, on our way to Perugia withpeople we didnt know. Delightfulpeople, we discovered when westopped for cappuccino. Althoughthey spoke as little English as wespoke Italian, it didnt matter toany of us as we chatted animated-ly, learning bits and pieces about

each other. There were other tests of our

adaptability in Italy that year.In general, we dont make toomany advance reservations, butthis time we had booked hotelrooms in Rome and Venice. It was summer and in Venice, thecity was celebrating its birthday.We arrived tired and hot, readyto claim our room, shower andunpack. Our hotel manager hadother ideas: he wouldnt turn onthe water until we paid for ourtowels! We couldnt imagine sucha thing at a good hotel. We werefurious, cancelled our reserva-

tions and marched out into a cityteeming with visitors. (We laterlearned the manager wanted therooms for family members whohad shown up unexpectedly).

We had no idea where we wouldgo until we found a tall (andyes, handsome) captain from theGuardia Civile. As chivalrous ashe was handsome, he sent us toseveral hotels and pensiones, but

Italian travels, laughter with a friendcontinued from page 20

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became. Shadows loomed every- where. An occasional cat howledfrom the misty canal edges, mak-ing us jump. Buildings we hadadmired during the day were shut-tered and forbidding. The Bridgeof Sighs seemed to float off intothe night without anchor to anyvisible mooring. Where were we?And where was our captain whenwe needed him?

It took me more than two hoursto find our way back to our room.There were many false starts andstops to consult a map I couldbarely understand. Renae and

I had a horror of falling into acanal! To this day, I have no ideahow we muddled along. We hadto suppress our laughter at threein the morning with other guestssleeping, but I think we giggledmost of that night until we finallyfell asleep.

Laughter is the third commod-ity weve learned to carry with us.It takes absolutely no space in asuitcase!

Quite sensibly, after Venice, we relied upon our reservationsin Rome, even telephoning fromPerugia to ensure our booking was in order. Reassured, we

arrived in Rome only to discoverthat the guests who were to havevacated our room had decided tostay longer! There were no otherrooms! We pleaded in a bit ofItalian, some French and Englishbut the manager was adamant,apologizing profusely. There wasnothing he could do. We final-ly agreed to what we were toldwould be a similar room at anoth-er hotel. They sent us by pre-paidtaxi to this place for una notte,signora. From the taxi window we saw parts of Rome definitelynot described in any guidebook.Dark, dirty streets mapped our

winding route. And the hotel?We were escorted to our roomby an unkempt bellman. Theroom was a long, narrow spacewith drooping twin beds and twocreaky metal chairs at an angle toa wobbly table. The bidet stood inthe middle of the room. The bell-man admonished us to lock ourdoor. Apprehensive, we pushedboth chairs and the table againstthe door. The bedding smelledstrange; we lay down on top of thecovers with our clothes on, notto sleep but to listen the rest ofthe night to loud male voices andtheir owners wandering about,

shouting womens names. Upand down the hall, doors openedand closed noisily amidst muchlaughter. As far as we could tellwhen we peered out the window,this was not only a truck stop butvery likely, a whorehouse.

After a sleepless night and asearly as possible, we took a taxiback to our original hotel, rehears-ing what we would say to themanager in our best English, hop-ing someone would help us trans-late our anger. A new managerapologized, refunded our deposit,paid the taxi fare and showed us

to an elegantly furnished suite onthe scale of a small palazzo. Headvised us that we could stay forthree days at no charge. So muchfor reservations! If, at the time,this adventure was unexpectedand startling, we have laughedabout it many times since.

Before the first trip Renae andI took together, someone, quitepossibly my mother, warned, Becareful that traveling togetherdoesnt ruin a beautiful friend-ship. (Doesnt that sound likesomething a mother might say)?And while I didnt like to contra-dict my mother, both Renae and

I would agree that our friend-ship has grown in direct pro-portion to our travels together,the adventures, the unbelievablemoments and our joy at beingable to remember and talk andlaugh about it later with familyand friends.

I read once a bit of wisdomfrom Thucydides: The bravest aresurely those who have the clear-est vision of what is before them,glory and danger alike, and yetnotwithstanding, go out and meetit.

-- Rachel Pollack

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From December 11-12, OurLady of Guadalupe, patron saintof the Americas, is honored atEl Pueblo's "La Placita" and atthe Cathedral with two days andnights of candlelight vigils, prayer,dancing and music. This holyday serves as a bridge betweenindigenous and Spanish cultures.The native Mexicans identified thedark Virgin who spoke in Nahucetlto the Indian Juan Diego, withthe Aztec goddess Tonantzin.Her feast day is celebrated withindigenous rites within the frame-work of the Catholic Church. TheCathedral houses the only dis-play of Juan Diego's Tilma inthe United States. As the scentof roses fill the streets childrendressed up in authentic costumesmake their way through OlveraStreet and the Cathedral Plazawith thousands of other commu-nity celebrants.

From December 16-24, LasPosadas, the beautiful presenta-tion of Mary and Joseph's nine day journey to Bethlehem is depictedeach evening with singing and acandlelight procession. The firstChristmas celebration in Mexicotook place in 1538. The story ofthe Nacimiento, or Christs birth,has been celebrated in Mexico forcenturies in the same manner asit was on that original Christmas.It is only fitting that the past capi-tal of Mexico carry on this beauti-ful tradition.

Olvera Street merchants, "LaPlacita" and the Cathedral all hostprocessionals during this sacredseason. Hundreds participate in

the Las Posadas processions bysinging verses of "Las Posadas" while stops requesting lodgingare made along Olvera Street. Three peregrinos (pilgrims, figu-rines depicting Mary and Joseph)are carried in the Anda proces-sion. Verses alternate from pil-grims to hosts until the sacrednature of their visit is revealedand they are admitted entrance. The Cathedral's celebration also

includes masses with indigenousdancers, church dignitaries andthousands of Hispanic and non-Hispanic parishioners partici-pating in a visual and spiritualcacophony of prayer. Outside ofMexico City this may be one of themost elaborate and largest cel-ebrations of Las Posadas in NorthAmerica.

One frequent visitor to OlveraStreet commented: "This is wherethe heart and soul of the cityis for Hispanics. To come to ElPueblo and to participate in theLas Posadas will change your viewof L.A. forever. We have history,

we have culture and we havespirit."

For more information call ElPueblo Historical Monument at213-628-3562 or visit www.lacity.org/ELP, or visit the Olvera Streetwebsite at www.calleolvera.comor the Cathedral at www.olacathe-dral.org. ***

El Pueblo's Xmas heritagecontinued from page 18

Minds Matter of Denver, a men-toring program with a focus onacademics and the college appli-cation process, is beginning itssecond year at North High School.Minds Matter expands opportu-nities and educational horizonsfor highly motivated students withlimited financial resources. Theprogram has expanded this year toinclude six new sophomores andeight continuing juniors from theprevious year. The first mentor-ing session for this academic yearbegan on Monday, November 7.

The launch of Minds Matter thisfall comes on the heels of a suc-cessful inaugural 2004-05 school

year in which seven of the eightparticipating sophomores appliedfor and attended a summer pro-gram at prestigious colleges aroundthe country. Students went as faraway as the University of SouthernCalifornia and the Putney Schoolin Vermont, to our own backyardat the University of Colorado atBoulder. They participated in adiverse set of curricula, rangingfrom architecture to film studies tooceanography.

We are thrilled about MindsMatter continuing at North HighSchool for a second year and arefortunate to have such a devotedteam of volunteers helping to cre-ate higher education opportunitiesfor a group of our gifted and moti-vated students, says Principal Dr.Darlene Le Doux. It is so impor-tant that the sophomores who par-ticipated last year continue withthe program, and that a new class

of sophomores can also join.Students were required to sub-

mit an application and undergo aninterview process in order to beconsidered for Minds Matter. Twomentors work with each studentat a weekly after-school meetingfor three hours. The focus ofthese sessions is to help menteesapply to summer college prepara-tory programs; develop essay writ-ing, critical thinking and presenta-tion skills; help with financial aidapplications; and learn techniquesto excel at college entrance exams.

There are twenty-eight mentorsand three back-up mentors this

year, all from the Denver profes-sional community.

We are so encouraged bythe success of last years pro-gram and look forward to hav-ing another great academic yearat North High School. A lackof resources, whether its infor-mational or financial, should notdiscourage students from pursu-ing higher education,says BijalChoksi, Founder and co-Presidentof Minds Matter of Denver.

About Minds MatterMinds Matter is a non-profit

organization serving as an advo-cate for highly motivated students,helping them create opportunitiesand open doors for themselves.

The organization is entirely vol-unteer run, relying on donationsfrom the community to fund andsupport its efforts.

For more information visit www.mindsmatter.org/denver. ***

Minds Matter of Denverlaunches 2nd year -expands at North High

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