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“Trust,” “The Deep Sky” and more short book reviews from Denver readers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. Sure, you could read advertising blurbs on Amazon, but wouldn’t you be more likely to believe a neighbor with no skin in the game over a corporation being fed words by publishers? So in this new series, we are sharing these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email [email protected].“Trust,” by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead Books)This is a multi-layered, spellbinding story of wealth, reputation, secrets and appearances, set in the 1920s in New York City. The more the different layers of history and truth are pulled away, each revelation leaves the reader less sure which reality is the true one. (This novel won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in fiction.) — 4 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver“So Far from Spring: A Novel of the American West,” by Peggy Simson Curry (WestW...

Parking lot popcorn stand got the boot as Casa Bonita’s reopening drew near

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

In the weeks leading up to Casa Bonita’s much-vaunted reopening in June, Don Thwaites was told to pack up the kettle corn and Sno-Kones he sold out of a converted shipping container stationed in the parking lot of the iconic Mexican eatery and leave.The sudden and unceremonious end to the carnival treat business he had operated for nearly two years in the shadow of the restaurant’s famous pink tower came as a shock to the 66-year-old Lakewood resident. Not even three months prior, the owner of the shopping center in which Casa Bonita is located had asked Thwaites if he wanted to extend his stay there.“And then it just went downhill,” he said. “I lost my income, I lost my business.”While he’s not sure why his relationship with shopping center owner Broad Street Realty soured so quickly, Thwaites has his suspicions: A Colorado dining destination that marks its 50th birthday next year was about to relaunch with much fanfare and adoring media co...

Peña Boulevard is clogged, but the A-Line runs alongside it. What’s the best transportation fix?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

Just after noon, the taillights ahead warn of another sudden midday slowdown. It’s not even rush hour — it’s just a typical weekday on Peña Boulevard.Congestion now builds at more times of the day as Peña, the original access road to Denver International Airport, struggles to keep up with two engines of growth: the airport itself, which is charting record passenger traffic, and the once-sparsely populated plains along Peña that have seen an explosion of housing and jobs over the nearly three decades since DIA opened.But as DIA and city leaders work out plans for a likely road expansion later this decade, what seems to some nearby residents like a measured fix has sparked fierce debate, not least because more capacity usually means more tailpipe emissions.What to do about Peña also has raised unique questions — over how to serve both DIA passengers and local commuters, the difficulty of improving transit connection gaps in the largely suburban neighborhoods ne...

Breckenridge Brewery returns to “craft” category after sale to Tilray

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

Breckenridge Brewery has not been considered a “craft” operation, per the definitions set by the Brewers Association and the Colorado Brewers Guild, since 2015 when beverage giant Anheuser Busch InBev acquired the stalwart local beer maker in a deal that sent waves throughout the industry. But that’s poised to change following Breckenridge’s sale to global cannabis company, Tilray Brands, which was announced last week.The cash deal — valued at $85 million, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — includes eight AB InBev brands: Shock Top, 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Blue Point Brewing Co., Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Square Mile Cider Co., HiBall Energy and Breckenridge. They will join Tilray’s already robust beer portfolio.The acquisition is expected to close later this year and when it does, the Brewers Association, the Boulder-based national trade group representing craft beer, will begin reporting production data from all of T...

Why Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis are both itching to debate each other

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

By Edward-Isaac Dovere and Steve Contorno | CNNWashington — Joe Biden’s aides and Sean Hannity agree on this: They both would like to see Gavin Newsom debate Ron DeSantis.Everyone involved knows how odd it would be to have the California governor, who is seen as a potential future Democratic presidential candidate but is very adamantly not one currently, debating the Florida governor, who launched his Republican presidential run in the spring with the air of a front-runner but has seen his campaign stall through the summer months.DeSantis has gone from starting out as a worrisome contrast for some Biden aides to a monthlong campaign reboot, with his own advisers fretting they may not be able to turn his political fortunes around and looking for high-profile opportunities for him to stand out. Newsom has gone from inspiring eye rolls and suspicion from many in and around the White House a year ago to coordinating with Biden aides as he attempts to goad the Republican into more proble...

49ers’ one-sided loss to Raiders? Much ado about nothing

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

Let’s dive headlong into the significant things that happened aside from quarterbacks Trey Lance and Sam Darnold Sunday afternoon when the Raiders reserves beat up the 49ers reserves 34-7 at Allegiant Stadium.Rookie Jake Moody, whom the 49ers selected in the third round of the NFL Draft to replace Robbie Gould, missed his first two field goal attempts from distances of 40 and 58 yards.Thus concludes your review of what really mattered, and coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t seem too concerned about Moody.Exhibition football is a sham. It’s a way for NFL teams to line their pockets with extra cash through high-priced tickets and everything that goes with the experience of attending a game in person.According to the web site TickPick, the 49ers-Raiders game had the highest price of the week with a “get in” price of $120 and an average ticket price of $185.At least there are only three of them, even if that is three too many. One can only hope the NFL can someday...

Travel Troubleshooter: Southwest refunds flight to Princess, but Princess won’t pay up

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: My family and I recently took a Princess cruise, and I booked my airline tickets through the cruise line’s EZair program. Our return flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Denver was on Southwest Airlines, which was in December during the airline’s service debacle. Southwest canceled our flight. so we had to return on another airline.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter Southwest refunded Princess in early January for all four tickets, but I have not received the money yet. I’ve sent emails to the vice president of guest relations, the director of customer service and the president of the cruise line, but have received no reply. Can you help us get our $983 back?— Julie Schumer, Aurora, ColoradoANSWER: Princess should have refunded you promptly for the Southwest flights. After all, the airline had fully refunded the cruise line after its service meltdown at the end of last year. (You contacted me in late April to a...

Bay Area vineyard with 300-plus acres lands local real estate buyer

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

GILROY — A big Gilroy vineyard totaling more than 300 acres has been bought by a group of local buyers.The San Jose-based buying group paid $7.8 million for San Ysidro Vineyards, which is located along Pacheco Pass Highway in Gilroy, according to documents filed on Aug. 11 at the Santa Clara County Recorder’s Office.San Ysidro Vineyards produces grapes for both red and white wines.The buying group is an affiliate of San Jose-based Valuable Capital Investment Architecture, state and county business records show. The principal executives are Fremont-based Shan Liu, San Jose-based Tianxing Wang and Richmond-based Yu Yan, state and business documents show.The just-sold San Ysidro Vineyards, located at 3385 Pacheco Passway Highway east of Gilroy, totals about 310 acres, documents at the County Assessor’s Office show.The buyers obtained $3.2 million in financing for the purchase from Utah-based lender Tycor Management, according to the county real estate records.The sell...

Sextortion plot led teen to suicide. 2 Nigerians arrive in U.S. to face charges

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

By Myesha Johnson | The Detroit NewsTwo Nigerian men accused of being part of an online sextortion ring were extradited to the United States on Sunday, according to the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.At a press conference Sunday at Grand Rapids’ Gerald Ford International Airport and streamed on Facebook live, officials said Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, had arrived at the airport around 11:15 a.m. to be indicted for international “sextortion,” or extorting money or sexual favors from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity, allegedly leading to the death of a Marquette teenager.RELATED: Arrest made in alleged online sextortion that preceded San Jose teen’s suicideThe two defendants are scheduled to appear Monday in a federal courthouse in Grand Rapids, officials said.U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said Ezekiel Ejehem Robert, 19, was also involved in the crime but has yet to be extradited from Niger...

Single-family home sells for $2.3 million in San Ramon

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:21:32 GMT

3362 Sleeping Meadow Way – Google Street ViewA 3,541-square-foot house built in 2008 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 3300 block of Sleeping Meadow Way in San Ramon was sold on July 27, 2023, for $2,320,000, or $655 per square foot. This two-story home provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The property is equipped with central A/C. In addition, the house is equipped with an attached two-car garage, accommodating vehicles and storage needs efficiently. The lot of the property is substantial, measuring 9,727 square feet.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:On Sleeping Meadow Way, San Ramon, in July 2022, a 2,592-square-foot home was sold for $2,280,000, a price per square foot of $880. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In June 2022, a 3,953-square-foot home on Wells Lane in San Ramon sold for $2,888,500, a price per square foot of $731. The home has 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.A 2,704-square-foot home on the...