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Spend a summer in Colorado, and you’ll feel it. It begins with a subtle shift of the wind and a gradual darkening of the clouds. Linger outside, and peals of distant thunder grow to a sky-splitting volume. The air crackles with electricity, buzzing between shoelaces and lifting arm hair into a static-y stiffness. It’s only a matter of time before the electric charges overwhelm the clouds and flash to Earth in terrifying, 50,000-degree bolts. And every year, those bolts find people—hikers, boaters, picnickers, softball players, people walking their dogs—along the way.

Most Coloradans dread a direct zap, but instant death by lightning bolt is hardly the most likely outcome to fear. Lightning kills only one out of 10 strike victims outright, usually from cardiac arrest, leaving the other 90 percent alive but at risk for a lifetime of mysterious, debilitating symptoms, for which there is no specific treatment. “Lightning can cause injuries to every single organ system and neurological system in the body,” says Dr. George Rossie, a Denver neuropsychologist and member of St. Anthony Hospital’s Lightning Data Center. “And it’s impossible to predict which organ systems will be affected.” Survivors’ experiences vary wildly: Some escape with relatively minor injuries, while others battle serious, long-lasting trauma to the brain and nervous system. These survivors may face cognitive and memory deficits, nerve damage, chronic pain, seizures, and personality changes. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety are common. Some survivors can no longer function in their careers, and personal relationships often become a casualty of the strike. “It can be a devastating injury to the person and to the family,” says Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, an expert in lightning injury and professor emerita at the University of Illinois-Chicago. She says that having an understanding physician who is willing to work with the patient to find a successful treatment method—from cognitive or physical therapy to pain medication—is essential to recovery.

Mountain weather, great swathes of exposed high country, and a fanatically outdoorsy population combine to make the Rocky Mountain region ground zero for lightning deaths and injuries. Wyoming and Colorado ranked number one and two, respectively, for fatal strikes per million residents from 2002 to 2011, and Colorado alone accounts for 141 deaths over the past 52 years (making us the state with the fifth-highest body count, behind several southern states with much more frequent lightning flashes). Experts estimate that there are 10 injuries for every reported fatality, making lightning a serious concern for Coloradans. “People realize that it’s very dangerous,” says strike survivor Betsy Smith. “But do they realize how careful they need to be? Definitely not.”

The Hot Route

Struck on: August 13, 2005  |  Vedauwoo, Wyoming

Phil Broscovak can pinpoint the exact instant his life turned upside down: 12:38 p.m., August 13, 2005, just after a lightning bolt blasted him off a sheer rock face, leaving him dangling in midair.

The Louisville electrician and longtime climber, now 55, had taken two of his kids and a nephew to Vedauwoo, a popular climbing spot just over the Wyoming border, for a day on Edward’s Crack. Broscovak’s nephew, Barry, the last climber to tackle the route, was nearly finished when thunder rumbled to the west. Broscovak got the group to safety, then tied in and climbed back up to retrieve their equipment.

He remembers traversing 60 feet to a permanent anchor just before the skies erupted and a tangled rope halted his descent. “All of a sudden, the storm was on me,” he says. Up to a billion volts of electricity struck the rock eight inches from Broscovak’s head, then arced to him: “It felt like being stung by 10,000 wasps from the inside out.” As he fell, Broscovak was dimly aware of a bluish glow surrounding his body. Then he hit the end of the rope and blacked out. It got worse. “I can’t describe how much pain I was in,” he says. “When you get a pulse of electricity, every muscle fires simultaneously—you’re flopping around like a cancan dancer. The next day, I couldn’t stand up straight.” Still, Broscovak didn’t head to the emergency room; having been battered and bruised on climbs in the past, he thought he could simply “push through.”

Horrific as it was, the trauma from that day marked only the beginning of an arduous, seven-year struggle to overcome the damage done to his nervous system. “It’s very much a traumatic brain injury,” Broscovak says. Electrical shocks of that magnitude can injure the central, autonomic, and peripheral nervous systems, wreaking havoc on everything from memory to temperature perception to language usage. Broscovak experienced the gamut of symptoms during his enduring bout with what he calls “lightning malaria”: periods of near normality interrupted by unpredictable, Jekyll and Hyde–like transformations. During these fugue states, which lasted for several days at a time, he became hypersensitive to sound. Basic words would elude him when he tried to write or speak. He alternated between crippling insomnia and days when he couldn’t force his eyelids to open. His perception of body temperature went off the rails—probably due to an injury to the hypothalamus portion of the brain—leaving him swaddled in blankets on sweltering days and sweating in subzero weather.

Not surprisingly, these fugues left him agitated, irritated, and exhausted—and his relationships suffered for it. “He’d have mood changes when the weather was changing,” remembers Broscovak’s daughter, Amber, who was 11 when he was struck. “It was scary. He’d get really angry and upset. At the time, I didn’t really understand why it had such an effect on him.” Broscovak’s marriage also fell apart in the aftermath. “The strike was a huge factor in my divorce,” he says.

At first, Broscovak suffered largely alone. Not realizing the severity of his injury, he didn’t seek immediate medical attention; it took him months to tie his bizarre symptoms to the strike. “I thought I was just working too hard,” he says ruefully. Even when he made the connection, “Doctors would blow it off,” he says. “You’re thrown out on your own.” What did finally help was getting in touch with other lightning-strike survivors through online forums and support groups. Through them, Broscovak learned he wasn’t going crazy—and he wasn’t alone. “It really does change you,” he says. “It’s an invisible burden. People don’t understand—there’s no sympathy for people hurting.”

Over the next seven years, the fugue states lessened in frequency and intensity until they almost disappeared. (Broscovak attributes much of his recovery to blue-green algae and fish oil supplements, though University of Illinois-Chicago’s Dr. Mary Ann Cooper cautions that there’s currently no scientific evidence for their effectiveness.) Today, though he still experiences symptoms, they’re much milder. One afternoon last July, nearly seven years after his brush with death, Broscovak was guiding a client on Boulder’s Flatirons when a thunderstorm stalled in the air just east of town. “I was nervous, but I kept it together,” he says. “Emotionally, that was a huge step for me.”

Back from the Brink

Struck on: July 17, 2006  |  Marble, Colorado

Brock Neville was 15 years old the day a lightningbolt stopped his heart. It was July 17, 2006: He remembers hiking into the Lead King Basin near Marble, Colorado, with his aunt, uncle, and the Wooldridges, a family of friendly Denverites they’d met earlier that week. He recalls snapping photos of columbine-choked meadows as he went, and remembers the sudden deluge at 12,000 feet that forced him under a tree for cover. He knows he leaned against the trunk as he pulled on a rain shell. But after that, nothing. His memory goes blank.

Neville’s aunt and uncle filled him in on the rest a few days later. A Kansas native, Neville didn’t know that lightning can travel from a treetop into a nearby human body—which is exactly what happened when the storm’s first flash struck the tree he was leaning on, flowing into him through his right hand. The force of the strike knocked everyone in the group to the ground and temporarily paralyzed his uncle, Chad Mohr, from the waist down. But only Neville’s heart skittered to a stop.

Charlie Wooldridge remembered CPR from his Boy Scout days. The Denver artist rushed to Neville’s side and pumped life back into him for 20 minutes, until his pulse finally stabilized. After Wooldridge and his family left to get help, Neville’s uncle saved his life a second time, 30 minutes later, by forcing the pooling blood and fluid out of Neville’s lungs using the Heimlich maneuver.

“The first thing I remember is seeing my mom and dad crying their eyes out in the hospital,” Neville says. “The doctors didn’t think I would make it.” He was in bad shape: Besides the damage to his heart and lungs, the lightning had ruptured Neville’s right eardrum, burned his right retina, and left him covered in chicken pox–like skin burns. “I had a watch on my right arm, and it burned a perfect watch shape into my wrist,” he says.

After three days in Glenwood Springs’ Valley View Hospital, Neville’s doctors let him go home. “But it was three months before I could get up and do anything,” he says. “It was a struggle for me to walk 100 feet to the mailbox. I’d come back and be so exhausted I’d have to sleep the rest of the day. It felt like the worst case of mono ever.”

But Neville, now 21 and a senior agronomy major at Kansas State University, was lucky: After about six months, he made a near-complete recovery. Of course, some effects do persist. Since the strike, he’s been allergic to metal; jewelry or a watch against his skin makes him swell and itch. Still, he’s not complaining. “It’s a miracle that I’m still here,” he says.

His experience with the raw force of lightning initially made him fear thunderstorms. A few years of distance from the incident has given him a new perspective. In fact, he’s become downright obsessed with the type of weather that almost killed him. “I’m completely in love with storms now,” Neville says. “I’m often outside, taking pictures of lightning. It’s neat to look at that phenomenon and know that I survived it.”

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Research | Local Expertise

Colorado’s epicenter for lightning Information

For 21 years, the Lightning Data Center at St. Anthony Hospital has worked to demystify the injuries and experiences of lightning-strike victims. Comprised of doctors, meteorologists, and even a lightning photographer, this interdisciplinary group gets together monthly to discuss case studies and meet with strike survivors. For more information on the center, email Ken Langford, president of the Lightning Data Center, at sclarktoto@eml.cc.

A Climber’s Nightmare

Struck on: July 21, 2010  |  Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

A rock ledge at 13,600 feet ranks among the worst places to be during a thunderstorm. But that’s where Betsy Smith, now 28, found herself stranded when a fast-moving storm cut off her group’s route on Wyoming’s Grand Teton at 10:30 a.m. on July 21, 2010. Smith and her group—boyfriend Alan Kline and two friends—didn’t know it at the time, but 13 others were also trapped on the peak, setting the stage for the largest rescue operation in Grand Teton National Park’s history.

With the risk of retreating back across the knife-edge ridge too high to attempt, Smith and her group huddled together on the ledge as the storm buzzed around them. “It was torture listening to the static start to build,” Smith says. “The only thing that would release it was lightning. For three hours we wondered what would release it. Our gear? The top of the mountain? Or us?”

Kline was the first to be hit, losing consciousness for a few seconds. Then one or two bolts—no one is sure how many—struck Smith. She fell back, crippled by pain and completely paralyzed. “I was convinced my body had become soup inside my clothes,” she says. It took 45 minutes for mobility to return enough for her to handle being lowered down the mountain on Kline’s makeshift rappel. Kline ferried the group 1,000 feet down to the Upper Saddle, where they met rescuers and eventually took helicopters down the mountain.

Burns were Smith’s most severe injuries. Doctors performed a fasciotomy to relieve the pressure in her left arm, slicing a four-inch-long cut above a burn encircling her wrist (where her watch had been); it had swollen enough to cut off circulation to her hand. Smith’s right index finger—already necrotic from another burn—had to be amputated. She left the hospital with both arms bandaged and splinted across her chest. Whether she’d regain full range of motion was anybody’s guess.

Fortunately, Smith’s physical recovery progressed well: Therapy helped restore most of her arm strength, and skin grafts returned her left arm to near-normality. Her phantom finger, nicknamed “Thelma,” still tingles occasionally. But the invisible wounds lingered on. “Right after the accident, I had nearly debilitating depression,” Smith says, citing the perfect storm of pain medication, the uncertainty of her injuries, and having to leave the Montana home she loved to accept help from Kline’s family in Connecticut. Enrolling in nursing school six months later got her back on track. “Even today, I have to stay very busy and on task,” she says. “I just keep on swimming.”

To this day, flashbacks intrude on Smith’s consciousness. “Everything replays over and over. I can’t get away from it,” she says. “People seem shocked when I tell them I think about it multiple times every day.” Despite it all, Smith still goes climbing. “Mountain weather is mountain weather,” she says with a shrug. “But I’m a bit more picky about the forecast now.”

Lightning 101

What you need to know to stay safe.

The National Weather Service’s tagline—When thunder roars, go indoors!—nails the single best way to protect yourself. Don’t worry about calculating the storm’s distance from you; if you can hear thunder, you’re already within strike range. Below, a few more tips to consider. 

•DO seek shelter in a hard-topped car if a safe building is unavailable.

•DON’Tlinger in garages, picnic shelters, covered patios, or tents. Such structures provide no protection.

•DOcheck the forecast and monitor the weather if you’re coaching (or attending) an athletic event. Coaches should postpone play and take shelter as soon as they see lightning or hear thunder.

•DOwait 30 minutes after the last roll of thunder before going back outside.

•DON’T stand near tall, isolated objects, like trees or telephone poles. Lightning tends to strike the tallest object in an area and can jump to your body.

•DO climb early to avoid common afternoon thunderstorms. Plan to be off of high peaks and below treeline by noon, especially June through September. 

•DON’Tbe the tallest object around if you’re stuck outside during a storm. Avoid ridgelines, summits, cave entrances, or meadows. Better bets: uniform stands of trees and ravines. 

•DOspread out if lightning is striking nearby so that one bolt won’t incapacitate your entire group.

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On a warm day this past September, Bill Koch rode on horseback through Bear Ranch, his 4,500-acre property located just outside of Paonia. Koch’s six-foot-four-inch frame—clad in a collared shirt, chaps, boots, and spurs—sat comfortably atop his palomino mount as we toured his estate, which lies just below the Ragged Mountains, a fluted wall of granite that rises from the high mesas of western Colorado. A flat-brimmed cowboy hat hid his blue eyes and thick, tousled white hair. ✫ At 72 years old, Koch is the founder, CEO, and president of Oxbow Carbon LLC, a global energy company, and one of the wealthiest men in the world, with a reported personal net worth of about $4 billion. He’s also the brother of Charles and David Koch, the high-profile businessmen and bankrollers of conservative causes. Although his primary residence is in Palm Beach, Florida, where Oxbow is headquartered, one of Koch’s many passions is Western history. “What I really like about the West,” he says, “is the stand-your-ground mentality and the idea that you have to take care of yourself, take care of your family, and take care of the people that surround you. You all take care of each other.”

Koch was at the ranch that weekend to work out some details related to the Old West town he’s building on his land. The town, which has yet to be named, is an authentic reproduction of a full-scale 19th-century settlement; it’s largely comprised of structures from a former MGM tourist attraction called Buckskin Joe, which Koch bought in 2010 and transported piece by piece to his ranch from its location outside of Cañon City. Koch intends for the town to be a private getaway for his family and friends. “I want to have a place for my family and extended family to keep us all together,” he says. “It all gets back to trying to create a place where I can enjoy life and enjoy my family and friends without having to worry about my enemies. And I’m doing it because I can.”

We’d spent the previous day strolling through the 70-odd buildings of the town, which is set in a pasture surrounded by Marcellina Mountain, the Anthracite Range, and the West Elk Mountains. Located 25 minutes from downtown Paonia by car, or 15 minutes by helicopter from Koch’s Aspen abode, the 10-acre town features five saloons and a jail, firehouse, church, bank, theater, and library. There’s a 20-person team dedicated to overseeing, authenticating, and building the town and Koch’s collection of Western memorabilia, which includes more than one million items—including Frederic Remington’s painting The Trooper, General George A. Custer’s Springfield rifle, the only photograph of Billy the Kid (valued at $2.3 million), and an early Colorado hearse (a white horse-drawn carriage). Koch’s collection spans the 19th and early 20th centuries, and parts of it will be displayed at the Smithsonian next year. “It will be an extravaganza about the West,” Betsy Broun, the Margaret and Terry Stent director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, says of the exhibition. “It’s one of the best Western collections in the world. It has sculptures and paintings, but also artifacts, historic photos, and material objects drawn from daily life in the West. Spurs, clothing, wagons, cavalry uniforms, arrows, quivers, flags—you name it. A robust picture emerges of what life was like in the West.”

As we wandered through the town, the lead historian on the project said, “It’s as if you are literally going back in time. Everything from the ceilings to the accoutrements are period-specific.” The streets’ widths are historically accurate—wide enough so that a four-to-six-horse cart can turn around—and are bordered by sidewalks at the perfect height for a rancher to load his cart. We headed into the Cattlemen’s Club, a bar theoretically for men only (there’s a separate Spa-loon for the ladies, one of the only deviations from historical accuracy of the project, which Koch says he had to include in order to entice his wife to the remote property). The club, which would have been a watering hole for affluent types in the late 1800s, has a mahogany bar with two female figures sculpted out of the wood that overlook the room.

“You want to see the brothel?” Koch asked.

We climbed the stairs to the second story and toured the rooms wallpapered in Technicolor shades of teal, maroon, and pink. Ornate red and blue glass lamps cast kaleidoscopic shadows on the wall. The brothel is more a work of art than a den of sin and one day will serve, innocuously, as guest quarters. Eventually, authentic ephemera—beaded garters with holsters for mini pistols, matchbook advertisements for call girls, and pictures of 19th-century prostitutes—will adorn the rooms.

“Will there be real girls here?” I asked.

“Ghosts,” Koch said with a boyish chuckle. To hear him tell it, the brothel is haunted by the phantoms of unsatisfied customers.

The next day, as we headed toward higher elevation on our horses, Koch’s ranch unfurled below us, with views of the town and thousands of acres of grazing land for his 1,100 head of cattle. Riding with him, and seeing him against this Western backdrop, it was easy to forget his colorful romantic history (he’s been married three times and had a public falling-out with a mistress in 1995); his reputation for being litigious (he’s been involved in 26 personal lawsuits); and his accomplishments as a sailor (he won the America’s Cup in 1992). His downhome, aw-shucks demeanor seemed at odds with the businessman who has been demonized as a wicked energy baron. He’s been labeled “a greedy bastard” by a blog called the Vile Plutocrat, and New York Magazine’s website has a recent posting that describes him as “evil.” This past October, Koch made national headlines when a former Oxbow executive accused Koch of kidnapping him and imprisoning him at the ranch. But here at the base of the Raggeds, among the golden aspen trees and rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Bill Koch looked like any other cowboy out for a ride on an autumn day.

Of course, Bill Koch is not any other cowboy, and his land is not any other estate: Bear Ranch is at the center of a bitter dispute that has divided Paonia’s eclectic community of ranchers, miners, New Agers, and farmers for two years. Koch wants to trade the federal government 911 acres of land he owns in Gunnison County, along with 80 acres in Utah’s Dinosaur National Monument, for 1,846 acres of less valuable public land in and around Paonia. Proposed in 2010 by then Congressman John Salazar, a Democrat who lost his bid for re-election that same year, the Central Rockies Land Exchange, as the swap is called, aims to connect the two disparate sides of Bear Ranch into one contiguous piece of property via a Bureau of Land Management parcel.

The federal government and private entities—ski resorts, developments, individuals—execute land exchanges all the time (typically more than 300 a year) to consolidate properties, and some observers have been surprised at the uproar Koch’s swap ignited. Although this swath of BLM open space is dotted with aspens and offers views of three 12,000-foot peaks, BLM land traditionally is at the bottom of the public-land food chain. As one of the least protected categories of federal land, the government often leases BLM parcels to mining, drilling, timber, and grazing operations for profit. The Central Rockies Land Exchange, which has been approved by the Delta County and Gunnison County commissioners, must now go before the 113th Congress.

Paonia resident Ed Marston, the former publisher of High Country News, is one of the swap’s most vocal opponents. Marston claims the deal reeks of political cronyism: Since 2006, Koch and various Oxbow entities donated more than $40,000 to Salazar, and Koch hosted Salazar on his ranch for several elk-hunting outings. But, more important, Marston believes the deal will rob Paonia of access to the Raggeds. “The land Koch is seeking provides the best existing access to 40 square miles of Forest Service and Wilderness land,” he told me.

In September, Marston led a group of locals up the contested BLM strip. Dawn Ullrey, an avid horseback rider who has lived in Paonia for 53 years, and whose husband works for the Forest Service, was on the tour, as was Frank Mastrullo, who videotaped the outing. (Mastrullo’s stepson works in Koch’s Elk Creek Mine.) When the group reached a point that overlooks Koch’s ranch, they stopped to take in the view, and a chorus of anti-Koch rants began: “It’s by invitation only,” one hiker said. Another chimed in, “A peasant like you isn’t going to give him your few pennies and get in there.” Marston added, “People like us are never considered to be fully human by him.”

Ullrey, who’s never met or worked for Koch, and does not have any family that’s ever been employed by him, says, “There is a lot of emotion involved in this, and the emotion is irrelevant. Is this a good thing for the American people, or is it not a good thing? My husband and I are of the opinion that the American people will win. In fact, we think the people in Paonia are actually going to be better off.”

Since the swap was proposed, Koch has added what he and his team consider to be several improvements to the original exchange bill. Koch has offered to build a new trailhead and improved access to the Ragged Mountain Wilderness through the acquisition of Buck Creek Ranch, an old homestead. (Marston argues the Buck Creek access is “far inferior” to the existing option.) Koch also bought a 21-acre lot on Jumbo Mountain, a popular recreation area outside of Paonia, which he plans to convey to the BLM to provide permanent public access to Jumbo; currently, a landowner allows people to cross his property to get to the mountain. And Koch’s offered to build a mountain bike trail connecting Crested Butte to Carbondale. Altogether, Koch has spent, or committed, roughly $7 million to the exchange.

Koch’s natural gas activities in the area may also be muddying the waters of the debate. Gunnison Energy Corporation, an Oxbow company, leases nearly 150,000 acres of mineral rights from the BLM and private mineral owners. One theory floating around Paonia posits the various BLM parcels included in the exchange, beyond the one that would unite Koch’s ranch, are strategic locations that provide resources for drilling and hydraulic fracturing infrastructure. Another contention is that Koch purchased Buck Creek Ranch so the land could be used for a compressor station, a condenser station, or a pipeline. “That’s absolutely false,” says Brad Goldstein, Oxbow’s spokesperson. “We bought Buck Creek for access. Period.”

No matter what Koch does, he seems to kick up dust in his wake. Conspiracy theories about him ripple through Paonia: One suggests that he (or his staff) flies his helicopter over his enemies’ homes, running surveillance or trying to scare his opposition. People say Koch’s team shows up at the homes of his opponents and asks what will quiet their discontent. Some fear their email has been hacked by Koch operatives, and rumors abound that former FBI agents pose as workers on his ranch in order to gather intel on what the employees are saying amongst themselves. “I don’t understand why there is so much antagonism and anger toward me from people in Paonia who have never met me, especially since we’ve been trying to make a lot of contributions to the community,” Koch says. Through his various companies—he owns the Elk Creek coal mine in Somerset, about 15 minutes from his ranch; Gunnison Energy, a major player in natural gas development in the area; and Bear Ranch—Koch pays more than $38 million a year in employee salaries. In 2012, he donated more than half a million dollars to charities in the region. But can Koch, the history buff, really be surprised at the local reaction? After all, the West has always loved its villains.

As a kid, Koch was tall, skinny, and awkward, and his brothers and other children teased him relentlessly. “We had an extremely competitive family, and we didn’t take care of one another,” Koch told me over dinner in the Cook House, the Old West town’s main dining area. “For a long time, I felt insecure and inadequate and wouldn’t stand up for myself.” Born in 1940 in Wichita, Kansas, Koch was the last of Mary and Frederick Chase Koch’s four sons. Koch describes a childhood shaped by fierce sibling rivalries. His twin, David, 19 minutes older, was handsome, sociable, and athletic and gravitated toward their brother Charles, who is five years older than the twins. “I was more interested in the most popular people on campus: the pretty girls, the athletes,” David Koch told me last fall. “Billy was more intellectual and liked the different, more fascinating people.” Charles and David now run Koch Industries, the second-largest private company in the United States, behind Cargill. (The eldest Koch brother, Frederick R. Koch, is seven years older than Bill and David and wasn’t as involved in the interfamily politics.)

Koch’s parents were largely absent. Koch describes his father, the son of a Dutch immigrant newspaper owner, as “a very strong, ethical man” and as “a soft-spoken, John Wayne–type.” But his father was away from home often, building his oil refinery business. His mother, while “beautiful and charming,” was focused on her social life, Koch says, and the boys were entrusted to nannies. “Kids have great sibling rivalries,” Koch says. “And if there are no parents there to help put everything into perspective, it can get very bad.” His mother would side with his brothers. When his father was around, he would stick up for young Bill, something that affected him deeply.

The rivalry between the twin brothers got so severe in middle school, Koch says, that he became withdrawn and nearly flunked out. He was recalcitrant and undisciplined. A psychologist recommended the brothers be separated. To remedy the situation, and to offer their children the best possible education, his parents sent David and Bill away to different boarding schools; Bill went to Indiana’s Culver Military Academy. When he arrived, Koch was six feet one inch tall and weighed 120 pounds, and his peers teased him unmercifully for his gawky appearance. But, removed from his brothers, Koch began to flourish. In 1958, he graduated with honors.

Fred Koch believed in hard work and was a self-made man, having pioneered a more efficient method of refining heavy oil into gasoline. Initially, some of the nation’s big oil-technology companies came after Koch, filing a patent lawsuit against him and all of his customers—who were small, independent refineries—temporarily ruining his business in the United States. Unable to work in America, Koch decided to go overseas in 1929 to build refineries in Romania, and later in Stalin’s USSR. When the lawsuit failed, he returned to the United States in the 1930s as a multimillionaire and a firm believer in free-market capitalism. He would later go on to become an early member of the ultraconservative John Birch Society, known for its distrust of, and distaste for, government and for spreading fears in the 1950s that communism had seeped into the highest offices of American politics.

Fred Koch also had a deep love of the West and at one time was one of the largest ranchers in the United States, owning more than two million acres of ranchlands in Texas, Kansas, Wyoming, and Montana. Beginning at the age of 13, for five summers, Bill Koch worked on his father’s ranches. He bailed hay, dug ditches, fixed fences, and mucked stalls—12 hours a day, seven days a week—and got paid five bucks per diem, plus room and board. It was during these summers that Koch says he, too, fell in love with the West.

Both Bill and David headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1958. They played basketball together—though Bill sat on the bench while David was a prolific scorer. They were in the same fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, where Bill was the resident “humorist,” and both studied chemical engineering. In college, the brothers’ rivalry dissipated, David says, and after they graduated, the twins rented apartments across the hall from each other. “I got better grades at MIT than he did,” Bill Koch told me. “David now says he’s the handsome one and I’m the smart one. But it took me a while to adapt and accept that.” Koch went on to earn three degrees at MIT, including a doctorate in chemical engineering in 1971.

In school, Koch realized that he could carve a place for himself in the world by virtue of his own achievements. “When I was living in Wichita, a lot of people looked upon me as a rich kid,” Koch says. “When I got away, it was about what I did. My father couldn’t buy me honors at Culver. He couldn’t buy me a doctorate degree from MIT. I had to earn that on my own. For my own self-worth, I had to learn that.”

In 1968, while studying for his doctorate in chemical engineering, Bill Koch started working for his father’s company; Charles had taken over the business a year earlier after Fred Koch died of a stroke. Twelve years later, as vice president of corporate development, Bill spearheaded an attempted takeover with the goal of deposing Charles, the chairman and CEO, and David, who was an executive vice president. Bill disagreed with Charles’ totalitarian control of the company and believed the stockholders were not getting their rewards. He also disapproved of using company money to fund Charles’ and David’s libertarian causes: In 1977, the Kochs donated money to launch the Libertarian Cato Institute, and David Koch ran for vice president on the 1980 Libertarian Party ticket. When the coup failed, Bill was fired, and in 1983, Bill and his eldest brother, Frederick, sold their shares of Koch Industries. Bill received about $300 million after taxes. The battle may have been over, but the war was just beginning: Bill, David, and Charles were embroiled in litigation for the next 19 years.

In 2001, after eight lawsuits, the brothers finally settled. Bill Koch won the final suit against his brothers. “I now have a peaceful coexistence with Charles,” Koch says. “And I am now very best friends with my brother David.” Koch initiated the reconciliation with his twin by inviting him to his birthday party in 2001, and David served as the best man in Koch’s 2005 wedding to his third wife, Bridget Rooney Koch.

Koch is cautious when speaking of his brothers—he avoids commenting on his brothers’ politics, on how his views differ from theirs (he, like his brothers, was a big donor to Mitt Romney; but, unlike his brothers, he has also donated to Democrats, including Ted Kennedy), and on the almost 20-year war waged among them. This is largely because of a nondisparagement agreement in the brothers’ final settlement. But it’s difficult not to sense that, no matter how much he once wanted to win against his brothers, he is grateful to have his family back, thankful for the peace.

In 1983, Koch, determined to create an identity separate from his brothers and family name, founded Oxbow Carbon. (“An oxbow is where a river changes course,” Koch explains.) Oxbow’s great success was figuring out that “petroleum coke,” a byproduct of producing gasoline, could actually be used, instead of discarded. Oxbow buys coke from refineries and, in turn, sells it to aluminum, steel, and cement companies and fuel-grade markets, where it’s used instead of coal to generate energy.

Over the years, Oxbow has expanded its core businesses to include the mining and marketing of energy and commodities such as coal and natural gas, along with metallurgical and calcined coke, a key ingredient in the manufacturing of aluminum. It’s a big supplier of sulfur, sulfuric acid, and fertilizers. Oxbow, which has annual revenues of $4 billion and employs 1,500 people worldwide, also owns one of the most productive underground coal mines in the United States: Elk Creek Mine, located about 10 minutes from Koch’s ranch. Elk Creek yields some of the “cleanest” (lowest sulfur) coal in the world.

Though Oxbow is now firmly entrenched in the business of carbon-based products, one of its first endeavors was in alternative energy—geothermal and hydroelectric plants in Nevada, the Philippines, and Costa Rica. In November, Oxbow, along with Aspen Skiing Company, Vessels Coal Gas Inc., and Holy Cross Energy, unveiled a coal-methane conversion plant that will convert methane from Oxbow’s Elk Creek Mine (methane is a byproduct of coal mining and a leading greenhouse gas) into electricity; the power generated through this project is roughly equal to Aspen Skiing Company’s energy usage. It’s the second project of its kind in the United States. Auden Schendler, the vice president of sustainability at Aspen Skiing Company, says his partner, Tom Vessels of Vessels Coal Gas, had been trying to execute the project for a decade. Elk Creek was the only mine willing to try it. “Solving climate change is going to be really hard,” Schendler says. “To do it, we’re going to need to think differently; to create new alliances, maybe break old ones. This project shows how Americans can use a wasted resource for the betterment of our communities. It’s utterly bipartisan.”

In all of my interactions with Koch over the course of five months, it was not business, or the Old West town, that he spoke about most often. I visited with Koch, who rarely grants interviews, on multiple occasions, across several states, at four of his homes, and I was the first (and only, to this date) journalist to visit his Old West town. I met his family, in-laws, and friends; Oxbow executives, his personal staff, and contract workers; and teachers and students at the school he founded, Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, in Florida. Whether he was discussing his own childhood or calling me en route to a son’s basketball game, family was the prevailing theme of our conversations.

His is an eclectic tribe. Koch has five biological children and one stepson, who range in age from six to 26, by four women (three wives and a girlfriend). The youngest child was born to Koch and his current wife, Bridget Rooney Koch, granddaughter of Art Rooney, who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1933. Koch has also all but legally adopted Rooney Koch’s son, whom she had with actor Kevin Costner.

At dinner one night at Koch’s Cape Cod compound, the dinner table teemed with family and friends. Four of the children were present. Rooney Koch headed the table. Fifty years old, whip thin, with dark brown hair and light green eyes, she’s not your standard trophy wife: She’s a vegan and an avid skier and recreational kickboxer. She’s also smart and very funny. Koch attributes his two failed marriages—one wife accused Koch of assaulting her; he claims her accusation was an attempt to get out of their prenuptial agreement, and they settled out of court—in part to scars from his childhood. “I always wanted my mother’s affection but could never get it,” he says. “I married two women who reminded me a lot of my mother. They were unable to love anyone other than themselves.” With Rooney, he’s certain he’s found the right one. “She’s got a great character and she could love me besides loving herself.”

In 2011, Koch founded Oxbridge Academy, pledging $60 million because, he says, he wasn’t satisfied with the education options in Palm Beach, and he didn’t want to send his children off to boarding school. He runs the school like a business: The headmaster is the “president and CEO,” and the kids and the parents are the customers. “Kids come first,” he says. “Staff comes last.” The school’s five-person board of directors contains three Oxbow executives, including Koch. He’s been on the board of four different schools and says, “You can spend more time debating the problem than solving it.” Being on the board of the school is, Koch says, “the equivalent of holding the stock in Oxbridge.”

In addition to the school and Bear Ranch, Koch has a 42-acre Cape Cod estate, comprised of the former Dupont and Mellon family properties; a 90-acre estate in Aspen made up of four neighboring properties; and his primary residence, a 35,000-square-foot house in Palm Beach, Florida. The collection of properties may appear to be stereotypical billionaire preening, but Koch says he has different intentions. “What I really want to do is create family compounds, so my sons will see each other and they’ll have a reason, when they get older and they have their own families, for staying together.” He’s sensitive to any hint of sibling rivalry or infighting among his children and is quick to punish them if he senses any—taking away iPhones, Facebook privileges, or grounding the teenagers. “That’s one of my goals in life: to make sure my kids get along, respect each other, and love each other.”

This past October, with the land exchange still in limbo, Koch turned up in the news yet again when former Oxbow executive Kirby Martensen filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California alleging that Koch had kidnapped Martensen, imprisoned him, and held him against his will at Bear Ranch in March 2012. Martensen had been the senior vice president of Oxbow Carbon & Minerals International’s Asia division, based in Singapore. Martensen claims in the suit that he came under scrutiny after raising concerns about Oxbow’s “questionable” tax-avoidance strategies. He says his relocation to Asia was “a part of a plan being implemented to evade paying taxes to the United States on profits in excess of $200,000,000 per year.”

According to the suit, Martensen asked to be driven to Aspen to catch a flight home after being interrogated for hours at the ranch. “This request was denied,” the suit says. “Martensen was told that he was being taken to Denver. Martensen then was kidnapped and kept captive in the vehicle during the trip to Denver.” Martensen, his attorney, and another former Oxbow executive, Joe Lombardi, who was also at the ranch during the incident and was fired, all declined to comment for this story.

Koch tells a different version of the events. After being tipped off by an anonymous letter in 2011 to possible corporate criminal misconduct by Martensen and two others, Koch began an investigation into their activities. Oxbow management started collecting emails, telephone recordings, documents—more than four million items in total—and testimony from others implicated in the ploy that pointed to the fact that Martensen had “participated in a wide-ranging scheme to systematically misappropriate revenues and business opportunities” and used his position as an executive at Oxbow to “illegally enrich” himself, according to a complaint Oxbow filed in Palm Beach on March 22, 2012. Koch says Martensen and the other implicated executives “had a scam going against us that cost us $40 million.”

Koch says he invited Martensen—and five other executives thought to be involved in the scheme—to the ranch for a corporate retreat in mid-March. They were to hold strategy meetings, and each executive was to undergo a 360-degree performance analysis. The first night, Koch hosted the men for dinner at the ranch. The next day, after the group strategy session, Koch had lunch with the executives and then took them on a helicopter tour of the town, after which the performance reviews took place.

The men were interviewed individually. Steven Fried, Oxbow’s COO, questioned Martensen. Fried says he started the conversation by talking about Martensen’s division’s performance and about Martensen’s contributions to the company, which Martensen thought were “prolific.” The conversation turned when Fried brought up some of the examples of Martensen’s alleged corporate wrongdoings. Fried asked about Martensen’s dealings with a competing company that he was allegedly accepting kickbacks from. Fried asked if Martensen had ever heard of the company. Martensen said no. Fried asked why, then, there had been several email exchanges between Martensen and the company. Ultimately, Fried says, Martensen admitted to some of the alleged misdeeds, but not all of them. Koch, who was interviewing another executive in a different building, says he watched Martensen leave, weeping.

After his review, Martensen was driven to another part of the ranch, Crystal Meadows, to wait for the five other men who were being interviewed, three of whom lived in California like Martensen. On his way to Crystal Meadows, he was served termination papers and a lawsuit. Koch says he separated the six men to avoid any collusion between them. Martensen also had a history of losing his temper, and Koch worried the men would become violent, so he hired an off-duty, unarmed local deputy for security purposes. Once Martensen arrived at Crystal Meadows, his Oxbow-issued computer and cell phone were taken away. Koch instructed his team to ask to inspect Martensen’s bags to ensure that he wasn’t stealing any company property.

Martensen’s lawsuit says he asked to leave but was held captive at the ranch. But in a deposition filed in Florida last month, another Oxbow executive, Charlie Zhan, who was present during the episode at the ranch and was subsequently fired, said neither he nor Martensen were ever physically threatened, restrained, intimidated, or made to feel as if they couldn’t leave. Zhan says there were no armed guards, and that both men were offered a cell phone to use once they left the ranch, where cellular reception is limited. Martensen made no calls, according to Zhan. Both Zhan and Martensen took Koch’s private plane back to California. 

Martensen unsuccessfully appealed the March 2012 suit filed by Koch in Florida. Martensen then took his case to California, where he filed his complaint this past autumn. “They’re playing a legal maneuvering game because they want the case to be held in San Francisco, which would be considerably more liberal than the court in Florida,” Koch says. It could take years for either case to go to trial.

Fried, who’s worked for Oxbow for about 14 years, is mystified by Martensen’s alleged offenses. “Anyone who knows Bill knows that he will chase down someone who has wronged him to the end of the earth. So it’s been staggering to me to know that senior people in the company would steal from him,” he told me at Oxbow’s corporate headquarters in Palm Beach. “He’s obviously a driven guy, whether it’s business or sailboat racing or collecting wine or holding people accountable when they’ve mistreated him. He’s dogged in his pursuit.”

As we reached the last leg of our ride through his ranch, Koch pushed ahead alone. We turned toward the barn, and the horses were skittish, sensing that we were heading home. The high mesas in the distance silhouetted Koch’s frame as the late-afternoon sun began to cast long shadows. He’d been quiet this afternoon; Koch had stayed up late into the night, drinking whiskey in the saloon with his brother-in-law and a few friends. After the festivities died down, Koch retreated to his quarters, where he sat in a rocking chair on the deck, flossing his teeth and looking at the stars, his town spread out beneath him.

In 1936, four years before Bill and David were born, Fred Koch wrote a letter to his boys, Frederick and Charles, and to his future children. Their father was keenly aware of money’s inherent paradox. Each brother now has a framed copy of the letter, which Koch has read often over the years.

When you are 21, you will receive what now seems like a large sum of money. It will be yours to do what you will. It may be a blessing or a curse. You can use it as a valuable tool for accomplishment or you can squander it foolishly. If you choose to let this money destroy your initiative and independence, then it will be a curse to you and my action in giving it to you will have been a mistake. I should regret very much to have you miss the glorious feeling of accomplishment and I know you are not going to let me down. Remember that often adversity is a blessing in disguise and certainly the greatest character builder. Be kind and generous to one another and to your mother.

In the twilight of his life, Koch says he wants to focus on the things he loves the most: his family, collecting, and building the Old West town. “I’ve had my fair share of the spotlight,” he says. “I don’t want much to be in it anymore. I want to live the rest of my life and enjoy that, and be a good father to my kids and hopefully leave my kids with very good values and very good ethics.” He’s also reflecting on his past, “warts and all,” as he says, contemplating the things that influenced his life’s course. “It took me a long time to realize I have some talents and capabilities and if I just put them to work, I could create my own life and my own accomplishments independent of where I’ve come from,” he says. “And the town represents that.”

In December, Governor John Hickenlooper visited Koch and the town. The governor has also met separately with Ed Marston. Ever the shrewd politician, Hickenlooper is working quietly to broker a peace deal between the two on the land exchange. Koch says the governor would like Koch to host an exhibition of his Western collection at a museum in Denver and open the town to high-paying visitors and schoolchildren. Koch’s not yet sure what he’ll do, though he’s not totally opposed to the governor’s terms.

Regardless of the land swap’s status, Koch’s immediate family will come to western Colorado to see the town this spring. But today, it’s still a work in progress: Just months ago, the Victorian houses on Main Street gleamed with freshly painted shades of pink, yellow, and blue. Koch recently bought a wardrobe from a movie set, and future guests will be able to dress up in Western garb. There are no TVs in the guest rooms and no cars in the town; instead, guests will ride horses and carriages, watch movies in the theater, and have historical discussions. There will be family dinners, parties, and corporate retreats. It’s Koch’s fantasy come to life, made possible by his staggering wealth.

Back at the barn, we pull up to the hitching post. Koch swings his leg over the top of his mount and hops off. He ties his horse up to the rail and thanks our wrangler for the ride. He loosens his cinch, gives the saddle a tug, and carries it into the barn, where he hangs it on the rack. In a dimly lit corner of the tack room, he places his leg on a trunk and, one by one, unzips his chaps. He leaves his spurs on. 

Kelley McMillan writes frequently for the New York Times and Outside magazine. This is her first piece for 5280.

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The Sophisticate
(top left) Tasha L. Jones, 38
Director of marketing, Forest City Stapleton, Inc.

Secret talent: I make pretty creative cupcakes. Martha Stewart awarded me a prize!

I’m a sucker for: A deep, sultry voice.

Part of my charm: I mix up common quotes and phrases all the time, like “pulling the cat out of the hat” and “letting the rabbit out of the bag.”

Childhood crush: Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block fame.

Biggest fear: Letting my ego get in the way. I like to keep it in check.

Dream vacation: A week at the Ritz in Paris.

What I look for in a significant other: A thoughtful and humorous gentleman who is tenaciously successful.

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Great night out: A concert at Red Rocks or at a park.

My hero(es): Empowering women such as Jill Scott, Oprah Winfrey, and Condoleezza Rice.

You’d never guess: I was a really good sprinter. Well after I graduated college, I still held the record for the 100-meter dash at my junior high school in Fort Collins.

Guilty pleasure: Cold Stone Creamery’s banana caramel crunch with extra almonds.

TiVo embarrassment: I’m unapologetic about my TiVo.

If I had one wish: Knowing that I’d be able to care for my parents, that they’d be OK as they grow older.

The Musician

(top right) Matthew Moon, 40
Singer-songwriter

I can’t live without: My Australian labradoodle, Charlie.

I’m a sucker for: A girl who knows how to cook.

Part of my charm: I’m an excellent listener.

Great night out: Good friends, dinner at Carmine’s on Penn, and home before midnight.

Favorite musician: Paul Simon.

On the bucket list: Living on a tropical island where I can walk out my door 100 yards and sit on the beach and swim in the ocean.

iPod embarrassment: The Bee Gees.

Biggest accomplishment: Completing my fifth studio album.

What I look for in a significant other: Somebody caring, thoughtful, and nurturing.

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Guilty pleasure: Popcorn.

When I’m not working, I am: Doing something outside, like hiking or skiing.

Dating deal-breaker: A girl who talks too much. 

Dream vacation: With my girl traveling through Austria to Vienna and Salzburg.

The Gal Pal

(bottom right) Sally Walker (left), 33, & Bre Ortola, 26
Co-owners, Alchemy Mineral Blends

Sally

I can’t live without: GPS on my phone.

I’m a sucker for: Sour Patch Kids.

Rainy-day activity: Oil painting.

What I look for in a significant other: Connection, chemistry, and a good sense of humor.

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You’d never guess: I’m a really good cyclist. I can ride some of the hardest climbs in Boulder.

Dream vacation: Southern France.

Secret talent: Making a good Irish stew.

Great night out: Having someone cook me dinner and take me to see one of my favorite bands.

On the bucket list: A scuba diving trip to Belize.

Nickname: Skallywag.

Childhood crush: River Phoenix.

When I’m not working, I am: Cooking, cycling, climbing, hiking, or listening to music.

Bre

If I could have a superpower: I’d read minds.

On the bucket list: I really want to be on Wheel of Fortune. 

I can’t live without: Pizzeria Locale pizza and Champagne.

What I look for in a significant other: A witty personality, honesty, and a sexy smile.

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Biggest accomplishment: Starting Alchemy on a shoestring with Sally.

Rainy-day activity: Baking and eating it all.

Celebrity crush: Ryan Reynolds.

Guilty pleasure: Anything and everything that is salted caramel.

I’m a sucker for: Dessert. And my niece and nephew. Anything they ask me for, they get.

Dating deal-breaker: Selfishness and not opening the door for me.

Dream vacation: Thailand or Croatia.

You’d never guess: I was on Escape Routes, a reality show on NBC.

What I’m reading: I’m rereading The Alchemist.

_____

The Humanitarian

(bottom left) Dave Sevick, 53
Director of marketing and communications, Tennyson Center for Children

If I could have a superpower: I’d see into the future.

Dream vacation: New Zealand.

Dating deal-breaker: Whiners and complainers.

Guilty pleasures: Politics, college football, and vodka martinis.

What I’m reading: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris.

Rainy-day activity: Cleaning and hanging with my dog.

Part of my charm: My humor. I play pranks on my friends.

I’m a sucker for: Tearjerker movies.

What I look for in a significant other: A guy who makes me laugh, wows me, and makes me antsy until I can see him again.

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Find me here on a Saturday night: In the summer, I’m camping in the mountains. Otherwise, I’m hanging out with friends.

You’d never guess: I write “adult” Dr. Seuss–style poetry for my friends’ birthdays.

I’m so over: Political divisiveness.

If I had one wish: I would have 30 more minutes with my mom and dad.

The Extrovert
(top left) Michele Goodman, 49
Executive director, Insight Oncology, Inc.

I can’t live without: My sons, Sinjin and Sean.

I’m a sucker for: Bald men and biceps. I love a man with the confidence to just shave his hair off.

Part of my charm: My distinctive laugh.

You’d never guess: I throw a better spiral than Peyton Manning any day.

Biggest accomplishment: Finding a really good balance between work, play, and family.

Dating deal-breaker: Someone who doesn’t ask questions or texts while on a date.

Guilty pleasure: Lemon-drop martinis.

Celebrity crush: Jon Hamm. 

What I look for in a significant other: Energy that equals mine, intelligence, and compassion. 

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Favorite band: Fitz and the Tantrums.

Once-in-a-lifetime moment: I just ran my first marathon. It’s going to be my last.

Rainy-day activity: Reading or cleaning out my closet for Goodwill.

Secret hobby: Kickboxing.

On the bucket list: Finding a soul mate.

If I could have a superpower: I’d touch my nose and make things appear and disappear, like in Bewitched.

_____

The Boy Next Door
(top right) Yoni Geffen, 27
Student support specialist, Denver School of Science and Technology: Green Valley Ranch High School;
co-founder, First Ascenders

Guilty pleasure: Good Times drive-thru for a milkshake after a soccer game.

If i could have a superpower: I’d read animals’ minds.

Secret talent: I can do a front handspring. And I’m really good at remembering people’s names. 

You’d never guess: I’m afraid of heights.

iPod embarrassment: Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass.”

Biggest fear: Not becoming a father.

What I look for in a significant other: Someone intelligent, active, good at communicating, and thoughtful.

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Great night out: Dinner with friends at an amazing ethnic restaurant (Ethiopian, sushi, or Indian), drinks at a local, hole-in-the-wall bar, then a game of Bananagrams.

Childhood crush: Danielle Fishel [Topanga on Boy Meets World].

Favorite movie: The Princess Bride.

If I had one wish: I would wish every kid growing up in Denver could have the opportunity to experience the outdoors in the way I have been lucky enough to.

I can’t live without: The mountains, my dog, dark chocolate, and purpose.

I’m so over: Social media.

I’m a sucker for: Someone who can kick a soccer ball.

Biggest accomplishment: My time spent in the classroom as a teacher, the day-to-day accomplishments with students.

The Fitness Buff
(bottom right) Emily Schromm, 24
Owner/founder, Unleashed Fitness; CrossFit coach, CrossFit Park Hill

Rainy-day activity: Running. I’m from Missouri. I love the rain.

Secret talent: Knitting scarves—although they never get very big, out of impatience.

On the bucket list: Getting my pilot’s license.

I can’t live without: Bacon, a barbell, and my Steve Madden motorcycle boots.

You’d never guess: I’m obsessed with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and John Coltrane.

TiVo embarrassment: Shark Tank.

What I look for in a significant other: I’m a personality girl. I want someone funny and interesting, enough to where I can’t figure them out on the first date.

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Dream vacation: A two-month motorcycle road trip of the West Coast. 

Great night out: Lots of tequila and lots of dancing.

Find me here on a Saturday night: Breckenridge, waiting for the snow.

Dating deal-breaker: People who are too needy.

Guilty pleasure: Really long bubble baths while watching shows on Hulu.

Biggest fear: Limiting myself. Not living or experiencing enough.

My hero: My mom.

The Athlete

(bottom left) Steward Ceus, 25
Goalkeeper, Colorado Rapids

Celebrity crush: Alicia Keys.

I’m a sucker for: A girl with really good style, top to bottom.

Favorite movie: Any sports movie based on a true story.

Secret talent: Bowling.

On the bucket list: Skydiving.

You’d never guess: I’m an underground video gamer.

Dating deal-breaker: Clinginess.  

Guilty pleasure: All types of bread, especially Irish soda bread.

Biggest fear: Failure.

What I look for in a significant other: An independent woman who is intelligent, has a good sense of humor, can appreciate my sarcasm, and who I can have a conversation with.

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Nickname: Stew.

Dream vacation: Somewhere that has a lot of history, where I could see the sights and learn a lot. Maybe China or Japan.

If I had one wish: To see all of my good friends and family succeed.

TiVo embarrassment: Jersey Shore.

The Wine Guy
(top left) Jason Strauss, 37
Executive producer, Colorado International Wine Expo; owner, Strauss Productions

Great night out: Dinner at Wazee Supper Club followed by a Nuggets game and dancing.

You’d never guess: I grew up working at our family-owned salvage yard dismantling old trucks.

On the bucket list: Riding in a fighter jet and taking a trip with my dad to a Duke-North Carolina basketball game.

If I could have a superpower: I’d be able to transport myself and others to any location instantly.

Secret talent: I throw really great themed birthday parties.

Part of my charm: I never want to lose the kid side of me.

Nickname: White Chocolate.

What I look for in a significant other:

Someone kind, genuine, and respectful with a smile and eyes that light up a room.

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When I’m not working, I am: With my doberman at Wash Park or at a Nuggets or Broncos game.

I can’t live without: My family, friends, dog, and the 1972 Ford Bronco I’ve had my whole life.

What I’m reading: Daily sports updates.

Dating deal-breaker: Rude, flaky girls and girls who don't like kids or dogs.

Guilty pleasure: Ending a good night at the Denver Diner with a buddy of mine.

_____

 The Explorer 

(top right) Claudia López, 44
Photographer

I can’t live without: Coffee.

I’m a sucker for: Fast cars.

Part of my charm: My accent.

Biggest fear: Losing my eyesight.

Biggest accomplishment: I was the first Latin American (man or woman) to summit Ama Dablam in the Himalayas.

When I’m not working, I am: Planning adventures to far-flung places.

What I look for in a significant other: An intellectually curious, progressive thinker who’s open-minded, embraces differences, has a witty sense of humor—and, if he can’t cook, has excellent takeout on speed dial.

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Great night out: A farm-to-table dinner followed by dancing.

Biggest influence: My grandfather. He was the most eccentric, witty, creative person I’ve ever met.

If I had one wish: Safer times in Colombia, my country.

You’d never guess: I know how to kill a chicken, old-style. I had to learn when I was nine years old.

iPod embarrassment: Sir Mix-a-Lot.

Guilty pleasure: Mochi ice cream.

_____

 The Techie

(bottom right) Quincy Dancer, 35
Enterprise cloud engineer, Dell

I can’t live without: Snowboarding.

Secret hobby: I throw the biggest flip-cup tournament in the United States.

Guilty pleasure: Strawberry Pop-Tarts.

Nickname: Q-Ball.

I’m a sucker for: A big booty and a smile.

You’d never guess: I was a band nerd and went to band camp—and loved it.

Biggest accomplishment: Having a successful, self-taught career.

What I look for in a significant other: Someone intelligent, open-minded, and laid-back, who has a sense of humor and loves the mountains.

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If I had one wish: To time travel.

Find me here on a Saturday night: In the winter: a club in Breckenridge. In the summer: camping, at a concert, or on a bar crawl.

Biggest fear: Not finding love.

What I’m reading: SuperFreakonomics.

Dream vacation: Surfing in Australia.

If I could have a superpower: I’d be immortal.

_____

The Joker
(bottom left) Heather Snow, 33
Senior business analyst, PropertyInfo Corporation; comedian

I’m a sucker for: Karaoke and broad shoulders.

Nickname: Six feet of snow.

Childhood crush: Bill Murray in Ghostbusters.

I’m so over: Mustaches.

You’d never guess: I drew caricatures and portraits at amusement parks for 12 years. I was basically a carny.

Secret hobby: Poker.

On the bucket list: Doing a comedy tour for the troops.

Dating deal-breaker: Bad manners.

What I look for in a significant other: I’m an old-school girl. I like when guys open the door for me. I want someone adventurous and motivated with a sense of humor.

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When I’m not working, I am: Skiing, at an open mic, doing yoga, or working in my garden (I’m a community garden leader).

Dream vacation: The coast of Italy, like Naples and Pompeii.

What I’m reading: A People’s History of the United States.

Biggest fear: Bombing on TV. I have a little bit of stage fright.

TiVo embarrassment: Glee.

The Thespian
(top left) Jose Antonio Mercado, 38
Actor; director; professor of theater and film, University of Colorado Denver

I’m a sucker for: Nice legs.

Secret talent: I’m a pretty damn good salsa dancer.

Guilty pleasure: Tequila.

On the bucket list: Doing a movie with Jack Nicholson and starting an acting studio.

You’d never guess: I was raised in the projects north of Greeley.

Biggest fear: Immobility, physically and professionally.

Find me here on a Saturday night: At a play, movie, or cultural event that will hopefully lead to
La Rumba.

What I look for in a significant other: Someone who’s spontaneous, passionate, physical, has a sense of humor, and is comfortable in her own skin.

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Biggest accomplishment: As an educator: graduating 97 percent of the students in my theater program at North High School. As an actor: performing in the Pulitzer Prize–winning play Wit and seeing my mom sitting next to Tom Hanks on opening night in Los Angeles.

Once-in-a-lifetime moment: Meeting author Gabriel García Márquez in Mexico. It was like meeting Jesus.

Dream vacation: I’d start in Barcelona, then travel south to Grenada and experience all the flamenco, wine, poetry, love, and passion that land has to offer.

If I could have a superpower: I’d breathe underwater like Aquaman. He was my favorite comic book character as a kid.

The Dream Maker

(top right) Mary U. Stein, 43
Owner and director, Dream Big Day Camp

Guilty pleasure: Half-and-half in my coffee, spicy bean burritos from Taco Bell, and Nutter Butter cookies.

Secret talent: I’m a really good snow shoveler.

Dream vacation: Tahiti, where they have those huts in the water with glass floors.

Rainy-day activity: Popcorn, a cuddly blanket, my DVR list, and the phone on vibrate.

Biggest accomplishment: Being the mother of my twin boys.

Biggest fear: Not living my life with integrity.

What I look for in a significant other: Kindness, patience, faithfulness, wit, chivalry, athleticism, sex appeal, and a man who can laugh at himself and ask for directions.

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Celebrity crush: John Travolta in the Welcome Back, Kotter days.

I’m a sucker for: Getting coffee delivered in bed.

I can’t live without: Alba moisturizing lotion and Burt’s Bees fig lipstick—Colorado is so dry!

When I’m not working, I am: With my children on the lacrosse field, skiing, playing tennis, cycling, or putzing around in my backyard.

Part of my charm: The ability to problem-solve creatively. I can always turn a negative into a positive.

On the bucket list: Taking the year off to travel the world with no agenda—just wherever I end up going next.

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The Up-and-Comer
(bottom left) Andrew Freedman, 29
Chief of staff to Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia

Nickname: Chief.

Part of my charm: Looking like I’m 12 but talking like I’m 40.

I’m a sucker for: Staying for “one more drink” at an event.

On the bucket list: Seeing the Northern Lights from the hot springs in Iceland.

Dating deal-breaker: Lack of passion.

Great night out: Starting early with a play or musical or something cultural, then meeting up with a big group of friends, staying out way too late, and having to catch a taxi home.

What I look for in a significant other: Someone to have a great conversation with, who’s funny, genuine, and really kind.

5280.com Exclusive:

I can’t live without: Reading political blogs.

Rainy-day activity: I’m trying desperately to learn how to play guitar.

You’d never guess: I live in a converted church.

iPod embarrassment: I have way too many Disney songs.

Find me here on a Saturday night: The governor’s mansion for an event.

Biggest accomplishment: We just won $30 million to make sure kids in need have access to high-quality early childhood education. 

Dream vacation: I did it. I once spent 14 months traveling around the world.

The Baker
(bottom right) Joanna Powell, 24
Pastry chef, Cafe Aion

Guilty pleasure: Gambling.

Rainy-day activity: Listening to vinyl.

I can’t live without: Bourbon.

On the bucket list: I’d like to see somebody from Led Zeppelin perform live before they all die. 

Dating deal-breaker: A Raiders fan.

Find me here on a Saturday night: In bed. Sunday is brunch day.

Biggest influence: My dad. I’m still rocking all of his jokes.

Dream vacation: Anywhere in South America.

What I look for in a significant other: A good sense of humor, a mellow personality, and someone who’s not too similar to me.

5280.com Exclusive:

Biggest accomplishment: Getting a double double bull’s-eye (two double bull’s-eyes) playing darts with friends.

Great night out: A comedy show or dueling piano bar.

If I could have a superpower: Invisibility.

TiVo embarrassment: Law & Order: SVU.

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Copper Kettle Brewing Company

Head southeast on Leetsdale Drive, and not far from the Aurora border, in a nondescript strip mall, you’ll find Copper Kettle Brewing Company. Local beer lovers should make the short trip because Copper Kettle feels a little like Cheers, if Cheers were an indie nanobrewery in a slightly out-of-the-way location. Everyone seems to know everyone else’s name; the barkeeps are genuinely friendly; and, well, the beer is surely better than whatever Sam was pouring. Check out the award-winning Mexican Chocolate Stout—brewed with dark chocolate cocoa nibs, cinnamon bark, and three different kinds of chiles. It’s as delicious and complex as just about any beer you’ve ever tasted. Trust us.

You’re Drinking: Mexican Chocolate Stout, or CKBC’s Black IPA, which isn’t as aggressive as many of the palate wreckers out there

You’re Listening To: The Rolling Stones; Crosby, Stills & Nash

If You Go: 1338 S. Valentia St., Unit 100, 720-443-2522, copperkettledenver.com

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

The Crooked Stave taproom and barrel cellar, located in a warehouselike building north of the Highland neighborhood, isn’t going to win any awards for ambience. Webs of metal protect the outside of the room’s two small windows, and the cream-colored walls and low-slung ceiling are about as inviting as a doctor’s exam room. Pull up a chair at the bar, however, and you’ll soon forget about the stolid atmosphere, because Crooked Stave makes some riotously good beer. Brewer Chad Yakobson specializes in sour brews, which he ages in just about any kind of barrel he can find—bourbon, Cognac, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay. The results are often nothing short of divine. Fair warning: Craft beer newbies might find some of the offerings to be an acquired taste.

You’re Drinking: A single sip of the golden sour L’Brett d’Or compelled us to declare, “This might be perfect.”

You’re Listening To: Jack White

If You Go: 1441 W. 46th Ave., Unit 19, 720-508-3292, crookedstave.com

Blue Moon Brewing Company at the SandLot

You could drink a Silver Bullet at the next Rockies game—it is Coors Field, after all. But why would you when you’ve got a microbrewery right in the stadium? Beer snobs will point out that the now mass-produced Blue Moon was created here, but the taps are constantly changing and these brewers love to experiment. On top of that, you can’t argue with the 40 medals this unique little operation has garnered at the Great American Beer Festival. We only wish it were open year-round, instead of just during baseball season.

You’re Drinking: Our favorite from last season was the Farmhouse Red Ale, which the brewery plans to release this year under the name Short Straw.

You’re Listening To: The Rockies game

If You Go: 2197 Blake St., 303-298-1587, bluemoonbrewingco.com

Prost Brewing Company

It was only a matter of time until someone opened a German-style brewhouse in Denver. This past summer, Bill Eye, the former brewmaster at Aurora’s Dry Dock Brewing, did just that—and he nailed it. Prost’s brewing equipment is from Germany; the taproom feels like an indoor, European-style beer garden, with German flags draped from the ceiling and long, communal tables; and the kegs are filled with no-nonsense German-style suds. The crowd is nonchalant—on a recent visit we found two dudes playing Yahtzee at the bar—and the best seat in the house is on the patio, from which there’s a striking view of the Denver skyline.

You’re Drinking: Prost Pils, one of our favorite local takes on this classic beer style

You’re Listening To: Journey

If You Go: 2540 19th St., 303-729-1175, prostbrewing.com

Denver Beer Co.

Maybe it’s the rotating list of imaginative brews. Maybe it’s the prime Platte Street location. Or perhaps it’s simply the no-brainer name. Whatever it is, Denver Beer Co. has developed a reputation as the Mile High City’s hippest new brewery. With ample patio space, a long L-shaped bar, and plenty of tables, the brewery is bigger than most of the city’s newer purveyors of suds. The crowd is a blend of flannel-shirt-wearing guys and fleece-clad gals mixed with the occasional post-work suit. Beerwise, expect the unexpected.

You’re Drinking: The omnipresent Graham Cracker Porter, a rich brew that tastes like a s’more roasted over a campfire

You’re Listening To: Mumford & Sons

If You Go: 1695 Platte St., 303-433-2739, denverbeerco.com

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Yes, Rock Bottom is a chain with 34 locations in 16 states. Sure, the place looks and feels more like an Applebee’s than an archetypal craft brew taproom. But don’t jump to conclusions. On a recent visit to the 16th Street Mall location (the original Rock Bottom), we found more than 15 solid brews on tap. The pumpkin ale was impressive, there were a few nitro selections, and we were surprised to find that Rock Bottom dedicates a tap to a rotating IPA. (Frankly, we wish more breweries would do this.) Plus: There’s a full menu, and the restaurant’s sunny, mallside patio offers some of the best people-watching in the city.

You’re Drinking: The latest IPA

Did You Know? Rock Bottom’s brews have won more than a dozen medals at the Great American Beer Festival.

If You Go: Multiple locations, rockbottom.com

Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew

The creativity and breadth on display in Denver’s breweries is stunning, and Our Mutual Friend, which opened last year, is no exception. This small spot in the Five Points neighborhood sources 100 percent of its barley, and many other ingredients, from Colorado growers to serve a rotating list of eight brews. On a recent visit, OMF was offering everything from an easy-drinking saison to a boozy dark ale dubbed Winter Warmer. The space is unassuming, with concrete floors and a vaulted, corrugated steel ceiling, and instead of a fancy traditional backbar, OMF simply has a bookcase, which lends to the homey vibe. It’s the ideal place to meet—yes—your good friends for a brew or two.

You’re Drinking: OMF’s Brown Ale, which is a little roasty and a little chocolatey—and dangerously drinkable

You’re Listening To: Jazz on the record player

If You Go: 2810 Larimer St., 720-722-2810, omfmb.com

Hogshead Brewery

Located just around the corner from Sloan’s Lake, Hogshead Brewery is more polished than your typical Denver neighborhood nanobrewery. The space is bright thanks to several panels of floor-to-ceiling windows, and the picnic-style tables are perfectly positioned to maximize the small area in front of the bar. At first glance, the clean, radiant look and the neighborhood crowd seem at odds with Hogshead’s mission to serve all English-style ales—brews that are often relegated to dark, masculine bars—and yet it works. Try one of the rotating cask-conditioned ales, or choose from a few regular offerings such as an extra special bitter (ESB) or a creamy London porter.

You’re Drinking: Gilpin Black Gold, a robust porter that’s as smooth as a baby’s...well, you get the idea

Food Pairing: A rotating cast of food trucks offers everything from thin-crust pizza and Cuban sandwiches to spicy tamales and tortas.

If You Go: 4460 W. 29th Ave., 303-495-3105, hogsheadbrewery.com

Wit’s End Brewing

Tucked into an industrial office park just south of Highway 6 between Federal Boulevard and I-25, Wit’s End Brewing isn’t exactly following the location-location-location axiom. And yet the brewery—which is more reminiscent of a residential garage than your average taproom—has a cheery vibe, which is attributable to the fact that brewer Scott Witsoe (see page 47) greets each patron with a handshake and a smile. The tap list will please the beer-geek crowd (how often do you see a Belgian oatmeal IPA?), but you don’t need a Ph.D. in brewing to drink at Witsoe’s joint—only an open mind.

You’re Drinking: Ambition, Witsoe’s alcoholic ode to a strong cup of black coffee

You’re Listening To: Arcade Fire

If You Go: 2505 W. Second Ave., Unit 13, 303-459-4379, witsendbrewing.com

Denver ChopHouse & Brewery

If it’s possible for a bar to feel both chaotic and intimate at the same time, the vibe at the Denver ChopHouse & Brewery is just that. Although a well-heeled LoDo crowd bustles about and the large HD TVs display the game du jour, the ChopHouse’s low lighting, long granite bar, and ’30s-era jazz and blues tunes keep things cozy. Situated a block south of Coors Field in the historic Union Pacific Building, this longtime citadel of steak is often overlooked when locals think about craft beer. But during a time when obscure pours seem to be the new norm in Denver, the ChopHouse’s more obvious and approachable lineup (pale, red, and wheat ales) can taste refreshing.

You’re Drinking: The easy-drinking Red Ale

You’re Listening To: Jazz, from the likes of Duke Ellington

If You Go: 1735 19th St., 303-296-0800, chophouse.com

Wynkoop Brewing Company

The fact that our governor founded this LoDo institution in the late ’80s makes this place endlessly cool. Even without its historical cachet, Wynkoop Brewing Company would be easy to like. There’s the large pool hall and bar upstairs; a bar with abundant seating and TVs downstairs; and a dinner menu packed with pub-style comfort food like bangers and mash. And—and!—the ’Koop has roughly 14 rotating taps, which range from approachable (Rail Yard Ale) to hoppy (Mile HiPA) to adventurous (Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, anyone?).

You’re Drinking: Mile HiPA, a pleasant India pale ale

You’re Listening To: Classic rock

If You Go: 1634 18th St., 303-297-2700, wynkoop.com

River North Brewery

Technically, River North Brewery isn’t located in Denver’s up-and-coming River North neighborhood, but we’re not keeping score—especially since this year-old spot captures much of the zeitgeist of Denver’s thriving brewing scene. Like other breweries in Denver—many of which have been erected as neighborhood gathering spots more akin to your local coffeeshop than a rowdy sports bar—the crowd has that I’m-here-because-they-just-tapped-a-new-Belgian-ale atmosphere. Simply stated: It’s a bit beer nerdy. But River North is also casual and friendly, and the beer...well, there’s a sticker on the wall that sums it up nicely: No crap on tap.

You’re Drinking: The straightforward J. Marie Saison, a great introduction to the style

You’re Listening To: The Beatles

If You Go: 2401 Blake St., Unit 1, 303-296-2617, rivernorthbrewery.com

EXPLAINER: What's a Firkin?

❉ At some point, you may have seen a smallish, keglike container sitting on the bar at your favorite watering hole and thought, What the f$#& is that?! Turns out these aren’t kegs at all; they’re firkins (the name is a reference to an English unit of measurement that equals 10.8 gallons). Brewers love this small container for a couple of reasons, but mostly because it allows them to experiment with different, sometimes odd, flavors. Vine Street Pub & Brewery brewer Brad Landman says he once added candy atomic sourballs to a batch of his beer. “With firkins you can be experimental,” Landman says. “This firkin was for a candy store party and it was perfect. But, what works in one instance doesn’t always work for another.”
There are other differences from traditional brewing, too. Firkin beer, or cask ale, goes through a “second fermentation” that produces a lighter carbonation than unfirkined beer, which gets an infusion of CO2. Less carbon dioxide means more flavor, less bitterness, and an overall smoother mouthfeel.
When the beer is ready, brewers hammer a tap into the cask with a mallet—and the beer starts flowing. Quick tip: Firkin beer isn’t pasteurized and only lasts a day or two after being exposed to oxygen, so drink up. —Lindsey R. McKissick

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Vine Street Pub & Brewery

Vine Street Pub & Brewery has a reputation for being a hangout for the Phish-obsessed, but this Uptown pub caters to a young professional crowd and families, too. The third in a trio of locations spawned by Boulder’s Mountain Sun, Vine Street is always packed with beer-seeking parents with kids in tow. And why wouldn’t it be? The food is straight-ahead, reasonably priced pub grub perfect for the kids while the ever-changing beer list makes it easy for both mom and dad to find something to quaff.

You’re Drinking: Colorado Kind Ale, an amber ale with an earthy hop bite

Bonus: February is Stout Month at Vine Street. This celebration of the consummate dark brew features an impressive selection of stouts from around the world.

If You Go: 1700 Vine St., 303-388-2337, mountainsunpub.com

Pints Pub

It was our love of whiskey, not beer, that first brought us to the cozy British-style Pints Pub, located in the Golden Triangle. With more than 260 varietals, Pints boasts the largest selection of single malt whiskey outside of Great Britain. Turns out, Pints brews darn good beer, too. Keeping with the British theme, Pints offers two different cask-conditioned ales, which are served at “cellar” temperature—about 50 degrees—like much of the beer in England. If you’re interested in a more American beer-drinking experience, don’t fret—Pints also brews a few cold, fizzy beers such as the Airedale Pale and the Alchemy E.S.B.

You’re drinking: The smooth, chocolaty John Bull Brown Ale

Food Pairing: Pints Pub has a full menu replete with English fare good for soaking up the alcohol.

If You Go: 221 W. 13th Ave., 303-534-7543, pintspub.com

Caution: Brewing Co.

Thanks to Denver’s awkwardly drawn eastern city limits, Caution is officially part of the Denver beer scene. This new taproom is also home to a bit of Colorado brewing history: Owners Danny and Betty Wang are crafting their unexpected beers using Odell Brewing Company’s old five-barrel pilot brewing system (hence Odell’s 5 Barrel Pale Ale), which they purchased on a whim after they heard the equipment was available. Caution’s flagship brew is the Lao Wang Lager, a clean, golden beer concocted with Asian spices, but the real gem is the Hippity Hop, an offbeat IPA brewed with chrysanthemum and Chinese rock brown sugar, which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “floral hop character.”

You’re Drinking: Hippity Hop, which, at 7.5 percent ABV, is easier to drink than it should be

You’re Listening To: The sounds emanating from the classic, arcade-style Space Invaders video game in the corner

If You Go: 12445 E. 39th Ave., Unit 314, 970-315-2739, cautionbrewingco.com

Great Divide Brewing Company

Great Divide has been around for 19 years, a veritable eon in craft brewing time, and the taproom, which underwent an expansion in 2011, displays the trappings of being the big boy in town. The crowd is well scrubbed and professional, the decor leans upscale industrial chic, and the myriad awards the brewery has won over the years are hung prominently on the wall. Grab a seat at the bar—if you can find one—and ask the bartender what sort of rarities and one-offs are on tap.

You’re Drinking: Our favorite of Great Divide’s offerings is the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, a complex, roasty 9.5 percent ABV beast of a beer.

You’re Listening To: Loud indie rock

If You Go: 2201 Arapahoe St., 303-296-9460, greatdivide.com

Renegade Brewing Company

The first time we walked into Renegade, it just felt right—which is why we’ve been back so many times. Others apparently feel the same way: Located within the Art District on Santa Fe, the sleek, smallish space is consistently packed. So much so, in fact, that Renegade has plans to open a new spot, the Renegade Publik House, near the University of Denver next month. Can’t get to one of the tap houses? Renegade cans its flagship brew, Ryeteous Rye IPA, in 16-ounce tallboys and distributes them to select liquor stores around Denver.

You’re Drinking: At 5 percent ABV, 5:00 Afternoon Ale is a session beer you can drink well into the evening.

You’re Listening To: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks

If You Go: 925 W. Ninth Ave., 720-401-4089, renegadebrewing.com

Bull & Bush Brewery

The neighborhood brewpub trend may have exploded in the Mile High City over the past couple of years, but the Bull & Bush has been serving cold craft brew since 1971. The pub is modeled on an English watering hole of the same name that dates to 1645 and comes complete with exposed wood beams and a copper bar that’s warped just enough to keep your pint slightly off-kilter. Bull & Bush always has a number of brews on tap (they’ve been brewing their own suds since 1997); see what best fits your palate, and enjoy a taste of Olde England in southeast Denver.

You’re Drinking: If a place has the cojones to name one of its brews Man Beer, they’re almost daring you to down a pint of this 7.5 percent ABV English-style India pale ale.

You’re Listening To: The Killers, Oasis, Garbage

If You Go: 4700 Cherry Creek Drive South, 303-759-0333, bullandbush.com

Strange Brewing Company

Strange Brewing—the name is a reference to the classic 1983 screwball comedy Strange Brew—has a strange little taproom (the brewery could benefit from a feng shui consultant) in a strange location (an industrial strip mall in the shadow of Sports Authority Field at Mile High) that, somehow, always seems to have a steady crowd. We figured it had to be the beer. And we were right. Founded by two IT guys who lost their jobs at the Rocky Mountain News when the paper folded in 2009, Strange turns out solid brews from a rotating list of 12 tap handles: everything from fruity Belgians to pale ales brewed with rosemary.

You’re Drinking: Strange Pale Ale, a straightforward American-style pale ale

Winning: Strange garnered a Great American Beer Festival gold medal in its second year of existence, 2011, in the gluten-free category with its Gluten-Free Lemon Pale.

If You Go: 1330 Zuni St., Unit M, 720-985-2337, strangebrewingco.com

Breckenridge Brewery

The term “micro,” as in microbrewery, is almost too small to do Breckenridge justice. Distributed in 33 states—and with a parent company that owns places like Wazee Supper Club and LoHi’s Ale House at Amato’s—Breck may not be a behemoth like Coors, but it’s a different beast from the indie breweries popping up around town. Breck’s Ballpark neighborhood pub recently underwent its first big renovation since it opened in 1992 (it doubled the number of tap handles, to 32), but when we’re looking for a fresh pint of 471 Imperial IPA, we head to the tasting room on Kalamath Street, where you’ll find old-time beer lovers and solid barbecue eats.

You’re Drinking: The Oatmeal Stout, a creamy, slightly bitter brew fit for a cold winter’s night

You’re Listening To: A solid lineup of jam bands

If You Go: Multiple locations, 303-573-0431, breckbrew.com

Black Shirt Brewing

Walking into Black Shirt feels like being let in on a secret. Craft brew connoisseurs will dig the taproom: From the filament light bulbs and custom glassware to the bar and tabletops, which are made from reclaimed train-car floors, Black Shirt feels like our version of the perfect place to drink a few small-batch beers. The four-month-old brewery only makes red ales, which may sound unnecessarily restrictive, but head brewer Branden Miller has done remarkable things with the typically malt-focused beverage.

You’re Drinking: BSB Red Ale, Black Shirt’s flagship brew, which is buttery and balanced

You’re Listening To: The Shins on the record player

If You Go: 3719 Walnut St., 303-993-2799, blackshirtbrewingco.com

Trve Brewing Company

If the Denver craft brewing scene were a high school, Trve would be the brooding metalhead who always sat in the back. Tucked into a narrow storefront on Broadway near Second Avenue, Trve’s bartenders wear all black; heavy metal growls from the speakers; and the black walls are decorated with trippy artwork. But don’t let that scare you away: Trve is the perfect nanobrewery for its counterculture-friendly Baker location. The bartenders and customers are affable, and the beer is brewed in extremely small batches without, not surprisingly, much care for traditional styles.

You’re Drinking: The 4.2 percent ABV Hellion American Table Beer

Bigger Isn’t Always Better: Trve offers 32-ounce growlers (half the normal size) to members of its “Cvlt.”

If You Go: 227 Broadway, #101, 303-351-1021, trvebrewing.com

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Sassafras American Eatery
JEFFERSON PARK
In just nine months, Sassafras American Eatery has found a way to make its Jefferson Park space feels as if it’s been there for years. Inside the historic William J. Dunwoody house (built in 1889), time slows ever so slightly—which suits chef Colin Mallet just fine. Born and bred in Louisiana, Mallet cooks generously; the breakfast and lunch menu overflows with towering eggs Benedict, spicy jambalaya, and hot beignets. Sassafras may be down-home, but there’s still finesse: astringent sun-dried tomato vinaigrette cuts the heft of fried green tomatoes, local mushrooms star in the silky gravy, and pickled pepper jam nestles up against crispy fried chicken. The warm service, homey farm tables, and bohemian details all leave a strong impression—and the feeling that you’ll be back before long.

Hot Seat: Large (and lucky) groups score the round table in front of the picture window.
Don’t Miss: Gooey butter cake
2637 W. 26th Ave., 303-433-0080, sassafrasamericaneatery.com

The Populist
NORTH LARIMER
Everyone seems to be trying to claim North Larimer: It’s been called Five Points and RiNo, but this area has its own artisanal identity. And it’s exploding: The Infinite Monkey Theorem recently relocated its winery to 32nd and Larimer streets; Novo Coffee is headquartered nearby; and Our Mutual Friend Malt & Brew, Crema Coffee House, Nooch Vegan Market, and Hutch & Spoon are all within a few blocks. One other newcomer is the Populist, an eclectic and inviting four-month-old restaurant. The unofficial motto—food for the people—seems noncommittal, until you notice that entrées top out at $18, a seven-course tasting menu for two runs about $70, and dishes such as chicken liver mousse and braised beef cheeks anchor the menu. That doesn’t mean that co-owners Jonathan Power and Noah Price (full disclosure: Price happens to be my distant cousin) aren’t pushing the limits—see the huitlacoche agnolotti, an earthy corn fungus stuffed inside delicate pasta. There’s also substance: The menu is written with no descriptions so that you have to interact with your server. And the waitstaff is spectacular—cool, knowledgeable, and as humble as the restaurant itself.

Hot Seat: The banquettes are tucked in and comfortable.
Don’t Miss: Bacon and egg, smoked trout rillettes
3163 Larimer St., 720-432-3163, thepopulistdenver.com

Uncle
LOHI
If you’re going to copy a New York City restaurant as illustrious as David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar, you’d better do a damn good job. That was what Tommy Lee, owner of Uncle in LoHi, set out to do—and he’s largely succeeded. Uncle’s minimalist, inside-a-bento-box decor is a carbon copy of his inspiration; the menu is similar (even the typeface looks the same); and the counter-as-focal-point is dead-on. It would be a little off-putting if the food and ambience weren’t so inviting. Lee has hit on an invigorating combination of loud music, easygoing servers, a come-as-you-are vibe, and creative noodle bowls. You’ll quickly pick favorites when it comes to the bowls—especially the spicy kimchi ramen with a poached egg and the Bibimbap with pickled mushrooms—but don’t pass up starters. Steamed buns stuffed with seared shrimp patties, Sriracha mayo, and shredded romaine are the envy of fish sandwiches everywhere. Order the sugar snap peas tossed in chile-soy sauce, if only for the heady, addictive remains. Scoop the sauce up with your chopsticks and add it to the Bibimbap or steamed buns—or eat it straight. Most exciting: Uncle is making an impact that’s all its own.

Hot Seat: Tables make conversation easier, but the counter offers a view into the kitchen.
Don’t Miss: Shrimp steamed buns, fried Brussels sprouts
2215 W. 32nd Ave., 303-433-3263, uncledenver.tumblr.com

Oak at Fourteenth
BOULDER
It’s difficult to tell the story of Oak at Fourteenth without referencing the fire that destroyed it. In fact, it would be unfair not to include the restaurant’s misfortune, since it defines the new Oak: The nine-month struggle to rebuild and refine resulted in a more focused and mature restaurant. You recognize it in the clean-lined, elegant dining room. You sense it in Bryan Dayton’s progressive cocktail program. You taste it in Steven Redzikowski’s assertive seasonal dishes. It’s confidence manifested on the plate—and it’s persuasive. Many dishes (the kale salad, the meatballs, the shrimp and grits) are holdovers from the original Oak, but now they appear more poised. This concentration of ideas and ingredients works for the new menu items, too. At lunch, the tuna tataki (so often cluttered and sloppy) is a picture of creative restraint: Fried green tomatoes buttress cool slices of yellowfin, slivers of cucumber, and bright, zesty herbs, microgreens, and celery leaves. The dish is exacting in flavor, but it’s approachable and buoyant—all apt descriptions for the restaurant itself.

Hot Seat: The main dining room is shaped like a triangle. Ask for the window seat in the corner farthest from the door.
Don’t Miss: Tender Belly pork loin with bacon-braised sweet potato and figs
1400 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-444-3622, oakatfourteenth.com

The Universal
SUNNYSIDE
The Universal has taken a Sunnyside location that has been forever awkward (remember Gelman’s Restaurant & Bar, Boston Fish Shack, Stingray Lounge, and Coop de Ville?) and reworked it into a sunlit, whitewashed destination for breakfast and lunch. Textured poured concrete on one wall and a huge American flag on another impart the wholesome feel of modern Americana. That balance of old and new spills over into chef Seth Gray’s enlightened Southern dishes. Order the spectacular grits—either as a side or as a du jour entrée (pork green chile one day, Korean beef barbecue the next). Dig into the scrambles heaped with goodies like savory-sweet chicken-apple sausage, caramelized onions, and chèvre. Try the chicken confit with collard greens and a wedge of cornbread. Food here is big, soul-stirring, and focused. Even the unexpected tempeh banh mi (you read that right) will find fans with its bright, fresh, and satisfying flavors—especially when ordered with a side of those heavenly grits.

Hot Seat: The bar puts you squarely in the middle of the neighborhood crowd.
Don’t Miss: Grits, cornbread huevos rancheros, banh mi
2911 W. 38th Ave., 303-955-0815, theuniversaldenver.blogspot.com

Amerigo Delicatus Restaurant & Market
NORTH LARIMER
It’s a rare spot that welcomes you like a friend and holds your attention so effortlessly you feel like a guest at an intimate dinner party. But that’s the case at Amerigo Delicatus, an Italian eatery perched at the intersection of Broadway and Larimer. Visit during the day, and the space functions as a busy deli with sandwiches and soda. At night, flickering candlelight and alluring house-made pastas transform the 40-seat space into a true restaurant. Chef and co-owner Iain Chisholm’s food is simple, straightforward, and attitude-free: The root salad’s tangle of arugula, shaved fennel, and thin strips of roasted parsnip costs four dollars. The signature linguine, which arrives tossed with house-made Italian sausage and zesty red sauce, is just $13. Portions are small but not skimpy; two adults can make a satisfying dinner out of a couple of appetizers, a salad, and a pasta dish. Amerigo’s easy and unassuming nature is exactly what makes dining here so appealing.

Hot Seat: The high-top community tables allow bird’s-eye views.
Don’t Miss: Semolina cavatelli, salumi plate
2449 Larimer St., 303-862-9850, amerigodelicatus.com

Spuntino
HIGHLAND
Every neighborhood needs a restaurant where you can grab a late lunch on a Tuesday or an impromptu dinner on a Thursday. In the case of Highland, that spot is Spuntino, an Italian-style cafe taken over by chef John Broening and pastry chef Yasmin Lozada-Hissom last March. (If those names sound familiar, it’s because they were instrumental in making nearby Duo Restaurant what it is today.) The menu—which makes extensive use of local ingredients—is substantial, especially given the size of the place. Lunch is comprised of excellent, well-crafted sandwiches (don’t miss the Sabroso with roasted sweet potato, goat cheese, caramelized onions, and sprouts), salads, and a pasta. Dinner translates into vegetable-focused, seasonal dishes composed of house-made pastas and judicious amounts of rich meats. It’s all about balance at Spuntino, and the resulting food tastes wholesome, sincere, and special. That sensibility will soon extend to the space as well—Spuntino is reworking the awkward seating and applying for a full liquor license. With the revamp, Spuntino’s mission of everday dining will truly come into focus.

Hot Seat: Tables by the front window offer sunny spots to enjoy lunch and brunch.
Don’t Miss: Bruschetta, country pâté, farrotto
2639 W. 32nd Ave., 303-433-0949, spuntinodenver.com

The Squeaky Bean
LODO
When a neighborhood restaurant relocates to a new part of town, an identity crisis is almost certain. But when the Squeaky Bean traded its Highland digs for a space in LoDo, it did so smartly. The restaurant has been remade: No longer a neighborhood spot, the Bean is a downtown dining destination. Even before chef Max MacKissock served his last meal at 33rd and Tejon, you could sense the transition. His cooking had evolved from straightforward (albeit excellent) dishes to more intellectual and expressive concoctions. The deconstructing and dehydrating demanded a bold platform. And the new space, housed in the historic Saddlery Building on the corner of Wynkoop and 15th, is a proper showcase. Diners looking for the old Bean will likely be disappointed, until they grasp that underneath the gloss, the philosophy—good food is good fun—is the same. Dishes are spirited (the truffle and the hare; one potato, two potato; pot au pho) and often feature wild juxtapositions, but the combinations are sound and thought-provoking. Most important, dishes are as exciting to eat as they are to look at.

Hot Seat: The two-seater against the window in the west corner ensures privacy, a little quiet (the space can be noisy), and an opportunity to take in the scene.
Don’t Miss: Hand-rolled couscous with smoked date purée, roasted cauliflower, and ras el hanout
1500 Wynkoop St., 303-623-2665, thesqueakybean.com

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The passenger train headed south after several overnight hours rolling through the rugged Wyoming landscape. Joseph LaNier reclined in his seat, his eyes fixed on the vast open Plains. He was on a 30-day leave and had to make it to Millington, Tennessee, for official discharge from the United States Navy in early February. Where they would stop along the eastbound route wasn’t clear, but LaNier’s ticket gave him a rough idea of the route: Portland, Oregon; St. Louis, Missouri; Columbus, Mississippi. He planned to get off in St. Louis for a few days to spend time with his brother and his brother’s wife. As the Plains rolled by, LaNier’s train approached Denver, a place he had never heard of before the conductor made the announcement onboard.

The train slowly rolled into Union Station on the morning of Thursday, January 3, 1946. Outside, the dull, low hum of the engines was interrupted by an occasional hiss as LaNier stood from his window seat. He left his bags on the train when the conductor said the stop would include a three-hour layover. LaNier put his wool Navy pea coat on over his blue dress uniform, the same one he had put on the day before in Oregon. On both his collar and his wool sleeves, stripes indicated his seaman, second class rank. LaNier fastened the coat’s oversized buttons and walked into the cold Rocky Mountain air. There was no snow on the ground, but it was frigid, the kind of cold that fills your nose and stings the lungs. He was the only black man who got off the train.

Mississippi 1943

In late 1943, LaNier had seen a small black-and-white advertisement in the Columbus, Mississippi, newspaper, the Commercial Dispatch. Uncle Sam looked directly into LaNier’s young face, finger pointed at him. Even though LaNier knew the military was segregated, he wondered if perhaps this was the route he could take to escape the racism and poverty of northeastern Mississippi.

A small recruiting office kept normal business hours in Columbus, but it was there only to pique interest and funnel recruits to a larger office in Jackson, which was a few hours away. Without much thought, and without consulting with his family, LaNier decided to go in, alone. A retired Navy man turned recruiter named C.B. Roberts sat and talked with LaNier. After their discussion, LaNier was ready to join, but he didn’t know that to officially enlist he had to first convince his father, Joseph, to sign the necessary papers. LaNier had no idea he was too young to do it all on his own. He was 17 years old.

LaNier walked home with paperwork and then explained to Papa, as Joe Sr. was known, how he could help the family with a U.S. Navy allotment every month, and Papa agreed without hesitation. At 17 years and 10 months old, LaNier was accepted into the service. The teen was eager to leave the gravel roads and cotton fields of Columbus and take a chance.

Mississippi 1926

Joseph Conklin LaNier II was born Thursday, March 25, 1926, inside the bedroom of a rented home six miles from the center of Columbus—population 3,000. Outside, two magnolia trees swayed in the wind; inside, a midwife helped 34-year-old Savilla LaNier deliver her fifth child. A kerosene lamp stood nearby.

There was no doctor to announce the time of his arrival or his official length and weight. After the birth, the midwife walked across the wooden floors to the front door and back to her house two miles away. One month later, the LaNiers filed baby Joe’s birth certificate with the state of Mississippi and the State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Papa rented the small home from a railroad engineer who traveled back and forth from Columbus to Birmingham, Alabama. The family lived there until LaNier was nine, on the southern edge of 40 mostly wooded acres. The surrounding fields were covered with fruit trees, rows of corn, and cotton fields. This was manual-labor land. Papa made much of their furniture by hand, including the chair where LaNier sat and cried as they took his first picture in 1930.

Two younger sisters, Ruth and Gladys, were born in 1930 and 1932, respectively. The home had just two small rooms. There was a living room and bedroom in one, while the other served as the kitchen. Papa later built an actual kitchen, which expanded the living and sleeping space into two bedrooms.

Across the dirt road in front of the LaNier home, a German family worked the farmland. Six-year-old Joe would watch from his yard as the man worked the fields even at night, under a full moon. He worked the plows with mules and horses, going up and down the rows.

When LaNier was old enough, about once a month he would hop in his father’s homemade wagon, pulled by two horses, and ride down the bumpy dirt roads into town. Papa owned a four-door Model T he bought in Birmingham before LaNier was born, but it didn’t run. That didn’t stop the young boy from climbing in and pretending to drive to far-off places. In Columbus, cars were rare, even for the whites, and paved roads were few where LaNier lived. As the dust would fly up in the distance, children would often run out to the dirt road simply to see a car pass.

Iwo Jima 1945

One year after he’d enlisted in Mississippi, LaNier found himself far from home and part of an elite fraternity: He was one of the fewer than 1,000 African-Americans serving on Iwo Jima. For the blacks in the U. S. Navy 23rd Special Seabees, however, the monotony quickly set in as they were at best grunts amidst what would be the most publicized Pacific battle of World War II. While death was all around them, their world was comprised of just a few hundred yards. They carried out orders as they were handed down, unloaded ships, battled thirst, and sweat through the blazing sun in the middle of the Pacific. On the north side of the island, Marines continued the advance to gain control of “Sulfur Island” (the English translation for Iwo Jima) against Japanese General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, who’d spent time in the States for part of his schooling. To the southwest, LaNier’s segregated unit went about its daily routine, despite the certainty that the enemy was still scattered within nearby Mt. Suribachi, which was filled with undetected tunnel systems.

On the other side of the small island, evidence of the carnage and chaos of the landing on Iwo Jima still littered the beaches, all within walking distance of LaNier’s unit. Amazingly, LaNier’s unit never lost a man on Iwo Jima; none of them was even injured. “You have a power structure in the service that doesn’t see you as a group that’s making a contribution to the fighting of this war,” LaNier says. “You are the guy that picks up the cans—you’re ancillary. It’s an indication of what the ‘powers-that-be’ thought about us as a unit.”

On a plateau, a small tent city operated as planned. It was here that LaNier was assigned a job as an assistant inside the carpentry shop. As a gopher, he would haul two-by-fours, two-by-sixes, planks, wood, and other imported construction materials around in the crude lumberyard. The 23rd Seabees were tasked with constructing makeshift structures, while others in the unit were stevedores, responsible for unloading ships, working the docks, and transporting goods.

It was on the plateau that he noticed the flies. They were much bigger than ones he’d seen at home. These were big, green flies—bigger, LaNier surmised, because of the bodies on the island. The carnage was everywhere, and the putrid smell of death consistently filled the air.

The unit spent four months in this new, sandy, dusty plateau area up from the beach. LaNier and a fellow Seabee shared a small canvas tent. Each Seabee tent had two cots but lacked basics like tables and lights. Wool blankets were issued, but because of the warm temperatures, the men usually slept on top of the blankets in their shorts. It was up to each man to decide how he would use his two canteens of water per day. Men grew itchy stubble or full beards to save the water used shaving. The Seabees built a shower system comprised of half-barrels that tilted and spilled water, but bathing was infrequent. As the front expanded on the north side of the island, American troops took over Japanese-built water purification systems. Slowly, water became more readily available.

There were occasions when the men of the 23rd were able to see newsreels from the States. The Seabees, an ingenious bunch, would hang a sheet against a tent as someone manned the film projector. This was the only visual clue of the war’s progression; however, the soldiers were able to hear the music from back home on the radio—via the enemy. Several radios were scattered about in the tent city, and many of the men gathered around the small devices to listen to the infamous Tokyo Rose. Beginning at 6:30 every evening, the sounds of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey could be heard coming from the tents, all lined up just a few hundred yards from mass carnage.

Of course, there was propaganda. Despite the misinformation, the black Seabees were amused by the Tokyo Rose broadcasts and listened every evening. Even so, LaNier noticed that on certain nights her psychological warfare succeeded. Many men would often stare off into the night, wondering if their girls back home still loved them and if they would live to see another day on Iwo Jima.

The weeks on Iwo Jima had now turned into months of living on the dusty, acrid island. By the middle of the summer, the men of the 23rd were informed that they would be moving on to another “destination unknown.” LaNier didn’t need an explanation. He wasn’t eager to leave Iwo Jima: The fact remained—LaNier was better off socially and economically in the Navy than he was back home in Mississippi. His unit’s time on Iwo Jima was coming to an end, and the men began the organized teardown of the tent city.

Over the course of the next two weeks, the tents came down, the dump was cleared out, and matériel was packed in crates headed aboard LSTs (Landing Ship, Tanks). Trucks and ammunition were loaded back up; the stevedores, maintenance workers, construction specialists, ensigns, chaplain, and even medical and dental officers all prepared to leave Sulfur Island. Sweaty, dirty men went back and forth countless times from the plateau to the shore, loading and unloading trucks full of supplies. LaNier had never seen trucks like these in Mississippi and was fascinated by the size and power of the ones used in transport. He quietly continued to hope someday, in the near future, he would get his wish to drive one. He watched as his home on Iwo Jima disappeared— every bit dismantled and loaded up for the next destination.

Denver 1946

LaNier walked south out of Union Station’s doors into the brisk air. In front of him, he saw a drugstore across Wynkoop Street, and, inside, he knew there would be the standard ice cream counter and soda fountain.

There were no signs that indicated he couldn’t come in through the store’s front entrance. He put his hand on the knob and opened the door to the small drugstore. It smelled good inside. The soda fountain, with its upholstered stools and shiny countertop, was to his left; booths were against the wall to his right. The prescription counter was toward the back of the store, and the place was empty, except for a young white woman in her late teens, wearing an apron, behind the fountain counter.

In another part of the country, just a few years earlier, LaNier would have turned around and removed himself from the potentially dangerous position as quickly as he could. He had no idea of the race relations in Colorado, and, though he knew this wasn’t the South, there were any number of things that could go wrong. He could be accused of something, and it could come down to his word against that of a young, white, female teenager. It was exactly the type of situation his parents told him to avoid as he grew up in Mississippi.

With a bit of trepidation, he walked up to the counter and ordered an ice cream cone. The girl looked at him, walked over to the freezer and scooped vanilla into a cone. They didn’t talk. She gave it to him; he paid a dime.

Then LaNier stood there, still, not knowing what to do. Could he sit? Would he be kicked out, ridiculed, or worse? He scanned the store and saw no signs for “blacks” or “whites only.”

The teenager watched LaNier as he stood near the counter, in his Navy uniform covered by his wool pea coat. She must have sensed something was wrong. “Why don’t you have a seat and enjoy your ice cream,” she said. It was more a directive than a question. His response seemed to be suspended in air. He finally spoke.

“Thank you,” he said to the young woman.

LaNier had just spent two years in the Navy. He was just 19 years old. He had smelled death, seen people shot, been shot at, survived two months in a foxhole, and driven night routes in hostile territory. He had been called a nigger countless times throughout his life. Yet as he stood there inside a drugstore—vanilla cone in his hand—he finally felt a sense of belonging.

LaNier walked a few feet and sat down inside a clean booth. As he sat there, he realized this was a completely new experience. “I felt so comfortable,” he told me. “Comfortable in knowing I could sit. The only explanation I can give for feeling that way is that my mind would automatically go back to where I grew up in Mississippi, where the consequences could have been dire if I had made the wrong decision.”

It was a monumental moment in his life—right there across from Union Station, in the downtown area of a city he didn’t know. The teenage girl continued to work behind the counter. LaNier ate his ice cream, quietly, alone. In Mississippi, he would have been persona non grata, yet here—in this city called Denver—he was seated at a warm booth inside a white-owned drugstore.

He finished his ice cream in about 10 minutes, then got up and walked out into the cold.

LaNier still had time before his train departed for St. Louis. He didn’t have a watch but he knew he had the better part of two-and-a-half hours. With hands in his coat pockets, he walked until he saw the Tabor Theater and went up to the ticket window. Thirty-five cents later he was inside an integrated theater about to see a movie. He told the white usher that he had to catch a train, and he asked the usher if he would mind telling LaNier when he needed to leave. The movie was already underway when LaNier took an aisle seat. An hour later, the usher came in, tapped LaNier on the shoulder and said, “It’s time.”

“At that moment,” LaNier says, “I decided, This is where I want to live. No question.”

LaNier thanked the usher and retraced his steps back outside the theater, down 17th Street, and crossed back over Wynkoop to Union Station. He proceeded down the tunnel, then up onto the train platform. When he climbed aboard and walked down the passenger car, he again took his window seat.

The train whistle blew and the conductor made the familiar “All aboard!” announcement. The engines kicked up, the wheels began to turn, and the train started to roll out of Denver. LaNier looked out the window. He knew he’d be back.

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TOP IT OFF
Proenza Schouler degradé cotton sweater, $575; cotton jersey T-shirt, $280; chambray skirt, $575; and Alexander Wang reversible cashmere beanie, $215; all Nordstrom, 2810 E. First Ave., 720-746-2424, shop.nordstrom.com. Maison Martin Margiela leather peep-toe boots, $830, Max, 264 Detroit St., 303-321-4949, maxclothing.com. Elizabeth Knight brass plated in gold disk cuff, $154; and green onyx bullet cuff, $440; both Goldyn, 2040 W. 30th Ave., 720-489-0580, shopgoldyn.com.

MISS WORLD
Brunello Cucinelli knit-combo dress, $1,385, Neiman Marcus, 3030 E. First Ave., 303-329-2600, neimanmarcus.com. Frank & Eileen cotton plaid shirt, $198, Garbarini, 3003 E. Third Ave., 303-333-8686, garbarinishop.com. Kir Collection sterling silver and mother-of-pearl Brianna Station necklace, $2,035; The Woods sterling silver and pavé diamond wasp pendant necklace, $1,980; and Iosselliani mixed stack bangles with rhinestones, $478; all Goldyn. Rhinestone tiara, Flossy McGrew’s, 1824 S. Broadway, 303-778-0853.

RED HOT
Stella McCartney viscose blazer, $1,695, Neiman Marcus. Miss Wu cashmere sweater, $295, Nordstrom. ALC viscose drawstring trouser, $395, Neiman Marcus. Elizabeth Knight crystal handlet brass-plated in 14-karat gold, $165, Goldyn. Christian Louboutin Decollette polka-dot watersnake red sole pump, $795, Neiman Marcus.

BUNDLED UP
Brunello Cucinelli satin tailcoat tank, $930; and fringe vest, $1,335; both Neiman Marcus. Pamela Love Talon Cuff in 14-karat gold over brass, $920, Goldyn.

ON THE TOWN
Rebecca Taylor demi peplum shell, $350, rebeccataylor.com. Maison Martin Margiela leather-paneled stretch cotton legging, $895; and leather peep-toe slide, $700; both Max. Alexis Bittar Lucite and Swarovski crystal bangles, starting at $65 each, Nordstrom.

OUTSHINED
Theyskens’ Theory mohair and silk ombré sweater, $425; and silk pants, $395; both Nordstrom. Maison Martin Margiela leather peep-toe boots, $830, Max. Suzannah Wainhouse brass Queen ring, $396, Goldyn. Kala Jones sunglasses, $195, Europtics, 100 Fillmore St., 303-321-3000, europtics.net.

WELL SUITED
Maison Martin Margiela wool and satin jacket, $1,495, Max. 3.1 Phillip Lim cupro pant, $395; and silk Henley blouse, $375; both Nordstrom. Charlotte Olympia cat-face velvet skimmer, $595, Neiman Marcus. Marcia Moran titanium Druzy geode rings, $250 each, Garbarini.

GUITAR HERO
Isabel Marant crepe-jacquard blazer, $930; Étoile Isabel Marant cotton gauze shirt, $185; Raquel Allegra cotton lace vest, $425; and A.L.C. silk pant, $395; all Max. Marcia Moran black and white geode ring, $229, Garbarini.

DOUBLE CROSS
VPL silk Insertion Narrow Midi Dress, $425; and Suzannah Wainhouse brass and oxidized silver cross dagger necklace, $308; both Goldyn.

Hair: Matthew Morris/Matthew Morris Salon
Makeup: Katelyn Simkins
Model: Brittni Tucker/Donna Baldwin Agency
Fashion Assistant: Tanner Brown

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The gold dome is teeming. It’s January 9, 2013, the first day of Colorado’s legislative session, and everyone in attendance gives off the earnest sense that they’re about to witness history. Young men who look like Esquire models—with slick hair, slick blazers, and the illusion, at least, of self-possession—stride the halls at a pace that suggests they’ve somewhere important to be yet still will arrive fashionably late. Men and women speak in whispers as they dole out handshakes and greetings: It’s so nice to see you again! It’s so exciting, isn’t it?

Inside the House chamber, the session opens with serenades from the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus before the formalities begin. Exiting Speaker Frank McNulty directs the action, and the Republican wields his gavel one last time like the hammer of Thor. He slams it down so hard at one point that he knocks the sounding block clear off the table. He’s not actually upset; that’s just his style.

McNulty is about to cede the gavel to Mark Ferrandino, at which point Ferrandino—a Democrat budget and finance wonk representing the 2nd District—will become Colorado’s first openly gay speaker of the House. Not long ago, an amicable transition was almost inconceivable. In the final days of the 2012 session last May, the civil unions legislation that Ferrandino had co-sponsored with state Senator Pat Steadman withered and died. As gay rights activists and supporters watched from the visitor’s gallery, Republican lawmakers led by McNulty employed stall tactics to kill the bill, despite knowing it had enough votes to pass. The filibuster nixed civil unions and took some 30 other bills with it. “My heart was pounding out of my chest,” says Ferrandino, who at the time attempted what’s been described as a “palace coup” to get the bill called for debate. When his efforts failed, boos rained down from the gallery toward the GOP. People chanted, “Shame on you! Shame on you!” and one protester yelled, “I hope you fucking die!”

As of today, all is forgiven, if not forgotten. McNulty and Ferrandino have their differences but, as politicians do, they try to keep policy separate from their friendship. They will always agree that each of them, as Ferrandino says, “wants the best for the people of Colorado.” It’s no trivial concession because there are myriad issues besides civil unions that this Legislature must address: To wit, later today outside the Capitol building, twin rallies will be staged to usher in the new session—one an anti-fracking protest, the other in favor of preserving gun rights.

In short, there’s bipartisan work to do. As Ferrandino is officially nominated, McNulty’s final bang of the gavel welcomes the new speaker, and the chamber erupts into a standing ovation and extended applause from both sides of the aisle. His acceptance speech includes warm greetings and thank-yous, along with a couple of fence-mending cracks about McNulty and the House members’ mutual adversaries in the Senate. In the middle of all the formalities, a glowing Ferrandino admits, “This is the greatest honor of my life.”

Two decades ago, Colorado became known as the “hate state” for passing Amendment 2, which, in the interest of promoting “family values,” repealed laws prohibiting discrimination against homosexuals. (The U.S. Supreme Court later overturned the amendment.) In 2006, voters struck down Referendum I, a law that would have established domestic partnerships, while passing Amendment 43, which added a section to Colorado’s Constitution defining marriage as “the union between one man and one woman.” Our state also is home to nationally known groups such as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Institute (FRI), both of which have long tried to limit the LGBT community’s political clout.

Colorado’s evolving tolerance hasn’t swayed their mission. Paul Cameron, the chairman of FRI—which the Southern Poverty Law Center designated as a “hate group” in 2010—told me in an email that “those who engage in homosexuality are consumed by their sexual addiction, cost society more than they contribute, seldom produce children for our future, and injure the demographic by getting other people’s children to participate in their sexual habit. In line with their reduced life spans, as politicians they tend toward near-term, freedom-reducing, oddball causes and rent-seek for their tribe. Colorado will discover whether Mark Ferrandino fits this mold.”

Partly inspired by the civil unions setback, Colorado Democrats funneled their anger at these “conservative” worldviews into electoral wins last November, helped significantly by ardent campaign-trail volunteers. Chief among their legislative advocates was Ferrandino, who since 2007 has gone from Colorado Young Democrat of the Year to ranking Democrat on the Joint Budget Committee to House minority leader, and now to speaker, without basking in the same limelight that some of his colleagues enjoy. “We just wouldn’t stop working between [May] and the election to make sure we won,” Ferrandino says. It paid off on November 6. Democrats claimed many competitive races in Colorado, garnering a 37-28 majority in the House and paving the way for Ferrandino’s nomination. “It was just like chess,” he says. “A game of strategy, that’s what politics is—do we have enough pieces to win the majority? How do we make sure of that? We got more than I expected.”

As fired up as Ferrandino might have been during the campaign, it’s his measured demeanor that spurred Democrats to tab him as their leader. Jack Pommer, a former colleague of Ferrandino’s on the Joint Budget Committee, says Ferrandino’s “very practical” style will be an asset. “He looks at issues and doesn’t come to them with a huge amount of ideology,” Pommer says. “[He] keeps his mind open to various solutions.”

Then again, although bipartisan consensus is something Ferrandino says he wants, given that his party now controls the Colorado Senate, House, and Governor’s Mansion, it’s no longer something he needs. Each issue will be a new chess match, and each one should, theoretically, be winnable for Ferrandino given his party’s advantage. The spoils of the speakership dictate that Ferrandino assigns chairs and co-chairs to committees and also distributes bills to heighten the likelihood of their approval or rejection. “There’s a real possibility of stacking the deck,” says John Straayer, author of The Colorado General Assembly and a political science professor at Colorado State University. “[The speaker] can pretty much determine the outcome of certain pieces of legislation.”

Someone else might be tempted to steamroll his opposition, but that’s not Ferrandino’s way. To him, such heavy-handedness would defeat the purpose of this institution he has studied, mastered, and even revered since he first saw a Sunday morning news show. “There’s a lot of cynicism around government,” he says. “And if I can lessen that by making more people confident in and trusting of the institutions of government, and by showing people that we can still work and have input from the Republicans and different interests—that would be a huge accomplishment in itself.”

Mark Ferrandino was born alongside his twin sister, Nicole, in August 1977 in Nyack, New York. Sharing his mother’s womb led to complications that deprived him of oxygen and led to various learning disabilities. His parents, both New York City educators, soon noticed that Mark was advancing more slowly than his sister, and getting him the necessary help meant he had to attend a different school—the self-described kid on the “short bus” sent off to special education classes.

Ferrandino attended speech therapy, had thought-processing and reading-comprehension difficulties, wore ridiculously large glasses, and suffered from strabismus (crossed eyes, for which he’s had surgery twice). His differences meant he was regularly bullied, and his most vivid memory of the tormenting happened in fifth grade. While riding the bus, a kid stole his glasses and threw them out a window. Ferrandino got the driver to stop, and—after pawing through the roadside grass, practically blind—he only found the frames when the bus backed up and he heard the crunch. “I came back with my glasses in my hand, shattered,” Ferrandino says. “You know you’re in this place where you’re not the same as every other kid…it’s why most special ed [programs have] stopped doing these self-contained classes. It’s very traumatic.”

Around this time, Ferrandino gradually integrated into regular classes. He picked up the trumpet and joined the school band. He started making friends and slowly shed his outcast status. And though he still had learning disabilities, there was never any doubt about his intellect. “Mark always had to work harder than other people to do things because of the challenges he had,” says his father, John Ferrandino. “He’s always known that you have to do your homework, be disciplined, stay focused; you can’t fly by the seat of your pants. Or at least, he never could fly by the seat of his pants.”

Ferrandino tried playing baseball as a kid—his older brother had played and his father had coached—but everyone agrees he was terrible at it. “Mark wasn’t a good baseball player, but everyone liked him,” John says. “They gave him an award for being the best teammate.” He later found a sport he could excel at, and some of his lifelong friends, on the track.

When he wasn’t making forays into sports and music, Ferrandino kept returning to politics. While his elementary school peers fantasized about becoming firemen or doctors or ninjas or pirates, Ferrandino was enamored with public policy. At 10 years old, he told his father he wanted to be a senator someday, and on Sunday morning, rather than watching cartoons, Ferrandino was transfixed by Meet the Press and The McLaughlin Group. He loved the data, budgets, and debates; the leather chairs and suits and ties; and the “great process of elections to help decide who’s going to be in charge, and then the process of legislation that allows for the fine-tuning of policy.” His heroes weren’t athletes or pop stars; they walked the halls of the U.S. Capitol and the White House. While his brother Michael read novels, Mark read the newspaper, and he enjoyed debating his grandparents, both Limbaugh-loving conservatives. (Ferrandino’s passion endures to this day: The political veteran Pommer describes legislative work as often tiresome and occasionally “oppressive” and “ungodly.” Ferrandino calls dealing with such wonky minutiae “the most fun I’ve ever had.”)

After high school, his learning disabilities no longer much of an issue, Ferrandino enrolled at the University of Rochester. He double-majored in political science and economics and completed a master’s program in public policy—all in five years. He later lived in Washington, D.C., on multiple occasions, once to intern with former Congressman (now Senator) Charles Schumer, and later as a policy analyst for the White House Office of Management and Budget under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He moved to Colorado in 2003 and became a senior budget analyst for the state Department of Health Care Policy and Financing before getting elected to the state House in 2007.

Ferrandino’s twin sister, Nicole, who came to Denver in 2010 and is the director of engagement for the Colorado Association for School-Based Health Care, told me that her brother always was a “nauseatingly” good kid: Well-mannered. Considerate. No recreational drugs. No tattoos. No vices that could haunt him once he got into politics. “He just kind of stayed away from it all,” she says. “He was like, ‘Why would I want to give anyone ammunition to use against me later on in life?’ ” But even though there was no Clintonian “I did not inhale” controversy for Ferrandino to dodge, being a gay man seeking office offered enough of a challenge.

The future politician had a girlfriend from late in high school through his first year of college. When they broke up, Ferrandino tentatively came out as bisexual to some of his close friends because, he says, “I wasn’t ready to say the actual words—that I was gay.” After that, it was time to tell his family. He was living in Washington when Nicole visited from New York. “We were having a great time, hanging out, and he was showing me around the city,” she says. “He was on the phone talking to somebody at his house, and I was like, ‘Hey, who are you talking to?’ ”

“Jon,” Ferrandino said.

“Who’s Jon?”

“My boyfriend. We’re having lunch with him tomorrow.”

Thus concluded their discussion of Mark’s coming-out. The three had lunch the next day, and then she boarded a train at Washington Union Station and was gone. “I think he did it that way so that he didn’t have to gauge my reaction or have to explain it,” Nicole says. “It was like, ‘You’re my twin sister, you are going to accept this for what it is, and we don’t need to talk about it.’ And I don’t think we ever did really talk about it back then.” Mark says this was because he’d always assumed she’d be supportive. “There’s no one closer to me in my life than my sister,” he says, “and she had said many things to me [before then] that made me think she already knew.”

Ferrandino’s progressive-minded parents were both accepting and supportive, even though they knew being gay could potentially complicate his political ambitions. “I know how mean people can be,” John says. “I didn’t want my son hurt. I didn’t want him to expose himself to the criticism and the hate-mongering that were possible.”

But instead of fear, John’s son found motivation and inspiration in the kind of hateful tragedies gay people face. On a frigid October night in 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man, was drinking at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie, Wyoming. Later that night, two men he’d met at the bar drove him to a remote plot outside the town, robbed him, tortured him, and tied him to a buck fence. Shepard hung there in freezing temperatures for 18 hours, so battered and tangled within the fence that the first passersby mistook him for a scarecrow. When rescuers finally found him, his face was still caked in blood—except, reportedly, for where his tears had washed it away. For five days Shepard survived at a Fort Collins hospital before finally succumbing to his injuries.

Ferrandino was attending the University of Rochester when the incident occurred. “When that happened,” he says, shaking his head, “…it’s scary. That could happen to anyone. I knew I needed not just to be involved in Democratic politics, but I needed to be involved in LGBT politics as well.” The school held a candlelight vigil for Shepard the night he died, and hundreds of students attended. “To see that kind of support for someone who was gay and murdered halfway across the country,” Ferrandino says, “was, for me, very impactful.”

On a cloudy December afternoon, Ferrandino answers the door of his red-brick home in Baker. He’s in track shorts and a T-shirt and is holding Lila, his one-year-old foster daughter who “never sleeps,” while an irate, 11-pound Shih Tzu seems to be readying herself to wage war against my shins. I’m obviously inside the house of a new parent. Ferrandino and his partner, Greg Wertsch, an agent with the Department of Homeland Security, have been caring for Lila for only five months. Her stroller is in the middle of the hallway. Blankets and baby and dog toys litter the couches, and binders and books are piled on the end tables. It’s not that it isn’t clean; it’s just lived-in and a little untidy.

Ferrandino repeatedly calls the dog’s name, Dagny, with increasing volume, to distract her from nipping at my legs. Then to me, he says, “Greg wanted a cat. I wanted a beagle. So we compromised on a Shih Tzu.” (Dagny, it should be noted, is named for Dagny Taggart, the powerful, beautiful heroine who rails against government regulation in Ayn Rand’s capitalist opus Atlas Shrugged. Although it’s an odd tribute for a Democrat to make, it’s Ferrandino’s favorite book. But he’s a fiscal budget guy, a numbers geek, and the novel, he says, is “a fascinating story with this strong undercurrent of economics.”)

He wraps Lila in a blanket and puts a tiny beanie on her head—Nicole calls her brother “a ridiculously amazing father”—before strapping her into the stroller and heading out for our run. For about a year, Ferrandino and Wertsch have been following a program called “Lose It!”—better known by Ferrandino’s staffers as “iAnorexia” or “iVomit”—in which he tracks his calories (no more than 1,600 a day) and exercises vigorously. He runs four to seven miles, six days a week, and lifts weights twice or more weekly. He’s lost 35 pounds in the past year and now sports an angled jawline and no signs of his formerly doughy midriff.

As we jog along the Baker area streets, strangers greet us with surprised recognition, followed by big smiles. “Mr. Speaker!” they say. “Happy holidays!” At Broadway and 6th Avenue, a constituent identifies himself as the president of the Colorado Senior Lobby and asks for a 30-minute meeting. “Definitely,” Ferrandino says. “Just email me. We’ll get it done.” He stops several more times along the route, always politely, if a little distracted by his Lose It! requirements. “I hate stopping because it screws up my time, to see how fast and far I run,” he says.

We’re only averaging a 9:15 pace per mile, so he speeds up while giving me his perspective on this year’s legislative issues. Civil unions are but a slice of his agenda. Longmont voted in November to ban hydraulic fracturing within the city’s limits, and now the city is being sued. Some people are terrified their guns will be taken away, and others are terrified there’ll be more guns now—and in schools, no less.

Like most officeholders talking to members of the media, Ferrandino has a tendency to stick to hazy, political nonanswers. On gun-control legislation: “People have a right to bear arms, and we have to live up to and protect the Second Amendment. That being said, simple safety measures should be in place. I know what my gut tells me, but I don’t know how that looks, how that bill would be written. Until you see a bill you don’t know where you’d be on it.” On fracking: “We need to allow for oil and gas [exploration], but we have to do it while we protect air quality, water quality, public safety, and other industries like tourism and agriculture.”

He’s less malleable in other areas. Ferrandino believes in using universities as incubators for innovation and startups. Because a growing body of research has concluded that early-childhood learning is a decisive predictor of post-secondary success, funding and expanding early education, along with providing affordable access to college, figures prominently on Ferrandino’s agenda. And regarding civil unions, he believes the word “marriage” has a religious connotation and is therefore irrelevant in the eyes of government. Civil unions are about a “contract” of commitment, not religion, he says, and religious institutions have the right to neither recognize nor perform same-sex marriages. But government has an obligation to provide full equality under the law. (At press time, the 2013 civil unions bill was expected to become law in Colorado by May 1.)

The issue this lover of political line-items has been most passionate about is, in fact, the payday lending industry. Payday lenders offer short-term loans at interest rates as high as 400 percent, and they often charge exorbitant fees. This creates a cycle of debt for clients that can be impossible to overcome. “I just saw so many people being taken advantage of and wanted to right that wrong,” says Ferrandino of his adopted cause. It was another game of chess that he began in 2008 by trying to force a cap of 36 percent on payday interest rates, back when “the payday industry lobbyists thought they could roll a freshman legislator,” he says. The lenders thought they had all the Republicans and at least one Democrat on their side, and heading into committee, the lobbyists were confident that Ferrandino’s bill was dead.

What they didn’t know was that the day before, Ferrandino talked to Republican Victor Mitchell, “a financial guy who understood that maybe these lenders weren’t completely honest, and they might need some more regulation.” On the morning before committee, the two drafted an amendment to include some of Mitchell’s concerns. In exchange, he flipped his support to Ferrandino. “Unbeknownst to anyone, Victor and I quietly told some members right before committee, ‘There’s an amendment coming from Mitchell. I support it, and I need you to vote for it.’ ” Ferrandino’s supporters agreed, and the bill passed out of committee. Seeing the stunned looks on the lobbyists’ faces when the bill passed, says Ferrandino with a mischievous smile, “was very nice.” It ultimately took three years—and many fierce negotiations—before the bill passed. (“I blew up several times at some members,” Ferrandino says. “I can have a temper. I’m still an Italian from New York.”) It’s the one bill for which Ferrandino keeps a folder of commemorative news clippings, and displayed above his desk is a placard declaring victory over the payday lending industry.

Even with the occasional blowups and vehement debates that permeate politics, Ferrandino is known for his uncanny ability to disagree without deeply offending anyone. Pommer says that even on the Joint Budget Committee—in which “you piss off so many people by cutting or not approving their budget, or become so wonkish that you don’t really like dealing with other departments”—Ferrandino maintained friendly relations with his colleagues. “I felt like I was burning bridges while he was out advocating for what he needed to advocate for, but not ticking people off,” Pommer says. “I’m not sure how he did it, but he did.”

Ferrandino’s openness to compromise and eschewal of rigid ideologies have earned him red and blue friends alike. What few and relatively minor complaints there are, held by colleagues such as House Minority Leader Mark Waller—a “Colorado Springs Republican,” as Ferrandino underlines—are aimed more at the Democratic caucus than at Ferrandino himself. Where they might disagree is over the speaker’s poker-playing abilities: Waller says Ferrandino is “absolutely terrible,” but outgoing Speaker Frank McNulty isn’t so sure. “We get along fine except when Mark is taking my money,” McNulty says. “At that point I don’t like the way Democrats redistribute incomes.”

The Monday after Ferrandino’s first week as House speaker, I receive a two-pronged message: to “bring foldable money” when I visit the Capitol building the next evening, and to “be prepared to lose it.”

Poker night has resumed in the Legislature, a regular gathering that brings Democrats and Republicans to the same table for inside jokes and lighthearted derision. When I arrive at Ferrandino’s office, he’s dressed casually in a button-down shirt, open at the collar and tucked into jeans. He’s seated at a green oval poker table that nearly fills his office, with nine seats and plenty of elbowroom. On a table behind him rests a handmade chess set his sister brought him from Peru, its pieces—Incas versus Conquistadors—aligned for battle. For the moment, it’s just me, Loveland Republican Brian DelGrosso, and our host, discussing the enormity of this poker table.

Ferrandino sets up the game with precise and slightly nervous energy. He shuffles two decks and stacks the chips for each player, squinting through his glasses as he counts them. The open beer in front of him appears untouched, though that may be on purpose. Ferrandino notes that the calories in brews add up; the more he drinks, the harder he’ll have to hit his Lose It! regimen tomorrow.

The other legislators trickle in, exchange their cash for chips, and then either take a seat or meander to the corner of the office, where four bottles of whiskey and one bottle of 303 Vodka reside. Once everyone’s seated and the cards are about to be dealt, Ferrandino looks at me with a grin and says, “OK, so we’re off the record now, right?”

I agree. Although the content of the evening’s conversations won’t be repeated, the atmosphere is jovial and smoothed by Scotch as the stacks of chips rise and fall. McNulty and Ferrandino dig into each other about issues they disagree on, then laugh off their differences. No one gets too deeply into policy details; they use these gatherings to blow off steam together—the better to avoid ugly fights in the House once it’s time to debate the touchier subjects.

Dave Young, a Greeley Democrat, plays like a kamikaze pilot, always betting the highest value chip he has. Another Dem, District 30’s Jenise May, is the first woman to play in some time. DelGrosso is the quiet grazer in the corner, slowly getting his fill of everyone’s money without making a scene about it. McNulty plays a fittingly conservative hand, save for random bursts of going all in. It works—most of the time. As Ferrandino once told me during a discussion about civil unions, “Frank plays politics like he plays his poker. Sometimes he has a hand and he goes all in. Sometimes he doesn’t, and he still goes all in.”

The new speaker is, in a word, aggressive. Whatever his aims might be for running a “kinder and gentler” administration, they don’t apply to Texas Hold ’Em. When he has cash, he wagers it. Tonight, it gets him into trouble: He’s the first out and one of the only ones to buy back in. For now, at least, the Republicans like the way Democrats redistribute income.

Poker, Ferrandino tells me later, is about anticipating how people will act in tricky, sometimes emotional situations, while chess, his other strategic love, is about seeing moves several steps ahead of the opposition. Ferrandino stays in the game on this night, primarily to figure out how to play a better hand the next time around. “Ultimately, you’re trying to weave your way through all the different possibilities to be victorious in the end,” he says. “That’s very much like politics.”

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Like many couples who’ve been married 32 years, Jim Logan and Sherry Wiggins make an excellent collaborative team. And because they’re both tremendously artistic—he, a nationally recognized green architect, and she, a locally celebrated artist and sculptor—the results of their teamwork can be striking. Take their newly constructed Boulder home: an early modernist interpretation of a ranch house that features all the latest green technology (it’s LEED platinum certified) and a noteworthy smattering of local art. It’s a carefully conceived, light-filled space that feels homey in spite of (or perhaps because of) its green elements. And we wanted to know just exactly how they did it. Here, they give us a tour.

5280: What was the existing house on the property like, and what drove the decision to tear it down?

Logan: It was a one-story 1950s ranch, but it had no basement, and we wanted more square footage. Adding a second story would have been out of character with the neighborhood and not as energy efficient as building below ground, so we chose to start over.
Wiggins: And there really was nothing worth saving. The house had been a rental for 10 years and was in terrible condition—but the lot was mature and very beautiful.

Besides maintaining a similar profile, what other factors drove the design?

Wiggins: I told Jim I wanted to live in a box of light, so window placement was critical. He included three rows of clerestories [high windows] that open to the south to light the main floor, big window wells that bring light into the basement, and a floor-to-ceiling wall of glass that looks east into the garden courtyard.
Logan: And having a connection to the landscape was another key component. We
saved a mature oak and Norway maple that dictated the placement of the courtyard, and I added the garage and Sherry’s art studio to create privacy for the outdoor spaces.

Your house has a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum rating—the highest designation for green building possible. How strongly did LEED’s point system affect design choices?

Logan: The LEED system awards points for everything from sensitivity to the landscape to reduction of storm water runoff. Because we intended to open our home to groups who are interested in energy-efficient design—like the Boulder Green Building Guild—we made decisions based on those criteria.

Such as?

Logan: Our driveway is brick laid over sand so that rainwater is absorbed. To minimize our energy use, there’s a geothermal heat system, a ground-source heat pump that makes heating and cooling more efficient, and a 10-kilowatt photovoltaic array on the roof that, in a year, meters far more electricity back to the grid than it draws. Our goal was to be carbon neutral—and we are. You also get points for using local materials and we did that as often as possible: For the building’s framework, we selected recycled brick from Denver and lodgepole pine beetle-kill for the siding.

What about inside?

Logan: The cabinets are all FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) woods, meaning they come from managed forests. The cabinets are hand-rubbed with an oil finish. Our kitchen counters are made from post-consumer recycled paper, and we cook on a superefficient induction stovetop. And
all of our toilets are dual-flush, low-flow.

Anything not ecological?

Wiggins: The white porcelain kitchen backsplash tiles are from Italy, and anything that has to travel that far is definitely not eco. But we believe it’s also important to pick things you really love so you never have to replace them.

What about your furniture?

Wiggins: Reuse is about as sustainable as you can get, and we’re still using the same farm table and chairs we bought for our last house. And when we purchased our living room sofa 20 years ago, it was the only nontoxic sofa available in the country.

So would you say the desire to create one of the greenest homes in Colorado was the driver of the architecture?  

Logan: No. I’ve been designing what people call “eco-architecture” for so long that including green elements is totally instinctive. Things like good day lighting, adequate insulation, and well-crafted sustainable materials so naturally enhance the living experience I can’t imagine not having them in my designs. Sherry and I had one primary goal—to make a piece of beautiful, light-filled architecture—and that’s what we did.

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Designer Laurel Quint of Laurel Quint Interior Design is known for her ability to mix Western design with surprising hints of East Asian style. Her signature look grew from her work designing residences both in Colorado and in China’s biggest cities. (What began as a single gig decorating the home of a Chinese national—who picked her portfolio from a stack of American designers’—has become a steady stream of projects abroad.) “Asian style, on its own, seems a bit pretty and precious; Western on its own seems cumbersome and unrefined,” she says. “But combine the two, and it’s such a balance of yin and yang. They play off each other to give form and style that seem more interesting.”

As this loft in LoDo’s Wynkoop Mercantile Lofts building proves, Quint’s approach to design feels right at home in Denver. We sat down with the designer to find out how she does it. 

5280: The Wynkoop Lofts were first developed more than 20 years ago, but this space is new for your clients. What did you change?
 

Laurel Quint: Overall, we needed to rethink how to use the loft space to make it more workable for the homeowners’ lifestyle. They are a couple with no kids who love to entertain, and they wanted a home that responded to that desire.

The first thing they wanted was a new master bath. The existing one had a small shower, no bathtub, no storage—it was boring. So I combined the original space with a large walk-in closet to create a more functional bathroom and introduced a mixture of beautiful finishes—like travertine marble tiles and teak cabinetry—to elevate the design.

Next came the kitchen, where we kept the cherry cabinets, redid the counters and tile, and reconfigured the shape of the island to make a second informal dining spot where they could enjoy breakfast.
When we finished the kitchen, they said they needed a sofa and coffee table and rug, and the project just progressed from there.

5280: Tell us more about the furniture and how you created these intimate spaces.

For starters, I selected a round walnut dining room table that expands to a large oval so they can host intimate dinner parties or comfortably seat 12. Then I set up several conversation spots. In the main living area there’s a large sofa where the two of them hang out when it’s just them. Right behind that is a grouping of two slipper chairs and a settee, and at the loft’s entrance, two deep-set leather chairs are perfect for intimate conversations or reading. That area also sets a gracious tone when you first enter 
the space.

5280: What about establishing a design style? What drove the aesthetics?

It’s hard to ignore the bricks, beams, and inherent architecture of historic buildings because they have so much character. But lofts are also very contemporary, so we went with a Colorado-modern idea and selected furnishings that were modern but not too hard-edged. The first thing we picked was a clean-lined sofa upholstered in blue denim. The color was meant to calm down the brick. 

5280: And then you added a few Asian-inspired touches.

Absolutely. In fact, I immediately saw the delicacy of Asian design as the perfect foil for the overwhelming architecture. In the master bathroom the cherry-blossom tile mural and teak-veneer vanity make a clear Asian statement. There’s also an old Chinese buffet in the dining room, and the rug under the living room sofa is designed to resemble a Japanese sash, called an obi.  

5280: Can you reveal your secrets for blending these two distinct styles?

Asian design elements are often subtle, but they can easily offset much stronger features. For example, in the master bedroom, the wrought-iron bed [from Ironies] is forged to resemble bamboo and the window-covering fabrics are a tone-on-tone lotus blossom pattern. That simple combination is enough to take the edge off the more demanding elements in the rest of the room. Asian design is a lot like Chinese culture; everything is quietly stated, but there’s incredible strength and power behind it.

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Some homes are so perfect—every inch of trim, every glowing light fixture, every coordinating throw pillow—that it looks as if the design fairy flew in and waved her magic wand. This Cherry Hills home is that kind of place.

Mary Knape and Kelly Zibell of Knape & Zibell Interior Design created the home’s bright, handsome interiors with careful attention to the owners’ wishes: a traditional home that feels crisp and bright, perfect for grown-up gatherings and afternoons with the grandkids. “This isn’t your grandmother’s style,” Zibell says. “It’s traditional, but with an edge. It’s not as serious, even though it’s still gracious.”

To create the home’s look, the designers began by finding fresh, bold prints. The living, dining, and family rooms are in view of each other, so Knape and Zibell used a common palette for all three areas: green (one of the owners’ favorites), chocolate brown, and ivory. “Color is a good, easy way to tie rooms together,” Knape says. The secret is to use varying amounts of each color in each space to make the rooms feel fresh and interesting on their own. In the dining room, the designers played up the chocolate brown walls with a brown-and-white rug in a geometric print, then added contrast with green-and-white floral-print curtains. In the family room, they relied more heavily on whites and ivories, accenting the space with a pair of club chairs in brown velvet and a pair of textural ottomans in a playful leopard print. And the living room feels bright and airy with ivory furnishings (treated to resist stains) and a few touches of green in accessories and fabrics.

The rooms feel complete but not stuffed—a difficult trick to pull off in a home with large, open spaces. So how’d they do it? The duo selected furniture with pretty, tailored silhouettes. “Nothing is fussy,” Knape says. And they skipped superlong couches and hefty chairs in favor of clusters of midsized pieces. “Adding more seats, instead of bigger seats, makes a room feel comfortable for people,” Zibell says.

“You don’t want guests to feel dwarfed by your furniture.” Even in the master bedroom, with a grand four-poster, the designers added a pair of ottomans at the foot of the bed to balance the space.

It’s the little surprises that make the house feel polished and welcoming: the scalloped trim on the sofa skirt in the living room; the whimsical touches of animal print in almost every room; the luxurious quilting in the guest room comforter; the oil paintings from Abend Gallery on the walls. “When you think you’re done, it’s time to play with the details,” Zibell says. “They don’t have to be elaborate, but they should make your home feel special.” Special indeed—as if the design fairy might have visited.

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1 Timeless Elegance
A traditional bathroom with just a touch of shimmer.
When talking about her master bathroom, interior designer Michelle Jaffe uses terms like “formal balance” and “scale graduation.” We just call it good design—which comes not only from Michelle, but also from her husband, Bruce, a cabinet-maker, and architect Lisa Egger, whom Michelle tapped to draw up the couple’s Boulder home because of a shared penchant for “traditional houses with contemporary cleanness.” The result is a lesson in applying classic design principles to 21st-century living.

Go custom
Bruce built the cabinets to house the bath’s dual sinks. “Custom cabinets work well in bathrooms,” says Michelle, “because you can use whatever paint color you want, and they’re not so heavy.” It’s topped with a Calcutta Gold marble slab.

Add sparkle
Polished nickel faucets (by Watermark) and drawer pulls (by Top Knobs) are a sophisticated look best used in master bathrooms, says Michelle. “It’s not a very forgiving material,” she says. So reserve the look for rooms where you can enjoy it—and keep it safe from little ones and guests.

Flatter yourself
“Having lights in front of you, not coming from above, is much more flattering,” Michelle says. “It takes out all the wrinkles.” The Studio Openwork Long Sconces are from Visual Comfort & Co.

2 Breathing Room
An architect uses the Front Range foothills as inspiration.
A trip to the master bathroom in this Boulder house, which sits on the threshold between the city and the prairie, feels like a visit to a spa. Architecture firm Arch11 conceptualized the space to blend the natural beauty of the outdoors with the clean, simple lines of modern interiors. “It’s very much about connecting to the landscape,” says architect Ken Andrews. “A lot of people take it for granted that a bathroom is just about taking a shower. We like to think of it as a pause in your day.”

Bring the outside in
From the two-person Agape soaking tub, there’s a perfect view of Boulder’s Bear Peak. “We call the house a ‘viewfinder’ because it reveals the surroundings,” Andrews says.

Soften the vibe
Instead of pure white surfaces, the Arch11 team chose natural materials such as soapstone countertops from Dorado Soapstone in Denver, Bianco Venatino marble flooring from Arizona Tile, and Roku glass tiling in Rain from Walker Zanger, which “bounces light around,” Andrews says. “There’s a very welcoming, cleansing quality to the room. You never feel like it’s stark.”

Personalize it
The flooring near the tub and the custom sink are built out of jarrah, a sustainable Australian eucalyptus wood that handles moisture well. (It’s so durable that it’s often used on yachts.) The owner, who is from Australia, wanted to incorporate a piece of his native home in the new house.

Light the Way
The subtle ambience of the pendant lights, which add a subdued glow at night, is carried throughout the house for consistency. “They read more like candles at night,” Andrews says.

3 Sleek & Playful
Classic style and unexpected flourishes strike the perfect balance.
The outdated master bathroom in this traditional Cherry Hills house begged for a transformation that would match the clean, sophisticated taste of its new owners. Interior designer Nadia Watts and architect Stephen Ekman reconfigured the flow of the bathroom and created a soothing and versatile color scheme. “It’s not quite contemporary, and not quite traditional,” Watts says. “It gives a fresh look to a classic style, so they’re not going to look back in 10 years and think it’s dated.”

Make a mosaic
The contrasting gray patterns of the flooring (Cloud Vein in a herringbone pattern from Artistic Tile) and the hand-glazed shower tiling (Encore Ceramics’ Basketweave Silver on the floor and Field Silver on the walls, and Mini Crescendo Mosaic Silver as an accent) give the room effortless interest.

Rethink layout
To replace a room-consuming Jacuzzi, Watts chose a sleek soaking tub with a white Caesarstone slab and Watermark and Jado fixtures. The team designed in more windows and built-in shelves to add variety and natural light.

Have some fun
Watts passed on a traditional chandelier in favor of the Moravian Star from Circa Lighting. “We didn’t want something glamorous, but didn’t want anything too expected, either,” Watts says. “It’s fun to try different shapes and materials.” The contemporary vanities—from Wetstyle’s C Collection—are flanked by chic Urban Electric Co. sconces. And the playful, cast resin Clyde Mirrors are from Oly.

4 Total Tranquility
An artist and two designers collaborate to create a modern oasis.
When Judy Karp bought her new-construction condo in Cherry Creek last fall, the watercolor and pastel painter knew she wanted a streamlined look for the space. She found a kindred spirit in designer Chris Awadalla of Interior Intuitions, who was already on board to design the kitchens and bathrooms for the building’s six units. The pair, along with interior designer Roy Herberg, created a serene master retreat, with no superfluous baubles or ornate detailing to distract from the room’s purpose: relaxation.

Consider your space
A Dahl Plumbing faucet is seamlessly mounted through the mirror to make room for the MTI Baths St. Tropez LV sink, which sits above the counter. The ledges around the built-in Kohler soaker tub are perfect for candles, bath salts, and a glass of wine.

Color it in
Although Karp embraces a vivid orange palette in her home’s living areas, she decided on this soothing aqua shade (Martha Stewart Precious Metals) to create a spalike retreat.

Add warmth
With its sharp edges and minimalist decor, modern design can feel cold. Karp warmed up the room by selecting limestone for the floor (Arrowhead Floors & Interiors); the naturally varied markings provide an organic feel.

Try modern touches
Forgoing wood or beadboard, Awadalla extended the floor tile up the wall to create a modern take on traditional wainscoting. The limestone is capped with Schluter-Schiene aluminum edging instead of the customary curved bullnose.

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“How do you spell ‘whoomp’?”

Steve Rolln was on the line with his man DC the Brain Supreme. DC had been talking to three strippers—Cinnamon, Chocolate, and Dark-N-Lovely—who’d just gotten back from Miami and had told DC, who was a strip-club DJ, about a chant that had gone viral in the South Florida clubs: “Whoomp! There it is.” It was difficult to decipher at first; the refrain was so guttural, so dirty. Was it “whoop” or “whoops” or “woot”? No, no, no. It was whoomp, a bit of ingenious, onomatopoeic strip-club slang to which someone had appended the phrase “there it is.” A woman takes it all off, and—Whoomp! There it is. DC was on it. He wanted to take those four words, wrap a beat around them, and make a song. A party song. The party song.

“Yeah, but how do you spell ‘whoomp’?” Steve asked his best friend—the kid he’d grown up with in Denver in the early ’80s, the guy he’d brought to Atlanta all those years later with the dream they’d someday hit it big in the hip-hop game. They’d had to move to the South; Denver didn’t have what they needed to make it.

Atlanta, on the other hand, was the perfect place for these two young rappers. It was the summer of 1992; Bobby Brown, who had made Atlanta his adopted home, was a growing presence at the top of the R&B charts. Record executive L.A. Reid was churning out hits with an all-star list of African-American talent. Now, four years after the release of N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton; three years after the Beastie Boys reimagined hip-hop with Paul’s Boutique; and one year after Ice-T’s O.G. Original Gangster, DC and Steve—together known as Tag Team—were ready. They didn’t, however, want to compete with those artists. What they wanted to do was much more pedestrian, but no less ambitious: They would create a song with a shuffling high-hat rhythm and a bass line that you could feel in your bones, with lyrics about partying and fun and sex. If they did it right, it would drive people onto the dance floor. If they had a hit, it would play on a seemingly endless loop on MTV and VH1 and FM radio stations. It would show up in movies. People across the country would chant the chorus at clubs; fans at basketball games would shout “whoomp!” after spectacular dunks. And the two guys from Denver would be world-famous and, one day, become very, very rich.

Right now, though, Steve Rolln is just trying to get out of the parking lot. It’s late on a Monday morning this past winter, and Steve—whose given name is Steve Gibson—is sitting outside a North Denver hotel in his rented Chevy Tahoe, waiting for DC, who’s 30 minutes late. Steve’s seat is reclined to a near 45-degree angle from the steering wheel. He’s 47, but he could pass for a man a decade younger. He’s wearing a white Adidas track jacket and jeans; his tangle of cigar-thick dreadlocks is smashed against the Tahoe’s leather headrest. He’s playing with his jacket’s zipper when his phone finally rings. It’s DC. “Whassup, man?” Steve answers. “Where you at?” Pause. “Well, come out. We sittin’ in this Tahoe.” Pause. “Where?” Pause. “You got a Suburban?”

Since Steve and DC released it 20 years ago, “Whoomp! (There It Is)” has made a bigger impact than even the two dreamers could have imagined. The song, which is not much more than a gussied-up strip-club mantra, was certified four times platinum in the United States, generated millions of dollars in sales and royalties, and ranks among the country’s most commercially successful singles of all time. It reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 1993 end-of-the-year chart (and was in the top 50 in ’94). In the annals of American pop music sales, “Whoomp!” sits right alongside singles by icons like Elvis, the Beatles, and Michael Jackson. And, even today, “Whoomp!” still gets airtime on the radio, at sports venues, in television commercials, and on movie soundtracks. In two decades it’s gone from bona fide hit to kitsch to generational touchstone. Put another way, “Whoomp!” has matured and grown by means of reminding a whole bunch of thirty- and fortysomethings of their immaturity, of all the fun they used to have before jobs and kids and marriages and mortgages.

Steve pulls out of the hotel parking spot, drives across the lot, and stops his Tahoe behind DC’s rented black Suburban. A few months before their song’s 20th anniversary, I reached out to Steve and DC—whose real name is Cecil Glenn—to talk about growing up in Denver, their irrepressible song, and the smash hit’s past and future. Steve rolls down his window as DC jumps out of his SUV and pops open the vehicle’s back gate. At age 46, DC’s all chest and stomach, with a graying goatee and a Kangol cap pulled over his shaved head. He grabs a picture frame that’s facedown in the Suburban’s trunk. “What’s that?” Steve calls to his friend. DC flips over the black frame for the big reveal: four platinum records and a platinum cassette tape, pressed under glass. “We may be one-hit wonders,” Steve admits to me, then adds: “But there’s people who can’t even do the one hit.”

DC and Steve will both tell you they weren’t raised on the mean streets. Their respective childhoods—they both grew up on leafy blocks in North Denver—couldn’t have been more different from the vicious, violent upbringings so many rappers claim to have endured. Life was more reminiscent of a scene from a Leave It To Beaver episode than anything from Straight Outta Compton. Run-ins with cops happened only when a neighbor complained they were practicing their music too loudly; neither ever had to use an AK to get through the day. And DC and Steve never hid their middle-class upbringing, even if the rap industry seemed to demand it. (As Dr. Dre once noted in a track called “Nigga Witta Gun”: “And for a youth to survive, a nigga gotta be a gangster.”) But these two dudes were no gangstas, nor did they ever want to be. “When you look back, I had it good,” DC tells me after Steve and I pile into the Suburban and head east toward their old neighborhood. “I can’t complain about shit.”

DC was enrolled in Catholic schools for much of his childhood, went to Mass regularly with his family, and was expected to earn a college degree. His parents were his role models: DC’s father, Cecil Glenn, earned a doctorate in education from the University of Colorado Boulder and was director of minority education programs and the ethnic studies program at the University of Colorado Denver for more than three decades. DC’s mother worked as a supervisor at a juvenile court. Steve, too, lived a life of quiet expectations. One of his uncles served as an attorney in the Carter administration, and Steve’s mother worked a job as an administrative assistant but was always home in time to have dinner ready for her three children. Though Steve’s parents divorced when he was five, both were constant presences in his life. He’d visit his father and then go home to his mother, who made him do his homework.

There were curfews and allowances and chores to do. Like so many adolescent boys, the two got involved with girls, smoked a little weed, and hung around the campus at Manual High School, where they met in Mrs. Langley’s social sciences class in 1982. Theirs were the sort of low-drama lives that make parents feel confident about their kids’ futures. Neither saw the racism they learned about in school, and neither can remember a time in Denver when they were discriminated against. “We all grew up around everybody,” DC says. “That was one of the blessings of Denver. We were just friends with everybody.”

It was Steve who fell for music early. He’d listen to LPs at his dad’s apartment, then mix songs at home on his mother’s tape recorder and save the cassettes in his bedroom. When he met DC, Steve already had a couple of bands. In DC, he found a future collaborator. DC could sing and play piano; Steve played drums and was a budding beat-maker. Steve wrote songs in class, and DC was in the Bolt Vibrations, the Manual choir. DC played football; Steve was elected senior class president and prided himself on his wardrobe, which included a pair of penny loafers. “They were the big men on campus,” says Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who attended Manual in the ’80s and lived not far from DC. “Steve was the man; Cecil was just the coolest dude.”

Weekends were like something out of a movie—running from one house party to the next and entertaining girls at Steve’s mother’s place. After school, they either practiced at DC’s or in Steve’s basement or grabbed rides downtown, where they rapped on the 16th Street Mall and collected tips in a plastic cup. When the second member of the original Tag Team—one of Steve’s groups—graduated from high school and joined the Army, DC stepped in. “It was the stone age of hip-hop,” DC says today. “It was simple and fun back then: Make the beat, write the lyrics, name the song, and make it sound good—not necessarily in that order.” They made their first recordings at Free Reeling Studios in Denver and performed at the city’s Juneteenth celebration for the first time in 1983; they rapped in a parking lot off Holly Square Shopping Center and in hotel lobbies. There wasn’t much of a future in hip-hop in Denver, though, and rap wasn’t getting regular airtime on the radio. Everything that made Denver a generally safe place for a young African-American male made it a terrible incubator for hip-hop.

As DC and Steve showed me around their old ’hood this past winter, DC slowed the Suburban at the corner of York Street and 27th Avenue and pulled over to the shoulder. Steve let out a groan when he saw the green house. “Oh, man,” he said of his childhood home. “They painted it. That’s not how it’s supposed to look.” DC shook his head. “What happened to the majestic burgundy?” he asked. “That is not very majestic.”

Steve got out of the SUV and wandered over to the sidewalk that runs along the front of the house. DC and I followed. Steve pointed to the window where his mother’s room used to be, to the basement where they once wrote songs. Steve walked up the steps and into the yard to get a better look. There was a big porch out front, with some plants lining the walkway. As Steve poked around, a gray-haired woman appeared suddenly from behind a storm door. “Can I help you?” she called from behind the glass.

“I used to live here,” Steve said.

A look of acknowledgement registered on the woman’s face. She opened the door. “Are you Steve?” she asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“Ooohhh,” the woman said excitedly as she stepped into the sunlight. “I was told a famous rapper once lived here.”

After graduating from Manual in 1984, DC studied communications at California State University, Sacramento, and Steve moved to Georgia to enroll in the Art Institute of Atlanta. The two stayed close and paired up again when DC moved south in 1989 and eventually got a job as a DJ at an Atlanta strip club called Magic City. The money paid for rent and food, kept DC in the local music scene, and gave him afternoons to work with Steve on new material.

When he learned about the chant, Whoomp! There it is­, in the summer of 1992, he pitched the idea for a bass-heavy party song to Steve. Both men were now 26 and seriously considering their futures in the music business. They didn’t have a full album or a deal with a record label, and no one was paying attention to the one-off songs they were releasing in the club. With “Whoomp!” though, DC thought they had something—even if he hadn’t written lyrics yet. Make a few beats, DC told Steve. Do the bass your way.

At the recording studio in his house, Steve put together five beats and brought DC over to listen. They were good, DC said. But one stood out. Steve had sampled a 1980 dance track, “I’m Ready,” by an Italian group named Kano. He’d heard the song years earlier and especially liked the synthesized, funked-out intro. To the Kano sample, he overlaid the bass—a sort of BOOOOOM-booooooooom rumble—and then the cymbals.

To open the song, DC yelled the words, “Party people!” To fill in a 15-second gap after Steve’s first verse, the two repeated the phrase “shaka-laka”—a goofy expression Steve would say to another friend when the two passed each other in the Manual High hallways. They added several call-and-response sections, then patched the rest of the track together.

DC finally played “Whoomp!” at Magic City in October 1992. They put the track away for a few months, then played it again one night in February 1993. The song was a hit. They needed to find a record label, DC said, right away.

Man, did they have it good: trips to Rio, to Germany. “We played at this place called the Hippodrome” in London in 1993, Steve remembers. “When DC yelled ‘party people’ the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. People were going crazy.” The song was played in NBA arenas to pump up fans; it exploded on the coasts. Birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, frat parties. You name it, the song was there. Shortly after “Whoomp!” was released, Steve’s mother went on a business trip and walked into an auditorium where her son’s song was playing. She got a standing ovation.

Even if they thought the success would last forever—and they did—DC and Steve acted as if it all could disappear just as suddenly. After a trip to the American Music Awards to present the Favorite Soul/R&B album to Whitney Houston and a performance on the Arsenio Hall Show, they fashioned a handful of terrible reworks of “Whoomp!” that included a 1995 song for Disney (“Whoomp! There It Went”), a Spanish remix (“Whoomp! Si Lo Es”), and a historically awful lead single for the 1993 movie Addams Family Values, titled “Addams Family (Whoomp!),” which earned Tag Team a Razzie for worst original song in a motion picture.

If anyone—family, friends, business associates—thought to put the brakes on the enterprise, to find someone who could guide Tag Team’s future, no one said anything. The group’s label, Bellmark Records, didn’t seem to care if its number one act was turning into a sideshow. And, if they’re being honest, neither did DC or Steve.

Money rolled in, and the two spent it without consideration. For guys who’d grown up in hard-working families, the idea of easily accessible cash made life into a carnival fun house. Steve got married and started to build a family, but he brought friends with him on international trips and paid for everyone. When he needed $100,000 to put a down payment on a house outside Atlanta, he called Bellmark and waited for the check. “Whatever we wanted, we got,” Steve says. “We didn’t think about saving it for later.” Shortly after the song’s release, DC bought several apartments in Atlanta and a Mercedes. “I couldn’t understand why he wanted to be a rapper,” Cecil Glenn, DC’s namesake father, told me recently. “It was such a different life than I could have imagined.”

Then, as if the narrative arc of Tag Team’s story had been written for VH1’s Behind The Music, everything fell apart. The company representing the group Kano argued that Tag Team illegally sampled “I’m Ready.” Bellmark paid several hundred thousand dollars to settle and eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1997. Soon afterward, calls stopped getting returned; the checks stopped arriving. Bellmark’s assets were split up—though the company’s founder, Al Bell, was granted full ownership of the song last year after a lengthy legal battle with another record label. Bell, who did not respond to an email sent to his attorney, now has full say over how the song can be used in the future.

All DC can do these days is shake his head. “You get one shot to do shit sometimes, you know what I mean?” he says. “It’s that one shot, and we know we’ll never have it again. I take responsibility.” In his mind, it’s his fault for hiring an ineffectual lawyer when Tag Team first signed with Bellmark (the pair own only “writer” rights to “Whoomp!”—not the more lucrative “mechanical license” or “master recording license” that would allow them to reproduce the song at will and retire as multimillionaires). The eponymous Whoomp! (There It Is) album—with songs like “U Go Girl” and “Just Call Me DC”—was certified gold but never was anywhere near as successful as the “Whoomp!” single. The two released a second album, Audio Entertainment, in 1995 that flopped.

There wasn’t a moment when the two agreed to kill the group, no come-to-Jesus meeting. DC went back to spinning records as a strip-club DJ, and Steve bumped around for a while looking for work, without much luck. With his connections in Atlanta, he sold some weed. In the early spring of 1997, he got a knock on the door from an acquaintance who was looking to dump some marijuana. For a guy who’d spent whatever he’d made and had just had his life blown apart, the idea of quick cash was impossible for Steve to turn down. And shit, as they say, was about to get real.

“I can talk about it now,” Steve tells me as we drive. “It’s over with.”

Steve says he sold some weed, built up trust, and then was hooked up with a deal to collect and sell 600 pounds of premium Mexican marijuana, which would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the street. He was reluctant at first—“I didn’t even want all of that shit”—but he agreed to have the product delivered to Atlanta. Before the drop was made, though, police caught the drug runner, who was driving a camper filled with the pot somewhere in Kansas. Before long, there was a call for Steve. The camper was on a street a few miles from his place. Steve was being set up. He arrived, got the camper, drove home, and took a nap on a couch in his living room. “Next thing you know, [federal agents] were right in my face with guns,” he says. “ ‘Get the fuck on the ground!’ I woke up to that.”

He pauses to let the moment sink in again. “That’s what happened with that, man. It’s just the worst at first.”

DC interrupts: “You know that’s off the record?”

“That can be on the record,” Steve says. “Shit. It’s what it is, man.”

Steve was convicted and was sentenced on November 23, 1998. According to the Federal Correctional Institution-Talladega, where Steve served time, he was released on January 26, 2001. Back in the Atlanta clubs—and during visits to Denver—he found respect that had eluded him after “Whoomp!” came out. Serving time in a federal penitentiary burnished his legend, like a rapper who is shot in the butt and gains fame. Only the act, and the survival, matters. Steve was the dude who got caught with 600 pounds of pot and lived to tell the story.

By the early 2000s, though, “Whoomp!” was mostly forgotten. Trapped in musical limbo, it wasn’t far enough removed from the happy, hazy summer memories of the millions of people who once listened to it, and it wasn’t ready for a new audience yet. DC continued to work the strip-club scene—and later graduated to voice acting, photography, and online marketing—while Steve laid the groundwork for a new record label, Merciless Music. He wanted to find and develop young hip-hop acts and guide them in ways Tag Team never was. (Among those he’s now working with is a group called 2 Big, which includes Jordan Hancock, Mayor Hancock’s son.)

That might have been enough. But in 2003, the actor Will Ferrell danced to “Whoomp!” in a scene for the movie Elf. DC didn’t know the song had been picked up for the movie until he was sitting in a theater. “All of a sudden, the song comes on and I smile, because a check will soon be coming to my mailbox,” he says. The movie scored big—and just like that, “Whoomp!” was a thing again. The song showed up in three movies the next year—including the Will Smith-Robert De Niro animated flick, Shark Tale—then it started getting dropped into television shows, like South Park and Scrubs. Money rolled in again. Ten thousand here, 20 thousand there. (The song generates up to $500,000 in a good year, which is divvied up among the rights-holders and lawyers; DC and Steve might collect up to $70,000 each, DC says.) The two traveled a bit, to corporate events, mostly, where they’d collect their cash—oftentimes around $5,000 per performance—play the song, and jump the next flight out of town.

Then, in 2010, “Whoomp!” got more juice when a gawker.com writer thought he saw President Barack Obama in the song’s video. The story caused a brief stir. Of course, it wasn’t the future president in the video—the man in question turned out to be a rapper named LA Sno—but the attention gave “Whoomp!” another pop culture bump. The next year, the song popped up in two national commercials. In one, for AT&T, two guys debate the year “Whoomp!” was released and use the iPhone 4 to get the answer. In the other, cartoon babies defecate in Luvs diapers to the tune of “Poop! (There It Is).” In the world of constantly changing musical tastes, “Whoomp!” had run a cycle rarely seen in the industry: Here today, gone tomorrow, back for good next week.

Which brings us to today. Steve and DC doubt they’ll ever revive Tag Team. And even if they wanted to, there’s no catalog of old songs they could play for fans; no new tracks to release. “The curse of ‘Whoomp! (There It Is)’ is that it’s so big, people just want to hear that,” DC tells me. For any other folks, this might be a soul-crushing realization, that their best years are way in the rear view. But not for the guys from North Denver. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Steve adds later. “It’s been a good ride.”

And maybe, they admit, they might be getting a little tired of it. After all, 20 years is a long time to have that song caught in your brain. Steve, who’s now divorced, tells a story from a few months back: He was at one of his daughter’s cheerleading competitions with his daughter’s mother when “Whoomp!” came pounding through the sound system. While Steve paid attention to his daughter on the stage, the parents around him were looking at him. And a surprising thing happened. The only thing Steve could think about was that he wanted someone to turn off the music.

Now our trip is almost over. First, though, DC says we’ve got to stop by his parents’ place. Outside, a pine tree towers over the neighborhood, over the manicured grass and the immaculately clean brick on the house. DC unlocks the front door. His parents are waiting on the other side.

Cecil Glenn is 75 and has short, gray hair, smooth hands, and a belly that becomes larger and rounder when he sits in his stuffed chair in front of the white-mantled fireplace in the family room. Today, he has thick socks on his feet and his eyes seem to be in a perpetual squint. His wife, Lucille, sits quietly at a table next to the kitchen; DC is at one end of the room, next to a stand-up piano and a bunch of family photos stacked on some shelves. Steve and I are on a floral-print couch near the picture window overlooking the massive tree.

Among Cecil Glenn’s favorite stories is the one he tells about the time he learned the title of his son’s song. It was at Cure d’Ars Catholic Church, in the summer of ’93. As the story goes, one of his friends stopped him after church. The man said he’d just heard DC and Steve’s song on the radio, and the guy was over the moon. “That’s great,” Cecil told the man. “What’s the name of it?”

For the purposes of this story, it’s important to understand two things: First, Cecil Glenn knows his music. He plays bass, baritone, and trumpet, and he’s been married about 50 years to a woman who, every other Sunday for four decades, has sang in the church choir. Cecil’s favorite singer is Frank Sinatra, and he can name almost every song Ol’ Blue Eyes ever made.

The second thing worth knowing is the fact that Cecil never heard his son’s song before it showed up on the radio. In fact, he wrote a $2,000 check to DC and Steve so they could record “Whoomp!” and didn’t even ask what the song was about.

Anyway, Cecil asked the man at church the name of his son’s song. “You know, like ‘Strangers in the Night,’ ” Cecil says, naming one of his favorite Sinatra tunes. “The guy was like, it’s called ‘Whoomp! (There It Is).’ ” Cecil has a shit-eating grin on his face now, imitating the man who’s delivered the punch line. Cecil puts a hand on his face to feign disbelief and leans back in his chair. Everyone laughs.

Cecil and Lucille rarely talk about the song, mostly because Cecil still hasn’t come to terms with why his son decided to become a rapper. When I ask him about this, his face flattens and his voice turns serious. “How would you feel if your son made that?” I can’t tell if he’s deadpanning or if he’s sincere. In any case, it’s clear he likes to poke fun at the song: He often refers to it as “Whoomps,” almost as if he’s saying “whoops”—as in, “Whoops, my son and his high school buddy made this ridiculous song.”

That’s not to say the Glenns aren’t delighted with DC and Steve’s musical legacy. Lucille saved almost every poster featuring the two, kept almost every magazine in which their names appeared, recorded almost every television show on VHS tapes now stored somewhere in the basement. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for these boys,” Cecil says. “Really, truly, I’m very proud of them and what they’ve accomplished.”

We hang around DC’s parents’ place for an hour, listening to Cecil go on about the neighborhood, how things used to be, how they are now. DC says we’d better get going. He has a plane back to Atlanta he has to catch tonight; Steve has some friends to see.

Cecil wants to tell one more story. Back in Tag Team’s glory days, he says, his son had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Dre, of N.W.A fame, who’d produced a debut solo album in 1992 that featured a young MC named Snoop Doggy Dogg. A few weeks later, DC was on the phone with his dad, telling him about the encounter, talking about Dre’s songs and how foul-mouthed some of the lyrics were. Cecil’s voice softens. “He said, ‘Dad, I don’t think I have that in me,’ ” Cecil remembers.

There’s a moment of silence. Then some laughter. It’s DC, next to the piano. “See!” he says, his voice booming. “My dad doesn’t even know what the song is about!”

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Methodology
How the Top Dentists List is Created

This list is excerpted from the 2013 topDentists database, which is created from peer evaluations and includes listings for nearly 700 dentists and specialists in Colorado alone. To compile this list, topDentists asked dentists and specialists a personal question: “If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer him or her to?” The nomination pool consisted of all active dentists listed online with the American Dental Association, as well as with dental academies and societies. (Dentists could also nominate themselves or others who may not be on those lists.) Respondents were asked to consider experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies, and physical results. Once responses were compiled, dentists were checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing. Of course, there are many fine dentists who are not included in this list, and a dentist’s inclusion is based on the subjective judgments of fellow dentists. For more information, visit usatopdentists.com.

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Specialties

Endodontist: Treats issues related to nerves and the inner portions of the tooth, like root-canal therapy.

General Dentist: Performs preventive dental care and basic upkeep, like cleanings and X-rays.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon: Removes impacted teeth (think: wisdom teeth) and performs reconstructive surgeries, like rebuilding broken jaws.

Oral Pathologist: Studies, identifies, and treats oral disease ranging from potentially cancerous leukoplakia to canker sores.

Orthodontist: Modifies your bite or cajoles teeth into alignment using braces and other devices.

Pediatric Dentist: Provides therapeutic and preventive dental care for kids.

Periodontist: Specializes in the periodontium, or supporting tooth structure, to treat gum disease and receding gums.

Prosthodontist: Deals with dentures, implants, and bridges, as well as complex crown work.

Tykes (Birth to school age)

Family Affair

Good oral hygiene will keep your kids happy and healthy and help them do better in school. As a parent, you are your child’s best role model. Here, four tips* to help make brushing and flossing a habit at an early age.
Before your child’s teeth even come in, wrap your
finger in a washcloth and wipe his or her gums. It gets kids comfortable with the brushing process.
Make an appointment with the dentist as soon as your child’s first tooth arrives (age two at the latest). Forty percent of children get their first cavity before age four.
Introduce flossing as early as possible. Floss daily in front of your children and then help them until they get the hang of it on their own.
Buy a fun toothbrush (with soft bristles) and flavored kids’ toothpaste to make the routine more exciting. Adult toothpastes can be too harsh on children’s sensitive mouths.
*Sources: Dr. Jeff Hurst and Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation

Learn more about keeping your kid’s teeth healthy—and Delta Dental’s Brush With Me campaign—at 5280.com/brushwithme.

Young Adults

Tarnished

So you’re finally living on your own. No parents to ask what time you’re coming home (or to do your laundry). You’re officially an adult. Of course, that also means you have a lot more responsibilities—including looking after your oral health. Keep those pearly whites healthy (and white) by limiting intake of these decay-causing and teeth-staining foods.
Alcohol (especially red wine)
Coffee
Tea
Grapefruit
Sticky Candy
Potato Chips
Carbonated Soft Drinks
Dried Fruit

Older Adults (Age 50+)

Side Effect

People are living longer and keeping their real teeth well into their 80s and 90s. That should be good news, right? Yes and no. The amount of saliva in our mouths, which helps dilute acids and remove debris from our teeth, remains steady as we age. But when we get older, we tend to take more medications—and many of those (for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) can dry out our mouths. “That changes the entire field of play,” says Lakewood-based general dentist Dr. Jeff Hurst. “Aggressive acid and bacteria can destroy teeth in just eight to 12 weeks.” So what can you do? Follow Hurst’s guidelines
to maintain optimal tooth health.

Read the side effects of your medication carefully, and tell your dentist what meds you’re on. Your general practitioner may be able to switch your prescription to something less likely to cause decay.

Use daily rinses such as Sensodyne Oasis or Biotène to counteract the drying effect.

Stimulate the flow of saliva with sugarless gums containing xylitol (a natural sweetener derived from berries). Hurst recommends Epic Xylitol gum and mints or Spry gum.

After meals and before bed, swish water around your mouth to remove debris.

ENDODONTICS

ARVADA

John C. Newcomb

Clear Creek Endodontics

7375 W. 52nd Ave., Suite 330

303-432-3636

www.clearcreekendo.com

AURORA

David J. Holtzmann

Endodontics of Colorado

11200 E. Mississippi Ave.

303-696-1919

www.endoofco.com

Robert Salehrabi

Advanced Microscopic Endodontics

2851 S. Parker Road, Suite 460

303-745-9200

www.drsalehrabi.com

Hesham A. Youssef

Aurora Endodontics

13741 E. Rice Place, Suite 200

303-617-6323

BOULDER

Joseph Rollin Parsons

Boulder Endodontics

3100 Arapahoe Ave., Suite 300

303-449-6621

Broomfield

Peter Q. Shelley

Elm Endodontics

13605 Xavier Lane, Unit E

303-427-2769

www.elmendo.com

CASTLE ROCK

Brock F. Deal

Endodontic Associates

4344 Woodlands Blvd., Suite 220

303-328-3979

www.corootcanal.com

Shaun E. Soucie

Castle Rock Endodontics

753 Maleta Lane, Suite 201

720-221-7774

www.castlerockendodontics.com

CENTENNIAL

James W. Burquest

Endodontic Associates

8120 S. Holly St., Suite 214

303-796-7676

www.corootcanal.com

Anita Hoelscher

Endodontic Associates

8120 S. Holly St., Suite 214

303-796-7676

www.corootcanal.com

Timothy S. Hubble

Endodontic Associates

8120 S. Holly St., Suite 214

303-796-7676

www.corootcanal.com

Demetrios C. Syrpes

6855 S. Havana St., Suite 540

303-893-3636

www.drsyrpes.com

Scott Isaac Whitney

Rocky Mountain Endodontics

7374 S. Alton Way, Suite 103

303-397-7668

www.rmrootcanal.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Robert Corr

Apex Endodontics

8580 Scarborough Drive, Suite 200

719-282-6600

www.apexendoco.com

Ryan Jack

Apex Endodontics

8580 Scarborough Drive, Suite 200

719-282-6600

www.apexendoco.com

Scott A. Johnson

Endodontic Specialists of Colorado

5745 Erindale Drive, Suite 200

719-599-7665

www.endospec.com

Wade A. Kennedy

Endodontic Specialists of Colorado

5745 Erindale Drive, Suite 200

719-599-7665

www.endospec.com

Jack T. Mayhew

Advanced Endodontics

2620 Tenderfoot Hill St., Suite 100

719-540-5540

www.endoadvanced.com

Scott G. Minnich

Endodontic Specialists of Colorado

5745 Erindale Drive, Suite 200

719-599-7665

www.endospec.com

DENVER

Robert E. Averbach

Endodontics of Cherry Creek & DTC

155 Cook St., Suite 301

303-321-7930

www.cherrycreekendo.com

David W. Hanske

300 S. Jackson St., Suite 135

303-377-3548

Eric M. Jahde

1660 S. Albion St., Suite 705

303-757-5008

Jed S. Jultak

Endodontics of Cherry Creek & DTC

155 Cook St., Suite 301

303-321-7930

www.cherrycreekendo.com

Rahim Karmali

Lowry Endodontics

8111 E. Lowry Blvd., Suite 290

303-363-7668

www.lowryendo.com

Mark E. Levine

10200 E. Girard Ave., Building A, Suite 205

303-695-4838

Scott M. Maloney

Endodontics of Cherry Creek & DTC

155 Cook St., Suite 301

303-321-7930

www.cherrycreekendo.com

Alison B. Morrison

Endodontics of Cherry Creek & DTC

155 Cook St., Suite 301

303-321-7930

www.cherrycreekendo.com

Cameron L. Pangborn

Endodontics of Cherry Creek & DTC

155 Cook St., Suite 301

303-321-7930

www.cherrycreekendo.com

Ellen Sachs

Endodontics of Cherry Creek & DTC

155 Cook St., Suite 301

303-321-7930

www.cherrycreekendo.com

ENGLEWOOD

Gary P. Pascoe

3601 S. Clarkson St., Suite 230

303-789-2354

www.pascoeendo.com

FORT COLLINS

Amber Amelang-Severin

Center For Endodontic Care

1331 E. Prospect Road, Building B-1

970-232-3750

www.centerforendocare.com

Shane Bergo

Northern Colorado Endodontics

3744 S. Timberline Road, Suite 101

970-229-1404

www.coloradoendo.com

Kelly B. Jones

Center For Endodontic Care

1331 E. Prospect Road, Building B-1

970-232-3750

www.centerforendocare.com

Brad LeValley

Northern Colorado Endodontics

3744 S. Timberline Road, Suite 101

970-229-1404

www.coloradoendo.com

GRAND JUNCTION

Eric D. Barnhurst

Colorado West Endodontics

1190 Bookcliff Ave., Suite 204

970-242-9088

www.cowestendo.com

Paul Northup

Colorado West Endodontics

1190 Bookcliff Ave., Suite 204

970-242-9088

www.cowestendo.com

GREELEY

David C. Funderburk

3400 W. 16th St., Suite H

970-356-8650

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Sanjay N. Patel

Highlands Ranch Endodontics

537 W. Highlands Ranch Parkway, Suite 101

303-346-3963

www.highlandsranchendo.com

LAFAYETTE

Mark D. Wood

1140 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 103

303-604-9663

www.woodendo.com

LAKEWOOD

Tony C. Kardelis

Denver Dental Specialties

7373 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 404

303-986-2765

LITTLETON

Perri Carnes

Endodontic Associates

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 205

303-798-6611

www.corootcanal.com

Randolph A. Degerness

Andante Endodontic Specialists

8340 S. Sangre De Cristo Road, Suite 104

303-948-4884

Omar A. Macaraeg

Colorado Endodontic Specialists, Inc.

2 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 170

303-795-9699

www.ces-mac.com

LONGMONT

Daniel J. Barton

630 15th Ave., Suite 301

720-494-9363

www.twinpeaksendodontics.com

LOUISVILLE

Brian C. Frutchey

Flatirons Endodontics, LLC

850 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 201

303-665-6120

www.flatironsendo.com

PARKER

Shane R. Christensen

Endodontics of Colorado

19700 E. Parker Square Drive, Suite 8

303-805-4141

www.endoofco.com

THORNTON

Matthew Scott Davis

12297 Pennsylvania St., Suite 2

303-920-4196

www.msdendodontics.com

WESTMINSTER

Donald J. Kleier

Children’s Dentistry

5150 W. 80th Ave.

303-427-1951

www.ddschild.com

Lamont G. McMurtrey

9111 Benton St., Suite 100

303-422-6464

www.mcmurtreyendo.com

Jamie D. Ring

Foothills Endodontic Specialists

2861 W. 120th Ave., Suite 230

720-317-2660

www.foothillsendo.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Scott H. Horsley

Horsley Endodontics

10050 W. 41st Ave., Suite 202

303-232-1327

www.horsleyendo.com

GENERAL DENTISTRY

ARVADA

Brett Flower

7850 Vance Drive, Suite 245

303-422-3303

www.flowerdds.com

James R. Holmes

Holmes Family Dentistry

6355 Ward Road, Unit 410

303-420-7100

www.holmesddspc.net

Tyr R. Peterson

5400 Ward Road, Building II, Suite 100

303-424-6483

www.petersondentistryarvada.com

Mark A. Uremovich

Smiles By Design

11890 W. 64th Ave.

303-422-0094

www.myarvadadentist.com

Gregory Waters

8850 W. 58th Ave., Suite 104

303-420-3233

www.dentalcarearvada.com

Stuart Winter

Winter Dental

8605 Ralston Road

303-424-4567

www.winterfamilydental.com

ASPEN

Robert A. Jensen

421 Aspen Airport Business Center, Suite F

970-920-4900

www.rjensen-dds.com

AURORA

Cameron M. Auger

18801 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 178

303-680-3308

www.cmaugerdds.com

Christopher J. Baer

Baer Dental Designs

25521 E. Smoky Hill Road, Suite 120

303-557-6453

www.baerdental.com

Jyothi Chodisetty

Kids Choice Dental

15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B

303-341-5437

www.kidschoicedental.net

Harold R. Christiansen

2530 S. Parker Road, Suite 201

303-750-2460

www.drhchris.com

Nicholas M. D’Amico

D’Amico & Mauck, DDS 

3131 S. Vaughn Way, Suite 422

303-745-1400

www.betteryoursmile.com

Deborah K. Deeg

Deeg, Ando, and Deeg

14991 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 390

303-690-6662

Miles F. Deeg Jr.

Deeg, Ando, and Deeg

14991 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 390

303-690-6662

Neal H. Engel

1710 S. Buckley Road, #8A

303-696-6763

www.nealengeldds.com

Sharon Fahmy

13741 E. Rice Place, Suite 100

303-617-5212

www.aurorasmiles.com

Joy Hicks

Kids Choice Dental

15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B

303-341-5437

www.kidschoicedental.net

Roopindar Kattaura

Kids Choice Dental

15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B

303-341-5437

www.kidschoicedental.net

Timothy D. Kneller

12101 E. Iliff Ave., Suite U

303-696-9364

Thomas H. Lee

Aurora Family Dental Care

14221 E. Fourth Ave., Suite 222

303-344-1227

www.aurorafamilydentalcare.net

Davood Manshadi

Kids Choice Dental

15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B

303-341-5437

www.kidschoicedental.net

Rhett L. Murray

2530 S. Parker Road, Suite 200

303-337-1338

Jana Rausa

Chambers Court Dentistry

2161 S. Chambers Road

303-369-7735

www.janarausadds.com

Jenny Yinghui Sun

Kids Choice Dental

15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B

303-341-5437

www.kidschoicedental.net

Barry Wohlgemuth

Panorama Dental

3095 S. Parker Road, Suite 150

303-755-8388

www.panoramadental.net

Ronald Yaros

Aspenwood Dental Associates and Colorado Dental Implant Center

2900 S. Peoria St., Unit C

303-751-3321

www.aspenwooddental.com

Lisa Augustine

Aspenwood Dental Associates and Colorado Dental Implant Center

2900 S. Peoria St., Unit C

303-751-3321

www.aspenwooddental.com

Kim K. York

Kim K. York, DDS

5492 S. Parker Road

303-680-6000

www.kimyorkdds.com

Daniel Zeppelin

Aspenwood Dental Associates and Colorado Dental Implant Center

2900 S. Peoria St., Unit C

303-751-3321

www.aspenwooddental.com

BOULDER

Marc A. Alber

Boulder Dental Group

2919 Valmont Road, Suite 106

303-449-3132

www.boulderdentalgroup.com

Mark J. Birnbach

Boulder Smiles

1636 16th St.

303-443-4417

www.bouldersmiles.com

John M. Bishop

Bishop and Takemoto Dentistry

4840 Riverbend Road, Suite 200

303-440-4777

www.btdentistry.com

William A. Brachvogel

1840 Folsom St., Suite 301

303-443-1146

www.bouldersmiledesign.com

Vincent F. Cleeves Jr.

767 Pearl St., Suite 230

303-449-8875

www.vincedds.com

Emmanuel R. De La Paz

3775 Iris Ave., Suite 3A

303-442-4235

Andrew Fiscus

3400 Penrose Place, Suite 202

303-442-5748

www.fiscusdentistry.com

Rodger H. Miller

Valmont Dental

2897 Valmont Road, Suite 100

303-444-1914

www.valmontdental.com

F. Robert Murphy

North Boulder Dental Group

1001 North St.

303-447-1042

www.boulderdental.com

Martin C. Roberts

1900 Folsom St., Suite 111

303-442-4810

www.martinrobertsdds.com

Gerald B. Savory III

Gunbarrel Dental Center

5400 Mt. Meeker Road

303-530-4145

www.gunbarreldental.com

Andrew D. Sewell

Sewell Family Dentistry

3000 Center Green Drive, Suite 215

303-442-6142

www.bouldergeneraldentist.com

Paul A. Sica III

North Boulder Dental Group

1001 North St.

303-447-1042

www.boulderdental.com

Corbett W. Summers

777 29th St., Suite 300

303-442-6141

Susan A. Takemoto

Bishop and Takemoto Dentistry

4840 Riverbend Road, Suite 200

303-440-4777

www.btdentistry.com

David Judson Welden

North Boulder Dental Group

1001 North St.

303-447-1042

www.boulderdental.com

BRIGHTON

Jon C. Bauman

Riverdale Dental Centre

15 S. Eighth Ave.

303-659-1920

www.jonbaumandds.com

Mark S. Ehrhardt

27 S. 18th Ave.

303-659-1825

www.markehrhardtdds.com

Jaclynn Spencer

Brighton Smiles

30 S. 20th Ave., Suite D

303-659-3062

www.brightonsmiles.com

BROOMFIELD

Brandi A. Bottoms

Chateaux Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

13606 Xavier Lane, Suite F

303-465-4500

www.chateauxdental.com

Lee W. Gerry

Broomfield Dental Care

13606 Xavier Lane, Suite B

303-466-7306

Cynthia M. Sheeks

925 Main St., Suite C

303-469-3600

www.cynthiasheeksdds.com

Jamie E. Suman

Chateaux Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

13606 Xavier Lane, Suite F

303-465-4500

www.chateauxdental.com

CASTLE PINES

Matthew Ray Rolfson

Castle Pines Dental Care

361 Village Square Lane, Suite 100

303-660-0782

www.castlepinesdentalcare.com

Jeff Scheich

Castle Pines Family Dentistry

562 E. Castle Pines Parkway, Suite C-8

720-733-7799

www.castlepinesfamilydentistry.com

CASTLE ROCK

D. Michael DeSimone

Clocktower Family Dental

718 Maleta Lane, Suite 102

303-814-9899

www.castlerockdentist.com

Susan Kutis

Bright Now Dental

1001 S. Perry St., Suite 105A

303-688-0252

www.brightnow.com

Sara Logan

Aspen Creek Dental

323 Metzler Drive, Suite 102

303-688-9476

www.aspencreekdental.us

Jennifer Sibo

Peak View Dental

4344 Woodlands Blvd.

303-660-9333

www.peakviewdental.com

CENTENNIAL

Robin M. Asbury

Metro Smiles P.C.

9025 E. Mineral Circle, Suite 102

303-768-8443

www.smilesbydrrobin.com

Scarlet Disse-Pfeifer

Pfeifer & Pfeifer Prof., LLC

6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 150

303-850-7614

www.centennialdentist.com

Maria Song Johnson

Arapahoe Family Dentistry

6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 225

303-779-1305

www.arapahoefamilydentistry.com

Phillip S. Johnson

Arapahoe Family Dentistry

6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 225

303-779-1305

www.arapahoefamilydentistry.com

Rob C. Mullins

High Country Dental

20250 E. Smoky Hill Road, Unit 3

303-693-5600

www.highcountrydentalco.com

Kevin K. O’Neill

Homestead Dental

6990 S. Holly Circle

303-224-9400

www.homesteaddentalco.com

William A. Pfeifer

Pfeifer & Pfeifer Prof., LLC

6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 150

303-850-7614

www.centennialdentist.com

Patrick T. Prendergast

6979 S. Holly Circle, Suite 185

303-771-0225

www.drpatdds.com

Christian D. Rippe

7180 E. Orchard Road, Suite 301

303-779-9876

www.drrippe.com

Andrew J. Schope

Homestead Dental

6990 S. Holly Circle

303-224-9400

www.homesteaddentalco.com

A. Gregory Sims

7180 E. Orchard Road, Suite 309

303-290-8833

H. Vern Smith

Saddle Rock Dental

5657 S. Himalaya St., Suite 270

303-690-5658

www.saddlerockdental.com

Terry A. Tedford

7562 S. University Blvd., Suite J

303-770-8278

www.tedforddental.com

Richard J. Wallace

20921 E. Smoky Hill Road, Suite A

303-690-7778

www.richardwallacedds.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Mark T. Albers

2155 Hollow Brook Drive, Suite 20

719-634-8458

www.albersdental.com

Erick T. Anderson

Anderson Family Dental

3505 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Suite 302

719-593-0988

www.andersonsmile.com

Richard L. Anderson

Anderson Family Dental

3505 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Suite 302

719-593-0988

www.andersonsmile.com

Nolan R. Behr

5770 Flintridge Drive, Suite 200

719-591-2050

William J. Bertsch

Cheyenne Mountain Dental Group

3605 Star Ranch Road

719-576-3276

www.cheyennemountaindentalgroup.com

Philip T. Bird

Bird & Wittenberg Dental Partnership

7222 Commerce Center Drive, Suite 247

719-593-0403

www.bird-wittenbergdental.com

Charles K. Doolittle

1705 N. Weber St.

719-471-1900

www.white-doolittle.com

Eric Erlander

Hollow Brook Family Dentistry

2160 Hollow Brook Drive

719-633-0049

www.hollowbrookfamilydentistry.com

Gary L. Field

Field Dental Center

9475 Briar Village Point, Suite 310

719-598-0872

www.dentistcoloradospringscolorado.com

Randolph E. Geoghan

5725 Erindale Drive, Suite 110

719-528-1711

Michael P. Harris

Premier Dental Care

685 Citadel Drive East, Suite 302

719-596-1011

www.premierdentalcare.com

Roger L. Humphreys

Premier Dental Care

685 Citadel Drive East, Suite 302

719-596-1011

www.premierdentalcare.com

Thomas S. Jennings

2430 Research Parkway, Suite 200

719-590-7100

www.thomassjennings.com

David M. Johnson

Partnership for Excellence

665 Southpointe Court, Suite 150

719-527-9098

www.johnsondds.com

Daniel D. Lamb

Keystone Dental Center

2120 Academy Circle, Suite C

719-596-0212

www.keystonesmile.com

Eugene A. Lodes

Premier Dental Care

685 Citadel Drive East, Suite 302

719-596-1011

www.premierdentalcare.com

Michael A. Lovato

1235 Lake Plaza Drive, Suite 251

719-576-8840

www.broadmoordentist.com

W. John Matthews

Distinctive Dentistry

7608 N. Union Blvd., Suite A

719-598-0907

www.ddsmiles.com

Christopher Mussone

1685 Briargate Blvd., Suite A

719-590-7277

www.mussonedds.com

Robert S. Nykaza

1235 Lake Plaza Drive, Suite 251

719-576-3750

Ronald Palmer

2575 Montebello Drive West, Suite 202

719-593-0045

www.ronaldpalmerdds.com

Betty Jo Schope

3464 Briargate Blvd.

719-260-8089

www.schopedental.com

Christina Antoft Sletten

Rock Dental

6685 Delmonico Drive, Suite C

719-599-9700

www.rockdental.net

Oliver M. Spaeth

Broadmoor Valley Dental Care

2965 Broadmoor Valley Road

719-632-7636

www.broadmoorvalleydentalcare.com

Timothy F. Stacey

6165 Lehman Drive, Suite 104

719-599-0949

www.drtimstacey.com

James M. Strang Jr.

3505 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Suite 301

719-598-0971

Clara Tao

9240 Explorer Drive, Suite 110

719-599-0110

www.colvintao.com

Calvin D. Utke

Flintridge Dental Center

5770 Flintridge Drive, Suite 210

719-593-8701

www.flintridgedentalcare.com

Winston S. White

1705 N. Weber St.

719-471-1900

www.white-doolittle.com

Robert S. Winkler

Esthetic Family Dentistry

8580 Scarborough Drive, Suite 105

719-528-5577

www.outstandingsmile.com

Mark H. Wright

930 N. Cedar St.

719-635-1622

www.markhwrightdds.com

Kirsten Lee Ziuchkovski

Peak Vista Community Health Center

2828 International Circle

719-475-0783

www.peakvista.org

COMMERCE CITY

Eva-Maria Poulson

Salud Family Health Center

6255 Quebec Parkway

303-286-6755

www.saludclinic.org

CONIFER

Christopher J. Higuchi

Aspen Park Dental

26267 Conifer Road, Suite 101

303-816-9411

www.aspenparkdental.com

DENVER

Kara Arnold

Highland Smiles

3480 W. 32nd Ave.

303-623-0407

www.highlandsmiles.net

John W. Bassett

Drs. Bassett, Wallace, Selner & Taylor

8181 E. Tufts Ave., Suite 550

720-488-9090

www.denvertechdentistry.com

David S. Bennett

Bennett Signature Dentistry

2700 E. Louisiana Ave., Suite 101

720-246-0496

www.bennettsignaturedentistry.com

Stuart E. Bennett

Bennett Signature Dentistry

2700 E. Louisiana Ave., Suite 101

720-246-0496

www.bennettsignaturedentistry.com

Gene S. Bloom

Cody Dental Group

4301 E. Amherst Ave.

303-758-5858

www.codydental.com

Chad A. Braun

4th Avenue Family Dentistry

390 University Blvd.

303-333-5361

www.4thavenuefamilydentistry.com

Terry L. Brewick

Governor’s Park Dental Group

700 E. Ninth Ave., Suite 102

303-832-7789

www.govparkdental.com

Robert L. Bunch

Cody Dental Group

4301 E. Amherst Ave.

303-758-5858

www.codydental.com

Charles K. Chew

Cody Dental Group

4301 E. Amherst Ave.

303-758-5858

www.codydental.com

Preet K. Clair

Quebec Square Family Dentistry

7505 E. 35th Ave., Suite 304

303-322-2081

www.qsfamilydentistry.com

John C. Craiger

Restorative Dentistry for Adults & Children

7090 E. Hampden Ave., Suite C

303-758-5252

www.drcraiger.com

Thomas Croghan

Park Hill Dental Arts

4624 E. 23rd Ave.

303-377-8662

www.parkhilldental.com

Jennifer Derse

Levin Family Dental

6825 E. Tennessee Ave., Suite 621

303-333-2221

www.levinfamilydental.com

Bradley H. Doi

Midtown Dental

1800 Vine St.

303-377-2345

www.midtowndentalonline.com

Carrie Dougherty

Stapleton Dental

3055 Roslyn St., Suite 260

303-399-1488

www.stapletondental.com

Inna Dunker

Accord Dental

2121 S. Oneida St., Suite 321

303-796-8767

www.accorddental.org

Bruce R. Dunn

Cody Dental Group

4301 E. Amherst Ave.

303-758-5858

www.codydental.com

Terry W. Egert

Egert-Kreider Dental

3955 E. Exposition Ave., Suite 312

303-744-3636

www.denversmiledesign.com

Tania B. Florez

Cherry Creek Family Dentistry

201 University Blvd., Suite 210

303-321-1323

www.cc-familydentistry.com

Mark T. Frank

3955 E. Exposition Ave., Suite 412

303-722-2686

www.markfrankdds.com

Stephen M. Friedman

3300 E. First Ave., Suite 580

303-321-0055

www.cherrycreekdentalassoc.com

Nicole K. Furuta

LoDo Dental

1435 Wazee St., Suite 102

303-623-5636

www.lododental.com

Lawrence M. Gabler

4101 E. Wesley Ave., Suite 9

303-758-3935

Bryan D. Gibbs

Cherry Hills Dental Associates

4800 Happy Canyon Road, Suite 140

303-757-8446

www.chdanews.com

Jayme E. Glamm

Pearl Dentistry

2200 W. 29th Ave., Suite B

720-440-9296

www.pearldentistrydenver.com

Megan Harbaugh

Glenn Family Dentistry

3600 S. Beeler St., Suite 120

303-779-2592

www.drglenndds.com

Alan H. Gurman

Alpine Dental Center

8585 Huron St., Suite 3

303-428-6367

www.alpinedentalcenter.net

Catherine H. Hakala

Hakala Family Dentistry/Dental 911

4200 E. Eighth Ave., Suite 200

303-321-8967

www.hakalafamilydentistry.com

Heather K. Harris

Dentistry on the Creek

3955 E. Exposition Ave., Suite 402

303-393-0039

www.drheatherharris.com

Huyen Hoang

Kid’s Dental

495 S. Federal Blvd.

303-937-7511

www.coloradokidsdental.com

Makala B. Hubbell

Lowry Family Dentistry

8158 E. Fifth Ave., Suite 150

303-366-3000

www.lowryfamilydentistry.com

Rebecca Smutzer Huser

Tamarac Dental Care

3525 S. Tamarac Drive, Suite 170

303-773-1211

www.huserdentistry.com

Jamie J. Just

6825 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 103

303-355-1645

www.justforsmiles.com

Jennifer A. Karaskevicus

Perfect Teeth Glendale Dental

4521 E. Virginia Ave.

303-388-5501

www.perfectteeth.com

Brett H. Kessler

Town Center Dentistry and Orthodontics

7479 E. 29th Place

303-321-4445

www.tcdodenver.com

Thomas J. Kirchner

820 Clermont St., Suite 110

303-399-7106

David H. Klekamp

6000 E. Evans Ave., Building One, Suite 130

303-759-2807

www.klekampdentist.com

Beth F. Kreider

700 Broadway, Suite 1133

303-863-1177

www.bethkreiderdds.com

Chandra L. Kreider

Egert-Kreider Dental

3955 E. Exposition Ave., Suite 312

303-744-3636

www.denversmiledesign.com

Susan H. Kurtz

300 S. Jackson St., Suite 510

303-388-5222

Steven Law

Metropolitan Dental Care

1400 Glenarm Place, Suite 200

303-534-2626

www.metrodentalcare.com

Brett R. Levin

Levin Family Dental

6825 E. Tennessee Ave., Suite 621

303-333-2221

www.levinfamilydental.com

Ronald Gene Linkow

6825 E. Tennessee Ave., Suite 641

303-388-3651

www.ronaldlinkowdds.com

Juliann C. Lyons

6825 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 201

303-756-6862

www.cosmeticdentistindenver.com

Jim W. Makowski

Makowski Dental

1220 S. Parker Road, Suite 104

303-751-5558

www.makowskidental.com

Kareen Kay McIntosh

McIntosh Dentistry

495 Uinta Way, Suite 200

303-366-4700

www.mcintoshdentistry.com

Richard A. Murdoch

1315 Krameria St.

303-355-6340

www.murdochdds.com

Roger D. Nishimura

Aspen Dental

3300 E. First Ave., Suite 300

303-399-0400

www.cherry-creekdentist.com

Thomas Eric Ouellette

1905 Lawrence St., Suite C

303-296-1402

Cynthia M. Parkinson

55 Madison St., Suite 320

303-355-3080

John T. Raabe

Raabe Family Dentistry

155 Cook St., Suite 351

303-320-0160

www.dendds.com

Gary M. Radz

Cosmetic Dentistry of Colorado

999 18th St., Suite 1300

303-298-1414

www.downtowndenverdentist.com

David Y. Redford II

University Dental Arts

1675 Larimer St., Suite 880

303-534-7797

www.universitydentalarts.com

Maureen Kathleen Roach

Metropolitan Dental Care

1400 Glenarm Place, Suite 200

303-534-2626

www.metrodentalcare.com

Kristin Foseid Robbins

Central Park Dental Medicine

2373 Central Park Blvd., Suite 304

303-388-2400

Stephen A. Robertson

3401 S. Oneida Way

303-756-2914

Pamela S. Rotwein

155 Cook St., Suite 221

303-377-0699

Steven P. Runnings

Mountain View Dental Associates

4590 Lowell Blvd.

303-455-8962

www.mountainviewdentaldds.com

Sharon S. Russell

3300 E. First Ave., Suite 580

303-320-1640

www.denverwomandentist.com

Timothy A. Schwartz

2030 S. Federal Blvd.

303-936-8204

www.timschwartzdental.com

Conny L. Seiler

100 Acoma St.

303-778-6703

Daniel J. Selner

Drs. Bassett, Wallace, Selner & Taylor

8181 E. Tufts Ave., Suite 550

720-488-9090

www.denvertechdentistry.com

David M. Singer

Cody Dental Group

4301 E. Amherst Ave.

303-758-5858

www.codydental.com

Keith L. Small

Cody Dental Group

4301 E. Amherst Ave.

303-758-5858

www.codydental.com

Douglas W. Smith

Cody Dental Group

4301 E. Amherst Ave.

303-758-5858

www.codydental.com

James H. Stambaugh

965 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 202

303-744-1281

Thomas B. Swain

4th Avenue Family Dentistry

390 University Blvd.

303-333-5361

www.4thavenuefamilydentistry.com

Andrea L. Taylor

Drs. Bassett, Wallace, Selner & Taylor

8181 E. Tufts Ave., Suite 550

720-488-9090

www.denvertechdentistry.com

Ronald N. Taylor

1201 S. Parker Road, Suite 100

303-337-7771

Kurt K. Tsumura

Midtown Dental

1800 Vine St.

303-377-2345

www.midtowndentalonline.com

Eric W. Van Zytveld

1905 Lawrence St., Suite B

303-296-3851

www.ericvanzytvelddds.com

Nick Venuto

Perfect Teeth Central Denver

1633 Fillmore St., Suite 200

303-377-4747

www.perfectteeth.com

Stefanie S. Walker

Pearl Dentistry

2200 W. 29th Ave., Suite B

720-440-9296

www.pearldentistrydenver.com

Gerald F. Wallace

Drs. Bassett, Wallace, Selner & Taylor

8181 E. Tufts Ave., Suite 550

720-488-9090

www.denvertechdentistry.com

Chad A. Welch

Southeast Denver Dental Associates

2660 S. Monaco Parkway

303-757-7175

www.southeastdenverdental.com

Sarah J. Werner

5055 E. Kentucky Ave., Suite D

303-377-7744

www.swernerdds.com

Daniel J. Wherley

3865 Cherry Creek North Drive, Suite 300

303-388-5599

Dawn M. White

Metropolitan Dental Care

1400 Glenarm Place, Suite 200

303-534-2626

www.metrodentalcare.com

Jon L. Whiteley

3300 E. First Ave., Suite 500

303-321-0828

www.jonwhiteleydds.com

DURANGO

James Coleman Eich

Oak Family Dentistry

450 S. Camino Del Rio, Suite 207

970-385-7350

www.oakfamilydentistry.com

John Crawford Hening

Junction Creek Family Dentistry

2323 W. Second Ave., Suite B

970-247-0074

www.durangodentist.com

ELIZABETH

Kelly Ann Shibilski

Timberline Family Dentistry

796 E. Kiowa Ave., Suite H12

303-646-3940

www.timberlinefamilydentistry.com

R. Boone Terry

Elizabeth Family Dental

210 S. Elizabeth St., Suite E

303-646-6336

www.elizabethfamilydental.com

Stephen L. Unkel

Timberline Family Dentistry

796 E. Kiowa Ave., Suite H12

303-646-3940

www.timberlinefamilydentistry.com

ENGLEWOOD

Gary B. Caletti

City Center Dental Group

800 Englewood Parkway, Suite A-201

303-744-5000

www.citycenterdentalgroup.com

Michael K. Diorio

3555 S. Clarkson St., Suite 200

303-762-9575

www.michaeldioriodds.com

Paul M. Hayes

Englewood Dental Excellence

3701 S. Clarkson St., Suite 210

303-781-2811

www.drphayes.com

Stacey Miller

7447 E. Berry Ave., Suite 240

303-741-2717

www.staceymillerdds.com

Christopher Shank

Mountain View Dental Care

125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 310

303-768-8977

www.mountainviewdentaldtc.com

John Sievers

7901 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 260

303-771-7907

www.drsieversdds.com

EVERGREEN

Michael Joe Larson

30940 Stagecoach Blvd., Suite E-250

303-674-6777

Kenneth Edward LeVos

LeVos Dentistry

30752 Southview Drive, Suite 200

303-674-5725

www.levosdentistry.com

FEDERAL HEIGHTS

Alan Wong

Alan Wong Family Dentistry

1851 W. 84th Ave.

303-429-6411

www.alanwongdds.com

Fort Collins

Kenneth B. Allen

Caring Smiles

1337 Riverside Ave., Suite 1

970-221-3700

www.caringsmilesdental.com

Thomas Jon Brewer

1023 Robertson St.

970-484-6880

Arlie J. Burnham

Peak Family Dental

2021 Battlecreek Drive, Suite C

970-229-0099

www.peakfamilydental.com

Brian A. Cox

Brian Cox Dentistry

1343 E. Prospect Road, Suite D2

970-484-3959

www.briancoxsmiles.com

Geoffrey R. Engelhardt

Engelhardt & Associates Family Dentistry

1136 E. Stuart St., Suite 4104

970-484-4890

www.drgeoffdds.com

Daniel Alan Holmes

Holmes Family Dental, PC

1136 E. Stuart St., Suite 4101

970- 221-2499

www.holmesdds.com

Steven J. Koehler

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry of the Rockies

4745 Boardwalk Drive, Suite D102

970-223-6101

www.smilefortcollins.com

Shiloh D. Lindsey

Aspen Dental Care, PC

3838 S. Timberline Road

970-482-3166

www.aspen-dentist.com

Ryan McCall

McCall Dentures

1525 Riverside Ave., Unit B

970-493-9001

www.mccalldentures.com

Michael G. McDill

Alpine Dental Health

718 S. College Ave.

970-484-5297

www.alpinedentalhealth.com

Michael J. Mucci

Associates in Family Dentistry

333 W. Drake Road, Suite 120

970-223-6100

www.associatesinfamilydentistry.net

Timothy M. Owens

1514 E. Harmony Road, Suite 4

970-377-2557

www.owensdds.com

Richard W. Raab

1136 E. Stuart St., Suite 3140

970-482-1520

Veronica Diana Ray

1136 E. Stuart St., Suite 3120

970-206-0045

www.drveronicaray.com

Edmund Lee Robison

1008 Driftwood Drive, Suite A

970-226-5433

Stephen R. Schaefer

Schaefer & Kaines Family Dentistry

2001 S. Shields St., Building C-1

970-482-8883

www.mydentistfortcollins.com

John D. Siegmund

Shores Family Dentistry

730 Whalers Way, Suite 100

970-226-2920

www.shoresfamilydentistry.com

Colleen Fahey Zimmer

Zimmer Family Dentistry

1343 E. Prospect Road, Suite 1

970-221-4500

Richard H. Zimmer

Zimmer Family Dentistry

1343 E. Prospect Road, Suite 1

970-221-4500

FREDERICK

Mark Jerel Ringdahl

Tri-City Dental

320 Fifth St.

303-833-3230

FRUITA

Gary G. Andreoletti

576 Kokopelli Blvd., Suite B

970-858-4544

www.andreolettidental.com

GRAND JUNCTION

Carl A. Feghali

GJ Smiles

1120 Wellington Ave., Suite 203

970-245-9546

www.gjsmiles.com

Leonard Thomas Gaglione

Dental Associates of Grand Junction

2642 Patterson Road

970-242-6753

Andrew R. Gall

132 Walnut Ave., Suite F

970-245-1758

www.drandrewgall.com

Julie M. Gillis

1190 Bookcliff Ave., Suite 201

970-242-3635

www.juliegillisdds.com

Stephen L. Johnson

2249 Broadway, Suite 5

970-241-0110

www.dentistgrandjunction.com

Mark D. Madison

2525 N. Eighth St., Suite 109

970-256-9500

Casper Dodson Maurer

Appleton Dental

2478 Patterson Road, Suite 24

970-242-9207

www.appletondentalgj.com

James B. Moore

1301 N. Seventh St., Suite A

970-242-9404

GREELEY

Bryan S. Casseday

1815 61st Ave., Suite 103

970-351-6200

W. Mark Forney

3400 W. 16th St., Building One, Suite D

970-351-0500

Lloyd Heikes

3400 W. 16th St., Suite DD

970-356-3743

www.lloydheikes.com

Julie G. Kavanaugh

Family Practice Dentistry

3400 W. 16th St., Suite 8-E

970-351-0400

www.drjuliekav.com

Mark R. Smith

Mark R. Smith, DDS, PC

1819 61st Ave., Suite 102

970-356-7474

www.markrsmithdds.net

GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Mark S. Brodie

Greenwood Dental Associates

7000 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 205

303-773-0960

www.greenwooddental.com

Eric G. D’Hondt

Greenwood Dental Associates

7000 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 205

303-773-0960

www.greenwooddental.com

James Edward Dost

7730 E. Belleview Ave., Suite A103

303-322-2724

www.jamesdostdds.com

Charles William Fischer

8490 E. Crescent Parkway, Suite 370

303-740-9353

www.fischerdds.com

Michael Goldfogel

Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 440E

303-770-0801

Thomas J. Hein

Hein Dental

8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 435E

303-779-9472

www.heindental.com

Ivan S. Naiman

8200 E. Belleview Ave., East Tower, Suite 455

303-770-2900

www.isndds.com

Catherine Vieregger

Vibrance Comprehensive Dentistry

7400 E. Crestline Circle, Suite 230

303-770-1116

www.vibrancedentistry.com

Steven P. Weinstein

Landmark Dental Studio

5425 Landmark Place, Suite 307

303-773-8012

www.spweinsteindds.com

Marianne M. Yancey

8200 E. Belleview Ave., East Tower, Suite 425

303-290-0962

www.drmarianneyancey.codentists.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH

George F. Beilby

300 Plaza Drive, Suite 102

303-683-3332

Anna Maria Burger

Highlands Dental

2201 W. Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Suite C6

303-220-1122

www.myhighlandsdental.com

Christopher A. McConnell

200 W. County Line Road, Suite 240

303-791-6900

www.mcconnelldds.codentists.com

Kenneth S. Peters

200 W. County Line Road, Suite 270

303-791-2570

www.drkenpeters.com

Eric T. Rysner

Highlands Ranch Family Dentistry

541 W. Highlands Ranch Parkway, Suite 101

303-346-1118

www.rysnerdental.com

Frank P. Scavuzzo

Scavuzzo Dental Care

7120 E. County Line Road, Suite 203

303-741-2727

www.scavuzzodentalcare.com

Charles N. Theobald

200 W. County Line Road, Suite 210

303-791-0413

www.drtheobald.net

Lynelle J. Zabel

Highlands Ranch Dental Care

9385 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 102

303-470-0017

www.highlandsranchdentalcare.com

LAFAYETTE

Gregory Donald Keene

Keene Smiles

1140 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 201

303-665-5586

www.keenesmiles.com

Gordon H. West

Boulder County Smiles

1140 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 201

303-665-5335

www.bouldercountysmiles.com

LAKEWOOD

Eric Adler

Plous & Adler Family Dentistry

860 Tabor St., Suite 100

303-234-1112

www.plousadlerdentistry.com

M. Steven Anundsen

Alpine Dental Arts

2323 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 1778

303-980-4800

www.alpinedentalarts.com

Paul H. Arendt

7373 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 304

303-986-0090

Steven G. Baumgart

7575 W. 20th Ave.

720-763-9070

www.westdenverdentist.com

Bryan M. Dahler

7575 W. 20th Ave.

303-421-8753

www.drbooey.com

Daniel K. Duvall

3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 316

303-986-0043

www.danielduvalldds.com

Leana Kaye Grace

10881 W. Asbury Ave., Suite 210

303-989-0452

www.leanagracedds.com

Scott Greenhalgh

3190 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300

303-988-9060

www.scottgreenhalghdds.com

Curtis Johnsen

2349 Wadsworth Blvd.

303-232-5555

www.doctorjohnsen.com

Eugene Liu

All About Kids Dental of Lakewood

2020 Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 9

303-431-1221

www.kidschoicedental.net

Bruce C. McArthur

6565 W. Jewell Ave., Suite 9

303-935-9448

www.bmcarthurdds.com

Ronald L. Morse

Ronald Morse DDS, PC & Justin Petracek DDS

1726 Cole Blvd., Building 22, Suite 140

303-279-6929

www.wecreategreatsmiles.com

James P. Phillips

3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite D-325

303-989-8551

Michael B. Plous

Plous & Adler Family Dentistry

860 Tabor St., Suite 100

303-234-1112

www.plousadlerdentistry.com

Thomas Pott

12600 W. Colfax Ave., Suite B-160

303-237-0307

www.thomaspott.com

Michael E. Unser

7575 W. 20th Ave.

303-238-2800

www.westdenverdentist.com

Dann F. Whalen

Associated Dental Professionals

8015 W. Alameda Ave., Suite 170

303-232-2929

LARKSPUR

Brittany Marie Bevis

Pineland Dental

8520 Spruce Mountain Road, Suite 110

303-681-9200

www.larkspurdentist.com

LITTLETON

Stephen Barker

Southbridge Dentistry

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 202

303-798-4967

www.southbridgedentistry.com

Amy Lynne Becker

Highline Family Dentistry

2 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 125

303-794-6800

www.highlinefamilydentistry.com

Jason L. Blanchard

Blanchard & Richardson Family Dentistry

8089 S. Lincoln St., Suite 102

303-794-9271

www.mylittletondentist.com

Dana M. Boyd-Page

Page Dental Arts

8204 S. Kipling Parkway, Suite 160

303-794-4542

www.pagedentalarts.com

Victor H. Burdick Jr.

26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 720

303-794-4424

www.burdickdentistry.com

Scott Burkhart

7631 Shaffer Parkway, Suite B

303-973-5280

C. Daren Carlile

6901 S. Pierce St., Suite 335

303-973-1900

Mark P. Cavanaugh

Highline Family Dentistry

2 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 125

303-794-6800

www.highlinefamilydentistry.com

Charles S. Danna

Sun Creek Dental Group

7761 Shaffer Parkway, Suite 250

303-933-2522

www.suncreekdental.com

Lezli Durbon

26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 760

303-224-0400

www.jimporterdds.com

Alan C. Goral

Ken Caryl Dental Center

10789 Bradford Road, Suite 100

303-933-2273

www.kencarylsmiles.com

Richard Lionel Harvey

Summit Family Dentistry

12999 W. Bowles Drive

303-989-9010

www.summitfamilydentistry.com

Elizabeth J. Hill

10354 W. Chatfield Ave., Suite 100

303-973-1112

www.elizabethjhill.com

Donald G. Hobbs

Columbine Dental

6691 W. Ken Caryl Ave.

303-979-4994

www.columbinedental.com

Gregory S. Hubble

9200 W. Cross Drive, Suite 315

303-979-1600

Scott A. Kissinger

Southbridge Dentistry

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 202

303-798-4967

www.southbridgedentistry.com

Shawn Patrick Maloy

Old Town Dental

5419 S. Curtice St.

303-798-4515

www.old-town-dental.com

M. William Meyer Jr.

Columbine Dental

6691 W. Ken Caryl Ave.

303-979-4994

www.columbinedental.com

Michael J. Miller

Old Town Dental

5419 S. Curtice St.

303-798-4515

www.old-town-dental.com

Jodie Robin Moreland

5590 S. Windermere St., Suite A

303-798-4571

www.doctorjodie.net

Michael R. Noyes

6650 S. Vine St., Suite 220

303-797-0832

Todd S. Oldroyd

Oldroyd Family Dentistry

8340 S. Sangre de Cristo Road, Suite 102

303-795-6444

www.oldroyddmd.com

James Wesley Porter

26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 760

303-224-0400

www.jimporterdds.com

Brian L. Richardson

Blanchard & Richardson Family Dentistry

8089 S. Lincoln St., Suite 102

303-794-9271

www.mylittletondentist.com

Brian Svoboda

Southbridge Dentistry

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 202

303-798-4967

www.southbridgedentistry.com

Philip E. Wimpee

Dr. Philip Wimpee & Associates

6885 S. Marshall St.

303-979-2900

www.coloradosmiledesign.com

LONE TREE

John J. Ahern

Ridgegate Dental

10450 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 301

303-797-6453

John R. Brockman Jr.

Brockman Family Dentistry

10450 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 304

303-799-4333

www.brockmanfamilydentistry.com

Kelly R. Freeman

Lone Tree Family Dentistry

10455 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 101

303-790-0234

www.lone-treefamilydentistry.com

Richard Dale Nock

Nock Dental Group

9894 Rosemont Ave., Suite 204

303-758-2244

Angela Osborn

9105 Kimmer Drive

303-799-9993

www.osborndds.com

Scott Peppler

Meadows Dental Group

7430 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 100

303-790-2323

www.parkmeadowsdentists.com

LONGMONT

Thomas E. Kammer

640 Terry St.

303-776-0633

www.kammerdental.com

James A. Maurer

Maurer Family Dental Care

2211 Mountain View Ave., Unit 1

303-772-7000

Peter G. Mertz

Mertz Family Dentistry

1950 Terry St.

303-678-1111

www.mertzfamilydentistry.com

Cliff E. Rogge

Artistic Smiles

920 S. Hover St.

303-485-8888

www.artisticsmiles.org

LOUISVILLE

Michael Allen Israelson

275 Century Circle, Suite 200

303-666-4499

www.israelson-dental.com

Michael E. Shore

335 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 4

303-666-4260

Wayne Zarlengo

Studio Z Dental

1017 E. South Boulder Road, Suite B

303-666-7110

www.studiozdental.com

LOVELAND

Stephen W. Ballard

McKee Family Dentistry

2998 Ginnala Drive, Suite 101

970-669-1236

www.mylovelanddentist.com

John Michael Dildine

2664 Abarr Drive

970-667-2248

Dale F. Feichtinger

McKee Family Dentistry

2998 Ginnala Drive, Suite 101

970-669-1236

www.mylovelanddentist.com

Ted E. Mioduski III

Implant & General Dentistry of Northern Colorado

2975 Ginnala Drive, Suite 100

970-663-1000

www.implantdds.com

Ted E. Mioduski Jr.

Implant & General Dentistry of Northern Colorado

2975 Ginnala Drive, Suite 100

970-663-1000

www.implantdds.com

James M. Oligmueller

Loveland Dental Associates

2114 N. Lincoln Ave., Suite 201

970-669-0306

MONTROSE

Christopher B. Graff

Graff & Peterson Dental LLC

1809 E. Pavilion Place, Suite A

970-249-4917

www.montrosedentistry.com

Scott E. Peterson

Graff & Peterson Dental LLC

1809 E. Pavilion Place, Suite A

970-249-4917

www.montrosedentistry.com

NORTHGLENN

Neal H. Jepsen

Jepsen, Murphy and Associates

11411 N. Pearl St.

303-452-4556

www.jepsenmurphyandassociates.com

Bryan J. Rieker

11150 Huron St., Suite 211

303-452-9200

www.riekersmiles.com

Brian L. Secrist

Northglenn Dental Care

11401 Washington St.

303-254-6554

www.northglenndentalcare.com

Brian Wearner

Wearner Family Dentistry, P.C.

10465 Melody Drive, Suite 207

303-452-8813

www.wearnerdentistry.com

PARKER

Nicole Y. Foutz

Harman Family Dental Center

19700 E. Parker Square Drive, Suite A

303-841-2144

Greg Harman

Harman Family Dental Center

19700 E. Parker Square Drive, Suite A

303-841-2144

Yvette L. Killingsworth

Elements Family Dentistry

19673 Solar Circle Drive, Suite A101

303-841-2070

www.elementsdental.com

Holly B. Sletten

10371 Park Glenn Way, Suite 175

720-851-1676

www.hollyslettendmd.com

Christine C. Theroux

Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry

18695 E. Stage Run Road

303-841-8600

www.parkerdentist.com

PUEBLO

Ron Concialdi

2037 Jerry Murphy Road

719-545-3070

Jamie Johnson

Family Smiles Company

1001 S. Pueblo Blvd.

719-564-0990

www.familysmilescompany.com

David B. Robinson

1560 Bonforte Blvd.

719-544-5340

Kyle S. Schulz

New Outlook Dental Center

3911 Outlook Blvd.

719-544-6788

www.newoutlookdental.com

James Swanson

Family Smiles Company

1001 S. Pueblo Blvd.

719-564-0990

www.familysmilescompany.com

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

Paul E. Andrews

505 Anglers Drive, Suite 204

970-879-1815

James W.W. McCreight

McCreight Progressive Dentistry

940 Central Park Drive, Suite 206

970-879-4703

www.mccreightsmiles.com

Wendy M. McCreight

McCreight Progressive Dentistry

940 Central Park Drive, Suite 206

970-879-4703

www.mccreightsmiles.com

SUPERIOR

Michael L. Bailey

Superior Dental

1697 E. Coalton Road, Suite B

303-494-9400

www.superiordentalgroup.com

THORNTON

Tara Carroll

Larkridge Family Dentistry

16683 Washington St.

303-962-6400

www.larkridgefamilydentistry.com

Erica A. Derby

Appletree Dental

2800 E. 136th Ave.

720-872-2892

www.appletreesmile.com

Stephen R. Humphrey

North Washington Dental Group

10001 N. Washington St.

303-452-2053

www.northwashingtondental.com

Sue James

9351 Grant St., Suite 340

303-254-4484

www.suejamesdds.com

Brian Kelly

Dental Center PC

3984 E. 120th Ave.

303-457-1513

www.thedentalcenter.us

Jonathan Loyd Olivier

Dental Center PC

3984 E. 120th Ave.

303-457-1513

www.thedentalcenter.us

Carrie Seabury

Appletree Dental

2800 E. 136th Ave.

720-872-2892

www.appletreesmile.com

Lance Eldon Smith

Thorncreek Cosmetic & Family Dentistry

12297 Pennsylvania St., Suite 1

303-920-4199

www.thorncreekcosmeticdentistry.com

Mark Smith

Dental Center PC

3984 E. 120th Ave.

303-457-1513

www.thedentalcenter.us

WESTMINSTER

John O. Bertagnolli

Bertagnolli Dental

7280 Bradburn Blvd.

303-429-6222

Joseph D. Bertagnolli

Bertagnolli Dental

7280 Bradburn Blvd.

303-429-6222

Timothy D. Borg

North Park Dental Group

10359 N. Federal Blvd., Suite 110

303-466-2300

www.northparkdentalgroup.com

Nicholas Chiovitti

Mountain Range Dentistry

1005 W. 120th Ave., Suite 800

303-452-2221

www.mountainrangedentistry.com

Jack Choi

Sedona Dental

905 W. 124th Ave., Suite 170

303-452-3982

www.sedonadentalgroup.com

Kimberly Danzer

Danzer Dentistry

905 W. 124th Ave., Suite 120

303-255-3880

www.danzerdentistry.com

Stanley L. Jeranko

Standley Shores Dental Group

10071 N. Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 100

303-420-9720

www.ssdgsmiles.com

Ankur Jolly

Mountain Range Dentistry

1005 W. 120th Ave., Suite 800

303-452-2221

www.mountainrangedentistry.com

Paul K. Mizoue

Mountain Range Dentistry

1005 W. 120th Ave., Suite 800

303-452-2221

www.mountainrangedentistry.com

Dural L. Parish

10835 Dover St., Suite 1200

303-425-6565

www.parishdental.com

Alexander H. Park

Sedona Dental

905 W. 124th Ave., Suite 170

303-452-3982

www.sedonadentalgroup.com

Nelson C. Sanders

7350 Lowell Blvd.

303-428-6571

www.drnelsonsanders.com

Jeffrey A. Stang

Standley Shores Dental Group

10071 N. Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 100

303-420-9720

www.ssdgsmiles.com

Hadley Thurmon

Standley Shores Dental Group

10071 N. Wadsworth Parkway, Suite 100

303-420-9720

www.ssdgsmiles.com

Chris Willard

12000 N. Pecos St., Suite 260

303-457-2266

Eric A. Winter

Bradburn Village Dentistry

11961 Bradburn Blvd., Suite 200

303-466-3222

www.bradburnvillagedentistry.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Daniel Christiansen

Dental Care of Wheat Ridge

7900 W. 44th Ave., Suite 105

303-232-4928

www.dentalcareofwheatridge.com

Michael Freimuth

Wheat Ridge Dental Group

10135 W. 38th Ave.

303-431-5830

www.myprosmile.com

Ted C. Johnson

Johnson Dental

4855 Ward Road, Suite 700

303-422-8748

www.sedationdentistrycolorado.com

Floyd T. Sekiya

Mountain Dental

7900 W. 44th Ave., Suite 101

303-422-7978

www.mountaindental.com

WINDSOR

Jonathan Nelson

1297 Main St., Unit 3

970-686-7775

www.drjonathannelson.com

Michael Ruff

Highland Meadows Dental Health Center

8201 Spinnaker Bay Drive, Suite A

970-226-4098

www.windsorcodentist.com

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

ARVADA

Gregory K. Ingalls

Colorado Regional Oral Surgery

8025 Club Crest Drive

303-431-0033

www.coregionalos.com

Julie A. Lesnick

Colorado Regional Oral Surgery

8025 Club Crest Drive

303-431-0033

www.coregionalos.com

Richard T. O’Day

Colorado Regional Oral Surgery

8025 Club Crest Drive

303-431-0033

www.coregionalos.com

Nicholas A. Politano

Colorado Regional Oral Surgery

8025 Club Crest Drive

303-431-0033

www.coregionalos.com

AURORA

Barry S. Keogh

Aurora Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

14991 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 260

303-699-1964

www.keoghoralsurg.com

Ashraf W. Sedhom

Center for Oral and Reconstructive Surgery and Implantology

11246 E. Mississippi Ave.

303-344-0810

www.oralsurgerycenter.com

Jeffery M. White

13701 E. Mississippi Ave., Suite 300

303-344-2705

www.drjeffwhite.com

BOULDER

Daniel B. Foley

1440 28th St., Suite 2

303-444-2255

Terry Nedbalski

Boulder Oral Surgery

3450 Penrose Place, Suite 120

303-447-9735

www.boulderoralsurgery.net

Victor Raposo

Alpine Valley Oral Surgery

3400 Penrose Place, Suite 106

303-604-9393

www.boulderdentalimplantcenter.com

Lonnie M. Sibley Jr.

Boulder Valley OMS

1840 Folsom St., Suite 304

303-449-9840

www.bouldervalleyoms.com

BROOMFIELD

Bruce C. Wetmore

13605 Xavier Lane, Suite A

303-465-2308

www.broomfieldoralsurgery.com

CASTLE ROCK

Kristopher L. Hart

Castle Rock Oral & Facial Surgery

718 Maleta Lane, Suite 201

303-663-7890

www.castlerockoms.com

CENTENNIAL

James R. Lessig

Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

9094 E. Mineral Ave., Suite 260

303-768-8570

www.advancedoms.com

Thomas S. Michalik

Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

9094 E. Mineral Ave., Suite 260

303-768-8570

www.advancedoms.com

Jeffrey W. Stearns

7180 E. Orchard Road, Suite 300

303-740-9772

R. John Tannyhill III

Tannyhill Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

14000 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 320

303-493-1933

www.tannyhill.com

E. Marc Weideman

Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

9094 E. Mineral Ave., Suite 260

303-768-8570

www.advancedoms.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Matthew D. D’Addario

Associates in Maxillofacial & Oral Surgery

595 Chapel Hills Drive, Suite 300

719-599-0500

www.amoscolorado.com

Jeffrey Dombrowski

Oral & Facial Surgery Center

3475 Briargate Blvd., Suite 102

719-264-6070

www.drdoralsurgery.com

Rebecca Facy

Associates in Maxillofacial & Oral Surgery

595 Chapel Hills Drive, Suite 300

719-599-0500

www.amoscolorado.com

John R. Hildebrandt

Oral Surgery Associates of Colorado Springs

5745 Erindale Drive, Suite 100

719-473-2650

www.oralsurgerycolorado.com

Donald Hull

Associates in Maxillofacial & Oral Surgery

595 Chapel Hills Drive, Suite 300

719-599-0500

www.amoscolorado.com

Ronald D. Thoman

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Specialists

8580 Scarborough Drive, Suite 240

719-590-1500

www.jaws-1.com

DENVER

Michael P. Cosby

Denver Metro OMS

180 Adams St., Suite 100

303-321-0333

www.dmoms.com

Juliana DiPasquale

Denver Metro OMS

180 Adams St., Suite 100

303-321-0333

www.dmoms.com

Mark J. Glasgow

Denver Health Medical Center, Department of Surgery

301 W. Sixth Ave.

303-602-8238

www.denverhealth.org/medicalservices/dentalandoralcare.aspx

Mariam Hamidi

Altitude Oral Maxillofacial Implant Center

1440 Blake St., Suite 100

720-328-4990

www.altitudeoms.com

Richard Max Nelson

Nelson & Rollert Associates in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 202

303-758-6850

www.nelson-rollert.com

Steven R. Nelson

Nelson & Rollert Associates in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 202

303-758-6850

www.nelson-rollert.com

Kevin M. Patterson

Denver Metro OMS

180 Adams St., Suite 100

303-321-0333

www.dmoms.com

Michael K. Rollert

Nelson & Rollert Associates in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 202

303-758-6850

www.nelson-rollert.com

Clyde E. Waggoner

Cherry Creek Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

3955 E. Exposition Ave., Suite 520

303-777-1603

www.cherrycreekoralsurgery.com

ENGLEWOOD

Steven B. Aragon

Dry Creek Surgery

125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 100

303-773-8228

www.drycreeksurgery.com

James D. Sexton

Dry Creek Surgery

125 Inverness Drive East, Suite 100

303-773-8228

www.drycreeksurgery.com

Thomas L. Stone

Colorado Surgical Arts

3701 S. Clarkson St., Suite 300

303-806-8600

www.cosurgicalarts.com

FORT COLLINS

Rickey E. Felton

Northern Colorado Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

1008B Centre Ave.

970-221-4633

Mark F. Orr

Fort Collins Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

2014 Caribou Drive, Suite 100

970-225-9555

www.fortcollinsoms.com

David B. Thurgood

Blue Sky Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

4609 S. Timberline Road, Suite 104B

970-498-0196

www.blueskyoms.com

GOLDEN

Paul C. Madlock

Canyon Point Implant & Oral Surgery

108 N. Rubey Drive

303-215-9944

www.canyonpointsurgery.com

GRAND JUNCTION

Kenneth E. Perino

Grand Junction Oral Surgery

2532 Patterson Road, Suite 10

970-241-2820

www.kennethperino.com

GREELEY

Justin C. Bley

1707 61st Ave., Suite 102

970-506-0350

www.bleyoralsurgery.com

Richard W. Mellin

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Greeley PC

3400 W. 16th St., Building 1F, Suite A

970-353-5826

GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Mark D. Berman

Mountain View Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 515E

303-694-1700

Ole T. Jensen

Implant Dentistry Associates of Colorado PC

8200 E. Belleview Ave., East Tower, Suite 520

303-388-0303

www.clearchoice.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Jeremy K. Miner

Miner Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

8671 S. Quebec St., Suite 230

303-791-3232

www.mineroralsurgery.com

LAKEWOOD

Donald A. DeCino

Lakewood Oral Surgery

3405 S. Yarrow St., Suite A

303-996-8500

www.lakewoodoralsurgery.com

LITTLETON

John A. Carroll

Colorado Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

26 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite 740

303-224-0500

www.drjohncarroll.com

Richard L. McLain

Tomasetti and McLain Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 201

303-798-4553

Boyd J. Tomasetti

Tomasetti and McLain Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 201

303-798-4553

LONE TREE

Joseph M. Catalano

Catalano Oral Surgery and Implantology

10103 Ridgegate Parkway, Suite 214

303-768-8222

www.catalanooralsurgery.com

Randolph C. Robinson

Robinson Cosmetic Surgery

10375 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 150

303-792-2828

www.robinsoncosmeticsurgery.com

LONGMONT

Kevin M. Andrus

Longmont Oral, Facial & Implant Surgery

1551 Professional Lane, Suite 260

303-772-8870

www.longmontoralsurgery.com

Douglas Squire

Squire Oral, Facial & Dental Implant Surgery

1325 Hover St., Suite 101

303-772-8585

www.squireoralsurgery.com

LOVELAND

Ralph R. Reynolds

Reynolds Oral & Facial Surgery

3520 E. 15th St., Suite 102

970-663-6878

www.reynoldsoralfacial.com

MONTROSE

Dorcha Boisen

Montrose Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists

600 S. Park Ave.

970-240-4485

www.montroseoms.com

Craig Cayo

Montrose Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists

600 S. Park Ave.

970-240-4485

www.montroseoms.com

THORNTON

Michael Allan Burnham

Burnham Oral Surgery

300 E. 128th Ave.

303-451-6767

www.denverimplants.com

WESTMINSTER

Douglas Hong

North Denver Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

12213 Pecos St., Suite 100

303-255-0500

www.northdenveroms.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Natalie Schafer

Wheat Ridge Oral Surgery

7760 W. 38th Ave., Suite 102

303-421-4010

www.wheatridgeoralsurgery.com

ORAL PATHOLOGY

AURORA

Robert O. Greer

Western States Pathology

1999 N. Fitzsimons Parkway, Suite 120

303-577-2309

ORTHODONTICS

ARVADA

Stanley D. Crawford

16205 W. 64th Ave., Suite 101

303-940-8880

www.crawfordsmiles.com

James H. Gallagher

Mile High Smile Orthodontics

7913 Allison Way, Suite 201

303-424-4048

www.milehighsmile.com

Jason Messingham

Messingham Orthodontics

7523 W. 80th Ave.

303-456-5339

www.messinghamortho.com

Bryan P. Nelson

Trinity Orthodontics

8723 Wadsworth Blvd., Suite B

303-422-6752

www.trinityorthodontics.com

AURORA

Keith J. Kohrs

Kohrs Orthodontics

2900 S. Peoria St., Suite B

303-750-3660

www.kohrsortho.com

Charles F. Reed

Reed Orthodontics

20971 E. Smoky Hill Road, Suite 200

303-617-3333

www.reedortho.com

Daniel Rejman

All About Braces

15159 E. Colfax Ave., Suite B

303-341-5437

www.aabraces.com

Theresa Shaver

14001 E. Iliff Ave., Suite 201

303-751-1313

www.shaverorthodontics.com

BOULDER

Brent R. Lang

Boulder Orthodontics

1900 Folsom St., Suite 211

303-449-3250

www.boulderorthodontics.com

David G. Sabott

Sabott Orthodontics

1717 Folsom St.

303-443-3774

www.sabottsmiles.com

Jeffrey H. Wong

Wong Orthodontics

3400 Penrose Place, Suite 203

303-444-6680

www.drwongortho.com

BROOMFIELD

Christopher M. Biety

Biety Orthodontics

925 Main St., Suite D

303-469-4191

www.bietyorthodontics.com

Joseph B. Dankey

Broomfield Orthodontics

10 Garden Center

303-469-7874

www.broomfieldortho.com

Ricarda Prentice

Prentice Orthodontics

3800 W. 144th Ave., Suite A-1000

303-468-7722

www.prenticeortho.com

CASTLE PINES

Andrew J. Dunbar

Castle Pines Orthodontics

363 Village Square Lane, Suite 155

303-688-3837

www.castlepinesortho.com

CASTLE ROCK

Jennifer J. Garza

815 S. Perry St., Suite 200

720-733-1222

www.garzaortho.com

Gregg Lindsey

Lindsey Orthodontics

62 N. Sounders Parkway, Unit C

720-733-8388

www.gregglindseyortho.com

CENTENNIAL

Christopher W. Carpenter

Sloss & Carpenter Orthodontics

9094 E. Mineral Ave., Suite 220

303-799-7733

www.slosscarpenterortho.com

Jeffrey W. Haskins

Village Orthodontics

15454 E. Orchard Road

303-850-9253

www.villageortho.net

David E. Lindeman

Homestead Park Orthodontics

6881 S. Holly Circle, Suite 109

303-740-7806

www.lindemanortho.com

Erin A. Sloss

Sloss & Carpenter Orthodontics

9094 E. Mineral Ave., Suite 220

303-799-7733

www.slosscarpenterortho.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Daniel A. Avant

Avant Orthodontics

685 Citadel Drive East, Suite 312

719-596-1363

www.avantorthodontics.com

Allen N. Benning

Benning & Mathews Orthodontics

415 W. Rockrimmon Blvd., Suite 100

719-598-7700

www.benningorthodontics.com

Matthew Gaworski

Gaworski Orthodontics

6140 Tutt Blvd., Suite 250

719-596-2477

www.drmattgaworski.com

L. Spence Nelson

Nelson Orthodontics

5731 Silverstone Terrace, Suite 280

719-278-5005

www.nelsonorthodonticsonline.com

Edgar P. Poremba

Poremba Orthodontics

2997 Broadmoor Valley Road

719-576-0149

www.bracescoloradosprings.com

James P. Ziuchkovski

6010 Erin Park Drive, Suite 2

719-593-7942

www.thebraceguys.com

DENVER

Lia D. Baros

Orthodontics in the Highlands

3538 W. 44th Ave.

303-433-7500

www.orthointhehighlands.com

Michael D. Bellon

Bellon Orthodontics

7200 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 203

303-692-9610

www.drbellon.com

Gary P. Benson

Benson Orthodontics

3200 Cherry Creek South Drive, Suite 420

303-722-1202

www.bensonortho.com

Gregory W. Dietmeier

Dietmeier Orthodontics

6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 201

303-758-3114

www.dietmeierortho.com

Nicole E. Eberle

Eberle Orthodontics

55 Madison St., Suite 280

303-320-0307

www.smilesbyeberle.com

R. Andrew Girardot Jr.

Girardot Orthodontics

4380 S. Syracuse St., Suite 501

303-694-4330

www.drgortho.com

Nathan Helm

Helm Orthodontics

4809 Argonne St., Suite 240

303-371-0371

www.helmortho.com

Gina Kessler

Town Center Dentistry and Orthodontics

7479 E. 29th Place

303-321-4445

www.tcdodenver.com

Joanna Z. Levin

Levin Orthodontics

125 Rampart Way, Suite 301

303-366-9090

www.levinorthodontics.com

Hilary Nieberg-Baskin

All About Braces

2250 S. Monaco Parkway

303-476-6233

www.aabraces.com

Justin M. Owens

Owens Orthodontics

965 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 102

303-744-1701

www.owensorthodontics.com

Robert Rudman

Advanced Orthodontic Care

4500 Cherry Creek South Drive, Suite 850

303-331-0222

www.advancedorthodonticcare.com

Derek A. Straffon

Straffon Orthodontics

6850 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 203

303-758-3414

www.straffonorthodontics.com

DURANGO

Michael L. Fletcher

A Smile By Design

3057 Main Ave.

970-247-5874

www.asmile-bydesign.com

EVERGREEN

Paul D. Regan

Paul D. Regan Orthodontics

30960 Stagecoach Blvd., Suite 100-West

303-674-1122

www.reganorthodontics.com

Bryan E. Williams

Williams Orthodontics

32156 Castle Court, Suite 207

303-670-5878

www.williamsorthodontics.net

FORT COLLINS

Mark D. Crane

Mark D. Crane Orthodontics

4144 Timberline Road, Suite 100

970-226-6443

www.drcraneorthodontics.com

Donna Ebert

Ebert Orthodontics

1028 Centre Ave.

970-490-6065

www.ebertsmiles.com

Bradley E. Goings

Goings Orthodontics

4733 S. Timberline Road, Suite 101

970-377-1888

www.goingsorthodontics.com

Brandon A. Owen

Owen Orthodontics

3221 Eastbrook Drive, Suite A103

970-484-4102

www.owenorthodontics.com

Adam Timock

All About Braces

1015 S. Taft Hill Road, Suite Q

970-980-2145

www.aabraces.com

David L. Way

1424 E. Horsetooth Road, Suite 1

970-223-8080

www.orthoway.com

GRAND JUNCTION

Dave F. Proietti

Monumental Smiles

2558 Patterson Road

970-245-2826

www.grandjunctionbraces.com

GREELEY

Bradford N. Edgren

Orthodontic Associates of Greeley, PC

3400 W. 16th St., Suite 4-V

970-356-5900

www.drbradsmiles.com

Dana Anne Gamblin

Dana Orthodontics

1815 61st Ave., Suite 101

970-353-3747

www.danasmiles.com

Gary J. Kloberdanz

Greeley Orthodontic Center

2021 Clubhouse Drive, Suite 110

970-330-2500

www.doctork.com

GREENWOOD VILLAGE

Mark Y. Iritani

Iritani Orthodontics

8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 420E

303-773-6969

www.denverorthopedo.com

Kevin L. Theroux

Theroux Orthodontics

8200 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 415E

303-779-0565

www.drtheroux.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH

Richard G. Elliott

Elliott Orthodontics

537 W. Highlands Ranch Parkway, Suite 105

303-791-4411

www.elliottortho.com

Brandon J. Linn

Brandon Linn Orthodontics

6660 Timberline Road, Suite 260

303-688-9617

www.blortho.com

Thomas B. Redd

Redd Orthodontics

9385 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 101

303-791-6646

www.reddortho.com

LAKEWOOD

Jack M. Allen

7373 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 302

303-988-9220

Stephen L. Carter

Carter Orthodontics

3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite D-310

303-986-7846

www.carterortho.us

David T. Mershon

All About Braces

2020 Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 18A

303-462-1462

www.aabraces.com

LITTLETON

Galen T. Callender

6169 S. Balsam Way, Suite 380

303-973-7771

www.galencallender.com

Darrell L. Havener Jr.

Highlands Ranch Orthodontics

1420 W. Canal Court, Suite 200

303-791-2021

www.havenerortho.com

Gary Holt

7889 S. Lincoln Court, Suite 102

303-798-0928

www.drgaryholt.com

Scott W. Ohmart

Ohmart Orthodontics

10146 W. San Juan Way, Unit 230

303-979-0211

www.ohmartorthodontics.com

LONE TREE

Brooks J. Barefoot

Theroux Orthodontics

10450 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 300

303-779-0565

www.drtheroux.com

Anil J. Idiculla

I-Orthodontics

10463 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 206

303-662-9000

www.i-ortho.com

LONGMONT

F. Richard Beckwith

Mountain View Orthodontics

1800 Mountain View Ave.

303-651-1315

www.mtnviewortho.com

Laurel R. Leslie-Martin

Martin Family Orthodontics

1361 Francis St., Suite 104

303-772-5055

www.martinfamilyorthodontics.com

Rajesh Patil

Patil Orthodontics

1600 N. Hover St., Suite D1

303-772-7722

www.patilortho.com

LOUISVILLE

Laurence J. Colletti

Align Orthodontics

1068 S. 88th St., Suite B

303-666-0800

www.alignorthodontics.com

Thomas J. Melcher

315 W. South Boulder Road, Suite 111

303-666-9717

www.outstandingsmiles.com

MONTROSE

Charles D. Alexander

Alexander Orthodontics

1801 E. Pavilion Place

970-249-0444

www.alexanderorthodontics.com

NORTHGLENN

Shon Peterson

Peterson Orthodontics

11411 N. Pearl St.

303-452-4656

www.petersonortho.com

PARKER

Jeffrey L. Collins

Parker Orthodontics

19700 E. Parker Square Drive, Suite C

303-841-5500

www.parkerorthodontics.com

PUEBLO

Brian Scott

Scott Family Orthodontics

1641 Horseshoe Drive

719-545-2722

www.ngscottsmiles.com

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

Allan D. Weimer

100 Park Ave., Suite 104

970-879-4290

www.nwcoloradobraces.com

THORNTON

Gregory B. Stoll

Stoll Orthodontics

2750 E. 136th Ave., Suite 200

303-450-2211

www.stollsmiles.com

WESTMINSTER

Thomas K. Chubb

Chubb Orthodontics

5150 W. 80th Ave.

303-428-3613

www.drthomaschubb.com

Colin S. Gibson

1st Impressions Orthodontics

1333 W. 120th Ave., Suite 303

303-452-2277

www.1stimpressionsortho.com

Ronald E. Unterseher

Unterseher Orthodontics

10359 N. Federal Blvd., Suite 200

303-466-1955

www.druortho.com

Larry T. Weddle Jr.

Weddle Orthodontics

905 W. 124th Ave., Suite 180

303-255-3339

www.drweddle.com

WHEAT RIDGE

Kevin Chapman

Chapman Orthodontics

8852 W. 38th Ave.

303-421-9814

www.chapmanorthodontics.com

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY