4 JUNE 12-18, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | W ® 7 THE BALL’S IN HER COURT Jordon Nytes and other athletes could score as Denver gets in the woman’s sports game. BY CATIE CHESHIRE 14 BACK IN BLOOM Denver’s Cherry Blossom Festival will return for a 51st year June 21-22. BY KRISTEN FIORE 17 WHAT GOES ‘ROUND Kuluka’s mochi doughnuts are made with love. BY GIL ASAKWA 19 IN THE STARS E.M.E. has released the Afrofusion album of the summer. BY EMILY FERGUSON 14 Culture 17 Cafe 19 Music CONCERTS/CLUBS ................................... 20 25 Marijuana CANNABIS CALENDAR ............................ 26 ASK A STONER ......................................... 26 VOLUME 48 NUMBER 42 JUNE 12-18, 2025 E D I T O R I A L Editor Patricia Calhoun News Editor Thomas Mitchell Food and Drink Editor Molly Martin Interim Food and Drink Editor Gil Asakawa Music Editor Emily Ferguson Culture Editor Kristen Fiore Social Media Editor Katrina Leibee Staff Writers Catie Cheshire, Brendan Joel Kelley, Bennito L. Kelty, Hannah Metzger Senior Contributors Alan Prendergast, Michael Roberts Contributors Teague Bohlen, Hyde Chrastina, Jacqueline Collins, Justin Criado, Audrey Ferrer, John Flathman, Susan Froyd, Jason Heller, Nick Hutchinson, Danielle Krolewicz, Karl Christian Krumpholz, Kristen Kuchar, Skyler McKinley, Abigail Nueve, Ryan Pachmayer, Kristin Pazulski, Adam Perry, Evan Semón, Amber Taufen, Toni Tresca, Kastle Waserman, Helen Xu Music Listings Matthew Jones Editorial Intern Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez Cover Designer Monika Swiderski P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Michael Wilson Assistant Production Manager Erin Kirk Graphic Designers Kami Miller, Tori O’Connor C R E A T I V E S E R V I C E S Senior Graphic Designer Allie Seidel A D V E R T I S I N G Senior Multimedia Account Executives Amy Camera, Aaron Lembke Multimedia Account Executives Remy Diamond, Martin Ellison, Trey Konsella, Kirby Quick, Allison Wissink Operations Manager Carver Hodgkiss Digital Sales Coordinator Anne-Grace Hartman Director of Digital Sales Alan Heath Advertising Director Teri Driskell C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Ty Koepke B U S I N E S S Business Manager Sarah Dunahay Financial Accountant Robert Scribner AR Coordinator Stacy Phillips IT Systems Manager Kris Robinson Receptionist Cindy Perez Associate Publisher Tracy Kontrelos Publisher Scott Tobias V O I C E M E D I A G R O U P Editorial Director Chelsey Dequaine-Jerabek Editorial Operations Director Bridget Thomason Director of Membership and Community Development Jennifer Robinson Audience Strategist Allison Stephenson Audience Development Director Dallon Adams Corporate Controller Beth Cook Legal Counsel Steve Suskin Chief Financial Offi cer Jeff Mars Chief Executive Offi cer Scott Tobias V M G N A T I O N A L National Advertising: 1-888-278-9866, www.voicemediagroup.com Senior Vice President of Sales Operations Joe Larkin D I S T R I B U T I O N Westword is available free of charge. 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Peri- odicals postage paid in Denver. Domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $100/year or $50/six months. Postmaster: Send address changes to Westword, P.O. Box 5970, Denver CO 80217. Mailing address: P.O. Box 5970, Denver, CO 80217 Street address: 1278 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80203 For general information, call: 303-296-7744 For Editorial, email: [email protected] ON THE COVER DESIGN BY MONIKA SWIDERSKI LETTERS T O T H E E D I T O R YOU CAN COMMENT ON ANY STORY AT WESTWORD.COM; SEND LETTERS TO [email protected] Don’t miss a word! The stories in this print edition are just a fraction of the pieces we publish every week on westword.com. For a cheat sheet on all that content, subscribe to our daily newsletter at westword.com/profi le. You can also follow @denverwestword on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. And it’s all free! PHOTOGRAPH BY KIRSTEN COHEN “HAS DENVER GONE TO THE DOGS?,” WESTWORD STAFF, MAY 29 T H A T B I T E S ! I thought Westword was supposed to be the cool, hip voice of the city. But the May 29 cover story sounded like a grumpy old man yelling at kids playing in the park. If y’all really want to write about a public nuisance, why not write about Denver’s automobile dependence? Talk about a real health hazard! Hamilton Reed Denver Cat owners of Denver, stand up. Phill M. Schellenberger Denver Thanks to Catie Cheshire for her “Pup Talk” article on the Betters and their very good boy, Charley. Just wanted to make a quick point, though. I have dog urns in my home with the ashes of some very good boys and girls who lived here in Denver well before either Gina or Taylor were born. Social media is the butthole of humanity. Who cares? Mattie Bicknell Denver Hannah Metzger’s “Dog Gone” was so sad. How can so many people give up their pets? Rachel Fox Denver Surrendering a dog should go on some- one’s public record. People who don’t have the integrity to take care of their pet respon- sibly deserve to be labeled “irresponsible.” Drop their humanity credit score!!! You’re doing a poor job representing the human race. Heather Martin Thornton Gross. Adopting a dog is a lifelong com- mitment. It’s not something you give up when it gets inconvenient. I’ll be homeless on the streets before I give up my dog. Todd Earl Denver So weird that Westword published an article saying that owners surrendering their dogs is up 237 percent since 2019 and 634 dogs have been surrendered to the Denver Animal Shelter since the beginning of 2025, then asked “Has Denver Gone to the Dogs?” I wouldn’t say that Denver is going to the dogs. I don’t consider Denver a cowtown or having gone to the dogs, but we certainly have a bunch of people who don’t read their own publication. Joan Fischer Bruce Denver Thank you for picking the subject of dogs and kudos for the perspectives. Just read all the journalists’ reports. I especially like the humor of Thomas Mitchell in “Poop City.” But the real story was relayed by Kristen Fiore in “Short Leash.” I live near Cheesman, where we have more dog bites than are reported. Many children and adults will not go to the park due to off-leash dogs. Parks are meant to be for everyone! The Park Rangers cannot be at the park at all times, but they do fi ne people now. The meet-up groups in the meadows think that their pets will never do any harm to anyone else or other dogs — very true that in the end, they have “animal tendencies.” But the people continue to be righteous that their little darling won’t do any harm and they don’t want to go to a traditional dog park. The effects of their actions create a health hazard with waste of unattended dogs, turf increased maintenance for a tra- ditional park (why dog parks are gravel) and harm to others who fear dogs. My friend was pushed over and broke her wrist protecting her dog from a person on the phone with a twelve-foot extending leash attached to her attacking dog. The woman with the dog didn’t even stop to help. Bottom line, also pointed out in the article: “What happened to human compassion and understanding beyond their little bubble?” Maybe an article on the human spirit and concern for others would be a good focus for a future article. Are we a dying breed? Cindy Sestrich Denver
