Don’t miss a word! Follow @DenverWestword on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And remember to check westword.com, where we publish at least a dozen stories a day. Here’s a sample of three recent online-only articles: A SQU ARE DE AL Longtime Larimer Square tenant Victoriana Antique and Fine Jewelry is closing. The store was started by legendary developer Dana Crawford in 1977, a decade after she bought a series of run-down Victorian buildings in the 1400 block of Larimer Street and created Larimer Square, which became Denver’s fi rst historically protected district in 1971. She helped found a number of businesses on the block to get it going; in 1984, she sold Victoriana to current owners David and Veronica Prebble. The business has survived economic downturns, a pandemic and multiple switches to various locations, including its current home at 1417 Larimer, where it’s been since 2008. During that time, Larimer Square, too, has gone through many changes. Crawford sold it to Jeff Hermanson in 1993; in December 2020, Hermanson sold it to Asana Partners, a real estate and investment trust based out of South Carolina. Now 72, David Prebble had planned to sell Victoriana to its current manager, Zach Burk. But then he learned from Asana that the store would have to move to a location off Larimer that’s half the size of its cur- rent 832-square-foot space. “It was a totally unworkable situation,” Prebble says. “They have the right to make me move, but they’re supposed to provide me with a comparable space. But they said there was no comparable space available.” So instead, the Prebbles decided to close the store. Burk may open a Victoriana-style store in another city. Victoriana isn’t the fi rst legacy tenant to leave Larimer Square. After four decades there, Gusterman Silversmiths closed this spring; it’s now a private jeweler. Scarpaletto, a shoe boutique at 1436 Larimer, was recently given the choice of moving from its store- front to a slightly smaller space in the 1500 block of Market Street. Owner Phil Vivinetto says he’s excited about the move, which will happen near the end of September. “Victoriana and Scarpaletto are located in portions of Larimer Square undergoing exten- sive facade and interior renovations,” according to a statement from Larimer Square manage- ment. “These spaces will be offl ine for at least 12 months as the team addresses deferred maintenance, implements utility upgrades, and makes other improvements to the block.” When Victoriana posted on Facebook that it would be closing, the owners saw an out- pouring of comments from people who said they will miss the store. “Jewelry becomes very sentimental, because it’s usually given for special occasions,” notes Prebble. He’s The Latest Word Get the latest word on stories posted on westword.com. Sign up for our free daily newsletter, a cheat sheet that summarizes several of our just- published pieces and highlights more that you won’t want to miss. Get the details at westword.com/news. sentimental about the store, too. He has roots in Larimer Square, where his father once laid bricks; he took pictures of the place for his high school yearbook. And then one day he saw an ad in the paper for a jewelry store for sale in Larimer Square. “It’s always been a very special place,” Prebble says. For more on Victoriana, which will close for good by September 3, see Katrina Leibee’s story at westword.com/news. After 45 years, Victoriana is closing up shop in Larimer Square. DES IGNS ON DENVER After an almost year-long search, the City of Denver has hired Eugenia Di Girolamo, an architect who’s currently in New York City, as the deputy director for urban design at the Department of City Planning, as its chief urban designer. “Eugenia will work collaboratively with policymakers, Denver residents, and the development industry to create public spaces and neighborhoods that, by design, promote inclusivity, resiliency to climate change, and improve public health and well- being,” Laura Aldrete, executive director of Denver Community Planning and De- velopment, wrote to city staffers last week. “In this position, she will champion design excellence citywide, from how it feels to walk down the street in Denver’s neighborhoods to large-scale transformative projects.” Di Girolamo will be Denver’s fi rst em- ployee to focus exclusively on urban design. When the city announced the job opening last July, Community Planning and Develop- ment said the department was “looking to elevate the role of urban design in preparing Denver for the future while preserving our historic buildings and staying true to Den- ver’s heritage.” Now, with just a year to go in the administration of Mayor Michael Han- cock, Di Girolamo is stepping into that role. “As somebody who teaches urban design, this is something that’s very important to me and something that Denver needs,” says Ken Schroeppel, the director of urban design at the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architeture and Planning. “I’m thrilled that the city has taken this next step.” Di Girolamo, who’s originally from Italy, will start work in Denver on August 1. Saying that she’s still focused on concluding her work in New York City, she declined an interview request but offered this statement: “I am ex- tremely excited to join the City and County of Denver. Denver is a beautiful city with so much to offer, and I’m honored to be able to bring my passion and expertise in urban design and engagement to this great city. I am currently still working with the Department of City Planning in New York City, and my immediate focus for the next few weeks is wrapping up a few major projects here. I look forward to explor- ing Denver’s neighborhoods and hidden gems and hearing from Denver residents very soon!” Conor McCormick-Cavanagh has more of the story at westword.com/news. TALE OF THE TAPE An investigation is underway to determine whether two members of the Douglas County School District’s Board of Educa- tion, president Mike Peterson and District E director Christine Williams, committed perjury in testimony regarding the fi ring of superintendent Corey Wise in February. “The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Of- fi ce has received multiple inquiries from citizens regarding allegations of perjury by members of the Douglas County Board of Education,” says John Kellner, the 18th Judi- cial District Attorney and the 2022 Republican nominee for Colorado attorney general. “The Douglas County Sheriff’s Offi ce is aware of the allegations and currently has an open investigation. That agency will review the matter and, if appropriate, will forward the case to our offi ce for further review.” Among those raising the perjury allegations against Peterson and Williams is Robert Marshall, a Douglas County resident who will also be on the November ballot; he’s running as a Demo- crat for state representative in District 43. Just over a week after Wise’s dismissal, Marshall fi led a lawsuit against the school district and board, alleging that Peterson, Williams and colleagues Kaylee Winegar and Becky Myers had engineered the ouster through a series of one-on-one meetings that violated Colo- rado Open Meetings Law — an assertion that prompted a Douglas County judge to issue a preliminary injunc- tion banning the practice fol- lowing a February 25 hearing during which both Peterson and Williams testifi ed. The claims of perjury are based on an audio record- ing made by Wise during a meeting with Peterson and Williams at a coffee shop on January 28, several days be- fore he was given his walk- ing papers. According to a summary that Marshall pro- vided Westword, the record- ing makes it “absolutely clear that Peterson told Wise that all four of the newly elected ‘Kids First’ directors (Peter- son, Williams, Myers and Winegar) were ‘absolutely committed’ to terminating his contract. This shows, indisputably, that Peterson perjured himself when he testifi ed under oath in an open court proceeding...when he emphatically declared ‘nor did we ask [Wise] to resign at that meeting’ and ‘we did not ask him to resign im- mediately. We asked him to consider a variety of options.’ This is absolutely false. The audio is clearer at some points than others, but one can readily hear Peterson and Williams telling Wise on a Friday morning that he must resign by Tuesday evening after he came back from a planned family vacation. And if he didn’t, they would terminate him for cause.” In response to Marshall’s claims, Gessler Blue Law, the fi rm led by former Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler that represents Peterson, Williams and the board as a whole in the suit, issued a statement from attorney Geoff Blue, Gessler’s partner: “These are base- less accusations and part of a string of baseless lawsuits. The boardmembers were forthright and truthful about their work to replace the former school superintendent, both in court and in private conversations. Marshall used a secret tape recording to make wild claims of perjury. Our legal team reviewed the materials and found no wrongdoing.” Find more of Michael Roberts’s ongoing coverage of the Douglas County school board at westword.com/news. Eugenia Di Girolamo is joining the city’s staff. 5 westword.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | CALHOUN | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | WESTWORD JULY 7-13, 2022 KATRINA LEIBEE CITY OF DENVER
