😬 CO’s top elections official is in hot water

📚 Inside the New and Improved Denver Central Library

After four years under renovation, Denver’s “mothership library” is finally fully reopening to the public this Sunday. With a new teen area, 15 new meeting rooms, a new event space, and general infrastructure upgrades, DPL officials hope the library is more “welcoming, functional, and aesthetically pleasing.” [Denverite]

🍎 Denver School Closures Loom

To address declining student enrollment, Denver Public Schools superintendent Alex Marrero is expected to unveil a list of schools he’s recommending for closure or consolidation next week. While district leaders are remaining mum on how many schools — and which — could be on the chopping block, they have shared the criteria they’re using to make the decision. [Chalkbeat]

• How do YOU think Marrero is doing? Send us your grades and questions for the DPS head honcho at 720-500-5418 or [email protected].

😬 Secretary of State Mistakenly Shares Internal Passwords

Passwords for Colorado’s voting systems were accidentally posted in a public spreadsheet on the Secretary of State’s website. While the Colorado Republican Party is blasting Secretary of State Jena Griswold and her office over the incident, the department says the passwords were just one of many stringent security safeguards in place and there is no immediate risk. [CPR]

🧑‍🍳 Take a Cooking Class

Up your feast game this Thanksgiving by taking a culinary class. Almost every local cooking school (and there are many) is offering a lineup of holiday-themed courses — like pies, sides, and autumn-inspired cocktails. But CSU Spur offers classes that are family-friendly and about half the price of the other options. *Chef’s kiss*

• Mark your cal: CSU Spur’s November classes include: Holiday Pies (Nov. 16), Apple Butter and Applesauce (Nov. 16), and Holiday Gourmet (Nov. 21)

🥧 Eat ALL the Pie

Perfecting hand-crafted, homemade pies since 1994, Granny Scott’s Pie Shop in Lakewood has it all: fruit pies, cream pies, meringue pies, savory pies, special holiday pies, and more. Not seeing your favorite on the menu? Just call Granny’s up and they’ll see what they can do. Order your pie piping hot for pickup or frozen for home-baking — enjoy!

👐 Hand Out Personal Care Kits

As temps turn cold, consider making and distributing personal care kits to your neighbors experiencing homelessness or financial hardship. Fill your care packages with personal hygiene items; hats, gloves, and blankets; or a gift card for a coffee or warm meal. You can go the DIY route, or volunteer with / donate to one of the many local organizations that coordinate care package drives all year round.

• Check out: Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Project Worthmore, or Denver Rescue Mission.

🕯️ Celebrate Day of the Dead

The Westwood community’s annual Muertos en Westwood celebration is one of Denver’s most beloved homages to the sacred holiday. Running Nov. 1-3, the festival spans three days, complete with workshops, food, community ofrendas, and traditional dance and music performances. It is a free, family-friendly event!

🫘 Host a Chili Cook-Off

A steaming bowl of chili with all the fixin’s is a menu must-have this time of year, and there’s no better way to get your fix than with an old fashioned chili cook-off. Prefer to skip the kitchen labor? Find a community competition in need of some eager eaters and nom away.

• Upcoming cook-offs: Long Table Brewhouse (Nov. 2), Chili, Booze & Brews (Nov. 2), and Fiction Beer Co. (Nov. 9)

🫂 Help Welcome Newcomers

Serve as an ambassador for the beautiful city we call home while helping settle new families in the community. Casa de Paz specifically connects volunteers with families and individuals being released from Aurora’s immigration detention center to help guide them through what can often be an overwhelming life transition.