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Wyland’s Ocean Blue Opens in Denver

Did you happen to take a look at 9news.com today? If you did, you might have seen The Stasko Agency‘s Lu Stasko and Shelby Arnold kissing the cheek of renowned marine wildlife artist Wyland.

The Stasko Agency worked alongside PR colleague Tina Menditto to promote the Grand Opening of Wyland’s newest restaurant, Wyland’s Ocean Blue, at The Shops at Northfield Stapleton. Wyland himself was present at the VIP reception last night, which drew over 250 artists, media, fans and locals. Even the LinkedIn Rockstar, Mike O’Neil, was there to partake in the excitement.

Below, The Stasko Agency poses with Wyland. (Picture credit: Howie Grapek, Metromix)


Wyland’s breathtaking artwork is sought by millions of collectors, and his nationwide galleries are considered a must-see on the itineraries of travelers everywhere. You may be familiar with Wyland’s Whaling Wall mural project – an epic series of one hundred life-sized marine murals that spans twelve countries and four continents. (Learn more about the Whaling Walls…)

An upscale, fine dining restaurant and art gallery combined into one, Wyland’s Ocean Blue features sustainably caught seafood, farm-to-table meats, and coastal Pacific flavors with local and seasonal influences. A portion of the proceeds from each meal will go toward the Wyland Foundation and the Think Blue Foundation, both of which support conservation of the Earth’s precious waterways. Learn more about Wyland’s conservation and advocacy efforts at www.wyland.com.

Make sure to check out Metromix’s online photo album for a complete look at last night’s event.

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Holiday Shout Out: The Bookery Nook

With the holiday season upon us, we’d like to encourage our loyal readers to shop local and buy gifts that support our Colorado neighborhoods.

Today we’re giving a shout out to our favorite independent bookstore, The Bookery Nook, located at 4280 Tennyson Street in Denver. You may remember that The Stasko Agency worked with The Nook in May last year to help them kick off their grand opening event.

Owners Shannon and Gary Piserchio have done a fantastic job growing their business since opening their doors last spring. Selling much more than books, this dog-friendly bookstore is a one-stop shop for creative cards, specialty candy, kid’s toys and unique handcrafted items by local vendors. The Nook also hosts numerous author and speaker events that appeal to every age group. Their most recent series covers topics relating to sustainability (read more here).

To make holiday shopping even easier, The Bookery Nook has started a Wish List Program where you can keep a running tally of all the titles that have caught your eye. The Nook has over 2,000,000 titles available to them, and if someone picks a book for you that isn’t in stock, they’ll have it in the store within 4 business days.

And finally, for grins and giggles, check out one of the new Bookery Nook ads (taken by Shannon herself) featuring our very own Shelby Arnold. Isn’t it fabulous? See more on the Bookery Nook Blog. Just a reminder that a good book is always within reach. Especially if you shop at The Bookery Nook.

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Guy Harvey’s Perfect Spot opens in Northfield


This past Friday, The Stasko Agency was honored to attend and support the grand opening of Guy Harvey’s Perfect Spot Bar & Grill, a new fishing-inspired restaurant in Northfield Stapleton.

Guy Harvey’s is a one-of-a-kind experience, inspired by the art of renowned marine wildlife artist and fishing hall-of-famer Guy Harvey. Fitting to their new Colorado location, Perfect Spot Bar & Grill takes on a warm and inviting lodge-like setting, complete with a stone fireplace, canoes and fish mounts.

The restaurant serves a colorful menu featuring sustainably caught seafood and American fare. Dishes include fresh water favorites such as rainbow trout, walleye, and steelhead trout along with staple items such as soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers priced from $6.99 to $16.99. They will also feature a weekly happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Major kudos to fellow PR Pro Tina Menditto for all her hard work on the event. It was quite a success!

Below, Guy Harvey cuts the ribbon at the Grand Opening (left) and snaps a shot with our very own Lu Stasko (right).



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Gallop Cafe on Channel 2

Highland’s Gallop Cafe went 2 for 2 this week, with two different segments on Channel 2 “The Deuce.”

Last Friday, anchor Chris Parente stopped by Gallop for a special tasting of the dinner menu (served Thursday-Saturday). Armed with a flip camera (and a friend to share all the food), Chris filmed the whole experience and then aired the footage on Monday’s Everyday segment. Here’s Chris hamming it up with Owner Glen Baker:


Following rave reviews on Monday morning’s segment, Gallop Cafe headed to the Channel 2 studio to prepare the Soul of Autumn Benedict live on Daybreak. Owner/Chef Dave Grafke and assistant chef Christina Mintu set up a beautiful presentation and got all the ingredients ready.

Click here to check out the pictures we took during set up at the studio.

(Follow The Stasko Agency on facebook for updates on the latest and greatest news, events, and publicity campaigns!)

We couldn’t have been happier to see Gallop get the kudos they deserve. Watch the segment featuring David Grafke and Tom Green here:

http://kwgn.vid.trb.com/player/PaperVideoTest.swf
Want a taste of this delicious fall dish? You can try the recipe yourself or simply stop the by Gallop Cafe, located at 32nd & Zuni.

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Solera’s Grand Opening Event!


After much anticipation, Denver’s first LEED Gold rental community, Solera, has announced their Grand Opening party, scheduled for Wednesday, November 10th.

Walk the “green carpet” with the rest of downtown Denver and enjoy live jazz music, libations (including Solera’s very own fall cocktail), catered hors d’oeuvres, and drawings for prizes from local Denver restaurants and businesses! Every guest will be entered in a drawing to win the grand prize–a free bike, courtesy of Wheat Ridge Cyclery.

This exclusive Toast & Tour is a “Don’t Miss” event and by RSVP only, so make sure to send an email with your name and how you heard of the event to party@soleraliving.com.

Here are the event details:

Solera Grand Opening Event

Wednesday, November 10, 2010
5:00 to 8:00 PM

1956 Lawrence Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
(303) 381-7777

RSVP to party@soleraliving.com (a must for guest entry!)

For more information on luxury green apartment living in downtown Denver visit www.soleraliving.com or “like” them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SoleraDenver

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Root Down Recognized in New York Times

As a Highland mainstay, The Stasko Agency is always happy to see our burgeoning neighborhood gain some positive publicity. So, we were thrilled when the New York Times recognized three Highland hot spots for serving dishes made from locally-raised livestock and homegrown produce.

The article, which hit newsstands last month, highlighted Root Down, The Squeaky Bean, Colt & Gray and the central Denver bistro Fruition.

We’ve been touting Root Down’s “field to fork” philosophy since the restaurant opened in December 2008. The eatery’s environmentally-friendly approach landed Root Down a spot on the Green Restaurant Tour last April and was the focus of a Vista TV feature. You can check out the segment here.

Congrats to Root Down and all the great restaurants who received props for growing their own food. We’re lucky to have such a wide array of fresh food available so close to home!

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Touring Solera, LEED-Gold Apartments in Denver

This past week, The Stasko Agency had the opportunity to tour Zocalo Community Development’s newest LEED-Gold certified apartments, Solera. Some of you may remember these sustainable apartments from when we hosted the groundbreaking launch party last summer at 1956 Lawrence Street. (Read about it here…)

The building has made unbelievable progress in the past year and is now nearing a fall completion. Check out the transformation since May 2009:


Solera will be the first LEED-Gold rentals in the entire Rocky Mountain region and one of only a few dozen in the country. By living in a sustainable apartment, residents will likely experience noticeable savings on their energy bill compared to similar apartment buildings. Zocalo’s first LEED multi-family project – award-winning RiverClay – outperformed projected energy savings, reducing energy consumption by nearly 60 percent compared to EPA standards.


Seeing the completed model only strengthened our excitement over this cutting-edge building. Every detail seems to be perfectly executed–from the beautiful finishes and energy-efficient appliances to the spacious layouts and loft-style celings. We found ourselves envious of the future Solera residents, who will literally be a short walk from Invesco Field, 16th Street and downtown Denver hotspots.

In fact, Solera has been dubbed a “Walker’s Paradise” by the popular Walkscore.com, with a walkability rating of 95 out of 100.

Check out the view from Solera’s rooftop terrace:


Zocalo Community Development has definitely struck the perfect balance of form and function with these units. We can’t wait for the first residents to move into their homes in the next few weeks so we can hear firsthand what the experience is like.

If you’re looking for a downtown Denver rental, or know someone who is, we strongly recommend taking a tour of these sustainable apartments. More information can be found on their newly launched website (www.soleraliving.com) and blog (www.blog.soleraliving.com)

Also, check out the article about Solera in the Denver Daily News this past Wednesday: Solera: Green living downtown by Ben LeDoux. (One slight correction: there are actually 120-units in the building, not 110!)

Lastly, make sure to stop by Solera’s Facebook Page & “like” them to stay updated on the latest and greatest.

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Dawson Center Students Participate in TEDxDenverED


This past Monday, The Stasko Agency was gearing up for the hightly anticipated TEDxDenverED event, knowing that we’d likely never make it in to see all the speakers.

That’s because our true clients for the night were five talented middle-schoolers who were invited to participate as Graphic Recorders for the event. These students are part of the Dawson Center Summer 2010, a tuition-free academic program for high-achieving public school students. For five weeks, sixth and seventh graders from Boulder-area public schools delve into a challenging curriculum built around a specific theme.

As part of this year’s curriculum, students are learning the art of graphic facilitation, which helps create a tangible, visual representation of concepts and discussions to build understanding and participation.

Through the leadership of Janine Underhill of Idea-360, the students are learning to draw their own visual maps as they develop solutions to problems presented in their research, which this year focuses on how epidemics shape society.

Five of the students were given the opportunity to practice these new skills by joining Janine at the TEDxDenverED event. They supported presenter Dafna Michaelson by coming up with graphic headers for several large towers surrounding the RAISE YOUR HAND campaign.

TedxDenverED is an independently organized event under the guidance of TED, an annual event where some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers are invited to share what they are most passionate about. “TED” stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design — three broad subject areas that are, collectively, shaping our future. This particular event aimed to foster and spread ideas that will impact K12 education in America.

The Stasko Agency was delighted to participate in this momentous event, particularly as advocates of these brilliant students. Our goal was to spread the word about the unique program offered through the Dawson Center, as an example of a new, ground-breaking education opportunity.

We will continue to share about the students’ successes as they finish out the program and hope to show you more of their visual maps surrounding epidemics. From what we’ve seen so far, these students will be TED speakers themselves before we know it.

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A Successful Merchant Party at Nevada Place

The Stasko Agency is proud to welcome Nevada Place to our client list this summer! We are delighted to once again work with developer Jonathan Miller, a 20-year industry veteran with a knack for remarkable finishes and upgrades in all of his homes.

These beautifully appointed condos are located just a block from historic Main Street in downtown Littleton and walking distance from the Lightrail Station. The ideal location, single-level floor plans, and large scenic balconies give the homes a luxury feel while keeping the small-town charm.

To get the community involved in the development’s progress, we coordinated a successful Merchant Happy Hour to welcome and educate the local merchants from Littleton Main Street. Wine, music and delicious appetizers, courtesy of Opus Restaurant, kept the party alive as we chatted with the many talented store owners. We couldn’t be happier with the turnout, which also included city officials and a special appearance by the Mayor of Littleton, Doug Clark. Here we are with the developer’s wife, Debbie Miller.


Hard hat tours were also on the bill, of course. (Aren’t these hats fantastic?) Here is Jonathan Miller giving the merchants a tour of the development’s enormous underground parking garage. We are all eager to see the final product, which is set for an on-time completion this September.

The event gave us the opportunity to learn about the unique community these new homes will be a part of. We’re excited to see how the area continues to flourish.

If you’re interested in learning more about Nevada Place, check out www.visitnevadaplace.com

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The National Cohousing Conference Comes to Boulder!

Since it began in 1993, the National Cohousing Conference has been held across the country, drawing in cohousing residents, professionals, community organizers, architects, and sustainability experts from around the world. This year, The Stasko Agency has been asked to play a role in spreading the word about this amazing event and educating the media and public about the movement of cohousing!

Scheduled for June 18th-20th at the University of Colorado-Boulder, the National Cohousing Conference will focus on the theme “Sustainability through Community.” Highlights of the event include: CoHo University with intensive workshops; Featured Speakers; Community Tours; Conference Sessions with more than 60 presentations; and a fundraising banquet.

Time out: What is Cohousing?

Cohousing is a form of intentional neighborhood in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own community. In cohousing, residents know their neighbors well and enjoy a strong sense of community that is typically absent in contemporary cities and suburbs.

Cohousing communities consist of private, fully equipped dwellings and extensive common amenities including a common house and recreation areas. Most communities forge a strong partnership with a professional development team. Together they create a custom-built, resident-managed, close-knit neighborhood that offers a healthy balance of privacy and community. The six defining characteristics of cohousing are:1) Participatory process; 2) Neighborhood design; 3) Common facilities; 4) Resident management. 5) Non-hierarchical structure and decision-making; 6) No shared community economy.

Once a small grassrootsy collection of cohousers, the annual event now attracts over 300 people from around the United States and beyond, with the 2009 conference drawing attendees from 10 countries.

Key speakers for this year’s conference include: Bill McKibben, environmentalist and author (June 18), Dave Wann, author and community expert, (June 18), Charles Durrett, architect and author (June 20), and Kathryn McCamant, architect and cohousing expert (June 20).

Registration for this multi-day conference is still open and available to the general public. Visit http://www.cohousing.org/2010/overview for more information!

In the meanwhile, take some time to learn about cohousing & what it means for the residents. Check out What is Cohousing? to learn more about how the communities come together or read research findings on Commonly Asked Questions. Pretty incredible stuff!

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