‘Twas the hug heard ’round The Palm.
When Mayor John Hickenlooper‘s chief of staff, Kelly Brough, locked limbs with Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce executive vice president Tom Clark during RTD chief Cal Marsella‘s going-away party Thursday, bold-face business types blinked.
Aren’t those two the last candidates standing in the quest to be the Denver Chamber’s new leader? Friendly competitors, obviously.
“We’re good friends,” Brough said when I approached the chummy couple. “I was afraid you’d be here,” Clark said to me.
The buzz spread quickly through the 150 or so invited guests who gathered to give Marsella a send-off after 14 years as general manager of the metro area’s oft-criticized transit system.
He announced in April he was leaving RTD to join MV Transportation Inc., a California-based company that provides private transit services to public entities.
But attention suddenly shifted from the man of the hour to the curious clinch between Clark and Brough, who some insiders say are neck-and-neck for the Chamber’s top job.
An offer could come to one of them early this week, according to Mimi Roberson, Chamber board chairwoman. The board has designated Friday as the day it will convene and vote for the new president and CEO.
Some speech.
Marsella is not known as a man of few words, and he didn’t disappoint the assembled admirers at his going-away party.
After an introduction by Hickenlooper, Marsella launched into a stirring speech about his trials and tribulations during his 14-year RTD reign.
“This has been the most gratifying professional experience of my life,” he said. “When I look where we are and where we have been, I’m so proud of our work. The RTD board for a long time has been much maligned, sometimes deservedly so. (Big laugh from the crowd.)
“And John, you’ve had more to do with the success of RTD than anyone. You think like a region, act like a region. You’ve said that every decision has to benefit the entire region.”
Before the speech turned into a marathon, the mayor interrupted: “Cal, I’m not retiring.”
Dogs-gone party.
CPA Meyer Saltzman, a partner at Saltzman Hamma Nelson Massaro LLP, and his wacky, wonderful wife, Geri Bader, who runs a lawyer headhunting business, marked their 20th wedding anniversary Wednesday night with 60 pals at Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on East Colfax.
Owner Steve Ballas mixed sangria and hard lemonade, a doo-wop group entertained the troops, and dogs galore were gobbled by all.
Sure, Saltzman and Bader are known to march to a different drummer, but why a hot dog joint for an anniversary party?
“Meyer wanted a party someplace where he didn’t have to wear big-boy pants,” Bader said.
Dog days.
Panzano’s happy hour is going to the dogs on Sundays starting Aug. 9 with a Pooch Power Hour from 2:30 to 6 p.m. at 909 17th St.
Happy-hour humans are invited to bring four-legged friends, who can lounge around tied up outside the patio fence with water bowls and complimentary snacks such as house-made Peanut Butter Pupcakes.
During happy hour, guests can nominate their dog for monthly Top Dog honors and prizes. The Panzano staff will snap your pup and post the pic in the bar for public voting.
HH specials include $3 draft beer, $4 wines by the glass, $5 specialty ‘tails, and $3 and $4 snacks.
Eavesdropping
. A man at The Palm talking about how his mom won’t let his dad retire: “My mom says she married my dad for better or worse but not for lunch.”
Penny Parker’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-AM (630). Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.
