Lawyers just want to have fun. Who knew?
The young turks at Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher threw quite the whoop-de-doo Saturday night, when 400 of their closest friends, associates, clients and family members gathered at the Soiled Dove in Lowry to toast the firm’s 10-year tenure.
Emcee and former FGMC employee Marcus Pachner led the restless crowd through the program, which included a video produced by Larry Alexander featuring cameos by Mayor John Hickenlooper, elder-statesman lawyer Steve Farber, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman (still sporting crutches since he broke his ankle Christmas morning while jogging at Meadow Hills Golf Course), state Sen. Joyce Foster and her husband, Rabbi Steven Foster, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and a down-and- dirty ditty between Post columnist Bill Husted and me.
A program highlight was a phone call — whether live or taped — from Minnesota U.S. Sen. Al Franken.
“I’m speaking to what I’m told is 50,000 people,” Franken joked. “When we had a fundraiser during the (Democratic National Convention), I had the feeling Milstein was stealing.”
Pachner explained the birth of the firm, when Danny Foster and Bob Graham decided to join forces.
“It started like any other love story,” Pachner said. “Danny Foster and Bob Graham eyed each other across the hall. Finally, one of them had the nerve to ask the other to coffee. It’s been a loveless, nonsexual partnership ever since, so it truly is a marriage.”
Bear not there.
If Teddy, the 5-foot-tall mascot for Three Blind Mice, a children’s clothing boutique in Centennial, could magically come alive, he’d probably rip out the alleged hearts of his captors.
Poor Teddy, the stuffed bear who has greeted customers and guarded the entrance to the store in two locations for nine years, was stolen around 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to Kathy Messenger, who owns the store with her husband, Paul.
“We are all heartbroken over the loss,” Kathy said. “Both kids and parents alike love him so. The kids come and hug him, and they like to have their picture taken with him.”
When last seen, Teddy was dressed in winter garb of a red wool scarf, a white long-sleeve T-shirt and a blue vest.
“We have fliers out in the hopes that someone will do the right thing and return him unharmed,” Kathy said. More info: .
Brown on the air.
Infamous former FEMA director Mi chael Brown, the man who will probably never shake the shackles of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, has taken over the airwaves from 7 to 10 weeknights on KOA-850 AM.
“I started substituting for (Dan) Caplis, then Peter (Boyles), then weekends,” Brown said. “Next thing you know, Gunny Bob (Newman) is gone and I’m filling in on weeknights.”
Brown wants the show to “get people to think and debate,” he said.
“I just don’t believe people are discerning enough when it comes to news, politics and international affairs,” Brown said. “I will try to get a different slant on issues.”
EAVESDROPPING
A man at the Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher anniversary party:
“Lawyers and fun? Isn’t that a contradiction in terms?”
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-630 AM. Contact her at 303-954-5224 or pparker@denverpost.com.
