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Iconic Victorian in Tremont asks $750,000: House of the Week – cleveland.com - November 19, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If youve ever been to Taste of Tremont, the Tremont Farmers Market, or frequented the nearby restaurants and bars, youre undoubtedly familiar with the red-brick Victorian on the southeast corner of Lincoln Park.

Built in 1870, the home has been carefully restored and thoughtfully renovated over the years, most recently by the current owner, Stephen Harrison.

This home is one of those treasures that just loves you back, says Harrison, the curator of decorative art and design at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

On the market for the first time since 2009, 1103 Starkweather Ave. has 3-bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms in 2,578-sq. ft. The asking price is $750,000.

The house transports you back in time with its many original decorative elements such as 12-foot ceilings, huge plaster moldings, arched pocket doors in original finish, wooden floors throughout, carved wooden doors, and a curving staircase with original banister, Howard Hannas Chris Davidson writes in his listing.

He says Harrison worked with architect David Ellison and interior decorator Thomas Lee Randleman on an extensive redesign. Changes include converting a small bedroom upstairs into a gracious bath and laundry room to complete the master suite, which now also boasts a cedar closet. They also enlarged the side porch to be a more versatile space for dining and relaxing. Built-in bookshelves were added to the library.

The result was an outstanding residential preservation award from the Cleveland Restoration Society in 2014.

Practical improvements have brought the home to todays standards, too. They include a new roof and high-capacity hot-water heater in 2018, HVAC systems in 2005 (upstairs) and 2010 (downstairs), and updated electrical throughout in 2000.

This is Tremonts most iconic and recognizable home, Davidson says.

The 3-bedroom, 3.5 bathroom, 2,578-sq. ft. home at 1103 Starkweather Ave. in Tremont was built in 1870. (Photo: Bill Berris)

See the full listing here

Address: 1103 Starkweather Ave.

City: Cleveland

Price: $750,000

Size: 2,578 square feet

Lot: 5,872 square feet

Year built: 1870

No. bedrooms: 3

No. bathrooms: 3 full, 1 half

School district: Cleveland Municipal School District

Real estate agent and contact info: Chris Davidson, Howard Hanna

e: chrisdavidson@howardhanna.com

p: 440-263-2669

The 3-bedroom, 3.5 bathroom, 2,578-sq. ft. home at 1103 Starkweather Ave. in Tremont was built in 1870. (Photo: Bill Berris)

For more information on 1103 Starkweather Ave., contact Chris Davidson, Howard Hanna at chrisdavidson@howardhanna.com or 440-263-2669.

Renovated 1910 colonial revival in Cleveland Heights asks $675K

Mid-century modern in Bentleyville asks $899K

1929 Shaker Heights mansion will take you back in time for $2.75M

Classic 1930s stone colonial in Shaker Heights asks $1M

1870 Victorian in Chagrin Falls historic district asks $1.795M

Waterfront home in Rocky River offers amazing views, lake access

Grand Victorian in Ohio City was built by Clevelands mayor in 1872

Modern brownstone on former site of historic church asks $725,000

Kirtland Hills home is truly presidential with Oval Office replica

One of the last remaining great lakefront estates in Euclid asks $1.2M

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Hollywood Regency Is That Glamorous Style Youve Been Trying to Pinpoint – Yahoo Entertainment - November 19, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

Youve noticed it for years now: that style that mixes leopard print with glitzy chandeliers, mirrored finishes with curved velvet couches. Its simultaneously Old World Hollywood and yet still of-the-moment, but you just havent been able to put your finger on what it is, exactly. Well, were here to tell you that youve been drooling over Hollywood Regency, a style most commonly associated with interior design, furniture, and landscape architecture that comes out of the 1930s Golden Age of Hollywood.

Indeed, the origins of the style can be traced to the silver screens themselves, as actors and actresses grew accustomed to the shiny materials and traditionally-inspired furniture they found on set that created the lavish scenes of their wealthy characters. Set designs emphasized pieces that showed well on camera because of their dramatic surfaces, attention to detail, contrasting of patterns and textiles, and creation of light and dark that could be captured in black and white. Soon, designers of the stars found themselves recreating the opulence of the screen in real life for their clients.

Among those at the forefront of Hollywood Regency were interior designers like Dorothy Draper, who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s after decorating some of the major hotels and apartment buildings in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. Her signature style focused on dramatic color schemes often with shiny black ceilings or black-and-white patterned flooring along with a profusion of mirrors, floral textiles, and green woodwork.

Other designers who had a serious impact on the style were William Billy Haines, a former actor-turned-decorator to the stars, and Paul R. Williams, a noted African American architect whose client roster included the likes of Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Barbara Stanwyck, and more. While Haines, working with his life partner James Jimmie Haines, consistently created designs that fit the high-profile lives of their clients like Joan Crawford, Williams worked in a range of styles and project types. But for his high-end clientele, Williams often produced grand homes that combined the traditional elements of Classical design but slimmed them down, simplifying the ornament to give them a sleek, modern edge.

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And this combination of traditional and modern continued, borrowing elements and characteristics from several different periods (including the English Regency, which lent part of its name to the new style), but incorporating unexpected color combinations, new materials, geometric patterns, and lots of eye-catching, glamorous textiles and finishes. Think of the glamour of Art Deco materials and simplified lines, but with the eclecticism of an antiques dealer and the maximalism of a movie star.

Like any trend, though, as time went on, the style evolved, too. As historically-inspired styles waned in the 1950s and 1960s and gave way to the International Style and midcentury modernism, Hollywood Regency stayed strong, but took on more modern forms, incorporating more contemporary color palettes and patterns including jewel tones and geometric motifs. It also embraced newer materials like lucite in combination with old classics like shiny brass or glossy lacquer, all while keeping true to its origins rooted in old school glamour and glitz.

Thinking about incorporating Hollywood Regency into your own home? Take a look at some celebrity homes that continue to seek out this now-classic California style for their own spaces, and see if you can find any inspiration for yourself.

Launch Gallery: Hollywood Regency Is That Glamorous Style You've Been Trying To Pinpoint

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If There Are Tree Trunks on the Wall, You Must Be in a James Huniford Home - Yahoo Lifestyle

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On the island of Palm Beach, reactions to Biden win range from gloom to elation – Palm Beach Daily News - November 10, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

Darrell Hofheinz and Shannon Donnelly| Palm Beach Daily News

Now their neighbor might be coming home to stay.

And just like any neighborhood, opinions about the big news in Palm Beach that PresidentDonald Trump would be leaving the White House after one term following his defeat by former Vice President Joe Biden varied Saturday from somber to joyful.

"I'm disappointed," said John Scarpa, a longtime friend of President Trump. "As an American, I'm worried aboutour future."

Palm Beacher Blair Brandt, a political strategist and Republican fundraiser who helped lead money-gatheringefforts for the president in the SunshineState, said Trump had won an impressive victory in the state of Florida during Tuesdays election.

But he declined further comment due to the legal challenges the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee are waging in multiple states.

Biden, a longtime Delaware senator who served two terms as vice president under President Barack Obama, secured enough electoral votes Saturday to claim the presidencyafter winning the state count in Pennsylvania. Joining him as vice president will be California Sen. Kamala Harris, who made history as the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to be elected to the second-highest office in the land.

The news of Biden's victory left Kevin Byrne "absolutely elated."

"I have regained my faith in my fellow citizens," he said. "It's like waking up from a nightmare, especially this past week."

Democrat Leta Austin Foster, a Palm Beach interior designer and retailer, alsowas relieved and happy to hear the race being called or Biden, though she sounded a note of caution.

But I know its not all over yet, she said, referring to Trumps ongoing efforts to challenge the election results. Unfortunately, that just makes people doubt the legitimacy of the vote. Im not surprised at that. I wish I were, but Im not.

>>RELATED: Trump has left his imprint on island

She added: What Im really sad about is that (the last four years) exposed how many people in this country are really racist and thats so sad. But hopefully, things will get better.

The presidential election exposed deep divisions in American society, with one side certain that a second Trump presidency would usher in a right-wing autocracy, and the other just as convinced that a Biden presidency would mean a triumph for socialism. Voters turned out in record numbers: About 161 million people voted, with Biden on track Saturday afternoonto win the popular vote by more than 4 million ballots.

Another key concern for residentssuch as Bruce Langmaid was a possible change in fiscal policy. Trump, whose secretary of commerce is fellow Palm Beacher Wilbur Ross, signed a tax cut into law in 2017 that was widely seen as beneficial to the nation's wealthiest citizens.

Langmaid said hefears a Biden Administration will increase his tax burden.

"I'm worriedabout my income taxes going up," he said. "And I wonder what this means for property values in Palm Beach."

>> RELATED: Trump has raised the town's profile

Jeff Alderton was unhappy about Saturday's development, and suggested that election anomalies were responsible.

"This has been a very difficult election process for me. It was a national election, which should have national standards ... not state-run standards, which may have interfered with the voting count, hence the outcome," he said.

But Alderton also said what mattered going forward was how the new president would work with the Senate, and "most importantly how we as Americans will be heardand react in a level-headed and respectful way."

Hanging over the election was the coronavirus pandemic, now into its eighth month and resurging strongly across the United States, where more than 236,000 people have died of the contagion and nearly 10 million people have been infected.

Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jeff Greene, an island resident, said he is confident that Biden is better equipped than Trump to effectively tackle the demands of the coronavirus crisis.

I have been so disappointed by this administrations response to the pandemic, Greene said. Im thrilled that we have an adult in Vice President Biden who will finally address this issue.

Greene hasnt agreed with many of Trumps decisions and policies including his support of automatic assault rifles, which Greene described as weapons of mass destruction," andthe presidents appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Palm Beach Democrat Bram Majtlis said hebelieves Biden and Harris will work to protect the rights of LGBTQ people, including the legality of same-sex marriages. He and his husband, Nick Gold, were together more than 30 years before they got married a year ago.

The LGBTQ community will be in good hands with this new ticket, Majtlis said.

Democrats, he added, must work to bridge the divides that characterized the contentious election. Bidens maturity and his reputation as a centrist, Majtlis said, will help that effort.

We should reach out our hand to make one America," Majtlis said. "I think we need to be civil, and civility has been lacking over the last four years.

Nancy Brinker, a lifelong Republican and former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, also expressed hope for conciliation.

"Whether youre a Republican, Democratic or independent, we can all take a strong measure of gratification and pride from the record turnout and participation that we have witnessed in our democratic process," she said. "I am especially heartened by the record number of women who were elected to office and the message that sends to young girls across the country."

Brinker, who also served as chief of protocol at the State Department, said the world looks to America for leadership, and that means the different sides must work together.

"It is my hope that our elected leaders in Washington, regardless of party, understand that collaboration in the name of freedom and progress is no vice. There is far more that unites our great nation than divides us, she said.

Foster, the Democratic interior decorator, made national news when she was the sole person to show up in June for what she thought would be a Palm Beach protest against the death of George Floyd, the Black man who died while being detained by police in Minneapolis.

She said she is hoping Biden can help heal divisions in the country. Hes always been an across-the-aisle man, she said.

Perhaps the last word belongs to Bill Bone, who took a uniquely Palm Beach view.

"I'm glad the election has been called so I can stop talking about this and start loving my neighbors again," he said."I will never again get upset when it seems like all we worry about is parking, leaf blowers, beach sand, and the size of the second story on the new house down the street."

Staff writer Greg Stepanich contributed to this report.

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New home in Belwood Park just as connected as couple’s former inner-city digs – Calgary Herald - November 10, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

For Michelle, an outdoor living space was a must-have.

I like to bring my cats outside with me, she says. We put them on long leashes.

A space for a table so she and Ellery can dine in the fresh air was a consideration, as well. For that reason, Michelle was excited to see the six-foot seven-inch by 16-foot two-inch balcony off the great room.

Among the couples favourite spaces within the home is its generously proportioned U-shaped kitchen.

My mother said, I know if I love a place after I cook in the kitchen and your kitchen is perfect, says Michelle, pointing to the quality of appliances and well-designed food preparation space as personal highlights.

Belwood also has a two-bedroom townhome model called the Avenue.

What makes Belwood Park so appealing is that buyers can get a home from a builder with a good reputation that has great layouts and finishes, at a great price point, says Belwood Park sales associate Andy Issik.

They also feature the ability to customize finishes to reflect the buyers own taste and personality to really make it feel like home.

As a quick possession home, the couples finishes were already in place. But they were pleased with what they saw from Stone, the interior collection featured in their home.

Its a good contrast, says Ellery, adding that the use of greys elevate other colours within their space.

I used to be an interior decorator 10 years ago, adds Michelle, who currently works with new Canadians at a not-for-profit. They have beautiful colour swatches. Its like, just pick one and youll be happy.

DEVELOPMENT: Belwood Park.BUILDER: StreetSide Developments.AREA: Belmont is a community in south Calgary.DEVELOPER: Anthem United.PRICES: Townhomes at Belwood Park start in the $250,000s.HOURS: The sales centre is open 2 to 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays.INFORMATION:belwoodpark.com

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Couple that buys business together, stays together – Bainbridge Island Review - November 10, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

When the majority of couples want to commit to each other they get engaged. Hiromi Yoshinaga and Zeb Whitehead got a business instead.

We joke about getting this instead of rings, Whitehead said about the Zutto Vintage and Antiques on the water side of downtown at 164 Bjune Drive SE.

They met through online dating 1 1/2 years ago. He has three kids, and she has a daughter; they all live in the area. She had owned several online businesses in Japan before coming to the states in 2005.

Yoshinaga, of Bainbridge Island, and Whitehead, of Seabeck, took over the store Sept. 1. Whitehead is retired military, but works as a mechanic on the shipyards. Yoshinaga worked in the North Kitsap School District as a secretary and paraeducator in Poulsbo.

She started looking for other opportunities when she was furloughed due to COVID-19. She collects antiques anything from mid-century to modern anything that catches my eye or is unique, she said. She had been selling antiques at Meli Melo for three years.

After buying it, they changed the name to Zutto, which means for eternity in Japanese in honor of their long history on Bainbridge Island. That includes the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and how the islanders supported them.

Thankfully, in many cases neighbors and friends stepped up and took care of these things until they were released over three years later, Yoshinaga says in an email. Zeb and I want to continue that legacy and show the true community spirit of Bainbridge Island that still thrives on Winslow Way today.

Yoshinaga said she became interested in old stuff as a child since her dad was an antique dealer.

I remember going dumpster diving together looking for treasures, she said with a laugh, adding she spent half of her early years in Japan and half in Vancouver, B.C.

Whitehead said hes new to the business, although he grew up in a 100-year-old plantation-style house with old living quarters below. There were a lot of artifacts there, he said.

Yoshinaga said all of the 28 vendors stayed when they took over, and while business was slow at first things have gotten better.

Lately its picking up, and it should get better during the holidays, she said. Were getting a lot more foot traffic from the ferry.

One key is letting people know where it is. Since its on the back side of Winslow Way, I didnt even know it was here, Whitehead said.

Mothers like to shop there. Moms come to take a break and get away from schooling their kids at home, Yoshinaga said.

Zutto has a classy look to it. Shes our decorator, Whitehead said of Yoshinaga, who has a design background with interior decorating.

Each vendor brings a unique style and a sense of creativity that brings life to the store. Hiromi has a brilliant eye for vintage and antiques. With the help of our lovely staff, she has transformed the store into a world of wonders, Zeb says in the email.

Rock Band and superhero items are in this display.

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Where Was Knock Knock Filmed? 2015 Movie Filming Locations – The Cinemaholic - November 1, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

All of Eli Roths films are so imbued with his signature style and directorial sensibilities that they can never be mistaken as the works of any other filmmaker. Often regarded as part of the Splat Pack, an unofficial group of independent filmmakers who have been making R-rated horror films since 2002, Roth is most known for his horror projects like Cabin Fever, the Hostel series, and The Green Inferno. Knock Knock is his first attempt at an erotic thriller. The film stars Keanu Reeves as Evan Webber, a successful architect with a wife and two children.

One rainy night, he lets two young girls, Genesis (Lorenza Izzo) and Bel (Ana de Armas), into his home after they appear at his doorstep, asking directions to a party. He hires a car for them and makes sure that they are comfortable. As the night progresses, the girls seduce him into having a threesome with them. When he tries again to get them to leave the house, their playful demeanor takes a darker turn as they begin to blackmail him. For the most part, Knock Knock is set in typical American suburbia. In this article, we try to find out which locations Roth and his team used to film the project.

Roth and his cinematographer Antonio Quercia predominantly filmed Knock Knock in Santiago de Chile and the City of Chicureo. Roth has a long association with the country. In 2012, he wrote, produced, and starred in Nicols Lpezs disaster horror film Aftershock. It was through Lpez that Roth met his future first wife, Izzo, while he was working on The Green Inferno.

The couple tied the knot in 2014. Before appearing in Knock Knock, Izzo portrayed a supporting character in Aftershock and the lead in The Green Inferno. Armas is also a Chilean national, and so are several other members of the cast and crew. Roth once said that, between Chile and the US, he prefers filming in the former country as it is easier to do so there.

The picturesque Chilean capital served as one of the filming locations for Knock Knock. In the past, the city has hosted the production teams of projects like The Amazing Race, Kingdoms, and The Wolf House.

Nice pictures of #keanureeves in Chile for Knock Knock filming April 2014 Thanks to Lola de Up on Facebook "Keanu Reeves en Balbona!! Estaba con Ana de Armas a la q nadie conoce" #knockknock#filming #chilehttps://t.co/UZcXJUFQBe pic.twitter.com/xdWuRpr3Jl

Keanu Planet (@keanuplanet) March 5, 2019

The glasshouse depicted in Knock Knock as Evans home is located in Chicureo, a town in the Chacabuco Province, Chile. At the time of filming, it belonged to an interior decorator, who apparently visited the set right after the scene in which the girls vandalized the property and had the shock of her life.

I saw her pull up and I run inside, Aaron Burns, who is cast as Louis in the film, recalled. Guys make sure she does not come in here. She comes ripping through her house. She almost fainted. Shes just distraught. We had to re-sod the whole backyard.

Read More: Is Knock Knock a True Story?

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Jenna Bush Hager Recalls Taking Malia and Sasha on a Tour of the White House – Oprah Mag - November 1, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

Barack Obama's Inauguration Day was on January 20, 2009. But for the daughters of the Bush and Obama families, the "passing of the torch" was on a day in 2008, when Jenna Bush Hager and her twin sister, Barbara, took young Malia and Sasha Obama on a tour of the White House to help them transition to their new lives as first daughters.

While on The Dr. Oz Show, the book club maven, TODAY anchor, and memoirist opened up about the day the Bush sisters met the Obama sisters. Bush Hager said she and Barbara "loved that moment," per People.

We showed them what was our bedrooms, which was going to become their bedrooms. We just had such a beautiful day because, really, we have so much more in common than what divides usespecially the kids, Bush Hager said.

Bush Hager knows the White House better than most. Although she was a teenager when her father, George W. Bush, was elected president, she was similar in age to Sasha and Malia when her grandfather, George Bush, was inaugurated.

The mother-of-three also recently recalled the time her grandmother, Barbara Bush, scolded her and her sister for ordering peanut butter sandwiches to the White House bowling alley. You opened the door, scolding us, telling us under no circumstances could we order food in the White House again; this was not a hotel," she wrote in a tribute letter after Barbara's death.

The Obama girls had a similar incident of adjusting to White House life, which White House interior decorator Michael S. Smith describes in his book Designing History. After living in a D.C. hotel for a few weeks, Malia and Sasha savvily learned to request wake up calls from the White House operator once they moved in. Mrs. Obama then asked that Smith install alarm clocks in their bedrooms, as the White House was not a hotel.

Brooks KraftGetty Images

Given their similar situations, Bush Hager and her sister felt instantly connected to Sasha and Malia. We saw ourselves in those precious little girls, because when our grandfather become president, we were their age, she said on Dr. Oz, referring to George H. W. Bush. So we knew what was magical about the White House.

And on that tour, they showed the Obama girls what was "magical" about the White House. According to Bush Hager, they got up to some hijinks: We taught them how to slide down the banister, which Im sure Mrs. Obama loved, Bush Hager joked. There's photo evidence: Smith included a photo of the girls sliding down a ramp from the White House Solarium in his book.

Bush Hager and Barbara also wrote a letter for the Obama daughters in 2008. "It's your turn to fill the house with laughter. Although it's an honor and full of so many extraordinary opportunities, it isn't always easy being a member of the club you are about to join," they said, per CNN. "Our dad, like yours, is a man of great integrity and love; a man who always put us first. We still see him now as we did when we were 7: as our loving daddy." They included other tips, like cherishing their pets, and "going to anything and everything you possibly can."

Ralf-Finn HestoftGetty Images

Now, Sasha and Malia are 19- and 22-year-old college students, with the White House years behind them. For Bush Hager and Barbarafellow White House alumnaethe connection remains strong. Were so proud of those girls, she said.

When Sasha and Malia prepared to leave the White House after eight years, the Bush twins wrote them a letterjust like they did in 2008. In eight years, you have done so much. Seen so much. We have watched you grow from girls to impressive young women with grace and ease. And through it all you had each other. Just like we did," the Bush sisters wrote.

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Interior Decorator? Worn-Out Aniston Almost Gave Up Acting – The National Herald - October 23, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

It's hard to imagine Jennifer Aniston doing anything other than acting because she rivets you to the screen with her talent and likeability but the Greek-American staple of movies and TV shows said she also switched to interior decorating.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan, she wouldn't reveal which role it was she hinted was so exhausting that it made her think of not wanting to go on and to switch to wanting to fix up houses.

During a SmartLess podcast, the Aveeno legend told Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, "I would have to say the last two years that [quitting] has crossed my mind, which it never did before." She added that it "sucked the life out of me" and she thought, "I don't know if this is what interests me."

The only other hint she gave about what made her rethink her life was that it was an unprepared project she completed before The Morning Show.

She said she'd love to try her hand as a professional interior decorator but didn't say what style she prefers. "I love it. It's my happy place. It's really a happy place for me," she said.

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GETTING PERSONAL: True confessions of the Colorado candidates wanting to rule our lives – Sentinel Colorado - October 23, 2020 by Mr HomeBuilder

Theyre probably not who you think they are.

We all have our own presumptions about politicians, and you know that most of those cliches are far from positive.

In the heat of the hottest, nastiest election, probably ever, its easy to overlook especially on a more local level that the herd of people vying for your votes so they can rule our world, are people.

Each year, Sentinel Colorado reporters dutifully ask all the apposite questions about taxes, crime and homelessness. But we also ask personal questions to give readers some insight as to who these candidates are when theyre not candidates, and to marvel at a few surprises and eccentricities.

Here are some highlights weve gleaned from this years survey of 2020 Election candidates.

Congressman Jason Crow, the affable Democrat running for re-election, can actually give himself a hand. His hidden talent?

I am able to clap with one hand, he said in his Sentinel survey. This not only answers a philosophical question but is helpful when eating hot dogs at sporting events.

He doesnt say which hand, but all signs point to a left-hand talent for the guy that got appointed to help impeach the president.

His Republican challenger, the equally affable Steve House?

Im a good ping pong player.

No doubt a consistent right-hand server.

As far as prospective careers, few of these politicians grew up wanting to be politicians. There are a lot of wannabe astronauts in the group who, as their critics would probably point out, ended up as space cadets.

Incumbent State Sen. Jeff Bridges, no, not that Jeff Bridges, is a talented accent imitator. Hard to tell when that could come in handy, but he has fooled many on the Senate floor by actually sounding like a moderate Republican from time to time.

If he wrote a memoir? Hed call it The Other Jeff Bridges. Yeah, that one.

Libertarian Michele Poague actually is a writer. Shes running to unseat Democrat Rhonda Fields in Senate District 29.

Im the author of several novels and there is a little bit of me in each one. Maybe if I write a memoir it would be, The Road to Love: How I learned to forgive.

At least one of her novels hints at her biography.

A reviewer painting a picture of Poagues latest sci-fi fantasy work, The Broken Shade said this:

When she became a cocktail waitress at a mens club in order to earn a few extra dollars to help in her home renovation, Freja OConnell didnt suspect this innocuous job would open the door to new realms. But strange encounters can evolve under the oddest of conditions, and The Broken Shade reflects this experience as Freja explores a strange new world and considers her revised place.

Dystopian future table-dancing resulting in wallpaper inspirations?

Poague said in her Sentinel survey that growing up, she wanted to be an interior decorator.

Disappointingly, the one song she could listen to for all eternity is Amazing Grace by anyone.

Im old and have been to a lot of funerals. Few can sing it.

Fields? She fancies herself a chef these days, whiling away the pandemic looking for just the right kitchen accoutrement. If she were thrust into a reality show that wouldnt shame her family while they watched? Beat Bobby Flay.

Better hope that sauce doesnt break.

While most candidates appear to have had it with metro area traffic, wishing their superpower was flying over traffic or that Verizon or someone would finally roll out the Star Trek transporter, Republican Suzanne Staiert, candidate for the open Senate District 27 seat, wishes she had a superpower few aspiring politicians would think about.

To disappear.

Hmmm. Unclear if thats because of how tacky its become to be a fly on another politicians hair instead of the wall and get a front-row seat to history, or anything. It could be shes realized that, in a pandemic, there is no hiding from anyone or anything. Just as telling is that her all-time favorite song is I Will Survive, and the last book she read was, Why We Cant Sleep.

Between bouts of insomnia and other life stresses, it turns out Staiert is a ringer.

Ive won a lot of hula hoop contests, she said in her response. Gauging from the past few years, any kind of circus-like experience is certain to come in handy if she wins a seat in the next Legislature.

Her competitor, Chris Kolker, gives every sign he would read every word of every bill and listen to every hearing every day. Wild and crazy Kolker tells the Sentinel that his guilty pleasure during the pandemic is a fountain Diet Coke.

You rebel.

A former teacher and pilot, he always wanted to be a teacher and a pilot.

His favorite family fun?

Playing bid euchre at family get-togethers, he says.

For the 99% of the nation who has no idea what that is, you probably dont want to. Think having to play bridge with rules made up by the Colorado Legislature.

The guy is a natural for the General Assembly. So sad.

Like me, you might have had your suspicions about Democrat State Senator candidate Janet Buckner.

Shes not just the overtly kind and gracious teachers wife shes let on to be all these years. Yup, total showboat.

Her secret talent?

I sing really well.

And that ear-worm song she just loves, probably playing every time she gets in the car and definitely right before she gets out?

We Are Family, by Sister Sledge.

Uh, huh. The quintessential club song from the 80s that got everyone on their feet, back when clubs were clubs and Sister Sledge owned the world.

No guessing at what reality TV show she thinks shed walk away from victorious.

Dancing with the Stars.

Of course not everyone can be as flamboyant as Buckner.

If you had to pick one local politician to get stuck with for months at the Capitol during the pandemic, it would almost certainly be Democrat Dafna Michaelson Jenet, running for re-election to her House District 30 seat.

Her coveted superpower?

Eat as much ice cream as I want and not gain weight, Jenet said.

Now that would be a super power. And not that lame DQ stuff, that she says is her guilty pleasure, which you know melts under some serious hot fudge or caramel, otherwise, theres little guilt or pleasure. No, it has to be Ben and Jerrys or Haagen Dazs. Salted caramel truffle in a 5-gallon scuttle.

The fun ends there. Her secret talent?

I crochet.

Another maverick lawmaker.

On the opposite side of that spectrum is Republican 18th Judicial District Attorney candidate John Kellner.

Total Star Wars geek. He grew up wanting to be Indiana Jones.

Hes that guy, too.

The upside of wearing a mask all the time during the pandemic?

I can quietly sing along to music in the grocery store and no one knows its me.

My King Soopers loves Brittany Spears and the BeeGees. We no longer have to ask in the cereal aisle, who was that masked man, singing falsetto?

Hes a total glutton for the stuff most of us dread each year. For most people, the favorite part of family holiday is when the kids go back to school and the inlaws go home. These are a few of his favorite things: Hot chocolate, the merry go-round, with my wife and kids at Zoo Lights in December.

Who is this guy? It gets worse. If he had a superpower?

Unlimited access to Disneyland with my kids, says Kellner, and no one else, ever.

Just as interesting, as a euphemism, is Kellners Democratic opponent, Amy Padden. The 18th District seat is open.

Her guilty pleasure?

It would be from the Athenian on Iliff in Aurora. Love their Saganaki (flaming cheese), although not quite the same when you get it to go. That was the last place I ate before the stay at home order.

I consider Greek food health food. Dont they live forever there?

The most amazing thing about wearing a mask all the time for Padden is not having to put lipstick on every time I leave the house.

At least she doesnt sing about it in the grocery store.

And her secret talent?

I can run long distances (though not very fast). Ive completed many marathons (New York, Marine Corp, Chicago, and others).

These are district attorney candidates, people. No whiskey? No secretly building mud prisons for crickets in the backyard?

Instead we get Disneyland fans and marathon runners.

So disappointed, and yet Im mildly amused.

You can be, too. Discover your own pet peeves about the people who are going to run our world in a few months at SentinelColorado.com. Click on 2020 Voter Guide on top and amaze or disappoint yourself thumbing through the catalogue of candidates who will probably surprise you.

Follow @EditorDavePerry on Facebook and Twitter or reach him at 303-750-7555 or [emailprotected]

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GETTING PERSONAL: True confessions of the Colorado candidates wanting to rule our lives - Sentinel Colorado

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