How the West won

Elbra Wedgeworth, the woman largely responsible for bringing the Democratic National Convention to Denver, seemed nearly moved to tears today as she spoke about the pursuit of dreams, and of hers in particular.
"You have to keep focused, and you can't let circumstances define you," she said in her remarks.
Wedgeworth, the president of the Denver Host Committee, had attended the Democratic conventions in 2000 and 2004, she said, and she wondered why Denver couldn't host something similar.
But many others didn't share that belief. In fact, she said, they thought she had lost her mind.
At one point, she said, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper told her, "I think you're asleep, and you need to wake up."
She continued to pursue the convention, and at a reception in Denver approached newly elected then-New Hampshire Governor Howard Dean. He seemed, perhaps, a bit incredulous (and he wasn't in the least alone, Wedgeworth said), but after considering her idea — that the next Democratic convention should be held here — he told her that the bidding process would begin in January 2006.
That was all she needed. After all, she said later during a Q and A session, the city has a lot going for it — more parks than any other city in the country, for example, and another committee is looking into the possibility of Denver being a host of the winter Olympics in 10 years.
"We're more than sports teams and mountains," she said.
She enrolled two friends as fundraisers to collect the $400,000 needed to enter the running. Throughout the entire process, Wedgeworth said, her goal was to keep taxpayers entirely out of the equation. If Denver were to get the convention, it would happen using independently raised money.
A field of 35 possible cities was narrowed to 11, and then to three — Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York and Denver. Soon thereafter, Minneapolis was chosen as the site of the Republican National Convention. With time, Wedgeworth said, it became apparent that Denver had a good chance of winning. U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and others signed a support letter saying Denver should be win approval as the host city.
On Jan. 12, 2007, the phone rang in Wedgeworth's office. Denver, it seemed, had been chosen for the convention.
Wedgeworth broke down in tears. After grueling months and numerous obstacles, she said she felt so many emotions that had built up inside of her.
"We basically did the impossible," she said.
Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, a longtime mentor, called to congratulate her. He advised that she try to stop crying, as she would be getting many more phone calls with the news. Soon afterward, Hickenlooper called to apologize.
Wedgeworth, he said, had been right all along.

Wedgeworth's Denver restaurant picks:
For those living or working in the Denver area for the next 1 1/2 weeks, here are a few of Wedgeworth's restaurant favorites. She was raised on the east side of the city, she said, which influences some of her choices. All addresses were found using either the Web sites listed or Google Maps.

High-end options
• Strings Restaurant, 1700 Humboldt St., Denver, CO 80218
• The Oceanaire Seafood Room, 1405 Arapahoe St., Denver, CO 80202
• Denver ChopHouse & Brewery, 1735 19th Street #100, Denver, CO 80202
• Sullivan's Steak House, 1745 Wazee St., Denver, CO 80202

More favorites
• M & D's Bar-B-Que and Fish Palace, 2000 E 28th Ave., Denver, CO 80205
• Kiva Restaurant, 3090 Downing St., Denver, CO 80205
• Cafe Brazil, 4408 Lowell Blvd., Denver, CO 80211

Other notes:
• We heard from both Tom Cronin and Michael Genovese today. Cronin spoke about surprises this election cycle — namely, John McCain's comeback and Barack Obama's rise to the top of the list of Democratic presidential contenders. We also heard from Scott McLean, a political science professor at Quinnipiac University, on how to read polling data.
• We also heard an excellent presentation from David O'Connor, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service's dignitary protective division. He's worked to protect candidates such as Al Gore (1988) and Pat Buchanan (1992). He was part of the Clinton family's security detail for 5 years, beginning in 1996. He followed Chelsea Clinton through her time in high school, for example.
Additionally, he rode with Pope Benedict XVI to such sites as ground zero in New York City during the pope's recent visit to the United States. He also assisted in security during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University and the United Nations in New York in September 2007.
O'Connor said his is a fantastic job, and despite the moving involved, and the 21-day periods away from his family, it was been a truly exceptional experience. But with retirement only a few years away, he said, his days helping run convention security are coming to a close.