When she was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, Becky Peters-Combs realized that her situation was similar to that of most other breast cancer patients. She also learned how lucky she was to face the disease with the help of her family and her friends.

Researching with one of her closest friends, Peters-Combs and Peggy Benedict discovered that only 20 percent of all funds donated to breast cancer go to breast cancer research; the rest go to awareness, education and administrative costs. Both agreed that in our country, where there are pink garbage trucks, we are overly aware, and not supportive enough of breast cancer research – research that could actually slow down or halt the spread of this disease that kills 40,000 women a year.

To raise $25,000 for breast cancer research, 56 “bosom buddies,” including Dottie Lamm, Dick Lamm, Dr. Terry Dunn,  Dr. Elaine Scholes, Dr. Kechriotis Nelson, Lisa Haifleigh, Elizabeth Johnston,and Lesley Philipps, gave their stories about dealing with breast cancer to Peters-Combs. Her friend, fellow teacher, and breast cancer survivor, Benedict, helped edit the piece, and “Cancer Land” – the ultimate game show was created.

“Cancer Land”, looks at what people say, what people don’t say, what people do, don’t do, and what people should do during a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment (both women and men). Filled with music (provided by Dave Halterman and Amber Duffy), laughter and sorrow, the piece is fun, funny, tearful and moving.

Thirteen of the original contributors will perform “Cancer Land”  Aug. 13, 14 and 15 at the John Hand Theatre (the original firehouse in Lowry – one block north of the hangars) at 7653 E. First Place. The Silent Auction begins at 6:30 p.m. and the show is from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $100 and may be purchased online at www.wewseminars.com.  You also can donate through the website.

All net proceeds go to Sue Miller’s Day of Caring and Susan G. Komen Colorado for breast cancer research.

Colorado Ballet is seeking artisans and craft vendors to participate in the first annual Colorado Ballet Nutcracker Market, which will take place Nov. 5-8 in a heated tent in Skyline Park in Downtown Denver at 16th and Arapahoe Streets.

The market will consist of an upscale retail market, with additional artisan and high-end craft booths.  In addition to the holiday market, Colorado Ballet will host other events and activities including a private kick-off cocktail party, four Breakfast with Santa events, a food court with a variety of food trucks and live music by local chorale and music groups.

“Colorado Ballet takes great pride in hosting our first annual Colorado Ballet Nutcracker Market, which will kick-off the holiday season in Denver,” said Sarah Treviño-Anderson, Colorado Ballet special events and boutique manager.  “The Nutcracker Market will showcase the best Denver has to offer for holiday gift ideas with great entertainment and holiday festivities.”

The event will be held annually during the first weekend of November in Downtown Denver and will benefit Colorado Ballet and its affiliate programs.

For more information on becoming a vendor, contact Treviño-Anderson at 303-339-1717 or sarah.trevino-anderson@coloradoballet.org.

For more information on the Colorado Ballet Nutcracker Market, visit www.coloradoballet.org/nutcrackermarket.

Eavesdropping on a woman: “The best people you want working for you are those with no lives. The worst kind of people you want to work for are those with no lives.”

Brilliant Chef Justin Brunson, the culinary brains behind Masterpiece Deli and Old Major, has come up with a new hybrid restaurant called Honor Society Handcrafted Eatery, which is slated to open mid August at 1900 16th St.

Brunson and his crew threw a hearty party Thursday for invited guests only to sample and sip what this fast-casual hybrid concept has to offer.

Guests munched on lovely bites of Red Bird Farm chicken, flank steak, pizza and hand-crafted juice cocktails. Brunson told me that the original concept included a juice bar, but he put the kibosh on that because a bar that offers liquor comes with a much higher profit margin.

The new restaurant will cater to office workers and the pedestrian crowd in the area. The partners behind the new fast-fine restaurant concept, Honor Society Handcrafted Eatery, have announced their management team including Executive Chef Craig Dixon; General Manager Hany Solh; Catering Manager Jessica Smith; and Bar Manager Angie Batillo.

“Each person brings a unique perspective to the team and each of them is passionate about the mission we are trying to accomplish – our desire to create a restaurant that serves high-quality, healthful food in a comfortable, inviting environment,” said Rob Alvarado, one of Honor Society’s founding partners.

Chef Dixon joins Honor Society as the restaurant’s executive chef overseeing kitchen operations, staff and daily food specials. Most recently, Chef Dixon was the executive chef at the BSide in Denver. Prior to that, he was the executive chef at Café Options for six years.

“Chef Dixon has worked for some outstanding, well-known restaurants here in Denver including Sushi Den/Izakaya Den, Vita, Rioja and Lower 48,” said co-founder Brunson.

Solh joins the team as the general manager of Honor Society, overseeing all restaurant operations. Prior to joining Honor Society, Solh spent five years in various restaurant management roles for 131 Main, a four unit full-service high-end chain owned by Captiva Restaurant Group based in Charlotte, N.C.

Smith joins the team as Honor Society’s catering manager. Her background includes management roles at ModMarket, most recently as general manager. She has been involved in store openings for Modmarket and Fox Restaurant Concepts. Smith will lead the catering team for Honor Society and can be contacted at catering@eatwithhonor.com.

Angie Batillo is Honor Society’s new bar manager. She joins the team from Kelly Whitaker’s Basta in Boulder where she was also a bar manager, staff mixologist and their spirits menu designer. Currently, Batillo also moonlights at the Yacht Club in the Source.

Honor Society is currently hiring all front and back-of-house positions. To apply, please visit www. eatwithhonor.com.

The Downtown Denver Partnership has released an update to the Downtown Denver Development Map, detailing projects under construction or planned as of July. Currently, there is $1.51 billion in development under construction, with 1,576 hotel rooms, 4,244 residential units, 2.3 million square feet of office space and more than 231,000 square feet of retail space either planned or under construction downtown.

While development trends remain consistent with previous updates, planned residential development in Arapahoe Square is on the rise and accounts for 8.3 percent of residential units planned or under construction downtown, up from .4 percent.

“It is encouraging to see growth in planned residential development in areas like Arapahoe Square, signaling progress in our collective efforts to establish the area as Downtown’s next great neighborhood,” said Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. “More people are living and working Downtown than ever before, creating significant demand for development of residential, office and retail space throughout the center city.”

Intended for developers, investors and brokers interested in Downtown Denver, the Downtown Denver Development Map, presented by Hensel Phelps, highlights key investments in Denver’s urban core and is updated four times per year. The Partnership also produces the annual Downtown Denver Development Map, intended to show a historical perspective of Downtown development by highlighting projects completed in the past five years in addition to projects under construction. Tracking development is a strategic action to ensure Downtown Denver continues to be the primary economic hub in the region, as outlined in the 2007 Downtown Area Plan.

For more information, visit www.downtowndenver.com.

Stanley Marketplace, which will open its doors within the former Stanley Aviation headquarters at 2501 Dallas St. in Aurora next year, announces the addition of Rosenberg’s Bagels to its list of restaurant offerings.

The location at Stanley will be Rosenberg’s second dedicated restaurant; the restaurant currently has a store in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood, and sells its popular bagels at Gather, located within Galvanize in the Golden Triangle neighborhood. Rosenberg’s Stanley location will consist of 2,500 square feet. Similar to the Five Points restaurant, Rosenberg’s at Stanley Marketplace will offer New York-style bagels, specialty fish, sandwiches and coffee, as well as pretzels, bagel balls, pastries and breads. A more extensive vegetarian menu will also be available, as well as a children’s menu. Rosenberg’s guests will also enjoy dedicated parking at Stanley for grab-and-go orders, and a drive-thru option may also be available.

“I’m excited to bring Rosenberg’s into Stapleton and Aurora on the brink of both neighborhoods’ expansions,” said Joshua Pollack, master bagel maker and owner of Rosenberg’s. “I think Stanley – and the businesses within – will help to be a catalyst for positive growth in the area, similar to what we saw after opening our first location in Denver’s now burgeoning Five Points neighborhood.”

Comprised of more than 100,000 square feet on 22 acres, Stanley Marketplace aims to become the communities’ new centerpiece, and will be home to a spacious community park, indoor/outdoor event venue, office space and a wide array of dining, shopping and recreational options. Joining the ranks of well-known urban marketplaces across the U.S., including San Francisco’s Ferry Building, Seattle’s Melrose Market and New York’s Chelsea Market, Stanley will be home to both well-known and smaller, independent Colorado retailers.

Flightline Ventures, a Stapleton-based firm comprised of longtime neighborhood residents who saw a need for a community-based marketplace and sought to fulfill it, is behind the development of Stanley. Partners Mark Shaker, Lorin Ting and Megan Von Wald teamed with the City of Aurora to make the vision a reality. Aurora also recognized the need for a gathering place in the neighborhood, and made the group aware of the building, which had previously been vacant for several years. The marketplace will represent the first stage of redevelopment activity along Westerly Creek, part of Aurora’s long-term plan for urban revitalization.

Information about additional tenants and programming will continue to be released in the coming months. While businesses from numerous industries have expressed interest in joining Stanley, those chosen are contextually relevant to not only Colorado, but specifically the Aurora and Stapleton communities, and create a dynamic eco-system, which benefits community members as well as the businesses themselves. Additionally, Stanley tenants will share its ethos of sustainability, creativity and philanthropy.

“We’re incredibly excited to announce Rosenberg’s will be joining the Stanley family,” Shaker said. “We’re confident our neighbors in Aurora and Stapleton, and anyone who visits Stanley, will be pleased with the mix of culinary offerings we’re curating here.”

Euclid Hall, the brainchild of James Beard-Award-winning chef Jennifer Jasinski, will celebrate its five-year anniversary at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The celebration will include friends from A.D. Laws Whiskey House and TRVE Brewing Company. Chef Jake Grant will create a special five-course menu paired with the great beers from TRVE Brewing and very special whiskeys from A.D. Laws.

Cost is $75 per person including tax and gratuity. For reservations, go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2038929.

Here’s the menu:

Welcome Beer Cocktail – TRVE Life’s Trade/ A.D. Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon.

Course 1 – Livers and onions – beef, chicken and duck liver preparations with pickled, grilled and fried onions paired with A.D. Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon.

Course 2 – Grilled peaches, Madeira gastrique, spiced pecans, corn bread with TRVE Black Cascade.

Course 3 –Buffalo tongue French dip, herbed aioli, shaved tongue, pâte choux with TRVE Grey Watcher.

Course 4 – Butter poached halibut, squid ink aioli, white peach and calamari salad, puffed barley with TRVE Whiskey Funeral/ A.D. Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon.

Course 5 –Napoleon of lemon and thyme mousse, caramelized white chocolate discs, vanilla bean syrup, lemon cotton candy with A.D. Laws Secale Straight Rye guided tasting.

Euclid Hall is located at 1317 14^th Street and is open for lunch Monday through Friday, dinner and late night service nightly. For more information, see the website at www.euclidhall.com or call 303-595-4255.

Eavesdropping on a man: “Mornings would be so much less painful if I could skip that getting out of bed part.”