If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Westword should be puffing its print chest out when a writer discovered a Miley Cyrus Instagram photo mimicking a vintage Westword cover.

Staff writer Michael Roberts wrote: “We always appreciate it when men and women of genius acknowledge our work. So our imagine our delight when we discovered that Miley Cyrus, recently lauded by our own Kiernan Maletsky as pop’s greatest role model (heaven help us), used Instagram to put herself into a vintage Westword cover illustration.

“Here’s the cover to a November 2012 William Breathes cover story headlined ‘The History of Cannabis in Colorado … or How the State Went to Pot,’ featuring an excellent illustration by artist Craig LaRotonda.”

Flattery or larceny? You be the judge.

The Wildlife Experience and the University of Colorado raised more than $170,000 to fund scholarships for combat veterans attending CU Denver and CU Anschutz Medical Center during Friday’s annual gala at The Wildlife Experience in Parker.

This year’s theme was Combat to Classroom in honor of military veterans. Nearly 500 attendees celebrated the new CU South Denver Facility at The Wildlife Experience in Douglas County.

Dave and Gail Liniger have given the museum building and land to the University of Colorado. Valued at $40 million, the gift is the largest real estate donation in the history of the university. The building will now be known as The Liniger Building at CU South Denver.

“Gail and I are making this gift to CU to provide more services and more value to our south Denver community,” Liniger said. “The museum remains open, events will be held and the public spaces will be available for rental. The added value now is the easy access to a quality CU education right here in south Denver.”

The Liniger gift builds on the collaboration that began in April when the Linigers teamed with CU, converting 11,000-square-feet of the 151,000-square-foot facility to classroom and lab space. CU began offering classes at The Wildlife Experience in August, while the Douglas County wildlife art and natural history museum continues its museum services to the community.

Notable gala attendees included: Furniture tycoon Jake Jabs, Chancellor Don Elliman, Gail and Dave Liniger, Max the Liniger’s dog, CU Regent Sue Sharkey, Chancellor Jerry Wartgow, guest speaker Sgt. Greg Stube and Chancellor Lisa Douglas and husband Bob Douglas.

Above, CU-Denver Chancellor Don Elliman presenting Dave Liniger with the CU Denver Boots to Suits challenge coin. Below, Jake Jabs and Renee Green.

Saturday marks the grand opening of Denver-based Inspyre Boutique’s third location. The new 2,000-square-foot boutique, at 8441 S. Yosemite St., Suite 1 in Lone Tree, joins Inspyre’s two existing Denver boutiques, in the Lower Highland  and Cherry Creek neighborhoods. The Lone Tree boutique is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

During the grand opening celebration, the first 41 people (a nod to the store’s address) in the door will receive a $25 gift certificate. Shoppers will also enjoy a photo booth with props and other perks throughout the day.

Inspyre Boutiques feature women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes and gifts from local, national and international designers, including BB Dakota, Voluspa Candles and Denver-based Hippo Kiss Creations. Dedicated to providing Denverites with a selection unavailable elsewhere, the Inspyre buyers travel nationwide to handpick merchandise each month. Every item found at Inspyre is under $100.

Denver native Britni Jensen founded Inspyre Boutique in 2011. After completing high school in two years, Jensen began attending college at age 16. She graduated with a B.S. in biology, and later received an MBA in strategic management and international business from Regis University.

While in college, after stumbling upon a national clothing retailer that was lacking women’s merchandise, she carved out her own position as a women’s clothing buyer. Following graduation, Jensen utilized her formal education working in environmental compliance for a large construction company for nearly four years, before realizing her true passion continued to lie in the fashion industry. In 2011, she opened the first Inspyre Boutique.

The business quickly grew to 15 employees and a second location in 2013. Further expansion is planned.

Join Coohills owners Tom and Diane Coohill to celebrate the restaurant’s third anniversary during a Rodney Strong Vineyards wine dinner, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at 1400 Wewatta St.

Phil Hansing of Rodney Strong will be in house to speak about the wines. Five wines and five courses for $90 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required by calling 303-623-5700 or at www.coohills.com. Every diner will receive a free gift.

Eavesdropping on a man at Bones talking about his wife and their busy lives: “We know things are unraveling when the dog gets Cheerios for dinner.”

Sana Hamelin, the would-be owner of Denver’s first cat cafe , the Denver Cat Company, has signed a lease for a space at 3929 Tennyson St. – that is if she can claw her way through the crowdfunding campaign to finance what could be the first American gathering place of its kind. Oakland, Calif., is also poised to open the nation’s first cat cafe so snatching that title may become a game of cat and mouse.

The cat-friendly concept, which was reported in August, is to run a kitty corral, of sorts, where Hamelin would partner with The Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue to alternate felines that are up for adoption. Customers could slurp coffee, sip beer or wine and snack on snacks while reading and petting the borrowed four-legged friends.

But Robert McDonald, director of Public Health Inspections for Denver Environmental Health, hasn’t weighed in on this proposed project.

“The division of Public Health Inspections has not signed off on any license application for this business,” McDonald said. “If they were to open without a food service license, they would have to limit their business model to the extent that they would only be selling unregulated product such as pre-packaged foods that do not require any refrigeration, hot coffee or tea.”

The tentative opening date is Nov. 15., but knowing how vigilant public health inspectors are when it comes to enforcing regulations regarding restaurants, I smell a cat fight coming.

Stand by for updates.

Could a Cat Cafe like this one in Japan be coming to Denver?

Denver’s LoHi speakeasy Williams & Graham was included in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Bars in the annual Drinks International ceremony last week in London.

“Here’s Johnny!”

The Stanley Hotel, made famous by the Jack Nicholson thriller, “The Shining,” and by the vaporous guests before him, has been included in Thrillist.com’s list of The Coolest Hotel in every state and Washington, D.C.

Here’s what Thrillist said: “Unless your name happens to be Arthur Fonzarelli (in which case, that’s crazy!), it’s hard to define the word ‘cool.’ And even harder to apply the label to hotels, when cool could mean historic, or trendy, or that the place is actually a decommissioned Coast Guard helicopter with a full-service bar … in your room!

“But since we’re not above doing hard work, we tried to figure out just how each state would define cool, and then applied that spirit to their hotels. In the end, we came up with what we think is each state’s coolest, most emblematic hotel. Or we were wildly off. You decide.

“Colorado’s got plenty of luxurious mountain resorts, but there’s only one so awesome it inspired Stephen King to write 200,000 words about it. This spot (named for the same guy who founded Stanley Steamer) is the hotel from ‘The Shining’, and while you might not run into a bartender who tells you to kill your family, there are enough rumored ghost stories in this place to make it a bonafide haunted landmark.”

See the rest of the picks at www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/the-coolest-hotel-in-every-state-and-dc.

You are invited to join host committee members Tamra Ward, Tami Door, Kelly Brough, Elbra Wedgeworth, Wendy Aiello, Megan Dubray and David Terrerro for a day of giving to Komen Colorado from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 21 at Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-owen Pizzeria, 500 16th St. in the Denver Pavilions.

Grimaldi’s will donate 50 percent of food sales to Susan G. Komen Colorado for supplying funds to local breast cancer organizations.