23rd and Dexter by Jack Farrar

Kevin Johnson

If you have ever had a gargantuan sandwich prepared for you at Spinelli’s, Kevin Johnson may very well have played a role in the construction. He has worked at Spinelli’s going on five years, mostly behind the meat counter. I dare you to find a more polite, thoughtful, soft-spoken individual. He’s the kind of person who makes Spinelli’s the comfortable, archetypical little neighbor- hood market that it is.

Johnson has lived in Park Hill for six years. He grew up in Golden, and graduated from Golden High School. He now attends Metropolitan State University of Denver, focusing on sports management. I asked Johnson what imaginary person he would most like to be standing next to at 23rd and Dexter. Tarzan. Interesting answer. A kind of super-hero from the past. Why Tarzan? Johnson was exposed to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan myth via books and movies.

“The story begins with Tarzan lost, without parents. But he figures out life. And he eventually figures out that all he needs in life is in the jungle.”

“I like how wild he was. An explorer. He was free in his environment. I like to think of myself in the same way. Living in a wild place with no rules. Open to possibilities.”