thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Colorado directs Hobby Lobby executive to close stores

Hobby Lobby stores in Denver shut down this week after being cited by city inspectors for violating a statewide stay-at-home order and the Colorado attorney general ’ s office has directed the chain to shut down statewide .
On Wednesday the attorney general ’ s office issued a directive to David Green , founder and chief executive officer of Hobby Lobby , ordering the company to close all of its stores in Colorado to comply with the March 25 order of Gov .
Jared Polis and to comply with updated public health orders .
“ You are directed to immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of Colorado , ” the directive , signed by W. Eric Kuhn , senior assistant attorney general , said .
“ Immediate compliance is compulsory , and any future or continuing non-compliance will be subject to the full force and effect of injunctive relief.
” A video game store and a carwash joined a Denver Hobby Lobby in closing this week after being cited by city inspectors .
A fourth business , an appliance store , remains open after receiving three violations .
Businesses that receive a “ general violation ” are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penalty will be determined , said Erika Martinez , media relations representative with Denver ’ s joint information center .
Violations are punishable up to $ 999 per citation or jail time and can be issued for a variety of reasons , including nonessential businesses conducting operations , essential businesses and their customers violating social distancing or sanitation protocols , and citizens using prohibited areas such as parks .
Businesses are expected to close upon citation , Martinez said .
From Thursday to Tuesday , Denver enforcement officials issued citations to Hobby Lobby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 757 E. 20th Ave. ; Car Wash USA Express , 603 Santa Fe Drive ; and Appliance Factory Mattress Kingdom , 1045 Zuni St. Another GameStop in Boulder received that city ’ s only violation so far , 9News reported .
The Appliance Factory Mattress Kingdom store remains open , despite calls from officials for it to close , said sales director Matt Coudayre .
Denver authorities issued the shop three violations for being open when not considered an essential business .
The Lincoln Park location is the only one out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Coudayre said — and he said he disagrees with Denver ’ s reasoning .
“ There ’ s obviously some confusion because if you look at the city ’ s order , basically we provide essential products and services for maintaining sanitation and essential operation of residences , ” Coudayre said .
“ That wording is taken right out of city ’ s ordinance .
Clearly we fall right within there.
” Denver inspectors also cited Wingstop , 5125 Chambers Road , although it was unclear why .
As a restaurant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only .
In addition to the Denver outlet , Hobby Lobby stores in Colorado Springs have closed , KRDO reported .
But others remained open Wednesday in defiance of the governor ’ s statewide order , including stores in Wheat Ridge and Westminster .
Lone Tree police asked Hobby Lobby to comply voluntarily with the order and expected the store in that city to be closed by Wednesday afternoon , communications manager Denisse Coffman said .
Calls to Hobby Lobby stores in Lakewood and Englewood , which were open earlier this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patchwork of closures throughout the Denver area .
Hobby Lobby representatives have yet to respond to inquiries from The Denver Post .
Craft stores are not considered critical ; nor are they exempt from closing per the statewide order , said Conor Cahill , press secretary to Gov .
Jared Polis .
However , other chains in the metro area , including Joann Fabric and Michaels , had been offering online ordering and curbside pickup but not letting the public inside the stores .
Concerned citizens have been flooding local agencies and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about businesses they believe to be noncompliant with the stay-at-home order .
Enforcement varies by jurisdiction , but generally authorities will ask for voluntary compliance before escalating to civil penalties , Attorney General Phil Weiser said .
Criminal penalties are reserved for “ the most extreme cases , ” he said .
Many agencies are still figuring out how best to address these reports .
The Tri-County Health Department , which covers Adams , Arapahoe and Douglas counties , has received 140 complaints about businesses and restaurants but had not issued any formal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like other public health departments , are developing enforcement procedures to use in the rare cases that they might be needed to be sure that non-compliance by a few doesn ’ t undermine the sacrifices that most of the community is making , ” said Executive Director John Douglas in a statement .
“ Our goal in responding to complaints is to educate the community and business owners on the various orders and what it means to them.
” Businesses aren ’ t the only ones receiving warnings about the stay-at-home order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s city and county enforcement team has contacted 2,577 businesses and citizens about noncompliance , issuing 543 warnings and giving out the aforementioned citations , according to the joint information center .
On Tuesday , the Jefferson County Sheriff ’ s Office said it would be increasing enforcement after locals crowded hiking trails and open spaces , including North Table Mountain .

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Wednesday evening ordered Hobby Lobby to close all of its stores in the state after the retailer defied Gov. Jared Polis’s order that non-essential businesses shut their doors to the public as part of the statewide stay-at-home mandate.
The attorney general’s office issued the directive to David Green, founder and chief executive officer of Hobby Lobby, ordering the company to comply with the governor’s March 25 order and any updated public health orders relating to the coronavirus pandemic.
Hobby Lobby’s website shows it operates at least 18 stores in Colorado, with most located along the Front Range.
“You are directed to immediately close all Hobby Lobby locations within the State of Colorado,” the directive, signed by W. Eric Kuhn, senior assistant attorney general, said. “Immediate compliance is compulsory, and any future or continuing non-compliance will be subject to the full force and effect of injunctive relief.”
Denver and other Colorado municipalities already had begun contacting Hobby Lobby stores that remained open while the state enforces strict social-distancing rules to fight the spread of COVID-19, and some had begun to close this week.
City inspectors this week cited several Denver businesses in violation of the stay-at-order, and a Hobby Lobby outlet, a video game store and a car wash all closed. A fourth business, an appliance store, remained open after receiving three violations.
Denver businesses that receive a “general violation” are given a court date, when their penalty will be determined, said Erika Martinez, media relations representative with the city’s joint information center.
Violations are punishable up to $999 per citation or jail time and can be issued for a variety of reasons, including nonessential businesses conducting operations, essential businesses and their customers violating social distancing or sanitation protocols, and citizens using prohibited areas such as parks.
Businesses are expected to close upon citation, Martinez said.
From Thursday to Tuesday, Denver enforcement officials issued citations to Hobby Lobby, 920 S. Monaco Parkway; GameStop, 757 E. 20th Ave.; Car Wash USA Express, 603 Santa Fe Drive; and Appliance Factory Mattress Kingdom, 1045 Zuni St. Another GameStop in Boulder received that city’s only violation so far, 9News reported.
The Appliance Factory Mattress Kingdom store remains open, despite calls from officials for it to close, said sales director Matt Coudayre. Denver authorities issued the shop three violations for being open when not considered an essential business. The Lincoln Park location is the only one out of 18 stores statewide that has been cited, Coudayre said — and he said he disagrees with Denver’s reasoning.
“There’s obviously some confusion because if you look at the city’s order, basically we provide essential products and services for maintaining sanitation and essential operation of residences,” Coudayre said. “That wording is taken right out of city’s ordinance. Clearly we fall right within there.”
Denver inspectors also cited Wingstop, 5125 Chambers Road, although it was unclear why. As a restaurant, it can remain open for takeout business only.
In addition to the Denver outlet, Hobby Lobby stores in Colorado Springs had closed Wednesday, KRDO reported. But others did remain open Wednesday in defiance of the governor’s statewide order, including stores in Wheat Ridge and Westminster. Lone Tree police asked Hobby Lobby to comply voluntarily with the order and expected the store in that city to be closed by Wednesday afternoon, communications manager Denisse Coffman said.
Calls to Hobby Lobby stores in Lakewood and Englewood, which were open earlier this week, went unanswered Wednesday morning, suggesting a patchwork of closures throughout the Denver area. Hobby Lobby representatives have yet to respond to inquiries from The Denver Post.
Craft stores are not considered critical; nor are they exempt from closing per the statewide order, said Conor Cahill, press secretary to Gov. Jared Polis. However, other chains in the metro area, including Joann Fabric and Michaels, had been offering online ordering and curbside pickup but not letting the public inside the stores.
Concerned citizens have been flooding local agencies and the attorney general’s office with complaints about businesses they believe to be noncompliant with the stay-at-home order. Enforcement varies by jurisdiction, but generally authorities will ask for voluntary compliance before escalating to civil penalties, Attorney General Phil Weiser said. Criminal penalties are reserved for “the most extreme cases,” he said.
Many agencies are still figuring out how best to address these reports. The Tri-County Health Department, which covers Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, has received 140 complaints about businesses and restaurants but had not issued any formal violations as of Wednesday.
“We, like other public health departments, are developing enforcement procedures to use in the rare cases that they might be needed to be sure that non-compliance by a few doesn’t undermine the sacrifices that most of the community is making,” said Executive Director John Douglas in a statement. “Our goal in responding to complaints is to educate the community and business owners on the various orders and what it means to them.”
Businesses aren’t the only ones receiving warnings about the stay-at-home order and social distancing guidelines.
Denver’s city and county enforcement team has contacted 2,577 businesses and citizens about noncompliance, issuing 543 warnings and giving out the aforementioned citations, according to the joint information center.
On Tuesday, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said it would be increasing enforcement after locals crowded hiking trails and open spaces, including North Table Mountain.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Massive multi-state vehicle chop shop busted in Weld County

A Denver man has been arrested on suspicion of running a massive chop shop in Weld County that involved more than $ 300,000 in stolen vehicles from Colorado , South Dakota , Wyoming and New Mexico .
Kevin Abelbert Chavez , 29 , was arrested Wednesday for investigation of 22 felonies including 11 counts of motor vehicle theft , according to a Weld County Sheriff ’ s Office news release .
He is being held at the Weld County Jail .
An investigation began in January when Chavez ’ s ex-wife contacted authorities , the release said .
She told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of dollars annually from the chop shop , but she and her children were awarded no support money from the divorce because it was a criminal enterprise .
She knew of multiple stolen pickups , all-terrain vehicles , trailers and utility vehicles .
On Feb. 10 , investigators encountered Chavez allegedly driving a stolen vehicle on U.S. 85 near Fort Lupton .
Chavez fled , and investigators did not chase him because of public safety traffic concerns .
Last week , investigators seized several stolen vehicles including two pickups and three ATVs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing investigation to more than $ 300,000 , the sheriff ’ s office said .
Weapons also were seized .
Other members of the chop shop and stolen vehicle ring , as well as some victims , have been identified by investigators , according to the news release .

A Denver man has been arrested on suspicion of running a massive chop shop in Weld County that involved more than $300,000 of stolen vehicles from Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming and New Mexico.
Kevin Abelbert Chavez, 29, was arrested Wednesday for investigation of 22 felonies including 11 counts of motor vehicle theft, according to a Weld County sheriff’s news release. He is being held at the Weld County jail.
An investigation began in January when Chavez’s ex-wife contacted authorities, the release said. She told investigators that Chavez was making hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from the chop shop, but she and her children were awarded no support money from the divorce because it was a criminal enterprise. She knew of stolen pickups, all-terrain vehicles, trailers and utility vehicles.
On Feb. 10, investigators encountered Chavez allegedly driving a stolen vehicle on U.S. 85 near Fort Lupton. Chavez fled, and investigators did not chase him because of public safety traffic concerns.
Last week, investigators seized several stolen vehicles including two pickups and three ATVs, bringing total seizures from the long, ongoing investigation to more than $300,000, the sheriff’s office said. Weapons also were seized. Other members of the chop shop and stolen vehicle ring, as well as some victims, have been identified by investigators, according to the news release.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Denver Center for the Performing Arts cuts staff, cancels shows amid coronavirus shutdown

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is reducing staffing costs by more than 50 % and announcing a new round of show cancellations in an effort to stem millions of dollars in losses due to the coronavirus shutdown .
“ Every single staff member will be impacted by one or more of these measures , ” DCPA officials said in a Thursday afternoon press statement , adding that the move encompasses a combination of layoffs , unpaid leave , reduced hours , salary cuts and other benefit reductions for its 300 full-time , part-time and seasonal workers .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of employees laid off versus those being asked to take unpaid leave and reduced hours .
DCPA currently has 185 full-time positions , 85 part-time positions and 35 seasonal positions , she said .
“ The average reduction in time across the organization , excluding layoffs , is more than 55 % , ” the DCPA told The Denver Post Thursday .
“ We have reduced our staffing hours by more than half while still maintaining essential business functions and while continuing to prepare for next season .
Every staff member will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reductions resulting in reduction in pay between 20 % to 100 % through June 30 , 2020.
” Prior to this move , the DCPA had already implemented a hiring freeze , reduced work for hourly employees and gotten rid of non-essential expenses such as travel , memberships and discretionary purchases .
But those were not enough to overcome the gap .
DCPA officials also would not confirm the exact financial loss the organization has seen .
In the event it claims those losses on its insurance , the organization doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that those numbers are very likely to change , a spokeswoman said .
“ In total , this is a loss of five shows , 523 educational classes and school programs , 19 rental events , and two fundraisers , ” she said .
“ This loss has resulted in a deficit of millions of dollars ” in fiscal year 2020 .
In its 2018-2019 artistic season , the DCPA reported $ 193.4 million in ticket sales and 1 million people being served by its performances , programs and education .
Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today had at first been postponed in the hope that new dates and previously purchased tickets could still be honored .
However , due to “ escalating local , state and federal public health orders , ” DCPA has decided to entirely cancel the touring Broadway shows “ Mean Girls ” and “ The SpongeBob Musical ” for the rest of the 2019-2020 artistic season , as well as the DCPA Theatre Company shows “ Improvised Shakespeare , ” “ Choir Boy ” and “ Until the Flood.
” ( As of press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go ahead with its scheduled performances of “ Hamilton ” at the Buell Theatre , Aug. 12-Oct .
4 . )
It also has canceled events such as “ Saturday Night Alive , ” “ Women with Hattitude ” and scheduled rentals at the Seawell Ballroom , which is part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex where the DCPA stages most of its productions .
The complex also includes the Ellie Caulkins Opera House , Buell Theatre and Boettcher Concert Hall .
Those three venues provide the majority of stage time for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado productions .
As one of the largest nonprofit theater companies in North America , the DCPA also has had to cancel its Bobby G High School Musical Theatre Awards , all in-school programs , its Spring Shakespeare in the Parking Lot , all ages of spring education classes , summer adult education classes , summer child-teen education classes ( through June 30 ) and its ongoing winter education classes .
DCPA officials said the staffing cuts are in proportion to the programming cuts .
“ While drastic , our goal is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recover from our deficit and be set up for a full lineup of programming in our 2021/22 season , ” officials said Thursday .
Today ’ s move comes after DCPA ’ s March 13 announcement that it had to cancel or postpone all shows through May 11 .
That painful decision arrived only days after it announced its Theatre Company and Broadway offerings for the 2020-21 artistic seasons .
Both were angled toward creating new subscribers with early access to tickets and deals .
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter , In The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straight to your inbox .

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is reducing staffing costs by more than 50% and announcing a new round of show cancellations in an effort to stem millions of dollars in losses due to the coronavirus shutdown.
“Every single staff member will be impacted by one or more of these measures,” DCPA officials said in a Thursday afternoon press statement, adding that the move encompasses a combination of layoffs, unpaid leave, reduced hours, salary cuts and other benefit reductions for its 300 full-time, part-time and seasonal workers.
A spokeswoman would not confirm the exact number of employees laid off versus those being asked to take unpaid leave and reduced hours. DCPA’s 2018 filing with the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District showed 149 full-time positions, 100 part-time positions and 431 contracted positions.
“The average reduction in time across the organization, excluding layoffs, is more than 55%,” the DCPA told The Denver Post Thursday. “We have reduced our staffing hours by more than half while still maintaining essential business functions and while continuing to prepare for next season. Every staff member will take an unpaid leave of absence and/or scheduled reductions resulting in reduction in pay between 20% to 100% through June 30, 2020.”
Prior to this move, the DCPA had already implemented a hiring freeze, reduced work for hourly employees and gotten rid of non-essential expenses such as travel, memberships and discretionary purchases. But those were not enough to overcome the gap.
DCPA officials also would not confirm the exact financial loss the organization has seen. In the event it claims those losses on its insurance, the organization doesn’t want to provide contradicting figures, given that those numbers are very likely to change, a spokeswoman said.
“In total, this is a loss of five shows, 523 educational classes and school programs, 19 rental events, and two fundraisers,” she said. “This loss has resulted in a deficit of millions of dollars” in fiscal year 2020.
In its 2018-2019 artistic season, the DCPA reported $193.4 million in ticket sales and 1 million people being served by its performances, programs and education.
Some of the plays and musicals that were canceled today had at first been postponed in the hope that new dates and previously purchased tickets could still be honored.
However, due to “escalating local, state and federal public health orders,” DCPA has decided to entirely cancel the touring Broadway shows “Mean Girls” and “The SpongeBob Musical” for the rest of the 2019-2020 artistic season, as well as the DCPA Theatre Company shows “Improvised Shakespeare,” “Choir Boy” and “Until the Flood.” (As of press time, the DCPA still plans to go ahead with its scheduled performances of “Hamilton” at the Buell Theatre, Aug. 12-Oct. 4.)
It also has canceled events such as “Saturday Night Alive,” “Women with Hattitude” and scheduled rentals at the Seawell Ballroom, which is part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex where the DCPA stages most of its productions. The complex also includes the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Buell Theatre and Boettcher Concert Hall. Those three venues provide the majority of stage time for the Colorado Symphony, Colorado Ballet and Opera Colorado productions.
As one of the largest nonprofit theater companies in North America, the DCPA also has had to cancel its Bobby G High School Musical Theatre Awards, all in-school programs, its Spring Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, all ages of spring education classes, summer adult education classes, summer child-teen education classes (through June 30) and its ongoing winter education classes.
DCPA officials said the staffing cuts are in proportion to the programming cuts.
“While drastic, our goal is to make smart decisions now in order to recover from our deficit and be set up for a full lineup of programming in our 2021/22 season,” officials said Thursday.
Today’s move comes after DCPA’s March 13 announcement that it had to cancel or postpone all shows through May 11. That painful decision arrived only days after it announced its Theatre Company and Broadway offerings for the 2020-21 artistic seasons. Both were angled toward creating new subscribers with early access to tickets and deals.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Nisen: 240,000 U.S. virus deaths don’t have to happen

The Trump administration ’ s COVID-19 task force prepared the country for the possibility that 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die from the virus at a Tuesday evening press conference .
Those shocking figures aren ’ t a guess or worst-case scenario but come from a group of widely respected scientists whose models all assume that serious social-distancing measures are in place .
They paint a grim picture , but it ’ s important to remember they are still only projections and can change based on actions taken now .
According to task force experts Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too late to reduce mortality and ease pressure on hospitals — if Americans commit to keeping apart .
That view is based in part on a separate model developed by the University of Washington , which was used as a reference point at Tuesday ’ s briefing .
It is unique in that it provides evolving , state-by-state projections that more closely reflect the data on the ground on any given day , including the most recent death rates and distancing information .
This model , which assumes much more rigorous lockdown measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mean death toll of around 94,000 .
But it also carries a warning : Its latest projection , while lower than the others , has climbed 10,000 since its initial release last week .
Only robust action will stop that number from continuing to climb .
If the administration is willing to put this model on slides at a press conference , it should be willing to listen to what it says .
That means actively pushing for a more consistent and restrictive national shutdown instead of the current patchwork effort .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Washington model comes from the school ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , a group that spent years analyzing the burden of diseases around the world .
Instead of creating a model that projects how many people are likely to become infected and then applying expected death rates , the group works backward from death data .
According to Dr. Ali Mokdad , a professor of health metrics sciences at the institute , that decision was a result of America ’ s lagging testing data .
He feels that U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from which to model the future .
From there , the institute reverse-engineers projections of potential state peak demand for ICU beds and ventilators that can help pull resources to needy states .
The swing factor for any coronavirus model is the extent to which social-distancing measures slow infection rates .
The IHME model not only assumes that holdout states will broadly enact measures like stay-at-home orders , travel bans , and business closures in a fairly short time period , but that these measures will be instituted effectively through May .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that may underestimate mortality because states and the Trump administration still aren ’ t doing what they need to .
President Donald Trump ’ s decision Sunday to extend social-distancing guidelines to April 30 was a start .
But optional “ guidelines ” aren ’ t strong enough , especially when accompanied by mixed messages .
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis , for example , initially refused to enact a broad stay-in-place order in a high-risk state .
When asked if the governor should do so Tuesday , Trump said DeSantis “ knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signaled that he ’ d largely defer to local leaders .
DeSantis finally relented Wednesday , announcing a statewide stay-at-home order that will go into effect Thursday night .
Other states and enforcement continue to lag .
States and the administration won ’ t be able to hide from the fact that they haven ’ t taken appropriate steps .
Wide variation in the level and enforcement of distancing measures will eventually show up in the data , in Florida and beyond .
“ We ’ re modeling mortality , ” Dr. Mokdad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ function of social distancing .
So , in a way , we ’ re capturing how much people are adhering to this message.
” The early answer appears to be “ not well enough.
” Early positive data from states that took rapid action , such as California and Washington , is an exception so far .
Rising mortality projections will lead to strain on hospitals .
If unchecked , that will lead to shortages that could lead to more deaths .
Even in its possibly optimistic early state , the model projects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 18,000 ICU beds at peak demand .
IHME ’ s projection isn ’ t perfect .
It ’ s attempting to model dozens of changing situations , a difficult task made more onerous by limited data .
More generally , no model should be used in isolation .
The best decisions come from multiple estimates .
However , the administration is telling us that this particular model is informing its decision making .
Its explicit message is that more forceful measures are needed .
Max Nisen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He previously wrote about management and corporate strategy for Quartz and Business Insider .
To send a letter to the editor about this article , submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail .

The Trump administration’s COVID-19 task force prepared the country for the possibility that 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die from the virus at a Tuesday evening press conference. Those shocking figures aren’t a guess or worst-case scenario but come from a group of widely respected scientists whose models all assume that serious social-distancing measures are in place. They paint a grim picture, but it’s important to remember they are still only projections and can change based on actions taken now.
According to task force experts Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, it’s not too late to reduce mortality and ease pressure on hospitals — if Americans commit to keeping apart. That view is based in part on a separate model developed by the University of Washington, which was used as a reference point at Tuesday’s briefing. It is unique in that it provides evolving, state-by-state projections that more closely reflect the data on the ground on any given day, including the most recent death rates and distancing information. This model, which assumes much more rigorous lockdown measures will be broadly implemented soon, predicts a mean death toll of around 94,000. But it also carries a warning: Its latest projection, while lower than the others, has climbed 10,000 since its initial release last week.
Only robust action will stop that number from continuing to climb. If the administration is willing to put this model on slides at a press conference, it should be willing to listen to what it says. That means actively pushing for a more consistent and restrictive national shutdown instead of the current patchwork effort. The numbers demand it.
The University of Washington model comes from the school’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a group that spent years analyzing the burden of diseases around the world. Instead of creating a model that projects how many people are likely to become infected and then applying expected death rates, the group works backward from death data. According to Dr. Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the institute, that decision was a result of America’s lagging testing data. He feels that U.S. mortality data is a more reliable place from which to model the future. From there, the institute reverse-engineers projections of potential state peak demand for ICU beds and ventilators that can help pull resources to needy states.
The swing factor for any coronavirus model is the extent to which social-distancing measures slow infection rates. The IHME model not only assumes that holdout states will broadly enact measures like stay-at-home orders, travel bans, and business closures in a fairly short time period, but that these measures will be instituted effectively through May. This hopeful assumption contributes to an early projection that may underestimate mortality because states and the Trump administration still aren’t doing what they need to.
President Donald Trump’s decision Sunday to extend social-distancing guidelines to April 30 was a start. But optional “guidelines” aren’t strong enough, especially when accompanied by mixed messages. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for example, initially refused to enact a broad stay-in-place order in a high-risk state. When asked if the governor should do so Tuesday, Trump said DeSantis “knows what he’s doing” and signaled that he’d largely defer to local leaders. DeSantis finally relented Wednesday, announcing a statewide stay-at-home order that will go into effect Thursday night. Other states and enforcement continue to lag.
States and the administration won’t be able to hide from the fact that they haven’t taken appropriate steps. Wide variation in the level and enforcement of distancing measures will eventually show up in the data, in Florida and beyond.
“We’re modeling mortality,” Dr. Mokdad said. “And death is a function of social distancing. So, in a way, we’re capturing how much people are adhering to this message.”
The early answer appears to be “not well enough.” Early positive data from states that took rapid action, such as California and Washington, is an exception so far. Rising mortality projections will lead to strain on hospitals. If unchecked, that will lead to shortages that could lead to more deaths. Even in its possibly optimistic early state, the model projects that the U.S. will be short by more than 18,000 ICU beds at peak demand.
IHME’s projection isn’t perfect. It’s attempting to model dozens of changing situations, a difficult task made more onerous by limited data. More generally, no model should be used in isolation. The best decisions come from multiple estimates. However, the administration is telling us that this particular model is informing its decision making. Its explicit message is that more forceful measures are needed.
Max Nisen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, pharma and health care. He previously wrote about management and corporate strategy for Quartz and Business Insider.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Christian McCaffrey starts program called “22 and You” for health care heroes

Christian McCaffrey is a Colorado favorite among professional athletes .
He played his prep football at Valor Christian High School @ @ @ @ @ athlete at Stanford for the Cardinal , and professionally with the Carolina Panthers since he @ @ @ @ @ .
8 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft .
He has thrived at all @ @ @ @ @ back along the way .
McCaffrey ’ s latest act in charity comes in the @ @ @ @ @ that is causing havoc across the globe .
McCaffrey announced on Twitter his new initiative @ @ @ @ @ ” will support frontline health care heroes across the Carolinas .
More information can me @ @ @ @

Christian McCaffrey is a Colorado favorite among professional athletes. He played his prep football at Valor Christian High School, was a standout student athlete at Stanford for the Cardinal, and professionally with the Carolina Panthers since he was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He has thrived at all levels and has been giving back along the way.
McCaffrey’s latest act in charity comes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that is causing havoc across the globe. McCaffrey announced on Twitter his new initiative called “22 and you” will support frontline health care heroes across the Carolinas. More information can me found at christianmccaffrey22.org.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--This City Park condo has incredible views and amazing amenities

Experience Denver living on a whole new level .
The luxury condominium available for sale within the coveted Pinnacle high-rise community is a rare opportunity to live in a prime location with panoramic mountain and city views .
The unique and strikingly beautiful condominium at 2990 East 17th Ave. , Unit 2007 , is listed by LIV Sotheby ’ s International Realty broker Janet Kritzer for $ 1,239,000 .
This incredible condominium is the definition of chic serenity close to city conveniences .
Three indoor parking spaces ensure that the whole family or guests have a secure place to park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unheard-of luxury this close to downtown Denver .
As an added bonus , this home comes with four storage units to keep your bicycle , ski equipment or camping gear safe and the living space de-cluttered .
The two-bedroom , two-bathroom home exudes timeless elegance and features exquisite features such as a gourmet kitchen , stylish light fixtures and a cozy limestone fireplace .
The home ’ s floor-to-ceiling windows supply breathtaking views of Denver ’ s iconic skyline and the Rocky Mountains .
Enjoy some fresh air on one of the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can listen to beautiful music floating from City Park ’ s weekly summer event , Jazz in the Park , or sip cocktails and enjoy a world-class Colorado sunset .
The spacious master bedroom is a calming place to wind down after a long day and comes complete with a walk-in closet with custom built-in storage .
The en suite master bathroom features a dual vanity , stand-alone bathtub and sparkling , glass walk-in shower .
The second bedroom is equally as amazing and also features fantastic views and an en suite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ houses a stacked washer and dryer .
This condominium is ideal for the buyer looking for a balance of space , style and stunning vistas .
“ Of all the buildings in Denver , I truly believe The Pinnacle has the most alluring location and views as well as the most elegant amenities available on the market today , ” said Kritzer .
“ This sought-after northwest corner unit is an unusual and rare find.
” Living in The Pinnacle comes with many additional amenities that are second to none .
Residents can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot tub , gorgeous patio area , fire pit lounge , commercial-size grills , wine tasting room and media room to keep them entertained all year long .
These luxurious features further elevate the experience of living in one of Denver ’ s finest high-rise condominium communities .
Located directly across from Denver ’ s City Park , this home positions you close to all of the restaurants , shopping and entertainment of downtown Denver while still providing easy access to open spaces where you can enjoy nature and the outdoors .
Learn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condominium can provide or take a virtual tour by contacting Kritzer at 303-883-2474 .
For all of your real estate needs , contact LIV Sotheby ’ s International Realty by calling 303-893-3200 or by visiting LIVSothebysRealty.com .
LIV Sotheby ’ s International Realty , the exclusive Board of Regent for the Who ’ s Who in Luxury Real Estate , has 23 office locations in metro Denver and surrounding areas , including Boulder , Castle Rock , Cherry Creek , Denver Tech Center , downtown Denver , Evergreen and the resort communities of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crested Butte , Telluride and the Vail Valley .
The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post ’ s preparation .

Experience Denver living on a whole new level. The luxury condominium available for sale within the coveted Pinnacle high-rise community is a rare opportunity to live in a prime location with panoramic mountain and city views.
The unique and strikingly beautiful condominium at 2990 East 17th Ave., Unit 2007, is listed by LIV Sotheby’s International Realty broker Janet Kritzer for $1,239,000.
This incredible condominium is the definition of chic serenity close to city conveniences. Three indoor parking spaces ensure that the whole family or guests have a secure place to park their cars, which is an almost unheard-of luxury this close to downtown Denver. As an added bonus, this home comes with four storage units to keep your bicycle, ski equipment or camping gear safe and the living space de-cluttered.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom home exudes timeless elegance and features exquisite features such as a gourmet kitchen, stylish light fixtures and a cozy limestone fireplace. The home’s floor-to-ceiling windows supply breathtaking views of Denver’s iconic skyline and the Rocky Mountains.
Enjoy some fresh air on one of the home’s two private balconies, where you can listen to beautiful music floating from City Park’s weekly summer event, Jazz in the Park, or sip cocktails and enjoy a world-class Colorado sunset.
The spacious master bedroom is a calming place to wind down after a long day and comes complete with a walk-in closet with custom built-in storage. The en suite master bathroom features a dual vanity, stand-alone bathtub and sparkling, glass walk-in shower. The second bedroom is equally as amazing and also features fantastic views and an en suite bathroom. For convenience, the bathroom houses a stacked washer and dryer.
This condominium is ideal for the buyer looking for a balance of space, style and stunning vistas.
“Of all the buildings in Denver, I truly believe The Pinnacle has the most alluring location and views as well as the most elegant amenities available on the market today,” said Kritzer. “This sought-after northwest corner unit is an unusual and rare find.”
Living in The Pinnacle comes with many additional amenities that are second to none. Residents can enjoy the spectacular rooftop pool deck, hot tub, gorgeous patio area, fire pit lounge, commercial-size grills, wine tasting room and media room to keep them entertained all year long. These luxurious features further elevate the experience of living in one of Denver’s finest high-rise condominium communities.
Located directly across from Denver’s City Park, this home positions you close to all of the restaurants, shopping and entertainment of downtown Denver while still providing easy access to open spaces where you can enjoy nature and the outdoors.
Learn more about the luxurious lifestyle this one-of-a-kind condominium can provide or take a virtual tour by contacting Kritzer at 303-883-2474.
For all of your real estate needs, contact LIV Sotheby’s International Realty by calling 303-893-3200 or by visiting LIVSothebysRealty.com.
LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, the exclusive Board of Regent for the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, has 23 office locations in metro Denver and surrounding areas, including Boulder, Castle Rock, Cherry Creek, Denver Tech Center, downtown Denver, Evergreen and the resort communities of Breckenridge, Winter Park, Dillon, Crested Butte, Telluride and the Vail Valley.
The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post’s preparation.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Colorado records 98 coronavirus-related deaths as COVID-19 hospitalizations push past 700

Four weeks to the day after Colorado confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus , public health officials announced nearly 100 people have now died of the highly contagious respiratory illness — and they estimate the actual number of people infected statewide could number in the tens of thousands .
At least 98 people in Colorado have died of complications from the COVID-19 lung disease , and hospitalizations rose to 710 , state and local health officials announced Thursday .
The announcement of 3,728 confirmed cases in the state — and 18 new deaths — comes as top health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventilators and other medical supplies before a feared surge in COVID-19 cases overwhelms Colorado ’ s health care capacity .
The speed of the new coronavirus ’ s spread has brought a humming economy to its knees and threatens to push the medical industry to its breaking point .
Total deaths related to COVID-19 in Colorado have more than doubled since Saturday , with overall confirmed cases twice as high as one week ago .
A day after addressing Colorado ’ s desperate need for more medical supplies , Gov .
Jared Polis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Mike Pence over the weekend requesting additional resources be sent to the state .
“ We are facing a crisis-level shortage of these essential supplies to protect our health care workers and first responders , ” Polis wrote in the letter dated March 28 , shared Thursday in a news release .
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Thursday announced 97 confirmed deaths tied to the coronavirus , and Eagle County health officials later revealed they had recorded their fifth COVID-19 death , a man in his 80s who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide tally .
One-third of the state ’ s coronavirus deaths have occurred in El Paso and Weld counties , with each recording 16 apiece .
State health officials also confirmed 21 outbreaks at residential and non-hospital health care facilities — the places considered most at risk to the new coronavirus .
Nearly 20,000 people have now been tested , even as Polis has repeatedly has expressed his frustration that the state has not reached mass testing capabilities .
The finite resources have forced officials to prioritize testing for health care providers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nearly 25 % of the more than 1,600 people whose results were returned on Wednesday , for example , tested positive for the virus — the highest rate to date .
That lack of testing has contributed to lower numbers across the board since the crisis began .
The number of positive cases is likely four to 10 times higher than the data compiled by the state , Scott Bookman , the state ’ s incident commander for COVID-19 , said on a conference call with reporters Thursday .
That would now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 15,000 to 37,000 range .
In order to keep people alive , Polis said the state needs more federal resources .
In his letter to the vice president , he requested : • 10,000 ventilators , and associated equipment and pharmaceuticals “ I am asking that you increase the ventilators and PPE that is being sent to Colorado for this critical moment , to help us safely cross the bridge ahead of us until we can start to reap the benefits of our other unprecedented procurement and manufacturing efforts , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials are working around the clock to ready facilities and create new space for sick people in event of a surge — which officials say could come this month or as late as July .
That means finding arenas , dorm rooms , event centers and other places to house patients .
But the clock is ticking .
“ It ’ s a tall order , ” Mike Willis , the state ’ s director for the Office of Emergency Management , said in the conference call .
“ Scott ( Bookman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ re very concerned .
It ’ s a heavy lift , and lot of things have to come together rapidly .
It places stress and demand on the supply system to provide enough equipment and the personnel system to provide enough qualified people.
” Willis said they have not begun construction on any overflow facilities yet , though they are speaking with several locations regarding contracting and leasing across the state .

Four weeks to the day after Colorado confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus, public health officials announced nearly 100 people have now died of the highly contagious respiratory illness — and they estimate the actual number of people infected statewide could number in the tens of thousands.
At least 98 people in Colorado have died of complications from the COVID-19 lung disease, and hospitalizations rose to 710, state and local health officials announced Thursday.
The announcement of 3,728 confirmed cases in the state — and 18 new deaths — comes as top health officials scramble to get enough beds, ventilators and other medical supplies before a feared surge in COVID-19 cases overwhelms Colorado’s health care capacity.
The speed of the new coronavirus’s spread has brought a humming economy to its knees and threatens to push the medical industry to its breaking point. Total deaths related to COVID-19 in Colorado have more than doubled since Saturday, with overall confirmed cases twice as high as one week ago.
A day after addressing Colorado’s desperate need for more medical supplies, Gov. Jared Polis released a letter he sent to Vice President Mike Pence over the weekend requesting additional resources be sent to the state.
“We are facing a crisis-level shortage of these essential supplies to protect our health care workers and first responders,” Polis wrote in the letter dated March 28, shared Thursday in a news release.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Thursday announced 97 confirmed deaths tied to the coronavirus, and Eagle County health officials later revealed they had recorded their fifth COVID-19 death, a man in his 80s who had not yet been added to the statewide tally. One-third of the state’s coronavirus deaths have occurred in El Paso and Weld counties, with each recording 16 apiece.
State health officials also confirmed 21 outbreaks at residential and non-hospital health care facilities — the places considered most at risk to the new coronavirus.
Nearly 20,000 people have now been tested, even as Polis has repeatedly has expressed his frustration that the state has not reached mass testing capabilities. The finite resources have forced officials to prioritize testing for health care providers, first responders and serious cases requiring hospitalization. Nearly 25% of the more than 1,600 people whose results were returned on Wednesday, for example, tested positive for the virus — the highest rate to date.
That lack of testing has contributed to lower numbers across the board since the crisis began. The number of positive cases is likely four to 10 times higher than the data compiled by the state, Scott Bookman, the state’s incident commander for COVID-19, said on a conference call with reporters Thursday.
That would now put Colorado’s actual case totals in the 15,000 to 37,000 range.
In order to keep people alive, Polis said the state needs more federal resources. In his letter to the vice president, he requested:
10,000 ventilators, and associated equipment and pharmaceuticals
2 million N95 masks
4.46 million surgical masks
720,000 gowns
880,000 face shields
4.3 million pairs of gloves
“I am asking that you increase the ventilators and PPE that is being sent to Colorado for this critical moment, to help us safely cross the bridge ahead of us until we can start to reap the benefits of our other unprecedented procurement and manufacturing efforts,” the governor wrote.
Meanwhile, state health officials are working around the clock to ready facilities and create new space for sick people in event of a surge — which officials say could come this month or as late as July. That means finding arenas, dorm rooms, event centers and other places to house patients. But the clock is ticking.
“It’s a tall order,” Mike Willis, the state’s director for the Office of Emergency Management, said in the conference call. “Scott (Bookman) was frank with the public yesterday. We’re very concerned. It’s a heavy lift, and lot of things have to come together rapidly. It places stress and demand on the supply system to provide enough equipment and the personnel system to provide enough qualified people.”
Willis said they have not begun construction on any overflow facilities yet, though they are speaking with several locations regarding contracting and leasing across the state.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--“Coffee with a past”: Boyer’s Coffee owners pledge to rebuild historic company

For Alice Nichol , the Boyer ’ s Coffee cafe and roasting plant goes far beyond a hot cup of joe .
Nichol , 81 , has lived down the street from the Denver staple her entire life .
She spent much of her childhood in that building when it was home to the Washington Grade School , a mix of farm kids from around the neighborhood .
Boyer ’ s quickly became her favorite coffee shop in the 1970s .
And when Nichol became an Adams County commissioner what did she server her fellow elected officials ?
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It isn ’ t just Boyer ’ s Coffee , ” Nichol said .
“ It ’ s coffee with a past.
” The coffee shop and roasting plant erupted Tuesday in flames , and firefighters from around the region were unable to save it .
No one was hurt .
Fire officials say it ’ s too early to determine the cause .
The company had in recent years become a giant in the Colorado coffee scene , supplying retailers from mom-and-pop shops in metro Denver to megastores such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado Rockies at Coors Field , and its beverages could be found while flying Frontier Airlines .
Owners Douglass and Jason Barrow , who bought Boyer ’ s in 2015 , said in a statement Wednesday that despite the setback , they won ’ t be going anywhere .
“ We ’ re grateful to all our customers and the community as a whole for its outpouring of support over the past 24 hours , and even more grateful that no one was injured in the fire , ” the brothers said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burned yesterday , our company did not .
Although this was a setback , we ’ ll continue to provide socially responsible , ethically sourced , Rocky Mountain roasted coffee , and more importantly , community , for years to come.
” The owners said they are assessing the damage and have not calculated their total loss .
When John Cumalat heard about the fire on Wednesday morning , he thought it was a bad April Fools ’ joke .
The owner of Cannon Mine Coffee in Lafayette is one of dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s to supply their businesses .
Wednesday is the day fresh beans normally show up on Cannon Mine ’ s doorstep .
Not this time .
“ It kinda stinks , ” Cumalat said .
“ We had everything custom roasted for us .
We have to find someone new , switch what the flavor profile of our coffee will look like.
” His shop , he stressed , will be fine .
“ It ’ s just horrible for them , ” Cumalat said .
Nichol is simply hoping this isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s .
She remembers the former owner , Bill Boyer , carrying the coffee out for her , a gesture indicative of the community-centered approach the coffee company takes .
Her husband , Ron Nichol , even helped Boyer obtain the permits to work on the old schoolhouse .
“ If they don ’ t rebuild , not only is a historical memory for many of us gone , but also a generation of people using their gathering place and communicating over a cup of coffee is gone as well , ” @ @ @

For Alice Nichol, the Boyer’s Coffee cafe and roasting plant goes far beyond a hot cup of joe.
Nichol, 81, has lived down the street from the Denver staple her entire life. She spent much of her childhood in that building when it was home to the Washington Grade School, a mix of farm kids from around the neighborhood.
Boyer’s quickly became her favorite coffee shop in the 1970s. And when Nichol became an Adams County commissioner what did she server her fellow elected officials? That’s right — Boyer’s coffee.
“It isn’t just Boyer’s Coffee,” Nichol said. “It’s coffee with a past.”
The coffee shop and roasting plant erupted Tuesday in flames, and firefighters from around the region were unable to save it. No one was hurt. Fire officials say it’s too early to determine the cause.
The company had in recent years become a giant in the Colorado coffee scene, supplying retailers from mom-and-pop shops in metro Denver to megastores such as Walmart. They roasted beans for the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, and its beverages could be found while flying Frontier Airlines.
Owners Douglass and Jason Barrow, who bought Boyer’s in 2015, said in a statement Wednesday that despite the setback, they won’t be going anywhere.
“We’re grateful to all our customers and the community as a whole for its outpouring of support over the past 24 hours, and even more grateful that no one was injured in the fire,” the brothers said in the statement. “While our building burned yesterday, our company did not. Although this was a setback, we’ll continue to provide socially responsible, ethically sourced, Rocky Mountain roasted coffee, and more importantly, community, for years to come.”
The owners said they are assessing the damage and have not calculated their total loss.
When John Cumalat heard about the fire on Wednesday morning, he thought it was a bad April Fools’ joke.
The owner of Cannon Mine Coffee in Lafayette is one of dozens of local coffee shops who rely on Boyer’s to supply their businesses. Wednesday is the day fresh beans normally show up on Cannon Mine’s doorstep. Not this time.
“It kinda stinks,” Cumalat said. “We had everything custom roasted for us. We have to find someone new, switch what the flavor profile of our coffee will look like.”
His shop, he stressed, will be fine.
“It’s just horrible for them,” Cumalat said.
On Friday, Jason Barrow told The Denver Post in a statement that the company’s offsite storage facility was not hurt by the fire, and that they are building a “contingency plan to restart roasting and shipping coffee very soon.”
“As a matter of fact, we will be distributing our Boyers Coffees to local Colorado grocery stores next week … and our team is ready to pick right back up and start a new chapter while we rebuild the plant,” the owner said.
Nichol is simply hoping this isn’t the final chapter for Boyer’s.
She remembers the former owner, Bill Boyer, carrying the coffee out for her, a gesture indicative of the community-centered approach the coffee company takes.
Her husband, Ron Nichol, even helped Boyer obtain the permits to work on the old schoolhouse.
“If they don’t rebuild, not only is a historical memory for many of us gone, but also a generation of people using their gathering place and communicating over a cup of coffee is gone as well,” Nichol said.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Guest Commnetary: Vaping may worsen effects of COVID-19, yet vape shops want to be open as “essentia

Guest Commnetary: Vaping may worsen effects of COVID-19, yet vape shops want to be open as “essential service”

Depending on your preference you can call it hubris , chutzpah , recklessness or disregard for the health of Denver ’ s residents .
It definitely takes a good supply of all of these for Denver vape shops to petition Mayor Michael Hancock to remain open during the COVID-19 shutdown , claiming they are essential businesses providing health benefits .
This despite the fact that respected public health experts cite vaping as a potential factor in worsening the effect of the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus .
That is on top of the fact that Colorado and the nation are struggling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recent conclusion by the U.S .
Surgeon General that “ there is presently inadequate evidence to conclude that e-cigarettes , in general , increase smoking cessation.
” It is highly irresponsible to argue that e-cigarettes should be considered essential when they could well put users at greater risk for serious complications from COVID-19 , they are addicting our kids , and they have not been shown to help smokers quit .
As families , businesses and communities struggle daily with the devastating effects of the pandemic , it has been heartening to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physicians and public health professionals about how to flatten the infection curve .
This means shutting the doors of businesses with some exceptions specifically permitted by the mayor .
With COVID-19 occupying our resources , our hearts and our minds , it has never been more important to protect our lungs .
The coronavirus attacks the lungs , and behaviors that weaken the lungs , including vaping , put individuals at greater risk .
There is conclusive evidence that smoking increases the risk for respiratory infections , weakens the immune system and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chronic health conditions , including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , heart disease and diabetes .
There is growing evidence that vaping , likewise , harms lung health .
Use of these products put users directly in harm ’ s way , and at greater risk when confronted with the harms of coronavirus .
Just listen to the experts .
Dr. Nora Volkow , Director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse , recently noted , “ Because it attacks the lungs , the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could be an especially serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marijuana or who vape.
” And the federal Food and Drug Administration , which regulates products such as e-cigarettes , has publicly stated that vaping may leave users with underlying health conditions at an even “ increased risk of serious complications ” if they contract the respiratory disease caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus .
An FDA spokesman said that this “ includes people who smoke and/or vape tobacco or nicotine-containing products.
” In their appeal to Mayor Hancock , vape shop retailers argue about “ real health implications.
” But make no mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the use of these products .
There has never been a more critical time for individuals to protect their health by avoiding the use of all tobacco products , including e-cigarettes , and for elected officials to enact policies , like removing flavored tobacco products from the market , which will keep kids from ever starting their use .
After drastically reducing youth use of tobacco – primarily old-fashioned combustible cigarettes – the emergence of e-cigarettes threatens to reverse these decades of progress .
Nationally , over one-quarter of high school students use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest of the states .
That ’ s why there is a debate occurring across America about the spread of vaping , particularly among teens and young adults .
Many health care professionals in our area and across the country are sounding the alarm about the damage resulting from the vaping culture .
Yet wherever one stands on this issue , surely we can all agree that Denver vape shops aren ’ t “ essential services.
” Bravo to Mayor Hancock for recognizing — and enforcing — basic common sense .
Jodi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tobacco-Free Kids .
To send a letter to the editor about this article , submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail .

By Jodi Radke
Guest Commentary
Depending on your preference you can call it hubris, chutzpah, recklessness or disregard for the health of Denver’s residents. It definitely takes a good supply of all of these for Denver vape shops to petition Mayor Michael Hancock to remain open during the COVID-19 shutdown, claiming they are essential businesses providing health benefits. This despite the fact that respected public health experts cite vaping as a potential factor in worsening the effect of the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus.
That is on top of the fact that Colorado and the nation are struggling to reverse skyrocketing youth use of e-cigarettes and the recent conclusion by the U.S. Surgeon General that “there is presently inadequate evidence to conclude that e-cigarettes, in general, increase smoking cessation.” It is highly irresponsible to argue that e-cigarettes should be considered essential when they could well put users at greater risk for serious complications from COVID-19, they are addicting our kids, and they have not been shown to help smokers quit.
As families, businesses and communities struggle daily with the devastating effects of the pandemic, it has been heartening to see political leaders heed the pleas of physicians and public health professionals about how to flatten the infection curve. This means shutting the doors of businesses with some exceptions specifically permitted by the mayor.
With COVID-19 occupying our resources, our hearts and our minds, it has never been more important to protect our lungs. The coronavirus attacks the lungs, and behaviors that weaken the lungs, including vaping, put individuals at greater risk. There is conclusive evidence that smoking increases the risk for respiratory infections, weakens the immune system and is a major cause of a number of chronic health conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and diabetes. There is growing evidence that vaping, likewise, harms lung health. Use of these products put users directly in harm’s way, and at greater risk when confronted with the harms of coronavirus.
Just listen to the experts.
Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, recently noted, “Because it attacks the lungs, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could be an especially serious threat to those who smoke tobacco or marijuana or who vape.”
And the federal Food and Drug Administration, which regulates products such as e-cigarettes, has publicly stated that vaping may leave users with underlying health conditions at an even “increased risk of serious complications” if they contract the respiratory disease caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus. An FDA spokesman said that this “includes people who smoke and/or vape tobacco or nicotine-containing products.”
In their appeal to Mayor Hancock, vape shop retailers argue about “real health implications.” But make no mistake. The real health implications relate to the use of these products. There has never been a more critical time for individuals to protect their health by avoiding the use of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and for elected officials to enact policies, like removing flavored tobacco products from the market, which will keep kids from ever starting their use.
After drastically reducing youth use of tobacco – primarily old-fashioned combustible cigarettes – the emergence of e-cigarettes threatens to reverse these decades of progress. Nationally, over one-quarter of high school students use e-cigarettes today; Colorado rates are among the highest of the states.
That’s why there is a debate occurring across America about the spread of vaping, particularly among teens and young adults. Many health care professionals in our area and across the country are sounding the alarm about the damage resulting from the vaping culture. Yet wherever one stands on this issue, surely we can all agree that Denver vape shops aren’t “essential services.” Bravo to Mayor Hancock for recognizing — and enforcing — basic common sense.
Jodi Radke is regional director for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. says NBA hiatus helping his ankle heal

Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. said Thursday that the right ankle injury he suffered at Milwaukee on Jan. 31 was “ worse than I thought ” and that he was playing through pain when he did return after the All-Star break .
Porter called the NBA ’ s hiatus a blessing in disguise because of that .
Once the NBA suspended its season more than three weeks ago , Porter , now back home in Columbia , Mo.
, said he ’ s spent significant time in the gym working on his game .
He said the time off has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heal .
Porter , who spent one season at Missouri , said he ’ s got a private gym that he can access whenever he wants .
“ I ’ ve literally been in the gym just as much as I was in Denver , which has been really good , ” Porter said on Altitude ’ s digital show .
“ I feel like I haven ’ t really lost a lot .
And it ’ s been good for my ankle , too , because you know my ankle was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the second half against the Bucks , Porter missed Denver ’ s next six games leading into the All-Star break .
When he did return , at Oklahoma City on Feb. 21 , his minutes were sporadic before the NBA ’ s suspension .
“ I ’ m kind of using this time as beneficial to me , getting to rest that ankle , ” Porter said .
“ It was a pretty bad sprain , worse than I thought .
It ’ s been good to just be able to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Yeah , I was playing through a lot of pain , ” he added .
“ Especially planting on it and cutting .
That was tough for me .
I felt like I needed to play , obviously.
” In his downtime , he said he ’ s been preparing for the NBA 2K tournament that will air Friday night on ESPN .
Porter , a No .
12 seed , drew No .
5 seed Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns .
Booker ’ s a notorious gamer , but Porter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m just naturally good at 2K , ” he said .
“ It ’ s kind of weird .
2K , if you ’ re good at actual basketball , like it translates .
”

Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. said Thursday that the right ankle injury he suffered at Milwaukee on Jan. 31 was “worse than I thought” and that he was playing through pain when he did return after the All-Star break.
Porter called the NBA’s hiatus a blessing in disguise because of that. Once the NBA suspended its season more than three weeks ago, Porter, now back home in Columbia, Mo., said he’s spent significant time in the gym working on his game. He said the time off has also allowed for his ankle to properly heal.
Porter, who spent one season at Missouri, said he’s got a private gym that he can access whenever he wants.
“I’ve literally been in the gym just as much as I was in Denver, which has been really good,” Porter said on Altitude’s digital show. “I feel like I haven’t really lost a lot. And it’s been good for my ankle, too, because you know my ankle was still kind of sore.”
After landing awkwardly in the second half against the Bucks, Porter missed Denver’s next six games leading into the All-Star break. When he did return, at Oklahoma City on Feb. 21, his minutes were sporadic before the NBA’s suspension.
“I’m kind of using this time as beneficial to me, getting to rest that ankle,” Porter said. “It was a pretty bad sprain, worse than I thought. It’s been good to just be able to get my body back right and everything.
“Yeah, I was playing through a lot of pain,” he added. “Especially planting on it and cutting. That was tough for me. I felt like I needed to play, obviously.”
In his downtime, he said he’s been preparing for the NBA 2K tournament that will air Friday night on ESPN. Porter, a No. 12 seed, drew No. 5 seed Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns.
Booker’s a notorious gamer, but Porter liked his chances.
“I’m just naturally good at 2K,” he said. “It’s kind of weird. 2K, if you’re good at actual basketball, like it translates.”


thedenverpost--2020-04-02--Colorado tells Supreme Court that faithless electors threaten “stable governance”

The state of Colorado defended the constitutionality of a state law before the highest court in the nation this week , arguing it had the power to force Colorado members of the Electoral College to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
Four weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a closely watched case regarding so-called “ faithless electors , ” the Colorado Attorney General ’ s Office laid out its case in a 65-page brief Wednesday .
“ States are authorized to oversee and remove electors to advance our democratic principles and protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote Attorney General Phil Weiser ‘ s office .
Under state law , Colorado ’ s members of the Electoral College must cast their ballots for the presidential and vice presidential candidates who receive the most votes in Colorado .
If they don ’ t , they can be removed and replaced .
The constitutionality of that punishment is being challenged in this case .
The case stems from 2016 , when Micheal Baca , a Colorado member of the Electoral College , attempted to vote for John Kasich , a Republican former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton , whom Colorado had chosen .
Baca ’ s decision was part of a failed and quixotic effort to lure Republican electors to a consensus choice and block Donald Trump from becoming president .
Baca was removed from his post , a punishment later deemed unconstitutional by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals .
His attorney , Lawrence Lessig of Harvard Law , has argued Electoral College voting can not be controlled by a state government .
The state of Colorado disagrees , relying in large part on Article II of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislatures to appoint members of the Electoral College “ in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct.
” That language allows states to remove and punish electors , the state of Colorado claims .
“ Without the state oversight that the removal principle provides , electors would be free to violate their oath , take a bribe , or cast a ballot for a constitutionally ineligible candidate .
Such an outcome would deprive the states ’ voters of their voice in the selection of the president , ” the attorney general ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Permitting the states to enforce those lawful pledges is not only constitutional but necessary to protect the true character of our nation ’ s democratic principles and system of stable governance.
” The case is set to be heard April 28 , though it ’ s unclear if the high court will meet then , due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Both sides — Lessig and the state of Colorado — have urged justices to issue an opinion this year and grant clarity before the 2020 presidential election in November .

The state of Colorado defended the constitutionality of a state law before the highest court in the nation this week, arguing it had the power to force Colorado members of the Electoral College to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Four weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a closely watched case regarding so-called “faithless electors,” the Colorado Attorney General’s Office laid out its case in a 65-page brief Wednesday.
“States are authorized to oversee and remove electors to advance our democratic principles and protect our system of stable governance,” wrote Attorney General Phil Weiser‘s office.
Under state law, Colorado’s members of the Electoral College must cast their ballots for the presidential and vice presidential candidates who receive the most votes in Colorado. If they don’t, they can be removed and replaced. The constitutionality of that punishment is being challenged in this case.
The case stems from 2016, when Micheal Baca, a Colorado member of the Electoral College, attempted to vote for John Kasich, a Republican former governor of Ohio, rather than Democrat Hillary Clinton, whom Colorado had chosen. Baca’s decision was part of a failed and quixotic effort to lure Republican electors to a consensus choice and block Donald Trump from becoming president.
Baca was removed from his post, a punishment later deemed unconstitutional by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. His attorney, Lawrence Lessig of Harvard Law, has argued Electoral College voting cannot be controlled by a state government.
The state of Colorado disagrees, relying in large part on Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which allows state legislatures to appoint members of the Electoral College “in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct.” That language allows states to remove and punish electors, the state of Colorado claims.
“Without the state oversight that the removal principle provides, electors would be free to violate their oath, take a bribe, or cast a ballot for a constitutionally ineligible candidate. Such an outcome would deprive the states’ voters of their voice in the selection of the president,” the attorney general’s office wrote in its brief.
“Permitting the states to enforce those lawful pledges is not only constitutional but necessary to protect the true character of our nation’s democratic principles and system of stable governance.”
The case is set to be heard April 28, though it’s unclear if the high court will meet then, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both sides — Lessig and the state of Colorado — have urged justices to issue an opinion this year and grant clarity before the 2020 presidential election in November.


thedenverpost--2020-04-03--Ask Amy: Mother’s mistakes come back to haunt her

Dear Readers : Because of syndication scheduling , I write and submit my columns two weeks in advance of publication .
Due to this time lag , the Q & A ’ s will not reflect the latest information about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic we are currently facing .
Dear Amy : I wish I could undo some of the terrible mistakes I ’ ve made .
My daughter hasn ’ t spoken to me in years .
When she was very young , I divorced her dad and moved hundreds of miles away .
I married a man with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I didn ’ t agree with , but I felt trapped with him — the way I ’ d felt trapped with her dad .
We were together for 10 years .
I waited until after my daughter graduated from high school , and then I separated from her stepfather .
It was very difficult to live on my own and we ended up getting back together .
It was more out of convenience than anything .
When I told my daughter that I was getting back together with him , she blew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had drugged and raped her several times .
I was in complete shock !
She has not spoken to me since then .
I think about her every day .
I stalk her on Facebook ( with an unrecognizable profile ) just so I can see her life .
I can ’ t be a part of her life because she has blocked me .
This estrangement breaks my 83-year-old mother ’ s heart , and I would like to see us all together again .
Dear Regretful : If you want your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change .
It ’ s really that simple .
Although you admit to having regrets , you don ’ t seem to have taken responsibility for the role you played in your daughter ’ s trauma .
Your reaction to her disclosure that she was raped while in your household was to express shock , and then passively sigh — and continue on to reunite with your ex .
Are you not aware that the best thing to do when someone reports a rape is to call the police ?
( And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report ! )
Yes , you ’ ve made mistakes .
Admitting this is definitely a step in the right direction , but you don ’ t get to claim victimhood , here .
Until you take responsibility for your parental neglect , passivity , and terrible judgment , you can not hope for a reconciliation .
Even your Facebook-stalking seems to me more melodrama than the action of a mother desperate to make things right .
You are not Stella Dallas standing in the rain , wistfully watching your daughter through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her blocking you .
There are many ways — other than Facebook — to contact someone , however , until you can commit to positive change , it is probably wisest for your daughter to keep her distance .
A compassionate and competent counselor could walk you through the events in your life that have culminated in this moment .
With coaching and positive change , the reconciliation you desire might be possible .
I hope you will try .
Dear Amy : “ Queasy in Florida ” wanted to put an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman at her retirement community , criticizing her behavior at the home ’ s communal dining table .
Thank you for recommending a discreet , in-person conversation .
My loving , kind , 86-year-old parents just voluntarily moved into an assisted-living community .
My dad wore a hat in the dining room because his head is always cold .
Someone left a copy of the dress code at their apartment door with an arrow pointing to “ no hats in the dining room.
” My mother was furious , and I was heartbroken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cowardly toward my wonderful parents , especially as they were brand new and just getting used to their new home .
Dear Protective : Nonjudgmental , discreet , and in-person is almost always the best way to communicate .
Dear Amy : I was absolutely blown away by the letter from “ Justin , ” the young transgender man who sent you a follow-up after you published his question about how to communicate with his parents over the holidays .
So many of us in the LGBTQ community are tasked with extremely challenging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not fair to us , but yes — humor always helps .
Dear Been There : Justin is a special person — I appreciated hearing back from him that his parents are really coming around .
The companion letter in that column , from the mom of a transgender girl , showed how hard it can be for parents to adjust how they refer to their transgender kids .

Dear Readers: Because of syndication scheduling, I write and submit my columns two weeks in advance of publication. Due to this time lag, the Q&A’s will not reflect the latest information about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic we are currently facing.
Dear Amy: I wish I could undo some of the terrible mistakes I’ve made.
My daughter hasn’t spoken to me in years.
When she was very young, I divorced her dad and moved hundreds of miles away. I married a man with two sons and a parenting method that I didn’t agree with, but I felt trapped with him — the way I’d felt trapped with her dad. We were together for 10 years.
I waited until after my daughter graduated from high school, and then I separated from her stepfather. It was very difficult to live on my own and we ended up getting back together. It was more out of convenience than anything.
When I told my daughter that I was getting back together with him, she blew up and told me that her stepbrother had drugged and raped her several times. I was in complete shock! She has not spoken to me since then.
I think about her every day. I stalk her on Facebook (with an unrecognizable profile) just so I can see her life. I can’t be a part of her life because she has blocked me. This estrangement breaks my 83-year-old mother’s heart, and I would like to see us all together again.
— Regretful
Dear Regretful: If you want your relationships to change, then you need to change. It’s really that simple. Although you admit to having regrets, you don’t seem to have taken responsibility for the role you played in your daughter’s trauma. Your reaction to her disclosure that she was raped while in your household was to express shock, and then passively sigh — and continue on to reunite with your ex.
Are you not aware that the best thing to do when someone reports a rape is to call the police? (And people wonder why assault victims hesitate to report!)
Yes, you’ve made mistakes. Admitting this is definitely a step in the right direction, but you don’t get to claim victimhood, here. Until you take responsibility for your parental neglect, passivity, and terrible judgment, you cannot hope for a reconciliation. Even your Facebook-stalking seems to me more melodrama than the action of a mother desperate to make things right. You are not Stella Dallas standing in the rain, wistfully watching your daughter through a window. You are not the victim of her blocking you. There are many ways — other than Facebook — to contact someone, however, until you can commit to positive change, it is probably wisest for your daughter to keep her distance.
A compassionate and competent counselor could walk you through the events in your life that have culminated in this moment. With coaching and positive change, the reconciliation you desire might be possible. I hope you will try.
Dear Amy: “Queasy in Florida” wanted to put an anonymous note in the mailbox of a woman at her retirement community, criticizing her behavior at the home’s communal dining table.
Thank you for recommending a discreet, in-person conversation. My loving, kind, 86-year-old parents just voluntarily moved into an assisted-living community. My dad wore a hat in the dining room because his head is always cold.
Someone left a copy of the dress code at their apartment door with an arrow pointing to “no hats in the dining room.”
My mother was furious, and I was heartbroken that someone would be so catty and cowardly toward my wonderful parents, especially as they were brand new and just getting used to their new home.
— Protective Daughter
Dear Protective: Nonjudgmental, discreet, and in-person is almost always the best way to communicate.
Dear Amy: I was absolutely blown away by the letter from “Justin,” the young transgender man who sent you a follow-up after you published his question about how to communicate with his parents over the holidays.
So many of us in the LGBTQ community are tasked with extremely challenging and awkward social or family-related negotiations. It’s not fair to us, but yes — humor always helps.
— Been There
Dear Been There: Justin is a special person — I appreciated hearing back from him that his parents are really coming around. The companion letter in that column, from the mom of a transgender girl, showed how hard it can be for parents to adjust how they refer to their transgender kids.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-04-03--Adams County deputy injured while trying to stop a fleeing vehicle, sheriff says

An Adams County deputy was hit by a vehicle Thursday night while attempting to stop the driver .
The deputy @ @ @ @ @ hospital with minor injuries , the sheriff ’ s office said .
The incident unfolded @ @ @ @ @ p.m. were responding to a report of a home invasion at 16315 Great Rock Way @ @ @ @ @ office said on Twitter .
While en route , deputies spotted a car that matched @ @ @ @ @ involved in the home invasion .
During pursuit of the suspect car , a deputy @ @ @ @ @ a tire deflation device , was hit by the vehicle .
Two people in the @ @ @ @ @ determined that the car was not involved in the home invasion .
Two suspects , @ @ @ @ @ initial home invasion case , near Brighton , were also arrested .
No injuries were @ @ @ @ @ .

An Adams County deputy was hit by a vehicle Thursday night while attempting to stop the driver.
The deputy was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
The incident unfolded when deputies, at 5:45 p.m. were responding to a report of a home invasion at 16315 Great Rock Way, the sheriff’s office said on Twitter.
We are still on scene a home invasion that occurred at 16315 Great Rock Way. The call came in at 5:45 this evening. More to follow — Adams Sheriff's Page (@AdamsCoSheriff) April 3, 2020
While en route, deputies spotted a car that matched the description of a car involved in the home invasion. During pursuit of the suspect car, a deputy deploying a stop stick, a tire deflation device, was hit by the vehicle.
Two people in the vehicle were arrested and deputies determined that the car was not involved in the home invasion. Two suspects, both men, in the initial home invasion case, near Brighton, were also arrested.
No injuries were reported at the home invasion.


thedenverpost--2020-04-03--Signature deadline extended for initiative seeking to ban late-term abortions

A Denver District Court has granted an emergency motion to extend a circulation deadline for a group seeking a ballot initiative to ban late-term abortions in Colorado .
Due Date Too Late will resume gathering petition signatures for Initiative 120 after the state lifts its emergency stay-at-home order related to COVID-19 , the group said in Thursday news release .
On March 4 , the group submitted 137,624 signatures to the Colorado secretary of sate , who has until Friday to report a line-by-line count of petition signatures .
“ If the hand-count shows that the petition meets or exceeds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be approved for the Nov. 3 ballot , ” the release said .
If the signature count falls short , Due Date Too Late will have a 15-day cure period to gather more signatures after the state ’ s stay-at-home order expires .
The stay was approved by District Judge Martin Egelhoff .
Initiative 120 , if passed by voters , would prohibit abortion in Colorado after 22 weeks of gestation , with exception of measures to save the life of the mother .
• Colorado anti-abortion group sues in case it falls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court takes up first big abortion case of Trump era

A Denver District Court has granted an emergency motion to extend a circulation deadline for a group seeking a ballot initiative to ban late-term abortions in Colorado.
Due Date Too Late will resume gathering petition signatures for Initiative 120 after the state lifts its emergency stay-at-home order related to COVID-19, the group said in Thursday news release.
On March 4, the group submitted 137,624 signatures to the Colorado secretary of sate, who has until Friday to report a line-by-line count of petition signatures.
“If the hand-count shows that the petition meets or exceeds 124,632 valid signatures, Initiative 120 would be approved for the Nov. 3 ballot,” the release said.
If the signature count falls short, Due Date Too Late will have a 15-day cure period to gather more signatures after the state’s stay-at-home order expires. The stay was approved by District Judge Martin Egelhoff.
Initiative 120, if passed by voters, would prohibit abortion in Colorado after 22 weeks of gestation, with exception of measures to save the life of the mother.


thedenverpost--2020-04-03--Keeler: What does a Rockies fan who’s been to every opening day since 1993 do when there isn’t one?

Like puppies and grandchildren , Roger Dudley loves all his Rockies opening days equally .
Well , except for 2018 .
“ The worst one , of course , was that freezing game , two years ago , ” Dudley recalled in a voice cold enough to match his April nadir .
“ That was the only game I haven ’ t stayed to see the end of .
“ They were down 8-3 and I was shivering and miserable .
I decided I wouldn ’ t keep score for that one .
They never would ’ ve played it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day there .
No way they would ’ ve done it .
Just an awful game and an awful day.
” And yet Friday will somehow feel worse .
Dudley has been there for every Rockies opening day since 1993 , Coors Field or Mile High , snow or shine .
A run of 27 straight .
Only thanks to the coronavirus , opening day won ’ t be there for him .
Or his cousin from Pueblo who always comes up to celebrate the rite of spring .
Or his posse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for pregame lunch at El Taco De Mexico before embarking on a two-mile trek to the park .
“ Opening day has retained that sparkle , ” said Dudley , a baseball lifer and a genealogist who retired a year ago from his archivist gig with the Denver Public Library .
“ To me , it ’ s like Happy New Year.
” So what the heck do you do when the big day comes and the ball won ’ t drop ?
“ There ’ s nothing to do , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got a couple of ( recorded ) games I can watch .
But it ’ s like you know the outcomes .
And that ’ s the whole magic of sports : It ’ s always different .
You never know what ’ s going to happen.
” Dudley grew up about 20 blocks from Bears Stadium/Mile High .
That cousin from Pueblo would pop over to catch a Bears game , and the pair had an ingenious way of assuring a free lift back home , decades before Uber .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mom at home , let it ring once , then hang up quickly and get their dime back .
“ That ’ s how she ’ d know that she should come pick us up , ” Dudley explained .
He bought 20 tickets for opening day and another 20 for Father ’ s Day .
In December , those looked like the two safest financial plays from what was supposed to be the season ’ s first three months .
On the bright side , though : No May games ?
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have problems about a month or two into the season , ” Dudley cracked .
“ Maybe this year , it won ’ t happen.
” Maybe .
Right now , he misses the way the Cracker Jacks shake in the box .
He misses the way the ball sounds , live , coming off Nolan Arenado ’ s bat .
He misses grabbing a new opening day pen — another April rite of passage — to use for keeping score .
“ And they say , ‘ Why do you do that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I say , ‘ Because you never know what you ’ re going to see .
You never know.
’ One game I was out there and Todd Helton gets a full count and then fouls off 15 straight pitches and then hits a home run .
You just can ’ t make this stuff up.
’ ” Not from the couch , anyway .
Sing .
Grieve .
Shout .
At 2:10 p.m. , pop your head out the nearest window and scream at the Flatirons , if that does the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pour one out for Mabel Miyasaki , daughter Meri Miyasaki and granddaughter Heather , who ’ ve graced the last 11 Opening Days as a trio .
“ I think it brings a sense of unity , ” Meri said .
“ It brings people together .
Everyone has hope.
” Mabel — nicknamed “ G ” for “ Grandma ” — is a Coors institution , 95 years young .
The hearing fades .
The memory wanes .
Social distancing has left her more isolated than usual in assisted-living care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance of Charlie Blackmon , Tony Wolters or longtime Rockies trainer Keith Dugger , it ’ s funny how quickly the clouds part .
“ Everyone knows G , ” Meri chuckled .
“ Opening day is kind of our family reunion.
” And this spring , the family ’ s counting an extra blessing : Mabel ’ s 95th birthday was March 6 , and Team Miyasaki celebrated , as they do every year , by taking her down to Salt River Fields for some Cactus League goodness .
“ We came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sudden , things started falling apart , ” Meri recalled .
“ We ’ re really grateful that we went when we did.
” Another bright side : If opening day ’ s in July , at least it won ’ t be 40 degrees at first pitch .
“ My gosh , I saw that forecast ( this week ) , ” Meri groaned .
“ And I thought , ‘ I guess there ’ s one silver lining to not having opening day on Friday.
’ ” Even without the spring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture from 2018 , ” Meri said .
“ I think the temperature was 23 degrees and it was snowing.
” “ It can snow all it wants on Friday .
”

Like puppies and grandchildren, Roger Dudley loves all his Rockies opening days equally.
Well, except for 2018.
2018 can bugger off.
“The worst one, of course, was that freezing game, two years ago,” Dudley recalled in a voice cold enough to match his April nadir. “That was the only game I haven’t stayed to see the end of.
“They were down 8-3 and I was shivering and miserable. I decided I wouldn’t keep score for that one. They never would’ve played it if it hadn’t been opening day there. No way they would’ve done it. Just an awful game and an awful day.”
And yet Friday will somehow feel worse. Dudley has been there for every Rockies opening day since 1993, Coors Field or Mile High, snow or shine. A run of 27 straight.
Only thanks to the coronavirus, opening day won’t be there for him. Or his cousin from Pueblo who always comes up to celebrate the rite of spring. Or his posse, the gang that since 1999 have met up for pregame lunch at El Taco De Mexico before embarking on a two-mile trek to the park.
“Opening day has retained that sparkle,” said Dudley, a baseball lifer and a genealogist who retired a year ago from his archivist gig with the Denver Public Library. “To me, it’s like Happy New Year.”
So what the heck do you do when the big day comes and the ball won’t drop?
“There’s nothing to do,” Dudley countered. “I’ve got a couple of (recorded) games I can watch. But it’s like you know the outcomes. And that’s the whole magic of sports: It’s always different. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Dudley grew up about 20 blocks from Bears Stadium/Mile High. That cousin from Pueblo would pop over to catch a Bears game, and the pair had an ingenious way of assuring a free lift back home, decades before Uber. They’d go to a payphone to call Mom at home, let it ring once, then hang up quickly and get their dime back.
“That’s how she’d know that she should come pick us up,” Dudley explained.
He bought 20 tickets for opening day and another 20 for Father’s Day. In December, those looked like the two safest financial plays from what was supposed to be the season’s first three months.
On the bright side, though: No May games? No May fade!
“The Rockies always have problems about a month or two into the season,” Dudley cracked. “Maybe this year, it won’t happen.”
Maybe. Right now, he misses the way the Cracker Jacks shake in the box. He misses the way the ball sounds, live, coming off Nolan Arenado’s bat. He misses the feel of a new opening day pin, the satiety of keeping score.
“And they say, ‘Why do you do that?’” Dudley said. “And I say, ‘Because you never know what you’re going to see. You never know.’ One game I was out there and Todd Helton gets a full count and then fouls off 15 straight pitches and then hits a home run. You just can’t make this stuff up.’”
Not from the couch, anyway. Sing. Grieve. Shout. At 2:10 p.m., pop your head out the nearest window and scream at the Flatirons, if that does the trick.
Pour one out for Roger. Pour one out for Mabel Miyasaki, daughter Meri Miyasaki and granddaughter Heather, who’ve graced the last 11 Opening Days as a trio.
“I think it brings a sense of unity,” Meri said. “It brings people together. Everyone has hope.”
Mabel — nicknamed “G” for “Grandma” — is a Coors institution, 95 years young. The hearing fades. The memory wanes. Social distancing has left her more isolated than usual in assisted-living care.
But whenever she’s within shouting distance of Charlie Blackmon, Tony Wolters or longtime Rockies trainer Keith Dugger, it’s funny how quickly the clouds part.
“Everyone knows G,” Meri chuckled. “Opening day is kind of our family reunion.”
And this spring, the family’s counting an extra blessing: Mabel’s 95th birthday was March 6, and Team Miyasaki celebrated, as they do every year, by taking her down to Salt River Fields for some Cactus League goodness.
“We came home on the seventh and all of sudden, things started falling apart,” Meri recalled. “We’re really grateful that we went when we did.”
Another bright side: If opening day’s in July, at least it won’t be 40 degrees at first pitch.
“My gosh, I saw that forecast (this week),” Meri groaned. “And I thought, ‘I guess there’s one silver lining to not having opening day on Friday.’”
Hope springs eternal.
Even without the spring.
“I’ve got a picture from 2018,” Meri said. “I think the temperature was 23 degrees and it was snowing.”
She chuckled again.
“It can snow all it wants on Friday.”