thedenverpost--2020-05-10--Keeler: Why McTelvin Agim’s journey from jail to the Broncos brought tears of joy

Sosa didn ’ t fear a soul , so long as it ran on two legs .
Jay Turley still laughs about the time he came out to his driveway and saw this 6-foot-3 , 275-pound mountain of a teenager hopping onto his Chevy Avalanche , scurrying like it was an episode of “ The Walking Dead , ” and Jay ’ s boxer Sam was a zombie pup .
“ My dog got out one day when he was coming over , ” Turley , the former Hope ( Ark . )
High School football coach , says of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody back home calls Broncos rookie defensive lineman McTelvin Agim .
“ And this huge guy jumps up on top of this car to get away from this dog .
If you weren ’ t around me and you came in the yard , she was going to protect the yard.
” As Agim kept on coming over to Turley ’ s house to carpool for college recruiting trips , Sam eventually got wise .
“ We went a lot of miles , ” Turley says .
“ Had a lot of good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the giant Padawan and his Jedi football coach drove everywhere , crisscrossing the football campuses of the mid-south : Alabama .
Auburn .
Oklahoma .
Ole Miss .
“ It ’ s funny : I had a Toyota Tacoma when we first started , ” Turley laughs .
“ We kept trying to fit these big kids into a Tacoma , so I traded it in and got an Avalanche .
A lot of Dallas trips , going to these Rivals camps .
We went a lot of places.
” As Agim got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places his coach never could ’ ve imagined .
The weekend he spent at the age of 14 in a juvenile detention , after attempting to elude police .
The shoplifting for kicks .
The hunger .
The combination of running home starving and running with a tough crowd as a pre-teen in Texarkana , Tex .
During one road trip , Agim talked about how he ’ d open up the fridge to find the family ’ s stock for the week : A block of Velveeta cheese and a gallon of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The tears of joy that bubbled over from Sosa and his family two Fridays ago when Broncos general manager John Elway called the former Arkansas pass-rusher to congratulate him for becoming the Broncos ’ final third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft .
The tears of a 22-year-old man remembering that 14-year-old boy in his cell , standing in front of a crossroads , hands clasped in prayer , vowing to never again veer from the straight and the narrow .
The tears of a dream ’ s reality rising , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nightmare .
“ He knew he ’ d messed up , and he didn ’ t want to be back on that road again , ” Turley says .
“ I think what ’ s so special about it , is that most kids that are in that environment don ’ t have the fortitude to get out of it .
“ He had this vision for himself and he did what it takes .
It took a lot of discipline and a lot of getting away from the wrong people and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from those people.
” The tears of being told by one junior-high principal that he ’ d either be in jail or dead by the age of 18 .
The tears for those who weren ’ t around to share in the ultimate triumph .
For Sosa ’ s late grandmother , Charlie B. McGraw , his compass and his anchor , whose passing when he was 11 broke a boy ’ s heart and set him adrift .
“ I really think his grandmother ingrained the idea of , ‘ Be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Turley says .
With a single mom working and studying to be a nurse , Sosa was reared largely by Charlie B. as a child .
Once Agim ’ s mother , Deanna Giddens , got young Sosa — nicknamed for his resemblance to the rapper Chief “ Sosa ” Keef — on the Arkansas side of the state line , initially at Blevins ( Ark . )
High School , the story took off .
“ She had high expectations for ( McTelvin ) as a freshman , ” Blevins principal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came over to my office , she told me , ‘ Whatever you need to do to get his attention , you have my permission to do it.
’ ” Sosa ’ s behavior at Blevins was exemplary .
As were his grades .
Blevins basketball boys coach Scott Kelton believes Agim could ’ ve played Division I hoops if he ’ d wanted .
The kid had soft hands , a strong frame and a crazy high in-game IQ .
A quick thinker who was light on his feet .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny that it didn ’ t offer football .
Steed had sent footage he ’ d shot of this 6-foot-1 freshman with the cool head and broad shoulders to Turley , one of his old college pals who was coaching 22 minutes down the road in Hope , the boyhood home of former president Bill Clinton .
“ I remember ( Agim ) came in before Christmas and asked if he could talk to me , ” Kelton says .
“ He said , ‘ Coach , I ’ ve really enjoyed playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I really feel like I ’ ve been given a gift .
I feel like my future is playing football and I think I can play at the next level.
’ “ He knew something .
And now he ’ s going to be playing on Sundays.
” All he needed was the right stage .
As a sophomore at Hope , Agim recorded 16 sacks and won the first of two state shot put titles .
A singular combination of power and speed , Sosa ran opponents ragged on Hope ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Featured at defensive end , split end , tailback and wildcat quarterback , Agim averaged 50 yards per kick return as a senior , when he entertained offers from at least 19 FBS programs and was ranked as a national top 20 recruit by 247Sports .
“ I don ’ t remember the coach ’ s name , but he was from Notre Dame and he came down to our spring game , ” Hope principal Bill Hoglund says .
“ We didn ’ t really show much in our spring game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll let him play split end .
One of the first plays , they run a route where he goes underneath and catches it and goes about 75 yards for a touchdown .
“ And I go to the guy from Notre Dame , ‘ Pretty good 3-technique , isn ’ t he ?
’ And he said , ‘ Well , I might make him a tight end.
’ ” The Razorbacks had other ideas .
Barry Lunney Jr. , who headed up Arkansas ’ in-state recruiting at the time , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a 10th grader , offered a scholarship , then watched other national powers get word and close in .
When Hogs head coach Bret Bielema visited , Agim made a point to take them back across the border to grandma ’ s old home in Texarkana , the one he was raised in .
“ He was very proud of where he came from , ” says Lunney Jr. , now the offensive coordinator at UT-San Antonio .
“ And wanted to show us ( why ) his vision was to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide for his family and provide the people around him a different opportunity .
That was something that was in his heart , to never lose sight of where he came from .
He ’ s just a special guy .
He really is.
” Hoglund and Turley still chuckle about the time former Razorback and Dallas Cowboys tailback Felix Jones turned up at Hope to present Agim with the state ’ s Gatorade Player of the Year honor — just before holiday break , as he was graduating early .
Only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staff scoured the building , Hoglund discovered the future Bronco in the locker room , sitting quietly in front of his stall .
“ All this attention , it ’ s not really necessary , ” Agim replied .
“ I just wanted to play .
And now I feel like all the students don ’ t get to do what I ’ m doing.
” To that end , whenever Turley and Sosa jumped into the Avalanche for a college junket , Agim wanted to bring at least a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a look .
“ He was so selfless , ” Turley says .
“ He ’ s just a really good kid .
Really , a good young man , now .
He was always thinking about other people.
” Always .
Agim doesn ’ t forget old friends , even as his life turns the page to another chapter .
Turley ’ s old four-legged pal Sam died recently , at the age of 9 .
Among those ringing up to offer their condolences was that 275-pound kid , now a 306-pound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to scare senseless .
“ He called me when it happened , ” Turley says .
“ He had to check on me.
” “ I know she didn ’ t like me , ” Agim told his old coach .
“ I liked that dog , but she did not like me.
’ ” A lot of miles , man .
A lot of good times .
And a straight and narrow path that was worth every last blessed step .

Sosa didn’t fear a soul, so long as it ran on two legs. Jay Turley still laughs about the time he came out to his driveway and saw this 6-foot-3, 275-pound mountain of a teenager hopping onto his Chevy Avalanche, scurrying like it was an episode of “The Walking Dead,” and Jay’s boxer Sam was a zombie pup.
“My dog got out one day when he was coming over,” Turley, the former Hope (Ark.) High School football coach, says of Sosa, which is what everybody back home calls Broncos rookie defensive lineman McTelvin Agim.
“And this huge guy jumps up on top of this car to get away from this dog. If you weren’t around me and you came in the yard, she was going to protect the yard.”
As Agim kept on coming over to Turley’s house to carpool for college recruiting trips, Sam eventually got wise.
“We went a lot of miles,” Turley says. “Had a lot of good times.”
For a couple years, the giant Padawan and his Jedi football coach drove everywhere, crisscrossing the football campuses of the mid-south: Alabama. Auburn. Oklahoma. Ole Miss.
“It’s funny: I had a Toyota Tacoma when we first started,” Turley laughs. “We kept trying to fit these big kids into a Tacoma, so I traded it in and got an Avalanche. A lot of Dallas trips, going to these Rivals camps. We went a lot of places.”
***
As Agim got to know Turley, Sosa went to places his coach never could’ve imagined. The weekend he spent at the age of 14 in a juvenile detention, after attempting to elude police.
The shoplifting for kicks. The hunger. The combination of running home starving and running with a tough crowd as a pre-teen in Texarkana, Tex.
During one road trip, Agim talked about how he’d open up the fridge to find the family’s stock for the week: A block of Velveeta cheese and a gallon of orange juice.
“If I didn’t steal, Coach,” Agim explained, “I couldn’t eat.”
Which explains the tears. The tears of joy that bubbled over from Sosa and his family two Fridays ago, when Broncos general manager John Elway called the former Arkansas pass-rusher to congratulate him for becoming the franchise’s final third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The tears of a 22-year-old man remembering that 14-year-old boy in his cell, standing in front of a crossroads, hands clasped in prayer, vowing to never again veer from the straight and the narrow. The tears of a dream’s reality rising, like a phoenix, from the ashes of a nightmare.
“He knew he’d messed up, and he didn’t want to be back on that road again,” Turley says. “I think what’s so special about it, is that most kids that are in that environment don’t have the fortitude to get out of it.
“He had this vision for himself and he did what it takes. It took a lot of discipline and a lot of getting away from the wrong people and having that kind of conviction to get away from those people.”
The tears of being told by one junior-high principal that he’d either be in jail or dead by the age of 18. The tears for those who weren’t around to share in the ultimate triumph.
For Sosa’s late grandmother, Charlie B. McGraw, his compass and his anchor, whose passing when he was 11 broke a boy’s heart and set him adrift.
“I really think his grandmother ingrained the idea of, ‘Be the best you can be,’” Turley says.
With a single mom working and studying to be a nurse, Sosa was reared largely by Charlie B. as a child. Once Agim’s mother, Deanna Giddens, got young Sosa — nicknamed for his resemblance to the rapper Chief “Sosa” Keef — on the Arkansas side of the state line, initially at Blevins (Ark.) High School, the story took off.
“She had high expectations for (McTelvin) as a freshman,” Blevins principal Jeffrey Steed recalls. “When she came over to my office, she told me, ‘Whatever you need to do to get his attention, you have my permission to do it.’”
Sosa’s behavior at Blevins was exemplary. As were his grades. Blevins basketball boys coach Scott Kelton believes Agim could’ve played Division I hoops if he’d wanted. The kid had soft hands, a strong frame and a crazy high in-game IQ. A quick thinker who was light on his feet.
There was one problem: Blevins High was so tiny that it didn’t offer football. Steed had sent footage he’d shot of this 6-foot-1 freshman with the cool head and broad shoulders to Turley, one of his old college pals who was coaching 22 minutes down the road in Hope, the boyhood home of former president Bill Clinton.
“I remember (Agim) came in before Christmas and asked if he could talk to me,” Kelton says. “He said, ‘Coach, I’ve really enjoyed playing for you, nothing against you, but I really feel like I’ve been given a gift. I feel like my future is playing football and I think I can play at the next level.’
“He knew something. And now he’s going to be playing on Sundays.”
***
All he needed was the right stage. As a sophomore at Hope, Agim recorded 16 sacks and won the first of two state shot put titles. A singular combination of power and speed, Sosa ran opponents ragged on Hope’s 4×100 relay team at 270 pounds.
Featured at defensive end, split end, tailback and wildcat quarterback, Agim averaged 50 yards per kick return as a senior, when he entertained offers from at least 19 FBS programs and was ranked as a national top 20 recruit by 247Sports.
“I don’t remember the coach’s name, but he was from Notre Dame and he came down to our spring game,” Hope principal Bill Hoglund says. “We didn’t really show much in our spring game, and coach Turley decides he’ll let him play split end.
“One of the first plays, they run a route where he goes underneath and catches it and goes about 75 yards for a touchdown.
“And I go to the guy from Notre Dame, ‘Pretty good 3-technique, isn’t he?’ And he said, ‘Well, I might make him a tight end.’”
The Razorbacks had other ideas. Barry Lunney Jr., who headed up Arkansas’ in-state recruiting at the time, had been tipped to the legend of Sosa as a 10th grader, offered a scholarship, then watched other national powers get word and close in.
When Hogs head coach Bret Bielema visited, Agim made a point to take them back across the border to grandma’s old home in Texarkana, the one he was raised in.
“He was very proud of where he came from,” says Lunney Jr., now the offensive coordinator at UT-San Antonio. “And wanted to show us (why) his vision was to be a four-year starter, to be able to provide for his family and provide the people around him a different opportunity. That was something that was in his heart, to never lose sight of where he came from. He’s just a special guy. He really is.”
***
Hoglund and Turley still chuckle about the time former Razorback and Dallas Cowboys tailback Felix Jones turned up at Hope to present Agim with the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year honor — just before holiday break, as he was graduating early.
Only nobody could find Sosa.
As faculty and staff scoured the building, Hoglund discovered the future Bronco in the locker room, sitting quietly in front of his stall.
“Sosa, what’s going on?” the principal asked.
“All this attention, it’s not really necessary,” Agim replied. “I just wanted to play. And now I feel like all the students don’t get to do what I’m doing.”
To that end, whenever Turley and Sosa jumped into the Avalanche for a college junket, Agim wanted to bring at least a couple of teammates along, hoping those schools would give them a look, too.
“He was so selfless,” Turley says. “He’s just a really good kid. Really, a good young man, now. He was always thinking about other people.”
Always. Agim doesn’t forget old friends, even as his life turns the page to another chapter.
Turley’s old four-legged pal Sam died recently, at the age of 9. Among those ringing up to offer their condolences was that 275-pound kid, now a 306-pound man. The same one Sam used to scare senseless.
“He called me when it happened,” Turley says. “He had to check on me.”
“I know she didn’t like me,” Agim told his old coach. “I liked that dog, but she did not like me.’”
A lot of miles, man. A lot of good times. And a straight and narrow path that was worth every last, blessed step.


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--Former Rockford Peaches pitcher Mary Pratt dies

BRAINTREE , Mass .
— Mary Pratt , who played for the Rockford Peaches and Kenosha Comets in the All-American @ @ @ @ @ has died .
She was 101 .
Pratt died on Wednesday .
Her nephew , @ @ @ @ @ Patriot Ledger she passed away peacefully at a nursing home .
Pratt pitched in the @ @ @ @ @ 1943-47 .
The league was profiled in the 1992 movie “ A League of Their @ @ @ @ @ to be the last surviving member of the original 1943 Peaches .
The league said @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ stories , her energy will be missed for a long time.
” @ @ @ @ @ for 46 years .
The Bridgeport , Connecticut , native was a coach and referee @ @ @ @ @ was inducted into the Boston University Hall of Fame and Boston Garden Hall of Fame @

BRAINTREE, Mass. — Mary Pratt, who played for the Rockford Peaches and Kenosha Comets in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, has died. She was 101.
Pratt died on Wednesday. Her nephew, Walter Pratt, told The Patriot Ledger she passed away peacefully at a nursing home.
Pratt pitched in the women’s league from 1943-47. The league was profiled in the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.”
She was believed to be the last surviving member of the original 1943 Peaches. The league said in a tweet that Pratt’s “stories, her energy will be missed for a long time.”
Pratt also taught physical education for 46 years. The Bridgeport, Connecticut, native was a coach and referee in several sports.
She was inducted into the Boston University Hall of Fame and Boston Garden Hall of Fame.


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--Barack Obama lashes out at President Trump in call with supporters

WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama harshly criticized President Donald Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as an “ absolute chaotic disaster ” during a conversation with ex-members of his administration , according to a recording obtained by Yahoo News .
Obama also reacted to the Justice Department dropping its criminal case against Trump ’ s first national security adviser , Michael Flynn , saying he worried that the “ basic understanding of rule of law is at risk.
” More than 78,400 people with COVID-19 have died in the United States and more than 1.3 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest estimates from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University .
Obama ’ s comments came during a Friday call with 3,000 members of the Obama Alumni Association , people who served in his administration .
Obama urged his supporters to back his former vice president , Joe Biden , who is trying to unseat Trump in the Nov. 3 election .
“ What we ’ re fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish , being tribal , being divided , and seeing others as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impulse in American life .
And by the way , we ’ re seeing that internationally as well .
It ’ s part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty , ” Obama said , according to Yahoo News .
“ It would have been bad even with the best of governments .
It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset — of ‘ what ’ s in it for me ’ and ‘ to heck with everybody else ’ — when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
Trump has consistently defended and boasted of his response to the virus , saying that travel restrictions from China and Europe as well as social distancing guidelines have prevented far greater damage .
“ I think we saved millions of lives , ” he said earlier this week .
Trump has criticized the Obama administration in relation to his own administration ’ s response to the outbreak .
Yet Trump ’ s contention that his administration inherited “ a broken system and a broken test ” from Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus did not exist until late last year .
In fact , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention struggled to develop its own test in January and then discovered problems in its kits in February .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not mention Obama directly in her response to his remarks .
“ President Trump ’ s coronavirus response has been unprecedented and saved American lives , ” she said .
“ While Democrats were pursuing a sham witch hunt against President Trump , President Trump was shutting down travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While Democrats encouraged mass gatherings , President Trump was deploying PPE , ventilators , and testing across the country .
”

WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama harshly criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as an “absolute chaotic disaster” during a conversation with ex-members of his administration, according to a recording obtained by Yahoo News.
Obama also reacted to the Justice Department dropping its criminal case against Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, saying he worried that the “basic understanding of rule of law is at risk.”
More than 78,400 people with COVID-19 have died in the United States and more than 1.3 million people have tested positive, according to the latest estimates from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Obama’s comments came during a Friday call with 3,000 members of the Obama Alumni Association, people who served in his administration. Obama urged his supporters to back his former vice president, Joe Biden, who is trying to unseat Trump in the Nov. 3 election.
“What we’re fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy — that has become a stronger impulse in American life. And by the way, we’re seeing that internationally as well. It’s part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty,” Obama said, according to Yahoo News.
“It would have been bad even with the best of governments. It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset — of ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’ — when that mindset is operationalized in our government,” he said.
Trump has consistently defended and boasted of his response to the virus, saying that travel restrictions from China and Europe as well as social distancing guidelines have prevented far greater damage. “I think we saved millions of lives,” he said earlier this week.
Trump has criticized the Obama administration in relation to his own administration’s response to the outbreak. Yet Trump’s contention that his administration inherited “a broken system and a broken test” from Obama’s is false; the novel coronavirus did not exist until late last year. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention struggled to develop its own test in January and then discovered problems in its kits in February.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not mention Obama directly in her response to his remarks.
“President Trump’s coronavirus response has been unprecedented and saved American lives,” she said. “While Democrats were pursuing a sham witch hunt against President Trump, President Trump was shutting down travel from China.”
She added: “While Democrats encouraged mass gatherings, President Trump was deploying PPE, ventilators, and testing across the country.”


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--Colorado confirms 967 coronavirus deaths as testing tops 100,000 people

Colorado has recorded 967 deaths from the new coronavirus as more than 100,000 people have now been tested for COVID-19 , state health officials said Saturday .
There have been 3,623 people hospitalized since the outbreak was first confirmed in the state in March , but only 586 people were in Colorado hospitals with symptoms of the illness as of Friday afternoon , state data shows .
At least 65 people since Friday either went home or were transferred to a lower level of care , like a rehabilitation facility .
More than 19,300 people have tested positive for or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly infectious respiratory illness causes by the virus — though health officials have said the true number is likely far higher .
Officials recorded more than 4,700 tests on Friday as the state ramps up its capabilities to better track the virus .
The testing rate — 82.7 tests per 100,000 people per day — is significantly higher than totals from earlier in the week but not quite the 152-per-100,000 daily number pegged by health experts as necessary to safely monitor the outbreak .
Much of the testing has been focused on senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials have confirmed outbreaks at 188 facilities across the state , four more than the previous day .
The state health department announces new totals daily of coronavirus deaths and confirmed cases based on what ’ s reported up from Colorado ’ s counties ; though the deaths and positive test results may be announced on a particular day , they may have occurred any time in the past and are just now being reported to the state .

Colorado has recorded 967 deaths from the new coronavirus as more than 100,000 people have now been tested for COVID-19, state health officials said Saturday.
There have been 3,623 people hospitalized since the outbreak was first confirmed in the state in March, but only 586 people were in Colorado hospitals with symptoms of the illness as of Friday afternoon, state data shows. At least 65 people since Friday either went home or were transferred to a lower level of care, like a rehabilitation facility.
More than 19,300 people have tested positive for or are believed to have COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory illness causes by the virus — though health officials have said the true number is likely far higher.
Officials recorded more than 4,700 tests on Friday as the state ramps up its capabilities to better track the virus. The testing rate — 82.7 tests per 100,000 people per day — is significantly higher than totals from earlier in the week but not quite the 152-per-100,000 daily number pegged by health experts as necessary to safely monitor the outbreak.
Much of the testing has been focused on senior living facilities and other care homes. Officials have confirmed outbreaks at 188 facilities across the state, four more than the previous day.
The state health department announces new totals daily of coronavirus deaths and confirmed cases based on what’s reported up from Colorado’s counties; though the deaths and positive test results may be announced on a particular day, they may have occurred any time in the past and are just now being reported to the state.


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--Tesla CEO Elon Musk threatens to exit California over virus restrictions

Tesla CEO Elon Musk threatened Saturday to pull the company ’ s factory and headquarters out of California in an escalating spat with local officials who have stopped the company from reopening its electric vehicle factory .
On Twitter , Musk also threatened to sue over Alameda County Health Department coronavirus restrictions that have stopped Tesla from restarting production its factory in Fremont south of San Francisco .
“ Frankly , this is the final straw , ” he tweeted .
“ Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately.
” He wrote that whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how Tesla is treated in the future .
Musk has been ranting about the stay-home order since the company ’ s April 29 first-quarter earnings were released , calling the restrictions fascist and urging governments to stop taking people ’ s freedom .
An order in the six-county San Francisco Bay Area forced Tesla to close the Fremont plant starting March 23 to help prevent the virus ’ spread , and it was extended until the end of May .
Public health experts say the orders have reduced the number of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom allowed the Bay Area counties to continue restrictions while easing them in other areas of the state , Emails seeking comments Saturday from Alameda County ’ s public health officer and Newsom have not been returned .
On Friday , the Alameda County Public Health Department said it told Tesla that it did not meet conditions for a business to reopen .
“ The Bay Area started with a higher disease burden than the rest of the state , which may mean tighter restrictions than the rest of the state for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
“ Restoring all daily activities too soon risks a rapid spike in cases and would jeopardize the relative stability we ’ ve seen in our health and hospital systems.
” Despite the threat , it would be costly and difficult for Musk to quickly shift production from Fremont to another building in Texas or Nevada .
The Fremont facility , which was formerly run jointly by General Motors and Toyota , currently is Tesla ’ s only U.S. vehicle assembly plant , and the company would lose critical production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move equipment .
“ Moving away from Fremont would take at least 12 to 18 months and could add risk to the manufacturing and logistics process in the meantime , ” Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a note to investors .
But Musk plans another U.S. factory to increase output , possibly in Texas , and could move production once that plant is up and running .
For the moment , the continued closure of Fremont is costing the company revenue .
On a conference call last month , Musk said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Fremont facility produces the majority of its vehicles .
“ We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area , and that should be identified as a serious risk , ” he said .
The coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people .
But it has killed more than 77,000 people in the U.S. , with the death toll rising .
Ives wrote that there ’ s now a high-stakes poker game between Musk and county officials — and Musk showed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the courts and the response from Alameda County and potentially California state officials.
” Musk ’ s tweets come as competing automakers are starting to reopen factories in the U.S. Toyota will restart production on Monday , while General Motors , Ford and Fiat Chrysler all plan to restart their plants gradually on May 18 .
Tesla is the only major automaker with a factory in California .
Musk ’ s threats came after a series of bizarre tweets earlier this month including one that said Tesla ’ s stock price was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. national anthem and wrote that he would sell his houses and other possessions .
Michael Liedtke and Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this report .

Tesla CEO Elon Musk threatened Saturday to pull the company’s factory and headquarters out of California in an escalating spat with local officials who have stopped the company from reopening its electric vehicle factory.
On Twitter, Musk also threatened to sue over Alameda County Health Department coronavirus restrictions that have stopped Tesla from restarting production its factory in Fremont south of San Francisco.
“Frankly, this is the final straw,” he tweeted. “Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately.”
He wrote that whether the company keeps any manufacturing in Fremont depends on how Tesla is treated in the future.
Musk has been ranting about the stay-home order since the company’s April 29 first-quarter earnings were released, calling the restrictions fascist and urging governments to stop taking people’s freedom.
An order in the six-county San Francisco Bay Area forced Tesla to close the Fremont plant starting March 23 to help prevent the virus’ spread, and it was extended until the end of May. Public health experts say the orders have reduced the number of new coronavirus cases nationwide. California Gov. Gavin Newsom allowed the Bay Area counties to continue restrictions while easing them in other areas of the state,
Emails seeking comments Saturday from Alameda County’s public health officer and Newsom have not been returned.
On Friday, the Alameda County Public Health Department said it told Tesla that it did not meet conditions for a business to reopen. “The Bay Area started with a higher disease burden than the rest of the state, which may mean tighter restrictions than the rest of the state for some time,” the department said in a statement. “Restoring all daily activities too soon risks a rapid spike in cases and would jeopardize the relative stability we’ve seen in our health and hospital systems.”
Despite the threat, it would be costly and difficult for Musk to quickly shift production from Fremont to another building in Texas or Nevada. The Fremont facility, which was formerly run jointly by General Motors and Toyota, currently is Tesla’s only U.S. vehicle assembly plant, and the company would lose critical production if it shut the plant down to move equipment.
“Moving away from Fremont would take at least 12 to 18 months and could add risk to the manufacturing and logistics process in the meantime,” Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a note to investors.
But Musk plans another U.S. factory to increase output, possibly in Texas, and could move production once that plant is up and running.
For the moment, the continued closure of Fremont is costing the company revenue. On a conference call last month, Musk said the company only has two auto plants, and the Fremont facility produces the majority of its vehicles. “We are a bit worried about not being able to resume production in the Bay Area, and that should be identified as a serious risk,” he said.
The coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. But it has killed more than 77,000 people in the U.S., with the death toll rising.
Ives wrote that there’s now a high-stakes poker game between Musk and county officials — and Musk showed his cards. “Now all eyes move to the courts and the response from Alameda County and potentially California state officials.”
Musk’s tweets come as competing automakers are starting to reopen factories in the U.S. Toyota will restart production on Monday, while General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler all plan to restart their plants gradually on May 18. Tesla is the only major automaker with a factory in California.
Musk’s threats came after a series of bizarre tweets earlier this month including one that said Tesla’s stock price was too high. Musk also posted parts of the U.S. national anthem and wrote that he would sell his houses and other possessions.
___
Michael Liedtke and Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--UFC 249 live blog: Real-time updates from the Justin Gaethje-Tony Ferguson fight night

UFC 249 is taking place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville , Florida , and there are several @ @ @ @ @ are competing .
Here 's a primer on who they are and what they 're @ @ @

Digital sports strategist for The Denver Post. Previously he was the online prep sports editor. Prior to that, he covered Adams County and Aurora in the YourHub section. He also writes about beer, professional wrestling and video games.


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--“It’s really uncharted territory”: Denver customers, businesses figure out new normal as stores reop

“It’s really uncharted territory”: Denver customers, businesses figure out new normal as stores reopen

Calli Swofford woke up with mixed emotions Saturday , the first day in nearly two months that she ’ d be opening up her home goods shop off Tennyson Street to foot traffic after Denver ’ s stay-at-home order expired .
The small business owner was excited to welcome back customers , but also a little nervous as she sought to make shoppers feel safe while they perused her homey Miller Lane Mercantile store in Berkeley .
“ It ’ s really uncharted territory , ” Swofford said outside her store , a mask covering her nose and mouth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that.
” Business owners around the Denver metro area tentatively opened their doors Saturday , dipping their toes in the water to see if the public would be ready to frequent their stores after two months of mostly staying at home .
The first day of reopening brought a small number of shoppers out as owners try to determine what their hours should be moving forward and how they might need to adjust operations to fit the new normal .
With the air crisp and the sun shining , residents walked along Tennyson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into businesses , grabbing take-out coffees and walking their dogs .
Terri Beaton sat near the checkout counter inside Blush , a boutique clothing store , as she caught up with store owner Christy Rosen .
Beaton , clad in a green mask Saturday , has been a loyal customer for 16 years , and stopped by to pick up a Mother ’ s Day present and chat with her friend .
“ I love this store , and I ’ m here to support them , ” she said .
Rosen said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only starting Monday but wanted to open the doors to all Saturday to see if people would show up .
“ We ’ re taking it one day at a time , ” she said .
Next door , owner Liana Hill stood outside her women ’ s clothing store , Dona Forta , chatting with Swofford from a safe 6-foot distance .
Hill has been limiting customers to one or two at a time inside her small shop , having them bag their own merchandise to keep everything hands-free .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide how I feel , ” she said , adding that she plans to still offer online ordering and curbside pickup for those not ready to venture into the store themselves .
“ I really love having a store and helping people feel great , ” Hill said .
A block down Tennyson Street , Case Newsom bounded out of the Spruce Barbershop with a fresh , clean cut .
“ It ’ s been four months since my last real haircut , ” Newsom said , adding that he had to buzz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed in March .
“ It feels amazing.
” As Newsom was getting his own hair cut , his dog was getting a trim down the street .
Businesses on Saturday reported a range in their level of patronage .
Adam Baker , a manager at Certified Tattoo Studios on South Broadway , said the first day back had plenty of people wanting new ink , while a representative with Floyd ’ s 99 downtown said the barbershop didn ’ t have a free slot all day .
Elizabeth Reinig made four quick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened her Cherry Creek clothing store , Your Best Friend ’ s Closet , but was still waiting to see how the rest of the day would go .
“ It ’ s really tentative , ” she said .
“ It ’ s really weird .
”

Calli Swofford woke up with mixed emotions Saturday, the first day in nearly two months that she’d be opening up her home goods shop off Tennyson Street to foot traffic after Denver’s stay-at-home order expired.
The small business owner was excited to welcome back customers, but also a little nervous as she sought to make shoppers feel safe while they perused her homey Miller Lane Mercantile store in Berkeley.
“It’s really uncharted territory,” Swofford said outside her store, a mask covering her nose and mouth. “Everyone is feeling the weight of that.”
Business owners around the Denver metro area tentatively opened their doors Saturday, dipping their toes in the water to see if the public would be ready to frequent their stores after two months of mostly staying at home. The first day of reopening brought a small number of shoppers out as owners try to determine what their hours should be moving forward and how they might need to adjust operations to fit the new normal.
With the air crisp and the sun shining, residents walked along Tennyson Street in Berkeley, poking their heads into businesses, grabbing take-out coffees and walking their dogs.
Terri Beaton sat near the checkout counter inside Blush, a boutique clothing store, as she caught up with store owner Christy Rosen.
Beaton, clad in a green mask Saturday, has been a loyal customer for 16 years, and stopped by to pick up a Mother’s Day present and chat with her friend.
“I love this store, and I’m here to support them,” she said.
Rosen said she plans to welcome customers by appointment only starting Monday but wanted to open the doors to all Saturday to see if people would show up.
“We’re taking it one day at a time,” she said.
Next door, owner Liana Hill stood outside her women’s clothing store, Dona Forta, chatting with Swofford from a safe 6-foot distance.
Hill has been limiting customers to one or two at a time inside her small shop, having them bag their own merchandise to keep everything hands-free.
“I just wanted to try it out and decide how I feel,” she said, adding that she plans to still offer online ordering and curbside pickup for those not ready to venture into the store themselves.
“I really love having a store and helping people feel great,” Hill said.
A block down Tennyson Street, Case Newsom bounded out of the Spruce Barbershop with a fresh, clean cut.
“It’s been four months since my last real haircut,” Newsom said, adding that he had to buzz his own head when all the businesses closed in March. “It feels amazing.”
As Newsom was getting his own hair cut, his dog was getting a trim down the street.
Businesses on Saturday reported a range in their level of patronage.
Adam Baker, a manager at Certified Tattoo Studios on South Broadway, said the first day back had plenty of people wanting new ink, while a representative with Floyd’s 99 downtown said the barbershop didn’t have a free slot all day.
Elizabeth Reinig made four quick sales to loyal customers Saturday when she opened her Cherry Creek clothing store, Your Best Friend’s Closet, but was still waiting to see how the rest of the day would go.
“It’s really tentative,” she said. “It’s really weird.”


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--Amber Alert cancelled for 3-year-old girl in El Paso County who has been found safe, suspect in cust

Amber Alert cancelled for 3-year-old girl in El Paso County who has been found safe, suspect in custody

Authorities issued an Amber Alert on Saturday for a 3-year-old girl in El Paso County , southeast of Colorado Springs @ @ @ @ @ eyes and hair and was believed to be with Ricky Trujillo , 53 , in @ @ @ @ @ with license plate AGA013 , the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said .
Camele has been @ @ @ @ @ Authorities have a suspect in custody .

Authorities issued an Amber Alert on Saturday for a 3-year-old girl in El Paso County, southeast of Colorado Springs.
Savannah Camele has brown eyes and hair and was believed to be with Ricky Trujillo, 53, in a 2006 white Ford Explorer with license plate AGA013, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.
Camele has been located and is safe. Authorities have a suspect in custody.


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--Woman shot, killed in East Colfax neighborhood

Police are searching for suspects after a woman was shot and killed Saturday in Denver ’ s East Colfax neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ an alley near the 1400 block of North Verbena and North Valentia Streets , Denver @ @ @ @ @ woman , who has not been identified , was transported to a hospital in critical @ @ @ @ @ her injuries , police said .
The investigation into the circumstances and any suspects is @ @ @ @ @ Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 .

Police are searching for suspects after a woman was shot and killed Saturday in Denver’s East Colfax neighborhood.
The shooting occurred in an alley near the 1400 block of North Verbena and North Valentia Streets, Denver police tweeted.
The adult woman, who has not been identified, was transported to a hospital in critical condition; she died from her injuries, police said.
The investigation into the circumstances and any suspects is ongoing, police tweeted. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.


thedenverpost--2020-05-09--Frost Advisory for northeast Colorado

Frost Advisory for northeast Colorado

The National Weather Service in Goodland , Kansas has issued a Frost Advisory for northeast Colorado , western Kansas and @ @ @ @ @ early Sunday morning are expected to fall into the lower 30s .
Between 3 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ damage sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered , the weather service warned .

The National Weather Service in Goodland, Kansas has issued a Frost Advisory for northeast Colorado, western Kansas and southwest Nebraska.
Temperatures on early Sunday morning are expected to fall into the lower 30s.
Between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. frost may damage sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered, the weather service warned.


thedenverpost--2020-05-10--Madrid: What can you do for the mothers on the margins?

Mothers are like vessels .
They are the containers that carry , grow and feed us .
They pour into us unconditionally .
But it seems we ’ ve depleted them for far too long or forgotten them as a source of life and love .
This is why it feels like we can never find the right gifts for moms .
Cards , flowers and chocolates fall short .
It ’ s because the emotional , physical and mental labor mothers do for our families and communities does not compare to material gifts .
This Mother ’ s Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with action .
It ’ s time we recognize the mothers we have forgotten .
Especially the mothers at the margins who deserve more action from us all because we ’ ve failed them as a society .
First are the moms who will experience this day with the deep absence of one of their beloveds .
Just here in Denver , I think of mothers whose children have been taken by deadly violence .
Sonia Laura Hernandez and her child Jessie Hernandez .
April Sanchez and her son Ryan Ronquillo .
Lynne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t here to check on her during this pandemic .
Across the nation most recently in Georgia , Wanda Cooper Jones grieves her son Ahmaud Arbery , who was killed for jogging while black .
He would have turned 26 years old on May 8th .
This weekend his family celebrated both Mother ’ s Day and his birthday .
What about the countless mothers who will look across their children ’ s faces and recall the near-misses ?
Flashbacks of dressing their wounds with prayers dripping from their mouths , enduring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at bay .
How about the women impacted by violence themselves ?
Mothers who ’ ve survived intimate partner violence .
Or those who haven ’ t and those who could have been mothers .
Like so many murdered and missing indigenous women and girls across the nation .
This includes transwomen who have been murdered and robbed of being mothers to their blood and chosen children .
Women like Angie Zapata , who would have been 30 years old if she weren ’ t brutally killed in 2008 .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has endured Mother ’ s Day without her smile .
Today , we must remember mothers who are incarcerated or detained and separated from their families .
Those who instead of holding onto the warm bodies of their loved ones , grasp cold bars .
We remember disabled mothers who , instead of receiving support , the courts have taken their children into custody .
And mothers who struggle with addictions and those experiencing homelessness .
We remember foster and adoptive moms who give shelter and love , turning strangers into family .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are infertile and dream of children .
And mothers who make the decision to abort .
Mothers who survive difficult births and those that don ’ t because of implicit biases in the medical system .
The mothers who are nurses and healthcare workers .
And mothers who have died during this pandemic .
We remember them too .
Mothers who are single , juggling two jobs and parenting idle anxious children at home .
Mothers who have to choose between caring for sick family members or keeping their jobs .
Mothers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose children are laborious projects , lesson plans and other people ’ s birth children .
Moms that have hundreds of students they affectionately call their kids .
Like Sam Varra , a science and language arts teacher I had once who juggled graduate school and taught us fungi jokes .
And the mother we all share , mother earth .
This year she ’ s receiving a global rest , her skies and waters are clearing even momentarily .
This isn ’ t an over-victimization of mothers .
The attempt here is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how we are implicit in the violence that occurs to mothers .
The acute and chronic trauma enacted on the bodies and psyches of the people who mother and are caregivers .
This chronic trauma comes from the devaluing , silencing and minimizing of the emotional and physical labor they provide .
Let us support mothers by taking on chores , work and labor defaulted to them not just today but always .
Let ’ s support legislation that centers the needs of mothers including worker protections and autonomy of their medical decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mothers with our actions , not with material gifts for one day .
Waffles and flowers on Sunday morning are great .
But a commitment to dismantle imbalances of gender roles is the gift all mothers deserve .
Mimi Madrid is a Denver-raised writer who works as a communications content writer at a non-profit providing nursing care for new mothers and has worked in non-profits serving youth , LGBTQ survivors of violence and Latinx communities .
To send a letter to the editor about this article , submit online or check out our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or mail .

Mothers are like vessels. They are the containers that carry, grow and feed us. They pour into us unconditionally. But it seems we’ve depleted them for far too long or forgotten them as a source of life and love.
This is why it feels like we can never find the right gifts for moms. Cards, flowers and chocolates fall short. It’s because the emotional, physical and mental labor mothers do for our families and communities does not compare to material gifts.
This Mother’s Day is a perfect time to replenish them with action. It’s time we recognize the mothers we have forgotten. Especially the mothers at the margins who deserve more action from us all because we’ve failed them as a society.
First are the moms who will experience this day with the deep absence of one of their beloveds. Just here in Denver, I think of mothers whose children have been taken by deadly violence.
Sonia Laura Hernandez and her child Jessie Hernandez. April Sanchez and her son Ryan Ronquillo. Lynne Eaglefeather, whose son Paul Castaway isn’t here to check on her during this pandemic.
Across the nation most recently in Georgia, Wanda Cooper Jones grieves her son Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed for jogging while black. He would have turned 26 years old on May 8th. This weekend his family celebrated both Mother’s Day and his birthday.
What about the countless mothers who will look across their children’s faces and recall the near-misses? Flashbacks of dressing their wounds with prayers dripping from their mouths, enduring rage and keeping the “what-ifs” at bay.
How about the women impacted by violence themselves? Mothers who’ve survived intimate partner violence. Or those who haven’t and those who could have been mothers. Like so many murdered and missing indigenous women and girls across the nation.
This includes transwomen who have been murdered and robbed of being mothers to their blood and chosen children. Women like Angie Zapata, who would have been 30 years old if she weren’t brutally killed in 2008. It’s been 12 years since the Zapata family has endured Mother’s Day without her smile.
Today, we must remember mothers who are incarcerated or detained and separated from their families. Those who instead of holding onto the warm bodies of their loved ones, grasp cold bars.
We remember disabled mothers who, instead of receiving support, the courts have taken their children into custody. And mothers who struggle with addictions and those experiencing homelessness. We remember foster and adoptive moms who give shelter and love, turning strangers into family.
Mothers who have had miscarriages. Mothers who are infertile and dream of children. And mothers who make the decision to abort. Mothers who survive difficult births and those that don’t because of implicit biases in the medical system.
The mothers who are nurses and healthcare workers. And mothers who have died during this pandemic. We remember them too.
Mothers who are single, juggling two jobs and parenting idle anxious children at home. Mothers who have to choose between caring for sick family members or keeping their jobs.
Mothers who are gender non-binary.
Mothers who are creatives, healers and educators whose children are laborious projects, lesson plans and other people’s birth children. Moms that have hundreds of students they affectionately call their kids. Like Sam Varra, a science and language arts teacher I had once who juggled graduate school and taught us fungi jokes.
And the mother we all share, mother earth. This year she’s receiving a global rest, her skies and waters are clearing even momentarily.
This isn’t an over-victimization of mothers. The attempt here is for us all to take note of how we are implicit in the violence that occurs to mothers. The acute and chronic trauma enacted on the bodies and psyches of the people who mother and are caregivers.
This chronic trauma comes from the devaluing, silencing and minimizing of the emotional and physical labor they provide.
Let us support mothers by taking on chores, work and labor defaulted to them not just today but always. Let’s support legislation that centers the needs of mothers including worker protections and autonomy of their medical decisions.
Let’s pour back into mothers with our actions, not with material gifts for one day.
Waffles and flowers on Sunday morning are great. But a commitment to dismantle imbalances of gender roles is the gift all mothers deserve.
Mimi Madrid is a Denver-raised writer who works as a communications content writer at a non-profit providing nursing care for new mothers and has worked in non-profits serving youth, LGBTQ survivors of violence and Latinx communities.
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--2020-05-10--Q&A: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on “safer at home,” coronavirus deaths and skiing timeline

In the time that ’ s passed since April 2 , when Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis last sat for an interview with The Denver Post , at least 961 people have died from the new coronavirus and 18,801 people have tested positive for it , according to the state .
Polis has also lifted the statewide stay-at-home order in an effort to begin reopening the economy .
Recall that Polis was reluctant to issue that stay-at-home order in the first place , compared to metro area mayors and state lawmakers who ’ d been calling for that step for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also much quicker to reopen — albeit only partially — the state ’ s economy than his peer Democrats in other states .
He now says he thinks Colorado ’ s coronavirus peak may have already passed .
Last month , state experts predicted the peak would fall as early as May 8 and as late as September .
The following conversation took place on May 7 and has been edited for brevity and clarity .
It was two months ago this week that you announced the first known cases of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the state has gotten right , and what do you wish the state had done differently ?
Well , I think we acted early enough to prevent mass casualties like occurred in New York , to prevent our hospital system from being overwhelmed , and we were able to meet the medical needs of people who were infected , and stop the exponential curve in cases .
At the same time , very early on we got together our economic recovery team , chaired by Federico Peña , a bipartisan team that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that really has been very helpful in helping to make sure we can recover economically from the aftereffects of this public health crisis , which is likely to be with us for weeks and months to come .
I always wish I had tomorrow ’ s information today , and next week ’ s information this week , but that ’ s not going to be the world we live in .
Jill Hunsaker Ryan , the director of the state health department , said on April 6 , “ We are certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do you feel certain of that , at this point ?
If you ’ re asking if we think there ’ s a greater peak ahead , I think nobody knows that .
We certainly — this will be with us for many months to come .
It really depends on the responsible choices that the people of Colorado make , to be able to try to stay six feet from others , to limit their social contacts , to wear masks when they ’ re in public .
If Coloradans are able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haul , the peak ’ s behind us .
If Coloradans run out of patience and engage in risky behavior , it ’ s also possible the peak is ahead of us .
Do you think there are more deaths ahead of us or behind ?
I don ’ t think anybody knows at this point .
I can tell you if Coloradans succeed in social distancing , in wearing masks when they go out for the next several months , it ’ s certainly possible the peak is behind .
If people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peak could still very well be ahead .
What metrics will you be watching that would trigger a decision to reimplement measures like “ stay-at-home , ” if things go poorly under the reopening ?
The work with the increased testing … is to jump on infection outbreaks at the site level , before they spread to the community level .
I think Coloradans should expect to see specific site closures .
It could be workplaces or factories where transmission is occurring , closing down early , isolate the employees , prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becomes community-wide , there could very well be community-wide restrictions in places , and we plan to act very boldly and work with the county health departments to try to prevent any kind of statewide crisis .
One area with a huge outbreak is the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley .
It sounds like there is not a program in place to ensure testing for all their workers .
Why is this facility open at all ?
Seven people have died .
Well , they closed for 14 days , which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We wish that they facilitated the testing through the company , but we set up free testing for anybody — with symptoms , without symptoms — less than a mile from ( JBS ) and over 1,000 people came and were tested .
But generally speaking , what a site-specific lockdown would look like would mean something like a 14-day closure and testing .
Do you think it ’ s safe for JBS to be open now ?
Well , I ’ d much rather see everybody tested , but I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well over 1,000 .
That ’ s probably about a third to a quarter of their workforce that have gotten tested , roughly .
We also tested family members and others that might not work there , but well over 1,000 people were tested , and really anybody who showed up was able to get a free test .
We ’ re also seeing outbreaks in correctional facilities .
Denver ’ s jail has dozens of people with the virus .
There are hundreds of people who have it at the prison in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incarcerated people been released ?
This is happening across the country .
It ’ s not so much that the virus spreads more in a particular kind of institution , but any place with congregate living .
So , a prison , a college dormitory , a senior housing facility , shared facilities .
All of these kinds of facilities led to a quicker spread .
We quickly implemented , several weeks ago , the best protocols that we can in the prisons , consistent obviously with people keeping safe and ensuring that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s positive cases , those cells are locked down .
Would you like to see more people released , or do you feel comfortable with the efforts to this point ?
Well , people have to serve their terms .
There ’ s no question .
The parole board has been very active in people who are eligible for parole trying to process those quicker , and I think they ’ re done a good job doing that .
It ’ s been well documented that working from home is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many who are being called back into work under “ safer at home ” will be poorer and more vulnerable ?
You know , working from home is certainly a safer thing , and for those who can continue to work from home , for those who have unemployment insurance benefits , for those who have any other kind of income , they can afford to stay at home .
But for most Coloradans , there ’ s really not a — you have to be able to earn a living and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the table .
And we want to make sure there ’ s every opportunity to do that in our state , that ’ s as safe as possible .
State budget writers are working as we speak to slash billions in spending .
History suggests that the next year might be even worse for the budget , and maybe the year after that , too .
What do you think should be done , both in short and longer terms ?
The most important thing for families and for the state is just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s why we ’ ve been very thoughtful about our economic recovery efforts , that ’ s why we ’ ve delayed tax filings and done everything we can to provide more flexibility for the private sector .
I ’ ll also note there are several Colorado industries that are being hurt over a longer period of time .
Like , we don ’ t know when tourism and recreation will come back in the way it was .
There are other sectors , like manufacturing and aerospace , where it might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect that the next ski season will start on time ?
I certainly hope so , if the health condition allows it .
There are two or three areas that hope to have some limited skiing this June .
And we ’ re certainly hopeful there will be sufficient protocols … that in November , in December , people will almost certainly be able to ski , although it might not look like prior ski seasons , right ?
We don ’ t yet know if our communities in Colorado are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
The Committee to Unleash Prosperity , which is led by a former senior Trump advisor , Stephen Moore , just gave you an “ A ” grade for how you ’ ve handled the reopening of the economy .
Given your many differences with the Trump administration , I ’ m curious whether that “ A ” grade gives you any pause .
Well , I didn ’ t know that Steve Moore had done that .
He ’ s been the editor of the Wall Street Journal for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bona fide .
I think like a decade or two , that was his main work , around covering the business sector .
But , look , we ’ re thrilled to have strong work to get the economy going — among the strongest of all the states .
I ’ m also hopeful that we have good grades and good results on the health side as well .
Those are two areas every governor should be graded on , as well as the president of the United States , are the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen some coverage of Colorado ’ s reopening , particularly from national outlets , framed around you being a progressive who ’ s acting on a timeline we ’ re seeing more from Republican governors .
Do you consider yourself a progressive ?
Well , you know , I don ’ t think anything to do with the health position is conservative , progressive , moderate .
It ’ s about every governor really doing their best to look at the data in their state and make the best decisions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ running as quickly as possible .
They all want to keep people safe , and they ’ re all making the best decisions they can .
I understand that position , but is “ progressive ” a label you ’ d use for yourself ?
You know , I let others describe my work .
Many have described it as progressive .
I don ’ t label myself anything , but many folks — I was in the Progressive Caucus in Congress , I had a progressive voting record .
I mean , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t shy away from it .
I don ’ t shy away from whatever you want to call me , as long as you don ’ t call me late for dinner .
I mean , you can call me a progressive , socialist , conservative , capitalist , moderate , whatever you want .
It ’ s all in the eyes of the beholder .
You also sat on the Liberty Caucus in Congress .
Your friend there , Rep. Justin Amash , is looking seriously at running for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you consider voting for him ?
Oh , Justin is my solid second choice for president after Joe Biden .
I would much prefer him to the current president .
He ’ s a man of principle and integrity , and he ’ s a good friend .
Finally , a non sequitur : The USPS is in trouble , trying to stave off bankruptcy .
You ’ ve previously argued that the Postal Service should be privatized .
Do you still believe that ?
What , if anything , do you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
What ’ s paramount is ensuring that we have a reliable parcel and letter delivery service through the U.S .
Postal Service .
If they can raise capital on the private market , they should do that .
If they can get government funding , they should do that .
But I think nothing should be off the table in terms of preserving the institution of the U.S .
Postal Service , the critical services that they supply , as well as protecting their workers .

In the time that’s passed since April 2, when Colorado Gov. Jared Polis last sat for an interview with The Denver Post, at least 961 people have died from the new coronavirus and 18,801 people have tested positive for it, according to the state. Polis has also lifted the statewide stay-at-home order in an effort to begin reopening the economy.
Recall that Polis was reluctant to issue that stay-at-home order in the first place, compared to metro area mayors and state lawmakers who’d been calling for that step for days before Polis took it. He was also much quicker to reopen — albeit only partially — the state’s economy than his peer Democrats in other states.
He now says he thinks Colorado’s coronavirus peak may have already passed. Last month, state experts predicted the peak would fall as early as May 8 and as late as September.
The following conversation took place on May 7 and has been edited for brevity and clarity.
It was two months ago this week that you announced the first known cases of the coronavirus in Colorado. What do you think the state has gotten right, and what do you wish the state had done differently?
Well, I think we acted early enough to prevent mass casualties like occurred in New York, to prevent our hospital system from being overwhelmed, and we were able to meet the medical needs of people who were infected, and stop the exponential curve in cases. At the same time, very early on we got together our economic recovery team, chaired by Federico Peña, a bipartisan team that represents different sectors of our economy, that really has been very helpful in helping to make sure we can recover economically from the aftereffects of this public health crisis, which is likely to be with us for weeks and months to come.
I always wish I had tomorrow’s information today, and next week’s information this week, but that’s not going to be the world we live in.
Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the director of the state health department, said on April 6, “We are certain our peak has not yet hit.” Do you feel certain of that, at this point?
If you’re asking if we think there’s a greater peak ahead, I think nobody knows that. We certainly — this will be with us for many months to come. It really depends on the responsible choices that the people of Colorado make, to be able to try to stay six feet from others, to limit their social contacts, to wear masks when they’re in public. If Coloradans are able to do those things for the long haul, the peak’s behind us. If Coloradans run out of patience and engage in risky behavior, it’s also possible the peak is ahead of us.
Do you think there are more deaths ahead of us or behind?
I don’t think anybody knows at this point. I can tell you if Coloradans succeed in social distancing, in wearing masks when they go out for the next several months, it’s certainly possible the peak is behind. If people let up and stop being vigilant, the peak could still very well be ahead.
What metrics will you be watching that would trigger a decision to reimplement measures like “stay-at-home,” if things go poorly under the reopening?
The work with the increased testing … is to jump on infection outbreaks at the site level, before they spread to the community level. I think Coloradans should expect to see specific site closures. It could be workplaces or factories where transmission is occurring, closing down early, isolate the employees, prevent it from becoming community-wide. If it becomes community-wide, there could very well be community-wide restrictions in places, and we plan to act very boldly and work with the county health departments to try to prevent any kind of statewide crisis.
One area with a huge outbreak is the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley. It sounds like there is not a program in place to ensure testing for all their workers. Why is this facility open at all? Seven people have died.
Well, they closed for 14 days, which will be similar to the protocol around other outbreaks. We wish that they facilitated the testing through the company, but we set up free testing for anybody — with symptoms, without symptoms — less than a mile from (JBS) and over 1,000 people came and were tested.
But generally speaking, what a site-specific lockdown would look like would mean something like a 14-day closure and testing.
Do you think it’s safe for JBS to be open now?
Well, I’d much rather see everybody tested, but I’m glad that we’ve tested well over 1,000. That’s probably about a third to a quarter of their workforce that have gotten tested, roughly. We also tested family members and others that might not work there, but well over 1,000 people were tested, and really anybody who showed up was able to get a free test.
We’re also seeing outbreaks in correctional facilities. Denver’s jail has dozens of people with the virus. There are hundreds of people who have it at the prison in Sterling. Why haven’t more incarcerated people been released?
This is happening across the country. It’s not so much that the virus spreads more in a particular kind of institution, but any place with congregate living. So, a prison, a college dormitory, a senior housing facility, shared facilities. All of these kinds of facilities led to a quicker spread. We quickly implemented, several weeks ago, the best protocols that we can in the prisons, consistent obviously with people keeping safe and ensuring that justice is carried out, meaning when there’s positive cases, those cells are locked down.
Would you like to see more people released, or do you feel comfortable with the efforts to this point?
Well, people have to serve their terms. There’s no question. The parole board has been very active in people who are eligible for parole trying to process those quicker, and I think they’re done a good job doing that.
It’s been well documented that working from home is an economic privilege. Does it worry you that many who are being called back into work under “safer at home” will be poorer and more vulnerable?
You know, working from home is certainly a safer thing, and for those who can continue to work from home, for those who have unemployment insurance benefits, for those who have any other kind of income, they can afford to stay at home. But for most Coloradans, there’s really not a — you have to be able to earn a living and pay your rent and put food on the table. And we want to make sure there’s every opportunity to do that in our state, that’s as safe as possible.
State budget writers are working as we speak to slash billions in spending. History suggests that the next year might be even worse for the budget, and maybe the year after that, too. What do you think should be done, both in short and longer terms?
The most important thing for families and for the state is just to get the economy going. That’s why we’ve been very thoughtful about our economic recovery efforts, that’s why we’ve delayed tax filings and done everything we can to provide more flexibility for the private sector. I’ll also note there are several Colorado industries that are being hurt over a longer period of time. Like, we don’t know when tourism and recreation will come back in the way it was. There are other sectors, like manufacturing and aerospace, where it might be a shorter-term hit.
Do you expect that the next ski season will start on time?
I certainly hope so, if the health condition allows it. There are two or three areas that hope to have some limited skiing this June. And we’re certainly hopeful there will be sufficient protocols … that in November, in December, people will almost certainly be able to ski, although it might not look like prior ski seasons, right? We don’t yet know if our communities in Colorado are going to be able to welcome visitors from across the world.
The Committee to Unleash Prosperity, which is led by a former senior Trump advisor, Stephen Moore, just gave you an “A” grade for how you’ve handled the reopening of the economy. Given your many differences with the Trump administration, I’m curious whether that “A” grade gives you any pause.
Well, I didn’t know that Steve Moore had done that. He’s been the editor of the Wall Street Journal for many years. That’s his main bona fide. I think like a decade or two, that was his main work, around covering the business sector.
(Editor’s note: Moore has written for the Journal and served on its editorial board, but was not the paper’s editor.)
But, look, we’re thrilled to have strong work to get the economy going — among the strongest of all the states. I’m also hopeful that we have good grades and good results on the health side as well. Those are two areas every governor should be graded on, as well as the president of the United States, are the health response and the economic response.
I’ve seen some coverage of Colorado’s reopening, particularly from national outlets, framed around you being a progressive who’s acting on a timeline we’re seeing more from Republican governors. Do you consider yourself a progressive?
Well, you know, I don’t think anything to do with the health position is conservative, progressive, moderate. It’s about every governor really doing their best to look at the data in their state and make the best decisions. Progressives, conservatives all want the economy running as quickly as possible. They all want to keep people safe, and they’re all making the best decisions they can.
I understand that position, but is “progressive” a label you’d use for yourself?
You know, I let others describe my work. Many have described it as progressive. I don’t label myself anything, but many folks — I was in the Progressive Caucus in Congress, I had a progressive voting record. I mean, many folks have called me that. I don’t shy away from it. I don’t shy away from whatever you want to call me, as long as you don’t call me late for dinner. I mean, you can call me a progressive, socialist, conservative, capitalist, moderate, whatever you want. It’s all in the eyes of the beholder.
You also sat on the Liberty Caucus in Congress. Your friend there, Rep. Justin Amash, is looking seriously at running for president as a libertarian candidate. Would you consider voting for him?
Oh, Justin is my solid second choice for president after Joe Biden. I would much prefer him to the current president. He’s a man of principle and integrity, and he’s a good friend.
Finally, a non sequitur: The USPS is in trouble, trying to stave off bankruptcy. You’ve previously argued that the Postal Service should be privatized. Do you still believe that? What, if anything, do you think should be done now to rescue it?
What’s paramount is ensuring that we have a reliable parcel and letter delivery service through the U.S. Postal Service. If they can raise capital on the private market, they should do that. If they can get government funding, they should do that. But I think nothing should be off the table in terms of preserving the institution of the U.S. Postal Service, the critical services that they supply, as well as protecting their workers.
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thedenverpost--2020-05-10--As coronavirus upends funerals in Colorado and elsewhere, there’s hope the pandemic will spur openne

As coronavirus upends funerals in Colorado and elsewhere, there’s hope the pandemic will spur openness about grief

She walked to the front of the columbarium at the Denver cemetery , clasping her hands in front of her body .
Behind her , the other mourners kept their distance from one another .
Their expressions , including hers , were concealed by the masks partially covering their faces .
Susie Mannis Sigman was at Fort Logan National Cemetery on a Friday earlier this month to say a final farewell to her mother , Barbara Mannis , who had died unexpectedly the week before .
Sigman peered down at the iPad on the tripod in front of her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her siblings , children , nephews and nieces on the screen .
There they were , with her , from their homes — watching livestreamed video via Zoom .
The coronavirus pandemic began its march across the country more than four months ago , and even though Sigman ’ s mother didn ’ t die from the COVID-19 respiratory disease , it prevented loved ones from joining her in Denver for the funeral .
Now , Sigman thought , she felt connected to them .
“ If it had to be done this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are in , at least I had some companionship , ” she recalled thinking at the time .
Grief , which already can be an isolating experience , has become an even more lonely act as people are forced to mourn without family and friends physically beside them .
Yet the pandemic is pushing death into the forefront of society as nearly a thousand Coloradans have been lost to the new coronavirus and funerals are being altered or postponed because of the social-distancing measures implemented to stem COVID-19 ’ s spread .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that mental health experts , religious leaders and others hope the pandemic will change how Americans approach grief , paving the way for people to talk more openly about the difficult emotions that come with losing loved ones .
“ This communal experience that we are all going through at one level or another is forcing us to have conversations that we have not been willing to have in the past , ” said Micki Burns , chief clinical officer of Judi ’ s House , a Denver organization that provides care to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic is causing people to experience many different forms of grief .
Society is collectively grieving the loss of a way of life as people are ordered to stay home .
Individuals also are confronting the loss of their jobs as measures put in place to slow the transmission of the coronavirus have taken a dire economic toll .
Then there are those who are facing the ultimate loss , as more than 75,000 Americans have died from the new coronavirus .
Because of the contagious nature of the disease , most people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either with or without COVID-19 — are doing so alone .
Their loved ones are left to mourn on their own .
In all of this , Rabbi Rick Rheins said , is the loss of human connection .
“ We gain strength from one another with our human physical contact , ” said Rheins , senior rabbi at Denver ’ s Temple Sinai .
He added , “ We can express with a simple hug and a gesture of acknowledgement face to face volumes more than words are capable of .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mannis ’ service , life outside the cemetery seemed to keep churning as it once did before the outbreak .
Lines snaked around Starbucks and McDonald ’ s drive-thrus .
Golfers were hitting balls down the fairway of a nearby course .
But here , inside its gates , the pandemic has upended rituals humans have used for centuries to mourn their dead .
When Sigman and her four friends arrived at Fort Logan National Cemetery for the service , a pair of mourners sought to comfort one another with a hug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing .
So they wrapped their arms around themselves instead .
In late April , Barbara Mannis began experiencing symptoms similar to COVID-19 .
Her body ached .
She was fatigued .
She had shortness of breath .
The 83-year-old didn ’ t want to go to the hospital , so she scheduled a telehealth visit with her doctor .
Then one day Mannis , who lived in Arizona , walked out to her car and found herself so out of breath that she had to sit down in the backseat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ call 911 .
Soon she was on her way to the hospital .
Mannis was born on Feb. 4 , 1937 , in Cleveland , Ohio .
After graduating from Shaker Heights High School , she attended the University of Michigan but left after one semester .
“ She took a detour for love and married the love of her life , Burt , ” the family wrote in her obituary .
( She eventually went back to school and got a teaching degree from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Michael Mannis , Judy Goldberg and Sigman .
The family moved to Florida in 1976 and then to Arizona six years later .
Although they did not live in Denver , the Mannises were members of Temple Emanuel and every year they drove to Colorado for Rosh Hashanah .
Because they formed a community here , Sigman said , the couple decided Fort Logan National Cemetery would be their final resting place .
Burt Mannis died in 2019 at age 86 .
At the hospital , doctors tested Mannis for COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She received a different diagnosis : leukemia .
Then , still in the hospital , Mannis had a heart attack .
Goldberg , who had traveled to Arizona to be with her mother , got a call in the middle of the night to come to the hospital .
Once there , Sigman recalled , Goldberg called her siblings using FaceTime so they could see their mother one last time .
On the video , Mannis apologized to her children .
“ I ’ ll miss you every day , ” Sigman told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Sigman , 55 , recalled .
“ It was such a strong , organic kind of feeling to know I ’ m about to lose my mother .
Yet it ’ s a memory that I never want to lose.
” On May 1 , as the memorial service for Mannis began , Rabbi Joesph Black turned to her three adult children who were out of sight on the Zoom video and asked them to tear a piece of fabric or ribbon .
The service at the cemetery had ended a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined by friends and others in the community , gathered together from their individual homes via Zoom for the memorial .
Keriah — or tearing — is one of the rituals mourners participate in during a Jewish service .
The ritual , Black told those on the video stream , occurs because humans are “ physical beings ” who need to do something physical to express their grief .
It is symbolic , he said , of the tear in the family after the death of a loved one .
And it reflects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sigman ’ s and her siblings ’ status .
Now they are mourners and the community must take care of them .
But how mourners are comforted is changing under social distancing .
Instead of bringing food and visiting someone , casseroles are left at the doors of the bereaved .
For many , including Sigman , the week-long mourning period in Judaism called shiva is taking place via video-conferencing .
Cemeteries and mortuaries are still seeing a steady of number of deaths during the pandemic , and at Seven Stones cemetery in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in pre-planning for funerals , said Becky Holm , director of customer care .
But as funerals are limited to 10 people under social-distancing guidelines , many people are having loved ones cremated and waiting until later to hold celebration-of-life ceremonies .
Others are going ahead with the ceremonies , but filming or livestreaming the services for those who can ’ t be there , she said .
“ People are going to find a way to grieve the loss of their loved one no matter the parameters that are placed on them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , the fast-paced nature of life was such that it was easy to get pulled away from the rituals that come after someone dies , including in the way people comfort the bereaved .
Instead of bringing someone food and helping them through a loss , Rheins said , someone might just send flowers or a card because they were busy .
The pandemic , he said , could change this as people realize how much they miss physically being with their friends and families .
“ It most certainly will make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ People are sort of tired of just hearing the words.
” As so many people are experiencing some form of grief , it ’ s also likely there will be more compassion for those grieving , Black , with Temple Emanuel , later said .
“ The uniqueness of the experience will somehow be lessened because so many others will be dealing with it , ” he said .
In a society that doesn ’ t like to talk about death and grief , funerals and other rituals help people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come with the loss of a loved one , said Jamie Sarche , director of pre-planning for Feldman Mortuary .
“ It ’ s hard to process things that we don ’ t have language for , ” she said .
“ And death is something we don ’ t have a language for .
It helps us have a context with what we are experiencing.
” Having a space for this is important , she said , because grief , despite its presence in everyone ’ s life , is not always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not talking about it vary , according to experts , but they include fears of our own mortality .
“ We live in a society that says don ’ t talk about grief , ” Sarche said .
“ Don ’ t talk about death .
We would like people to be better immediately.
” As these funerals and other events get postponed or shortened because of the pandemic , Sarche said , there is a concern that more people will experience complicated grief , which occurs when the normal and intense feelings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as depression and anxiety , linger for a long period .
It was quiet — even for a cemetery .
In the distance , birds chirped from their perch in the trees planted among the winding rows of white tombstones that surrounded the columbarium .
Sigman was quiet as she stood there and watched the interment .
Beside her , Black softly chanted the Jewish prayer “ El Malei Rachamim.
” “ God full of compassion , you dwell in the heights and in the depths : grant perfect rest under the wings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has entered eternity , ” reads an English translation .
Sigman began to cry , her sniffles muffled by her mask .
“ Let her find refuge forever in the shadow of your wings and let her soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life ; for you , the everlasting God , are her inheritance .
May she rest in peace , and let us say : Amen.
” Then , just a mere 10 minutes after it began , the service was over .
And as the mourners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another , many broke the invisible barrier between them .
One by one , they leaned in and wrapped Sigman in a hug .

She walked to the front of the columbarium at the Denver cemetery, clasping her hands in front of her body. Behind her, the other mourners kept their distance from one another. Their expressions, including hers, were concealed by the masks partially covering their faces.
Susie Mannis Sigman was at Fort Logan National Cemetery on a Friday earlier this month to say a final farewell to her mother, Barbara Mannis, who had died unexpectedly the week before.
Sigman peered down at the iPad on the tripod in front of her, catching a glimpse of the faces of her siblings, children, nephews and nieces on the screen. There they were, with her, from their homes — watching livestreamed video via Zoom.
The coronavirus pandemic began its march across the country more than four months ago, and even though Sigman’s mother didn’t die from the COVID-19 respiratory disease, it prevented loved ones from joining her in Denver for the funeral.
Now, Sigman thought, she felt connected to them.
“If it had to be done this way because of the coronavirus circumstances that we are in, at least I had some companionship,” she recalled thinking at the time.
Grief, which already can be an isolating experience, has become an even more lonely act as people are forced to mourn without family and friends physically beside them. Yet the pandemic is pushing death into the forefront of society as nearly a thousand Coloradans have been lost to the new coronavirus and funerals are being altered or postponed because of the social-distancing measures implemented to stem COVID-19’s spread.
And it’s for this reason that mental health experts, religious leaders and others hope the pandemic will change how Americans approach grief, paving the way for people to talk more openly about the difficult emotions that come with losing loved ones.
“This communal experience that we are all going through at one level or another is forcing us to have conversations that we have not been willing to have in the past,” said Micki Burns, chief clinical officer of Judi’s House, a Denver organization that provides care to grieving children and their families.
The pandemic is causing people to experience many different forms of grief. Society is collectively grieving the loss of a way of life as people are ordered to stay home. Individuals also are confronting the loss of their jobs as measures put in place to slow the transmission of the coronavirus have taken a dire economic toll.
Then there are those who are facing the ultimate loss, as more than 75,000 Americans have died from the new coronavirus. Because of the contagious nature of the disease, most people who die during this historic period — either with or without COVID-19 — are doing so alone. Their loved ones are left to mourn on their own.
In all of this, Rabbi Rick Rheins said, is the loss of human connection.
“We gain strength from one another with our human physical contact,” said Rheins, senior rabbi at Denver’s Temple Sinai. He added, “We can express with a simple hug and a gesture of acknowledgement face to face volumes more than words are capable of. We miss that now.”
On the day of Mannis’ service, life outside the cemetery seemed to keep churning as it once did before the outbreak. Lines snaked around Starbucks and McDonald’s drive-thrus. Golfers were hitting balls down the fairway of a nearby course. But here, inside its gates, the pandemic has upended rituals humans have used for centuries to mourn their dead.
When Sigman and her four friends arrived at Fort Logan National Cemetery for the service, a pair of mourners sought to comfort one another with a hug — but such an act would break social distancing.
So they wrapped their arms around themselves instead.
“I’ll miss you every day”
In late April, Barbara Mannis began experiencing symptoms similar to COVID-19. Her body ached. She was fatigued. She had shortness of breath. The 83-year-old didn’t want to go to the hospital, so she scheduled a telehealth visit with her doctor.
Then one day Mannis, who lived in Arizona, walked out to her car and found herself so out of breath that she had to sit down in the backseat. A neighbor saw her and suggested she call 911.
Soon she was on her way to the hospital.
Mannis was born on Feb. 4, 1937, in Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from Shaker Heights High School, she attended the University of Michigan but left after one semester.
“She took a detour for love and married the love of her life, Burt,” the family wrote in her obituary. (She eventually went back to school and got a teaching degree from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.)
Barbara and Burt Mannis had three children: Michael Mannis, Judy Goldberg and Sigman. The family moved to Florida in 1976 and then to Arizona six years later.
Although they did not live in Denver, the Mannises were members of Temple Emanuel and every year they drove to Colorado for Rosh Hashanah. Because they formed a community here, Sigman said, the couple decided Fort Logan National Cemetery would be their final resting place. Burt Mannis died in 2019 at age 86.
At the hospital, doctors tested Mannis for COVID-19, but the results came back negative. She received a different diagnosis: leukemia.
Then, still in the hospital, Mannis had a heart attack.
Goldberg, who had traveled to Arizona to be with her mother, got a call in the middle of the night to come to the hospital. Once there, Sigman recalled, Goldberg called her siblings using FaceTime so they could see their mother one last time.
On the video, Mannis apologized to her children.
“I’ll miss you every day,” Sigman told her.
Half an hour later, Mannis died.
“It was horrible,” Sigman, 55, recalled. “It was such a strong, organic kind of feeling to know I’m about to lose my mother. Yet it’s a memory that I never want to lose.”
“Something we don’t have a language for”
On May 1, as the memorial service for Mannis began, Rabbi Joesph Black turned to her three adult children who were out of sight on the Zoom video and asked them to tear a piece of fabric or ribbon. The service at the cemetery had ended a few hours earlier and now the family, joined by friends and others in the community, gathered together from their individual homes via Zoom for the memorial.
Keriah — or tearing — is one of the rituals mourners participate in during a Jewish service.
Mental health resources Colorado Crisis Line : 1-844-493-8255, coloradocrisisservices.org. Chat online or text TALK to 38255.
: 1-844-493-8255, coloradocrisisservices.org. Chat online or text TALK to 38255. Mental Health First Aid : mhfaco.org. Get trained to recognize the signs and how to respond.
: mhfaco.org. Get trained to recognize the signs and how to respond. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention : afsp.org. Join one of their upcoming walks for awareness in Colorado.
: afsp.org. Join one of their upcoming walks for awareness in Colorado. Crisis Text Line : crisistextline.org. Text 741741 from anywhere in the nation to reach a counselor.
: crisistextline.org. Text 741741 from anywhere in the nation to reach a counselor. Second Wind Fund: thesecondwindfund.org. Links students to mental health professionals and pays for up to 12 counseling sessions.
The ritual, Black told those on the video stream, occurs because humans are “physical beings” who need to do something physical to express their grief.
It is symbolic, he said, of the tear in the family after the death of a loved one. And it reflects the change, he said, in Sigman’s and her siblings’ status.
Now they are mourners and the community must take care of them.
But how mourners are comforted is changing under social distancing. Instead of bringing food and visiting someone, casseroles are left at the doors of the bereaved. For many, including Sigman, the week-long mourning period in Judaism called shiva is taking place via video-conferencing.
Cemeteries and mortuaries are still seeing a steady of number of deaths during the pandemic, and at Seven Stones cemetery in Littleton there’s been an uptick in pre-planning for funerals, said Becky Holm, director of customer care.
But as funerals are limited to 10 people under social-distancing guidelines, many people are having loved ones cremated and waiting until later to hold celebration-of-life ceremonies. Others are going ahead with the ceremonies, but filming or livestreaming the services for those who can’t be there, she said.
“People are going to find a way to grieve the loss of their loved one no matter the parameters that are placed on them,” Holm said.
Before the outbreak, the fast-paced nature of life was such that it was easy to get pulled away from the rituals that come after someone dies, including in the way people comfort the bereaved. Instead of bringing someone food and helping them through a loss, Rheins said, someone might just send flowers or a card because they were busy.
The pandemic, he said, could change this as people realize how much they miss physically being with their friends and families.
“It most certainly will make us reconsider our priorities,” Rheins said. “People are sort of tired of just hearing the words.”
As so many people are experiencing some form of grief, it’s also likely there will be more compassion for those grieving, Black, with Temple Emanuel, later said.
“The uniqueness of the experience will somehow be lessened because so many others will be dealing with it,” he said.
In a society that doesn’t like to talk about death and grief, funerals and other rituals help people get in touch with the emotions that come with the loss of a loved one, said Jamie Sarche, director of pre-planning for Feldman Mortuary.
“It’s hard to process things that we don’t have language for,” she said. “And death is something we don’t have a language for. It helps us have a context with what we are experiencing.”
Having a space for this is important, she said, because grief, despite its presence in everyone’s life, is not always talked about openly. The reasons for not talking about it vary, according to experts, but they include fears of our own mortality.
“We live in a society that says don’t talk about grief,” Sarche said. “Don’t talk about death. We would like people to be better immediately.”
As these funerals and other events get postponed or shortened because of the pandemic, Sarche said, there is a concern that more people will experience complicated grief, which occurs when the normal and intense feelings first felt after a loss, such as depression and anxiety, linger for a long period.
The goodbye
It was quiet — even for a cemetery.
In the distance, birds chirped from their perch in the trees planted among the winding rows of white tombstones that surrounded the columbarium.
Sigman was quiet as she stood there and watched the interment. Beside her, Black softly chanted the Jewish prayer “El Malei Rachamim.”
“God full of compassion, you dwell in the heights and in the depths: grant perfect rest under the wings of your presence to… our loved one who has entered eternity,” reads an English translation.
Sigman began to cry, her sniffles muffled by her mask.
“Let her find refuge forever in the shadow of your wings and let her soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life; for you, the everlasting God, are her inheritance. May she rest in peace, and let us say: Amen.”
Then, just a mere 10 minutes after it began, the service was over. And as the mourners moved to say their goodbyes to one another, many broke the invisible barrier between them.
One by one, they leaned in and wrapped Sigman in a hug.