thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Work-at-home will stay in play long after the pandemic recedes

After years of slowly easing toward remote work arrangements , companies and their employees had to take the plunge fully clothed in March .
Instead of drowning , they learned to make it work , saving an untold number of jobs and ushering in profound changes that will carry into a post-pandemic world .
“ Remote work has been all or nothing in the past , ” said Sara Sutton , founder and CEO of FlexJobs .
“ It doesn ’ t have to be all or nothing.
” FlexJobs connects workers with remote work opportunities , and the Boulder-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has operated remotely for 14 years .
Despite being well-versed in what many companies were pushed into unwillingly , Sutton said this year has proved to be the hardest in the company ’ s history .
What happened this year doesn ’ t at all reflect the benefits that remote work can offer , Sutton said .
And yet , despite all the limitations , many employees came to prefer it .
“ It has been far more challenging than what typical remote work is by far , ” she said .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees have developed a preference for remote work .
They consider the trade-offs worth skipping lengthy commutes , dressing the part , dealing with office politics and noisy workspaces with constant interruptions .
While many jobs will always require showing up on site , managers realized far more jobs could be done remotely than they ever thought possible , that employees could be trusted to get the work done and that getting by with less real estate could provide significant savings going forward .
Now imagine remote work minus the worries of shepherding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spouses who step into the background during a Zoom meeting , Sutton said .
Imagine meeting coworkers for happy hours or lunches with no restrictions , reducing the social isolation that has made working remotely tough for many people .
And imagine a world where jobs are untethered from geography , one where workers are freer to choose where they live and where employers can hire from anywhere .
That is what remote work could come to represent in the years ahead , Sutton predicts .
Eisner Amper , an accounting and consulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six in 10 plan to let their employees continue to work remotely after the pandemic ends , with a third still undecided and only 8 % saying they will require everyone to return to the office .
Staffing agency Robert Half , in a survey released last month , found that nearly half of Denver-area employers had expanded their talent search geographically to reach more candidates and that 43 % had started advertising fully remote jobs since the start of the pandemic , accelerating the move toward what consultants call the “ anywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotely on a more permanent basis , about 45 % of workers said they would relocate from where they live now , with a fifth of those who moved in the past year saying the ability to work remotely was a key factor , according to another survey from Homes.com .
What all those surveys suggest is that remote work , whether in a pure or hybrid form , will remain much more prevalent than it was before the pandemic in what could prove one of the biggest changes left behind by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to take decades happened in a few short weeks , ” said Matthew Leger , a research analyst at the American Enterprise Institute , which recently hosted a webinar on the future of remote work .
“ It may be years before we understand how this shift has impacted workers , employers and the broader society.
” Employers are thinking about how they move forward with their business operations , and remote work is part of the calculation , said Lorrie Ray , director of member engagement at the Employers Council in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjusted to better handle collaboration between employees who will be based primarily at home .
Some workplaces may gravitate toward a hotel model , where workers check-in for a few days a week rather than maintain a dedicated space .
“ The surveys that I have seen indicate that a majority of employees want a blend , about 70 % want a blend , ” Ray said .
“ Everybody likes human contact , but the amount of contact they like varies .
Employees also like the idea of being able to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior vice president of Asia Pacific Operations for TTEC , said before the pandemic , about 10 % of the employees at the Douglas County company , which provides customer support services globally , were set up to work from home .
That shot up to 75 % during the pandemic .
“ We had that infrastructure in place , and we were able to flip around so quickly , ” Nowak said .
“ There was comfort in that work ( from home ) arrangement.
” While he doesn ’ t envision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could see a 50-50 split in the U.S. , depending on what clients are requesting and what individual employees want .
Rather than viewing remote work as an either-or proposition , the company now views it along a spectrum , he said .
Some workers will prefer to remain entirely at home , while others will crave the daily camaraderie of a shared workspace , he said .
Most , however , will probably favor the ability to switch between the two .
“ We are embracing this new work-at-home future .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ footprint of work at home available for our employees , ” he said .
To that end , the company , which has 1,501 workers in Colorado and 55,000 globally , has honed virtual reality tools that allow workers to interact with each other and train in what Nowak likens to “ Sim City.
” Shannon Armbrecht , head of People Development and Strategy at Western Union , said before the pandemic , just under 20 % of the company ’ s workers had the ability to work remotely , which was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers spread across the globe , about 2,000 work in the Denver area .
As was the case at TTEC , workers were considered either office-based or remote .
When the company reopened the doors to its Denver headquarters , a few select departments , like the foreign currency trading desk , missed the in-person collaboration and came back .
But occupancy never got above 10 % , which was far less than expected .
About nine in 10 employees said they were equally or more productive at home , a view their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to manage to that 25 % that was allowed , ” Armbrecht said .
The focus shifted beyond finding the best way to bring employees safely back to the office to embracing work in a flexible environment .
The company added a $ 30-a-month benefit to help cover Internet costs and paid a one-time COVID-19 bonus for those outside senior management .
Western Union provided employees with monitors , desks , chairs and other equipment for home offices .
“ Communication was a big lesson for us .
It was better to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and letting employees talk about their needs , ” Armbrecht said .
Realizing the lack of child care was a major concern , Western Union covered the cost of up to 20 days of in-home child care so parents could better focus on their jobs .
It created an online COVID-19 resource center to help employees deal with the challenges of working remotely , ranging from how to handle Zoom meetings to creating boundaries between work and personal time .
It also beefed up mental health resources to help employees deal with feelings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have not made our decisions completely , ” Armbrecht said of the company ’ s future direction .
But Western Union will likely go with a hybrid model .
Early research is showing that a hybrid model , one that combines the best of traditional and remote work arrangements , is the one that will prove most productive , said Christos Makridis , a research professor at the W.P .
Carey School of Business , Arizona State University , during the AEI call .
“ Organizations will have to figure out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depend on the values of that organization , ” he said .

Life After COVID This week, The Denver Post will examine the long-lasting effects the coronavirus pandemic will have on the workplace, culture, schools, restaurants and even sports in Colorado. Part 1: Some pandemic-induced changes may persist Today, we look at how remote work will become the new normal for many employees and businesses.
After years of slowly easing toward remote work arrangements, companies and their employees had to take the plunge fully clothed in March. Instead of drowning, they learned to make it work, saving an untold number of jobs and ushering in profound changes that will carry into a post-pandemic world.
“Remote work has been all or nothing in the past,” said Sara Sutton, founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.”
FlexJobs connects workers with remote work opportunities, and the Boulder-based company, practicing what it preaches, has operated remotely for 14 years. Despite being well-versed in what many companies were pushed into unwillingly, Sutton said this year has proved to be the hardest in the company’s history.
What happened this year doesn’t at all reflect the benefits that remote work can offer, Sutton said. And yet, despite all the limitations, many employees came to prefer it.
“It has been far more challenging than what typical remote work is by far,” she said. And yet, surveys show a majority of employees have developed a preference for remote work. They consider the trade-offs worth skipping lengthy commutes, dressing the part, dealing with office politics and noisy workspaces with constant interruptions.
While many jobs will always require showing up on site, managers realized far more jobs could be done remotely than they ever thought possible, that employees could be trusted to get the work done and that getting by with less real estate could provide significant savings going forward.
Now imagine remote work minus the worries of shepherding children through online classes or sparring with spouses who step into the background during a Zoom meeting, Sutton said. Imagine meeting coworkers for happy hours or lunches with no restrictions, reducing the social isolation that has made working remotely tough for many people. And imagine a world where jobs are untethered from geography, one where workers are freer to choose where they live and where employers can hire from anywhere.
That is what remote work could come to represent in the years ahead, Sutton predicts.
Eisner Amper, an accounting and consulting firm, surveyed business executives and found six in 10 plan to let their employees continue to work remotely after the pandemic ends, with a third still undecided and only 8% saying they will require everyone to return to the office.
Staffing agency Robert Half, in a survey released last month, found that nearly half of Denver-area employers had expanded their talent search geographically to reach more candidates and that 43% had started advertising fully remote jobs since the start of the pandemic, accelerating the move toward what consultants call the “anywhere workforce.”
Given the chance to work remotely on a more permanent basis, about 45% of workers said they would relocate from where they live now, with a fifth of those who moved in the past year saying the ability to work remotely was a key factor, according to another survey from Homes.com.
What all those surveys suggest is that remote work, whether in a pure or hybrid form, will remain much more prevalent than it was before the pandemic in what could prove one of the biggest changes left behind by the pandemic.
“An evolution that was supposed to take decades happened in a few short weeks,” said Matthew Leger, a research analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, which recently hosted a webinar on the future of remote work. “It may be years before we understand how this shift has impacted workers, employers and the broader society.”
Employers are thinking about how they move forward with their business operations, and remote work is part of the calculation, said Lorrie Ray, director of member engagement at the Employers Council in Denver.
Workspaces can be smaller and adjusted to better handle collaboration between employees who will be based primarily at home. Some workplaces may gravitate toward a hotel model, where workers check-in for a few days a week rather than maintain a dedicated space.
“The surveys that I have seen indicate that a majority of employees want a blend, about 70% want a blend,” Ray said. “Everybody likes human contact, but the amount of contact they like varies. Employees also like the idea of being able to control their work environment.”
Arthur Nowak, senior vice president of Asia Pacific Operations for TTEC, said before the pandemic, about 10% of the employees at the Douglas County company, which provides customer support services globally, were set up to work from home. That shot up to 75% during the pandemic.
“We had that infrastructure in place, and we were able to flip around so quickly,” Nowak said. “There was comfort in that work (from home) arrangement.”
While he doesn’t envision 75% of workers remaining remote, he could see a 50-50 split in the U.S., depending on what clients are requesting and what individual employees want.
Rather than viewing remote work as an either-or proposition, the company now views it along a spectrum, he said. Some workers will prefer to remain entirely at home, while others will crave the daily camaraderie of a shared workspace, he said. Most, however, will probably favor the ability to switch between the two.
“We are embracing this new work-at-home future. There will be a greater and larger footprint of work at home available for our employees,” he said.
To that end, the company, which has 1,501 workers in Colorado and 55,000 globally, has honed virtual reality tools that allow workers to interact with each other and train in what Nowak likens to “Sim City.”
Shannon Armbrecht, head of People Development and Strategy at Western Union, said before the pandemic, just under 20% of the company’s workers had the ability to work remotely, which was on the high end. Of its 11,000 workers spread across the globe, about 2,000 work in the Denver area.
As was the case at TTEC, workers were considered either office-based or remote. When the company reopened the doors to its Denver headquarters, a few select departments, like the foreign currency trading desk, missed the in-person collaboration and came back.
But occupancy never got above 10%, which was far less than expected. About nine in 10 employees said they were equally or more productive at home, a view their managers backed up.
“We never had to manage to that 25% that was allowed,” Armbrecht said. The focus shifted beyond finding the best way to bring employees safely back to the office to embracing work in a flexible environment.
The company added a $30-a-month benefit to help cover Internet costs and paid a one-time COVID-19 bonus for those outside senior management. Western Union provided employees with monitors, desks, chairs and other equipment for home offices.
“Communication was a big lesson for us. It was better to be out there and having the conversation and letting employees talk about their needs,” Armbrecht said.
Realizing the lack of child care was a major concern, Western Union covered the cost of up to 20 days of in-home child care so parents could better focus on their jobs. It created an online COVID-19 resource center to help employees deal with the challenges of working remotely, ranging from how to handle Zoom meetings to creating boundaries between work and personal time. It also beefed up mental health resources to help employees deal with feelings of isolation, anxiety and burnout.
“We have not made our decisions completely,” Armbrecht said of the company’s future direction. But Western Union will likely go with a hybrid model.
Early research is showing that a hybrid model, one that combines the best of traditional and remote work arrangements, is the one that will prove most productive, said Christos Makridis, a research professor at the W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, during the AEI call.
“Organizations will have to figure out that sweet spot, and it will depend on the values of that organization,” he said.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Colorado lawmakers promise COVID-fueled enrollment drop won’t hurt school funding

Democratic leaders in Colorado ’ s legislature promise to hold school funding steady despite enrollment drops that typically would cost school districts millions of dollars .
“ School districts are doing so much more than we have ever asked them to do before , ” said state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger , an Arvada Democrat and incoming chair of the Senate Education Committee .
“ Now is not the time to claw back money and introduce more uncertainty.
” The reassurances come as Congress is set to approve a new federal coronavirus relief package that would send more than $ 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school leaders have said they will need more money to safely reopen and to maintain remote learning options through the spring .
Colorado school districts reported a 3.3 % overall enrollment decline this year , as well as decreases in the number of students eligible for subsidized lunches , a measure of poverty .
Both numbers influence school funding .
Colorado lawmakers set school funding levels in the spring based on estimates and then adjust them early in the following calendar year based on actual enrollment and local property tax collections .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school districts in the middle of a school year .
Read the full story from our partners at chalkbeat.org .
Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit news organization covering education issues .
For more , visit co.chalkbeat.org .

Democratic leaders in Colorado’s legislature promise to hold school funding steady despite enrollment drops that typically would cost school districts millions of dollars.
“School districts are doing so much more than we have ever asked them to do before,” said state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat and incoming chair of the Senate Education Committee. “Now is not the time to claw back money and introduce more uncertainty.”
The reassurances come as Congress is set to approve a new federal coronavirus relief package that would send more than $50 billion to school districts nationwide. Colorado school leaders have said they will need more money to safely reopen and to maintain remote learning options through the spring.
Colorado school districts reported a 3.3% overall enrollment decline this year, as well as decreases in the number of students eligible for subsidized lunches, a measure of poverty. Both numbers influence school funding.
Colorado lawmakers set school funding levels in the spring based on estimates and then adjust them early in the following calendar year based on actual enrollment and local property tax collections. This can mean more or less money for school districts in the middle of a school year.
Read the full story from our partners at chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit news organization covering education issues. For more, visit co.chalkbeat.org.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Denver’s first legal homeless encampments only a first step, experts say

While Denver officials watch to make sure the city ’ s first two sanctioned homeless encampments help people off the streets , advocates for the homeless say they expect more on the horizon .
Certainly , the need is there for the encampments , also called safe open spaces , they say .
“ We need to get these up and going and see some early signs of success from them , ” said Cole Chandler , executive director of the Colorado Village Collaborative .
“ But I expect that we will be able to turn out an additional safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year.
” The two encampments have space for about 70 people , but that ’ s a drop in the bucket when compared to the approximately 1,000 people sleeping on Denver ’ s streets each night , said Cathy Alderman , spokeswoman for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless .
With another site or two , however , that number could nearly double to about 130 beds , Chandler said .
“ To create 13 % capacity that didn ’ t exist before… that ’ s not nothing , ” Chandler said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his organization is working on adding additional tiny homes and other options that could complement or coincide with the encampments .
City officials and partners say they ’ ll watch to make sure the first two sites give people a modicum of stability while they use services — like substance abuse treatment , mental health counseling and more — and seek more stable housing .
But at the same time , Alderman said they should keep looking for additional sites that could serve for more encampments .
“ Don ’ t stop and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the same time , ” Alderman said .
“ We need to move the process along at all levels.
” But that process has proved to be challenging .
City and privately owned sites proposed for the first two encampments faced substantial — and sometimes high-profile — opposition .
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock first floated the idea of the encampments , stressing their temporary nature , in July , but due to that pushback — and what some described as a lack of political will — months passed before the first two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Denver ’ s chief housing officer , said her department is evaluating a request for proposals that could provide services for the city ’ s first two encampments and possibly others .
Nothing is stopping another organization from proposing a third encampment , Fisher said .
If they can track down a workable property and the cash , the option is there .
But the trouble is finding the wraparound services that could be offered at those encampments , she said .
“ There are only so many resources , ” Fisher @

While Denver officials watch to make sure the city’s first two sanctioned homeless encampments help people off the streets, advocates for the homeless say they expect more on the horizon.
Certainly, the need is there for the encampments, also called safe open spaces, they say.
“We need to get these up and going and see some early signs of success from them,” said Cole Chandler, executive director of the Colorado Village Collaborative. “But I expect that we will be able to turn out an additional safe open space or two by early next year.”
The two encampments have space for about 70 people, but that’s a drop in the bucket when compared to the approximately 1,000 people sleeping on Denver’s streets each night, said Cathy Alderman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
With another site or two, however, that number could nearly double to about 130 beds, Chandler said.
“To create 13% capacity that didn’t exist before… that’s not nothing,” Chandler said.
At the same time, Chandler said his organization is working on adding additional tiny homes and other options that could complement or coincide with the encampments.
City officials and partners say they’ll watch to make sure the first two sites give people a modicum of stability while they use services — like substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling and more — and seek more stable housing. But at the same time, Alderman said they should keep looking for additional sites that could serve for more encampments.
“Don’t stop and wait for the data, do it at the same time,” Alderman said. “We need to move the process along at all levels.”
But that process has proved to be challenging. City and privately owned sites proposed for the first two encampments faced substantial — and sometimes high-profile — opposition. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock first floated the idea of the encampments, stressing their temporary nature, in July, but due to that pushback — and what some described as a lack of political will — months passed before the first two were able to open.
Britta Fisher, Denver’s chief housing officer, said her department is evaluating a request for proposals that could provide services for the city’s first two encampments and possibly others.
Nothing is stopping another organization from proposing a third encampment, Fisher said. If they can track down a workable property and the cash, the option is there. But the trouble is finding the wraparound services that could be offered at those encampments, she said.
“There are only so many resources,” Fisher said


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Live free or die if you must, urban Coloradans say — but not in my hospital

ERIE — Whenever Larry Kelderman looks up from the car he ’ s fixing and peers across the street , he ’ s looking across a border .
His town of 28,000 straddles two counties , separated by County Line Road .
Kelderman ’ s auto repair business is in Boulder County , whose officials are sticklers for public health and have topped the county website with instructions on how to report COVID violations .
Kelderman lives in Weld County , where officials refuse to enforce public health rules .
Weld County ’ s test positivity rate is twice that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty clear which side he backs .
“ Which is worse , the person gets the virus and survives and they still have a business , or they don ’ t get the virus and they lose their livelihood ?
” he said .
Boulder boasts one of the most highly educated populations in the nation ; Weld boasts about its sugar beets , cattle and thousands of oil and gas wells .
Summer in Boulder County means concerts featuring former members of the Grateful Dead ; in Weld County it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Weld for Trump .
Per capita income in Boulder is nearly 50 % higher than in Weld .
Even their COVID outbreaks are different : In Boulder County , the virus swirls around the University of Colorado .
In Weld County , some of the worst outbreaks have swept through meatpacking plants .
It ’ s not the first time County Line Road has been a fault line .
“ I ’ ve been in politics seven years and there ’ s always been a conflict between the two counties , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , once a coal mining town and now billed as a good place to raise a family , about 30 minutes north of Denver .
Shortly before the coronavirus hit Colorado , Erie ’ s board of trustees extended a moratorium on new oil and gas operations in the town .
Weld County was not pleased .
“ They got really angry at us for doing that , because oil and gas is their thing , ” Carroll said .
Most of the town ’ s businesses are on the Weld side .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other town leaders have asked residents to comply with the more restrictive stance of the Boulder side .
The feud got ugly in a dispute over hospital beds .
At one point , the state said Weld County had only three intensive care beds , while Weld County claimed it had 43 .
“ It made my job harder , because people were doubting what I was saying , ” said Carroll .
“ Nobody trusted anyone because they were hearing conflicting information.
” Weld ’ s number , it turned out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its two hospitals , but also those in 10 other hospitals across the county line , including in the city of Longmont .
Longmont sits primarily in Boulder County but spills into Weld , where its suburbs taper into fields pockmarked with prairie dog holes .
Its residents say they can tell snow is coming when the winds deliver a pungent smell of livestock from next door .
Longmont Mayor Brian Bagley worried that Weld ’ s behavior would deliver more than a stench : It might also deliver patients requiring precious resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens to violate the emergency health orders … with this cowboy-esque , you know , ‘ Yippee-ki-yay , freedom , Constitution forever , damn the consequences , ’ ” said Bagley .
“ Their statement is ‘ Our hospitals are full , but don ’ t worry , we ’ re just going to use yours.
’ ” So , “ for 48 hours , I trolled Weld County , ” he said .
Bagley asked the city council to consider an ordinance that could have restricted Weld County residents ’ ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who retracted his proposal the next day , said he knew it was never going to come to fruition — after all , it was probably illegal — but he wanted to prove a point .
“ They ’ re going to be irresponsible ?
Fine .
Let me propose a question , ” he said .
“ If there is only one ICU bed left and there are two grandparents there — one from Weld , one from Boulder — and they both need that bed , who should get it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , calling Bagley a “ simple mayor.
” They wrote that the answer to the pandemic was “ not to continually punish working-class families or the individuals who bag your groceries , wait on you in restaurants , deliver food to your home while you watch Netflix and chill.
” “ I know we ’ re all trying to get along , but people are starting to do stupid and mean things and so I ’ ll be stupid and mean back , ” Bagley said during a Dec. 8 council meeting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bagley ( who suspects the commissioners don ’ t know what “ Netflix and chill ” typically means ) often referred to Weld simply as “ our neighbors to the East , ” declining to name his foe .
The council shrugged off his statement about withholding medical treatment but demanded that Weld County step up to fight the pandemic .
“ We would not deny medical care to anybody .
It ’ s illegal and it ’ s immoral , ” said council member Polly Christensen .
“ But it is wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the burden of what they ’ ve been irresponsible enough to let loose.
” “ They ’ re the reason why I can ’ t be in the classroom in front of my kids , ” said council member and teacher Susie Hidalgo-Fahring , whose school district straddles the counties .
“ I ’ m done with that .
Everybody needs to be a good neighbor.
” The council decided Dec. 15 to send a letter to Weld County ’ s commissioners encouraging them to enforce state restrictions and to make a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and practicing physical distancing .
They ’ ve also backed a law allowing Democratic Gov .
Jared Polis to withhold relief money from counties that don ’ t comply with restrictions .
Weld County Commissioner Scott James said his county doesn ’ t have the authority to enforce public health orders any more than a citizen has the authority to give a speeding ticket .
“ If you want me as an elected official to assume authority that I don ’ t have and arbitrarily exert it over you , I dare you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said James , who is a rancher turned country radio host .
“ It ’ s called tyranny.
” James doesn ’ t deny that COVID-19 is ravaging his community .
“ We ’ re on fire , and we need to put that fire out , ” he said .
But he believes that individuals will make the right decisions to protect others , and demands the right of his constituents to use the hospital nearest them .
“ To look at Weld County like it has walls around it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care system is designed to work , ” James said .
“ To use a crudity , because I am , after all , just a ranch kid turned radio guy , there ’ s no ‘ non-peeing ’ section in the pool .
Everybody ’ s gon na get a little on ’ em .
And that ’ s what ’ s going on right now with COVID.
” The dispute is not just liberal and conservative politics clashing .
Bagley , the Longmont mayor , grew up in Weld County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , ” he said .
But it is an example of how the virus is tapping into long-standing Western strife .
“ There ’ s decades of reasons for resentment at people from a distance — usually from a metropolis and from a state or federal governmental office — telling rural people what to do , ” said Patty Limerick , faculty director at the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado-Boulder , and previously state historian .
In the ’ 90s , she toured several states performing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urban West .
She played Urbana Asphalt West , married to Sandy Greenhills West .
Their child , Suburbia , was indulged and clueless and had a habit of drinking everyone else ’ s water .
A rural health care shortage was one of many fuels of their marital strife .
Limerick and her colleagues are reviving the play now and adding COVID references .
This time around , she said , it ’ ll be a last-ditch marriage counseling session for high school classes and communities to adopt and perform .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ending ; she ’ s leaving that up to each community .
Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit news service covering health issues .
It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

By Rae Ellen Bichell, Kaiser Health News
ERIE — Whenever Larry Kelderman looks up from the car he’s fixing and peers across the street, he’s looking across a border. His town of 28,000 straddles two counties, separated by County Line Road.
Kelderman’s auto repair business is in Boulder County, whose officials are sticklers for public health and have topped the county website with instructions on how to report COVID violations. Kelderman lives in Weld County, where officials refuse to enforce public health rules.
Weld County’s test positivity rate is twice that of its neighbor, but Kelderman is pretty clear which side he backs.
“Which is worse, the person gets the virus and survives and they still have a business, or they don’t get the virus and they lose their livelihood?” he said.
Boulder boasts one of the most highly educated populations in the nation; Weld boasts about its sugar beets, cattle and thousands of oil and gas wells. Summer in Boulder County means concerts featuring former members of the Grateful Dead; in Weld County it’s rodeo time. Boulder voted for Biden, Weld for Trump. Per capita income in Boulder is nearly 50% higher than in Weld.
Even their COVID outbreaks are different: In Boulder County, the virus swirls around the University of Colorado. In Weld County, some of the worst outbreaks have swept through meatpacking plants.
It’s not the first time County Line Road has been a fault line.
“I’ve been in politics seven years and there’s always been a conflict between the two counties,” said Jennifer Carroll, mayor of Erie, once a coal mining town and now billed as a good place to raise a family, about 30 minutes north of Denver.
Shortly before the coronavirus hit Colorado, Erie’s board of trustees extended a moratorium on new oil and gas operations in the town. Weld County was not pleased.
“They got really angry at us for doing that, because oil and gas is their thing,” Carroll said.
Most of the town’s businesses are on the Weld side. To avoid public health whiplash, Carroll and other town leaders have asked residents to comply with the more restrictive stance of the Boulder side.
The feud got ugly in a dispute over hospital beds. At one point, the state said Weld County had only three intensive care beds, while Weld County claimed it had 43.
“It made my job harder, because people were doubting what I was saying,” said Carroll. “Nobody trusted anyone because they were hearing conflicting information.”
Weld’s number, it turned out, included not just the beds in its two hospitals, but also those in 10 other hospitals across the county line, including in the city of Longmont.
Longmont sits primarily in Boulder County but spills into Weld, where its suburbs taper into fields pockmarked with prairie dog holes. Its residents say they can tell snow is coming when the winds deliver a pungent smell of livestock from next door. Longmont Mayor Brian Bagley worried that Weld’s behavior would deliver more than a stench: It might also deliver patients requiring precious resources.
“They were basically encouraging their citizens to violate the emergency health orders … with this cowboy-esque, you know, ‘Yippee-ki-yay, freedom, Constitution forever, damn the consequences,’” said Bagley. “Their statement is ‘Our hospitals are full, but don’t worry, we’re just going to use yours.’”
So, “for 48 hours, I trolled Weld County,” he said. Bagley asked the city council to consider an ordinance that could have restricted Weld County residents’ ability to receive care at Longmont hospitals. Bagley, who retracted his proposal the next day, said he knew it was never going to come to fruition — after all, it was probably illegal — but he wanted to prove a point.
“They’re going to be irresponsible? Fine. Let me propose a question,” he said. “If there is only one ICU bed left and there are two grandparents there — one from Weld, one from Boulder — and they both need that bed, who should get it?”
Weld County commissioners volleyed back, calling Bagley a “simple mayor.” They wrote that the answer to the pandemic was “not to continually punish working-class families or the individuals who bag your groceries, wait on you in restaurants, deliver food to your home while you watch Netflix and chill.”
“I know we’re all trying to get along, but people are starting to do stupid and mean things and so I’ll be stupid and mean back,” Bagley said during a Dec. 8 council meeting.
In another Longmont City Council meeting, Bagley (who suspects the commissioners don’t know what “Netflix and chill” typically means) often referred to Weld simply as “our neighbors to the East,” declining to name his foe. The council shrugged off his statement about withholding medical treatment but demanded that Weld County step up to fight the pandemic.
“We would not deny medical care to anybody. It’s illegal and it’s immoral,” said council member Polly Christensen. “But it is wrong for people to expect us to bear the burden of what they’ve been irresponsible enough to let loose.”
“They’re the reason why I can’t be in the classroom in front of my kids,” said council member and teacher Susie Hidalgo-Fahring, whose school district straddles the counties. “I’m done with that. Everybody needs to be a good neighbor.”
The council decided Dec. 15 to send a letter to Weld County’s commissioners encouraging them to enforce state restrictions and to make a public statement about the benefits of wearing masks and practicing physical distancing. They’ve also backed a law allowing Democratic Gov. Jared Polis to withhold relief money from counties that don’t comply with restrictions.
Weld County Commissioner Scott James said his county doesn’t have the authority to enforce public health orders any more than a citizen has the authority to give a speeding ticket.
“If you want me as an elected official to assume authority that I don’t have and arbitrarily exert it over you, I dare you to look that up in the dictionary,” said James, who is a rancher turned country radio host. “It’s called tyranny.”
James doesn’t deny that COVID-19 is ravaging his community. “We’re on fire, and we need to put that fire out,” he said. But he believes that individuals will make the right decisions to protect others, and demands the right of his constituents to use the hospital nearest them.
“To look at Weld County like it has walls around it is shortsighted and not the way our health care system is designed to work,” James said. “To use a crudity, because I am, after all, just a ranch kid turned radio guy, there’s no ‘non-peeing’ section in the pool. Everybody’s gonna get a little on ’em. And that’s what’s going on right now with COVID.”
The dispute is not just liberal and conservative politics clashing. Bagley, the Longmont mayor, grew up in Weld County and “was a Republican up until Trump,” he said. But it is an example of how the virus is tapping into long-standing Western strife.
“There’s decades of reasons for resentment at people from a distance — usually from a metropolis and from a state or federal governmental office — telling rural people what to do,” said Patty Limerick, faculty director at the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and previously state historian.
In the ’90s, she toured several states performing a mock divorce trial between the rural and urban West. She played Urbana Asphalt West, married to Sandy Greenhills West. Their child, Suburbia, was indulged and clueless and had a habit of drinking everyone else’s water. A rural health care shortage was one of many fuels of their marital strife.
Limerick and her colleagues are reviving the play now and adding COVID references. This time around, she said, it’ll be a last-ditch marriage counseling session for high school classes and communities to adopt and perform. It likely won’t have a scripted ending; she’s leaving that up to each community.
Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Colorado weather: The new normals are coming

We have all been getting used to a lot of “ new normals ” in the past year .
Now it is time to get used to some more in the weather department .
Meteorologists everywhere will reference “ normal ” when discussing the weather .
For example , today ’ s normal high in Denver is 43 degrees and the normal low is 17 degrees .
If the mercury rose to 50 degrees , we would say that the high in Denver was 7 degrees above normal .
These climate “ normals ” are used to compare observations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a specific location on a given day or in the course of a year .
But how are they calculated ?
In the weather world , “ normal ” ultimately is based off what has happened over a 30-year period of record keeping .
The National Weather Service compiles all weather observations for every city from those 30 years , averages everything together , and then performs a smoothing to the data to eliminate any oddities .
The result is what meteorologists refer to as climatology .
The most recent period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of is 1981 to 2010 .
The NWS re-calculates these normals every 10 years so that climatology is always based off of a relatively recent 30-year period .
With 2020 about to come to a close , that means that it is time for some new “ normals.
” January 2021 will be the first month that weather records nationwide will be compared against a 1991-to-2020 climatology , instead of 1981 to 2010 .
Said another way , it essentially means that the NWS will replace the 1980s with the 2010s in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use January as an example .
Januarys in the 1980s in Denver had an average snowfall around 7 inches , with a mean monthly temperature close to 31 degrees .
In the 2010s , Denver averaged closer to 6 inches of snow in January , with a mean monthly temperature of 32.5 degrees .
The net result will be a slightly higher “ normal ” monthly temperature and a slightly lower “ normal ” monthly snowfall .
We also have a general idea of how the annual climatology is going to change in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normals get computed .
Mean annual temperatures have been about one degree warmer in the 2010s compared to the 1980s .
Yearly precipitation , or combined rain and melted snow , has also been a bit harder to come by .
Annual precipitation averaged close to 16 inches in Denver during the 1980s , compared to around 14 inches in the 2010s .
That same trend is also true for snow totals .
Denver averaged around 60 inches of snow during winters in the 1980s , while winters in the last decade have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will result in a decrease in normal seasonal snowfall in Denver .

We have all been getting used to a lot of “new normals” in the past year. Now it is time to get used to some more in the weather department.
Meteorologists everywhere will reference “normal” when discussing the weather. For example, today’s normal high in Denver is 43 degrees and the normal low is 17 degrees. If the mercury rose to 50 degrees, we would say that the high in Denver was 7 degrees above normal.
These climate “normals” are used to compare observations to something that is considered to be typical in a specific location on a given day or in the course of a year. But how are they calculated?
In the weather world, “normal” ultimately is based off what has happened over a 30-year period of record keeping. The National Weather Service compiles all weather observations for every city from those 30 years, averages everything together, and then performs a smoothing to the data to eliminate any oddities. The result is what meteorologists refer to as climatology.
The most recent period of record that climatology has been based off of is 1981 to 2010. The NWS re-calculates these normals every 10 years so that climatology is always based off of a relatively recent 30-year period. With 2020 about to come to a close, that means that it is time for some new “normals.”
January 2021 will be the first month that weather records nationwide will be compared against a 1991-to-2020 climatology, instead of 1981 to 2010. Said another way, it essentially means that the NWS will replace the 1980s with the 2010s in the computations for historical averages.
We can use January as an example. Januarys in the 1980s in Denver had an average snowfall around 7 inches, with a mean monthly temperature close to 31 degrees. In the 2010s, Denver averaged closer to 6 inches of snow in January, with a mean monthly temperature of 32.5 degrees. The net result will be a slightly higher “normal” monthly temperature and a slightly lower “normal” monthly snowfall.
We also have a general idea of how the annual climatology is going to change in the Mile High City when the new normals get computed. Mean annual temperatures have been about one degree warmer in the 2010s compared to the 1980s.
Yearly precipitation, or combined rain and melted snow, has also been a bit harder to come by. Annual precipitation averaged close to 16 inches in Denver during the 1980s, compared to around 14 inches in the 2010s. That same trend is also true for snow totals. Denver averaged around 60 inches of snow during winters in the 1980s, while winters in the last decade have averaged just under 50 inches. This will result in a decrease in normal seasonal snowfall in Denver.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Broncos Q-and-A: Jerry Jeudy’s dropped passes — tough grading or missed chances?

Question : Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy dropped five passes in Sunday ’ s 19-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers .
A tough grading scale or straight drops ?
Answer : Straight drops .
All of them .
Per the Denver Post ’ s game charting , Jeudy had five dropped passes in the Broncos ’ first 14 games .
He matched that against the Chargers .
Jeudy didn ’ t have a drop until the two-minute mark of the second quarter .
Reviewing each drop : 1 .
First-and-10 , Broncos 47 .
Jeudy ran an out route from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s throw six yards downfield looked a little wide at first glance , but after further review , it was dropped .
2 .
Second-and-10 , Broncos 47 .
On the next play , Jeudy ran a slant from the left wide location , but dropped Lock ’ s throw eight yards downfield .
3 .
First-and-10 , Broncos 28 .
On the first play of the second half , Jeudy was wide left and ran a five-yard slant .
Lock ’ s throw was a little low , but Jeudy should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Third-and-5 , Chargers 12 .
Lined up wide right , Jeudy ran a corner route to beat cornerback Michael Davis .
Lock ’ s throw was well-placed over Davis , but Jeudy dropped the touchdown .
5 .
Second-and-10 , Broncos 25 .
On the Broncos ’ final drive , Lock stepped up in the pocket and threw a 45-yard pass deep middle to Jeudy , who worked from the left slot .
The pass went through Jeudy ’ s hands .
Nothing next Sunday against Las Vegas is on the line so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a successful note .
• Keeler : Jerry Jeudy tweets a good game , but his hands don ’ t back it up .
And it ’ s making John Elway and Drew Lock look like chumps .
• Analysis : Last-place Broncos doomed by scoring 1 touchdown in 7 trips across midfield against Chargers • Broncos defense gives up game-winning drive to Chargers , but there ’ s silver linings to be found in the unit ’ s performance Q : Where was the breakdown ( or breakdowns ) on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the game ?
Brandon McManus ’ kickoff only went to the 8-yard line and had 4.00 seconds of hang time .
Nasir Adderley almost immediately veered left toward daylight .
The Broncos ’ LeVante Bellamy tried to avoid a block and took himself out of a running lane .
Trey Marshall overcommitted so he was out of position when Adderley turned left .
And Alijah Holder ( inside ) and DaeSean Hamilton ( outside ) took bad angles .
The kick return led to a Chargers field goal and a near-immediate 3-0 lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rank Lock ’ s poor throwing decisions this year , where would his opening-drive interception rank ?
A : Pretty much at the top of this list .
It was a head-scratcher .
The Broncos had put together a solid first possession , stringing together gains of six , eight , six , five , seven , one , seven , six , three , one and 17 yards to reach the Chargers ’ 16 .
Lock faced a third-and-6 , Hamilton was lined up in the left slot and the backfield was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right .
At the snap , Lock dropped straight back , but was flushed left out of the pocket .
Lock kept his eyes downfield as he was being chased from behind by defensive lineman Jesse Lemonier .
Cornerback Chris Harris was charging toward Lock .
Lock had three options : 1 .
Throw it away .
2 .
Scramble to make for a shorter field goal attempt .
3 .
Force a throw into traffic .
He chose No .
3 .
His side-armed , awkward throw was behind Hamilton , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the hands of Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward .
Q : On the Chargers ’ winning drive , what the key play ?
Austin Ekeler started the possession with an 11-yard carry to the 36 .
Fill-in cornerback Parnell Motley , who had replaced De ’ Vante Bausby , gave Guyton six yards of cushion .
At the snap , Motley went into a full-speed back-pedal , obviously wary of getting beat deep .
When Guyton caught Herbert ’ s pass , Motley was four yards downfield from him .
Way too conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broncos have struggled all year with takeaways ?
They don ’ t break up many passes , a product of not contesting more routes .

Question: A week after rushing five or more players on 22 of Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen’s drop-backs, Broncos coach Vic Fangio had only six such calls in 39 drop-backs by Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Why the change?
Answer: Fangio opted to protect his fill-in cornerbacks.
The Bills feasted on the Broncos in man coverage last week so Fangio scaled back his pressure calls, dropping inside linebackers Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell more often into zone coverage to defend the slant and crossing routes.
Minus receiver Keenan Allen (hamstring) and tight end Hunter Henry (COVID-19/reserve list), Herbert was 21-of-33 passing for 253 yards, an average of 7.6 yards per attempt. Last week, Allen averaged 8.9 yards per attempts.
Still, Herbert had six completions of at least 21 yards in the Chargers’ 19-16 win.
Q: Where was the breakdown (or breakdowns) on the Chargers’ 53-yard kick return to open the game?
A: There were breakdowns.
Brandon McManus’ kickoff only went to the 8-yard line and had 4.00 seconds of hang time. Nasir Adderley almost immediately veered left toward daylight.
The Broncos’ LeVante Bellamy tried to avoid a block and took himself out of a running lane. Trey Marshall overcommitted so he was out of position when Adderley turned left. And Alijah Holder (inside) and DaeSean Hamilton (outside) took bad angles.
The kick return led to a Chargers field goal and a near-immediate 3-0 lead.
Q: If you had to rank Lock’s poor throwing decisions this year, where would his opening-drive interception rank?
A: Pretty much at the top of this list. It was a head-scratcher.
The Broncos had put together a solid first possession, stringing together gains of six, eight, six, five, seven, one, seven, six, three, one and 17 yards to reach the Chargers’ 16.
Lock faced a third-and-6, Hamilton was lined up in the left slot and the backfield was empty after Royce Freeman motioned to wide right.
At the snap, Lock dropped straight back, but was flushed left out of the pocket. Lock kept his eyes downfield as he was being chased from behind by defensive lineman Jesse Lemonier. Cornerback Chris Harris was charging toward Lock.
Lock had three options: 1. Throw it away. 2. Scramble to make for a shorter field goal attempt. 3. Force a throw into traffic.
He chose No. 3. His side-armed, awkward throw was behind Hamilton, who deflected it into the end zone and to the hands of Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward.
Bad situational awareness.
Q: On the Chargers’ winning drive, what the key play?
A: Justin Herbert’s 23-yard pass to Jalen Guyton.
Austin Ekeler started the possession with an 11-yard carry to the 36. Fill-in cornerback Parnell Motley, who had replaced De’Vante Bausby, gave Guyton six yards of cushion.
At the snap, Motley went into a full-speed back-pedal, obviously wary of getting beat deep.
When Guyton caught Herbert’s pass, Motley was four yards downfield from him. Way too conservative.
One of the reasons why the Broncos have struggled all year with takeaways? They don’t break up many passes, a product of not contesting more routes.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Ask Amy: This year, those that have — should give

Dear Readers : The week after Christmas is traditionally a sort of bloated rest period for many , where we recover from the busy holiday season by taking stock , tidying up , and planning our new year diet and fitness regimen — from the couch .
For many , this week marks a pause .
A sigh .
An exhale .
But this year is not like other years .
We have not been traveling , partying , studying in crowded lecture halls , or playing with our school friends .
We have not been worshiping together , visiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , concerts , and theater .
We have been hunkered down , many of us out of work , exhausted from the altered lifestyle none of us anticipated — and we are yearning , so deeply , to hug — and to be embraced in return .
Because of a devastating pandemic that the WHO has deemed a “ world-wide health emergency , ” we are facing the possibility of at least a few more months of the same .
Those of us lucky enough to have anything extra this year should demonstrate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compassionately giving what we can to those who need it .
One way to share our desire to hug — and be hugged — is to give to organizations that help others .
Your donation may go farther at a small local nonprofit than at a large charity .
All contributions count .
So do non-monetary acts of kindness .
All nonprofits mentioned here receive the highest rating from Charitynavigator.org .
Feeding America is a national umbrella organization of food banks .
According to their estimates , COVID-19 is creating a hunger crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ food insecure.
” This includes 17 million children .
Through their website , you can donate money to your local food bank .
Enter your ZIP code into the Feeding America website to find your closest member of their network .
Also do what you can to donate your time , money , or food to your town ’ s local smaller food pantry .
World Central Kitchen : In only 10 years , Chef Jose Andres has created a quick-response international feeding program , showing up with chefs and portable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pandemic has expanded their mission .
Traditional safety nets like school feeding programs , city services , and food banks are struggling to meet basic needs .
Seniors , who are isolated for their safety , are unable to access meal services .
WKC is distributing individually packaged meals to hungry individuals ( 33 million meals in 400 cities ) .
The organization is also helping to keep restaurant workers employed and working .
Meals on Wheels : During the pandemic , food delivery to seniors is even more vital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ only outsiders to have any contact with seniors .
Check with your local Meals on Wheels organization to see how you can help .
( At mine , generous citizens can even sponsor a delivery van ! )
Cradles to Crayons : One of my favorite charities helping babies and children has set up “ Giving Factories , ” to redistribute gently used kids ’ clothing , books and new school supplies .
Support their work through a financial donation , volunteering , or donating goods .
Imagination Library : National Treasure Dolly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run through the Dollywood Foundation ) has expanded internationally , mailing new books to millions of children .
Habitat for Humanity : Your local chapter continues the important work of building quality affordable housing for those in need .
Crisis Text Line : This innovative , accessible and successful crisis “ hotline ” reaches multitudes , offering 24/7 crisis support staffed by volunteers throughout North America .
Anyone in crisis can text HOME to 741741 and receive immediate help .
The need for crisis services has never been greater .
Direct Relief : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrant , the mission was spread by other immigrants to America , who took up the cause .
Operating in all 50 states and 80 countries , over this past year they have distributed more than 46 million masks , gloves , and protective suits , equipment , and financial support to healthcare workers fighting the pandemic .
Helping Veterans : The work of building and adapting homes for disabled veterans continues with one of my favorite organizations , Homes For Our Troops .
Bob Woodruff Foundation : The need for emergency support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Bob Woodruff Foundation answers the need , with money , housing , and employment services .
Helping Artists : The arts , especially the performing arts , have been decimated during our year-long shutdown .
Please help your favorite artists by attending their livestream events , contributing to their GoFundMe pages , and donating to arts organizations and local historic venues .

Dear Readers: The week after Christmas is traditionally a sort of bloated rest period for many, where we recover from the busy holiday season by taking stock, tidying up, and planning our new year diet and fitness regimen — from the couch. For many, this week marks a pause. A sigh. An exhale.
But this year is not like other years. We have not been traveling, partying, studying in crowded lecture halls, or playing with our school friends. We have not been worshiping together, visiting our elders, or going to movies, concerts, and theater. We have been hunkered down, many of us out of work, exhausted from the altered lifestyle none of us anticipated — and we are yearning, so deeply, to hug — and to be embraced in return.
Because of a devastating pandemic that the WHO has deemed a “world-wide health emergency,” we are facing the possibility of at least a few more months of the same.
Those of us lucky enough to have anything extra this year should demonstrate the tenderest of tender mercies — by compassionately giving what we can to those who need it.
One way to share our desire to hug — and be hugged — is to give to organizations that help others. Your donation may go farther at a small local nonprofit than at a large charity. All contributions count. So do non-monetary acts of kindness.
All nonprofits mentioned here receive the highest rating from Charitynavigator.org.
Helping the Hungry
Feeding America is a national umbrella organization of food banks. According to their estimates, COVID-19 is creating a hunger crisis of more than 50 million Americans classified as “food insecure.” This includes 17 million children.
Through their website, you can donate money to your local food bank. Enter your ZIP code into the Feeding America website to find your closest member of their network. Also do what you can to donate your time, money, or food to your town’s local smaller food pantry.
World Central Kitchen: In only 10 years, Chef Jose Andres has created a quick-response international feeding program, showing up with chefs and portable kitchens at the sites of natural disasters.
The pandemic has expanded their mission. Traditional safety nets like school feeding programs, city services, and food banks are struggling to meet basic needs. Seniors, who are isolated for their safety, are unable to access meal services.
WKC is distributing individually packaged meals to hungry individuals (33 million meals in 400 cities). The organization is also helping to keep restaurant workers employed and working.
Meals on Wheels: During the pandemic, food delivery to seniors is even more vital. Volunteers safely delivering food are often the only outsiders to have any contact with seniors. Check with your local Meals on Wheels organization to see how you can help. (At mine, generous citizens can even sponsor a delivery van!)
Helping Families
Cradles to Crayons: One of my favorite charities helping babies and children has set up “Giving Factories,” to redistribute gently used kids’ clothing, books and new school supplies. Support their work through a financial donation, volunteering, or donating goods.
Imagination Library: National Treasure Dolly Parton’s important literacy campaign (run through the Dollywood Foundation) has expanded internationally, mailing new books to millions of children.
Habitat for Humanity: Your local chapter continues the important work of building quality affordable housing for those in need.
Crisis Text Line: This innovative, accessible and successful crisis “hotline” reaches multitudes, offering 24/7 crisis support staffed by volunteers throughout North America. Anyone in crisis can text HOME to 741741 and receive immediate help. The need for crisis services has never been greater.
Helping Health Care Workers
Direct Relief: Founded in California after WWII by an immigrant, the mission was spread by other immigrants to America, who took up the cause. Operating in all 50 states and 80 countries, over this past year they have distributed more than 46 million masks, gloves, and protective suits, equipment, and financial support to healthcare workers fighting the pandemic.
Helping Veterans: The work of building and adapting homes for disabled veterans continues with one of my favorite organizations, Homes For Our Troops.
Bob Woodruff Foundation: The need for emergency support for veterans is overwhelming this year. The Bob Woodruff Foundation answers the need, with money, housing, and employment services.
Helping Artists: The arts, especially the performing arts, have been decimated during our year-long shutdown. Please help your favorite artists by attending their livestream events, contributing to their GoFundMe pages, and donating to arts organizations and local historic venues.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--Man stabbed near 16th Street Mall in Denver Sunday night

A man was stabbed near the 16th Street Mall in Denver Sunday night , according to a tweet from Denver @ @ @ @ @ near the 800 block of 16th Street .
The man was sent to the hospital @ @ @ @ @ , as of 11 p.m. Sunday .
There is no information on the suspect yet @

A man was stabbed near the 16th Street Mall in Denver Sunday night, according to a tweet from Denver police.
The stabbing occurred near the 800 block of 16th Street. The man was sent to the hospital. His condition is unknown, as of 11 p.m. Sunday. There is no information on the suspect yet.
This is a developing story.


thedenverpost--2020-12-28--More than 190,000 ceiling fans are recalled after blades detach

More than 190,000 ceiling fans sold at The Home Depot have been recalled after it was found that their blades could detach while spinning , causing injuries and property damage .
The Hampton Bay 54-inch Mara Indoor/Outdoor fans were sold in stores and online from April through October this year , according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission .
About 182,000 of the fans were sold in the United States and about 8,800 were sold in Canada , it said .
There have been 47 reports of blades detaching from the fans .
Two of those episodes involved the detached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been four reports of the blades causing property damage .
It was unclear if the people hit by the blades had been injured .
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall involved fans in matte white , matte black , black and polished nickel finishes .
It instructed consumers to immediately stop using the fans , adding that if they notice “ blade movement or uneven gaps between the blades and fan body , ” they should contact the distributor of the fans , King of Fans , for a free replacement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ isolated manufacturing defect , ” King of Fans said in a statement to consumers last week .
King of Fans said that the issue did not affect all of the Mara 54-inch fans , and provided a link to a video instructing consumers how to determine if their product was defective .
“ We take pride in the quality of our products , and the safety of our customers is our priority , ” it said .
The Home Depot did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

The New York Times News Service Syndicate

More than 190,000 ceiling fans sold at The Home Depot have been recalled after it was found that their blades could detach while spinning, causing injuries and property damage.
The Hampton Bay 54-inch Mara Indoor/Outdoor fans were sold in stores and online from April through October this year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. About 182,000 of the fans were sold in the United States and about 8,800 were sold in Canada, it said.
There have been 47 reports of blades detaching from the fans. Two of those episodes involved the detached blades hitting people, and there have been four reports of the blades causing property damage. It was unclear if the people hit by the blades had been injured.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall involved fans in matte white, matte black, black and polished nickel finishes. It instructed consumers to immediately stop using the fans, adding that if they notice “blade movement or uneven gaps between the blades and fan body,” they should contact the distributor of the fans, King of Fans, for a free replacement.
The issue was attributed to an “isolated manufacturing defect,” King of Fans said in a statement to consumers last week. King of Fans said that the issue did not affect all of the Mara 54-inch fans, and provided a link to a video instructing consumers how to determine if their product was defective.
“We take pride in the quality of our products, and the safety of our customers is our priority,” it said.
The Home Depot did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Mormon church sued for alleged role in Boy Scouts sex abuse

PHOENIX — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was hit with several lawsuits Monday for allegedly covering up decades of sexual abuse among Boy Scout troops in Arizona , marking the latest litigation before the state ’ s end-of-year deadline for adult victims to sue .
The church “ must be held accountable in order to bring healing and closure to Mormon victims of childhood sexual abuse , ” Hurley McKenna & Mertz , a law firm that focuses on church sex abuse , said in a statement .
In the seven lawsuits each representing seven different male @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notified authorities about abuse allegations .
Public records show members of church-sponsored Boy Scout troops who were abused would tell church bishops about what they had experienced .
The lawsuits allege bishops would then tell the victims to keep quiet so the church could conduct its own investigation .
In the meantime , troop leaders and volunteers accused of sex abuse would be allowed to continue in their roles or be assigned to another troop , the suits said .
Church spokesman Sam Penrod said in a statement that the faith has zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the serious allegations require thorough investigation .
He called it inaccurate to say the faith had access to files that had names of banned Scout leaders and said the church hasn ’ t seen the records that allegedly back the accusations .
“ The claim that the church has had access to the BSA ineligible volunteer files for many decades is simply false , ” Penrod said .
“ The church learned about the details of those files at the same time as the general public .
These claims will be carefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims are asking for a jury to award an unspecified sum for medical expenses , pain and suffering .
They are also seeking punitive damages for the “ outrageous conduct ” of church officials .
The church sponsored at least seven troops in Arizona in metro Phoenix and Tucson , according to attorneys .
The suits were all filed earlier this month — six in Maricopa County Superior Court and one in Pima County Superior Court .
The allegations of sexual abuse touch all troops between 1972 and 2009 .
The church was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America troops and its greatest ally until the Utah-based faith ended the partnership on Jan. 1 , 2020 , and pulled out more than 400,000 young people .
The faith moved them into its own global youth program that focuses on religion and spiritual development , while weaving in camping and other outdoor activities in parts of the world where that ’ s feasible .
The split between the Boy Scouts and the faith known widely as the Mormon church ended a nearly century-old relationship between two organizations that were brought together by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Amid declining membership , the Boy Scouts of America opened its arms to openly gay youth members and adult volunteers as well as girls and transgender boys , while the church believes that same-sex intimacy is a sin .
In its first step toward creating a compensation fund for men who were molested as youngsters years ago by scoutmasters or other leaders , the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection in February .
Around 90,000 sexual abuse claims have been filed against the Boy Scouts .
It ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection amid mounting legal pressures over allegations of sexual abuse .
Roman Catholic dioceses across the country and some universities have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years .
These suits come as a window to pursue litigation for some victims of childhood sexual abuse in Arizona is about to close .
The state joined several others last year in extending the rights of now-adult victims to sue their alleged assailants and any churches , youth groups or other institutions that turned a blind eye at the time of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30th birthday to sue — a decade longer than before .
Victims who missed the cutoff have a one-time opportunity to file suit before the end of the year .
Arizona has no deadline for criminal charges in child sexual abuse cases .
Andrew Van Arsdale , a lawyer with Abused in Scouting , says the legal network is filing 261 sex abuse lawsuits in Arizona on Monday against various local Scout councils .
Associated Press writers Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City and David Crary in New York contributed to this report @

PHOENIX — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was hit with several lawsuits Monday for allegedly covering up decades of sexual abuse among Boy Scout troops in Arizona, marking the latest litigation before the state’s end-of-year deadline for adult victims to sue.
The church “must be held accountable in order to bring healing and closure to Mormon victims of childhood sexual abuse,” Hurley McKenna & Mertz, a law firm that focuses on church sex abuse, said in a statement.
In the seven lawsuits each representing seven different male victims, attorneys say church officials never notified authorities about abuse allegations. Public records show members of church-sponsored Boy Scout troops who were abused would tell church bishops about what they had experienced. The lawsuits allege bishops would then tell the victims to keep quiet so the church could conduct its own investigation. In the meantime, troop leaders and volunteers accused of sex abuse would be allowed to continue in their roles or be assigned to another troop, the suits said.
Church spokesman Sam Penrod said in a statement that the faith has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind and that the serious allegations require thorough investigation. He called it inaccurate to say the faith had access to files that had names of banned Scout leaders and said the church hasn’t seen the records that allegedly back the accusations.
“The claim that the church has had access to the BSA ineligible volunteer files for many decades is simply false,” Penrod said. “The church learned about the details of those files at the same time as the general public. These claims will be carefully evaluated and appropriately addressed.”
All seven victims are asking for a jury to award an unspecified sum for medical expenses, pain and suffering. They are also seeking punitive damages for the “outrageous conduct” of church officials.
The church sponsored at least seven troops in Arizona in metro Phoenix and Tucson, according to attorneys. The suits were all filed earlier this month — six in Maricopa County Superior Court and one in Pima County Superior Court. The allegations of sexual abuse touch all troops between 1972 and 2009.
The church was the largest sponsor of Boy Scouts of America troops and its greatest ally until the Utah-based faith ended the partnership on Jan. 1, 2020, and pulled out more than 400,000 young people. The faith moved them into its own global youth program that focuses on religion and spiritual development, while weaving in camping and other outdoor activities in parts of the world where that’s feasible.
The split between the Boy Scouts and the faith known widely as the Mormon church ended a nearly century-old relationship between two organizations that were brought together by shared values that diverged in recent years. Amid declining membership, the Boy Scouts of America opened its arms to openly gay youth members and adult volunteers as well as girls and transgender boys, while the church believes that same-sex intimacy is a sin.
In its first step toward creating a compensation fund for men who were molested as youngsters years ago by scoutmasters or other leaders, the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection in February. Around 90,000 sexual abuse claims have been filed against the Boy Scouts. It’s the latest major American institution to seek bankruptcy protection amid mounting legal pressures over allegations of sexual abuse. Roman Catholic dioceses across the country and some universities have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years.
These suits come as a window to pursue litigation for some victims of childhood sexual abuse in Arizona is about to close. The state joined several others last year in extending the rights of now-adult victims to sue their alleged assailants and any churches, youth groups or other institutions that turned a blind eye at the time of the abuse.
Lawmakers gave victims until their 30th birthday to sue — a decade longer than before. Victims who missed the cutoff have a one-time opportunity to file suit before the end of the year. Arizona has no deadline for criminal charges in child sexual abuse cases.
Andrew Van Arsdale, a lawyer with Abused in Scouting, says the legal network is filing 261 sex abuse lawsuits in Arizona on Monday against various local Scout councils.
Associated Press writers Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City and David Crary in New York contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Coloradans in Congress vote on sending $2,000 stimulus checks

The majority of Coloradans in the U.S. House voted Monday to send $ 2,000 checks to every American adult , rather than the $ 600 checks Congress approved last week .
The U.S. House approved the increase by a vote of 275-134 after President Donald Trump insisted on larger checks over the weekend .
Democratic leaders in Congress also supported the change , forming an unusual political coalition .
Among Colorado ’ s seven House members — four Democrats and three Republicans — the votes followed party lines , with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans opposed .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families are struggling under tremendous economic pressure , ” said Rep. Joe Neguse , D-Lafayette .
“ This relief is desperately needed for so many to get by , pay rent , and put food on the table.
” Rep. Ken Buck , a Windsor Republican who has opposed every relief bill passed by Congress this year , voted nay Monday .
The fiscal conservative said he would have supported a bill sending $ 2,000 checks in place of a larger relief bill passed by Congress last week , but not in addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ package .
“ I support sending direct aid to Americans .
But for ( Speaker ) Nancy Pelosi to add more spending on top of the billions of taxpayer dollars in pork , pet projects and foreign funding is just irresponsible .
We need to put Americans first , ” he said .
On Dec. 21 , Congress passed a $ 900 billion stimulus package that included $ 600 checks to adults earning $ 75,000 or less per year , and $ 600 per child .
Trump reluctantly signed the bill Sunday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
The simple , two-page bill passed Monday would replace that $ 600 with $ 2,000 checks for adults earning $ 75,000 or less , along with $ 2,000 per child .
The bill must now be passed by the U.S. Senate before it can reach Trump ’ s desk .
“ The president supports this , the House supports this , and now it is time for the Senate to join us as well , ” said Rep. Jason Crow , an Aurora Democrat .
“ Today ’ s vote is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful support for families struggling during the ongoing pandemic .
Unfortunately these efforts will be met with resistance from Republicans , ” predicted Rep. Ed Perlmutter , an Arvada Democrat , in a statement after the vote Monday .

The majority of Coloradans in the U.S. House voted Monday to send $2,000 checks to every American adult, rather than the $600 checks Congress approved last week.
The U.S. House approved the increase by a vote of 275-134 after President Donald Trump insisted on larger checks over the weekend. Democratic leaders in Congress also supported the change, forming an unusual political coalition.
Among Colorado’s seven House members — four Democrats and three Republicans — the votes followed party lines, with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans opposed.
“In Colorado and throughout the country, families are struggling under tremendous economic pressure,” said Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Lafayette. “This relief is desperately needed for so many to get by, pay rent, and put food on the table.”
Rep. Ken Buck, a Windsor Republican who has opposed every relief bill passed by Congress this year, voted nay Monday. The fiscal conservative said he would have supported a bill sending $2,000 checks in place of a larger relief bill passed by Congress last week, but not in addition to last week’s massive stimulus package.
“I support sending direct aid to Americans. But for (Speaker) Nancy Pelosi to add more spending on top of the billions of taxpayer dollars in pork, pet projects and foreign funding is just irresponsible. We need to put Americans first,” he said.
On Dec. 21, Congress passed a $900 billion stimulus package that included $600 checks to adults earning $75,000 or less per year, and $600 per child. Trump reluctantly signed the bill Sunday after criticizing the $600 amount for several days.
The simple, two-page bill passed Monday would replace that $600 with $2,000 checks for adults earning $75,000 or less, along with $2,000 per child. The bill must now be passed by the U.S. Senate before it can reach Trump’s desk.
“The president supports this, the House supports this, and now it is time for the Senate to join us as well,” said Rep. Jason Crow, an Aurora Democrat.
“Today’s vote is another effort from House Democrats to secure meaningful support for families struggling during the ongoing pandemic. Unfortunately these efforts will be met with resistance from Republicans,” predicted Rep. Ed Perlmutter, an Arvada Democrat, in a statement after the vote Monday.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis to potentially make CU Buffs debut in Alamo Bowl

Colorado Buffaloes coach Karl Dorrell offered the Texas defense a wrinkle one day before the Alamo Bowl with a spicy pregame announcement : Prepare for two quarterbacks .
Redshirt senior Sam Noyer will start against the Longhorns after compiling a 4-1 record and passing for 1,000 yards with 11 total touchdowns in his lone season quarterbacking the Buffs .
But Dorrell told reporters Monday during a video news conference to expect the college debut of highly rated freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis on Tuesday night in San Antonio .
“ We ’ re excited about Brendon , ” Dorrell said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ him a chance to get in the game and probably get a series or so in the first half .
… He ’ s earned that .
He ’ s worked really hard these last couple of weeks and has a pretty good feel for our game plan.
” Lewis — a 6-foot-2 , 225-pound dual-threat passer from Melissa , Texas — signed with the Buffs under head coach Mel Tucker .
He stuck with the program following Tucker ’ s departure to Michigan State .
A top-300 rated prospect nationally ( per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Melissa High School with 12,162 yards of total offense and 151 touchdowns .
CU signed one quarterback in its latest recruiting class , three-star prospect Drew Carter , and the Buffs return several walk-ons .
Tyler Lytle ’ s entrance into the transfer portal , and Noyer ’ s pending decision whether to accept another year of NCAA-gifted eligibility , means that Lewis is nearing his opportunity to take over as the starter .
“ It would be good to try and get ( Lewis ) some experience and at least a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the speed of it and all that stuff , ” Dorrell said .
“ Take that and register that for going into next year.
” The game , meanwhile , will be a matchup of coaches heading in the opposite direction .
UT coach Tom Herman ’ s job security is fleeting after failing to win a Big 12 championship over his first four seasons in Austin .
It was reported that UT officials tried to lure former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer out of retirement recently , but when the didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another year .
No such concerns exist in Boulder after Dorrell was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year in his first year at the helm .
Herman was complimentary of the Buffs in a virtual news conference Monday , and specifically , the talents of sophomore running back Jarek Broussard — the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 813 yards over five games .
“ They hang their hat on a few different run schemes , and when you do that , you get good at it , ” Herman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very impressed with ( Broussard ’ s ) vision , patience , and his burst through the hole .
He ’ s got some physicality , too , at the point of contact.
” CU will be without one weapon on offense as wide receiver La ’ Vontae Shenault did not travel with the team to San Antonio while serving a suspension for an unspecified violation of team rules .
Shenault finished the regular season with 17 catches for 193 yards .
“ Vontae was suspended for a violation of our department policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in general , ” Dorrell said .
“ When you ’ re ineligible for the suspension , you ’ re not allowed to come to the bowl .
Vontae was with us through Wednesday of the week before we traveled over the weekend .
”

Colorado Buffaloes coach Karl Dorrell offered the Texas defense a wrinkle one day before the Alamo Bowl with a spicy pregame announcement: Prepare for two quarterbacks.
Redshirt senior Sam Noyer will start against the Longhorns after compiling a 4-1 record and passing for 1,000 yards with 11 total touchdowns in his lone season quarterbacking the Buffs. But Dorrell told reporters Monday during a video news conference to expect the college debut of highly rated freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis on Tuesday night in San Antonio.
“We’re excited about Brendon,” Dorrell said. “I’d like to give him a chance to get in the game and probably get a series or so in the first half. … He’s earned that. He’s worked really hard these last couple of weeks and has a pretty good feel for our game plan.”
Lewis — a 6-foot-2, 225-pound dual-threat passer from Melissa, Texas — signed with the Buffs under head coach Mel Tucker. He stuck with the program following Tucker’s departure to Michigan State. A top-300 rated prospect nationally (per ESPN), Lewis finished his career at Melissa High School with 12,162 yards of total offense and 151 touchdowns.
CU signed one quarterback in its latest recruiting class, three-star prospect Drew Carter, and the Buffs return several walk-ons. Tyler Lytle’s entrance into the transfer portal, and Noyer’s pending decision whether to accept another year of NCAA-gifted eligibility, means that Lewis is nearing his opportunity to take over as the starter.
“It would be good to try and get (Lewis) some experience and at least a series, so that he can feel the speed of it and all that stuff,” Dorrell said. “Take that and register that for going into next year.”
The game, meanwhile, will be a matchup of coaches heading in the opposite direction.
UT coach Tom Herman’s job security is fleeting after failing to win a Big 12 championship over his first four seasons in Austin. It was reported that UT officials tried to lure former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer out of retirement recently, but when the didn’t happen, Herman was safe for another year.
No such concerns exist in Boulder after Dorrell was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year in his first year at the helm.
Herman was complimentary of the Buffs in a virtual news conference Monday, and specifically, the talents of sophomore running back Jarek Broussard — the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 813 yards over five games.
“They hang their hat on a few different run schemes, and when you do that, you get good at it,” Herman said. “I’ve been very impressed with (Broussard’s) vision, patience, and his burst through the hole. He’s got some physicality, too, at the point of contact.”
CU will be without one weapon on offense as wide receiver La’Vontae Shenault did not travel with the team to San Antonio while serving a suspension for an unspecified violation of team rules. Shenault finished the regular season with 17 catches for 193 yards.
“Vontae was suspended for a violation of our department policy, not just football, but athletics in general,” Dorrell said. “When you’re ineligible for the suspension, you’re not allowed to come to the bowl. Vontae was with us through Wednesday of the week before we traveled over the weekend.”