thedenverpost--2020-04-19--Colorado farms face new worries as coronavirus threatens food supply

YUMA — As the coronavirus pandemic gripped much of Colorado , it was largely business as usual on the Anchor Three Farm on Wednesday afternoon .
Just days ahead of the start of spring planting , a tractor-pulled disc and packer prepared the soil by thrashing through the remnants of last year ’ s corn crop .
But this year ’ s prospects are filled with uncertainty .
The farms and ranches that produce our food — arguably the most essential of businesses — may be exempt from the state ’ s shutdown orders , but they haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic effects .
Farmers face new hardships that threaten to staunch the flow of food to consumers .
Don and Peggy Brown , the owners of Anchor Three , worry about suddenly falling corn prices .
They also wonder if feedlots and meat-packing plants will still be open soon when it ’ s time to send off their yearling steers .
They saw the recent temporary closure of a JBS meat-packing plant in Greeley , site of a major outbreak among the workers , as a warning signal — the latest on top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in eastern Colorado .
“ The real problem is it was dry late last summer as well , ” said Tyson Brown , their 35-year-old son , inside the large family farm ’ s cavernous machinery shop .
“ We didn ’ t get any help ( from nature ) re-establishing the grass .
And so it was dry last fall , it ’ s dry this spring and , well , commodities are in the tank.
” Added Don , his voice filled with nervous laughter : “ And we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had a problem , we ’ ve ( now ) got a virus here.
” Survey farmers and ranchers across the Eastern Plains and on the state ’ s Western Slope , and the anxieties spill forth .
Many of them live in sparsely populated counties that have been spared outbreaks — Yuma County has held steady for weeks at just two confirmed cases — but they worry their very livelihoods are at stake if the pandemic drags on for too long .
“ Within the last three weeks , the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has dropped about 60 % , ” said Angelo “ Butch ” Theos , 72 , a third-generation rancher in northwest Colorado .
Last week , he and his son , Anthony , 41 , were trailing their flock of nearly 4,000 sheep back to Meeker from their winter grazing lands on a high-desert plateau near Rangely .
Soon it will be lambing season , and in July they ’ ll move the flock high into the mountains to the east for the hot months .
For both activities , they usually rely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longtime seasonal employees from Peru who are willing to do a tough job that locals in Rio Blanco County won ’ t .
But two had their worker visas up over the winter and now face a new hurdle : Peru is on lockdown , and they can ’ t get back to Colorado this month , as they ’ d planned .
“ I ’ m hoping and praying we get our guys back by May 1 , ” Anthony Theos said .
If they ’ re still short-handed in July , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re going to do.
” There ’ s complexity in the coronavirus impact on agricultural markets , as the food industry already had weathered unstable commodities prices for years , especially during recent U.S. tariff battles .
And the recent plunge in gas prices has lowered demand for ethanol , affecting corn prices .
But the pandemic delivered a seismic jolt , analysts say , much like it has for the rest of the economy .
In this case , farmers face new challenges in getting the food they produce to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has sickened workers who are key to the industrial side of the industry .
“ We ’ re real concerned about the packing plant thing — real concerned , ” said Don Brown , 65 , who served as state agricultural commissioner during former Gov .
John Hickenlooper ’ s second term .
And the JBS plant wasn ’ t the first .
Among other closures are plants operated in South Dakota and Missouri by Smithfield Foods , a pork producer that also has hog farms near Yuma .
Cargill has reduced shifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , the respiratory illness caused by the virus , hit the facility .
But the more immediate effect has been on traditional supply lines .
According to CoBank , which tracks agricultural trends , grocery stores typically sell 48 % of food nationally .
Virtually overnight , that proportion shot to nearly 90 % as state and local governments ended dine-in service at restaurants and hotels and school cafeterias closed down .
Food processors that serve those customers couldn ’ t find new paths to consumers instantly .
About half of lamb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sudden price drop cited by Theos .
Some lamb and high-end beef ranchers in Colorado have shifted to direct orders to try to make up the lost restaurant business .
That is just the beginning of the uncertainty .
“ We ’ re all kind of not sure what ’ s happening or where we ’ re at or where things are going to go , ” said Taylor Szilagyi , the Colorado Farm Bureau ’ s director of policy communications .
“ Ag is open for business , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We have to take care of our livestock , we ’ ve got to get ready for planting — but how do we operate in this new world ?
” Even as the public flocked to grocery stores , leading to temporary shortages of many products , some farmers — especially in warmer states with year-round growing seasons — have had to junk vegetables , eggs and milk that their longtime bulk customers no longer needed .
In Yuma , the Lungwitz family felt that pain .
It owns the large Yuma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spared the pandemic ’ s wrath .
But co-owner Jeremiah Lungwitz said the family ’ s other dairy , in western Nebraska , dumped three semitrailer loads of milk recently .
Its processor , which provides bulk cheese packages and other large-quantity items for restaurants , got backed up and couldn ’ t take it .
“ You ’ re dealing with a raw , unpasteurized product ” that can ’ t be repurposed easily for donations to food banks or for grocery sales , Lungwitz said , adding the dairies have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t shut the cows off overnight and say ‘ Hey , there ’ s no home for your milk now.
’ Logistically , it ’ s just been a struggle.
” The irony of excess milk hasn ’ t been lost on local business owners in Yuma who have struggled with shortages or price hikes .
Meghann Blach , who owns Farm House Market , a coffee shop , and is the daughter of dairy farm owners , said she ’ s been paying $ 4.50 a gallon for milk , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wenger , the co-owner of Paper Moon Pizzeria , said an early hurdle as the restaurant has transitioned to all take-out was the need to switch to another brand of mozzarella because the usual kind suddenly wasn ’ t available from her supplier .
Yuma County and Rio Blanco County , which has had a single confirmed case , aren ’ t far from coronavirus hot spots — Morgan County in the northeast and Garfield County on the Western Slope each have had dozens of cases — making clear that they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small .
Local officials say they ’ re terrified their small hospitals would quickly become overwhelmed if a coronavirus outbreak hit .
Both communities also worry about outsiders passing through — so much so that Yuma County ’ s commissioners successfully lobbied Colorado Parks and Wildlife to delay the start of turkey-hunting season within its borders by a month , until May 2 .
It was the only county that did so .
And all Colorado counties have been affected by the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
Recent analyses of mobile phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times , however , suggested both Yuma and Rio Blanco were among outlying counties where travel and movement didn ’ t tamp down as quickly in March as they did in more-populated areas .
In Meeker , “ we did experience everything you guys did , ” Mayor Regas Halandras told The Denver Post , including initial shortages of toilet paper and some foods .
“ The difference is we only have one grocery store and the next one ’ s a 40-mile trip.
” Back in Yuma last week , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t being taken as seriously there .
Not so for the Browns , who say the concept is vital for those who raise cattle .
When they bring in several thousand calves to wean , they can ’ t just mix the new calves all together , or with the rest of their cows .
They maintain absolute separation between smaller groups numbering in the hundreds .
“ They all come from different places , so they ’ ve all got a little bit different immunities … and they may have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the place they came from , ” Don Brown said .
“ We don ’ t dump them all together and see what happens — because we know what will happen.
” When a contagious virus or disease hits one group , “ it ’ ll walk through them all.
” “ We ’ ve been doing social distancing with cattle for a long time , ” he said .
And now his farm is trying to do it with people .
That ’ s easier on a farm , but even food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as Yuma Dairy , say they ’ re doing the best they can to keep employees safe — and the food supply stocked .
Some farmers , uncertain what to plant this year , worry the pandemic will usher in a long-winded crisis .
The Browns recalled years of struggle in the 1980s , when the last major U.S. farming crisis stretched on for years .
“ Sometimes you just should hunker down and ride it through , ” said Peggy Brown , 63 .
“ My husband and I , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
… Really , we ’ re going to be fine .
It ’ s just really , really hard on a lot of people.
” Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado .

YUMA — As the coronavirus pandemic gripped much of Colorado, it was largely business as usual on the Anchor Three Farm on Wednesday afternoon. Just days ahead of the start of spring planting, a tractor-pulled disc and packer prepared the soil by thrashing through the remnants of last year’s corn crop.
But this year’s prospects are filled with uncertainty. The farms and ranches that produce our food — arguably the most essential of businesses — may be exempt from the state’s shutdown orders, but they haven’t been immune to the virus’ growing economic effects. Farmers face new hardships that threaten to stanch the flow of food to consumers.
Anxiety punctuates nearly every conversation.
Don and Peggy Brown, the owners of Anchor Three, worry about suddenly falling corn prices. They also wonder if feedlots and meat-packing plants will still be open soon when it’s time to send off their yearling steers. They saw the recent temporary closure of a JBS meat-packing plant in Greeley, site of a major outbreak among the workers, as a warning signal — the latest on top of long-standing challenges, including a drought in eastern Colorado.
“The real problem is it was dry late last summer as well,” said Tyson Brown, their 35-year-old son, inside the large family farm’s cavernous machinery shop. “We didn’t get any help (from nature) re-establishing the grass. And so it was dry last fall, it’s dry this spring and, well, commodities are in the tank.”
Added Don, his voice filled with nervous laughter: “And we’ve got this damn virus! As if we had a problem, we’ve (now) got a virus here.”
Survey farmers and ranchers across the Eastern Plains and on the state’s Western Slope, and the anxieties spill forth. Many of them live in sparsely populated counties that have been spared outbreaks — Yuma County has held steady for weeks at just two confirmed cases — but they worry their very livelihoods are at stake if the pandemic drags on for too long.
“Within the last three weeks, the price that we’re selling lamb for has dropped about 60%,” said Angelo “Butch” Theos, 72, a third-generation rancher in northwest Colorado.
Last week, he and his son, Anthony, 41, were trailing their flock of nearly 4,000 sheep back to Meeker from their winter grazing lands on a high-desert plateau near Rangely. Soon it will be lambing season, and in July they’ll move the flock high into the mountains to the east for the hot months.
For both activities, they usually rely on five hardy and trusted sheep-herders, longtime seasonal employees from Peru who are willing to do a tough job that locals in Rio Blanco County won’t. But two had their worker visas up over the winter and now face a new hurdle: Peru is on lockdown, and they can’t get back to Colorado this month, as they’d planned.
“I’m hoping and praying we get our guys back by May 1,” Anthony Theos said. If they’re still short-handed in July, “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
Seismic jolt from pandemic
There’s complexity in the coronavirus impact on agricultural markets, as the food industry already had weathered unstable commodities prices for years, especially during recent U.S. tariff battles. And the recent plunge in gas prices has lowered demand for ethanol, affecting corn prices.
But the pandemic delivered a seismic jolt, analysts say, much like it has for the rest of the economy. In this case, farmers face new challenges in getting the food they produce to grocery stores, especially as the coronavirus has sickened workers who are key to the industrial side of the industry.
“We’re real concerned about the packing plant thing — real concerned,” said Don Brown, 65, who served as state agricultural commissioner during former Gov. John Hickenlooper’s second term.
And the JBS plant wasn’t the first. Among other closures are plants operated in South Dakota and Missouri by Smithfield Foods, a pork producer that also has hog farms near Yuma. Cargill has reduced shifts at its Fort Morgan meat-packing plant after COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, hit the facility.
But the more immediate effect has been on traditional supply lines.
According to CoBank, which tracks agricultural trends, grocery stores typically sell 48% of food nationally. Virtually overnight, that proportion shot to nearly 90% as state and local governments ended dine-in service at restaurants and hotels and school cafeterias closed down. Food processors that serve those customers couldn’t find new paths to consumers instantly.
About half of lamb typically goes to restaurants, one factor in the sudden price drop cited by Theos. Some lamb and high-end beef ranchers in Colorado have shifted to direct orders to try to make up the lost restaurant business.
That is just the beginning of the uncertainty.
“We’re all kind of not sure what’s happening or where we’re at or where things are going to go,” said Taylor Szilagyi, the Colorado Farm Bureau’s director of policy communications. “Ag is open for business, but it’s not quite business as usual. We have to take care of our livestock, we’ve got to get ready for planting — but how do we operate in this new world?”
Even as the public flocked to grocery stores, leading to temporary shortages of many products, some farmers — especially in warmer states with year-round growing seasons — have had to junk vegetables, eggs and milk that their longtime bulk customers no longer needed.
In Yuma, the Lungwitz family felt that pain. It owns the large Yuma Dairy, which so far has been spared the pandemic’s wrath. But co-owner Jeremiah Lungwitz said the family’s other dairy, in western Nebraska, dumped three semitrailer loads of milk recently. Its processor, which provides bulk cheese packages and other large-quantity items for restaurants, got backed up and couldn’t take it.
“You’re dealing with a raw, unpasteurized product” that can’t be repurposed easily for donations to food banks or for grocery sales, Lungwitz said, adding the dairies have had to transition fast. “We can’t shut the cows off overnight and say ‘Hey, there’s no home for your milk now.’ Logistically, it’s just been a struggle.”
Rural areas weather pandemic, too
The irony of excess milk hasn’t been lost on local business owners in Yuma who have struggled with shortages or price hikes.
Meghann Blach, who owns Farm House Market, a coffee shop, and is the daughter of dairy farm owners, said she’s been paying $4.50 a gallon for milk, “which is unbelievably ridiculous.” And Anna Wenger, the co-owner of Paper Moon Pizzeria, said an early hurdle as the restaurant has transitioned to all take-out was the need to switch to another brand of mozzarella because the usual kind suddenly wasn’t available from her supplier.
Yuma County and Rio Blanco County, which has had a single confirmed case, aren’t far from coronavirus hot spots — Morgan County in the northeast and Garfield County on the Western Slope each have had dozens of cases — making clear that they’re not immune just because they’re small.
Local officials say they’re terrified their small hospitals would quickly become overwhelmed if a coronavirus outbreak hit. Both communities also worry about outsiders passing through — so much so that Yuma County’s commissioners successfully lobbied Colorado Parks and Wildlife to delay the start of turkey-hunting season within its borders by a month, until May 2. It was the only county that did so.
And all Colorado counties have been affected by the state’s stay-at-home order. Recent analyses of mobile phone location data by Google and The New York Times, however, suggested both Yuma and Rio Blanco were among outlying counties where travel and movement didn’t tamp down as quickly in March as they did in more-populated areas.
In Meeker, “we did experience everything you guys did,” Mayor Regas Halandras told The Denver Post, including initial shortages of toilet paper and some foods. “The difference is we only have one grocery store and the next one’s a 40-mile trip.”
Cows provide lesson in social distancing
Back in Yuma last week, some locals suggested efforts at social distancing weren’t being taken as seriously there.
Not so for the Browns, who say the concept is vital for those who raise cattle.
When they bring in several thousand calves to wean, they can’t just mix the new calves all together, or with the rest of their cows. They maintain absolute separation between smaller groups numbering in the hundreds.
“They all come from different places, so they’ve all got a little bit different immunities … and they may have a little bit of a copper deficiency from the place they came from,” Don Brown said. “We don’t dump them all together and see what happens — because we know what will happen.” When a contagious virus or disease hits one group, “it’ll walk through them all.”
“We’ve been doing social distancing with cattle for a long time,” he said.
And now his farm is trying to do it with people. That’s easier on a farm, but even food producers that have workers in tighter quarters, such as Yuma Dairy, say they’re doing the best they can to keep employees safe — and the food supply stocked.
Some farmers, uncertain what to plant this year, worry the pandemic will usher in a long-winded crisis. The Browns recalled years of struggle in the 1980s, when the last major U.S. farming crisis stretched on for years.
“Sometimes you just should hunker down and ride it through,” said Peggy Brown, 63. “My husband and I, we did that through the ’80s. … Really, we’re going to be fine. It’s just really, really hard on a lot of people.”
Join our Facebook group for the latest updates on coronavirus in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-04-19--Broncos Insider: Breaking down the track record of John Elway’s third-round draft picks

With 10 total picks in the upcoming draft , the Broncos ’ biggest opportunity for bargains and/or steals may come in the third round , when general manager John Elway has three selections to play with .
With those three picks ( Nos .
77 , 83 and 95 overall ) in mind , here ’ s a look at how Elway has done in the third round since he took over Denver ’ s football operations in 2011 .
2011 : ( No .
67 overall ) : LB Nate Irving , N.C. State — 12 starts over four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one year in Indianapolis in 2015 .
2012 : ( 67 ) RB Ronnie Hillman , San Diego State — Limited production in Denver ; his best season came in 2015 , when he had 863 yards on 207 carries .
2013 : ( 90 ) CB Kayvon Webster , South Florida — Reserve who started two games in four years in Denver before moving on to stints in Los Angeles ( Rams ) , Houston and most recently Washington .
2014 : ( 95 ) OT Michael Schofield , Michigan — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 the next year but was waived before 2017 season , then picked up by the Chargers .
2015 : ( 92 ) TE Jeff Heuerman , Ohio State — Torn ACL as a rookie ; caught 63 passes over four seasons .
Entering second year of contract , status in question after addition of Nick Vannett last month .
2016 : ( 99 ) S Justin Simmons , Boston College – Became full-time starter in second season with 49 tackles and hasn ’ t looked back , earning the franchise tag this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defensive snap since 2017 .
2017 : ( 82 ) WR Carlos Henderson , Louisiana Tech — Missed rookie season with torn thumb ligament ; released September 2018… ( 101 ) CB Brendan Langley , Lamar — A bust at cornerback , was moved to receiver last offseason , but was waived after preseason .
2018 : ( 71 ) RB Royce Freeman , Oregon — Rushed for 1,017 yards in two years and his future in Denver is in doubt with the recent addition of Melvin Gordon… ( 99 ) CB Isaac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts over the past two seasons but lacks consistency .
2019 : ( 71 ) DL Dre ’ Mont Jones , Ohio State — Played in 14 games with one start as a rookie , with 14 tackles and 3.5 sacks .
NEW 💥 If you enjoy The Denver Post ’ s sports coverage , we have a new subscription offer for you !
Try the first month for just 99¢ + Broncos Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Tap here to ask Ryan O ’ Halloran .
In NFL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have plenty of options History suggests trading down from No .
15 or waiting until the second round is a fine strategy .
Read more… NFL Journal : Several Broncos could see roles changed ( eliminated ? )
during draft General manager John Elway enters Draft Week with 10 picks , including five in the opening three rounds .
And even with an active month of March , there are needs to be addressed .
Read more… During a conference call with the Denver media last week , Miller said he was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in California ended his workouts and sent him back to the Denver area .
Read more… + Kiszla : Three good reasons why John Elway and Broncos should attempt to trade up in NFL draft + Broncos Mailbag : What would it cost John Elway to move up from No .
15 in first round ?
+ Keeler : Broncos legend Steve Atwater hoping he doesn ’ t have to give Hall of Fame speech via Skype + Justin Jefferson to Broncos ?
Mel Kiper Jr. ’ s latest NFL mock draft has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have moved out of 15th pick with middling results .
Will Broncos stay put ?
+ Broncos Draft Board : If they wait on a center , Wisconsin ’ s Tyler Biadasz could be option + Broncos Draft Board : Georgia ’ s Andrew Thomas believes facing SEC ’ s best has him prepared for NFL + Broncos Draft Board : Ezra Cleveland wants to follow NFL path of previous Boise State left tackles + Want to chat about the Broncos ?
Ask to join our closed discussion group on Facebook .
Broncos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs at cornerback , defensive line and inside linebacker In this packed edition of the First-and-Orange podcast , Denver Post beat writers Kyle Newman and Ryan O ’ Halloran continue their positional previews ahead of the NFL draft .
Listen here… Kiszla : In a spring without sports , who are real MVPs in stay-at-home lives of athletes and fans alike ?
Dogs , bruh .
Offensive lineman Graham Glasgow recently signed a $ 44 million contract as a free agent with the Broncos , which is cool .
But , these days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not as valuable to Glasgow and his wife as Gordy .
Read more… If you see something that ’ s cause for question or have a comment , thought or suggestion , email me at dboniface @ denverpost.com or tweet me @ danielboniface .

With 10 total picks in the upcoming draft, the Broncos’ biggest opportunity for bargains and/or steals may come in the third round, when general manager John Elway has three selections to play with.
With those three picks (Nos. 77, 83 and 95 overall) in mind, here’s a look at how Elway has done in the third round since he took over Denver’s football operations in 2011.
2011: (No. 67 overall): LB Nate Irving, N.C. State — 12 starts over four seasons in Denver before finishing his career with one year in Indianapolis in 2015.
2012: (67) RB Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State — Limited production in Denver; his best season came in 2015, when he had 863 yards on 207 carries.
2013: (90) CB Kayvon Webster, South Florida — Reserve who started two games in four years in Denver before moving on to stints in Los Angeles (Rams), Houston and most recently Washington.
2014: (95) OT Michael Schofield, Michigan — Started 13 games in 2015 and all 16 the next year but was waived before 2017 season, then picked up by the Chargers.
2015: (92) TE Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State — Torn ACL as a rookie; caught 63 passes over four seasons. Entering second year of contract, status in question after addition of Nick Vannett last month.
2016: (99) S Justin Simmons, Boston College – Became full-time starter in second season with 49 tackles and hasn’t looked back, earning the franchise tag this offseason. Hasn’t missed a defensive snap since 2017.
2017: (82) WR Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech — Missed rookie season with torn thumb ligament; released September 2018… (101) CB Brendan Langley, Lamar — A bust at cornerback, was moved to receiver last offseason, but was waived after preseason.
2018: (71) RB Royce Freeman, Oregon — Rushed for 1,017 yards in two years and his future in Denver is in doubt with the recent addition of Melvin Gordon… (99) CB Isaac Yiadom, Boston College — Made nine starts over the past two seasons but lacks consistency.
2019: (71) DL Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio State — Played in 14 games with one start as a rookie, with 14 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
— Kyle Newman, The Denver Post
NEW 💥 If you enjoy The Denver Post’s sports coverage, we have a new subscription offer for you! Try the first month for just 99¢
What’s on tap?
TV/RADIO: Here’s what sports are airing today
Ask the Expert
+ Broncos Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Tap here to ask Ryan O’Halloran.
Must-Read
History suggests trading down from No. 15 or waiting until the second round is a fine strategy. Read more…
General manager John Elway enters Draft Week with 10 picks, including five in the opening three rounds. And even with an active month of March, there are needs to be addressed. Read more…
During a conference call with the Denver media last week, Miller said he was in training in San Francisco until shelter-at-home guidelines in California ended his workouts and sent him back to the Denver area. Read more…
Quick Hits
+ Kiszla: Three good reasons why John Elway and Broncos should attempt to trade up in NFL draft
+ Broncos Mailbag: What would it cost John Elway to move up from No. 15 in first round?
+ Keeler: Broncos legend Steve Atwater hoping he doesn’t have to give Hall of Fame speech via Skype
+ Broncos Draft Board: No questions about Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson’s toughness
+ Broncos draft film study: Edge rushers John Elway could target in mid-to-late rounds
+ Justin Jefferson to Broncos? Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest NFL mock draft has WR heading to Denver.
+ Teams have moved out of 15th pick with middling results. Will Broncos stay put?
+ Broncos Draft Board: If they wait on a center, Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz could be option
+ Broncos Draft Board: Georgia’s Andrew Thomas believes facing SEC’s best has him prepared for NFL
+ Broncos Draft Board: Ezra Cleveland wants to follow NFL path of previous Boise State left tackles
+ Want to chat about the Broncos? Ask to join our closed discussion group on Facebook.
By The Numbers
Ep. 129
In this packed edition of the First-and-Orange podcast, Denver Post beat writers Kyle Newman and Ryan O’Halloran continue their positional previews ahead of the NFL draft. Listen here…
Parting Shot
Offensive lineman Graham Glasgow recently signed a $44 million contract as a free agent with the Broncos, which is cool. But, these days, that big stack of cash is not as valuable to Glasgow and his wife as Gordy. Read more…
Get in Touch
If you see something that’s cause for question or have a comment, thought or suggestion, email me at dboniface@denverpost.com or tweet me @danielboniface.


thedenverpost--2020-04-19--If CU Buffs and CSU Rams don’t cut salaries, cutting sports could be on the table, expert says

David Ridpath ’ s gut tells him CU Buffs athletic director Rick George and CSU Rams athletic director Joe Parker have two choices this spring : a ) Fall on the sword yourselves , or b ) Take the risk of letting somebody else above you swing it .
And let the limbs fall where they may .
“ Honestly , the former just will produce more goodwill , ” said Ridpath , president of The Drake Group , a professor at Ohio University and a CSU alum .
“ In the state of Ohio , before ( the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperate time .
We ’ re down ( in student population ) and that ’ s a nationwide trend .
So we ’ re talking about cutting faculty , cutting programs , and it looks pretty bad if athletics doesn ’ t share that burden , even in a symbolic gesture.
” Ridpath , like many of his peers in The Drake Group , an organization dedicated to academic integrity and reform in college sports , was heartened to hear George and Parker affirm that cutting sports at CU and CSU would come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperation .
Both institutions are bracing for financial shortfalls because of cancellations , closings and postponements caused by COVID-19 .
Cincinnati and Old Dominion raised eyebrows — and red flags — across the country when their athletic directors recently announced that they were cutting men ’ s soccer and wrestling , respectively .
“ I think there are other ways for us to continue to manage costs , ” Parker told The Post last week when asked about axing sports .
“ Eliminating sports is not at the top of my list , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we don ’ t have any sports that we would cut.
” Salaries , though , are a different animal .
One Ridpath would like to see both the Buffs and Rams figure out a way to tame before it ’ s too late .
“ They should come out and say , ‘ Dropping sports is off the table , ’ ” Ridpath continued , “ and then that will maybe force them to make some choices that they should ’ ve been forced to make a long time ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ salaries .
All that unnecessary bloat that ’ s been going on .
Joe and Rick should come out and say , ‘ We ’ re going to change our agreements with the coaches , ’ and say , ‘ Look , we ’ re not going to give out any bonuses next year.
’ ” Ridpath suggests George and Parker follow the example of Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard , who announced a 10 % salary reduction across the department and eliminated coaches ’ bonuses for a year .
Neither CU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were immediately inclined to follow Pollard ’ s route .
Both did say that scenarios along those lines have been discussed , though , most likely as salaries pertain to the 2020-21 fiscal year that begins July 1 .
“ I think ( reduced salaries ) are something we ’ re probably going to have to consider , ” Parker said .
“ I do think there is an attitude within the department of , ‘ We ’ ll do what ’ s necessary to make sure that we ’ re preserving as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CU athletics will finish the 2019-20 fiscal year “ in the black , ” George noted , thanks in part to a strong return on the football side last fall and a cost savings on travel as a result of spring sports being canceled .
George said in a Buffs news release last December that ticket sales and donations typically account for 24 % and 11 % , respectively , of CU ’ s annual revenues .
According to the Knight Commission , distribution from the Pac-12 for broadcast rights accounted for 35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2017-18 , followed by donor contributions ( 21 % ) and ticket sales ( 16 % ) .
As a member of the Mountain West Conference , the Rams ’ revenue pie is significantly different , with the majority of the take ( 36 % ) in 2017-18 stemming from institutional and government support , followed by donations ( 13 % ) , corporate sponsorship ( 12 % ) , student fees ( 10.7 % ) and ticket sales ( 10.6 % ) .
CSU reportedly collected $ 54.7 million in revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report available , while CU took in $ 89.6 million .
The Buffs last week announced the cancellation of all on-campus summer events , including sports camps , and a postponement of the lucrative Dead & Company concert series — all of which could mean a collective hit of at least $ 500,000 for the athletic department .
Parker said CSU could be short as much as $ 950,000 of expected NCAA distributions because of the cancellation of the men ’ s basketball tournament a month ago .
“ It ’ s hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on , ” Parker said , “ and understand exactly what the deal is going to look like for any of us.
” All the more reason for George and Parker to get out in front of it , Ridpath says .
“ We have to get to the level of what are the ‘ have-tos ’ versus the ‘ want-tos , ’ ” Ridpath noted .
“ I think Joe and Rick can afford ( a cut of ) 5 percent .
And coaches can afford a lot more .
”

David Ridpath’s gut tells him CU Buffs athletic director Rick George and CSU Rams athletic director Joe Parker have two choices this spring:
a) Fall on the sword yourselves, or
b) Take the risk of letting somebody else above you swing it. And let the limbs fall where they may.
“Honestly, the former just will produce more goodwill,” said Ridpath, president of The Drake Group, a professor at Ohio University and a CSU alum.
“In the state of Ohio, before (the coronavirus pandemic) happened, it was a desperate time. We’re down (in student population) and that’s a nationwide trend. So we’re talking about cutting faculty, cutting programs, and it looks pretty bad if athletics doesn’t share that burden, even in a symbolic gesture.”
Ridpath, like many of his peers in The Drake Group, an organization dedicated to academic integrity and reform in college sports, was heartened to hear George and Parker affirm that cutting sports at CU and CSU would come only out of last resort or economic desperation.
Both institutions are bracing for financial shortfalls because of cancellations, closings and postponements caused by COVID-19. Cincinnati and Old Dominion raised eyebrows — and red flags — across the country when their athletic directors recently announced that they were cutting men’s soccer and wrestling, respectively.
“I think there are other ways for us to continue to manage costs,” Parker told The Post last week when asked about axing sports.
“Eliminating sports is not at the top of my list,” George said. “Right now, we don’t have any sports that we would cut.”
Salaries, though, are a different animal. One Ridpath would like to see both the Buffs and Rams figure out a way to tame before it’s too late.
“They should come out and say, ‘Dropping sports is off the table,’” Ridpath continued, “and then that will maybe force them to make some choices that they should’ve been forced to make a long time ago.
“Cut unnecessary travel. Cut some salaries. All that unnecessary bloat that’s been going on. Joe and Rick should come out and say, ‘We’re going to change our agreements with the coaches,’ and say, ‘Look, we’re not going to give out any bonuses next year.’”
Ridpath suggests George and Parker follow the example of Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard, who announced a 10% salary reduction across the department and eliminated coaches’ bonuses for a year.
Neither CU nor CSU administrators said on-record that they were immediately inclined to follow Pollard’s route. Both did say that scenarios along those lines have been discussed, though, most likely as salaries pertain to the 2020-21 fiscal year that begins July 1.
“I think (reduced salaries) are something we’re probably going to have to consider,” Parker said.
“I do think there is an attitude within the department of, ‘We’ll do what’s necessary to make sure that we’re preserving as many opportunities as we can.’”
CU athletics will finish the 2019-20 fiscal year “in the black,” George noted, thanks in part to a strong return on the football side last fall and a cost savings on travel as a result of spring sports being canceled. George said in a Buffs news release last December that ticket sales and donations typically account for 24% and 11%, respectively, of CU’s annual revenues. According to the Knight Commission, distribution from the Pac-12 for broadcast rights accounted for 35% of the Buffs’ collective take in 2017-18, followed by donor contributions (21%) and ticket sales (16%).
As a member of the Mountain West Conference, the Rams’ revenue pie is significantly different, with the majority of the take (36%) in 2017-18 stemming from institutional and government support, followed by donations (13%), corporate sponsorship (12%), student fees (10.7%) and ticket sales (10.6%).
CSU reportedly collected $54.7 million in revenue in 2017-18, the most recent Knight report available, while CU took in $89.6 million.
The Buffs last week announced the cancellation of all on-campus summer events, including sports camps, and a postponement of the lucrative Dead & Company concert series — all of which could mean a collective hit of at least $500,000 for the athletic department.
Parker said CSU could be short as much as $950,000 of expected NCAA distributions because of the cancellation of the men’s basketball tournament a month ago.
“It’s hard to sit here in mid-April with everything going on,” Parker said, “and understand exactly what the deal is going to look like for any of us.”
All the more reason for George and Parker to get out in front of it, Ridpath says.
“We have to get to the level of what are the ‘have-tos’ versus the ‘want-tos,’” Ridpath noted. “I think Joe and Rick can afford (a cut of) 5 percent. And coaches can afford a lot more.”


thedenverpost--2020-04-19--A slugging catcher turned “synergistic” coach: How Chris Hanks made Colorado Mesa an elite Division

A slugging catcher turned “synergistic” coach: How Chris Hanks made Colorado Mesa an elite Division II program

Editor ’ s Note : This is the third in a five-part series on Colorado baseball icons .
The first two profiled Scott Bullock and Jenny Cavnar .
Perhaps the most telling at-bat of Chris Hanks ’ career — and one that came on the very field where he ’ d later make Colorado Mesa a Division II powerhouse — was an intentional walk .
It was the 1988 Junior College World Series at Sam Suplizio Field , and Hanks was the College of Southern Idaho ’ s star slugger .
He strode to the plate with two outs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his team down 8-7 and the tying run on base .
But rather than face Hanks , the eventual tournament MVP , the opposition elected to give the much-feared All-American a free pass .
They ’ d rather put the winning run on base than deal with Hanks , whose eventual evolution from talented player to iconic coach was foreseen by his manager .
“ It wasn ’ t just the tournament that he carried us — he put us on his back and carried us for most of the year , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s radar , ” said Jim Walker , former longtime head coach at CSI .
“ He had big hit after big hit .
… Looking back on that when he took the job at CMU , I knew he was not just going to build something — he was going to make it a program that was one of the best.
” That last collegiate at-bat epitomized the unfulfilled nature of Hanks ’ playing days .
Just like how he didn ’ t get a chance to hit his team into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t get the opportunity to dictate his professional career due to injury .
The day after CSI finished third at the World Series , Hanks turned down a scholarship from Oklahoma State and signed with Boston , which had drafted him in the 28th round the year before .
But a shoulder injury originally suffered as a high school football player never fully healed at CSI or during his four seasons in the minors .
The injury forced the career catcher to take up first base at CSI , and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well before his last hurrah as a player , which came at the Tigers ’ minor league spring training in 1992 , Hanks — barely able to lift his right arm to feed himself — had already decided on his next step .
“ When I was at spring training with Detroit , every night I ’ d go into the minor league clubhouse and take the practice plans off of every bulletin board for every level and I built a notebook , ” Hanks said .
“ I knew I wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Skip ’ ( Walker ) , who galvanized my desire , but the end of my career really led me into it.
” After hanging up his cleats that spring , Hanks finished his college degree at Colorado Mesa and began as an assistant coach there in baseball and football in the fall of 1992 .
Five years later , he took over as head coach in baseball , the beginning of the program ’ s transformation into the preeminent college team in Colorado .
In 21 seasons as the Mavericks ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .714 ) with 17 regional titles , four Division II World Series appearances and national runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2019 .
Colorado Mesa ’ s dominated the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference during that time , winning 15 titles overall and the last eight in a row , while also becoming the winningest Division II team of the past decade .
“ He built a machine , ” said former Mavericks outfielder Austin Kaiser , the 2014 Division II national player of the year .
“ He ’ s able to show not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the nation , that good baseball can be played in Colorado.
” That “ machine ” is rooted in a team-first approach which , on the surface , might seem difficult to attain for a program that benefits from prominent transfers such as World Series champion pitcher Sergio Romo ( Division II North Alabama ) and , more recently , Rockies minor league pitcher Reagan Todd ( Division I Arizona State ) .
With talent coming in from near and far , Hanks said his teams are “ trying to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time.
” “ He has good knowledge of the game , but it ’ s his synergistic approach to baseball that has set him apart , ” explained Bill Hanks , Chris ’ dad , a longtime coach and former CSU football player .
“ They out-team other programs , and all these years , I ’ m always asked how they developed the culture in the program .
It developed over time , but it ’ s because a level of expectation of winning and consistency has been established there.
” Jeff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coach since 1993 , added that “ everyone is accountable ” in a program that ’ s produced 21 draft picks under Hanks .
“ Our expectation here is to win a national championship , and that expectation is only realistic if the No .
1 guy is willing to put in the work like the No .
35 guy on the roster , ” Rodgers said .
“ Players see if that doesn ’ t happen , but Chris makes sure everyone is treated the same.
” Staff continuity has also been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Colorado Mesa ’ s staff hasn ’ t changed the past 12 seasons .
The other pillars of Hanks ’ success are the large talent pool the program ’ s reputation has allowed it to draw from and its scholarship endowment , which began in 1999 .
“ We ’ ve been building that endowment ever since then to create a perpetual fund to help provide scholarships in a sport where D-II schools are only allowed nine maximum scholarships , ” Hanks said .
“ When I took over we had 3.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to eight .
… The school currently provides about six scholarships for us each year and we fundraise about two.
” The Colorado Mesa dynasty isn ’ t likely to crumble anytime soon .
Before the 2020 season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic , the Mavericks were 14-4 , ranked No .
4 in the country and eager to get back to the national title game after losing 3-1 to Tampa in the 2019 affair .
With the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility to all players because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be remain loaded for 2021 , too .
Meanwhile Hanks , 51 , said he still has plenty of coaching left in him .
He ’ s had opportunities to leave Colorado Mesa , including interviewing for a job in the Mountain West Conference a few years back .
But it ’ s going to take a lot to lure the Carbondale native and former Roaring Fork High School two-sport star away from his baseball kingdom in Grand Junction .
“ There ’ s a good chance I ’ ll never leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would if it was the right opportunity , but as the years go on , that opportunity has to be better and better .
There ’ s a lot of work that ’ s been put in here , and this is my home .
Finding a school , a ( school ) president and a community that supports the game of baseball like they do here would be tough .
”

Editor’s Note: This is the third in a five-part series on Colorado baseball icons. The first two profiled Scott Bullock and Jenny Cavnar.
Perhaps the most telling at-bat of Chris Hanks’ career — and one that came on the very field where he’d later make Colorado Mesa a Division II powerhouse — was an intentional walk.
It was the 1988 Junior College World Series at Sam Suplizio Field, and Hanks was the College of Southern Idaho’s star slugger. He strode to the plate with two outs in the last inning of the semifinal, his team down 8-7 and the tying run on base.
But rather than face Hanks, the eventual tournament MVP, the opposition elected to give the much-feared All-American a free pass. They’d rather put the winning run on base than deal with Hanks, whose eventual evolution from talented player to iconic coach was foreseen by his manager.
“It wasn’t just the tournament that he carried us — he put us on his back and carried us for most of the year, and he was on everyone in the country’s radar,” said Jim Walker, former longtime head coach at CSI. “He had big hit after big hit. … Looking back on that when he took the job at CMU, I knew he was not just going to build something — he was going to make it a program that was one of the best.”
That last collegiate at-bat epitomized the unfulfilled nature of Hanks’ playing days. Just like how he didn’t get a chance to hit his team into the national championship game, Hanks also didn’t get the opportunity to dictate his professional career due to injury.
The day after CSI finished third at the World Series, Hanks turned down a scholarship from Oklahoma State and signed with Boston, which had drafted him in the 28th round the year before. But a shoulder injury originally suffered as a high school football player never fully healed at CSI or during his four seasons in the minors. The injury forced the career catcher to take up first base at CSI, and his career topped out in Class-A Advanced.
Well before his last hurrah as a player, which came at the Tigers’ minor league spring training in 1992, Hanks — barely able to lift his right arm to feed himself — had already decided on his next step.
“When I was at spring training with Detroit, every night I’d go into the minor league clubhouse and take the practice plans off of every bulletin board for every level and I built a notebook,” Hanks said. “I knew I wanted to coach from the time I played under ‘Skip’ (Walker), who galvanized my desire, but the end of my career really led me into it.”
After hanging up his cleats that spring, Hanks finished his college degree at Colorado Mesa and began as an assistant coach there in baseball and football in the fall of 1992. Five years later, he took over as head coach in baseball, the beginning of the program’s transformation into the preeminent college team in Colorado.
In 21 seasons as the Mavericks’ head coach, Hanks is 898-360 (.714) with 17 regional titles, four Division II World Series appearances and national runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2019. Colorado Mesa’s dominated the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference during that time, winning 15 titles overall and the last eight in a row, while also becoming the winningest Division II team of the past decade.
“He built a machine,” said former Mavericks outfielder Austin Kaiser, the 2014 Division II national player of the year. “He’s able to show not just the western region, but the rest of the nation, that good baseball can be played in Colorado.”
That “machine” is rooted in a team-first approach which, on the surface, might seem difficult to attain for a program that benefits from prominent transfers such as World Series champion pitcher Sergio Romo (Division II North Alabama) and, more recently, Rockies minor league pitcher Reagan Todd (Division I Arizona State).
With talent coming in from near and far, Hanks said his teams are “trying to make two plus two equal five all the time.”
“He has good knowledge of the game, but it’s his synergistic approach to baseball that has set him apart,” explained Bill Hanks, Chris’ dad, a longtime coach and former CSU football player. “They out-team other programs, and all these years, I’m always asked how they developed the culture in the program. It developed over time, but it’s because a level of expectation of winning and consistency has been established there.”
Jeff Rodgers, Colorado Mesa’s pitching coach since 1993, added that “everyone is accountable” in a program that’s produced 21 draft picks under Hanks.
“Our expectation here is to win a national championship, and that expectation is only realistic if the No. 1 guy is willing to put in the work like the No. 35 guy on the roster,” Rodgers said. “Players see if that doesn’t happen, but Chris makes sure everyone is treated the same.”
Staff continuity has also been key. With Rodgers as the mainstay, Colorado Mesa’s staff hasn’t changed the past 12 seasons.
The other pillars of Hanks’ success are the large talent pool the program’s reputation has allowed it to draw from and its scholarship endowment, which began in 1999.
“We’ve been building that endowment ever since then to create a perpetual fund to help provide scholarships in a sport where D-II schools are only allowed nine maximum scholarships,” Hanks said. “When I took over we had 3.5, and now we’re up to eight. … The school currently provides about six scholarships for us each year and we fundraise about two.”
The Colorado Mesa dynasty isn’t likely to crumble anytime soon.
Before the 2020 season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Mavericks were 14-4, ranked No. 4 in the country and eager to get back to the national title game after losing 3-1 to Tampa in the 2019 affair. With the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility to all players because of the cancelled season, Colorado Mesa is assured to be remain loaded for 2021, too.
Meanwhile Hanks, 51, said he still has plenty of coaching left in him. He’s had opportunities to leave Colorado Mesa, including interviewing for a job in the Mountain West Conference a few years back. But it’s going to take a lot to lure the Carbondale native and former Roaring Fork High School two-sport star away from his baseball kingdom in Grand Junction.
“There’s a good chance I’ll never leave here,” Hanks said. “I would if it was the right opportunity, but as the years go on, that opportunity has to be better and better. There’s a lot of work that’s been put in here, and this is my home. Finding a school, a (school) president and a community that supports the game of baseball like they do here would be tough.”


thedenverpost--2020-04-19--Coronavirus-induced RTD service reductions start Sunday

Every bus and rail line except for train service to Denver International Airport will see drastically reduced service starting Sunday @ @ @ @ @ District adjusts to a coronavirus pandemic that has gutted its ridership .
RTD ’ s @ @ @ @ @ favor of the COVID-19 service plan late last month , but it took several weeks @ @ @ @ @ and adjustments to employee schedules to put the plan into effect .
All bus and @ @ @ @ @ reduced to a weekend schedule while the G-Line to Arvada and Wheat Ridge will drop @ @ @ @ @ day to 30-minute frequencies .
The B-Line to Westminster will run every hour instead of @ @ @ @ @ changes are scheduled to last until Sept. 20 though an RTD spokeswoman said a more @ @ @ @ @ go operational should the situation with the pandemic improve before fall .
RTD is seeing @ @ @ @ @ , down from nearly 400,000 before coronavirus hit in March .

Every bus and rail line except for train service to Denver International Airport will see drastically reduced service starting Sunday, as the Regional Transportation District adjusts to a coronavirus pandemic that has gutted its ridership.
RTD’s board of directors voted in favor of the COVID-19 service plan late last month, but it took several weeks to make the necessary changes and adjustments to employee schedules to put the plan into effect.
All bus and light rail lines will be reduced to a weekend schedule while the G-Line to Arvada and Wheat Ridge will drop from 15-minute frequencies during the day to 30-minute frequencies. The B-Line to Westminster will run every hour instead of every half hour.
The changes are scheduled to last until Sept. 20 though an RTD spokeswoman said a more robust schedule is waiting to go operational should the situation with the pandemic improve before fall. RTD is seeing around 120,000 boardings per weekday, down from nearly 400,000 before coronavirus hit in March.


thedenverpost--2020-04-19--Improving Investor Behavior: An unintentional sabbatical

Has it been a month already ?
In some ways , this feels like the longest 30 days many have ever experienced .
For others , it seems to have gone by way too quickly .
When much of the world is committed to staying home and avoiding COVID-19 , time becomes relative .
In many ways , it feels like a sabbatical , albeit an unintentional and unwelcome one .
Sabbaticals are offered as a chance to skip the routine and learn something new .
An extended opportunity to challenge your perspectives and grow your skill set .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning during your sabbatical ?
How will you grow from the experience ?
What will be different in your life afterward ?
New ?
Improved ?
The same ?
We ’ re learning a lot right now , on both micro and macro levels .
Lessons about the economy , markets , human nature , and teamwork are appearing daily .
If we fail to notice and learn from these , it will be a huge missed opportunity .
In that spirit , here are a couple of things I ’ ve learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many lessons to learn in the COVID-19 crisis is that timing the market with nearly any asset class , stocks , bonds , real estate , or commodities is as hard as trying to catch a falling razor blade .
It is not only challenging but can be painful and hazardous to your health ( and fingers ) !
Consider the weekend of April 3rd , which was only about two weeks ago .
The U.S .
Surgeon General described the environment as our “ modern-day Pearl Harbor.
” Then on Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even with the holiday and a shorter week , the markets enjoyed their best returns since 1974 , rising 12.15 % in just four days .
The S & P 500 was up more than 25 % from the lows on March 23rd , less than 30 days ago .
The lesson : Time in the market beats timing the market .
Even the best financial minds get humbled .
Warren Buffett ’ s investments in several airlines were performing well until COVID-19 hit .
You never know what can happen or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is risk in everything , everywhere , every day .
Anyone who tries to tell you different is selling snake oil .
America does not back down America may pay a price , but we stand up and do what it takes to prevail .
Our economy , the largest in the world , was brought to a screeching halt , full-stop , for 15 days , and then an additional 30 days .
Trillions in economic fuel suddenly stopped to slow the spread of this virus .
It was a pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A steep price , but a necessary one .
We have a government that is politically divided .
In a matter of days , an agreement to help support workers , businesses who employ those workers , and essential industries , provided financial resources to support their endeavors .
When it matters , our country is still capable of coming together for the common good .
We are innovators and entrepreneurs Moments like these are a call to innovation .
American companies are answering that call , transforming automotive facilities into ventilator factories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and going from near zero testing kits to millions in the matter of a couple of weeks .
That is innovation .
Abroad the story is the same .
James Dyson ( of vacuum fame ) designed a new ventilator in 10 days and is now making 15,000 of them .
The U.K. government is buying 10,000 , and he is donating 5,000 to help internationally .
When we look back on this period , how many new companies , ideas , and innovations will spring from this challenge ?
Where we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we buy our essential goods and services , our supply chain is critical .
When we rely solely on international providers , we put ourselves at external risks .
We saw this play out with our energy independence .
By producing our own oil supplies , we are no longer at the mercy or whims of other countries .
Now we are learning this lesson with other products ( pharma , medical equipment , food ) .
Perhaps we will learn the economics behind this lesson and learn to value relationships between nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best option .
We will get through this The resulting recession may be intense , and the time frame is unknown , but I am optimistic .
Before COVID-19 , our economy was strong .
Our banks were in great shape , unemployment was at the lowest levels in 50 years , and our country does not stand down .
We are a do-what-it-takes nation .
We will get through this and be stronger at the other end .
We need to get the confidence of Americans back , and that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for you and your family ?
For you and your business ?
Your relationships ?
If you were to look out three months from today to mid-July , and look back over the past 90 days , what progress would you like to see ?
What new innovations , strategies , relationships , knowledge , or skills would you like to have accomplished ?
Would you be healthier because you took a walk every day ?
Would you have cleaned up or accomplished that “ someday to do list , ” and see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be closer to family and loved ones because you called them to check in ?
Will your sabbatical point you to a brighter future ?
Steve Booren is the founder of Prosperion Financial Advisors in Greenwood Village .
He is the author of “ Intelligent Investing : Your Guide to a Growing Retirement Income , ” published in March 2019 and was recently named by Forbes to its 2020 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for Colorado .

Has it been a month already? In some ways, this feels like the longest 30 days many have ever experienced. For others, it seems to have gone by way too quickly. When much of the world is committed to staying home and avoiding COVID-19, time becomes relative. In many ways, it feels like a sabbatical, albeit an unintentional and unwelcome one.
Sabbaticals are offered as a chance to skip the routine and learn something new. An extended opportunity to challenge your perspectives and grow your skill set. With that in mind, what are you learning during your sabbatical? How will you grow from the experience? What will be different in your life afterward? New? Improved? The same?
We’re learning a lot right now, on both micro and macro levels. Lessons about the economy, markets, human nature, and teamwork are appearing daily. If we fail to notice and learn from these, it will be a huge missed opportunity.
In that spirit, here are a couple of things I’ve learned over the past month.
Timing the market is a fool’s errand
One of many lessons to learn in the COVID-19 crisis is that timing the market with nearly any asset class, stocks, bonds, real estate, or commodities is as hard as trying to catch a falling razor blade. It is not only challenging but can be painful and hazardous to your health (and fingers)! Consider the weekend of April 3rd, which was only about two weeks ago. The U.S. Surgeon General described the environment as our “modern-day Pearl Harbor.” Then on Monday, the financial markets rallied over 5%. Even with the holiday and a shorter week, the markets enjoyed their best returns since 1974, rising 12.15% in just four days. The S&P 500 was up more than 25% from the lows on March 23rd, less than 30 days ago. The lesson: Time in the market beats timing the market.
Humility
Even the best financial minds get humbled. Warren Buffett’s investments in several airlines were performing well until COVID-19 hit. You never know what can happen or what may be around the corner. There is risk in everything, everywhere, every day. Anyone who tries to tell you different is selling snake oil.
America does not back down
America may pay a price, but we stand up and do what it takes to prevail. Our economy, the largest in the world, was brought to a screeching halt, full-stop, for 15 days, and then an additional 30 days. Trillions in economic fuel suddenly stopped to slow the spread of this virus. It was a pretty bold medicine to fight this enemy. A steep price, but a necessary one.
We have a government that is politically divided. In a matter of days, an agreement to help support workers, businesses who employ those workers, and essential industries, provided financial resources to support their endeavors. When it matters, our country is still capable of coming together for the common good.
We are innovators and entrepreneurs
Moments like these are a call to innovation. American companies are answering that call, transforming automotive facilities into ventilator factories, turning pillow production to mask creation, and going from near zero testing kits to millions in the matter of a couple of weeks. That is innovation.
Abroad the story is the same. James Dyson (of vacuum fame) designed a new ventilator in 10 days and is now making 15,000 of them. The U.K. government is buying 10,000, and he is donating 5,000 to help internationally.
When we look back on this period, how many new companies, ideas, and innovations will spring from this challenge?
Where we buy our stuff matters
When examining where we buy our essential goods and services, our supply chain is critical. When we rely solely on international providers, we put ourselves at external risks. We saw this play out with our energy independence. By producing our own oil supplies, we are no longer at the mercy or whims of other countries. Now we are learning this lesson with other products (pharma, medical equipment, food). Perhaps we will learn the economics behind this lesson and learn to value relationships between nations. The lowest price is not always the best option.
We will get through this
The resulting recession may be intense, and the time frame is unknown, but I am optimistic. Before COVID-19, our economy was strong. Our banks were in great shape, unemployment was at the lowest levels in 50 years, and our country does not stand down. We are a do-what-it-takes nation. We will get through this and be stronger at the other end. We need to get the confidence of Americans back, and that will take time.
What will be different for you and your family? For you and your business? Your relationships?
If you were to look out three months from today to mid-July, and look back over the past 90 days, what progress would you like to see? What new innovations, strategies, relationships, knowledge, or skills would you like to have accomplished? Would you be healthier because you took a walk every day? Would you have cleaned up or accomplished that “someday to do list,” and see them in your history? Would you be closer to family and loved ones because you called them to check in?
Will your sabbatical point you to a brighter future?
Steve Booren is the founder of Prosperion Financial Advisors in Greenwood Village. He is the author of “Intelligent Investing: Your Guide to a Growing Retirement Income,” published in March 2019 and was recently named by Forbes to its 2020 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-04-19--Most of Colorado’s neighbors don’t have stay-at-home orders. Here’s how that’s working out for them.

Gov .
Jared Polis has made working with Colorado ’ s neighboring states part of his strategy to emerge from the grip of the coronavirus contagion , pointing to cross-border collaboration more than once during his daily COVID-19 press briefings last week .
But the governor acknowledged that states surrounding Colorado “ have different policies ” with “ different trajectories of the infection.
” Cooperation , Polis said , will be the watchword if Colorado wants to escape a resurgence of the deadly virus once the state reopens for business .
“ Even if we ’ re somehow able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from … other states and unless they ’ re about in the same place we are , it could make it worse , ” the governor said Tuesday .
And yet , most of Colorado ’ s neighbors are not taking the same approach to the pandemic as the Centennial State .
Colorado ’ s stay-at-home order , issued by Polis on March 25 , directs people not to venture from their homes unless absolutely necessary .
Wyoming , Utah , Nebraska and Oklahoma , which share a border with Colorado , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have not enacted such a policy .
Maintaining physical separation between individuals has been key to slowing the spread of the coronavirus , which worldwide has infected more than 2 million people and killed more than 150,000 .
Colorado ’ s neighbors are achieving social distancing in different ways .
Utah Gov .
Gary Herbert in late March issued a “ Stay Safe , Stay Home ” directive that falls short of a mandatory stay-at-home order , citing it as a “ more positive route ” to corralling and eradicating the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters in his state that stay-at-home directives need to come from local government authorities , not the state .
“ Are you waiting for ‘ Mother may I ? '
” Gordon said earlier this month .
“ Or are you taking care of yourself and practicing the common sense we expect ?
” Nebraska has more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases with more than 20 deaths while Oklahoma has about 2,500 cases and more than 130 deaths .
Nebraska ’ s governor has limited public gatherings to 10 or fewer people , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home measures in place .
Meanwhile , bordering states that do have stay-at-home orders in place vary in outcomes , with approximately 1,700 known cases at the low end in New Mexico and Kansas , and more than 4,500 in Arizona .
At first glance , it would appear that Colorado and its neighbors are largely taking similar steps to combating the coronavirus — ordering the closure of schools , restaurants and venues where people congregate — and that the lack of an official stay-at-home order is a distinction without a difference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extra step could prove valuable in keeping its ultimate case numbers down , said Dr. John Douglas , executive director of the Tri-County Health Department , which oversees Adams , Arapahoe and Douglas counties .
“ Given the models in terms of what we could see with a surge ( of COVID-19 patients ) , we knew we had to get ahead of this , ” said Douglas , whose agency issued its own stay-at-home order shortly before Polis issued one statewide .
“ We felt the smartest thing to do was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we could achieve.
” For many — particularly those with a libertarian bent — government directives such as stay-at-home orders are at odds with America ’ s fundamental concepts of liberty and freedom .
The states adjacent to Colorado who don ’ t have stay-at-home orders are all GOP-run , though Republicans also lead some states that have implemented orders .
Utah Rep. Paul Ray , a Republican who serves on that state ’ s coronavirus task force , said stay-at-home orders are a “ bit overbearing.
” “ To a point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the policies that have come out , ” said Ray , who wasn ’ t comfortable with Herbert ’ s decision to shut down restaurants in March .
“ I think you cross the line when you quarantine healthy people.
” It ’ s not just the profound economic damage that is wrought by government orders telling people to stay home , Ray said , but also the social harms those policies engender .
“ What are we looking at with suicides ?
” he asked about those suddenly finding themselves jobless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families .
“ How many people are back to using drugs because they have lost that social network in rehab ?
” He said Utah , like Colorado , has a relatively healthy and active population that may not be as susceptible to the ravages of COVID-19 , which has the greatest impacts on the elderly and sick .
Thus a “ one-size-fits-all ” approach , like a statewide stay-at-home order , isn ’ t always necessary , Ray said .
Colorado far exceeds all of its neighboring states in per-capita cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect or not , according to a database kept by The New York Times .
Utah , with a population a little more than half of Colorado ’ s , has more than 2,700 cases of COVID-19 with 23 deaths , as compared with more than 9,000 infections and nearly 400 deaths in Colorado .
Lily Everett , a physician ’ s assistant in Salt Lake City , said for states that are largely rural with smaller populations , stay-at-home orders may not be needed .
But with more than 2.5 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which includes Salt Lake and Provo , it is needed .
Everett is pushing for a statewide stay-at-home order in Utah despite the state ’ s relatively modest caseload .
She started a Change.org petition in March that has collected more than 18,000 signatures .
“ Social distancing is not enough , ” the petition reads .
“ This petition is meant to urge Governor Gary Herbert of his responsibility to protect the people that he serves and immediately enact a ‘ shelter in place ’ order for all of Utah.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home order would effectively impart the gravity of the situation to Utahns .
“ Just a few individuals can put hundreds and thousands of lives at risk , ” she said .
“ It gets frustrating when you see people getting together and playing sports , or gathering at trailheads .
For people who don ’ t take it seriously , those people need to be held accountable because they ’ re putting public health at risk.
” Christine Porter , a public health professor at the University of Wyoming , also favors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though she said some disease models indicate that Wyoming ’ s coronavirus caseload likely won ’ t exceed the state ’ s 44 intensive care unit beds and 137 ventilators .
The state ranks near the bottom nationally for coronavirus cases with around 300 known infections and two deaths .
“ Probably the biggest impact ( a stay-at-home order ) would have is making more people take the advice more seriously , ” she said .
“ It would be a social effect , including taking the pressure off individuals to make these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued by Google as evidence that stay-at-home orders make a difference .
The latest data set released by the tech giant shows that of the seven states surrounding Colorado , travel to retail and recreation venues is lower in states with a stay-at-home order in place .
Visits to those venues in Colorado has gone down 46 % over the last few weeks , whereas that decrease was 42 % in Utah and 41 % in Wyoming .
Whether that difference will result in better outcomes for Colorado as compared to its neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Porter said .
“ Small things can tip the balance , but maybe this won ’ t , ” she said .
“ It does show that other approaches short of shelter-in-place , including social pressure , have been very effective in reducing mobility overall.
” One common denominator among Colorado and adjacent states : Regardless of the measures put in place , pushback to them is growing .
Protests erupted in Ohio and Michigan against coronavirus-related shutdowns while a mall in Nebraska announced last week that it plans to re-open at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health officials that it ’ s too early .
In Oklahoma , the city of Vinita was sued last week after it issued a stay-at-home order .
In Colorado , two protests are planned Sunday .

Gov. Jared Polis has made working with Colorado’s neighboring states part of his strategy to emerge from the grip of the coronavirus contagion, pointing to cross-border collaboration more than once during his daily COVID-19 press briefings last week.
But the governor acknowledged that states surrounding Colorado “have different policies” with “different trajectories of the infection.” Cooperation, Polis said, will be the watchword if Colorado wants to escape a resurgence of the deadly virus once the state reopens for business.
“Even if we’re somehow able to contain it better here, people would come from … other states and unless they’re about in the same place we are, it could make it worse,” the governor said Tuesday.
And yet, most of Colorado’s neighbors are not taking the same approach to the pandemic as the Centennial State. Colorado’s stay-at-home order, issued by Polis on March 25, directs people not to venture from their homes unless absolutely necessary. Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska and Oklahoma, which share a border with Colorado, comprise half of the eight states nationwide that have not enacted such a policy.
Maintaining physical separation between individuals has been key to slowing the spread of the coronavirus, which worldwide has infected more than 2 million people and killed more than 150,000.
Colorado’s neighbors are achieving social distancing in different ways. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert in late March issued a “Stay Safe, Stay Home” directive that falls short of a mandatory stay-at-home order, citing it as a “more positive route” to corralling and eradicating the virus. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon told reporters in his state that stay-at-home directives need to come from local government authorities, not the state.
“Are you waiting for ‘Mother may I?'” Gordon said earlier this month. “Or are you taking care of yourself and practicing the common sense we expect?”
Nebraska has more than 1,000 COVID-19 cases with more than 20 deaths while Oklahoma has about 2,500 cases and more than 130 deaths. Nebraska’s governor has limited public gatherings to 10 or fewer people, and several big cities in Oklahoma have put stay-at-home measures in place.
Meanwhile, bordering states that do have stay-at-home orders in place vary in outcomes, with approximately 1,700 known cases at the low end in New Mexico and Kansas, and more than 4,500 in Arizona.
At first glance, it would appear that Colorado and its neighbors are largely taking similar steps to combating the coronavirus — ordering the closure of schools, restaurants and venues where people congregate — and that the lack of an official stay-at-home order is a distinction without a difference.
But Colorado’s decision to take the extra step could prove valuable in keeping its ultimate case numbers down, said Dr. John Douglas, executive director of the Tri-County Health Department, which oversees Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties.
“Given the models in terms of what we could see with a surge (of COVID-19 patients), we knew we had to get ahead of this,” said Douglas, whose agency issued its own stay-at-home order shortly before Polis issued one statewide. “We felt the smartest thing to do was to have the most complete social distancing we could achieve.”
For many — particularly those with a libertarian bent — government directives such as stay-at-home orders are at odds with America’s fundamental concepts of liberty and freedom. The states adjacent to Colorado who don’t have stay-at-home orders are all GOP-run, though Republicans also lead some states that have implemented orders.
Utah Rep. Paul Ray, a Republican who serves on that state’s coronavirus task force, said stay-at-home orders are a “bit overbearing.”
“To a point, we’ve let fear guide some of the policies that have come out,” said Ray, who wasn’t comfortable with Herbert’s decision to shut down restaurants in March. “I think you cross the line when you quarantine healthy people.”
It’s not just the profound economic damage that is wrought by government orders telling people to stay home, Ray said, but also the social harms those policies engender.
“What are we looking at with suicides?” he asked about those suddenly finding themselves jobless and without a means to support their families. “How many people are back to using drugs because they have lost that social network in rehab?”
He said Utah, like Colorado, has a relatively healthy and active population that may not be as susceptible to the ravages of COVID-19, which has the greatest impacts on the elderly and sick. Thus a “one-size-fits-all” approach, like a statewide stay-at-home order, isn’t always necessary, Ray said.
Colorado far exceeds all of its neighboring states in per-capita cases, whether those states have stay-at-home orders in effect or not, according to a database kept by The New York Times. Utah, with a population a little more than half of Colorado’s, has more than 2,700 cases of COVID-19 with 23 deaths, as compared with more than 9,000 infections and nearly 400 deaths in Colorado.
Lily Everett, a physician’s assistant in Salt Lake City, said for states that are largely rural with smaller populations, stay-at-home orders may not be needed. But with more than 2.5 million people living in Utah’s Wasatch Front, which includes Salt Lake and Provo, it is needed. Everett is pushing for a statewide stay-at-home order in Utah despite the state’s relatively modest caseload.
She started a Change.org petition in March that has collected more than 18,000 signatures.
“Social distancing is not enough,” the petition reads. “This petition is meant to urge Governor Gary Herbert of his responsibility to protect the people that he serves and immediately enact a ‘shelter in place’ order for all of Utah.”
Everett told The Denver Post that a stay-at-home order would effectively impart the gravity of the situation to Utahns.
“Just a few individuals can put hundreds and thousands of lives at risk,” she said. “It gets frustrating when you see people getting together and playing sports, or gathering at trailheads. For people who don’t take it seriously, those people need to be held accountable because they’re putting public health at risk.”
Christine Porter, a public health professor at the University of Wyoming, also favors a mandatory stay-at-home order in her state though she said some disease models indicate that Wyoming’s coronavirus caseload likely won’t exceed the state’s 44 intensive care unit beds and 137 ventilators. The state ranks near the bottom nationally for coronavirus cases with around 300 known infections and two deaths.
“Probably the biggest impact (a stay-at-home order) would have is making more people take the advice more seriously,” she said. “It would be a social effect, including taking the pressure off individuals to make these decisions.”
Porter points to mobility reports issued by Google as evidence that stay-at-home orders make a difference. The latest data set released by the tech giant shows that of the seven states surrounding Colorado, travel to retail and recreation venues is lower in states with a stay-at-home order in place.
Visits to those venues in Colorado has gone down 46% over the last few weeks, whereas that decrease was 42% in Utah and 41% in Wyoming. Whether that difference will result in better outcomes for Colorado as compared to its neighbors is a difficult question to answer, Porter said.
“Small things can tip the balance, but maybe this won’t,” she said. “It does show that other approaches short of shelter-in-place, including social pressure, have been very effective in reducing mobility overall.”
One common denominator among Colorado and adjacent states: Regardless of the measures put in place, pushback to them is growing. Protests erupted in Ohio and Michigan against coronavirus-related shutdowns while a mall in Nebraska announced last week that it plans to re-open at the end of April, despite warnings from health officials that it’s too early.
In Oklahoma, the city of Vinita was sued last week after it issued a stay-at-home order.
In Colorado, two protests are planned Sunday.


thedenverpost--2020-04-20--Gunman kills 16 in rampage, deadliest in Canadian history

TORONTO — A gunman killed 16 people in rampage in Nova Scotia , according to RCMP spokesman Daniel Brien making it the deadliest such attack in Canadian history .
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE .
AP ’ s earlier story follows below .
A man disguised as a police officer went on a shooting rampage in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia on Sunday , killing 13 people , in the deadliest such attack in the country in 30 years .
Officials said the suspected shooter was also dead .
A police officer was among those killed .
Several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in the small , rural town of Portapique , about 60 miles ( 100 kilometers ) north of Halifax — what police called the first scene .
Bodies were also found at other locations .
Overnight , police began advising residents of the town — already on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic — to lock their doors and stay in their basements .
Several homes in the area were set on fire as well .
Police identified the man believed to be the shooter as Gabriel Wortman , 51 , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities said he wore a police uniform at one point and made his car look like a Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser .
Authorities believe he may have targeted his first victims but then began attacking randomly .
Police first announced that they had arrested Wortman at a gas station in Enfield , outside Halifax , but later said he had died .
It was not clear how , and they did not explain further .
“ This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen McNeil .
RCMP spokesman Daniel Brien confirmed that 13 people had been killed in addition to the suspect .
The dead officer was identified as Constable Heidi Stevenson , a mother of two and a 23-year veteran of the force .
Another officer was also injured .
Brien said he could not rule out that the death toll could still rise .
Already , it is one of the worst shootings in Canadian history .
Mass shootings are relatively rare in the country .
Canada overhauled its gun-control laws after its worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marc Lepine killed 14 women and himself at Montreal ’ s Ecole Polytechnique college .
This weekend ’ s shooting is the deadliest since then .
It is now illegal to possess an unregistered handgun or any kind of rapid-fire weapon in Canada .
The country also requires training , a personal risk assessment , two references , spousal notification and criminal record checks to purchase a weapon .
“ As a country , in moments like these , we come together to support one another .
Together we will mourn with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them get through this difficult time , ” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a written statement .
While they believe the attack did not begin as random , police did not say what the initial motive was .
RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said many of the victims did not know the shooter .
“ That fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act , ” Leather said .
He added that police believe he acted alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack had anything to do with the coronavirus pandemic but no link has been found thus far .
At one point , there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and police , he said .
Late Sunday morning , there were half a dozen police vehicles at the scene of the gas station where the suspect died .
Yellow police tape surrounded the gas pumps , and a large silver-colored SUV was being investigated .
Cpl .
Lisa Croteau , a spokeswoman with the provincial force , said police received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firearms ” late Saturday night , and the investigation “ evolved into an active shooting investigation.
” Christine Mills , a resident of the area , said it had been a frightening night for the small town , with armed officers patrolling the streets .
In the morning , helicopters flew overhead searching for the suspect .
“ It ’ s nerve-wracking because you don ’ t know if somebody has lost their mind and is going to beat in your front door , ” she said .
Tom Taggart , a lawmaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Municipality of Colchester , said the quiet community has been shaken .
“ This is just an absolutely wonderful , peaceful quiet community and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable , ” Taggart said by phone from his home in nearby Bass River .
A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist — a person who makes dentures — in the city of Dartmouth , near Halifax , according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website .
A suspect photo issued by the RCMP appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage being interviewed about dentures by CTV Atlantic in 2014 .
Mills also said that Wortman was known locally as someone who divided his time between a residence in Halifax and a residence in Portapique .
Taggart said he didn ’ t know Wortman well , but spoke to him a few times when he telephoned about municipal issues .

TORONTO — A gunman disguised as a police officer went on a rampage across the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, shooting people in their homes and setting fires, leaving 16 people dead Sunday, in the deadliest such attack in the country’s history. Officials said the suspected shooter was also dead.
A police officer was among those killed. Several bodies were found inside and outside one home in the small, rural town of Portapique, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of Halifax — what police called the first scene. Bodies were also found at other locations. Authorities believe the shooter may have targeted his first victims but then began attacking randomly.
Overnight, police began advising residents of the town — already on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic — to lock their doors and stay in their basements. Several homes in the area were set on fire as well.
Police identified the man believed to be the shooter as Gabriel Wortman, 51, who was thought to live part-time in Portapique. Authorities said he wore a police uniform at one point and made his car look like a Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser.
Police first announced that they had arrested Wortman at a gas station in Enfield, outside Halifax, but later said he had died. It was not clear how, and they did not explain further.
“This is one of the most senseless acts of violence in our province’s history,” said Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil.
RCMP spokesman Daniel Brien confirmed that 16 people had been killed in addition to the suspect. The dead officer was identified as Constable Heidi Stevenson, a mother of two and a 23-year veteran of the force. Another officer was also injured.
Mass shootings are relatively rare in Canada. The country overhauled its gun-control laws after gunman Marc Lepine killed 14 women and himself at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique college in 1989. Before this weekend’s rampage, that had been the country’s worst.
It is now illegal to possess an unregistered handgun or any kind of rapid-fire weapon in Canada. The country also requires training, a personal risk assessment, two references, spousal notification and criminal record checks to purchase a weapon.
“As a country, in moments like these, we come together to support one another. Together we will mourn with the families of the victims, and help them get through this difficult time,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a written news release.
While they believe the attack did not begin as random, police did not say what the initial motive was. RCMP Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said many of the victims did not know the shooter.
“That fact that this individual had a uniform and a police car at his disposal certainly speaks to it not being a random act,” Leather said. He added that police believe he acted alone.
Leather said they would investigate whether the attack had anything to do with the coronavirus pandemic but no link has been found thus far.
At one point, there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and police, he said.
Late Sunday morning, there were half a dozen police vehicles at the scene of the gas station where the suspect died. Yellow police tape surrounded the gas pumps, and a large silver-colored SUV was being investigated.
Cpl. Lisa Croteau, a spokeswoman with the provincial force, said police received a call about “a person with firearms” late Saturday night, and the investigation “evolved into an active shooting investigation.”
Christine Mills, a resident of the area, said it had been a frightening night for the small town, with armed officers patrolling the streets. In the morning, helicopters flew overhead searching for the suspect. “It’s nerve-wracking because you don’t know if somebody has lost their mind and is going to beat in your front door,” she said.
Tom Taggart, a lawmaker who represents the Portapique area in the Municipality of Colchester, said the quiet community has been shaken.
“This is just an absolutely wonderful, peaceful quiet community and the idea that this could happen in our community is unbelievable,” Taggart said by phone from his home in nearby Bass River.
A Gabriel Wortman is listed as a denturist — a person who makes dentures — in the city of Dartmouth, near Halifax, according to the Denturist Society of Nova Scotia website. A suspect photo issued by the RCMP appears to be of the same person seen in video footage being interviewed about dentures by CTV Atlantic in 2014.
Mills also said that Wortman was known locally as someone who divided his time between a residence in Halifax and a residence in Portapique.
Taggart said he didn’t know Wortman well, but spoke to him a few times when he telephoned about municipal issues.
Taggart described knowing Wortman’s “lovely big home” on Portapique Beach Road.


thedenverpost--2020-04-20--Sudden growth spurt paves Jabari Walker’s path to CU Buffs basketball

Jabari Walker is , by any definition , a late bloomer .
And given Walker ’ s age and abrupt improvement over the past year , he alone might boast the most untapped potential in a Colorado 2020 recruiting class full of players with tantalizing ceilings .
At the beginning of this past basketball season , Walker figured a year at a prep school was , most likely , his next destination .
But a growth spurt combined with the opportunity that opened up on the Buffaloes ’ roster over the past month changed those plans .
Now the 6-foot-8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the CU frontcourt — and a player who not only could help the Buffs in the 2020-21 season , but one head coach Tad Boyle firmly believes is a key component of the future of the program .
The son of former 10-year NBA veteran Samaki Walker , Jabari Walker says he grew three inches over the past year .
And at just 17-years old , that growth spurt may not be over .
“ I ’ m still growing as we speak , ” Walker said hours after signing his letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Buffs .
“ I went from 6-5 last year and now I ’ m 6-8 .
I feel myself getting stronger .
I don ’ t think I ’ m done growing .
I was considering doing another year of prep school just to get more looks , improve my body and get more comfortable with my game .
I was out my whole sophomore year with injuries , so a lot played into that decision of going prep .
But then I realized that I was ready for college .
Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready.
” Walker , along with new signee Jeriah Horne , a graduate transfer from Tulsa , could be the players most critical to replacing Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Bey , who opted to forgo his senior season to enter the NBA draft .
In Walker ’ s case , however , his addition alongside German small fandorward Tristan da Silva , as well as previous 2020 in-state signees Luke O ’ Brien and Dominique Clifford , gives CU an impressive array of true freshmen one year after not having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ He ’ s really improved the past year , ” CU associate head coach Mike Rohn said .
“ He grew a little over the past year , and he ’ s a great kid with great upside .
He definitely can help us as a freshman with Tyler leaving .
He can be in the rotation and has a good basketball IQ .
He can really be a good piece for us with Tyler not coming back.
” Like CU ’ s other spring signees , Walker has yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is closed with all off-campus recruiting endeavors shelved in the national lockdown due the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 .
With the NCAA traveling moratorium extended through May 31 , it is looking less likely Walker and his new teammates will reconvene at CU in early June , which would follow the typical basketball offseason calendar .
Instead , Walker is training at home to hit the ground running whenever he arrives on campus .
“ Knowing that we can compete right away for the NCAA Tournament , top 20 team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added more pieces , ” Walker said .
“ Losing Tyler Bey but adding more pieces .
We have a good freshman class coming in .
If we can get it together right away , then the next four years should be pretty interesting .
I ’ m excited about that .
“ We ’ ve done a good job of contacting each other just on the phone so far .
I think it ’ s important , and we ’ ll have a strong relationship by the time we get to Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now is just focus on myself right now , just focusing on what I have to .
Whenever I get to be on campus I want to be ready .
So that ’ s just my focus right now .
Getting my mindset ready , preparing as well as I can , and I will be ready by the time I get to step on campus .
”

Jabari Walker is, by any definition, a late bloomer. And given Walker’s age and abrupt improvement over the past year, he alone might boast the most untapped potential in a Colorado 2020 recruiting class full of players with tantalizing ceilings.
At the beginning of this past basketball season, Walker figured a year at a prep school was, most likely, his next destination. But a growth spurt combined with the opportunity that opened up on the Buffaloes’ roster over the past month changed those plans. Now the 6-foot-8 Walker is one of the new additions to the CU frontcourt — and a player who not only could help the Buffs in the 2020-21 season, but one head coach Tad Boyle firmly believes is a key component of the future of the program.
The son of former 10-year NBA veteran Samaki Walker, Jabari Walker says he grew three inches over the past year. And at just 17-years old, that growth spurt may not be over.
“I’m still growing as we speak,” Walker said hours after signing his letter of intent on Wednesday to officially join the Buffs. “I went from 6-5 last year and now I’m 6-8. I feel myself getting stronger. I don’t think I’m done growing. I was considering doing another year of prep school just to get more looks, improve my body and get more comfortable with my game. I was out my whole sophomore year with injuries, so a lot played into that decision of going prep. But then I realized that I was ready for college. Every coach was telling me I’m ready.”
Walker, along with new signee Jeriah Horne, a graduate transfer from Tulsa, could be the players most critical to replacing Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Bey, who opted to forgo his senior season to enter the NBA draft. In Walker’s case, however, his addition alongside German small fandorward Tristan da Silva, as well as previous 2020 in-state signees Luke O’Brien and Dominique Clifford, gives CU an impressive array of true freshmen one year after not having a single freshman on the active roster.
“He’s really improved the past year,” CU associate head coach Mike Rohn said. “He grew a little over the past year, and he’s a great kid with great upside. He definitely can help us as a freshman with Tyler leaving. He can be in the rotation and has a good basketball IQ. He can really be a good piece for us with Tyler not coming back.”
Like CU’s other spring signees, Walker has yet to set foot on CU’s campus, which is closed with all off-campus recruiting endeavors shelved in the national lockdown due the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. With the NCAA traveling moratorium extended through May 31, it is looking less likely Walker and his new teammates will reconvene at CU in early June, which would follow the typical basketball offseason calendar.
Instead, Walker is training at home to hit the ground running whenever he arrives on campus.
“Knowing that we can compete right away for the NCAA Tournament, top 20 team like last year and we’ve added more pieces,” Walker said. “Losing Tyler Bey but adding more pieces. We have a good freshman class coming in. If we can get it together right away, then the next four years should be pretty interesting. I’m excited about that.
“We’ve done a good job of contacting each other just on the phone so far. I think it’s important, and we’ll have a strong relationship by the time we get to Colorado. The most I can do right now is just focus on myself right now, just focusing on what I have to. Whenever I get to be on campus I want to be ready. So that’s just my focus right now. Getting my mindset ready, preparing as well as I can, and I will be ready by the time I get to step on campus.”