thedenverpost--2020-07-04--As monuments fall, Confederate carving has size on its side

STONE MOUNTAIN , Ga. — Some statues of figures from America ’ s slave-owning past have been yanked down by protesters , others dismantled by order of governors or city leaders .
But the largest Confederate monument ever crafted — colossal figures carved into the solid rock of a Georgia mountainside — may outlast them all .
Stone Mountain ’ s supersized sculpture depicting Gen. Robert E. Lee , Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Gen. Thomas J .
“ Stonewall ” Jackson mounted on horseback has special protection enshrined in Georgia law .
Even if its demolition were sanctioned , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious challenges .
The carving measures 190 feet ( 58 meters ) across and 90 feet ( 27 meters ) tall .
An old photo shows a worker on scaffolding just below Lee ’ s chin barely reaching his nose .
Numerous Confederate statues and monuments to American slave owners have come down across the South amid recent protests against racial injustice .
Stone Mountain hasn ’ t escaped notice .
After organizing a protest where thousands marched in neighboring Atlanta , 19-year-old Zoe Bambara held a demonstration June 4 with a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 25 — inside the state park where the sculpture has drawn millions of tourists for decades .
“ The Confederacy doesn ’ t celebrate the South ; it celebrates white supremacy , ” said Bambara , who is Black .
“ The people on that mountain , they hated me .
They didn ’ t know me , but they hated me and my ancestors .
It hurts to see those people celebrated and a memorial dedicated to them.
” Still , Bambara admits she ’ s at a loss for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monument , conceived some 50 years after the Civil War ended but not finished until 1972 .
The sculpture ’ s creators used dynamite to blast huge chunks of granite away from the mountain , then spent years carving the detailed figures with hand-held cutting torches .
Erasing the carving would be dangerous , time-consuming and expensive .
The stone is likely too durable for sandblasting , said Ben Bentkowski , president of the Atlanta Geological Society .
Controlled explosions using TNT packed into holes drilled in the mountainside would work , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the safety aspect of it , you ’ d have a budget certainly north of $ 1 million , I suspect , ” Bentkowski said .
“ You ’ ll need insurance for the project , you ’ ll need hazard pay for people working on the surface of it .
It could easily take a year or more.
” When Georgia lawmakers voted in 2001 to change the state flag that had been dominated by the Confederate battle emblem since 1956 , language to guarantee the preservation of the Stone Mountain sculpture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The law states that “ the memorial to the heroes of the Confederate States of America graven upon the face of Stone Mountain shall never be altered , removed , concealed , or obscured in any fashion.
” Ryan Gravel , an Atlanta-based urban designer , noted the law doesn ’ t mandate maintenance .
He suggested allowing nature to take its course , letting vegetation grow over the sculpture from its nooks and crannies .
“ I think we ’ re in a moment where pushing the limits of that law is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And certainly the scale of the challenge at Stone Mountain warrants that.
” Other ideas — such as adding a bell tower atop the mountain in honor of the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. — have failed to take hold .
And Democratic proposals to strip the protective language from Georgia law have fallen flat with the Republican-controlled Legislature .
Asked whether Stone Mountain still deserves special protection , GOP Gov .
Brian Kemp didn ’ t give a direct answer when speaking to reporters June 26 .
“ As I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t hide from our history , ” Kemp said , while citing the new hate crimes law he signed the same day as a significant step in fighting racial injustice .
Stone Mountain wasn ’ t a battle site and had little historical significance to the Civil War .
But 50 years after the war ended , the exposed surface of the mountain ’ s northern face sparked an idea among the United Daughters of the Confederacy .
“ It looked like a giant billboard , ” said Stan Deaton , senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The group hired sculptor Gutzon Borglum — who later would carve Mount Rushmore — to design a massive Confederate monument in 1915 .
That same year , the movie “ The Birth of a Nation ” glorified the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan and Stone Mountain played a key role in its resurgence , marking its comeback with a cross burning atop the mountain on Thanksgiving night .
Budget problems plagued the Stone Mountain project and work on the sculpture languished until the state bought the mountain and surrounding land in 1958 for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renewed urgency as the civil rights movement brought unwanted change to defiant Southern states .
“ It became the centerpiece of the park , ” Deaton said .
“ There was never any doubt that the state ’ s intention of finishing this was of a piece with massive resistance.
” An estimated 10,000 people attended the monument ’ s dedication in 1970 .
Another two years passed before its official completion .
Five decades later , the park at Stone Mountain markets itself as a family theme park rather than a shrine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that romanticizes the Confederacy as chivalrous defenders of states ’ rights .
Its website highlights miniature golf and a dinosaur-themed attraction while downplaying the Confederate carving , Confederate flags and brick terraces dedicated to each Confederate state .
Paula and Michael Smith of Monticello , Georgia , visited Stone Mountain on Monday so their 10-year-old grandson could see the monument for the first time .
“ The mountain itself is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and the carving is an engineering marvel , ” said Paula Smith , a 70-year-old white woman who dismissed talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attempt to “ steal American history.
” Jarvis Jones climbs the steep hiking trail on the back side of Stone Mountain several times a week .
The 29-year-old Black man said he tries to avoid seeing the carving .
“ I definitely understand everyone wants their history to be represented , ” Jones said .
“ But when it comes to the oppression of other people , I think it needs to change.
” Bynum reported from Savannah , Georgia .
Associated Press writers Ben Nadler and Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed @ @ @ @

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — Some statues of figures from America’s slave-owning past have been yanked down by protesters, others dismantled by order of governors or city leaders. But the largest Confederate monument ever crafted — colossal figures carved into the solid rock of a Georgia mountainside — may outlast them all.
Stone Mountain’s supersized sculpture depicting Gen. Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson mounted on horseback has special protection enshrined in Georgia law.
Even if its demolition were sanctioned, the monument’s sheer size poses serious challenges. The carving measures 190 feet (58 meters) across and 90 feet (27 meters) tall. An old photo shows a worker on scaffolding just below Lee’s chin barely reaching his nose.
Numerous Confederate statues and monuments to American slave owners have come down across the South amid recent protests against racial injustice. Stone Mountain hasn’t escaped notice.
After organizing a protest where thousands marched in neighboring Atlanta, 19-year-old Zoe Bambara held a demonstration June 4 with a much smaller group — her permit allowed no more than 25 — inside the state park where the sculpture has drawn millions of tourists for decades.
“The Confederacy doesn’t celebrate the South; it celebrates white supremacy,” said Bambara, who is Black. “The people on that mountain, they hated me. They didn’t know me, but they hated me and my ancestors. It hurts to see those people celebrated and a memorial dedicated to them.”
Still, Bambara admits she’s at a loss for what should be done with the massive monument, conceived some 50 years after the Civil War ended but not finished until 1972.
The sculpture’s creators used dynamite to blast huge chunks of granite away from the mountain, then spent years carving the detailed figures with hand-held cutting torches.
Erasing the carving would be dangerous, time-consuming and expensive.
The stone is likely too durable for sandblasting, said Ben Bentkowski, president of the Atlanta Geological Society. Controlled explosions using TNT packed into holes drilled in the mountainside would work, he said.
“With the logistics, the safety aspect of it, you’d have a budget certainly north of $1 million, I suspect,” Bentkowski said. “You’ll need insurance for the project, you’ll need hazard pay for people working on the surface of it. It could easily take a year or more.”
There’s also a sizable legal obstacle.
When Georgia lawmakers voted in 2001 to change the state flag that had been dominated by the Confederate battle emblem since 1956, language to guarantee the preservation of the Stone Mountain sculpture was included as a bargaining chip.
The law states that “the memorial to the heroes of the Confederate States of America graven upon the face of Stone Mountain shall never be altered, removed, concealed, or obscured in any fashion.”
Ryan Gravel, an Atlanta-based urban designer, noted the law doesn’t mandate maintenance. He suggested allowing nature to take its course, letting vegetation grow over the sculpture from its nooks and crannies.
“I think we’re in a moment where pushing the limits of that law is possible,” Gravel said. “And certainly the scale of the challenge at Stone Mountain warrants that.”
Other ideas — such as adding a bell tower atop the mountain in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — have failed to take hold. And Democratic proposals to strip the protective language from Georgia law have fallen flat with the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Asked whether Stone Mountain still deserves special protection, GOP Gov. Brian Kemp didn’t give a direct answer when speaking to reporters June 26.
“As I’ve said many times, we can’t hide from our history,” Kemp said, while citing the new hate crimes law he signed the same day as a significant step in fighting racial injustice.
Stone Mountain wasn’t a battle site and had little historical significance to the Civil War. But 50 years after the war ended, the exposed surface of the mountain’s northern face sparked an idea among the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
“It looked like a giant billboard,” said Stan Deaton, senior historian for the Georgia Historical Society.
The group hired sculptor Gutzon Borglum — who later would carve Mount Rushmore — to design a massive Confederate monument in 1915.
That same year, the movie “The Birth of a Nation” glorified the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan and Stone Mountain played a key role in its resurgence, marking its comeback with a cross burning atop the mountain on Thanksgiving night.
Budget problems plagued the Stone Mountain project and work on the sculpture languished until the state bought the mountain and surrounding land in 1958 for a public park. Finishing the monument gained renewed urgency as the civil rights movement brought unwanted change to defiant Southern states.
“It became the centerpiece of the park,” Deaton said. “There was never any doubt that the state’s intention of finishing this was of a piece with massive resistance.”
An estimated 10,000 people attended the monument’s dedication in 1970. Another two years passed before its official completion.
Five decades later, the park at Stone Mountain markets itself as a family theme park rather than a shrine to the “Lost Cause” mythology that romanticizes the Confederacy as chivalrous defenders of states’ rights. Its website highlights miniature golf and a dinosaur-themed attraction while downplaying the Confederate carving, Confederate flags and brick terraces dedicated to each Confederate state.
Paula and Michael Smith of Monticello, Georgia, visited Stone Mountain on Monday so their 10-year-old grandson could see the monument for the first time.
“The mountain itself is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and the carving is an engineering marvel,” said Paula Smith, a 70-year-old white woman who dismissed talk of removing or altering the carving as an attempt to “steal American history.”
Jarvis Jones climbs the steep hiking trail on the back side of Stone Mountain several times a week. The 29-year-old Black man said he tries to avoid seeing the carving.
“I definitely understand everyone wants their history to be represented,” Jones said. “But when it comes to the oppression of other people, I think it needs to change.”
___
Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writers Ben Nadler and Jeff Amy in Atlanta contributed to this story.


thedenverpost--2020-07-04--NFL to discuss union’s desire to cancel preseason, AP source says

The NFL plans to consider the NFL Players Association ’ s recommendation to cancel the preseason though it prefers to cut the schedule in half , a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Friday night .
The league decided Wednesday to cut its preseason from four games to two and push back the start of exhibition play so teams have more time to train because the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of offseason practices , a person with knowledge of the decision told the AP .
But the union ’ s board of player representatives voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire preseason schedule , according to two people who were part of that conversation .
According to the collective bargaining agreement , the NFL can impose up to four preseason games per team this season and up to three when the regular season goes to 17 games in 2021 .
The teams that play in the annual Hall of Fame game may play an extra game .
That game between the Cowboys and Steelers scheduled for Aug. 6 already was canceled .
The four people spoke on condition of anonymity because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached an agreement .
The pandemic forced teams to conduct their entire offseason programs via videoconference .
So , teams will be gathering together for the first time when training camps open this month .

The NFL plans to consider the NFL Players Association’s recommendation to cancel the preseason though it prefers to cut the schedule in half, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Friday night.
The league decided Wednesday to cut its preseason from four games to two and push back the start of exhibition play so teams have more time to train because the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of offseason practices, a person with knowledge of the decision told the AP.
But the union’s board of player representatives voted Thursday to ask the league to cancel the entire preseason schedule, according to two people who were part of that conversation.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, the NFL can impose up to four preseason games per team this season and up to three when the regular season goes to 17 games in 2021. The teams that play in the annual Hall of Fame game may play an extra game. That game between the Cowboys and Steelers scheduled for Aug. 6 already was canceled.
The four people spoke on condition of anonymity because the league and the union haven’t reached an agreement.
The pandemic forced teams to conduct their entire offseason programs via videoconference. So, teams will be gathering together for the first time when training camps open this month.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


thedenverpost--2020-07-04--Hundreds gather for “Rise Up Rally” at Manual High School in Denver

Hundreds of protesters gathered Saturday evening at Denver ’ s Manual High School in what organizers called an anti-Fourth of July celebration .
If “ liberty and freedom for all ” is to have any meaning , the phrase should be reflected in the actions and words of American citizens , and it ’ s not , organizer Peter Lubembela said .
The words haven ’ t rung true since the country was founded by slave owners nearly 250 years ago , he said : Minorities , women and people of differing sexual orientations and identities all suffer under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Saturday ’ s protest is the latest of many Denver protests since George Floyd died at the hands of police in Minneapolis more than a month ago , but it is one of the few that hasn ’ t been centered on the area around the Capitol and Civic Center .
Manual is one of the oldest schools in the area and counts Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and former Mayor Wellington Webb among its graduates .
The demonstrators marched throughout the Wittier neighborhood before circling back to the high school .
Dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lined up along 26th Avenue , keeping their distance from the crowd .
Throughout the evening participants spoke against immigrant detention , conditions on reservations , the marginalization of women and mass incarceration .
“ It ’ s not about race against race or gender against gender .
We need to come together , ” Maya Padilla said .
She said she ’ s part of the northern Arapaho tribe , and her ancestors were massacred here .
The massacre continues , she said .
The demonstration included musical performances in honor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man who died last year after a confrontation with Aurora police .
A large protest was held in Aurora on Friday night to demand the firing of the officers involved in McClain ’ s death .
Valerie Reives said she was ready to stop playing the viola until she attended a vigil last week for McClain .
Saturday , she played with her bandmates and said she hoped her music translated to “ Black Lives Matter.
” When Reives plays at other protests and demonstrations , she said , McClain ’ s spirit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see these injustices and we are not going to let it stand , ” Reives said .
“ This is not just two weeks of social media blowing up .
This is a movement , not a moment.
” Saturday ’ s event was organized on Facebook by 10 for 10 , a self-described “ group of Black young men aimed on uniting their communities and Black men through community service initiatives .
”

Hundreds of protesters gathered Saturday evening at Denver’s Manual High School in what organizers called an anti-Fourth of July celebration.
If “liberty and freedom for all” is to have any meaning, the phrase should be reflected in the actions and words of American citizens, and it’s not, organizer Peter Lubembela said. The words haven’t rung true since the country was founded by slave owners nearly 250 years ago, he said: Minorities, women and people of differing sexual orientations and identities all suffer under the yoke of a system rigged against them.
Saturday’s protest is the latest of many Denver protests since George Floyd died at the hands of police in Minneapolis more than a month ago, but it is one of the few that hasn’t been centered on the area around the Capitol and Civic Center. Manual is one of the oldest schools in the area and counts Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and former Mayor Wellington Webb among its graduates.
The demonstrators marched throughout the Wittier neighborhood before circling back to the high school. Dozens of police officers stood blocks away, lined up along 26th Avenue, keeping their distance from the crowd.
Throughout the evening participants spoke against immigrant detention, conditions on reservations, the marginalization of women and mass incarceration.
“It’s not about race against race or gender against gender. We need to come together,” Maya Padilla said. She said she’s part of the northern Arapaho tribe, and her ancestors were massacred here. The massacre continues, she said.
The demonstration included musical performances in honor of Elijah McClain, the violin-playing young Black man who died last year after a confrontation with Aurora police. A large protest was held in Aurora on Friday night to demand the firing of the officers involved in McClain’s death.
Brief musical break for a violinist to honor Elijah McClain who used to play violin for cats in animal shelters. I believe the song is The Cranberries’ Zombie. pic.twitter.com/OMphUMIj09 — Conrad Swanson (@Conrad_Swanson) July 5, 2020
Valerie Reives said she was ready to stop playing the viola until she attended a vigil last week for McClain. Saturday, she played with her bandmates and said she hoped her music translated to “Black Lives Matter.”
When Reives plays at other protests and demonstrations, she said, McClain’s spirit will be with her.
“We see these injustices and we are not going to let it stand,” Reives said. “This is not just two weeks of social media blowing up. This is a movement, not a moment.”
Saturday’s event was organized on Facebook by 10 for 10, a self-described “group of Black young men aimed on uniting their communities and Black men through community service initiatives.”


thedenverpost--2020-07-04--What does it take to make a gallon on milk? Two Weld County dairy farmers explain the ins and outs o

What does it take to make a gallon on milk? Two Weld County dairy farmers explain the ins and outs of the dairy industry

Stores with dairy cases filled with gallons of milk , pints of cream , rows of cheese and shelves of butter make it easy to take for granted the convenience of grabbing what you need and going on your way .
However , for dairy farmers , that gallon of milk or stick of butter took a lot of time , work and money before hitting stores ’ shelves .
“ Milk doesn ’ t just come from cows , it comes from people putting in the grind , ” said David Walpole , co-owner of Walpole Dairy , north @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to have the passion and dedication day in and day out .
It has its rewards and it has its tough times.
” The Walpole Dairy has been around 40 years , Walpole said .
The dairy has a few hundred dairy cows in its herd .
“ My dad started over on 5th Street , across from the church , ” Walpole said .
“ He milked there and then he bought this place.
” Walpole ’ s kids– five daughters and one son — as well as his brothers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , still work on the farm .
His father , Kent Walpole , takes care of all of the cows ’ veterinary needs .
While some of Walpole ’ s kids aren ’ t sure if they want to continue the tradition of dairy farming , they definitely want to work in an animal-focused industry , Walpole said .
Eric Blaser , manager of Long Meadow Farm , LLC in Greeley , is a fourth-generation dairy farmer .
While Blaser doesn ’ t own Long Meadow Farm , the dairy is a family-owned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cows and calves currently housed at the farm .
“ To me it ’ s not really like a job .
It doesn ’ t feel like a job because it ’ s what I ’ m passionate about and enjoy , ” Blaser said .
“ It ’ s a lot of fun , it doesn ’ t come without its challenges , but it ’ s something I ’ ve been involved with my entire life.
” Growing up on a dairy farm has benefits that other environments don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ You get exposed to a lot of things early on , and it teaches you a lot of things early on , ” Blaser said .
“ You learn about responsibility and how to interact with animals .
It ’ s a skill you can perfect over time.
” Dairy cows are bred for their ability to produce milk .
In the U.S. , there are seven different types of dairy cow breeds — Holstein , Jersey , Brown Swiss , Guernsey , Ayrshire , Milking Shorthorn and Red and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their iconic white and black patterns , are the most common of milk cow breeds .
The cows produce more milk than any other dairy cow breeds .
Both Blaser and Walpole raise and use Holstein cows at their dairy farms .
Holstein cows ’ spots are like fingerprints — no two cows have the same pattern .
In order for cows to produce milk , they must be pregnant .
Cows will continue to lactate for about 10 months after birthing a calf , during which time she is inseminated and becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets to be around 14 months old , and we will inseminate them and breed them , ” Walpole explained .
“ They have to reach a certain size to have a calf .
We usually do a 13-month rotation so they will have a calf every 13 months.
” Like humans , a cow is typically pregnant for nine months , Walpole said .
Once the calf is born it is moved to a separate pen where it is bottle-fed and cared for until it is old enough to be moved to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age .
Calves can start with bottle-feeding of high-quality colostrum and begin eating solid food like grain and hay at around two-days old .
“ If you take care of them really well in the first 60-days , your cows are going to be healthier and live a lot longer , ” Blaser said .
“ We have a really expansive vaccination protocol that protects them against respiratory disease and any viral diarrheas.
” Male calves are sold to ranches , farms and feedlots to be raised and processed for the public food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tailored to a variety of needs through the use of semen consultants .
“ They have this huge book , and you can go through it , ” Walpole said .
“ They do DNA tests and take samples from cows .
They know the traits of the animal two years before she starts lactating .
“ You can buy semen from different bulls to accommodate what you need in your herd of cows .
The trend is to produce smaller cows to make them more feed-efficient.
” Pregnant cows are usually moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they are around two-months out from birthing , Blaser said .
This process , called “ drying-off , ” allows the cows to rest and reserve energy for the birthing process .
Cows are inseminated again after around two months after giving birth , Blaser said .
The dairy ’ s goal is to have each cow birth a calf once a year .
“ It ’ s kind of a continual schedule that we attempt to keep them on as best as possible , ” Blaser said .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just throwing down some hay and making sure the cows have clean water .
It ’ s a year-round , 24-hour per day job that needs to be done no matter the weather or if it ’ s a holiday .
“ The cows don ’ t take a day off , and that ’ s the challenge in it .
But , what we try to do here is focus on how to develop our employees , how to develop our management and how to create leadership when we are not here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on those things everyday just so that we can allow ourselves vacation and family time .
“ You have to create a balance between work and family life , otherwise you ’ re not going to last .
Blaser ’ s and Walpole ’ s days start off early in the morning with checking on the cows and any new calves that were born overnight .
From there , the list of duties that need to be done is endless .
Ordering more food ; scraping the barns ; moving cows around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ready to breed and which cows are ready to birth ; checking if cows are feeling sick and which ones need medication ; and scheduling the farrier to come in check the girls ’ feet are just a portion of the things that need to be done on the farm .
“ We try to keep the corrals as comfortable and clean as possible , ” Walpole said .
“ The corrals get scraped twice a day and clean hay gets laid down .
We make sure their beds are soft and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s diet can affect her health as well as the quality of milk she produces , so Blaser and Walpole are always on top of what food the cows are eating and how much they are getting each day .
Part of caring for cows is making sure they are milked regularly and cared for with compassion and kindness .
“ We focus on how to handle the cows to make sure they aren ’ t being roughed , ” Blaser said .
“ We try to have our employees not whistle or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no room for hitting or abusing cows .
We won ’ t stand for that.
” Employees on Blaser ’ s farm sign a contract with a list of expectations of animal handling and an agreement that if they see someone mistreating an animal , they will alert management immediately .
Abusing an animal is grounds for immediate termination .
“ These girls are what provide us a living , and we need to take care of them as best as possible , ” Blaser said .
“ They deserve respect , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do everyday.
” In addition to taking care of the cows , maintenance on equipment and machinery needs to be done , as well as general maintenance of fences , pens and such .
“ We do as much of the servicing ourselves as we can , ” Walpole said .
“ Equipment costs a lot of money and we are running kind of older stuff .
A new tractor like the one we have would cost darn near $ 120 grand.
” The rise of technology in the dairy industry Gone are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hand-milk their herds .
As farms have grown to supporting cows numbering in the hundreds and thousands , technology has also evolved .
Automatic milking machines have taken the place of the stool and milk bucket .
Two to three times per day , cows are taken to the milking parlor , where they file into stalls .
As each cow enters the milking parlor , an ear chip or collar gets scanned , relaying a variety of information back to Walpole and Blaser , such as the identification of the cow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how many times that day the cow has been milked and more .
Employees then clean cows ’ udders with sanitizing solution and brushes in preparation to be milked .
Once ready , employees then attach a milk controller to each of the cows ’ teats and the milking process begins .
Depending on the cow , the milking process can take anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes .
Once finished , the milking controllers are removed , the cows ’ teats are sprayed with iodine to prevent infections , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eat , drink and rest until the next milking session .
“ I think back to my grandparents when they hand-milked their cows and I feel lazy , ” Blaser said , laughing .
“ The technology that we have now makes everything so efficient.
” Automatic milkers record the amount of milk collected from each cow during each milking as well as a total of milk collected throughout the day .
While Blaser ’ s cows have ear chips , Walpole uses collars to keep track of his herd .
The collars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for his cows , tracking their health , breeding cycle , temperature , activity and sleep levels , identifying animals under heat or cold stress , and more .
“ We know if they are sick before they know they are sick .
We use technology to help us take care of our animals , ” Walpole explained .
“ Computer programs have been designed to allow farmers to track cows ’ genetics and family lines as well .
Technology is also used to maintain cooling temperatures and track the filling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that tracks the temperature and quantity of his milk tanks .
Information on Blaser ’ s tanks can be accessed by the milk transporting company to determine when they need to come out and collect the product .
This access to information helps alleviate unnecessary trips or full tanks putting a halt on the collection of milk .
“ If DFA ever has a shutdown or something , they can look at the data from my tanks and say , ‘ OK , Long Meadow has four more hours of milking , ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me know about the delay , ” Blaser said .
“ That lets us make a decision to what we need to do on our end .
They don ’ t want us to not milk , and we don ’ t want to be forced not to milk — it ’ s a bad situation for them and us .
So these tools help us mitigate any issues.
” Milk that is harvested from cows passes through a filtering system before making its way into the milk tanks to wait for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even begins pumping milk from a dairy farm ’ s tank , operators check the temperature and test it for any antibiotics and white blood cell counts .
Milk that tests positive for antibiotics is immediately dumped .
There are also regulations as to how long milk can stay in tanks on a farm , Walpole said .
The milk is also tested again when it gets to the manufacturing plants .
Milk is one of the safest food products on the market because of all the testing that takes place , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dairy organizations keep the milk flowing Dairy Farmers of America , or DFA , assists farmers with a variety of needs such as helping with financing , insurance options and management tools .
DFA also represents and advocates for dairy farmers at state and national government levels .
The organization is composed of family farmers from across the U.S. that are divided into seven regions — Central , Mideast , Mountain , Northeast , Southeast , Southwest and Western areas — with Colorado , Idaho and Utah making up the Mountain area with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both Blaser and Walpole sell their milk to the DFA , which then transports it to one of its manufacturing plants like Leprino or a partner plant .
Dairy MAX is a nonprofit dairy council that represents more than 900 dairy farms across eight states , including Colorado .
According to its website , the organization works to build “ understanding around dairy as a healthy , beneficial , everyday food choice ; connecting the role of the dairy farmer to American tables ; and driving an increase in dairy consumption.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , industry image and relations , education on issues , crisis management and business development .
As the cost for care rises , dairy farmers ’ pay remains the same The consumer price for a gallon of milk , a block of cheese or a tub of butter fluctuate , but the price farmers are paid for milk hasn ’ t changed in years , Blaser said .
Dairy farmers are paid per 100 pounds of milk , Walpole explained .
Right now , dairy farmers are getting around $ 17 per 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of milk weighing 8 pounds , farmers have to milk a lot of cows to cover overhead and turn a profit .
“ We don ’ t get near the prices in the store , ” Walpole explained .
“ I don ’ t think the amount dairy farmers get paid has changed in years.
” With schools and restaurants closed down to help control the spread of the virus , a large portion of the dairy market was affected .
“ Restaurants and schools use a lot of dairy , and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took a big hit , ” Blaser said .
Dairy farmers also have to pay to have their milk transported from the farm to the manufacturing plant , Blaser said .
“ You don ’ t get into this business for the money , ” Blaser said .
“ You dairy farm because it ’ s something you love and believe in .
I wouldn ’ t change growing up on a dairy farm for anything.
” • Milk is a key source of potassium , Vitamin D , Vitamin A , Riboflavin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ milk fulfills 25 % of your daily phosphorus needs and is a healthy source of Niacin • There is no difference in quality , safety or nutrition between organic and regular milk , only the way milk is produced on the farm • Hormones are not added to milk .
Milk naturally contains certain hormones .
• Flavored milk like chocolate , vanilla and strawberry provide the same nine essential nutrients as white milk .
• Milk from a cow that has been treated with antibiotics is disposed of and never reaches the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post popular ice cream flavor in the U.S. • Cheddar is the most popular natural cheese in the U.S. • Cows don ’ t really sleep much and when they do , they lay down , making “ cow tipping ” a myth .

Stores with dairy cases filled with gallons of milk, pints of cream, rows of cheese and shelves of butter make it easy to take for granted the convenience of grabbing what you need and going on your way.
However, for dairy farmers, that gallon of milk or stick of butter took a lot of time, work and money before hitting stores’ shelves.
“Milk doesn’t just come from cows, it comes from people putting in the grind,” said David Walpole, co-owner of Walpole Dairy, north of Eaton. “You’ve got to have the passion and dedication day in and day out. It has its rewards and it has its tough times.”
A family affair
The Walpole Dairy has been around 40 years, Walpole said. The dairy has a few hundred dairy cows in its herd.
“My dad started over on 5th Street, across from the church,” Walpole said. “He milked there and then he bought this place.”
Walpole’s kids– five daughters and one son — as well as his brothers, nieces, nephews and mother, Bonnie, still work on the farm. His father, Kent Walpole, takes care of all of the cows’ veterinary needs.
While some of Walpole’s kids aren’t sure if they want to continue the tradition of dairy farming, they definitely want to work in an animal-focused industry, Walpole said.
Eric Blaser, manager of Long Meadow Farm, LLC in Greeley, is a fourth-generation dairy farmer. While Blaser doesn’t own Long Meadow Farm, the dairy is a family-owned farm. The dairy has around 5,100 cows and calves currently housed at the farm.
“To me it’s not really like a job. It doesn’t feel like a job because it’s what I’m passionate about and enjoy,” Blaser said. “It’s a lot of fun, it doesn’t come without its challenges, but it’s something I’ve been involved with my entire life.”
Growing up on a dairy farm has benefits that other environments don’t normally offer youngsters and teens, Blaser said.
“You get exposed to a lot of things early on, and it teaches you a lot of things early on,” Blaser said. “You learn about responsibility and how to interact with animals. It’s a skill you can perfect over time.”
The pregnancy process
Dairy cows are bred for their ability to produce milk. In the U.S., there are seven different types of dairy cow breeds — Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Ayrshire, Milking Shorthorn and Red and White Holstein.
Holstein cows, with their iconic white and black patterns, are the most common of milk cow breeds. The cows produce more milk than any other dairy cow breeds.
Both Blaser and Walpole raise and use Holstein cows at their dairy farms.
Holstein cows’ spots are like fingerprints — no two cows have the same pattern.
In order for cows to produce milk, they must be pregnant. Cows will continue to lactate for about 10 months after birthing a calf, during which time she is inseminated and becomes pregnant again.
“Usually an animal gets to be around 14 months old, and we will inseminate them and breed them,” Walpole explained. “They have to reach a certain size to have a calf. We usually do a 13-month rotation so they will have a calf every 13 months.”
Like humans, a cow is typically pregnant for nine months, Walpole said. Once the calf is born it is moved to a separate pen where it is bottle-fed and cared for until it is old enough to be moved to a group area with other cows its age.
Calves can start with bottle-feeding of high-quality colostrum and begin eating solid food like grain and hay at around two-days old.
“If you take care of them really well in the first 60-days, your cows are going to be healthier and live a lot longer,” Blaser said. “We have a really expansive vaccination protocol that protects them against respiratory disease and any viral diarrheas.”
Male calves are sold to ranches, farms and feedlots to be raised and processed for the public food supply.
Cows’ genetics can be tailored to a variety of needs through the use of semen consultants.
“They have this huge book, and you can go through it,” Walpole said. “They do DNA tests and take samples from cows. They know the traits of the animal two years before she starts lactating.
“You can buy semen from different bulls to accommodate what you need in your herd of cows. The trend is to produce smaller cows to make them more feed-efficient.”
Pregnant cows are usually moved to the maternity section of the farm when they are around two-months out from birthing, Blaser said. This process, called “drying-off,” allows the cows to rest and reserve energy for the birthing process.
Cows are inseminated again after around two months after giving birth, Blaser said. The dairy’s goal is to have each cow birth a calf once a year.
“It’s kind of a continual schedule that we attempt to keep them on as best as possible,” Blaser said.
Caring for cows is a 24/7 job
There’s more to owning a dairy farm than just throwing down some hay and making sure the cows have clean water. It’s a year-round, 24-hour per day job that needs to be done no matter the weather or if it’s a holiday.
“The cows don’t take a day off, and that’s the challenge in it. But, what we try to do here is focus on how to develop our employees, how to develop our management and how to create leadership when we are not here,” Blaser said. “We focus on those things everyday just so that we can allow ourselves vacation and family time.
“You have to create a balance between work and family life, otherwise you’re not going to last.
Blaser’s and Walpole’s days start off early in the morning with checking on the cows and any new calves that were born overnight. From there, the list of duties that need to be done is endless.
Ordering more food; scraping the barns; moving cows around to different pens; seeing which cows are ready to breed and which cows are ready to birth; checking if cows are feeling sick and which ones need medication; and scheduling the farrier to come in check the girls’ feet are just a portion of the things that need to be done on the farm.
“We try to keep the corrals as comfortable and clean as possible,” Walpole said. “The corrals get scraped twice a day and clean hay gets laid down. We make sure their beds are soft and they are comfortable.”
A cow’s diet can affect her health as well as the quality of milk she produces, so Blaser and Walpole are always on top of what food the cows are eating and how much they are getting each day.
Part of caring for cows is making sure they are milked regularly and cared for with compassion and kindness.
“We focus on how to handle the cows to make sure they aren’t being roughed,” Blaser said. “We try to have our employees not whistle or anything like that. There’s no room for hitting or abusing cows. We won’t stand for that.”
Employees on Blaser’s farm sign a contract with a list of expectations of animal handling and an agreement that if they see someone mistreating an animal, they will alert management immediately. Abusing an animal is grounds for immediate termination.
“These girls are what provide us a living, and we need to take care of them as best as possible,” Blaser said. “They deserve respect, and that’s what we try to do everyday.”
In addition to taking care of the cows, maintenance on equipment and machinery needs to be done, as well as general maintenance of fences, pens and such.
“We do as much of the servicing ourselves as we can,” Walpole said. “Equipment costs a lot of money and we are running kind of older stuff. A new tractor like the one we have would cost darn near $120 grand.”
The rise of technology in the dairy industry
Gone are the days when farmers got up early to hand-milk their herds. As farms have grown to supporting cows numbering in the hundreds and thousands, technology has also evolved.
Automatic milking machines have taken the place of the stool and milk bucket.
Two to three times per day, cows are taken to the milking parlor, where they file into stalls. As each cow enters the milking parlor, an ear chip or collar gets scanned, relaying a variety of information back to Walpole and Blaser, such as the identification of the cow, how much milk the cow produced, how many times that day the cow has been milked and more.
Employees then clean cows’ udders with sanitizing solution and brushes in preparation to be milked.
Once ready, employees then attach a milk controller to each of the cows’ teats and the milking process begins.
Depending on the cow, the milking process can take anywhere from 2 to 15 minutes.
Once finished, the milking controllers are removed, the cows’ teats are sprayed with iodine to prevent infections, and the cows mosey back to the barn to eat, drink and rest until the next milking session.
“I think back to my grandparents when they hand-milked their cows and I feel lazy,” Blaser said, laughing. “The technology that we have now makes everything so efficient.”
Automatic milkers record the amount of milk collected from each cow during each milking as well as a total of milk collected throughout the day.
While Blaser’s cows have ear chips, Walpole uses collars to keep track of his herd.
The collars act as a type of “Fitbit” for his cows, tracking their health, breeding cycle, temperature, activity and sleep levels, identifying animals under heat or cold stress, and more.
“We know if they are sick before they know they are sick. We use technology to help us take care of our animals,” Walpole explained. “
Computer programs have been designed to allow farmers to track cows’ genetics and family lines as well.
Technology is also used to maintain cooling temperatures and track the filling of milk tanks.
Blaser uses a program that tracks the temperature and quantity of his milk tanks.
Information on Blaser’s tanks can be accessed by the milk transporting company to determine when they need to come out and collect the product. This access to information helps alleviate unnecessary trips or full tanks putting a halt on the collection of milk.
“If DFA ever has a shutdown or something, they can look at the data from my tanks and say, ‘OK, Long Meadow has four more hours of milking,’ and they can call me and let me know about the delay,” Blaser said. “That lets us make a decision to what we need to do on our end. They don’t want us to not milk, and we don’t want to be forced not to milk — it’s a bad situation for them and us. So these tools help us mitigate any issues.”
Testing, testing and more testing
Milk that is harvested from cows passes through a filtering system before making its way into the milk tanks to wait for the milk trucks.
Before a milk truck even begins pumping milk from a dairy farm’s tank, operators check the temperature and test it for any antibiotics and white blood cell counts.
Milk that tests positive for antibiotics is immediately dumped.
There are also regulations as to how long milk can stay in tanks on a farm, Walpole said.
The milk is also tested again when it gets to the manufacturing plants.
Milk is one of the safest food products on the market because of all the testing that takes place, both Walpole and Blaser said.
Co-ops and dairy organizations keep the milk flowing
Dairy Farmers of America, or DFA, assists farmers with a variety of needs such as helping with financing, insurance options and management tools. DFA also represents and advocates for dairy farmers at state and national government levels.
The organization is composed of family farmers from across the U.S. that are divided into seven regions — Central, Mideast, Mountain, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Western areas — with Colorado, Idaho and Utah making up the Mountain area with 251 member farms broken into 11 districts.
Both Blaser and Walpole sell their milk to the DFA, which then transports it to one of its manufacturing plants like Leprino or a partner plant.
Dairy MAX is a nonprofit dairy council that represents more than 900 dairy farms across eight states, including Colorado.
According to its website, the organization works to build “understanding around dairy as a healthy, beneficial, everyday food choice; connecting the role of the dairy farmer to American tables; and driving an increase in dairy consumption.”
The organization also assists farmers with marketing, industry image and relations, education on issues, crisis management and business development.
As the cost for care rises, dairy farmers’ pay remains the same
The consumer price for a gallon of milk, a block of cheese or a tub of butter fluctuate, but the price farmers are paid for milk hasn’t changed in years, Blaser said.
Dairy farmers are paid per 100 pounds of milk, Walpole explained. Right now, dairy farmers are getting around $17 per 100 pounds of milk. With a gallon of milk weighing 8 pounds, farmers have to milk a lot of cows to cover overhead and turn a profit.
“We don’t get near the prices in the store,” Walpole explained. “I don’t think the amount dairy farmers get paid has changed in years.”
With schools and restaurants closed down to help control the spread of the virus, a large portion of the dairy market was affected.
“Restaurants and schools use a lot of dairy, and when they closed down, the dairy industry took a big hit,” Blaser said.
Dairy farmers also have to pay to have their milk transported from the farm to the manufacturing plant, Blaser said.
“You don’t get into this business for the money,” Blaser said. “You dairy farm because it’s something you love and believe in. I wouldn’t change growing up on a dairy farm for anything.”
Dairy farm facts
Milk is a key source of potassium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Riboflavin and Vitamin B-12
A serving of milk fulfills 25% of your daily phosphorus needs and is a healthy source of Niacin
There is no difference in quality, safety or nutrition between organic and regular milk, only the way milk is produced on the farm
Hormones are not added to milk. Milk naturally contains certain hormones.
Flavored milk like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry provide the same nine essential nutrients as white milk.
Milk from a cow that has been treated with antibiotics is disposed of and never reaches the food supply.
Vanilla is the post popular ice cream flavor in the U.S.
Brown cows do not make chocolate milk
All 50 states have dairy farms
Cheddar is the most popular natural cheese in the U.S.
June is National Dairy Month
Cows don’t really sleep much and when they do, they lay down, making “cow tipping” a myth.
Sources: Dairy Farmers of America, Drink-Milk.com


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--Nuggets announcer Chris Marlowe ready for Orlando challenge: “I’m probably the most experienced remo

Nuggets announcer Chris Marlowe ready for Orlando challenge: “I’m probably the most experienced remote announcer the NBA has”

In a round-a-bout way , Nuggets play-by-play announcer Chris Marlowe has been here before .
Last summer , he and his Olympic broadcast partner , Kevin Wong , called 10 days of the Beach Volleyball World Championships .
For eight hours a day , the two were on the microphones calling matches from Stamford , Conn .
Meanwhile , the tournament was actually being played in Hamburg , Germany .
“ I ’ m probably the most experienced remote announcer that the NBA has , ” said Marlowe , a longtime veteran of Altitude and 1984 Olympic Gold medal winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensive volleyball experience , I have done plenty of remote broadcasts from different sites , delayed broadcasts or taped broadcasts.
” In other words , when the Nuggets return to play Aug. 1 vs. the Heat , the first of their eight seeding games , Altitude viewers will be in more than capable hands .
What new wrinkles may be in store for the broadcast , Marlowe wasn ’ t at liberty to say , but Altitude will carry all eight seeding games , even as five of them are simultaneously slated for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , every time I do one of those volleyball shoots , I have people come up and say , ‘ How was Germany ?
I saw you in Italy .
What were you doing in Russia , what was that like ?
’ ” Marlowe quipped .
But as for next month ’ s challenge , Marlowe is confident that he and his color analyst , Scott Hastings , can interpret and call the games from afar .
“ It ’ s certainly a technique on how to do it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t always see clearly or hear clearly an official ’ s decision .
You can ’ t interpret it because you ’ re not right there , so it takes a little bit of imagination.
” As if there weren ’ t already enough challenges in navigating the logistics of a remote broadcast , Marlowe isn ’ t sure what it ’ ll be like calling games without fans .
Usually , Marlowe and Hastings are within feet of the court , able to gauge player reaction , hear from officials and read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to remember , I don ’ t think I ’ ve ever called – I ’ ve called some sparsely attended events , for sure – but none where they haven ’ t really allowed the crowd to come in , ” he said .
Though Marlowe said he would ’ ve preferred the NBA scrap the regular-season games and jump straight to the playoffs , he did find an advantage for the Nuggets .
Their grueling schedule , featuring games against both Los Angeles teams , the Raptors and the Thunder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postseason , he said .
The Nuggets were 15-11 against teams that were .500 or better throughout the season , which was a better record than all but three teams in the NBA .
In addition , as Marlowe pointed out , seeding doesn ’ t really matter since there ’ s no homecourt advantage .
“ I think the eight play-in games are interesting because I believe six of the last eight for the Nuggets were going to be played away from Pepsi Center , so the Nuggets don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That being said , I don ’ t think winning is the preeminent goal in these ( seeding ) games .
I don ’ t think it really matters to the Nuggets to finish third , fourth , fifth or sixth .
I think the key is , can coach Malone and the rest of the coaches get this team playing at its zenith in these eight games and going into the playoffs ?
” Certainly health is a concern .
Three members of the team ’ s traveling party tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and franchise cornerstone Nikola Jokic was still in Serbia as of Wednesday following a positive test .
Marlowe said he ’ s expecting more positive tests , but he thinks the NBA ’ s bubble is “ about as safe ” as it can get .
For the Nuggets to make a significant dent in Orlando , he pointed to rookie Michael Porter Jr. ’ s potential as somewhat of an X-factor .
Having seen his steady growth from a courtside seat , he thinks Porter needs to catch fire .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a run – Linsanity , ” he said .
“ I wouldn ’ t put it past him where he may be the best player on the floor for certain periods of time.
” But that ’ s getting in the weeds of the NBA ’ s return , which is still a month away .
For the first time in a long time , Marlowe has his work cut out for him .

In a round-a-bout way, Nuggets play-by-play announcer Chris Marlowe has been here before.
Last summer, he and his Olympic broadcast partner, Kevin Wong, called 10 days of the Beach Volleyball World Championships. For eight hours a day, the two were on the microphones calling matches from Stamford, Conn.
Meanwhile, the tournament was actually being played in Hamburg, Germany.
“I’m probably the most experienced remote announcer that the NBA has,” said Marlowe, a longtime veteran of Altitude and 1984 Olympic Gold medal winner in volleyball. “Because of my extensive volleyball experience, I have done plenty of remote broadcasts from different sites, delayed broadcasts or taped broadcasts.”
In other words, when the Nuggets return to play Aug. 1 vs. the Heat, the first of their eight seeding games, Altitude viewers will be in more than capable hands. What new wrinkles may be in store for the broadcast, Marlowe wasn’t at liberty to say, but Altitude will carry all eight seeding games, even as five of them are simultaneously slated for national broadcasts.
“A lot of people, every time I do one of those volleyball shoots, I have people come up and say, ‘How was Germany? I saw you in Italy. What were you doing in Russia, what was that like?’” Marlowe quipped.
But as for next month’s challenge, Marlowe is confident that he and his color analyst, Scott Hastings, can interpret and call the games from afar.
“It’s certainly a technique on how to do it,” he said. “You can’t always see clearly or hear clearly an official’s decision. You can’t interpret it because you’re not right there, so it takes a little bit of imagination.”
As if there weren’t already enough challenges in navigating the logistics of a remote broadcast, Marlowe isn’t sure what it’ll be like calling games without fans. Usually, Marlowe and Hastings are within feet of the court, able to gauge player reaction, hear from officials and read the crowd.
“I’m trying to remember, I don’t think I’ve ever called – I’ve called some sparsely attended events, for sure – but none where they haven’t really allowed the crowd to come in,” he said.
Though Marlowe said he would’ve preferred the NBA scrap the regular-season games and jump straight to the playoffs, he did find an advantage for the Nuggets. Their grueling schedule, featuring games against both Los Angeles teams, the Raptors and the Thunder, is a perfect primer for the postseason, he said. The Nuggets were 15-11 against teams that were .500 or better throughout the season, which was a better record than all but three teams in the NBA.
In addition, as Marlowe pointed out, seeding doesn’t really matter since there’s no homecourt advantage.
“I think the eight play-in games are interesting because I believe six of the last eight for the Nuggets were going to be played away from Pepsi Center, so the Nuggets don’t have to do that,” he said. “That being said, I don’t think winning is the preeminent goal in these (seeding) games. I don’t think it really matters to the Nuggets to finish third, fourth, fifth or sixth. I think the key is, can coach Malone and the rest of the coaches get this team playing at its zenith in these eight games and going into the playoffs?”
Certainly health is a concern. Three members of the team’s traveling party tested positive for the coronavirus since the weekend, and franchise cornerstone Nikola Jokic was still in Serbia as of Wednesday following a positive test. Marlowe said he’s expecting more positive tests, but he thinks the NBA’s bubble is “about as safe” as it can get.
For the Nuggets to make a significant dent in Orlando, he pointed to rookie Michael Porter Jr.’s potential as somewhat of an X-factor. Having seen his steady growth from a courtside seat, he thinks Porter needs to catch fire.
“You need Michael Porter Jr. to go on a run – Linsanity,” he said. “I wouldn’t put it past him where he may be the best player on the floor for certain periods of time.”
But that’s getting in the weeds of the NBA’s return, which is still a month away. For the first time in a long time, Marlowe has his work cut out for him.


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--As the Negro Leagues celebrates its centenary, a look at how Denver was integral in erasing baseball

As the Negro Leagues celebrates its centenary, a look at how Denver was integral in erasing baseball’s color line

In 1934 , Negro Leagues great Oliver “ The Ghost ” Marcelle , a Denver resident , lobbied the sports editor of The Denver Post to let the Kansas City Monarchs play in the newspaper ’ s annual semi-pro tournament .
Granted his request , the competition became the first major integrated baseball tournament in the United States , with the Monarchs advancing to the championship game before losing 2-1 to the predominantly white House of David team , which had contracted out legendary Black pitcher Satchel Paige .
The rest is a story of how Denver — with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Negro League greats such as Paige barnstorming throughout the state — foreshadowed erasing the color line in Major League Baseball .
“ Denver was the beginning of the integration of baseball because Jackie Robinson certainly would have not have integrated the league in 1947 , had The Denver Post Tournament not done so in 1934 , ” local baseball historian Jay Sanford said .
“ After 1934 , these teams that were all-white teams started playing against Black competition , and went home and began integrating in Texas , Florida , California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grassroots integration movement that began right here.
” The Negro Leagues are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year , and while Colorado did not officially have a team , its Black semi-pro baseball roots date back to the late 19th century .
Teams such as the Black Diamonds and the Colorado Champions paved the way for what Sanford called “ the best team in the Rocky Mountain west ” — the Denver White Elephants .
The White Elephants played exhibitions against white teams in the area , which was unique for the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitcher Tom “ Pistol Pete ” Albright and infielder Theodore “ Bubbles ” Anderson , the only native Coloradan to play in the Negro Leagues .
Anderson , who was the White Elephants ’ bat boy as a kid and played for them as young as 15 , was also likely the youngest Negro Leagues player ever at 17 years old .
“ Even though they weren ’ t a part of the official Negro Leagues , there was nothing semi-pro about that team , ” Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great Black baseball through the years ( leading up to MLB ’ s integration ) , with the Denver White Elephants being one of those great Black teams that went all over Colorado playing whomever they could play and beating virtually everybody that they faced.
” But the greatest team to ever take the field in the state of Colorado wasn ’ t the White Elephants .
And Sanford argues it hasn ’ t been the Rockies , or any of their opponents , since Denver was awarded an MLB franchise in 1993 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Negro League All-Stars , who played in , and won , The Denver Post Tournament , often called the “ Western World Series ” , in 1936 .
“ Now , there were former major league players playing semi-pro baseball all along here .
Denver saw about 15 Hall of Fame players in that Denver Post Tournament , including Rogers Hornsby , ” Sanford said .
“ But six guys went on to be in Cooperstown from that 1936 Negro League All-Stars team .
A truly great team and I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The White Elephants broke up following the 1935 season , as the integration of semi-pro baseball enabled many of the team ’ s players to join white teams .
Meanwhile , the Negro Leagues lasted as a premier professional league until about 1950 , after MLB teams signed much of their top talent by the turn of the decade .
Fast forward to the present day , and despite the coronavirus pandemic postponing the start of the baseball season , MLB still plans to honor the Negro Leagues ’ centenary with what Kendrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” by all 30 teams .
The league-wide commemoration of the Negro Leagues and the legacy of Black baseball was supposed to be June 27 .
A new date will be included when the schedule is released next week .
All teams will wear a commemorative Negro Leagues logo patch , and some teams in cities that had Negro League clubs will be wearing jersey designs from the era .
“ We ’ ve always had a select few major league teams that have done things in recognition of the Negro Leagues — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kansas City , and in Detroit , Pittsburgh , Milwaukee , ” Kendrick said .
“ But this will be the first time all 30 MLB teams , on one day , recognize the Negro Leagues.
” While Kendrick and his museum had initially planned to incorporate a “ hat tip ” to the Negro Leagues with fans as part of the June 27 celebration , that idea has now taken root digitally .
Over the last several weeks , the # TipYourCap2020 movement has caught fire on social media .
The list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cap includes all four living former U.S. presidents ; baseball greats from past and present such as Hank Aaron , Ken Griffey Jr. , Mike Trout and Nolan Arenado ; as well as a litany of other athletic and entertainment stars .
“ The timing of this couldn ’ t be better with the social unrest that we ’ re seeing in our country right now , ” Kendrick said .
That ’ s because people view the Negro Leagues and Black baseball overall as a civil rights movement , through the lens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City and beyond .
“ The movement has created a groundswell of goodwill that has united us with a simple call to action , ” Kendrick said .
“ What you ’ re seeing now is a multitude of people , of varying backgrounds and ethnicities , who have been moved and called to action because of their respect and honor for the Negro Leagues… The winning spirit of the Negro Leagues and of Black baseball is galvanizing us at a time where we really need this .
”

In 1934, Negro Leagues great Oliver “The Ghost” Marcelle, a Denver resident, lobbied the sports editor of The Denver Post to let the Kansas City Monarchs play in the newspaper’s annual semi-pro tournament.
Granted his request, the competition became the first major integrated baseball tournament in the United States, with the Monarchs advancing to the championship game before losing 2-1 to the predominantly white House of David team, which had contracted out legendary Black pitcher Satchel Paige.
The rest is a story of how Denver — with a long history of Black semi-pro baseball and Negro League greats such as Paige barnstorming throughout the state — foreshadowed erasing the color line in Major League Baseball.
“Denver was the beginning of the integration of baseball because Jackie Robinson certainly would have not have integrated the league in 1947, had The Denver Post Tournament not done so in 1934,” local baseball historian Jay Sanford said. “After 1934, these teams that were all-white teams started playing against Black competition, and went home and began integrating in Texas, Florida, California, and back east. It was a grassroots integration movement that began right here.”
The Negro Leagues are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, and while Colorado did not officially have a team, its Black semi-pro baseball roots date back to the late 19th century. Teams such as the Black Diamonds and the Colorado Champions paved the way for what Sanford called “the best team in the Rocky Mountain west” — the Denver White Elephants.
The White Elephants played exhibitions against white teams in the area, which was unique for the time period, and featured stars such as pitcher Tom “Pistol Pete” Albright and infielder Theodore “Bubbles” Anderson, the only native Coloradan to play in the Negro Leagues. Anderson, who was the White Elephants’ bat boy as a kid and played for them as young as 15, was also likely the youngest Negro Leagues player ever at 17 years old.
“Even though they weren’t a part of the official Negro Leagues, there was nothing semi-pro about that team,” Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick said. “That area has seen great Black baseball through the years (leading up to MLB’s integration), with the Denver White Elephants being one of those great Black teams that went all over Colorado playing whomever they could play and beating virtually everybody that they faced.”
But the greatest team to ever take the field in the state of Colorado wasn’t the White Elephants. And Sanford argues it hasn’t been the Rockies, or any of their opponents, since Denver was awarded an MLB franchise in 1993.
He gives that distinction to the Negro League All-Stars, who played in, and won, The Denver Post Tournament, often called the “Western World Series”, in 1936.
“Now, there were former major league players playing semi-pro baseball all along here. Denver saw about 15 Hall of Fame players in that Denver Post Tournament, including Rogers Hornsby,” Sanford said. “But six guys went on to be in Cooperstown from that 1936 Negro League All-Stars team. A truly great team and I don’t know how they could be topped.”
The White Elephants broke up following the 1935 season, as the integration of semi-pro baseball enabled many of the team’s players to join white teams. Meanwhile, the Negro Leagues lasted as a premier professional league until about 1950, after MLB teams signed much of their top talent by the turn of the decade.
Fast forward to the present day, and despite the coronavirus pandemic postponing the start of the baseball season, MLB still plans to honor the Negro Leagues’ centenary with what Kendrick called “an unprecedented show of solidarity” by all 30 teams.
The league-wide commemoration of the Negro Leagues and the legacy of Black baseball was supposed to be June 27. A new date will be included when the schedule is released next week. All teams will wear a commemorative Negro Leagues logo patch, and some teams in cities that had Negro League clubs will be wearing jersey designs from the era.
“We’ve always had a select few major league teams that have done things in recognition of the Negro Leagues — there’s annual salutes here in Kansas City, and in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee,” Kendrick said. “But this will be the first time all 30 MLB teams, on one day, recognize the Negro Leagues.”
While Kendrick and his museum had initially planned to incorporate a “hat tip” to the Negro Leagues with fans as part of the June 27 celebration, that idea has now taken root digitally. Over the last several weeks, the #TipYourCap2020 movement has caught fire on social media. The list of people who have virtually tipped their cap includes all four living former U.S. presidents; baseball greats from past and present such as Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout and Nolan Arenado; as well as a litany of other athletic and entertainment stars.
“The timing of this couldn’t be better with the social unrest that we’re seeing in our country right now,” Kendrick said.
That’s because people view the Negro Leagues and Black baseball overall as a civil rights movement, through the lens of the sport in Denver, Kansas City and beyond.
“The movement has created a groundswell of goodwill that has united us with a simple call to action,” Kendrick said. “What you’re seeing now is a multitude of people, of varying backgrounds and ethnicities, who have been moved and called to action because of their respect and honor for the Negro Leagues… The winning spirit of the Negro Leagues and of Black baseball is galvanizing us at a time where we really need this.”


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--Life after coronavirus: Prepare for a long, tiring recovery, some Colorado survivors say

More than two months after Martha Pearse first got sick with COVID-19 , she ’ s still working her way back to normal .
Pearse , 81 , said she had “ daunting ” fatigue when she came down with the new coronavirus in mid-April .
She also had severe headaches and night sweats , and lost her sense of taste and smell .
As July started , she still was getting brief , but intense , headaches , and has yet to recover her sense of taste and smell — though she ’ s hopeful those will come back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to return when he had the virus .
The fatigue lingers , but Pearse said she ’ s seeing gradual improvement each week .
“ You just have to be extremely patient , ” she said .
“ It ’ s going to last for a lot longer than you think.
” The virus has shown it can cause anything from mild cold-like symptoms to death , and the recovery phase is proving equally hard to pin down .
There ’ s no data yet on how many patients bounce back quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but most will eventually recover , said Dr. Connie Price , chief medical officer at Denver Health and a professor of infectious diseases at University of Colorado School of Medicine .
People who had COVID-19 can face three general types of problems .
First , it takes time for the immune system to start “ cleaning up the mess ” of dead cells and debris the virus left in the lungs , Price said .
Patients who were on ventilators or spent a long time in the hospital may have to deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely a small percentage — will deal with long-term symptoms for reasons that aren ’ t clear , she said .
Some people , like MJ Vukovich , 38 , have a mild illness and an easy recovery .
Vukovich said he felt off for about a week , and his wife was sick for 10 days , but they both quickly returned to their normal activities .
He isn ’ t sure if that ’ s because they were healthy before they got the virus , or if they just got lucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down or anything , ” he said .
Being relatively young doesn ’ t guarantee an easy time , though .
Krissy Schultz , 24 , spent two days in the hospital with difficulty breathing , and said it ’ s taken a month to feel like her lungs are healing .
She still has sinus pain , and some days she can ’ t smell and taste food , though other days those senses are normal .
“ The sore throat and headache hurt less than they did when I had full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-COVID , ” she said .
“ They are about the same every time they come and go , but I ’ m seeing that they aren ’ t coming back as often so far.
” Even people with moderate symptoms sometimes find that the recovery process takes longer than expected .
Jordana Gringrass , 39 , said she was sick for about two weeks , with a few scary days where her fever spiked .
She had significant fatigue and on-and-off lightheadedness for another two weeks before she started to feel normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waves , ” she said .
For others , recovery is far more complicated .
Stu Howard , 68 , had to be placed on a ventilator twice , was in the hospital for six weeks and then spent 20 days in a rehabilitation facility before he was strong enough to continue physical therapy at home .
Howard said he worked out three times a week before getting the virus , but after a long hospital stay with a tube down his throat , he had to practice basics like swallowing and walking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his legs started shaking after standing for about one minute , but now he can climb a flight of stairs and take a walk around the neighborhood — albeit a slow one .
He doesn ’ t feel back to normal yet , but he ’ s come a long way since his doctors told his wife he might not survive .
“ I must have more to do in this lifetime , because I ’ m here , ” he said .
Marc Lemon , CEO of the Denver market for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing a wide variety of needs in patients who had been hospitalized with the virus .
Kindred runs long-term acute care hospitals , which treat people who are still sick enough to need hospital-level care , but who can start therapy meant to allow them to go home or to a lower-level facility .
Some coronavirus patients come with lung complications , Lemon said , while others have damage to multiple organs from sepsis — basically the body ’ s out-of-control response to an infection .
Many are dealing with anxiety and cognitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve spent a long time on a ventilator , he said .
“ There ’ s not a one-size-fits-all for COVID-19 patients , ” he said .
Most patients who need long-term hospital care are older and had chronic conditions before being hospitalized , Lemon said , but they ’ re seeing a handful of people as young as their 30s .
He estimated about half of patients go home directly from their hospital , and the other half go to a nursing home or rehab facility to keep recovering .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bed for 30 days on a ventilator , you ’ re not going to be able to just get up and start walking , ” he said .
What remains to be seen is how many patients continue to have symptoms after the body has healed any damage from the virus itself or the treatment .
A small percentage of people who had other severe coronaviruses , like SARS and MERS , developed chronic lung , heart or neurological problems , and anxiety and depression weren ’ t uncommon , Price said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people experience long-term symptoms , including an immune overreaction or that the virus triggers changes in the other microbes living in the body , Price said .
It ’ s also not clear if the psychiatric effects were the result of the virus attacking the nervous system , or if they came from the fear of dealing with a new disease , she said .
Dr. Mitchell Miglis , an assistant professor of neurology at Stanford University , said he and other researchers are working on a study to try to answer some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly interested in people who have long-term symptoms related to the body ’ s automatic functions , like excessive sweating , a fast heart rate and digestive problems , he said .
There ’ s precedent for people developing problems with the body ’ s automatic functions after an infection , though it ’ s not common , Miglis said .
Scientists aren ’ t sure who ’ s at risk of long-term symptoms from COVID-19 , though women are more likely to develop chronic conditions from other viruses , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers in six months or a year , ” he said .
Ultimately , most people likely won ’ t have long-term symptoms , based on how patients recovered from previous coronaviruses , Price said .
It ’ s important to be patient with your body , and to talk to your doctor about how to manage specific symptoms , she said .
“ Most likely , you will fully recover , ” she said .
“ Some will just take more time.
” Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent @ @ @ @ @

More than two months after Martha Pearse first got sick with COVID-19, she’s still working her way back to normal.
Pearse, 81, said she had “daunting” fatigue when she came down with the new coronavirus in mid-April. She also had severe headaches and night sweats, and lost her sense of taste and smell.
As July started, she still was getting brief, but intense, headaches, and has yet to recover her sense of taste and smell — though she’s hopeful those will come back, since her son reported they took time to return when he had the virus. The fatigue lingers, but Pearse said she’s seeing gradual improvement each week.
“You just have to be extremely patient,” she said. “It’s going to last for a lot longer than you think.”
The virus has shown it can cause anything from mild cold-like symptoms to death, and the recovery phase is proving equally hard to pin down. There’s no data yet on how many patients bounce back quickly and how many experience lingering symptoms, but most will eventually recover, said Dr. Connie Price, chief medical officer at Denver Health and a professor of infectious diseases at University of Colorado School of Medicine.
People who had COVID-19 can face three general types of problems. First, it takes time for the immune system to start “cleaning up the mess” of dead cells and debris the virus left in the lungs, Price said. Patients who were on ventilators or spent a long time in the hospital may have to deal with side effects. And some patients — likely a small percentage — will deal with long-term symptoms for reasons that aren’t clear, she said.
Some people, like MJ Vukovich, 38, have a mild illness and an easy recovery. Vukovich said he felt off for about a week, and his wife was sick for 10 days, but they both quickly returned to their normal activities. He isn’t sure if that’s because they were healthy before they got the virus, or if they just got lucky.
“I didn’t slow down or anything,” he said.
Being relatively young doesn’t guarantee an easy time, though. Krissy Schultz, 24, spent two days in the hospital with difficulty breathing, and said it’s taken a month to feel like her lungs are healing. She still has sinus pain, and some days she can’t smell and taste food, though other days those senses are normal.
“The sore throat and headache hurt less than they did when I had full blown symptoms, but they still hurt post-COVID,” she said. “They are about the same every time they come and go, but I’m seeing that they aren’t coming back as often so far.”
Even people with moderate symptoms sometimes find that the recovery process takes longer than expected. Jordana Gringrass, 39, said she was sick for about two weeks, with a few scary days where her fever spiked. She had significant fatigue and on-and-off lightheadedness for another two weeks before she started to feel normal.
“It was like these rollercoaster waves,” she said.
Complicated recoveries
For others, recovery is far more complicated. Stu Howard, 68, had to be placed on a ventilator twice, was in the hospital for six weeks and then spent 20 days in a rehabilitation facility before he was strong enough to continue physical therapy at home.
Howard said he worked out three times a week before getting the virus, but after a long hospital stay with a tube down his throat, he had to practice basics like swallowing and walking. On the first day of rehab, his legs started shaking after standing for about one minute, but now he can climb a flight of stairs and take a walk around the neighborhood — albeit a slow one. He doesn’t feel back to normal yet, but he’s come a long way since his doctors told his wife he might not survive.
“I must have more to do in this lifetime, because I’m here,” he said.
Marc Lemon, CEO of the Denver market for Kindred Healthcare, said they’re seeing a wide variety of needs in patients who had been hospitalized with the virus. Kindred runs long-term acute care hospitals, which treat people who are still sick enough to need hospital-level care, but who can start therapy meant to allow them to go home or to a lower-level facility.
Some coronavirus patients come with lung complications, Lemon said, while others have damage to multiple organs from sepsis — basically the body’s out-of-control response to an infection. Many are dealing with anxiety and cognitive problems like confusion, particularly if they’ve spent a long time on a ventilator, he said.
“There’s not a one-size-fits-all for COVID-19 patients,” he said.
Most patients who need long-term hospital care are older and had chronic conditions before being hospitalized, Lemon said, but they’re seeing a handful of people as young as their 30s. He estimated about half of patients go home directly from their hospital, and the other half go to a nursing home or rehab facility to keep recovering.
“If you’ve been in a bed for 30 days on a ventilator, you’re not going to be able to just get up and start walking,” he said.
Longer-term effects
What remains to be seen is how many patients continue to have symptoms after the body has healed any damage from the virus itself or the treatment. A small percentage of people who had other severe coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS, developed chronic lung, heart or neurological problems, and anxiety and depression weren’t uncommon, Price said.
Scientists have different theories about why some people experience long-term symptoms, including an immune overreaction or that the virus triggers changes in the other microbes living in the body, Price said. It’s also not clear if the psychiatric effects were the result of the virus attacking the nervous system, or if they came from the fear of dealing with a new disease, she said.
Dr. Mitchell Miglis, an assistant professor of neurology at Stanford University, said he and other researchers are working on a study to try to answer some of those questions. They’re particularly interested in people who have long-term symptoms related to the body’s automatic functions, like excessive sweating, a fast heart rate and digestive problems, he said.
There’s precedent for people developing problems with the body’s automatic functions after an infection, though it’s not common, Miglis said. Scientists aren’t sure who’s at risk of long-term symptoms from COVID-19, though women are more likely to develop chronic conditions from other viruses, he said.
“Hopefully we’ll have more answers in six months or a year,” he said.
Ultimately, most people likely won’t have long-term symptoms, based on how patients recovered from previous coronaviruses, Price said. It’s important to be patient with your body, and to talk to your doctor about how to manage specific symptoms, she said.
“Most likely, you will fully recover,” she said. “Some will just take more time.”
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--Post Premium: Our best stories for the week of June 29-July 5

As colleges and universities across Colorado work on plans to bring students back to campus safely this summer , administrators are grappling with potentially crippling budget shortfalls brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic , the ensuing economic calamity and the loss of nearly a half-billion dollars in state higher education funding .
It is , to quote the executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education , a “ cacophony of crises.
” In today ’ s Denver Post , reporter Elizabeth Hernandez takes a closer look at the dire fiscal situation facing the state ’ s institutions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drops as students opt to skip the uncertainty of a fall semester during the pandemic .
Schools have been buoyed this year by federal coronavirus stimulus , but those in the state ’ s higher-ed community worry that the real crisis will hit next year when that funding runs out .
The impacts could be most drastic for Colorado ’ s least-affluent schools , the community colleges and regional public universities .
“ The cut in state funding and the loss in tuition revenue would potentially cripple our institutions in Colorado , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado Community College System .
From pandemic to recession , a “ cacophony of crises ” threatens Colorado ’ s higher-education institutions Five of our best stories from the past week Since his March emergency declaration , Gov .
Jared Polis has had sweeping authority to control Colorado ’ s pandemic response path .
He has issued more than 100 executive orders , according to a state tally .
The governor ’ s empowerment reflects not only the national trend but also that his most potent would-be antagonists in Colorado have mostly stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although they sometimes clash over policy , Polis and the Democrats who control Colorado ’ s legislature generally share a common vision , and interviews with more than a dozen lawmakers show generally strong reviews for his pandemic response .
Read more from Alex Burness .
RELATED : In first veto of 2020 , Polis rejects bill to curb opioid addiction Apartment developers remain bullish on Denver even as the pandemic batters the economy When the coronavirus hit , Denver was coming off the biggest years for new apartment construction in its history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time in which the city has attracted young , high-paid renters from other parts of the country in droves and condo development in Colorado has been depressed by concerns about developer liability .
Now that the decade-long economic expansion that helped fuel the boom has come to an abrupt end thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic , apartment developers — in Denver and across the country — find themselves at a crossroads .
Read more from Joe Rubino… Neither Gardner nor Hickenlooper has lost a race in Colorado ; their Senate matchup will change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most powerful Republican in Colorado , a fast-talking and fast-rising star within his party , a beacon of light for the political right in this increasingly Democratic state .
John Hickenlooper is Colorado ’ s best-known Democrat , a popular former governor with almost universal name recognition and a quirky persona that has played well in the Centennial State for two decades .
In the next four months , Gardner and Hickenlooper will go blow-for-blow across the state in the electoral equivalent of a heavyweight title fight .
Read more about what to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election news : Five takeaways from Colorado ’ s 2020 primary election Colorado ’ s unemployment call center likely will never meet COVID-driven demand , as 40,000 calls go unanswered weekly The customer service line has become a major chokepoint as tens of thousands of people seek help navigating the Colorado unemployment system ’ s murky waters as well as their own changing personal circumstances — such as furloughs becoming permanent layoffs .
Aaron Whitworth , 31 , of Littleton , is among the people who say they have called the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent weeks with nothing to show for it .
Read more from Joe Rubino .
Aurora police chief fires three officers as part of Elijah McClain photo investigation Aurora ’ s interim police chief on Friday fired two officers who posed for a photo re-enacting a chokehold at the site of Elijah McClain ’ s violent arrest , and she terminated a third officer who received the picture mocking the 23-year-old ’ s death last summer .
Jason Rosenblatt , the officer who received that photo and a second image , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McClain ’ s death , but he later was cleared of criminal or departmental wrongdoing .
Read more from Sam Tabachnik .
Elijah McClain timeline : What happened that night and what has happened since + COVID threat isn ’ t over , especially for Coloradans with chronic conditions + Polis says pardons for marijuana convictions can start in 90 days + Denver to create campsites , consider tax hike to help people experiencing homelessness + How Colorado schools plan to reopen this fall during the coronavirus pandemic + A Sikh business owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ” before being run over by a car ; now the community is demanding justice .
+ This laid-off chef knows coronavirus is hard on families , so he ’ s giving meals away .
— The Know + This popular waterfall hike joins the list of Colorado trails being loved to death — The Know Outdoors See more great photos like this on The Denver Post ’ s Instagram account .

As colleges and universities across Colorado work on plans to bring students back to campus safely this summer, administrators are grappling with potentially crippling budget shortfalls brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ensuing economic calamity and the loss of nearly a half-billion dollars in state higher education funding.
It is, to quote the executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, a “cacophony of crises.”
In today’s Denver Post, reporter Elizabeth Hernandez takes a closer look at the dire fiscal situation facing the state’s institutions of higher learning, including concerns about enrollment drops as students opt to skip the uncertainty of a fall semester during the pandemic. Schools have been buoyed this year by federal coronavirus stimulus, but those in the state’s higher-ed community worry that the real crisis will hit next year when that funding runs out.
The impacts could be most drastic for Colorado’s least-affluent schools, the community colleges and regional public universities. “The cut in state funding and the loss in tuition revenue would potentially cripple our institutions in Colorado,” says Joe Garcia, chancellor of the Colorado Community College System.
— Matt Sebastian, senior editor
Five of our best stories from the past week
Since his March emergency declaration, Gov. Jared Polis has had sweeping authority to control Colorado’s pandemic response path. He has issued more than 100 executive orders, according to a state tally.
The governor’s empowerment reflects not only the national trend but also that his most potent would-be antagonists in Colorado have mostly stepped aside or concurred with his approach. Although they sometimes clash over policy, Polis and the Democrats who control Colorado’s legislature generally share a common vision, and interviews with more than a dozen lawmakers show generally strong reviews for his pandemic response. Read more from Alex Burness.
RELATED: In first veto of 2020, Polis rejects bill to curb opioid addiction
When the coronavirus hit, Denver was coming off the biggest years for new apartment construction in its history.
The boom has come during a time in which the city has attracted young, high-paid renters from other parts of the country in droves and condo development in Colorado has been depressed by concerns about developer liability. Now that the decade-long economic expansion that helped fuel the boom has come to an abrupt end thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, apartment developers — in Denver and across the country — find themselves at a crossroads. Read more from Joe Rubino…
RELATED: Metro Denver home sales surge in June as demand outstrips supply
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner is the most powerful Republican in Colorado, a fast-talking and fast-rising star within his party, a beacon of light for the political right in this increasingly Democratic state.
John Hickenlooper is Colorado’s best-known Democrat, a popular former governor with almost universal name recognition and a quirky persona that has played well in the Centennial State for two decades.
In the next four months, Gardner and Hickenlooper will go blow-for-blow across the state in the electoral equivalent of a heavyweight title fight. Read more about what to expect from Justin Wingerter.
More 2020 election news: Five takeaways from Colorado’s 2020 primary election
The customer service line has become a major chokepoint as tens of thousands of people seek help navigating the Colorado unemployment system’s murky waters as well as their own changing personal circumstances — such as furloughs becoming permanent layoffs.
Aaron Whitworth, 31, of Littleton, is among the people who say they have called the state’s customer service line hundreds of times in recent weeks with nothing to show for it. Read more from Joe Rubino.
Aurora’s interim police chief on Friday fired two officers who posed for a photo re-enacting a chokehold at the site of Elijah McClain’s violent arrest, and she terminated a third officer who received the picture mocking the 23-year-old’s death last summer.
Jason Rosenblatt, the officer who received that photo and a second image, was one of the three officers involved in McClain’s death, but he later was cleared of criminal or departmental wrongdoing. Read more from Sam Tabachnik.
Elijah McClain timeline: What happened that night and what has happened since
A few more important stories
+ Colorado’s COVID-19 outbreaks shifting from nursing homes to retail outlets, restaurants
+ COVID threat isn’t over, especially for Coloradans with chronic conditions
+ Colorado Supreme Court upholds state’s ban on large-capacity gun magazines
+ Polis says pardons for marijuana convictions can start in 90 days
+ Denver to create campsites, consider tax hike to help people experiencing homelessness
+ How Colorado schools plan to reopen this fall during the coronavirus pandemic
+ A Sikh business owner was told to “go back your country” before being run over by a car; now the community is demanding justice.
+ Unpredictable House race ahead for western Colorado after Boebert ousts Tipton
+ Colorado nonprofits struggle to stay afloat as pandemic captures funders’ attention, dollars
+ Colorado State expels incoming student over racist social media post
+ This laid-off chef knows coronavirus is hard on families, so he’s giving meals away. — The Know
+ This popular waterfall hike joins the list of Colorado trails being loved to death — The Know Outdoors
Photo of the week
See more great photos like this on The Denver Post’s Instagram account.