thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Denver-area health departments suggest prioritizing people with symptoms for COVID-19 testing

Six Denver-area health departments are advising COVID-19 testing sites to consider prioritizing people with symptoms and those in high-risk settings like nursing homes if they can ’ t get quick results to anyone who wants a test .
The guidelines aren ’ t binding , but are intended to show how testing sites can “ do the most good ” with limited resources , said John Douglas , executive director of the Tri-County Health Department , which serves Adams , Arapahoe and Douglas counties .
As states began looking to reopen in late April , experts called for more testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to test as many as 3 million people per day .
So far , the country hasn ’ t exceeded 1 million tests on any day since the pandemic began , according Johns Hopkins University ’ s testing tracker , but labs have still backed up to the point that some people wait a week or longer for results .
Though Colorado has seen such lags in test results , Gov .
Jared Polis said at a news conference Friday that people who use the large community testing sites around the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
In an ideal world , anyone who wanted a test could get one , with speedy results , Douglas said .
As is , health departments need to focus on preventing as many new infections as possible , and one of the ways to do that is to focus on quickly reaching the people who are most likely to be carrying the virus , he said .
If results are delayed a week or longer , they ’ re effectively useless for notifying the infected person ’ s contacts that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Knowing that somebody has COVID allows us to not only prevent transmission from them , but transmission from their contacts , ” he said .
The health departments ’ report said anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 and anyone admitted to a hospital should be tested for the new coronavirus .
So should staff and residents of long-term care facilities , and people who could have exposed at a location with an outbreak .
Testing is also “ highly recommended ” for : • Staff and inmates of prisons and jails • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” patients , including those who work in dialysis centers or provide home-based care • Patients undergoing medical or dental procedures that could expose their provider • Patients getting residential treatment for mental illness or addiction • People who live with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 The report recommended testing the following other groups only if supplies and turnaround time allow : • People who had contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 , but don ’ t live with that person • Staff working in jobs that place them close to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service , emergency response or public transit • People entering a program or event ( students moving into college dorms , for example ) • People who need testing for travel or other purposes They don ’ t recommend retesting people who previously tested positive , because tests that look for the virus ’ s genetic material aren ’ t a reliable indicator of whether someone is still contagious .
Some employers wanted workers to test negative before coming back to work , but they ’ re gradually understanding that it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Douglas said .
If testing sites decide to focus on the prioritized groups , the criteria would be stricter than they are now , but not nearly as limiting as they were in the spring .
For a time in March and April , only people who were sick enough to be hospitalized , or who developed symptoms after visiting China , could access testing .
It makes sense to prioritize people who have symptoms , because they need to know if they should self-isolate , said Dr. Amesh Adalja , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johns Hopkins University ’ s Center for Health Security .
While research suggests asymptomatic people can spread the virus , it appears the greatest risk is from people with symptoms , who may not always self-isolate until they have results , he said .
“ There is definitely a need for actionable results , ” he said .
“ We don ’ t want people who have symptoms to not get tested because they know they won ’ t get results for seven or eight days.
” The Denver Department of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that produced the guidelines , and is refocusing its efforts on neighborhoods that have been hit harder by the virus and lack testing .
Partner clinics will offer testing in targeted neighborhoods , and “ pop-up ” sites will try to reach people who don ’ t have transportation to get to the free site at Pepsi Center .
The Denver health department also encouraged people who have health insurance to consider getting tested at their doctor ’ s office , to leave most of the 3,810 tests the city can do in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeless shelters , and others who can ’ t pay for a test .
They aren ’ t turning away insured people who come to publicly funded testing sites , though .
Some experts have suggested that the United States may need an even more radical change than prioritizing who should be tested first .
One solution some experts proposed , pooled testing , hasn ’ t panned out so far in many areas because too many people have the virus , according to The New York Times .
That approach involves testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the test is negative , the lab moves on to the next batch .
If it ’ s positive , they have to retest every individual sample — so if a large number of batches come back positive , they ’ re no longer saving enough supplies and time to make it worthwhile .
The pooled tests , like the individual tests you would receive at publicly funded sites in Colorado , look for small amounts of the virus ’ s genetic material , which makes it highly accurate .
It isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Other types of tests are faster , but potentially miss some people who are infected .
Still , some experts think they could have a role in screening people who aren ’ t especially likely to have the virus , leaving the most-accurate tests for situations where there ’ s no room for error .
Some rapid tests look for genetic material , but others look for proteins on the outside of the virus .
In some cases , people can administer the test themselves — similar to a home pregnancy test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Denver-area health agencies ’ report didn ’ t take a position on rapid testing because there isn ’ t enough evidence , but Douglas said it could have a role in the future , if studies find the tests are good at finding infections and have very few false positives .
“ I ’ m actually a big fan of the theoretical model of spitting in a cup every day , ” he said .
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox .

Six Denver-area health departments are advising COVID-19 testing sites to consider prioritizing people with symptoms and those in high-risk settings like nursing homes if they can’t get quick results to anyone who wants a test.
The guidelines aren’t binding, but are intended to show how testing sites can “do the most good” with limited resources, said John Douglas, executive director of the Tri-County Health Department, which serves Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties.
As states began looking to reopen in late April, experts called for more testing, with estimates the United States could need to test as many as 3 million people per day. So far, the country hasn’t exceeded 1 million tests on any day since the pandemic began, according Johns Hopkins University’s testing tracker, but labs have still backed up to the point that some people wait a week or longer for results.
Though Colorado has seen such lags in test results, Gov. Jared Polis said at a news conference Friday that people who use the large community testing sites around the state should see results within two to three days.
In an ideal world, anyone who wanted a test could get one, with speedy results, Douglas said. As is, health departments need to focus on preventing as many new infections as possible, and one of the ways to do that is to focus on quickly reaching the people who are most likely to be carrying the virus, he said. If results are delayed a week or longer, they’re effectively useless for notifying the infected person’s contacts that they need to get tested and self-isolate.
“Knowing that somebody has COVID allows us to not only prevent transmission from them, but transmission from their contacts,” he said.
The health departments’ report said anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 and anyone admitted to a hospital should be tested for the new coronavirus. So should staff and residents of long-term care facilities, and people who could have exposed at a location with an outbreak.
Testing is also “highly recommended” for:
Staff and inmates of prisons and jails
Health care staff caring for “high-risk” patients, including those who work in dialysis centers or provide home-based care
Staff and residents of homeless shelters
Patients undergoing medical or dental procedures that could expose their provider
Patients getting residential treatment for mental illness or addiction
People who live with someone who tested positive for COVID-19
The report recommended testing the following other groups only if supplies and turnaround time allow:
Staff of schools and child care centers
People who had contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19, but don’t live with that person
Staff working in jobs that place them close to the public, like retail, food service, emergency response or public transit
People entering a program or event (students moving into college dorms, for example)
People who need testing for travel or other purposes
They don’t recommend retesting people who previously tested positive, because tests that look for the virus’s genetic material aren’t a reliable indicator of whether someone is still contagious. Some employers wanted workers to test negative before coming back to work, but they’re gradually understanding that it’s not necessary after enough time has passed, Douglas said.
If testing sites decide to focus on the prioritized groups, the criteria would be stricter than they are now, but not nearly as limiting as they were in the spring. For a time in March and April, only people who were sick enough to be hospitalized, or who developed symptoms after visiting China, could access testing.
Need for actionable results
It makes sense to prioritize people who have symptoms, because they need to know if they should self-isolate, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Health Security.
While research suggests asymptomatic people can spread the virus, it appears the greatest risk is from people with symptoms, who may not always self-isolate until they have results, he said.
“There is definitely a need for actionable results,” he said. “We don’t want people who have symptoms to not get tested because they know they won’t get results for seven or eight days.”
The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment was part of the group that produced the guidelines, and is refocusing its efforts on neighborhoods that have been hit harder by the virus and lack testing. Partner clinics will offer testing in targeted neighborhoods, and “pop-up” sites will try to reach people who don’t have transportation to get to the free site at Pepsi Center.
The Denver health department also encouraged people who have health insurance to consider getting tested at their doctor’s office, to leave most of the 3,810 tests the city can do in a week for people in jails and homeless shelters, and others who can’t pay for a test. They aren’t turning away insured people who come to publicly funded testing sites, though.
New models for testing
Some experts have suggested that the United States may need an even more radical change than prioritizing who should be tested first.
One solution some experts proposed, pooled testing, hasn’t panned out so far in many areas because too many people have the virus, according to The New York Times. That approach involves testing a group of samples together. If the test is negative, the lab moves on to the next batch. If it’s positive, they have to retest every individual sample — so if a large number of batches come back positive, they’re no longer saving enough supplies and time to make it worthwhile.
The pooled tests, like the individual tests you would receive at publicly funded sites in Colorado, look for small amounts of the virus’s genetic material, which makes it highly accurate. It isn’t quick or particularly cheap, though.
Other types of tests are faster, but potentially miss some people who are infected. Still, some experts think they could have a role in screening people who aren’t especially likely to have the virus, leaving the most-accurate tests for situations where there’s no room for error.
Some rapid tests look for genetic material, but others look for proteins on the outside of the virus. In some cases, people can administer the test themselves — similar to a home pregnancy test, but with saliva instead of urine.
The Denver-area health agencies’ report didn’t take a position on rapid testing because there isn’t enough evidence, but Douglas said it could have a role in the future, if studies find the tests are good at finding infections and have very few false positives.
“I’m actually a big fan of the theoretical model of spitting in a cup every day,” he said.
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Keeping students safe in Denver area schools as coronavirus lurks is a delicate dance

It ’ s been less than a week since a handful of school districts in the metro area began the delicate dance of bringing children back to the classroom amid a global coronavirus pandemic that has to date infected approximately 55,000 people in Colorado .
Against that backdrop comes the grim recognition that this may be a routine too difficult to choreograph and too complex to execute in the long run , as COVID-19 outbreaks at schools around the country — including last week ’ s positive COVID-19 test of a teacher in a Westminster school and infections of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — force education officials to reverse course and send kids back home to learn online .
But Scott Siegfried , superintendent of 55,000-student Cherry Creek School District , said he will do all he can to keep kids at their desks — until he can ’ t .
“ I will track this every day , as long as the pandemic goes on , ” he said last week via a videoconference call .
“ If I have to evolve , I ’ ll evolve.
” Cherry Creek began in-person learning last Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the metro area to open its buildings since the coronavirus struck in March .
This Monday , Douglas County , with 67,000 students , will become the largest school district in the state to launch in-person classes .
Other large districts , like Denver and Aurora , have opted to delay opening schools until later in the fall .
The hope is that with Colorado ’ s relatively tame COVID-19 transmission numbers — at least compared to states where in-person learning has faltered due to coronavirus outbreaks — any infections that occur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sequestered .
That was the message from Gov .
Jared Polis last week , as he visited second-grade classrooms at Village East Elementary School in the Cherry Creek School District .
“ It ’ s about acting quickly and early , ” the governor said .
With Colorado ’ s COVID-19 positivity rate hovering around 3 % , transmission of the virus appears to be far less aggressive here than in states like California , Florida and Arizona .
The World Health Organization advises that the rate of coronavirus tests coming back positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least two weeks before reopenings proceed .
“ That is really making it a little easier , that kind of environment , than in areas that have such viral presence that even when they open , they ’ ll have to close a week later , ” Polis said .
Notwithstanding the temporary closure of Fort Lupton High School due to two COVID-19 cases , the governor said he hopes Colorado school officials can take a more surgical approach to controlling infections that pop up in districts , quarantining just a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shutting down the whole school .
Heidi Baskfield , vice president of population health and advocacy at Children ’ s Hospital Colorado , said success will depend on each community ’ s COVID-19 transmission rates and the level of compliance with social distancing , sanitizing and masking guidelines .
“ Expectations set early and enforced regularly are going to be key here .
I don ’ t think a single case should in and of itself cause alarm , ” she said .
“ As long as our community spread looks the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices will be able to thread the needle.
” For Audrey Thorstad , a second-grade teacher at Hodgkins Leadership Academy in Westminster , threading that needle means protecting herself twice over .
“ If I wear a mask and a face shield , and the kids wear masks , that significantly reduces my chances of catching coronavirus , ” she said .
Thorstad , who is pregnant , said she keeps a close eye on how the virus is behaving in Adams County and across the state and keeps abreast of guidance from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prevention and Tri-County Health when evaluating risk .
She wasn ’ t thrown off by Friday ’ s announcement of a positive coronavirus test at her school .
“ I ’ ve always known there was a possibility that a co-worker could test positive , ” she wrote in an email .
“ We are all doing what we can to keep safe and also support our children.
” But that same comfort is not shared by all teachers .
Fran Groff-Gonzales , president of the Westminster teachers union , said “ people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown.
” “ It does feel experimental for a lot of folks , ” she said .
In Westminster , a district of 8,500 students , the teacher ’ s union hammered out a memorandum of understanding with the administration on how to proceed with in-person learning .
The agreement calls for mask use by everyone in the building , keeping classes to around 25 students , serving lunch in the classroom or outside and ensuring all students have their own dedicated supplies .
Also , students ’ access to schools will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hallways , ” said Westminster Public Schools ’ chief operating officer , James Duffy .
Duffy said the school has “ hundreds of gallons ” of hand sanitizer on hand and nearly a million disposable masks for students and educators .
Westminster Public Schools has launched a K-12 Virtual Academy , which had enrolled more than 2,100 students as of Friday , many of them signing up in the last week .
That ’ s where Suzy Kassan , a fifth-grade teacher who typically works at Tennyson Knolls Preparatory School , chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to play out .
“ I do have concerns about getting COVID-19 and giving it to friends and loved ones , ” said Kassan , who said she has asthma and upper respiratory tract issues .
“ I ’ m just a very cautious person.
” She doesn ’ t worry about her students getting an inferior education online , an approach that got heavy criticism from parents this past spring as school districts hastily assembled remote learning plans as the coronavirus closed in .
“ I don ’ t think my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , ” Kassan said .
But district officials note that many of their students come from socioeconomically challenged homes .
More than 70 % of the student body receives free or reduced-price lunches .
And access to technology is not equal , Duffy said , despite the district ’ s efforts last spring to hand out 200 WiFi hotspots to families in need of an internet connection .
“ We have a huge digital divide , ” he said .
“ Some families don ’ t have the background to help their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ support structures ” is critical in the Cherry Creek School District , Siegfried said .
The superintendent , who has worked in the district since 1995 , said “ nothing compares to a student being in a classroom with teachers.
” “ What we risk if we don ’ t have in-person learning is a generation of kids having that gap in learning , socialization and mental health , ” he said .
“ That human interaction is important.
” Dr. Douglas Newton , chief medical officer for SonderMind , a company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said loneliness and isolation is a “ huge factor ” with children , especially during a pandemic .
“ We are social animals and when we don ’ t have connections , not only can you have developmental delays but emotional impacts , ” Newton said .
“ What we ’ re seeing out of this from kids is they ’ re feeling a little less hopeful.
” And while epidemiological data suggest that elementary school-aged kids are relatively safe to go back to school as they don ’ t spread COVID-19 as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there ’ s no way to guarantee that transmission won ’ t occur — thus making the decision about “ acceptable risk very personalized.
” For Lily Ovrutskiy , who has three children in Cherry Creek schools , said it ’ s not only a question of how kids learn best but how remote learning can be executed effectively while both parents work .
“ Both me and my husband are full-time working parents with very demanding jobs and we can not accommodate remote learning support for such young kids , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids need 100 % hands-on support throughout the entire day .
In addition , young children absolutely need to be a part of a system that teaches them discipline in a formal environment among peers and supervision.
” Even so , in-person learning in Cherry Creek won ’ t look the same as normal .
High school students will be broken into two cohorts and each group will attend school just two days a week .
Monday is a planning day when students learn from home .
“ Only half the kids are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the kids are in the hallways every day , ” Siegfried said .
Many of the same distancing and cleaning measures in place in Westminster will be in effect in Cherry Creek , and Siegfried will monitor a screen daily showing a matrix of virus behavior that will help him determine the course of the pandemic in Arapahoe County .
“ We ’ ll look at that matrix as to how the community is doing , ” he said .
“ In Cherry Creek , we chose to be data-driven .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from CNN or Fox News.
” BreAnne Schwab , a teacher at Shaw Heights Middle School in Westminster , said the pandemic data is important to her as well in figuring out whether to return to her social studies classroom or not .
“ If you asked me in June or July , I would have rioted in the streets against ( returning to the classroom ) , ” she said .
But with Colorado ’ s improved coronavirus picture over the past month , she feels better about going back .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attend the virtual academy has had the effect of chopping her class size from 27 kids to 14 , allowing her to better separate desks and create the necessary distance between students .
“ I feel like a guinea pig because we ’ re doing it first , ” Schwab said .
“ Are we going to have to work harder to make it work ?
Probably .
But we can ’ t be online forever .
”

It’s been less than a week since a handful of school districts in the metro area began the delicate dance of bringing children back to the classroom amid a global coronavirus pandemic that has to date infected approximately 55,000 people in Colorado.
Against that backdrop comes the grim recognition that this may be a routine too difficult to choreograph and too complex to execute in the long run, as COVID-19 outbreaks at schools around the country — including last week’s positive COVID-19 test of a teacher in a Westminster school and infections of two students at a Fort Lupton high school — force education officials to reverse course and send kids back home to learn online.
But Scott Siegfried, superintendent of 55,000-student Cherry Creek School District, said he will do all he can to keep kids at their desks — until he can’t.
“I will track this every day, as long as the pandemic goes on,” he said last week via a videoconference call. “If I have to evolve, I’ll evolve.”
Cherry Creek began in-person learning last Monday, becoming one of the first districts in the metro area to open its buildings since the coronavirus struck in March. This Monday, Douglas County, with 67,000 students, will become the largest school district in the state to launch in-person classes.
Other large districts, like Denver and Aurora, have opted to delay opening schools until later in the fall.
The hope is that with Colorado’s relatively tame COVID-19 transmission numbers — at least compared to states where in-person learning has faltered due to coronavirus outbreaks — any infections that occur will be detected early and those individuals sequestered.
That was the message from Gov. Jared Polis last week, as he visited second-grade classrooms at Village East Elementary School in the Cherry Creek School District.
“It’s about acting quickly and early,” the governor said.
With Colorado’s COVID-19 positivity rate hovering around 3%, transmission of the virus appears to be far less aggressive here than in states like California, Florida and Arizona. The World Health Organization advises that the rate of coronavirus tests coming back positive should be 5% or lower for at least two weeks before reopenings proceed.
“That is really making it a little easier, that kind of environment, than in areas that have such viral presence that even when they open, they’ll have to close a week later,” Polis said.
Notwithstanding the temporary closure of Fort Lupton High School due to two COVID-19 cases, the governor said he hopes Colorado school officials can take a more surgical approach to controlling infections that pop up in districts, quarantining just a few students or a single class rather than shutting down the whole school.
Heidi Baskfield, vice president of population health and advocacy at Children’s Hospital Colorado, said success will depend on each community’s COVID-19 transmission rates and the level of compliance with social distancing, sanitizing and masking guidelines.
“Expectations set early and enforced regularly are going to be key here. I don’t think a single case should in and of itself cause alarm,” she said. “As long as our community spread looks the way it does, schools committed to safe practices will be able to thread the needle.”
“It’s the unknown”
For Audrey Thorstad, a second-grade teacher at Hodgkins Leadership Academy in Westminster, threading that needle means protecting herself twice over.
“If I wear a mask and a face shield, and the kids wear masks, that significantly reduces my chances of catching coronavirus,” she said.
Thorstad, who is pregnant, said she keeps a close eye on how the virus is behaving in Adams County and across the state and keeps abreast of guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Tri-County Health when evaluating risk.
She wasn’t thrown off by Friday’s announcement of a positive coronavirus test at her school.
“I’ve always known there was a possibility that a co-worker could test positive,” she wrote in an email. “We are all doing what we can to keep safe and also support our children.”
But that same comfort is not shared by all teachers. Fran Groff-Gonzales, president of the Westminster teachers union, said “people are scared — it’s the unknown.”
“It does feel experimental for a lot of folks,” she said.
In Westminster, a district of 8,500 students, the teacher’s union hammered out a memorandum of understanding with the administration on how to proceed with in-person learning. The agreement calls for mask use by everyone in the building, keeping classes to around 25 students, serving lunch in the classroom or outside and ensuring all students have their own dedicated supplies.
Also, students’ access to schools will be staggered to “eliminate the chaos of the hallways,” said Westminster Public Schools’ chief operating officer, James Duffy. Duffy said the school has “hundreds of gallons” of hand sanitizer on hand and nearly a million disposable masks for students and educators.
Westminster Public Schools has launched a K-12 Virtual Academy, which had enrolled more than 2,100 students as of Friday, many of them signing up in the last week. That’s where Suzy Kassan, a fifth-grade teacher who typically works at Tennyson Knolls Preparatory School, chose to perform her job while the pandemic continues to play out.
“I do have concerns about getting COVID-19 and giving it to friends and loved ones,” said Kassan, who said she has asthma and upper respiratory tract issues. “I’m just a very cautious person.”
She doesn’t worry about her students getting an inferior education online, an approach that got heavy criticism from parents this past spring as school districts hastily assembled remote learning plans as the coronavirus closed in.
“I don’t think my kids are going to lose out at all,” Kassan said.
But district officials note that many of their students come from socioeconomically challenged homes. More than 70% of the student body receives free or reduced-price lunches. And access to technology is not equal, Duffy said, despite the district’s efforts last spring to hand out 200 WiFi hotspots to families in need of an internet connection.
“We have a huge digital divide,” he said. “Some families don’t have the background to help their kids digitally.”
“Can’t be online forever”
Getting students the proper “support structures” is critical in the Cherry Creek School District, Siegfried said. The superintendent, who has worked in the district since 1995, said “nothing compares to a student being in a classroom with teachers.”
“What we risk if we don’t have in-person learning is a generation of kids having that gap in learning, socialization and mental health,” he said. “That human interaction is important.”
Dr. Douglas Newton, chief medical officer for SonderMind, a company that matches certified therapists with patients, said loneliness and isolation is a “huge factor” with children, especially during a pandemic.
“We are social animals and when we don’t have connections, not only can you have developmental delays but emotional impacts,” Newton said. “What we’re seeing out of this from kids is they’re feeling a little less hopeful.”
And while epidemiological data suggest that elementary school-aged kids are relatively safe to go back to school as they don’t spread COVID-19 as easily as older people, he said, there’s no way to guarantee that transmission won’t occur — thus making the decision about “acceptable risk very personalized.”
For Lily Ovrutskiy, who has three children in Cherry Creek schools, said it’s not only a question of how kids learn best but how remote learning can be executed effectively while both parents work.
“Both me and my husband are full-time working parents with very demanding jobs and we cannot accommodate remote learning support for such young kids,” she said. “Especially elementary age kids need 100% hands-on support throughout the entire day. In addition, young children absolutely need to be a part of a system that teaches them discipline in a formal environment among peers and supervision.”
Even so, in-person learning in Cherry Creek won’t look the same as normal. High school students will be broken into two cohorts and each group will attend school just two days a week. Monday is a planning day when students learn from home.
“Only half the kids are in the classroom each day and only half the kids are in the hallways every day,” Siegfried said.
Many of the same distancing and cleaning measures in place in Westminster will be in effect in Cherry Creek, and Siegfried will monitor a screen daily showing a matrix of virus behavior that will help him determine the course of the pandemic in Arapahoe County.
“We’ll look at that matrix as to how the community is doing,” he said. “In Cherry Creek, we chose to be data-driven. I take guidance from health experts, not from CNN or Fox News.”
BreAnne Schwab, a teacher at Shaw Heights Middle School in Westminster, said the pandemic data is important to her as well in figuring out whether to return to her social studies classroom or not.
“If you asked me in June or July, I would have rioted in the streets against (returning to the classroom),” she said.
But with Colorado’s improved coronavirus picture over the past month, she feels better about going back. It also helped that Westminster families choosing to attend the virtual academy has had the effect of chopping her class size from 27 kids to 14, allowing her to better separate desks and create the necessary distance between students.
“I feel like a guinea pig because we’re doing it first,” Schwab said. “Are we going to have to work harder to make it work? Probably. But we can’t be online forever.”


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Post Premium: Our top stories for the week of Aug. 17-23

The first time Elijah McClain ’ s family gathered at the Aurora Municipal Center to protest his Aug. 24 violent takedown by Aurora police officers , no more than a dozen people joined them .
McClain ’ s name remained largely unknown outside the small circle of people who knew him or read local news stories about police tackling him , putting him in a chokehold and pinning him while paramedics injected a heavy dose of the sedative Ketamine .
Then , George Floyd died in late May at the hands of Minneapolis police officers , setting off massive nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the first week , McClain ’ s name was being shouted by protesters as another example of police violence , and his death became the focus of national news stories .
The Denver Post ’ s journalists have covered McClain ’ s story from the beginning .
In fact , reporter Elise Schmelzer was the first to report paramedic ’ s use of Ketamine on McClain and other people involved in conflicts with police .
For the one-year anniversary of his death , the Post ’ s breaking news team wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rallies and ask those who are deeply connected to McClain and Aurora how the death impacted them and what the police department must do to bring justice and improve relations with the Black community .
Their stories are insightful and powerful .
“ We have so much work to do ” : One year later , how Elijah McClain ’ s death impacted his friends and catalyzed a movement Five of our best stories this week “ What ’ s next ?
An asteroid ?
” Wildfire , pandemic drop double whammy on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like they had figured out the coronavirus pandemic this summer , and the cafe they ’ ve owned for 18 years was making a comeback .
Then on Aug. 10 they saw smoke billowing over the Grizzly Creek ridge just outside of town .
Within a week , business crashed for the second time this year .
Read more… COLORADO WILDFIRE UPDATES : Latest on the Pine Gulch , Grizzly Creek , Cameron Peak and Williams Fork fires MAP : Wildfires in Colorado and the United States RELATED : Why Colorado ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ QUALITY : Think it ’ s hazy now in Colorado ?
Wait until more California wildfire smoke arrives .
MORE : As wildfire smoke hangs over Colorado , state ’ s air quality board inches toward plan to reduce haze More than 200 police officers have resigned or retired since Colorado ’ s police reform bill became law More than 200 law enforcement officers across Colorado resigned or retired in the weeks after Gov .
Jared Polis enacted sweeping police reforms by signing Senate Bill 217 into law on June 19 , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest rates lead to highest level of mortgage activity in Denver metro since 2005 Mortgage originations in metro Denver hit their highest levels since the fall of 2005 as consumers rushed to take advantage of historically low interest rates even with a pandemic in full swing , according to a report Thursday from ATTOM Data Solutions .
Read more… What can Colorado college freshmen expect the fall semester to be like in a pandemic ?
As Breanna Chapa checks off her college supply list , she has the garden variety jitters of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a dorm room at the University of Northern Colorado complete with three roommates .
The circumstances surrounding Chapa ’ s introduction to higher education , though , are anything but conventional .
Read more… Black and Hispanic Coloradans are disproportionately hospitalized for COVID-19 , data shows Black and Hispanic Coloradans were more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than their white counterparts , a trend that hasn ’ t improved much since March , according to new data released Thursday by the state health department .
Read more… See more great photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Instagram account .
MORE PHOTOS : Exclusive aerial photos of the Pine Gulch fire , Colorado ’ s second-largest wildfire in recorded history

The first time Elijah McClain’s family gathered at the Aurora Municipal Center to protest his Aug. 24 violent takedown by Aurora police officers, no more than a dozen people joined them. McClain’s name remained largely unknown outside the small circle of people who knew him or read local news stories about police tackling him, putting him in a chokehold and pinning him while paramedics injected a heavy dose of the sedative Ketamine.
Then, George Floyd died in late May at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, setting off massive nationwide protests over police brutality. By the end of the first week, McClain’s name was being shouted by protesters as another example of police violence, and his death became the focus of national news stories.
The Denver Post’s journalists have covered McClain’s story from the beginning. In fact, reporter Elise Schmelzer was the first to report paramedic’s use of Ketamine on McClain and other people involved in conflicts with police.
For the one-year anniversary of his death, the Post’s breaking news team wanted to go deeper than slogans shouted at rallies and ask those who are deeply connected to McClain and Aurora how the death impacted them and what the police department must do to bring justice and improve relations with the Black community. Their stories are insightful and powerful.
Sincerely,
Noelle Phillips, breaking news editor
Five of our best stories this week
Joanna and Mark Bartnik felt like they had figured out the coronavirus pandemic this summer, and the cafe they’ve owned for 18 years was making a comeback. Then on Aug. 10 they saw smoke billowing over the Grizzly Creek ridge just outside of town. Within a week, business crashed for the second time this year. Read more…
COLORADO WILDFIRE UPDATES: Latest on the Pine Gulch, Grizzly Creek, Cameron Peak and Williams Fork fires
MAP: Wildfires in Colorado and the United States
RELATED: Why Colorado’s wildfires are causing those spectacular sunsets
AIR QUALITY: Think it’s hazy now in Colorado? Wait until more California wildfire smoke arrives.
MORE: As wildfire smoke hangs over Colorado, state’s air quality board inches toward plan to reduce haze
More than 200 law enforcement officers across Colorado resigned or retired in the weeks after Gov. Jared Polis enacted sweeping police reforms by signing Senate Bill 217 into law on June 19, according to state data. Read more…
Mortgage originations in metro Denver hit their highest levels since the fall of 2005 as consumers rushed to take advantage of historically low interest rates even with a pandemic in full swing, according to a report Thursday from ATTOM Data Solutions. Read more…
As Breanna Chapa checks off her college supply list, she has the garden variety jitters of any incoming freshman departing her Denver home base for a dorm room at the University of Northern Colorado complete with three roommates. The circumstances surrounding Chapa’s introduction to higher education, though, are anything but conventional. Read more…
Black and Hispanic Coloradans were more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than their white counterparts, a trend that hasn’t improved much since March, according to new data released Thursday by the state health department. Read more…
Photo of the week
See more great photos like this on The Denver Post’s Instagram account.
MORE PHOTOS: Exclusive aerial photos of the Pine Gulch fire, Colorado’s second-largest wildfire in recorded history


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Thanks to COVID-19, Colorado’s football fields will be silent on Fridays and Saturdays. So what do w

Thanks to COVID-19, Colorado’s football fields will be silent on Fridays and Saturdays. So what do we do now?

BOULDER — Dave Logan was lost for words .
How ironic is that ?
Voice of the Broncos for a quarter century now , radio host , coach , leader , pitch man extraordinaire , an hombre who wears more 10-gallon football hats than almost anybody along the Front Range , scrambling to pick his jaw up off the floor .
No high school football in Colorado ?
No college football , either ?
Sacrilege .
It ’ s like somebody shot Rudolph and hung that reindeer head , red nose and all , up on the cabin wall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what I told my kids the day that I ( found out ) we weren ’ t going to be allowed to go forward this fall , ” Logan , the Cherry Creek High School football coach , former CU Buffs standout and longtime Broncos play-by-play man , says with a wounded chuckle .
“ ( I told them ) , ‘ It feels like somebody walked up and handed you a bag of doo-doo .
So we have one of two things we can do .
We can walk around and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bag of ( expletive ) .
Or we can go put it under a tree and use it as fertilizer and try to make the best of a lousy situation.
’ “ It ’ s a hokey analogy , but it was the only thing I could think of to tell my team.
” Welcome to Colorado .
Welcome to Autumn 2020 , the fall we were all left holding the bag .
“ Now the state ’ s on fire , ” says Kevin Levad , part-owner of Lucky Joe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iconic CSU Rams watering hole .
“ It ’ s non-stop .
It ’ s one thing after another .
The most brutal year I ’ ve ever experienced.
” It ’ s about to get more brutal .
Cripes , we can hear them already , can ’ t we ?
The sounds .
Our sounds .
Our heartbeats , our souls , whispering back at us , almost mockingly , from across the borders to the north , the east and the west .
The bands in Nebraska .
The crunches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The soundtrack to Colorado in the fall , played out in the distance .
While we socially distance .
Until COVID-19 , CU had trotted a football team out every autumn since 1890 .
CSU fielded a team every year from 1899-1942 and consecutively since 1945 .
The first sanctioned championship season under what later became CHSAA , then called the Colorado High School Athletic Conference , began in 1921 .
What ’ s a football state to do when there ’ s almost no football ?
When the most dominant sound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stony , surreal silence ?
“ For a lot of people , it means a heck of a lot , ” says Logan , who ’ s won eight state prep titles as a coach at four schools and is heading into his 24th year as the radio play-by-play voice of the Broncos .
“ For a lot of people , it ’ s a part of your life .
It ’ s intertwined into the fabric of who you are .
And so there ’ s an emotional component of this that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ ve had differing opinions .
We ’ ve had differing opinions medically speaking .
It has been almost impossible to decipher through a lot of this , what it really is and what it ’ s not .
And that is a really difficult thing for grown-ups .
You can imagine how tough it is on 16-to-21-year-old kids.
” And burros .
Kat Tomon is going to miss the holy heck out of her pal Blaster this fall , and she ’ s pretty sure the feeling ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around Marv Kay Stadium at Campbell Field last November finished off with a harbinger of what was to come in 2020 .
“ He ended up pooping on the football field , ” laughs Tomon , a senior and , as president of Colorado Mines ’ Blue Key Society , one of Blaster ’ s handlers .
“ He had gone the entire season without pooping .
He would go right before or right after .
For some reason , the very last touchdown of the season , he poops on the field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out trying to get it and I ’ m just there holding Blaster and he ’ s pulling me away from the scene of the crime to his favorite strip of grass .
He was just avoiding people .
It was almost like he was embarrassed.
” Which is weird .
Ordinarily , he ’ s a social dude , at least as oversized miniature burros go .
Blaster is going on his third decade of scooting around the field after a Mines touchdown .
Which also means he ’ s gotten a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seasons of The Gregg Brandon Era .
“ It ’ s almost like he ’ s feeding on the energy around him , ” Tomon says .
“ ( He thinks ) , ’ I ’ m a celebrity , everyone loves me , I ’ m going to show everyone why they love me.
’ “ He ’ s super-friendly , also .
He never takes off .
Never kicks .
Never bites .
He ’ s like a dog , but bigger .
He ’ s awesome.
” He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference pushing football , men ’ s soccer , women ’ s soccer and volleyball to the spring .
The grazing life on the ranch in Idaho Springs is groovy and all .
It ain ’ t show business .
“ He doesn ’ t get to redeem himself this year , ” Tomon says .
“ So I think he might be a little bit sad about that.
” “ Saturdays are going to be different.
” Levad feels his pain .
He ’ s the son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also worked the sidelines at CSU for about 20 years , acting as head of the ball crew for the last eight .
He used to be a cord guy , keeping the coaches ’ lines from tangling the way the leashes of playful puppies sometimes do during a brisk walk .
“ I was raised on the sidelines , ” he says .
“ Not being able to go to that stadium , that ’ s going to be one of the biggest things , to me .
“ The second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe ’ s ) after the game and all the old students and all the old regulars .
The economic impact — it ’ ll pass .
But not seeing those connections you gain over 25 years , the Kevin McDougals that come around , the California guys that come around when they come back for a game or two.
” COVID-19 forced the saloon closed the day before St. Patrick ’ s Day , axing their biggest business day of the year .
No .
2 ?
Homecoming .
And thanks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s off the calendar , too .
A Rocky Mountain Showdown date with CU , originally slated for Sept. 5 , would ’ ve felt like New Year ’ s Eve all over again .
“ There ’ s a lot of smaller bars that haven ’ t been around as long as us that may not be there ( in 2021 ) , ” Levad says .
“ That ’ s sad.
” He jokes that he ’ ll be spending more weekends than usual in the mountains over the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snow starts up again .
Levad ’ s even going to the rerun well , talking to the Rams ’ video crew about getting permission to show old CSU contests at Lucky Joe ’ s on what would ’ ve been , should ’ ve been , gamedays .
“ Yeah , that ’ s going to be weird , ” Levad says .
“ Especially ( at Canvas Stadium ) , it ’ s got such a great vibe .
Saturdays are going to be different.
” For Ryan Newman , CU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ’ ll be year No .
19 .
And nothing like the other 18 that preceded it .
“ This really hasn ’ t hit yet , ” Newman said .
“ Usually , in the last five years , we ’ ve had concerts in July and had to put everything back together — ‘ football ’ s in two weeks.
’ And then , all of a sudden , before you know it , it ’ s Labor Day weekend .
“ So it ’ ll probably hit around Labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — spring football in the fall .
But I think that ’ ll hit probably that first Thursday night before a home game , when the field is painted and I ’ d go on the roof and take a look and marvel and what we ’ ve been able to do .
“ Every time the Ralphie countdown starts and the garage door opens at 5:45 on the countdown , I get chills right now just thinking about that .
And that ’ s when I ’ ll miss it the most.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lonely .
That ’ s the first thing that strikes you about Folsom Field on a weekday August afternoon , other than the relative quiet .
Along the stadium ’ s southwest entrance , trucks and pedestrians pass the beloved statue of Ralphie at rest , dubbed “ The Monarch of the Plains , ” a monument of bronze and stone that has survived wind , rain , sleet , snow , and floods .
A large , white face-covering now stretches across the bison ’ s nose , with elastic reaching back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solidarity and a reminder of the invisible grip the pandemic holds over everybody .
Fall classes begin Monday , and students , many of them new , stop in front of the statue every eight or nine minutes to pose for a picture .
A middle-aged couple and a towheaded teen pass at one point .
The woman and youngster aren ’ t wearing masks ; the grey-haired gentleman with them is .
Following a quick pop into one of the stadium entrance tunnels , the trio returns to the statue .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman removes the mask from Ralphie .
“ I promise I ’ ll put it back , ” she says .
The maskless teen hugs the maskless bison for the camera , after which the woman restrings the covering , carefully , over each horn .
Then she walks away , shaking her head ever slightly .
When life hands you a bag of doo-doo , one universal truth never changes : It stinks .

BOULDER — Dave Logan was lost for words. How ironic is that? Voice of the Broncos for a quarter century now, radio host, coach, leader, pitch man extraordinaire, an hombre who wears more 10-gallon football hats than almost anybody along the Front Range, scrambling to pick his jaw up off the floor.
No high school football in Colorado? No college football, either? Sacrilege. It’s like somebody shot Rudolph and hung that reindeer head, red nose and all, up on the cabin wall.
“What I try to remind myself is what I told my kids the day that I (found out) we weren’t going to be allowed to go forward this fall,” Logan, the Cherry Creek High School football coach, former CU Buffs standout and longtime Broncos play-by-play man, says with a wounded chuckle.
“(I told them), ‘It feels like somebody walked up and handed you a bag of doo-doo. So we have one of two things we can do. We can walk around and say, I’m carrying a bag of (expletive). Or we can go put it under a tree and use it as fertilizer and try to make the best of a lousy situation.’
“It’s a hokey analogy, but it was the only thing I could think of to tell my team.”
Welcome to Colorado. Welcome to Autumn 2020, the fall we were all left holding the bag.
“Now the state’s on fire,” says Kevin Levad, part-owner of Lucky Joe’s Sidewalk Saloon in Fort Collins, an iconic CSU Rams watering hole. “It’s non-stop. It’s one thing after another. The most brutal year I’ve ever experienced.”
It’s about to get more brutal. Cripes, we can hear them already, can’t we? The sounds. Our sounds. Our heartbeats, our souls, whispering back at us, almost mockingly, from across the borders to the north, the east and the west.
The bands in Nebraska. The crunches in Wyoming. The cheers in Utah. The soundtrack to Colorado in the fall, played out in the distance. While we socially distance.
Until COVID-19, CU had trotted a football team out every autumn since 1890. CSU fielded a team every year from 1899-1942 and consecutively since 1945. The first sanctioned championship season under what later became CHSAA, then called the Colorado High School Athletic Conference, began in 1921.
What’s a football state to do when there’s almost no football? When the most dominant sound on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons is stony, surreal silence?
“For a lot of people, it means a heck of a lot,” says Logan, who’s won eight state prep titles as a coach at four schools and is heading into his 24th year as the radio play-by-play voice of the Broncos. “For a lot of people, it’s a part of your life. It’s intertwined into the fabric of who you are. And so there’s an emotional component of this that I think has been difficult to balance.
“We’ve had differing opinions. We’ve had differing opinions medically speaking. It has been almost impossible to decipher through a lot of this, what it really is and what it’s not. And that is a really difficult thing for grown-ups. You can imagine how tough it is on 16-to-21-year-old kids.”
“He doesn’t get to redeem himself”
And burros. Kat Tomon is going to miss the holy heck out of her pal Blaster this fall, and she’s pretty sure the feeling’s mutual. Especially after his final run around Marv Kay Stadium at Campbell Field last November finished off with a harbinger of what was to come in 2020.
“He ended up pooping on the football field,” laughs Tomon, a senior and, as president of Colorado Mines’ Blue Key Society, one of Blaster’s handlers. “He had gone the entire season without pooping. He would go right before or right after. For some reason, the very last touchdown of the season, he poops on the field.
“And everyone’s running out trying to get it and I’m just there holding Blaster and he’s pulling me away from the scene of the crime to his favorite strip of grass. He was just avoiding people. It was almost like he was embarrassed.”
Which is weird. Ordinarily, he’s a social dude, at least as oversized miniature burros go. Blaster is going on his third decade of scooting around the field after a Mines touchdown. Which also means he’s gotten a lot of work over the first five seasons of The Gregg Brandon Era.
“It’s almost like he’s feeding on the energy around him,” Tomon says. “(He thinks), ’I’m a celebrity, everyone loves me, I’m going to show everyone why they love me.’
“He’s super-friendly, also. He never takes off. Never kicks. Never bites. He’s like a dog, but bigger. He’s awesome.”
He’s kind of isolated, too, what with the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference pushing football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball to the spring. The grazing life on the ranch in Idaho Springs is groovy and all. It ain’t show business.
“He doesn’t get to redeem himself this year,” Tomon says. “So I think he might be a little bit sad about that.”
“Saturdays are going to be different.”
Levad feels his pain. He’s the son of a football coach. He’s also worked the sidelines at CSU for about 20 years, acting as head of the ball crew for the last eight. He used to be a cord guy, keeping the coaches’ lines from tangling the way the leashes of playful puppies sometimes do during a brisk walk.
“I was raised on the sidelines,” he says. “Not being able to go to that stadium, that’s going to be one of the biggest things, to me.
“The second biggest is getting back to (Lucky Joe’s) after the game and all the old students and all the old regulars. The economic impact — it’ll pass. But not seeing those connections you gain over 25 years, the Kevin McDougals that come around, the California guys that come around when they come back for a game or two.”
COVID-19 forced the saloon closed the day before St. Patrick’s Day, axing their biggest business day of the year. No. 2? Homecoming. And thanks to the Mountain West, now that puppy’s off the calendar, too. A Rocky Mountain Showdown date with CU, originally slated for Sept. 5, would’ve felt like New Year’s Eve all over again.
“There’s a lot of smaller bars that haven’t been around as long as us that may not be there (in 2021),” Levad says. “That’s sad.”
He jokes that he’ll be spending more weekends than usual in the mountains over the next few months, at least before the snow starts up again. Levad’s even going to the rerun well, talking to the Rams’ video crew about getting permission to show old CSU contests at Lucky Joe’s on what would’ve been, should’ve been, gamedays.
“Yeah, that’s going to be weird,” Levad says. “Especially (at Canvas Stadium), it’s got such a great vibe. Saturdays are going to be different.”
“I get chills right now”
For Ryan Newman, CU’s director of athletic grounds, this’ll be year No. 19. And nothing like the other 18 that preceded it.
“This really hasn’t hit yet,” Newman said. “Usually, in the last five years, we’ve had concerts in July and had to put everything back together — ‘football’s in two weeks.’ And then, all of a sudden, before you know it, it’s Labor Day weekend.
“So it’ll probably hit around Labor Day. We might have spring drills — spring football in the fall. But I think that’ll hit probably that first Thursday night before a home game, when the field is painted and I’d go on the roof and take a look and marvel and what we’ve been able to do.
“Every time the Ralphie countdown starts and the garage door opens at 5:45 on the countdown, I get chills right now just thinking about that. And that’s when I’ll miss it the most.”
The grass is pristine. And lonely. That’s the first thing that strikes you about Folsom Field on a weekday August afternoon, other than the relative quiet.
Along the stadium’s southwest entrance, trucks and pedestrians pass the beloved statue of Ralphie at rest, dubbed “The Monarch of the Plains,” a monument of bronze and stone that has survived wind, rain, sleet, snow, and floods. A large, white face-covering now stretches across the bison’s nose, with elastic reaching back across each horn, a message of solidarity and a reminder of the invisible grip the pandemic holds over everybody.
Fall classes begin Monday, and students, many of them new, stop in front of the statue every eight or nine minutes to pose for a picture. A middle-aged couple and a towheaded teen pass at one point. The woman and youngster aren’t wearing masks; the grey-haired gentleman with them is.
Following a quick pop into one of the stadium entrance tunnels, the trio returns to the statue. The teen scrambles atop the base.
“I hate that,” someone says.
The woman removes the mask from Ralphie.
“I promise I’ll put it back,” she says.
The maskless teen hugs the maskless bison for the camera, after which the woman restrings the covering, carefully, over each horn.
Then she walks away, shaking her head ever slightly. When life hands you a bag of doo-doo, one universal truth never changes: It stinks.


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Broncos happy to have “dominant downhill runner” Melvin Gordon as part of offense

Broncos running back Melvin Gordon is already ahead of where he was last August .
Then : Embroiled in an ultimately futile contract dispute with the Los Angeles Chargers , Gordon skipped all of training camp and the first three regular-season games .
Now : Gordon is battling Phillip Lindsay to be the Broncos ’ starter against Tennessee on Sept. 14 .
The Gordon on display during the Broncos ’ practices — smooth cut-backs , consistent pass-catching and speed to get around the corner — is why general manager John Elway signed him to a two-year , $ 16 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominant downhill runner , ” said inside linebacker Todd Davis , a former Gordon AFC West opponent and now his teammate .
“ He ’ s one of the few running backs that can play first , second and third down .
He ’ s tough .
He can run in between the tackles , but can also get you out in space and make some moves and make some great catches .
“ He ’ s a great piece to our puzzle on offense.
” Call Gordon a bonus piece to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free agent running back , Tennessee ’ s Derrick Henry , never hit the market ( franchise tag ) and the external feeling was the Broncos would wait until the draft to find a player who was a complement to Lindsay and a replacement for 2019 backup Royce Freeman .
But taking advantage of the Broncos ’ cap space , Elway signed Gordon , who wasn ’ t in the Chargers ’ plans .
The Broncos are hoping Gordon can regain his form of 2017 ( 1,105 yards rushing/58 catches ) and ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catches ) .
Gordon wanted a new contract after two productive seasons , but the Chargers didn ’ t budge .
Even after he reported , the ending was evident — he was moving on .
“ I ’ m adjusting well , ” said Gordon , who missed practice Friday ( ribs ) .
“ The difference is the altitude .
What I keep hearing is when we play other places ( closer to sea level ) , we won ’ t get tired .
I ’ m looking forward to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a change obviously and you have to be able to adjust , but I ’ ll take it as it comes.
” Gordon and Lindsay have been dividing the reps with first- and second-team offense during camp .
Coach Vic Fangio said deciding between Gordon and Lindsay as the starter , “ will play out .
I anticipate them both playing enough to where we really don ’ t have to designate a starter.
” Fangio ’ s point is well taken .
In today ’ s NFL , having two backs isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is a requirement to endure the 16-game , 1,000-snap grind .
Last year , according to Football Outsiders , only 20 running backs played at least 50 % of their team ’ s offensive snaps , including nine who were at 60 % or higher .
Lindsay played 50.4 % and Freeman 50.1 % , appearing on the field at the same time a handful of times .
In Gordon ’ s last full year with the Chargers ( 2018 ) , he played 52.7 % of the snaps in the regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
Along with dividing playing time , it isn ’ t out of the question to see Gordon and Lindsay both reach 100 rushing attempts .
Last year , San Francisco had three running backs with at least 100 carries and Lindsay ’ s Broncos and Gordon ’ s Chargers were two of the 11 teams that had two running backs reach 100 carries .
Gordon and Lindsay will both get their opportunities .
Undetermined is who will be offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur ’ s first choice on third down .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year ) .
The book on Gordon is he can play and play well in all situations — every down , goal-line , short-yardage , empty backfield , etc .
“ Anytime my jersey number ( 25 ) is called for me to make a play , I feel like I need to be accountable to make it happen , ” he said .
Since Gordon entered the NFL as a first-round pick from Wisconsin in 2015 , Fangio had to prepare for three games against the Chargers .
Gordon rushed 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss to Chicago and last year against the Broncos , rushed 12 times for 31 yards in Week 5 ( his first action ) and 20 times for 99 yards in Week 12 .
“ I think he ’ s a good running back in that he runs with good power and a combination of elusiveness , ” Fangio said .
“ He can lower his pads and get the extra couple yards .
He can juke and make a guy miss that way .
“ He ’ s got really good running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a competent blocker and a good receiver , too .
We ’ re happy to have him .
”

Broncos running back Melvin Gordon is already ahead of where he was last August.
Then: Embroiled in an ultimately futile contract dispute with the Los Angeles Chargers, Gordon skipped all of training camp and the first three regular-season games.
Now: Gordon is battling Phillip Lindsay to be the Broncos’ starter against Tennessee on Sept. 14.
The Gordon on display during the Broncos’ practices — smooth cut-backs, consistent pass-catching and speed to get around the corner — is why general manager John Elway signed him to a two-year, $16 million contract.
“He’s a dominant downhill runner,” said inside linebacker Todd Davis, a former Gordon AFC West opponent and now his teammate. “He’s one of the few running backs that can play first, second and third down. He’s tough. He can run in between the tackles, but can also get you out in space and make some moves and make some great catches.
“He’s a great piece to our puzzle on offense.”
Call Gordon a bonus piece to the puzzle. The league’s best free agent running back, Tennessee’s Derrick Henry, never hit the market (franchise tag) and the external feeling was the Broncos would wait until the draft to find a player who was a complement to Lindsay and a replacement for 2019 backup Royce Freeman.
But taking advantage of the Broncos’ cap space, Elway signed Gordon, who wasn’t in the Chargers’ plans. The Broncos are hoping Gordon can regain his form of 2017 (1,105 yards rushing/58 catches) and ’18 (5.1-yard average rushing and 50 catches).
Gordon wanted a new contract after two productive seasons, but the Chargers didn’t budge. Even after he reported, the ending was evident — he was moving on.
“I’m adjusting well,” said Gordon, who missed practice Friday (ribs). “The difference is the altitude. What I keep hearing is when we play other places (closer to sea level), we won’t get tired. I’m looking forward to that. Everything else, it’s a change obviously and you have to be able to adjust, but I’ll take it as it comes.”
Gordon and Lindsay have been dividing the reps with first- and second-team offense during camp.
Coach Vic Fangio said deciding between Gordon and Lindsay as the starter, “will play out. I anticipate them both playing enough to where we really don’t have to designate a starter.”
Fangio’s point is well taken. In today’s NFL, having two backs isn’t a luxury as much as it is a requirement to endure the 16-game, 1,000-snap grind.
Last year, according to Football Outsiders, only 20 running backs played at least 50% of their team’s offensive snaps, including nine who were at 60% or higher. Lindsay played 50.4% and Freeman 50.1%, appearing on the field at the same time a handful of times.
In Gordon’s last full year with the Chargers (2018), he played 52.7% of the snaps in the regular season/playoffs and Austin Ekeler was at 35%.
Along with dividing playing time, it isn’t out of the question to see Gordon and Lindsay both reach 100 rushing attempts.
Last year, San Francisco had three running backs with at least 100 carries and Lindsay’s Broncos and Gordon’s Chargers were two of the 11 teams that had two running backs reach 100 carries.
Gordon and Lindsay will both get their opportunities. Undetermined is who will be offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s first choice on third down. Even Freeman has value there (43 catches last year).
The book on Gordon is he can play and play well in all situations — every down, goal-line, short-yardage, empty backfield, etc.
“Anytime my jersey number (25) is called for me to make a play, I feel like I need to be accountable to make it happen,” he said.
Since Gordon entered the NFL as a first-round pick from Wisconsin in 2015, Fangio had to prepare for three games against the Chargers.
Gordon rushed 11 times for 31 yards in a 2015 loss to Chicago and last year against the Broncos, rushed 12 times for 31 yards in Week 5 (his first action) and 20 times for 99 yards in Week 12.
“I think he’s a good running back in that he runs with good power and a combination of elusiveness,” Fangio said. “He can lower his pads and get the extra couple yards. He can juke and make a guy miss that way.
“He’s got really good running instincts. And I think he’s a competent blocker and a good receiver, too. We’re happy to have him.”


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Ask Amy: Don’t dwell with dad of layabout daughters

Dear Amy : About two years ago , I got together with an old classmate at our 30th reunion .
We get along great except for one thing , well , two things .
His daughters are 18 and 20 .
They have no jobs and have never been asked to do any chores around the house .
I told him early on that this would be a problem if we were to move in together in the future .
He said he understood and would start asking them to do things .
He never did .
During the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his house .
I made a chore board ( at his request ) , only asking them to vacuum twice a week and clean their bathroom every other week .
He and I constantly argue about him not asking them to make sure it ’ s done .
I don ’ t know how to remedy this .
I love him but will not cater to two adults who do nothing .
Any advice ?
Dear Fed Up : The way for you to remedy this is to leave the household and move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t seem able to tolerate this , and so NOT living with a couple of frustratingly lazy young women will definitely solve your problem .
You moved in with a man whose household was already intact .
This is his house .
These are his layabout children ( he taught this and tolerates it ) .
You are , essentially , a COVID houseguest , and as such ( chore chart or not ) , you don ’ t get to dictate how this household runs .
You laid down your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with him anyway , even though you had no evidence that the household dynamic was suitable for you .
Now you know that it is not .
Stop arguing about this .
Your guy is unwilling to insist that his daughters do anything differently .
Perhaps they will eventually move out ( although given their ages and the current situation , that probably will not happen anytime soon ) .
However , you can move out now and continue to date your guy , without the pressure of feeling so unhappy about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : My husband of 23 years just passed away .
He had been divorced for 26 years .
His former wife , “ Shelly , ” walked out on him and their two children .
Now that he is gone , Shelly is coming by and asking for items from our home that she says were hers and that my husband would not give to her .
I have told her that this should have been handled at the time of the divorce .
She insists that he wouldn ’ t give these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ petty , but I don ’ t think that I ’ m obligated to give her anything .
When they got divorced she didn ’ t contest it ; she didn ’ t even have a lawyer .
My husband handled everything .
What are your thoughts ?
How should I handle her the next time she comes around ?
Dear Perplexed : I agree that you are not obligated to give anything to “ Shelly , ” but I think you should sit on this for as long as you want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels right for you .
If these items are not big , valuable , or particularly important to you , you might actually end up feeling liberated if these items leave your household .
Understanding , or believing , that these things might have originally belonged to Shelly could make it awkward for you to continue to live with them .
I suggest that you get her contact information , ask her to refrain from popping by uninvited , and let her know that you will definitely contact her if you want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dear Amy : As an adult looking back , I recall that my childhood abuser ( “ Mr .
Smith ” ) , who abused me from the ages of four to 12 , had a framed picture of his three granddaughters ( that his family would not allow him to visit ) in his home .
I understand why people feel they can ’ t file charges against ( pedophile ) family members , but I believe I was the replacement granddaughter ; the result of people who can not report abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story sends shivers up my spine .
Thank you so very much for summoning the courage to share it .
Your attitude is laudable .
Beyond laudable .
I believe that family members who protect their own children from further abuse , but knowingly permit an abuser to stay in the world to prey on other children should be charged as accessories-after-the-fact .

Dear Amy: About two years ago, I got together with an old classmate at our 30th reunion.
We get along great except for one thing, well, two things.
His daughters are 18 and 20. They have no jobs and have never been asked to do any chores around the house.
I told him early on that this would be a problem if we were to move in together in the future. He said he understood and would start asking them to do things.
He never did. During the pandemic, I’ve been staying at his house.
I made a chore board (at his request), only asking them to vacuum twice a week and clean their bathroom every other week.
He and I constantly argue about him not asking them to make sure it’s done.
I don’t know how to remedy this.
I love him but will not cater to two adults who do nothing. Any advice?
— Fed Up
Dear Fed Up: The way for you to remedy this is to leave the household and move back into your own home. You don’t seem able to tolerate this, and so NOT living with a couple of frustratingly lazy young women will definitely solve your problem.
You moved in with a man whose household was already intact. This is his house. These are his layabout children (he taught this and tolerates it). You are, essentially, a COVID houseguest, and as such (chore chart or not), you don’t get to dictate how this household runs.
You laid down your nonnegotiable early on and you moved in with him anyway, even though you had no evidence that the household dynamic was suitable for you. Now you know that it is not.
Stop arguing about this. Your guy is unwilling to insist that his daughters do anything differently. Perhaps they will eventually move out (although given their ages and the current situation, that probably will not happen anytime soon).
However, you can move out now and continue to date your guy, without the pressure of feeling so unhappy about his failings as a father.
Dear Amy: My husband of 23 years just passed away.
He had been divorced for 26 years. His former wife, “Shelly,” walked out on him and their two children.
Now that he is gone, Shelly is coming by and asking for items from our home that she says were hers and that my husband would not give to her.
I have told her that this should have been handled at the time of the divorce.
She insists that he wouldn’t give these items to her. The things are petty, but I don’t think that I’m obligated to give her anything.
When they got divorced she didn’t contest it; she didn’t even have a lawyer. My husband handled everything.
What are your thoughts? How should I handle her the next time she comes around?
— Perplexed
Dear Perplexed: I agree that you are not obligated to give anything to “Shelly,” but I think you should sit on this for as long as you want to in order to make a decision that feels right for you.
If these items are not big, valuable, or particularly important to you, you might actually end up feeling liberated if these items leave your household. Understanding, or believing, that these things might have originally belonged to Shelly could make it awkward for you to continue to live with them.
I suggest that you get her contact information, ask her to refrain from popping by uninvited, and let her know that you will definitely contact her if you want to pass along any of these possessions.
Dear Amy: As an adult looking back, I recall that my childhood abuser (“Mr. Smith”), who abused me from the ages of four to 12, had a framed picture of his three granddaughters (that his family would not allow him to visit) in his home.
I understand why people feel they can’t file charges against (pedophile) family members, but I believe I was the replacement granddaughter; the result of people who cannot report abuse. — Survivor
Dear Survivor: Your story sends shivers up my spine. Thank you so very much for summoning the courage to share it.
Your attitude is laudable. Beyond laudable.
I believe that family members who protect their own children from further abuse, but knowingly permit an abuser to stay in the world to prey on other children should be charged as accessories-after-the-fact.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-08-24--Washington releases former Bronco Cody Latimer who is facing felony charge

ASHBURN , Va. — Washington released Cody Latimer on Sunday amid his legal issues before he practiced a single snap @ @ @ @ @ veteran wide receiver signed a contract with Washington during the offseason .
He was arrested @ @ @ @ @ a felony count of illegal discharge of a firearm .
The Douglas County sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ Latimer after responding to a report of shots fired inside an apartment in the Denver @ @ @ @ @ .
He also faces charges of second-degree assault , menacing , prohibited use of a @ @ @ @ @ He was also released after posting bond .
The 27-year-old was put on the NFL @ @ @ @ @ last month .
Latimer has six years of pro experience : four with the Denver @ @ @ @ @ New York Giants .
He has 70 catches and six touchdowns in 66 NFL games @

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington released Cody Latimer on Sunday amid his legal issues before he practiced a single snap with the team.
The veteran wide receiver signed a contract with Washington during the offseason. He was arrested in May and charged with a felony count of illegal discharge of a firearm.
The Douglas County sheriff’s office said deputies arrested Latimer after responding to a report of shots fired inside an apartment in the Denver suburb of Englewood, Colorado. He also faces charges of second-degree assault, menacing, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment. He was also released after posting bond.
The 27-year-old was put on the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt List last month.
Latimer has six years of pro experience: four with the Denver Broncos and two with the New York Giants. He has 70 catches and six touchdowns in 66 NFL games.


thedenverpost--2020-08-24--Disastrous stretches continue to haunt Colorado Rapids

The Colorado Rapids resumed their regular season Saturday with a disappointing 4-1 loss inside Dick ’ s Sporting Goods Park .
Real Salt Lake dominated the second half and took all three points in the first leg of this year ’ s Rocky Mountain Cup .
While there was a lot to digest from yet another loss to RSL , here are the three points that stuck out the most : The Rapids used a starting unit they hadn ’ t before , with Nicolás Mezquida and Jonathan Lewis getting their first starts of the year and regular reserves Diego @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also in the starting 11 .
Mezquida brought energy but struggled to maintain possession .
His start also kept Younes Namli out wide where he ’ s played the last few games .
Namli dazzled , dribbling around defenders and creating several scoring chances .
Namli even made the key pass on the lone Rapids goal , but his position on the field meant he wasn ’ t as involved in the play as he should be .
Yarbrough had a good first half before the second half went off the rails .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ moot point had the Rapids made substitutions .
Instead , Robin Fraser only used two of a possible five players off the bench and waited 84 minutes to make one of those two changes .
Two of RSL ’ s subs scored , including Justin Meram , who was the best player on the field .
In the Rapids ’ first two games , Fraser pushed the correct buttons in getting goals from his bench .
But since restarting , Fraser has seemed hesitant to use his reserves the last four games .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Rapids have conceded a goal after the 75th minute .
In their last three matches , the Rapids have had atrocious stretches that cost them the game .
In each , they ’ ve allowed multiple goals in seven minutes or less .
On Saturday , the Rapids conceded three in 14 minutes .
“ We really tried to push to catch up , ” Fraser said .
“ The change of formation… certainly made us very front heavy , and we couldn ’ t afford to turn the ball over in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s a little bit different than in the middle of a game where things have gone awry.
” That may be true but there still were many heads hung as things went off the rails .
“ We just have to be better , ” Andre Shinyashiki said .
“ I don ’ t know exactly what it is .
I think it ’ s a team thing .
… We can ’ t point fingers and say it ’ s someone ’ s fault .
We ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to do better .
It ’ s embarrassing.
” The Rapids ’ schedule does not get any easier in the next five matches .
They ’ ve got a quick turnaround Wednesday where they ’ ll take on FC Dallas in Texas .
Then Colorado hosts first-place Sporting Kansas City .
The Rapids will also go on the road to face Real Salt Lake again and have San Jose , which made noise at MLS is Back Tournament .
A home match with Houston could be less challenging .
But last season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Commerce City , meaning even that game isn ’ t a guaranteed three points .

The Colorado Rapids resumed their regular season Saturday with a disappointing 4-1 loss inside Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Real Salt Lake dominated the second half and took all three points in the first leg of this year’s Rocky Mountain Cup.
While there was a lot to digest from yet another loss to RSL, here are the three points that stuck out the most:
Starting Off
The Rapids used a starting unit they hadn’t before, with Nicolás Mezquida and Jonathan Lewis getting their first starts of the year and regular reserves Diego Rubio, Danny Wilson and William Yarbrough also in the starting 11.
Mezquida brought energy but struggled to maintain possession. His start also kept Younes Namli out wide where he’s played the last few games. Namli dazzled, dribbling around defenders and creating several scoring chances. Namli even made the key pass on the lone Rapids goal, but his position on the field meant he wasn’t as involved in the play as he should be. Yarbrough had a good first half before the second half went off the rails.
The lineup would’ve been a moot point had the Rapids made substitutions. Instead, Robin Fraser only used two of a possible five players off the bench and waited 84 minutes to make one of those two changes. Two of RSL’s subs scored, including Justin Meram, who was the best player on the field.
In the Rapids’ first two games, Fraser pushed the correct buttons in getting goals from his bench. But since restarting, Fraser has seemed hesitant to use his reserves the last four games. In three of those four matches, the Rapids have conceded a goal after the 75th minute.
Class VI Rapids
In their last three matches, the Rapids have had atrocious stretches that cost them the game. In each, they’ve allowed multiple goals in seven minutes or less. On Saturday, the Rapids conceded three in 14 minutes.
“We really tried to push to catch up,” Fraser said. “The change of formation… certainly made us very front heavy, and we couldn’t afford to turn the ball over in those situations and we did. And I think it’s a little bit different than in the middle of a game where things have gone awry.”
That may be true but there still were many heads hung as things went off the rails.
“We just have to be better,” Andre Shinyashiki said. “I don’t know exactly what it is. I think it’s a team thing. … We can’t point fingers and say it’s someone’s fault. We’re all part of defending and we all have to do better. It’s embarrassing.”
Nothing Easy
The Rapids’ schedule does not get any easier in the next five matches. They’ve got a quick turnaround Wednesday where they’ll take on FC Dallas in Texas. Then Colorado hosts first-place Sporting Kansas City. The Rapids will also go on the road to face Real Salt Lake again and have San Jose, which made noise at MLS is Back Tournament. A home match with Houston could be less challenging. But last season Colorado was smoked 4-1 by the Dynamo in Commerce City, meaning even that game isn’t a guaranteed three points.


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Letters: No easy answers for parents, school officials (8/23/20)

At age 5 , during the pandemic of 1957-1958 , I contracted the H2N2 virus at school while in kindergarten in Ohio .
I passed it on to my mother , whose multiple sclerosis had been in remission .
She died of pneumonia on Oct. 22 , 1957 .
Eventually , my father remarried ; our lives went on .
But how does a child grapple with having brought home the illness that killed her mother ?
It is not easy .
That pandemic killed more than a million people worldwide and about 116,000 in the United States .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a novel virus in 1957 , so there were no vaccines for it .
Now , what will happen when some children come home from school infected with COVID-19 ?
Probably , some family members will get sick and some will die .
Mine is just one story I hope we can learn from .
We were a real family who coped with illness and death because schools were open in-person during a pandemic .
There is a debate about how to re-open schools during COVID-19 .
My hope is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon and inflict suffering on children , their families , and school employees .
It is scientifically obvious : wait to open schools until the medical community tells us it is safe to do so .
Education professionals and advocates alike would agree with Krista Kafer ’ s headline , but that is where the agreement ends .
Our public education system and the Colorado families that it serves are struggling to find the best way to educate and support public school students during these challenging times .
COVID-19 has already required cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds out of public schools to support the education of a few will cause grave harm to those already most harmed by COVID-19 : poor and middle-class children and children of color .
Furthermore , subsidizing the privilege of affluent parents and their students increases racial segregation .
The education of our children , all children , is a cornerstone of a responsible democratic society that is willing to invest in its future .
During these times , investing in public education should be paramount .
Any scheme that further reduces funding and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity gap is reprehensible .
Keep public school funds in public schools !
Getting the vote out this November In the past , the Greatest Generation took enormous risks to save this Democracy .
Now it ’ s our turn .
If you can vote by mail , do so .
If you can vote absentee , do it .
If there ’ s no other choice except to stand in line at a polling place , rest assured , a long line of American heroes stands with you .
Out of work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age of 18 ?
Why not pick up a patriotic activity and volunteer to be an election judge .
Contact your county election office and inquire how you can serve your country .
What do you have to lose ?
What has happened to our ability to listen to each other ?
A government for the people and by the people must have elected representatives and senators , who are willing to listen and put their country before their party or themselves .
That is how a democracy and/or a republic operates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We became the most powerful nation on earth by tearing down walls , not building them.
” Voting does matter !
I am hoping in November that Coloradans will exercise their right to vote for candidates willing to compromise and work on both sides of the aisle and tear down those walls !
Re : “ Still receiving a ghost ballot for my out-of-state son , ” Aug. 20 letter to the editor Your point is valid but rather than just destroying the ballots you could have told your now out-of-state son to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website and cancel his voter registration .
It is the voter ’ s responsibility to do this .
The Secretary of State is not a parent to remind us of our civic responsibilities .
A worker in a county clerk ’ s office in Michigan recently posted in regard to the same issue : “ You people don ’ t want the government tracking you , yet expect us to know every time you move from your mom ’ s basement … ” When our daughter moved to California , her ballot came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rather than discard the ballot , I stopped by the county clerk ’ s office to return it and notify them that she had moved .
I asked about the process states use in this case .
Typically the new state notifies the old state of the new registration , but this takes time and some states are better than others about making the notification .
We all need to take responsibility to make our system as strong and accurate as possible .
Why let the state continue to make an error that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a simple , quick process to withdraw your voter registration at the Colorado Secretary of State website .
We need a sense of urgency to help the unemployed Sunday ’ s Denver Post editorial calling out the failure of Colorado ’ s unemployment system was spot on but failed to address the gravity of the situation .
Because unemployment affects a small percentage of workers , it can easily be seen as an abstract problem experienced by a nameless and faceless , group living off the dole , avoiding a return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single mother in a food bank line , you wouldn ’ t meet her children .
When the family loses their car , you will not be riding on their bus .
And if they become homeless , you will not wander with them when they are rousted and need to find a new place to pitch their tent .
There are thousands of people who still haven ’ t gotten their first check .
This crisis is not on the radar screen for the majority of Coloradans .
The governor , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missed a paycheck .
The lack of a sense of urgency speaks volumes about what we really believe .
If you are ever at the mercy of others , you will come to realize there is no such thing as a safety net and civilization is a chimera .
The Denver Post editorial board is completely wrong on its position that Coloradans need more unemployment insurance .
No .
What Colorado needs is for its governor to reopen the economy .
This current economic collapse was self-inflicted by our elected governor .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of work .
And the economic damage has only begun .
Unemployment benefits are for short term employment gaps .
It is not a welfare program .
Unemployment benefits only discourage able-bodied workers not to work .
COVID-19 is not going anywhere .
A fully vetted , effective and safe vaccine is nowhere on the horizon .
It ’ s time to stop living in fear and go back to work .
The opening lines of this article state , “ Police officers enact violence and condone hate .
Both on and off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught online.
” I find this statement to be an inflammatory and inaccurate generalization based on one police officer ’ s words .
Nowhere in Sunday ’ s edition of The Post is there any coverage of the thousands of police officers ( and firefighters ) who are risking their lives to control burning and looting in cities like Chicago , New York , Seattle and Portland .
Denver Post reporter Bruce Finley ’ s front page article on August 7 , “ 100 % of Colorado in drought ” , should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Scientists acknowledge the hotter and drier conditions are exacerbated by climate change caused by burning fossil fuels .
Brad Udall , CSU water center senior scientist , is quoted , “ We know the temperatures in Colorado and the world will continue to increase so long as we emit vast quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year.
” Scientists have been warning us about rising CO2 for decades .
We no longer have the luxury of being cynical .
It ’ s here now , and we need to reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Our nation needs to move from a fossil fuel-based economy to a clean energy economy .
Many scientific and environmental organizations have ideas and action plans to offer .
They are just waiting for Congress to signal it is time to seriously address climate change .
To send a letter to the editor about this article , submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail .

No easy answers for parents, school officials
At age 5, during the pandemic of 1957-1958, I contracted the H2N2 virus at school while in kindergarten in Ohio. I passed it on to my mother, whose multiple sclerosis had been in remission. She died of pneumonia on Oct. 22, 1957.
Eventually, my father remarried; our lives went on. But how does a child grapple with having brought home the illness that killed her mother? It is not easy.
That pandemic killed more than a million people worldwide and about 116,000 in the United States. People with underlying health issues were impacted. It was a novel virus in 1957, so there were no vaccines for it.
Now, what will happen when some children come home from school infected with COVID-19? Probably, some family members will get sick and some will die. Mine is just one story I hope we can learn from. We were a real family who coped with illness and death because schools were open in-person during a pandemic.
There is a debate about how to re-open schools during COVID-19. My hope is that school leaders will not open schools too soon and inflict suffering on children, their families, and school employees.
It is scientifically obvious: wait to open schools until the medical community tells us it is safe to do so.
Kay Palmer Marsh, Longmont
Re: “One-size-fits-all doesn’t work in back-to-school plans,” Aug. 16 commentary
Education professionals and advocates alike would agree with Krista Kafer’s headline, but that is where the agreement ends. Our public education system and the Colorado families that it serves are struggling to find the best way to educate and support public school students during these challenging times.
COVID-19 has already required cuts to the state education budget. Taking funds out of public schools to support the education of a few will cause grave harm to those already most harmed by COVID-19: poor and middle-class children and children of color.
Furthermore, subsidizing the privilege of affluent parents and their students increases racial segregation.
The education of our children, all children, is a cornerstone of a responsible democratic society that is willing to invest in its future. During these times, investing in public education should be paramount.
Any scheme that further reduces funding and exacerbates inequality, racial segregation and the opportunity gap is reprehensible. Keep public school funds in public schools!
Cindy Barnard, Englewood
Getting the vote out this November
In the past, the Greatest Generation took enormous risks to save this Democracy. Now it’s our turn. If you can vote by mail, do so. If you can vote absentee, do it.
If there’s no other choice except to stand in line at a polling place, rest assured, a long line of American heroes stands with you.
Vote!
Robert Ward, Longmont
Out of work? A bored young person over the age of 18? Why not pick up a patriotic activity and volunteer to be an election judge.
Contact your county election office and inquire how you can serve your country. What do you have to lose?
Barbara Wells, Aurora
What has happened to our ability to listen to each other? A government for the people and by the people must have elected representatives and senators, who are willing to listen and put their country before their party or themselves. That is how a democracy and/or a republic operates.
As John McCain once said, “We became the most powerful nation on earth by tearing down walls, not building them.”
Voting does matter! I am hoping in November that Coloradans will exercise their right to vote for candidates willing to compromise and work on both sides of the aisle and tear down those walls!
Norma Wick, Denver
Re: “Still receiving a ghost ballot for my out-of-state son,” Aug. 20 letter to the editor
Your point is valid but rather than just destroying the ballots you could have told your now out-of-state son to log onto the Colorado Secretary of State website and cancel his voter registration. It is the voter’s responsibility to do this. The Secretary of State is not a parent to remind us of our civic responsibilities.
A worker in a county clerk’s office in Michigan recently posted in regard to the same issue: “You people don’t want the government tracking you, yet expect us to know every time you move from your mom’s basement …”
Christine Jensen, Denver
When our daughter moved to California, her ballot came to our home the following September.
Rather than discard the ballot, I stopped by the county clerk’s office to return it and notify them that she had moved. I asked about the process states use in this case. Typically the new state notifies the old state of the new registration, but this takes time and some states are better than others about making the notification.
We all need to take responsibility to make our system as strong and accurate as possible. Why let the state continue to make an error that you know it is making? It is a simple, quick process to withdraw your voter registration at the Colorado Secretary of State website.
John Wells, Leadville
We need a sense of urgency to help the unemployed
Re: “Better service for those out-of-work,” Aug. 16 editorial
Sunday’s Denver Post editorial calling out the failure of Colorado’s unemployment system was spot on but failed to address the gravity of the situation.
Because unemployment affects a small percentage of workers, it can easily be seen as an abstract problem experienced by a nameless and faceless, group living off the dole, avoiding a return to work.
Even if you met the single mother in a food bank line, you wouldn’t meet her children.
When the family loses their car, you will not be riding on their bus.
And if they become homeless, you will not wander with them when they are rousted and need to find a new place to pitch their tent.
There are thousands of people who still haven’t gotten their first check.
This crisis is not on the radar screen for the majority of Coloradans. The governor, our legislators and most people haven’t missed a paycheck. The lack of a sense of urgency speaks volumes about what we really believe.
If you are ever at the mercy of others, you will come to realize there is no such thing as a safety net and civilization is a chimera.
Francis Miller, Parker
The Denver Post editorial board is completely wrong on its position that Coloradans need more unemployment insurance.
No. What Colorado needs is for its governor to reopen the economy. This current economic collapse was self-inflicted by our elected governor. His policies have put over 600,000 people out of work. And the economic damage has only begun.
Unemployment benefits are for short term employment gaps. It is not a welfare program. Unemployment benefits only discourage able-bodied workers not to work.
COVID-19 is not going anywhere. A fully vetted, effective and safe vaccine is nowhere on the horizon. It’s time to stop living in fear and go back to work.
Jeff Jasper, Westminster
Stop generalizing about police officers
Re: “One police officer’s hate can’t be ignored,” Aug. 16 commentary
The opening lines of this article state, “Police officers enact violence and condone hate. Both on and off duty. And now one has been caught online.”
I find this statement to be an inflammatory and inaccurate generalization based on one police officer’s words.
Nowhere in Sunday’s edition of The Post is there any coverage of the thousands of police officers (and firefighters) who are risking their lives to control burning and looting in cities like Chicago, New York, Seattle and Portland.
Nancy M. Stillman, Castle Pines
Reduce emissions now
Re: “100% of Colorado in drought,” Aug. 7 news story
Denver Post reporter Bruce Finley’s front page article on August 7, “100% of Colorado in drought”, should be sending alarm bells ringing throughout the state. Scientists acknowledge the hotter and drier conditions are exacerbated by climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. Brad Udall, CSU water center senior scientist, is quoted, “We know the temperatures in Colorado and the world will continue to increase so long as we emit vast quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year.”
Scientists have been warning us about rising CO2 for decades. We no longer have the luxury of being cynical. It’s here now, and we need to reduce greenhouse gases quickly to minimize future consequences. Our nation needs to move from a fossil fuel-based economy to a clean energy economy.
Many scientific and environmental organizations have ideas and action plans to offer. They are just waiting for Congress to signal it is time to seriously address climate change.
Rick Johnson, Castle Rock
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.