thedenverpost--2020-09-21--Man suspected of three sex assaults in Jefferson County held on $1 million bond

A man suspected of multiple sex assaults in Jefferson County has been arrested and is being held on a $ @ @ @ @ @ Van Eck , 32 , is accused of sexually assaulting three women since Aug. 21 @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office news release .
He was arrested Friday and booked into the Jefferson @ @ @ @ @ that Van Eck , driving a vehicle , picked up the victims along West Colfax @ @ @ @ @ secluded location where they were sexually assaulted .
Lakewood police and the FBI have assisted @ @ @ @ @ Eck is being held on suspicion of sex assault and kidnapping .
An investigation is @ @ @ @ @ on the alleged assaults , or similar incidents , is asked to call the sheriff @ @ @ @ @ ; or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 ( STOP ) .

A man suspected of multiple sex assaults in Jefferson County has been arrested and is being held on a $1 million bond.
Joseph Van Eck, 32, is accused of sexually assaulting three women since Aug. 21, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
He was arrested Friday and booked into the Jefferson County jail. Investigators say that Van Eck, driving a vehicle, picked up the victims along West Colfax Avenue and drove to a secluded location where they were sexually assaulted.
Lakewood police and the FBI have assisted in the investigation. Van Eck is being held on suspicion of sex assault and kidnapping. An investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information on the alleged assaults, or similar incidents, is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 303-271-5612; or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 (STOP).


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--Broncos Mailbag: Why didn’t Melvin Gordon get a chance on third- or fourth-down Sunday on final driv

Broncos Mailbag: Why didn’t Melvin Gordon get a chance on third- or fourth-down Sunday on final drive?

Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O ’ Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season .
You can pose a Broncos- or NFL-related question for the Broncos Mailbag here .
Follow Ryan for more daily updates on Twitter .
Why is Elijah Wilkinson still playing right tackle ?
He is a poor run blocker and pass blocker against any speed .
Jake Rodgers played almost all of the last two games of last season and did a superb job .
He continues to be the weak link on the offensive line while Rodgers sits on the practice squad .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can thank Ja ’ Wuan James for having Wilkinson at right tackle .
When James opted out before training camp , Wilkinson went from back-up swing tackle to starting right tackle .
Rodgers did OK in last year ’ s final two games , but the Broncos obviously weren ’ t comfortable enough with him to be the back-up tackle so they kept Demar Dotson and Calvin Anderson .
The entire line broke down against Pittsburgh , not just Wilkinson , who I booked for 1 1/2 sacks , two pressures and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Broncos make a move at right tackle , it will be to Dotson , not Rodgers .
What bone-headed play-calling on third-and-2 against Pittsburgh !
Two downs to run the ball and get two yards !
Sheesh .
Anybody with a half-working brain could have done better !
Dale isn ’ t happy with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur ’ s final two play calls .
Trailing by five points with two minutes remaining , the Broncos had third-and-2 from the Steelers ’ 15 .
Third down : The Broncos had three receivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Driskel .
Pressure pushed Driskel back and he had to throw off his back foot to KJ Hamler ( incomplete ) .
The nitpick here is give Gordon a shot to run for the first down .
Fourth down : A no brainer to pass it here , in my opinion .
Had Gordon rushed for a yard on third down , that would have opened up the playbook on fourth down .
Driskel was sacked .
Ballgame .
Is there any good reason not to run the ball two times when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarterback sneaks back to back would have been better than the pass plays called .
Or maybe I ’ m just old .
Daniel is also ticked off about the final sequence .
A quarterback sneak on third down would have been interesting and unorthodox .
But it is valid to ask why the Broncos didn ’ t use Gordon as a receiver in the flat to get the first down .
They didn ’ t go back to the shovel pass well after it failed against Tennessee .
1 .
Another week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning .
Denver gave Melvin Gordon big money in big part because of his between-the-tackle running , pass catching and pass blocking , especially on third down .
Third-and-2 with a chance to absolutely steal a game against a conference contender with Lock hurt .
Instead , two Jeff Driskel drop-backs .
Wasn ’ t that the exact situation this team gave Gordon such big money for ?
2 .
Do you think Driskel showed enough Sunday to be the quarterback or can I offer an unpopular option ?
We could get Case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Better pedigree , had his best season with Pat Shurmur in Minnesota , his skill-set is much better than two years ago , he doesn ’ t have the pressure of being the high-priced guy and if he guides us through the injury and keeps us in contention while Lock heals , I don ’ t think it brews a QB controversy .
1 .
Add Steve to the chorus who disagreed with Shurmur .
Yes , Gordon was signed to be a crunch-time running back and I wouldn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third-and-2 .
I would have disagreed with him running it on fourth-and-2 , though .
2 .
Reacquiring Keenum is out of the box and unlikely .
Yes , he would probably have a seamless transition back to Shurmur ’ s playbook , but Cleveland likes having him around to be Baker Mayfield ’ s back-up .
Is it just me , or is the defense over-committing when they guess between a run or pass play ?
Pretty subjective to say one way or the other if we don ’ t know the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in the fourth quarter when the Steelers had fourth-and-2 from the Broncos ’ 35 .
At the snap , outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu charged up field toward quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , whose shovel pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster gained three yards .
Had Attaochu stayed at home , Smith-Schuster may have run right into him .
Who would you take with our top-four draft pick in 2021 ?
Perhaps a really mobile quarterback similar to Kyler Murray Draft talk !
Any Broncos ’ first-round discussion should begin at offensive tackle because Lock ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view that the Broncos feel they can move forward with him .
Left tackle Garett Bolles is in the final year of his contract .
Oregon ’ s Penei Sewell will be a top pick and the other top tackles are Texas ’ Samuel Cosmi , Stanford ’ s Walker Little and Iowa ’ s Alaric Jackson .
Why is DaeSean Hamilton still on this team ?
He runs more routes than anyone I have ever seen without being targeted .
Why not give someone else a chance ?
Hamilton got chances in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Broncos drafted Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler to push Hamilton down the depth chart , but he had a solid enough camp to not only stick on the roster , but be active .
In two games , Hamilton has played 81 snaps and has two catches .
But he ’ s on a rookie deal ( inexpensive ) and the Broncos have had injury issues at receiver , most recently Courtland Sutton ’ s torn ACL .
That ’ s why Hamilton is here .
It would be really cool if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-com-plete , ” similar to how the Rockies piped in fans saying “ Tonight , ” for Charlie Blackmon .
Is there any way to suggest that to the Broncos ?
Wendi , from your email to this mailbag , consider the suggestion to the Broncos delivered .
Ryan , the Broncos suffered a lot of key injuries so far this year .
Who do you think benefits most from their new opportunities ?
I could see Tim Patrick emerging as a key target moving forward .
1 .
I agree on Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to throw a 50-50 pass to so he can use his frame to win those in-the-air battles that are usually reserved for Sutton .
2 .
McTelvin Agim .
The rookie defensive end was inactive for the first two games , but he ’ ll get a shot because of injuries to Dre ’ Mont Jones ( knee ) and DeMarcus Walker ( calf ) .
3 .
Royce Freeman .
As long as Phillip Lindsay is out ( turf toe ) , Freeman will be the No .
2 behind Melvin Gordon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the Broncos ’ nickel back on Sunday and will continue in that role until A.J .
Bouye ( shoulder ) returns from injured reserve .
Since we only carry two quarterbacks on the roster , who would ’ ve taken over under center if Jeff Driskel was knocked out of Sunday ’ s game ?
It would have been running back Royce Freeman and that offense would have been all kinds of fun to watch .
Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O ’ Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL-related question for the Broncos Mailbag here .
Follow Ryan for more daily updates on Twitter .

Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season.
You can pose a Broncos- or NFL-related question for the Broncos Mailbag here. Follow Ryan for more daily updates on Twitter.
Why is Elijah Wilkinson still playing right tackle? He is a poor run blocker and pass blocker against any speed. Jake Rodgers played almost all of the last two games of last season and did a superb job. He continues to be the weak link on the offensive line while Rodgers sits on the practice squad. What is your opinion?
— Mike Deverich, Pueblo
Broncos fans can thank Ja’Wuan James for having Wilkinson at right tackle. When James opted out before training camp, Wilkinson went from backup swing tackle to starting right tackle.
Rodgers did OK in last year’s final two games, but the Broncos obviously weren’t comfortable enough with him to be the backup tackle so they kept Demar Dotson and Calvin Anderson.
The entire line broke down against Pittsburgh, not just Wilkinson, who I booked for 1 1/2 sacks, two pressures and one “bad” run block.
If the Broncos make a move at right tackle, it will be to Dotson, not Rodgers.
What bone-headed play-calling on third-and-2 against Pittsburgh! Two downs to run the ball and get two yards! Sheesh. Anybody with a half-working brain could have done better!
— Dale Trent, Satellite Beach, Fla.
Dale isn’t happy with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s final two play calls. Trailing by five points with two minutes remaining, the Broncos had third-and-2 from the Steelers’ 15.
Third down: The Broncos had three receivers bunched right and Melvin Gordon next to Driskel. Pressure pushed Driskel back and he had to throw off his back foot to KJ Hamler (incomplete). The nitpick here is give Gordon a shot to run for the first down.
Fourth down: A no brainer to pass it here, in my opinion. Had Gordon rushed for a yard on third down, that would have opened up the playbook on fourth down. Driskel was sacked. Ballgame.
Is there any good reason not to run the ball two times when it’s third-and-2? I think two quarterback sneaks back to back would have been better than the pass plays called. Or maybe I’m just old.
— Daniel Sepp, New York
Daniel is also ticked off about the final sequence.
A quarterback sneak on third down would have been interesting and unorthodox.
But it is valid to ask why the Broncos didn’t use Gordon as a receiver in the flat to get the first down. They didn’t go back to the shovel pass well after it failed against Tennessee.
1. Another week, another blown game under the two-minute warning. Denver gave Melvin Gordon big money in big part because of his between-the-tackles running, pass catching and pass blocking, especially on third down. Third-and-2 with a chance to absolutely steal a game against a conference contender with Lock hurt. Instead, two Jeff Driskel drop-backs. Wasn’t that the exact situation this team gave Gordon such big money for?
2. Do you think Driskel showed enough Sunday to be the quarterback or can I offer an unpopular option? We could get Case Keenum for next to nothing from Cleveland. Better pedigree, had his best season with Pat Shurmur in Minnesota, his skill-set is much better than two years ago, he doesn’t have the pressure of being the high-priced guy and if he guides us through the injury and keeps us in contention while Lock heals, I don’t think it brews a QB controversy.
— Steve, Forks, Wash.
1. Add Steve to the chorus who disagreed with Shurmur.
Yes, Gordon was signed to be a crunch-time running back and I wouldn’t have argued with him getting a carry on third-and-2. I would have disagreed with him running it on fourth-and-2, though.
2. Reacquiring Keenum is out of the box and unlikely. Yes, he would probably have a seamless transition back to Shurmur’s playbook, but Cleveland likes having him around to be Baker Mayfield’s backup.
Is it just me, or is the defense over-committing when they guess between a run or pass play?
— Andrew, Eastchester, N.Y.
Pretty subjective to say one way or the other if we don’t know the play call.
But one potential example was in the fourth quarter when the Steelers had fourth-and-2 from the Broncos’ 35.
At the snap, outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu charged up field toward quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, whose shovel pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster gained three yards. Had Attaochu stayed at home, Smith-Schuster may have run right into him.
Who would you take with our top-four draft pick in 2021? Perhaps a really mobile quarterback similar to Kyler Murray?
— Iva, Columbus, Ohio
Draft talk! Any Broncos’ first-round discussion should begin at offensive tackle because Lock’s injury shouldn’t change the view that the Broncos feel they can move forward with him.
Left tackle Garett Bolles is in the final year of his contract. Oregon’s Penei Sewell will be a top pick and the other top tackles are Texas’ Samuel Cosmi, Stanford’s Walker Little and Iowa’s Alaric Jackson.
Why is DaeSean Hamilton still on this team? He runs more routes than anyone I have ever seen without being targeted. Why not give someone else a chance?
— Shay, Brigham City, Utah
Hamilton got chances in 2018-19 because of injuries and trades. The Broncos drafted Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler to push Hamilton down the depth chart, but he had a solid enough camp to not only stick on the roster, but be active.
In two games, Hamilton has played 81 snaps and has two catches. But he’s on a rookie deal (inexpensive) and the Broncos have had injury issues at receiver, most recently Courtland Sutton’s torn ACL. That’s why Hamilton is here.
It would be really cool if the Broncos piped in fans saying “in-com-plete,” similar to how the Rockies piped in fans saying “Tonight,” for Charlie Blackmon. Is there any way to suggest that to the Broncos?
— Wendi Agre, Golden
Wendi, from your email to this mailbag, consider the suggestion to the Broncos delivered.
Ryan, the Broncos suffered a lot of key injuries so far this year. Who do you think benefits most from their new opportunities? I could see Tim Patrick emerging as a key target moving forward.
— Miles, Parker
1. I agree on Patrick. He’ll be the guy to throw a 50-50 pass to so he can use his frame to win those in-the-air battles that are usually reserved for Sutton.
2. McTelvin Agim. The rookie defensive end was inactive for the first two games, but he’ll get a shot because of injuries to Dre’Mont Jones (knee) and DeMarcus Walker (calf).
3. Royce Freeman. As long as Phillip Lindsay is out (turf toe), Freeman will be the No. 2 behind Melvin Gordon.
4. Essang Bassey. He was the Broncos’ nickel back on Sunday and will continue in that role until A.J. Bouye (shoulder) returns from injured reserve.
Since we only carry two quarterbacks on the roster, who would’ve taken over under center if Jeff Driskel was knocked out of Sunday’s game?
— Mike S., Aurora
It would have been running back Royce Freeman and that offense would have been all kinds of fun to watch.
Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season.
You can pose a Broncos- or NFL-related question for the Broncos Mailbag here. Follow Ryan for more daily updates on Twitter.


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--Colorado’s COVID-19 cases rise for third week to reach highest levels since early August

Colorado posted a third straight week of increasing COVID-19 cases , reaching levels not seen since the tail end of the July spike .
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 3,439 cases of the new coronavirus in the week ending Sunday , an increase of about 1,100 cases over the previous week .
The last time the state reported more cases was the week ending Aug. 2 , when the July bump was starting to recede .
About 3.4 % of COVID-19 tests came back positive , averaged over three days .
That was the highest level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 5 % cutoff where experts start to worry that a state could miss significant numbers of cases .
If the positivity rate had stayed the same or decreased , it would suggest the rise in cases was solely due to increased testing .
It appears the rise reflects both increased testing on college campuses , and increased spread of the virus within that population , said Beth Carlton , an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health .
What direction the epidemic will take depends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask-wearing and social distancing over the next days and weeks , she said .
“ The time is now ” to prevent out-of-control spread , she said .
Boulder County was the biggest contributor to the statewide increase over the last week , accounting for about one in every five new cases .
Denver County wasn ’ t far behind , but its significantly larger population means that a similar number of cases is less troubling .
University of Colorado Boulder announced Monday it would move to online classes for at least two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , joining schools like the University of Notre Dame and Michigan State University .
Boulder and Logan counties had enough new cases to be ranked red on the state ’ s new dashboard for deciding how much of the economy can safely remain open , though Logan County ’ s small population means it didn ’ t do much to raise the statewide numbers .
That opens the possibility those counties could return to a stay-at-home order , though state officials have indicated they ’ d be open to giving less-aggressive measures a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of economic life .
In Boulder County , the health department has urged CU students to self-quarantine for two weeks — a measure the university has characterized as a stay-at-home notice .
Young people accounted for more than half of new cases over the last week .
About 29 % of cases over the last week were in people in their 20s , and 22 % were in youth ages 10 to 19 .
The state data doesn ’ t break down the teen group , so it ’ s impossible to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people starting college or work , compared to students in middle and high school .
The high percentage of cases in young people could be helping to keep hospitalizations down , since younger people are at a lower risk of severe illness .
Hospitalizations remained relatively level Monday , with 239 people receiving care statewide for confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 .
Hospitalizations also stayed relatively low at the beginning of the late June and early July spike , Carlton noted .
The number of younger people hospitalized did eventually increase , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more hospitalizations in the older population , she said .
“ It looks like what happened is the infections started in younger people and spilled over to older people , ” she said .
Death reporting can be delayed as long as two weeks , so it ’ s impossible to be sure which way deaths are trending .
In recent weeks , totals have bounced between 19 and 27 per week .
Statewide , 65,399 people have tested positive for the virus since March and 7,373 have been hospitalized .
A total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , while 2,018 people have died with it in their system .
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox .

Colorado posted a third straight week of increasing COVID-19 cases, reaching levels not seen since the tail end of the July spike.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 3,439 cases of the new coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, an increase of about 1,100 cases over the previous week.
The last time the state reported more cases was the week ending Aug. 2, when the July bump was starting to recede.
About 3.4% of COVID-19 tests came back positive, averaged over three days. That was the highest level since Aug. 5, but still below the 5% cutoff where experts start to worry that a state could miss significant numbers of cases. If the positivity rate had stayed the same or decreased, it would suggest the rise in cases was solely due to increased testing.
It appears the rise reflects both increased testing on college campuses, and increased spread of the virus within that population, said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health. What direction the epidemic will take depends on how seriously people take precautions like mask-wearing and social distancing over the next days and weeks, she said.
“The time is now” to prevent out-of-control spread, she said.
Boulder County was the biggest contributor to the statewide increase over the last week, accounting for about one in every five new cases. Denver County wasn’t far behind, but its significantly larger population means that a similar number of cases is less troubling.
University of Colorado Boulder announced Monday it would move to online classes for at least two weeks because of the increase in cases, joining schools like the University of Notre Dame and Michigan State University.
As we continue to focus on the spread of COVID-19, we have added a new graph to our data page showing the number of new cases affiliated with CU. This will help illustrate the effectiveness of response actions taken. See this and more data at: https://t.co/Jc7cHHv0UW pic.twitter.com/s5v3h8ZjHS — Bo Co Public Health (@bouldercohealth) September 21, 2020
Boulder and Logan counties had enough new cases to be ranked red on the state’s new dashboard for deciding how much of the economy can safely remain open, though Logan County’s small population means it didn’t do much to raise the statewide numbers.
That opens the possibility those counties could return to a stay-at-home order, though state officials have indicated they’d be open to giving less-aggressive measures a chance to work before shutting down most of economic life. In Boulder County, the health department has urged CU students to self-quarantine for two weeks — a measure the university has characterized as a stay-at-home notice.
Young people accounted for more than half of new cases over the last week. About 29% of cases over the last week were in people in their 20s, and 22% were in youth ages 10 to 19. The state data doesn’t break down the teen group, so it’s impossible to know how many of those cases were in people starting college or work, compared to students in middle and high school.
The high percentage of cases in young people could be helping to keep hospitalizations down, since younger people are at a lower risk of severe illness. Hospitalizations remained relatively level Monday, with 239 people receiving care statewide for confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19.
Hospitalizations also stayed relatively low at the beginning of the late June and early July spike, Carlton noted. The number of younger people hospitalized did eventually increase, though, and it was followed by more hospitalizations in the older population, she said.
“It looks like what happened is the infections started in younger people and spilled over to older people,” she said.
Death reporting can be delayed as long as two weeks, so it’s impossible to be sure which way deaths are trending. In recent weeks, totals have bounced between 19 and 27 per week.
Statewide, 65,399 people have tested positive for the virus since March and 7,373 have been hospitalized. A total of 1,914 people died directly from the virus, while 2,018 people have died with it in their system.
Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--Work starts on second building of CSU’s Spur complex at National Western Center

Work started Monday on the second of three buildings that will form a complex being constructed by Colorado State University on the National Western Center grounds in Denver .
Construction on the first building , to be named Vida , Spanish for “ life , ” began in early May and will showcase CSU ’ s veterinary program , equine sports medicine and connections to human health .
The second building will focus on food and agriculture .
Work on a third building , which will focus on water , is scheduled to get underway in October .
Altogether , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and will be a key part of the more than $ 1 billion makeover and expansion of the National Western Stock Show site .
Completion of the first building is expected by February 2022 and completion of the second is expected in April 2022 .
Spur will bring together and highlight the assets of the CSU system , including the Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses , said Jocelyn Hittle , senior director of Denver programs and sustainability .
“ It will showcase all of our CSU system work across all our different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it ’ s also different in that it ’ s focused on public engagement.
” Hittle said the goal is to make members of the public feel comfortable walking in the door and to provide education as well as a place for gatherings , from small meetings to large conferences .
“ It will , of course , include teaching and research , as the backbone of what CSU does , and also be a great place for us to partner with industries and organizations and other people who are in Denver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will focus on food and agriculture will highlight urban agriculture .
Hittle said CSU researchers will try to connect what they ’ re working on to the urban food system .
There will be a teaching kitchen and laboratories for testing soil and water where people can bring in samples to be analyzed .
All the buildings will give the public a look at some of the research in action , as in the Vida building where people will be able to watch veterinarians work with horses .
The Denver Dumb Friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site .
The total cost of the capital construction for the Spur complex is $ 200 million in state funding approved by the Colorado General Assembly in 2015 .
No student fees or funds are being used .

Work started Monday on the second of three buildings that will form a complex being constructed by Colorado State University on the National Western Center grounds in Denver.
Construction on the first building, to be named Vida, Spanish for “life,” began in early May and will showcase CSU’s veterinary program, equine sports medicine and connections to human health. The second building will focus on food and agriculture.
Work on a third building, which will focus on water, is scheduled to get underway in October. Altogether, the buildings will be branded “Spur” and will be a key part of the more than $1 billion makeover and expansion of the National Western Stock Show site.
Completion of the first building is expected by February 2022 and completion of the second is expected in April 2022.
Spur will bring together and highlight the assets of the CSU system, including the Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses, said Jocelyn Hittle, senior director of Denver programs and sustainability.
“It will showcase all of our CSU system work across all our different campuses,” Hittle said. “But it’s also different in that it’s focused on public engagement.”
Hittle said the goal is to make members of the public feel comfortable walking in the door and to provide education as well as a place for gatherings, from small meetings to large conferences.
“It will, of course, include teaching and research, as the backbone of what CSU does, and also be a great place for us to partner with industries and organizations and other people who are in Denver,” Hittle said.
The building that will focus on food and agriculture will highlight urban agriculture. Hittle said CSU researchers will try to connect what they’re working on to the urban food system. There will be a teaching kitchen and laboratories for testing soil and water where people can bring in samples to be analyzed.
All the buildings will give the public a look at some of the research in action, as in the Vida building where people will be able to watch veterinarians work with horses. The Denver Dumb Friends League will have a low-cost clinic on site.
The total cost of the capital construction for the Spur complex is $200 million in state funding approved by the Colorado General Assembly in 2015. No student fees or funds are being used.


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--Drug firing leads Colorado Supreme Court to consider how discipline is handled for 30,000 state empl

Drug firing leads Colorado Supreme Court to consider how discipline is handled for 30,000 state employees

The Colorado Supreme Court will consider how discipline should be handled for thousands of state employees Wednesday as it hears the case of a Department of Corrections employee who was fired for his one-time , off-duty use of marijuana , then reinstated by the State Personnel Board .
The board , which both establishes rules for state employers and works to ensure the rules are being followed , is the first stop for about 30,000 state employees to appeal disciplinary decisions .
The Department of Corrections argues the board overstepped its authority when it overturned the employee ’ s firing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give deference to state agencies — in this case the prison warden — when considering whether the discipline dished out by those agencies is appropriate .
The board can only overturn initial discipline decisions under a narrow set of circumstances weighted to favor the agencies , the attorneys argue .
Lawyers for the State Personnel Board argue it is not required to give deference to agencies ’ decisions , and say the board must independently review the facts of a case when considering an employee ’ s appeal .
Denise DeForest , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Colorado Law School , said the Department of Corrections ’ position could undercut important protections for state employees .
She filed a third-party brief in the case in support of the State Personnel Board .
“ When parties appear in front of the board , they ’ re parties , ” she said .
“ It ’ s like every other court .
You walk in at an equal level with the other side .
The whole point of a hearing is to do it in a fair manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want , although they ’ ve not been very clear about this , is they don ’ t want to hold a hearing .
They don ’ t want to walk in there and have to put up a case .
They want to say , ‘ Well you just need to check and see that we tell you we have the evidence.
’ And that ’ s it .
And there are a lot of problems like that.
” But attorneys for the Department of Corrections say the board will wield too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give deference to agencies ’ discipline decisions .
“ The decision… concentrates power over 30,000 state classified employees with the board .
It has far-reaching consequences for state agencies ’ ability to run their organizations that the legislature never intended , and injects unnecessary uncertainty into decisions made by appointing authorities following their policies , ” senior assistant attorney general Katherine Aidala wrote in a court brief .
But DeForest said a ruling in favor of the Department of Corrections — and in favor of a slew of other state agencies ranging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Public Safety — would cripple an important check on the power of state agencies over their employees .
The board relies on appeals from employees to identify when state agencies violate personnel rules , she said .
“ You can ’ t be a watchdog if nobody will file an appeal because an appeal is just a rubber stamp , ” she said .
The Colorado Attorney General ’ s Office declined to comment on the pending case , which began in 2015 , when Matthew Stiles , who then worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison , was abruptly fired after a testing positive for marijuana in a random drug test .
Stiles — who had been dealing with a series of stressful life circumstances — told his bosses he ’ d taken some of his spouse ’ s medical marijuana to help him sleep on a Friday night before reporting back to work the following Monday .
The warden fired Stiles for violating the Department of Corrections ’ policy prohibiting drug use , which included marijuana even though its recreational use is legal in Colorado .
Stiles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overturned by the State Personnel Board , which found the warden ’ s discipline to be too severe and reduced it to a six-month 10 % pay reduction , according to court filings .

The Colorado Supreme Court will consider how discipline should be handled for thousands of state employees Wednesday as it hears the case of a Department of Corrections employee who was fired for his one-time, off-duty use of marijuana, then reinstated by the State Personnel Board.
The board, which both establishes rules for state employers and works to ensure the rules are being followed, is the first stop for about 30,000 state employees to appeal disciplinary decisions.
The Department of Corrections argues the board overstepped its authority when it overturned the employee’s firing, with attorneys saying the board must give deference to state agencies — in this case the prison warden — when considering whether the discipline dished out by those agencies is appropriate. The board can only overturn initial discipline decisions under a narrow set of circumstances weighted to favor the agencies, the attorneys argue.
Lawyers for the State Personnel Board argue it is not required to give deference to agencies’ decisions, and say the board must independently review the facts of a case when considering an employee’s appeal.
Denise DeForest, a former administrative law judge and now instructor at the University of Colorado Law School, said the Department of Corrections’ position could undercut important protections for state employees. She filed a third-party brief in the case in support of the State Personnel Board.
“When parties appear in front of the board, they’re parties,” she said. “It’s like every other court. You walk in at an equal level with the other side. The whole point of a hearing is to do it in a fair manner. And what the agencies seem to want, although they’ve not been very clear about this, is they don’t want to hold a hearing. They don’t want to walk in there and have to put up a case. They want to say, ‘Well you just need to check and see that we tell you we have the evidence.’ And that’s it. And there are a lot of problems like that.”
But attorneys for the Department of Corrections say the board will wield too much power if it is not required to give deference to agencies’ discipline decisions.
“The decision… concentrates power over 30,000 state classified employees with the board. It has far-reaching consequences for state agencies’ ability to run their organizations that the legislature never intended, and injects unnecessary uncertainty into decisions made by appointing authorities following their policies,” senior assistant attorney general Katherine Aidala wrote in a court brief.
But DeForest said a ruling in favor of the Department of Corrections — and in favor of a slew of other state agencies ranging from the Department of Education to the Department of Public Safety — would cripple an important check on the power of state agencies over their employees. The board relies on appeals from employees to identify when state agencies violate personnel rules, she said.
“You can’t be a watchdog if nobody will file an appeal because an appeal is just a rubber stamp,” she said.
The Colorado Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on the pending case, which began in 2015, when Matthew Stiles, who then worked as a boiler operator at a state prison, was abruptly fired after a testing positive for marijuana in a random drug test.
Stiles — who had been dealing with a series of stressful life circumstances — told his bosses he’d taken some of his spouse’s medical marijuana to help him sleep on a Friday night before reporting back to work the following Monday. The warden fired Stiles for violating the Department of Corrections’ policy prohibiting drug use, which included marijuana even though its recreational use is legal in Colorado.
Stiles appealed the firing, and it was overturned by the State Personnel Board, which found the warden’s discipline to be too severe and reduced it to a six-month 10% pay reduction, according to court filings.


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--UPS and FedEx looking to make hundreds of holiday hires in metro Denver

UPS plans to hire 2,400 seasonal workers in metro Denver and FedEx is looking to hire more than 900 as the package delivery companies gear up for what they expect to be a busy holiday season even with the pandemic .
UPS , based near Atlanta , is hiring for 100,000 temporary positions nationally , including package handlers , package car drivers , tractor-trailer drivers , and driver-helpers , at wages ranging from $ 14.50 to $ 28 per hour , spokesman Chandler Rogers said in an email .
“ The jobs are being offered in several locations across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commerce City , Aurora , Englewood , and the Denver International Airport , ” Rogers said .
Those interested can apply at jobs-ups.com .
FedEx Ground expects to add more than 70,000 seasonal positions nationwide to help deliver packages , including more than 900 at its FedEx Ground facilities in the Denver area .
The open positions are for package handlers and are part-time , but could become full-time .
“ We are excited because we are hiring tens of thousands of positions all across the country this holiday season to move unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of human resources at FedEx Ground , which is near Pittsburgh , said in a press video .
Day and night shifts are available , and the jobs come with medical , vision and dental benefits after completion of an eligibility period , the company said .
Those interested in applying can visit groundwarehousejobs.fedex.com .
Amazon said last week that it plans to hire 1,900 full-time and permanent workers in metro Denver and hinted that an announcement of an additional wave of seasonal hires would follow .
The pandemic has added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely curtail their seasonal hiring .
For example , JC Penney , which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May , said it plans to make 1,700 seasonal hires versus 37,000 last year , noted Andrew Challenger , vice president of the placement firm Challenger , Gray & Christmas , in his outlook on retail hiring trends for the holidays .
“ The pandemic has thrown typical holiday hiring patterns off .
Last year ’ s strong consumer spending , coupled with low unemployment , led to one of the strongest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ Despite current high unemployment and ongoing uncertainty , retailers , particularly those with a strong online shopping infrastructure , are anticipating high demand .
”

UPS plans to hire 2,400 seasonal workers in metro Denver and FedEx is looking to hire more than 900 as the package delivery companies gear up for what they expect to be a busy holiday season even with the pandemic.
UPS, based near Atlanta, is hiring for 100,000 temporary positions nationally, including package handlers, package car drivers, tractor-trailer drivers, and driver-helpers, at wages ranging from $14.50 to $28 per hour, spokesman Chandler Rogers said in an email.
“The jobs are being offered in several locations across the Denver metro area, including positions in Commerce City, Aurora, Englewood, and the Denver International Airport,” Rogers said. Those interested can apply at jobs-ups.com.
FedEx Ground expects to add more than 70,000 seasonal positions nationwide to help deliver packages, including more than 900 at its FedEx Ground facilities in the Denver area. The open positions are for package handlers and are part-time, but could become full-time.
“We are excited because we are hiring tens of thousands of positions all across the country this holiday season to move unprecedented volumes,” Chris Winton, senior vice president of human resources at FedEx Ground, which is near Pittsburgh, said in a press video.
Day and night shifts are available, and the jobs come with medical, vision and dental benefits after completion of an eligibility period, the company said. Those interested in applying can visit groundwarehousejobs.fedex.com.
Amazon said last week that it plans to hire 1,900 full-time and permanent workers in metro Denver and hinted that an announcement of an additional wave of seasonal hires would follow.
The pandemic has added to the stress traditional retailers face and will likely curtail their seasonal hiring. For example, JC Penney, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, said it plans to make 1,700 seasonal hires versus 37,000 last year, noted Andrew Challenger, vice president of the placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, in his outlook on retail hiring trends for the holidays.
“The pandemic has thrown typical holiday hiring patterns off. Last year’s strong consumer spending, coupled with low unemployment, led to one of the strongest holiday seasons in recent history,” he said. “Despite current high unemployment and ongoing uncertainty, retailers, particularly those with a strong online shopping infrastructure, are anticipating high demand.”


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--Denver’s COVID-19 testing shifts to smaller community locations as Pepsi Center site prepares to clo

Denver’s COVID-19 testing shifts to smaller community locations as Pepsi Center site prepares to close

Denver ’ s COVID-19 testing strategy is pivoting for a third time , as the drive-thru site at the Pepsi Center closes next week and the city ’ s emphasis shifts to local and pop-up sites .
Like most of the United States , Colorado didn ’ t have enough testing supplies in March , and people who weren ’ t sick enough to go to a hospital were told to ride out their symptoms at home .
After the Pepsi Center site opened in late May , officials encouraged anyone with symptoms to get tested — though some reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the drive-thru site expanded free testing to people without symptoms .
The next phase will focus on smaller-scale testing sites .
The Pepsi Center cut its capacity in half Sept. 13 , and all lanes will shut down after Sept. 30 .
The goal is to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in neighborhoods where infection rates are highest so that the city can begin reopening further , said Tony Diaz , an emergency management specialist with the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment .
The city also aims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they live , as not everyone owns a car , he said .
The site at the Pepsi Center was created as a “ stop gap ” while city officials organized and created a strategy for testing in the community , said Diaz , who oversees COVID-19 testing for Denver .
“ We ’ re ready now to really start targeting the communities where we are seeing the outbreaks , ” he said .
“ We want to make sure we are providing this more throughout the city.
” Diaz said new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
There also are discussions underway to offer flu shots at the locations as influenza season is approaching .
While Denver will lose some testing capacity , residents can get tests at the community sites , urgent care clinics or through primary care physicians , he said .
Denver ’ s announcement earlier this month of the looming closure of the Pepsi Center site directed “ those who are able ” to seek testing from their own doctor .
“ We ’ re not trying to discourage anyone at this point to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wendy Nading , a nurse manager in charge of community testing at Tri-County Health Department , said large testing sites in the metro area have been running at maybe half their capacity recently .
Though the Pepsi Center saw long lines and limits imposed on tests per day in early July , Gov .
Jared Polis more recently has noted that site has not been running at full capacity .
Additionally , not everyone is able to get to a central site , or even to register online , Nading said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t been there , ” she said .
The large sites have the advantage of easy messaging , Nading said , but it could make sense to redeploy some of the staff working there to smaller sites around the community .
Testing days at churches and other organizations that people trust in their neighborhoods have had good turnouts , she said .
“ If they already have a community presence there , they ’ ve been very successful , ” she said .
A schedule on the Denver city website showed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of October , and some on weekdays .
Locations included the Denver Indian Center , Abraham Lincoln High School , the Montbello school campus and social service providers .
Mobile sites can ’ t be the only solution , however , because people need to be able to get tested consistently , Nading said .
Doctors ’ offices and urgent care clinics have begun offering rapid testing , though it ’ s always a challenge to connect people without insurance to those locations , she said .
COVID-19 testing itself is free , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doctor runs any other tests , or for the cost of visiting an emergency room if that ’ s where the person got tested .
The state ’ s 211 map showed 141 locations providing COVID-19 testing in the Denver area .
The sites had different criteria , though , with some testing only people with symptoms and others limiting their services to residents of certain counties .
Large sites offering free testing also are still available at the Aurora Sports Park and WaterWorld , for those able to drive there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinica Tepeyac , said they may need to increase staffing to meet the need for testing after the Pepsi Center site shutters .
The clinic initially offered testing only to people living in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods , but now they have people coming from as far as Englewood and Golden .
They don ’ t survey patients about why they chose that site , but some are undocumented and afraid to go to a testing site that requires identification , she said .
“ We want to be sure if somebody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come , ” she said .

Denver’s COVID-19 testing strategy is pivoting for a third time, as the drive-thru site at the Pepsi Center closes next week and the city’s emphasis shifts to local and pop-up sites.
Like most of the United States, Colorado didn’t have enough testing supplies in March, and people who weren’t sick enough to go to a hospital were told to ride out their symptoms at home. After the Pepsi Center site opened in late May, officials encouraged anyone with symptoms to get tested — though some reported long waits for their results. Later, the drive-thru site expanded free testing to people without symptoms.
The next phase will focus on smaller-scale testing sites. The Pepsi Center cut its capacity in half Sept. 13, and all lanes will shut down after Sept. 30.
The goal is to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in neighborhoods where infection rates are highest so that the city can begin reopening further, said Tony Diaz, an emergency management specialist with the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.
The city also aims to make testing more accessible by meeting residents where they live, as not everyone owns a car, he said.
The site at the Pepsi Center was created as a “stop gap” while city officials organized and created a strategy for testing in the community, said Diaz, who oversees COVID-19 testing for Denver.
“We’re ready now to really start targeting the communities where we are seeing the outbreaks,” he said. “We want to make sure we are providing this more throughout the city.”
Diaz said new “mini-Pepsi Centers” will operate every day. There also are discussions underway to offer flu shots at the locations as influenza season is approaching. While Denver will lose some testing capacity, residents can get tests at the community sites, urgent care clinics or through primary care physicians, he said.
Denver’s announcement earlier this month of the looming closure of the Pepsi Center site directed “those who are able” to seek testing from their own doctor.
“We’re not trying to discourage anyone at this point to get tested,” he said.
Wendy Nading, a nurse manager in charge of community testing at Tri-County Health Department, said large testing sites in the metro area have been running at maybe half their capacity recently. Though the Pepsi Center saw long lines and limits imposed on tests per day in early July, Gov. Jared Polis more recently has noted that site has not been running at full capacity.
Additionally, not everyone is able to get to a central site, or even to register online, Nading said.
“The demand for that testing just hasn’t been there,” she said.
The large sites have the advantage of easy messaging, Nading said, but it could make sense to redeploy some of the staff working there to smaller sites around the community. Testing days at churches and other organizations that people trust in their neighborhoods have had good turnouts, she said.
“If they already have a community presence there, they’ve been very successful,” she said.
A schedule on the Denver city website showed a testing event every Saturday through the end of October, and some on weekdays. Locations included the Denver Indian Center, Abraham Lincoln High School, the Montbello school campus and social service providers.
Mobile sites can’t be the only solution, however, because people need to be able to get tested consistently, Nading said. Doctors’ offices and urgent care clinics have begun offering rapid testing, though it’s always a challenge to connect people without insurance to those locations, she said. COVID-19 testing itself is free, but patients could get a bill if a doctor runs any other tests, or for the cost of visiting an emergency room if that’s where the person got tested.
The state’s 211 map showed 141 locations providing COVID-19 testing in the Denver area. The sites had different criteria, though, with some testing only people with symptoms and others limiting their services to residents of certain counties.
Large sites offering free testing also are still available at the Aurora Sports Park and WaterWorld, for those able to drive there.
Olga Webber, chief operating officer for Clinica Tepeyac, said they may need to increase staffing to meet the need for testing after the Pepsi Center site shutters. The clinic initially offered testing only to people living in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods, but now they have people coming from as far as Englewood and Golden.
They don’t survey patients about why they chose that site, but some are undocumented and afraid to go to a testing site that requires identification, she said.
“We want to be sure if somebody needs to be tested, they can come,” she said.


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--Denver weather: Sunny, smoky with a chance of afternoon showers

It ’ s going to another warm , sunny day in Denver .
Temperatures will hit a high of 84 @ @ @ @ @ and smoky skies in the forecast , according to the National Weather Service .
At @ @ @ @ @ be a 20 % chance of showers that may become thunderstorms later in the afternoon @ @ @ @ @ decreases to 10 % in the evening with mostly cloudy skies and a low of @ @ @ @ @ up to 18 mph .
On Wednesday , it will be sunny with a high @ @ @ @ @ before dropping to 54 at night .
Sunny skies will maintain through the weekend .
@ @ @ @ @ are expected on Thursday and Friday before dropping to the high 70s for the weekend @

It’s going to another warm, sunny day in Denver.
Temperatures will hit a high of 84 on Tuesday with mostly sunny and smoky skies in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service. At 2 p.m., there will be a 20% chance of showers that may become thunderstorms later in the afternoon.
The chance of precipitation decreases to 10% in the evening with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 57. Winds may gust up to 18 mph.
On Wednesday, it will be sunny with a high of 84 during the day before dropping to 54 at night.
Sunny skies will maintain through the weekend. Highs of 88 and 89 are expected on Thursday and Friday before dropping to the high 70s for the weekend.


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--Guest commentary: Urban gardening becomes yet another place where skin color matters

“ Girl , is this yours ?
” asked the security guard .
The tone was inquisitive , the body language hostile , the familiarity stinging .
You may have thought that I was apprehended while shoplifting .
Reality is I had been caught gardening while Black in Denver .
I had just stepped into the community garden near my West City Park apartment to check on my nearly 3-month-old crops .
After what felt just like minutes , the guard appeared out of nowhere and asked if the bed of vegetables I was tending to was mine .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in is administered by a local organization seeking to cultivate community in urban spaces , the plot belongs to Saint Joseph hospital and is located nearby .
The guard was on patrolling duty for the hospital at the time of the incident .
Gardening was the last stage in my Coloradan conversion .
A Black woman born and raised in Abidjan , West Africa , I could not understand the appeal of strenuous exercise in the sun .
Friends teased me about my coquettish ways , including donning delicate earrings while hiking .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ habit of taking too many showers during hot summer months ; after all , this was no longer Africa .
My fastidious hygiene rituals meant that I drew the line at camping because hot showers were not always available .
Knowing this about me , I was the first surprised to find out how much I enjoyed dirt .
That is planting seeds , nurturing them , and watching them grow .
I took to gardening religiously , an activity that has provided immense solace and healing during COVID .
My pandemic related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the plot I shared with a friend .
That is until that Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m. That is until the security guard began to interrogate me .
My carelessness evaporated and the usual reflexes I have adopted to survive U.S. anti-Black racism kicked in .
Almost subconsciously , I began devising a new gardening schedule that would take place only during day hours to protect me .
I also thought of dressing up nicely to dig up roots .
But then , I stopped in my tracks ; I was already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the security guard hinted at vague criminal activity and explained how some of the neighboring residents had complained about the gardeners .
What I knew was that some of the other gardeners were Black and Brown , and the community garden was a stone away from Whittier and Five Points , historically Black neighborhoods that had been gentrified .
This gentrification contributes to the expansion of “ white space ” in the city and the policing of Black bodies in mundane practices like gardening .
The expansion of white space affects needed restorative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community gardens .
Furthermore , it is important to connect this discussion to anti-Black racism .
In the process , I wish to debunk a common idea that has floated around since the beginning of the pandemic .
Amidst the renewal and booming of gardening during COVID , people have assumed that gardening is an easily accessible activity that provides solace , healing , and joy .
A recent New York Times piece was titled “ Gardening made me happier .
It will for you too.
” Not so fast .
The COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Consider the 2017-2018 saga of a Black man in Detroit .
He started an urban farm in his neighborhood , prompting repeated harassment by three white women .
The women called the police “ a dozen of times ” to make serious false claims against him , including allegations about him being a sex offender .
The gardener was arrested and went to court .
As a result , he lost sources of employment and income during that time period .
Shifting our focus to the dangers of gardening in public for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider issues of access to healing during COVID .
Statistics show that the median household income for Black people is about $ 44,000 compared to almost $ 67,000 for all white groups in Colorado .
In addition , Black people have been disproportionately affected by unemployment during COVID .
Taken together , a lower household income and a lack of access to employer-covered health benefits can limit access to mental health resources , including therapy .
Furthermore , the historical mistrust of medical institutions due to racism and the lack of Black therapists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In this regard , community gardens may provide an informal healing modality to Black people , a particularly vulnerable group during COVID .
To be clear , I am not advocating for gardening as a cure-all that would replace therapy and medication .
Rather , studies suggest that gardening has therapeutic effects and lessens stress , anxiety , and depression .
For these reasons , we need not only provide access to urban gardens to Black people but also guarantee that they are protected from community surveillance and police harassment .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization in charge of administering the community gardening program .
They took me seriously and are following up with the hospital and their security company .
I continue to garden but the incident has dampened my enthusiasm .
This is also how racism works ; it robs us of safety and joy .
Joelle Cruz is a Denver resident and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at CU Boulder .
She enjoys cooking and writing in her free time .
To send a letter to the editor about this article , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for how to submit by email or mail .

“Girl, is this yours?” asked the security guard. The tone was inquisitive, the body language hostile, the familiarity stinging. You may have thought that I was apprehended while shoplifting.
Reality is I had been caught gardening while Black in Denver. I had just stepped into the community garden near my West City Park apartment to check on my nearly 3-month-old crops. After what felt just like minutes, the guard appeared out of nowhere and asked if the bed of vegetables I was tending to was mine. Although the community garden program I took part in is administered by a local organization seeking to cultivate community in urban spaces, the plot belongs to Saint Joseph hospital and is located nearby. The guard was on patrolling duty for the hospital at the time of the incident.
Gardening was the last stage in my Coloradan conversion. A Black woman born and raised in Abidjan, West Africa, I could not understand the appeal of strenuous exercise in the sun. Friends teased me about my coquettish ways, including donning delicate earrings while hiking. My immigrant father made fun of my habit of taking too many showers during hot summer months; after all, this was no longer Africa. My fastidious hygiene rituals meant that I drew the line at camping because hot showers were not always available.
Knowing this about me, I was the first surprised to find out how much I enjoyed dirt. That is planting seeds, nurturing them, and watching them grow. I took to gardening religiously, an activity that has provided immense solace and healing during COVID. My pandemic related anxiety melts during the hours spent tending to the plot I shared with a friend.
That is until that Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m. That is until the security guard began to interrogate me. My carelessness evaporated and the usual reflexes I have adopted to survive U.S. anti-Black racism kicked in. Almost subconsciously, I began devising a new gardening schedule that would take place only during day hours to protect me. I also thought of dressing up nicely to dig up roots. But then, I stopped in my tracks; I was already doing these things.
Pressed further, the security guard hinted at vague criminal activity and explained how some of the neighboring residents had complained about the gardeners. What I knew was that some of the other gardeners were Black and Brown, and the community garden was a stone away from Whittier and Five Points, historically Black neighborhoods that had been gentrified. This gentrification contributes to the expansion of “white space” in the city and the policing of Black bodies in mundane practices like gardening.
The expansion of white space affects needed restorative and healing spaces during COVID, like community gardens. Furthermore, it is important to connect this discussion to anti-Black racism. In the process, I wish to debunk a common idea that has floated around since the beginning of the pandemic. Amidst the renewal and booming of gardening during COVID, people have assumed that gardening is an easily accessible activity that provides solace, healing, and joy.
A recent New York Times piece was titled “Gardening made me happier. It will for you too.”
Not so fast. The COVID narrative about gardening needs to be nuanced. Consider the 2017-2018 saga of a Black man in Detroit. He started an urban farm in his neighborhood, prompting repeated harassment by three white women. The women called the police “a dozen of times” to make serious false claims against him, including allegations about him being a sex offender. The gardener was arrested and went to court. As a result, he lost sources of employment and income during that time period.
Shifting our focus to the dangers of gardening in public for Black bodies is especially important as we consider issues of access to healing during COVID. Statistics show that the median household income for Black people is about $44,000 compared to almost $67,000 for all white groups in Colorado. In addition, Black people have been disproportionately affected by unemployment during COVID. Taken together, a lower household income and a lack of access to employer-covered health benefits can limit access to mental health resources, including therapy. Furthermore, the historical mistrust of medical institutions due to racism and the lack of Black therapists further curb access to mental health resources.
In this regard, community gardens may provide an informal healing modality to Black people, a particularly vulnerable group during COVID. To be clear, I am not advocating for gardening as a cure-all that would replace therapy and medication. Rather, studies suggest that gardening has therapeutic effects and lessens stress, anxiety, and depression. For these reasons, we need not only provide access to urban gardens to Black people but also guarantee that they are
protected from community surveillance and police harassment.
In the end, I complained to the organization in charge of administering the community gardening program. They took me seriously and are following up with the hospital and their security company. I continue to garden but the incident has dampened my enthusiasm. This is also how racism works; it robs us of safety and joy.
Joelle Cruz is a Denver resident and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at CU Boulder. She enjoys cooking and writing in her free time.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.


thedenverpost--2020-09-22--Ask Amy: Grouchy gramps derails airport run

Dear Amy : Recently my daughter-in-law asked my wife to drive her and her two little kids to the airport ( 100 miles away ) using our car .
Mind you , the daughter-in-law has a brand-new $ 50,000 SUV , but wanted my wife to drive OUR car to the airport .
This would leave me without a car to drive in case I needed it .
The daughter-in-law didn ’ t offer to let me use her car while my wife was doing this favor for her .
So I took off in our car the morning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some errands .
I told my wife to drive the daughter-in-law ’ s car , as it is newer , safer , and with all the newest gadgets for safety for the kids , etc .
Now the daughter-in-law and my wife are mad at me because she had to use her car to get to the airport .
I feel she is selfish and taking advantage of my wife and our car !
She says she didn ’ t want to drive her new SUV in city traffic .
Should I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my car so the daughter-in-law can keep her new expensive SUV without using it ?
Nobody is listening to me , so I am looking for a third party to weigh in .
Dear Owner : Well , you might want to keep looking for another opinion , because , in my opinion , what you did was really obnoxious .
When was the last time you took two young children by yourself on a plane ?
( I ’ m guessing , never . )
The morning of a trip like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really threw a spanner into the proceedings .
Your daughter-in-law and your wife had made an arrangement that you didn ’ t like , and so , rather than talk to them both about it and staking your ( rightful ) claim to your own family ’ s car , you simply took it , leaving them to scramble on the morning of the trip .
It seems disingenuous for you to pretend not to understand why they are mad at you now .
I am assuming that your daughter-in-law might have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , powerful , unfamiliar vehicle alone on the way back from the airport .
It ’ s not just that designer SUVs are expensive , but a BMW and a Buick are distinctly different vehicles to operate .
Regardless of your DIL ’ s reasoning , I do agree with you in a basic sense about the use of the cars .
I completely agree with them , however , about your behavior .
Badly done .
Dear Amy : I have a friend who vastly overstates her life and professional qualifications .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ job , so no harm done , but she talks all the time about this and that thing , which I know never happened ( because I was there ) .
I feel co-opted if I keep silent .
However , I do not know how to respond without getting into futile arguments .
She seems absolutely resolved to maintain these fictions .
Can you help me figure out what to do ?
Dear Friendship : If your friend ’ s constant dissembling makes you feel like a stooge , then tell her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if her story involves you , directly .
Understand , however , that some people exaggerate to the extent that they actually hold onto a different truth .
They create a story in order to be more entertaining , memorable , and to feed a needy ego .
True friends are both tolerant and truthful regarding behavior that has a direct impact on them .
During a reflective moment , you could tell her , “ We often remember the same event very differently .
I ’ d like to remind you that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as you are.
” Dear Amy : I have a reassuring comment for the person signing her letter , “ Never Write Anything You Wouldn ’ t Want Published.
” She had written some steamy love letters to her ex , and now wanted them back .
I am handling my deceased ex-partner ’ s estate , and anyone who does this has no time to read old love letters .
These letters will be given a glance , but unless you are a famous person , they won ’ t be read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have just shredded 24 boxes of papers . )
She should also consider that since her lover was never married , maybe she was the love of his life .
Maybe at the end of his life , he is re-reading these letters , dreaming of her .
Dear Exhausted : This is a huge job to assume , on behalf of an ex .
Good for you .

Dear Amy: Recently my daughter-in-law asked my wife to drive her and her two little kids to the airport (100 miles away) using our car.
Mind you, the daughter-in-law has a brand-new $50,000 SUV, but wanted my wife to drive OUR car to the airport.
This would leave me without a car to drive in case I needed it.
The daughter-in-law didn’t offer to let me use her car while my wife was doing this favor for her.
So I took off in our car the morning of the trip to go shopping and do some errands.
I told my wife to drive the daughter-in-law’s car, as it is newer, safer, and with all the newest gadgets for safety for the kids, etc.
Now the daughter-in-law and my wife are mad at me because she had to use her car to get to the airport.
I feel she is selfish and taking advantage of my wife and our car!
She says she didn’t want to drive her new SUV in city traffic.
Should I have to pay for wear and tear on my car so the daughter-in-law can keep her new expensive SUV without using it?
Nobody is listening to me, so I am looking for a third party to weigh in.
— Rightful Owner
Dear Owner: Well, you might want to keep looking for another opinion, because, in my opinion, what you did was really obnoxious.
When was the last time you took two young children by yourself on a plane? (I’m guessing, never.) The morning of a trip like this is extremely stressful. Your passive-aggressive behavior really threw a spanner into the proceedings.
Your daughter-in-law and your wife had made an arrangement that you didn’t like, and so, rather than talk to them both about it and staking your (rightful) claim to your own family’s car, you simply took it, leaving them to scramble on the morning of the trip.
It seems disingenuous for you to pretend not to understand why they are mad at you now.
I am assuming that your daughter-in-law might have been nervous about your wife driving her new, powerful, unfamiliar vehicle alone on the way back from the airport. It’s not just that designer SUVs are expensive, but a BMW and a Buick are distinctly different vehicles to operate.
Regardless of your DIL’s reasoning, I do agree with you in a basic sense about the use of the cars.
I completely agree with them, however, about your behavior. Badly done.
Dear Amy: I have a friend who vastly overstates her life and professional qualifications. She isn’t applying for a job, so no harm done, but she talks all the time about this and that thing, which I know never happened (because I was there).
I feel co-opted if I keep silent. However, I do not know how to respond without getting into futile arguments. She seems absolutely resolved to maintain these fictions.
Can you help me figure out what to do?
— It’s a Friendship, not a Resume
Dear Friendship: If your friend’s constant dissembling makes you feel like a stooge, then tell her. You should absolutely correct the record if her story involves you, directly.
Understand, however, that some people exaggerate to the extent that they actually hold onto a different truth. They create a story in order to be more entertaining, memorable, and to feed a needy ego.
True friends are both tolerant and truthful regarding behavior that has a direct impact on them. During a reflective moment, you could tell her, “We often remember the same event very differently. I’d like to remind you that I think you are enough, just as you are.”
Dear Amy: I have a reassuring comment for the person signing her letter, “Never Write Anything You Wouldn’t Want Published.” She had written some steamy love letters to her ex, and now wanted them back.
I am handling my deceased ex-partner’s estate, and anyone who does this has no time to read old love letters. These letters will be given a glance, but unless you are a famous person, they won’t be read, but simply shredded. (I have just shredded 24 boxes of papers.)
She should also consider that since her lover was never married, maybe she was the love of his life. Maybe at the end of his life, he is re-reading these letters, dreaming of her.
— Exhausted
Dear Exhausted: This is a huge job to assume, on behalf of an ex. Good for you.
(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--2020-09-22--Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez thrives as Colorado rolls Giants, 7-2

German Marquez pitched a gem and the Rockies ’ bats came alive in a 7-2 victory Monday night at the Giants .
Now , two unfamiliar words for Colorado — winning streak .
The Rockies ( 24-29 ) have won back-to-back games for the first time in three weeks as their playoff hopes , while slim , remain mathematically possible .
Colorado — trailing the Brewers , Giants , Mets and Reds for the final National League wild-card slot — plays San Francisco three more times before closing the regular season with four games at the Diamondbacks .
On Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the year , the bullpen held up , and Colorado featured seven players with at least one hit .
The Rockies did it without third baseman Nolan Arenado after he was shut down for the season with a nagging shoulder injury earlier the same day .
“ There was a good energy tonight , ” manager Bud Black said .
“ A lot of contributions from a lot of players.
” The Rockies were lifted by a flurry of first-inning offense behind four singles ( Kevin Pillar , Charlie Blackmon , Josh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right-hander Johnny Cueto .
Fuentes and McMahon each drove in a run to lead 2-0 and Colorado kept its foot on the gas .
The Rockies padded their advantage in the third with a Pillar solo homer , and again in the fourth when a Cueto balk scored Sam Hilliard .
In the fifth inning , reserve catcher Elias Diaz blasted a deep single that scored Trevor Story and Fuentes .
• Rockies shut down Nolan Arenado for final week of season with shoulder injury • Rockies ’ Nolan Arenado might have , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Coors Field • Why Raimel Tapia ’ s confidence is soaring in breakout season with Rockies Colorado went up 6-0 and San Francisco turned to Wandy Peralta in the bullpen .
The Rockies ’ bats continued to feast .
Garrett Hampson singled to score McMahon and their lead jumped to seven runs .
“ Offensively , it was nice to get things going from the top to bottom of the lineup , ” Pillar said .
“ Everyone just seemed really engaged and really energized .
It was just a different feeling.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day starter , finally cracked in the fifth when he gave up an RBI single to Giants infielder Donovan Solano .
Colorado stuck with Marquez in the sixth and he retired three consecutive batters to close the side .
Marquez ( 3-6 ) finished his night with 100 pitches ( 69 strikes ) and 12 forced ground balls in his first victory since early August .
Rockies reliever Carlos Estevez entered in the seventh inning , and after recording two outs , he gave up a solo home run to Alex Dickerson .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ retired the side .
Mychal Givens pitched a scoreless eighth inning .
Tyler Kinley closed the game for Colorado in the ninth .
The Rockies face the Giants again on Tuesday night for the second meeting of their current four-game series .
“ Every game matters , ” Marquez .
“ We have to keep working and keep winning games to make the playoffs — and I think we ’ re going to make it .
”

German Marquez pitched a gem and the Rockies’ bats came alive in a 7-2 victory Monday night at the Giants. Now, two unfamiliar words for Colorado — winning streak.
The Rockies (24-29) have won back-to-back games for the first time in three weeks as their playoff hopes, while slim, remain mathematically possible. Colorado — trailing the Brewers, Giants, Mets and Reds for the final National League wild-card slot — plays San Francisco three more times before closing the regular season with four games at the Diamondbacks.
On Sunday, Marquez earned his eighth quality start of the year, the bullpen held up, and Colorado featured seven players with at least one hit. The Rockies did it without third baseman Nolan Arenado after he was shut down for the season with a nagging shoulder injury earlier the same day.
“There was a good energy tonight,” manager Bud Black said. “A lot of contributions from a lot of players.”
The Rockies were lifted by a flurry of first-inning offense behind four singles (Kevin Pillar, Charlie Blackmon, Josh Fuentes and Ryan McMahon) against Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto. Fuentes and McMahon each drove in a run to lead 2-0 and Colorado kept its foot on the gas.
The Rockies padded their advantage in the third with a Pillar solo homer, and again in the fourth when a Cueto balk scored Sam Hilliard. In the fifth inning, reserve catcher Elias Diaz blasted a deep single that scored Trevor Story and Fuentes.
Colorado went up 6-0 and San Francisco turned to Wandy Peralta in the bullpen. The Rockies’ bats continued to feast. Garrett Hampson singled to score McMahon and their lead jumped to seven runs.
“Offensively, it was nice to get things going from the top to bottom of the lineup,” Pillar said. “Everyone just seemed really engaged and really energized. It was just a different feeling.”
Marquez, Colorado’s opening day starter, finally cracked in the fifth when he gave up an RBI single to Giants infielder Donovan Solano. Colorado stuck with Marquez in the sixth and he retired three consecutive batters to close the side. Marquez (3-6) finished his night with 100 pitches (69 strikes) and 12 forced ground balls in his first victory since early August.
Rockies reliever Carlos Estevez entered in the seventh inning, and after recording two outs, he gave up a solo home run to Alex Dickerson. The Rockies opted for Yency Almonte who retired the side. Mychal Givens pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Tyler Kinley closed the game for Colorado in the ninth.
The Rockies face the Giants again on Tuesday night for the second meeting of their current four-game series.
“Every game matters,” Marquez. “We have to keep working and keep winning games to make the playoffs — and I think we’re going to make it.”


thedenverpost--2020-09-23--Carlos Estevez’s slide illustrates Rockies’ bullpen issues

The Rockies ’ bullpen has played musical chairs in 2020 and that ’ s one of the main reasons why the team must put together a sizzling finish in its last seven games to have any chance to be one of the National League ’ s eight playoff teams .
No other reliever illustrates Colorado ’ s bullpen woes more than Carlos Estevez , a powerful right-hander with plus stuff who started strong only to falter over the last month .
“ The pitching coaches and I are perplexed , for sure , ” manager Bud Black said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Carlos has , and I do think he ’ s going to regain that confidence .
“ You ’ re going to see good pitching from Carlos , hopefully , in whatever number of appearances he has the rest of the year .
And I think in the future.
” But with the Rockies needing every win they can get , will Estevez be called upon again late in a tight game ?
Especially after Estevez gave up another home run in the seventh inning of Colorado ’ s 7-2 win over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday night ’ s game at San Francisco , Rockies relievers owned a 6.89 ERA , the second-worst in the majors behind Philadelphia ( 7.11 ) , and by far the worst in franchise history .
Colorado ’ s previous worst was the 5.53 ERA posted by the 2004 team .
This shortened season , of course , skews the numbers but there ’ s no question that bullpen meltdowns have been one of the biggest reasons for Colorado ’ s tumble from an 11-3 start to a 13-26 record over their next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Rockies ’ .257 batting average , the third-lowest in franchise history .
The relievers ’ relative inability to strike out hitters has hurt , too .
The bullpen ’ s 7.79 strikeouts per nine innings ranks 29th in the majors .
Way back in spring training , before the coronavirus pandemic shut down baseball , Black said he was counting on right-handers Wade Davis and Scott Oberg as the likely closers .
But Oberg was lost for the season because of blood clots in his right arm , and then Davis suffered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he returned , and finally , was released on Monday .
Before right-hander Daniel Bard emerged as the primary closer , before the club acquired Mychal Givens at the trade deadline and before Yency Almonte blossomed into a dependable option , Black was targeting right-hander Jairo Diaz and Estevez as late-game relievers .
Despite their ability to throw 98-99 mph fastballs , neither pitcher has delivered on a consistent basis .
Diaz owns a 7.13 ERA with a 2.26 WHIP and a .355 batting average against .
Estevez ’ s ERA is 8.06 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ batting average against .
Black has a theory about what ’ s gone wrong with Estevez .
“ The thing that has stood out for me is that he ’ s become a little emotional when things have gone awry in his inning , ” Black said .
“ I think he ’ s gone from a guy that I thought was developing as a pitcher , to , at times , becoming a thrower .
“ I think he sort of reverts to that when things have gone sideways for him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tries to make the breaking ball too nasty , and you can ’ t do that .
Estevez ’ s slide has been dramatic .
In four appearances in July , Estevez had a 0.00 ERA and a .133 batting average against .
In 12 games in August , the right-hander had a 5.11 ERA and a .308 average against .
In eight games in September he has a 20.65 ERA with a .452 average against .
Footnotes .
Black said that top pitching prospect Ryan Rolison will not make his big-league debut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though the team needs a starter for Friday ’ s doubleheader at Arizona .
Rolison will pitch during the Arizona instructional league this fall .
… Black also said he probably won ’ t start right-hander Jeff Hoffman on Friday , though he didn ’ t rule out using Antonio Santos .
… Ryan McMahon , who ’ s subbing for the injured Nolan Arenado at third , provided an honest assessment about how he feels about playing third .
“ I love third base .
I think of myself as a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
On Deck Rockies RHP Ryan Castellani ( 1-3 , 5.59 ) at Giants RHP Logan Webb ( 2-4 , 5.73 ) 7:45 p.m. Wednesday , Oracle Park TV : AT & T SportsNet Radio : KOA 850 AM/94.1 AM Castellani is making his pitch for next season ’ s rotation in his final two starts of the 2020 season .
It ’ s been an up-and-down season for the 24-year-old rookie right-hander .
Since posting a win at Arizona on Aug. 24 , he is 0-2 with a 7.85 ERA in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s pitched well away from Coors Field , going 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA in three starts , with opponents hitting just .191 .
The Giants usually don ’ t announce their starters until the day of the game , but Webb is lined up to pitch .
He ’ s coming off a difficult performance last Friday when Oakland hammered him for six runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings .
The right-hander threw only 48 of 90 pitches for strikes and also hit a batter .
Trending : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulling their weight .
Over their past 10 outings , entering Tuesday night ’ s game , Rockies starters had made six quality starts while posting a 3.47 ERA .
At issue : Utility player Garrett Hampson , perhaps hampered by inconsistent playing time , entered Tuesday ’ s game batting 3-for-30 ( .100 ) since Sept. 7 .
Pitching Probables Thursday : Rockies RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez ( 0-2 , 7.53 ) at Giants RHP Kevin Gausman ( 3-3 , 3.76 ) , 1:45 p.m. , ATTRM Friday ( doubleheader ) : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.13 ) at Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen ( 2-2 , 3.00 ) , 4:40 p.m. , ATTRM / Rockies TBD at Diamondbacks RHP Luke Weaver ( 1-8 , 6.51 ) , 7:40 p.m. , ATTRM

The Rockies’ bullpen has played musical chairs in 2020 and that’s one of the main reasons why the team must put together a sizzling finish in its last seven games to have any chance to be one of the National League’s eight playoff teams.
No other reliever illustrates Colorado’s bullpen woes more than Carlos Estevez, a powerful right-hander with plus stuff who started strong only to falter over the last month.
“The pitching coaches and I are perplexed, for sure,” manager Bud Black said. “I agree on the abundance of talent that Carlos has, and I do think he’s going to regain that confidence.
“You’re going to see good pitching from Carlos, hopefully, in whatever number of appearances he has the rest of the year. And I think in the future.”
But with the Rockies needing every win they can get, will Estevez be called upon again late in a tight game? Especially after Estevez gave up another home run in the seventh inning of Colorado’s 7-2 win over the Giants on Monday night?
Entering Tuesday night’s game at San Francisco, Rockies relievers owned a 6.89 ERA, the second-worst in the majors behind Philadelphia (7.11), and by far the worst in franchise history. Colorado’s previous worst was the 5.53 ERA posted by the 2004 team.
This shortened season, of course, skews the numbers but there’s no question that bullpen meltdowns have been one of the biggest reasons for Colorado’s tumble from an 11-3 start to a 13-26 record over their next 39 games. The other culprit is the Rockies’.257 batting average, the third-lowest in franchise history.
The relievers’ relative inability to strike out hitters has hurt, too. The bullpen’s 7.79 strikeouts per nine innings ranks 29th in the majors.
Way back in spring training, before the coronavirus pandemic shut down baseball, Black said he was counting on right-handers Wade Davis and Scott Oberg as the likely closers. But Oberg was lost for the season because of blood clots in his right arm, and then Davis suffered a shoulder injury, was ineffective when he returned, and finally, was released on Monday.
Before right-hander Daniel Bard emerged as the primary closer, before the club acquired Mychal Givens at the trade deadline and before Yency Almonte blossomed into a dependable option, Black was targeting right-hander Jairo Diaz and Estevez as late-game relievers. Despite their ability to throw 98-99 mph fastballs, neither pitcher has delivered on a consistent basis.
Diaz owns a 7.13 ERA with a 2.26 WHIP and a .355 batting average against. Estevez’s ERA is 8.06 with a 1.79 WHIP and a .327 batting average against.
Black has a theory about what’s gone wrong with Estevez.
“The thing that has stood out for me is that he’s become a little emotional when things have gone awry in his inning,” Black said. “I think he’s gone from a guy that I thought was developing as a pitcher, to, at times, becoming a thrower.
“I think he sort of reverts to that when things have gone sideways for him. He tries to overpower the fastball; tries to make the breaking ball too nasty, and you can’t do that.
Estevez’s slide has been dramatic. In four appearances in July, Estevez had a 0.00 ERA and a .133 batting average against. In 12 games in August, the right-hander had a 5.11 ERA and a .308 average against. In eight games in September he has a 20.65 ERA with a .452 average against.
Footnotes. Black said that top pitching prospect Ryan Rolison will not make his big-league debut with the Rockies this season, even though the team needs a starter for Friday’s doubleheader at Arizona. Rolison will pitch during the Arizona instructional league this fall. … Black also said he probably won’t start right-hander Jeff Hoffman on Friday, though he didn’t rule out using Antonio Santos. … Ryan McMahon, who’s subbing for the injured Nolan Arenado at third, provided an honest assessment about how he feels about playing third. “I love third base. I think of myself as a third baseman playing second base,” he said.
On Deck
Rockies RHP Ryan Castellani (1-3, 5.59) at Giants RHP Logan Webb (2-4, 5.73)
7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oracle Park
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 AM
Castellani is making his pitch for next season’s rotation in his final two starts of the 2020 season. It’s been an up-and-down season for the 24-year-old rookie right-hander. Since posting a win at Arizona on Aug. 24, he is 0-2 with a 7.85 ERA in five games (four starts). He’s pitched well away from Coors Field, going 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA in three starts, with opponents hitting just .191. The Giants usually don’t announce their starters until the day of the game, but Webb is lined up to pitch. He’s coming off a difficult performance last Friday when Oakland hammered him for six runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander threw only 48 of 90 pitches for strikes and also hit a batter.
Trending: Colorado’s starting pitchers have been pulling their weight. Over their past 10 outings, entering Tuesday night’s game, Rockies starters had made six quality starts while posting a 3.47 ERA.
At issue: Utility player Garrett Hampson, perhaps hampered by inconsistent playing time, entered Tuesday’s game batting 3-for-30 (.100) since Sept. 7.
Pitching Probables
Thursday: Rockies RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-2, 7.53) at Giants RHP Kevin Gausman (3-3, 3.76), 1:45 p.m., ATTRM
Friday (doubleheader): Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (5-2, 3.13) at Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (2-2, 3.00), 4:40 p.m., ATTRM / Rockies TBD at Diamondbacks RHP Luke Weaver (1-8, 6.51), 7:40 p.m., ATTRM


thedenverpost--2020-09-23--Keeler: Broncos are officially the Blake Bortles of NFL franchises now. Dead by inches. Tortured by

Keeler: Broncos are officially the Blake Bortles of NFL franchises now. Dead by inches. Tortured by timeouts. Just good enough to break your heart.

It ’ s perfect and sad , all in the same sigh .
Blake Bortles and the Blake Bortles of NFL franchises .
Together at last .
No , Bortles doesn ’ t have three Super Bowl rings .
He ’ s not been blessed with one of the most loyal fan bases on the planet .
But the surface parallels between the last five years of the Broncos ’ newest quarterback target and his new team ’ s travails since 2015 are more than a little uncanny : Flashes of brilliance .
Doesn ’ t always close .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re making it up as they go .
Not terrible .
Just good enough to break your heart .
Over his last 28 regular-season starts , Bortles is 3-8 in games decided by eight points or fewer .
The Broncos are 4-7 since 2019 in contests decided by eight or less under coach Vic Fangio .
“ We ’ re plays away , ” linebacker Josey Jewell said of his Broncos , who take an 0-2 mark — after narrow defeats to Tennessee and Pittsburgh — into Sunday ’ s showdown with Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s frustrating , but at the same time we ’ re really close .
We know that.
” They are , but it ’ s not like Bortles gets them all that much closer .
The kid was drafted out of Central Florida in 2014 as a franchise savior .
By his fourth season , his best , he was the guy whose job was to hand off to Leonard Fournette and get the heck out of the way .
If Bortles is Plan B because Jeff Driskel is Plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem .
Although let ’ s be clear : Not all of this — the injuries , the frustration , Bortles — is Fangio ’ s fault .
We snicker at preseason games for being shameless cash-grabs , but those tilts also help smooth over some of the chemistry and infirmary headaches we ’ ve been handed in September .
The crowd at Mile High is probably worth at least a win a season , and we ’ ll likely never see it raging and rocking at capacity the rest of this calendar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life things , elements that were out of the Broncos ’ control .
It ’ s the things that have been in their purview that worry you .
The lack of a central focus , a central mantra , a central vision — other than WE HATE TO LOSE and DO IT FOR MR. B — from the top down .
Filling some holes with talent , while leaving others — right tackle , cornerback , backup quarterback — to be patched by hope .
Hiring an old head coach with a defensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ youth , speed and offensive complexity .
Game management .
Situational awareness .
Giving your best wideout a jumping jacks test before deciding whether or not to send him out onto the field is cute , but it ’ s hardly the most scientific way to assess one of your most valuable assets .
Not in a league that ’ s got more lasers at its disposal than Darth Sidious .
At his most charming , what you love about Fangio are those little moments when he reminds you of Ken Reeves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show “ The White Shadow.
” Those occasions when he ’ s everybody ’ s streetwise dad , the cool gym teacher .
On the flip side , there are the four losses under Uncle Vic in which Denver held the lead in the game ’ s final 30 seconds .
That takes some doing , even in 2020 .
The NFL is all about fine margins .
In 18 months , the Broncos have gone from death by inches to tortured by timeouts .
The NBA is about the name on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baseball is about the general manager .
The NFL is a QB-and-coach league , no matter how complicated , how nuanced , we try to make it .
• What to expect for the first Broncos game with fans during the pandemic • Tim Patrick ready to step up alongside Jerry Jeudy , KJ Hamler and other Broncos wideouts in wake of Courtland Sutton ’ s injury • Broncos Mailbag : Why didn ’ t Melvin Gordon get a chance on third- or fourth-down Sunday on final drive ?
Few franchises have seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pedigree of their respective signal-callers as the Broncos .
Legends ( Elway , Manning ) reached Super Bowls , the very good came very close ( Plummer ) , and almost everybody else , including the Almighty Tebow , went up and down .
The surest ways to beat the Chiefs are to either remove Patrick Mahomes from the equation or to counter Kansas City with a gunslinger of your own .
The plan for 2020 was to figure out if Drew Lock was/is that guy .
We might never get a true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that rotator cuff strain was nothing more than a fortnight ’ s speed bump .
Given the landscape of the AFC West , tanking the rest of 2020 for a crack at Clemson ’ s Trevor Lawrence might be a sensible , if alarmist , plan for the long view .
Although it ’ s also hard to imagine John Elway blessing that agenda with a straight face .
Besides , there ’ s going to be plenty of traffic on that turnpike , and Carolina , the Jets and Giants are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the road to nowhere .
Although they can all just about make the Broncos out in their respective rear-view mirrors now , Bortles tied to the roof rack like a Fraser fir .
That ’ s not a compliment .

It’s perfect and sad, all in the same sigh. Blake Bortles and the Blake Bortles of NFL franchises. Together at last.
No, Bortles doesn’t have three Super Bowl rings. He’s not been blessed with one of the most loyal fan bases on the planet. But the surface parallels between the last five years of the Broncos’ newest quarterback target and his new team’s travails since 2015 are more than a little uncanny:
Flashes of brilliance. Doesn’t always close. No consistency. Sometimes feels like they’re making it up as they go. Not terrible. Just good enough to break your heart.
Sound familiar?
Over his last 28 regular-season starts, Bortles is 3-8 in games decided by eight points or fewer. The Broncos are 4-7 since 2019 in contests decided by eight or less under Vic Fangio.
“We’re plays away,” linebacker Josey Jewell said of his Broncos, who take an 0-2 mark — after narrow defeats to Tennessee and Pittsburgh — into Sunday’s showdown with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “It’s frustrating, but at the same time we’re really close. We know that.”
They are, but it’s not like Bortles gets them all that much closer. The kid was drafted out of Central Florida in 2014 as a franchise savior. By his fourth season, his best, he was the guy whose job was to hand off to Leonard Fournette and get the heck out of the way.
If Bortles is Plan B because Jeff Driskel is Plan A, you have a Plan A problem.
Although let’s be clear: Not all of this — the injuries, the frustration, Bortles — is Fangio’s fault. We snicker at preseason games for being shameless cash-grabs, but those tilts also help smooth over some of the chemistry and infirmary headaches we’ve been handed in September. The crowd at Mile High is probably worth at least a win a season, and we’ll likely never see it raging and rocking at capacity the rest of this calendar year. Those are COVID things, life things, elements that were out of the Broncos’ control.
It’s the things that have been in their purview that worry you. The lack of a central focus, a central mantra, a central vision — other than WE HATE TO LOSE and DO IT FOR MR. B — from the top down. Filling some holes with talent, while leaving others — right tackle, cornerback, backup quarterback — to be patched by hope.
Hiring an old head coach with a defensive background in an NFL era driven by youth, speed and offensive complexity. Game management. Situational awareness.
Giving your best wideout a jumping jacks test before deciding whether or not to send him out onto the field is cute, but it’s hardly the most scientific way to assess one of your most valuable assets. Not in a league that’s got more lasers at its disposal than Darth Sidious.
At his most charming, what you love about Fangio are those little moments when he reminds you of Ken Reeves, the coach from the ‘70s TV show “The White Shadow.” Those occasions when he’s everybody’s streetwise dad, the cool gym teacher.
On the flip side, there are the four losses under Uncle Vic in which Denver held the lead in the game’s final 30 seconds. That takes some doing, even in 2020. The NFL is all about fine margins. In 18 months, the Broncos have gone from death by inches to tortured by timeouts.
The NBA is about the name on the back of the jersey. Major League Baseball is about the general manager. The NFL is a QB-and-coach league, no matter how complicated, how nuanced, we try to make it.
Few franchises have seen their success so intrinsically linked to the pedigree of their respective signal-callers as the Broncos. Legends (Elway, Manning) reached Super Bowls, the very good came very close (Plummer), and almost everybody else, including the Almighty Tebow, went up and down.
The surest ways to beat the Chiefs are to either remove Patrick Mahomes from the equation or to counter Kansas City with a gunslinger of your own. The plan for 2020 was to figure out if Drew Lock was/is that guy. We might never get a true picture of that now, even if that rotator cuff strain was nothing more than a fortnight’s speed bump.
Given the landscape of the AFC West, tanking the rest of 2020 for a crack at Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence might be a sensible, if alarmist, plan for the long view. Although it’s also hard to imagine John Elway blessing that agenda with a straight face.
Besides, there’s going to be plenty of traffic on that turnpike, and Carolina, the Jets and Giants are already about six car lengths ahead of you on the road to nowhere. Although they can all just about make the Broncos out in their respective rear-view mirrors now, Bortles tied to the roof rack like a Fraser fir. That’s not a compliment.