thedenverpost--2020-05-25--“What do I do?”: With more than 550,000 people trying to get unemployment, logjam is taking a toll

Unemployment benefits are a lifeline keeping hundreds of thousands of Coloradan above water as the coronavirus drives unprecedented economic pain in the Centennial State and across the country .
The stakes of payments making it out to people smoothly are high with the COVID-19 pandemic triggering a global recession and state unemployment rates at record levels .
But Colorado ’ s unemployment system , from its confusing online filing portal to its perpetually overloaded call center , has become a weight around the necks of an untold number of people struggling to stay afloat and with few to no other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have gotten from unemployment since I filed my claim was a PIN number , ” Brian Dicht , an unemployed sous chef who lives in Glendale , said .
He filed his initial claim on April 13 .
“ I would literally be homeless if it weren ’ t for my parents.
” Originally from New Jersey , Dicht , who is in his early 30s , worked in Tel Aviv and New York City before landing in Colorado about 18 months ago .
He started working at a restaurant called Earnest Hall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak was taking off .
When he lost his job a month later , he immediately filed an initial claim for unemployment , overcoming a few technical glitches along the way .
His personal identification number arrived at the start of May with a slight delay .
Then a message popped up on his online account saying his claim was “ postponed.
” There was no explanation .
Did he do something wrong on his initial application ?
Did the state need more information ?
Did the system flag him for having a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And there is no easy way to get a live person on the line and find answers .
Dicht said he calls the unemployment helpline every day , often multiple times , trying to get his claim moving forward again .
Every time he said he gets the same recorded message about high call volumes and a request to call back .
His back against the wall , he dialed a new call center set up just for contract and gig workers and got through easily , only to be refused help , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
“ I cursed the person out because I was so pissed off , ” he said .
“ I have been trying to get through to someone for a month .
When I finally get through , you can ’ t help me ?
You can help me , but you are choosing not to.
” Straight-forward claims can move fairly quickly , within two weeks from applying to a direct deposit into a bank account .
The state has paid out on 86 % of the applications it has received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive director for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment , said Thursday .
But with more than 550,000 people trying to get unemployment , that means at least 77,000 have been rejected or are still waiting .
Make a misstep along the way though — say report the wrong amount of wages earned , or fail to make enough income in the prior quarter , or mistype the number on your driver ’ s license — and things can get complicated fast .
Haavind said one problem created by the crushing volume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that states use to check whether a worker has earned income in other states is bogged down .
Nearly 39 million people across the country have applied for some form of unemployment since the pandemic erupted in the U.S. To be fair to the state , there are explicit rules the federal government lays out , and many workers , unfamiliar with the process , don ’ t understand the precise steps they must take .
Some people file and don ’ t follow through in establishing their accounts online , expecting funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t update the hours they worked or didn ’ t work , which they are required to do every two weeks under the state ’ s normal system ( once each week for federally funded pandemic unemployment assistance recipients ) .
The challenge of helping people navigate those rules is amplified by the sheer number of people in need .
During the Great Recession , the high-water mark for unemployment claims filed in a single week was 7,749 in January 2010 .
Over the last nine weeks , 52,957 people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And there are tens of thousands more who have applied and been rejected for one reason or another .
With the help of $ 20.2 million in administrative funding from the federal government , the department of labor has focused on creating “ multiple pathways ” into its unemployment systems , Haavind said .
In the early days of the pandemic , when the state ’ s overloaded claims system was routinely kicking people out of their applications before they could complete them , the department launched last-name specific filing guidelines asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at any given time .
Similar guidelines are now in use on the payment request portal to help things run smoothly .
When the CARES Act opened up unemployment benefits to self-employed people , gig workers and a host of others who previously were ineligible for benefits , the labor department tweaked a contract with its technology vendor , Deloitte , to create a separate filing system for those claims .
It came with a separate call center staffed by 101 workers .
Other tools the state is relying on to get information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is coming up Wednesday ) , hold messages that address frequently asked questions , and even automated chatbots .
On a press call Friday , Haavind highlighted an effort to work with a technology company to create “ virtual agents ” capable of providing automated responses to some questions .
Haavind said many things people call the department to ask don ’ t require in-person assistance , but for callers it ’ s about hearing the answers from a human being .
“ They are looking for some reassurance , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call center is currently staffed by 82 employees , though workers from around the department pitch in by responding to general inbox emails and answering call-back requests as they can .
The department has hired 83 more call center workers but doesn ’ t expect them to be ready to jump on the lines for some time .
Training can take up to 12 weeks , Haavind said .
“ ( Unemployment insurance ) , again , is not a system where you can hire a temp today and they ’ re on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , referencing the depth of knowledge required to understand eligibility requirements and more .
“ If it was just taking a claim and processing a claim that would be great .
That ’ s not how the system is set up.
” In the meantime , people seeking help call , call and call again just hoping to get lucky and get through to an agent .
Arvada resident Cheryl Kelly estimates she called the unemployment hotline 175 times before noon one day and never got through .
Kelly , 58 , lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three lost their jobs due to COVID-19 within a few weeks of one another .
The family house is paid off , but Kelly is facing substantial medical bills for a series of unexpected surgeries last year and the family has to pay income taxes related to her husband ’ s former job in the oil and gas industry , property taxes and other bills .
“ Not in our wildest dreams did we ever think that all three of us would be laid off at the same time , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was working part-time at a Fred Meyer Jewelers location inside a King Soopers .
Originally furloughed , she applied for unemployment and received payment for her first two weeks out of work .
Then she was told the jewelry store would be closing permanently .
She went in for two days , April 29th and 30th , to help close up shop for good .
When she went to fill out her next payment request on the state ’ s system , she reported those hours and that her employer was closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said the system closed her claim and gave her a message instructing her to call the call center .
She has been trying to get through ever since .
“ I ’ m just so frustrated .
What do I do ?
That ’ s my question , ” Kelly said .
“ I just need to talk to them and find out .
Am I eligible or ineligible ?
Is there something I ’ ve done wrong ?
How do I get back in ?
” Pre COVID-19 , the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 1,200 calls per day , Haavind said .
Since the crisis erupted , those numbers have gone up to anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 per day .
Right now , the department is able to field about 4,000 calls daily , leaving at least 40 % and as many as 80 % of calls unanswered .
Unemployment system problems are not unique to Colorado .
Washington D.C.-based think tank the Economic Policy Institute surveyed 24,607 people in the second half of April .
The survey found that for every 10 people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks and were able to successfully file unemployment claims with their state labor departments , there were at least three more people who tried to apply but were unable to get through because of system issues .
Beyond that , there were two more applicants who gave up because they found filing too difficult .
“ At the time , 22 million workers had filed initial claims , and what we found is somewhere between 8 million and 12 million more people could have filed had the process been easier , ” EPI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem in Zipperer ’ s view is that unemployment systems in many places have been neglected or made to be intentionally difficult .
Given the rate of job loss , Zipperer believes it would be in the best interest of people and the economy if states approved everyone who applied for unemployment immediately and then went about verifying information .
Catching false claims is a lower priority than making sure needy people are supported right now , he said .
“ If we spend a lot of effort on weeding out fraudulent claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congestion in the system and prevent a lot of valid claims from coming through , ” he said .
“ And you are going to end up kicking people off the rolls that should have been on the rolls of the first place.
” Even in states that may run out of money for paying claims — as is likely to happen in Colorado as soon as this summer — the federal government will come in with low- to no-interest loans .
The feds have already alerted Colorado they will be auditing claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s payment request system has multiple warnings about entering false information .
The Colorado Department of Labor , and Gov .
Jared Polis through executive order , have taken down a number of barriers to speedy payments , including waiving work search requirements , Haavind said .
Processing that used to take four to six weeks now is completed in 10 days or so , depending on the claim .
The worst-case scenario around rushing out payments is that it could blow back on workers , Haavind said .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay it back later if proper protocols aren ’ t followed .
“ For us , we ’ d like the payments to be proper and expedient , and that ’ s what we ’ re working on , ” Haavind said .

Unemployment benefits are a lifeline keeping hundreds of thousands of Coloradans above water as the coronavirus drives unprecedented economic pain in the Centennial State and across the country.
The stakes of payments making it out to people smoothly are high with the COVID-19 pandemic triggering a global recession and state unemployment rates at record levels. But Colorado’s unemployment system, from its confusing online filing portal to its perpetually overloaded call center, has become a weight around the necks of an untold number of people struggling to stay afloat and with few to no other options for support.
“All I have gotten from unemployment since I filed my claim was a PIN number,” Brian Dicht, an unemployed sous chef who lives in Glendale, said. He filed his initial claim on April 13. “I would literally be homeless if it weren’t for my parents.”
Originally from New Jersey, Dicht, who is in his early 30s, worked in Tel Aviv and New York City before landing in Colorado about 18 months ago. He started working at a restaurant called Earnest Hall around March 10, right as the outbreak was taking off.
When he lost his job a month later, he immediately filed an initial claim for unemployment, overcoming a few technical glitches along the way. His personal identification number arrived at the start of May with a slight delay. Then a message popped up on his online account saying his claim was “postponed.” There was no explanation. Did he do something wrong on his initial application? Did the state need more information? Did the system flag him for having a New Jersey driver’s license?
And there is no easy way to get a live person on the line and find answers. Dicht said he calls the unemployment helpline every day, often multiple times, trying to get his claim moving forward again. Every time he said he gets the same recorded message about high call volumes and a request to call back.
His back against the wall, he dialed a new call center set up just for contract and gig workers and got through easily, only to be refused help, which caused weeks of frustration to spill out.
“I cursed the person out because I was so pissed off,” he said. “I have been trying to get through to someone for a month. When I finally get through, you can’t help me? You can help me, but you are choosing not to.”
Straight-forward claims can move fairly quickly, within two weeks from applying to a direct deposit into a bank account. The state has paid out on 86% of the applications it has received since mid-March, Cher Haavind, deputy executive director for the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, said Thursday. But with more than 550,000 people trying to get unemployment, that means at least 77,000 have been rejected or are still waiting.
Make a misstep along the way though — say report the wrong amount of wages earned, or fail to make enough income in the prior quarter, or mistype the number on your driver’s license — and things can get complicated fast.
Haavind said one problem created by the crushing volume of claims is that a national database that states use to check whether a worker has earned income in other states is bogged down. Nearly 39 million people across the country have applied for some form of unemployment since the pandemic erupted in the U.S.
To be fair to the state, there are explicit rules the federal government lays out, and many workers, unfamiliar with the process, don’t understand the precise steps they must take. Some people file and don’t follow through in establishing their accounts online, expecting funds to arrive like stimulus money. Others don’t update the hours they worked or didn’t work, which they are required to do every two weeks under the state’s normal system (once each week for federally funded pandemic unemployment assistance recipients).
The challenge of helping people navigate those rules is amplified by the sheer number of people in need.
During the Great Recession, the high-water mark for unemployment claims filed in a single week was 7,749 in January 2010. Over the last nine weeks, 52,957 people have filed initial claims for support on average. And there are tens of thousands more who have applied and been rejected for one reason or another.
With the help of $20.2 million in administrative funding from the federal government, the department of labor has focused on creating “multiple pathways” into its unemployment systems, Haavind said. In the early days of the pandemic, when the state’s overloaded claims system was routinely kicking people out of their applications before they could complete them, the department launched last-name specific filing guidelines asking only half of all applicants to file at any given time. Similar guidelines are now in use on the payment request portal to help things run smoothly.
When the CARES Act opened up unemployment benefits to self-employed people, gig workers and a host of others who previously were ineligible for benefits, the labor department tweaked a contract with its technology vendor, Deloitte, to create a separate filing system for those claims. It came with a separate call center staffed by 101 workers.
Other tools the state is relying on to get information out to people include webinars (one is coming up Wednesday), hold messages that address frequently asked questions, and even automated chatbots. On a press call Friday, Haavind highlighted an effort to work with a technology company to create “virtual agents” capable of providing automated responses to some questions. Haavind said many things people call the department to ask don’t require in-person assistance, but for callers it’s about hearing the answers from a human being.
“They are looking for some reassurance,” she said.
The state’s regular unemployment call center is currently staffed by 82 employees, though workers from around the department pitch in by responding to general inbox emails and answering call-back requests as they can. The department has hired 83 more call center workers but doesn’t expect them to be ready to jump on the lines for some time. Training can take up to 12 weeks, Haavind said.
“(Unemployment insurance), again, is not a system where you can hire a temp today and they’re on the phones tomorrow,” Haavind said, referencing the depth of knowledge required to understand eligibility requirements and more. “If it was just taking a claim and processing a claim that would be great. That’s not how the system is set up.”
In the meantime, people seeking help call, call and call again just hoping to get lucky and get through to an agent.
Arvada resident Cheryl Kelly estimates she called the unemployment hotline 175 times before noon one day and never got through. Kelly, 58, lives with her husband and son. All three lost their jobs due to COVID-19 within a few weeks of one another. The family house is paid off, but Kelly is facing substantial medical bills for a series of unexpected surgeries last year and the family has to pay income taxes related to her husband’s former job in the oil and gas industry, property taxes and other bills.
“Not in our wildest dreams did we ever think that all three of us would be laid off at the same time,” she said.
In Kelly’s case, she was working part-time at a Fred Meyer Jewelers location inside a King Soopers. Originally furloughed, she applied for unemployment and received payment for her first two weeks out of work. Then she was told the jewelry store would be closing permanently. She went in for two days, April 29th and 30th, to help close up shop for good.
When she went to fill out her next payment request on the state’s system, she reported those hours and that her employer was closing for good. At that point, she said the system closed her claim and gave her a message instructing her to call the call center. She has been trying to get through ever since.
“I’m just so frustrated. What do I do? That’s my question,” Kelly said. “I just need to talk to them and find out. Am I eligible or ineligible? Is there something I’ve done wrong? How do I get back in?”
Pre COVID-19, the state’s unemployment call center fielded 1,000 to 1,200 calls per day, Haavind said. Since the crisis erupted, those numbers have gone up to anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 per day. Right now, the department is able to field about 4,000 calls daily, leaving at least 40% and as many as 80% of calls unanswered.
Unemployment system problems are not unique to Colorado. Washington D.C.-based think tank the Economic Policy Institute surveyed 24,607 people in the second half of April. The survey found that for every 10 people who lost their jobs over the prior four weeks and were able to successfully file unemployment claims with their state labor departments, there were at least three more people who tried to apply but were unable to get through because of system issues. Beyond that, there were two more applicants who gave up because they found filing too difficult.
“At the time, 22 million workers had filed initial claims, and what we found is somewhere between 8 million and 12 million more people could have filed had the process been easier,” EPI economist Ben Zipperer said.
A major problem in Zipperer’s view is that unemployment systems in many places have been neglected or made to be intentionally difficult.
Given the rate of job loss, Zipperer believes it would be in the best interest of people and the economy if states approved everyone who applied for unemployment immediately and then went about verifying information. Catching false claims is a lower priority than making sure needy people are supported right now, he said.
“If we spend a lot of effort on weeding out fraudulent claims, that will cause a lot of congestion in the system and prevent a lot of valid claims from coming through,” he said. “And you are going to end up kicking people off the rolls that should have been on the rolls of the first place.”
Even in states that may run out of money for paying claims — as is likely to happen in Colorado as soon as this summer — the federal government will come in with low- to no-interest loans.
The feds have already alerted Colorado they will be auditing claims filed here, Haavind said. And the state’s payment request system has multiple warnings about entering false information.
The Colorado Department of Labor, and Gov. Jared Polis through executive order, have taken down a number of barriers to speedy payments, including waiving work search requirements, Haavind said. Processing that used to take four to six weeks now is completed in 10 days or so, depending on the claim.
The worst-case scenario around rushing out payments is that it could blow back on workers, Haavind said. Those who received too much support might have to pay it back later if proper protocols aren’t followed.
“For us, we’d like the payments to be proper and expedient, and that’s what we’re working on,” Haavind said.


thedenverpost--2020-05-25--Small town success: Derrek Tuszka’s route to Broncos fueled by work ethic, family support

The area surrounding the Tuszka home in Warner , S.D.
, was the first athletic stage for Jarrod and his younger brother , Derrek .
Name a competition , football or basketball , hunting or fishing , and the connected-at-the-hip duo would play to win .
Their mom , Stacy , has a first memory .
Nearly two decades ago , Jarrod was 5 and Derrek was 3 , and when it was time to play football in the backyard , they called for a passer .
“ I would be the all-team quarterback , ” Stacy said with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( thrower ) , but they were little .
I didn ’ t have to throw it that far .
We would make the play up and the other would be on defense.
” Derrek has never stopped playing , competing and winning .
He was a star in nine-man football , a five-year starter in high school basketball , and a part of four FCS national championship teams at North Dakota State .
Along the way , a work ethic , on and off the field , was established and never compromised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Derrek combined the want-to with natural talent to attract the Broncos , who made him their final draft pick ( seventh round/No .
254 ) last month .
“ One of the most fun guys I ’ ve had the privilege of being around and coaching , ” NDSU defensive ends coach Buddha Williams said .
“ Effort was never a question and his motor carried over to everybody else in the room and on the team.
” That mentality helped Tuszka transition from small-town high school football to the FCS ’ premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foundation with the Broncos .
Late selections need everything to fall right — chiefly the opportunity to show up on tape during offseason/training camp practices and preseason games — to make the opening-week roster .
But the coronavirus pandemic has kept the NFL ’ s doors shuttered since mid-March .
Tuszka , who had 29 1/2 sacks in 53 games for the Bison , trained in Centennial at Broncos strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow ’ s center before the scouting combine and returned to the Denver area last week .
When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tuszka will have multiple objectives : Defend the run at a listed 251 pounds , quickly transition from defensive end in a 4-3 scheme to outside linebacker in a 3-4 front while maintaining his pass-rushing prowess , and become a core special teams player .
Check all three boxes and he could challenge Malik Reed and Justin Hollins for the No .
4 spot behind Von Miller , Bradley Chubb and Jeremiah Attaochu .
• Broncos Insider : Raiders ’ move to Las Vegas will add juice to stale rivalry with Broncos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free agency and the draft The last three weeks , Tuszka , his Broncos-issued iPad in hand , was putting in hours of study while staying at his brother ’ s house in Fargo .
“ He ’ s so detailed in his work — that ’ s where he has set himself up for great success , ” said Jarrod , who was also a defensive end at NDSU .
“ Once he was able to get into the Denver playbook , he never put that thing down .
It was like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he would look up and say , ‘ This stuff is making sense.
’ He ’ s a quick learner.
” And the dude has a special story .
When Derrek was eight months old , the Tuszkas moved from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to Warner , Stacy ’ s hometown .
The 2010 census lists 457 residents and Stacy estimated Derrek ’ s high school graduating class was about 19-21 kids .
Warner is less than 15 minutes south of Aberdeen .
The Missouri River is 110 miles west and Derrek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spear-fish for walleye .
When their sons attended NDSU , Stacy and her husband , Mark , would make the 185-mile drive to Fargo , taking left turns onto Route 12 east and Interstate 29 north .
Mark works for an Ohio-based packaging company and Stacy for her family ’ s agriculture business .
The Tuszka boys grew up just outside of town , close enough to walk to school , but with plenty of space , Derrek said , “ that we were able to shoot our guns in the backyard.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ahead of him in school , was always Derrek ’ s goal .
Jarrod learned how to ride a bike at age 5 ?
Derrek wanted to at 3 1/2 .
Jarrod started lifting weights as a teenager ?
Derrek began training at the same time .
Jarrod earned a black belt in taekwondo ?
Derrek quickly followed .
And when Mark and Stacy , who often volunteered to coach Jarrod ’ s age-group teams , needed an extra player ?
They promoted young Derrek .
“ They ’ re not twins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they grew up together , ” said Mark , who played defensive end and kicker at Minn.-Duluth in the late 1970s .
“ Anything Derrek was engaged in , he excelled .
He applied himself , he focused and he competed.
” Derrek was a dominant nine-man football player .
A normal defense fields four linemen , three linebackers and two defensive backs , and the game is played on a field that is 80 yards long and 40 yards wide .
Derrek saw playing time at eight positions ( everything but quarterback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For Jarrod ’ s final two years of high school and Derrek ’ s first two , they lined up together at linebacker with a simple objective .
“ It was a competition for who could get to the football the fastest , ” Jarrod said .
Said Derrek : “ I think playing ( different positions ) helped me tremendously with my athleticism and just learning how to read the game from those spots.
” Derrek finished his high school career with 342 tackles and 1,460 rushing yards but wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs , Northern State in nearby Aberdeen and Minn.-Duluth , his father ’ s alma mater , offered , but NDSU was enamored with adding another Tuszka .
Jarrod joined the NDSU program in 2013 and Derrek followed two years later , choosing the Bison over a late push from Wyoming , whose new coach , Craig Bohl , had just left NDSU .
NDSU listed 109 players on last year ’ s championship-winning roster .
Fifty-four were from North Dakota and Minnesota , but only three from South Dakota .
Not from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to learn a higher level of play … while dealing with two additional players and a bigger field .
“ It took a little time , ” Derrek said .
“ Practice was huge for me .
That ( redshirt ) year , it was good to learn from some of the older guys and take a whole bunch of reps in practice.
” Derrek debuted as a rotational defensive end in 2016 ( four tackles ) .
The next season , he often lined up at defensive end opposite Jarrod , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brother .
“ People would say , ‘ You have a biased opinion , ’ ” Jarrod said .
“ He ’ s my brother , but there had been so many great athletes from ( NDSU ) that played in the NFL and you get an eye for it .
I knew at the end of the 2017 season that he would get a shot .
He just got better every year.
” Two seasons of 7 1/2 sacks set Derrek up for a terrific senior year — 13 1/2 sacks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conference Defensive Player of the Year .
The Bison ’ s depth allowed coaches to use a two-platoon line , keeping Tuszka fresh for the end of games and select third-down situations .
“ Remarkable ( consistency ) , ” said Williams , who joined NDSU ’ s staff in 2017 .
“ Every time he stepped on the field , you can bet you were going to get his all and he would be one of the best players in the league week in and week out.
” Tuszka ’ s daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his other passion : Flying .
On his 18th birthday , his parents gifted him an airplane ride with Mike Harmon , who sprayed the Tuszka ’ s fields .
Derrek earned his pilot ’ s license and has around 300 hours of flight time .
He and his father co-own a 7GC Champ — a one-engine , two-seat craft .
“ He ’ s pursued flying just like he has his education and football , ” Mark Tuszka said .
And now the pursuit is sticking in the NFL .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natives have played at least 100 games in the league , led by kicker Adam Vinatieri ( Yankton ) and including tight end Dallas Clark ( Sioux Falls ) , offensive tackle Riley Reiff ( Parkston ) and linebackers Chad Greenway ( Mount Vernon ) and Ben Leber ( Vermillion ) .
“ ( The NFL ) was something we never really talked about — it seemed so far away and such a huge accomplishment knowing that doesn ’ t happen to people where we live , ” Stacy Tuszka said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I thought if anybody can do it , it ’ s Derrek because he ’ s so driven .
”

The area surrounding the Tuszka home in Warner, S.D., was the first athletic stage for Jarrod and his younger brother, Derrek. Name a competition, football or basketball, hunting or fishing, and the connected-at-the-hip duo would play to win.
Their mom, Stacy, has a first memory. Nearly two decades ago, Jarrod was 5 and Derrek was 3, and when it was time to play football in the backyard, they called for a passer.
“I would be the all-team quarterback,” Stacy said with a laugh. “Not a very good (thrower), but they were little. I didn’t have to throw it that far. We would make the play up and the other would be on defense.”
Derrek has never stopped playing, competing and winning.
He was a star in nine-man football, a five-year starter in high school basketball, and a part of four FCS national championship teams at North Dakota State. Along the way, a work ethic, on and off the field, was established and never compromised. The Tuszkas work. Period.
Derrek combined the want-to with natural talent to attract the Broncos, who made him their final draft pick (seventh round/No. 254) last month.
“One of the most fun guys I’ve had the privilege of being around and coaching,” NDSU defensive ends coach Buddha Williams said. “Effort was never a question and his motor carried over to everybody else in the room and on the team.”
That mentality helped Tuszka transition from small-town high school football to the FCS’ premier program, and it will provide a foundation with the Broncos. Late selections need everything to fall right — chiefly the opportunity to show up on tape during offseason/training camp practices and preseason games — to make the opening-week roster. But the coronavirus pandemic has kept the NFL’s doors shuttered since mid-March.
Tuszka, who had 29 1/2 sacks in 53 games for the Bison, trained in Centennial at Broncos strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow’s center before the scouting combine and returned to the Denver area last week. When the Broncos eventually put on pads and helmets, Tuszka will have multiple objectives: Defend the run at a listed 251 pounds, quickly transition from defensive end in a 4-3 scheme to outside linebacker in a 3-4 front while maintaining his pass-rushing prowess, and become a core special teams player.
Check all three boxes and he could challenge Malik Reed and Justin Hollins for the No. 4 spot behind Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Jeremiah Attaochu.
The last three weeks, Tuszka, his Broncos-issued iPad in hand, was putting in hours of study while staying at his brother’s house in Fargo.
“He’s so detailed in his work — that’s where he has set himself up for great success,” said Jarrod, who was also a defensive end at NDSU. “Once he was able to get into the Denver playbook, he never put that thing down. It was like his Bible. He would light up when he would look up and say, ‘This stuff is making sense.’ He’s a quick learner.”
Jarrod paused and added: “He’s a special dude.”
And the dude has a special story.
Benefit of nine-man football
When Derrek was eight months old, the Tuszkas moved from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to Warner, Stacy’s hometown. The 2010 census lists 457 residents and Stacy estimated Derrek’s high school graduating class was about 19-21 kids.
Warner is less than 15 minutes south of Aberdeen. The Missouri River is 110 miles west and Derrek and Jarrod visit there to scuba dive and spear-fish for walleye. When their sons attended NDSU, Stacy and her husband, Mark, would make the 185-mile drive to Fargo, taking left turns onto Route 12 east and Interstate 29 north.
Mark works for an Ohio-based packaging company and Stacy for her family’s agriculture business. The Tuszka boys grew up just outside of town, close enough to walk to school, but with plenty of space, Derrek said, “that we were able to shoot our guns in the backyard.”
Keeping up with Jarrod, two years ahead of him in school, was always Derrek’s goal.
Jarrod learned how to ride a bike at age 5? Derrek wanted to at 3 1/2. Jarrod started lifting weights as a teenager? Derrek began training at the same time. Jarrod earned a black belt in taekwondo? Derrek quickly followed. And when Mark and Stacy, who often volunteered to coach Jarrod’s age-group teams, needed an extra player? They promoted young Derrek.
“They’re not twins, but pretty close based on how they grew up together,” said Mark, who played defensive end and kicker at Minn.-Duluth in the late 1970s. “Anything Derrek was engaged in, he excelled. He applied himself, he focused and he competed.”
Derrek was a dominant nine-man football player. A normal defense fields four linemen, three linebackers and two defensive backs, and the game is played on a field that is 80 yards long and 40 yards wide.
Derrek saw playing time at eight positions (everything but quarterback, defensive end and offensive line). For Jarrod’s final two years of high school and Derrek’s first two, they lined up together at linebacker with a simple objective.
“It was a competition for who could get to the football the fastest,” Jarrod said.
Said Derrek: “I think playing (different positions) helped me tremendously with my athleticism and just learning how to read the game from those spots.”
Derrek finished his high school career with 342 tackles and 1,460 rushing yards but wasn’t heavily recruited. Two Division II programs, Northern State in nearby Aberdeen and Minn.-Duluth, his father’s alma mater, offered, but NDSU was enamored with adding another Tuszka.
Jarrod joined the NDSU program in 2013 and Derrek followed two years later, choosing the Bison over a late push from Wyoming, whose new coach, Craig Bohl, had just left NDSU.
”Driven” to succeed in NFL
NDSU listed 109 players on last year’s championship-winning roster. Fifty-four were from North Dakota and Minnesota, but only three from South Dakota. Not from a high school football hotbed, Derrek had to learn a higher level of play … while dealing with two additional players and a bigger field.
“It took a little time,” Derrek said. “Practice was huge for me. That (redshirt) year, it was good to learn from some of the older guys and take a whole bunch of reps in practice.”
Derrek debuted as a rotational defensive end in 2016 (four tackles). The next season, he often lined up at defensive end opposite Jarrod, who saw NFL ability in his younger brother.
“People would say, ‘You have a biased opinion,’” Jarrod said. “He’s my brother, but there had been so many great athletes from (NDSU) that played in the NFL and you get an eye for it. I knew at the end of the 2017 season that he would get a shot. He just got better every year.”
Two seasons of 7 1/2 sacks set Derrek up for a terrific senior year — 13 1/2 sacks to be named first-team All-America and Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
The Bison’s depth allowed coaches to use a two-platoon line, keeping Tuszka fresh for the end of games and select third-down situations.
“Remarkable (consistency),” said Williams, who joined NDSU’s staff in 2017. “Every time he stepped on the field, you can bet you were going to get his all and he would be one of the best players in the league week in and week out.”
Tuszka’s daily commitment to football took time away from his other passion: Flying.
On his 18th birthday, his parents gifted him an airplane ride with Mike Harmon, who sprayed the Tuszka’s fields. Derrek earned his pilot’s license and has around 300 hours of flight time. He and his father co-own a 7GC Champ — a one-engine, two-seat craft.
“He’s pursued flying just like he has his education and football,” Mark Tuszka said.
And now the pursuit is sticking in the NFL. According to Pro Football Reference, 11 South Dakota natives have played at least 100 games in the league, led by kicker Adam Vinatieri (Yankton) and including tight end Dallas Clark (Sioux Falls), offensive tackle Riley Reiff (Parkston) and linebackers Chad Greenway (Mount Vernon) and Ben Leber (Vermillion).
“(The NFL) was something we never really talked about — it seemed so far away and such a huge accomplishment knowing that doesn’t happen to people where we live,” Stacy Tuszka said. “But when they started talking about it, I thought if anybody can do it, it’s Derrek because he’s so driven.”


thedenverpost--2020-05-25--Let vegetables be the star of your Memorial Day

By Melissa Clark , The New York Times The sad truth about summer 2020 is that you may not be ushering it in by grilling giant trays of food for a horde of your family and friends .
But if you have a grill , you can still use it to make a feast this Memorial Day — though possibly on a somewhat smaller scale .
One way to go is a platter of colorful , charred , oily-in-a-good way vegetables .
Part of its beauty is that , like so many of the best things these days , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It will work with whatever sturdy produce you ’ re able to get .
Pretty much anything other than leafy greens can find a place over the fire .
Buy as many different vegetables as you can .
The more variety , the more striking the platter will look and the more interesting to eat .
But even an eggplant and a couple of zucchinis will do just fine .
To elevate those vegetables above the quotidian , you ’ ll need a special sauce , and here I offer a tangy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s inspired by an Italian agrodolce , a traditional sweet-and-sour sauce made from vinegar and sugar or honey .
I like to spike mine with colatura , the Italian analogue of Asian fish sauce , made from anchovies and salt fermented into a pungent , amber liquid .
Either one will add a rich , saline , umami flavor and help mellow the bite of the vinegar .
Or you can just leave it out and add a little more salt or a chopped anchovy or two .
If you plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you can stop right here .
But adding some soft , fresh cheese turns them into a main course with a little crusty bread to round it all out .
With its gloriously creamy center , burrata is always my first choice for this kind of recipe .
But all sorts of mild cheeses can work — a supple ball of mozzarella , a dollop of fresh ricotta or some goat cheese — anything that can add richness without competing with the sharpness of the sauce .
Then , if you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loaf of homemade sourdough around , cut it up and grill the slices after the vegetables are done .
You can pile vegetables and cheese on top , turning them into crostini .
Or use the warm toast instead of a fork , scooping up melty cheese and caramelized vegetables and eating them directly from the platter .
It ’ s one small upside about not sharing it with a crowd .
With this grilled vegetable dish , you can get a head start on summer drinking with myriad refreshing bottles that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start with rosé because , well , why not ?
Dry rosé , please , though it does not have to conform to the pale Provençal paradigm .
Good rosés come from all over .
Some are darker , some paler .
A darker rosé can be a little richer in body , a pale rosé lighter , but as long as they are dry , they will go well with this dish .
If you prefer a white wine , something dry and crisp will be best , like sauvignon blanc from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austria , many different Italian whites , albariño from Spain or Portugal , even a Chablis .
Among reds , try a light red from Chinon or Bourgueil .
— ERIC ASIMOV • 2 tablespoons honey , plus more to taste For the vegetables ( use any or all ) : • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes , preferably still on the vine 1 .
Make the sauce : Put raisins or apricots in a small heatproof bowl .
In a small saucepan , combine vinegar , honey , fish sauce or colatura ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salt .
Bring to a boil , then let simmer until the mixture reduces slightly , about 3 minutes .
Immediately pour over the raisins and let cool .
Taste and stir in a little more honey if the sauce is too harsh .
( Sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator . )
2 .
Prepare the vegetables : Oil the grill grate and light the grill .
Have a serving platter at the ready .
3 .
Grill the peppers , zucchini , eggplant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in batches if necessary , and turning them as needed .
Move them around the grate so they cook evenly .
Cook until they are lightly charred , watching them carefully , 5 to 12 minutes , depending on the vegetable .
4 .
To grill the mushrooms and asparagus , place them in a grilling basket if you have one or put directly on the grill .
( Arrange the asparagus perpendicular to the grates so they don ’ t fall through . )
Grill , turning as needed , until charred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Grill the cherry tomatoes , using the vine as a handle if possible , for 1 to 2 minutes , until they start to burst and char slightly .
Transfer all the vegetables as they cook directly to the serving platter .
5 .
Add the cheese to the platter next to the vegetables .
Immediately drizzle everything with some of the sauce , stirring it up to get the raisins , and with olive oil .
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper and scatter the herbs generously on top .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ alongside for making crostini with some of the vegetables and more of the tangy sauce .
To make this using a broiler , spread the vegetables on a rimmed sheet pan , drizzle with oil and broil until browned on top , then flip and broil until browned on the other side .
The timing will depend on the vegetable , so stick with one kind per baking pan .
You ’ ll need to do this in batches .
You can also use a grill pan .

The New York Times News Service Syndicate

By Melissa Clark, The New York Times
The sad truth about summer 2020 is that you may not be ushering it in by grilling giant trays of food for a horde of your family and friends.
But if you have a grill, you can still use it to make a feast this Memorial Day — though possibly on a somewhat smaller scale.
One way to go is a platter of colorful, charred, oily-in-a-good way vegetables.
Part of its beauty is that, like so many of the best things these days, a grilled vegetable platter is extremely adaptable. It will work with whatever sturdy produce you’re able to get. Pretty much anything other than leafy greens can find a place over the fire.
Buy as many different vegetables as you can. The more variety, the more striking the platter will look and the more interesting to eat. But even an eggplant and a couple of zucchinis will do just fine.
To elevate those vegetables above the quotidian, you’ll need a special sauce, and here I offer a tangy, spicy number speckled with raisins.
It’s inspired by an Italian agrodolce, a traditional sweet-and-sour sauce made from vinegar and sugar or honey. I like to spike mine with colatura, the Italian analogue of Asian fish sauce, made from anchovies and salt fermented into a pungent, amber liquid. Either one will add a rich, saline, umami flavor and help mellow the bite of the vinegar. Or you can just leave it out and add a little more salt or a chopped anchovy or two.
If you plan to serve these veggies as a side dish, you can stop right here. But adding some soft, fresh cheese turns them into a main course with a little crusty bread to round it all out.
With its gloriously creamy center, burrata is always my first choice for this kind of recipe. But all sorts of mild cheeses can work — a supple ball of mozzarella, a dollop of fresh ricotta or some goat cheese — anything that can add richness without competing with the sharpness of the sauce.
Then, if you’ve got a baguette or maybe a loaf of homemade sourdough around, cut it up and grill the slices after the vegetables are done. You can pile vegetables and cheese on top, turning them into crostini. Or use the warm toast instead of a fork, scooping up melty cheese and caramelized vegetables and eating them directly from the platter. It’s one small upside about not sharing it with a crowd.
—
And to Drink …
With this grilled vegetable dish, you can get a head start on summer drinking with myriad refreshing bottles that will all go well. Let’s start with rosé because, well, why not? Dry rosé, please, though it does not have to conform to the pale Provençal paradigm. Good rosés come from all over. Some are darker, some paler. A darker rosé can be a little richer in body, a pale rosé lighter, but as long as they are dry, they will go well with this dish. If you prefer a white wine, something dry and crisp will be best, like sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley, grüner veltliner from Austria, many different Italian whites, albariño from Spain or Portugal, even a Chablis. Among reds, try a light red from Chinon or Bourgueil. — ERIC ASIMOV
—
Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Grilled Vegetables With Burrata
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the sweet-and-spicy sauce:
1/4 cup chopped raisins, preferably golden, or dried apricots
2/3 cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar (or a combination)
2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce or colatura (optional)
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Pinch of fine sea salt
For the vegetables (use any or all):
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 bell peppers, quartered, stems and seeds removed
1 to 2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick
1 small eggplant, sliced diagonally 1/2-inch thick
2 to 4 ears yellow corn, shucked
8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and halved or quartered
1 bunch thick asparagus, ends snapped
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, preferably still on the vine
For serving:
2 small burrata or fresh mozzarella balls, or 2 cups fresh ricotta
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil or mint leaves, for serving
Crusty bread slices
Preparation
1. Make the sauce: Put raisins or apricots in a small heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, honey, fish sauce or colatura (if using), red-pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the mixture reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. Immediately pour over the raisins and let cool. Taste and stir in a little more honey if the sauce is too harsh. (Sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)
2. Prepare the vegetables: Oil the grill grate and light the grill. Have a serving platter at the ready.
3. Grill the peppers, zucchini, eggplant and corn directly on the grate, in batches if necessary, and turning them as needed. Move them around the grate so they cook evenly. Cook until they are lightly charred, watching them carefully, 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the vegetable.
4. To grill the mushrooms and asparagus, place them in a grilling basket if you have one or put directly on the grill. (Arrange the asparagus perpendicular to the grates so they don’t fall through.) Grill, turning as needed, until charred all over, 6 to 10 minutes. Grill the cherry tomatoes, using the vine as a handle if possible, for 1 to 2 minutes, until they start to burst and char slightly. Transfer all the vegetables as they cook directly to the serving platter.
5. Add the cheese to the platter next to the vegetables. Immediately drizzle everything with some of the sauce, stirring it up to get the raisins, and with olive oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper and scatter the herbs generously on top. Serve the extra sauce and the bread alongside for making crostini with some of the vegetables and more of the tangy sauce.
Tips:
To make this using a broiler, spread the vegetables on a rimmed sheet pan, drizzle with oil and broil until browned on top, then flip and broil until browned on the other side. The timing will depend on the vegetable, so stick with one kind per baking pan. You’ll need to do this in batches. You can also use a grill pan.


thedenverpost--2020-05-25--Spelling bee-trayed: Colorado 8th graders denied final chance to compete at Scripps National Bee

That ’ s how some kids whose lives revolve around the Scripps National Spelling Bee felt after the competition was canceled for the first time since World War II due to the coronavirus pandemic .
With no plans for an alternative or rescheduled event , or extended eligibility , aged-out eighth graders will miss competitively spelling the final words many have been studying for most of their childhoods .
The cancellation of Bee Week , during which hundreds of word nerds from across the country would have gathered in National Harbor , Md.
, this week to try to outsmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis .
But Colorado kids and their families were stunned to learn the competition ’ s backup plans were z-i-l-c-h. Paige Kimble , executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee , said Scripps tested the concept of an online bee and extending eighth grade eligibility , but there were too many kinks that couldn ’ t be ironed out to make it run equitably and uphold their standards .
“ We dug deep and determined it ’ s just not possible given how we ’ re designed .
What ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s put a big hole in a lot of people ’ s lives , ” Kimble said .
“ It ’ s just a huge loss and we ’ re grieving , and we know they ’ re grieving.
” Former Scripps Bee competitor turned spelling coach Sylvie Lamontagne , 17 , of Lakewood started a petition — more than 4,100 signatures strong as of Friday — asking the Scripps Bee to hold a modified 2020 spelling bee or extend eighth grade eligibility to 2021 .
“ There are kids who completely give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they do it willingly , ” Lamontagne said .
“ It takes thousands of hours .
I sincerely think it ’ s comparable to the amount of time that Olympic athletes put in or NCAA athletes put in .
NCAA athletes got an eligibility extension because everything was canceled .
These kids are just as emotionally invested in this and put in as much time , but they don ’ t get this last chance .
It really sends the message that athletics are inherently more important than academics , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a good message to send to kids that maybe have nerdier passions.
” Cameron Keith , a Boulder student who studied nearly 30 hours a week leading up to what would have been his fifth trip to the national bee , felt listless since hearing the competition won ’ t allow eighth graders a makeup year .
The 14-year-old , who advanced to the Scripps Bee finals last year , was hoping to clinch the win , but also savor the closing chapters of the immaculately spelled story of his youth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , ” Cameron said .
“ Thinking about the sacrifice that went into preparing for this — I ’ ve been doing not great , I guess .
I ’ ve just been sitting around since.
” Synte Peacock , Cameron ’ s mom , doesn ’ t understand why Scripps wouldn ’ t try to provide something for the competitors — an online bee , a rescheduled event at a safer date , an eligibility extension for eighth graders .
This week , Kimble said spellers will be honored via the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showcase students who were able to qualify before the pandemic canceled many regional bees , and recognizing the eighth graders who qualified last year .
“ Everyone was in a state of disbelief , ” Peacock said .
“ No one had really thought Scripps would just full out cancel and not do anything for the kids at all .
They ’ re an organization that depends on these kids…The kids buy into this promise that they will work incredibly hard , and it ’ s gotten so hard in the last few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge amount of your life to be competitive .
Obviously , this year , the competition couldn ’ t go ahead as planned , but they ’ ve turned around and said , ‘ Hey , it ’ s over .
Tough luck .
Shut up.
’ ” Kimble said before the new coronavirus struck , 155 children qualified to compete at the Scripps Bee — 55 of those eighth graders — but at least 5,000 more children were unable to attempt to qualify because of pandemic-related cancellations .
“ The process of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incorporate those kids in those local qualifying competitions leading up to national finals and all that ’ s involved with our local partners in that makes ( eighth grade eligibility extension ) an impossibility , ” Kimble said .
When Scripps tried to replicate an online version of the bee , Kimble said logistical issues like being unable to ensure kids were hearing and pronouncing their words correctly made the competition inequitable .
“ The naming of our champions is something we take seriously , and we want it to be beyond reproach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We have the reputation we have by seriously protecting the quality of our work .
”

Spelling bee-trayed.
That’s how some kids whose lives revolve around the Scripps National Spelling Bee felt after the competition was canceled for the first time since World War II due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With no plans for an alternative or rescheduled event, or extended eligibility, aged-out eighth graders will miss competitively spelling the final words many have been studying for most of their childhoods.
The cancellation of Bee Week, during which hundreds of word nerds from across the country would have gathered in National Harbor, Md., this week to try to outsmart Merriam-Webster, was expected considering the public health crisis.
But Colorado kids and their families were stunned to learn the competition’s backup plans were z-i-l-c-h.
Paige Kimble, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, said Scripps tested the concept of an online bee and extending eighth grade eligibility, but there were too many kinks that couldn’t be ironed out to make it run equitably and uphold their standards.
“We dug deep and determined it’s just not possible given how we’re designed. What’s happened is painful, and it’s put a big hole in a lot of people’s lives,” Kimble said. “It’s just a huge loss and we’re grieving, and we know they’re grieving.”
Former Scripps Bee competitor turned spelling coach Sylvie Lamontagne, 17, of Lakewood started a petition — more than 4,100 signatures strong as of Friday — asking the Scripps Bee to hold a modified 2020 spelling bee or extend eighth grade eligibility to 2021.
“There are kids who completely give up their social lives in middle school, and they do it willingly,” Lamontagne said. “It takes thousands of hours. I sincerely think it’s comparable to the amount of time that Olympic athletes put in or NCAA athletes put in. NCAA athletes got an eligibility extension because everything was canceled. These kids are just as emotionally invested in this and put in as much time, but they don’t get this last chance. It really sends the message that athletics are inherently more important than academics, and I don’t think it’s a good message to send to kids that maybe have nerdier passions.”
Cameron Keith, a Boulder student who studied nearly 30 hours a week leading up to what would have been his fifth trip to the national bee, felt listless since hearing the competition won’t allow eighth graders a makeup year.
The 14-year-old, who advanced to the Scripps Bee finals last year, was hoping to clinch the win, but also savor the closing chapters of the immaculately spelled story of his youth.
“It was absolutely crushing to hear this,” Cameron said. “Thinking about the sacrifice that went into preparing for this — I’ve been doing not great, I guess. I’ve just been sitting around since.”
Synte Peacock, Cameron’s mom, doesn’t understand why Scripps wouldn’t try to provide something for the competitors — an online bee, a rescheduled event at a safer date, an eligibility extension for eighth graders.
(Two Texas teenagers have established an alternate, online event called the SpellPundit Online National Spelling Bee, which will take place this week in lieu of the Scripps Bee.)
This week, Kimble said spellers will be honored via the bee’s website, which will showcase students who were able to qualify before the pandemic canceled many regional bees, and recognizing the eighth graders who qualified last year.
“Everyone was in a state of disbelief,” Peacock said. “No one had really thought Scripps would just full out cancel and not do anything for the kids at all. They’re an organization that depends on these kids…The kids buy into this promise that they will work incredibly hard, and it’s gotten so hard in the last few years that you have to devote a huge amount of your life to be competitive. Obviously, this year, the competition couldn’t go ahead as planned, but they’ve turned around and said, ‘Hey, it’s over. Tough luck. Shut up.’ ”
Kimble said before the new coronavirus struck, 155 children qualified to compete at the Scripps Bee — 55 of those eighth graders — but at least 5,000 more children were unable to attempt to qualify because of pandemic-related cancellations.
“The process of trying to figure out how to fairly incorporate those kids in those local qualifying competitions leading up to national finals and all that’s involved with our local partners in that makes (eighth grade eligibility extension) an impossibility,” Kimble said.
When Scripps tried to replicate an online version of the bee, Kimble said logistical issues like being unable to ensure kids were hearing and pronouncing their words correctly made the competition inequitable.
“The naming of our champions is something we take seriously, and we want it to be beyond reproach and question,” Kimble said. “We have the reputation we have by seriously protecting the quality of our work.”


thedenverpost--2020-05-25--Macaroni salad recipe for modern times

Macaroni salad recipe for modern times

By Alexa Weibel , The New York Times It may not be a salad in the traditional sense of the word , but that doesn ’ t stop macaroni salad from being a bright , acidic and herbaceous partner to virtually anything off the grill .
Many would argue that no cookout is complete without it .
Yes , it ’ s unapologetically retro , a supporting player at American barbecues for decades , but its salty and sweet , tangy and textural appeal is timeless .
Beyond its nostalgic charm , macaroni salad ’ s staying power lies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as its ingredient list is approachable , relying on pantry staples and lending itself to adaptation .
Perfectly portable , it can be prepared in advance — and even benefits from it — and its slightly subtle flavor makes it a match for all those bold , summery flavors .
It ’ s the taste of picnic season , prepared in minutes from the comfort of your kitchen .
( And if you don ’ t have a grill — or a cookout to go to — it ’ s still something simple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
This version punches up macaroni salad ’ s essence for a more modern take : Macaroni and mayonnaise are mandatory , but replacing half the mayonnaise with buttermilk gives the salad a lighter , glossier base .
A pinch of sugar simply heightens the tanginess , without veering into sweeter territory .
Chopped celery and pickles stay true to the original deli staple , but they ’ re joined by mustard and capers , condiments that kick , and a bright dose of lemon zest .
At a time when an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mayonnaise and macaroni — the culinary equivalent of a reliable pair of Chuck Taylors — continue to delight .
Fistfuls of dill and parsley bring macaroni salad into the 21st century , where it still feels zippy and even a little exhilarating .
• 4 scallions , trimmed and thinly sliced , plus more for garnish • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley , plus more for garnish 1 .
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high .
2 .
While the water comes to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large bowl , stir together pickles , celery , scallions , mayonnaise , buttermilk , parsley , dill , capers and brine , mustard , lemon zest and juice , and sugar .
Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper .
3 .
Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until al dente , about 6 minutes ; drain well and let cool for a few minutes .
4 .
Once cooled , toss macaroni with dressing , season to taste with salt and pepper .
Serve immediately or refrigerate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , parsley and dill to garnish just before serving .
Tips : If you want to streamline the ingredient list , you could skip the buttermilk , increase the mayonnaise to 3/4 cup and use 1/4 cup milk .

By Alexa Weibel, The New York Times
It may not be a salad in the traditional sense of the word, but that doesn’t stop macaroni salad from being a bright, acidic and herbaceous partner to virtually anything off the grill. Many would argue that no cookout is complete without it.
Yes, it’s unapologetically retro, a supporting player at American barbecues for decades, but its salty and sweet, tangy and textural appeal is timeless.
Beyond its nostalgic charm, macaroni salad’s staying power lies in convenience: Its steps are as easy as its ingredient list is approachable, relying on pantry staples and lending itself to adaptation. Perfectly portable, it can be prepared in advance — and even benefits from it — and its slightly subtle flavor makes it a match for all those bold, summery flavors. It’s the taste of picnic season, prepared in minutes from the comfort of your kitchen. (And if you don’t have a grill — or a cookout to go to — it’s still something simple and celebratory you can make for yourself.)
This version punches up macaroni salad’s essence for a more modern take: Macaroni and mayonnaise are mandatory, but replacing half the mayonnaise with buttermilk gives the salad a lighter, glossier base. A pinch of sugar simply heightens the tanginess, without veering into sweeter territory. Chopped celery and pickles stay true to the original deli staple, but they’re joined by mustard and capers, condiments that kick, and a bright dose of lemon zest.
At a time when an abundance of fresh herbs feels especially luxurious, mayonnaise and macaroni — the culinary equivalent of a reliable pair of Chuck Taylors — continue to delight. Fistfuls of dill and parsley bring macaroni salad into the 21st century, where it still feels zippy and even a little exhilarating.
Macaroni Salad With Lemon and Herbs
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 10 cups
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup minced bread-and-butter pickles
2 large stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk (see Tip)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus small sprigs for garnish
1/4 cup drained jarred capers, chopped, plus 3 tablespoons caper brine
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest and 4 teaspoons juice (from 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon sugar
16 ounces elbow macaroni
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
2. While the water comes to a boil, prepare your dressing: In a large bowl, stir together pickles, celery, scallions, mayonnaise, buttermilk, parsley, dill, capers and brine, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and sugar. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
3. Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes; drain well and let cool for a few minutes.
4. Once cooled, toss macaroni with dressing, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled. Top with extra scallions, parsley and dill to garnish just before serving.
Tips: If you want to streamline the ingredient list, you could skip the buttermilk, increase the mayonnaise to 3/4 cup and use 1/4 cup milk.


thedenverpost--2020-05-25--Ranking the Top 10 best Colorado-born baseball players in major-league history

Colorado isn ’ t an elite baseball state like California or Texas , where sheer population and year-round warm weather cultivate an endless stream of top draft picks and major-leaguers .
But Colorado has had plenty of outstanding players emerge from its borders , especially for a snow state .
Here ’ s a ranking of The Denver Post ’ s 10 greatest Colorado baseball players of all time .
To be eligible for this list , players must be born in Colorado and played high school baseball here ( if applicable ) .
Though the former Thomas Jefferson star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career , the southpaw already ranks 10th among native Coloradans in career WAR at 10.6 .
That includes a 2018 season in which he went 17-7 and posted a 2.85 ERA , a single-season Rockies record for a full season and a performance that earned him a fourth-place finish in the NL Cy Young Award voting .
He has a 4.14 career ERA in 88 games ( 83 starts ) .
The 27-year-old ’ s 2019 went off the rails , but Freeland remains an iconic baseball figure locally .
After starring at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set a state record with 145 strikeouts his senior season while posting a 1.39 ERA , he went on to play at the University of Evansville before the Rockies selected him No .
8 overall in 2014 .
As the greatest pitcher in Colorado prep history , the southpaw got the win in four consecutive Class 5A state title games for Rocky Mountain from 2007-10 — the only hurler in state history to ever accomplish that feat .
Gonzales then went on to star as a dynamic two-way player at Gonzaga before being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round in 2013 .
He made his debut for St. Louis on June 25 , 2014 , against the Rockies .
Gonzales has overcome arm issues ( including Tommy John surgery ) , and since arriving in Seattle via trade in July 2017 , he ’ s emerged as the Mariners ’ ace .
The workhorse led the major leagues with 34 starts in 2019 , going 16-13 with a 3.99 ERA .
He was rewarded in the offseason with a four-year , $ 30 million contract that reflects the Mariners ’ faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitched his Colorado youth team to a national title in 1999 — defeating fellow future major leaguer Ian Kennedy in the championship — the right-hander has proven his talent and guts as one of the state ’ s all-time best pitchers .
The Golden High product played at the University of Arizona before being drafted by the Yankees in the ninth round in 2006 .
Since then , Melancon has established himself as a reliable , veteran bullpen arm across stints for New York , Houston , Boston , Pittsburgh , Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-time all-star was named the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year in 2015 for his work with the Pirates when he led baseball with 51 saves .
In his career , the 35-year-old has 194 saves to go along with 10.8 WAR and a 2.85 ERA .
Felix “ Tippy ” Martinez played 14 years in the big leagues between the Orioles ( 11 seasons ) , Yankees ( three ) and a short stint with the Twins at the end of his career .
The southpaw reliever played at La @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was arguably the greatest player to ever come out of the program in its 92-year history .
He led the Rams to a No .
2 national ranking in 1972 with a school-record 1.25 ERA .
Martinez posted a 3.45 ERA and 8.6 WAR across 546 career appearances .
He earned his lone all-star selection in 1983 as a pillar of the Orioles ’ world championship team , with 21 saves as Baltimore ’ s closer that year .
The 69-year-old ranks fourth in career saves in Baltimore history with 105 .
Over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,146 hits with a .252 career average .
He played five seasons for the St. Louis Browns from 1906-10 , and finished his career playing six years with the New York Highlanders/Yankees .
The Golden native played at the Colorado School of Mines .
Hartzell batted left and threw right as a true utilityman in the early 1900s .
His most productive season came in his debut year with the Highlanders in 1911 , when he slashed .296/.375/.387 with a .763 OPS .
A speedster , Hartzell stole over 20 bases six times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He died on Nov. 6 , 1961 , at 80 , in Golden .
The left-handed outfielder played six seasons in the majors , spending the entirety of his career with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers .
His debut campaign in the majors came after seven seasons in the minors , and it surely would ’ ve garnered him rookie of the year honors had the award been around then .
In that 1929 season , Frederick hit .328 with 24 homers and 75 RBIs in 148 games .
He set a National League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 82 extra-base hits stood as a major-league rookie record until Albert Pujols broke the mark in 2001 .
Even after injuries had sapped his speed and turned him into a bench bat over his final few seasons , Frederick still managed to make history as a pinch hitter .
He was 10-for-32 ( .313 ) in that role one season with a major league-record six pinch-hit home runs , a mark that stood until the turn of the century .
He played six seasons in the Pacific Coast League after he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big ) leagues , ” according to a SABR account , and finished his career with 3,421 hits across 19 professional seasons .
He died in 1977 at 75 in Tigard , Ore. Stearns emerged as a premier athlete at Thomas Jefferson High School in the 1960s before going on to become a two-sport star at the University of Colorado .
In football , the “ Bad Dude ” was an all-Big Eight Conference selection at safety and punter in 1972 .
He excelled so much as a catcher in baseball that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1973 .
He was the talk of the state at that time .
Stearns made his MLB debut for Philadelphia the next year but ended up playing just one game for the team .
He spent the other 10 seasons of his career with the Mets .
In New York , Stearns earned four NL all-star nods , slashing .259/.341/.375 with 46 homers and 312 RBIs .
An elbow injury cut his career short , but not before the now 68-year-old accumulated 19.67 in WAR , bested only by the three Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 2002 valedictorian of Fountain-Fort Carson High , Headley demonstrated the pure talent and mind-set necessary to flourish as a professional player .
Headley dominated the Big West Conference in his freshman season at the University of the Pacific , so he transferred to a tougher college baseball test at the University of Tennessee .
After two seasons there , he was selected in the second round ( No .
66 overall ) by the Padres in 2005 and quickly climbed the minor-league ladder .
A switch-hitting ultilityman who largely played third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Headley played 12 seasons between the Padres and Yankees with a career slash line of .263/.342/.399 .
His best season came with San Diego in 2012 , when he led the majors with 115 RBIs , won an NL Silver Slugger award and a Gold Glove — the last third baseman in the league to win the award not named Nolan Areanado .
The first Coloradan to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame , Rich “ Goose ” Gossage was born in 1951 in Colorado Springs .
The 6-foot-3 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was selected in the ninth round of the 1970 draft by the White Sox .
Gossage got his career rolling with five seasons in Chicago , culminating with two all-star selections in 1975 and ’ 76 .
He went on to play 22 seasons for nine big-league franchises , with nine all-star appearances and a 3.01 career ERA .
His most notable years came in seven seasons with the Yankees , where he accumulated 151 saves and won the 1978 World Series .
Gossage finished in the top six for Cy Young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplishment for a reliever , and the now-68-year-old was inducted into Cooperstown in 2008 in his ninth year on the ballot .
Can any ballplayer from the Centennial State stack up against “ Doc ” ?
The answer is no .
As a phenom for Arvada West , the 6-foot-6 right-hander led the Wildcats to the 1994 Class 6A state title and never lost a game in the state of Colorado in his high school career .
He was selected 17th overall by the Blue Jays in 1995 and debuted in the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toronto , Halladay was 148-76 and a six-time all-star , including a 2003 season that saw him win the AL Cy Young when he went 22-7 with a 3.25 ERA .
Traded to Philadelphia before the 2010 season , Halladay went out and promptly won the NL Cy Young with a 21-10 record and 2.44 ERA .
He is one of only six pitchers to win a Cy Young in both leagues .
Halladay finished his career with 203 wins , eight all-star nods , a 3.38 ERA and a 64.2 WAR .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crashing in a plane he was piloting off the coast of Florida , and was inducted into Cooperstown posthumously in 2019 .

Colorado isn’t an elite baseball state like California or Texas, where sheer population and year-round warm weather cultivate an endless stream of top draft picks and major-leaguers.
But Colorado has had plenty of outstanding players emerge from its borders, especially for a snow state. Here’s a ranking of The Denver Post’s 10 greatest Colorado baseball players of all time. To be eligible for this list, players must be born in Colorado and played high school baseball here (if applicable).
10. Kyle Freeland
LHP | Denver | 2017-present
Though the former Thomas Jefferson star is just three seasons into his MLB career, the southpaw already ranks 10th among native Coloradans in career WAR at 10.6. That includes a 2018 season in which he went 17-7 and posted a 2.85 ERA, a single-season Rockies record for a full season and a performance that earned him a fourth-place finish in the NL Cy Young Award voting. He has a 4.14 career ERA in 88 games (83 starts).
The 27-year-old’s 2019 went off the rails, but Freeland remains an iconic baseball figure locally. After starring at Thomas Jefferson from 2007-11, where Freeland set a state record with 145 strikeouts his senior season while posting a 1.39 ERA, he went on to play at the University of Evansville before the Rockies selected him No. 8 overall in 2014.
9. Marco Gonzales
LHP | Fort Collins | 2014-present
As the greatest pitcher in Colorado prep history, the southpaw got the win in four consecutive Class 5A state title games for Rocky Mountain from 2007-10 — the only hurler in state history to ever accomplish that feat. Gonzales then went on to star as a dynamic two-way player at Gonzaga before being drafted by the Cardinals in the first round in 2013. He made his debut for St. Louis on June 25, 2014, against the Rockies.
Gonzales has overcome arm issues (including Tommy John surgery), and since arriving in Seattle via trade in July 2017, he’s emerged as the Mariners’ ace. The workhorse led the major leagues with 34 starts in 2019, going 16-13 with a 3.99 ERA. He was rewarded in the offseason with a four-year, $30 million contract that reflects the Mariners’ faith in him.
8. Mark Melancon
RHP | Wheat Ridge | 2009-present
From the time Melancon pitched his Colorado youth team to a national title in 1999 — defeating fellow future major leaguer Ian Kennedy in the championship — the right-hander has proven his talent and guts as one of the state’s all-time best pitchers. The Golden High product played at the University of Arizona before being drafted by the Yankees in the ninth round in 2006.
Since then, Melancon has established himself as a reliable, veteran bullpen arm across stints for New York, Houston, Boston, Pittsburgh, Washington, San Francisco and now Atlanta. The three-time all-star was named the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year in 2015 for his work with the Pirates when he led baseball with 51 saves. In his career, the 35-year-old has 194 saves to go along with 10.8 WAR and a 2.85 ERA.
7. Tippy Martinez
LHP | La Junta | 1974-88
Felix “Tippy” Martinez played 14 years in the big leagues between the Orioles (11 seasons), Yankees (three) and a short stint with the Twins at the end of his career. The southpaw reliever played at La Junta and Colorado State, where he was arguably the greatest player to ever come out of the program in its 92-year history. He led the Rams to a No. 2 national ranking in 1972 with a school-record 1.25 ERA.
Martinez posted a 3.45 ERA and 8.6 WAR across 546 career appearances. He earned his lone all-star selection in 1983 as a pillar of the Orioles’ world championship team, with 21 saves as Baltimore’s closer that year. The 69-year-old ranks fourth in career saves in Baltimore history with 105.
6. Roy Hartzell
OF/SS/3B | Golden | 1906-16
Over 11 major league seasons, Hartzell amassed 1,146 hits with a .252 career average. He played five seasons for the St. Louis Browns from 1906-10, and finished his career playing six years with the New York Highlanders/Yankees. The Golden native played at the Colorado School of Mines.
Hartzell batted left and threw right as a true utilityman in the early 1900s. His most productive season came in his debut year with the Highlanders in 1911, when he slashed .296/.375/.387 with a .763 OPS. A speedster, Hartzell stole over 20 bases six times and finished with 182 for his career. He died on Nov. 6, 1961, at 80, in Golden.
5. Johnny Frederick
OF | Denver | 1929-34
The left-handed outfielder played six seasons in the majors, spending the entirety of his career with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers. His debut campaign in the majors came after seven seasons in the minors, and it surely would’ve garnered him rookie of the year honors had the award been around then. In that 1929 season, Frederick hit .328 with 24 homers and 75 RBIs in 148 games. He set a National League record for doubles with 52, and his 82 extra-base hits stood as a major-league rookie record until Albert Pujols broke the mark in 2001.
Even after injuries had sapped his speed and turned him into a bench bat over his final few seasons, Frederick still managed to make history as a pinch hitter. He was 10-for-32 (.313) in that role one season with a major league-record six pinch-hit home runs, a mark that stood until the turn of the century. He played six seasons in the Pacific Coast League after he was unceremoniously “eased out of the (big) leagues,” according to a SABR account, and finished his career with 3,421 hits across 19 professional seasons. He died in 1977 at 75 in Tigard, Ore.
4. John Stearns
C/1B/3B | Denver | 1974-84
Stearns emerged as a premier athlete at Thomas Jefferson High School in the 1960s before going on to become a two-sport star at the University of Colorado. In football, the “Bad Dude” was an all-Big Eight Conference selection at safety and punter in 1972. He excelled so much as a catcher in baseball that the Phillies drafted him No. 2 overall in 1973. He was the talk of the state at that time.
Stearns made his MLB debut for Philadelphia the next year but ended up playing just one game for the team. He spent the other 10 seasons of his career with the Mets. In New York, Stearns earned four NL all-star nods, slashing .259/.341/.375 with 46 homers and 312 RBIs. An elbow injury cut his career short, but not before the now 68-year-old accumulated 19.67 in WAR, bested only by the three Colorado ballplayers ahead of him on this list.
3. Chase Headley
3B/OF/1B | Fountain | 2007-18
The 2002 valedictorian of Fountain-Fort Carson High, Headley demonstrated the pure talent and mind-set necessary to flourish as a professional player. Headley dominated the Big West Conference in his freshman season at the University of the Pacific, so he transferred to a tougher college baseball test at the University of Tennessee. After two seasons there, he was selected in the second round (No. 66 overall) by the Padres in 2005 and quickly climbed the minor-league ladder.
A switch-hitting ultilityman who largely played third and first base in the majors, Headley played 12 seasons between the Padres and Yankees with a career slash line of .263/.342/.399. His best season came with San Diego in 2012, when he led the majors with 115 RBIs, won an NL Silver Slugger award and a Gold Glove — the last third baseman in the league to win the award not named Nolan Areanado.
2. Goose Gossage
RHP | Colorado Springs | 1972-94
The first Coloradan to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Rich “Goose” Gossage was born in 1951 in Colorado Springs. The 6-foot-3, right-handed reliever played at Wasson High School and was selected in the ninth round of the 1970 draft by the White Sox. Gossage got his career rolling with five seasons in Chicago, culminating with two all-star selections in 1975 and ’76.
He went on to play 22 seasons for nine big-league franchises, with nine all-star appearances and a 3.01 career ERA. His most notable years came in seven seasons with the Yankees, where he accumulated 151 saves and won the 1978 World Series. Gossage finished in the top six for Cy Young Award voting five times, an unusual accomplishment for a reliever, and the now-68-year-old was inducted into Cooperstown in 2008 in his ninth year on the ballot.
1. Roy Halladay
RHP | Denver | 1998-2013
Can any ballplayer from the Centennial State stack up against “Doc”? The answer is no. As a phenom for Arvada West, the 6-foot-6 right-hander led the Wildcats to the 1994 Class 6A state title and never lost a game in the state of Colorado in his high school career. He was selected 17th overall by the Blue Jays in 1995 and debuted in the fall of 1998. Over 12 years in Toronto, Halladay was 148-76 and a six-time all-star, including a 2003 season that saw him win the AL Cy Young when he went 22-7 with a 3.25 ERA.
Traded to Philadelphia before the 2010 season, Halladay went out and promptly won the NL Cy Young with a 21-10 record and 2.44 ERA. He is one of only six pitchers to win a Cy Young in both leagues. Halladay finished his career with 203 wins, eight all-star nods, a 3.38 ERA and a 64.2 WAR. He died in 2017 at 40 after crashing in a plane he was piloting off the coast of Florida, and was inducted into Cooperstown posthumously in 2019.
Honorable Mention
RHP Scott Elarton (Lamar/Lamar HS/multiple teams), LHP Taylor Rogers (Chatfield/Twins), OF Darnell McDonald (Fort Collins/Cherry Creek/multiple teams), RHP Kevin Gausman (Centennial/Grandview HS/multiple teams), RHP Tom Hughes (Coal Creek/Salida HS/Yankees and Boston Braves), RHP David Aardsma (Denver/Cherry Creek HS/multiple teams), INF Chuck Cottier (Delta/Grand Junction HS/multiple teams), RHP Mark Knudson (Denver/Northglenn/Colorado State/multiple teams).


thedenverpost--2020-05-25--Ask Amy: Strange accusation roils friendship

Dear Amy : Out of the blue , my best friend of 45 years called to tell me something “ uncomfortable ” that had been bothering her for about 20 years .
What she said literally caused me to jump right out of my chair .
She declared that over the past 20 years or so , my husband and I had asked her to join us in a “ threesome ” multiple times .
I was stunned , and asked her what she was talking about .
She said that many times over dinner , we had been whispering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we wanted to have sex with her .
She said she couldn ’ t remember any specifics .
My husband and I are very flirty together , but I can ’ t imagine we ever said or did anything untoward .
She had no explanation for why she continued to visit us without saying anything .
She said she just hoped it would stop , but realized it wouldn ’ t .
First of all , we have never entertained this idea — with anyone .
She said I was her best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel “ like that ” about me and began to cry .
I said I didn ’ t feel that way about her , either .
I told her I understood that she was feeling very upset , but what she was suggesting never happened .
She then insisted that I take responsibility .
I honestly thought that she might be having a breakdown .
Her life has been challenging for the last few years , and she seems to be floundering .
I ’ m reluctant to write her off completely due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m shocked and angry , and I ’ ll never allow her in my house again .
My husband is done with her .
Can this friendship be saved ?
Dear Crowd : No , I don ’ t think this friendship can be saved – at least in its previous form .
Because this accusation seems so out of bounds , you might assume that she is experiencing some cognitive changes that have brought on emotional instability and this strange accusation .
I hope you can see your way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do not admit to something you haven ’ t done , but do not write her off .
Express concern for her and urge her to get a medical checkup to make sure she ’ s OK. Dear Amy : I ’ m 19-year-old woman , and have been in a stable and happy relationship with my boyfriend for the last 18 months .
He isn ’ t my first love , but I ’ d say that he is my first serious relationship .
Well , last year I had the epiphany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being in a relationship with my boyfriend , I considered having flings with girls , after high school graduation – to see what it was like .
However , now I feel like I met the right person for me , and I see us settling down , possibly permanently .
I ’ m conflicted .
I do want to have “ fun , ” but I already found the right guy .
Do you have any advice for me ?
Dear Conflicted : Congratulations !
You found the right guy .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , exclusive relationship , then I suggest you continue to enjoy it .
It is completely appropriate to wonder if a committed relationship will be the end of “ fun , ” especially at your age .
This is your mind and body telling you that you are not ready to lock yourself down for the rest of your life .
As you write , your boyfriend is your “ first serious relationship.
” This tells me that you are aware that there will likely be other relationships .
And yes , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then – if your current relationship ends , you should go for it .
Until then , don ’ t get pregnant , don ’ t get married , and enjoy this while it lasts .
Dear Amy : Do not give any advice about the COVID virus .
In a response to a question from “ Recovering in the Pacific NW , ” you said that people could get this virus twice .
That is not true !
Latent virus might stay in the body and the illness might reappear – this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I wrote : “ …As of this writing , there are some reports of people possibly having this illness more than once.
” The information about COVID is refreshed and refined daily .
I don ’ t offer medical advice , and only report information released by the CDC — and even then , with many qualifiers .
My columns are written two weeks in advance of publication , and can not keep pace with research about this disease .
That ’ s why I focus on relationship issues , and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Dear Amy: Out of the blue, my best friend of 45 years called to tell me something “uncomfortable” that had been bothering her for about 20 years.
What she said literally caused me to jump right out of my chair.
She declared that over the past 20 years or so, my husband and I had asked her to join us in a “threesome” multiple times.
I was stunned, and asked her what she was talking about. She said that many times over dinner, we had been whispering together and then made suggestions to her that we wanted to have sex with her.
She said she couldn’t remember any specifics.
My husband and I are very flirty together, but I can’t imagine we ever said or did anything untoward.
She had no explanation for why she continued to visit us without saying anything. She said she just hoped it would stop, but realized it wouldn’t.
First of all, we have never entertained this idea — with anyone.
She said I was her best friend, but she didn’t feel “like that” about me and began to cry. I said I didn’t feel that way about her, either.
I told her I understood that she was feeling very upset, but what she was suggesting never happened. She then insisted that I take responsibility.
I honestly thought that she might be having a breakdown. Her life has been challenging for the last few years, and she seems to be floundering.
I’m reluctant to write her off completely due to our very long history, but I’m shocked and angry, and I’ll never allow her in my house again.
My husband is done with her. Can this friendship be saved?
— Three’s a Crowd
Dear Crowd: No, I don’t think this friendship can be saved – at least in its previous form.
Because this accusation seems so out of bounds, you might assume that she is experiencing some cognitive changes that have brought on emotional instability and this strange accusation.
I hope you can see your way to adopt a compassionate stance toward her. Do not admit to something you haven’t done, but do not write her off.
Express concern for her and urge her to get a medical checkup to make sure she’s OK.
Dear Amy: I’m 19-year-old woman, and have been in a stable and happy relationship with my boyfriend for the last 18 months.
He isn’t my first love, but I’d say that he is my first serious relationship.
Well, last year I had the epiphany that I’m bisexual.
Before being in a relationship with my boyfriend, I considered having flings with girls, after high school graduation – to see what it was like.
However, now I feel like I met the right person for me, and I see us settling down, possibly permanently.
I’m conflicted. I do want to have “fun,” but I already found the right guy.
Do you have any advice for me?
— Conflicted
Dear Conflicted: Congratulations! You found the right guy. If you two are in a mutually monogamous, exclusive relationship, then I suggest you continue to enjoy it.
It is completely appropriate to wonder if a committed relationship will be the end of “fun,” especially at your age. This is your mind and body telling you that you are not ready to lock yourself down for the rest of your life.
As you write, your boyfriend is your “first serious relationship.” This tells me that you are aware that there will likely be other relationships. And yes, if you are interested in dating women, then – if your current relationship ends, you should go for it.
Until then, don’t get pregnant, don’t get married, and enjoy this while it lasts.
Dear Amy: Do not give any advice about the COVID virus. In a response to a question from “Recovering in the Pacific NW,” you said that people could get this virus twice. That is not true! Latent virus might stay in the body and the illness might reappear – this is not being re-infected.
— Upset
Dear Upset: I wrote: “…As of this writing, there are some reports of people possibly having this illness more than once.”
The information about COVID is refreshed and refined daily. I don’t offer medical advice, and only report information released by the CDC — and even then, with many qualifiers.
My columns are written two weeks in advance of publication, and cannot keep pace with research about this disease. That’s why I focus on relationship issues, and this pandemic has raised many of those.
(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--2020-05-25--Woman dies in head-on car crash in Aurora

A woman has died after it appeared she had driven her truck into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on with another @ @ @ @ @ to Aurora police .
The woman , who was driving a silver Nissan Titan , @ @ @ @ @ west on Quincy Avenue near Harvest Street when she crossed the center line and collided @ @ @ @ @ traveling the opposite direction , police say .
The woman was transported to a hospital @ @ @ @ @ from her injuries .
The two in the Ford suffered minor injuries , according to @ @ @ @ @ the driver has not been released .
Neither alcohol nor speed were “ contributing factors @ @ @ @ @ according to a release from Aurora police .
Those who witnessed the accident or may @ @ @ @ @ Detective Doug Daufeldt at 303-739-6303 .

A woman has died after it appeared she had driven her truck into oncoming traffic and crashed head-on with another vehicle Sunday afternoon, according to Aurora police.
The woman, who was driving a silver Nissan Titan, appeared to have been driving west on Quincy Avenue near Harvest Street when she crossed the center line and collided with a black Ford F-150 traveling the opposite direction, police say.
The woman was transported to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries. The two in the Ford suffered minor injuries, according to police.
The identity of the driver has not been released. Neither alcohol nor speed were “contributing factors in this accident,” according to a release from Aurora police.
Those who witnessed the accident or may have more information can call Detective Doug Daufeldt at 303-739-6303.