thedenverpost--2020-07-31--The Spot: Hick campaigns in-person, more homeless raids are coming, and there’s a race to the ballot

What ’ s The Spot ?
You ’ re reading an installment of our weekly politics newsletter .
Sign up here to get it delivered straight in your inbox .
FORT COLLINS — Before the pandemic , James Howell was a lifeguard at a city pool .
Dion Perkins , a father of seven , worked security at a theater .
Sarah Slaton was a touring musician .
On Tuesday afternoon , they and three others sat in an otherwise empty bowling alley in this college town and talked about their struggles with unemployment — and unemployment insurance .
Across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black jeans and a salmon polo shirt , was John Hickenlooper .
“ We will get through this , ” the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate said through a mask that bent his ears forward .
“ I know sometimes it doesn ’ t feel like it , but we will get through this , especially if we stick together.
” For the better part of an hour , Hickenlooper listened to the hardships of those six northern Colorado residents .
He offered bleak assessments — “ These are the worst of hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mild criticisms of the Senate : “ They have spent two weeks on vacation.
” Hickenlooper , who often stumbles through speeches and debates , is at his best in settings like these — the beer halls , the bowling alleys — playing consoler-in-chief to Coloradans who have suffered from wildfires , mass shootings or economic calamity .
He remains an unpolished speaker after nearly two decades in politics and unpolished speech sounds about right in an empty bowling alley .
As Congress debates its next pandemic response package , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cory Gardner , the Yuma Republican he will face in 96 days , on this topic .
Both believe further negotiations are needed , both are open to the idea of direct payments , and both believe extending a $ 600 per week unemployment enhancement could be a good idea .
“ Yeah , I think that ’ s where I come down right now but again , I want to ( negotiate ) , ” Hickenlooper said of the $ 600 enhancement when asked if he supports it Tuesday .
“ Part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so you learn what the other side is thinking and go back and forth.
” Gardner ’ s campaign says he also supports further negotiations and isn ’ t drawing any lines in the sand .
He is open to extending the unemployment enhancement at $ 600 per week but could vote for a bill that extends it at some amount less than that .
Gardner is also open to sending more direct checks to Americans , but again isn ’ t requiring that be in a bill before he votes for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however .
Hickenlooper supports a House bill that would extend a federal eviction moratorium .
Gardner ’ s campaign was less than adamant about extending the moratorium , saying only that the senator would consider any proposal that provides targeted assistance for impacted Americans .
To support the important journalism we do , you can become a Denver Post subscriber here .
You can send tips , comments and questions to me at jwingerter @ denverpost.com or to the other Post reporters below .
Denver Public Schools board member Tay Anderson was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was injured during a protest outside a homeless camp in downtown Denver .
The road for citizen-led initiatives to get on the November ballot has been long and difficult amid the coronavirus pandemic , as many face a looming Aug. 3 deadline .
Three campaigns for ballot initiatives submitted their petitions to get their questions on the ballot this week , ahead of next week ’ s deadline to turn in signatures .
The Secretary of State ’ s Office is verifying signatures for : • Initiative 257 , a measure that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local elections • Initiative 295 , a measure that would ask voters to approve through statewide elections any future fees for new state programs in which the projected or actual revenue exceeds $ 100,000 in its first five years • Initiative 306 , a measure that would ask voters to reduce the state income tax rate from 4.63 % to 4.55 % A fourth that would ask voters for approval of a paid medical and family leave program is expected to turn in its signatures Friday .
If approved , the initiatives will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions asking voters to approve the reintroduction of gray wolves in the state , disallow Colorado to join the National Popular Vote Compact , ban late-term abortions and reiterate that only citizens can vote in elections .
The Colorado state legislature also referred a measure to the ballot asking voters to approve an increase on tobacco taxes and a new vaping tax .
The Secretary of State ’ s Office has until Sept. 2 to make a final determination on signatures .
To get a question on the ballot , campaigns have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered voters on their petitions .
If the question is an amendment to the state Constitution , they need to collect signatures from 2 % of the registered voters in each of Colorado ’ s 35 state Senate districts .
Colorado ’ s November ballot was expected to be lengthy when campaigns started discussing their planned initiatives last year .
But after temporary forced closures and social distancing guidelines , campaigns began to push for changes to the process .
That ’ s when Gov .
Jared Polis signed an executive order allowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email .
Then a business group sued .
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled against the governor , saying the state constitutional requirement that signatures must be made in person was clear .
Some campaigns have had to call it quits .
Others are likely to make the same announcement in the days ahead .
We ’ ll keep you posted .
• Gov .
Jared Polis urges Coloradans “ not to be stupid ” during the health crisis • Colorado Republicans requested a return to the Capitol .
Democrats called it a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attempt to exclude some immigrants from the census count • Residents share their fears of eviction with high unemployment rates , lapse in federal benefits Last September , a dark money group cropped up in Colorado , called itself Rocky Mountain Values and announced that its goal was to hold elected officials accountable .
Before long , it was a leading anti-Gardner group in the state , dropping $ 2.5 million on TV and another million dollars on digital ads .
Ten months later , on Friday , the group will close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen our messaging stick , ” said Vanessa Harmoush , RMV ’ s spokesperson , “ and we ’ ve seen people take our messaging and go beyond RMV .
So to see the work that we ’ ve done extend beyond us was kind of the moment that we realized we had accomplished our mission.
” With a focus on health care and the environment , RMV combined typical grassroots organizing tactics with deep-pocketed ad budgets and occasionally corny gimmicks .
On July 4 , it released a playlist of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
“ The first ad we did — the McConnell puppet ad on prescription drugs — we launched that on a Monday and by that Thursday we were over 500,000 views , ” said Marie Aberger , spokesperson for an RMV campaign that constantly tied Gardner to McConnell , who is unpopular in Colorado , according to polls .
Olga Robak , state director for Protect Our Care , a health care advocacy group that often partnered with RMV , said RMV was undeniably successful at capturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gardner ’ s connections to another unpopular Republican : President Donald Trump .
“ ( RMV ) allowed our voices to be heard , ” said Penny Potts , a 35-year-old teacher and cancer survivor in Centennial who was featured in RMV ads and at RMV events , “ and it allowed me to feel like I matter in the political landscape that many times feels like it lacks humanity.
” • Gardner has agreed to five debates and Hickenlooper has agreed to four .
The problem ?
They haven ’ t agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exception • On Sunday , we published a profile of Lauren Boebert .
That same day , she unveiled her first TV ad , as Colorado Politics reported • On Monday , Boebert campaigned in Pueblo , The Chieftain reported .
On Tuesday , she campaigned in Grand Junction , Western Slope Now reports • Gardner faces an FEC complaint related to his attendance at a Palm Beach soiree , Colorado Newsline reports .
Our original coverage of the Florida party is here Waiting on the next shoe to fall Denver police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the longstanding homeless encampment in Lincoln Park , just west of the state Capitol early Wednesday morning and the city ’ s remaining large encampments now sit in the crosshairs .
The highest profile encampment remaining is likely the one outside Morey Middle School , but Public Health Director Bob McDonald said city officials are likely to break others up too .
Mayor Michael Hancock ’ s spokesperson , Michael Strott , confirmed the strategy as well .
McDonald , police and troopers didn ’ t wait until the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp could be ready early next month , though no site has been formally proposed yet .
Anyway , it will be much too small to host anything more than a fraction of the now-scattered downtown encampment , let alone any other encampments .
It ’ s no secret that federal experts say encampments should be left untouched during the pandemic unless cities have a place for those sleeping outside to go .
And city officials have zeroed in on that qualifier .
There are shelter beds , they say .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indeed , Denver has congregate shelter space available , hundreds of rooms at times .
But it ’ s painfully obvious to experts and advocates alike that those sleeping in outdoor encampments have little or no desire to stay in those shelters .
In the best of times they can be dangerous , many say .
People fear that what little property they own could be stolen .
Or they fear attacks from others inside the shelters .
Often those seeking a spot in the shelter are separated from their loved ones or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desperation of living on the streets .
And now the country is in the middle of a pandemic .
Social distancing is one of the most oft-repeated prevention measures for those hoping to avoid contracting the novel coronavirus .
So who wants to stay in a shelter , mere feet from the next person over , touching the same doorknobs , sink handles , tables , chairs and railings as everybody else ?
Many would rather take their chances on the streets , where they feel safer and can distance themselves relatively well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers , they say .
And indeed , it ’ s no secret that drugs , crime , litter and even infestations can follow .
During my most recent pass through the encampment near the Capitol , I interviewed a woman as she prepared a syringe full of what she said was heroin .
She shuffled and arranged her cache of needles , pills and pipes in a tin box casually while we spoke , as if she were merely flipping through her daily calendar .
At least one person died in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near Morey Middle School complain of drug sales , prostitution and more .
Absolutely valid concerns and worth the resources of the Denver Police Department .
But the campers themselves remind us daily — and we should listen — that they have no desire to stay in a shelter and breaking up their camps will only force them to pitch tents elsewhere until the cycle repeats .
Some yell until their voices run hoarse : breaking up the encampments will only move the problems a few blocks , appeasing some residents for days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they call for the city to police encampments more heavily , provide trash receptacles and portable toilets .
And now those advocates , people experiencing homelessness and even public officials are watching the remaining encampments to see whether city officials will listen .
• Denver City Councilman Jolon Clark doesn ’ t get his war just yet .
He had hoped that the city ’ s plastic bag fee would spark a war on plastics .
But then the pandemic hit .
• The organization launching Denver ’ s second tiny-home village for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with help from an unexpected partner — a construction firm paying penance for its role in the city ’ s convention center bid-rigging scandal • Skyview or Central Park ?
The voter-decided process to pick a new name for Denver ’ s soon-to-be-former Stapleton neighborhood has produced two finalists .
• Facing economic hardship , homelessness , a tax shortfall and the possibility of a strong resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic in Denver , Mayor Michael Hancock urged residents Monday to maintain their resolve , lest things turn for the worse .
Forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and encourage them to subscribe .

For people, policy and Colorado politics
What’s The Spot? You’re reading an installment of our weekly politics newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered straight in your inbox.
FORT COLLINS — Before the pandemic, James Howell was a lifeguard at a city pool. Dion Perkins, a father of seven, worked security at a theater. Sarah Slaton was a touring musician.
On Tuesday afternoon, they and three others sat in an otherwise empty bowling alley in this college town and talked about their struggles with unemployment — and unemployment insurance. Across from them, in black boots, black jeans and a salmon polo shirt, was John Hickenlooper.
“We will get through this,” the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate said through a mask that bent his ears forward. “I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, but we will get through this, especially if we stick together.”
For the better part of an hour, Hickenlooper listened to the hardships of those six northern Colorado residents. He offered bleak assessments — “These are the worst of hard times” — followed by positive platitudes and mild criticisms of the Senate: “They have spent two weeks on vacation.”
Hickenlooper, who often stumbles through speeches and debates, is at his best in settings like these — the beer halls, the bowling alleys — playing consoler-in-chief to Coloradans who have suffered from wildfires, mass shootings or economic calamity. He remains an unpolished speaker after nearly two decades in politics and unpolished speech sounds about right in an empty bowling alley.
As Congress debates its next pandemic response package, there are few policy differences between Hickenlooper and Sen. Cory Gardner, the Yuma Republican he will face in 96 days, on this topic. Both believe further negotiations are needed, both are open to the idea of direct payments, and both believe extending a $600 per week unemployment enhancement could be a good idea.
“Yeah, I think that’s where I come down right now but again, I want to (negotiate),” Hickenlooper said of the $600 enhancement when asked if he supports it Tuesday. “Part of the reason people do negotiations is so you learn what the other side is thinking and go back and forth.”
Gardner’s campaign says he also supports further negotiations and isn’t drawing any lines in the sand. He is open to extending the unemployment enhancement at $600 per week but could vote for a bill that extends it at some amount less than that. Gardner is also open to sending more direct checks to Americans, but again isn’t requiring that be in a bill before he votes for it.
They may differ on eviction moratoriums, however. Hickenlooper supports a House bill that would extend a federal eviction moratorium. Gardner’s campaign was less than adamant about extending the moratorium, saying only that the senator would consider any proposal that provides targeted assistance for impacted Americans.
To support the important journalism we do, you can become a Denver Post subscriber here. You can send tips, comments and questions to me at jwingerter@denverpost.com or to the other Post reporters below.
Top Line
Denver Public Schools board member Tay Anderson was taken to a hospital Wednesday after he was injured during a protest outside a homeless camp in downtown Denver.
Capitol Diary • By Saja Hindi
A race to the ballot
The road for citizen-led initiatives to get on the November ballot has been long and difficult amid the coronavirus pandemic, as many face a looming Aug. 3 deadline.
Three campaigns for ballot initiatives submitted their petitions to get their questions on the ballot this week, ahead of next week’s deadline to turn in signatures.
The Secretary of State’s Office is verifying signatures for:
Initiative 257, a measure that would allow communities to change gaming limits through local elections
Initiative 295, a measure that would ask voters to approve through statewide elections any future fees for new state programs in which the projected or actual revenue exceeds $100 million in its first five years
Initiative 306, a measure that would ask voters to reduce the state income tax rate from 4.63% to 4.55%
A fourth that would ask voters for approval of a paid medical and family leave program is expected to turn in its signatures Friday.
If approved, the initiatives will land on the statewide November ballot alongside questions asking voters to approve the reintroduction of gray wolves in the state, disallow Colorado to join the National Popular Vote Compact, ban late-term abortions and reiterate that only citizens can vote in elections. The Colorado state legislature also referred a measure to the ballot asking voters to approve an increase on tobacco taxes and a new vaping tax.
The Secretary of State’s Office has until Sept. 2 to make a final determination on signatures.
To get a question on the ballot, campaigns have to collect at least 124,632 valid signatures of registered voters on their petitions. If the question is an amendment to the state Constitution, they need to collect signatures from 2% of the registered voters in each of Colorado’s 35 state Senate districts.
Colorado’s November ballot was expected to be lengthy when campaigns started discussing their planned initiatives last year. But after temporary forced closures and social distancing guidelines, campaigns began to push for changes to the process.
That’s when Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order allowing campaigns to collect signatures by mail and email. Then a business group sued. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled against the governor, saying the state constitutional requirement that signatures must be made in person was clear.
Some campaigns have had to call it quits. Others are likely to make the same announcement in the days ahead. We’ll keep you posted.
More Colorado political news
Gov. Jared Polis urges Coloradans “not to be stupid” during the health crisis
Colorado Republicans requested a return to the Capitol. Democrats called it a political stunt
Colorado is suing Trump over an attempt to exclude some immigrants from the census count
Residents share their fears of eviction with high unemployment rates, lapse in federal benefits
#COSen 2020 • By Justin Wingerter
RIP RMV, 2019-2020
Last September, a dark money group cropped up in Colorado, called itself Rocky Mountain Values and announced that its goal was to hold elected officials accountable. Before long, it was a leading anti-Gardner group in the state, dropping $2.5 million on TV and another million dollars on digital ads.
Ten months later, on Friday, the group will close its doors for good.
“We’ve seen our messaging stick,” said Vanessa Harmoush, RMV’s spokesperson, “and we’ve seen people take our messaging and go beyond RMV. So to see the work that we’ve done extend beyond us was kind of the moment that we realized we had accomplished our mission.”
With a focus on health care and the environment, RMV combined typical grassroots organizing tactics with deep-pocketed ad budgets and occasionally corny gimmicks. On July 4, it released a playlist of breakup songs to inspire Gardner to split with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“The first ad we did — the McConnell puppet ad on prescription drugs — we launched that on a Monday and by that Thursday we were over 500,000 views,” said Marie Aberger, spokesperson for an RMV campaign that constantly tied Gardner to McConnell, who is unpopular in Colorado, according to polls.
Olga Robak, state director for Protect Our Care, a health care advocacy group that often partnered with RMV, said RMV was undeniably successful at capturing the public’s attention and highlighting Gardner’s connections to another unpopular Republican: President Donald Trump.
“(RMV) allowed our voices to be heard,” said Penny Potts, a 35-year-old teacher and cancer survivor in Centennial who was featured in RMV ads and at RMV events, “and it allowed me to feel like I matter in the political landscape that many times feels like it lacks humanity.”
More federal election news
Mile High Politics • By Conrad Swanson
Waiting on the next shoe to fall
It’s only a matter of time.
Denver police, Colorado state troopers and city staff swept out the longstanding homeless encampment in Lincoln Park, just west of the state Capitol early Wednesday morning and the city’s remaining large encampments now sit in the crosshairs.
The highest profile encampment remaining is likely the one outside Morey Middle School, but Public Health Director Bob McDonald said city officials are likely to break others up too. Mayor Michael Hancock’s spokesperson, Michael Strott, confirmed the strategy as well.
McDonald, police and troopers didn’t wait until the city’s first sanctioned homeless encampment opened. That camp could be ready early next month, though no site has been formally proposed yet. Anyway, it will be much too small to host anything more than a fraction of the now-scattered downtown encampment, let alone any other encampments.
It’s no secret that federal experts say encampments should be left untouched during the pandemic unless cities have a place for those sleeping outside to go. And city officials have zeroed in on that qualifier.
There are shelter beds, they say.
And they’re right. Sort of.
Indeed, Denver has congregate shelter space available, hundreds of rooms at times. But it’s painfully obvious to experts and advocates alike that those sleeping in outdoor encampments have little or no desire to stay in those shelters.
In the best of times they can be dangerous, many say. People fear that what little property they own could be stolen. Or they fear attacks from others inside the shelters. Often those seeking a spot in the shelter are separated from their loved ones or pets, adding to the isolation and desperation of living on the streets.
And now the country is in the middle of a pandemic. Social distancing is one of the most oft-repeated prevention measures for those hoping to avoid contracting the novel coronavirus.
So who wants to stay in a shelter, mere feet from the next person over, touching the same doorknobs, sink handles, tables, chairs and railings as everybody else?
Many would rather take their chances on the streets, where they feel safer and can distance themselves relatively well from others. There is safety in numbers, they say.
And indeed, it’s no secret that drugs, crime, litter and even infestations can follow.
During my most recent pass through the encampment near the Capitol, I interviewed a woman as she prepared a syringe full of what she said was heroin. She shuffled and arranged her cache of needles, pills and pipes in a tin box casually while we spoke, as if she were merely flipping through her daily calendar.
At least one person died in a shooting there the next day.
Neighbors near Morey Middle School complain of drug sales, prostitution and more. Absolutely valid concerns and worth the resources of the Denver Police Department.
But the campers themselves remind us daily — and we should listen — that they have no desire to stay in a shelter and breaking up their camps will only force them to pitch tents elsewhere until the cycle repeats.
Some yell until their voices run hoarse: breaking up the encampments will only move the problems a few blocks, appeasing some residents for days or weeks at most.
Instead, they call for the city to police encampments more heavily, provide trash receptacles and portable toilets. And now those advocates, people experiencing homelessness and even public officials are watching the remaining encampments to see whether city officials will listen.
I doubt they’re holding their breath, though.
More Denver and suburban political news
Forward this newsletter to your colleagues and friends and encourage them to subscribe.


thedenverpost--2020-07-31--Rockies Insider: Looking back at five of Colorado’s best home openers

The Rockies ’ home opener on Friday against San Diego will certainly have a different vibe , seeing as the teams will be playing in front of no fans and in the middle of a global pandemic .
But if Friday gives baseball fans any sort of action like the following games , we will all be in luck .
Here ’ s a look at five notable home openers in franchise history : April 2 , 2001 — Mike Hampton dazzled in his club debut , tossing eight-plus shutout innings and allowing five hits as the Rockies blanked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed a then-record eight-year , $ 121 million contract the prior offseason , turned out to be the club ’ s biggest free-agent bust ever .
April 4 , 2005 — Coors Canaveral can produce some exciting comebacks , and such was the case this day as the Rockies rallied from a 10-8 deficit in the bottom of the ninth to beat Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman and the Padres 12-10 .
The winning stroke was a two-out , two-run homer by Clint Barmes .
April 4 , 2014 — Charlie Blackmon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start in Denver , batting 6-for-6 as the leadoff with a homer , three doubles and five RBIs as the Rockies routed the Diamondbacks 12-2 .
Chuck Nazty went on to earn his first all-star nod that year .
April 26 , 1995 — In the first game at Coors Field , the Rockies battled through the springtime cold to beat the Mets 11-9 .
Outfielder Dante Bichette sealed the marathon victory ( game time : four hours , 49 minutes ) with a walk-off , three-run homer in the 14th inning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fist pump .
April 9 , 1993 — Colorado ’ s first home opener , held at Mile High Stadium , is hard to top .
A crowd of 80,227 turned out for the 3:05 p.m. game to see the Rockies beat the Expos 11-4 .
Eric Young Sr. ’ s leadoff homer in the bottom of the first was the perfect omen for big-league baseball at elevation .
Like what you ’ re reading ?
Share this with a friend and tell them it ’ s easy to sign up for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you enjoy The Denver Post ’ s sports coverage , we have a new subscription offer for you !
Try the first month for just 99¢ With no fans in Coors Field , Rockies aim to make home opener “ as realistic as we can ” Friday night , when the Rockies host San Diego in the 2020 home opener at Coors Field , LoDo magic could strike .
You just never know with baseball .
Read more… Bud Black proud of how Rockies are handling coronavirus pandemic Black has repeatedly praised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s health protocols .
He did so again Tuesday .
“ It ’ s been outstanding to watch our players , our coaching staff , our trainers , our strength guys , our baseball operations team , go through this with strict compliance , ” he said .
“ I ’ m proud of our organization.
” Read more… Rockies ’ bullpen delivering in early going , despite some high-wire moments The Rockies ’ bullpen , a disaster last season , has been a revelation this season .
At least so far , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more… + Rockies ’ bullpen passes early test but can it have sustained success ?
+ Seven years after his last big-league game , Daniel Bard leads Rockies to win over Rangers + Kyle Freeland ’ s delivery is different , but fiery intensity still fuels Rockies lefty If you see something that ’ s cause for question or have a comment , thought or suggestion , email me at jbailey @ denverpost.com or tweet me @ beetbailey .

The Rockies’ home opener on Friday against San Diego will certainly have a different vibe, seeing as the teams will be playing in front of no fans and in the middle of a global pandemic.
But if Friday gives baseball fans any sort of action like the following games, we will all be in luck. Here’s a look at five notable home openers in franchise history:
April 2, 2001 — Mike Hampton dazzled in his club debut, tossing eight-plus shutout innings and allowing five hits as the Rockies blanked the Cardinals 8-0. But Hampton, who signed a then-record eight-year, $121 million contract the prior offseason, turned out to be the club’s biggest free-agent bust ever.
April 4, 2005 — Coors Canaveral can produce some exciting comebacks, and such was the case this day as the Rockies rallied from a 10-8 deficit in the bottom of the ninth to beat Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman and the Padres 12-10. The winning stroke was a two-out, two-run homer by Clint Barmes.
April 4, 2014 — Charlie Blackmon went off in his first opening day start in Denver, batting 6-for-6 as the leadoff with a homer, three doubles and five RBIs as the Rockies routed the Diamondbacks 12-2. Chuck Nazty went on to earn his first all-star nod that year.
April 26, 1995 — In the first game at Coors Field, the Rockies battled through the springtime cold to beat the Mets 11-9. Outfielder Dante Bichette sealed the marathon victory (game time: four hours, 49 minutes) with a walk-off, three-run homer in the 14th inning, which he accented with a now-iconic celebratory fist pump.
April 9, 1993 — Colorado’s first home opener, held at Mile High Stadium, is hard to top. A crowd of 80,227 turned out for the 3:05 p.m. game to see the Rockies beat the Expos 11-4. Eric Young Sr.’s leadoff homer in the bottom of the first was the perfect omen for big-league baseball at elevation.
— Kyle Newman, The Denver Post
Like what you’re reading? Share this with a friend and tell them it’s easy to sign up for the Rockies Insider here.
NEW 💥 If you enjoy The Denver Post’s sports coverage, we have a new subscription offer for you! Try the first month for just 99¢
Must-Read
Friday night, when the Rockies host San Diego in the 2020 home opener at Coors Field, LoDo magic could strike. You just never know with baseball. Read more…
Black has repeatedly praised the Rockies’ strict adherence to MLB’s health protocols. He did so again Tuesday.
“It’s been outstanding to watch our players, our coaching staff, our trainers, our strength guys, our baseball operations team, go through this with strict compliance,” he said. “I’m proud of our organization.” Read more…
Rockies’ bullpen delivering in early going, despite some high-wire moments
The Rockies’ bullpen, a disaster last season, has been a revelation this season. At least so far, and despite some close calls. Read more…
Quick Hits
+ Bryan Shaw blames Coors Field and Denver’s mile-high altitude for poor Rockies run
+ Rockies’ bullpen passes early test but can it have sustained success?
+ Seven years after his last big-league game, Daniel Bard leads Rockies to win over Rangers
+ Trevor Story ignoring negative predictions about Rockies in 2020
+ Kyle Freeland’s delivery is different, but fiery intensity still fuels Rockies lefty
+ Rockies’ Tim Collins opts out of 2020 season; Michael Toglia joins Colorado’s player pool
+ David Peterson, Regis Jesuit grad, wins in big-league debut with Mets
+ Stray souvenirs: Without fans, MLB foul balls left lonely
Get in Touch
If you see something that’s cause for question or have a comment, thought or suggestion, email me at jbailey@denverpost.com or tweet me @beetbailey.


thedenverpost--2020-07-31--Pepsi signs on for new 283,000-square-foot warehouse in forthcoming Adam County project

A big-time industrial park that just broke ground north of Denver has already landed a big-time tenant .
Pepsi announced this week that it has signed a lease for 283,500 square feet built-to-suit building at the forthcoming Pecos Logistics Park at the northwest corner of West 56th Avenue and North Pecos Street .
Being developed by Denver-based real estate firm Westfield Co. , the park is slated to eventually bring more than 1.15 million square feet of commercial space to unincorporated Adams County .
The property is in the middle of a triangle created by three interstate highways — 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the type of close-to-consumers , close-to-the highway property developers and industrial tenants dream about .
“ PepsiCo Beverages North America has made a long-term commitment to our location and our park because they recognize the efficiency , functionality and quality of what we will deliver at Pecos Logistics Park will play a critical role in their ability to continue to grow their operations and maintain a competitive advantage in Colorado.
” Westfield vice president of industrial Matt Mitchell wrote in an email .
The Pepsi building is expected to be done in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s part of the park ’ s first phase which includes three other buildings being built on a speculative basis without tenants attached .
The shells of those three spec buildings should also be completed next fall .
The new warehouse will not replace Pepsi ’ s bottling plant at the corner of 38th Street and Brighton Boulevard , according to Tyler Carner , a vice president with real estate services firm CBRE , who represented Westfield in negotiations with the company .
Last summer , Pepsi sold two surface parking lots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco apartment developer for more than $ 36 million , a deal previously reported by BusinessDen .
But that plant itself is staying put while the Pecos building contributed to the sales and distribution side of the business , Carner said .
“ For more than 65 years , ( PepsiCo Beverages North America ) has proudly served the Denver Metro market and we are so proud that we can enhance our operation in Colorado , ” Shawn Early , senior market director for Pepsi North America ’ s west division , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This facility will allow us to better serve our employees , customers and community while setting us up for long-term success in the future.
” The Pecos Logistics Park is the latest major industrial project announced in Adams County just north of Denver .
Last spring , the Paulino family sold their long-time garden center to industrial real estate giant Prologis for $ 12.2 million , a deal that makes way for more warehouse space in the area .
A few years prior , Westfield redeveloped the former Mapleton High School property on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has since sold , Carner said .
Carner ’ s CBRE colleague Jeremy Ballenger has previously sung the area ’ s praises when it comes to its value for industrial real estate .
County taxes are lower than in nearby municipalities and the area offers proximity to customers , workers and highways .
The Pecos Logistics Park is walking distance from an RTD rail stop .
Industrial real estate was already riding an 18-year growth streak in the Denver area before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and drastically changed consumer behavior .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit an unprecedented 27 % of all retail buying , according to research firm Digital Commerce 360 .
“ That shift to e-commerce is creating a demand for more warehouses close to consumers , ” Carner said .
“ Clearly finding sites for industrial infill development is incredibly challenging and incredibly rare and that ’ s really what Pepsi realized here .
”

A big-time industrial park that just broke ground north of Denver has already landed a big-time tenant.
Pepsi announced this week that it has signed a lease for 283,500 square feet built-to-suit building at the forthcoming Pecos Logistics Park at the northwest corner of West 56th Avenue and North Pecos Street.
Being developed by Denver-based real estate firm Westfield Co., the park is slated to eventually bring more than 1.15 million square feet of commercial space to unincorporated Adams County. The property is in the middle of a triangle created by three interstate highways — 70, 25 and 76. It’s the type of close-to-consumers, close-to-the highway property developers and industrial tenants dream about.
“PepsiCo Beverages North America has made a long-term commitment to our location and our park because they recognize the efficiency, functionality and quality of what we will deliver at Pecos Logistics Park will play a critical role in their ability to continue to grow their operations and maintain a competitive advantage in Colorado.” Westfield vice president of industrial Matt Mitchell wrote in an email.
The Pepsi building is expected to be done in September 2021, Mitchell said. It’s part of the park’s first phase which includes three other buildings being built on a speculative basis without tenants attached. The shells of those three spec buildings should also be completed next fall.
The new warehouse will not replace Pepsi’s bottling plant at the corner of 38th Street and Brighton Boulevard, according to Tyler Carner, a vice president with real estate services firm CBRE, who represented Westfield in negotiations with the company.
Last summer, Pepsi sold two surface parking lots across from the bottling plant to a San Francisco apartment developer for more than $36 million, a deal previously reported by BusinessDen. But that plant itself is staying put while the Pecos building contributed to the sales and distribution side of the business, Carner said.
“For more than 65 years, (PepsiCo Beverages North America) has proudly served the Denver Metro market and we are so proud that we can enhance our operation in Colorado,” Shawn Early, senior market director for Pepsi North America’s west division, said in a news release. “This facility will allow us to better serve our employees, customers and community while setting us up for long-term success in the future.”
The Pecos Logistics Park is the latest major industrial project announced in Adams County just north of Denver. Last spring, the Paulino family sold their long-time garden center to industrial real estate giant Prologis for $12.2 million, a deal that makes way for more warehouse space in the area. A few years prior, Westfield redeveloped the former Mapleton High School property on East 64th Avenue into an industrial park it has since sold, Carner said.
Carner’s CBRE colleague Jeremy Ballenger has previously sung the area’s praises when it comes to its value for industrial real estate. County taxes are lower than in nearby municipalities and the area offers proximity to customers, workers and highways. The Pecos Logistics Park is walking distance from an RTD rail stop.
Industrial real estate was already riding an 18-year growth streak in the Denver area before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and drastically changed consumer behavior. In April of this year, e-commerce sales hit an unprecedented 27% of all retail buying, according to research firm Digital Commerce 360.
“That shift to e-commerce is creating a demand for more warehouses close to consumers,” Carner said. “Clearly finding sites for industrial infill development is incredibly challenging and incredibly rare and that’s really what Pepsi realized here.”


thedenverpost--2020-07-31--Colorado’s unemployment system would struggle to meet Senate cap on benefits

Senate Republicans want to cap state and federal unemployment benefits at 70 % of prior wages in the next round of pandemic assistance under consideration , a move they argue would encourage more people to return to work than the $ 600 a week payment that ends in July .
But achieving that level of customization won ’ t be an easy task for Colorado ’ s strained unemployment system , which has received 664,532 claims for assistance and paid out more than $ 4 billion in benefits since March 29 .
“ Any level of customization is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a flat rate .
A flat rate would be easier , ” said Jeff Fitzgerald , director of the state ’ s unemployment insurance division , during a news call on Thursday .
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment currently replaces about 55 % of prior wages on average for unemployed workers collecting benefits .
The Senate ’ s HEALS Act proposal would pay out $ 200 a week in August and September in federal unemployment benefits until Oct. 5 , at which time states would limit benefit payouts to 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking , I am fairly confident that by October we would have the capacity to do the programming to get that into place , Fitzgerald said .
“ It would require us to drop everything else we are doing from a technology standpoint and focus on that.
” That diversion of resources could add to the frustration of claimants who have struggled to receive help .
In May , the unemployment department was dealing with 16,000 unanswered calls a day , a number that had dropped to 8,000 by early July .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a digital assistant to answer questions from claimants or schedule in-person callbacks .
It has also had to cope with a sharp rise in fraudulent applications under the federal program that pays out benefits to contract workers and the self-employed .
Fitzgerald said what complicates the calculation is that many workers not only earn traditional wages reported on a W-2 , but also 1099 income as contractors , which the federal government agreed to assist with for the first time .
Those claims are handled on two different systems in Colorado , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , under their HEROES Act , had proposed extending the current $ 600 a week in federal unemployment benefits through Jan. 31 , 2021 .
Opponents of extending the extra $ 600 a week in federal benefits , which works out to $ 15 an hour , argue that about two-third of unemployed workers collecting benefits make more than they did before the pandemic , reducing their incentive to return to work and slowing the recovery .
There are also concerns about the swelling price tag for pandemic relief and the impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover .
“ It ’ s one thing to tide people over — it ’ s quite another to pay people more not to work than they could make working , ” wrote Matt Weidinger , the Rowe Fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute , last month .
Supporters of extending the $ 600 a week argue there is little evidence that the extra payments discourage people from returning to work — though the state has terminated a small percentage of benefits from workers who refused to return to work — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recovery and contribute to additional job losses .
“ The spending made possible by the $ 400 that the Senate wants to cut is supporting 3.4 million jobs , ” said Heidi Shierholz , a senior economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute in a blog post on Thursday .
“ That $ 400 cut in benefits is not just cruel , it ’ s terrible economics.
” Those receiving more generous unemployment benefits are slightly more likely to have higher unemployment rates and return to prior jobs at slightly lower rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said independent economist Elliot Eisenberg .
The more pressing problem right now isn ’ t indolence .
It is that there are far more unemployed people than there are job opportunities for them to fill .
“ With 32 million unemployed and just 5.4 million job openings , the $ 18 billion/week unemployment boost and the added spending and growth it creates is appropriate , ” he said .
In Colorado , there were 333,700 unemployed workers in June .
Employers have filed complaints involving 4,100 unemployed workers who refused to return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaints the CDLE has investigated , it decided to terminate benefits in 16 % of cases , Fitzgerlad said .
And in about 10 % of those terminated cases , or just over 50 workers , the termination resulted because workers said flat out they weren ’ t returning because they were making more money on unemployment .
Health concerns related to COVID-19 are the most often cited reasons for those refusing return-to-work requests in Colorado .

Senate Republicans want to cap state and federal unemployment benefits at 70% of prior wages in the next round of pandemic assistance under consideration, a move they argue would encourage more people to return to work than the $600 a week payment that ends in July.
But achieving that level of customization won’t be an easy task for Colorado’s strained unemployment system, which has received 664,532 claims for assistance and paid out more than $4 billion in benefits since March 29.
“Any level of customization is going to be more challenging in terms of programming than a flat rate. A flat rate would be easier,” said Jeff Fitzgerald, director of the state’s unemployment insurance division, during a news call on Thursday.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment currently replaces about 55% of prior wages on average for unemployed workers collecting benefits. The Senate’s HEALS Act proposal would pay out $200 a week in August and September in federal unemployment benefits until Oct. 5, at which time states would limit benefit payouts to 70% of prior income.
“Generally speaking, I am fairly confident that by October we would have the capacity to do the programming to get that into place, Fitzgerald said. “It would require us to drop everything else we are doing from a technology standpoint and focus on that.”
That diversion of resources could add to the frustration of claimants who have struggled to receive help. In May, the unemployment department was dealing with 16,000 unanswered calls a day, a number that had dropped to 8,000 by early July.
In recent weeks, CDLE has rolled out a digital assistant to answer questions from claimants or schedule in-person callbacks. It has also had to cope with a sharp rise in fraudulent applications under the federal program that pays out benefits to contract workers and the self-employed.
Fitzgerald said what complicates the calculation is that many workers not only earn traditional wages reported on a W-2, but also 1099 income as contractors, which the federal government agreed to assist with for the first time. Those claims are handled on two different systems in Colorado, which creates a programming challenge.
House Democrats, under their HEROES Act, had proposed extending the current $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits through Jan. 31, 2021.
Opponents of extending the extra $600 a week in federal benefits, which works out to $15 an hour, argue that about two-third of unemployed workers collecting benefits make more than they did before the pandemic, reducing their incentive to return to work and slowing the recovery. There are also concerns about the swelling price tag for pandemic relief and the impact on federal deficits that future generations will have to cover.
“It’s one thing to tide people over — it’s quite another to pay people more not to work than they could make working,” wrote Matt Weidinger, the Rowe Fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, last month.
Supporters of extending the $600 a week argue there is little evidence that the extra payments discourage people from returning to work — though the state has terminated a small percentage of benefits from workers who refused to return to work — and they said ending them could derail the recovery and contribute to additional job losses.
“The spending made possible by the $400 that the Senate wants to cut is supporting 3.4 million jobs,” said Heidi Shierholz, a senior economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute in a blog post on Thursday. “That $400 cut in benefits is not just cruel, it’s terrible economics.”
Those receiving more generous unemployment benefits are slightly more likely to have higher unemployment rates and return to prior jobs at slightly lower rates than those with less generous benefits, said independent economist Elliot Eisenberg.
The more pressing problem right now isn’t indolence. It is that there are far more unemployed people than there are job opportunities for them to fill.
“With 32 million unemployed and just 5.4 million job openings, the $18 billion/week unemployment boost and the added spending and growth it creates is appropriate,” he said.
In Colorado, there were 333,700 unemployed workers in June. Employers have filed complaints involving 4,100 unemployed workers who refused to return to work when asked. Of the 3,300 complaints the CDLE has investigated, it decided to terminate benefits in 16% of cases, Fitzgerlad said.
And in about 10% of those terminated cases, or just over 50 workers, the termination resulted because workers said flat out they weren’t returning because they were making more money on unemployment. Health concerns related to COVID-19 are the most often cited reasons for those refusing return-to-work requests in Colorado.


thedenverpost--2020-07-31--Nuggets power rankings — how the national media ranks Denver entering the 2020 bubble restart

The NBA bubble restart kicked off Thursdays .
Here ’ s a look at how NBA experts see the Nuggets , according to various national publications ’ power rankings .
The Athletic ( No .
8 ) : “ ( Jamal Murray ) just plays so well off of Jokic in those stretches and Jokic makes everybody pay by ignoring Murray just enough .
Then he lights you up .
If we see more of that Murray the Nuggets invested a max extension into , then we should see a great run by Denver , ” The Athletic ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No .
10 ) : “ The Bol Bol show and super-gigantic lineups have been fun , but it ’ s been hard to get a sense of how the Nuggets look since a good chunk of their rotation has yet to take the court .
Nikola Jokic is as slim as advertised , and looked excellent playing point guard in the two scrimmages this week .
Given their lack of personnel thus far , the Nuggets will start their seeding games with at least a slight disadvantage as they fight for playoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West , ” CBS Sports ’ Colin Ward-Henninger writes .
ESPN ( No .
5 ) : “ At a time when teams need to come together rapidly , the continuity that the Nuggets ’ young core has — along with the experience of two seven-game series last postseason — could pay off in this unprecedented restart situation .
If the Nuggets take the next step and make the Western Conference finals , they have the potential to upset either the Lakers or Clippers , ” ESPN ’ s Ohm Youngmisuk writes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) : “ Mike Malone said it himself : Denver ’ s coach has no idea where his team is in preparation for the seeding games right now .
Due to injury and the coronavirus they have had just eight players ready to go in both scrimmage games .
But on of those players is Bol Bol and that is all most of us need to see , ” NBC Sports ’ Kurt Helin writes .
The Ringer ( No .
7 ) : “ The Nuggets are a damn good team , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jokic with creative , funky sets , or play more traditionally through their scoring guards like Jamal Murray and Will Barton .
As they are , they ’ ve got a shot to make a run .
What also makes them different are their wild cards in Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol , ” The Ringer ’ s Kevin O ’ Connor writes .
Sports Illustrated ( No .
8 ) : “ Perhaps we ’ re discounting the Nuggets ’ Finals chances , especially considering their bonafide superstar leading the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same headlines as Anthony Davis or Joel Embiid , but Denver ’ s leading man is a true top-10 talent .
Jokic averaged 25.1 points , 13 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game in 14 playoff contests last year , a stat-line matched only by Oscar Robertson across NBA history .
The Nuggets are still in danger of a first-round exit given the ultra-competitive Western Conference .
But expect Jokic to deliver another impressive postseason , ” SI ’ s Michael Shapiro writes .
Sporting News ( No .
7 ) : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Don ’ t enjoy watching Nikola Jokic run pick-and-rolls with Bol Bol ?
You uncultured swine .
( But seriously , the Nuggets need consistent production from someone other than Jokic in the playoffs . )
” If you enjoy the Denver Sports Omelette , tell a friend it ’ s easy to sign up here for our daily sports roundup .
If you have any questions or suggestions , hit me up on Twitter @ joenguyen or by email .
Sports are back .
Never miss a story .
Subscribe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 99¢ .
+ Broncos Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Ask Ryan O ’ Halloran here .
+ Nuggets Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Ask Mike Singer here .
+ Avs Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Ask Mike Chambers here .
+ Rockies Mailbag : Have a question about the team ?
Ask Patrick Saunders here .

The NBA bubble restart kicked off Thursday. Here’s a look at how NBA experts see the Nuggets, according to various national publications’ power rankings.
The Athletic (No. 8): “(Jamal Murray) just plays so well off of Jokic in those stretches and Jokic makes everybody pay by ignoring Murray just enough. Then he lights you up. If we see more of that Murray the Nuggets invested a max extension into, then we should see a great run by Denver,” The Athletic’s Zach Harper writes.
CBS Sports (No. 10): “The Bol Bol show and super-gigantic lineups have been fun, but it’s been hard to get a sense of how the Nuggets look since a good chunk of their rotation has yet to take the court. Nikola Jokic is as slim as advertised, and looked excellent playing point guard in the two scrimmages this week. Given their lack of personnel thus far, the Nuggets will start their seeding games with at least a slight disadvantage as they fight for playoff positioning in the competitive middle tier of the West,” CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger writes.
ESPN (No. 5): “At a time when teams need to come together rapidly, the continuity that the Nuggets’ young core has — along with the experience of two seven-game series last postseason — could pay off in this unprecedented restart situation. If the Nuggets take the next step and make the Western Conference finals, they have the potential to upset either the Lakers or Clippers,” ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes.
NBC Sports (No. 9): “Mike Malone said it himself: Denver’s coach has no idea where his team is in preparation for the seeding games right now. Due to injury and the coronavirus they have had just eight players ready to go in both scrimmage games. But on of those players is Bol Bol and that is all most of us need to see,” NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin writes.
The Ringer (No. 7): “The Nuggets are a damn good team, folks. They can play through Nikola Jokic with creative, funky sets, or play more traditionally through their scoring guards like Jamal Murray and Will Barton. As they are, they’ve got a shot to make a run. What also makes them different are their wild cards in Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol,” The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor writes.
Sports Illustrated (No. 8): “Perhaps we’re discounting the Nuggets’ Finals chances, especially considering their bonafide superstar leading the way. Nikola Jokic doesn’t draw the same headlines as Anthony Davis or Joel Embiid, but Denver’s leading man is a true top-10 talent. Jokic averaged 25.1 points, 13 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game in 14 playoff contests last year, a stat-line matched only by Oscar Robertson across NBA history. The Nuggets are still in danger of a first-round exit given the ultra-competitive Western Conference. But expect Jokic to deliver another impressive postseason,” SI’s Michael Shapiro writes.
Sporting News (No. 7): SN’s Jordan Greer writes, “Don’t enjoy watching Nikola Jokic run pick-and-rolls with Bol Bol? You uncultured swine. (But seriously, the Nuggets need consistent production from someone other than Jokic in the playoffs.)”
— Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post
If you enjoy the Denver Sports Omelette, tell a friend it’s easy to sign up here for our daily sports roundup. If you have any questions or suggestions, hit me up on Twitter @joenguyen or by email.
Sports are back. Never miss a story.
Subscribe to The Denver Post.
Get started for 99¢.
Ask The Experts
+ Broncos Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Ryan O’Halloran here.
+ Nuggets Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Mike Singer here.
+ Avs Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Mike Chambers here.
+ Rockies Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Patrick Saunders here.


thedenverpost--2020-07-31--Colorado to declare racism a public health crisis after push by agency staffers to respond to protes

Colorado to declare racism a public health crisis after push by agency staffers to respond to protests, pandemic

Colorado will declare racism a public health crisis following a push by staffers inside the state ’ s health department to respond to ongoing social-justice protests and the inequities highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic .
Since June , employees at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have pressed Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan to make such a public declaration and became increasingly frustrated when she didn ’ t move faster to do so .
When asked this week about those internal conversations , Hunsaker Ryan told The Denver Post the state will join the American Public Health Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that will become formal policy within the health department .
In doing so , Hunsaker Ryan said she has two goals : to increase diversity in the department ’ s workforce , which is almost 78 % white , and make it easier for local community organizations that provide services to people of color to partner with the agency .
She also plans to hire an equity and inclusion officer for the department , potentially by the end of August .
“ I like it when my employees push me on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use language they think is more descriptive , ” Hunsaker Ryan said .
Previously , the firmest stance the department had taken publicly was to call racism “ a persistent and critical health issue ” in an open letter on its website .
Four employees of the health department — three of whom are staffers of color — told The Post that not only was the letter published weeks after employees first raised questions , but it minimized racism by calling it an “ issue ” rather than a “ crisis.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reflects the urgency the agency should have in responding to inequalities that exist both inside the department and in the health of Coloradans .
And the hope , one employee said , is that by having the department declare racism a crisis , it will divert more resources to address inequity .
“ I ’ ve just been kind of dumbfounded as someone who works for the agency , ” that employee said .
“ And just have been really underwhelmed with the stance that they ’ ve taken and have been really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent about systemic racism.
” The employees who spoke to The Post did so on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation .
The newspaper also reviewed recordings of agency town halls , emails and other documents .
Hunsaker Ryan pointed to the coronavirus to explain the delay in declaring racism a crisis .
“ We are in this COVID pandemic response , which generally sucked the air out of the room , ” she said .
“ It ’ s so intense .
It ’ s all hands on deck.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department tuned in to their weekly , virtual town hall on June 25 , a national reckoning already was underway that has forced many Americans to re-examine structural racism in society .
And as this national conversation took place , so did one within the state health agency .
In that meeting , Hunsaker Ryan raised the topic of calling racism a public health crisis without answering whether the health department would take such a stance .
Instead , she told a story about how roughly two decades ago she compiled data and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the root of health inequities .
Hunsaker Ryan said the health department needed to conduct an assessment to “ get our arms around the issues ” and prioritize what the agency will work on .
“ We need a department-wide vision , ” she told staffers during the town hall .
“ I don ’ t think it should come from me .
But I think all of us should craft it together and I think we will know when we get there .
I think we should plan to plan.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the frustration with the town hall stemmed from the department leadership ’ s lack of action both internally and publicly to address racism “ It ’ s just kind of a pattern internally of dragging our feet and not really addressing why we have ’ t done anything , ” the employee said , adding , “ I would hope that everyone that works at CDPHE would recognize that systemic racism impacts our work and has for longer than the past month.
” Hunsaker Ryan said in the later interview that she envisioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creating a plan , but realized in the meeting that employees wanted to see steps the health department would take to address racism .
“ I was trying to say , ‘ Not only do I think it is a public health crisis , but I was saying this 20 years ago , ’ ” Hunsaker Ryan said .
The push inside the state health department to take a stronger stance against racism reflects a larger movement among public health organizations , which have been outspoken about the need to address racial inequalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death of George Floyd , the Black Minnesotan killed when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
Last month , the American Public Health Association denounced police violence .
And in Jefferson County , public health officials declared systematic racism a public health crisis and passed a resolution that directs the local health agency to take steps to address such inequities .
At least 24 state and local governments have passed or considered declarations that racism is a public health crisis , according to PEW Charitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence against community residents who have expressed frustration and despair over day-to-day racism , ” the association said in its statement .
“ This racism , while far too commonplace in our health care system , in housing , in employment and beyond , has rocked this nation and is tantamount to a public health crisis.
” All of this comes as those in public health — including at Colorado ’ s health department — are responding to one of the most serious global pandemics in decades .
In Colorado , as in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel coronavirus has both sickened and killed people of color at a disproportionately higher rate than their peers .
Black residents make up about 4.65 % of the more than 45,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state , and 6.64 % of the deaths , despite the state ’ s Black population being 3.92 % of Colorado ’ s total , according to data from the agency .
Latino Coloradans also are seeing higher rates of infection , making up about 35.62 % of cases and 22.23 % of deaths despite representing 21.69 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the health department .
Blacks and Latinos are more likely to have underlying health issues , such as high blood pressure , diabetes , asthma and heart disease , that make people more at risk for complications from COVID-19 .
People of color also make up a large share of essential jobs , which raises the risk of exposure to the disease .
“ The pandemic really does expose and exploit society ’ s vulnerabilities like social inequities , ” Hunsaker Ryan said .
“ It wasn ’ t good enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that while leaders in the state health department discussed Floyd ’ s death and the Black Lives Matter movement , there was one death they were notably silent on : Elijah McClain .
In August 2019 , McClain , 23 , was walking home from a store one evening when Aurora police approached him after receiving a call about a “ suspicious person.
” McClain died days after after police placed him in a chokehold and someone with Aurora Fire Rescue injected him with ketamine to sedate him .
“ It wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or say we feel really bad about these deaths , meanwhile never talking about Elijah McClain ” that health department employee said .
“ That is a crisis , ” the employee added .
“ It ’ s been a crisis for a lot longer than the awakening that seemingly happened for white-bodied people in the last month with Floyd .
This has been the status quo.
” Hunsaker Ryan said Floyd ’ s killing was the “ impetus for the conversation ” about race at the health department and that McClain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more example of this happening here on our doorstep.
” The department recently reopened an investigation into the use of ketamine by paramedics to sedate McClain .
“ I just feel like we have a lot to talk about and these issues have really risen to the forefront and I want to give employees an opportunity in safe environment to have these conversations , ” she said .
“ Not a good way to address an issue like this ” On July 2 , more than a month after Floyd ’ s death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ryan sent a letter to employees , saying the health department would take steps to expand diversity at the agency and “ ensure culture competency ” in the services it provides .
“ Those of us in government — especially those in leadership — have an obligation to not only participate in that dialogue but to use it to guide our actions , ” she wrote in the letter , which was not distributed publicly , but was obtained by The Post .
“ It starts with confronting uncomfortable truths — like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis for much longer than COVID-19.
” In her letter , Hunsaker Ryan laid out plans for the department , including a review of hiring practices in an effort to diversify its workforce , and training for leadership and employees on anti-bias and how to be an ally .
Of the roughly 1,554 employees at the Colorado health department , 1,207 are white .
There are only 64 Black and 149 Latino employees , according to the agency .
The percentage of Black employees in the department is slightly more than their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Latino staffers are significantly underrepresented .
This is also reflected in the health department ’ s 20 leadership positions , all but four of which are held by white employees , according to data provided by the agency .
Employees said there is a notable lack of diversity among staff , with one telling The Post that “ it would be sad if they declared racism ( a public health crisis ) and then they missed the point and they didn ’ t have an opportunity to make themselves better.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her email , another note arrived in staffers ’ inboxes .
The town halls , which were created so Hunsaker Ryan could check in with employees after the pandemic forced most people to work from home , were canceled .
They will be replaced , the email said , with smaller meetings among staff and leadership .
Those meetings are expected to start in August .
“ You could just tell in the chats how people were feeling , ” Hunsaker Ryan told The Post .
“ Town halls were not a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Colorado will declare racism a public health crisis following a push by staffers inside the state’s health department to respond to ongoing social-justice protests and the inequities highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Since June, employees at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have pressed Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan to make such a public declaration and became increasingly frustrated when she didn’t move faster to do so.
When asked this week about those internal conversations, Hunsaker Ryan told The Denver Post the state will join the American Public Health Association in declaring racism a public health crisis, and that will become formal policy within the health department.
In doing so, Hunsaker Ryan said she has two goals: to increase diversity in the department’s workforce, which is almost 78% white, and make it easier for local community organizations that provide services to people of color to partner with the agency. She also plans to hire an equity and inclusion officer for the department, potentially by the end of August.
“I like it when my employees push me on this issue to go faster and to use language they think is more descriptive,” Hunsaker Ryan said.
Previously, the firmest stance the department had taken publicly was to call racism “a persistent and critical health issue” in an open letter on its website.
Four employees of the health department — three of whom are staffers of color — told The Post that not only was the letter published weeks after employees first raised questions, but it minimized racism by calling it an “issue” rather than a “crisis.” The latter, they said, more aptly reflects the urgency the agency should have in responding to inequalities that exist both inside the department and in the health of Coloradans.
And the hope, one employee said, is that by having the department declare racism a crisis, it will divert more resources to address inequity.
“I’ve just been kind of dumbfounded as someone who works for the agency,” that employee said. “And just have been really underwhelmed with the stance that they’ve taken and have been really appalled by the fact that CDPHE remains silent about systemic racism.”
The employees who spoke to The Post did so on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation. The newspaper also reviewed recordings of agency town halls, emails and other documents.
Hunsaker Ryan pointed to the coronavirus to explain the delay in declaring racism a crisis.
“We are in this COVID pandemic response, which generally sucked the air out of the room,” she said. “It’s so intense. It’s all hands on deck.”
“Pattern internally of dragging our feet”
When employees at Colorado’s health department tuned in to their weekly, virtual town hall on June 25, a national reckoning already was underway that has forced many Americans to re-examine structural racism in society.
And as this national conversation took place, so did one within the state health agency.
In that meeting, Hunsaker Ryan raised the topic of calling racism a public health crisis without answering whether the health department would take such a stance. Instead, she told a story about how roughly two decades ago she compiled data and published a report showing that racism was the root of health inequities.
Hunsaker Ryan said the health department needed to conduct an assessment to “get our arms around the issues” and prioritize what the agency will work on.
“We need a department-wide vision,” she told staffers during the town hall. “I don’t think it should come from me. But I think all of us should craft it together and I think we will know when we get there. I think we should plan to plan.”
The employee who spoke to The Post said the frustration with the town hall stemmed from the department leadership’s lack of action both internally and publicly to address racism.
“It’s just kind of a pattern internally of dragging our feet and not really addressing why we have’t done anything,” the employee said, adding, “I would hope that everyone that works at CDPHE would recognize that systemic racism impacts our work and has for longer than the past month.”
Hunsaker Ryan said in the later interview that she envisioned doing an assessment on the topic before creating a plan, but realized in the meeting that employees wanted to see steps the health department would take to address racism.
“I was trying to say, ‘Not only do I think it is a public health crisis, but I was saying this 20 years ago,’ ” Hunsaker Ryan said.
Part of a larger movement
The push inside the state health department to take a stronger stance against racism reflects a larger movement among public health organizations, which have been outspoken about the need to address racial inequalities and have supported the protests that followed the death of George Floyd, the Black Minnesotan killed when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Last month, the American Public Health Association denounced police violence. And in Jefferson County, public health officials declared systematic racism a public health crisis and passed a resolution that directs the local health agency to take steps to address such inequities.
At least 24 state and local governments have passed or considered declarations that racism is a public health crisis, according to PEW Charitable Trusts.
“We also condemn police violence against community residents who have expressed frustration and despair over day-to-day racism,” the association said in its statement. “This racism, while far too commonplace in our health care system, in housing, in employment and beyond, has rocked this nation and is tantamount to a public health crisis.”
All of this comes as those in public health — including at Colorado’s health department — are responding to one of the most serious global pandemics in decades. In Colorado, as in other parts of the U.S., the novel coronavirus has both sickened and killed people of color at a disproportionately higher rate than their peers.
Black residents make up about 4.65% of the more than 45,700 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, and 6.64% of the deaths, despite the state’s Black population being 3.92% of Colorado’s total, according to data from the agency.
Latino Coloradans also are seeing higher rates of infection, making up about 35.62% of cases and 22.23% of deaths despite representing 21.69% of the state population, according to the health department.
Blacks and Latinos are more likely to have underlying health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and heart disease, that make people more at risk for complications from COVID-19. People of color also make up a large share of essential jobs, which raises the risk of exposure to the disease.
“The pandemic really does expose and exploit society’s vulnerabilities like social inequities,” Hunsaker Ryan said.
“It wasn’t good enough to just say nothing”
Another employee said that while leaders in the state health department discussed Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter movement, there was one death they were notably silent on: Elijah McClain.
In August 2019, McClain, 23, was walking home from a store one evening when Aurora police approached him after receiving a call about a “suspicious person.” McClain died days after after police placed him in a chokehold and someone with Aurora Fire Rescue injected him with ketamine to sedate him.
“It wasn’t good enough to just say nothing, or say we feel really bad about these deaths, meanwhile never talking about Elijah McClain” that health department employee said.
“That is a crisis,” the employee added. “It’s been a crisis for a lot longer than the awakening that seemingly happened for white-bodied people in the last month with Floyd. This has been the status quo.”
Hunsaker Ryan said Floyd’s killing was the “impetus for the conversation” about race at the health department and that McClain’s death is “just one more example of this happening here on our doorstep.” The department recently reopened an investigation into the use of ketamine by paramedics to sedate McClain.
“I just feel like we have a lot to talk about and these issues have really risen to the forefront and I want to give employees an opportunity in safe environment to have these conversations,” she said.
“Not a good way to address an issue like this”
On July 2, more than a month after Floyd’s death sparked protests across the nation, Hunsaker Ryan sent a letter to employees, saying the health department would take steps to expand diversity at the agency and “ensure culture competency” in the services it provides.
Then she called racism a public health crisis.
“Those of us in government — especially those in leadership — have an obligation to not only participate in that dialogue but to use it to guide our actions,” she wrote in the letter, which was not distributed publicly, but was obtained by The Post. “It starts with confronting uncomfortable truths — like the fact that racism has been a public health crisis for much longer than COVID-19.”
In her letter, Hunsaker Ryan laid out plans for the department, including a review of hiring practices in an effort to diversify its workforce, and training for leadership and employees on anti-bias and how to be an ally.
Of the roughly 1,554 employees at the Colorado health department, 1,207 are white. There are only 64 Black and 149 Latino employees, according to the agency. The percentage of Black employees in the department is slightly more than their representation in the state’s population, but Latino staffers are significantly underrepresented.
This is also reflected in the health department’s 20 leadership positions, all but four of which are held by white employees, according to data provided by the agency.
Employees said there is a notable lack of diversity among staff, with one telling The Post that “it would be sad if they declared racism (a public health crisis) and then they missed the point and they didn’t have an opportunity to make themselves better.”
On the same day Hunsaker Ryan sent her email, another note arrived in staffers’ inboxes.
The town halls, which were created so Hunsaker Ryan could check in with employees after the pandemic forced most people to work from home, were canceled.
They will be replaced, the email said, with smaller meetings among staff and leadership. Those meetings are expected to start in August.
“You could just tell in the chats how people were feeling,” Hunsaker Ryan told The Post. “Town halls were not a good way to address an issue like this.”


thedenverpost--2020-07-31--Ask Amy: Couple stuck in limbo over decision to have children

Dear Amy : I ’ ve only been married for a year , but my relationship has been far from a honeymoon experience .
Before marriage , my husband and I talked about children and I thought we were on the same page .
We discussed how we would raise our children and even considered a prenuptial agreement around our future children .
He mentioned that one of the reasons he was willing to marry me is because he could see me having his kid ( s ) .
This is a man who broke off two prior long-term relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t imagine having children with those partners .
I took his word seriously .
Fast-forward , he is now 39 and had been single for a couple of years before meeting me .
Our marriage has been tumultuous since day one , due to cultural difference ( he ’ s British , I ’ m American ) , miscommunication , and our continuous triggering of one another .
We ’ re now onto our second therapist and things have gotten slightly better , but he is still up in the air about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even get a straight answer from him , but he mentions the unstable relationship as a factor in his decision-making .
He says he will address it fully when the time comes .
Honestly , I intended to have children in my early-30s , but now as I approach 30 and enter a rental lease agreement for one year with him , I ’ m worried .
I ’ m wondering — how long should I wait — or should I start mentally checking out within this next year .
Help me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he was “ willing ” to marry you because he could imagine you having his children .
Quick , call Hollywood !
This is a romance for the ages .
I ’ m being snarky here .
No marriage is perfect .
But my point is that – at the beginning – it should at least feel perfect .
Here you are , only one year in , and you ’ re onto your second therapist .
I am a big believer in couples counseling , but again , the goal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another counselor .
I will grant him this : he says he does not want to have children because your relationship is so unstable .
You may see that as selfish – I see that as self-preservation .
He is actually being more thoughtful and careful than you are .
He knows that a potential child deserves better than to have a parent who is so reluctant to be one .
So — let me put it this way : If you hesitate signing a one-year lease with your husband , please – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of parenthood with him .
Dear Amy : I have been in a relationship with someone for over a year .
I very much love him .
We are still getting to know one another ’ s families .
Recently , his father had a stroke .
Right after he had returned home from the hospital , we visited .
While we were there , his father made various comments about how some of his nurses were very attractive .
He said that while they were taking care of him he really wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shower with him .
He has been married almost 20 years !
My boyfriend and I were the only ones in the room when he said this , and my boyfriend insisted it wasn ’ t like him at all .
I have worked in health care and although I have seen/heard just about everything , his comment absolutely crossed a line .
We were invited over recently for a picnic .
I couldn ’ t bring myself to go , because the thought of spending time with that man made me sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t want to be around that man ?
Should I believe his behavior was due to a recent health emergency and/or the resulting medication ?
Dear Confused : During my own episodes with taking care of various family members , I have heard sweet little old ladies make statements in the ICU that would curl your hair .
A stroke affects the brain .
Medication also affects thinking and behavior .
If your boyfriend says that this sort of comment is totally out of character for his father , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit of the doubt , until further experience either refutes or confirms your first impression .

Dear Amy: I’ve only been married for a year, but my relationship has been far from a honeymoon experience.
Before marriage, my husband and I talked about children and I thought we were on the same page.
We discussed how we would raise our children and even considered a prenuptial agreement around our future children.
He mentioned that one of the reasons he was willing to marry me is because he could see me having his kid(s). This is a man who broke off two prior long-term relationships because he was too young and couldn’t imagine having children with those partners. I took his word seriously. Fast-forward, he is now 39 and had been single for a couple of years before meeting me.
Our marriage has been tumultuous since day one, due to cultural difference (he’s British, I’m American), miscommunication, and our continuous triggering of one another.
We’re now onto our second therapist and things have gotten slightly better, but he is still up in the air about children.
None of our therapists can even get a straight answer from him, but he mentions the unstable relationship as a factor in his decision-making. He says he will address it fully when the time comes.
Honestly, I intended to have children in my early-30s, but now as I approach 30 and enter a rental lease agreement for one year with him, I’m worried.
I’m wondering — how long should I wait — or should I start mentally checking out within this next year. Help me, please!
— Stuck in Limbo
Dear Stuck: Your husband said he was “willing” to marry you because he could imagine you having his children. Quick, call Hollywood! This is a romance for the ages.
I’m being snarky here. No marriage is perfect. But my point is that – at the beginning – it should at least feel perfect.
Here you are, only one year in, and you’re onto your second therapist. I am a big believer in couples counseling, but again, the goal of counseling is to find resolution, not another counselor.
I will grant him this: he says he does not want to have children because your relationship is so unstable. You may see that as selfish – I see that as self-preservation. He is actually being more thoughtful and careful than you are. He knows that a potential child deserves better than to have a parent who is so reluctant to be one.
So — let me put it this way: If you hesitate signing a one-year lease with your husband, please – do not sign up for a lifetime of parenthood with him.
Dear Amy: I have been in a relationship with someone for over a year. I very much love him. We are still getting to know one another’s families.
Recently, his father had a stroke. Right after he had returned home from the hospital, we visited.
While we were there, his father made various comments about how some of his nurses were very attractive. He said that while they were taking care of him he really wanted them to “get naked” and shower with him.
He has been married almost 20 years!
My boyfriend and I were the only ones in the room when he said this, and my boyfriend insisted it wasn’t like him at all.
I have worked in health care and although I have seen/heard just about everything, his comment absolutely crossed a line.
We were invited over recently for a picnic. I couldn’t bring myself to go, because the thought of spending time with that man made me sick!
Am I overreacting when I say I don’t want to be around that man?
Should I believe his behavior was due to a recent health emergency and/or the resulting medication?
— Confused
Dear Confused: During my own episodes with taking care of various family members, I have heard sweet little old ladies make statements in the ICU that would curl your hair.
A stroke affects the brain. Medication also affects thinking and behavior.
If your boyfriend says that this sort of comment is totally out of character for his father, then I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt, until further experience either refutes or confirms your first impression.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-08-01--Juiced baseballs in 2020? Too early to tell but Kyle Freeland says they feel different

Big-league hitters slugged 6,776 homers in 2019 , breaking the record of 6,105 set in 2017 .
Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland served up 25 homers in 104 1/3 innings last season vs. just 17 in 202 1/3 innings in his stellar 2018 season .
Juiced baseballs ?
Freeland won ’ t go there , but there are some in the Colorado clubhouse who think the 2019 batch of baseballs hurt Freeland more than any Rockies pitcher .
Freeland , who ’ s scheduled to make his second start of the season on Saturday vs. San Diego , said it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will fly high and far again this season .
Freeland , however , said the baseballs do feel different .
“ Obviously , only being one start into the season , I think it ’ s just going to take a little time to see , ” Freeland said .
“ But in that one start , I did notice that the consistency of the baseballs is a lot greater than it was last year .
“ I remember there were times last year when I would get a baseball and it felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were the right tension , they were tight and they were how I liked the baseball .
Then that ball would get fouled off and I would get another baseball from the umpire and it would feel completely different .
Not even close .
So the one thing I noticed in my one start was the consistency of the baseballs and how it felt better in my hand.
” Change of habit .
Right fielder Charlie Blackmon follows a strict routine — before , during and after games .
It ’ s one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four-time all-star .
The coronavirus pandemic , however , has altered his day-to-day business .
“ For example , we can ’ t watch video at all during the game , ” Blackmon said before Friday night ’ s game against the Padres .
“ I can ’ t make any in-game adjustments based on video , which I was assured would not be the case .
And that has been taken away , which is really important to me .
“ So that ’ s a big adjustment that I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m still playing baseball , and I keep things in perspective.
” Oberg update .
Right-handed reliever Scott Oberg , on the 10-day injured list with a lower-back strain , threw live batting practice Thursday and came away in good shape .
He ’ s hoping to rejoin the bullpen soon but offered no specific timetable .
“ That BP went well and I recovered well again today , ” Oberg said .
“ I believe I have another live BP soon and we ’ ll go from there.
” Footnotes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Rockies players in the seats behind home plate for Friday night ’ s home opener .
Freeland caught a glimpse of them and was thrilled that Ian Desmond , who chose not to play this season because of COVID-19 , was part of the group .
“ I was happy to see they got Desmond in there a few times so he can be in the stands supporting while he ’ s at home with his family.
” … Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association jointly announced Friday that both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in length for the duration of the 2020 season .
The change begins on Saturday .
Blackmon is not pleased .
“ My personal opinion is maybe different than what we ended up with.
” Freeland , looking for a bounce-back season , pitched well and picked up a victory in his start at Texas on Sunday .
The lefty allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts over six innings .
In four appearances ( three starts ) against the Padres at Coors Field , he is 1-1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 20 strikeouts .
San Diego needs a deeper outing from Lucchesi , who pitched only 3 2/3 innings in his 2020 debut vs. Arizona when he allowed two earned runs and five hits in the Padres ’ 6-2 victory .
He gave up a career-high eight runs on Sept. 13 , 2019 , against the Rockies at Coors .
Prior to that lambasting , he was 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in seven career starts against Colorado .
Trending : On Wednesday , the Padres ’ bullpen gave up a four-run lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a five-run lead .
It marked the first time in franchise history that the bullpen blew a lead of four or more runs in back-to-back games .
At issue : Nolan Arenado entered Friday night ’ s game without hitting a home run since Sept. 20 off the Dodgers ’ Clayton Kershaw at Los Angeles , a span of 54 at-bats .
Arenado ’ s home run drought will no doubt end soon , but it ’ s unusual for him .
Pitching probables Sunday : Padres RHP Zach Davies ( 1-0 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 1-0 , 3.60 ) , 1:10 p.m. , ATTRM Monday : Giants RHP Johnny Cueto ( 0-0 , 5.87 ) at Rockies RHP German Marquez ( 1-1 , 1.54 ) , 6:40 p.m. , ATTRM Tuesday : Giants RHP Kevin Gausman ( 0-0 , 5.40 ) at Rockies TBD , 6:40 p.m. , ATTRM

Big-league hitters slugged 6,776 homers in 2019, breaking the record of 6,105 set in 2017. Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland served up 25 homers in 104 1/3 innings last season vs. just 17 in 202 1/3 innings in his stellar 2018 season.
Juiced baseballs? Freeland won’t go there, but there are some in the Colorado clubhouse who think the 2019 batch of baseballs hurt Freeland more than any Rockies pitcher.
Freeland, who’s scheduled to make his second start of the season on Saturday vs. San Diego, said it’s too early to predict if baseballs will fly high and far again this season. Freeland, however, said the baseballs do feel different.
“Obviously, only being one start into the season, I think it’s just going to take a little time to see,” Freeland said. “But in that one start, I did notice that the consistency of the baseballs is a lot greater than it was last year.
“I remember there were times last year when I would get a baseball and it felt great in my hand and the seams were the right tension, they were tight and they were how I liked the baseball. Then that ball would get fouled off and I would get another baseball from the umpire and it would feel completely different. Not even close. So the one thing I noticed in my one start was the consistency of the baseballs and how it felt better in my hand.”
Change of habit. Right fielder Charlie Blackmon follows a strict routine — before, during and after games. It’s one big reason why he’s a four-time all-star. The coronavirus pandemic, however, has altered his day-to-day business.
“For example, we can’t watch video at all during the game,” Blackmon said before Friday night’s game against the Padres. “I can’t make any in-game adjustments based on video, which I was assured would not be the case. And that has been taken away, which is really important to me.
“So that’s a big adjustment that I’m having to make. But at least I’m still playing baseball, and I keep things in perspective.”
Oberg update. Right-handed reliever Scott Oberg, on the 10-day injured list with a lower-back strain, threw live batting practice Thursday and came away in good shape. He’s hoping to rejoin the bullpen soon but offered no specific timetable.
“That BP went well and I recovered well again today,” Oberg said. “I believe I have another live BP soon and we’ll go from there.”
Footnotes. The Rockies had about 80 cutouts of Rockies players in the seats behind home plate for Friday night’s home opener. Freeland caught a glimpse of them and was thrilled that Ian Desmond, who chose not to play this season because of COVID-19, was part of the group. “I was happy to see they got Desmond in there a few times so he can be in the stands supporting while he’s at home with his family.” … Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association jointly announced Friday that both games of doubleheaders will be seven innings in length for the duration of the 2020 season. The change begins on Saturday. Blackmon is not pleased. “My personal opinion is maybe different than what we ended up with.”
On Deck
Padres LHP Joey Lucchesi (10-10, 4.18 in 2019) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-0, 3.00)
6:10 p.m. Saturday, Coors Field
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
Freeland, looking for a bounce-back season, pitched well and picked up a victory in his start at Texas on Sunday. The lefty allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts over six innings. In four appearances (three starts) against the Padres at Coors Field, he is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA, seven walks and 20 strikeouts. San Diego needs a deeper outing from Lucchesi, who pitched only 3 2/3 innings in his 2020 debut vs. Arizona when he allowed two earned runs and five hits in the Padres’ 6-2 victory. He gave up a career-high eight runs on Sept. 13, 2019, against the Rockies at Coors. Prior to that lambasting, he was 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in seven career starts against Colorado.
Trending: On Wednesday, the Padres’ bullpen gave up a four-run lead, and on Thursday, it surrendered a five-run lead. It marked the first time in franchise history that the bullpen blew a lead of four or more runs in back-to-back games.
At issue: Nolan Arenado entered Friday night’s game without hitting a home run since Sept. 20 off the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw at Los Angeles, a span of 54 at-bats. Arenado’s home run drought will no doubt end soon, but it’s unusual for him.
Pitching probables
Sunday: Padres RHP Zach Davies (1-0, 3.60) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-0, 3.60), 1:10 p.m., ATTRM
Monday: Giants RHP Johnny Cueto (0-0, 5.87) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (1-1, 1.54), 6:40 p.m., ATTRM
Tuesday: Giants RHP Kevin Gausman (0-0, 5.40) at Rockies TBD, 6:40 p.m., ATTRM


thedenverpost--2020-07-31--Former SBA director in Colorado accused of violating conflict of interest rules for federal employee

Former SBA director in Colorado accused of violating conflict of interest rules for federal employees

A former district director of the Colorado office of the Small Business Administration tried to use his work connections to help a friend with a loan that was guaranteed by the federal agency , said a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney ’ s office Friday .
Gregorio Lopez , who was district director of the SBA from 2008 to 2014 , is accused of violating conflict of interest restrictions on former federal employees , according to the complaint filed by Jason Dunn , U.S. Attorney for Colorado .
Lopez , who lives in Elizabeth , could face up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was district director , Lopez participated in matters concerning a $ 1.7 million loan to Morreale Hotels LLC to renovate a building at 101 Broadway in Denver , the complaint said .
The loan through a regional economic development agency was guaranteed by the SBA .
In 2012 , the project by Samuel Jesse Morreale suffered setbacks , including having the building that housed the El Diablo and Sketch Food & Wine restaurants on Broadway declared unsafe .
He filed for bankruptcy protection , according to officials .
Morreale contacted Lopez for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved himself personally and substantially in several ways , ” including talking to other lenders involved and testifying at Morreale ’ s bankruptcy proceedings , according to the U.S. attorney ’ s office .
The complaint said that after he left the SBA , Lopez talked to agency officials on Morreale ’ s behalf .
He contacted SBA officials to seek help getting the agency ’ s approval of Morreale ’ s plan to sell the promissory notes secured by the deeds of trust on the Broadway property , according to the U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t approve the sale .
The property was auctioned in December 2015 as part of the bankruptcy proceedings .

A former district director of the Colorado office of the Small Business Administration tried to use his work connections to help a friend with a loan that was guaranteed by the federal agency, said a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office Friday.
Gregorio Lopez, who was district director of the SBA from 2008 to 2014, is accused of violating conflict of interest restrictions on former federal employees, according to the complaint filed by Jason Dunn, U.S. Attorney for Colorado. Lopez, who lives in Elizabeth, could face up to about $157,000 in penalties.
While he was district director, Lopez participated in matters concerning a $1.7 million loan to Morreale Hotels LLC to renovate a building at 101 Broadway in Denver, the complaint said. The loan through a regional economic development agency was guaranteed by the SBA.
In 2012, the project by Samuel Jesse Morreale suffered setbacks, including having the building that housed the El Diablo and Sketch Food & Wine restaurants on Broadway declared unsafe. He filed for bankruptcy protection, according to officials.
Morreale contacted Lopez for help resolving his debt and Lopez “involved himself personally and substantially in several ways,” including talking to other lenders involved and testifying at Morreale’s bankruptcy proceedings, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The complaint said that after he left the SBA, Lopez talked to agency officials on Morreale’s behalf. He contacted SBA officials to seek help getting the agency’s approval of Morreale’s plan to sell the promissory notes secured by the deeds of trust on the Broadway property, according to the U.S Attorneys office.
The SBA didn’t approve the sale. The property was auctioned in December 2015 as part of the bankruptcy proceedings.