thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Pierre Cardin, maverick French designer, dies at 98

PARIS — Pierre Cardin , the French designer whose famous name embossed everything from wristwatches to bedsheets after his iconic Space Age styles shot him into the fashion stratosphere in the 1960s , has died , the French Academy of Fine Arts said Tuesday .
He was 98 .
A licensing maverick , Cardin ’ s name went on thousands of products and in the brand ’ s heyday in the 1970s and ’ 80s , while goods bearing his fancy cursive signature were sold at some 100,000 outlets worldwide .
That number dwindled dramatically in later years , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made and his clothing — which , decades later , remained virtually unchanged from its 60s-era styles — felt almost laughably dated .
A savvy businessman , Cardin used the fabulous wealth that was the fruit of his empire to snap up top-notch properties in Paris , including the Belle Epoque restaurant Maxim ’ s , which he also frequented .
The Fine Arts Academy announced his death in a tweet Tuesday .
He had been among its illustrious members since 1992 .
The academy did not give a cause of death or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Along with fellow Frenchman Andre Courreges and Spain ’ s Paco Rabanne , two other Paris-based designers known for their Space Age styles , Cardin revolutionized fashion starting in the early 1950s .
At a time when other Paris labels were obsessed with flattering the female form , Cardin ’ s designs cast the wearer as a sort of glorified hanger , there to showcase the clothes ’ sharp shapes and graphic patterns .
Destined neither for pragmatists nor for wallflowers , his designs were all about making a big entrance — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fluorescent spandex were fitted with plastic hoops that stood away from the body at the waist , elbows , wrists and knees .
Cardin bubble dresses and capes enveloped their wearers in oversized spheres of fabric .
Toques were shaped like flying saucers ; bucket hats sheathed models ’ entire heads , with cutout windshields at the eyes .
“ Fashion is always ridiculous , seen from before or after .
But in the moment , it ’ s marvelous , ” Cardin said in a 1970 interview with French television .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1922 , in a small town near Venice , Italy , to a modest , working-class family .
When he was a child , the family moved to Saint Etienne in central France , where Cardin was schooled and became an apprentice to a tailor at age 14 .
Cardin would later embrace his status as a self-made man , saying in the same 1970 interview that going it alone “ makes you see life in a much more real way and forces you to take decision and to be courageous .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter a dark woods alone than when you already know the way through , ” he said .
After moving to Paris , he worked as an assistant in the House of Paquin starting in 1945 and also helped design costumes for the likes of Jean Cocteau .
He also was involved in creating the costumes for the director ’ s 1946 hit , “ Beauty and the Beast.
” After working briefly with Elsa Schiaparelli and Christian Dior , Cardin opened his own house in Paris ’ tony first district , starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first real collection in 1953 .
Success quickly followed , with the 1954 launch of the celebrated “ bubble ” dress , which put the label on the map .
Cardin staged his first ready-to-wear show in 1959 at Paris ’ Printemps department store , a bold initiative that got him temporarily kicked out of the Chambre Syndicale .
Cardin ’ s relationship with the organization — the governing body of French fashion — was rocky , and he later left of his own volition to stage shows on his own terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French screen siren Jeanne Moreau , the smoky-voiced blond of “ Jules and Jim ” fame , also helped boost the brand ’ s profile .
Described by both as a “ true love , ” the relationship lasted about five years and they never married .
Cardin saw the astronomical expense of producing haute couture collections as an investment .
Even though the clothing ’ s pharaonic prices didn ’ t cover the cost of crafting the made-to-measure garments , the media coverage generated by his couture shows helped sell lower sticker-price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosiery .
As Cardin ’ s fame and fortune spiked , so did his real estate portfolio .
He long lived an austere , almost monastic existence with his sister in a sprawling apartment across from the Elysee presidential palace in Paris .
He bought up so much top-flight real estate in the neighborhood that fashion insiders joked he could have mounted a coup d ’ etat .
In addition to his women ’ s and men ’ s clothing boutiques , Cardin opened a children ’ s shop , a furniture store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hall in central Paris where the designer would later stage fashion shows , as well as plays , ballets and other cultural events .
Beyond clothes , Cardin put his stamp on perfumes , makeup , porcelain , chocolates , a resort in the south of France and even the velvet-walled watering hole Maxim ’ s — where he could often be seen at lunch .
The 1970s saw a huge Cardin expansion that brought his outlets to more than 100,000 , with about as many workers producing under the Cardin label worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognizing the importance of Asia to the fashion world , both as a manufacturing hub and for its consumer potential .
He was present in Japan starting in the early ’ 60s and in 1979 became the first Western designer to stage a fashion show in China .
In 1986 , he inked a deal with Soviet authorities to open a showroom in the Communist nation to sell clothes locally made under his label .
In his later life , with no heir apparent , Cardin dismantled parts of his vast empire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two local firms in 2009 .
Two years later , he told the Wall Street Journal that he ’ d be willing to sell his entire company — made up at that point of an estimated 500-600 licenses — for $ 1.4 billion .

PARIS — Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose famous name embossed everything from wristwatches to bedsheets after his iconic Space Age styles shot him into the fashion stratosphere in the 1960s, has died, the French Academy of Fine Arts said Tuesday. He was 98.
A licensing maverick, Cardin’s name went on thousands of products and in the brand’s heyday in the 1970s and ’80s, while goods bearing his fancy cursive signature were sold at some 100,000 outlets worldwide.
That number dwindled dramatically in later years, as his products were increasingly regarded as cheaply made and his clothing — which, decades later, remained virtually unchanged from its 60s-era styles — felt almost laughably dated.
A savvy businessman, Cardin used the fabulous wealth that was the fruit of his empire to snap up top-notch properties in Paris, including the Belle Epoque restaurant Maxim’s, which he also frequented.
The Fine Arts Academy announced his death in a tweet Tuesday. He had been among its illustrious members since 1992. The academy did not give a cause of death or say where or when he had died.
Along with fellow Frenchman Andre Courreges and Spain’s Paco Rabanne, two other Paris-based designers known for their Space Age styles, Cardin revolutionized fashion starting in the early 1950s.
At a time when other Paris labels were obsessed with flattering the female form, Cardin’s designs cast the wearer as a sort of glorified hanger, there to showcase the clothes’ sharp shapes and graphic patterns. Destined neither for pragmatists nor for wallflowers, his designs were all about making a big entrance — sometimes very literally.
Gowns and bodysuits in fluorescent spandex were fitted with plastic hoops that stood away from the body at the waist, elbows, wrists and knees. Cardin bubble dresses and capes enveloped their wearers in oversized spheres of fabric. Toques were shaped like flying saucers; bucket hats sheathed models’ entire heads, with cutout windshields at the eyes.
“Fashion is always ridiculous, seen from before or after. But in the moment, it’s marvelous,” Cardin said in a 1970 interview with French television.
Cardin was born on July 7, 1922, in a small town near Venice, Italy, to a modest, working-class family. When he was a child, the family moved to Saint Etienne in central France, where Cardin was schooled and became an apprentice to a tailor at age 14.
Cardin would later embrace his status as a self-made man, saying in the same 1970 interview that going it alone “makes you see life in a much more real way and forces you to take decision and to be courageous.
“It’s much more difficult to enter a dark woods alone than when you already know the way through,” he said.
After moving to Paris, he worked as an assistant in the House of Paquin starting in 1945 and also helped design costumes for the likes of Jean Cocteau. He also was involved in creating the costumes for the director’s 1946 hit, “Beauty and the Beast.”
After working briefly with Elsa Schiaparelli and Christian Dior, Cardin opened his own house in Paris’ tony first district, starting with costumes and masks.
Cardin delivered his first real collection in 1953. Success quickly followed, with the 1954 launch of the celebrated “bubble” dress, which put the label on the map.
Cardin staged his first ready-to-wear show in 1959 at Paris’ Printemps department store, a bold initiative that got him temporarily kicked out of the Chambre Syndicale. Cardin’s relationship with the organization — the governing body of French fashion — was rocky, and he later left of his own volition to stage shows on his own terms.
Cardin’s high-profile relationship with French screen siren Jeanne Moreau, the smoky-voiced blond of “Jules and Jim” fame, also helped boost the brand’s profile. Described by both as a “true love,” the relationship lasted about five years and they never married.
Cardin saw the astronomical expense of producing haute couture collections as an investment. Even though the clothing’s pharaonic prices didn’t cover the cost of crafting the made-to-measure garments, the media coverage generated by his couture shows helped sell lower sticker-price items, like hats, belts and hosiery.
As Cardin’s fame and fortune spiked, so did his real estate portfolio. He long lived an austere, almost monastic existence with his sister in a sprawling apartment across from the Elysee presidential palace in Paris. He bought up so much top-flight real estate in the neighborhood that fashion insiders joked he could have mounted a coup d’etat.
In addition to his women’s and men’s clothing boutiques, Cardin opened a children’s shop, a furniture store and the Espace Cardin, a sprawling hall in central Paris where the designer would later stage fashion shows, as well as plays, ballets and other cultural events.
Beyond clothes, Cardin put his stamp on perfumes, makeup, porcelain, chocolates, a resort in the south of France and even the velvet-walled watering hole Maxim’s — where he could often be seen at lunch.
The 1970s saw a huge Cardin expansion that brought his outlets to more than 100,000, with about as many workers producing under the Cardin label worldwide.
Cardin was in the vanguard of recognizing the importance of Asia to the fashion world, both as a manufacturing hub and for its consumer potential. He was present in Japan starting in the early ’60s and in 1979 became the first Western designer to stage a fashion show in China.
In 1986, he inked a deal with Soviet authorities to open a showroom in the Communist nation to sell clothes locally made under his label.
In his later life, with no heir apparent, Cardin dismantled parts of his vast empire, selling dozens of his Chinese licenses to two local firms in 2009.
Two years later, he told the Wall Street Journal that he’d be willing to sell his entire company — made up at that point of an estimated 500-600 licenses — for $1.4 billion.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Fate of Trump’s $2,000 checks now rests with GOP-led Senate

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ’ s push for $ 2,000 COVID-19 relief checks now rests with the Senate after the House voted overwhelmingly to meet the president ’ s demand to increase the $ 600 stipends , but Republicans have shown little interest in boosting spending .
The outcome is highly uncertain heading into Tuesday ’ s session .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has declined to publicly address how he plans to handle the issue .
But Democrats , sharing a rare priority with Trump , have seized on the opportunity to force Republicans into a difficult vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
After bipartisan approval by the House , Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned , “ There is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way.
” “ There ’ s strong support for these $ 2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country , ” Schumer said in a statement late Monday .
He called on McConnell to make sure the Senate helps “ meet the needs of American workers and families who are crying out for help.
” The House tally was a stunning turn of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s sudden demands for bigger checks during a brief Christmas Eve session as he defiantly refused to sign the broader COVID-19 aid and year-end funding bill into law .
As Trump spent days fuming from his private club in Florida , where he is spending the holidays , dozens of Republicans calculated it was better to link with Democrats to increase the pandemic stipend rather than buck the outgoing president and constituents counting on the money .
Democrats led passage , 275-134 , but 44 Republicans joined almost all Democrats in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to session Tuesday amid similar , stark GOP divisions between those who align with Trump ’ s populist instincts and others who adhere to what had been more traditional conservative views against government spending .
Congress had settled on smaller $ 600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared , “ Republicans have a choice : Vote for this legislation or vote to deny the American people the bigger paychecks they need.
” The showdown could end up as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s effort fizzles out in the Senate .
The legislative action during the rare holiday week session may do little to change the $ 2 trillion-plus COVID-19 relief and federal spending package Trump signed into law Sunday , one of the biggest bills of its kind providing relief for millions of Americans .
That package — $ 900 billion in COVID-19 aid and $ 1.4 trillion to fund government agencies — will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown that otherwise would have started Tuesday , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the outcome will define Trump ’ s GOP , putting a spotlight on the Georgia runoff election Jan. 5 where two Republican senators are in the fights of their political lives against Democrats in a pair of races that will determine which party controls the Senate next year .
Together with votes Monday and Tuesday to override Trump ’ s veto of a sweeping defense bill , it ’ s potentially one last confrontation between the president and the Republican Party he leads as he imposes fresh demands and disputes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new Congress is set to be sworn in Sunday .
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas , the ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee , acknowledged the division and said Congress had already approved ample funds during the COVID-19 crisis .
“ Nothing in this bill helps anybody get back to work , ” he said .
Aside from the direct $ 600 checks to most Americans , the COVID-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost — this time $ 300 , through March 14 — as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls .
It extends eviction protections , adding a new rental assistance fund .
The COVID-19 package draws and expands on an earlier effort from Washington .
It offers billions of dollars for vaccine purchases and distribution , for virus contact tracing , public health departments , schools , universities , farmers , food pantry programs and other institutions and groups facing hardship in the pandemic .
Americans earning up to $ 75,000 will qualify for the direct $ 600 payments , which are phased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s an additional $ 600 payment per dependent child .
Meantime the government funding portion of the bill keeps federal agencies nationwide running without dramatic changes until Sept. 30 .
President-elect Joe Biden told reporters at an event in Wilmington , Delaware , that he supported the $ 2,000 checks .
Trump ’ s sudden decision to sign the bill came as he faced escalating criticism from lawmakers on all sides over his eleventh-hour demands .
The bipartisan bill negotiated by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had already passed the House and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought they had Trump ’ s blessing after months of negotiations with his administration .
The president ’ s defiant refusal to act , publicized with a heated video he tweeted just before the Christmas holiday , sparked chaos , a lapse in unemployment benefits for millions and the threat of a government shutdown in the pandemic .
It was another crisis of his own making , resolved when he ultimately signed the bill into law .
In his statement about the signing , Trump repeated his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most Americans and complained about what he considered unnecessary spending , particularly on foreign aid — much of it proposed by his own budget .
While the president insisted he would send Congress “ a redlined version ” with spending items he wants removed , those are merely suggestions to Congress .
Democrats said they would resist such cuts .
For now , the administration can only begin work sending out the $ 600 payments .
Most House Republicans simply shrugged off Trump ’ s push , 130 of them voting to reject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 467 billion in additional costs .
Another 20 House Republicans — including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California , a Trump confidant — skipped the vote , despite pandemic procedures that allow lawmakers to vote by proxy to avoid travel to the Capitol .
McCarthy was recovering at home from elbow surgery , his office said .
A day after the signing , Trump was back at the golf course in Florida , the state where he is expected to move after Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20 .
Colvin reported from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday blocked Democrats’ push to immediately bring President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks up for a vote, saying the chamber would “begin a process” to address the issue.
Pressure is mounting on the Republican-led Senate to follow the House, which voted overwhelmingly on Monday to meet the president’s demand to increase the checks from $600 as the virus crisis worsens. A growing number of Republicans, including two senators in runoff elections on Jan. 5 in Georgia, have said they will support the larger amount. But most GOP senators oppose more spending, even if they are also wary of bucking Trump.
The outcome is highly uncertain heading into the rare holiday-week session.
“There’s one question left today: Do Senate Republicans join with the rest of America in supporting $2,000 checks?” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said as he made a motion to vote.
McConnell, who has said little publicly on Trump’s request, objected but gave almost no indication of his plans ahead.
“The Senate will begin a process,” the GOP leader said. He said he plans to bring the president’s demand for the $2,000 checks and other remaining issues “into focus.”
The showdown has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office for the new year. It’s preventing action on another priority — overturning Trump’s veto on a sweeping defense bill that has been approved every year for 60 years.
The president’s last-minute push for bigger checks deeply divides Republicans, who are split between those who align with Trump’s populist instincts and those who adhere to what had been more traditional conservative views against government spending. Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law.
Liberal senators led by Bernie Sanders of Vermont who support the relief aid are blocking action on the defense bill until a vote can be taken on Trump’s demand for $2,000 for most Americans.
“The working class of this country today faces more economic desperation than at any time since the Great Depression of the 1930s,” Sanders said as he also tried to force a vote on the relief checks. “Working families need help now.” But McConnell objected a second time.
The GOP blockade may not be sustainable in the face of Trump’s demands and as senators face the constituents at home.
The two GOP senators from Georgia, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, announced Tuesday they support Trump’s plan for bigger checks as they face Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in runoff elections that will determine which party controls the Senate.
“I’m delighted to support the president,” said Perdue on Fox News. Loeffler said in an interview on Fox that she, too, backs the boosted relief checks.
Trump repeated his demand in a tweet ahead of Tuesday’s Senate session: ”$2000 for our great people, not $600!”
Following Trump’s lead, Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida, among the party’s potential 2024 presidential hopefuls, are pushing the party in the president’s direction.
“We’ve got the votes. Let’s vote today,” Hawley tweeted.
The House vote late Monday was a stunning turn of events. Just days ago, during a brief Christmas Eve session, Republicans blocked Trump’s sudden demand for bigger checks as he defiantly refused to sign the broader COVID-19 aid and year-end funding bill into law.
As Trump spent days fuming from his private club in Florida, where he is spending the holidays, millions of Americans saw jobless aid lapse and the nation risked a federal government shutdown Tuesday.
Dozens of Republicans calculated it was better to link with Democrats to increase the pandemic payments rather than buck the outgoing president and constituents counting on the money. House Democrats led passage, 275-134, but 44 Republicans joined almost all Democrats for a robust two-thirds vote of approval.
In the Senate, McConnell is expected to be devising a way out of the bind, perhaps incorporating two other issues Trump raised Sunday as he ultimately signed the massive package into law.
Trump repeated his frustrations over the outcome of the presidential election, which he lost to President-elect Joe Biden, as well as the ability of technology companies like Facebook and Twitter to regulate content in ways Trump believes are unfair.
“Those are the three important subjects the president has linked together,” McConnell said.
Trump’s push could fizzle out in the Senate and do little to change the COVID-19 relief and federal spending package Trump signed into law.
But the debate over the size and scope of the package — $900 billion in COVID-19 aid and $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies — is potentially one last confrontation between the president and the Republican Party. The new Congress is set to be sworn in Sunday.
For now, the $600 checks are set to be delivered, along with other aid, among the largest rescue packages of its kind.
The COVID-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost — this time $300, through March 14 — as well as the popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls. It extends eviction protections, adding a new rental assistance fund.
Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for the direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there’s an additional $600 payment per dependent child.
Biden told reporters at an event Monday in Wilmington, Delaware, that he supported the $2,000 checks.
Economists said a $600 check will help, but that it’s a far cry from the spending power that a $2,000 check would provide for the economy, particularly into summer when vaccinations are expected to have reached a wider swath of the population.
“It will make a big difference whether it’s $600 versus $2,000,” said Ryan Sweet, an economist with Moody’s.
Trump’s delay in signing the bill stunned lawmakers, who thought they had the president’s blessing after months of negotiations with his administration. Several sprang into action to push him not to stall aid during the holidays.
The president also objected to foreign aid funding that his own administration had requested and vowed to send Congress “a redlined version” with spending items he wants removed. But those are merely suggestions to Congress. Democrats said they would resist such cuts.
Colvin reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Ashraf Khalil in Washington and Matt Ott in Silver Springs, Maryland contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Colorado road conditions: Fog, snow causing dangerous driving conditions

Colorado has been covered by a snowstorm that started midday Monday and has continued into Tuesday .
Not much snow @ @ @ @ @ but early-morning fog and late-day winds should make driving tricky throughout the day .
Several @ @ @ @ @ accident alert while the Colorado Department of Transportation has 435 plows working the roads .
@ @ @ @ @ much of the city but there are some notable crashes that could impact your drive @ @ @ @ @ blocked at Sheridan Boulevard in Lakeside due to a crash .
That has cleared .
@ @ @ @ @ is also blocked near Glenwood Springs due to a crash .
Interstate 25 ’ s @ @ @ @ @ emergency crews on the scene traveling north near Mesa Ridge Parkway in Fountain .
A @ @ @ @ @ blocked the left lane near Simms Street .
• U.S. 6 ; between mile marker @ @ @ @ @ ( Loveland Pass ) This story will be continually updated throughout the day .

Colorado has been covered by a snowstorm that started midday Monday and has continued into Tuesday. Not much snow has stuck in downtown Denver but early-morning fog and late-day winds should make driving tricky throughout the day.
Several areas around Denver are on accident alert while the Colorado Department of Transportation has 435 plows working the roads.
Drive times are slow for much of the city but there are some notable crashes that could impact your drive.
Westbound Interstate 70 was blocked at Sheridan Boulevard in Lakeside due to a crash. That has cleared. I-70’s left lane is also blocked near Glenwood Springs due to a crash. CDOT is reporting travel times from Golden to Eisenhower Tunnel will take 75 minutes longer than usual.
Interstate 25’s right lane was blocked with emergency crews on the scene traveling north near Mesa Ridge Parkway in Fountain. That crash is now cleared.
A crash on 6th Avenue blocked multiple lanes near Simms Street. That collision is now clear.
Loveland Pass had been closed Tuesday. CDOT cleared the road at 8:45 a.m.
Road closures:
CO 65; between D.80 Rd and C.60 Rd.
This story will be continually updated throughout the day.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Denver weather: Overnight snow leads to slick Tuesday with chilly evenings ahead

A foggy , slick start to Tuesday is expected to fade into an overcast day .
Early morning humidity has caused low visibility making for a slippery drive .
The high for Tuesday is 33 degrees , with a chance of snow showers throughout the day , according to the National Weather Service in Boulder .
There will not be much snow accumulation , but winds could gust up to 15 mph from the southwest , causing blowing snow .
The winds will hang around into the evening as the sky clears and the temperature drops to 14 degrees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has stuck the most , and that ’ s out on the plains .
Drifting snow and low visibility is expected in the eastern part of Colorado as well as the mountains Tuesday evening .
Temperatures will drop into the single digits or even below zero this evening in the high country .
The skies will clear all the way for Wednesday , where the sun will push the high to 42 degrees .
Wednesday night will remain clear as temperatures dip to 20 degrees .
A mostly sunny and warmer Thursday at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Year ’ s Eve .
The weather for Thursday night calls for cloudy and 23 degrees .
The next chance of snow in Colorado will come on New Year ’ s Eve and continue into the first day of 2021 on Friday .

A foggy, slick start to Tuesday is expected to fade into an overcast day. Early morning humidity has caused low visibility making for a slippery drive.
The high for Tuesday is 33 degrees, with a chance of snow showers throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder. There will not be much snow accumulation, but winds could gust up to 15 mph from the southwest, causing blowing snow. The winds will hang around into the evening as the sky clears and the temperature drops to 14 degrees.
Winds will be the worst where snow has stuck the most, and that’s out on the plains. Drifting snow and low visibility is expected in the eastern part of Colorado as well as the mountains Tuesday evening. Temperatures will drop into the single digits or even below zero this evening in the high country.
The skies will clear all the way for Wednesday, where the sun will push the high to 42 degrees. Wednesday night will remain clear as temperatures dip to 20 degrees.
A mostly sunny and warmer Thursday at 46 degrees will lead to a chilly New Year’s Eve. The weather for Thursday night calls for cloudy and 23 degrees. The next chance of snow in Colorado will come on New Year’s Eve and continue into the first day of 2021 on Friday.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Colorado snow totals for Dec. 28-29, 2020

The following Colorado snow totals have been reported by the National Weather Service for Dec. 28-29 , 2020 , as @ @ @ @ @ Air Force Academy , CO — 3 inches at 10:11 a.m. – 12/28/2020 Black Forest @ @ @ @ @ at 12:05 a.m. – 12/29/2020 Colorado Springs , CO — 1.5 inches at 3:09 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ — 1.1 inches at 6:55 a.m. – 12/28/2020 Leadville , CO — 6.7 inches at @ @ @ @ @ Springs , CO — 2.5 inches at 12:24 a.m. – 12/29/2020 Mount Crested But , @ @ @ @ @ 5:40 p.m. – 12/28/2020 Mount Crested Butte , CO — 1.6 inches at 7 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ , CO — 6 inches at 6:38 a.m. – 12/28/2020

The following Colorado snow totals have been reported by the National Weather Service for Dec. 28-29, 2020, as of 10:55 p.m. Tuesday.
11-mile Canyon Re, CO — 2 inches at 8 a.m. – 12/29/2020
Agate, CO — 0.2 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Air Force Academy, CO — 1.8 inches at 5:05 a.m. CST
Almont, CO — 7 inches at 12:48 p.m. CST
Amalia, CO — 10 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Antero Reservoir, CO — 6 inches at 8:30 a.m. CST
Arapahoe Park, CO — 0.2 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Arroyo Seco, CO — 3 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Arvada, CO — 1.9 inches at 7 a.m. CST
Aspen Park, CO — 1.8 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Aspen Se, CO — 7 inches at 1 a.m. CST
Aspen Springs, CO — 5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Aurora, CO — 1.6 inches at 7 a.m. CST
Avon Sse, CO — 7 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Avon Ssw, CO — 7 inches at 11 a.m. CST
Aztec, CO — 2.1 inches at 10:15 a.m. CST
Battlement Mesa, CO — 5.5 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Bellvue, CO — 2.8 inches at 8:15 a.m. CST
Berthoud, CO — 2.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Beulah, CO — 2 inches at 12:18 a.m. CST
Black Forest, CO — 2.3 inches at 12:04 p.m. CST
Boulder, CO — 1.3 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Brighton, CO — 1.8 inches at 6 a.m. CST
Brookvale, CO — 1 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Broomfield, CO — 1.3 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Brush, CO — 1.2 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Buckhorn Mountain, CO — 2.9 inches at 9:30 a.m. CST
Buckley Afb, CO — 1.2 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Buena Vista, CO — 11 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Buford S, CO — 8 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Cameo, CO — 2.5 inches at 7 a.m. CST
Camp Bird, CO — 6 inches at 11:39 a.m. CST
Campion, CO — 2.3 inches at 7:30 a.m. CST
Canjilon, CO — 2 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Canon City, CO — 3.7 inches at 7:09 a.m. CST
Canon Plaza, CO — 8 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Carbondale, CO — 5.5 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Castle Pines, CO — 1 inch at 9 a.m. CST
Castle Rock, CO — 0.8 inch at 9 a.m. CST
Castlewood Canyon, CO — 1 inch at 9 a.m. CST
Cattle Creek, CO — 10.1 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Cedaredge Nne, CO — 16 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Cedaredge, CO — 2.1 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Chama, CO — 10 inches at 8 p.m. CST
Chatfield Reservoi, CO — 1.5 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Cheesman Reservoi, CO — 2.5 inches at 8:30 a.m. CST
Cherry Creek Reserv, CO — 1.1 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Cherry Hills Villa, CO — 1.6 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Chimney Rock, CO — 4.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Chromo, CO — 8.5 inches at 7:30 a.m. CST
Clark, CO — 7 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Clifton, CO — 2.2 inches at 7:30 a.m. CST
Coal Bank Pass Ssw, CO — 16 inches at 11 a.m. CST
Coal Bank Pass, CO — 24 inches at 12 p.m. CST
Collbran, CO — 3.5 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Colona, CO — 3 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Colorado Springs, CO — 2.5 inches at 10:26 a.m. CST
Columbine, CO — 1.2 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Commerce City, CO — 1.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Craig, CO — 6.2 inches at 8:47 a.m. CST
Crawford, CO — 5.2 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Crescent Village, CO — 2 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Crested Butte Ne, CO — 13 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Crested Butte, CO — 5.8 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Crisman, CO — 1.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Cuchara, CO — 12 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Del Norte, CO — 3.4 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Denver Intl Airport, CO — 1.9 inches at 6 a.m. CST
Denver, CO — 1.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Dillon, CO — 2.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Dunton Ene, CO — 12 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Dunton Nnw, CO — 7 inches at 12 a.m. CST
Dunton Wnw, CO — 14 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Durango, CO — 4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Eagle Nest, CO — 3.8 inches at 5 p.m. CST
Eagle, CO — 4.2 inches at 7:55 a.m. CST
Eaton, CO — 2.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Edwards, CO — 5 inches at 7 a.m. CST
El Jebel, CO — 5.6 inches at 7:10 a.m. CST
Elkdale, CO — 1.8 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Englewood, CO — 1.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Ensenada, CO — 9.5 inches at 10:15 a.m. CST
Erie, CO — 1.3 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Estes Park, CO — 5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Evans, CO — 2 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Fairplay, CO — 5.7 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Florissant, CO — 3 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Fort Collins, CO — 2.8 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Fort Morgan, CO — 1 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Fountain, CO — 1.5 inches at 9:35 a.m. CST
Foxfield, CO — 1.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Franktown, CO — 1 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Frisco, CO — 4.1 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Fruitvale, CO — 2.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Gary, CO — 1.1 inches at 7 a.m. CST
Georgetown, CO — 1.6 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Glenwood Springs N, CO — 13 inches at 2 a.m. CST
Glenwood Springs, CO — 9.5 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Golden, CO — 2.1 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Grant, CO — 3.5 inches at 8:30 a.m. CST
Greeley, CO — 2 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Gunnison, CO — 4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Gypsum, CO — 7.7 inches at 1:01 p.m. CST
Hahns Peak E, CO — 9 inches at 11 a.m. CST
Hahns Peak Nnw, CO — 13 inches at 5 a.m. CST
Hardin, CO — 1.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Heeney, CO — 3 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Hermosa, CO — 4.3 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Hesperus N, CO — 15 inches at 12 a.m. CST
Highlands Ranch, CO — 1.7 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Hillside, CO — 6 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Horsetooth Mounta, CO — 2.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Hugo, CO — 0.3 inch at 7 a.m. CST
Hygiene, CO — 2 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Jamestown, CO — 1.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Karval, CO — 0.3 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Ken Caryl, CO — 1.7 inches at 7 a.m. CST
Kiowa, CO — 0.5 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Kittredge, CO — 1.8 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Kremmling, CO — 5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
La Salle, CO — 1.8 inches at 8 a.m. CST
La Veta Pass, CO — 6.1 inches at 9 a.m. CST
La Veta, CO — 3.5 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Lafayette, CO — 1.7 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Lake City Ese, CO — 11 inches at 12 a.m. CST
Lake City S, CO — 10 inches at 12 a.m. CST
Lake George, CO — 2 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Lakewood, CO — 1.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Laporte, CO — 3 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Leadville, CO — 6.7 inches at 1:59 a.m. CST
Limon, CO — 1 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Littleton, CO — 1.7 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Lone Tree, CO — 1.2 inches at 8:09 a.m. CST
Longmont, CO — 1.6 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Louisville, CO — 1.3 inches at 8:20 a.m. CST
Loveland, CO — 2.4 inches at 7 a.m. CST
Maher, CO — 3.8 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Mancos Ne, CO — 10 inches at 12 a.m. CST
Mancos, CO — 2.4 inches at 8:30 a.m. CST
Manitou Springs, CO — 2.5 inches at 1:24 a.m. CST
Marble Ene, CO — 10 inches at 1 a.m. CST
Marble Ese, CO — 13 inches at 1 a.m. CST
Maysville, CO — 5 inches at 7:38 a.m. CST
Mead, CO — 1.9 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Meeker Park, CO — 4.3 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Meridith Ese, CO — 10 inches at 2 a.m. CST
Meridith Se, CO — 7 inches at 2 a.m. CST
Milton Reservoir, CO — 1.6 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Mishawaka, CO — 1 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Molas Pass Nne, CO — 14 inches at 11 a.m. CST
Molas Pass, CO — 10.5 inches at 11:40 a.m. CST
Monarch Pass, CO — 6 inches at 8:02 a.m. CST
Montrose, CO — 3 inches at 10:01 a.m. CST
Monument, CO — 1.5 inches at 9:10 a.m. CST
Mount Crested But, CO — 10.5 inches at 8:58 a.m. CST
Nederland, CO — 1.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Niwot, CO — 1.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Northglenn, CO — 1.3 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Nucla Ne, CO — 6 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Oak Creek, CO — 4 inches at 8:30 a.m. CST
Olathe, CO — 2 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Ouray, CO — 3 inches at 8:22 a.m. CST
Pagosa Springs, CO — 8.3 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Parlin, CO — 2 inches at 9:07 a.m. CST
Penrose, CO — 2.5 inches at 9:44 a.m. CST
Peterson Afb, CO — 3.8 inches at 8:22 a.m. CST
Pinecliffe, CO — 1 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Pinewood Springs, CO — 3 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Pitkin, CO — 6 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Ponderosa Park, CO — 0.8 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Powderhorn, CO — 2 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Red Mountain Pass Ssw, CO — 10 inches at 11 a.m. CST
Red Mountain Pass, CO — 8 inches at 11:40 a.m. CST
Red River, CO — 9 inches at 11 a.m. CST
Redstone Sw, CO — 11 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Redstone, CO — 11.1 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Ridgway, CO — 3.6 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Rifle, CO — 3.2 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Rollinsville, CO — 1.2 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Rosita, CO — 6 inches at 10:26 a.m. CST
Roxborough Park, CO — 2.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Saguache, CO — 3 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Salida, CO — 8 inches at 9 a.m. CST
San Isabel, CO — 5.6 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Security, CO — 3.2 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Severance, CO — 3.7 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Sheridan, CO — 1.5 inches at 7:39 a.m. CST
Silt, CO — 4.7 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Silver Cliff, CO — 6 inches at 7:31 a.m. CST
Silver Plume, CO — 3 inches at 7 a.m. CST
Silverton, CO — 5.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Skyway, CO — 7 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Spanish Peaks, CO — 2 inches at 8:12 a.m. CST
Steamboat Springs Ene, CO — 15 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Steamboat Springs Nne, CO — 12 inches at 12 p.m. CST
Steamboat Springs Sse, CO — 3 inches at 1 a.m. CST
Steamboat Springs, CO — 8.5 inches at 8:30 a.m. CST
Stoner, CO — 4 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Sunshine, CO — 1.8 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Tarryall Reservoi, CO — 4.4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Taylor Park Reservoir, CO — 3 inches at 1 a.m. CST
Texas Creek, CO — 6 inches at 9 a.m. CST
The Pinery, CO — 0.9 inch at 9:07 a.m. CST
Thornton, CO — 1.1 inches at 7:48 a.m. CST
Tiffany, CO — 1.8 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Timnath, CO — 2.9 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Todd Creek, CO — 0.9 inch at 8 a.m. CST
Toponas E, CO — 10 inches at 12 a.m. CST
Toponas, CO — 5.8 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Trimble, CO — 4 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Trout Lake Sw, CO — 10 inches at 10 a.m. CST
Vail S, CO — 8 inches at 11 a.m. CST
Vail, CO — 4 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Vallecito Ene, CO — 26 inches at 2 a.m. CST
Vallecito Nnw, CO — 14 inches at 1 a.m. CST
Vallecito, CO — 8.2 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Virginia Dale, CO — 3.5 inches at 8:45 a.m. CST
Walsenburg, CO — 4 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Waunita Hot Spgs Ese, CO — 5 inches at 2 a.m. CST
Waverly, CO — 2.9 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Wellington, CO — 3.3 inches at 7:34 a.m. CST
Westcliffe, CO — 7.5 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Westminster, CO — 1.5 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Wetmore, CO — 3.5 inches at 9:20 a.m. CST
Wheat Ridge, CO — 1.9 inches at 8 a.m. CST
White Ranch Open, CO — 1 inch at 9 a.m. CST
Wilkerson Pass, CO — 1.9 inches at 8 a.m. CST
Williams Fork Reservoir, CO — 4.5 inches at 9 a.m. CST
Windsor, CO — 1.2 inches at 3 a.m. CST
Wolf Creek Pass, CO — 25 inches at 7:28 a.m. CST
Yampa Sw, CO — 8 inches at 1 a.m. CST


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Life after COVID: The pandemic has transformed Denver streets and sidewalks. Could these changes be

Life after COVID: The pandemic has transformed Denver streets and sidewalks. Could these changes be permanent?

It ’ s not something the Mile High City is used to , having gained record ground in the last decade as population , arts renown , tourism and outside investment soared .
But amid the global pandemic and civic unrest , Denverites — especially in the urban core , and robbed of indoor culture — overwhelmingly embraced their parks , patios , bike paths and outdoor murals .
“ This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redefine what we mean by the public realm , ” said Laura Aldrete , executive director of Denver ’ s Community Planning and Development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right-of-way we think about cars , but this really is about bringing the pedestrian back into that space .
We should own it.
” While Denver has long been known as an active , outdoor city , 2020 ’ s restrictions and new routines changed daily life here in ways that could become permanent — and in some cases need to be , according to some civic leaders .
“ We ’ ve tended to look at 2020 as this lost year , ” said Gary Steuer , president of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot in terms of urbanism , culture and community that ’ s actually been positive .
And parallel to the conversation around racial equity , we don ’ t want to go back to normal here.
” As people stuck closer to home , busy downtown roads and streets around major parks sprouted barriers to welcome dog walkers , toddlers and scooter-riders .
Tents and plastic bubbles from restaurants with après ski-style perks foregrounded murals ranging from abstract corporate wallpaper to slain Black Lives Matter icons .
Social justice protests and encampments of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underlining the city ’ s inequity .
Steuer , whose foundation funded nearly $ 1.5 million for Denver arts and culture nonprofits in 2020 ( not including its normal grantmaking ) , said that just as Denver restaurants and bars imported après ski-style culture , Denver ’ s shared streets program , which the city officially started eight months ago , showed the immediate promise of more accessible , less car-centric urban model .
“ The reality is that we ’ ve seen a huge increase in pedestrians and cyclists using the outdoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ How do we do that in a more thoughtful , permanent way ?
” Denver could learn from the Aspen Institute ’ s attractive wooden planters , which barricade pedestrian paths on its sprawling grounds , but swivel for trucks and cars .
Or Vail Village , where single-lane streets have opened up more pedestrian and biking spaces on either side .
Messaging about what ’ s open and what isn ’ t , which Denver hasn ’ t always done well , will be critical , Steuer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully reopen East 11th Avenue or East 16th Street to cars , or the dining- and market-friendly closures on Larimer Street in LoDo and RiNo in the coming months , the loss of that reclaimed space may be permanent , some fear .
“ We are wrestling for the soul of our city , ” City Councilman Chris Hinds told The Denver Post in September .
Following a request from Hinds and his fellow council members in May , Mayor Michael Hancock ’ s administration agreed to keep the shared streets open through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next .
On Dec. 23 , city officials said that some signs designating the shared streets will soon be swapped out with heavier , water-filled barriers and other obstacles that snowplows can more easily maneuver around .
Widespread residential support for the program — despite variances , emergency rights-of-way and zoning laws that must be satisfied — has encouraged Colorado ’ s largest business improvement district to champion it , too .
“ We are having a major cultural shift in what it means to be an outdoor city , ” said Tami @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Downtown Denver Partnership .
“ But the reason we ’ ve been able to transition so fast is because we ’ re implementing these pilot ideas that have been tried out the last couple of years .
It ’ s an acceleration of where it was already headed.
” Business owners on Larimer Square , which was sold this month for $ 92.5 million to out-of-state investors , are hoping to keep their block of restaurants and boutiques closed to car traffic — which has been the case since June .
Larimer Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district , protected by ordinance since 1971 , and home to 22 historic buildings .
With a robust outdoor-winter culture influenced by mountain ski villages , Denver businesses have learned that even freezing temperatures don ’ t have to dampen outdoor dining and drinking .
Holiday markets in Civic Center park and Cherry Creek North offered plenty of elbow room — and bars with fortifying beverages — for local artisans and shoppers .
And drive-in or drive-to ( as opposed to drive-thru ) cultural experiences turned parking lots and flatbed trailers into haunted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the metro area .
No one believes that sorting through what works and what doesn ’ t will be easy .
The city center ’ s 140,000 office workers will need to return in large numbers to jump-start downtown ’ s economic engine .
Planners know that many won ’ t , however , owing to remote work policies that suddenly make more economic sense .
That worries Ballpark neighborhood resident Demetria Tarabulski , 30 .
It ’ s a short commute to her job at Number 38 social hall in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feels less secure than at any point since she moved to Denver from Philadelphia 13 years ago .
“ That shooting in June changed my perspective , ” said Tarabulski , who lives across from the 2900 block of North Huron Street , where a man shot and killed 21-year-old Isabella Thallas over a dog-poop dispute June 10 .
The crime shocked the neighborhood and left Tarabulski wondering if pandemic and racial tensions had combined into an ugly new look for Denver .
“ I just don ’ t feel as safe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and live my normal life , ” she said .
“ I used to love the nightlife and live music , so I do hope we can get back to that .
I don ’ t think we ’ ll ever completely go back to what we had before.
” 2020 ’ s tourism implosion , which followed years of record tourism growth in Denver , has left parts of the city feeling empty .
In 2019 , Denver welcomed 17.7 million overnight visitors , including both convention travelers and tourists , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area in the form of meals , drinks , transportation and lodging .
Since the beginning of March , the COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than $ 500 billion in cumulative losses for the U.S. travel economy , or a loss of about $ 1.75 billion per day , according to the U.S. Travel Association .
Denver tourism boosters have been mum about the city ’ s losses , but the outlook remains grim for the near future .
Last month , a six-month streak of Colorado job gains ended with weak winter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as tighter restrictions start to weigh more heavily on the economy .
The quiet is palpable , some Denver natives say , reminding them of the way the city felt in the 1980s .
During that decade , Colorado lost 48,000 jobs due to successive recessions in 1982 and 1984 .
Could the gritty Denver of Jack Kerouac still be alive under all these yoga studios and juice bars ?
“ The ghost town feeling of present-day Denver provided for many surprising delights : beers in the parking lot behind the Nob Hill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sidewalk grill , La Fiesta ’ s familiar patio , ” wrote Colin St. John , a former Denver Post contributor , of his regular walks around the city .
“ I rarely feel unsafe here , but there was something very much like a ( bad version of ) ‘ Back to the Future II ’ about it.
” “ I had great expectations of enjoying downtown activities , festivals , concerts and dining , ” said Jill Squyres , 60 , who moved from the Vail Valley to Arvada in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just been easier to veg at home and wait for things to open up again.
” To revive downtown , planners will need to hold 2020 ’ s pedestrian-friendly ground while rethinking how the city flows , experts believe .
Any redesign of public spaces , from commercial plazas to brewery patios and playgrounds , will need to make them more accessible and resilient to catastrophe , downtown leader Door said .
“ Experiential retail , ” outdoor craft- and farmer ’ s markets , and experiments such as the Acoma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reserved tables , just off South Broadway — point other ways forward .
“ It has to be a good fit for people and businesses , ” said Community Planning director Aldrete .
“ But the goal is to make these places to be , not move through .
The question is , how are these business districts going to come back after their employees worked from home for so long ?
That ’ s what keeps me up at night.
” Reclaiming streets in the same way preservationists reclaimed historic buildings slated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ 70s also means offering affordable housing , safe transportation and food options for every Denver neighborhood , she added .
That ’ s a complicated process involving both public and private industries , and lots of money .
The stakes are high , but the solution is not to abandon the idea of a city altogether , Door said .
“ The psyche of a community is determined by a lot of these public gathering spaces , whether it ’ s at a cultural event or art show or just walking around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ What keeps a city mentally healthy is the opportunity to gather and interact with people outside of your social circle , ( and ) to keep connections fluid and refreshed .
That ’ s what cities provide .
”

Life After COVID Part 1: Some pandemic-induced changes may persist
Part 2: Work-at-home will stay in play long after the pandemic recedes This week, The Denver Post will examine the long-lasting effects the coronavirus pandemic will have on the workplace, culture, schools, restaurants and even sports in Colorado. Today, we look at how the pandemic has changed the way we use Denver streets.
2020 forced Denver to catch its breath.
It’s not something the Mile High City is used to, having gained record ground in the last decade as population, arts renown, tourism and outside investment soared. But amid the global pandemic and civic unrest, Denverites — especially in the urban core, and robbed of indoor culture — overwhelmingly embraced their parks, patios, bike paths and outdoor murals.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redefine what we mean by the public realm,” said Laura Aldrete, executive director of Denver’s Community Planning and Development office. “When we talk about right-of-way we think about cars, but this really is about bringing the pedestrian back into that space. We should own it.”
While Denver has long been known as an active, outdoor city, 2020’s restrictions and new routines changed daily life here in ways that could become permanent — and in some cases need to be, according to some civic leaders.
“We’ve tended to look at 2020 as this lost year,” said Gary Steuer, president of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. “But there’s a lot in terms of urbanism, culture and community that’s actually been positive. And parallel to the conversation around racial equity, we don’t want to go back to normal here.”
As people stuck closer to home, busy downtown roads and streets around major parks sprouted barriers to welcome dog walkers, toddlers and scooter-riders. Tents and plastic bubbles from restaurants with après ski-style perks foregrounded murals ranging from abstract corporate wallpaper to slain Black Lives Matter icons. Social justice protests and encampments of unhoused people snaked through it all, underlining the city’s inequity.
Steuer, whose foundation funded nearly $1.5 million for Denver arts and culture nonprofits in 2020 (not including its normal grantmaking), said that just as Denver restaurants and bars imported après ski-style culture, Denver’s shared streets program, which the city officially started eight months ago, showed the immediate promise of more accessible, less car-centric urban model.
“The reality is that we’ve seen a huge increase in pedestrians and cyclists using the outdoors for commuting, shopping and recreation,” he said. “How do we do that in a more thoughtful, permanent way?”
Denver could learn from the Aspen Institute’s attractive wooden planters, which barricade pedestrian paths on its sprawling grounds, but swivel for trucks and cars. Or Vail Village, where single-lane streets have opened up more pedestrian and biking spaces on either side. Messaging about what’s open and what isn’t, which Denver hasn’t always done well, will be critical, Steuer said.
If Denver officials decide to fully reopen East 11th Avenue or East 16th Street to cars, or the dining- and market-friendly closures on Larimer Street in LoDo and RiNo in the coming months, the loss of that reclaimed space may be permanent, some fear.
“We are wrestling for the soul of our city,” City Councilman Chris Hinds told The Denver Post in September.
Following a request from Hinds and his fellow council members in May, Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration agreed to keep the shared streets open through the winter before deciding what to do next. On Dec. 23, city officials said that some signs designating the shared streets will soon be swapped out with heavier, water-filled barriers and other obstacles that snowplows can more easily maneuver around.
Widespread residential support for the program — despite variances, emergency rights-of-way and zoning laws that must be satisfied — has encouraged Colorado’s largest business improvement district to champion it, too.
“We are having a major cultural shift in what it means to be an outdoor city,” said Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. “But the reason we’ve been able to transition so fast is because we’re implementing these pilot ideas that have been tried out the last couple of years. It’s an acceleration of where it was already headed.”
Business owners on Larimer Square, which was sold this month for $92.5 million to out-of-state investors, are hoping to keep their block of restaurants and boutiques closed to car traffic — which has been the case since June. Larimer Square is the city’s first historic district, protected by ordinance since 1971, and home to 22 historic buildings.
With a robust outdoor-winter culture influenced by mountain ski villages, Denver businesses have learned that even freezing temperatures don’t have to dampen outdoor dining and drinking. Holiday markets in Civic Center park and Cherry Creek North offered plenty of elbow room — and bars with fortifying beverages — for local artisans and shoppers. And drive-in or drive-to (as opposed to drive-thru) cultural experiences turned parking lots and flatbed trailers into haunted houses, drag shows and indie-rock concerts in the metro area.
No one believes that sorting through what works and what doesn’t will be easy. The city center’s 140,000 office workers will need to return in large numbers to jump-start downtown’s economic engine. Planners know that many won’t, however, owing to remote work policies that suddenly make more economic sense.
That worries Ballpark neighborhood resident Demetria Tarabulski, 30. It’s a short commute to her job at Number 38 social hall in the River North Art District, but Tarabulski feels less secure than at any point since she moved to Denver from Philadelphia 13 years ago.
“That shooting in June changed my perspective,” said Tarabulski, who lives across from the 2900 block of North Huron Street, where a man shot and killed 21-year-old Isabella Thallas over a dog-poop dispute June 10. The crime shocked the neighborhood and left Tarabulski wondering if pandemic and racial tensions had combined into an ugly new look for Denver.
“I just don’t feel as safe to go out, go the grocery store and live my normal life,” she said. “I used to love the nightlife and live music, so I do hope we can get back to that. I don’t think we’ll ever completely go back to what we had before.”
2020’s tourism implosion, which followed years of record tourism growth in Denver, has left parts of the city feeling empty. In 2019, Denver welcomed 17.7 million overnight visitors, including both convention travelers and tourists, who spent $6 billion in the metro area in the form of meals, drinks, transportation and lodging.
Since the beginning of March, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than $500 billion in cumulative losses for the U.S. travel economy, or a loss of about $1.75 billion per day, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Denver tourism boosters have been mum about the city’s losses, but the outlook remains grim for the near future. Last month, a six-month streak of Colorado job gains ended with weak winter tourism hiring, with additional losses expected as tighter restrictions start to weigh more heavily on the economy.
The quiet is palpable, some Denver natives say, reminding them of the way the city felt in the 1980s. During that decade, Colorado lost 48,000 jobs due to successive recessions in 1982 and 1984. Could the gritty Denver of Jack Kerouac still be alive under all these yoga studios and juice bars?
“The ghost town feeling of present-day Denver provided for many surprising delights: beers in the parking lot behind the Nob Hill Inn, Vine Street Pub’s sidewalk grill, La Fiesta’s familiar patio,” wrote Colin St. John, a former Denver Post contributor, of his regular walks around the city. “I rarely feel unsafe here, but there was something very much like a (bad version of) ‘Back to the Future II’ about it.”
“I had great expectations of enjoying downtown activities, festivals, concerts and dining,” said Jill Squyres, 60, who moved from the Vail Valley to Arvada in March. “Thanks to Covid, it’s just been easier to veg at home and wait for things to open up again.”
To revive downtown, planners will need to hold 2020’s pedestrian-friendly ground while rethinking how the city flows, experts believe. Any redesign of public spaces, from commercial plazas to brewery patios and playgrounds, will need to make them more accessible and resilient to catastrophe, downtown leader Door said.
“Experiential retail,” outdoor craft- and farmer’s markets, and experiments such as the Acoma Street Project — an outdoor nightclub with reserved tables, just off South Broadway — point other ways forward.
“It has to be a good fit for people and businesses,” said Community Planning director Aldrete. “But the goal is to make these places to be, not move through. The question is, how are these business districts going to come back after their employees worked from home for so long? That’s what keeps me up at night.”
Reclaiming streets in the same way preservationists reclaimed historic buildings slated for demolition in the late 1960s and ’70s also means offering affordable housing, safe transportation and food options for every Denver neighborhood, she added. That’s a complicated process involving both public and private industries, and lots of money.
The stakes are high, but the solution is not to abandon the idea of a city altogether, Door said.
“The psyche of a community is determined by a lot of these public gathering spaces, whether it’s at a cultural event or art show or just walking around a city,” she said. “What keeps a city mentally healthy is the opportunity to gather and interact with people outside of your social circle, (and) to keep connections fluid and refreshed. That’s what cities provide.”


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Colorado economy slipped toward the back of the line in the third quarter

When the pandemic sent the U.S. economy crashing this spring , Colorado handled the blow better than most states .
But it has since gone from being a stalwart during the plunge to a laggard in the rebound that followed .
Colorado ’ s economy grew by a robust 30.1 % annualized rate in the third quarter , after declining 28.1 % in the second quarter , according to a report last week from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis on state GDP .
Nationally , output for all states combined went down by an annualized rate of 31.4 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surged 33.4 % in the third .
But whatever allowed the state to withstand the initial COVID-19 economic shock better than most didn ’ t carry into the recovery .
Colorado went from having the 10th best-performing economy in the second quarter to the ninth worst in the third quarter .
One explanation is that the states that took the biggest dip in economic activity had more room to run when the recovery took hold .
Nevada , for example , went from 49th in the second quarter to the top performer in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48th to second place for its GDP gains .
Throw a rubber ball to the ground harder , and it is going to bounce back higher .
But that underperformance has translated into real numbers on the ground .
Colorado ’ s unemployment rate has remained stuck for the past three months at 6.4 % , even as the U.S. rate has inched closer , moving from 7.9 % to 6.7 % over the same period .
In Colorado , government , health care , retail and information services underperformed in their contribution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those sectors did nationwide .
Manufacturing also was less of a factor here , but that is usually the case .
Pretty much every part of the economy contributed to the historic rebound with one exception .
Mining , including oil and gas extraction , subtracted from GDP gains in the third quarter both nationally and in Colorado .
And that might partly explain why the state underperformed in the way it did .
Wyoming was the worst-performing state economy in the third quarter , followed by North Dakota , New Mexico and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gas-dependent but has a more diversified economy , ranked 43rd for its rate of growth , just behind Colorado .
The size of the Colorado economy , even with the strong rebound from July to September , is only back to where it was in the summer of 2019 , according to the report .

When the pandemic sent the U.S. economy crashing this spring, Colorado handled the blow better than most states. But it has since gone from being a stalwart during the plunge to a laggard in the rebound that followed.
Colorado’s economy grew by a robust 30.1% annualized rate in the third quarter, after declining 28.1% in the second quarter, according to a report last week from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis on state GDP. Nationally, output for all states combined went down by an annualized rate of 31.4% in the second quarter, and then surged 33.4% in the third.
But whatever allowed the state to withstand the initial COVID-19 economic shock better than most didn’t carry into the recovery. Colorado went from having the 10th best-performing economy in the second quarter to the ninth slowest-growing in the third quarter.
One explanation is that the states that took the biggest dip in economic activity had more room to run when the recovery took hold. Nevada, for example, went from 49th in the second quarter to the top performer in the third quarter. Tennessee went from 48th to second place for its GDP gains.
Throw a rubber ball to the ground harder, and it is going to bounce back higher.
But that underperformance has translated into real numbers on the ground. Colorado’s unemployment rate has remained stuck for the past three months at 6.4%, even as the U.S. rate has inched closer, moving from 7.9% to 6.7% over the same period.
In Colorado, government, health care, retail and information services underperformed in their contribution to overall GDP growth compared to how those sectors did nationwide. Manufacturing also was less of a factor here, but that is usually the case.
Pretty much every part of the economy contributed to the historic rebound with one exception. Mining, including oil and gas extraction, subtracted from GDP gains in the third quarter both nationally and in Colorado. And that might partly explain why the state underperformed in the way it did.
Wyoming was the worst-performing state economy in the third quarter, followed by North Dakota, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Texas, which is oil and gas-dependent but has a more diversified economy, ranked 43rd for its rate of growth, just behind Colorado.
The size of the Colorado economy, even with the strong rebound from July to September, is only back to where it was in the summer of 2019, according to the report.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--Colorado’s Ethiopian communities divided on political conflict, worry about their families

Denver area resident Mohammed Warid is monitoring the political conflict in Ethiopia — at least , as much as he can with a communication blackout in parts of the country .
The chairman of the Oromo Community of Colorado is worried about his family , and for him , that includes all those living in the Oromia region in Ethiopia .
He ’ s at least been able to speak to loved ones , unlike those struggling to reach their families and get news about the northern Tigray region .
Under the latest political regime , people are suffering ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re being imprisoned for their ideologies ; they ’ re being tortured and killed , he said .
“ They are not OK , ” he said .
“ Every day activity is not OK. ” Warid , along with Oromo Community of Colorado , has helped plan protests after high-profile killings in Ethiopia .
Like those with Tigrayan roots in Colorado , the Oromo community is making its voice heard in Colorado and calling for change .
But , as is the case in Ethiopia , Colorado ’ s Ethiopian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause of the problems in their home country , particularly over which entity is the aggressor , and they worry about their families and friends who live there .
Supporters of Ethiopia ’ s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed , who took over the office in 2018 and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 , say the new regime is bringing needed political reforms and “ law and order ” to the country mired in ethnic tensions while responding to attacks from those in opposition .
They insist that the majority of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is over .
People from Tigray — where the military and opposition groups were fighting — and other areas experiencing waves of violence , say Ahmed is far from democratic and is persecuting his own people .
They cite human rights abuses , calling the conflict a progression over time .
Nebiyu Asfaw , an Adams County resident , came to the United States as a child with his mother , seeking a better life .
He still has friends and family mostly in Addis Ababa , the capital , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ’ s unrest .
Asfaw speaks to them regularly and calls published reports of violence “ exaggerations.
” What ’ s really happening , according to his reading of the situation , is the new prime minister brought reforms after 27 years of an oppressive regime and is trying to put an end to ethnic politics in its 10 nation states with more than 80 ethnic groups .
“ A majority of the community supports the reform effort and we ’ re hopeful that Ethiopia is going ( in ) the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The main conflict happened about a month ago , according to Asfaw , referring to the November attack by the Tigray People ’ s Liberation Front in Tigray and federal military action .
The transition hasn ’ t been perfect , and war is ugly , he said .
But he blames the “ old guard , ” the powerful TPLF party leader , not recognizing Ahmed ’ s leadership .
“ When you organize a country into ethnic regions and when you politicize your ethnicity , there ’ s just no winner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not the way many Tigrayans , including Millete Birhanemaskel see it .
Birhanemaskel hasn ’ t been able to reach family members in Ethiopia for nearly two months .
The Denver resident , who was born in a refugee camp in Sudan after her family fled from Ethiopia in the ’ 70s , says the generational trauma is almost unbearable .
Her family is from the northern Tigray region where much of the communication has been cut off during the violent internal political conflict .
“ It ’ s terrorizing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mental terrorism .
Your mind is a terrible place when you don ’ t know what happened.
” She believes the Ethiopian government has launched a disinformation campaign about the true magnitude of violence , particularly against the people of Tigray .
The stories from refugees in Sudan and others who were able to reach their families alarm her , and they involve mass killings , bombings at the hands of the federal government and an inability to bury their dead .
“ Even bigger than him crushing democracy and being this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , ” Birhanemaskel said .
Many Oromos are also against changing the federalist government because of historic persecution and what they say is violence now orchestrated by the new regime , Warid said .
The situation wasn ’ t perfect before Ahmed came to power , Warid acknowledged , but at least , they had peace , he said .
Members of the Colorado Ethiopian Community nonprofit , however , say they are happy with the change in political structure and believe the lives of their families in Ethiopia will improve .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the main political party ’ s loss of power .
The Aurora nonprofit , in conjunction with other groups , has raised thousands of dollars to provide aid to Ethiopians during the most recent conflict .
Cherinet Daba , the group ’ s treasurer , came to the United States as a political refugee about two decades ago .
He fled Ethiopia when he began to fear for his life , went to Kenya , then South Africa and finally , the U.S .
He said some of his siblings were arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their lack of support for TPLF ’ s policies , including spying on members of their own community .
“ It was bad , ” Daba said of the conditions .
“ Especially if you ’ re an independent-minded person , your life would be in danger.
” Now , Tigrayans say they ’ re the ones being tortured , imprisoned and killed .
On Monday , Birhanemaskel took part in another protest .
She ’ s a part of multiple groups , including the Tigray Community in Colorado , and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those killed .
They also have organized protests across the country , including in Denver at the Capitol , chanting slogans such as “ Stop bombing Tigray , ” “ Abiy is a tyrant , ” and “ USA , speak up.
” She plans to travel to a refugee camp to hear directly from those affected .
The groups also have a list of demands : open up the lines of communication , open humanitarian borders , get Eritrean troops out of Tigray and launch an independent third-party investigation into the @ @ @ @ @

Denver area resident Mohammed Warid is monitoring the political conflict in Ethiopia — at least, as much as he can with a communication blackout in parts of the country.
The chairman of the Oromo Community of Colorado is worried about his family, and for him, that includes all those living in the Oromia region in Ethiopia. He’s at least been able to speak to loved ones, unlike those struggling to reach their families and get news about the northern Tigray region. Under the latest political regime, people are suffering; they’re living in fear; they’re being imprisoned for their ideologies; they’re being tortured and killed, he said.
“They are not OK,” he said. “Every day activity is not OK.”
Warid, along with Oromo Community of Colorado, has helped plan protests after high-profile killings in Ethiopia. Like those with Tigrayan roots in Colorado, the Oromo community is making its voice heard in Colorado and calling for change.
But, as is the case in Ethiopia, Colorado’s Ethiopian communities don’t agree about the cause of the problems in their home country, particularly over which entity is the aggressor, and they worry about their families and friends who live there. Supporters of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who took over the office in 2018 and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, say the new regime is bringing needed political reforms and “law and order” to the country mired in ethnic tensions while responding to attacks from those in opposition. They insist that the majority of the violence, which escalated in early November, is over.
People from Tigray — where the military and opposition groups were fighting — and other areas experiencing waves of violence, say Ahmed is far from democratic and is persecuting his own people. They cite human rights abuses, calling the conflict a progression over time.
Nebiyu Asfaw, an Adams County resident, came to the United States as a child with his mother, seeking a better life. He still has friends and family mostly in Addis Ababa, the capital, and he said they have not been affected by the country’s unrest. Asfaw speaks to them regularly and calls published reports of violence “exaggerations.” What’s really happening, according to his reading of the situation, is the new prime minister brought reforms after 27 years of an oppressive regime and is trying to put an end to ethnic politics in its 10 nation states with more than 80 ethnic groups.
“A majority of the community supports the reform effort and we’re hopeful that Ethiopia is going (in) the right direction,” Asfaw said.
The main conflict happened about a month ago, according to Asfaw, referring to the November attack by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in Tigray and federal military action. The transition hasn’t been perfect, and war is ugly, he said. But he blames the “old guard,” the powerful TPLF party leader, not recognizing Ahmed’s leadership.
“When you organize a country into ethnic regions and when you politicize your ethnicity, there’s just no winner,” he said.
But that’s not the way many Tigrayans, including Millete Birhanemaskel see it.
Birhanemaskel hasn’t been able to reach family members in Ethiopia for nearly two months.
The Denver resident, who was born in a refugee camp in Sudan after her family fled from Ethiopia in the ’70s, says the generational trauma is almost unbearable. Her family is from the northern Tigray region where much of the communication has been cut off during the violent internal political conflict.
“It’s terrorizing,” she said. “It’s mental terrorism. Your mind is a terrible place when you don’t know what happened.”
She believes the Ethiopian government has launched a disinformation campaign about the true magnitude of violence, particularly against the people of Tigray. The stories from refugees in Sudan and others who were able to reach their families alarm her, and they involve mass killings, bombings at the hands of the federal government and an inability to bury their dead.
“Even bigger than him crushing democracy and being this fake reformist is the humanitarian aspect of this,” Birhanemaskel said.
Many Oromos are also against changing the federalist government because of historic persecution and what they say is violence now orchestrated by the new regime, Warid said.
The situation wasn’t perfect before Ahmed came to power, Warid acknowledged, but at least, they had peace, he said.
Members of the Colorado Ethiopian Community nonprofit, however, say they are happy with the change in political structure and believe the lives of their families in Ethiopia will improve. They contend that any violence has stemmed from the main political party’s loss of power.
The Aurora nonprofit, in conjunction with other groups, has raised thousands of dollars to provide aid to Ethiopians during the most recent conflict.
Cherinet Daba, the group’s treasurer, came to the United States as a political refugee about two decades ago. He fled Ethiopia when he began to fear for his life, went to Kenya, then South Africa and finally, the U.S.
He said some of his siblings were arrested and imprisoned because of their ethnic group and their lack of support for TPLF’s policies, including spying on members of their own community.
“It was bad,” Daba said of the conditions. “Especially if you’re an independent-minded person, your life would be in danger.”
Now, Tigrayans say they’re the ones being tortured, imprisoned and killed.
On Monday, Birhanemaskel took part in another protest. She’s a part of multiple groups, including the Tigray Community in Colorado, and is working to compile a list of names of those killed. They also have organized protests across the country, including in Denver at the Capitol, chanting slogans such as “Stop bombing Tigray,” “Abiy is a tyrant,” and “USA, speak up.” She plans to travel to a refugee camp to hear directly from those affected.
The groups also have a list of demands: open up the lines of communication, open humanitarian borders, get Eritrean troops out of Tigray and launch an independent third-party investigation into the government’s abuses.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--SecondAct Women, a small-business network, undergoes its own second act due to COVID

The founders of SecondAct Women , a network of business women 40 and older , were adding members across the country and organizing events for female entrepreneurs when the pandemic forced the organization to stage its own second act .
Like most business people , Barbara Brooks and Guadalupe Hirt shifted activities , such as conferences and workshops , from in-person to online .
They recently debuted a virtual marketplace to support female business owners 40 and over .
More than 60 female-owned businesses are featured on the site .
Brooks , SecondAct Women CEO , said the organization wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold onto their companies “ and just get through this time period.
” Brooks and Hirt rolled out the site in time for the holidays .
“ We just decided to be the place that they could provide their resources , their products , their services , all of that all bundled underneath # ShopWomenOwned 40 and 50-plus , ” Brooks said .
Women in their 40s , 50s and up who embark on second careers have been some of the most prolific entrepreneurs , Brooks and Hirt said .
A 2018 report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new female-owned businesses a day between 2017 and 2018 .
And nearly half of female business owners were between the ages of 45 and 65 and two thirds , 67 % , were 45 or older .
The report attributed the rise in startups by women in part to what it called “ necessity entrepreneurship , ” when a person can ’ t find a job or a high-quality job and the only option is to start a business .
Women of color started businesses at a higher rate out of necessity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magnified challenges for female-owned businesses , a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report said .
A survey found that those businesses were more likely than those owned by men to report a significant decline in the health of their business since the pandemic started .
Hirt and Brooks , who worked together in the past in marketing and public relations , said they each ran into what they saw as age and sex discrimination when trying to resume their corporate careers or get funding for their businesses .
They started SecondAct in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have about 3,000 members in the U.S. and Canada .
Business experts have offered their expertise to members and the organization is forming an advisory committee .
As furloughs , layoffs and unemployment continue , women are expected to launch micro-businesses , Hirt said .
She and Brooks said they want to continue to offer women a place to get advice , share ideas and resources .
Danielle Atcheson was working for a Fortune 500 company when her drive to improve her health and fitness grew into a business aimed at the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a busy professional who didn ’ t make time to concentrate on diet and exercise .
After a few years of planning and training , she left the corporate world to start One Degree Health .
“ It didn ’ t happen overnight .
It was a long progression , ” said Atcheson , now a certified nutritionist and health coach .
The Denver woman figured she could always return to the corporate world , but enjoys being an entrepreneur .
And while the coronavirus has affected her in-person health coaching , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made her first sale on the SecondAct marketplace within about two hours of posting on the site .
“ It ’ s a great way to get in front of my target audience for an extremely low cost .
Plus , the women are just great .
I ’ ve had my second act as well , so it ’ s really fun to see others who ’ ve joined the group going through changes , ” Atcheson said .
Marie Oster is where Atcheson was at one point : in a job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a side gig that is a passion for her .
Oster , who still works full time as a business development manager , turned her love of baking cookies into a business , One Hot Batch , in September .
“ What I learned is that cookies are COVID-proof , ” said Oster , who lives in Longmont .
Most of her products on the SecondAct marketplace were sold out after she got a big Christmas order .
Oster has started thinking about renting space in a commercial kitchen , a necessary step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to other states .
“ It ’ s been fun how it ’ s been taking off .
I ’ m at an interesting point right now where I can either keep it pretty casual or I can just kind of go gangbusters and explode , ” Oster said .

The founders of SecondAct Women, a network of business women 40 and older, were adding members across the country and organizing events for female entrepreneurs when the pandemic forced the organization to stage its own second act.
Like most business people, Barbara Brooks and Guadalupe Hirt shifted activities, such as conferences and workshops, from in-person to online. They recently debuted a virtual marketplace to support female business owners 40 and over. More than 60 female-owned businesses are featured on the site.
Brooks, SecondAct Women CEO, said the organization wants to support women who are trying to hold onto their companies “and just get through this time period.” Brooks and Hirt rolled out the site in time for the holidays.
“We just decided to be the place that they could provide their resources, their products, their services, all of that all bundled underneath #ShopWomenOwned 40 and 50-plus,” Brooks said.
Women in their 40s, 50s and up who embark on second careers have been some of the most prolific entrepreneurs, Brooks and Hirt said. A 2018 report by American Express said there were 1,821 new female-owned businesses a day between 2017 and 2018.
And nearly half of female business owners were between the ages of 45 and 65 and two thirds, 67%, were 45 or older.
The report attributed the rise in startups by women in part to what it called “necessity entrepreneurship,” when a person can’t find a job or a high-quality job and the only option is to start a business. Women of color started businesses at a higher rate out of necessity, the report said.
The pandemic has magnified challenges for female-owned businesses, a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report said. A survey found that those businesses were more likely than those owned by men to report a significant decline in the health of their business since the pandemic started.
Hirt and Brooks, who worked together in the past in marketing and public relations, said they each ran into what they saw as age and sex discrimination when trying to resume their corporate careers or get funding for their businesses. They started SecondAct in July 2018 to address those issues and now have about 3,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. Business experts have offered their expertise to members and the organization is forming an advisory committee.
As furloughs, layoffs and unemployment continue, women are expected to launch micro-businesses, Hirt said. She and Brooks said they want to continue to offer women a place to get advice, share ideas and resources.
Danielle Atcheson was working for a Fortune 500 company when her drive to improve her health and fitness grew into a business aimed at the kind of person she used to be: a busy professional who didn’t make time to concentrate on diet and exercise. After a few years of planning and training, she left the corporate world to start One Degree Health.
“It didn’t happen overnight. It was a long progression,” said Atcheson, now a certified nutritionist and health coach.
The Denver woman figured she could always return to the corporate world, but enjoys being an entrepreneur. And while the coronavirus has affected her in-person health coaching, she is expanding her online services. She made her first sale on the SecondAct marketplace within about two hours of posting on the site.
“It’s a great way to get in front of my target audience for an extremely low cost. Plus, the women are just great. I’ve had my second act as well, so it’s really fun to see others who’ve joined the group going through changes,” Atcheson said.
Marie Oster is where Atcheson was at one point: in a job that provides a steady income and working a side gig that is a passion for her. Oster, who still works full time as a business development manager, turned her love of baking cookies into a business, One Hot Batch, in September.
“What I learned is that cookies are COVID-proof,” said Oster, who lives in Longmont.
Most of her products on the SecondAct marketplace were sold out after she got a big Christmas order. Oster has started thinking about renting space in a commercial kitchen, a necessary step if she wants to ship her cookies to other states.
“It’s been fun how it’s been taking off. I’m at an interesting point right now where I can either keep it pretty casual or I can just kind of go gangbusters and explode,” Oster said.


thedenverpost--2020-12-29--On Edge: With family missing in Ethiopia’s civil war, Denver woman says her “mind is the hardest pla

On Edge: With family missing in Ethiopia’s civil war, Denver woman says her “mind is the hardest place to be”

Millete Birhanemaskel , a refugee , long-time Denver resident and businesswoman , grappled with 2020 as many others have : She tried to protect her family , her employees , her tenants from COVID ’ s reach .
She worried about the presidential election .
And she managed to keep her coffee shop , the Whittier Cafe , from going under .
She knew already what it was to be separated from the people you love whether that separation comes by virus or by war .
And she knew , too , what it was to live with uncertainty and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her became magnitudes greater on Nov. 3 .
On that day , as Americans and much of the world awaited election results , civil war flared again in her family ’ s home country of Ethiopia and her grandmother and two aunts went missing in the shelling .
In the days since , the isolation that has marked this year for so many has taken on a new meaning for her : much of her family is still unreachable and her grief is invisible to most Americans who know nothing of Ethiopia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I swear to God I know I look like that crazy woman who is screaming about this terrible dream and everybody ’ s like ‘ What is wrong with her ?
’ I feel like I ’ m in a psych ward yelling , but nobody can hear me.
” Birhanemaskel was born at a refugee camp in Sudan after her parents fled bombing of their native Tigray in northern Ethiopia under a military dictatorship .
Her immediate family moved to Colorado in 1982 , when she was an infant but her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in Tigray since the dictator was toppled in the early 1990s .
That is , until last month when a feud between Ethiopia ’ s federal government and local Tigrayan leaders prompted Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to bomb the region again , inciting a civil war that has killed civilians and forced more than 50,000 Tigrayans to flee .
Since the disappearance of her grandmother and two aunts , Birhanemaskel , 39 , has been calling the cell phones she bought them , which go straight to busy signals without even ringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed every few minutes .
She keeps seeing posts that refugees have little food or water as they walk west toward refugee camps in Sudan , some reportedly collapsing , even dying of exhaustion along the way .
She keeps hearing that Ethiopian soldiers are raping Tigrayan women and shooting or beheading Tigrayan men , leaving their bodies in the road for fellow refugees to step over .
She keeps imagining she is walking in their shoes .
“ As long as they ’ re missing , I can ’ t sleep , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t enjoy anything because I keep having the most awful thoughts about what ’ s happening to them , ” she says .
She is experiencing what clinicians call “ vicarious trauma.
” But vicarious does not express how close it hits home , this civil war in a country where she has never officially lived , yet has defined so much of her life .
It is the place , she says , that makes her “ most full.
” And yet the trauma her relatives are now enduring is a trauma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades ago – and the third siege on the Tigrayan people in her grandmother ’ s lifetime .
That story explains why her grandma , whose home was bombed in the ‘ 70s , hates loud noises .
It explains why her parents met in a refugee camp and emigrated to the U.S. with a promise to themselves and their kids : “ Never again.
” “ This is literally my own story , the story of why I ’ m here .
It ’ s just horrific how history repeats itself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my people are continuing to be devastated , ” she says .
Vicarious does not describe the experience of having to stop thinking of herself as an Ethiopian American , but rather as a Tigrayan American virtually overnight Nov. 3 .
“ There ’ s no way that my country could bomb my family like this , ” she says .
Vicarious does not account for how on edge she feels , how irritated she is by the post-U.S.-election chatter on the talk radio her husband listens to every morning , how short-tempered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids , ages 4 and 3 , whose care her mother helps with .
“ Thank God for that because I can ’ t be present with them and just forget about it , so I just sit in my car and scroll my phone for news about Ethiopia .
This has consumed my entire life .
Every minute .
And I don ’ t know how to stop that.
” Birhanemaskel , who gave up her Ethiopian passport to become a U.S. citizen , would not be allowed into the country at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago for an emergency visa to tour the refugee camps in Sudan , partly so she can help tell Tigrayans ’ stories on social media , but mainly to search for her family , or at least find out if they ’ re still alive .
She will fly east when her visa arrives , which could be any day now , and daydreams about spotting them immediately in the camp where she was born .
Her mother – who lived in that camp for several years and knows what she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay here with her kids .
Birhanemaskel knows she is risking COVID exposure and a lack of medical care in Sudan , and a long quarantine when she returns .
She also knows that posting refugees ’ stories could put her at risk of getting blacklisted by Ahmed ’ s government and forbidden from seeing her family if the civil war ends and if they survive and if they return , once again , to Tigray .
Those possibilities , however unbearable , seem preferable to further neither-here-nor-thereness .
From the comfort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she can not pretend she isn ’ t caught in this war .
“ When I weigh just sitting here against what if that happens or what if I get COVID , it doesn ’ t even compare .
I just can ’ t stay here doing nothing much more.
” Her decision to make the trip became easier last week when , after hundreds of attempts , her grandmother finally answered her cell phone .
“ We talked for only a minute .
She was terrified .
The only thing she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hiding , we ’ re rationing water , and where ’ s my daughter , you ’ ve got to find my daughter.
’ ” “ Who could say no ?
” Birhanemaskel says .
“ I have to try because my mind is the hardest place to be.
” This story is part of a statewide reporting project from the Colorado News Collaborative called On Edge i that is intended to foster conversation about mental health in Colorado .
.
This project is supported in part by the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honoring the memory of the late Benjamin von Sternenfels Rosenthal .
Reach Susan Greene at susan @ colabnews.co If you ’ re struggling , help is available on Colorado ’ s crisis hotline .
Call 1-844-493-TALK ( 8255 ) .

Millete Birhanemaskel, a refugee, long-time Denver resident and businesswoman, grappled with 2020 as many others have: She tried to protect her family, her employees, her tenants from COVID’s reach. She worried about the presidential election. And she managed to keep her coffee shop, the Whittier Cafe, from going under.
She knew already what it was to be separated from the people you love whether that separation comes by virus or by war. And she knew, too, what it was to live with uncertainty and powerlessness.
But the anxieties of 2020 for her became magnitudes greater on Nov. 3. On that day, as Americans and much of the world awaited election results, civil war flared again in her family’s home country of Ethiopia and her grandmother and two aunts went missing in the shelling. In the days since, the isolation that has marked this year for so many has taken on a new meaning for her: much of her family is still unreachable and her grief is invisible to most Americans who know nothing of Ethiopia and the trauma of its wars.
“I swear to God I know I look like that crazy woman who is screaming about this terrible dream and everybody’s like ‘What is wrong with her?’ I feel like I’m in a psych ward yelling, but nobody can hear me.”
Birhanemaskel was born at a refugee camp in Sudan after her parents fled bombing of their native Tigray in northern Ethiopia under a military dictatorship. Her immediate family moved to Colorado in 1982, when she was an infant but her grandmother and extended family have been living back in Tigray since the dictator was toppled in the early 1990s. That is, until last month when a feud between Ethiopia’s federal government and local Tigrayan leaders prompted Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to bomb the region again, inciting a civil war that has killed civilians and forced more than 50,000 Tigrayans to flee.
Since the disappearance of her grandmother and two aunts, Birhanemaskel, 39, has been calling the cell phones she bought them, which go straight to busy signals without even ringing. She has been checking her Twitter feed every few minutes.
She keeps seeing posts that refugees have little food or water as they walk west toward refugee camps in Sudan, some reportedly collapsing, even dying of exhaustion along the way. She keeps hearing that Ethiopian soldiers are raping Tigrayan women and shooting or beheading Tigrayan men, leaving their bodies in the road for fellow refugees to step over. She keeps imagining she is walking in their shoes.
“As long as they’re missing, I can’t sleep, can’t focus, can’t enjoy anything because I keep having the most awful thoughts about what’s happening to them,” she says.
She is experiencing what clinicians call “vicarious trauma.”
But vicarious does not express how close it hits home, this civil war in a country where she has never officially lived, yet has defined so much of her life. It is the place, she says, that makes her “most full.” And yet the trauma her relatives are now enduring is a trauma they and her parents lived through four decades ago – and the third siege on the Tigrayan people in her grandmother’s lifetime. That story explains why her grandma, whose home was bombed in the ‘70s, hates loud noises. It explains why her parents met in a refugee camp and emigrated to the U.S. with a promise to themselves and their kids: “Never again.”
“This is literally my own story, the story of why I’m here. It’s just horrific how history repeats itself, how it comes full circle, how my people are continuing to be devastated,” she says.
Vicarious does not describe the experience of having to stop thinking of herself as an Ethiopian American, but rather as a Tigrayan American virtually overnight Nov. 3. “There’s no way that my country could bomb my family like this,” she says.
Vicarious does not account for how on edge she feels, how irritated she is by the post-U.S.-election chatter on the talk radio her husband listens to every morning, how short-tempered she has become with their two youngest kids, ages 4 and 3, whose care her mother helps with.
“Thank God for that because I can’t be present with them and just forget about it, so I just sit in my car and scroll my phone for news about Ethiopia. This has consumed my entire life. Every minute. And I don’t know how to stop that.”
Birhanemaskel, who gave up her Ethiopian passport to become a U.S. citizen, would not be allowed into the country at this point. So she applied weeks ago for an emergency visa to tour the refugee camps in Sudan, partly so she can help tell Tigrayans’ stories on social media, but mainly to search for her family, or at least find out if they’re still alive. She will fly east when her visa arrives, which could be any day now, and daydreams about spotting them immediately in the camp where she was born.
Her mother – who lived in that camp for several years and knows what she’s heading into – has begged her to stay here with her kids.
Birhanemaskel knows she is risking COVID exposure and a lack of medical care in Sudan, and a long quarantine when she returns. She also knows that posting refugees’ stories could put her at risk of getting blacklisted by Ahmed’s government and forbidden from seeing her family if the civil war ends and if they survive and if they return, once again, to Tigray.
Those possibilities, however unbearable, seem preferable to further neither-here-nor-thereness. From the comfort of her home in Denver, she says, she cannot pretend she isn’t caught in this war.
“When I weigh just sitting here against what if that happens or what if I get COVID, it doesn’t even compare. I just can’t stay here doing nothing much more.”
Her decision to make the trip became easier last week when, after hundreds of attempts, her grandmother finally answered her cell phone.
“We talked for only a minute. She was terrified. The only thing she would say is ‘I’m in hiding, we’re rationing water, and where’s my daughter, you’ve got to find my daughter.’”
“Who could say no?” Birhanemaskel says. “I have to try because my mind is the hardest place to be.”
This story is part of a statewide reporting project from the Colorado News Collaborative called On Edge that is intended to foster conversation about mental health in Colorado. This project is supported in part by the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Reporting and a grant honoring the memory of the late Benjamin von Sternenfels Rosenthal. Reach Susan Greene at susan@colabnews.co
If you’re struggling, help is available on Colorado’s crisis hotline. Call 1-844-493-TALK(8255).