thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Friednash: Can Polis and the Democrats hold out against the far left?

Colorado ’ s political landscape shifted dramatically in the 2018 midterm elections , primarily in response to President Donald Trump ’ s election and first two years in office .
Previously , the state had operated under a divided government with Democrats holding a majority in the House and Republicans holding a majority in the Senate .
As a result of the 2018 election , Democrats won the governor ’ s race and extended their majority in the House ( 41 Democrats ; 24 Republicans ) and captured the Senate majority .
The current Senate makeup is 19 Democrats and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney general , treasurer and secretary of state races .
In their first legislative session with full-power , Democrats pushed through an ambitious , progressive agenda that covered seemingly everything : full-day kindergarten , red-flag laws , a ban on conversion therapy and sweeping energy-extraction and production regulation .
By all accounts , the Democrats accomplished much of their political agenda .
So as the legislature reconvened in 2020 , two questions arose .
Did the Democrats overreach ?
And , what can we expect this session ?
Four times in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trifecta in Colorado with a governor and majority in the House and Senate .
In each instance , the trifecta was short-lived , because the party overreached .
In 2013 , Democrats used a trifecta to push through a controversial political agenda .
The following year , Democrats lost the Senate .
Republicans are hoping for a repeat and appear to be messaging along the lines that the Democrats are out of step with mainstream Colorado values .
However , there are strong signs that Coloradans don ’ t buy that argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that the Republicans favorite play call , the recall , failed miserably .
All five recall campaigns fell flat .
If the Democrats had overreached , would all of these efforts come up short ?
More importantly , if Colorado ’ s strong economy stays on track , voters will have little incentive to want wholesale political change in 2020 .
So how should Democrats lead in an election year ?
No matter which party is in control , they need to choose their agenda carefully and moderate the most extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this will surely make the far left wing of the constituency angry , but just because they can pass any legislation they choose , does not mean that they should .
Especially , if they want to wield power beyond a term or two .
To date , the three most important people in the capitol have done an effective job of not letting the sideshow take over the circus .
Gov .
Jared Polis has exhibited a strong , independent streak while collaborating in a meaningful way on progressive issues with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leroy Garcia , who have both done a good job of managing their respective caucuses and agenda .
There can be no doubt that in choosing Becker and Garcia , their Democratic caucus members understood that this is what they needed to do .
Democrats will have to navigate and temper their core constituencies ’ growing influence at the Capitol .
Environmental groups achieved dramatic success during last year ’ s legislative session , but it doesn ’ t appear to have done enough to satisfy the far left .
Look no further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State speech , when as Polis began speaking , a man started yelling , “ Ban fracking now !
” Before Polis even entered the House , anti-oil and gas demonstrators began shouting and waving a banner in the House chambers .
Colorado Rising , an anti-fracking group , has submitted several proposed ballot initiatives , including different measures that would increase statewide setback distances for oil and gas extraction operations from occupied structures .
Prior election results show that this is a step too far for Colorado .
Meanwhile , labor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unionize in Colorado in what is guaranteed to have a serious ripple effect .
One proposed bill would allow state employee unions to collectively bargain with state government .
The state could go too far .
There is talk about changing Colorado ’ s Labor Peace Act , which , in a 76-year-old compromise between labor organizations and business , requires two rounds of voting before workers can unionize .
In the first vote , 50 % , plus one employee must agree to proceed .
If successful , a second vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the employees approve , all employees must pay dues and belong to the union .
Colorado ’ s moderate approach has worked and we have also long avoided being a right to work state .
Representatives from 15 business groups have already sent a letter to Polis asking for his help in maintaining this process .
The most important issue of the session will be the paid family leave bill for Colorado workers .
This is the one major cornerstone Democratic progressive issue that the Democrats haven ’ t delivered on yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a state-mandated paid leave program that would have given 12 weeks of paid time off for all workers to care for new children or for loved ones with illnesses .
The issue was one of only a few times in the 2019 session where the business community successfully defeated a major Democratic issue .
Business groups were rightfully skeptical about its implementation , scope , impact on Colorado businesses , and whether it would be financially viable .
Democrats risk a lot and will fail again if they ignore last year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave bill .
But if they offer a more moderate Colorado solution that provides paid time off to more Coloradans without straining state resources or forcing taxpayers to bear the financial risk , they might find support in the business community and a few votes from across the aisle .
Meanwhile , there are good progressive and moderate ideas that the Democrats should push through this session .
Polis was right to raise the issue of tax reform in his state of the state speech and the creation of a bipartisan coalition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state should also finally abolish the archaic and unworkable death penalty statute .
Other criminal justice reform issues like expungement of minor marijuana convictions is also long overdue .
It will be incumbent upon Polis , Becker and Garcia to continue to work together and carefully navigate these issues and challenges to achieve continued success and maintain their trifecta in a highly charged election year .
Pushing too hard or too far could fire up the Republican base and unaffiliated-leaning Republicans in the same way Trump ’ s antics propelled Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Denver native , a partner with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck and the former chief of staff for Gov .
John Hickenlooper .
To send a letter to the editor about this article , submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail .

Colorado’s political landscape shifted dramatically in the 2018 midterm elections, primarily in response to President Donald Trump’s election and first two years in office. Previously, the state had operated under a divided government with Democrats holding a majority in the House and Republicans holding a majority in the Senate.
As a result of the 2018 election, Democrats won the governor’s race and extended their majority in the House (41 Democrats; 24 Republicans) and captured the Senate majority. The current Senate makeup is 19 Democrats and 16 Republicans.
Democrats also unexpectedly won the attorney general, treasurer and secretary of state races.
In their first legislative session with full-power, Democrats pushed through an ambitious, progressive agenda that covered seemingly everything: full-day kindergarten, red-flag laws, a ban on conversion therapy and sweeping energy-extraction and production regulation. By all accounts, the Democrats accomplished much of their political agenda.
So as the legislature reconvened in 2020, two questions arose. Did the Democrats overreach? And, what can we expect this session?
Four times in the past 20 years one party has had a trifecta in Colorado with a governor and majority in the House and Senate. In each instance, the trifecta was short-lived, because the party overreached. In 2013, Democrats used a trifecta to push through a controversial political agenda. The following year, Democrats lost the Senate. Republicans are hoping for a repeat and appear to be messaging along the lines that the Democrats are out of step with mainstream Colorado values.
However, there are strong signs that Coloradans don’t buy that argument. Perhaps the most significant sign is the fact that the Republicans favorite play call, the recall, failed miserably. All five recall campaigns fell flat. If the Democrats had overreached, would all of these efforts come up short? More importantly, if Colorado’s strong economy stays on track, voters will have little incentive to want wholesale political change in 2020.
So how should Democrats lead in an election year?
No matter which party is in control, they need to choose their agenda carefully and moderate the most extreme side of their political base. Yes, this will surely make the far left wing of the constituency angry, but just because they can pass any legislation they choose, does not mean that they should. Especially, if they want to wield power beyond a term or two.
To date, the three most important people in the capitol have done an effective job of not letting the sideshow take over the circus.
Gov. Jared Polis has exhibited a strong, independent streak while collaborating in a meaningful way on progressive issues with House Speaker KC Becker and Senate President Leroy Garcia, who have both done a good job of managing their respective caucuses and agenda. There can be no doubt that in choosing Becker and Garcia, their Democratic caucus members understood that this is what they needed to do.
But 2020 won’t be easy.
Democrats will have to navigate and temper their core constituencies’ growing influence at the Capitol. Environmental groups achieved dramatic success during last year’s legislative session, but it doesn’t appear to have done enough to satisfy the far left. Look no further than the governor’s State of the State speech, when as Polis began speaking, a man started yelling, “Ban fracking now!” Before Polis even entered the House, anti-oil and gas demonstrators began shouting and waving a banner in the House chambers.
Colorado Rising, an anti-fracking group, has submitted several proposed ballot initiatives, including different measures that would increase statewide setback distances for oil and gas extraction operations from occupied structures. Prior election results show that this is a step too far for Colorado.
Meanwhile, labor organizations are attempting to make it easier to unionize in Colorado in what is guaranteed to have a serious ripple effect. One proposed bill would allow state employee unions to collectively bargain with state government.
The state could go too far. There is talk about changing Colorado’s Labor Peace Act, which, in a 76-year-old compromise between labor organizations and business, requires two rounds of voting before workers can unionize. In the first vote, 50%, plus one employee must agree to proceed. If successful, a second vote takes place, and if 75% of the employees approve, all employees must pay dues and belong to the union. Colorado’s moderate approach has worked and we have also long avoided being a right to work state. Representatives from 15 business groups have already sent a letter to Polis asking for his help in maintaining this process.
The most important issue of the session will be the paid family leave bill for Colorado workers. This is the one major cornerstone Democratic progressive issue that the Democrats haven’t delivered on yet. A bill last year called for a state-mandated paid leave program that would have given 12 weeks of paid time off for all workers to care for new children or for loved ones with illnesses.
The issue was one of only a few times in the 2019 session where the business community successfully defeated a major Democratic issue. Business groups were rightfully skeptical about its implementation, scope, impact on Colorado businesses, and whether it would be financially viable.
Democrats risk a lot and will fail again if they ignore last year’s lesson and push the same progressive family leave bill. But if they offer a more moderate Colorado solution that provides paid time off to more Coloradans without straining state resources or forcing taxpayers to bear the financial risk, they might find support in the business community and a few votes from across the aisle.
Meanwhile, there are good progressive and moderate ideas that the Democrats should push through this session. Polis was right to raise the issue of tax reform in his state of the state speech and the creation of a bipartisan coalition to study this issue is a good one. The state should also finally abolish the archaic and unworkable death penalty statute. Other criminal justice reform issues like expungement of minor marijuana convictions is also long overdue.
It will be incumbent upon Polis, Becker and Garcia to continue to work together and carefully navigate these issues and challenges to achieve continued success and maintain their trifecta in a highly charged election year.
Pushing too hard or too far could fire up the Republican base and unaffiliated-leaning Republicans in the same way Trump’s antics propelled Colorado Democrats into control.
Doug Friednash is a Denver native, a partner with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck and the former chief of staff for Gov. John Hickenlooper.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Lawmaker proposes stronger protections for Colorado bicyclists

Elizabeth Coldren , a Denver psychologist who lives in Whittier , often opts for less busy streets on her morning commute on her bike even if it means going out of her way .
That ’ s because she has to share the road with drivers who recklessly dominate the road , keeping her on high alert .
“ I ’ m always on a swivel , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t feel safe .
I wish I did.
” Under current law , cyclists and drivers are expected to share the road , but cyclists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ busy streets and are often faulted for collisions with cars .
The new bill , sponsored by Sen. Mike Foote , a Lafayette Democrat , would definitively say that cyclists have right of way in bike lanes .
It also would create a new traffic offense for failing to yield to a rider in a bike lane .
Should a driver cause a crash or injure the cyclist , it would be punishable by a fine and jail time .
This bill comes after a number of fatal crashes between bicyclists and drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s cycling community to increase calls for change .
Cyclists Scott Hendrickson , 60 , and Alexis Bounds , 37 , were killed in separate crashes when they were struck by cars as they were riding .
Foote said he has spoken to Colorado cyclists and believes that implementing this measure will make them feel safer when they venture onto busy streets .
“ The law is being applied unevenly , ” he said .
“ Around the state , cyclists are still getting blamed or the driver isn ’ t getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to make it clear who is responsible and try to make enforcement more uniform across Colorado.
” Last year , Gov .
Jared Polis signed a bill increasing protections to “ vulnerable road users , ” including cyclists , construction workers and other pedestrians .
Foote sponsored that bill , as well , but felt this new legislation would provide more accountability on the roads .
Coldren supports the proposed legislation .
But even with increased penalties for drivers , she said , cyclists still seem to carry the burden of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encounters with drivers , either texting , running lights and speeding past me , even when I ’ m in the bike lane , ” said Coldren .
“ Even on streets where there is a bike lane , drivers either don ’ t know or don ’ t acknowledge it .
”

Elizabeth Coldren, a Denver psychologist who lives in Whittier, often opts for less busy streets on her morning commute on her bike even if it means going out of her way. That’s because she has to share the road with drivers who recklessly dominate the road, keeping her on high alert.
“I’m always on a swivel,” she said. “I don’t feel safe. I wish I did.”
Under current law, cyclists and drivers are expected to share the road, but cyclists across Colorado feel uneasy peddling out onto busy streets and are often faulted for collisions with cars. The new bill, sponsored by Sen. Mike Foote, a Lafayette Democrat, would definitively say that cyclists have right of way in bike lanes.
It also would create a new traffic offense for failing to yield to a rider in a bike lane. Should a driver cause a crash or injure the cyclist, it would be punishable by a fine and jail time.
This bill comes after a number of fatal crashes between bicyclists and drivers last year prompted the Denver metro area’s cycling community to increase calls for change. Cyclists Scott Hendrickson, 60, and Alexis Bounds, 37, were killed in separate crashes when they were struck by cars as they were riding.
Foote said he has spoken to Colorado cyclists and believes that implementing this measure will make them feel safer when they venture onto busy streets.
“The law is being applied unevenly,” he said. “Around the state, cyclists are still getting blamed or the driver isn’t getting blamed for failing to yield. We want to make it clear who is responsible and try to make enforcement more uniform across Colorado.”
Last year, Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill increasing protections to “vulnerable road users,” including cyclists, construction workers and other pedestrians. Foote sponsored that bill, as well, but felt this new legislation would provide more accountability on the roads.
Coldren supports the proposed legislation. But even with increased penalties for drivers, she said, cyclists still seem to carry the burden of their safety.
“Every day I have encounters with drivers, either texting, running lights and speeding past me, even when I’m in the bike lane,” said Coldren. “Even on streets where there is a bike lane, drivers either don’t know or don’t acknowledge it.”


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Colorado Democrats look to reform out-of-court arbitration with new bill

State Sen. Mike Foote wants the Colorado legislature to pass arbitration reform in the 2020 session .
And to make his point about why it ’ s necessary , the Lafayette Democrat recently shared a story about how forced arbitration clauses , a little talked about but pervasive bit of contract law , impacted his wheels .
At a news conference Wednesday introducing a new bill sponsors say would improve transparency and fairness in the arbitration process , Foote talked about how he found a forced arbitration clause in the contract when he went to buy a car a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the car and Foote wanted to take action against the dealer , that matter would be settled by an arbitrator , not in a courtroom , per that clause .
Later , when he bought new tires for the vehicle , those came with a forced arbitration clause attached , too .
Even the “ find my car ” phone app Foote used has a forced arbitration clause in the user agreement , he said .
“ The forced arbitration clauses that we are dealing with , partially , in this bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Foote said .
“ I can guarantee you that everyone in this room , as a matter of fact , has used product or service today that has a forced arbitration clause attached to it.
” The Consumer and Employee Dispute Resolution and Fairness Act , Senate Bill 20-93 , seeks to address what Foote calls an “ imbalance of power ” in the forced arbitration process .
It would establish transparency and ethical guidelines for third-party arbitrators , particularly around conflicts of interest .
It would make it illegal to enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might mandate that arbitration be handled out of state or allow employers or companies to unilaterally select the third-party person or group that would resolve a dispute .
Proponents cast the cause as an urgent one .
In a news release highlighting the bill , Democrats and their allies with the Colorado Consumer Protection Coalition pointed to a study published last year in the University of California-Davis Law Review that found 81 of America ’ s 100 largest companies employ arbitration agreements .
They include Amazon , Apple , Walmart and Coca-Cola .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 % of the time , Foote said Wednesday .
With the popularity of arbitration clauses , the legislation has the potential to impact industries including eldercare , higher education , construction and a host of others .
The Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce has not taken a position on the bill , a spokeswoman said .
The Colorado Bar Association ’ s legislative review committee is expected to examine the legislation in the coming weeks , said Andrew White , the CBA ’ s director of legislative relations .
The bar association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dispute resolution , including arbitration .
Colorado adopted the Uniform Arbitration Act in 2004 .
That law includes a disclosure provision .
“ Prior to the hearing , an arbitrator is required to submit an arbitrator oath and disclosure .
That covers prior personal and professional history with the people involved and any known bias , ” said Judy West , a Denver-based mediator and arbitrator who has been practicing alternative dispute resolution since 2003 .
“ All of those things are disclosed ahead of time and the parties can say if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential conflicts of interest that concern lawmakers .
The bill is being co-sponsored in the Colorado House by State Rep. Dominique Jackson , D-Aurora , who on Wednesday spoke about how settling disputes via arbitration can help mask employer and company abuses by keeping matters out of the public court system .
She referenced late former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes ’ alleged pattern of sexually harassing female employees and Wells Fargo ’ s fraudulent account scandal from 2016 .
When SB 20-93 gets its first hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be there to testify in support .
Appearing at Wednesday ’ s news conference with her husband and two young daughters , Dewey said a forced arbitration clause employed by a private nursing school she attended put her family ’ s financial stability in jeopardy and cost her a year ’ s worth of schooling .
Dewey was enrolled in an associate degree program when she was expelled for posting what she felt was a mild criticism of the school ’ s use of inexperienced instructors to Facebook .
After writing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dewey instead decided to sue the school for her tuition money with plans to start over at another institution .
Instead , she found out that a forced arbitration clause in her intake paperwork made it impossible to sue .
After researching plaintiff success rates in arbitration cases , she instead decided to walk away with $ 22,000 in debt and a stack of non-transferable credits .
“ I never had a chance to hold the school accountable for the inadequate education and unfair way they treated me , ” Dewey said Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shot at justice when they are facing off against a school or corporation .
”

State Sen. Mike Foote wants the Colorado legislature to pass arbitration reform in the 2020 session. And to make his point about why it’s necessary, the Lafayette Democrat recently shared a story about how forced arbitration clauses, a little talked about but pervasive bit of contract law, impacted his wheels.
At a news conference Wednesday introducing a new bill sponsors say would improve transparency and fairness in the arbitration process, Foote talked about how he found a forced arbitration clause in the contract when he went to buy a car a few years ago. If something went wrong with the car and Foote wanted to take action against the dealer, that matter would be settled by an arbitrator, not in a courtroom, per that clause. Later, when he bought new tires for the vehicle, those came with a forced arbitration clause attached, too. Even the “find my car” phone app Foote used has a forced arbitration clause in the user agreement, he said.
“The forced arbitration clauses that we are dealing with, partially, in this bill are everywhere, on virtually everything,” Foote said. “I can guarantee you that everyone in this room, as a matter of fact, has used product or service today that has a forced arbitration clause attached to it.”
The Consumer and Employee Dispute Resolution and Fairness Act, Senate Bill 20-93, seeks to address what Foote calls an “imbalance of power” in the forced arbitration process. It would establish transparency and ethical guidelines for third-party arbitrators, particularly around conflicts of interest. It would make it illegal to enforce certain contract terms, including those that might mandate that arbitration be handled out of state or allow employers or companies to unilaterally select the third-party person or group that would resolve a dispute.
Proponents cast the cause as an urgent one. In a news release highlighting the bill, Democrats and their allies with the Colorado Consumer Protection Coalition pointed to a study published last year in the University of California-Davis Law Review that found 81 of America’s 100 largest companies employ arbitration agreements. They include Amazon, Apple, Walmart and Coca-Cola.
Arbitrators find in favor of the companies 90% of the time, Foote said Wednesday.
With the popularity of arbitration clauses, the legislation has the potential to impact industries including eldercare, higher education, construction and a host of others.
The Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce has not taken a position on the bill, a spokeswoman said. The Colorado Bar Association’s legislative review committee is expected to examine the legislation in the coming weeks, said Andrew White, the CBA’s director of legislative relations. The bar association does have a section dedicated to alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration.
Colorado adopted the Uniform Arbitration Act in 2004. That law includes a disclosure provision.
“Prior to the hearing, an arbitrator is required to submit an arbitrator oath and disclosure. That covers prior personal and professional history with the people involved and any known bias,” said Judy West, a Denver-based mediator and arbitrator who has been practicing alternative dispute resolution since 2003. “All of those things are disclosed ahead of time and the parties can say if they agree.”
It’s not just potential conflicts of interest that concern lawmakers.
The bill is being co-sponsored in the Colorado House by State Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora, who on Wednesday spoke about how settling disputes via arbitration can help mask employer and company abuses by keeping matters out of the public court system. She referenced late former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes’ alleged pattern of sexually harassing female employees and Wells Fargo’s fraudulent account scandal from 2016.
When SB 20-93 gets its first hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 29, Parker resident Laura Dewey will be there to testify in support. Appearing at Wednesday’s news conference with her husband and two young daughters, Dewey said a forced arbitration clause employed by a private nursing school she attended put her family’s financial stability in jeopardy and cost her a year’s worth of schooling.
Dewey was enrolled in an associate degree program when she was expelled for posting what she felt was a mild criticism of the school’s use of inexperienced instructors to Facebook. After writing a letter of apology and considering re-enrolling, Dewey instead decided to sue the school for her tuition money with plans to start over at another institution. Instead, she found out that a forced arbitration clause in her intake paperwork made it impossible to sue. After researching plaintiff success rates in arbitration cases, she instead decided to walk away with $22,000 in debt and a stack of non-transferable credits.
“I never had a chance to hold the school accountable for the inadequate education and unfair way they treated me,” Dewey said Wednesday. “Arbitration laws should give people a shot at justice when they are facing off against a school or corporation.”


thedenverpost--2020-01-18--CDOT asks travelers to delay MLK weekend trips as snow, wind pound I-70 mountain corridor

Wintry conditions on Interstate 70 in the mountains has shut down eastbound lanes of the highway at Vail and the Colorado Department of Transportation is asking people to delay weekend ski trips on what is typically the second busiest ski weekend of the year .
Icy and snow-packed roads , along with blowing snow , are making for adverse driving conditions on the I-70 corridor from Eagle to Silver Plume , including both sides of the Eisenhower Tunnel , CDOT said in a Friday afternoon news release .
“ We ask that motorists begin their holiday trip Saturday instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , ” CDOT said .
The eastbound lanes of the highway are closed at Vail because of safety concerns , with no estimated time to reopen the section .
“ We are using some precaution and , at the very least , people should know before they go driving up the corridor because of the adverse weather conditions , ” said Bob Wilson , a CDOT spokesman .
Based on current weather conditions and the number of travelers that drive the corridor over the holiday weekend , travelers should be prepared for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilson said .
The Vail Pass weather forecast calls for periods of snow , with heavy snow at times , and widespread blowing snow this afternoon and tonight , according to the National Weather Service .
Wind chill temperatures on the pass will drop as low as minus 31 degrees overnight .
Up to 8 inches of snow is expected on Vail Pass overnight .
“ They ’ re getting decent accumulations up there , the other thing is there are really strong winds , ” said Evan Direnzo , a meteorologist with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blowing snow is making roads really slick.
” The higher in elevation , the stronger winds are blowing , Direnzo said .
Winds on mountain passes and above timberline have been gusting between 50 and 70 mph Friday , according to the weather service .
A winter weather advisory is posted for the central and northern mountains through 8 p.m. and travel conditions are considered hazardous .
The mountains of Summit County , Mosquito Range , Indian Peaks , Rocky Mountain National Park , Medicine Bow Range and Rabbit Ears Pass .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the mountains overnight , with weather and driving conditions improving on Saturday .
“ It is suppose to be out of here by Saturday , ” Wilson said .
“ Avoid some headaches .
Heavy traffic and adverse weather doesn ’ t make for a good driving combination .
”

Wintry conditions on Interstate 70 in the mountains have shut down the eastbound lanes of the highway at Vail and the Colorado Department of Transportation is asking people to delay weekend ski trips on what is typically the second busiest ski weekend of the year.
Icy and snow-packed roads, along with blowing snow, are making for adverse driving conditions on the I-70 corridor from Eagle to Silver Plume, including both sides of the Eisenhower Tunnel, CDOT said in a Friday afternoon news release.
“We ask that motorists begin their holiday trip Saturday instead of today due to extreme and rapidly changing conditions,” CDOT said.
The eastbound lanes of the highway are closed at Vail because of safety concerns, with no estimated time to reopen the section.
“We are using some precaution and, at the very least, people should know before they go driving up the corridor because of the adverse weather conditions,” said Bob Wilson, a CDOT spokesman.
Based on current weather conditions and the number of travelers that drive the corridor over the holiday weekend, travelers should be prepared for heavy traffic and potentially hazardous conditions, Wilson said.
The Vail Pass weather forecast calls for periods of snow, with heavy snow at times, and widespread blowing snow this afternoon and tonight, according to the National Weather Service. Wind chill temperatures on the pass will drop as low as minus 31 degrees overnight. Up to 8 inches of snow is expected on Vail Pass overnight.
“They’re getting decent accumulations up there, the other thing is there are really strong winds,” said Evan Direnzo, a meteorologist with the weather service. “Snow and blowing snow is making roads really slick.”
The higher in elevation, the stronger winds are blowing, Direnzo said.
Winds on mountain passes and above timberline have been gusting between 50 and 70 mph Friday, according to the weather service. A winter weather advisory is posted for the central and northern mountains through 8 p.m. and travel conditions are considered hazardous. The mountains of Summit County, Mosquito Range, Indian Peaks, Rocky Mountain National Park, Medicine Bow Range and Rabbit Ears Pass.
The wintry weather is expected to move out of the mountains overnight, with weather and driving conditions improving on Saturday.
“It is suppose to be out of here by Saturday,” Wilson said. “Avoid some headaches. Heavy traffic and adverse weather doesn’t make for a good driving combination.”


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Colorado’s Mallory Pugh left off U.S. Olympic qualifying roster

The United States ’ roster for the upcoming CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament will look very similar to the one that won the Women ’ s World Cup in France , with notable exceptions .
Mallory Pugh , Alex Morgan , Allie Long , Morgan Brian and Tierna Davidson were on the title team but were left off the 20-player CONCACAF tournament roster announced Friday .
Morgan is expecting her first child with husband Servando Carrasco .
Coach Vlatko Andonovski said that Davidson is still recovering from an ankle injury that sidelined her during January camp .
Pugh , a young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise , was one of the most surprising omissions .
Andonovski said she has been invited to train with the team even though she didn ’ t make the roster .
“ It was competitive and she did well , ” Andonovski said .
“ But there were other players that I believe that performed better than Mal .
Now , I just want to be clear that she is very good , very talented player and she performed well .
She has a big future in front of her .
So I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeps on developing going forward , she will be on this roster.
” The roster includes 18 players who were on the World Cup squad .
Newcomers include midfielder Andi Sullivan and forward Lynn Williams .
Sullivan , a former standout at Stanford who plays for the Washington Spirit of the National Women ’ s Soccer League , has 13 appearances with the national team .
Williams , who plays for reigning NWSL champion North Carolina , has made 21 appearances with the national team since 2016 , scoring six goals .
Carli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tokyo Games , is the oldest player on the roster .
Lloyd scored three goals in the 2015 World Cup final against Japan , but last year in France started in just one game as she took on more of a reserve role .
Andonovski , who was named coach of the team last October after Jill Ellis stepped down , praised Lloyd ’ s work ethic and said that if she continues to play well , he sees “ no reason for her not to be a starter.
” Andonovski said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or winner who scored six goals in the World Cup , was also nursing minor injuries during January camp .
“ In the end , the ones that I believe will give it the best chance to be successful , that will give us the best chance to win the games and qualify for the Olympics , are the ones that made the roster , ” he said .
The United States opens qualifying on Jan. 28 in Houston with a match against Haiti .
The top two finishers in the eight-team tournament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ semifinals in Carson , California , on Feb. 7 .
The final is in Carson on Feb. 9 .
Two berths in the Tokyo Games this summer are up for grabs .
The United States has made the field for every Olympic tournament since women ’ s soccer was added to the Games in 1996 and has won four gold medals .
The Olympic qualifying roster by position with club affiliation :

The United States’ roster for the upcoming CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament will look very similar to the one that won the Women’s World Cup in France, with notable exceptions.
Mallory Pugh, Alex Morgan, Allie Long, Morgan Brian and Tierna Davidson were on the title team but were left off the 20-player CONCACAF tournament roster announced Friday.
Morgan is expecting her first child with husband Servando Carrasco. Coach Vlatko Andonovski said that Davidson is still recovering from an ankle injury that sidelined her during January camp.
Pugh, a young forward from Highlands Ranch who has shown promise, was one of the most surprising omissions. Andonovski said she has been invited to train with the team even though she didn’t make the roster.
“It was competitive and she did well,” Andonovski said. “But there were other players that I believe that performed better than Mal. Now, I just want to be clear that she is very good, very talented player and she performed well. She has a big future in front of her. So I’m really sure that if she keeps on developing going forward, she will be on this roster.”
The roster includes 18 players who were on the World Cup squad. Newcomers include midfielder Andi Sullivan and forward Lynn Williams.
Sullivan, a former standout at Stanford who plays for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League, has 13 appearances with the national team. Williams, who plays for reigning NWSL champion North Carolina, has made 21 appearances with the national team since 2016, scoring six goals.
Carli Lloyd, who will turn 38 before the Tokyo Games, is the oldest player on the roster. Lloyd scored three goals in the 2015 World Cup final against Japan, but last year in France started in just one game as she took on more of a reserve role.
Andonovski, who was named coach of the team last October after Jill Ellis stepped down, praised Lloyd’s work ethic and said that if she continues to play well, he sees “no reason for her not to be a starter.”
Andonovski said Megan Rapinoe, the Ballon d’Or winner who scored six goals in the World Cup, was also nursing minor injuries during January camp.
“In the end, the ones that I believe will give it the best chance to be successful, that will give us the best chance to win the games and qualify for the Olympics, are the ones that made the roster,” he said.
The United States opens qualifying on Jan. 28 in Houston with a match against Haiti. The top two finishers in the eight-team tournament’s two groups advance to the semifinals in Carson, California, on Feb. 7. The final is in Carson on Feb. 9.
Two berths in the Tokyo Games this summer are up for grabs. The United States has made the field for every Olympic tournament since women’s soccer was added to the Games in 1996 and has won four gold medals.
The Olympic qualifying roster by position with club affiliation:
Goalkeepers: Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns), Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).
Defenders: Abby Dahlkemper (North Carolina Courage), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina Courage), Ali Krieger (Orlando Pride), Kelley O’Hara (Utah Royals), Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals), Emily Sonnett (Orlando Pride).
Midfielders: Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns), Rose Lavelle (Washington Spirit), Samantha Mewis (North Carolina Courage), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit).
Forwards: Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue), Jessica McDonald (North Carolina Courage), Christen Press (Utah Royals), Megan Rapinoe (Reign), Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage).


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Philipp Grubauer’s first shutout of season comes at perfect time for Avalanche

It took a little more than half the season , but Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer finally got his first shutout Thursday night .
After battling through a lower-body injury on and off during the opening months , Grubauer reasserted his position as the team ’ s first option in goal with a 27-save effort in the Avs ’ 4-0 win over San Jose .
It was just Colorado ’ s fifth win in its last 15 games , but it was a promising showing for Grubauer , who is 13-10-4 with a 2.81 goals-against average and .911 save percentage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want to make sure that they ’ re battling when there ’ s traffic in front of the net , ” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after practice Friday .
“ Staying in good position , staying strong down low in the scrums around the front of the net , gobbling up as many rebounds .
When I look at that over the last couple of games I think he ’ s been pretty good.
” Bednar hinted Grubauer may be back in net when the Avs host St. Louis at 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a little bit of a stretch that we ’ ve gone through and filled with those injuries , to come out in any game where we needed to get a win , it ’ s big for us , it ’ s big for him , ” Bednar said .
“ He looked solid , focused and in control the whole night..This tells you what he ’ s capable of.
” Backup Pavel Francouz has gone through a rough patch of his own recently , allowing 10 goals in his last three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grubauer ’ s performance was a welcome relief .
“ We ’ re fighting for two points and we need the points , ” Grubauer said .
“ It doesn ’ t help us when we say we played great but you didn ’ t win .
Yesterday was a good step in the right direction.
” The Avs have two games left on their current homestand before an 11-day break .
They will embark on a five-game road trip after the All-Star break .
For Grubauer , the key is staying healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ junior hockey 10 years ago that he ’ s dealt with injury issues , he said .
“ I felt like I was letting the guys down , but it ’ s not in my control basically , ” Grubauer said of his time out of the lineup .
“ It was a little bit challenging because it was the first time I ’ ve dealt with this , but now it ’ s done and now it ’ s over so learn from it and it ’ s not like it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @

It took a little more than half the season, but Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer finally got his first shutout Thursday night.
After battling through a lower-body injury on and off during the opening months, Grubauer reasserted his position as the team’s first option in goal with a 27-save effort in the Avs’ 4-0 win over San Jose. It was just Colorado’s fifth win in its last 15 games, but it was a promising showing for Grubauer, who is 13-10-4 with a 2.81 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.
“I look at his positioning and I want to make sure that they’re battling when there’s traffic in front of the net,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after practice Friday. “Staying in good position, staying strong down low in the scrums around the front of the net, gobbling up as many rebounds. When I look at that over the last couple of games I think he’s been pretty good.”
Bednar hinted Grubauer may be back in net when the Avs host St. Louis at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“Anytime you go through a little bit of a stretch that we’ve gone through and filled with those injuries, to come out in any game where we needed to get a win, it’s big for us, it’s big for him,” Bednar said. “He looked solid, focused and in control the whole night..This tells you what he’s capable of.”
Backup Pavel Francouz has gone through a rough patch of his own recently, allowing 10 goals in his last three games with a 0-2-1 record. So Grubauer’s performance was a welcome relief.
“We’re fighting for two points and we need the points,” Grubauer said. “It doesn’t help us when we say we played great but you didn’t win. Yesterday was a good step in the right direction.”
The Avs have two games left on their current homestand before an 11-day break. They will embark on a five-game road trip after the All-Star break.
For Grubauer, the key is staying healthy. This is his first time since junior hockey 10 years ago that he’s dealt with injury issues, he said.
“I felt like I was letting the guys down, but it’s not in my control basically,” Grubauer said of his time out of the lineup. “It was a little bit challenging because it was the first time I’ve dealt with this, but now it’s done and now it’s over so learn from it and it’s not like it’s in my head.”


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Brooks: The Bernie Sanders fallacy

Brooks: The Bernie Sanders fallacy

This is a golden age for “ Theyism.
” This is the belief that there is some malevolent , elite “ they ” out there and “ they ” are destroying life for the rest of us .
There is Donald Trump ’ s culture-war Theyism : The coastal cultural elites hate genuine Americans , undermining our values and opening our borders .
And there is Bernie Sanders ’ class-war Theyism : The billionaires have rigged the economy to benefit themselves and impoverish everyone else .
Each of these stories takes a genuine tension in society and blows it up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of America is trying to destroy the other part .
The Republican Party has been swallowed by Trump ’ s culture war , and many Democrats seem to be rushing to join Sanders ’ class war .
These Democrats are doing this even though it is political suicide .
Class-war progressivism always loses to culture-war conservatism because swing voters in the Midwest care more about their values — guns , patriotism , ending abortion , masculinity , whatever — than they do about proletarian class consciousness .
Democrats are doing this even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sanders starts with a truth : Workers need more bargaining power as they negotiate wages with their employers .
But then he blows this up into an all-explaining ideology : Capitalism is a system of exploitation in which capitalist power completely dominates worker power .
This ideology crashes against the facts .
In the first place , over the past few years wages for workers toward the bottom of the income stream have been rising faster than wages for those toward the top .
If the bosses have the workers by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Second , wages are still generally determined by skills and productivity .
For example , Edward Lazear of Stanford University finds that between 1989 and 2017 , productivity in mostly high-skill industries rose by roughly 34 % and wages in those industries rose by 26 % .
Productivity in industries with mostly less-skilled workers rose by 20 % while wages grew by 24 % .
As Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute puts it , capitalism is doing what it ’ s supposed to do .
It is rewarding productivity with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are more productive .
If you improve worker bargaining power , that may help a bit , but over the long run people can ’ t earn what they don ’ t produce .
Third , and most important , most of the increase in earnings inequality has happened between companies , not within them .
As John Van Reenen of MIT has found , all over the world superstar businesses are racing ahead of their competitors .
As those companies grow more productive , they earn more profit per employee and pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t match that productivity don ’ t , and their workers lag behind .
A recent Brookings Institution/Chumir Foundation report also notes that there is a growing productivity gap between superstar companies and everybody else .
Whether it is in tech , retail , manufacturing , utilities or services , productivity growth at the leading companies in each industry has remained very strong .
Those productive businesses are capturing larger and larger market shares .
But productivity is not growing fast among the lagging companies .
Workers in those businesses suffer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they should be doing : increasing productivity , growing their businesses and offering great service .
A side effect of their efficiency is they spend a smaller share of their revenue on labor even while raising their workers ’ wages .
In a global information-age economy , the rewards for being best are huge .
Thus , the core problem is not capitalists exploiting their workers ; it ’ s the rise of productivity inequality .
It ’ s the companies and individuals who don ’ t have the skills to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solution , therefore , is not class war to hammer successful businesses .
It ’ s to boost and expand productivity for everybody else .
That ’ s done the old-fashioned way — by having better schools and better vocational training , by having more open competitive markets , by creating incentives to expand investment , by making sure superstar businesses don ’ t use lobbyists to lock in their advantages .
I understand if you want to stick to an us-versus-them political ideology .
It ’ s emotionally satisfying to base your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , I strongly recommend Michael Lind ’ s new book , “ The New Class War , ” which is the best version of us/them .
Lind makes a lot of vague generalizations about the “ managerial elite , ” which he blames for our problems .
But at least he ’ s interesting and provocative .
At least he understands that a politically plausible “ Theyism ” is economically left and socially right — combining the culture war and class war into a tidy narrative .
But if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stop the us/them warfare and start dealing with productivity inequality .
Successful executives are doing what ’ s best for their companies , gathering as much talent as they can .
This isn ’ t evil .
It ’ s not exploitation .
The job of public policy is to make it easier for everybody to do what successful people are doing .
Productivity is the key to national prosperity .
Every time we increase productivity for one person , we all thrive a little more , together .
David Brooks has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times since 2003 .
He is the author of “ The Road to Character ” and , most recently , “ The Second Mountain .
To send a letter to the editor about this article , submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail .

This is a golden age for “Theyism.” This is the belief that there is some malevolent, elite “they” out there and “they” are destroying life for the rest of us.
There is Donald Trump’s culture-war Theyism: The coastal cultural elites hate genuine Americans, undermining our values and opening our borders. And there is Bernie Sanders’ class-war Theyism: The billionaires have rigged the economy to benefit themselves and impoverish everyone else.
Each of these stories takes a genuine tension in society and blows it up into an all-explaining cartoon in which one part of America is trying to destroy the other part.
The Republican Party has been swallowed by Trump’s culture war, and many Democrats seem to be rushing to join Sanders’ class war.
These Democrats are doing this even though it is political suicide. Class-war progressivism always loses to culture-war conservatism because swing voters in the Midwest care more about their values — guns, patriotism, ending abortion, masculinity, whatever — than they do about proletarian class consciousness.
Democrats are doing this even though the Sanders class-war story is wrong.
Sanders starts with a truth: Workers need more bargaining power as they negotiate wages with their employers. But then he blows this up into an all-explaining ideology: Capitalism is a system of exploitation in which capitalist power completely dominates worker power. This ideology crashes against the facts.
In the first place, over the past few years wages for workers toward the bottom of the income stream have been rising faster than wages for those toward the top. If the bosses have the workers by the throat, how can this be happening?
Second, wages are still generally determined by skills and productivity. For example, Edward Lazear of Stanford University finds that between 1989 and 2017, productivity in mostly high-skill industries rose by roughly 34% and wages in those industries rose by 26%. Productivity in industries with mostly less-skilled workers rose by 20% while wages grew by 24%.
As Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute puts it, capitalism is doing what it’s supposed to do. It is rewarding productivity with pay, and some people and companies are more productive. If you improve worker bargaining power, that may help a bit, but over the long run people can’t earn what they don’t produce.
Third, and most important, most of the increase in earnings inequality has happened between companies, not within them. As John Van Reenen of MIT has found, all over the world superstar businesses are racing ahead of their competitors. As those companies grow more productive, they earn more profit per employee and pay their workers more. Companies that can’t match that productivity don’t, and their workers lag behind.
A recent Brookings Institution/Chumir Foundation report also notes that there is a growing productivity gap between superstar companies and everybody else. Whether it is in tech, retail, manufacturing, utilities or services, productivity growth at the leading companies in each industry has remained very strong. Those productive businesses are capturing larger and larger market shares. But productivity is not growing fast among the lagging companies. Workers in those businesses suffer.
Today’s successful bosses are doing what they should be doing: increasing productivity, growing their businesses and offering great service. A side effect of their efficiency is they spend a smaller share of their revenue on labor even while raising their workers’ wages. In a global information-age economy, the rewards for being best are huge.
Thus, the core problem is not capitalists exploiting their workers; it’s the rise of productivity inequality. It’s the companies and individuals who don’t have the skills to take advantage of new technologies.
The real solution, therefore, is not class war to hammer successful businesses. It’s to boost and expand productivity for everybody else. That’s done the old-fashioned way — by having better schools and better vocational training, by having more open competitive markets, by creating incentives to expand investment, by making sure superstar businesses don’t use lobbyists to lock in their advantages.
I understand if you want to stick to an us-versus-them political ideology. It’s emotionally satisfying to base your political ideology on blaming people you dislike. In fact, I strongly recommend Michael Lind’s new book, “The New Class War,” which is the best version of us/them.
Lind makes a lot of vague generalizations about the “managerial elite,” which he blames for our problems. But at least he’s interesting and provocative. At least he understands that a politically plausible “Theyism” is economically left and socially right — combining the culture war and class war into a tidy narrative.
But if you want to deal with our real problems, stop the us/them warfare and start dealing with productivity inequality.
Successful executives are doing what’s best for their companies, gathering as much talent as they can. This isn’t evil. It’s not exploitation.
The job of public policy is to make it easier for everybody to do what successful people are doing. Productivity is the key to national prosperity. Every time we increase productivity for one person, we all thrive a little more, together.
David Brooks has been a columnist with The New York Times since 2003. He is the author of “The Road to Character” and, most recently, “The Second Mountain.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Broncos podcast: Evaluating Denver’s offensive coordinator change from Rich Scangarello to Pat Shurm

Broncos podcast: Evaluating Denver’s offensive coordinator change from Rich Scangarello to Pat Shurmur

In this episode of the First- & -Orange podcast , Denver Post beat writers Kyle Newman and Ryan O ’ @ @ @ @ @ changing of the guard at offensive coordinator .
With Rich Scangarello out after one season @ @ @ @ @ the new play-caller , what does that mean for quarterback Drew Lock and the offense @ @ @ @ @ make the right move by giving Scangarello a pink slip after one season ?
Like @ @ @ @ @ more local journalism .
Become a subscriber for only 99 cents for the first month @

In this episode of the First-&-Orange podcast, Denver Post beat writers Kyle Newman and Ryan O’Halloran discuss the Broncos’ changing of the guard at offensive coordinator. With Rich Scangarello out after one season and Pat Shurmur in as the new play-caller, what does that mean for quarterback Drew Lock and the offense? Did coach Vic Fangio make the right move by giving Scangarello a pink slip after one season?
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thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Life after Beth: How Dog the Bounty Hunter is now hunting alone

PINE , Colo. — In September , three months after the death of his wife , Dog the Bounty Hunter was angling under the Colorado sun at a trout pond in the backwoods of the Rocky Mountains .
The pond was close enough to the highway that trucks mashing down Route 285 would roll down their windows to yell his name .
To each passerby , he raised his thumb and pinkie in a trademark shaka sign of goodwill .
Dog says he has 12 children , 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren .
He also says he has had four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times and captured 10,000 fugitives .
And he claims God promised to make him famous .
“ I need the attention .
I wake up every day and say , ‘ Mirror , mirror on the wall , who ’ s the baddest bounty hunter of them all ?
, ’ ” he said , with a conspiratorial arched eyebrow before turning serious : “ I need love.
” With the pompadour-mullet , jailhouse tats and beet-red tanned skin — lots of it — the only thing missing is the theme song .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to greet him .
A woman with a graying ponytail and vodka on her breath sidled up as well .
“ I just want to say I ’ m praying for you and Beth , ” she said , as if consoling an old friend .
Dog squirted fake cheese onto a Triscuit and ate it , then lit another menthol Marlboro and eyed a pickup truck creeping into the parking lot .
It ’ s not all love , he said : “ I ’ m tested once a week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dog is .
That ’ s what the Taser is for.
” Behind his wraparound Oakley sunglasses , his blue eyes are marked by deep circles .
A cloud of nervous energy comes and goes like a storm .
He is 66 and alone for the first time in decades .
He is now also without a television contract .
“ This is the big moment , ” he said , when asked what ’ s next .
“ That ’ s the big question.
” Suddenly , there was a strike on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his rod from the water , the hook was bare .
The next bite wouldn ’ t be until hours later , after a Safeway run for supermarket sushi .
Back at the lake , Dog finally caught a foot-long trout .
Blowing minty smoke , he cackled and reached into the shopping bag .
“ Want a piece of my spider roll ?
” he asked , and grinned .
Back in 2004 , Duane Chapman , known as Dog , hot-wired a reality revolution with “ Dog the Bounty Hunter.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bounty hunters , many of whom had done time themselves , viewers were pulled along on fugitive chases as Dog led his crew in pursuit of those who had broken the terms of their bail agreements .
The popular show , broadcast on A & E , spurred what was called a wave of “ redneck reality , ” bringing America hit shows like “ Duck Dynasty ” and “ Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
” It lasted eight seasons .
Spinoffs and three years on Country Music Channel followed , but nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last year , he returned to television once again with “ Dog ’ s Most Wanted , ” on WGN America .
In it , Dog and Beth Chapman continued to chase fugitives .
This time , she had a diagnosis of throat cancer .
So the show became about her last days riding with “ Big Poppa , ” as she called him .
She tried chemotherapy multiple times and quit .
“ I want to die in my boots , ” she said in the first episode .
In June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at age 51 , she did .
“ Beth was adamant , she wanted everything filmed , ” said Matt Asmus , the showrunner .
“ If anyone wanted the camera turned off , it was Dog.
” Throughout the season , as Beth Chapman loses hair and weight , Dog and his posse continue to slice through the heartland , quoting the good book and catching crooks .
But as she begins to slip away , falling into a coma before being taken off life support , Dog ’ s grip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grief .
“ I don ’ t want to live , ” he says after her death , eyeing her pill bottles .
The season ’ s end shows a broken man — the opposite of the hero that Dog spent years building on screen .
After Beth Chapman ’ s death , Dog had a pulmonary embolism .
Testosterone supplements had thickened his blood , Dog suspects .
He checked himself out of the hospital against advice , pushing “ an orderly up against a wall because he wouldn ’ t let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They couldn ’ t stop me.
” Dr. Mehmet Oz , the doctor and TV personality , flew to Colorado for an intervention .
“ Does Dog want to live or not ?
” Dr. Oz told me .
“ Dog told me a dream where Beth said , ‘ Big Daddy , what took you so long ?
Maybe she ’ s waiting , what am I living for ?
’ ” Dog said he has now been chewing ice cubes to lose weight .
His 5-foot-7 frame is down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two packs a day , placing disposable filters on his cigarettes .
But sunblock and quitting tanning salons aren ’ t happening ; neither are prescription glasses .
Eating and sleeping well are still issues for him — so is gout — and what he really wants to do is write another book , this one about Beth Chapman , he said .
And he has plans for a new show .
He is working on a pardon from the state of Texas , which could help him realize a boyhood dream : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a failed drug deal led to Dog ’ s murder conviction .
Dog says he didn ’ t pull the trigger — he was in the car — but , according to Texas law , he was an accessory . )
He would be a real sheriff , in a real town that needs cleaning up , he said .
Of course , it could be filmed .
“ I think it ’ d be a hit , ” he said .
At the Fort , an old adobe restaurant with thick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ringtone kept howling as his publicist called repeatedly .
It was the first day of the president ’ s impeachment inquiry but what was on his mind was TMZ , which was showing an advance clip of Dog ’ s appearance on Dr. Oz ’ s show with the headline “ Ticking Time Bomb.
” “ Ticking time bomb , ” Dog repeated while on the phone with his bounty hunting partner David Robinson , discussing plans to hunt down a fugitive from Hawaii .
“ Biggest bond I ’ ve ever written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his quail .
Dog said he would have to pay $ 1.5 million if he couldn ’ t catch the person accused of dealing drugs , who had fled to California .
He needs the money , he said .
“ I ’ m broke , ” he said .
Years of medical bills and being the patriarch of a sprawling family took a heavy toll .
If he doesn ’ t get his man , he said , the bank will take his Colorado home .
“ I can go , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m three hours away , David .
Just got a blood clot , that ’ s all.
” “ You ’ re on the medication , right ?
” Robinson said .
“ Yeah , ” Dog said .
“ TMZ burned me tonight , I ’ m on my last leg.
” “ Rats , ” Dog said .
“ We live in a rat world — ask Trump.
” Dog will not say who he voted for , but he did attend President Donald Trump ’ s inauguration .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is in the White House .
“ I feel an allegiance , ” he said .
“ I think Michelle Obama would make a great president.
” His other political opinions include : Teachers should be armed to protect students , and he is open to same-sex marriage and freedom of religion — he wears a skullcap for Shabbat dinners with Marty Singer , an entertainment lawyer .
“ I rarely socialize with my clients , ” said Singer , who calls Dog a great friend and “ as honest as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dog ’ s very lonely , ” said Amy Weiss , Dog ’ s manager at Brillstein Entertainment .
“ I was there at many points in the hospital with him and it was very difficult .
He ’ s lost , but he knows he must go on and provide for his family.
” “ The irony is , ” Oz said , “ he ’ s a man who everyone relies on for advice .
He was crutching so much on Beth — how are you going to show up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mother died in 1995 , he spent a year smoking crack , he said .
Then he sobered up and started dating Beth .
They had met in 1986 when he posted her bond after she shoplifted a lemon .
They finally married in 2006 — we saw it in Season 3 of “ Dog the Bounty Hunter.
” Drama became a Chapman family industry .
There were public family disputes and IRS fines for back taxes .
On the eve of the wedding , Dog ’ s daughter Barbara died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Months later , marshals stormed his Hawaii home , leading Dog out in handcuffs — a result of a Mexican extradition case against him , eventually thrown out .
The drama with the most enduring impact began when his son Tucker sold recordings to the National Enquirer of Dog using a racist slur .
Friends like Snoop Dogg and pastor Tim Storey stuck by him , but his book “ You Can Run but You Can ’ t Hide ” was pulled from stores .
Licensing deals crashed .
A & E put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Larry King and Sean Hannity .
With the distance of a dozen years , Dog is quick to explain that he came up in the jail system .
“ I thought I had a pass , ” he said , repeating a claim that his mother is Native American .
“ It was a word I grew up using .
I was wrong.
” “ I ’ ll never be forgiven for that one , ” he said .
“ Some people form an opinion of me that I can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me and I ’ m not a racist.
” He listed the charities and churches he has visited across the country and said he himself was a poster-boy image of second chances .
“ That ’ s something nobody wants to talk about , people just want to focus on the negatives , ” he said .
The movement opposing bail as part of a predatory prison funnel system that disproportionately affects the poor and people of color has strengthened in the last decade .
Meanwhile , in early 2016 , Beth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bail Agents Association , which opposes bail and bond reform .
Dog agreed that the American legal system is particularly hard on black people .
“ Things could change for the better , ” he said , adding that committing crimes is a choice but that nonviolent offenders should not be forced to post bond .
“ I am the prime example of the system : The bail bond system , the legal system , of crime , ” he said .
“ I ’ m a second chance .
Guys who don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get out , why do you think they go back to what they were doing before they were convicted ?
If I can change , anyone can .
But it ’ s going to be a lot harder now without Beth , that ’ s for sure.
” At a P.F .
Chang ’ s the next day , dressed in a deerskin shirt and knee-high moccasins , Dog laid out his strategy for his newest fugitive ’ s bond .
“ Because of my health , Beth ’ s passing , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I have to catch the bastard.
” He laughed .
“ I love it.
” “ I got out of prison Feb. 6 , 1979 .
That ’ s 40 years , ” Dog said .
“ They said , ‘ You can ’ t even get a driver ’ s license , you ’ ll have nothing.
’ I looked in the mirror to shave and heard my dad saying , ‘ Burn your birth certificate , I wish you were never born.
’ I said : ‘ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at whatever I do in the world.
’ ” A woman came up and asked for a photo .
Dog lowered his sunglasses for the selfie as the check came with a tray of fortune cookies .
“ You ’ re not allowed to choose your own fortune , ” the waiter said .
Dog ignored the rules and then read his fortune : “ You will pass a big upcoming test.
” He laughed hard , before coughing .
His face got redder and redder , but then he smiled .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The New York Times News Service Syndicate

PINE, Colo. — In September, three months after the death of his wife, Dog the Bounty Hunter was angling under the Colorado sun at a trout pond in the backwoods of the Rocky Mountains.
The pond was close enough to the highway that trucks mashing down Route 285 would roll down their windows to yell his name. To each passerby, he raised his thumb and pinkie in a trademark shaka sign of goodwill.
Dog says he has 12 children, 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He also says he has had four wives, been convicted of robbery 18 times and captured 10,000 fugitives. And he claims God promised to make him famous.
“I need the attention. I wake up every day and say, ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the baddest bounty hunter of them all?,’” he said, with a conspiratorial arched eyebrow before turning serious: “I need love.”
With the pompadour-mullet, jailhouse tats and beet-red tanned skin — lots of it — the only thing missing is the theme song. Families pulled their minivans over and ran out to greet him. A woman with a graying ponytail and vodka on her breath sidled up as well. “I just want to say I’m praying for you and Beth,” she said, as if consoling an old friend.
Dog squirted fake cheese onto a Triscuit and ate it, then lit another menthol Marlboro and eyed a pickup truck creeping into the parking lot. It’s not all love, he said: “I’m tested once a week, guys looking to see how tough the Dog is. That’s what the Taser is for.”
Behind his wraparound Oakley sunglasses, his blue eyes are marked by deep circles. A cloud of nervous energy comes and goes like a storm. He is 66 and alone for the first time in decades. He is now also without a television contract.
“This is the big moment,” he said, when asked what’s next. “That’s the big question.” Suddenly, there was a strike on the line. But when Dog lifted his rod from the water, the hook was bare.
The next bite wouldn’t be until hours later, after a Safeway run for supermarket sushi. Back at the lake, Dog finally caught a foot-long trout. Blowing minty smoke, he cackled and reached into the shopping bag. “Want a piece of my spider roll?” he asked, and grinned.
Back in 2004, Duane Chapman, known as Dog, hot-wired a reality revolution with “Dog the Bounty Hunter.” Riding shotgun with his family of bickering bounty hunters, many of whom had done time themselves, viewers were pulled along on fugitive chases as Dog led his crew in pursuit of those who had broken the terms of their bail agreements.
The popular show, broadcast on A&E, spurred what was called a wave of “redneck reality,” bringing America hit shows like “Duck Dynasty” and “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” It lasted eight seasons.
Spinoffs and three years on Country Music Channel followed, but nothing matched his success at A&E. Last year, he returned to television once again with “Dog’s Most Wanted,” on WGN America. In it, Dog and Beth Chapman continued to chase fugitives.
This time, she had a diagnosis of throat cancer. So the show became about her last days riding with “Big Poppa,” as she called him. She tried chemotherapy multiple times and quit. “I want to die in my boots,” she said in the first episode. In June, as shown in the season finale, at age 51, she did.
“Beth was adamant, she wanted everything filmed,” said Matt Asmus, the showrunner. “If anyone wanted the camera turned off, it was Dog.”
Throughout the season, as Beth Chapman loses hair and weight, Dog and his posse continue to slice through the heartland, quoting the good book and catching crooks. But as she begins to slip away, falling into a coma before being taken off life support, Dog’s grip on reality becomes more tenuous in his grief.
“I don’t want to live,” he says after her death, eyeing her pill bottles. The season’s end shows a broken man — the opposite of the hero that Dog spent years building on screen.
After Beth Chapman’s death, Dog had a pulmonary embolism. Testosterone supplements had thickened his blood, Dog suspects. He checked himself out of the hospital against advice, pushing “an orderly up against a wall because he wouldn’t let me leave,” he said. “They couldn’t stop me.”
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the doctor and TV personality, flew to Colorado for an intervention.
“Does Dog want to live or not?” Dr. Oz told me. “Dog told me a dream where Beth said, ‘Big Daddy, what took you so long? Maybe she’s waiting, what am I living for?’”
Dog said he has now been chewing ice cubes to lose weight. His 5-foot-7 frame is down to 187 pounds. He is smoking only two packs a day, placing disposable filters on his cigarettes.
But sunblock and quitting tanning salons aren’t happening; neither are prescription glasses. Eating and sleeping well are still issues for him — so is gout — and what he really wants to do is write another book, this one about Beth Chapman, he said. And he has plans for a new show.
He is working on a pardon from the state of Texas, which could help him realize a boyhood dream: becoming Sheriff Dog. (In 1976, a failed drug deal led to Dog’s murder conviction. Dog says he didn’t pull the trigger — he was in the car — but, according to Texas law, he was an accessory.) He would be a real sheriff, in a real town that needs cleaning up, he said.
Of course, it could be filmed. “I think it’d be a hit,” he said.
At the Fort, an old adobe restaurant with thick bison steaks, Dog’s wolf ringtone kept howling as his publicist called repeatedly. It was the first day of the president’s impeachment inquiry but what was on his mind was TMZ, which was showing an advance clip of Dog’s appearance on Dr. Oz’s show with the headline “Ticking Time Bomb.”
“Ticking time bomb,” Dog repeated while on the phone with his bounty hunting partner David Robinson, discussing plans to hunt down a fugitive from Hawaii. “Biggest bond I’ve ever written,” he said, picking at his quail.
Dog said he would have to pay $1.5 million if he couldn’t catch the person accused of dealing drugs, who had fled to California.
He needs the money, he said. “I’m broke,” he said. Years of medical bills and being the patriarch of a sprawling family took a heavy toll. If he doesn’t get his man, he said, the bank will take his Colorado home.
“I can go,” Dog told his partner. “I’m three hours away, David. Just got a blood clot, that’s all.” “You’re on the medication, right?” Robinson said.
“Yeah,” Dog said. “TMZ burned me tonight, I’m on my last leg.”
“How’d they find out?” Robinson said.
“Rats,” Dog said. “We live in a rat world — ask Trump.”
Dog will not say who he voted for, but he did attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration. He said it did not matter to him who is in the White House. “I feel an allegiance,” he said. “I think Michelle Obama would make a great president.”
His other political opinions include: Teachers should be armed to protect students, and he is open to same-sex marriage and freedom of religion — he wears a skullcap for Shabbat dinners with Marty Singer, an entertainment lawyer.
“I rarely socialize with my clients,” said Singer, who calls Dog a great friend and “as honest as they come — sometimes too honest.”
Singer is also worried.
“Dog’s very lonely,” said Amy Weiss, Dog’s manager at Brillstein Entertainment. “I was there at many points in the hospital with him and it was very difficult. He’s lost, but he knows he must go on and provide for his family.”
“The irony is,” Oz said, “he’s a man who everyone relies on for advice. He was crutching so much on Beth — how are you going to show up in your own life?”
When Dog’s mother died in 1995, he spent a year smoking crack, he said. Then he sobered up and started dating Beth. They had met in 1986 when he posted her bond after she shoplifted a lemon.
They finally married in 2006 — we saw it in Season 3 of “Dog the Bounty Hunter.” Drama became a Chapman family industry. There were public family disputes and IRS fines for back taxes. On the eve of the wedding, Dog’s daughter Barbara died in a stolen car in Alaska. Months later, marshals stormed his Hawaii home, leading Dog out in handcuffs — a result of a Mexican extradition case against him, eventually thrown out.
The drama with the most enduring impact began when his son Tucker sold recordings to the National Enquirer of Dog using a racist slur. Friends like Snoop Dogg and pastor Tim Storey stuck by him, but his book “You Can Run but You Can’t Hide” was pulled from stores. Licensing deals crashed. A&E put his show on hiatus. Dog apologized on Larry King and Sean Hannity.
With the distance of a dozen years, Dog is quick to explain that he came up in the jail system. “I thought I had a pass,” he said, repeating a claim that his mother is Native American. “It was a word I grew up using. I was wrong.”
“I’ll never be forgiven for that one,” he said. “Some people form an opinion of me that I can’t change, but you’ve talked to me and I’m not a racist.” He listed the charities and churches he has visited across the country and said he himself was a poster-boy image of second chances. “That’s something nobody wants to talk about, people just want to focus on the negatives,” he said.
The movement opposing bail as part of a predatory prison funnel system that disproportionately affects the poor and people of color has strengthened in the last decade. Meanwhile, in early 2016, Beth Chapman was elected president of the Professional Bail Agents Association, which opposes bail and bond reform.
Dog agreed that the American legal system is particularly hard on black people. “Things could change for the better,” he said, adding that committing crimes is a choice but that nonviolent offenders should not be forced to post bond.
“I am the prime example of the system: The bail bond system, the legal system, of crime,” he said. “I’m a second chance. Guys who don’t have job hopes when they get out, why do you think they go back to what they were doing before they were convicted? If I can change, anyone can. But it’s going to be a lot harder now without Beth, that’s for sure.”
At a P.F. Chang’s the next day, dressed in a deerskin shirt and knee-high moccasins, Dog laid out his strategy for his newest fugitive’s bond. “Because of my health, Beth’s passing, I’m going to get an extension. I have to catch the bastard.” He laughed. “I love it.”“I got out of prison Feb. 6, 1979. That’s 40 years,” Dog said. “They said, ‘You can’t even get a driver’s license, you’ll have nothing.’ I looked in the mirror to shave and heard my dad saying, ‘Burn your birth certificate, I wish you were never born.’ I said: ‘I’m going to change and be the best at whatever I do in the world.’”
A woman came up and asked for a photo. Dog lowered his sunglasses for the selfie as the check came with a tray of fortune cookies. “You’re not allowed to choose your own fortune,” the waiter said.
Dog ignored the rules and then read his fortune: “You will pass a big upcoming test.” He laughed hard, before coughing. His face got redder and redder, but then he smiled. “I better,” he said.


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Recapping a wild, dark and conspiracy-laden week in Major League Baseball

Unfortunately for the game , the biggest headlines haven ’ t been free-agent signings or what team is favored to win the World Series with spring training right around the corner .
Instead , it ’ s been a circus of cheating accusations , managerial firings and social media conspiracies that threw the baseball universe into a tailspin .
On Monday , MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a report outlining how the Astros illegally used technology during their 2017 championship season .
The investigation , which granted immunity to Houston players , resulted in the team being fined $ 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picks in the 2020 and 2021 MLB drafts .
About an hour after the penalties were levied , Astros owner Jim Crane announced that manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow — both of whom were suspended for a year by the MLB -— had been fired .
But those dismissals were just the beginning of this week ’ s drama .
On Tuesday , the ax came down on Red Sox manager Alex Cora .
Boston is under a separate investigation by MLB for illegal use of technology during its 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have not yet been released , Cora was fired anyway .
Cora was Houston ’ s bench coach in 2017 and was named extensively in Manfred ’ s report .
Two days later , it was time for Mets manager Carlos Beltran , who played for the Astros in 2017 and was also named in Manfred ’ s report , to face the music .
He stepped down from his position less than three months after he took it , leaving without having managed a game .
But Beltran ’ s resignation was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier in the day , on ESPN ’ s “ Golic and Wingo , ” analyst Jessica Mendoza criticized former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers for initially whistleblowing Houston ’ s cheating scheme in a story published by The Athletic .
Later on Thursday — after Mendoza ’ s comments and Beltran ’ s ouster already had the baseball world humming — an anonymous Twitter account claiming to come from Beltran ’ s niece threw gasoline on the fire .
The account , since deactivated , claimed Astros stars Jose Altuve and Alex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under their uniforms to tip them off on what kind of pitch that was coming .
The buzzer claim , which was met with widespread backlash on social media , was completely unsubstantiated .
It was also met with a swift public rebuttal by Altuve .
The infielder , who won the 2017 American League MVP , issued a statement through his agent that he “ has never worn any electronic device .
Ever.
” MLB then released its own statement saying that there was “ no evidence ” Houston ever used wearable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if the day and week couldn ’ t get any weirder following “ buzzgate ” , David Brosius — son of Yankees World Series champion Scott Brosius — levied a serious PED accusation at baseball ’ s best player , Mike Trout .
On Instagram , Brosius alleged that Trout “ takes HGH for a ‘ thyroid ’ condition , ” arguing that Trout found a loophole in the league ’ s anti-PED rules .
Brosius walked back his accusations on Friday with a follow-up post on Instagram .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a comment made earlier this week about Mike Trout potentially using HGH , ” Brosius wrote .
“ The statement in question was taken from a conversation where I was explaining how there are certain situations in which actions that would usually be against the rules and considered cheating , are deemed okay for medical or other reasons , thus not cheating .
The example I used of Mike Trout does not stem from information from my dad or sources within the MLB and has no evidence behind it.
” How ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?

It’s been a wild, dark week in Major League Baseball.
Unfortunately for the game, the biggest headlines haven’t been free-agent signings or what team is favored to win the World Series with spring training right around the corner. Instead, it’s been a circus of cheating accusations, managerial firings and social media conspiracies that threw the baseball universe into a tailspin.
A recap of the madness:
On Monday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a report outlining how the Astros illegally used technology during their 2017 championship season. The investigation, which granted immunity to Houston players, resulted in the team being fined $5 million and forfeiting its first- and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 MLB drafts.
About an hour after the penalties were levied, Astros owner Jim Crane announced that manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow — both of whom were suspended for a year by the MLB -— had been fired.
But those dismissals were just the beginning of this week’s drama.
On Tuesday, the ax came down on Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Boston is under a separate investigation by MLB for illegal use of technology during its 2018 title season, and although those findings have not yet been released, Cora was fired anyway. Cora was Houston’s bench coach in 2017 and was named extensively in Manfred’s report.
Two days later, it was time for Mets manager Carlos Beltran, who played for the Astros in 2017 and was also named in Manfred’s report, to face the music. He stepped down from his position less than three months after he took it, leaving without having managed a game.
But Beltran’s resignation was far from the only fireworks on Thursday. Earlier in the day, on ESPN’s “Golic and Wingo,” analyst Jessica Mendoza criticized former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers for initially whistleblowing Houston’s cheating scheme in a story published by The Athletic.
Later on Thursday — after Mendoza’s comments and Beltran’s ouster already had the baseball world humming — an anonymous Twitter account claiming to come from Beltran’s niece threw gasoline on the fire. The account, since deactivated, claimed Astros stars Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman “wore devices that buzzed” under their uniforms to tip them off on what kind of pitch that was coming.
The buzzer claim, which was met with widespread backlash on social media, was completely unsubstantiated. It was also met with a swift public rebuttal by Altuve. The infielder, who won the 2017 American League MVP, issued a statement through his agent that he “has never worn any electronic device. Ever.” MLB then released its own statement saying that there was “no evidence” Houston ever used wearable devices to steal signs.
Finally, as if the day and week couldn’t get any weirder following “buzzgate”, David Brosius — son of Yankees World Series champion Scott Brosius — levied a serious PED accusation at baseball’s best player, Mike Trout. On Instagram, Brosius alleged that Trout “takes HGH for a ‘thyroid’ condition,” arguing that Trout found a loophole in the league’s anti-PED rules.
Brosius walked back his accusations on Friday with a follow-up post on Instagram.
“I’d like to clear the air about a comment made earlier this week about Mike Trout potentially using HGH,” Brosius wrote. “The statement in question was taken from a conversation where I was explaining how there are certain situations in which actions that would usually be against the rules and considered cheating, are deemed okay for medical or other reasons, thus not cheating. The example I used of Mike Trout does not stem from information from my dad or sources within the MLB and has no evidence behind it.”
How’s that for a baseball week in January?


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Near Lone Tree Golf Club, 5-bed/5-bath home open Sunday, Jan. 19, has a big yard, tiny HOA dues

As the endlessly popular town of Lone Tree moves through its final building sites west of I-25 , the lot size of luxury homes built over the past decade has shrunk in size as builders arrive at the edge of the city ’ s scenic open space .
But that wasn ’ t an issue when the city ’ s centerpiece Lone Tree Golf Club was built in 1990 , where agent Jackie Garcia can show you a five-bedroom/five-bath home Sunday , Jan. 19 , over 4,600 square feet , on a lushly landscaped lot that ’ s twice the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The price of 7660 Crosby Drive in Lone Tree ’ s Ridgeview area is $ 899,900 — actually below the typical resale now in those newer , denser neighborhoods , and comparable in finished size .
Garcia , of Re/Max Professionals , notes that every interior inch has been repainted , baths and kitchen are updated , and even the strip-oak floors have been refinished , showing a pretty blue hue .
You ’ ll see a brick-trimmed exterior under a concrete tile roof ; a three-car full-wide garage ; a contemporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the kitchen ; a wine bar in the family room ; a big master suite with sitting area and a lavishly appointed bath ; a finished basement ; and an expansive backyard , walled in , open to a big covered patio .
Garcia notes another contrast to newer areas : Ridgeview has HOA dues now of $ 220 — that ’ s per year , not per month .
The neighborhood is walkable to Eagle Ridge Elementary , rated 7-out-of-10 stars at GreatSchools.org , and is served by 9-out-of-10-star Highlands Ranch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close by .
This has some of the most accessible shopping and dining in the metro area : Park Meadows a mile north , and newer arrivals in Lone Tree proper .
Garcia and her newest teammate — Marco Castilla , the son of former Rockies third baseman Vinny Castilla — will have coffee and doughnuts out before the playoff game .
From I-25 , take Lincoln west a mile-and-a-half , past the championship golf course , to Lone Tree Parkway and turn north to Sunningdale/Ptarmigan , then west a block .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post had no role in this post ’ s preparation .

As the endlessly popular town of Lone Tree moves through its final building sites west of I-25, the lot size of luxury homes built over the past decade has shrunk in size as builders arrive at the edge of the city’s scenic open space.
Open house What: Open house, Lone Tree
Open house, Lone Tree Where: 7660 Crosby Dr, Lone Tree; take Lincoln Ave. west from I-25, 1.5 mi. to Lone Tree Pkwy, turn north third-mile to Ptarmigan, west 1 blk.
7660 Crosby Dr, Lone Tree; take Lincoln Ave. west from I-25, 1.5 mi. to Lone Tree Pkwy, turn north third-mile to Ptarmigan, west 1 blk. Price: $899,900
$899,900 When: Sunday, Jan. 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Phone: 303-257-7788
But that wasn’t an issue when the city’s centerpiece Lone Tree Golf Club was built in 1990, where agent Jackie Garcia can show you a five-bedroom/five-bath home Sunday, Jan. 19, over 4,600 square feet, on a lushly landscaped lot that’s twice the size of what builders are offering now.
The price of 7660 Crosby Drive in Lone Tree’s Ridgeview area is $899,900 — actually below the typical resale now in those newer, denser neighborhoods, and comparable in finished size.
Garcia, of Re/Max Professionals, notes that every interior inch has been repainted, baths and kitchen are updated, and even the strip-oak floors have been refinished, showing a pretty blue hue.
You’ll see a brick-trimmed exterior under a concrete tile roof; a three-car full-wide garage; a contemporary interior with slab granite and glass tile in the kitchen; a wine bar in the family room; a big master suite with sitting area and a lavishly appointed bath; a finished basement; and an expansive backyard, walled in, open to a big covered patio.
Garcia notes another contrast to newer areas: Ridgeview has HOA dues now of $220 — that’s per year, not per month.
The neighborhood is walkable to Eagle Ridge Elementary, rated 7-out-of-10 stars at GreatSchools.org, and is served by 9-out-of-10-star Highlands Ranch High, with some popular private schools close by.
This has some of the most accessible shopping and dining in the metro area: Park Meadows a mile north, and newer arrivals in Lone Tree proper.
Garcia and her newest teammate — Marco Castilla, the son of former Rockies third baseman Vinny Castilla — will have coffee and doughnuts out before the playoff game.
From I-25, take Lincoln west a mile-and-a-half, past the championship golf course, to Lone Tree Parkway and turn north to Sunningdale/Ptarmigan, then west a block.
The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post’s preparation.


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Aurora teen who killed man over an Xbox sentenced to 30 years in prison

A teen boy who killed a 32-year-old man during a robbery for an Xbox gaming system was sentenced as an @ @ @ @ @ prison .
Brigham Yahir Mendez , 16 , shot Jacob Michael Clymer multiple times in @ @ @ @ @ a Facebook sales advertisement for an Xbox .
Mendez , who was sentenced Monday , @ @ @ @ @ second-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon , according to a news @ @ @ @ @ District Attorney ’ s Office .
Clymer and his wife , Melinda Hatcher , had @ @ @ @ @ Mendez but after negotiating the price Mendez pulled a gun and demanded they hand over @ @ @ @ @ shot in the chest , head and abdomen .
Senior Deputy District Attorney Tariq Sheikh @ @ @ @ @ Tomee Crespin at the sentencing hearing that Mendez admitted he planned to rob the couple @ @ @ @ @ the news release said .
Sheikh also read a letter from Hatcher in which she @ @ @ @ @ that she , their children , and family had dealt with .

A teen boy who killed a 32-year-old man during a robbery for an Xbox gaming system was sentenced as an adult to 30 years in prison.
Brigham Yahir Mendez, 16, shot Jacob Michael Clymer multiple times in October 2018 after Mendez answered a Facebook sales advertisement for an Xbox. Mendez, who was sentenced Monday, pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, according to a news release from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Clymer and his wife, Melinda Hatcher, had arranged over Facebook to meet Mendez but after negotiating the price Mendez pulled a gun and demanded they hand over the Xbox. Clymer was shot in the chest, head and abdomen.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Tariq Sheikh told Adams County District Judge Tomee Crespin at the sentencing hearing that Mendez admitted he planned to rob the couple because he needed money, the news release said. Sheikh also read a letter from Hatcher in which she expressed the pain and loss that she, their children, and family had dealt with.


thedenverpost--2020-01-17--Rockies pitcher Justin Lawrence suspended 80 games for positive PED test

Rockies pitcher Justin Lawrence was suspended for 80 games on Friday as a result of a violation of Major League Baseball ’ s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program .
Lawrence , 25 , has yet to make his MLB debut but is on the Rockies ’ 40-man roster .
As a highly-regarded , right-handed sidearm reliever , Lawrence split time between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque last year .
He was expected to compete for a spot on Colorado ’ s opening day roster this year .
A former 12th-round draft pick in 2015 , Lawrence tested positive for Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His suspension begins at the start of the 2020 season .
“ The Rockies organization fully supports MLB ’ s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and we believe that Justin will learn from this experience , ” the club said in a statement .
The suspension derails the ascension of a promising reliever who turned heads last year at spring training , after he was originally placed on the 40-man in November 2018 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft .
Even though Lawrence ’ s first season in the upper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a 8.76 ERA in 38 appearances , most of which came in Double-A , plus an injured list stint — he ’ s still in the team ’ s future bullpen plans .
In addition to a 98-mph fastball , his arsenal also includes a slider and a developing changeup .
Control has been an issue , though , as Lawrence had 29 walks in 37 innings in 2019 .

Rockies pitcher Justin Lawrence was suspended for 80 games on Friday as a result of a violation of Major League Baseball’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Lawrence, 25, has yet to make his MLB debut but is on the Rockies’ 40-man roster. As a highly-regarded, right-handed sidearm reliever, Lawrence split time between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque last year. He was expected to compete for a spot on Colorado’s opening day roster this year.
A former 12th-round draft pick in 2015, Lawrence tested positive for Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (DHCMT), a performance-enhancing substance. His suspension begins at the start of the 2020 season.
“The Rockies organization fully supports MLB’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and we believe that Justin will learn from this experience,” the club said in a statement.
The suspension derails the ascension of a promising reliever who turned heads last year at spring training, after he was originally placed on the 40-man in November 2018 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Even though Lawrence’s first season in the upper minors didn’t go as planned — a 8.76 ERA in 38 appearances, most of which came in Double-A, plus an injured list stint — he’s still in the team’s future bullpen plans. In addition to a 98-mph fastball, his arsenal also includes a slider and a developing changeup. Control has been an issue, though, as Lawrence had 29 walks in 37 innings in 2019.