thedenverpost--2020-08-30--Portland mayor, Trump trade blame in real-time argument after protester killed

PORTLAND , Ore. — The mayor of Portland , Oregon , and President Donald Trump engaged in a real-time argument Sunday as the president sent a flurry of critical tweets about Ted Wheeler as the mayor was holding a press conference about the fatal shooting of a right-wing supporter in his city the night before .
After Trump called Wheeler , a Democrat , a “ fool ” and blamed him for creating the toxic environment in the liberal city that led to the shooting , the visibly angry mayor lashed out at the president , addressing him in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s classic Trump .
Mr. President , how can you think that a comment like that , if you ’ re watching this , is in any way helpful ?
It ’ s an aggressive stance , it is not collaborative .
I certainly reached out , I believe in a collaborative manner , by saying earlier that you need to do your part and I need to do my part and then we both need to be held accountable , ” Wheeler said .
“ Let ’ s work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message ?
Donald Trump and Ted Wheeler working together to help move this country forward .
Why don ’ t we try that for a change ?
” The testy news conference followed a chaotic and volatile 24 hours in Portland that began when a caravan of about 600 vehicles packed with Trump supporters drove through Portland and was met with counterprotesters .
Skirmishes broke out between the groups and , about 15 minutes after the caravan left the city , a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer was fatally shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shooting was related to the clashes between Trump supporters and counterprotesters in Portland , which has become a flashpoint in the national Black Lives Matter protests since George Floyd was killed in May and an increasing centerpiece in Trump ’ s law-and-order re-election campaign theme .
Trump and other speakers at last week ’ s Republican National Convention evoked a violent , dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November and pointed to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans .
Police have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Sunday that investigators are still gathering evidence , including surveillance video from area businesses .
Earlier Sunday , the agency released a plea for any information related to the killing , including videos , photos or eyewitness accounts .
Joey Gibson , head of Patriot Prayer , told The Associated Press the man who was shot to death Saturday night was a supporter of his group and a “ good friend , ” although he did not identify him .
Patriot Prayer is based in Washington state and was founded in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been periodically coming to Portland to hold rallies for Trump , ratcheting up tensions in the liberal city long before the national outrage over Floyd ’ s death sparked more than three months of protests here .
Portland has seen nearly 100 consecutive nights of Black Lives Matter protests and many have ended with vandalism to federal and city property , including police precincts , a county jail , the federal courthouse and City Hall .
In July , Trump sent more than 100 federal agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move that instead reinvigorated the protests .
Thousands of people clashed with the federal agents each night for two weeks , turning a two-block area of the city into what felt like a war zone as agents lobbed tear gas canisters and pepper spray at the crowds and some protesters tossed fireworks at the agents and shined lasers in their eyes .
Those agents withdrew July 31 but smaller nightly protests have continued in pockets of the city .
More than 600 people have been arrested since late May .
On Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the downtown as they try to de-escalate tensions and braced for what promised to be another night of violence .
A protest was planned for Sunday night on the city ’ s east side .
Trump earlier Sunday appeared to be encouraging his supporters to move into Portland in the wake of the shooting .
After the shooting , the president shared a video of his supporters driving into Portland and called those in Saturday ’ s caravan “ GREAT PATRIOTS !
” Wheeler begged those who wanted to come to Portland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away .
“ If you ’ re from out of town and you ’ re reading something on social media — if you ’ re reading any facts on social media — they ’ re probably wrong because we don ’ t have all the facts yet , ” Wheeler said .
“ They are still assembling the facts .
This is not the time to get hotheaded because you read something on Twitter that some guy made up in his mother ’ s basement.
” “ I ’ m asking Portland officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that ’ s the governor and that ’ s local law enforcement , to do their job to address any violent activity that is occurring in their streets , ” Wolf told CBS ’ “ Face the Nation.
” Wolf said the federal government was prepared to send agents to Portland and other cities to protect federal buildings and assist police .
Lovell and Wheeler said they had no plans to request National Guard troops but the city is seeking assistance from the sheriff ’ s department and Oregon State Police .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ second term , also rejected a call for his resignation made Sunday by a coalition of civil rights and protest groups .
He has come under fire from some in Portland for criticizing violent demonstrators and saying they were helping Trump with his reelection campaign .
The mayor , who is also the police commissioner , has also been faulted for letting Portland police use tear gas on multiple occasions and has been nicknamed “ Tear Gas Teddy ” by some protesters .

PORTLAND, Ore. — The mayor of Portland, Oregon, and President Donald Trump engaged in a real-time argument Sunday as the president sent a flurry of critical tweets about Ted Wheeler as the mayor was holding a press conference about the fatal shooting of a right-wing supporter in his city the night before.
After Trump called Wheeler, a Democrat, a “fool” and blamed him for creating the toxic environment in the liberal city that led to the shooting, the visibly angry mayor lashed out at the president, addressing him in the first person through the TV cameras.
“That’s classic Trump. Mr. President, how can you think that a comment like that, if you’re watching this, is in any way helpful? It’s an aggressive stance, it is not collaborative. I certainly reached out, I believe in a collaborative manner, by saying earlier that you need to do your part and I need to do my part and then we both need to be held accountable,” Wheeler said.
“Let’s work together. Wouldn’t that be a message? Donald Trump and Ted Wheeler working together to help move this country forward. Why don’t we try that for a change?”
The testy news conference followed a chaotic and volatile 24 hours in Portland that began when a caravan of about 600 vehicles packed with Trump supporters drove through Portland and was met with counterprotesters. Skirmishes broke out between the groups and, about 15 minutes after the caravan left the city, a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer was fatally shot.
It wasn’t clear if the shooting was related to the clashes between Trump supporters and counterprotesters in Portland, which has become a flashpoint in the national Black Lives Matter protests since George Floyd was killed in May and an increasing centerpiece in Trump’s law-and-order re-election campaign theme.
Trump and other speakers at last week’s Republican National Convention evoked a violent, dystopian future if Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden wins in November and pointed to Portland as a cautionary tale for what would be in store for Americans.
Police have released little information and Chief Chuck Lovell said Sunday that investigators are still gathering evidence, including surveillance video from area businesses. Earlier Sunday, the agency released a plea for any information related to the killing, including videos, photos or eyewitness accounts.
Joey Gibson, head of Patriot Prayer, told The Associated Press the man who was shot to death Saturday night was a supporter of his group and a “good friend,” although he did not identify him. Patriot Prayer is based in Washington state and was founded in 2016. Since early 2017, its supporters have been periodically coming to Portland to hold rallies for Trump, ratcheting up tensions in the liberal city long before the national outrage over Floyd’s death sparked more than three months of protests here.
Portland has seen nearly 100 consecutive nights of Black Lives Matter protests and many have ended with vandalism to federal and city property, including police precincts, a county jail, the federal courthouse and City Hall. In July, Trump sent more than 100 federal agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to safeguard federal property — a move that instead reinvigorated the protests.
Thousands of people clashed with the federal agents each night for two weeks, turning a two-block area of the city into what felt like a war zone as agents lobbed tear gas canisters and pepper spray at the crowds and some protesters tossed fireworks at the agents and shined lasers in their eyes.
Those agents withdrew July 31 but smaller nightly protests have continued in pockets of the city. More than 600 people have been arrested since late May.
On Sunday, Portland authorities urged people to stay away from the downtown as they try to de-escalate tensions and braced for what promised to be another night of violence. A protest was planned for Sunday night on the city’s east side.
Trump earlier Sunday appeared to be encouraging his supporters to move into Portland in the wake of the shooting. After the shooting, the president shared a video of his supporters driving into Portland and called those in Saturday’s caravan “GREAT PATRIOTS!”
Wheeler begged those who wanted to come to Portland to “seek retribution” to stay away.
“If you’re from out of town and you’re reading something on social media — if you’re reading any facts on social media — they’re probably wrong because we don’t have all the facts yet,” Wheeler said. “They are still assembling the facts. This is not the time to get hotheaded because you read something on Twitter that some guy made up in his mother’s basement.”
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blamed local officials for failing “to protect their communities.”
“I’m asking Portland officials, so that’s the mayor, that’s the governor and that’s local law enforcement, to do their job to address any violent activity that is occurring in their streets,” Wolf told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Wolf said the federal government was prepared to send agents to Portland and other cities to protect federal buildings and assist police.
Lovell and Wheeler said they had no plans to request National Guard troops but the city is seeking assistance from the sheriff’s department and Oregon State Police.
Wheeler, who is running for a second term, also rejected a call for his resignation made Sunday by a coalition of civil rights and protest groups. He has come under fire from some in Portland for criticizing violent demonstrators and saying they were helping Trump with his reelection campaign.
The mayor, who is also the police commissioner, has also been faulted for letting Portland police use tear gas on multiple occasions and has been nicknamed “Tear Gas Teddy” by some protesters.
____
Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus


thedenverpost--2020-08-30--Rockies’ offense a no-show while Padres hit 5 homers en route to 13-2 shellacking

After two innings , the Rockies trailed San Diego 5-0 .
It felt like 50-0 .
And while the Padres ’ dynamic offense continued to apply pressure , Colorado ’ s hitters barely registered a pulse .
The end result was a 13-2 San Diego victory Sunday afternoon at Coors Field that dropped the Rockies back to .500 , at 17-17 .
They are 8-10 at home , where they have lost eight of their past 11 .
The Padres — who pounded out 17 hits , including five home runs — improved to 21-15 and are firmly entrenched in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind the uncatchable Los Angeles Dodgers ( 26-10 ) .
With Monday ’ s 2 p.m. ( MDT ) trade deadline looming , the Rockies made a deal Sunday for right-handed reliever Mychal Givens to prop up their increasingly suspect bullpen , but it remains to be seen if they will make a deal for a bat to spark their inconsistent offense .
“ It ’ s tough to say right now , ” general manager Jeff Bridich said when asked if the Rockies could improve their lineup with a power bat or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I think that offensively , there are some better days ahead .
We ’ ve scored a decent amount of runs — if you compare us across the league .
But I think everybody knows , internally in particular , that there are , collectively , better days ahead , moving forward with this group.
” Padres right-hander Chris Paddack entered the game 2-3 with a 5.15 ERA but held the Rockies to two runs ( none earned ) on five hits over six innings while striking out eight .
“ Guys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little bit with the bats , and a lot of times players will try to do a little too much , come out of their approach , and it works against them , ” manager Bud Black said .
“ I thought Paddack today pitched pretty well.
” Meanwhile , Rockies rookie right-hander Ryan Castellani , coming off the first win of his big-league career , was blistered for five runs on six hits over two innings .
The most hurtful blow was Eric Hosmer ’ s three-run blast in the first .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 435 feet to right-center .
“ I think the changeup played a big factor that today — it wasn ’ t great , ” said Castellani , now 1-2 with a 5.24 ERA .
“ I didn ’ t throw too many of them and that ’ s been a huge pitch for me , in all my starts .
I ’ ve thrown it early in the count , behind in the count .
Not having that today hurt me and made me a two-pitch pitcher.
” By the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Padres launched four more home runs against Colorado ’ s bullpen : a two-run shot by Jake Cronenworth off the struggling Jairo Diaz in the seventh ; solo blasts by Jurickson Profar and Trent Grisham off left-hander James Pazos in the eighth ; and a 444-foot , two-run rocket by Josh Naylor off Phillip Diehl in the ninth .
The Rockies had only seven hits and their only extra-base hit was a double by Nolan Arenado in the fourth .
Colorado might have been shut out had it not been for Hosmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sixth that scored Raimel Tapia and opened the door for Ryan McMahon ’ s RBI single .
The two teams close out their four-game series Monday night at Coors Field .

After two innings, the Rockies trailed San Diego 5-0. It felt like 50-0.
And while the Padres’ dynamic offense continued to apply pressure, Colorado’s hitters barely registered a pulse.
The end result was a 13-2 San Diego victory Sunday afternoon at Coors Field that dropped the Rockies back to .500, at 17-17. They are 8-10 at home, where they have lost eight of their past 11.
The Padres — who pounded out 17 hits, including five home runs — improved to 21-15 and are firmly entrenched in second place in the National League West behind the uncatchable Los Angeles Dodgers (26-10).
With Monday’s 2 p.m. (MDT) trade deadline looming, the Rockies made a deal Sunday for right-handed reliever Mychal Givens to prop up their increasingly suspect bullpen, but it remains to be seen if they will make a deal for a bat to spark their inconsistent offense.
“It’s tough to say right now,” general manager Jeff Bridich said when asked if the Rockies could improve their lineup with a power bat or possibly with a more impactful catcher. “I think that offensively, there are some better days ahead. We’ve scored a decent amount of runs — if you compare us across the league. But I think everybody knows, internally in particular, that there are, collectively, better days ahead, moving forward with this group.”
Padres right-hander Chris Paddack entered the game 2-3 with a 5.15 ERA but held the Rockies to two runs (none earned) on five hits over six innings while striking out eight.
“Guys realize that we’re scuffling a little bit with the bats, and a lot of times players will try to do a little too much, come out of their approach, and it works against them,” manager Bud Black said. “I thought Paddack today pitched pretty well.”
Meanwhile, Rockies rookie right-hander Ryan Castellani, coming off the first win of his big-league career, was blistered for five runs on six hits over two innings. The most hurtful blow was Eric Hosmer’s three-run blast in the first. Hosmer drove Castellani’s 3-2 slider 435 feet to right-center.
“I think the changeup played a big factor that today — it wasn’t great,” said Castellani, now 1-2 with a 5.24 ERA. “I didn’t throw too many of them and that’s been a huge pitch for me, in all my starts. I’ve thrown it early in the count, behind in the count. Not having that today hurt me and made me a two-pitch pitcher.”
By the end of the hot, breezy day in LoDo, the Padres launched four more home runs against Colorado’s bullpen: a two-run shot by Jake Cronenworth off the struggling Jairo Diaz in the seventh; solo blasts by Jurickson Profar and Trent Grisham off left-hander James Pazos in the eighth; and a 444-foot, two-run rocket by Josh Naylor off Phillip Diehl in the ninth.
The Rockies had only seven hits and their only extra-base hit was a double by Nolan Arenado in the fourth.
Colorado might have been shut out had it not been for Hosmer’s two-out throwing error in the sixth that scored Raimel Tapia and opened the door for Ryan McMahon’s RBI single.
The two teams close out their four-game series Monday night at Coors Field.


thedenverpost--2020-08-30--Three Points: Rapids prospect Cole Bassett makes most of his opportunity

In a vacuum , a draw against the best in Major League Soccer ’ s Western Conference would be a fine result .
For the reeling Colorado Rapids , however , they had an opportunity to bring down Sporting Kansas City — and saw it slip away .
The Rapids are now winless in their last five matches after the 1-1 draw .
Here are some takeaways for a team that continues to fall behind in the MLS playoff race : The Rapids have only had four multi-goal games this season , though they ’ ve never scored three or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third-best in scoring last season , is this a setback ?
It ’ s hard to say for certain .
Winger Nicolas Benezet was only healthy for the MLS is Back Tournament and has missed four games due to injuries .
Young forward Braian Galvan has only subbed on for a handful of minutes , and most of the players up top have yet to solidify their roles .
Designated Player Younes Namli seems to have settled in , showing off in last week ’ s game against Real Salt Lake , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sporting .
“ We could have created a couple of more chances but the last couple of games too , we were getting a lot going in the box , ” Namli said after Saturday ’ s match .
“ It ’ s just about executing .
This is not our top-level , we have a lot of talent.
” Namli is correct .
The Rapids have plenty of talent in their attack .
They threatened Kansas City for a winner late but couldn ’ t net one against the shorthanded group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ending Colorado ’ s playoff drought .
The same backline that leaked in four goals last weekend settled down Saturday night to only concede one against Kansas City .
Sam Vines , Keegan Rosenberry and Lalas Abubakar have claimed their roles as starters , while Danny Wilson has started in four of the last five games at center back .
The Scotsman signed a three-year deal before the 2018 season , but spent most of last season as a reserve .
Could it be that he ’ s found his spot ?
Veteran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with Auston Trusty .
Moor has started some while Trusty would ’ ve made his first start in Dallas had that game been played .
“ It ’ s a lot more than just the center backs but I do think that they ’ re playing well the way they complement each other , ” head coach Robin Fraser said .
“ Lalas does well with an experienced player besides him , the pairing has certainly been good but part of them doing well is the whole team defending well.
” Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a stopgap for a future acquisition at center back .
Trusty has had a hard time getting into the lineup , which may not bode well for his future given the role was his to lose .
With Wilson earning Fraser ’ s belief , it ’ s hard to see when Trusty will get playing time .
Cole Bassett made his second start of 2020 and was named Man of the Match .
Scoring the lone goal on Saturday , Bassett had a solid 68 minutes in the midfield before being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great run to get into position and had a really good finish given the way the ball came in and the position of the goalkeeper , ” Fraser said .
“ A lot of composure to score that goal tonight.
” Fraser mentioned earlier in the week how it ’ s been hard to develop young players like the 19-year-old with the schedule being so fragmented this year .
Bassett isn ’ t the only player affected by this , but as one of the Rapids ’ top prospects , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel like every time Cole plays now he gets better , ” Fraser said .
“ He ’ s really intelligent in the spots he occupies on the field and the choices that he ’ s able to make with very limited touches .
If he continues to grow at that pace I think the sky is going to be the limit for him .
”

In a vacuum, a draw against the best in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference would be a fine result. For the reeling Colorado Rapids, however, they had an opportunity to bring down Sporting Kansas City — and saw it slip away.
The Rapids are now winless in their last five matches after the 1-1 draw. Here are some takeaways for a team that continues to fall behind in the MLS playoff race:
Offensive Disappointment
The Rapids have only had four multi-goal games this season, though they’ve never scored three or more. For a group that was third-best in scoring last season, is this a setback?
It’s hard to say for certain. Winger Nicolas Benezet was only healthy for the MLS is Back Tournament and has missed four games due to injuries. Young forward Braian Galvan has only subbed on for a handful of minutes, and most of the players up top have yet to solidify their roles.
Designated Player Younes Namli seems to have settled in, showing off in last week’s game against Real Salt Lake, then creating the Rapids’ lone goal against Sporting.
“We could have created a couple of more chances but the last couple of games too, we were getting a lot going in the box,” Namli said after Saturday’s match. “It’s just about executing. This is not our top-level, we have a lot of talent.”
Namli is correct. The Rapids have plenty of talent in their attack. They threatened Kansas City for a winner late but couldn’t net one against the shorthanded group. Figuring out roles will be essential to ending Colorado’s playoff drought.
Danny on D?
The same backline that leaked in four goals last weekend settled down Saturday night to only concede one against Kansas City.
Sam Vines, Keegan Rosenberry and Lalas Abubakar have claimed their roles as starters, while Danny Wilson has started in four of the last five games at center back. The Scotsman signed a three-year deal before the 2018 season, but spent most of last season as a reserve. Could it be that he’s found his spot?
Veteran Drew Moor was brought in this offseason along with Auston Trusty. Moor has started some while Trusty would’ve made his first start in Dallas had that game been played.
“It’s a lot more than just the center backs but I do think that they’re playing well the way they complement each other,” head coach Robin Fraser said. “Lalas does well with an experienced player besides him, the pairing has certainly been good but part of them doing well is the whole team defending well.”
Wilson, in a contract year, may be a stopgap for a future acquisition at center back. Trusty has had a hard time getting into the lineup, which may not bode well for his future given the role was his to lose. With Wilson earning Fraser’s belief, it’s hard to see when Trusty will get playing time.
Cole World
Cole Bassett made his second start of 2020 and was named Man of the Match. Scoring the lone goal on Saturday, Bassett had a solid 68 minutes in the midfield before being subbed off.
“He made a great run to get into position and had a really good finish given the way the ball came in and the position of the goalkeeper,” Fraser said. “A lot of composure to score that goal tonight.”
Fraser mentioned earlier in the week how it’s been hard to develop young players like the 19-year-old with the schedule being so fragmented this year. Bassett isn’t the only player affected by this, but as one of the Rapids’ top prospects, it’s certainly been a concern.
“I feel like every time Cole plays now he gets better,” Fraser said. “He’s really intelligent in the spots he occupies on the field and the choices that he’s able to make with very limited touches. If he continues to grow at that pace I think the sky is going to be the limit for him.”


thedenverpost--2020-08-30--ABC to air “Black Panther” commercial-free as tribute to Chadwick Boseman

NEW YORK — ABC will air “ Black Panther ” commercial-free Sunday as a prime-time tribute to Chadwick Boseman .
The film will be followed by an ABC News Special , “ Chadwick Bosmeman : A Tribute for a King.
” Disney said the special “ will celebrate Boseman ’ s storied life , legacy and career ” and “ shine a light on the medical condition he privately battled.
” Boseman died Friday after a four-year battle with colon cancer .
He was 43 .
Walt Disney Co. , which owns ABC , released “ Black Panther ” as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boseman appeared in .
The film will be broadcast at 8 p.m. EDT , with the special following at 10:20 p.m. EDT .
“ Black Panther ” won three Oscars , was nominated for best picture and grossed more than $ 1.3 billion worldwide .
Sunday ’ s airing will make the film widely watchable at the same time in several regions and could a collective place to celebrate and grieve Boseman .
He is the latest major Black figure to die in 2020 , which has already seen the loss of civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star Kobe Bryant .

NEW YORK — ABC will air “Black Panther” commercial-free Sunday as a prime-time tribute to Chadwick Boseman.
The film will be followed by an ABC News Special, “Chadwick Bosmeman: A Tribute for a King.” Disney said the special “will celebrate Boseman’s storied life, legacy and career” and “shine a light on the medical condition he privately battled.”
Boseman died Friday after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43.
Walt Disney Co., which owns ABC, released “Black Panther” as well as the other three Marvel movies Boseman appeared in. The film will be broadcast at 8 p.m. EDT, with the special following at 10:20 p.m. EDT.
“Black Panther” won three Oscars, was nominated for best picture and grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide.
Sunday’s airing will make the film widely watchable at the same time in several regions and could a collective place to celebrate and grieve Boseman. He is the latest major Black figure to die in 2020, which has already seen the loss of civil rights legend John Lewis and retired NBA star Kobe Bryant.


thedenverpost--2020-08-30--Crowd marches 5 miles from Aurora to Denver to protest racism, police brutality

Several hundred protesters marched 5 miles from Aurora to Denver on East Colfax Avenue on Sunday in a demonstration against police brutality and in support of Black lives .
The march started at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in Aurora and ended at a monument for the civil rights icon in Denver ’ s City Park .
The marchers chanted about seeking justice for Elijah McClain , who died one year ago on Aug. 30 , 2019 , days after Aurora police violently stopped him as he walked home from a store and paramedics used a strong sedative on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samuels said she hoped Sunday ’ s march put pressure on authorities to arrest and charge the police officers who stopped McClain .
“ That ’ s all I want , ” she said .
“ It ’ s been a year.
” She added that she was not afraid for her safety despite the growing violence at protests across the nation .
“ We do so peacefully , ” she said of the march .
“ And if people start tearing things up , we leave.
” As the crowd marched along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and referred to police as “ pigs , ” but the march did not devolve into violence or vandalism .
The large group of protesters took over both sides of the thoroughfare for about two hours Sunday afternoon .
Denver police blocked roads around the march but did not engage directly with the protesters .
Abigail Strickland , 17 , came to the march with her father , Gregory Strickland , and the two planned to walk the entire 5 miles .
“ We come from a place of privilege , and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Gregory Strickland , who is white , adding he felt he could no longer stand by without participating .
The protest comes one week after another Black man was shot by police in Wisconsin .
Jacob Blake was shot seven times by Kenosha police in Wisconsin last Sunday , leaving him paralyzed .
Protests around the country have erupted in the aftermath of the shooting , which was caught on video .
Strickland and his daughter were both at a July 25 march in Aurora where a protester fired shots at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting two fellow protesters , but that did not stop them from coming back out , he said .
The demonstration was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation .
Both Abigail and Gregory Strickland believe the Black Lives Matter protests will continue .
“ Just when you think it is over , another ugly incident happens , another reason , ” Gregory Strickland said .

Several hundred protesters marched 5 miles from Aurora to Denver on East Colfax Avenue on Sunday in a demonstration against police brutality and in support of Black lives.
The march started at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in Aurora and ended at a monument for the civil rights icon in Denver’s City Park. The marchers chanted about seeking justice for Elijah McClain, who died one year ago on Aug. 30, 2019, days after Aurora police violently stopped him as he walked home from a store and paramedics used a strong sedative on the 23-year-old Black man.
Seems like the protesters are preparing to start the march pic.twitter.com/3ReYB4PMmy — Shelly Bradbury (@ShellyBradbury) August 30, 2020
Protester Tanesha Samuels said she hoped Sunday’s march would put pressure on authorities to arrest and charge the police officers who stopped McClain.
“That’s all I want,” she said. “It’s been a year.”
She added that she was not afraid for her safety despite the growing violence at protests across the nation.
“We do so peacefully,” she said of the march. “And if people start tearing things up, we leave.”
As the crowd marched along East Colfax Avenue, they shouted profanities and referred to police as “pigs,” but the march did not devolve into violence or vandalism. The large group of protesters took over both sides of the thoroughfare for about two hours Sunday afternoon. Denver police blocked roads around the march but did not engage directly with the protesters.
Abigail Strickland, 17, came to the march with her father, Gregory Strickland, and the two planned to walk the entire 5 miles.
“We come from a place of privilege, and you realize that after a while,” said Gregory Strickland, who is white, adding he felt he could no longer stand by without participating.
The protest comes one week after another Black man was shot by police in Wisconsin. Jacob Blake was shot seven times by Kenosha police in Wisconsin last Sunday, leaving him paralyzed. Protests around the country have erupted in the aftermath of the shooting, which was caught on video.
Strickland and his daughter were both at a July 25 march in Aurora where a protester fired shots at a truck that drove through the crowd, shooting two fellow protesters, but that did not stop them from coming back out, he said. The demonstration was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Both Abigail and Gregory Strickland believe the Black Lives Matter protests will continue.
“Just when you think it is over, another ugly incident happens, another reason,” Gregory Strickland said.


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Guest Commentary: We are Colorado Republicans supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

As conservatives , constitutionalists and former and current Republicans , we are making the rational and thoughtful decision to support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this November .
We hope other conservatives will join us .
Between the seven of us we have over 280 years of service to the Republican Party .
Four of us have served in elected office — John Brackney as an Arapahoe County commissioner , Harold Anderson as a Lone Tree councilman , Barbara Cleland as an Aurora councilwoman , Lorraine Anderson as an Arvada councilwoman — and all have been leaders in businesses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an advocate for the disability community , Lyle Wallace as an attorney , and Julie Kreutz King through years of service to our children .
We believe in personal responsibility , government at the lowest level possible , government spending within its means , limited taxes and freedom .
Most of all , we believe in the unlimited human potential when people are free to choose their life ’ s work , hobbies , associations and lifestyle , and in the pursuit of happiness .
Like tens of thousands of other Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ve become disillusioned by what we ’ ve seen from President Donald Trump .
He ’ s not a conservative ; he ’ s not a constitutionalist ; he ’ s not even a libertarian .
In fact , we believe him not to be a Republican at all .
We ’ re all believers in America ’ s founding principles .
We ’ re conservative .
We believe the government should have a limited role in our lives to maximize human freedom .
Yes , there is a significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , especially here at home , but the ultimate responsibility first lies with the individual , family , neighborhood , faith community , service organizations , local government then finally state and federal government .
That is how conservatism works — government at the lowest level possible .
Our founders were brilliant in laying out a written Constitution with separate branches of government not beholden to each other .
Enumerated powers , a process of amending , the ability to challenge in the courts , a free press , the 10th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strengths that have protected our freedom for generations .
Yet , it ’ s clear that President Trump knows very little about our organizational foundation or if he does , he doesn ’ t care .
We understand there are serious differences between Democrats and Republicans in how we should tackle issues facing families around the country : foreign policy , tax rates , social policy , racial injustice , and on and on .
However , it has become most apparent that Trump does not deserve to serve another four years as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for moral decency is not conservative .
Disregard for the constitution , the separation of powers and the rule of law is not conservative .
The list of grievances — including his botched response to the COVID-19 pandemic — against the president are lengthy .
Most of us are familiar with them , and tired of hearing them repeated .
What they tell us , though , is this : We ’ re in serious need of leadership from the Oval Office .
We implore you to support Joe Biden and Kamala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their tenure may require thoughtful opposition , and we ’ ll be there to provide it .
Still , Biden and Harris are the clear choice this November .
Join us in voting for them and then join us in holding them accountable .
It ’ s what has always made America great .
John Brackney is a former Arapahoe County commissioner , Harold Anderson is a former Lone Tree councilman , Barbara Cleland is a former Aurora councilwoman , Lorraine Anderson is a former Arvada councilwoman , Kelly Stahlman is a disability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lyle Wallace is an attorney from Denver and Julie Kreutz King is a leader with Well Being of Children and lives in Centennial .
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 .

As conservatives, constitutionalists and former and current Republicans, we are making the rational and thoughtful decision to support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this November. We hope other conservatives will join us.
Between the seven of us we have over 280 years of service to the Republican Party. Four of us have served in elected office — John Brackney as an Arapahoe County commissioner, Harold Anderson as a Lone Tree councilman, Barbara Cleland as an Aurora councilwoman, Lorraine Anderson as an Arvada councilwoman — and all have been leaders in businesses and in our communities — Kelly Stahlman, as an advocate for the disability community, Lyle Wallace as an attorney, and Julie Kreutz King through years of service to our children.
We believe in personal responsibility, government at the lowest level possible, government spending within its means, limited taxes and freedom. Most of all, we believe in the unlimited human potential when people are free to choose their life’s work, hobbies, associations and lifestyle, and in the pursuit of happiness.
Like tens of thousands of other Republicans in Colorado over the last several years, we’ve become disillusioned by what we’ve seen from President Donald Trump.
He’s not a conservative; he’s not a constitutionalist; he’s not even a libertarian. In fact, we believe him not to be a Republican at all.
We’re all believers in America’s founding principles. We’re conservative. We believe the government should have a limited role in our lives to maximize human freedom. Yes, there is a significant responsibility to help our fellow humans around the world, especially here at home, but the ultimate responsibility first lies with the individual, family, neighborhood, faith community, service organizations, local government then finally state and federal government. That is how conservatism works — government at the lowest level possible.
Our founders were brilliant in laying out a written Constitution with separate branches of government not beholden to each other. Enumerated powers, a process of amending, the ability to challenge in the courts, a free press, the 10th Amendment and so many more fundamental structural strengths that have protected our freedom for generations. Yet, it’s clear that President Trump knows very little about our organizational foundation or if he does, he doesn’t care.
We understand there are serious differences between Democrats and Republicans in how we should tackle issues facing families around the country: foreign policy, tax rates, social policy, racial injustice, and on and on. However, it has become most apparent that Trump does not deserve to serve another four years as our president. Disregard for American liberty and for moral decency is not conservative. Disregard for the constitution, the separation of powers and the rule of law is not conservative.
The list of grievances — including his botched response to the COVID-19 pandemic — against the president are lengthy. Most of us are familiar with them, and tired of hearing them repeated.
What they tell us, though, is this: We’re in serious need of leadership from the Oval Office.
We implore you to support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They will serve well. Their tenure may require thoughtful opposition, and we’ll be there to provide it. Still, Biden and Harris are the clear choice this November. Join us in voting for them and then join us in holding them accountable. It’s what has always made America great.
John Brackney is a former Arapahoe County commissioner, Harold Anderson is a former Lone Tree councilman, Barbara Cleland is a former Aurora councilwoman, Lorraine Anderson is a former Arvada councilwoman, Kelly Stahlman is a disability rights advocate who lives in Littleton, Lyle Wallace is an attorney from Denver and Julie Kreutz King is a leader with Well Being of Children and lives in Centennial.
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--2020-08-31--Denver weather: Temperatures in the 70s Monday to start cooler week

After a hot August , Denverites can look forward to a cooler start to September .
Monday ’ s high @ @ @ @ @ to reach 81 degrees , the National Weather Service in Boulder said .
The low @ @ @ @ @ degrees tonight with winds gusting as high as 17 mph .
After 4 p.m. there @ @ @ @ @ of scattered showers .
There ’ s also a 30 % chance of thunderstorms between @ @ @ @ @ , the NWS said .
Tomorrow ’ s high is expected to be 81 degrees @ @ @ @ @ degrees .
Wednesday will be the hottest day this week , according to the weather @ @ @ @ @ of 91 and a low of 56 degrees .
Thursday and Friday are expected to @ @ @ @ @ Denverites to enjoy a much milder week .

After a hot August, Denverites can look forward to a cooler start to September.
Monday’s high in Denver is only supposed to reach 81 degrees, the National Weather Service in Boulder said. The low is expected to be 52 degrees tonight with winds gusting as high as 17 mph. After 4 p.m. there is a 10% chance of scattered showers.
It will be cooler across the area on Monday behind tonight's cold front. Scattered showers and a couple storms will begin to develop Monday afternoon, but only light rain amounts will be possible into Monday evening. #COwx pic.twitter.com/qL4Bi10LmH — NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) August 31, 2020
There’s also a 30% chance of thunderstorms between 1 and 5 a.m. Tuesday, the NWS said. Tomorrow’s high is expected to be 81 degrees with a low of 55 degrees.
Wednesday will be the hottest day this week, according to the weather service, with a high of 91 and a low of 56 degrees. Thursday and Friday are expected to return to mid-80s, allowing Denverites to enjoy a much milder week.


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--In Colorado’s peach country, the season that wasn’t

From market stands to restaurant menus , anyone looking around Denver at the end of summer can see proof of Colorado ’ s peach harvest .
But some 200 miles west , in swaths of the state ’ s peach-growing capital , the tractor-trailers have all but stopped running and the farm workers have largely gone home .
“ Usually I would see 15 or 20 trucks a day leaving the peach-packing facilities , and I haven ’ t seen one in several days , ” Palisade farmer Scott High told The Denver Post last week .
“ We would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of peaches ( normally ) , and we ’ re not selling any this year .
So there ’ s a million pounds less just from our company alone.
” At High ’ s 188-acre High Country Orchards — and many other farms in Mesa County — the peach crop was decimated this year literally overnight , when a freeze early in the morning of April 14 caught the trees ’ blossoms by surprise and sent farmers into a panic , the likes of which they hadn ’ t experienced in over 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farming since 1999 , ” High said , “ and this is the first time we ’ ve lost a crop.
” During an already trying year , Colorado peach farmers watched this summer as crop yields swung wildly between zero and 100 % .
For consumers around the state , that meant less of a precious summer commodity — the Palisade peach — but more fruits filling in from the state ’ s other peach-growing parts .
You can still find Palisade peaches , too , if you know where to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charlie Talbott says he remembers “ pretty catastrophic crop loss ” before this season , during four summers in the decade between 1989-99 .
After a two-decade run of successful harvests , he estimates the Palisade farms that did manage to survive this season came out with as little as 10 % of their normal yield .
“ It ’ s a very meek sum for us , ” Talbott said of his own harvest , which suffered 85-90 % loss .
“ It was just too cold for too long ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same time he prepares to watch the weather forecast like a hawk .
“ I ’ d give up a twelfth of my life if I could skip April , ” he said with a laugh .
But nature in this part of Colorado is usually on the peaches ’ side .
In the Grand Valley , an adiabatic wind known locally as the “ million dollar breeze ” compresses and warms as it comes off the mountain , usually working to protect even tender buds from an early spring frost .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survived this year “ didn ’ t follow any of the rules.
” Around 10 peach varieties made it through , just depending on their frost-hardiness and exact location in the valley , he explained .
Gwen Cameron ’ s 38-acre Rancho Durazno was one such successful farm .
Located just five miles east of High Country Orchards , it ’ s situated alongside the Colorado River and at the mouth of De Beque Canyon .
On the morning of April 14 , Cameron and her father Thomas took to their orchards with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buds open to check if they were green or brown , and they estimated about 50 % loss , then they got to thinning , methodically .
The peach is a desert-thriving fruit that builds its flavor over hot summer days and seals it in during cooler nights .
Farmers across the region thin their fertile peach trees for fewer but plumper fruits .
They let them hang longer and pick them only once they ’ re juicy and tree-ripe .
But technology also plays its part — from her phone , Cameron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the farm .
If even one spot is off , she employs a propane heater or a wind machine to keep the peach trees on track .
As the season went on , Cameron said she and her dad kept trying to estimate their yield , “ and we just tended to be wrong every time .
We had more fruit than we thought even as we were picking it , ” she said .
“ By the end , I think we ’ re pretty darn close to 100 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbors a mile down the road , Trent and Carolyn Cunningham , fared worse with about 45 % of their usual crop , but still better than the farms across town .
“ One of our orchards had absolutely not one peach , ” Carolyn wrote over email , “ while our other places did fair.
” “ The peaches that I have tasted this year are delicious , ” lamented High with High Country Orchards .
“ There just aren ’ t that many.
” About an hour east and 1,000 feet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold snap in mid-April , but the peach blossoms there were less advanced and more frost-hardy .
As a result , this summer they had “ far greater success ” than Palisade , Talbott said .
At the Boulder County Farmers Markets , Paonia-based First Fruits is having a banner year , according to BCFM sourcing coordinator Matt Collier .
Between First Fruits and Rancho Durazno , the market is still selling about a thousand pounds a week of peaches through its online ordering system .
These are the peaches you ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plimoth ’ s , just north of City Park , where chef Pete Ryan showcases late summer varieties on a half-dozen menu items , at least .
“ I don ’ t screw around when it comes to peaches , ” Ryan said , as he was heading to the Wednesday farmer ’ s market to pick up a few more boxes of First Fruits ’ Red Globes for his preserves and salads and grilled pork and pot du crème that week .
He has sourced peaches from First Fruits exclusively for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love them because they ’ re juicy and sweet and this time of year is , like , the best , ” he said .
“ At least in my mind , we ’ re going to be celebrating peaches until the weekend after Labor Day.
” From Palisade to Paonia , the peaches that survived 2020 have a little life left .
Then it will be on to pears and apples , which are already starting to pop — “ Can you believe that ?
” Ryan asked .
And Talbott says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time off this summer , even though it ’ s felt a little “ surreal.
” “ You lose the efforts and the revenue potential for an entire year when you lose a crop , ” he said .
“ And it is a sucker punch .
But when you get over feeling sorry for yourself , ( … ) I think it helps one actually focus on the blessings and remember what truly matters most.
” Even with smoke from the Pine Gulch fire hanging in the air , Talbott says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wine grape — is holding strong .
And as for the peach orchards that have gotten “ a break ” in 2020 , he said by 2021 they ’ ll be ready for an even bigger return .
“ We ’ ll keep the wolf from the door , ” he said of surviving the loss now , “ and be ready to brush ourselves off and fight the good fight next year.
” Subscribe to our food newsletter , Stuffed , to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to @ @ @

From market stands to restaurant menus, anyone looking around Denver at the end of summer can see proof of Colorado’s peach harvest. But some 200 miles west, in swaths of the state’s peach-growing capital, the tractor-trailers have all but stopped running and the farm workers have largely gone home.
“Usually I would see 15 or 20 trucks a day leaving the peach-packing facilities, and I haven’t seen one in several days,” Palisade farmer Scott High told The Denver Post last week. “We would sell in excess of a million pounds of peaches (normally), and we’re not selling any this year. So there’s a million pounds less just from our company alone.”
At High’s 188-acre High Country Orchards — and many other farms in Mesa County — the peach crop was decimated this year literally overnight, when a freeze early in the morning of April 14 caught the trees’ blossoms by surprise and sent farmers into a panic, the likes of which they hadn’t experienced in over 20 years.
“I’ve been farming since 1999,” High said, “and this is the first time we’ve lost a crop.”
During an already trying year, Colorado peach farmers watched this summer as crop yields swung wildly between zero and 100%. For consumers around the state, that meant less of a precious summer commodity — the Palisade peach — but more fruits filling in from the state’s other peach-growing parts. You can still find Palisade peaches, too, if you know where to look.
High’s fellow Palisade farmer Charlie Talbott says he remembers “pretty catastrophic crop loss” before this season, during four summers in the decade between 1989-99. After a two-decade run of successful harvests, he estimates the Palisade farms that did manage to survive this season came out with as little as 10% of their normal yield.
“It’s a very meek sum for us,” Talbott said of his own harvest, which suffered 85-90% loss. “It was just too cold for too long” that April night. Every year around the same time he prepares to watch the weather forecast like a hawk.
“I’d give up a twelfth of my life if I could skip April,” he said with a laugh.
But nature in this part of Colorado is usually on the peaches’ side. In the Grand Valley, an adiabatic wind known locally as the “million dollar breeze” compresses and warms as it comes off the mountain, usually working to protect even tender buds from an early spring frost. According to Talbott, what happened and what survived this year “didn’t follow any of the rules.”
Around 10 peach varieties made it through, just depending on their frost-hardiness and exact location in the valley, he explained.
Gwen Cameron’s 38-acre Rancho Durazno was one such successful farm. Located just five miles east of High Country Orchards, it’s situated alongside the Colorado River and at the mouth of De Beque Canyon.
On the morning of April 14, Cameron and her father Thomas took to their orchards with an X-Acto knife. They sliced sample buds open to check if they were green or brown, and they estimated about 50% loss, then they got to thinning, methodically.
The peach is a desert-thriving fruit that builds its flavor over hot summer days and seals it in during cooler nights. Farmers across the region thin their fertile peach trees for fewer but plumper fruits. They let them hang longer and pick them only once they’re juicy and tree-ripe.
But technology also plays its part — from her phone, Cameron can track varying air temperatures at points around the farm. If even one spot is off, she employs a propane heater or a wind machine to keep the peach trees on track.
As the season went on, Cameron said she and her dad kept trying to estimate their yield, “and we just tended to be wrong every time. We had more fruit than we thought even as we were picking it,” she said. “By the end, I think we’re pretty darn close to 100% of what we had last year.”
Her neighbors a mile down the road, Trent and Carolyn Cunningham, fared worse with about 45% of their usual crop, but still better than the farms across town. “One of our orchards had absolutely not one peach,” Carolyn wrote over email, “while our other places did fair.”
“The peaches that I have tasted this year are delicious,” lamented High with High Country Orchards. “There just aren’t that many.”
About an hour east and 1,000 feet up, Delta County experienced the same cold snap in mid-April, but the peach blossoms there were less advanced and more frost-hardy. As a result, this summer they had “far greater success” than Palisade, Talbott said.
At the Boulder County Farmers Markets, Paonia-based First Fruits is having a banner year, according to BCFM sourcing coordinator Matt Collier. Between First Fruits and Rancho Durazno, the market is still selling about a thousand pounds a week of peaches through its online ordering system.
These are the peaches you’ll find on Denver restaurant menus like The Plimoth’s, just north of City Park, where chef Pete Ryan showcases late summer varieties on a half-dozen menu items, at least.
“I don’t screw around when it comes to peaches,” Ryan said, as he was heading to the Wednesday farmer’s market to pick up a few more boxes of First Fruits’ Red Globes for his preserves and salads and grilled pork and pot du crème that week. He has sourced peaches from First Fruits exclusively for the last seven years.
“I just love them because they’re juicy and sweet and this time of year is, like, the best,” he said. “At least in my mind, we’re going to be celebrating peaches until the weekend after Labor Day.”
From Palisade to Paonia, the peaches that survived 2020 have a little life left. Then it will be on to pears and apples, which are already starting to pop — “Can you believe that?” Ryan asked.
And Talbott says he’s been able to appreciate the time off this summer, even though it’s felt a little “surreal.”
“You lose the efforts and the revenue potential for an entire year when you lose a crop,” he said. “And it is a sucker punch. But when you get over feeling sorry for yourself, (…) I think it helps one actually focus on the blessings and remember what truly matters most.”
Even with smoke from the Pine Gulch fire hanging in the air, Talbott says Palisade’s other prized fruit — the wine grape — is holding strong. And as for the peach orchards that have gotten “a break” in 2020, he said by 2021 they’ll be ready for an even bigger return.
“We’ll keep the wolf from the door,” he said of surviving the loss now, “and be ready to brush ourselves off and fight the good fight next year.”
Subscribe to our food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Colorado’s census response higher than national rate, but advocates say it’s not enough as early end

Colorado’s census response higher than national rate, but advocates say it’s not enough as early end nears

More Colorado households have responded to the U.S. Census Bureau than the national average a little over a month ahead of the deadline , but advocates warn that representation and money is at stake — particularly for hard-to-reach communities — with the agency deciding to call an early end to door-knocking efforts .
As of Wednesday , almost 81 % of Colorado households had returned their questionnaires by mail , email or in response to a census taker who came to the door , compared with the national rate of about 78 % .
Colorado ’ s self-response rate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers who showed up at people ’ s doors to help people submit their information made a difference .
The constitutionally mandated population count of everyone living in the United States is used to determine federal funding as well as political districts for the next decade .
The agency decided to end its door-knocking efforts on Sept. 30 — a month earlier than planned — worrying some nonprofits that are working to educate people on the need to get counted .
They ’ re particularly concerned about reaching communities that are harder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people experiencing homelessness , people of color and rural residents .
The challenge was compounded this year by the coronavirus pandemic and , in Colorado recently , by the added difficulties of reaching people living near wildfires , some of whom may be evacuating .
“ The fact that they decided two weeks ago to end it early is flabbergasting , ” said Gillian Winbourn , project director for Together We Count Colorado .
Together We Count is a nonprofit that was formed to assist Colorado organizations in educating communities about the census @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 64 organizations .
The Colorado General Assembly also set aside $ 6 million for census efforts .
But this year ’ s unique challenges have made the effort more complicated .
Many people in mountain and rural communities who typically work temporary jobs during tourist seasons relocated early on — just as the census was starting .
That means they could have missed critical information about the count , Winbourn said .
Latino advocacy groups also have had their work cut out for them .
Their efforts to assure all immigrants they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were complicated by President Donald Trump ’ s efforts — ultimately unsuccessful — to include a question about citizenship status .
After losing that fight , he issued a memo saying immigrants living in the country illegally can not be counted toward a state ’ s congressional seat distribution .
Several states , including Colorado , responded by suing the federal government .
The Pew Research Center estimates that Colorado had 190,000 immigrants living in the state without authorization in 2016 , about 3 % of the state ’ s population at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population at 2.2 million .
“ It is our job at this point to highlight to our communities that the census is another way for them to have funding for public health , for their education , for any resources that are important to them , ” said Yadira Solis , outreach manager at Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights .
“ It is their time to show power in numbers.
” Before the pandemic , COLOR was holding “ cafecitos ” with members of the community to talk about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the start of the pandemic the group has focused more on virtual programming .
“ More than anything , our biggest concern is that the system is stacked against communities of color , that there will not be fair representation and that these communities will not get a fair share of the funds that the federal government provides to ensure health and well being , ” she said .
For Solis , the census count is a family affair .
She comes from a family of immigrants who worked in agriculture .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so when the census questionnaire arrived in 2010 , she translated some questions for her parents to help them fill it out .
“ We all kind of sat down and completed the census together , ” she said .
She added : “ It ’ s a way to give back fully to show representation for my family.
” A decade later , she plans to do it again to avoid undercounts .
The census has also historically undercounted children .
It estimates that 18,089 kids in Colorado under 5 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
An undercount could hobble the state for the next 10 years , affecting data , dollars and democracy , Winbourn said .
“ Colorado has changed tremendously since 2010 , and we have heard countlessly that the state and communities have not been able to keep up with growth , and we ’ re not seeing growth slow down , ” she added .
Based on Colorado ’ s population growth , leaders have expected that the state will gain another congressional seat after the census count is completed .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ With the way our democracy is set up , we need adequate representation of what our state looks like on the national level and to not have that because of a rushed count , I think , is really not fair to Coloradans , ” Winbourn said .
Colorado ranks 16th in the nation in self-response rates , according to Laurie Cipriano , a spokesperson for the U.S. Census Bureau .
As of Aug. 24 , Douglas and Jefferson counties had the state ’ s highest self-response rates at about 80 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mineral counties had the lowest rates at almost 18 % and almost 24 % respectively .
This is the first year that the census has been conducted primarily online , and that has actually helped with responses during the pandemic , Cipriano said .
“ We ’ re on the virus ’ timeline , as is the rest of the country , ” she said .
“ We have to adjust to meet our constitutional obligation .
”

More Colorado households have responded to the U.S. Census Bureau than the national average a little over a month ahead of the deadline, but advocates warn that representation and money is at stake — particularly for hard-to-reach communities — with the agency deciding to call an early end to door-knocking efforts.
As of Wednesday, almost 81% of Colorado households had returned their questionnaires by mail, email or in response to a census taker who came to the door, compared with the national rate of about 78%. Colorado’s self-response rate is nearly 68%, which means those workers who showed up at people’s doors to help people submit their information made a difference.
The constitutionally mandated population count of everyone living in the United States is used to determine federal funding as well as political districts for the next decade. The agency decided to end its door-knocking efforts on Sept. 30 — a month earlier than planned — worrying some nonprofits that are working to educate people on the need to get counted. They’re particularly concerned about reaching communities that are harder to count, including immigrants, renters, people experiencing homelessness, people of color and rural residents.
The challenge was compounded this year by the coronavirus pandemic and, in Colorado recently, by the added difficulties of reaching people living near wildfires, some of whom may be evacuating.
“The fact that they decided two weeks ago to end it early is flabbergasting,” said Gillian Winbourn, project director for Together We Count Colorado.
Together We Count is a nonprofit that was formed to assist Colorado organizations in educating communities about the census, and it has distributed $400,000 to 64 organizations.
The Colorado General Assembly also set aside $6 million for census efforts.
But this year’s unique challenges have made the effort more complicated. Many people in mountain and rural communities who typically work temporary jobs during tourist seasons relocated early on — just as the census was starting. That means they could have missed critical information about the count, Winbourn said.
Latino advocacy groups also have had their work cut out for them. Their efforts to assure all immigrants they can feel safe filling out the census were complicated by President Donald Trump’s efforts — ultimately unsuccessful — to include a question about citizenship status. After losing that fight, he issued a memo saying immigrants living in the country illegally cannot be counted toward a state’s congressional seat distribution. Several states, including Colorado, responded by suing the federal government.
The Pew Research Center estimates that Colorado had 190,000 immigrants living in the state without authorization in 2016, about 3% of the state’s population at the time. California had the largest such population at 2.2 million.
“It is our job at this point to highlight to our communities that the census is another way for them to have funding for public health, for their education, for any resources that are important to them,” said Yadira Solis, outreach manager at Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights. “It is their time to show power in numbers.”
Before the pandemic, COLOR was holding “cafecitos” with members of the community to talk about the census, funding and representation, but since the start of the pandemic the group has focused more on virtual programming.
“More than anything, our biggest concern is that the system is stacked against communities of color, that there will not be fair representation and that these communities will not get a fair share of the funds that the federal government provides to ensure health and well being,” she said.
For Solis, the census count is a family affair. She comes from a family of immigrants who worked in agriculture. Her parents’ primary language is Spanish, so when the census questionnaire arrived in 2010, she translated some questions for her parents to help them fill it out.
“We all kind of sat down and completed the census together,” she said. She added: “It’s a way to give back fully to show representation for my family.” A decade later, she plans to do it again to avoid undercounts.
The census has also historically undercounted children. It estimates that 18,089 kids in Colorado under 5 years old weren’t counted a decade ago.
An undercount could hobble the state for the next 10 years, affecting data, dollars and democracy, Winbourn said.
“Colorado has changed tremendously since 2010, and we have heard countlessly that the state and communities have not been able to keep up with growth, and we’re not seeing growth slow down,” she added.
Based on Colorado’s population growth, leaders have expected that the state will gain another congressional seat after the census count is completed. An undercount could put that in jeopardy.
“With the way our democracy is set up, we need adequate representation of what our state looks like on the national level and to not have that because of a rushed count, I think, is really not fair to Coloradans,” Winbourn said.
Colorado ranks 16th in the nation in self-response rates, according to Laurie Cipriano, a spokesperson for the U.S. Census Bureau.
As of Aug. 24, Douglas and Jefferson counties had the state’s highest self-response rates at about 80% and almost 79% respectively. Hinsdale and Mineral counties had the lowest rates at almost 18% and almost 24% respectively.
This is the first year that the census has been conducted primarily online, and that has actually helped with responses during the pandemic, Cipriano said.
“We’re on the virus’ timeline, as is the rest of the country,” she said. “We have to adjust to meet our constitutional obligation.”


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--How is in-person learning going in Colorado? So far, so good, parents and experts say

When Parker resident Dale Chu dropped off his daughter , Kellan , for her first day of kindergarten at Leman Academy of Excellence , the 5-year-old was so excited she barely made time to say goodbye before running into the building .
Like many Colorado kids , Kellan spent most of the spring and summer sequestered from other children her age after the novel coronavirus shuttered schools .
That was perhaps the biggest reason Chu and his wife decided to enroll their daughter in in-person learning this fall , even after they had a close encounter with COVID-19 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but there ’ s no perfect solution from our vantage point , ” said Chu , as he recalled having to quarantine Kellan after an instructor at her summer camp tested positive for the virus .
“ Given the risk level , everything I ’ ve seen for a 5-year-old and the trade-offs , putting her back in-person was almost a no-brainer.
” Parents , educators and medical experts spent the summer break debating how to safely welcome students back to school in the midst of a global pandemic .
Now that classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrators say they are cautiously optimistic that months of planning are offering a safe and successful return to in-person learning — even as cases of COVID-19 pop up on campuses across the state .
Health experts fully expected cases of COVID-19 surface in schools when they reopened , given that Colorado is still experiencing some community spread of the virus , said Dr. Alexis Burakoff , medical epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment .
If there ’ s a high level of COVID-19 community spread — meaning the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community — it ’ s more likely to show up in schools .
An isolated case , however , is not necessarily cause for concern , Burakoff said .
More telling would be a school-based outbreak , which indicates a specific building could be the conduit for the virus to spread .
CDPHE has identified two school outbreaks , each with two cases , since classes started .
It ’ s an important distinction , said Sean O ’ Leary , professor and pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Colorado ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since it ’ s early in the school year , he expects most positive cases “ came in from the outside ” rather than being contracted at school .
Even in a district like Cherry Creek , which has at least 11 confirmed cases across 12 schools , O ’ Leary called the rate of infection “ surprisingly low ” compared to the size of the student body .
Cherry Creek ’ s 2019-20 enrollment was more than 56,000 students .
The primary indicator O ’ Leary is watching is whether a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant number of others .
“ What other countries are showing us is that the virus isn ’ t spreading very efficiently within schools , ” he said .
“ But that ’ s also in places where , for most part , they have lower levels of coronavirus in the community.
” Still , schools aren ’ t taking any chances .
On Aug. 10 , Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins opened under what Collin Turbert , head of school , called a “ mostly remote ” format .
Only a limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as special education students and English language learners , were allowed back in small groups .
After the parent of one student who attended McMurray Middle School tested positive for COVID-19 , the campus shut down for four days .
The student ’ s test also came back positive , leading to the campus ’ closure through Labor Day .
It was a disappointing interruption to an otherwise exciting start to the year , Turbert said .
Staff had gotten in a rhythm screening for students for symptoms and keeping track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classrooms .
He was pleasantly surprised by students ’ compliance with the mandatory mask policy .
Though Turbert knew COVID-19 might appear in his district , he didn ’ t think it would happen so quickly .
“ Especially with how we ’ re doing it with smaller groups , I thought there was a good chance we ’ d make it through at least a couple months before we saw that first case , ” Turbert said .
“ I ’ ve lost many hours of sleep over this and continue to.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Schools , believes the district ’ s planning and preparation will pay off .
Before classes started on Aug. 25 , a teacher at Battle Mountain High School tested positive for COVID-19 , putting the district ’ s protocols to the test .
One of the biggest challenges is ensuring the administration communicates with families and staff in a calm and transparent way , he said .
That ’ s especially important as he looks toward winter , when nearby ski destinations like Vail Resorts open to international tourists .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we understand it ’ s going to happen , we ’ re prepared for those cases and we have to handle them in a calm and deliberate manner , ” Qualman said .
Communication from the school is one reason Monica Warstler feels confident about the safety measures in place at John E. Flynn A Marzano Academy in Westminster , where her three kids recently began attending in-person classes .
However , getting into a routine has been an adjustment .
Because students are no longer allowed to share supplies , they must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which can be very heavy , she said .
Warstler also worried her children wouldn ’ t take to wearing masks , so she made them each one and let them pick out their own fabric .
Carmen , 8 , chose a pattern with cats .
Vanessa , 6 , chose one with dogs .
Blaine , 5 , decided on a John Deere theme .
“ I take them to school , and they ’ re wearing their masks .
When I pick them up from day care in the evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Warstler said .
“ They don ’ t really complain.
” Eleven-year-old Storey Bennett is “ very excited ” to go back to school .
The Colorado Springs student is doing e-learning until after Labor Day but said it ’ s hard to connect with her teachers and understand the class assignments .
Plus , she can ’ t wait to meet some new friends .
Social-emotional learning is one of the most important things that schools provide to students , and as experts weighed in on the reopening debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they advocated for getting students back into the classroom ASAP .
Chu said he ’ s seen the benefits of social interaction for his daughter Kellan in just the first week of school , and that ’ s been worth sending her back even if safety protocols , such as mask wearing and social distancing , are not as stringent for kindergartners .
“ Listening to her speak and talk about her friends , the energy and enthusiasm about it is very different than when she was on Zoom all of last spring @ @ @ @ @

When Parker resident Dale Chu dropped off his daughter, Kellan, for her first day of kindergarten at Leman Academy of Excellence, the 5-year-old was so excited she barely made time to say goodbye before running into the building.
Like many Colorado kids, Kellan spent most of the spring and summer sequestered from other children her age after the novel coronavirus shuttered schools. That was perhaps the biggest reason Chu and his wife decided to enroll their daughter in in-person learning this fall, even after they had a close encounter with COVID-19.
“It definitely gave us a scare, but there’s no perfect solution from our vantage point,” said Chu, as he recalled having to quarantine Kellan after an instructor at her summer camp tested positive for the virus. “Given the risk level, everything I’ve seen for a 5-year-old and the trade-offs, putting her back in-person was almost a no-brainer.”
Parents, educators and medical experts spent the summer break debating how to safely welcome students back to school in the midst of a global pandemic. Now that classes are back in session, parents and administrators say they are cautiously optimistic that months of planning are offering a safe and successful return to in-person learning — even as cases of COVID-19 pop up on campuses across the state.
“Surprisingly low” case counts
Health experts fully expected cases of COVID-19 surface in schools when they reopened, given that Colorado is still experiencing some community spread of the virus, said Dr. Alexis Burakoff, medical epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
If there’s a high level of COVID-19 community spread — meaning the virus is being transmitted person-to-person within the general community — it’s more likely to show up in schools.
An isolated case, however, is not necessarily cause for concern, Burakoff said. More telling would be a school-based outbreak, which indicates a specific building could be the conduit for the virus to spread. CDPHE has identified two school outbreaks, each with two cases, since classes started.
It’s an important distinction, said Sean O’Leary, professor and pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine in Aurora. Since it’s early in the school year, he expects most positive cases “came in from the outside” rather than being contracted at school. Even in a district like Cherry Creek, which has at least 11 confirmed cases across 12 schools, O’Leary called the rate of infection “surprisingly low” compared to the size of the student body. Cherry Creek’s 2019-20 enrollment was more than 56,000 students.
The primary indicator O’Leary is watching is whether a single case in a school leads to a significant number of others.
“What other countries are showing us is that the virus isn’t spreading very efficiently within schools,” he said. “But that’s also in places where, for most part, they have lower levels of coronavirus in the community.”
Protocols in place
Still, schools aren’t taking any chances. On Aug. 10, Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins opened under what Collin Turbert, head of school, called a “mostly remote” format. Only a limited number of students who need in-person support, such as special education students and English language learners, were allowed back in small groups.
After the parent of one student who attended McMurray Middle School tested positive for COVID-19, the campus shut down for four days. The student’s test also came back positive, leading to the campus’ closure through Labor Day.
It was a disappointing interruption to an otherwise exciting start to the year, Turbert said. Staff had gotten in a rhythm screening for students for symptoms and keeping track of cohorts so they could appropriately sanitize classrooms. He was pleasantly surprised by students’ compliance with the mandatory mask policy.
Though Turbert knew COVID-19 might appear in his district, he didn’t think it would happen so quickly.
“Especially with how we’re doing it with smaller groups, I thought there was a good chance we’d make it through at least a couple months before we saw that first case,” Turbert said. “I’ve lost many hours of sleep over this and continue to.”
Philip Qualman, superintendent of Eagle County Schools, believes the district’s planning and preparation will pay off. Before classes started on Aug. 25, a staff member at Battle Mountain High School tested positive for COVID-19, putting the district’s protocols to the test.
One of the biggest challenges is ensuring the administration communicates with families and staff in a calm and transparent way, he said. That’s especially important as he looks toward winter, when nearby ski destinations like Vail Resorts open to international tourists.
“What we’re trying to communicate is we understand it’s going to happen, we’re prepared for those cases and we have to handle them in a calm and deliberate manner,” Qualman said.
Families adapt to new normal
Communication from the school is one reason Monica Warstler feels confident about the safety measures in place at John E. Flynn A Marzano Academy in Westminster, where her three kids recently began attending in-person classes. However, getting into a routine has been an adjustment.
Because students are no longer allowed to share supplies, they must carry their own in their backpacks, which can be very heavy, she said. Warstler also worried her children wouldn’t take to wearing masks, so she made them each one and let them pick out their own fabric. Carmen, 8, chose a pattern with cats. Vanessa, 6, chose one with dogs. Blaine, 5, decided on a John Deere theme.
“I take them to school, and they’re wearing their masks. When I pick them up from day care in the evening, they’re wearing their masks,” Warstler said. “They don’t really complain.”
Eleven-year-old Storey Bennett is “very excited” to go back to school. The Colorado Springs student is doing e-learning until after Labor Day but said it’s hard to connect with her teachers and understand the class assignments. Plus, she can’t wait to meet some new friends.
Social-emotional learning is one of the most important things that schools provide to students, and as experts weighed in on the reopening debate, it was one of the primary reasons they advocated for getting students back into the classroom ASAP. Chu said he’s seen the benefits of social interaction for his daughter Kellan in just the first week of school, and that’s been worth sending her back even if safety protocols, such as mask wearing and social distancing, are not as stringent for kindergartners.
“Listening to her speak and talk about her friends, the energy and enthusiasm about it is very different than when she was on Zoom all of last spring,” he said.
Updated 6:45 p.m. Aug. 31, 2020 This story was corrected after originally misidentifying who had tested positive for COVID-19 at Battle Mountain High School in Eagle County. It was a non-teaching staff member.


thedenverpost--2020-08-31--Projecting the Broncos’ 53-man roster before Saturday’s final cut

The bad thing about not having preseason games is it robs observers the evidence to make conclusions .
Which players have slipped to third-team and about to have their bubble burst ?
Which backups have showed the ability to learn multiple positions , thus increasing their worth ?
And which players “ start ” on 2 or 3 special teams units to earn a back-of-the-roster spot ?
Without games , there ’ s just not as many clues to work with .
The Broncos have been in training camp for less than three weeks , but when they return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be five days away ( Saturday at 2 p.m. ) .
Even with no games , the 12 practices have been telling to the point where I can bust out the dartboard and attempt a 53-man projection : It will be interesting if teams around the NFL keep a third quarterback on the active roster — thus not putting them through waivers — because of COVID-19 .
Brett Rypien should clear waivers and be signed to the practice squad .
What do I make of Lock in camp ?
He is getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhythm with most of the skill-position players .
This summer , I had undrafted rookie LeVante Bellamy beating out Freeman .
But Gordon ’ s rib injury combined with Freeman ’ s low salary cap charge ( $ 1,081,255 ) and ability to play on third down makes him too valuable to cut .
Freeman has been the workhorse of camp , working with all three quarterbacks and if there had been preseason games , he might have had trade value .
Fant , Vannett and Okwuegbunam are locks .
Entering Saturday ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a coin flip between Butt and Troy Fumagalli .
But Fumagalli missed practice and if he can ’ t work this week , it could sway the coaches toward Butt .
If Fumagalli clears waivers , he should be a candidate for the practice squad , which can have up to six veterans this year .
Okwuegbunam has made a ton of plays as a receiver , so many that I would find a way to get him involved against Tennessee .
Hamler ’ s hamstring injury could land him on injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlimited reactivations ( the previous rule was two ) and a minimum of three weeks out ( the previous rule was eight ) .
Hamler ’ s injury will create a roster spot for Spencer , who should be in line to handle returns .
Rookie Tyrie Cleveland has had a great camp and makes sense to take Hamler ’ s spot .
Garett Bolles ( LT ) , Dalton Risner ( LG ) , Graham Glasgow ( RG ) , Elijiah Wilkinson ( RT ) , Lloyd Cushenberry ( C ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muti ( G ) , Demar Dotson ( RT ) and Patrick Morris ( G/C ) .
When Glasgow left Saturday ’ s practice ( ankle ) , Schlottmann replaced him , which gives him the nod as the top backup guard/center if he loses the center job to Cushenberry .
Signed before camp , Dotson will be Wilkinson ’ s backup .
What ’ s stood out about Cushenberry , aside from being praised for his football smarts , is his power in the 1-on-1 drills .
He ’ s going against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main question : Is the Broncos ’ ninth or even 10th linemen currently on another team ?
Something to watch for next Sunday .
The starters are set with Harris , Casey and Purcell .
Agim , a third-round rookie , is an intriguing rotational player if he ’ s active on game-day .
Jones is the top reserve at end .
Casey and Harris being able to play nose tackle in a pinch gives the Broncos flexibility .
Walker will again survive the final roster cut , getting the nod over Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seventh-round rookie Derrek Tuszka making the roster instead of Reed .
It didn ’ t appear that was even a battle during camp as Reed was getting first- and second-team reps and Tuszka third-team .
Attaochu is a solid backup who can rush the passer and stop the run .
Picking Jones over Josh Watson was among the hardest decisions , but Jones gets the edge because of his special teams experience and because Watson is likely to clear waivers .
Barron , who has 119 games of regular season experience , agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the roster instead of Justin Hollins , who will go to the practice squad .
Bouye and Callahan as the top two corners are set and I thought entering camp that Ojemudia would rise up to be the No .
3 corner .
But even before his quad injury , he couldn ’ t join the No .
3 battle .
I chose Dawson over Isaac Yiadom because Dawson has the ability to cover the slot receiver and play some safety if required .
Marshall is a physical player who should merit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third safety is on the field .
Holder is currently out with an injury ; if that keeps him off the 53-man roster , P.J .
Locke could be the choice or the Broncos may view Barron , who started his career as a safety , has insurance .
Bobenmoyer won the long snapper competition over Wes Farnsworth , who was waived last week .
Martin has been impressive in camp with his directional punting and McManus drilled a 60-yard field goal on Saturday .

The bad thing about not having preseason games is it robs observers the evidence to make conclusions.
Which players have slipped to third-team and about to have their bubble burst? Which backups have showed the ability to learn multiple positions, thus increasing their worth? And which players “start” on 2 or 3 special teams units to earn a back-of-the-roster spot?
Without games, there’s just not as many clues to work with.
The Broncos have been in training camp for less than three weeks, but when they return to practice Monday morning, the final cut will be five days away (Saturday at 2 p.m.).
Even with no games, the 12 practices have been telling to the point where I can bust out the dartboard and attempt a 53-man projection:
Quarterbacks (2)
Drew Lock and Jeff Driskel.
It will be interesting if teams around the NFL keep a third quarterback on the active roster — thus not putting them through waivers — because of COVID-19. Brett Rypien should clear waivers and be signed to the practice squad. What do I make of Lock in camp? He is getting his work in and clearly has a rhythm with most of the skill-position players.
Running backs (4)
Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman and Andrew Beck (FB/TE).
This summer, I had undrafted rookie LeVante Bellamy beating out Freeman. But Gordon’s rib injury combined with Freeman’s low salary cap charge ($1,081,255) and ability to play on third down makes him too valuable to cut. Freeman has been the workhorse of camp, working with all three quarterbacks and if there had been preseason games, he might have had trade value.
Tight ends (4)
Noah Fant, Nick Vannett, Albert Okwuegbunam and Jake Butt.
Fant, Vannett and Okwuegbunam are locks. Entering Saturday’s stadium practice, I had it as a coin flip between Butt and Troy Fumagalli. But Fumagalli missed practice and if he can’t work this week, it could sway the coaches toward Butt. If Fumagalli clears waivers, he should be a candidate for the practice squad, which can have up to six veterans this year. Okwuegbunam has made a ton of plays as a receiver, so many that I would find a way to get him involved against Tennessee.
Receivers (6)
Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, DaeSean Hamilton, Tim Patrick and Diontae Spencer.
Hamler’s hamstring injury could land him on injured reserve, which this year allows for unlimited reactivations (the previous rule was two) and a minimum of three weeks out (the previous rule was eight). Hamler’s injury will create a roster spot for Spencer, who should be in line to handle returns. Rookie Tyrie Cleveland has had a great camp and makes sense to take Hamler’s spot.
Offensive linemen (9)
Garett Bolles (LT), Dalton Risner (LG), Graham Glasgow (RG), Elijiah Wilkinson (RT), Lloyd Cushenberry (C), Austin Schlottmann (C), Netane Muti (G), Demar Dotson (RT) and Patrick Morris (G/C).
When Glasgow left Saturday’s practice (ankle), Schlottmann replaced him, which gives him the nod as the top backup guard/center if he loses the center job to Cushenberry. Signed before camp, Dotson will be Wilkinson’s backup. What’s stood out about Cushenberry, aside from being praised for his football smarts, is his power in the 1-on-1 drills. He’s going against veteran starters and doing well. The main question: Is the Broncos’ ninth or even 10th linemen currently on another team? Something to watch for next Sunday.
Defensive linemen (6)
Shelby Harris (DE), Jurrell Casey (DE), Mike Purcell (NT), Dre’Mont Jones (DE), McTelvin Agim (DE/NT) and DeMarcus Walker (DE).
The starters are set with Harris, Casey and Purcell. Agim, a third-round rookie, is an intriguing rotational player if he’s active on game-day. Jones is the top reserve at end. Casey and Harris being able to play nose tackle in a pinch gives the Broncos flexibility. Walker will again survive the final roster cut, getting the nod over Christian Covington.
Outside linebackers (4)
Bradley Chubb, Von Miller, Jeremiah Attaochu and Malik Reed.
This summer, I had seventh-round rookie Derrek Tuszka making the roster instead of Reed. It didn’t appear that was even a battle during camp as Reed was getting first- and second-team reps and Tuszka third-team. Attaochu is a solid backup who can rush the passer and stop the run.
Inside linebackers (5)
Todd Davis, Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell, Joe Jones and Mark Barron.
Picking Jones over Josh Watson was among the hardest decisions, but Jones gets the edge because of his special teams experience and because Watson is likely to clear waivers. Barron, who has 119 games of regular season experience, agreed to terms Sunday and I put him on the roster instead of Justin Hollins, who will go to the practice squad.
Cornerbacks (6)
A.J. Bouye, Bryce Callahan, Michael Ojemudia, De’Vante Bausby, Davontae Harris and Duke Dawson.
Bouye and Callahan as the top two corners are set and I thought entering camp that Ojemudia would rise up to be the No. 3 corner. But even before his quad injury, he couldn’t join the No. 3 battle. I chose Dawson over Isaac Yiadom because Dawson has the ability to cover the slot receiver and play some safety if required.
Safeties (4)
Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, Trey Marshall and Alijah Holder.
Marshall is a physical player who should merit consideration for sub-package duty and when a third safety is on the field. Holder is currently out with an injury; if that keeps him off the 53-man roster, P.J. Locke could be the choice or the Broncos may view Barron, who started his career as a safety, has insurance.
Special teams (3)
Brandon McManus (K), Sam Martin (P) and Jacob Bobenmoyer (LS).
Bobenmoyer won the long snapper competition over Wes Farnsworth, who was waived last week. Martin has been impressive in camp with his directional punting and McManus drilled a 60-yard field goal on Saturday.