thedenverpost--2020-04-17--Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to serve out prison sentence at home

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ’ s former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Cohen is currently locked up at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges , including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress .
He will remain under quarantine for 14 days before he is released .
Federal statistics show 14 inmates and seven staff members at the prison have tested positive for the coronavirus .
After he is released , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentence at home , according to a Justice Department official and another person familiar with the matter .
They could not discuss Cohen ’ s release publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity .
Prison advocates and congressional leaders have been pressing the Justice Department for weeks to release at-risk inmates ahead of a potential outbreak , arguing that the public health guidance to stay 6 feet ( 1.8 meters ) away from other people is nearly impossible behind bars .
Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates , beginning at three prisons identified as coronavirus hot spots .
Otisville is not one of those facilities .
As of Thursday , 473 federal inmates and 279 Bureau of Prisons staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus at facilities across the U.S. Eighteen inmates have died since late March .
Many federal inmates have been seeking home confinement as the number of coronavirus cases grows in the federal prison system , but advocates have accused the Bureau of Prisons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Bureau of Prisons said it had moved more than 1,000 inmates to home confinement since March 26 , when Barr first issued a directive to increase its use in late March .
The agency said it is a “ tremendous logistical lift that was accomplished through the marshaling of all of BOP ’ s resources.
” The Justice Department official said Barr had told senior officials at the Bureau of Prisons when he first issued his directives that they must scrupulously apply the same criteria to all inmates and not give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bureau of Prisons said it was moving about 111 inmates — most of whom are likely to qualify for home confinement or furlough — from the prison camp at Otisville into the medium-security prison at the facility so they could begin a quarantine period , which would be required before they could be released , as their records are reviewed .
A federal judge had denied Cohen ’ s attempt for an early release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison and said in a ruling earlier this month that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to inject himself into the news cycle.
” But the Bureau of Prisons can take action to move him to home confinement without a judicial order .
Cohen , 53 , began serving his sentence last May and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021 .
Other high-profile inmates have also been released as the number of coronavirus cases soars .
Last week , a judge ordered Michael Avenatti — the attorney who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Trump — to be temporarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City and stay at a friend ’ s house in Los Angeles .
Avenatti had said he was at high risk of getting the coronavirus because he had a recent bout with pneumonia and his cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan was removed due to flu-like symptoms .
Former New York state Senate leader Dean Skelos , 72 , who was also serving a sentence at Otisville , is also expected to be released soon from prison to home confinement after testing positive for the coronavirus , prosecutors told a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was being released to home confinement .
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney ’ s office in Manhattan declined to comment .
Associated Press writer Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and longtime fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cohen is currently locked up at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. He will remain under quarantine for 14 days before he is released. Federal statistics show 14 inmates and seven staff members at the prison have tested positive for the coronavirus.
After he is released, Cohen will serve the remainder of his sentence at home, according to a Justice Department official and another person familiar with the matter. They could not discuss Cohen’s release publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Prison advocates and congressional leaders have been pressing the Justice Department for weeks to release at-risk inmates ahead of a potential outbreak, arguing that the public health guidance to stay 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from other people is nearly impossible behind bars.
Attorney General William Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons earlier this month to increase the use of home confinement and expedite the release of eligible high-risk inmates, beginning at three prisons identified as coronavirus hot spots. Otisville is not one of those facilities.
As of Thursday, 473 federal inmates and 279 Bureau of Prisons staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus at facilities across the U.S. Eighteen inmates have died since late March.
Many federal inmates have been seeking home confinement as the number of coronavirus cases grows in the federal prison system, but advocates have accused the Bureau of Prisons of moving too slowly to release inmates. The Bureau of Prisons said it had moved more than 1,000 inmates to home confinement since March 26, when Barr first issued a directive to increase its use in late March. The agency said it is a “tremendous logistical lift that was accomplished through the marshaling of all of BOP’s resources.”
The Justice Department official said Barr had told senior officials at the Bureau of Prisons when he first issued his directives that they must scrupulously apply the same criteria to all inmates and not give anyone special treatment.
On Friday, the Bureau of Prisons said it was moving about 111 inmates — most of whom are likely to qualify for home confinement or furlough — from the prison camp at Otisville into the medium-security prison at the facility so they could begin a quarantine period, which would be required before they could be released, as their records are reviewed.
A federal judge had denied Cohen’s attempt for an early release to home confinement after serving 10 months in prison and said in a ruling earlier this month that it “appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle.” But the Bureau of Prisons can take action to move him to home confinement without a judicial order.
Cohen, 53, began serving his sentence last May and was scheduled to be released from prison in November 2021.
Other high-profile inmates have also been released as the number of coronavirus cases soars. Last week, a judge ordered Michael Avenatti — the attorney who rose to fame representing porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against Trump — to be temporarily freed from a federal jail in New York City and stay at a friend’s house in Los Angeles. Avenatti had said he was at high risk of getting the coronavirus because he had a recent bout with pneumonia and his cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan was removed due to flu-like symptoms.
Former New York state Senate leader Dean Skelos, 72, who was also serving a sentence at Otisville, is also expected to be released soon from prison to home confinement after testing positive for the coronavirus, prosecutors told a judge Wednesday.
CNN first reported Cohen was being released to home confinement.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment.
___
Associated Press writer Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Best-case scenario, Denver restrictions could lift in 2-4 months, city officials say

In a best-case scenario , most restrictions from Denver ’ s stay-at-home order could lift over the next two to four months , but the metro area is trending toward a longer haul than that , top city officials said in internal discussions this week .
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock , several department heads and other local medical experts discussed the city ’ s recovery efforts in a meeting Thursday attended by The Denver Post .
Front and center was the question of timing for easing current restrictions while avoiding a relapse and managing the local economy .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus and its challenges won ’ t end with 2020 , ” Dr. Bill Burman , director of Denver Public Health , said in an interview .
“ All of us need to recognize that this is a marathon , this is not a sprint.
” The worst-case scenario combines a resurgence of the virus with global economic chaos and a local economy that ’ s slow to return , officials said .
Stay-at-home restrictions would then be unwound far more gradually , though the precise period of time remains uncertain .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made on whether to extend the city ’ s stay-at-home order , which ends April 30 , or to begin relaxing it , said Public Health Director Bob McDonald .
That decision will also take into account the need to provide residents , businesses and industries with advance notice .
“ We want to do it right ; we don ’ t want to do it quickly , ” McDonald told The Post .
“ We want to be balanced , with thoughtful decisions.
” The state ’ s stay-at-home order is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Jared Polis said Wednesday that some social distancing measures will remain in place until there is a cure or vaccine .
This new normal will last for many months to come , he said .
Partnering with regional governments as well as the state will be important for Denver , city officials agreed .
Denver won ’ t lift stay-at-home restrictions all at once , those at the meeting said .
Even the word “ lifted ” might give residents the wrong impression of finality , one member of the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a modification instead .
Hancock noted that social distancing measures will remain in place longer than the stay-at-home order .
At stake is a balance between public health and the local economy , and the city must relax restrictions slowly and deliberately for the changes to stick , McDonald said .
Certainly , the current order is painful and costly .
Protests against the statewide stay-at-home order are planned at the Colorado Capitol Sunday .
But if the next steps aren ’ t handled carefully the crisis will be drawn out even longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus and further economic damage , Burman said .
David Gaspers , principal city planner , led the Thursday discussion , which included possible scenarios for how the pandemic will play out .
In the best-case scenario , the number of cases in Denver remains stable or decreasing and the city ’ s hospitals have the space and equipment needed to care for critical patients , Gaspers said .
“ The narrative there is the virus spread continues , but it remains stable and manageable , and the global economy is better than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said in the meeting .
“ Most restrictions are lifted over the next two to four months , and the local economy is up and running.
” Then there ’ s the worst-case scenario , which looks a lot like what Denver has experienced for the last few weeks , Gaspers said .
That ’ s “ where we ’ re expecting that resurgence to come and we ’ re preparing for that and the global economy is in chaos .
Very unpredictable .
Some restrictions remain .
The local economy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Much depends on the coming days and weeks , the group acknowledged .
Gaspers discussed guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control , the World Health Organization and California on what to look for before easing stay-at-home restrictions .
Those metrics include the number of virus cases and whether new cases are stable or decreasing ; the capacity of health care systems like hospitals ; whether new cases can be traced and tracked ; whether schools , businesses and more have protective measures in place ; and whether a vaccine or therapeutic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Solely following the number of virus cases is problematic because as tests become more widely available , the amount of cases is sure to rise .
Rather , Burman suggested tracking the number of hospitalizations .
But even then , Denver must follow multiple factors .
McDonald noted that the next steps must happen slowly — not simply to avoid an increase in spread but also because if too much changes at once and cases spike , officials will have a difficult time knowing which factor caused the problem .
City and health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each step with daily monitoring along the way .
“ COVID can move pretty broadly in a community if you ’ re not monitoring very carefully , ” Burman said .
“ That ’ s certainly what happened in New York City and that ’ s certainly what happened in the mountain communities , was they had substantial spread before there was recognition.
” McDonald said it ’ s imperative that the city retain the ability to reimpose restrictions if cases begin to spike again .
“ I ’ m sure it sounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s very much the prudent thing to do because I think everybody wants to avoid having to go back to really restrictive measures once we ’ ve relaxed them , ” Burman said .
City officials did not settle on a specific plan during the meeting .

In a best-case scenario, most restrictions from Denver’s stay-at-home order could lift over the next two to four months, but the metro area is trending toward a longer haul than that, top city officials said in internal discussions this week.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, several department heads and other local medical experts discussed the city’s recovery efforts in a meeting Thursday attended by The Denver Post. Front and center was the question of timing for easing current restrictions while avoiding a relapse and managing the local economy.
“There was broad recognition around the room that coronavirus and its challenges won’t end with 2020,” Dr. Bill Burman, director of Denver Public Health, said in an interview. “All of us need to recognize that this is a marathon, this is not a sprint.”
The worst-case scenario combines a resurgence of the virus with global economic chaos and a local economy that’s slow to return, officials said. Stay-at-home restrictions would then be unwound far more gradually, though the precise period of time remains uncertain.
In the coming days a decision must be made on whether to extend the city’s stay-at-home order, which ends April 30, or to begin relaxing it, said Public Health Director Bob McDonald. That decision will also take into account the need to provide residents, businesses and industries with advance notice.
“We want to do it right; we don’t want to do it quickly,” McDonald told The Post. “We want to be balanced, with thoughtful decisions.”
The state’s stay-at-home order is currently scheduled to expire April 26, and Gov. Jared Polis said Wednesday that some social distancing measures will remain in place until there is a cure or vaccine. This new normal will last for many months to come, he said.
Partnering with regional governments as well as the state will be important for Denver, city officials agreed.
Denver won’t lift stay-at-home restrictions all at once, those at the meeting said. Even the word “lifted” might give residents the wrong impression of finality, one member of the group said, suggesting framing the move as a modification instead. Hancock noted that social distancing measures will remain in place longer than the stay-at-home order.
At stake is a balance between public health and the local economy, and the city must relax restrictions slowly and deliberately for the changes to stick, McDonald said.
Certainly, the current order is painful and costly. Protests against the statewide stay-at-home order are planned at the Colorado Capitol Sunday. But if the next steps aren’t handled carefully the crisis will be drawn out even longer, amounting to more cases of the virus and further economic damage, Burman said.
David Gaspers, principal city planner, led the Thursday discussion, which included possible scenarios for how the pandemic will play out.
In the best-case scenario, the number of cases in Denver remains stable or decreasing and the city’s hospitals have the space and equipment needed to care for critical patients, Gaspers said.
“The narrative there is the virus spread continues, but it remains stable and manageable, and the global economy is better than what we kind of expect,” he said in the meeting. “Most restrictions are lifted over the next two to four months, and the local economy is up and running.”
Then there’s the worst-case scenario, which looks a lot like what Denver has experienced for the last few weeks, Gaspers said.
That’s “where we’re expecting that resurgence to come and we’re preparing for that and the global economy is in chaos. Very unpredictable. Some restrictions remain. The local economy is very sluggish,” he said.
Much depends on the coming days and weeks, the group acknowledged. Gaspers discussed guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and California on what to look for before easing stay-at-home restrictions.
Those metrics include the number of virus cases and whether new cases are stable or decreasing; the capacity of health care systems like hospitals; whether new cases can be traced and tracked; whether schools, businesses and more have protective measures in place; and whether a vaccine or therapeutic treatment becomes available for the virus.
Solely following the number of virus cases is problematic because as tests become more widely available, the amount of cases is sure to rise. Rather, Burman suggested tracking the number of hospitalizations. But even then, Denver must follow multiple factors.
McDonald noted that the next steps must happen slowly — not simply to avoid an increase in spread but also because if too much changes at once and cases spike, officials will have a difficult time knowing which factor caused the problem.
City and health officials discussed waiting about four weeks between each step with daily monitoring along the way.
“COVID can move pretty broadly in a community if you’re not monitoring very carefully,” Burman said. “That’s certainly what happened in New York City and that’s certainly what happened in the mountain communities, was they had substantial spread before there was recognition.”
McDonald said it’s imperative that the city retain the ability to reimpose restrictions if cases begin to spike again.
“I’m sure it sounds slow to all of us, but I think it’s very much the prudent thing to do because I think everybody wants to avoid having to go back to really restrictive measures once we’ve relaxed them,” Burman said.
City officials did not settle on a specific plan during the meeting.


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Denver dialysis centers separating patients with coronavirus to try to protect those at high risk

Dialysis centers around the Denver area are setting aside certain hours or even entire facilities for patients who could have the new coronavirus , but it ’ s not guaranteed to protect their vulnerable patients .
Patients with end-stage kidney disease are caught in a cruel bind as COVID-19 continues to spread : many have to risk death from infection multiple times a week to get a treatment that keeps them alive .
Dr. Michel Chonchol , a nephrologist at University of Colorado Hospital , said kidney disease interferes with the immune system , making patients on dialysis more vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same time , potassium levels in the blood can quickly build up to unsafe levels if patients miss a dialysis appointment , putting them at risk for cardiac arrest , he said .
Most patients go to a dialysis center three times a week , for multiple hours at a time , with about 10 % getting their treatment at home as of 2017 .
Kidney transplants also are a solution to end-stage disease , but there aren ’ t as many donated organs available as patients who need them .
University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for patients with respiratory illnesses , Chonchol said .
Patients who have been tested but don ’ t have results come in for one shift , and those with confirmed COVID-19 infections get treatment at a different time , he said .
Certain chairs are designated for patients with COVID-19 , though they could sanitize them for patients who might not be infected .
“ We ’ re very good at decontaminating , ” he said .
DaVita , one of two large companies that dominate the American dialysis market , also set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Denver area to treat patients who have COVID-19 , chief medical officer Dr. Jeff Guillian said .
Some harder-hit areas have more designated centers to keep infected patients separate from others , he said .
Guillian said the company started stockpiling medications and equipment like surgical masks in January , as it became clear the virus could present a serious threat .
In March , clinics started checking everyone who enters for fevers and asking about possible symptoms , and having everyone wear surgical masks .
They ’ re gradually adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get treatment in a separate facility , he said .
“ We want to make sure that we ’ re not overly conservative… but also that we ’ re being conservative enough , ” he said .
Fresenius Kidney Care , the other major player in the dialysis market , released a statement saying its clinics had been screening patients and employees for COVID-19 since February , and those who test positive are sent to separate clinics or rescheduled for a time when uninfected patients aren ’ t present .
Representatives declined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were using one or both of those strategies .
While testing can help identify some people who have the new virus , it sometimes produces a false negative , meaning a person shows up as uninfected but could still spread the virus .
That ’ s one reason it ’ s important for everyone in a dialysis clinic to have a mask , and to check for signs of fever each time , Chonchol said .
Newer units generally have chairs spaced about six feet apart , though some older ones are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The asymptomatic patients are really difficult to identify , ” he said .
Since dialysis patients are at a high risk of serious infections , centers are required to follow strict criteria around hand-washing , equipment cleaning and use of gloves and masks even in normal times .
DaVita and Fresenius centers in other states have been cited repeatedly for infection control failures , according to The New York Times , but Denver facilities have relatively clear records .
Since 2015 , the 35 centers in the metro area that have inspection reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violations , with only eight noted in the most recent year , according to a search of state records .
Handwashing and sterilizing surfaces already were important , but they have an even greater emphasis now , Guillian said .
“ Infection control has always been something we do as part of caring for patients , ” he said .
Dr. Andrew Brookens , a Denver nephrologist , said he thinks the precautions centers are using will be helpful , but they ’ re also a “ band-aid ” solution on the overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prefer home dialysis and it produces equivalent results while more effectively distancing them from other people ’ s germs , but dialysis centers are reluctant to give up a lucrative market , he said .
“ The true solution is to implement the change… of moving as aggressively as possible to home dialysis and transplant , ” he said .
Most people who do dialysis at home have catheters in their abdomens , allowing them to put in and drain fluids to remove waste products from the body , Chonchol said .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgeries now , and dialysis through a patient ’ s arm requires someone to watch constantly , which may not be possible in all homes , he said .
“ To do this during an epidemic is very difficult , ” he said .

Dialysis centers around the Denver area are setting aside certain hours or even entire facilities for patients who could have the new coronavirus, but it’s not guaranteed to protect their vulnerable patients.
Patients with end-stage kidney disease are caught in a cruel bind as COVID-19 continues to spread: many have to risk death from infection multiple times a week to get a treatment that keeps them alive.
Dr. Michel Chonchol, a nephrologist at University of Colorado Hospital, said kidney disease interferes with the immune system, making patients on dialysis more vulnerable to all types of infections. At the same time, potassium levels in the blood can quickly build up to unsafe levels if patients miss a dialysis appointment, putting them at risk for cardiac arrest, he said.
Most patients go to a dialysis center three times a week, for multiple hours at a time, with about 10% getting their treatment at home as of 2017. Kidney transplants also are a solution to end-stage disease, but there aren’t as many donated organs available as patients who need them.
University of Colorado Hospital set up a unit for patients with respiratory illnesses, Chonchol said. Patients who have been tested but don’t have results come in for one shift, and those with confirmed COVID-19 infections get treatment at a different time, he said. Certain chairs are designated for patients with COVID-19, though they could sanitize them for patients who might not be infected.
“We’re very good at decontaminating,” he said.
DaVita, one of two large companies that dominate the American dialysis market, also set up a “handful” of facilities in the Denver area to treat patients who have COVID-19, chief medical officer Dr. Jeff Guillian said. Some harder-hit areas have more designated centers to keep infected patients separate from others, he said.
Guillian said the company started stockpiling medications and equipment like surgical masks in January, as it became clear the virus could present a serious threat. In March, clinics started checking everyone who enters for fevers and asking about possible symptoms, and having everyone wear surgical masks. They’re gradually adding tests to figure out if patients should get treatment in a separate facility, he said.
“We want to make sure that we’re not overly conservative… but also that we’re being conservative enough,” he said.
Fresenius Kidney Care, the other major player in the dialysis market, released a statement saying its clinics had been screening patients and employees for COVID-19 since February, and those who test positive are sent to separate clinics or rescheduled for a time when uninfected patients aren’t present. Representatives declined to elaborate on whether Fresenius’ Denver-area clinics were using one or both of those strategies.
While testing can help identify some people who have the new virus, it sometimes produces a false negative, meaning a person shows up as uninfected but could still spread the virus. That’s one reason it’s important for everyone in a dialysis clinic to have a mask, and to check for signs of fever each time, Chonchol said. Newer units generally have chairs spaced about six feet apart, though some older ones are more densely packed, he said.
“The asymptomatic patients are really difficult to identify,” he said.
Since dialysis patients are at a high risk of serious infections, centers are required to follow strict criteria around hand-washing, equipment cleaning and use of gloves and masks even in normal times. DaVita and Fresenius centers in other states have been cited repeatedly for infection control failures, according to The New York Times, but Denver facilities have relatively clear records. Since 2015, the 35 centers in the metro area that have inspection reports have been cited for a combined 56 violations, with only eight noted in the most recent year, according to a search of state records.
Handwashing and sterilizing surfaces already were important, but they have an even greater emphasis now, Guillian said.
“Infection control has always been something we do as part of caring for patients,” he said.
Dr. Andrew Brookens, a Denver nephrologist, said he thinks the precautions centers are using will be helpful, but they’re also a “band-aid” solution on the overall problem of infection control. Patients generally prefer home dialysis and it produces equivalent results while more effectively distancing them from other people’s germs, but dialysis centers are reluctant to give up a lucrative market, he said.
“The true solution is to implement the change… of moving as aggressively as possible to home dialysis and transplant,” he said.
Most people who do dialysis at home have catheters in their abdomens, allowing them to put in and drain fluids to remove waste products from the body, Chonchol said. It’s not possible to do those surgeries now, and dialysis through a patient’s arm requires someone to watch constantly, which may not be possible in all homes, he said.
“To do this during an epidemic is very difficult,” he said.


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Denver small businesses pitch in to pep up workers on the frontlines of COVID-19

While the novel coronavirus circles Denver , local small businesses have joined forces to thank and cheer up those on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 .
Jaala Sheldon , founder of the Denver-based party planning business jaala ’ s Party Pantry began delivering “ Party For One Pep-Up Packs ” to local healthcare workers on March 25 .
The packs contain medical supplies such as masks and treats such as candy , cookies , flowers , soap , whiskey and other items , depending on what has been donated that week by other small local businesses .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered more than 75 packs , with the help of one employee and a handful of businesses who donate products and volunteer time .
The response from businesses offering to help and customers interested in nominating a healthcare worker to receive a basket has been overwhelming , Sheldon said .
“ As a party planner being out of work , it ’ s a really good distraction , and it ’ s been very fulfilling , ” Sheldon said .
“ It ’ s really all about seeing these smiling faces.
” Sheldon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Perfect Petal , CBD-infused bath bombs from the Press Pause Project or sugar cookies from Cake Crumbs .
Deliveries are made every Thursday .
Sheldon leaves the baskets in a cart outside her business , where the delivery person picks them up and drops them off on the recipients ’ front porch as a surprise .
No one comes into contact with anyone else .
Centennial resident Sarah Renz nominated her friend , a nurse whose mother was in the hospital due to COVID-19 , to receive a basket .
Renz was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ porch Thursday when the basket arrived , and 10 minutes later , her friend got the call that her mother had passed away .
“ She was just grateful , ” Renz said .
“ It was neat to see bath bombs , Sprite , cherries to make Shirley Temples… It made her smile.
” Dawn Fable , founder of the Press Pause Project , donated CBD bath bombs as a relaxation tool and stress reliever for crucial workers .
She intends to continue donating products such as CBD tea bags that help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because it helps her business as well as those in need .
“ Our hope is that other organizations can donate product or their time , ” Fable said .
Scott Miner , an emergency doctor at Lutheran Medical Center and Sheldon ’ s friend , took baskets to his colleagues .
“ It ’ s really nice for us to know we ’ re appreciated and cared for , ” he said .
“ To receive one is really touching.
” Those who are interested in nominating an essential worker to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so on the Party For One website .

While the novel coronavirus circles Denver, local small businesses have joined forces to thank and cheer up those on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19.
Jaala Sheldon, founder of the Denver-based party planning business jaala’s Party Pantry began delivering “Party For One Pep-Up Packs” to local healthcare workers on March 25. The packs contain medical supplies such as masks and treats such as candy, cookies, flowers, soap, whiskey and other items, depending on what has been donated that week by other small local businesses.
In the past three weeks, Sheldon has delivered more than 75 packs, with the help of one employee and a handful of businesses who donate products and volunteer time. The response from businesses offering to help and customers interested in nominating a healthcare worker to receive a basket has been overwhelming, Sheldon said.
“As a party planner being out of work, it’s a really good distraction, and it’s been very fulfilling,” Sheldon said. “It’s really all about seeing these smiling faces.”
Sheldon builds the packs from donations — flowers from Perfect Petal, CBD-infused bath bombs from the Press Pause Project or sugar cookies from Cake Crumbs. Deliveries are made every Thursday. Sheldon leaves the baskets in a cart outside her business, where the delivery person picks them up and drops them off on the recipients’ front porch as a surprise. No one comes into contact with anyone else.
Centennial resident Sarah Renz nominated her friend, a nurse whose mother was in the hospital due to COVID-19, to receive a basket. Renz was sitting with her friend on her front porch Thursday when the basket arrived, and 10 minutes later, her friend got the call that her mother had passed away.
“She was just grateful,” Renz said. “It was neat to see bath bombs, Sprite, cherries to make Shirley Temples… It made her smile.”
Dawn Fable, founder of the Press Pause Project, donated CBD bath bombs as a relaxation tool and stress reliever for crucial workers. She intends to continue donating products such as CBD tea bags that help with sleep and headaches, she said, because it helps her business as well as those in need.
“Our hope is that other organizations can donate product or their time,” Fable said.
Scott Miner, an emergency doctor at Lutheran Medical Center and Sheldon’s friend, took baskets to his colleagues.
“It’s really nice for us to know we’re appreciated and cared for,” he said. “To receive one is really touching.”
Those who are interested in nominating an essential worker to receive a basket or donating funds can do so on the Party For One website.


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Apartment renters in Colorado are finding a way to meet the April rent

A little more than nine in 10 apartment tenants in the state had made their April rent payments as of Sunday , April 12 , not too far behind the pace seen earlier this year , the Colorado Apartment Association reported Friday .
About 9 % of apartment renters were delinquent , compared to 7.4 % at the same point in January and February , according to a survey of Colorado landlords with 80,000 apartments .
Given the huge surge in job losses the past month following shutdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19 , landlords are breathing a sigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payments remain steady in Colorado , our organization understands that the economic impacts of coronavirus are still unfolding , ” Mark Williams , executive vice president of the CAA said in a release .
“ Residents are continuing to experience job furloughs , layoffs and some residents may not receive a paycheck during the month of May .
As such , we encourage any resident who has been impacted by virus-related income or job loss to reach out to their housing provider immediately for financial assistance and payment options.
” The survey found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have approached their landlords about a deferment payment plan , although more are expected to ask for help in May .
The most common plan landlords are offering is to defer April ’ s rent and have it repaid over the following four months .
A separate survey that covered 11.5 million apartments nationally found that 16 % of renters were delinquent as of April 12 versus a 10 % delinquency rate in the same period a year earlier , according to the National Multifamily Housing Council .
While still high , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of renters who were behind at the start of the month .
Late fees have been suspended in many places , and some tenants used the extra time to come up with their payments .
“ My initial reaction is that I ’ m relieved .
We knew the numbers would show some challenges .
From my perspective , these were some good numbers , ” said Greg Willett , chief economist with RealPage , during a conference call hosted by the NMHC on Wednesday .
Some tenant groups have called for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing that all housing-related payments should be halted , both rents and mortgages , until the economy is back on its feet .
Local governments have also ordered law enforcement to stand down and not assist with evictions during the pandemic .
Landlords counter they can ’ t meet their obligations if too many tenants stop paying .
They are banking on tenants who have lost their jobs to collect unemployment benefits , which now include an additional $ 600 a week that the federal government is kicking in this month through July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to $ 1,200 a person have gone out this week , which could also help some households meet their monthly bills .

A little more than nine in 10 apartment tenants in the state had made their April rent payments as of Sunday, April 12, not too far behind the pace seen earlier this year, the Colorado Apartment Association reported Friday.
About 9% of apartment renters were delinquent, compared to 7.4% at the same point in January and February, according to a survey of Colorado landlords with 80,000 apartments. Given the huge surge in job losses the past month following shutdowns to slow the spread of COVID-19, landlords are breathing a sigh of relief.
“Although April rent payments remain steady in Colorado, our organization understands that the economic impacts of coronavirus are still unfolding,” Mark Williams, executive vice president of the CAA said in a release. “Residents are continuing to experience job furloughs, layoffs and some residents may not receive a paycheck during the month of May. As such, we encourage any resident who has been impacted by virus-related income or job loss to reach out to their housing provider immediately for financial assistance and payment options.”
The survey found that only 3% of Colorado renters have approached their landlords about a deferment payment plan, although more are expected to ask for help in May. The most common plan landlords are offering is to defer April’s rent and have it repaid over the following four months.
A separate survey that covered 11.5 million apartments nationally found that 16% of renters were delinquent as of April 12 versus a 10% delinquency rate in the same period a year earlier, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council.
While still high, that represented a significant improvement from the 31% of renters who were behind at the start of the month. Late fees have been suspended in many places, and some tenants used the extra time to come up with their payments.
“My initial reaction is that I’m relieved. We knew the numbers would show some challenges. From my perspective, these were some good numbers,” said Greg Willett, chief economist with RealPage, during a conference call hosted by the NMHC on Wednesday.
Some tenant groups have called for a rent strike on social media, arguing that all housing-related payments should be halted, both rents and mortgages, until the economy is back on its feet. Local governments have also ordered law enforcement to stand down and not assist with evictions during the pandemic.
Landlords counter they can’t meet their obligations if too many tenants stop paying. They are banking on tenants who have lost their jobs to collect unemployment benefits, which now include an additional $600 a week that the federal government is kicking in this month through July. About 81 million stimulus checks of up to $1,200 a person have gone out this week, which could also help some households meet their monthly bills.


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Health care workers on the front lines of Colorado’s coronavirus fight speak out: “I’m afraid about

Health care workers on the front lines of Colorado’s coronavirus fight speak out: “I’m afraid about being dead”

When Harshal Shah , an internal medicine doctor at Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo , gets home from work , he enters through the garage and walks straight to the basement without greeting his pregnant wife or 4-year-old son .
He hasn ’ t hugged either of them in a month , because he ’ s treating coronavirus patients and does not want to infect his family .
After 12-hour shifts at the hospital , Shah , laying on a mattress he dragged downstairs , along with a microwave and a toaster , can ’ t relax .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I ’ m afraid about being dead.
” As of late this week , at least 9,000 health care workers in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19 , and at least 27 have died , amid the outbreak .
The state says it doesn ’ t know how many health care workers have gotten sick , and the Colorado Hospital Association said it isn ’ t aware of any health care workers who ’ ve died here .
Many of those working on the front lines in Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shah , scared of becoming a statistic .
They ’ re also largely unprotected , due to a critical lack of personal protective equipment , or PPE , such as masks and gowns .
The state government ’ s coronavirus website shows about a quarter of hospitals say they could run out of some PPE within the next week , which is actually an improvement over recent weeks .
At work , Shah ’ s been wearing the same N95 mask for a week .
In normal times , he could easily run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , he said , his bosses tell him he can replace the one he ’ s been wearing once it gets moist .
At home , his wife leaves him dinner , and he retrieves it and eats alone in the basement .
If they need to talk , they ’ ll either FaceTime or shout between floors , separated by the staircase .
“ It is very hard , ” he said .
“ We ’ re living with a 4-year-old son , and he ’ s also sacred — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why my dad isn ’ t coming in and playing with me .
It ’ s getting very tough on us.
” A dozen front-line health care workers in Colorado all said in interviews this week that they feel a sense of duty right now , but that they do not feel adequately protected .
“ You signed up for this work to help people , ” said Denver emergency room nurse Kyle Mullica .
“ You didn ’ t sign up to sacrifice yourself , to die for them.
” Mullica is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he feels obligated to advocate for his colleagues .
“ You don ’ t get into nursing to make millions of dollars and get rich .
You care about people and want to help them in difficult times , ” he said .
“ The least that can happen is that you ’ re able to be protected when you do that , be able to make it home to your family safely .
To see where we ’ re at , the lack of PPE , is concerning , scary and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firsthand.
” Many health care workers who do not have Mullica ’ s position of power are scared to air their concerns about working conditions .
Two health care professionals who said criticizing workplace conditions could get them fired spoke to The Denver Post on condition of anonymity .
One of them , a front-line nurse practitioner , said her colleagues have been feeling uneasy about the volume of visitors accompanying patients at their clinic .
They see these patients in roughly 8-by-10-foot rooms , and , with no rapid testing system and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in a room of that size does not feel safe to many of them .
When the nurse practitioner raised this to management , nothing was done .
The nurse practitioner said she was told they were acting hysterical .
“ The message was to toe the company line and reassure my colleagues , ” she said .
“ But I had no way of reassuring them that they were being protected , or that things were being done that would protect them .
“ We have people who have sick family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinicians it ’ s hard to hear , ‘ We ’ re thinking about it , we ’ re working on it.
’ Because , meanwhile , we ’ re seeing 20 patients and their family members every day.
” Another provider , a senior ICU physician for a large hospital system , said that before coronavirus she ’ d run through a dozen or more disposable plastic gowns per day , discarding them after each use .
“ Now , ” she said , “ the thin plastic gowns are being reused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be a plastic gown and the provider , nurse , doc , whoever has to go in the room , they put it on , then when they come out they wipe it down with a bleach wipe , and then you have to try to snake your way out of it.
” She continued : “ The feeling — and it ’ s a pretty overwhelming feeling , and it ’ s very common one right now — is to walk in the hospital and you just know it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m an ICU doctor .
I ’ m not intrinsically afraid .
But it ’ s fear provoking , knowing you ’ re not protected .
There ’ s no possibility I ’ m adequately protected .
So the only question is have I already gotten ( the virus ) , and if not , if I get it , how sick will I get ?
That ’ s the feeling everybody has.
” Darlene Tad-y , the Colorado Hospital Association ’ s vice president for clinical affairs , did not exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In an interview Wednesday , Tad-y , who also practices medicine at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora , said it speaks volumes that the state ’ s 81 acute-care hospitals are now operating under a “ Crisis Standards of Care ” agreement , which lays out protocols for both the present and the worst-case scenario .
For now , providers are reusing and sharing PPE , and sanitizing some of it for even more usage .
But , Tad-y said , “ The truth is that sufficient and appropriate PPE is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health of health care workers and first responders.
” And she did not deny that the PPE presently available is neither sufficient or appropriate .
Nor did Gov .
Jared Polis , when asked about the crisis at a press conference on Wednesday .
Among the many who need PPE right now , front-line health care workers “ are the top priority , ” he said .
Polis said that the state has been working to acquire hundreds of thousands of masks , gowns and other items , and celebrated the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Taiwan .
That number sounds bigger than it is , though ; it ’ s not even enough to sustain one full day of statewide operations , the Colorado Department of Health and Environment has said .
Asked whether the PPE situation is expected to improve here , Polis did not directly answer .
He simply reiterated that he feels health care workers on the front lines need to be prioritized if and when Colorado receives new PPE .
“ I worked so hard to get rid of this feeling ” Compounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unshakeable unease about treating a virus so new and so unstudied .
“ I ’ m seeing young people come in , ” said Lisa Marie Babayan , a physician assistant at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital , “ and they ’ re people in their 30s , 40s , coming in , and they look one way , you think it ’ s straightforward , you think you ’ ve seen it 100 times .
Then their vitals are looking worse , they ’ re not getting better with your supportive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re missing.
” Babayan knows of at least five people she treated who died of coronavirus .
The youngest was in their 40s , the oldest in their 80s .
One of the five had no underlying health problems .
Though the coronavirus can and does strike and sometimes kill younger people , state and international data show older people at higher risk .
The state reports people age 60 and older account for close to 90 % of known coronavirus deaths here .
Specializing in women ’ s cancer treatment , Babayan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying .
“ We see it coming .
It sucks .
I ’ ve known ( patients ) for years , and I know it ’ s going to suck , and I can anticipate that suck .
With this , there ’ s an unknown .
You don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen to these people , ” she said .
Babayan described treating a coronavirus patient who spoke no English .
Through a phone interpreter , Babayan , adapting on-the-fly to treat a virus she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the patient , also fearful of this novel affliction , about her options , including inserting a tube through her mouth to help her breath .
“ She comes in , she can ’ t breathe .
Eighties .
Speaks no English whatsoever .
Her oxygen is tanking , ” Babayan said .
She can barely breathe .
“ I was trying to have a conversation with her to say that this tube might not ever come out , and do you understand the ramifications ?
Do you understand it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die with this tube upstairs ?
” Babayan isn ’ t sure if that woman lived or died .
It ’ s hard to keep track .
She said she hasn ’ t felt so uneasy at work since she entered the field .
“ I worked so hard to get rid of this feeling , to get rid of feeling inadequate , not knowing what to do , ” she said .
“ That ’ s been creeping back in.
” On Saturday , Babayan ’ s only sister was set to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to be a 150-person event , and instead there were just a few — the couple , the parents — who planned to gather , and plant a tree .
Babayan said she ’ d use FaceTime to call in .
She also said it ’ s hard to talk to her family about what work is like these days .
“ If my parents knew the stuff I was doing every day , they ’ d have driven here and camped out , ” she said .
“ I try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I let them know how bad it is ?
” The “ Crisis Standards of Care ” acknowledge that the situation is bad right now .
The document also lays out plans for what happens if it gets worse .
Among the doomsday plans : workers will be allowed to bring in homemade masks , in the event of an even more catastrophic PPE shortage .
But already , there are many begging to be given that permission now .
Codi Natelli , a Colorado Springs woman who ’ s teamed up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks around the state — two layers of polypropylene filter material sandwiched by cotton — said she ’ s been floored by the volume of requests she ’ d gotten from health care workers .
“ I should not have nurses in my driveway in tears because they ’ re not equipped , ” Natelli said .
“ It ’ s in the cover of darkness .
It ’ s so clandestine .
But they just want to get these masks so they can be protected .
”

When Harshal Shah, an internal medicine doctor at Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, gets home from work, he enters through the garage and walks straight to the basement without greeting his wife or 4-year-old son.
He’s treating coronavirus patients and does not want to infect his family. At home, his wife leaves him dinner, and he retrieves it and eats alone in the basement. If they need to talk, they’ll either FaceTime or shout between floors, separated by the staircase.
“It is very hard,” he said. “We’re living with a 4-year-old son, and he’s also scared — scared about what this coronavirus is, why my dad isn’t coming in and playing with me. It’s getting very tough on us.”
As of late this week, at least 9,000 health care workers in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19, and at least 27 have died, amid the outbreak. The state says it doesn’t know how many health care workers have gotten sick, and the Colorado Hospital Association said it isn’t aware of any health care workers who’ve died here.
Many of those working on the front lines in Colorado emergency rooms and ICUs have seen their lives upended. They’re also largely unprotected, due to a critical lack of personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as masks and gowns. The state government’s coronavirus website shows about a quarter of hospitals say they could run out of some PPE within the next week, which is actually an improvement over recent weeks.
A dozen front-line health care workers in Colorado said in interviews this week that they feel a sense of duty right now, but that they do not feel adequately protected.
“You signed up for this work to help people,” said Denver emergency room nurse Kyle Mullica. “You didn’t sign up to sacrifice yourself, to die for them.”
Mullica is also a state representative, and he said he feels obligated to advocate for his colleagues.
“You don’t get into nursing to make millions of dollars and get rich. You care about people and want to help them in difficult times,” he said. “The least that can happen is that you’re able to be protected when you do that, be able to make it home to your family safely. To see where we’re at, the lack of PPE, is concerning, scary and unacceptable. I’ve seen it firsthand.”
“Toe the company line”
Many health care workers who do not have Mullica’s position of power are scared to air their concerns about working conditions. Two health care professionals who said criticizing workplace conditions could get them fired spoke to The Denver Post on condition of anonymity.
One of them, a front-line nurse practitioner, said her colleagues have been feeling uneasy about the volume of visitors accompanying patients at their clinic. They see these patients in roughly 8-by-10-foot rooms, and, with no rapid testing system and limited PPE, having three of more people in a room of that size does not feel safe to many of them. When the nurse practitioner raised this to management, nothing was done. The nurse practitioner said she was told they were acting hysterical.
“The message was to toe the company line and reassure my colleagues,” she said. “But I had no way of reassuring them that they were being protected, or that things were being done that would protect them.
“We have people who have sick family workers at home, and for front-line clinicians it’s hard to hear, ‘We’re thinking about it, we’re working on it.’ Because, meanwhile, we’re seeing 20 patients and their family members every day.”
Another provider, a senior ICU physician for a large hospital system, said that before coronavirus she’d run through a dozen or more disposable plastic gowns per day, discarding them after each use.
“Now,” she said, “the thin plastic gowns are being reused. Outside of one patient room there will be a plastic gown and the provider, nurse, doc, whoever has to go in the room, they put it on, then when they come out they wipe it down with a bleach wipe, and then you have to try to snake your way out of it.”
She continued: “The feeling — and it’s a pretty overwhelming feeling, and it’s very common one right now — is to walk in the hospital and you just know it’s almost like a death sentence. I’m an ICU doctor. I’m not intrinsically afraid. But it’s fear provoking, knowing you’re not protected. There’s no possibility I’m adequately protected. So the only question is have I already gotten (the virus), and if not, if I get it, how sick will I get? That’s the feeling everybody has.”
Darlene Tad-y, the Colorado Hospital Association’s vice president for clinical affairs, did not exactly downplay the severity of the problem.
In an interview Wednesday, Tad-y, who also practices medicine at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, said it speaks volumes that the state’s 81 acute-care hospitals are now operating under a “Crisis Standards of Care” agreement, which lays out protocols for both the present and the worst-case scenario. For now, providers are reusing and sharing PPE, and sanitizing some of it for even more usage.
But, Tad-y said, “The truth is that sufficient and appropriate PPE is really critical to ensuring the safety and health of health care workers and first responders.” And she did not deny that the PPE presently available is neither sufficient or appropriate.
Nor did Gov. Jared Polis, when asked about the crisis at a press conference on Wednesday. Among the many who need PPE right now, front-line health care workers “are the top priority,” he said. Polis said that the state has been working to acquire hundreds of thousands of masks, gowns and other items, and celebrated the fact that Colorado would be receiving 100,000 new masks from Taiwan.
That number sounds bigger than it is, though; it’s not even enough to sustain one full day of statewide operations, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment has said.
Asked whether the PPE situation is expected to improve here, Polis did not directly answer. He simply reiterated that he feels health care workers on the front lines need to be prioritized if and when Colorado receives new PPE.
“I worked so hard to get rid of this feeling”
Compounding profound fears about protective equipment is an unshakeable unease about treating a virus so new and so unstudied.
“I’m seeing young people come in,” said Lisa Marie Babayan, a physician assistant at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, “and they’re people in their 30s, 40s, coming in, and they look one way, you think it’s straightforward, you think you’ve seen it 100 times. Then their vitals are looking worse, they’re not getting better with your supportive care. And you wonder what you’re missing.”
Babayan knows of at least five people she treated who died of coronavirus. The youngest was in their 40s, the oldest in their 80s. One of the five had no underlying health problems.
Though the coronavirus can and does strike and sometimes kill younger people, state and international data show older people at higher risk. The state reports people age 60 and older account for close to 90% of known coronavirus deaths here.
Specializing in women’s cancer treatment, Babayan knows how to talk to people about dying.
“We see it coming. It sucks. I’ve known (patients) for years, and I know it’s going to suck, and I can anticipate that suck. With this, there’s an unknown. You don’t know what’s going to happen to these people,” she said.
Babayan described treating a coronavirus patient who spoke no English. Through a phone interpreter, Babayan, adapting on-the-fly to treat a virus she’s still learning about, tried to talk to the patient, also fearful of this novel affliction, about her options, including inserting a tube through her mouth to help her breath.
“She comes in, she can’t breathe. Eighties. Speaks no English whatsoever. Her oxygen is tanking,” Babayan said. She can barely breathe. “I was trying to have a conversation with her to say that this tube might not ever come out, and do you understand the ramifications? Do you understand it’s very likely you’re going to die with this tube upstairs?”
Babayan isn’t sure if that woman lived or died. It’s hard to keep track. She said she hasn’t felt so uneasy at work since she entered the field.
“I worked so hard to get rid of this feeling, to get rid of feeling inadequate, not knowing what to do,” she said. “That’s been creeping back in.”
On Saturday, Babayan’s only sister was set to get married in Massachusetts. This was supposed to be a 150-person event, and instead there were just a few — the couple, the parents — who planned to gather, and plant a tree. Babayan said she’d use FaceTime to call in.
She also said it’s hard to talk to her family about what work is like these days.
“If my parents knew the stuff I was doing every day, they’d have driven here and camped out,” she said. “I try to downplay what is happening. Why would I let them know how bad it is?”
The “Crisis Standards of Care” acknowledge that the situation is bad right now. The document also lays out plans for what happens if it gets worse. Among the doomsday plans: workers will be allowed to bring in homemade masks, in the event of an even more catastrophic PPE shortage.
But already, there are many begging to be given that permission now. Codi Natelli, a Colorado Springs woman who’s teamed up with hundreds of others to sew and distribute masks around the state — two layers of polypropylene filter material sandwiched by cotton — said she’s been floored by the volume of requests she’d gotten from health care workers.
“I should not have nurses in my driveway in tears because they’re not equipped,” Natelli said. “It’s in the cover of darkness. It’s so clandestine. But they just want to get these masks so they can be protected.”


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--BLM releases plan opening public lands in western Colorado to drilling, and not everyone is happy wi

BLM releases plan opening public lands in western Colorado to drilling, and not everyone is happy with it

Critics of a plan that makes tracts of public lands in western Colorado available to oil and gas drilling say the final insult is its release in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic , when people are dealing with health and economic concerns .
The plan by the Bureau of Land Management , in the works for several years , covers 675,800 surface acres of public lands managed by the federal agency across Montrose , Gunnison , Ouray , Mesa , Delta , and San Miguel counties .
The BLM administers a total of 971,220 acres of minerals , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The North Fork Valley , which has become known for its organic farms , wineries and artists , has been a center of dispute as the BLM wrote a new resource management plan for the area , the first comprehensive update in about three decades .
The new blueprint for managing the public lands managed by the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office was released April 10 and could open up 95 % of the valley to drilling , critics said .
“ The Trump administration dropping this broadly opposed plan now , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds insult to the deep injury many North Fork farms and businesses are already suffering , ” said Pete Kolbenschlag , a Paonia resident and consultant to community groups that campaigned for limiting oil and gas development .
Kolbenschlag and other area residents and elected officials have criticized the BLM for approving a plan that wasn ’ t one of the four widely debated and discussed through the process .
Federal law requires public input into the management plans , providing for formal comment periods and protests .
“ We worked collaboratively with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cooperators .
Public involvement is vital and throughout this effort , BLM provided multiple opportunities for the public to engage , ” BLM spokesman Eric Coulter said in email .
“ The BLM looked at a range of alternatives , including a sub-alternative developed by a group that proposed restricting oil and gas leasing in the North Fork Valley in Delta County.
” But Kolbenschlag said the selected management scenario was sprung on the community in the final environmental assessment .
He said while the plan might contain portions of other proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t get a chance to comment on it like it did the others .
“ It ’ s probably for a court to decide whether the plan is outside the scope of the ( previous ) alternatives , but it ’ s certainly outside the scope of good community relations , ” Kolbenschlag said .
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said the BLM ’ s efforts to address the potential impacts on air and water quality , wildlife and the growing recreation economy were inadequate .
In a statement , Bennet said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a lack of transparency and eleventh hour changes ” from the BLM .
“ While this is a disappointing outcome , I will continue to work with the community on a path forward , ” Bennet said .
The alternative that the BLM chose is being mischaracterized , said Kathleen Sgamma , president of the Western Energy Alliance , an industry organization .
“ BLM took input on the draft , adjusted the alternative based on input from the state , counties , stakeholders , and the general public , and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ input .
That ’ s exactly how the process is supposed to work , ” Sgamma said in an email .
Dan Gibbs , executive director of the state Department of Natural Resources , said the BLM did make changes after Gov .
Jared Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife raised issues .
He said the federal agency agreed to give state wildlife managers more opportunities for input .
The BLM also gave more consideration to important wildlife habitat , including wintering areas for elk , deer and bighorn sheep .
“ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a future statewide planning effort on concerns about the density of development in big game habitat areas , ” Gibbs said .
However , Gibbs said the BLM plan doesn ’ t include a strategy for dealing with the Gunnison sage grouse , a bird listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act .
State wildlife officials are concerned about the bird ’ s plummeting numbers .
And the plan doesn ’ t address new state laws that are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage oil and development in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety and the environment , Gibbs added .

Critics of a plan that makes tracts of public lands in western Colorado available to oil and gas drilling say the final insult is its release in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, when people are dealing with health and economic concerns.
The plan by the Bureau of Land Management, in the works for several years, covers 675,800 surface acres of public lands managed by the federal agency across Montrose, Gunnison, Ouray, Mesa, Delta, and San Miguel counties. The BLM administers a total of 971,220 acres of minerals, including oil and gas, in the area.
The North Fork Valley, which has become known for its organic farms, wineries and artists, has been a center of dispute as the BLM wrote a new resource management plan for the area, the first comprehensive update in about three decades. The new blueprint for managing the public lands managed by the BLM Uncompahgre Field Office was released April 10 and could open up 95% of the valley to drilling, critics said.
“The Trump administration dropping this broadly opposed plan now, in the midst of a pandemic, only adds insult to the deep injury many North Fork farms and businesses are already suffering,” said Pete Kolbenschlag, a Paonia resident and consultant to community groups that campaigned for limiting oil and gas development.
Kolbenschlag and other area residents and elected officials have criticized the BLM for approving a plan that wasn’t one of the four widely debated and discussed through the process. Federal law requires public input into the management plans, providing for formal comment periods and protests.
“We worked collaboratively with a broad range of partners, stakeholders and cooperators. Public involvement is vital and throughout this effort, BLM provided multiple opportunities for the public to engage,” BLM spokesman Eric Coulter said in email. “The BLM looked at a range of alternatives, including a sub-alternative developed by a group that proposed restricting oil and gas leasing in the North Fork Valley in Delta County.”
But Kolbenschlag said the selected management scenario was sprung on the community in the final environmental assessment. He said while the plan might contain portions of other proposals that were discussed, the public didn’t get a chance to comment on it like it did the others.
“It’s probably for a court to decide whether the plan is outside the scope of the (previous) alternatives, but it’s certainly outside the scope of good community relations,” Kolbenschlag said.
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said the BLM’s efforts to address the potential impacts on air and water quality, wildlife and the growing recreation economy were inadequate. In a statement, Bennet said the counties and area residents “were met with a lack of transparency and eleventh hour changes” from the BLM.
“While this is a disappointing outcome, I will continue to work with the community on a path forward,” Bennet said.
The alternative that the BLM chose is being mischaracterized, said Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, an industry organization.
“BLM took input on the draft, adjusted the alternative based on input from the state, counties, stakeholders, and the general public, and then issued a final plan tailored to that input. That’s exactly how the process is supposed to work,” Sgamma said in an email.
Dan Gibbs, executive director of the state Department of Natural Resources, said the BLM did make changes after Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Parks and Wildlife raised issues. He said the federal agency agreed to give state wildlife managers more opportunities for input. The BLM also gave more consideration to important wildlife habitat, including wintering areas for elk, deer and bighorn sheep.
“And we were able to get a commitment for a future statewide planning effort on concerns about the density of development in big game habitat areas,” Gibbs said.
However, Gibbs said the BLM plan doesn’t include a strategy for dealing with the Gunnison sage grouse, a bird listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. State wildlife officials are concerned about the bird’s plummeting numbers.
And the plan doesn’t address new state laws that are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage oil and development in a way that protects public health and safety and the environment, Gibbs added.


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Amid uncertainty on timing and financial constrictions, Rockies ready “to have a draft right now”

Even with all the uncertainty surrounding this year ’ s MLB draft , Rockies scouting director Bill Schmidt says Colorado would be ready “ to have a draft right now.
” That is despite there being no confirmed date for the draft — it could be as early as June 10 or as late as July 20 — and a condensed format that calls for as few as five rounds instead of the usual 40 .
“ We started out scouting last June right after the draft , and we did a lot of good work — visiting guys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , evaluating guys earlier on this year , ” Schmidt said .
“ But we ’ re still doing work , and nobody knows exactly what ’ s going to happen coming out of this .
When they say there ’ s going to be a draft , we ’ ll be ready to go.
” Both Schmidt and MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis don ’ t believe the shortened draft will hurt , or help , the Rockies .
As Schmidt noted , “ every year I ’ ve been involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had five to ten rounds.
” “ I don ’ t think it affects one team more than other teams , because everyone is in the same boat , ” Callis said .
The Rockies , like the other 29 MLB teams , will be working within unique financial restrictions placed on this year ’ s draft due to baseball ’ s indefinite postponement because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Payment of signing bonuses will be delayed , but more significantly , undrafted players will only be eligible for bonuses of $ 20,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level to go up with change to MLB draft That could give teams the upper hand in negotiations with prospects , especially those taken after the opening two rounds .
Amateur players would risk going undrafted and signing for only the $ 20,000 maximum if they told teams they ’ d turn down an offer well below their assigned slot value .
Compare that to last year , when 100 players received six-figure bonuses between the sixth and 10th rounds , and 295 more got six-figure bonuses after the 10th round .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big question : Are those guys who normally would ’ ve gotten six figures going to sign for $ 20,000 ?
” Callis said .
“ If you want to play pro ball , in a lot of cases , you ’ re better off taking $ 20,000 this year because there ’ s no guarantee you ’ re going to get that next year with the draft potentially cut to as few as 20 rounds and MLB considering minor league contraction .
Prospects might just have to wear it , because $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” For the Rockies , longtime national scout Jay Matthews says the shortened draft combined with the $ 20,000 undrafted maximum — previously those players could get up $ 125,000 before counting against their team ’ s bonus pool — is going to put a premium on connections with prospects .
“ Since we ’ re all going to be under the same money figure for free agents , it ’ s going to come down to relationships that the area scouts have established with the prospects , ” Matthews said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a Rockie ?
You trust me ?
’ It ’ s going to come down to like recruiting is in college , more or less.
” Matthews said he and his Colorado colleagues are “ staying in scouting shape ” amid the postponement in a department that includes about 16 area scouts and 22 staffers overall , headed by Schmidt .
“ We ’ re staying in contact with players every day , and among ourselves ( in digital meetings ) we ’ re breaking down players that we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Callis noted scouting for next year ’ s draft could look “ radically different ” — especially if college leagues and high school showcases are shut down this summer and fall — he doesn ’ t expect widespread changes in draft strategy by the Rockies or anyone else this year .
However , Schmidt is preparing his staff for the possibility of a remote draft like the NFL is doing .
“ We ’ ll see what society is doing at the point of the draft , and whatever ( social distancing ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll make the best of it , ” Schmidt said .
The Rockies ’ top three picks come at No .
9 , No .
35 and No .
46 overall .
Should the draft be just five rounds , as Callis believes , Colorado will have six total picks and its bonus pool will be $ 10,319,500 .
The assigned value of its first-round pick is $ 4,949,100 .
Schmidt wouldn ’ t tip his hand on positions of focus for the club , but if recent history is any indication , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and specifically college pitchers , high .
This draft is deep in that regard .
Colorado ’ s drafted a college pitcher with at least one of its first three selections in each of the last four drafts , and the Rockies haven ’ t used their first three selections on all high schoolers since 2015 .
“ We just want good players , and lots of them , ” Schmidt said .
Given recent draft history , here ’ s possible arms the Rockies might be targeting with their first few @

Even with all the uncertainty surrounding this year’s MLB draft, Rockies scouting director Bill Schmidt says Colorado would be ready “to have a draft right now.”
That is despite there being no confirmed date for the draft — it could be as early as June 10 or as late as July 20 — and a condensed format that calls for as few as five rounds instead of the usual 40.
“We started out scouting last June right after the draft, and we did a lot of good work — visiting guys, seeing guys in the summer and fall, evaluating guys earlier on this year,” Schmidt said. “But we’re still doing work, and nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen coming out of this. When they say there’s going to be a draft, we’ll be ready to go.”
Both Schmidt and MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis don’t believe the shortened draft will hurt, or help, the Rockies. As Schmidt noted, “every year I’ve been involved in the draft, we’ve had five to ten rounds.”
“I don’t think it affects one team more than other teams, because everyone is in the same boat,” Callis said.
The Rockies, like the other 29 MLB teams, will be working within unique financial restrictions placed on this year’s draft due to baseball’s indefinite postponement because of the coronavirus pandemic. Payment of signing bonuses will be delayed, but more significantly, undrafted players will only be eligible for bonuses of $20,000 or less.
That could give teams the upper hand in negotiations with prospects, especially those taken after the opening two rounds. Amateur players would risk going undrafted and signing for only the $20,000 maximum if they told teams they’d turn down an offer well below their assigned slot value.
Compare that to last year, when 100 players received six-figure bonuses between the sixth and 10th rounds, and 295 more got six-figure bonuses after the 10th round.
“That’s going to be the big question: Are those guys who normally would’ve gotten six figures going to sign for $20,000?” Callis said. “If you want to play pro ball, in a lot of cases, you’re better off taking $20,000 this year because there’s no guarantee you’re going to get that next year with the draft potentially cut to as few as 20 rounds and MLB considering minor league contraction. Prospects might just have to wear it, because $20,000 may look good come next year.”
For the Rockies, longtime national scout Jay Matthews says the shortened draft combined with the $20,000 undrafted maximum — previously those players could get up $125,000 before counting against their team’s bonus pool — is going to put a premium on connections with prospects.
“Since we’re all going to be under the same money figure for free agents, it’s going to come down to relationships that the area scouts have established with the prospects,” Matthews said. “They can say, ‘You want to be a Rockie? You trust me?’ It’s going to come down to like recruiting is in college, more or less.”
Matthews said he and his Colorado colleagues are “staying in scouting shape” amid the postponement in a department that includes about 16 area scouts and 22 staffers overall, headed by Schmidt.
“We’re staying in contact with players every day, and among ourselves (in digital meetings) we’re breaking down players that we’ve seen,” Matthews said.
While Callis noted scouting for next year’s draft could look “radically different” — especially if college leagues and high school showcases are shut down this summer and fall — he doesn’t expect widespread changes in draft strategy by the Rockies or anyone else this year. However, Schmidt is preparing his staff for the possibility of a remote draft like the NFL is doing.
“We’ll see what society is doing at the point of the draft, and whatever (social distancing) rules we are given, we’ll make the best of it,” Schmidt said.
The Rockies’ top three picks come at No. 9, No. 35 and No. 46 overall. Should the draft be just five rounds, as Callis believes, Colorado will have six total picks and its bonus pool will be $10,319,500. The assigned value of its first-round pick is $4,949,100.
Schmidt wouldn’t tip his hand on positions of focus for the club, but if recent history is any indication, the Rockies will be selecting college players, and specifically college pitchers, high. This draft is deep in that regard. Colorado’s drafted a college pitcher with at least one of its first three selections in each of the last four drafts, and the Rockies haven’t used their first three selections on all high schoolers since 2015.
“We just want good players, and lots of them,” Schmidt said.
Top college pitching prospects
Given recent draft history, here’s possible arms the Rockies might be targeting with their first few picks
Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia; Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M; JT Ginn, RHP, Mississippi State; Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville; Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP, South Carolina; Cole Wilcox, RHP, Georgia; Tanner Burns, RHP, Auburn; Garrett Crochet, LHP, Tennessee; Max Meyer, RHP, Minnesota; CJ Van Eyk, RHP, Florida State; Tommy Mace, RHP, Florida; Cole Henry, RHP, LSU; Kevin Abel, RHP, Oregon State; Cade Cavalli, RHP, Oklahoma; Jeff Criswell, RHP, Michigan; Jake Eder, LHP, Vanderbilt; Chris McMahon, RHP, Miami.


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Ask Amy: Mother of five boys seeks answers

Dear Amy : I have five young sons .
Everywhere I go , people ask me if I ’ m “ done having kids ” or if I ’ m “ going to try for a girl.
” I get these questions from friends , acquaintances , and complete strangers .
I feel that the topic of future reproductive plans is a personal one .
But I am a friendly person , and I end up answering some pretty personal questions , so as not to hurt the feelings of the person asking .
Honestly , I would rather steer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just say , “ We love boys !
” when people ask if I ’ m going to try for a girl , especially when my kids are listening .
People still like to push the question further .
I know I ’ ve hurt at least one person ’ s feelings by trying to change the subject at that point .
I understand that people are curious about our family , but I would rather not discuss whether or not I ’ m done having kids unless I choose to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a friendly way I can steer the conversation ?
Dear Mom : You sound quite patient and understanding — great qualities in a mom of five young boys .
( “ We love boys !
” is a fantastic answer when this intrusive question is raised in front of your children , by the way . )
I ’ m trying to comprehend how a person asking you about your reproductive plans — in front of your kids — could possibly have their feelings hurt when you deftly try to change the subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given that sometimes people who are insensitive ( or merely thoughtless ) toward others are extra-sensitive about themselves .
One way to respond to this sort of query would be to say , “ Haha — aren ’ t you sweet ?
” This is sort of a catch-all ( Southern-born ) phrase that you can plug into almost any awkward conversational gap .
Think of it as conversational caulk .
You could put the inquisitor a little more on the spot by saying ( with a smile ) , “ Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , don ’ t you think ?
” Dear Amy : I am divorced from my ex-husband , “ Barry , ” but he and I remain friends .
He is very open with me .
He has been dating a nice woman for about a year now .
She has some serious health issues , which I can sympathize with because I also have serious health issues .
Barry has been complaining about his girlfriend and the problems she has .
He makes remarks about finding “ a healthy woman.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a “ crush ” on for several years has asked him out .
Barry says he is planning on “ hanging out ” with his crush .
I ’ m angry that he would even consider doing this !
His girlfriend deserves so much better .
I think his girlfriend should be made aware of this , but I ’ m torn .
She is preparing to have major surgery soon .
The last thing she needs is a boyfriend that is not there for her and who is out with someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dear Annoyed : One advantage of moving a spouse into the “ ex-files ” is that you don ’ t necessarily have to engage with them when they are displaying their less attractive qualities .
Your being divorced doesn ’ t give your ex license to display his awfulness to you without consequence .
Furthermore , his choice to complain about his current partner and about their relationship means that he is being more emotionally intimate with you than he is with her .
No , I don ’ t think you should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and she are close friends , your warning would likely be dismissed by her — and dismantled by him .
If you and Barry are truly friends , then as his friend you get to deliver an occasional challenging truth .
You could start with , “ Barry , you are acting like a low-life .
If we weren ’ t already divorced , I ’ d divorce you all over again.
” Dear Amy : I was deeply offended by your response to “ No Thanks.
” This was a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men of different races .
You called her a racist .
That ’ s not being racist .
Dear Offended : It would have been very easy for this woman to simply tell any man who approached her , “ No thank you , ” or “ I ’ m not interested.
” According to her question , she was only looking for a response to repel men of other races .
I don ’ t know the racial identity of the woman who asked this question , but “ I stick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trope , at least in my opinion .

Dear Amy: I have five young sons. Everywhere I go, people ask me if I’m “done having kids” or if I’m “going to try for a girl.” I get these questions from friends, acquaintances, and complete strangers.
I feel that the topic of future reproductive plans is a personal one. But I am a friendly person, and I end up answering some pretty personal questions, so as not to hurt the feelings of the person asking. Honestly, I would rather steer clear of the matter entirely!
Sometimes I just say, “We love boys!” when people ask if I’m going to try for a girl, especially when my kids are listening. People still like to push the question further. I know I’ve hurt at least one person’s feelings by trying to change the subject at that point.
I understand that people are curious about our family, but I would rather not discuss whether or not I’m done having kids unless I choose to bring it up, myself. What is a friendly way I can steer the conversation?
— A Mom
Dear Mom: You sound quite patient and understanding — great qualities in a mom of five young boys. (“We love boys!” is a fantastic answer when this intrusive question is raised in front of your children, by the way.)
I’m trying to comprehend how a person asking you about your reproductive plans — in front of your kids — could possibly have their feelings hurt when you deftly try to change the subject, but I take it as a given that sometimes people who are insensitive (or merely thoughtless) toward others are extra-sensitive about themselves.
One way to respond to this sort of query would be to say, “Haha — aren’t you sweet?” This is sort of a catch-all (Southern-born) phrase that you can plug into almost any awkward conversational gap. Think of it as conversational caulk.
You could put the inquisitor a little more on the spot by saying (with a smile), “Well, that’s a pretty personal question, don’t you think?”
Dear Amy: I am divorced from my ex-husband, “Barry,” but he and I remain friends.
He is very open with me.
He has been dating a nice woman for about a year now. She has some serious health issues, which I can sympathize with because I also have serious health issues.
Barry has been complaining about his girlfriend and the problems she has. He makes remarks about finding “a healthy woman.” He told me that a woman he has had a “crush” on for several years has asked him out.
Barry says he is planning on “hanging out” with his crush.
I’m angry that he would even consider doing this! His girlfriend deserves so much better. I think his girlfriend should be made aware of this, but I’m torn. She is preparing to have major surgery soon. The last thing she needs is a boyfriend that is not there for her and who is out with someone else.
What are your thoughts?
— Annoyed
Dear Annoyed: One advantage of moving a spouse into the “ex-files” is that you don’t necessarily have to engage with them when they are displaying their less attractive qualities.
Your being divorced doesn’t give your ex license to display his awfulness to you without consequence. Furthermore, his choice to complain about his current partner and about their relationship means that he is being more emotionally intimate with you than he is with her.
No, I don’t think you should warn his girlfriend about him. Unless you and she are close friends, your warning would likely be dismissed by her — and dismantled by him.
If you and Barry are truly friends, then as his friend you get to deliver an occasional challenging truth. You could start with, “Barry, you are acting like a low-life. If we weren’t already divorced, I’d divorce you all over again.”
Dear Amy: I was deeply offended by your response to “No Thanks.” This was a woman who didn’t want to date men of different races. You called her a racist. That’s not being racist.
— Offended
Dear Offended: It would have been very easy for this woman to simply tell any man who approached her, “No thank you,” or “I’m not interested.”
According to her question, she was only looking for a response to repel men of other races.
I don’t know the racial identity of the woman who asked this question, but “I stick to my own kind” is a racist trope, at least in my opinion.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Idaho Springs mayor arrested as suspect in domestic violence case

The mayor of Idaho Springs was arrested Friday as part of a domestic violence investigation .
Officers were called about @ @ @ @ @ of Mayor Michael Hillman on a report of a disturbance , police said in a @ @ @ @ @ same time , an officer responded to Courtney Riley Cooper Park , where Hillman ’ @ @ @ @ @ about the disturbance in their home.
” The allegations and offenses “ constitute family violence @ @ @ @ @ ’ s marital status , the release said .
Hillman was arrested on suspicion of @ @ @ @ @ police said , and booked into the Clear Creek County jail .

The mayor of Idaho Springs was arrested Friday as part of a domestic violence investigation.
Officers were called about 3 p.m. to the home of Mayor Michael Hillman on a report of a disturbance, police said in a news release. About the same time, an officer responded to Courtney Riley Cooper Park, where Hillman’s wife gave “information about the disturbance in their home.”
The allegations and offenses “constitute family violence” because of the couple’s marital status, the release said.
Hillman was arrested on suspicion of harassment and criminal mischief, police said, and booked into the Clear Creek County jail.


thedenverpost--2020-04-18--Body of avalanche victim is recovered from Red Peak in Summit County

The body of a backcountry skier who died in an avalanche was recovered Friday and taken off Red Peak in a seven-hour operation that included use of a helicopter and a six-member team on skis .
The Summit County Rescue Group completed the recovery with the aid of a Flight for Life helicopter , according to an announcement Friday .
The avalanche happened Wednesday in a couloir known as Oh What Big Eyes You Have , according to the rescue group .
The victim , whose identity has not been released , was in a party of three that climbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 miles west of Silverthorne .
The avalanche struck as the three were descending .
Friday ’ s recovery was described as a two-pronged operation using the helicopter with two team members and a rescue dog .
A ground team of six members went in on skis .
Two members of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center , one in the helicopter and one skier , were at the scene to “ conduct an accident investigation.
” The Friday operation , under good weather conditions , started about 7 a.m. and finished about 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The sheriff ’ s office took part in the mission .
Authorities expressed “ sincere condolences ” to the family and friends of the victim .

The body of a backcountry skier who died in an avalanche was recovered Friday and taken off Red Peak in a seven-hour operation that included use of a helicopter and a six-member team on skis.
The Summit County Rescue Group completed the recovery with the aid of a Flight for Life helicopter, according to an announcement Friday.
The avalanche happened Wednesday in a couloir known as Oh What Big Eyes You Have, according to the rescue group.
The victim, whose identity has not been released, was in a party of three that climbed Red Peak, a 13,000-foot summit about 5 miles west of Silverthorne. The avalanche struck as the three were descending.
Friday’s recovery was described as a two-pronged operation using the helicopter with two team members and a rescue dog. A ground team of six members went in on skis. Two members of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, one in the helicopter and one skier, were at the scene to “conduct an accident investigation.”
Wintry weather and adverse avalanche conditions delayed the recovery.
The Friday operation, under good weather conditions, started about 7 a.m. and finished about 2 p.m., according to a news release.
The sheriff’s office took part in the mission. Authorities expressed “sincere condolences” to the family and friends of the victim.