Dozens of people gathered hours before Lakewood’s city council meeting Monday night, and as the meeting time approached, the chambers and overflow areas were full, with people sitting all the way up the staircase going up to the second floor of the city administration building.
It was an unusual scene at city council but it was an example of something becoming more common in Colorado’s cities. Along the Front Range, some residents see Denver spending large sums of money in order to support new immigrants, and are increasingly voicing concerns the same will happen in their cities. In El Paso County, commissioners declared the area would not become a “sanctuary,” and in Aurora councilors also heard concerns on the issue Monday night.
In all these places, the concerns are largely premature, since neither Lakewood, Aurora nor Colorado Springs has taken steps like opening shelters or providing significant monetary assistance to arriving immigrants. But the residents voicing concerns also see their opposition as preemptive: In Lakewood, they want city leaders to take steps to actively deter people from coming, for example by ramping up policing.
Denver has helped 38,505 new immigrants who have arrived since late 2022, spending about $42 million on temporary shelter and other services. Thousands of the new immigrants have chosen to move onto other cities. Some have gone to Aurora, where a coalition of nonprofits has provided services. On Feb. 9, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced temporary cuts to some city services in order to fund the immigration response.
In dozens of public comments and in interviews outside council chambers, people expressed fears about crime and the costs of pubic services and housing.
Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteA man holds a sign during Lakewood City Council’s weekly meeting, in which immigration is a central topic, though it’s not actually an item on the agenda. Feb. 12, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteAn overflow area for people attending Lakewood City Council’s weekly meeting, in which immigration is a central topic, though it’s not actually an item on the agenda. Feb. 12, 2024.
Resident Dawn Austin spoke to the council, saying, “What you see tonight is informed voters who have watched Denver’s decline, and don’t want the same here.” A couple dozen people in the crowd waved their hands in the air in support. A few of the signs in the crowd read, “Don’t Denver Our Lakewood.”
Others said they didn’t like getting approached in grocery store parking lots and at intersections by new immigrants who were looking for work or to wash windshields. Many referred to the newcomers as “illegal immigrants,” although some are utilizing the limited legal means available to try to stay in the country, like seeking asylum.
“This community cannot afford this,” said Ramey Johnson, a former city councilwoman who has helped organize the people voicing concerns. “It’s not that we are not a compassionate community. We are,” Johnson said. “But we cannot care for the world.”
Outside the building, Lori Cutunilli said she came despite the fact that she doesn’t live in Lakewood. She lives in Summit County and worries “if they can push it out into Lakewood, they’re going to push it out everywhere around our state.” She held a sparkly sign with one word on it: Recall. She said she hasn’t started any recall effort, but she wanted to send a message.
A smaller but equally passionate group of residents showed up to voice their support for homeless services and the compassionate treatment of new immigrants. Some stood outside with monarch butterfly pins and capes, a symbol of migration.
Sandie Weathers said she is a daughter of an immigrant from Mexico. About the newcomers, she said, “These folks are just trying to survive.” She said she appreciates concerns about how taxpayer money is spent, but she believes the U.S. owns part of the responsibility for creating the circumstances that have driven people to leave their home countries.
She says she has experienced racism firsthand in Lakewood, and sees it in the opposition to those arriving from Central and South America. “That’s really why I’m out here today, because I don’t want that narrative to win.”
“Anybody who would fight for the impoverishment, the hunger, the desolation of another human being, they need to re-look at their life, in my opinion,” said Amber Varwig. “Migrants have traveled so far trying to achieve something that all of us take for granted. And I think it’s ok to say, ‘How about rights for me, and rights for thee?’”
Rachel Estabrook/CPR NewsLakewood resident Sandie Weathers rallied outside the City Council in support of new immigrants on Feb. 12, 2024. Since monarch butterflies migrate along a similar path as some people do, they have become a common symbol of support.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteLakewood City Council members walk out of their weekly meeting after a slew of public commenters called in with antisemetic comments. Feb. 12, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveritePeople raise their hands to express agreement with Wendy Shrader, who is testifying to Lakewood City Council against helping immigrants who might arrive in the city. Feb. 12, 2024.
The opposition started over a meeting between Lakewood and Denver leaders about arriving immigrants.
In January, Lakewood’s city council asked city staff to meet with representatives from Denver, “to determine how Lakewood can learn about the migrant crisis and discuss potential opportunities to partner as a good neighbor responding to the increasing migrant population arriving in Denver,” according to city council.
The premise of the meeting raised alarm bells for some people who speculated on what it could mean to be “a good neighbor.” They suggested, for example, that city or county resources could be used to house new immigrants, and they suspected that a new homeless services center in Lakewood, which was partly funded by state grants, could be a response to Denver’s overwhelmed shelters.
Mayor Wendi Strom said the homeless navigation center has been in the works for a long time and is not specifically meant to serve new immigrants. City councilors said just nine people served so far have been newly arrived immigrants.
In response to the residents’ concerns, which were voiced at a recent meeting, Lakewood put out a statement this month “regarding incorrect community information.” It said Lakewood was not planning to offer housing, and that no one on city council had proposed becoming a “sanctuary city” — a term that has no legal definition but has become politically divisive between those who want strict immigration enforcement, and those who want to allow undocumented people some of the same privileges as other residents.
During Monday’s meeting and in a memo posted online, Lakewood’s city manager reported to the council that “Lakewood is not being solicited for hotel/motel or congregate housing support.”
City councilors explained that the city and county are not even discussing the possibility of housing people in vacant school buildings. Council member Richard Olver says he has taken the concerns seriously and investigated the question, and concluded “we are not talking about doing that at all,” noting that zoning doesn’t allow it. But despite his assurances, some residents remained convinced there was a plan for housing and resources.
The staff report also indicated that while Denver is actively helping new immigrants travel to other U.S. cities and states where the new immigrants want to go, Denver’s metro-area neighbors are not among the participating cities.
Instead, staff say, Denver has asked Lakewood for two things: get the word out about resources that Denver has made available; and encourage Lakewood residents to volunteer and/or donate to Denver’s established programs.
Residents could choose to become host families for new immigrants; donate certain in-demand items of clothing; volunteer for the city or for nonprofits or faith-based organizations involved in the response; or donate money. State and Denver leaders have encouraged donating to the Newcomers Fund, which is distributing money to organizations.
Tanya Lasko lives in Lakewood and sat in the audience at city council Monday night. She has donated suitcases, blankets and water bottles through the social networking site NextDoor to support new immigrants, and attended Monday’s meeting to hear what Denver and Lakewood had discussed, and whether Lakewood had already made a decision about if or how it would respond.
Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteLakewood City Council members Roger Low and and Isabel Cruz wear butterfly pins on their lapels, signifying their support of immigrants arriving in the state, as people testify at Council’s weekly meeting to express their opposition to the city possibly helping those immigrants. Feb. 12, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteMichelle White testifies at Lakewood City Council’s weekly meeting, expressing her opposition to help newly arrived immigrants during a hearing about possible funding for a resource center for people experiencing homelessness. Feb. 12, 2024.
“I’m encouraged to find out that Lakewood has not agreed to anything at this point. I like the fact that they gave us ways to participate in the problem if we want to; that they didn’t decide that we have to help, but we are given lots of options to be helpful if we want to choose that,” she said.
Lakewood does not plan to spend money on services for new immigrants, according to the mayor.
Strom said in an interview with CPR News that she has gotten “so many” emails from residents, and the message she’s getting is, “People want to feel like their services are not going to be cut because of Lakewood now spending money on people that are brand new and from a completely different country.”
The newcomers interviewed by CPR News have said they are seeking safer lives in the U.S., as well as economic opportunities to better their families’ lives. Many plan to apply for asylum, but will likely wait several years to get a hearing, and are sometimes not eligible to work legally in the meantime.
While Lakewood is not committing resources, Strom said the city does support efforts to get the federal government more involved in the response. She said a group of Colorado mayors is sending a letter to the state’s representatives in Washington to ask for more federal funding, legal services for new immigrants, and accelerated work authorizations.
The desire for more federal leadership was echoed by residents on both sides of the issue Monday night. Those opposed to serving new immigrants want President Biden to own the current situation. And Weathers, who wants to support new immigrants, said she wants the federal government to take the lead, but “Lakewood is kind of stuck in the middle, but we have to do what we can.”
A recent effort to reform federal immigration laws died in Congress.
Lakewood’s disinterest in supporting new immigrants belies its liberal city government.
Lakewood residents elected Strom in November 2023 with the support of several prominent Colorado Democrats. Democratic candidates also won the five city council races on the city’s November ballot. Several of them wore butterfly pins on their lapels Monday night.
But voters in Colorado’s fifth largest city, just west of Denver, have also supported ballot measures with more conservative and libertarian leanings, like in 2019 when voters approved a “strategic growth” plan to control the construction of apartments and other housing and rejected municipal trash services.
Strom believes some longtime Lakewood residents specifically moved there because it was not a big city. As the whole metro area has grown, “they’re being faced with city related problems, whether it be traffic or crime or just lots of people, right?” she said, adding that some of the people she’s heard from recently about new immigrants are people who have historically been active in campaigns to limit growth.
That tension was apparent Monday night, and will continue to be heard throughout 2024, as immigration is a dominant issue in the presidential election.
Kevin J. Beaty/DenveriteGlen Newell testifies at Lakewood City Council’s weekly meeting, expressing his support for helping immigrants who may arrive in the city from the southern border and admonishing neighbors who came to oppose that support. Feb. 12, 2024.
Kelvin from Denver writes, “What’s driving you crazy? When driving on I-225 northbound going over Iliff Ave, the transition between the bridge and far side has a very abrupt “dip,” which is especially noticeable in the left lane.”
I am all too familiar with that bump and when you hit it depending on your speed, it can feel like you are going to be launched into the Carrabba’s parking lot. The cause of that dip is created when the bridge was constructed.
When a bridge is built, it is set on pilings that are set deep in the ground. The roadway that approaches the bridge isn’t laid down on such a sturdy base so there is a tendency for the soil right next to the bridge structure to settle. It is that settling that causes that dip to form just before or just after the bridge structure. One such spot is along northbound I-25 at University Blvd. Vehicles in the right lane take a substantial dip down due to the soils settling there more than the soils in the left lanes.
Sometimes the problem can stem due to when the structure and approaches were constructed. As we all know in Colorado, temperatures fluctuate greatly from day to day and from night to day. Concrete cures slightly differently depending on the temperature so if the bridge was constructed over several seasons, the soils could have expanded and shifted leading to the creation of the dip.
Another compounding factor is that the bridge beams are set with a slight rise and fall. This is to dissipate the tension caused by the weight of the material and traffic rolling over it. That design is not just stronger than a level flat design but helps with runoff and height clearance for tall trucks that run beneath it. When a dip forms before the bridge structure, that slight angle up for drivers can compound the feeling of rising up from that dip.
The way to prevent this problem is to make sure the fill material is packed to the point where the dip does not form. One way to fix this problem after the dip forms is to remove the road surface, add more material, pack it down well and then resurface the roadway. All of that takes time and, more of an issue for CDOT, money.
CDOT engineers tell me they are currently designing a bridge preventative maintenance project for the entire 225 corridor. That project will replace many of the bridge joints in this area which can themselves be bumpy. CDOT is also hoping to address some of the other safety issues that require surface treatment, like that major dip at 225 pending additional funding. That project is expected to begin in the summer of 2024.
Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He’s obsessed with letting viewers know what’s happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook,Twitter or Instagram or listen to his Driving You Crazy podcast on any podcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify and Podbean.
Dear Amy: My father is on the far side of a debilitating and eventually terminal neurological disorder. He’s not able to dress himself anymore, his language is mostly gone, and it’s generally sad and depressing all around. My mother is his full-time caregiver, and my siblings and I all live in different states.
I am often asked by friends, extended family, coworkers etc., “How’s your dad doing?” or, “How are your parents?,” especially after I return from a visit home.
After years of trying to spin things more positively than truthfully, I’ve been defaulting lately to, “Not good” or “He’s worse; he’ll never be better.”
These responses typically make people grimace or apologize. I certainly don’t intend to bring on this response.
My question to you: Is there a better way to answer this question honestly without being a real Debbie Downer?
The people asking already know about his condition, so they aren’t expecting sunshine and rainbows, but I know that just because I’ve fully accepted how bad things are doesn’t mean other people want an honest answer from me.
Follow up question: When people apologize regarding his condition, how am I supposed to respond?
I usually shrug and say that I’m at peace with the situation, but again, this seems needlessly awkward and often makes me feel (and probably appear) callous.
— Depressing (but not depressed!) Daughter
Dear Daughter: I’m so sorry you are going through this.
Do you perceive that statement as an apology? Because it is not. In this context, “I’m sorry” is an expression of commiseration and empathy. Your friends are saying “I’m sorry this is happening.” Because they are.
(Occasionally, people delivering tough personal news respond to an “I’m sorry” response by saying, “Why? It’s not your fault,” and this is a dismissive response to a person who is trying to be kind.)
Does telling the truth about your father’s condition make you a “Debbie Downer”? No.
“Woe is me, I don’t deserve this, every visit home is a depressing nightmare for me and nobody is stepping up to help” is how Debbie would spin her tale.
You suppose that your local friends and extended family members “don’t want” an honest answer to their polite queries, but I think they do want your honesty, even if the unvarnished truth makes them feel inadequate in the moment.
You can encourage further communication (if that’s what you want), not by shrugging, but by saying, “Thank you so much for always asking about my folks. I really appreciate it, even when the news isn’t good.”
Dear Amy: When people die, are items their children (or grandchildren) gave them considered property of the parents, or are the items given back to whomever gave them to the deceased?
Example: A grandchild gave grandparents a valuable item years ago.
The grandchild slept in the house for a couple of days after the funeral.
When they left, they took the item off the wall and took it with them.
Also, one of the grandparent’s children visited the house and took some items that their sibling had given to the grandparent.
What is considered the proper etiquette in this situation?
— Wondering
Dear Wondering: This isn’t an etiquette question. It’s more about theft, really.
The grandparents’ belongings are property of the estate, and should be left in the home until the estate is settled. The executor or administrator of the estate is in charge of administering the will and the process of dispersing possessions.
The best way to divide possessions is with the heirs’ full assent and cooperation.
If a grandparent left her property to her children, ideally these children would gather in the house and peacefully divide possessions according to an organized system (my family used a lottery system).
Yes, gifts given to the deceased are often returned to the person who gave them, but it is vital that the heirs agree to this.
Removing things from the home without the knowledge or agreement of the heirs leads to problems. And occasionally – lawsuits.
Dear Amy: “Alarmed Wife” was concerned because her older husband was private messaging with a much younger woman on Facebook.
Thank you for pointing out that this is likely a “catfish.” You didn’t suggest the ongoing ramifications of this, however. Catfish scams are popular, and they often lead to financial abuse.
Alarmed should carefully check their bank accounts. This scam often leads to requests for money or gift cards. How do I know? I got scammed!
— Been There
Dear Been There: Great advice. Thank you.
(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.)
A report from the city manager stated that Lakewood is not being solicited for housing for the new arrivals, instead urging citizens to volunteer or donate to help alleviate the crisis.
Before the city council meeting on Monday, a group of individuals wearing butterfly attire gathered out front as a sign of support for the migrant community. There was also an opposing group, holding signs and voicing displeasure with the possibility of migrants being housed in the city.
At some point, Lakewood City Council will vote on whether to continue talks with Denver.
Denver City Council fled a rowdy in-person meeting on Monday night, retreating online to vote against a proclamation declaring Denver’s commitment to human rights and support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
It was council’s blunt answer to months of protests by pro-Palestinian activists demanding city government take action on a war thousands of miles away.
Proponents said the city had a moral obligation to take a stand against the mass killing of civilians and genocide, and that the proclamation reflected the violence both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
Some opponents of the declaration worried it would stoke antisemitism, while others described the statement as divisive at a time when the city needed to unite to address a variety of pressing issues, from homelessness to budget cuts.
Not all Palestinian rights advocates thought the declaration went far enough.
Abdullah Elagha, who has lost family members in the war, described the failed proclamation as “watered down,” though he was appalled Council rejected it.
Other pro-Palestinian advocates echoed that sentiment, frustrated that the proclamation omitted the word “occupation” to describe the Israeli state.
The crowd in the City Council chambers was loudly supportive of Palestinians, often drowning out the voices of the proclamation’s opponents.
The declaration was proposed after months of protests, marches and even disrupted City Council meetings.
The document condemned both the Oct. 7 attack and the ensuing displacement of two million Palestinians, the lack of medicine and fuel in hospitals, homelessness, starvation, and disease caused by Israel’s war on Hamas.
“Over 1,200 people in Israel and more than 22,000 people in Gaza have been killed in a matter of weeks, of whom over 8,000 are children, and countless others have been injured, traumatized, or left grieving loved ones,” the proclamation stated.
It cited the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the International Rescue Committee’s calls for a permanent ceasefire to explain the necessity of the proclamation.
“Hundreds of Denverites have lost loved ones in this conflict and hundreds more continue to fear for the lives of loved ones living in Gaza or held hostage there, living in Israel, and living in the West Bank,” the proclamation stated.
Among the demands in the declaration were the following: “An immediate bilateral ceasefire; release of all hostages taken in Israel and of all arbitrarily detained Palestinian prisoners; the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza; the restoration of food, water, electricity, and medical supplies to Gaza; respect for international law and principles of human rights; adherence to U.S. law regarding arms transfers; and funding to alleviate humanitarian crises.”
Had it passed, the letter would have been sent to Colorado’s congressional delegate, Gov. Jared Polis, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ahead of the vote, the Jewish Community Relations Council urged its supporters to tell City Council members that council has no business weighing in on geopolitics.
“I do not recall the Denver City Council issuing proclamations for a ceasefire in regards to other recent global atrocities perpetuated by the likes of the Sudanese against the citizens of the Darfur region, the Chinese against the Uighurs, the Syrian Alawites against their fellow Syrians, the Tigray War in Ethiopia, and so forth, so I have to wonder why this conflict falls inside the scope of council while the others do not,” JCRC asked supporters to tell City Council.
Yet City Council has weighed in on geopolitics. In March of 2022, City Council unanimously passed a proclamation in support of the Ukrainian people that also condemned Russia’s invasion.
Ultimately, JRCR encouraged council to create a more local proclamation that addressed the suffering Denverites with connections to Israelis and Palestinians are experiencing.
“If you feel you must respond to the community’s pain around the issues of Israel-Hamas, please propose a proclamation that recognizes the pain these communities are feeling right now, right here in Denver instead of proclaiming your opinions of international affairs,” members wrote Council.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Councilmembers spoke their minds on the issue before voting.
Bill co-sponsor and At-Large Councilmember Sarah Parady condemned the scale of violence Israel has unleashed on the Palestinian people and detailed how the United States has supported the Israeli military.
She also strongly condemned antisemitism and cautioned people not to conflate criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza with a hatred of Jews.
She spoke directly to the Jewish Denverites who had opposed to proclamation.
“This is not a room that is filled with hate for you. This is a room that is filled with grief,” Parady said.
District 8 City Councilmember Shontel Lewis, another co-sponsor, argued the city must condemn genocide, a message cheered by Pro-Palestinian Denverites.
“The eradication of a population cannot be witnessed in silence,” she said. “Every person has a responsibility to say stop.”
Denver is not isolated from other cities, she argued, and so the city should take a stand.
“Decisions made on the other side of the world will affect our city,” Lewis said.
Several dozen U.S. cities have passed resolutions supporting a ceasefire, including Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco. Advocates have been pushing city councils in Boulder, Fort Collins and elsewhere in Colorado to pass similar resolutions.
District 6 Councilmember Paul Kashmann, who is Jewish, has been a vocal proponent of a permanent ceasefire.
“The continuation of this war is in no one’s best interest – not for Israelis and not for anyone in Gaza,” Kashmann told the crowd.
Yet, ultimately, he didn’t support the proclamation.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
District 4 Councilmember Diana Romero Campbell described the proclamation as divisive and said that both sides wanted peace.
“We want liberation,” shouted a Palestinian advocate.
District 5 City Councilmember Amanda Sawyer said she would have preferred a more locally-focused statement that would have dodged Denver getting involved in geopolitics beyond supporting residents from all sides of the issue.
“I wish this proclamation said, ‘We see you, residents of Denver, hurting: Whether you are Palestinian or Jewish,’” she said.
The crowd jeered so loudly during Sawyer’s remarks that District 3 Councilmember and Council President Jamie Torres declared a recess, and the council members conducted the rest of the meeting virtually, while advocates watched on TVs in the chamber.
Ultimately, City Council voted 8-4 against the proclamation.
Supporters included co-sponsors Parady and Lewis, along with Torres and At-Large Councilmember Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez.
Opponents included Sawyer, Romero Campbell, Amanda Sandoval, Darrell Watson, Flor Alvidrez, Kevin Flynn, Stacie Gilmore and Paul Kashmann.
Councilmember Chris Hinds’ vote was not tallied during the roll call.
“We as a community are relieved that Denver City Council decided not to take steps to further divide our community by not advancing this proclamation today,” said Dan Leshem, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, in a statement. “At a time when antisemitic incidents are on the rise both in Colorado and nationally, the city of Denver has already devoted too much time working on a ceasefire proclamation that will not help Jews or Muslims feel any safer here at home, and will not do anything to help Palestinian or Israeli civilians thousands of miles away.”
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
After council voted down the proclamation, several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in the fourth-floor hallway of the City and County Building, decrying what several said was a “spineless” vote by Council and discussing next steps, including pushing other city councils statewide to make ceasefire proclamations.
They read an alternative statement more to their liking dubbed “The People’s Proclamation” that called for an “end to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine,” a permanent ceasefire and the “right of return” for people to properties now under Israel’s control.
The chant “Free Palestine” echoed through the building as City Council wrapped up its municipal business online.
DENVER — Inside MyKings Ice Cream, the owner and two environmental designers are opening up boxes and boxes of supplies.
“It’s kind of like Christmas all over again,” said Amber Barbella, the owner of Diversion Designers, a locally-based waste consulting company, as she opened up a box of new serviceware for the ice cream shop.
Instead of a holiday, it’s more like spring cleaning for the shop’s owner Leday Grant. She’ll be moving all of her one-time use items like paper ice cream cups and plastic spoons into storage, and replacing them with something reusable.
Customers will soon get their ice cream in sundae dishes with real silverware. Even popcorn bags have been swapped out for reusable popcorn buckets. All of it can be washed and used over and over again.
“You think about seeing 10 customers a day, that’s 10 cups. If they want to leave with it, that’s 10 lids and also the spoons,” said Grant, “It’s at least a $10,000 saving just by having the reusable products. That’s going to make a tremendous change.”
Every dollar counts for small business owners. The cost of all of the brand new reusable serviceware to Grant? Not a single penny.
“We knew we were going to have fees coming in from the bag free program and we can reinvest those fees in the community,” said Becky Goyton with Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency.
Since 2021, the City of Denver has collected $5 million in fees from the $.10 everyone pays for bags at the store. About $100,000 of it is now available for small businesses who want to get rid of their one-time use serviceware and upgrade to something more sustainable.
“Every business will get a one-on-one consultation before we develop a purchasing plan,” said Barbella. Diversion Designers has teamed up with the City of Denver on the initiative.
The businesses will receive up to $600 to buy reusable to match their specific vibe. The designers work with the business owner to make sure the choices fit the resturants’ needs and aesthetic to help ensure it’s a long-term commitment.
Applicants need to have onsite dining to be able to apply. Priority is given to women and/or minority-owned businesses.
“Knowing that your 10 cents is going toward a small business, a portion of it is going to a small business, helps bring you in again,” said Grant.
Click here to apply for the pilot program. There are 35 total spots.
“A little bit goes along way”
Just south, in Englewood, small businesses are also getting a boost from the bag ban.
“Our whole concept was built on local food sustainability and minimizing impact on the environment,” said George Gastis of Grow + Gather.
From their inception, they’ve used more eco-friendly options for their to-go containers like recyclable plastic or compostable boxes.
Restaurants across the state are now required to follow suit with a styrofoam ban in effect. Establishments can use up whatever stock they have left first.
The City of Englewood has collected about $100,000 in bag fees. They are using $18,000 to reimburse restaurants for their sustainable container choices and to help a few others make the transition.
Four businesses, including Grow + Gather, who were already using more sustainable to-go containers were given a reimbursement of $500 as “Waste Reduction Leaders.” Two additional businesses, one from Englewood and one from Sheridan, were given the reimbursement to help cover the cost of transitioning away from using styrofoam.
“The biggest benefit of the grant is the obvious, that they have to do it anyway. So then they can utilize some city funding to help them with the transition,” said Melissa Englund, the Sustainability Coordinator for Englewood & Sheridan. “I would say at a bigger scale, a benefit of getting rid of polystyrene products is, it’s really bad for the environment. There’s no way to actually recycled polystyrene. So it just builds up. It’s also really bad for human health, especially if it’s in contact with heat.”
It’s an effort to make things a bit easier on small businesses that are hoping to take care of their customers and the environment.
“A little bit goes a long way. I think this is just probably the beginning of what’s going to become a little higher criteria for how we run our businesses,” said Gastis.
“This is one step to make Colorado a more green place for everyone,” said Grant.
The current application process for Englewood’s pilot program is closed but they say they do plan to open up more spots later this year. The application can be found by clicking here.
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The RTD will reopen the Downtown Boulder Station lobby on Feb. 19 after over a year of renovations to replace the building’s interior ductwork, which was contaminated with methamphetamines last year.
The inside of the station at 1800 14th St. in Boulder was closed last January after an investigation into strong odors emitting from a restroom revealed levels of meth exceeding Center for Disease Control limits, according to Regional Transportation District news releases. Residue was also detected in the ductwork and was impossible to clean out, necessitating a full replacement of the ventilation system.
“The collective goal of all employees involved in this project was to ensure the station could be reopened in a safe condition,” said RTD General Manager and CEO Debra Johnson in a Monday release. “While illicit drug abuse is a societal issue that is not unique to RTD, it is our responsibility to provide employees and the public with a space that is clean and welcoming to inhabit.”
The agency spent $295,000 on external contractors to remediate the methamphetamine contamination, including testing for contamination, repairing areas affected by replacing all ductwork and repainting the station interiors, said Project Manager Pauline Haberman.
The new ducts installed in the station have exterior insulation, allowing for the insides to be cleaned, the release noted. Additionally, restroom ventilation was improved with more powerful exhaust fans that will keep smoke within those spaces.
The RTD also gave the lobby of the station a refresh, repainting the walls, adding a new coating to the benches and deep cleaning and sealing the main tile floor.
The agency will use its police department — now made up of many sworn officers instead of a traditionally contracted security agency — to proactively reduce potentially dangerous situations, Haberman said.
Travelers headed to and from Denver International Airport on the A Line on Saturday should plan on taking shuttles between 3 – 8:15 a.m.
That’s when the Regional Transportation District is doing maintenance on controls and power lines near the trains.
The shuttles will run between 40th Ave. & Airport Blvd./Gateway Park station and the airport. Trains will run as normal between Union Station and 40th Ave. & Airport Blvd./Gateway Park.
After the maintenance is completed, the first train with full service will leave Union Station at 8:15 a.m. and then depart the airport at 9:12 a.m.
DENVER (KDVR) — The Boulder metropolitan area has the highest percentage of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher in the U.S., according to U.S. Census data.
The census gathered data on people who are over 25 years old and have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree. In the Boulder area, this is an estimated 63.2% of the population.
The area includes the city of Boulder itself, as well as surrounding communities including Lafayette, Louisville and Longmont. An estimated 327,000 people live in the area.
Unsurprisingly, the area is home to the University of Colorado Boulder, the largest university in the state by enrollment.
Fort Collins, home of Colorado State University, also appeared in the top 10, at No. 8, with 52.9% of the population having a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The following are the top 10 areas with the highest percentage of people 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher:
Boulder metropolitan area – 63.2%
Ithica, New York metropolitan area – 60.4%
Ann Arbor, Michigan metro area – 57.9%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California metro area – 55.8% (tie)
DENVER — Every week, Heather Schelble delivers meals to seniors at the Denver Silvercrest apartments. She often brings her sons, 5-year-old Jules and 2-year-old Stone to visit with residents like Gil Struck.
“I just feel so grateful for the opportunity to take my boys and teach them how to give back,” Schelble said.
Golden woman delivers meals with a side of heart for Valentine’s Day
When she saw how much her clients enjoyed seeing the children, Heather decided she could bring more joy by recruiting the help of kids in her community. During the holidays, she collected more than 900 cards and letters from local preschools, elementary and middle schools, mostly in her Golden area. She is doing the same thing for Valentine’s Day, asking kids to send messages of love and friendship.
“They’re just so touching the things these children say,” Schelble said, showing off some of the valentines she has collected so far.
The sweet cards, complete with their misspellings and backwards letters, are reminders of the innocence and good in the world.
“It makes me happy to know that there are still young people out there that care about us,” Struck said.
The valentines Schelble collected will go to clients throughout the metro through the VOA Meals on Wheels program.
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A cyberattack on the Office of Colorado State Public Defender has forced the office to shut down its computer network, locking public defenders across the state out of critical work systems.
Colorado public defenders do not have access to their work computers, are unable to access court dockets or court filings and can’t do any significant work for clients in court, according to internal emails reviewed by The Denver Post.
Office spokesman James Karbach confirmed the breach in a statement Monday, saying officials “recently became aware that some data within our computer system was encrypted by malware.”
Karbach did not say how long the public defender’s office expects to be shut down or when the attack happened, but emails sent to public defenders indicate the statewide office is effectively “non-operational” and the outage could last as long as a week.
The “cyber security incident” was underway by about 11 a.m. Friday, according to an emailed notice sent from the Colorado Judicial Department’s Information and Technology Service’s to judges and judicial personnel. The notice indicates that the cyberattack does not pose a threat to the wider court system.
“As a preventative measure, we temporarily disabled our computer network and are working to safely and securely bring systems back online,” Karbach said. “Our operations will be limited while the network is offline.”
MAKfam’s Lunar New Year menu will include Longevity Noodles, salt baked chicken, and “Mama Wan’s XO Turnip Cake.”
Paolo Zialcita/CPR News
Those dining at MAKfam for its sold-out Lunar New Year celebration dinner will notice a common denominator in the dishes and drinks they’ll be serving those nights: the ingredient commonly known as MSG.
Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a naturally occurring salt found in food like tomatoes and mushrooms. It was first isolated as its own ingredient in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who wanted to capture the savory taste of kombu, a seaweed often used to create dashi broth.
“We use it in our food as a flavor enhancer to enhance the savoriness of a dish,” said MAKfam co-owner and general manager Doris Yuen.
This Lunar New Year, the first since Colorado designated it an official holiday, Yuen and her husband, chef Kenneth Wan, wanted to put together a special menu that showcases what they like to eat. They settled on using MSG as a common theme in the menu after a follower on Instagram complained about the restaurant’s use of the ingredient.
“There’s still a lot of misconception and misrepresentation of MSG where we felt like we really need to highlight the use of this ingredient and show people, ‘Hey, MSG is in foods that you eat all the time, and it makes things taste very good,’ but that’s really it. It’s not bad for you,” Yuen said.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
For decades, some have blamed MSG for a variety of symptoms reported after eating at Chinese restaurants, including headaches, weakness and dizziness. It was known so widely as “Chinese restaurant syndrome” that a definition of the term is included in several dictionaries.
Backlash against MSG has been so strong that Wan’s mother, who once owned a Chinese takeout joint in Massachusetts, had signs in her restaurant and menus loudly proclaiming they didn’t use MSG.
“She still has this fear of people coming in and suing us because they’ll get sick from eating MSG at our restaurant,” Yuen said.
MAKfam, which opened in November, is the latest food venture by the married couple, and it’s their first foray into owning a brick-and-mortar restaurant after a long career operating mostly in food halls. Wan, who was recently named a semifinalist for a James Beard award, said using MSG was instilled in him when he was starting his career as a chef.
Eden Lane/CPR News
“I’ve worked in many restaurants where I was a cook or I was a sous chef, and my chef would be like, ‘Hey, make sure we’re putting MSG,’” Wan said. “It’s good for bar snacks, it’s going to drive alcohol sales, people are going to salivate. They want that mouthfeel or savoriness.”
MAKfam’s Lunar New Year menu will include dishes such as Longevity Noodles, salt baked chicken, and “Mama Wan’s XO Turnip Cake.” MSG will also be used to enhance specialty cocktails and a special beer made in collaboration with Novel Strand Brewing. Yuen said they’ve been experimenting with savory cocktails on MAKfam’s regular menu.
“Savory cocktails are having a moment right now. I love a good gin martini. I love it really dirty,” she said. “So it’s just natural that when we opened the restaurant, I always knew that I wanted to do some kind of play on a dirty gin martini featuring MSG. It just adds another level and depth into the flavor profile of the gin martini.”
MAKfam’s Lunar New Year dinner is for two nights only, on February 21-22, but reservations are already sold out.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Andy Reid have made the Kansas City Chiefs a dynasty.
They’re already thinking three-peat.
First, they had to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years.
Mahomes made sure of it, leading another super comeback on the NFL’s biggest stage in America’s showcase capital.
Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman in overtime, and the Chiefs rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 on Sunday, becoming the NFL’s ninth repeat Super Bowl champs.
With pop star Taylor Swift watching boyfriend Kelce from a suite, the Chiefs captured their third title in five years, a run that puts them among the league’s greatest franchises.
“Well, you know the goal has always been to get three,” Kelce screamed on stage after sharing a kiss with Swift. “But we couldn’t get here without getting that two, and having that target on our back all year. … How about that. We get a chance to do it three times in a row.”
The NFL’s first Super Bowl in Las Vegas was a sloppy, mistake-filled affair that was mostly boring until the back-and-forth fourth quarter and OT. It was the second of 58 Super Bowls to be tied after regulation, and the first played under new overtime rules that ensured both teams got the ball.
The Chiefs (15-6) trailed 22-19 after Jake Moody kicked a 27-yard field goal on the first possession of overtime, but Mahomes rallied the Chiefs, completing another impressive comeback in a rematch of the Super Bowl four years ago.
Mahomes ran 8 yards on fourth-and-1 to keep the Chiefs’ chances alive and then scrambled 19 yards to set up the winning score, which came 14:57 into the extra period — just before what would have been the second OT.
“With all the adversity we’ve been through this season to come through tonight. … I’m proud of the guys,” said Mahomes, who earned his third Super Bowl MVP award. “This is awesome. Legendary.”
After he connected with a wide-open Hardman, the Chiefs ran on the field as red-and-yellow confetti fell onto the turf.
Mahomes and Reid are now halfway to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, who won six championships in 20 years together with the New England Patriots and were the most recent team to go back-to-back following the 2003-04 seasons.
The 28-year-old Mahomes becomes the fourth starting QB to win three Super Bowls — joining Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman — and second-youngest.
“I am going to celebrate tonight, celebrate at the parade and then work my way to get back in this game next year,” Mahomes said. “I am going to do whatever I can to be back in this game next year. Three-peat.”
The most excitement in the first half came when a frustrated Kelce bumped Reid on the sideline, knocking the Chiefs’ 65-year-old coach a few steps back after teammate Isiah Pacheco fumbled inside the red zone during the second quarter.
“You guys saw that?” Kelce said. “I’m going to keep it between us unless my ‘mic’d up’ tells the world. I was just telling him how much I loved him.”
The action picked up after a crucial blunder by San Francisco’s special teams set up Mahomes’ 16-yard TD pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 13-10 lead.
Brock Purdy and the 49ers (14-6) answered but they couldn’t make enough plays, denying Mr. Irrelevant an opportunity to go from last pick in the 2022 NFL draft to Super Bowl champion.
“We have the offense to score touchdowns and I failed to put the team in position to do that,” Purdy said.
Niners wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a TD pass and caught one, joining Eagles quarterback Nick Foles six years ago as the only players to do both in the Super Bowl.
After Moody’s 53-yard field goal gave the Niners a 19-16 lead with 1:53 remaining, Mahomes and Kelce went to work. Mahomes connected with Kelce for a 22-yard gain to set up Harrison Butker’s tying kick, a 29-yarder with 3 seconds left.
A holding call on Kansas City’s Trent McDuffie extended San Francisco’s opening drive of overtime and Purdy made key throws to drive the 49ers to the Chiefs 9. But San Francisco settled for a field goal.
Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the Niners jumped ahead 10-0, but that’s no big deal for Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. They’ve trailed by 10 points in all three of their victories, including last year’s 38-35 win over Philadelphia.
Mahomes wasn’t at his best early and threw an interception. But with the game on the line, he was a magician once again. He finished 34 of 46 for 333 yards and two TDs.
The Chiefs were hardly dominant during the regular season and entered the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 3 seed. They won at Buffalo and at Baltimore in the postseason — the first road playoff games of Mahomes’ career — and entered the Super Bowl as 2 1/2-point underdogs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“The Kansas City Chiefs are never underdogs. Just know that,” Mahomes said.
They became the first team to win consecutive Super Bowls as underdogs; the Philadelphia Eagles were slight favorites a year ago.
The game turned when San Francisco’s Ray-Ray McCloud couldn’t scoop a punt that hit teammate Darrell Luter Jr.’s leg and the Chiefs recovered at the 49ers 16, leading to Mahomes’ go-ahead TD pass to Valdes-Scantling.
The Niners answered on the next possession with Purdy tossing a 10-yard TD pass to Jennings for a 16-13 lead. Moody’s extra point was blocked.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan gambled on fourth-and-3 from the Chiefs 15, passing up a chance for a tying field goal. Purdy hit George Kittle for a 4-yard gain and then found Jennings for the score.
Shanahan resorted to trickery for the only touchdown of the first half.
Jennings, a wide receiver who had never thrown a pass in an NFL game, tossed a 21-yard TD to McCaffrey. He was hit as he threw a wobbly pass across the field, but McCaffrey snagged it and sprinted to the end zone.
Shanahan fell to 0-2 as a head coach in Super Bowls and 0-3 overall, including a loss when he was offensive coordinator for Atlanta. That was the game in which Brady and the Patriots rallied from a 28-3 deficit to win in OT.
“When you go against guys like Tom Brady and Pat Mahomes, you never feel comfortable with a lead. Those guys are two of the best to ever play the game,” Shanahan said.
There were plenty of stars in the building as the NFL brought its biggest game to this gambling mecca — once a taboo idea. Jay-Z, LeBron James and Paul McCartney were among the celebrities in the crowd.
Post Malone sang “America the Beautiful,” Reba McEntire performed the national anthem and Usher electrified the crowd at halftime. He brought out a number of guests, including Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon and Ludacris.
Attendance was announced at 61,629 at the relatively compact Allegiant Stadium, the smallest crowd in Super Bowl history except for the pandemic game in Tampa, Florida, three years ago.
It didn’t start out well, but thanks to Mahomes, those fans ended up seeing one of the best Super Bowl finishes.
Fans will get to celebrate the Chiefs on Wednesday, Valentine’s Day. The Kansas City Sports Commission released the official route and timing late Sunday night, KMBC-TV reported. The parade will begin at 11 a.m.
Cherry Creek did Valor Christian dirty. A game that should’ve been in Christian McCaffrey’s hands in the third quarter wound up in Patrick Mahomes’ mitts during overtime.
And let’s be frank: It’s because McCaffrey, the 49ers star and former Valor bell cow, touched the ball 14 times in the first half and just three times in the third quarter, a stretch that helped Mahomes and Patriots West get up off the mat.
It wasn’t the same script as the one that burned young Shanahan as badly as when he was offensive coordinator with the Falcons — a 28-3 Super Bowl lead turned, inexplicably, into another Tom Brady triumph.
But the beats felt eerily close. Little Shanny responded to a touchdown cushion and a Mahomes interception coming out of halftime with six straight pass plays … which amassed negative-2 net yards. For a painful, fleeting moment, Kyle forgot he had the best tailback in the free world. He let Mahomes hang around too long.
We already know how much the football gods love No. 15. Why tease or tempt them? Look at Kansas City’s postseason path. Miami at home? Minus-27 wind chill. Buffalo on the road? Wide right. Baltimore on the road? Lamar Jackson forgot he was Lamar and tied himself up in knots trying to be Mahomes.
With 2:32 left in the third stanza, those gods finally struck. A Chiefs punt scraped the heel of Niners special-teamer Darrell Luter Jr. and eventually was recovered by KC’s Jaylen Watson at the San Fran 16.
Never one to refuse a gift, Mahomes pounced on the very next play, finding a wide-open Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the front of the end zone for an easy score and the Chiefs’ first lead of the evening, 12-10.
San Fran, meanwhile, had opened with stanza with the rock at the KC 44, thanks to a clutch pick. Nothing. Shanahan got it back at the Niners 36. Still nada.
This after Little Shanny and the Niners had ceded the halftime stage to Usher nursing a 10-3 lead — a scoreline that flattered the defending champs.
Midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs’ ball of championship steel wool appeared to be unraveling, one strand at a time. CBS cameras showed Travis Kelce running over to coach Andy Reid, like a man possessed, and shoving his longtime coach in his side, raging and barking as if Captain Cheeseburger had just name-dropped one of Taylor Swift’s ex-paramours.
Despite both teams’ sloppy starts, Shanahan was at least wise enough not to forget what he had in the backfield — McCaffrey touched the ball 14 times those first two quarters, nine of them carries.
But the sweetest came on what looked, at first, like a broken play salvaged by speed and insanity. Slowed down, though, it became apparent that The Son of The Mastermind is indeed a chip off the old zone block.
With 4:23 left until halftime, Niners wideout Jauan Jennings caught a lateral in the left flat, eyes upfield. Only he shifted quickly to his right, flicking a pass, this one a wounded duck, in the direction of McCaffrey. The Denver native had to spring to snare the ball in mid-flight, building up a head of steam the way Popeye does after wolfing down a can of spinach.
Valor Christian’s finest, sure enough, proved strong to the finish. With at least two Niners blockers obstructing traffic in the right flat, McCaffrey turned what looked like sheer insanity into a 21-yard touchdown sprint and a 9-0 cushion.
Kyle learned his lessons well. But the son of Mike, who coached the Broncos to back-to-back championships, also knew when to fold ’em on this stage. When to hold ’em. When to walk away. And, most importantly, when to run.
GOLDEN, Colo. — The sounds of car care often ring through the garage at Hands of the Carpenter. The non-profit has supported single moms for 20 years by fixing up and finding them cars.
“There was not a huge intent behind how we were going to help,” remembered Dan Georgopulos, the CEO & Founder of Hands, “It was more about who we were going to help.”
Operating a non-profit like this is a big responsibility, which is why they rely on the help of volunteers like John Burich. He keeps a close eye on their finances as he’s been their accountant for 15 out of Hands’ 20 years of existence.
“I had all the background in tax and bookkeeping, sort of the auditing process,” said Burich. “I just get the satisfaction of being able to use the skills that I have to help out the nonprofit. And since I’m retired, it’s also a good diversion.”
John uses his talents to keep their engine running by doing work that can’t be replaced.
“It’s important to Hands that people know that we’re accountable for every dollar that comes in,” said Georgopulos, “And John is someone that holds up to that — and ensures that we’re doing things the right way.”
His commitment for over a decade is just one of many reasons why we’re honoring John Burich as this week’s Everyday Hero!
Denver7 features a different Everyday Hero each week. To nominate a hero in your life, click here.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Live updates from the Super Bowl in Las Vegas:
Chiefs trail 49ers 10-3 at halftime, but comebacks are a specialty
This is why the Chiefs deferred after winning the coin toss.
KC trails 10-3 but will get the ball first to start the second half, giving them a chance to double up after finally getting on the scoreboard late in the second quarter with Harrison Butker’s 28-yarder.
The Chiefs are quite comfortable coming from behind. They have rallied from double-digit deficits to win two Super Bowls, including against San Francisco four years ago.
Patrick Mahomes has trailed in all four Super Bowls by double digits, yet he is 2-1.
The 49ers were the better team for most of the first half, but the combination of the Chiefs mounting a scoring drive and San Francisco blowing earlier opportunities to score has made this a game.
Andra Day all smiles after pregame performance
After Andra Day finished her Super Bowl pregame performance, the soul singer’s nerves are still getting the best of her.
The Grammy winner was all smiles after she performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers championship game Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
“I’m excited but still feeling some nervousness,” said Day, who was a pregame performer along with Reba McEntire and Post Malone. McEntire sung the national anthem and Malone performed “America the Beautiful.”
Day said she’s happy with her performance, and relieved it’s over. She said her experience on the field was a “blur.”
“The trick is not to look at people’s faces,” she said. “I just see this one big blur. If I was to see faces, I would flip out.”
KC lucky to be within a score
The Chiefs are fortunate to be trailing 10-3 at halftime of the Super Bowl after making the same silly mistakes that caused them to lose five of eight games midway through the season.
The AFC champions were penalized five times for 50 yards. They fumbled three times but were lucky to lose only one of them. Justin Watson dropped a long pass for the team that led the NFL in drops this season. And there have been so many blown assignments up front that Patrick Mahomes, who is rarely sacked, has been brought down twice already.
The Chiefs get the ball to start the second half after winning the coin toss and deferring, and Andy Reid is one of the best coaches in the NFL at making halftime adjustments. But unless his players start to execute, nothing that Reid says or does in the locker room will matter.
Chiefs get field goal, but frustration mounting
The Chiefs are on the board with a 28-yard field goal from Harrison Butker with 20 seconds left before halftime.
The 49ers have done a nice job on Travis Kelce so far — even in the red zone, where he and the Chiefs are often so effective.
Kelce only has one catch for 1 yard on the day. On that last third down from the San Francisco 9, he lined up in the slot and was covered by safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Kelce appeared to swing an arm in frustration when Patrick Mahomes was taken down before being able to throw.
49ers get TD off trick play, lead 10-0
The San Francisco 49ers got tricky for the first touchdown of the Super Bowl.
Coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a rare trick play that led to a TD pass from receiver Jauan Jennings to running back Christian McCaffrey.
Brock Purdy started the play with a lateral to the left side to Jennings, who immediately threw it back to the other side to McCaffrey, who had a convoy of blockers and ran in for a 21-yard TD to put San Francisco up 10-0.
McCaffrey has tied an NFL record with his seventh straight playoff game with at least 50 yards from scrimmage and a TD.
San Francisco has moved to a 7 1/2-point favorite on FanDuel’s live line after the spread was a good bit closer at the start of the game.
Taylor Swift chugs a drink, draws big applause
There has been plenty of Taylor Swift on the big screens of Allegiant Stadium, and during the last timeout, cameras caught her in a race to chug what appeared to be a beer in her suite.
Swift was the first to finish, and she triumphantly slammed the cup down as the video cut away to other fans. But not before an appreciative roar rippled through the stadium.
If only the Chiefs were able to move the ball as successfully as she downed her drink. Their offense has gone nowhere in the first half of their Super Bowl showdown with the 49ers.
‘Bennifer’ is back for Super Bowl ad
“Bennifer” has teamed up with Dunkin for a second Super Bowl in a row.
In an ad for the Massachusetts-based chain, Ben Affleck enlists Matt Damon, Tom Brady and more to visit Jennifer Lopez at work and give a “DunKings” performance full of Boston pride. Rappers Jack Harlow and Fat Joe also make an appearance in the celebrity-filled commercial.
49ers’ Dre Greenlaw injures Achilles tendon running onto field
49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was carted to the locker room midway through the second quarter after injuring his left Achilles tendon in a bizarre moment.
He began to sprint onto the field for the start of a defensive possession when he stumbled, fell and needed medical attention.
Greenlaw already had made an impact in this game with three tackles when he went out.
Travis Kelce bumps into, yells at Andy Reid
Travis Kelce bumped into coach Andy Reid and yelled at him after teammate Isiah Pacheco’s red-zone fumble in the second quarter. Frustration is clearly building for KC, which still trails 3-0.
From SNL to Super Bowl Sunday
In an ad for Hellmann’s, Kate McKinnon makes an unusual discovery: her cat can talk. Well, sort of. Her furry friend can say one word, “may-ow” — which skyrockets her to celebrity status and causes a mayonnaise-buying frenzy. The “Mayo Cat” becomes so famous that she even dates (and soon dumps) Pete Davidson.
49ers-Chiefs a defensive struggle so far
For all the talk of stars Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Travis Kelce, it’s defenses that have had the edge early in the Super Bowl. The teams have combined for one score on the first six drives.
Kansas City looked to be on the verge of a breakthrough when Mahomes connected on a 53-yard pass to Mecole Hardman to get the Chiefs to the 9. But Isiah Pacheco lost a fumble on the next play with Javon Hargrave recovering.
Kansas City had gained only 16 yards in the first quarter and now has gone nine straight possessions in the postseason without a point, dating to the AFC title game.
San Francisco has had its own issues with McCaffrey losing a fumble on the opening drive and Trent Williams committing two penalties to stall the second possession.
49ers’ Moody kicks record 55-yard f
ield goal, SF leads 3-0
Jake Moody made a Super Bowl-record 55-yard field goal just 12 seconds into the second quarter to put the San Francisco 49ers on top 3-0.
Buffalo’s Steve Christie held the record with a 54-yarder against Dallas in Super Bowl 28.
This could be a confidence booster for Moody, who missed field goals in the past two playoff games.
49ers getting in their own way
The 49ers are their own worst enemies midway through the first quarter. Christian McCaffrey fumbled on their first drive, and then San Francisco lost yardage on three consecutive plays — two penalties and a run by Deebo Samuel.
Then as the 49ers were about to punt, they were penalized another 5 yards because of a false start.
That kept the game scoreless even though the Niners have outgained the Kansas City Chiefs 84-6 in yardage.
49ers’ strong opening drive spoiled by McCaffrey fumble
San Francisco opened the game with an impressive drive but wasted the opportunity to score when Christian McCaffrey fumbled at Kansas City’s 27-yard line.
Leo Chenal knocked the ball out of McCaffrey’s hands, and fellow Chief George Karlaftis recovered.
The Chiefs had a turnover ratio of minus-11 in the regular season, among the NFL’s worst.
This is the fourth time since 2000 that the game’s opening drive ended in a turnover.
The Chiefs didn’t do anything with the turnover, going three-and-out. That ended a streak of eight straight playoff games in which Kansas City scored on its opening possession, an NFL record.
‘He Gets Us,’ Dove and M&M’s among early ads
“He Gets Us” returned to the Super Bowl again this year. The campaign, which is backed by a group of wealthy Christian donors, aired an ad with the message, “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet,” in the first quarter of the game.
Other early ads:
Dove’s ad begins seemingly whimsically showing young girls having mishaps playing sports to the tune of “It’s a Hard Knock Life.” But the ad cuts starkly to a girl looking self-consciously in the mirror. The message: low body-confidence leads to girls quitting sports, not the mishaps.
Hall of Famers Dan Marino, Bruce Smith and Terrell Owens never got a Super Bowl ring, but M&M’s and Scarlett Johansson present them with “Almost Champions” rings in a Super Bowl ad.
Gronk misses wide-right
In a pregame promotion for gambling site FanDuel, NFL legend Rob Gronkowski missed a 25-yard field goal for a second year in a row.
That means fans who bet against Gronkowski are set to win a share of $10 million in FanDuel Bonus Bets.
Chiefs win the toss
A huge roar went up when Kansas City won the toss. Either Chiefs fans felt that was unusually crucial in this game — or a lot of people had bet on heads.
KC deferred its choice to the second half, meaning the 49ers get the ball first.
Reba sails through national anthem
Reba McEntire made quick but majestic work of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The “Queen of Country” sang the national anthem moments before kickoff, backed by a recorded track of a country band with a horn section. Flag-bearing service members stood behind her, a huge U.S. flag covered most of the field, and military jets flew over Allegiant Stadium as she sang.
She got through the song in about 1 minute 40 seconds. That’s a good 10 seconds longer than the over-under from oddsmakers, but still the quickest version of the anthem at the Super Bowl since Kelly Clarkson sang it 12 years ago.
Post Malone offers twang-y take on “America the Beautiful”
Grammy-nominated musician Post Malone sang “America the Beautiful,” bringing his unique vocal tone — most frequently paired with his idiosyncratic approach to pop-rock-rap — to the Super Bowl.
Wearing a bolo tie and playing acoustic guitar, Malone’s take on the song was twang-y, his Texas roots taking a front seat. Mid-song, cameras cut to Taylor Swift and Blake Lively holding each other and enjoying the performance. Earlier this week, Malone’s breakout hit, “Sunflower,” with Swae Lee — released for the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soundtrack — was named the first-ever double-diamond single in Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) history.
Andra Day lifts voice with gospel choir
Andra Day gave a stirring, gospel-flavored rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song that has become known as the Black national Anthem, before kickoff.
Day, wearing a gray suit, was backed by a choreographed choir. Day told the AP during the week that she planned to calm her nerves with pregame prayers.
Hers was the first of three anthemic performances. After the teams take the field, Post Malone will perform “America the Beautiful” and Reba McEntire will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
What’s at stake for the Chiefs and 49ers?
The Chiefs are set for their fourth Super Bowl in five seasons. A win against the 49ers will make the Chiefs the first team to repeat since New England did it in 2003-04. That’s the longest stretch without a repeat champion in NFL history. With a win, Patrick Mahomes will become the fifth QB to win at least three Super Bowls and Andy Reid the fifth coach to win at least three Super Bowls.
The 49ers are back in the Super Bowl seeking their record-tying sixth championship. The Niners haven’t won it all since the 1994 season, losing in their past two trips in the 2012 season and 2019 against Kansas City. Brock Purdy has gone from the last pick of the 2022 draft to becoming the third youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl and is seeking to join Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young as QBs to lead San Francisco to a title.
Bottle service for the big game
This Super Bowl comes with bottle service, at least for those willing to pony up six figures to sit in some of the NFL’s most exclusive seating located on the field just beyond the north end zone.
There are 29 booths, each seating up to 15 people. Fans who occupy those booths receive wait service, access to private bars and a special entrance.
Biletnikoff, Plunkett, Allen light Memorial Torch
Former Raiders Super Bowl MVPs Fred Biletnikoff, Jim Plunkett and Marcus Allen “lit” the Al Davis Memorial Torch before the game.
It’s a Raiders tradition for someone of note to light the electronic torch during Las Vegas home games. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and recording artist and actor Ice Cube were among those who turned on the torch this season.
The torch is 92 feet high, the world’s tallest three-dimensional printed structure.
Biletnikoff was the Super Bowl 11 MVP, leading the Oakland Raiders to a 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Plunkett quarterbacked the Raiders to a 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles four years later.
Allen was the MVP of the Raiders’ lone championship when they were in Los Angeles. The Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl 18.
McKinnon, Moore active for Chiefs, but Toney sits
Running back Jerick McKinnon and wide receiver Skyy Moore were active for the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time in nearly two months for their Super Bowl showdown with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
McKinnon and Moore, who both played a crucial role in the Chiefs’ win over the Eagles in the Super Bowl last year, have not played since Dec. 17 in New England. McKinnon had surgery for a core injury in early January and was considered questionable to play against the 49ers, while Moore spent a stint on injured reserve with a lingering knee injury.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who also had a TD against the Eagles, was not active on Sunday.
Mr. Irrelevant reaches NFL’s biggest stage
Brock Purdy’s meteoric rise from final pick of the 2022 draft to Super Bowl starting quarterback is complete.
Purdy is getting ready to start in the Super Bowl 11 months and one day after undergoing major elbow surgery. Purdy’s comeback from the injury to his throwing arm suffered in last season’s NFC championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles has been part of the storybook start to his career that started as Mr. Irrelevant as the 262nd pick in the 2022 draft.
The 24-year-old Purdy is the third youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl, behind only 23-year-olds Dan Marino and Ben Roethlisberger.
With a win Sunday, Purdy would join Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young as the only QBs to lead the Niners to a title.
Taylor Swift greeted at Super Bowl by Roger Goodell, Jason Kelce
Taylor Swift’s arrival at Allegiant Stadium even drew the interest of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who visited her in a luxury suite before the game.
Goodell spoke glowingly Monday about the pop star’s effect on the NFL.
“Taylor is obviously a dynamo,” he said. “Everything she touches, there are people following. We count ourselves fortunate, and we welcome it.”
Kelce’s brother, Jason, hugged Swift in the suite, and Swift introduced him to Ice Spice. Jason Kelce plays for the Philadelphia Eagles but has fully supported his brother during the playoffs. The two faced each other in last year’s Super Bowl.
Kristin Juszczyk arrives in self-made style
Kristin Juszczyk arrived at the Super Bowl in a snazzy jacket that includes her husband Kyle’s 49ers jersey and his Harvard shield. Kyle is a fullback out of Harvard who plays for San Francisco.
Kristin has become a star after designing a coat worn by Taylor Swift that looked like a jersey of her boyfriend, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce.
Taylor Swift has arrived
Taylor Swift finished her epic trek from the Tokyo Dome to Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl on Sunday. She arrived with Blake Lively and a few others wearing a black top with black pants and a red jacket slung over her shoulder.
Swift is on hand to watch Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, whom she has been dating since the first couple of weeks of the season. She performed in Japan on Saturday night before a flight across nine time zones and the international date line to reach the U.S.
No mixed loyalty this year for Donna Kelce
The mother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce arrived for the game wearing a jacket with “SUPER BOWL LVIII” and “MAMA KELCE” on the back. In last season’s Super Bowl, Travis Kelce’s Chiefs defeated his brother Jason Kelce’s team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Instead of a matchup between two brothers, the Kelce family is in the spotlight this year because of Travis’ relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. Donna Kelce has appeared in a suite alongside Swift this season.
49ers enter the Super Bowl as 2 ½-point favorites
The San Francisco 49ers are 2 ½-point favorites against the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of their Super Bowl matchup, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
The 49ers are -134 favorites to win the game, while the over/under sat at 46.5 points.
Despite being the underdog, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the favorite to win Super Bowl MVP at +150, followed by 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy at +210.
Jason Kelce ready to root on brother Travis, Chiefs
Travis Kelce played against Jason Kelce last year, when the Chiefs beat his big brothers’ Eagles in the Super Bowl in Arizona. But Jason was fully behind the Chiefs on Sunday, wearing red and yellow plaid overalls over a T-shirt that read, “Big Yeti,” his nickname for Travis.
The brothers host “New Heights,” one of the hottest podcasts in the country. And once the Eagles were knocked from the playoffs, Jason began following the Chiefs. He famously took off his shirt during a celebration in Buffalo, and he watched the Chiefs win the AFC title in Baltimore.
Reba arrives, set to perform national anthem
Reba McEntire walked into Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl about 3 1/2 hours before kickoff Sunday wearing a puffy, gray faux fur coat and holding hands with her partner, Rex Linn.
McEntire is due to perform the national anthem before the Kansas City Chiefs play the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of the Super Bowl four years ago in Miami. She will have a lot to live up to after Chris Stapleton’s performance last year in Arizona received high praise.
Some NFL fans pass on expensive tickets and just have ‘a good time’ in Vegas
Super Bowl ticket prices remain out of reach for many fans who made travel reservations months ago to come to Las Vegas this week, so they’ll likely be watching on TV like millions of others.
To buy tickets days before the game can be costly. This year they’re going for roughly $7,700 — though that is about $2,000 less than they were two weeks ago.
Carl Bray, a Cincinnati fan, booked his trip to the Super Bowl two months ago and came even though the Bengals didn’t make it.
“I don’t have tickets yet, but I got the hotel, flight, and I thought ‘Welp, if I lock into something, I’ll go,’” Bray said. “If not, I’ll just go to MGM or someplace and watch it.”
Patrick Mahomes looks ready for b
usiness in Super Bowl arrival
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes paid homage to the team that calls Allegiant Stadium home when he showed up for the Super Bowl on Sunday wearing a jet-black suit and silver tie that made him look like a fan of the AFC West-rival Las Vegas Raiders.
Mahomes appeared to be all business behind his black shades as he wheeled along his matching black Louis Vuitton luggage through the corridors of the stadium. He is trying to move into a tie for fourth behind Tom Brady, Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw by picking up his third Super Bowl ring.
Super Bowl gates open, fans arriving in Las Vegas
Gates to Allegiant Stadium opened just after 11 a.m. local time, unleashing a flood of fans in red. Five San Francisco 49ers fans were the first let through the gates.
“Woo!” They yelled. “First ones in! We’re the first ones!”
Tony and Susan Chiosso traveled to Las Vegas from the Bay Area to watch their first-ever Super Bowl and, they hope, witness their team defeat the Kansas City Chiefs.
They think their luck so far this morning is a good indicator of which team will come out on top.
“I’m only seeing good signs today,” Tony Chiosso said.
Taylor Swift reached LAX in her journey from Tokyo to the Super Bowl, online sleuths say
Will she make it in time? Intrepid flight trackers online seem to think so.
On social media, fans of Taylor Swift and aviation journalists believe they’ve identified Swift’s private jet, labeled “The Football Era.” It arrived from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Los Angeles’ LAX airport just after 3:30 p.m. local time Saturday.
Her transportation plans onward to Las Vegas, where her boyfriend, NFL star tight end Travis Kelce, will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl, have yet to be revealed.
Why will the Chiefs win the Super
Bowl? Their vast experience
If the Chiefs beat the 49ers for their third Super Bowl title in four trips over the past five years, it will be for one simple reason: experience.
The Chiefs can lean on what they learned and endured over a dominant six-year run with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. In fact, when the Chiefs beat the 49ers in Miami for their first title during this run, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and many others were still in college.
Throw in the fact that Chiefs coach Andy Reid will be in his fifth Super Bowl, the third most in NFL history, and has a chance to win a third ring, and the knowledge on the Kansas City sideline will be an advantage too big for the 49ers to overcome.
Why else will KC win? Read more
Why will the 49ers win the Super Bowl? Improved QB play
The 49ers had Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on the ropes four years ago in the Super Bowl before everything fell apart, leading to a 31-20 loss that still stings today.
The difference when the teams meet in the rematch on Sunday? This time, the 49ers will have a quarterback in Brock Purdy who is capable of making a big play down the stretch.
Purdy has gone from “Mr. Irrelevant” as the final pick in the 2022 draft to the franchise quarterback who has elevated coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense in less than two years. He led the NFL in passer rating (113) and yards per attempt (9.6), with his ability to throw deep and scramble adding new wrinkles to the offense.
Purdy also has a far better group of playmakers than the one that surrounded Jimmy Garoppolo four years ago.
Why else with SF win? Read more
Three longtime friends have attended every Super Bowl — and don’t intend to stop
As long as they still have each other, they’re still going to go to every Super Bowl.
That’s the sentiment shared by three friends who say they are the final fans who can claim membership in the exclusive “never missed a Super Bowl” club. And they’re back again for number 58 — Super Bowl 58 — this year.
The three fans, all in their 80s, are Don Crisman of Maine, Gregory Eaton of Michigan and Tom Henschel, who splits time between Florida and Pennsylvania. The three are gathering this weekend in Las Vegas for the big game, and they’re hoping they can all make it to the sixtieth edition of the game two years from now.
Read the full story
Taylor Swift’s connections to sports go back to her early days performing the national anthem
Before Taylor Swift grew into a global superstar and the talk of this Super Bowl, she got her singing career started by performing the national anthem at sporting events as a young child and teenager.
She sang the anthem before 45,900 fans at Game 3 of the 2008 World Series. The U.S. Open. NASCAR. The World Series. Yes, even the Double-A Reading Phillies.
Swift was an unsigned artist who looked for any kind of break by belting out the song about the land of the free and the home of the brave in front of as many packed crowds as she could find.
Read more
For Native American activists, the Kansas City Chiefs have it all wrong
Dozens of Indigenous activists have traveled to Las Vegas to gather outside the Super Bowl and demand the Kansas City Chiefs change their name and ditch their logo and gametime rituals.
Rhonda LeValdo founded and leads a group called Not In Our Honor that is calling for the changes. The Acoma Pueblo journalist and faculty member at Haskell Indian Nations University has been in the Kansas City area for more than two decades.
Read the full story
Everyone hopes the Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl won’t come down to an officiating call
One of the biggest fears when it comes to football’s biggest games is that a high-profile officiating mistake will play a role in the result.
So the seven on-field officials will get plenty of screen time when the Kansas City Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
The referee in charge of the crew in black-and-white unforms will be Bill Vinovich. He was also the referee when the Chiefs beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl four years ago — and when the Rams beat the Saints in the 2019 NFC championship game after an infamous missed call.
For more:
-Read about some of the Super Bowl’s most memorable calls
-How do officials prepare? Here’s what you need to know
Here’s what you can expect from Super Bowl commercials this Sunday
Advertisers will be pulling out all the stops on Super Bowl Sunday — enlisting the biggest actors, investing in the most dazzling special effects and, they hope, going for laughs as they seek to win over viewers.
Most companies appear to be doubling down on flights of fantasy or light humor, often with a dose of nostalgia and a lot of mini-reunions of TV characters.
Big names like Jennifer Anniston, Christopher Walken, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Ice Spice, Jenna Ortega, Lionel Messi, Tom Brady, “Judge Judy” Judy Sheindlin, Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner Usher and more will appear during game breaks. And as always, there will still be some gameday surprises.
Read more
The game. The ads. The music. The puppies. Here’s why millions are excited for Super Bowl Sunday
Millions of Americans will find something to be excited about when it comes to Super Bowl Sunday. That’s before even factoring in the influence of Taylor Swift.
Four in 10 U.S. adults are extremely or very excited for at least one part of the Super Bowl day’s festivities. That could be the game, commercials, halftime show or the Puppy Bowl, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Read the full story
49ers All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams savors his first Super Bowl trip in his 14th season
Trent Williams’ accomplishments are already worthy of a Hall of Fame career with 11 Pro Bowl bids, three first-team All-Pro selections and near universal recognition as the best left tackle of his generation.
All that was missing for the San Francisco 49ers star was something he never envisioned would be possible as he spent the first decade of his career mired in the dysfunction and ineptitude in Washington.
Williams has gotten that missing piece with his first chance to play in the Super Bowl this week against Kansas City.
Read more
High school football gave hope after deadly Maui wildfire. Team captains will be at the Super Bowl
Captains of a Hawaii high school football team whose town was destroyed by a deadly wildfire are at the Super Bowl as guests of the NFL.
The four students and three of their coaches are serving as honorary coin toss captains before the game.
A little more than two months after the Aug. 8 fire, tickets for the Lahainaluna High School homecoming game sold out in minutes. That was an indication of how badly Lahaina residents needed a glimmer of hope amid a tragedy that claimed at least 100 lives.
Full story
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AP Super Bowl coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl
DENVER — A Colorado bill is aiming to level the playing for for people with disabilities. The bill ensures that the caucus process, which is accessible for candidates with disabilities, remains an option in Colorado.
State Rep. David Ortiz, Colorado’s first elected wheelchair user, is sponsoring the legislation.
“This bill is based off personal experience, when I was thinking about being a first-time candidate,” said Ortiz. “Petitioning was not the route that was going to work for me, so I went through the caucus route.”
The Littleton Democrat said the caucus process was crucial during election season, since going door-to-door for petition signatures was difficult for him. Recent discussions have taken place focused on removing the caucus process entirely. The new bill would ensure that caucuses remain an option.
“Your issues with caucuses don’t justify discriminating against and removing the only means for candidates with a disability to get on the ballot,” said Ortiz.
The bill also allows candidates to attend precinct caucuses virtually if the venue isn’t accessible. Ortiz says virtual options are possible due to the pandemic.
“As soon as able-bodied people were threatened, we were able to teach, govern and work virtually,” he said.
During the last legislative hearing, several amendments were adopted in the bill. One amendment provides alternative options for rural areas, where candidates may not be able to access broadband internet.
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The NFL season reaches its finale Sunday in Las Vegas when Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.
Live updates
Pre-game updates
Betting favorites (2 p.m.): We’re about two-and-a-half hours before kick-off is scheduled. The 49ers are slight favorites (-2) over the Chiefs, according to BetMGM.
Patrick Mahomes is the early favorite to win the game’s MVP award at +145 — meaning a $100 bet would win $145. He’s followed by 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (+230), San Francisco running back (and Colorado native) Christian McCaffrey (+450) and Taylor Swift’s main squeeze Travis Kelce (+1,200). — Joe Nguyen
Watch parties (1:55 p.m.): Are you a Chiefs or a 49ers fan and want to find others to cheer with today? Here’s a list of the watch parties hosted by the two fanbases’ Denver chapters. — Joe Nguyen
49ers-Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII: Must-reads
Many tried to stop Christian McCaffrey during his Colorado high school days. Few could. “He did whatever he wanted”
One moment, Blake Nelson had the perfect angle to stop a bubble screen for a loss near the sideline. The next, he was laying on the turf, subject to the full Christian McCaffrey Experience. That’s just one tableau of many from McCaffrey’s storied prep days at Valor Christian from 2010 to ’13 when the dynamic running back and Colorado native was the centerpiece of four straight state title teams.
As the San Francisco 49ers star prepares to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl, the players and coaches who tried to stop McCaffrey during his Colorado prep days now speak with reverence about the time they shared a field with the future All-Pro. For many, it represents a brush with athletic greatness they’ll never forget. For others, it stands as the most frustrating 48 minutes of their careers.
One thing just about all of them agree on: McCaffrey, at his best, was “untackleable,” Kyle Newman reports. Read the full story.
Keeler: Gary Kubiak on Kyle Shanahan, Christian McCaffrey, his sons and Broncos West in Super Bowl LVIII: “I miss football a lot, and this gets me a chance to stay in it”
While Mike Shanahan and Kubiak were pushing buttons and kicking tail for the Broncos and 49ers, a young Kyle, the Cherry Creek alum now coaching in his second Super Bowl with San Francisco in the last four years, got tasked with babysitting the Kubiak boys. Sometimes, things went … you know, sideways.
“Somebody told me the other day, ‘You know that you’ve been part of three world championships with Ed McCaffrey?’” the elder Kubiak said. “So, yeah, we have a lot of history together. And Christian was running around as a little kid back in those days. Life comes full circle, man.”
No kidding. Klint, the kid whose tighty-whiteys once dangled from said doorknob, is now Kyle’s offensive passing game specialist and, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the next offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints. Klay, that other young rapscallion, is Kyle’s assistant quarterbacks coach with the Niners. Flail and forgive, apparently, Sean Keeler writes. Read the full column.
DENVER (KDVR) — A snowstorm rolled into the Front Range and the Denver metro over the weekend, dumping several inches to over a foot of snow in some areas.
The storm began Friday and lasted late into the evening on Saturday.
The state did not see nearly as much snow as it did between Feb. 2-3, but there were still a few big snow totals in some areas.
Weld County, namely Greeley, saw the biggest totals in the Front Range, with over a foot of snowfall in some areas.
Jefferson County also saw slightly more snow than the rest of the metro area, with Golden reporting 8.8 inches.
The following areas received at least 8 inches of snow during the storm:
The city says that they’re reconfiguring summer activities, but it’s unclear what shape the new activities will take.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Denver’s working parents have a tough time figuring out what to do with their kids in the summer. And many families are worried this year could be extra rough.
Last week, Denver Parks and Recreation announced it has canceled its summer camp, Summer in the Parks, leaving working parents scrambling.
But the new immigrant response is not why Summer in the Parks has been axed, according to the city
“The shift in summer program offerings would have happened regardless of today’s budget announcement,” explained Yolanda Quesada, a spokesperson for Parks and Recreation, on Friday.
Here’s how Parks and Recreation explained the decision to parents:
“The Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) program Summer in the Parks will not be offered this summer,” said Quesada. “We are restructuring summer offerings and will supplement programs at various recreation centers throughout the summer to allow us to reach more youth.”
Some parents who were planning on sending their kids to Summer in the Parks and who missed the deadline for other camps are feeling uncertain about what to do next or how they will afford it.
“Denver has a huge problem with summer camps,” said Denver parent Katie Harper
“We are a dual-income working family and need care for our kids and even we struggle to afford [what] can be upwards of $4,000 per month,” she said.
So what is Parks and Recreation’s big plan for the summer?
“Summer activities are being reconfigured to have a greater reach and increase services for youth who visit our centers across the system,” Quesada said.
What that looks like is uncertain.
“Summer activities are not yet determined,” Quesada continued. “Recreation staff is currently working to develop plans for summer activities.”
A few things are known.
“Daytime center hours during the summer are being prioritized to ensure that there are options for youth and families systemwide,” she wrote. “Recreation centers and MY Denver programs are free for all youth who have a MY Denver Card.”
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Rachel Estabrook/CPR News
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
