Glendale is forming the biggest, fastest and most athletic rugby team in the world. The question is whether the team will be able to win rugby games. Glendale has had men’s, women’s, and kids’ rugby teams for almost a fifth of a century and its teams have won various national championships. In 2017 it formed a professional men’s team and was one of the founders of Major League Rugby but dropped out last year when the leadership switched over its emphasis to foreign born players over Americans.
Super Athlete: NFL Combine sensation and social media star Terron Beckham is one of many star athletes that will be playing on the mega rugby team to take on the world’s best teams.
For many years, a goal of the rugby union has been for America to be able to field a highly competitive team that could take on the top teams in the world in the quadrennial Rugby World Cup, and thereby open up rugby to the enormous American market. The international governing body for rugby union, now named World Rugby, contributed millions of dollars to the American governing body USA Rugby to produce such a team which has proven to be an unmitigated disaster. USA Rugby went into bankruptcy and the American team, called the Eagles, was so pitiful at the last World Cup that it tied for last among the 32 national teams. The Eagles did not win a single game, losing to the likes of the national team for Tonga. That island nation has a population of a little over 100,000 which is one tenth of the population of Rhode Island.
That was the last straw for Glendale Mayor Mike Dunafon who played rugby in the Caribbean after briefly playing professional football with the Denver Broncos. He decided to form an all-American team with players who were in the XFL, CFL or NFL, or were top athletes in other sports, who bring the size, strength, and speed to potentially play rugby at a high level.
But will it work? Can you take great American athletes who have never played rugby and turn them into a team that can take on the very best at the sport whose players have played rugby almost their entire lives? It is the ultimate “nature versus nurture” battle in sports.
International Criticism
Many in the international rugby world think that Glendale and Dunafon are crazy and that is being kind. They believe that the only way to rugby excellence is through youth programs which is the way it is done in the rest of the world. Unsurprisingly, the new Glendale program has received far more press attention overseas than in America. One of Britain’s largest newspapers, The Guardian, has written extensively on Glendale rugby.
The comment sections on international coverage say it all. Referring to a longtime New Zealand-born rugby coach, one commentator said: “Andrew Douglas is absolutely correct in saying [American] football players make sh*t rugby players.” Another commentator declared, “Teaching a dude rugby at age 25 is sheer stupidity.”
Another critic opined, “This [Glendale] way of thinking just blows me away. It is such an arrogant statement to think that America has such great athletic prowess that is can overcome their inherent lack of rugby IQ. Another believes that not only would Glendale be crushed by the New Zealand national team (called the All Blacks) but any of its better amateur teams would win ‘by 100 points.’”
But Dunafon does not care about the criticism. He stated: “It is highly unlikely that rugby is going to be able to supplant football and soccer in our schools anytime in the near future. The youth program approach has resulted in America being crushed by tiny nations like Tonga in the World Cup. We are going to try a different approach as the traditional method has not generated any success. We will just have to find out whether taking the road less traveled by, can make all the difference.”
Scouting And Recruitment
Practice Underway In Glendale: From left to right, Leonard Sagapolutele, Gelen Robinson, and Chase Stehling are practicing their front row technique.
Glendale’s scouting and recruiting efforts have been impressive. Glendale’s Director of Rugby Mark Bullock and his staff have reviewed over 4,000 athletes across the country and 30 were vetted and invited to November tryout.
“We’re recruiting highly articulate, motivated, intelligent athletes,” Bullock adds. “The mix that creates success is a dedication to the purpose of the team, combined with athleticism. I’ve been pleasantly surprised, thrilled actually, with the caliber of people we’ve recruited so far.”
At this point, 29 players have contracts and Glendale is looking for a total of 40. According to City Manager Linda Cassaday, recruiting will continue until that number is reached.
“We wanted to train these athletes in a full-time training environment and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” explains Cassaday. “Making rugby their full-time job is going to positively impact the players’ ability to learn and play the sport. Not everyone will be successful but we’re hoping that most of them will be.”
Funding
Tall Glass Of Water: Vincent Boumann has played professional basketball around the world and will play lock for the XOs.
The City is funding the estimated $3 million annual cost of the project and seeking sponsors. Players are paid $1,500 a month, are living rent-free in two-bedroom apartments, and are being provided three meals a day and insurance coverage.
“No one has ever done this before,” says Cassaday. “Other organizations can keep doing what they’ve always been doing which is training youth and then continuing that training through high school and college. We’ve chosen a different pathway and are excited about it. This program is part of our economic development plan. It puts Glendale on the map and brings visitors in to enjoy all the bars, restaurants, hotels, and retail we have to offer.”
Players Under Contract
Players who have made the team and signed contracts include:
Vincent Boumann: a 6’9”, 265-pound basketball player who was a center for Western Oregon University and who has spent the last several years playing professional basketball around the world.
College Star: 6’4” 285 pound Casey McDermont-Vai is joining the Glendale team after starring as a tight end at Texas Christian University and playing for the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.
Gelen Robinson: a 6’1”, 285-pound defensive tackle from Purdue University’s football team, who also played in the Canadian Football League.
Gelen Robinson: a 6’1”, 285-pound defensive tackle from Purdue University’s football team, who also played in the Canadian Football League.
Taniela Tupou: a 6’2”, 295-pound former NFL and University of Washington player.
Casey McDermott-Vai: a 6’4”, 285-pound former Texas Christian University tight end who had a short stint in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.
DJ Stewart: a 6’2”, 225-pound athlete whose background includes both football and bobsledding for Olympic Team USA.
Terron Beckham: a cousin of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who ran a 4.47 second, 40-yard dash and had a 47-inch vertical jump at the NFL combine. Beckham has 529,000 followers on Instagram.
Glendale is continuing to bring recruits in for evaluation and hopes to have Brock Lutes in for an evaluation this week. The 6’4”, 215-pound former college point guard recently tried out for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
Looking Ahead
While the RugbyTown Crossover Academy is a new experiment, the caliber of players is garnering attention. According to Team Manager Peter Pasque, the Colorado XO (named for crossover) players are as big and fast as some NFL teams.
Pending Covid-19 restrictions, the first Glendale XO home game is scheduled for Saturday, April 3 at Infinity Park. Although no fans will be allowed to attend due to the pandemic, the game will be streamed live.
Whether Glendale can pull off teaching former basketball, football, baseball, and track stars how to play rugby remains to be seen. But if the video on the Crossover Academy website is any indication, these athletes are focused, fast, strong, and ready to play.
Ride Share: CDOT expects rideshare usage to grow by 140% within a decade, potentially resulting in a 50% increase in carbon emissions if current road usage trends stay constant.
Denver resident Brian Fritts nearly died during his last Lyft ride, and a loophole in Colorado’s rules for rideshare companies could force him to pay $173,000 in medical expenses.
Fritts’ driver was involved in a hit-and-run accident on northbound I-25 south of the 6th Avenue exit. First responders found the back of the car — where Fritts was sitting — covered in blood. Doctors told Fritts he was lucky to be alive before outfitting him with a rod and six screws in his neck and fusing five vertebrae.
When Fritts presented both Lyft and the driver’s insurance companies with his claim and medical bills, neither insurer accepted liability. To make matters worse, state law doesn’t require rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber to carry the insurance coverage that would make them bear responsibility for patron injuries.
According to Fritts’ lawyer, Eric Faddis, this must change.
“No reasonable person believes that if they utilize rideshare services and sustain catastrophic injuries as a result thereof, the rideshare company will abandon them, make no efforts to rectify the grievous loss, wash its hands of the tragedy, and go on about their business while their patron’s life is changed forever, leaving the rider with no legal recourse at all,” Faddis told Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle.
Regulatory Entrepreneurship
Legal scholars Elizabeth Pollman and Jordan Barry argue in the Southern California Law Review that companies like Uber and Lyft are intentionally designed to avoid these insurance hazards.
Known as regulatory entrepreneurship, Pollman and Barry describe the business practice as “a line of business in which changing the law is a significant part of the business plan.” The best known example is Uber.
Uber challenged the notoriously regulated taxicab industry to modernize, according to both Pollman and Barry. And while pundits debated the legality of the business altogether, Uber proved its value in markets like New York and Chicago. Soon thereafter, states scrambled to figure out appropriate regulations.
Different than regulatory arbitrageurs, who mold their behavior to effect favorable regulation, regulatory entrepreneurs try to make their business practices part of the law and “do not necessarily care whether they effect a legal change on a de facto or de jure basis,” according to Pollman and Barry.
Oftentimes this results in states crafting half-hearted regulations because neither side fully understands the business model.
Legal Scholars: Elizabeth Pollman, above, and Jordan Barry, far right, argue in the Southern California Law Review that companies like Uber and Lyft are intentionally designed to avoid insurance hazards.
Colorado became the first state to regulate rideshares in 2014 and placed the companies under the auspices of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
In 2015, the Division of Insurance (DOI) recommended rideshares should carry minimum insurance coverages of $50,000 per auto accident, $100,000 for bodily injury, and $30,000 for property damage — the same requirements as taxicab companies.
DOI made this determination by examining 128 claims involving taxicabs between 2010 and 2012. Of that total, only two claims rose above $100,000 in payments, according to the agency’s report.
However, these recommendations appear devoid of several important considerations, according to Faddis. Chief among them is the oversight to require rideshares to carry Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist’s insurance, which Faddis says could provide injured patrons a “way of putting their life back together.”
“In my opinion, that is a huge legislative gap that places thousands of Coloradans at risk,” Faddis added.
Buying Influence
Regulatory entrepreneurs are also heavily engaged in politics because it is a winning strategy to either effectuate profitable legal change or preserve a favorable regulatory environment, according to Pollman and Barry.
Campaign finance disclosures show both Uber and Lyft have developed strong ties to Colorado’s elected officials, primarily those wearing Blue. However, the companies take different approaches. Lyft seems to prefer campaign donations and lobbying the General Assembly while Uber is absorbed in state issues and PUC regulations.
Of the 208 recorded lobbying activities on behalf of Uber, 90 were directed at PUC, according to the Secretary of State’s office. Similarly, Lyft did not lobby any PUC regulations, but has logged 153 activities on behalf of state legislation.
As for campaign contributions, Lyft has spent $41,775 on state-level campaign and political action committee (PAC) donations since January 2020. Most of the donations went to politicians with ties to the state business, labor, and transportation committees.
Sens. James Coleman (D-Denver), Bob Woodward (R-Larimer), and Kevin Priola (R-Adams), all of whom sit on the Senate Business, Labor & Technology Committee, took money from Lyft. The company also donated to Reps. Dylan Roberts (D-Eagle) and Tom Sullivan (D-Centennial), who are the respective Chair and Vice Chair of the House Business Affairs & Labor Committee.
On the other side, Uber did not spend any money on Colorado campaigns last year. Instead, the company wrote a $15,000 check in support of Proposition CC, which allows the state to keep funds over its annual revenue limit to spend on education and transportation.
However, the Center for Responsive Politics found Uber hired a lobbying firm with strong ties to state lawmakers — Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. In the last 15 years, Brownstein Hyatt has given over $373,000 to local causes, primarily to Democrat-controlled PACs, according to campaign finance data.
Further Measures
While state lawmakers once derided rideshares as a business model that clogs up the roads, they’re now looking to them as a way to reduce overall road usage.
In 2019, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) calculated road usage by rideshares only accounts for up to 8% of the state’s total. Even so, the agency expects rideshare usage to grow by 140% within a decade, potentially resulting in a 50% increase in carbon emissions if current road usage trends stay constant.
To combat this issue, CDOT recommended lawmakers craft legislation to create a uniform fee schedule and incentivizing the use of electric vehicles among rideshares. Lawmakers have also discussed adding additional fuel taxes and road usage taxes during the 2021 regular session.
However, no discussions have involved closing the insurance loophole that nearly ended Fritts’ life. To Faddis, Coloradans should be aware of the risks they’re hailing when they get in a rideshare.
“These rideshare services need to do the right thing and pay claims for patrons injured as a result of using their services; otherwise, all Coloradans need to know that they are not protected in this scenario and, as a result, using a rideshare service is extremely hazardous,” Faddis said.
Cash Crunch Cuts City Snow Plowing, Paving, Trash Pickup; RTD Slashes Costs By $140 Million, Change/Cut Bus-Rail Routes
by Glen Richardson
Help Heave-Ho: Expect to endure shoddy streets, service as Denver’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure axes 100 staffers. Department will spend $21 million less than it did in 2020.
A sense of uneasiness lingers over the Mile High City despite the Governor lowering the pandemic dial to orange and the Mayor applying for Five Star Certification. As the New Year gets underway residents and business owners are fearful the “feel good” moment won’t last. As the city-county responds to the pandemic it has triggered a mounting budget crisis with revenues declining abruptly and costs rising sharply.
Moreover, many businesses have closed while others continue to operate at reduced hours. People are continuing to spend low amounts of money in Denver and tourists aren’t showing up. As a result sales and tourism taxes are down, forcing the city to severely cut spending. Despite uncertainty about the path ahead, much is known about how the scissor effect of Denver’s reduced budget will impact residents and visitors in the months ahead.
Paving Perishes: Denver has cut street maintenance crews by 17 workers this year. The city-county expects to pave 465 miles of lanes this year, about the same as in 2018.
Here’s how the economic tailspin will impact everything residents are accustomed to from street paving, trash pickups and snow plowing, to reduced train and bus service:
Budget, Staff Cutbacks
The services residents enjoy and have come to expect from the City & County of Denver requires people and money to make them happen.
Nowhere is the economic shock being felt worse than at the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure, formerly known as Denver Public Works. Denver’s budget cuts will mean the department will have 100 fewer staffers. That’s due to the city offering early retirement to employees — workers with more than 1,000 total years of department experience and knowledge — plus vacant posts that are going unfilled.
Current city workers are being required to take on the duties of retirees as tax dollars have dried up. Department officials claim city workers “will do more with less.” The department’s chief financial officer Seth Runkle anticipates, or is at least hoping, the department can deliver the same service with fewer staff. “It can be a little easier when the coffers are flush, but it doesn’t always mean we’re doing it at the most efficient level.” The department still has about $128 million to spend, but that’s more than $21 million less than in 2020. The budget cutback will mean less overtime, training, travel and tools to work with.
Here are the changes residents can anticipate they will undergo and endure this year as the city works with less money and staff:
Snow Plowing
Snow-Money Mix: City Council was told snow plowing of residential streets is “at risk” this year. Later officials declared the city “is fully prepared to handle major snowstorms.”
Denver’s City Council was told by Todd Richardson, the department’s head of operations, that the city’s residential street and bike lane plowing programs are “at risk” this year (2021). He based the cautionary calculation on reductions in overtime allowed plus hiring freezes.
Department officials Eulois Cleckley and Seth Runkle, however, downplayed the statement declaring the city “is fully prepared to handle major snowstorms.” Their prediction is apparently based on the fact Denver is now training Parks & Rec employees and parking enforcement people to plow.
The city expects to have two full shifts of 60 to 70 plows available plus the option to add a third shift for severe snow storms. The department also claims they are “fairly good” at maintaining equipment despite reduced staff.
Street Sweeping
If you live or work downtown don’t expect streets to
City Chucks Downtown Dust: Spotless streets are a thing of the past in downtown Denver as street sweeping has been cut back in the Central Business District.
be as spotless as they have been in past years. Reason: The city is cutting back on street sweeping in the Central Business District.
Official reason given by the city is “there will be less wear and tear on downtown streets” due to less foot and vehicle traffic.
Despite spending less to keep downtown streets clean, the city will continue to spend millions of dollars for bike lane construction and things being built in the right of way of streets.
Paving & Potholes
Residents can expect only about 465 miles of lanes to be paved this year as the department has cut 17 workers from its street maintenance crews.
That translates to about the same miles of lanes the city paved in 2018, but significantly less than even the 579 miles of lanes paved in 2020.
During the last couple of years (2019-20) street crews have been taking an average of four days to fix potholes. While it may take the same amount of time this year, the department is hoping to get the number down to three this year. The optimistic outlook is based on the theory there will be fewer cars on the road and therefore less stress on city streets.
Trash Pickup
Jumbo junk – belongings such as couches — residents want to dispose of will take twice as long as the city cuts big-trash pickups. The department’s solid waste arm is cutting pickup of oversized trash to every eight weeks in 2021. Last year they were collected every four weeks.
As the pandemic struck last year causing people to stay home more, city garbage trucks hauled 30% additional trash, recycling items and compost. Waste Management division’s Margaret Medellin told city council the increase nonetheless didn’t cause a slowdown to regular pickup schedules. Unless there is a significant additional increase this year, trash pickups are expected to remain normal.
Implementation of the city’s “pay-as-you-throw” program — that would charge residents a fee for trash pickup while making composting free — is being delayed. Originally scheduled to begin this year, the city has decided this is not the year to charge people extra money.
Bus & Rail Service
Trickle Down Transit Travel: Expect significant bus-rail service slowing as RTD slashes $140 million from its 2021 budget. At least 22 bus routes have been modified and rail lines are adjusted, reinstated, or suspended.
Residents and visitors will also see significant changes in bus-rail service as RTD has slashed $140 million from its 2021 public transit budget. Additionally, RTD’s current pandemic service plan provides about 40% less service than was offered in Jan. 2020. Nearly 400 employees are likely to be terminated and 300 vacant positions have been eliminated. Cuts also include furloughs and wage reductions for employees.
At least 22 bus routes have or will be modified this year. Some routes will also have Saturday-Sunday hours reduced. In addition, certain weekday bus hours are being reduced. Three bus routes were eliminated for 2021. Riders should continue to check RTD schedules.
Due to higher demand for rail service to downtown, C-Line service has been suspended and D-Line service reinstated. Adjustments are being allowed for northbound transfers to Union Station, and southbound transfers toward Littleton at I-25 & Broadway. Rail service on five other lines has been adjusted.
On Dec. 17, 2020, the rally cries of “Let us play! Let us play!” could be heard by those near the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. More than 60 Colorado high school athletes from across the state, along with parents, and coaches, gathered to protest the postponement of Season B high school sports until Jan. 25, 2021.
Protesters carried handmade signs proclaiming, “Let us play,” “Sports = Mental Health,” “# No Reason” and “Suicide kills teens more than COVID” at Creekside Park in Glendale. Chants continued, coupled with cowbells, as they crossed the street with protected police vehicles to make their voices heard in front of the CDPHE’s Denver offices.
The protest came on the heels of the latest decision by Governor Polis to postpone Season B sports including: ice hockey, basketball, wrestling, skiing, and swimming to begin early February instead of the original schedule of Jan. 4. Their objective was to put the pressure on the Colorado High School Activities Association, Polis, and local health officials to begin Season B sports as previously scheduled.
“It is simple. They won’t let us play sports. For now, it’s postponed, but honestly, the way I see it that’s the first step in them deciding to cancel altogether. I will not stand for that. Not when we have made it perfectly clear that we want to play regardless of the risks associated with COVID. For us athletes, taking away our sports and taking away our seasons is something we need to breathe,” says a Colorado high school athlete and participating protester who voiced her concerns at the rally.
Pleading to be heard, students also turned to the notion that suicides among their age group were a greater cause of death than COVID-19 patients of similar age. Claiming that a lack of playing for some of these kids is more deadly than the virus.
“Sports are clearly the answer here and not the problem,” says Darren Pitzner, the head coach for the girls’ basketball team at Green Mountain High School. Going on to say, “how can we make variances for liquor stores but not for kids to be kids.” He encouraged the young crowd by telling them they were on the right side of history and to give themselves a round of applause for being there. “We need to start saying yes to kids right now.”
As the Protesters started to make their way to the CHSAA offices across the street, Pitzner turned to the crowd and said: “Let’s make sure they hear us!”
Hear them they did, as of Dec. 21, 2020, CHSAA secured variances from the CDPHE and state officials to allow all Season B sports and activities to start on Jan. 18.
According to the CHSAA website, “For months, our office has been laser-focused on students and the safe resumption of high school sports and activities in 2021,” said CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green. “The conversations with CDPHE and the Governor’s COVID Response Team to resume Season B sports have been intentional and assertive. Though it has taken many late nights and weekends, we are thrilled that our student-athletes, member schools, and local school communities have a resolution. Educationally-based athletics are a vital extension of the classroom.”
While winter sports are set to continue, new variances are in play including no more than 24 people, which include coaches, athletes and trainers allowed in the gym to play basketball and limiting the number of games played in the season for all winter sports. The season may not be what they hoped for, but the games must go on. Visit chsaanow.com for a complete guideline for Season A, B, C and D sports.
High school athletes from across the state stand in front of the CDPHE Denver offices at the December rally. Photo by Jessica Hughes
Colorado high school athletes hold signs in protest of the postponement of Season B sports. Photo by Jessica Hughes
Student athletes gather at Creekside Park in Glendale to show their frustration of the postponement of winter sports. Photo by Jessica Hughes
Photo by Jessica Hughes
Colorado high school athletes in their school letter jackets hold signs of “# no reason.”
What Residents Can Do To Keep Their Vehicles From Being Stolen
“We live in a time when if you make it easy for someone to steal from you, someone will.” — Frank Abagnale
by Luke Schmaltz
Denver car owners’ vehicles are driving away without them at an alarming rate.
suburbs coupled with the ideals of convenience and self-reliance stamped into most American DNA means that just about everyone with a driver’s license also has access to a car. Of the many thousands of vehicles in use across the Front Range, a rising percentage will be targeted, broken into and driven away with haste.
A Banner Year
2020 has been a boon for car thieves, with numbers climbing like a curve on a Covid-19 cases chart. According to a September 21 report published by The Denver Post, 5149 vehicles have been stolen in Denver thus far — an average of around 530 per month or about 20 per day.
Disconnecting the battery after parking your car can prevent theft.
These numbers are apparently being driven up by idle hands, as some folks who are out of work turn to crime while others turn to a stationary life — leaving their vehicles parked in the same location for many days or weeks at a time. According to the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) Metro Auto Theft Team (CMATT) these vehicles are primarily larger trucks and SUVs — specifically the Ford F-series trucks (F-150, F-250 and F-350), Chevy Silverados and GMC Sierras.
The reason these models are targeted is that they typically contain valuable tools for construction and other in-demand trades. Thieves then turn around and quick sell the tools and disassemble the car via chop shops for used parts. Or they will simply abandon the vehicle in a sparsely populated stretch of road somewhere on the outskirts of town. This dynamic explains why nearly 85% of stolen vehicles are recovered and of course, devoid of any of the owners’ personal items.
Beware Distractions
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), many car thefts take place during major distractions. The primary of these, obviously, is when vehicle owners are asleep in the middle of the night. Surprisingly, however, major holidays such as Halloween and New Year’s Day are also popular times. 2020 is unique in that social unrest in the form of protests and riots tend to attract large gatherings of police officers, leaving a vacuum of sorts in outlying areas. While the majority of officers in District 3 and 6 are downtown skirmishing with protesters and arresting bystanders, professional car thieves are fanning out through the neighborhoods — helping themselves while terrified residents remain glued to their television sets to watch the chaos unfurl.
2020 was a banner year for car thieves in Denver and surrounding areas.
The Basics
It goes without saying that you should lock your car and take the keys to the vehicle with you when you get out. Yet, a large percentage of cars being stolen are done so with ease because the FOB (frequency operated button) “key” was left inside the car, in plain sight, no less. Parking in a garage if you are so lucky is a great idea and if not, in a well-lit area with the windows rolled all the way up can also be a deterrent.
Ramp It Up
Theft deterrent devices like steering wheel locks, steering column collars and car alarms (with warning decals on the windows) can make an enterprising criminal decide to move along to the next car. You can also thwart criminals with a device locked onto one of the four wheels, otherwise known as a wheel lock. After all, the Mile High City is the originator of “the boot” so why not show a bit of Denver pride?
Leaving keys and FOBs in your car means you won’t have it for much longer.
Protect The Transmitter
If you drive a car that unlocks with a FOB, hacker-savvy thieves can access your car even if you take the “key” with you. They do this by “jamming” your FOB’s radio frequency remotely. You can prevent this by taking a few pointers from the tin foil hat crowd and, yes, wrapping your FOB in tin foil overnight or while you are at work. This approach also works by dropping them in a cocktail shaker and slapping the lid on tight. Or, if those methods are a bit too pedestrian you can go out and buy radio frequency identification (RFID) blocker wallets and purses. Perhaps those conspiracy theorists are not so crazy after all.
When cops gather en masse or citizens are distracted by holidays, criminals strike.
Get Technical
Gearheads are privy to a number of hands-on mechanical methods that will keep a car from starting should a thief gain access. You can disconnect one of the battery cables from one of the battery posts which will cut off all power, rendering the car immobile. A similar approach can be applied by switching one of the spark plug wires with the coil wire, which will cause the car to make lots of loud backfiring noises while never actually starting. You can also install a fuel line cutoff valve, a battery disconnect switch or a “dizzy switch” which turns off the electrical signal from the distributor to the coil.
Go Big
In addition to the models mentioned above, the NICB reports that the most frequently stolen cars also include the Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla and Jeep Grand Cherokee. If you are in a position to upgrade, you can trade in your current vehicle for a vehicle that has proven to be virtually theft proof. According to a recent article by Forbes, the Subaru Outback, Legacy and Forester are safe bets along with GMC Acadia, Volkswagen Beetle, Buick Encore, Chevy Equinox, BMW 3-Series and just about anything made by Tesla.
Most Tesla models, especially this one, can’t be stolen.
Your other option for avoiding having your car stolen is to simply continue as usual without a plan and hope the bad guys don’t randomly choose you. Otherwise, you can sleep in your vehicle with a charged phone and a taser or you can give up driving, go green and get a bike. If you choose the latter, however, be sure to invest in a really, really good lock.
Budget Squeeze Nurtures Shabby Lawns, Fewer Flowers Plus Whiffs Of Funky-Foul Odor As City Cuts Garbage Pickups
by Glen Richardson
Lovely, clean running paths. Beautiful landscaped parks that are unrivaled in the Mountain West. As the pandemic has surged, Valley residents have become increasingly worried about the rippling effect the epidemic and ensuing economic tsunami will have on Denver’s park system.
Parkways In Peril: Parks & Recreation is also responsible for care and maintaining of the city’s treasured complex of parkways such as this stretch of 6th Ave. Parkway. Neighborhoods and residents fear budgets now put them in danger of becoming dry, dusty prairie again.
As the virus and subsequent stay-at-home order wore on during the summer, residents of all ages embraced city parks and neighborhood streets as a way to reduce stress-anxiety and as an antidote to cabin fever. Life literally and factually became “like a walk in the park.”
The big question now: What will Denver city parks look like this winter and into next spring?
Double-Barreled Jolt
With more than 200 parks totaling over five-thousand-acres within the city and county of Denver, the twin crises of the pandemic and an economy in free fall are putting Denver parks under punishing pressure. The crunch is principally due to the sharp drop in all forms of city tax revenue.
Color Palette Paralyzed: The finale of colors common in city parks during the summer are likely to remain closer to winter brown in 2021. The pandemic plus an economy in free fall are putting parks under punishing pressure.
Steps under consideration or already being implemented include hiring freezes, furloughing or laying off employees, putting projects on hold and foregoing planned purchases (including new park space). The city is trimming another 6% from the department’s budget this year (2021), the Parks Department’s second consecutive austerity year.
Although cuts to the department’s previously rosy budgets are hard-hitting, the impact of the cutback will most likely be felt due to the dramatic drop in the number of experienced employees. At the end of summer two dozen of Park & Recreation’s most experienced employees were offered retirement packages. Combined those retirees had 535 years of service-experience, averaging 25 years with the department. Look for their loss to erode the places where Denver’s outdoor-loving residents work and play, hike and bike more than all other factors combined. Another 19-20 full-time employees are likely to take the incentive retirement program if it is offered this year.
Fading Facade
The initial reaction to the changing appearance of nearby parks for many residents will simply be, “They cut cost but not the grass.”
Flower Funds Fizzle: Denver lacks funds to feed the Greenhouse for Denver Parks & Recreation in the year ahead. Site normally propagates 250,000 annuals, perennials, shrubs and stock plants for the city park districts.
What’s realistic?: Expect a reduction in mowing, fertilization and irrigation to impact the appearance of lawns and gardens in parks around the city. More: Also anticipate a major increase in litter and trash accumulation.
The bottom line: Longtime park employees still remaining say that park spaces around the city will become scrappy, patchy and disorderly. But, “without deteriorating significantly,” they add hopefully.
Fewer Flowers
The cutback will be most noticeable from a distance or when riding in a car as residents notice longer grass, more weeds, fewer flowers and more snow.
Park lawns and turf fields — grass to play sports on — that were aesthetically pleasing in previous years will be considerably less eye-catching. The reason is the department is now weeding weekly and trimming every three weeks. In addition, the department will plant fewer flower beds come flower bed season. Without shoveling, residents will also observe that the snow is sticking around longer.
The city also watered park lawns less last year, but say they don’t plan to reduce irrigation in 2021. The department also won’t let up on planting trees as they fear many are doomed once the emerald ash borer hits Denver. Already confirmed in Arvada, the invasive beetle preys on ash, the second-most prevalent tree in the city.
Garbage Buildup
Those walking near parks, even when wearing a mask, are likely to notice a funky, foul odor coming from within.
Small Worries: Small retreats such as Alamo Placita Park north of Speer Blvd. are also under pressure. City-county has more than 200 parks totaling over 5,000 acres.
Reason for the whiffs of rank, putrid scents within and along the parameter of parks is due to a dramatic cut in garbage pickups, including dog-poop trash cans.
The department slashed trash removal by 1,800 hours per month last year, and is foregoing scheduled garbage pickups again this year. In addition to garbage within parks, Parks & Rec has scaled back maintenance of all city parkways and removed all dog poop trash cans.
Rec Center Hours
For families with youngsters at home, however, shorter hours and fewer programs at some of the city’s 30 rec centers will be felt the most since many homes rely on them after school. Community spaces for kids are, of course, currently shuttered. Closure, however is not due to budget cuts but because of COVID-19 public health orders.
Current plans call for reopening of city rec centers on April 15, 2021. If and when they do open, eight will have shorter hours. They are what the Parks & Rec Department consider Denver’s bigger, regional centers that can absorb more cuts with fewer negative effects than most “neighborhood” rec centers.
The eight major rec centers that will have shorter hours when they do reopen are: Scheitler, Washington Park, Rude, Montclair, Montbello, Central Park, Carla Madison, and Athmar Park. Officials say that centers serving lower-income areas will not have their hours cut upon reopening.
Bathrooms, Vehicles
Bathrooms in city parks are normally closed during the winter since most don’t have heat. This year, of course, they were shuttered due to the pandemic. The Park & Rec Department’s original plan was to keep them closed to save money even if public health gave the go ahead to reopen. Councilwoman Robin Kniech, however, secured money from the Hancock administration to open restrooms and portajohns with handwashing stations this spring.
Currently Denver has seven parks closed to vehicles: Cheesman Park, City Park, Congress Park, Inspiration Point, Ruby Hill, Sloan’s Lake and Washington Park. Expect them to remain closed to cars during the pandemic, but a final decision won’t be made until after a public process this summer.
During the current crisis, Denver’s parks have provided a relatively safe respite from our stressful, often isolating lives during the pandemic. They’ve provided recreation when the city’s usual venues — museums, theaters, schools, stores, movies, bars, and just about everything else — have been closed. As the New Year begins it is unclear whether the city’s budget woes will wallop Denver parks beyond functional use.
by Laura Lieff
Glendale’s scouting and recruiting efforts have been impressive. Glendale’s Director of Rugby Mark Bullock and his staff have reviewed over 4,000 athletes across the country and 30 were vetted and invited to November tryout.
While the RugbyTown Crossover Academy is a new experiment, the caliber of players is garnering attention. According to Team Manager Peter Pasque, the Colorado XO (named for crossover) players are as big and fast as some NFL teams.
