Colorado
Letters: The burden of managing the wolf population in Colorado

The burden of managing the wolf population
Re: “Waking up to wolves,” Dec. 31 commentary
This law is a one-sided thing that should never have been passed by voters, but now requires some serious legislation to regulate or nullify it.
Robert Cox, Montrose
I am not sure who decided on the subheadline (“Colorado Parks and Wildlife damaged any trust they had built with ranchers”), but I think it is misplaced and does a disservice to CPW.
I won’t argue with Fischer’s opinion; the concerns are real, and I appreciate his perspective, even if I may not entirely agree with it. However, it may help to remember it was Colorado voters who passed the law that brought the wolves back home, and CPW was tasked with carrying out the law. There are laws that some of us disagree with, but personally, I think following the law builds trust, not damages it.
Roland L Halpern, Denver
Comparing Trump’s words on Jan . 6 to Civil War “laughable”
Re: “Year of the Colorado judges also saw politicians falter,” Dec. 31 commentary
Continuing the discussion concerning the Colorado Supreme Court’s efforts to keep Donald Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot, Krista Kafer’s commentary states, “…I’m proud Colorado’s court agreed with our legal arguments that Trump’s actions have disqualified him from office.”
In the good old days, if someone had not been charged with a crime (such as insurrection) nor been convicted, rational people would not pretend that both of these prerequisites had been met. But in 2023, an astonishing number of people on the political left don’t want to be confused by the facts. There is no vaccine for “Trump derangement syndrome.”
Voting for the other guy is not enough for the radical left. There is also no proportionality on the left when using the word insurrection. To compare the Civil War, where more than a half-million Americans were slaughtered, to what Trump said on Jan. 6 would be laughable if it weren’t so scary.
Trump did not encourage the protesters to take up arms and overthrow the federal government. I guess it was just implied that they could find enough sticks and stones around the Capitol to get the job done. The only shooting that took place was the killing of an unarmed protester by a security guard. I believe Trump used the word “peaceful,” no?
Brighter and more measured minds than the Colorado Supreme Court four and Kafer’s have predicted, after reading the Constitution, that the U.S. Supreme Court will probably vote 9 to 0 against Colorado. These radical differences of opinion (and facts?) in this country are in themselves scary.
Richard Chervenak, Broomfield
We don’t need more conspiracy theories on antisemitism
Re: “Follow the money to the source of antisemitism on America’s campuses,” Dec. 24 commentary
The rise of antisemitism on college campuses is egregious, and conversations on the matter should be welcome. However, Doug Friednash makes several omissions and assumptions when he broaches the subject – decisions that I fear generate more suspicion and distraction in a contentious time.
His argument is to link the rise of antisemitism on campus to the influence of “undocumented money,” primarily from Qatar. This gesture to a shadowy foreign adversary does two things. First, Friednash bypasses more pressing homegrown issues, such as recently proposed budget cuts for the Department of Education. Specifically, Republicans are targeting DOE’s Office of Civil Rights, which is precisely the arm of the DOE that helps address and curtail antisemitic activity on campuses. Readers should be paying attention to this.
Second, Freidnash’s rhetorical strategy is to tie several actors together by mere proxy on the page without offering any evidence of their connection. A hurried reader will assume that the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, the critics of Zionism, college administrations, and Al Jazeera are all of a singular piece. As if there were a direct line – “follow the money” – between these actors and one authoritarian regime. Friednash’s brush strokes border on the conspiratorial, and we need fewer, not more, conspiracies attached to discussions of antisemitism.
As a counterpoint, let me suggest that our own government’s massive investment in Israel’s military – and the military in general – is a more tangible burden on America’s education system. Couldn’t that money be used to bolster more inclusive, safe and rigorous institutions of higher learning?
Luke Leavitt, Denver
Marijuana legalization is taking a toll
Re: “10 years of legalized marijuana: Colorado paved the way, and sky didn’t fall,” Dec. 31
No, the sky did not fall. All that happened was that we are breeding new generations of addicts hooked on the most powerful cannabis ever developed. The economic and health consequences of this disastrous experiment will blight generations of Coloradans and Americans in other states that followed our foolish lead. This is late-stage capitalism at its worst.
Steven Krauss, Denver
State’s moves not so “shameful”
Re: “Another shameful first,” Dec. 31 letter to the editor
Colorado voters expressed their support for a woman’s right to choose. They also supported the legalization of cannabis and psilocybin. The “drug war” declared by President Richard Nixon has done nothing but criminalize benign substances and the people’s struggles to obtain them. Our prisons are filled with non-violent drug “offenders.” Coloradans also vote to retain the Supreme Court judges who exercise judicial review. (Calling section 3 of the 14th Amendment “unused” is irrelevant; it’s still the law.)
I’m proud to call my state the trailblazer in decriminalizing abortion, marijuana and “magic” mushrooms. The people’s will was expressed via their vote. This is representative democracy in a republic.
Now, veterans, as well as people with PTSD, can get relief. Women have the right to choose. Colorado’s prescient and exemplary voters should be celebrated, not condemned.
John Amari, Denver
Here are just three pronouncements that show Donald Trump’s manipulative plan:
August 17, 2020: “The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.”
January 2, 2021: “I just want to find 11,780 votes.”
January 6, 2021: “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our Constitution.”
Susan Clare, Westminster
Snail mail responses: Some good, some ugly
Re: “To the anonymous letter writers,” Dec. 22 letter to the editor and “Bullying through anonymous mail,” Dec. 17 letter to the editor
I, too, have received response letters to my Open Forum letters via snail mail. Some of those letters have been kind. I have been invited to join a like-minded political action group. One lovely lady named Flor shared her deep religious beliefs with me. All of the kind letters have been signed with return addresses. Not so much the others. An anonymous writer explained to me that guns are part and parcel of men’s identity, which is to fight and kill. Another person, in a letter addressed to me, told my husband he should shut me up.
Freedom of speech implies that individuals don’t have to be sneaky about having their own beliefs. It seems pretty cowardly to not attach one’s name to one’s opinion. I applaud those who read newspapers and take the time to react to what they read, including through snail mail. I think it’s important that we keep talking. But when I read an unsigned letter, I immediately get the impression that the writer feels like a naughty boy getting away with doing something wrong. If you are not proud of your beliefs, you need to talk to yourself, not the rest of us.
A. Lynn Buschhoff, Denver
Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail.

Colorado
CSU hits record 12 3s, wins Mountain West title

LAS VEGAS — Nique Clifford scored 24 points and No. 2 seed Colorado State made a Mountain West tournament-record 12 3s and beat fifth-seeded Boise State 69-56 on Saturday night for its first title since 2003.
Colorado State (25-9) will make its second straight NCAA tournament appearance on a 10-game win streak.
Boise State trailed by 10 points at the half and pulled to within five points during the first minute of the second. But Jaylen Crocker-Johnson hit consecutive 3-pointers during an 11-0 run and the Rams led 43-27. Clifford made the Rams’ 12th 3-pointer with about 10 minutes left that stretched their lead to 60-36.
Ethan Moore scored a career-high 11 points and Bowen Born added nine for the Rams. Clifford and Born each made three 3s as the Rams shot 12 of 24 from distance.
Tyson Degenhart scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to lead Boise State (24-9).
Colorado State took the lead for good about eight minutes in and led by as many as 17 points in the first half. Boise State used an 11-4 surge to cut the deficit to 32-22 at the break. Crocker-Johnson’s layup gave the Rams their largest lead, 63-38, with 6:48 remaining.
Colorado
How Colorado Buffaloes’ Deion Sanders Recruited NFL Legend Marshall Faulk Onto Coaching Staff

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders added legendary NFL running back Marshall Faulk to coach the same position on Sanders’ coaching staff, but how hard was it to convince Faulk to begin a coaching career? Earlier in the week, Faulk told the story to reporters after one of Colorado’s spring practices.
“I’ve been saying no to coaching since I left football. For the past like three, maybe four years, coach (Sanders) has been grooming me. You know, he’ll call me and ask me certain stuff. He’ll ask me about a player and we’ll talk about this and that: ‘Hey, come up and watch us practice.’ So he’s he’s been grooming me, and I always felt like for for what I for what I invested in the game, it took away from me with my kids,” said Faulk.
However, now that Faulk’s kids are older, he has returned to the football field as a member of Sanders’ coaching staff. Faulk joins Sanders and Buffaloes defensive analyst Warren Sapp as three members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame currently working at Colorado. In fact, Faulk’s and Sanders’ experience being inducted into the Hall of Fame might have led to the legendary running back’s hiring in Boulder, Colorado.
When talking about his relationship with “Coach Prime,” Faulk talked about the time he spent with Sanders during the Hall of Fame experience, as well as working together on TV broadcasts.
“We worked in television together at NFL network, and we spent so much time on the road. We literally went through the Hall of Fame process, we were the same year. We actually had our party together. We’ve done a lot of stuff together,” said Faulk.
MORE: NFL Draft Trade: New York Jets Predicted To Trade To Select Shedeur Sanders?
MORE: Deion Sanders Welcomes Denzel Washington To Speak To Colorado Football Team
MORE: NFL Free Agent Tackle David Bakhtiari Injury Update, Return: Kansas City Chiefs Fit
MORE: Deion Sanders Addresses Negotiating Contract Extension With Colorado Buffaloes
The 2025 season will be Faulk’s first year with the Buffaloes, and he inherits a running back room that returns some experience. Colorado running back Isaiah Augustave led Colorado with 384 rushing yards in 2024, and he is returning for his junior season. Additionally, the Buffaloes return running back Micah Welch who appeared in nine games as true freshman.
“Where can we improve? That’s the idea, and that’s the mindset that we have to have. And that’s what we want to instill in the football players we bring in here and that we coach,” said Faulk. “I don’t care how good you are. It’s how much better can we make you? Where can you get better? And if that’s all you do is focus on the things that you do well, then you’re not improving. I gotta take your weakness and turn it into a strength.”
A few of Faulk’s many accomplishments in the NFL include a Super Bowl ring, an NFL MVP, three Offensive Player of the Year awards, as well as Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1994. He also holds a number of NFL records, including four consecutive seasons with 2,000 yards from scrimmage. He played with the St. Louis Rams and the Indianapolis Colts during his career, but now, Faulk is a Colorado Buffalo.
Will the running back room become a strength under Faulk’s leadership in 2025?
Colorado
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College gets late bounce, knocks off Denver in Game 1

Colorado College has had so many nights this season when the Tigers felt like they played well, but some bit of adversity went against them.
The Tigers got a bounce they desperately needed Friday night.
Sophomore defenseman Brady Cleveland scored with 3:43 remaining in the third period, and the sixth-seeded Tigers knocked off third-seeded University of Denver, 3-1, in Game 1 of a best-of-three NCHC conference tournament series Friday night at Magness Arena.
“You’re just really proud of (Cleveland),” CC coach Kris Mayotte said. “He’s come in here and worked his tail off and continued to get better. You need your big boys to be big boys in these moments, but you also need your unsung heroes to kind of rise up and get something like that for us.”
Kaidan Mbereko was fantastic in net for the Tigers, turning aside 32 shots. Matt Davis, who put together a historic postseason a year ago and led DU to its NCAA-record 10th national championship, had a strong night as well with 20 saves.
Cleveland’s shot from the top of the zone broke a DU player’s stick and re-directed into the Pioneers net to give CC its first lead of the game. It was also the first goal of Cleveland’s NCAA career, in his 52nd game.
“It’s something pretty special,” said Cleveland, who transferred from Wisconsin after his freshman season. “I think about all the extra reps and all the stuff people don’t see behind the scenes that led up to this moment. It’s pretty special knowing the hard work finally pays off. It’s something I’ll remember the rest of the my life.”
Ty Gallagher scored 32 seconds into a 5-on-3 for the Tigers to bring CC level early in the third period. DU’s Rieger Lorenz had a shorthanded chance, but barreled into Mbereko and was called for charging. It was Gallagher’s seventh goal of the season, which leads the CC defense corps.
Jack Devine gave the Pios the lead at 13:38 of the second period on a goal mouth scramble shortly after an offensive-zone faceoff. It was Devine’s 13th goal and team-leading 51st point of the season.
The Pios had a faceoff in the CC end in part because Tigers forward Gleb Veremyev was laying on the ice in pain at the other end. When DU transitioned the puck out of the defensive zone and away from Veremyev, the officials let play continue — much to the chagrin of a very animated Mayotte.
Junior center Noah Laba added an empty-netter for the Tigers in the final minute.
Despite allowing the only goal, the Tigers were much better in the middle period. Davis had very little to do in the first period, but needed to make several saves on shots from the slot in the second.
Mbereko kept the Tigers afloat despite a hot start from the Pioneers. Denver had the first 12 shots on goal of the game, and it took more than 10 minutes for CC to get its first shot on Davis.
“Unbelievable performance,” Laba said. “We know he has always has that in him. For him to go out there and show out in a big game is huge. We’re going to need him from here on out.”
DU retained the Gold Pan for the sixth straight season, winning three of the four regular-season matchups. Three of the games were tied in the third period, and the other ended up a one-goal contest.
Both of these teams got off to great starts to this season. The Pioneers set a program record by winning their first 12 games, spending eight weeks at No. 1 in both major polls. The Tigers won eight straight at the start, climbing as high as No. 8 in the national rankings.
Colorado College stumbled through January, losing seven of nine at one point, and the Tigers’ only path to an NCAA tournament bid is winning this series, then winning twice next weekend at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul, Minn.
DU entered this weekend at No. 9 in the Pairwise rankings, solidly in the NCAA field of 16, but what seed the Pios land is still to be determined.
Game 2 of this series is Saturday night at Magness, with Game 3 on Sunday evening if necessary.
“We know what they’re going to do, and they obviously know what we’re going to do,” Cleveland said. “It just comes down to who’s going to perform better. We came out on top, and we’re going to do it again.”
Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis.
Originally Published:
-
News1 week ago
Gene Hackman Lost His Wife and Caregiver, and Spent 7 Days Alone
-
Politics1 week ago
Republicans demand Trump cut American legal association out of nominee process
-
Politics1 week ago
Agriculture secretary cancels $600K grant for study on menstrual cycles in transgender men
-
News1 week ago
States sue Trump administration over mass firings of federal employees
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
‘Black Bag’ Review: Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender Cozy Up in Steven Soderbergh’s Snazzy Spy Thriller
-
News1 week ago
Who Paid for Trump’s Transition to Power? The Donors Are Still Unknown.
-
News1 week ago
Trump Seeks to Bar Student Loan Relief to Workers Aiding Migrants and Trans Kids
-
Politics1 week ago
Kristi Noem says 2 leakers accused of disclosing ICE operations ID'd: 'Put law enforcement lives in jeopardy'