Denver, CO
Letters: Downtown Denver is struggling and restaurants need a little help
Downtown Denver isn’t doing as well as city auditor claims
Re: “Gutting Denver’s minimum wage is bad for workers, business, and city,” Feb. 16 commentary
With all due respect to Timothy M. O’Brien, Denver’s city auditor, perspective is everything. Thriving? I don’t think so. O’Brien cites statistics outside of downtown Denver, where property and sales taxes have seen a 35% decline, costing the city over $45 million since 2020, according to a 9News report. Yet as property taxes, labor costs, and food costs steadily increase, the city of Denver offers little relief. Crime, homelessness, and declining traffic downtown continue in a downward spiral.
A once-thriving and welcoming city has become a ghost town for most of the last five years. Sure, there are spikes, but too few to matter. No one will come downtown and pay for parking and a $25 hamburger if they can find something similar in their local neighborhoods. Convention traffic has also declined.
Perspective: Your capital city is in disrepair and could use a little help. As a third-generation small family business, it’s not that we forgot how to operate, but we can’t operate on a level playing field. Please don’t tell me I can’t keep people and treat them unfairly. We have dishwashers that have been with us for over 15 years. We treat people well, which is why when you visit one of our shops, you see familiar faces and know their names. This city has some work to do and House Bill 1208 is a good place to start.
Sam Armatas, Denver
Editor’s note: Armatas is vice president and operator of Sam’s No.3 Downtown.
Calling out commentary’s false equivalencies
Re: “Like it or not, Washington needs creative destruction,” Feb. 23 commentary
I’m writing to call you out on allowing a sloppy editorial in your Sunday paper. David Mastio’s op-ed was filled with implied false equivalencies. Because Trump correctly stopped minting pennies, it’s OK to have massive firings of government employees. Because the Pentagon wastes money (and it does), it’s OK to have an incompetent Secretary of Defense.
No one who follows our government believes that it doesn’t need reform, but to imply that stopping the minting of pennies is a great reason for the “creative destruction” of the federal government is dangerous and misguided thinking, and you should use better judgment when you select editorials for publication sources other than your own editorial board. Just saying.
George Burson, Louisville
The concerns about Senate Bill 3 are “rubbish”
Re: “If Colorado bans some semiautomatic weapons, women will be less safe,” Feb. 23 commentary
The state director of Women for Gun Rights writes with the usual gun lobby hyperbole that Senate Bill 3 will undermine the right of self-defense, especially for women and minorities. Rubbish.
If one actually goes to the Colorado General Assembly website, one will find that the firearms covered by the legislation are quite limited. “The bill defines a “specified semiautomatic firearm” as a semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun with a detachable magazine or a gas-operated semiautomatic handgun with a detachable magazine.” Please note that women and minorities can still purchase revolvers, semiautomatic pistols that use the “blowback” method of operation, pump action shotguns, bolt action and lever action rifles, and every other type of firearm not listed above.
One would have thought that an NRA-certified instructor would not have a problem with a training requirement for weapons listed in the bill. Instead, by using classic anti-regulatory language, these are “onerous requirements” that are “burdensome and exclusionary.” Apparently, the only good gun law is no gun law. Please contact your legislator and ask them to support Senate Bill 3.
Guy Wroble, Denver
Same old tired fear-mongering from the NRA. Now, it’s crime waves involving Venezuelan gangs that are targeting our communities and women specifically, and only the NRA and semiautomatic weapons that increase the rate of fire, essentially assault-style weapons, will keep us safe. If Barbara Miller is dedicated to education and safety, I suggest she take the carveout to Senate Bill 3 for individuals who complete a state-regulated training course. Apparently, essential safety training is too “burdensome and exclusionary” for the NRA.
According to Brady United, during the 10-year period the federal assault weapons ban was in effect, mass shooting fatalities were 70% less likely to occur. After Congress let the ban expire, the organization reported that mass shootings in which six or more people were killed increased by 347%.
Having a gun in the home is risk escalation. Studies have shown that having a gun in the home was linked with nearly three times higher odds that someone would be killed at home by a family member or intimate acquaintance. Post the Supreme Court’s Heller decision, any and all gun safety laws are too burdensome for the NRA. This dangerous and deadly expansive view of gun rights is giving people the tools to injure and kill each other. Maybe a better recourse for women and domestic abuse would be for the NRA to spend time, energy, and resources advocating to strengthening penalties for violent offenders, enhancing mental health support and providing resources for domestic violence survivors instead of promoting gun violence.
Leonard Juliano, Arvada
Car chains are not very helpful when you’re blocked by semis
Re: “Stuck behind spinouts, crashes in I-70 ski traffic? There is a better way for Colorado,” Feb. 21 editorial
Allowing vendors to sell and enable vendors to install snow chains for Colorado drivers by passing Senate Bill 69 makes sense. Sort of.
But what the editorial board doesn’t seem to know, but every driver on the Western Slope trying to get back and forth across Vail Pass and through the Eisenhower tunnel does know, is that selling chains will accomplish only one thing — Colorado cars and trucks will be able to move a few inches forward per hour much easier while stuck between chained up semi-trucks that are not able to negotiate snowy conditions due to weight distribution and size. Period. No matter how skillful their drivers are.
Until CDOT works with federal officials to close mountain passes during snowfall to semi traffic or initiates right lane pilot car guided convoys during snowfalls for semis back and forth across our passes, chains for four, front, and all-wheel drive passenger cars will be useless — because, due to nonstop semi wrecks, there will be no way to move to take advantage of increased traction.
Problems can’t be corrected without actually identifying them.
Leslie Wilson, Collbran
Making the case for Belmar Park open space
Re: “Belmar Park: Going back to the drawing board isn’t always feasible,” Feb. 23 letter to the editor
The answer to the standoff over Lakewood’s Belmar Park property is for the city to use its power of eminent domain and acquire this land before the five-story development is built. The failure of our planning department to do so at the get-go is a major mistake in governance. Eminent domain is usually exercised for a public purpose, and I can think of no more appropriate instance than this, where the majority of Lakewood residents want that area abutting the park to become a part of it. Then, the controversy over fee-for-green space can proceed.
Susan Williams, Lakewood
The citizens of Lakewood should vehemently disagree with the letter. We must all agree that housing affordability is not “a bigger issue than open space.”
Open space is irreplaceable; houses are not.
June Jones Paulding, Lakewood
An example of non-biased reporting
Re: “Neighbors nix plans for homeless facility,” Feb. 23 news story
How lucky are we to have John Aguilar writing for The Post? His article is a great example of what good journalism should be, and at one time was, compared to the biased reporting we get on so many topics — both from the left and the right — these days.
Kudos to John for his ongoing, thorough writing!
Mark Buckner, Firestone
Polis’s mandates are fighting climate change
Re: “Polis’ energy mandates will make heating and cooling costs skyrocket in Colorado,” Feb. 23 commentary
The commentary on energy costs due to Gov. Jared Polis’ mandates ignores the very reason for the mandates: climate change.
The majority of Americans believe that the climate is changing, humans are the primary cause, and many agree that fossil fuels are the primary cause. We are witnessing climate change, with worldwide increased temperatures, storm and fire occurrence and intensity, and drought. All of the sources cited in the commentary are connected to the oil and gas industry, such as PetroNerds (note that name) and the Common Sense Institute (if you look them up, they are hardly non-partisan).
Coal use is rapidly declining due to emissions. While natural gas (methane) will be in use for some time as a backup, it has significant emissions. An MIT study finds that fossil fuel facilities kill many more birds than wind per unit of energy generation.
Marc Alston, Denver
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.
Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns, editorials and more.
Originally Published:
Denver, CO
Denver air quality program hopes to expand its services to reach more people
Bad air quality has unfortunately become a familiar issue in Colorado. At a few points last year, Denver’s skyline was completely blanketed with smoke, whether from wildfires in the state or nearby areas, as well as other sources.
Back in 2019, Denver launched a program called Love My Air. In its simplest form, it rates air quality as good, moderate, or hazardous. It’s a tool that lets people in the Denver area look up air quality in real time and decide how they’ll spend time outdoors.
Across the city, little boxes provide important information.
“We measure a couple of different pollutants you see up here,” said Ephraim Milton, a coordinator with the Love My Air program. “Ozone is a big one here in Colorado. PM2.5 is very common.”
Real-time information on air quality and how it affects different individuals is gathered through a network of 80 sensors, a combination of the program’s sensors and the state’s.
“It’s just very hyperlocal,” said Milton. “I mean, you go to the weather app and that, yeah, sure, that’ll tell you the general, you know, air quality for the area. But you go here to ours, and it’s definitely going to be more local.”
The program has expanded over the years and is now in Jefferson and Adams Counties, with sensors across the state and even into Wisconsin.
“They think they have six sensors in Milwaukee,” said Milton. “They’re really great partners.”
Inner City Health, a non-profit providing healthcare to underserved individuals, is a partner here in Denver.
“The technology that they’re providing affords us the ability to inform our patients and the community at large [that] today may be a good day to go outside and exercise, and today may actually be of danger,” said Charles Gilford III, the non-profit’s CEO. “Because we have folks who have asthma or COPD or different conditions that pose a risk to their safety and to their well-being.”
They have an interactive kiosk in their waiting room, but hope the program continues to evolve.
“To send a text message to our patient base and give them updates and say, ‘Hey, just as a heads up, we saw you the other day and today would be a good day to take that walk,” said Gilford. “What are the other iterations of this technology that folks can have? How can we make sure that in a society where everything is competing for our attention, we can just be that one little nudge to give people good information while they’re going about their lives, and not just in the clinic?”
This tool can also be useful in the event of a fire or nearby construction, for example. Love My Air hosts community workshops focused on education, in addition to their online resources, and the information is also used for policy and rulemaking across the state. They plan on adding multiple healthcare partners in 2026 and hope to continue expanding their reach.
Denver, CO
Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver Earns 2025 Top Workplace by the Denver Post for 14th Year
Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver
Denver, CO – January 27, 2026 – Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver is proud to announce that they have been named a 2025 Top Workplace by The Denver Post for the 14th year in a row! Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver is a home care provider in Denver, CO, founded in 2008. This recognition highlights the organization’s long-standing commitment to its positive and supportive workplace culture for its caregivers and clients.
Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver has ranked:
-
#8 in the Medium Business category for 2025
-
#9 ranking in the Medium Business category for 2024
-
#59 ranking in 2023 for the Small Business category
-
and more
Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver has earned these rankings with their excellence in maintaining a strong workplace culture year after year. The organization’s Top Workplaces profile can be viewed at:
https://topworkplaces.com/company/visiting-angels-of-lakew/denverpost/
“Earning this recognition for the 14th consecutive year is an incredible honor,” said Stephen Signor, Executive Director of Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver. “Our caregivers are the heart of our organization, and we are deeply grateful for their commitment to both our clients and one another. This award reflects the supportive culture we strive to maintain every day.”
About Visiting Angels
Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver is a locally owned and operated in-home care provider serving the Denver, Colorado area since 2008. The organization specializes in compassionate, individualized, high-quality home care in Denver delivered by experienced and dedicated caregivers.
Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver provides personalized in-home care services to seniors throughout the Denver metro area, helping clients maintain independence and quality of life in the comfort of their homes.
Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver Office:
Business Name: Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver
Address: 4251 Kipling St #535, Wheat Ridge, CO, 80033
Phone Number: (720) 734-5432
Website: https://www.visitingangels.com/denver/home-care-denver-co
Media Contact
Company Name: Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver
Contact Person: Stephen Signor
Email: Send Email
Phone: (720) 734-5432
Address:4251 Kipling St #535
City: Wheat Ridge
State: Colorado
Country: United States
Website: https://www.visitingangels.com/denver/home
Press Release Distributed by ABNewswire.com
To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Visiting Angels Senior Home Care Denver Earns 2025 Top Workplace by the Denver Post for 14th Year
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. XPRMedia and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact pressreleases@xpr.media
Denver, CO
‘I would want ICE out’: Denver mayor promises to protect residents if ICE comes to Colorado
DENVER — On Monday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston outlined his goals for the city in 2026, which included safety, affordability, and climate resilience.
However, before Johnston dove into what he wants to see in Denver this year, he addressed rising community fears sparked by two deadly federal enforcement encounters in Minneapolis, vowing to protect residents if ICE were to target Colorado.
“This last weekend — which I know has been a hard one for many residents of Denver — I think, not just watching the heartbreak for Minneapolis, but the uncertainty and the fear that we know settles in members of our community across the city who are worried about what happens if they too are targeted, or if they too stand up to support neighbors who are at risk,” Johnston said at the start of the press conference.
On Saturday morning, federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. It’s the second deadly encounter between federal agents and civilians in Minnesota this month, after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was killed on Jan. 7.
While walking through La Alma-Lincoln Park — an area Johnston said highlights the work the city has done to address gun violence and support individuals living on the street — the mayor did not shy away from questions about what he would do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cracked down on Colorado next.
Jordan Ward
Johnston said the city has a three-pronged plan, which begins with prevention.
“We’ve worked really hard to make this the city that has the largest reduction in homicides of any city in the country. The largest reduction of homelessness of any city in the country. A city that has very successfully brought more migrants than any other city per capita, and helped them connect to services where they’re not struggling on the streets. We think that helps make the case there is no need for any federal engagement here,” Johnston said.
In addition, the Denver Mayor said the city is prepared to sue the federal government when it believes policies are unconstitutional and that community partners are critical in ensuring residents know their rights.
“This police department has done an incredible job of both protecting people’s right to be heard — to have their First Amendment rights heard, we love that people protest and speak out whenever they want to — this team has kept them safe to do that without conflicts or violence. And so, we think that’s also been a helpful part of the context that the city has created,” said Johnston.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas also addressed the crowd on Monday, saying their focus is on safety, but also on creating a welcoming city.
“We want to make sure that those immigrants, those newcomers to our communities, feel safe, feel comfortable reporting crimes to us. We think that is a part of safety as well,” Thomas said. “At the same time, we want to make sure that people feel comfortable exercising their First Amendment rights. We feel like we do a very good job of managing those demonstrations, those large demonstrations that happen quite frequently in our city, particularly around the Capitol. And so I think that being able to manage those safely, without chaos, I think is going to go a long way towards making sure that we don’t have an infiltration of federal law enforcement.”
Local
Denver mayor sets goals for affordability, safety and homelessness
Denver7 asked Mayor Mike Johnston if he would be as vocal as the Minneapolis Mayor if ICE came to Denver next.
“Absolutely. I mean, my top priority is to protect every resident of this city, and I am heartbroken and furious about what’s happening in Minneapolis, and it’s not even my city,” Johnston said. “I would want ICE out of my city as quickly as he would — because what he said, and we know — is that it does not make the city safer, and there are dead Americans to prove that over the last week. So, I feel equally as strongly as he does, and I would support him or any other mayor as much as I would expect them to support us if the situation were different.”
Johnston said he does not fear backlash for comments about federal immigration enforcement.
“My job is to protect all our residents, and to be clear that they know we will have their back and support them,” Johnston said. “To expect that the federal government will follow the law and follow the Constitution, I don’t think that’s a risky thing to say.”
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
-
Sports1 week agoMiami’s Carson Beck turns heads with stunning admission about attending classes as college athlete
-
Illinois6 days agoIllinois school closings tomorrow: How to check if your school is closed due to extreme cold
-
Pittsburg, PA1 week agoSean McDermott Should Be Steelers Next Head Coach
-
Lifestyle1 week agoNick Fuentes & Andrew Tate Party to Kanye’s Banned ‘Heil Hitler’
-
Pennsylvania2 days agoRare ‘avalanche’ blocks Pennsylvania road during major snowstorm
-
Sports1 week agoMiami star throws punch at Indiana player after national championship loss
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoNortheast Ohio cities dealing with rock salt shortage during peak of winter season
-
Technology6 days agoRing claims it’s not giving ICE access to its cameras
