Englewood Herald 012022

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Week of January 20, 2022

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

EnglewoodHerald.net

VOLUME 101 | ISSUE 49

Blood supplies running low Donations are needed now in all regions BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The American Red Cross has been sending up the red flag, stressing that there is a nationwide blood

shortage and Colorado is no different. In fact, along the Front Range, hospitals are managing but are one major tragedy away from danger. Dr. Kyle Annen, director of tansfusion services and patient blood management for Children’s Hospital Colorado, said their blood supplies are not as low as those being reported by the American Red Cross and Vitalant, a national independent,

nonprofit blood services provider. “We definitely have lower supplies than normal,” Annen said. “But we are one bad emergency away from getting into some real trouble.” Annen said CHC, which has hospitals along the Front Range and throughout the state, has been lucky to keep a flow of regular donors, but she is getting more concerned as the omicron variant of COVID contin-

ues to spread. “It is not today or tomorrow that I worry about,” Annen said. “I worry about our supplies in the next few weeks. As omicron continues to hit us, we are going to start getting in trouble. It really is not just about today. We have to keep blood supplies stable for the future.” SEE BLOOD, P21

King Soopers strike comes to Englewood, Littleton Water shutoffs Littleton mayor endorses to resume for union on social media those who can’t pay bill BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Workers at King Soopers stores in Englewood and Littleton joined thousands of others across the Denver area starting Jan. 12 in what is expected to be a threeweek strike across 77 stores. Since the start of the strike, workers have picketed outside the stores, saying they will not return to the job until the grocery giant commits to improving employees’ wages, health-care benefits and store safety practices. The strike comes after the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, a union that includes King Soopers employees, rejected the company’s “last, best and final offer,” which the union said fell far short of employees’ needs. “The company has failed to adequately address these demands and continues to demonstrate a lack of appreciation for workers who put their lives at risk in the midst of a global pandemic,” according to a union press release. Earlier in the week, King Soopers fired back after filing a claim accus-

Financial assistance is available; shutoffs come back in February BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

proposal,” King Soopers/City Market President Joe Kelley said in a statement, according to the Colorado Sun.

The pandemic policy of letting water service continue when residents have overdue utility bills will soon end in Englewood, but financial assistance is available for those still struggling to pay. “In 2020, the City of Englewood, along with many other municipalities across the county, suspended water shutoffs for overdue utility bills to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the city says on its website. Starting in February, water service shutoffs for those who don’t pay will resume.

SEE KING SOOPERS, P20

SEE WATER, P9

Employees in Englewood strike outside the King Soopers at 101 Englewood Parkway. Workers are demanding better wages, healthcare benefits and store safety. PHOTO BY ROBERT TANN

ing the labor organization of engaging in “bad faith” bargaining. “If Local 7 does not want to negotiate then they should at least have the decency to allow our associates to vote on the current

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22

THE FRIENDLY SKIES

Young Eagles all about kids and aviation P14


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