SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
VOLUME 34 32
C I T Y
50cI
SSUE 48 17 ISSUE
TUESDAY APRIL 27, 2021 TUESDAY , N,OVEMBER 24, 2020
New COVID-19 restrictions indoor personal gatherings Learningwilltheprohibit lessons ofdining, COVID-19 Frontline workers recall the challenges they faced while working to save patients BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
(This the first part of a two-part series, which continues on May 6.) The first cases of COVID-19 hit the United States in 2020 and it was declared a pandemic by March 2020, changing the world and how we live. But nowhere is the impact of the virus more apparent than with medical frontline workers from across the world who initially did not know what they were dealing with or its dangers. They learned in 2020 and learned quickly. “There was so much hype and fear with the hospital personnel. Just because we work in a hospital doesn’t mean that we don’t have fear,” said Wendy Colon, the Director of the Emergency Department and Emergency Manager for Platte Valley Medical Center. “With this emerging virus, everybody was a little bit nervous.”
Dr. William McNitt, left, inserts a tube in a patient, while Dr. Scott Hackman assists. The doctors worked long days wearing heavy COURTESY OF PLATTE VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER protective gear to protect themselves and patients.
The team at Brighton’s Platte Valley Medical Center joined together with doctors and nurses across the nation to combat the mystery virus. Colon played a big role at Platte Valley, relying on her experience in emergency medicine and disaster emergency management when the pandemic hit.
“I ended up in the position by moving into my career the way I wanted; because, I have two loves, emergency medicine and disaster emergency management,” said Colon. Colon was very interested in emergency management and bioterrorism before COVID-19 appeared in Colorado. She continued to moni-
tor the virus as it was appearing in China and moving around the world and the country. Once the first case was confirmed in Colorado, the hospital quickly opened an Incident Command Center, she said. Even then, when SEE COVID, P4
Need-to-know info for city council elections candidates in Thornton Deadlines and candidates andSeveral Westminster have thrown their names in the hat and it won’t be for another few months until can A longfor line November of cars outsidecity the city of Brighton’s rapid testing site people at circulate nomination petitions. Riverdale Regional Park. Thein site has hadFor to close early many days in recent council elections those interested in running for weeks due to high demand. Adams County’s 14-daythere test positivity rate city council, is still time. In Tri-County Westminster, thereDepartment. is an elecwasNorthglenn, 15.9 percent, as Thornton, of Nov. 17, according to Health tion forrates mayor and three at-large Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity were both higher than council seats. Thornton and NorthWestminster, Brighton 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have glenn have four council seats up died from COVID-19 related health issues. limit the spread of COVID-19, forTo election, one for each ward. In and Commerce City Commerce City, there will be elecat least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions that prohibits indoor and
personal gatherings.
BY LIAM ADAMS LADAMS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Though municipal elections are a little over six months away, the seeds of campaign season are already in the ground.
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tions for two at-large council seats, one seat for Ward 1 and one seat for Ward 3. Brighton has a mayoral election and races for four council seats, one for each ward.by Belen Ward Photo Anyone interested in running has to file a candidate affidavit with the city clerk’s office within 10 days
of announcing their candidacy. A candidate needs to file an affidavit before circulating nomination By Ellis Arnold petitions, which they can begin Colorado3.Community Media to file doing August The deadline nomination petitions is Monday, As Denver August 23. metro counties continue to inch closer to local stay-at-home ordersare Other important election dates Oct. when the county clerk can under11, Colorado’s system of coronavirusbegin outthe mail ballots. The relatedsending restrictions, state announced election is on Tuesday, Nov. 2. a new of rulespeople that prohibits Thelevel following in eachindoor city dining and personal gatherings — aachave filed candidate affidavits, change that applies to theoffi majority cording to city clerk’s ces: of the For Westminster mayor, there isin Denver metro area and many counties Nancy McNally, Anita Seitz and other regions. Austin Watts. For councilor at-large, The state’s COVID-19 which has there is Bruce Baker, dial, David DeMott, been in effect since September, is the set Kathleen Dodaro, Obi Ezeadi, Sarah of different Kathryn levels of restrictions thatJon each Nurmela, Skulley and Voelz. For more information, see
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LOCAL 3 2 • New communication, OBITUARIES •27J Schools moves 5 3 special OBITUARIES LOCAL ed directors online-only Dec.for 1 8 6 Adams LEGALS SPORTS 27J 11 8 CLASSIFIED CALENDAR • Page 3 10 LEGALS • Page 3 11 CLASSIFIEDS
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the city of Westminster’s election page:https://www.cityofwestminster.us/Government/Departments/ county is required to follow based on the CityClerk/Elections/municipalelecseverity of a county’s local virus spread. tion. The dial grew1out of the state’s safer-atFor Ward councilor in Thornhomethere orderis —Sherry the policy that cameand after ton, Goodman Kathryn Henson. There order is Jessica the statewide stay-at-home this Sandgren and Roberta Ayala forof spring and allowed numerous types Ward 2; Kate Miya and Tony Unrein businesses to reopen. for Ward 3; and Angie Bedolla and The state recently Karen Bigelow for switched Ward 4. to color identifiers — levels blue, yellow and In Northglenn, Gerald Montour orange than numbered levels — to has so rather far submitted a candidate affi davit to runUntil for Ward 2. level In Comavoid confusion. Nov. 17, red merce City, Kristi Douglas has meant a stay-at-home order. Now, level submitted an affidavit to run for red — “severe risk” —Ratliff is the secondat-large and Cassie has done the same for Ward 3. Anass Maksi has filed an affidavit Please see RESTRICTIONS, for Brighton’s mayoral race. Page 2
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