SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
VOLUME 35 32
C I T Y
50cI
04 ISSUE SSUE 48
WEEK OF ANUARY 26, TUESDAY , NJOVEMBER 24,2023 2020
New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoor dining, personal gatherings Business as
usual for Suncor employees, despite shutdown
Our in-depth look at the housing crisis
No employees have been laid off since the mid-December shutdown at the Suncor Energy oil refinery in Commerce FILE PHOTO City. BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Racial Inequities: Black Coloradans often face barriers in homeownership A long line of cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testing site at visited properties, Riverdale Regional Park. The site has hadthe to applicants close early many in recent landlords denied theirdays applicaweeks due to high demand. Adams County’s test positivity rate tions.14-day This happened over and again. was 15.9 percent, as of Nov. 17, accordingover to Tri-County Health Department. So the team decided to takethan a Brighton and Commerce City’s test positivity rates were both higher BY NINA JOSS AND HALEY LENA different approach, sending in 13 percent. Forty-five people in BrightonWhite and 29 in Commerce Cityout have NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM; HLENA@COLORADOvolunteers to check the died from COVID-19 related health issues. To limit the spread of COVID-19, COMMUNITYMEDIA.COM apartments first. “I would send one of our em-and at least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions that prohibits indoor A fewgatherings. years ago, Aurora Warms ployees or people that were White personal the Night, an Aurora-based nonto look at the apartment — to get profit serving people who need the pricing, get everything, to housing, ran into a challenge make sure everything was availwhen assisting its Black clients in able,” saidPhoto Brian Arnold, who Ward was by Belen applying for apartments. When executive director of the group at
Some now look to build equity for future generations
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Colorado Community Mediathat, the time fi ve years ago. “After we did the application online and metro counties continue sentAs it Denver in without them being able to to local stay-at-home orders toinch seecloser the person.” OnceColorado’s the application got apunder system of coronavirusproved, the team at Aurora Warms related restrictions, the state announced the Night would let the real estate a new level of rules thatwas prohibits agents see the client Black.indoor dining and personal gatherings —a Arnold said this process worked change that applies to the majority of the almost every time and became the organization’s own way of making Denver metro area and many counties in aother dentregions. in the discrimination that people of color may face, but find The state’s COVID-19 dial, which has been in effect since September, is the set SEE INEQUITIES, P7 of different levels of restrictions that each
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A message • to our readers • Page 9
•27J Schools moves online-only Dec. 1
• Page 3
Vestas to lay off 200 employees
Regarding subscription prices. P2
Despite the shutdown on Dec. 24, 2022, the workers at Suncor facility in Commerce City remain unaffected. “No layoffs, no furloughs. They’re all working,” said Mike Adams, a representative for their union. According to Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment, no unemployment claims with job separations from Suncor have been filed since Dec. 15. Loa Esquilin Garcia, a spokesperson for Suncor, said “extreme and record-setting weather” leading up to Dec. 24 caused the shutdown. “We is decided down county requiredtotoshut follow basedthe on the entire facility and put into spread. safe severity of a county’s localitvirus mode to allow for the inspection of The dial grew of theofstate’s safer-atall units andout repair the damaged home order —Th thee policy that came equipment. inspection andafter rethe statewide stay-at-home order this are pairs of the damaged equipment ongoing,” Garcia numerous wrote in an email. spring and allowed types of Th e plant anticipates a progresbusinesses to reopen. sive restart at the later end of the Thequarter state recently switched to color first for 2023. Adams said no identifiers — levels blue, yellow and or schedules have been shortened orange rather than numbered levels —into lessened, and everyone remains the same roles. avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red “This is no different than every meant a stay-at-home order. Now, level couple of years, a refinery shuts red — “severe risk” — is the seconddown to retool, so everybody stays in their same roles, even at that time,” Adams said. Please see RESTRICTIONS, Page 2
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