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Holiday movie preview: A sweet symphony of Oscar hopefuls, family fare and adventure

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

If you write about movies, this is the time of year when you write a lot about movies, and they’ll continue to snowball into theaters and onto streaming services through the end of the year.There will be time to breathe in January.Now, though, as the fall rush gives way to the early-winter avalanche, we offer this look at much of what’s coming, from Academy Award hopefuls to fanciful films the studios hope will appeal to your whole family around the holidays. (As always, dates are subject to change.)“Leo” | Nov. 21 | Netflix >> Adam Sandler’s latest film for the streaming giant is an animated tale set during the last year of elementary school — as seen from the eyes of the class pet. Sandler (“Hotel Transylvania”) voices the titular 74-year-old lizard, who’s been stuck for decades in a Florida classroom with a likewise glassed-in turtle (voiced by Bill Burr). When Leo learns he has but one year to live, he plots his great escape.“Genie” | Nov. 22 | Peacock >>...

Opinion: Trump called the Colorado ruling a “victory.” He couldn’t be more wrong

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

The latest opinion denying a challenge to Donald Trump’s eligibility to run for president has occasioned a lot of teeth-gnashing about how the court, in the words of Colorado’s secretary of state, gave Trump a “get-out-of-jail-free card for insurrection.” The frustration is understandable but shortsighted.In fact, the opinion by Colorado District Judge Sarah B. Wallace is a giant step toward disqualifying Trump from the ballot on constitutional grounds.The Colorado challenge is one of several brought under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies officials who “have engaged in insurrection” against the United States from holding federal office. The provision gives rise to the argument that Trump is not qualified to run for president because of his role in the events of Jan. 6, 2021.In the last few of its 102 pages, Wallace’s opinion concludes that the president is not “an officer of the United States” for the purposes of the amendment and is therefore not disqualified fro...

Denver auditor says lax oversight undermines city’s affordable housing goals

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

Denver housing officials are not holding the Denver Housing Authority accountable when it comes to producing and preserving agreed-upon numbers of affordable units, according to a recent report issued by Denver Auditor Tim O’Brien.The audit, released last week, identified 203 units in housing authority projects backed by taxpayer dollars that were renting at market rates. Of those, the rents for 89 units were at prices considered unaffordable to people making 80% of the city’s area median income — currently $69,520 for an individual or $89,360 for a family of three — which is a violation of the city’s agreement with the authority.The rest were at risk of rising above that maximum level in the future, the audit says.Auditors also found the authority was 32 units short of its commitment to develop housing for people with very low incomes and 301 units short of the number agreed upon for people with moderate incomes.“The city needs stronger oversight to co...

“Bromance” between special needs student and school resource officer touched lives of many

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

Gretchen Olmsted says she remembers the phone call as if it happened yesterday. Jesus “Moose” Chavez, the school resource officer assigned by the Lakewood police department to Alameda International High School, was calling to say he had met her son, Luke, at a Special Olympics event at Jefferson County Stadium. Luke was born with cerebral palsy, confined to a wheelchair and non-verbal, but Chavez sensed an opportunity to bring him joy.“He called me out of the blue,” Olmsted said recently, two months after her son passed away at age 26 due to medical complications related to his cerebral palsy. “He said, ‘I watched Luke and saw how much joy he had with someone pushing him fast on the track. I’m a runner, and it got me thinking, how fun would it be to push him in a race? I’m just calling to ask your permission. Would you give us the blessing of doing a race together?”’“Are you kidding?” she replied. “We would love to do...

After farmers market season, Denver-area producers seek other ways to sell their food

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

Area food producers are finding new ways to get their fruits and vegetables, pasta, breads and meat to people’s tables long after farmers markets have packed away their stands for the season.Restaurants and customers who participate in CSAs, community supported agriculture, buy directly from area farmers and ranchers. Denver-area producers are also reaching more people through the online grocer Pinemelon, which promotes “local first,” and Spade & Spoon, a meal-in-a-box service that uses locally produced food.Joy Rubey founded Acme Farms & Kitchen, a meal-kit service, in Washington state in 2011 after her husband quit working in architecture to take up farming. She started Spade & Spoon, a Colorado version of the business, in 2022.“It just seemed like an uphill battle for farmers, and so I was trying to think of a way to help my husband to move more local food and help the farmers around him,” Rubey said.Her idea was to offer meal kits using ...

Inside the violent threat against the Beatles’ only Colorado concert

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

On Aug. 18, 1964, officials in the Denver Police Department alerted the FBI to a threatening letter brought to them by a local promoter.Verne Byers, a musician and Denver nightclub owner, had booked England’s most famous rock ‘n’ roll band to perform at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison the following week.The Beatles were coming to Colorado.But eight days before the show, a piece of paper arrived in Byers’ hands. The letter, which had arrived inside an envelope postmarked in Greeley, was comprised of cut-out letters from a magazine taped onto plain white paper.“If you know what’s good for you, cancel Denver engagement,” the letter read. “I’ll be in the audience and I’m going to throw a hand grenade instead of jelly babies,” referring to the British candy fans famously hurled at the rock stars during the concerts.The letter’s signature: “Beatle Hater.”This little-known account is tucked away in t...

Woman dead after vehicle crashes into lake in Orange County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

A woman died after her car crashed into a lake in Irvine on Thursday night. A social media post from the Orange County Fire Authority indicates that first responders were dispatched to the area of East Yale Loop and West Yale Loop just before 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving on reports of a vehicle in water. Upon arrival, rescue crews immediately began a water rescue and discovered that the car, a Mercedes-Benz sedan, had driven straight into the lake.  A woman died after her car ended up at the bottom of a lake in Irvine on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. (County News)A woman died after her car ended up at the bottom of a lake in Irvine on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. (County News)A woman died after her car ended up at the bottom of a lake in Irvine on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. (County News)A woman died after her car ended up at the bottom of a lake in Irvine on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. (County News)The rear driver’s side window of the Mercedes was open when it was pulled out of the water, authorities ...

Santa Claus has a brand new pad at San Jose’s Christmas in the Park

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

It may not quite match the style of his place up at the North Pole, but Santa Claus has a new pied-à-terre at Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose, where kids can visit him after the beloved holiday display opens at Plaza de Cesar Chavez tonight .Santa’s previous cabin had seen its day, Christmas in the Park Managing Director Debbie Degutis said, prompting the need for a replacement.“It’s the best Santa House we’ve ever had,” she said. “We knew we wanted it to be comfortable. We wanted it to be a place where we would want to sit with Santa.”The new Santa House wasn’t built by elves, though. It’s the handiwork of Greg Garcia, Christmas in the Park’s woodworker who started building it part time back in March. Sounds like that would be enough to get him on the “Nice” list for at least a few years.Christmas in the Park’s 65-foot tree will be lit at an opening ceremony at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in San Jose...

49ers report card: Bosa, Ward and pass defense delivers 31-13 win at Seattle

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

SEATTLE – Here is how the 49ers (8-3) graded in Thursday night’s 31-13 win over the host Seattle Seahawks (6-5):PASS OFFENSE: A-Brock Purdy didn’t repeat with a perfect passer rating like Sunday’s show against Tampa Bay, but what he did was almost as impressive, if not more. After throwing his first career pick-six and seemingly sparking a Seahawks rally in the third quarter, Purdy aggressively ended this affair with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk who called that throw a “dot,” with 7:51 remaining in regulation for the final score. Purdy (21-of-30, 209 yards) connected with eight different receivers, led by Deebo Samuel’s season-high seven catches (79 yards). Even Charlie Woerner got his first catch in two years, and Jauan Jennings was in true form by battling for a third-and-7 conversion. Purdy got sacked once, so the line fared well with Aaron Banks back from a two-game absence and Jon Feliciano shifting over to replace the injured Spencer Burford. That line and the pas...

Blatant roadside dumping on well-traveled ramp raises question about frequency: Roadshow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:44 GMT

Q: As another person recently wrote you, I am also annoyed with graffiti and dumping by freeways and on and off-ramps.I live in Portola Valley and a few years ago took part in a cleanup at the ramp from Alpine Road to northbound Interstate 280. A couple of months ago, I was about to enter this on-ramp. It is a three-way stop. I stopped and waited to make the left turn. To my right, a large commercial truck that had exited I-280 was to enter the intersection before me. Typically, traffic at this stop would take a left turn onto westbound Alpine Road, but the truck went through the intersection and onto the on-ramp for 280 (which the driver had just exited).“Huh? Maybe they are not familiar with the area?” I thought. As I entered the on-ramp, I saw the truck had pulled off to the left side that has a wide open dirt area. Lo and behold, the truck dumped debris!There was no license plate on the rear of the vehicle. As I was on an on-ramp, now with traffic behind me, I was no...