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Opinion: Polis, call a special legislative session to ban assault weapons

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

The massacre in Texas and the contentious Colorado statehouse hearing on a proposed assault weapons ban have bolstered my reasoning for a special legislative session on guns, including examining why instruments of mass destruction are sold in Colorado.The heartbreaking scene in Cleveland, Texas, where the gunman murdered five people, was all the worse because two of the victims were 9-year-old Daniel Enrique Laso and his mother Sonia Argentina Guzman. Two women died shielding Guzman’s other children from the rampage.Authorities found Guzman’s two babies drenched in blood from the bullet-riddled bodies of those heroic women. Imagine the trauma that took place inside that house.Too many lawmakers and money-grubbing gun manufacturers believe that escalating gun violence is a price we must pay to live in a free society.America is where the right to fulfill murderous fantasies trumps being protected from evil-doers who want to kill people with military weapons of mass slaught...

Top Workplaces 2023: To find and keep the best, Denver employers offer flexibility, growth opportunities

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

Finding — and keeping — talented employees is a challenge for any business.But some of the Denver area’s top employers have developed strategies to find and keep the best employees.Widening the searchSylvia Guadagnoli, NFT human resources and environmental health and safety manager, says the company, which provides products and services to nuclear, aerospace, automation, and industrial customers, casts a wide net to recruit for positions in Colorado, New Mexico and Connecticut.The company uses college events and tradeshows to demonstrate engineering, physics, chemistry, and manufacturing work opportunities.NFT posts jobs on new and popular job sites and women’s advocacy and veterans’ sites to reach a large potential candidate base. It also posts jobs internally to seek employee referrals and plans to start internship partnerships with area colleges, including the Colorado School of Mines.Bill Clawson, Progressive chief human resources officer, says the insurance co...

Top Workplaces 2023: Footers Catering credits employees’ work ethic for company success

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

The pandemic was a tough time for Footers Catering. “It was devastating for our company since our whole business is based on in-person gatherings,” says company owners Anthony and April Lambatos, also known as Footers’ coach and head honcho of happiness. But the company rebounded when the world started reopening, making 2022 a record year. “Our success came from doubling down on creating a great work environment and putting our team first,” the Lambatoses say. “We have an incredibly talented team that takes a lot of pride in their work, and they have a tremendous amount of trust, love, and respect for one another.”Established in 1981 by Jimmy Lambatos, son Anthony and his wife April took over in 2010. As one of Denver’s top catering companies, Footers caters to more than 600 events annually, serving over 75,000 guests.The company moved into Social Capitol, its new building and event center in 2021 and continues to refine the space to m...

Top Workplaces 2023: Special awards

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

LeadershipCriteria: “I have confidence in the leader of this company.”Large category: Bruce Alexander, Vectra Bank ColoradoMidsize category: Tom Lally, Bloom HealthcareSmall category: Anthony Lambatos, Footers CateringValues“This company operates by strong values.”Midsize: Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.Direction“I believe this company is going in the right direction.”Midsize: New American FundingNew Idea“New ideas are encouraged at this company.”Large: SlalomClued In Senior Management“Senior managers understand what is really happening at this company.”Large: Panda Restaurant GroupDoers“At this company, we do things efficiently and well.”Small: Brighton Hospice — DenverMeaningfulness“My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful.”Midsize: Donor Alliance Inc.Managers“My manager cares about my concerns.”Large: Pinnacol AssuranceCommunication“I feel well-informed about important decisions at this company.”Small: CoralTree Hospitality GroupAppreciation“I feel genuinely...

Author Dave Eggers, visiting Colorado in May, continues to surprise

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

Dave Eggers is thinking a lot about freedom these days, and nature, and what he wants to contribute to literature and literacy.Eggers’ most recent book appears to be a throwback to the days when books were our most treasured possessions: tangible entertainment in the form of beloved stories, memorable characters, settings that enchanted us, stylish writing that rewarded us for being bookish.With its bamboo hardcover laser-cut, Dave Eggers’ “The Eyes and The Impossible” simply looks unlike anything else on a contemporary bookshelf. (Provided by McSweeney’s)The accomplished author (“Zeitoun,” “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” “The Circle”) and artist — who has his own publishing house, McSweeney’s, as well as a nonprofit youth writing center, 826 Valencia — has become an influencer in an intentionally non-social-media manner. As a 53-year-old husband and father of two teenagers, Eggers is interested in ...

Jefferson Center committed to helping community members ‘be your best you’

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

The Jefferson Center is committed to serving its community and providing personalized care for almost 30,000 Coloradans each year, through a continuum of counseling, medication, substance use treatment; housing; wellness programs; prevention services and more.In times of tragedy, such as a school or workplace incident, natural disaster, or other crisis, Jefferson Center staff responds with immediate support, education and ongoing resources. They partner with Colorado Crisis Services to provide 24/7 crisis services, walk-in crisis centers; mobile teams; and other resources for those struggling with mental health issues. Substance use patients can access the Jefferson Center’s 24/7 withdrawal management detox program for safety and connection to ongoing support services. Their 700 dedicated employees work to provide the necessary resources to manage difficult times.“The work that our team does every day truly makes a positive impact in the lives of others. When treated with dign...

NFT leads the way in providing innovative solutions for the nuclear industry

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

For nearly 40 years, NFT has provided a broad array of unique products and services for safety critical initiatives within the nuclear cleanup, deterrence, and energy markets. The company’s capabilities include providing radioactive material handling technologies, advanced manufacturing solutions, and integrated project services.Founded during the decommissioning of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons site, the Golden-based company has continued to provide innovative solutions that stand apart across the nuclear industry. Simply put, NFT’s unique blend of services and technology ensure a cleaner and safer world for generations to come. Growing and adding servicesFor the past decade, NFT has made a concerted effort to expand its offerings and services related to the nuclear industry, this includes not only organic growth but strategic acquisitions that complement NFT’s core business offerings.To date, NFT employs 150 personnel, with 50 employees based in Golden Colorado. In the com...

Top Workplaces 2023: Here’s how the rankings are determined

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

Great workplaces aren’t created by accident. They are built and nurtured. The Top Workplaces awards recognize the employers that do it well in the eyes of their employees.The heart of the Top Workplaces award is the employee survey process. Energage administers a 24-question survey to employees, who are the sole deciders of whether a company culture merits recognition.Bob HelbigThis is the 12th year The Denver Post has partnered with Energage, an employee survey company based in Exton, Pennsylvania, to celebrate exceptional workplaces.There is no cost to participate in Top Workplaces and no obligation to purchase any product or service. For 2023, 4,467 organizations were invited to survey their employees. Based on employee survey feedback, 150 Top Workplaces are recognized.In the current job market, companies continue to focus on recruiting, retaining and motivating employees. It’s more paramount than ever for companies to be intentional about a culture that prioritizes employee app...

Top Workplaces 2023: How to manage the return of “boomerang” employees

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

You’ve heard about the Great Resignation. But what about the Great Regret? Sometimes employees who leave their jobs wish they had not. It can pave the way for a former employee to return.Workers and human resources leaders need to have their eyes wide open when it comes to reuniting.Perhaps your organization felt the impact of the Great Resignation. For many, the pandemic was exhausting, anxiety-provoking, and many employees just needed a psychological reset. This prompted a wave of people leaving their jobs starting in the last half of 2021.Bob Helbig“A new employment opportunity represented a chance for a fresh start where they could shed the burnout conditions they were feeling at their current employer,” said Greg Barnett, chief people scientist at Energage. “But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. As the honeymoon period ended, employees found themselves with an entirely new set of stress, pressure, and challenges.When people change jobs, they are forced to adapt ...

Video shows woman threatened by homeless man at Subway shop; employees just watch

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:20:00 GMT

Surveillance cameras captured the frightening moment when a woman was harassed and threatened by an apparent homeless man who followed her into a Subway sandwich shop, where store employees watched the incident unfold without attempting to help her.  The incident occurred in mid-March, at around 3 p.m., at a Subway sandwich location in Culver City.  A nurse from Long Beach, Halima Othman, said she first spotted the man outside the store on Sepulveda Boulevard, near Venice Boulevard, about a block away from a homeless encampment under the freeway overpass.  “This man says some things to me and then he starts talking about a hitman, I owe him money, he called me Carol or something, and I was like, ‘This man is deranged,’” Othman told KTLA.  When she went into the Subway to order food, she noticed that the man had followed her inside the store.  “So, I’m backing up into a corner and I'm like, ‘What do you want from me? I don’t have anything for you.’ He’s calli...