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4 Pikes Peak Courier View November 28, 20124
OFFICE: 1200 E. Highway 24, Woodland Park, CO 80863PHONE:
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Trustees wrangle over budgetBy Pat
[email protected]
Tensions were high in Green Moun-tain Falls, as the trustees and
Mayor Lorrie Worthey split over the marshals budget for 2013.
While the mayor made an informal re-quest that other departments
relinquish funds for the marshal, her request went no-where at the
meeting Nov. 20.
As it was, Marshal Tim Bradley as well as Chris Frandina and Rob
McArthur had already sliced 4.5 percent off their initial requests
for the clerks office and public works department.
For Bradley, the issue boiled down to ex-plaining why he
allotted just $203 for gaso-line for the year while maintaining his
cur-rent staff.
Do we really need two part-time depu-
ties? said trustee Howard Price. For how many years did we have
a marshal and one deputy? And we didnt have a crime wave.
Put on the hot seat, Bradley kept his cool. When I came here
there were 2.5 employ-ees, he said. I took that full-time position
and turned it into two part-time positions.
Price and trustees Ralph LoCascio, Jane Newberry and Mac Pitrone
kept drilling. At one point, Price asked why the marshals
department was so busy now that the Chil-drenARK/Axios had
closed.
Weve fielded 700 calls for service this year, Bradley said. A
lot of these have criminal charges filed, investigations and
follow-ups.
Whether Bradley keeps the deputies or not, the trustees were
riled up over the gasoline allotment. In a kind of concession,
Bradley agreed to increase the fuel budget by axing portions from
such items as office
supplies.If nothing else, the hassle over the mar-
shals budget highlighted the effects of the Great Recession on
small municipalities. Randy (former marshal Randy Ford who retired
in 2011) got a $21,500 criminal jus-tice grant, $15,000 paid for a
deputy, said Frandina, the towns clerk/treasurer. We got $9,000 in
donations, but to take dona-tions and grants for salaries is not
sustain-able, even though thats whats been done. But grants have
dried up.
After a tense-filled hour, Bradley ac-knowledged that he and his
deputies would have to decrease patrols. We have done in-creased
patrols because people have asked us to, Bradley said. Were just
going to have to cut back. I dont know what else to do.
Newberry snapped. Appreciate it, she said. Now if were all okay
with that bot-
tom line, lets move on to another budget (department).
In a balanced budget of $440,699, the marshals portion is
$115,699. There were no salary increases and each department was
asked to add 1 percent for a 3 percent contribution to the towns
contingency fund.
Worthey was still rankled. I just want you guys to know that
this has been a ride like nothing else, with all the scheduled
meetings cancelled it has just been inter-esting, Worthey said. I
agree with Chris (Frandina) that we need to move on. I would like
to see changes next time, where we start looking at this earlier.
Its impor-tant that we have all of us together; having a trustee
gone is really hard.
The trustees are scheduled to pass the budget at the meeting
Dec. 4.
Merchants talk customer serviceBy Pat
[email protected]
In a roundtable discussion, members of the Greater Woodland Park
Chamber of Commerce talked about doing business in a year of
challenges.
What has worked and what questions do you have? said Luke
Conrad, broker with Benchmark Mortgage who moderated the discussion
Nov. 15 at the Swiss Chalet.
Its rough right now, said Scott Duarte, general manager of the
Country Lodge. Luckily, a lot of people are moving in; I have two
or three people a week either closing on a house or looking for
land.
Along with the hospitality, Duarte adds a marketing component,
talking up the towns restaurants and shops. We tell them they dont
have to go to the Springs, he said.
Tina Myers, marketing agent for Life Van-tage, expressed
frustration about the follow-
up process as a response to phone calls. You call people back
and they dont have time to talk to you, she said.
On the other hand, Myers credits the quarterly roundtables as a
networking tool. Its these smaller events where Ive been able to
develop relationships with people, she said.
Conrad responded. Thats music to our ears, he said.
The relationship with the Chamber has been awesome, said Dean
Buysse who, with his wife, Kathy, recently opened the Edgewood Inn
Bed & Breakfast.
In relating his experiences, Buysse talked about flexibility.
When we got into this busi-ness, I really thought it was going to
be a bed and breakfast, Buysse said. But its going in a totally
different direction; its becoming a destination event center.
While things may be looking up in Wood-land Park, the Waldo
Canyon Fire hurt busi-ness. We opened June 1, the first guest
ar-rived June 15, the house was full and we had to evacuate June
23, Buysse said. We had to cancel everybody, did not have a phone
call or an email.
At Tweeds Fine Furnishings, the fire and subsequent evacuation
period hurt busi-
ness, said Tanner Coy. The fire really hurt but the rebound has
been fantastic, Coy said. Were looking forward to the Holiday Home
Tour, think its going to be a shot in the arm for the locals.
In a small community, the roundtables are designed to build
relationships, said Neil Levy, who owns the Swiss Chalet
restaurant. Thats the biggest thing for me. We kind of think of
that song from `Cheers where ev-erybody knows your name, he said.
Thats real important in the restaurant business.
When it comes to building relationships, the new position at
Vectra Bank held by An-drea Hall reflects the wave of the future.
Re-lationships are the big thing here, said Hall, who is the banks
relationship banker.
While most agreed the Internet is handy for web exposure, for
Conrad, there is a downside for the flurry of information
avail-able. Everyone and their brother want to look on the Internet
and become a mort-gage expert before they buy, or refinance, a
house, he said. We struggle to convince people why they need to
work with a mort-gage professional as opposed to the inter-net.
To enhance the networking opportuni-ties, the Chamber hosts an
open house from noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 18.
MaryLee Allen, second from left, has been chosen as the Grand
Marshal for the Lighter Side of Christmas parade Dec. 1. Pictured
with Allen are her children and husband John, from left, Mitch,
Allen, Julia, Maddie, John and Eddie. Courtesy photo
Have you seen how
Classifieds can work for you?
ourcoloradonews.com
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GED is a hand upBy Pat [email protected]
In a capitalistic sys-tem that can be brutal on those without an
educa-tion, the people who teach GED classes are passionate about
helping kids gain a foothold in the new econ-omy.
These kids have given up and then realize they can have success
in their lives, said Larry Black, vol-unteer teacher for the
pro-gram at Community Part-nership Family Resource Center in
Divide. Theyve had too many negative strikes against them and with
this one-on-one for-mat we form a bond which gives them a sense
that somebody cares about them.
Black cared enough about 17-year-old Billy Scott that the boy is
close to earning his certificate. I was not focused on school at
all, Scott said. Its hard to find a job without an education.
Scott is one of 175 teenagers and adults who earned
certification through the program initi-ated six years ago. To make
college appear less threat-ening, the curriculum in-cludes a tour
of Pikes Peak Community College.
Ill probably get into mechanics at the college, Billy said. It
would make me happy.
Judy Ivory, coordinator of the adult-education pro-gram, and
Elaine Gould,
who initiated the program and stayed on as a volun-teer, oversee
the curricu-lum. Elaine has been so dedicated we feel strongly
there wouldnt be a GED program without her, Ivo-ry said.
Gould added, Judy and I have been partners in this since Day
One.
Brianna Kornylak, 17, is a vivacious teenager who has blossomed
under Ivo-rys and Goulds guidance. I was nervous about com-ing here
because I thought it would be just like school, Kornylak said. But
it just feels comfortable and you can go at your own pace and not
feel rushed.
In Kornylaks case, peer pressure is a motivator. Bianca, one of
my best friends, got her GED here and now she has a really good
job, she said. An-other friend is a certified nurses assistant
(CNA), just bought a car and lives in his own apartment.
Ultimately, Brianna wants to be a nurse. Im obsessed right now
to do all the things my friends are doing, she said.
Briannas story is one that acts as messenger for the
partnerships mission. I would love for every stu-dent to get a
high-school diploma but, if they cant, we are such an important
safety net, Ivory said. More and more we are seeing non-traditional
stu-dents who have been in the workforce but were laid off.
While there is no tu-
ition, students are asked to pay $20 to register, $30 for
remedial classes and $150 to take the GED test, an in-crease this
year. We would never make money a rea-son somebody couldnt come
here, Ivory said.
In a time when the re-cession and the dynamic nature of the job
market impacts employment sta-tistics, the partnership fills gaps.
This years GED program was funded by a $10,000 grant from the
Adolph Coors Foundation. The funds run out in Janu-ary.
For information, call 686-0705.
Brianna Kornylak, 17, goes over the requirements for the GED
test with Judy Ivory, coordinator of the adult education program
for the Community Partnership Family Resource Center in Divide.
Photo by Pat Hill
Pikes Peak Courier View 5 December 12, 201255
Jaquline Jackie Bullard was born April 21, 1961 in Marysville,
Kansas where she lived until her family moved to Michigan where she
graduated high school and then married Ron Bul-lard on Aug 8, 1981.
ey later moved around until they landed in Woodland Park, CO in
1995.
She later became a stay at home mom to her 4 chil-dren while
playing a ma-jor role in operating the Historic Triple B Ranch in
Woodland Park, CO.
She enjoyed being a wife, mother, grandmother, sh-ing, four
wheeling, being with animals, and spend-ing time with loved
ones.
She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Charles
Martin.
Jackie is survived by her mother, 2 sisters, 3 broth-ers,
husband, Ron Bullard and 4 children: Cortney and Aaron Smith,
Travis and Alisha Bullard, Justine Bullard, and Kelly Bullard. As
well as 4 grandchildren: McKenzie, Aiden, Kieley, and Jace, and
multiple cousins, nieces and neph-ews.
Jackie passed away Nov. 24, 2012 after a long battle with
Melanoma.
Contributions to a me-morial fund in honor of Jackie Bullard can
be made at Park State Bank in place of owers.
Jaquline Bullard
Study designed to create Sturman buzzBy Pat
[email protected]
A pilot study intended to elicit the wow! factor among the
general public about sustainability and the Sturman digital valve
is about changing the message.
You lose your audience if you try to go into an in-depth
tech-nological explanation of the subject, said Allison Frederick,
who is doing the research for a masters degree in corporate
sus-tainability from Harvard University.
As Sturmans energy-saving innovations are recognized worldwide
by the automotive industry,
the average person is unaware of the revo-lutionary aspect of
the digital-valve tech-nology.
Fredericks paper is about creating a buzz around the company
based in Woodland Park. As a pilot study, the paper has universal
appeal for other businesses as well.
I want to focus less on the technology aspect of the
digital-valve fuel injection which is not in the every-day persons
vo-cabulary, Frederick said.
However, if a driver in California were
told that modernizing the controls of an engine would make it
easier to pass emis-sion standards, for instance, perhaps the issue
would resonate, Frederick said.
In California, where highways are choked with traffic, inhaling
the exhaust would be removed with the digital-valve technology. I
can connect with that, Frederick said.
Frederick relates the study to the Intel television commercial
that created a buzz about the chip. I wanted a computer with the
Intel chip in it even though I didnt know what it was, she said.
Its that kind of model we are aiming for. We dont have to
understand how the technology works.
While more than 14 million Sturman digital valves have been
manufactured for the control of fuel injectors since 2002, the buzz
is about a grassroots effort to save the planet.
In addition to the valve, other compa-nies are introducing
innovations in wind and solar. People will gravitate to what they
understand, Frederick said. Stur-man has the technology to broaden
the market base. This is the first step in a new direction for
Sturman to help people, in-cluding municipalities, to understand
the benefit and value of the technology.
Frederick presents the paper next month.
Trustees balk, clerk records donationsBy Pat
[email protected]
Clearly exasperated, Green Mountain Falls may-or Lorrie Worthey
sought the advice of the town attor-ney Dan Stuart at the board
meeting Dec. 4. At issue was the trustees failure to agree on a
candidate to fill the va-cancy left by the resignation of Scott
Useman in July.
For the past several months, candidates Mi-chael Butts, David
Cook and Margaret Peterson have been in limbo waiting for a board
decision. Butts and
Cook were in the audience that evening.
Hoping for a solution Worthey initiated a call to Stuart who
suggested the trustees come to an agree-ment that night or do
noth-ing and maintain the status quo, with the vacancy in-tact.
In what must surely be a precedent, the call to Stu-art failed
to resolve the im-passe when trustees How-ard Price, Mac Pitrone,
Jane Newberry and Ralph LoCas-cio declined to secure four votes for
a candidate.
Allison Frederick
Trustees continues on Page 9
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4 Pikes Peak Courier View February 27, 20134
Victor welcomes 24/7 coverageBy Pat
[email protected]
While the city of Victor may not be the fictional town of
Mayberry, its darn close. In a place where everybody knows your
name, the idea of having sheriffs deputies around all the time is a
good thing.
I know everybody on a first-name basis, have eaten dinner with
everybody in that city and am continually being invited over for
Thanksgiving, Christmas, said patrol deputy Michael Greeder.
Greeder is one of two Victor police offi-cers who now work for
Teller County Sheriff Mike Ensminger, a result of the sheriffs
de-partment absorbing the Victor department. Today, the city
benefits from the merger with 24/7 coverage by law enforcement.
.
Its like a family community up there. I rarely arrest a local.
The ones I arrested fre-quently didnt stay there very long, he
said. In the three and a half years I worked up there I never
really experienced random acts of crime.
In a place of around 400 residents, many of them gather at the
Claim Jumper down-town. The cops go there, too. The sheriffs
department is part of the community, said Mayor Buck Hakes, who
with his partner, Glori Thurston, owns the store. The offi-cers get
out of their cars, walk around and meet everybody.
As well, the officers wait with the stu-dents at the bus stop -
the Claim Jumper
- morning and afternoon. Im there every afternoon when the kids
get off the bus. The parents trust us, Greeder said. Its a great
connecting experience to get to know all the kids and thats why we
have very few ju-venile problems.
Greeder takes a global view of the youth-ful ambience in Victor.
In America, there is an erosion of authority, Greeder said. But its
a paradox up here - the kids do respect authority they listen and
get along with law enforcement and their parents. I dont see any
drug problems or underage drinking up there with juveniles.
While kids might be well-behaved, its dogs that cause the
headaches. Ive never seen it as an intentional but a combined thing
of certain deteriorating structures and fences, he said. When
people are at work for 12 hours a day they come home and find out
their dogs have been running around. The issue has a lot to do with
gam-ing.
Dogs, kids, its all good with patrol depu-ties Greeder and
Robert Thornburg, along with Lt. Jason Mikesell. The merger is way
better, more professional. If there is a crime, - which we dont
have very many - we have access to the sheriffs investigator and
their resources, Hakes said, adding that the dep-uties are funded
through a $226,000 grant from the Limited Gaming Impact Funds. The
sheriff picked guys who fit in, theyre awesome.
Teller County Sheris Patrol Deputy Mike Greeder is one of three
ocers who keep watch over the citizens of Victor. A merger of the
Victor Police Department and the sheris oce has resulted in 24/7
coverage for the city whose remote location adds to its charm.
Photo by Pat Hill
Board signals no-condence in mayorBy Pat
[email protected]
In a vote of no-confidence in Mayor Lorrie Worthey, the Green
Mountain Falls board of trustees voted 4-2 to appoint trustee
Howard Price as the towns liaison to Marshal Tim Bradley.
The vote effectively removes the mayor as the liaison, a
responsibil-ity she took over when former trustee Scott Useman
resigned. For Worthey, the vote, as well as the nomination of Price
by trustee Mac Pitrone, came from left field.
This is news to me, she said.Pitrone charged that having the
mayor as the liaison has the potential of bias. And I think the
mayor should be completely out of that, Pitrone said.
Trustee Tyler Stevens, who served as the liaison while he was
the mayor, vot-ed no on the motion, along with Worth-ey. Without
the staff being consulted, I think this is showing poor judgment,
Stevens said.
Worthey agreed. With all due re-spect, Trustee Pitrone, without
speak-ing to Chief Bradley and without Trust-ee Price even having a
conservation about the liaison position, I cannot support that, she
said. I am perfectly happy where I am.
Trustee Ralph LoCascio responded. Im not happy with you being
the mar-shals liaison, he said.
New trustee Margaret Peterson joined her colleagues, LoCascio,
Jane Newberry and Pitrone in the vote ap-proving Price as the
marshals trustee.
Price abstained.On a more congenial note, the board
voted unanimously to approve a reso-lution to adopt a policy
concerning public recording of town meetings. Ac-cording to
provisions in the resolution, live streaming is allowed prior to
board approval. As well, anyone who puts the recording on Facebook
or YouTube must make it clear they are not affili-ated with the
town of Green Mountain Falls.
On another subject, Newberry re-ported that FEMA has extended
the deadline for the town to apply for a grant, from Dec. 18 to
March 30. The grant, if received, would help reim-burse El Paso
County for their help dur-ing the Waldo Canyon Fire.
EL PASO NEWS IN A HURRY
Disability resource fair com-ing in April
The Pikes Peak Inter-agency Transition Team will host its 20th
annual Resource Fair for Indi-viduals with Disabilities from 5-8
p.m. on April 25 in the lower level confer-ence room of the El Paso
County Citizens Service Center, 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, in
Colo-rado Springs.
At least 90 agencies, businesses, and providers are expected to
attend, providing service infor-mation pertaining to all types of
disabilities.
Services will be pre-
sented in the following areas: Assistive Technology Community
and Resi-
dential Coordination of Ser-
vices Education Employment Financial Assistance Health, Mental
Health,
and Safety Recreation and Leisure Respite Support and Advocacy
Transportation
For more information email Sonya at [email protected].
Mountain lions spotted in urban areasSpecial to The
CourierColorado Parks and Wildlife
When people hear reports of mountain lion sightings, they
naturally assume the incident must have been in the backcoun-try.
Recent reports of mountain lion activ-ity in populated areas,
however, reinforce the fact that mountain lions can be present just
about anywhere in Colorado, including cities and towns.
We dont want to scare anyone, but we want people to know about
mountain lions, said Colorado Springs Area Wildlife Manager Cory
Chick, who explained that li-ons main preys are deer, rabbits and
other small mammals. They have evolved over thousands of years to
hunt for prey that moves on four legs. They go after prey that
represents the greatest opportunity for the least amount of
risk.
Mountain lions have extremely large territories, often roaming
more than 20 miles a day in search of new food sources or mates. If
a lion moves through a neigh-borhood and doesnt find food, it will
keep moving.
Colorado wildlife officers believe there are a variety of
reasons for increased moun-tain lion sightings: more humans live
and recreate where mountain lions and mule deer exist, lion
distribution and movement patterns are changing, lion populations
are increasing and/or people are becoming more likely to report
sightings.
The chances of you even seeing a mountain lion are highly
unlikely, Chick said. So the chances of being attacked are even
lower. But people still need to be aware that lions live among
us.
Mountain Lion Safety Tips: If you see a lion, dont approach it.
Stay
calm and stand upright. Talk loudly and firmly at the lion and
back away slowly. Dont turn your back.
Dont run: This might trigger the lions predator instinct and it
might react to you the same way it reacts to fleeing prey.
Try to appear larger: raise your arms and hold your jacket or
shirt open wide.
Mountain lions tend to avoid people and rarely attack unless
cornered. A cougar that is about to attack might hold its ears
back, snarl, growl or twitch its tail.
If the lion appears aggressive, throw stones, branches, your
backpack or anything else handy.
If attacked, fight for your life, using any weapon and advantage
available such as rocks, binoculars or flashlight. Direct your
defense to vulnerable areas such as eyes, inner nose and ears, ribs
and abdomen.
Stay in groups when hiking, cycling or running in lion country.
Dont let small children hike or play alone.
Make noise when hiking, cycling or running. Lions that hear you
coming will leave an area before you get there.
Dont feed deer or other prey animals. Its not only illegal but
also dangerous. Attracting prey also attracts carnivores.
If you find a dead animal on or near your property, have it
removed promptly. Mountain lions often cover dead animals with
leaves or dirt and return later to feed.
Keep yards and residences well-lit at night.
Remove plant shrubs next to your home where mountain lions can
hide.
Keep pets inside. Dog kennels should be screened on top. Dogs
have been trapped and attacked inside their
own open-top kennels.
Take proactive measures to secure
fencing for chickens, goats and other
farm animals.
For more information, visit: www.wild-
life.state.co.us.
While most people think mountain lions are only spotted in
Colorados backcountry, more and more lions are being spotted in the
states urban areas. Courtesy photo Colorado Parks and Wildlife
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2 Pikes Peak Courier View June 12, 20132-Color
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JUNE SPECIAL EVENTS
Engagement
Jim Chapman and Lindsey Chapman of Cripple Creek announce the
engagement of their daughter, Morgon, to Brian Lamm of Florence.
Brian is the son of Martha and Berton Lamm of Florence.
Morgon is a 2009 graduate of Cripple Creek-Victor High School
and a 2011 graduate of Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, WY.
Brian is a 2005 graduate of Florence High School and served in the
Army Reserves from 2005-2011.
Morgon currently works at the Florence High School in the
Special Education Department and Brian is employed with the Federal
Bureau of Prisons in Florence.
A June 2014 wedding is being planned.
Green Mountain Falls board goes at it Mayors web postings anger
several trustees By Pat Hill [email protected]
Bad blood between Green Mountain Falls Mayor Lorrie Worthey and
fi ve of six trustees came to a head June 4 over the towns
electronic-media policy.
At issue is the mayors use of her Facebook account as well as
her blog to offer personal opin-ions, and in some postings, stir up
controversy.
In reviewing the resolution, Trustee Margaret Peterson
high-lighted the issues that concern the board. Dont post things
that were said in executive ses-sion. Dont stir the pot. Dont put
only half of the story on there, she said. I think thats the gist
of where the policy needs to go.
From there, the meeting de-scended into a rant, with four of the
trustees calling out the mayor for her social-media postings. As
Worthey struggled to control the meeting, gavel in hand, Mayor Pro
Tem Jane Newberry led the charge. You certainly have every right to
put everything you want on your blo,g but I would respectfully ask
that you take down Green Moun-tain Falls Mayor, she said.
With the mayor moniker, Worthey represents the town, Newberry
added. And I person-ally have been hurt and offended at the
conjectures; Im tired of go-ing to the post offi ce, the
grocery
store or getting phone calls in the middle of the night having
people telling me what horrible things are said about me when I
really spend a lot of time and effort on the town, Newberry said. I
think its a shame we need to put rules in place to play well with
others.
While Newberry has said she doesnt personally read Wortheys
blog, others have and report the postings.
Trustee Margaret Peterson was next, referring to the postings
and chain of replies. Im the new per-son here but Ive already been
hit with it. Hey, stop with the pitch-fork, stop with the mentality
of us not being good people, she said. I dont like being judged
about the job Im doing here by people who dont know me. Im here to
represent the town, am a second-generation council member.
Trustee Tyler Stevens stayed away from controversy, only
ex-pressing concern about creating more paperwork with more
poli-cies.
On the other hand, Trustee Howard Price jumped in, ad-dressing
his remarks to the board. I dont like personal attacks. Freedom of
speech is one thing, personal attack is another. I will be happy to
explain to anybody
about why I vote the way I do.Worthey responded. Im tell-
ing you right now, we cannot cen-sure people simply for what
they say, she said. I know that this policy is directed at my
Facebook and my blog and I want to go on record tonight that I will
continue to express my opinion. That is my First Amendment
right.
She continued. If you contin-ue to censure me then I will be the
most censured mayor in the state of Colorado, she said. But I am
not going to stop.
After all the rancor and ver-bal shots, the board voted 5-1 to
adopt the policy, which includes the stipulation that social-media
users are personally responsible for the content of their
electronic postings. In voting to oppose the motion, Worthey said,
No. No way.
The policy makes clear that a website will be the offi cial site
for the town. There will be an offi cial Green Mountain Falls
website and you will get lots of information on that, Price
said.
By the next morning, Worthey had changed her moniker from mayor
to citizen and included a posting that the board had failed to
approve a request from Police Chief Tim Bradley for a service dog
for the department.
Several negative comments about the denial followed Worth-eys
posting.
Still bruised over the meeting the night before, Worthey said,
This is the 21st century. Mayors all over the place are using
social media. To try and censure and limit communication by social
media is ridiculous.
Communication seems to be at the heart of a rift between Green
Mountain Falls trustees and Mayor Lorrie Worthey. New electronic
media policy was approved by the board 5-1 and includes the
stipulation that social-media users are personally responsible for
the content of their electronic postings. Photo by Rob Carrigan
-
Bert Bergstrom in front of his Ute Bar on Midland Avenue in
Woodland Park. Bergstrom built the El Dorado, owned the Thunderhead
Inn for a time, had a ranch north of town and his house where the
Crest Hotel used to be.
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Sheri s to speak on gun laws El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa
and
Teller County Sheriff Mike Ensminger will explain the new
Colorado gun laws and the rationale behind the 55 of 62 county
sher-iffs lawsuit against the State of Colorado.
Colorado sheriffs will be the featured speakers at two major
Second Amendment rallies to be held in Colorado Springs and
Woodland Park this month.
El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa, who has been one of the
leading spokespersons for the County Sheriffs of Colorado, will be
speaking at 7 p.m. June 12 at the Stargazers Theatre in Colorado
Springs. Teller County
Sheriff Mike Ensminger will speak at 7 p.m. June 13 at the Ute
Pass Cultural Center.
Both sheriffs will be updating the public on the reasons for
their opposition to re-cent gun control laws passed by the state
Legislature. Fifty-fi ve of Colorados 62 sher-iffs now stand united
in opposition to these laws. They share the belief that these laws
are politically motivated, will have no effect on reducing crime,
are unenforceable and will infringe on the lawful exercise of the
right to keep and bear arms. They believe that their oaths of offi
ce require them to stand up against these constitutional viola-
tions.Both men will be joined by Mike Holler,
author of The Constitution Made Easy and chairman of Citizens
For a Safer Colo-rado, a group that is sponsoring an amend-ment to
the Colorado Constitution that would repeal the recent spate of gun
con-trol laws and refer all similar laws in the fu-ture to a vote
of the people.
Filmmaker Curtis Bowers will preview his award-winning
documentary, Agen-da, Grinding America Down, and share his fi
ndings on what is behind the at-tacks on the Second Amendment and
the
Constitution. The documentary won Best of Festi-
val at the 2010 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival
(SAICFF).
Ms. Julie Naye and Keith McKim will lead in the singing of The
Star-Spangled Ban-ner and God Bless America.
Defend Liberty LLC, headed by Joe Ro-driguez of Guffey, and
other groups are co-sponsoring the events to inform the public.The
public is invited and there is no admis-sion charge.
For more information visit www.defend-liberty.us.
GMF denies request for service dog By Pat Hill
[email protected]
When the Green Mountain Falls board of trustees voted 4-3 to
deny a request by Po-lice Chief Tim Bradley to use a service dog,
several members of the audience walked out.
In a meeting June 4 fi lled with rancor over the
electronic-media policy, the de-nial of the service dog apparently
was the last straw. Among those who left, however, at least one was
not a resident of the town.
The dog, Rico, a Belgian Malois/shep-herd, is Bradleys trained
tracking dog. This dog is not a bloodhound but tracks on
eco-logical and environmental disturbances, Bradley said. These
dogs are a phenome-nal tool in the right environment. It doesnt
mean he can solve all the problems.
Before casting her affi rmative vote, Trustee Margaret Peterson
requested proof of the dogs certifi cation in addition to
re-working the towns service-dog policy. I dont think we should
make decisions until we review the policy, she said.
Mayor Pro Tem Jane Newberry agreed. The policy is very much
outdated, she said.
But Trustee Tyler Stevens called for a de-ciding vote, either
affi rmative or negative,
while letting the policy temporarily stand.Riled by the request,
Trustee Mac Pitrone
erupted. Green Mountain Falls has existed for 125 years without
a service dog, he said. If the town doesnt need a dog, why even
discuss it?
Pitrone based his argument on the claim that, if the town needed
a service dog, other agencies could provide one. Everybody has
unfunded needs but this is an unfund-ed want, he said. I see zero
need for a ca-nine.
And, by the way, Price said, the town will not need a dog to
check for marijuana be-cause the substance is now legal.
As Pitrone told the board that the use of a service dog could be
secured, Price took another view. He claimed that, under state law,
if other agencies need a service dog, the town is required to loan
the dog and the police chief to go along with it. That is a problem
to me, Price said.
Price, who is the marshals (now Po-lice Chief) trustee, tied the
dog request to Bradleys covering areas other than Green Mountain
Falls. I have numerous times spoken to the marshal/chief, or
whatever, and explained to him how upset members of this board are
that our tax dollars for his department have to go to cover other
ar-
eas, Price said.By then, Mayor Lorrie Worthey sounded
exasperated over the expected negative vote on the dog.
I disagree, she said. It is evident to most people that our
marshals department is severely underfunded. The dog is not go-ing
to cost us and wed get coverage.
Nonetheless, the board denied the re-quest, with only Worthey,
Peterson and Ste-vens voting in the affi rmative while Ralph
LoCasio, Newberry, Pitrone and Price voted no.
Stevens expressed his disdain for the result. I think this is
foolish and narrow-sighted. In looking toward the future this town
is clearly and loudly calling for pub-lic safety, Stevens said.
There have not been adequate reasons to deny the request. From what
Ive heard police dogs can be extremely useful and a huge benefi t
for our residents. And the price is right. The chief has brought
this forward at no cost to the town.
For Price, an overriding issue is the lack of personnel in the
department, which now includes Bradley and one deputy. Over the
past several months, two deputies, Felix Torres and Ken McQueen,
have left.
We need deputies more than we need a dog, Price said.
From what Ive heard police dogs can be extremely useful and a
huge bene t for our residents. And the
price is right. e chief has brought this forward at no cost to
the town.
Tyler Stevens, trustee
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Pikes Peak Courier View 9 August 14, 20139-Color
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Sunshine Laws invoked in GMFBy Pat
[email protected]
What was intended to be a discussion on communication with the
board turned into a slam fest against the trustees and a walk-out
by two of them.
For the past three weeks, however, the town was abuzz about the
meeting, with anticipation high for drama between the trustees and
the Concerned Citizens Group.
The group, led by former mayor Dick Lackmond and Judy Weidner,
has initiated a drive to recall five of the trustees. It is pretty
evident that the board is non-func-tional, said Lackmond, opening
the dis-cussion at the meeting.
Mayor pro tem Jane Newberry inter-rupted. I thought this was a
discussion on setting a workshop-type meeting, she said. According
to the Sunshine Laws we cant answer questions that arent on the
agenda and I dont want you to waste your time if we dont have the
questions.
Nonetheless, Lackmond continued, charging the board with making
town deci-sions on an individual basis rather than as a board. Why?
he said.
The board refused to answer, as the question was out-of-line
with the Sunshine Laws. Lackmond was on a roll, however. We request
that Mr. Price be removed as the police liaison because of a
conflict of in-terest with the police department, he said,
referring to trustee Howard Price.
Trustee Ralph LoCascio said, Thats not a question we can answer;
its not on the agenda.
Mayor Lorrie Worthey persisted. Can you explain what the
conflict is?
Lackmond replied, We dont know what the conflict is.
Newberry suggested setting a time for a workshop to discuss
issues in a public fo-rum and in line with state law.
Ready to explode over the direction of the meeting, including
the legality of seek-ing the resignation of the liaison position,
trustees Mac Pitrone and LoCascio walked out.
The two missed the ultimatum issued by Weidner, concerning the
timing of the recall petitions, when and if they are submitted with
the required signatures. Chris Fran-dina (the towns
clerk/treasurer/elections clerk), will have two days to get the
petition back to us, Weidner said.
Along with the two-day demand, Wei-dner requested that Frandina
be temporar-ily removed from her position and that Sue Meals of
Chipita Park be appointed as the towns elections clerk, if the
recall election goes through.
Lackmond wasnt finished, asked what happened to the
live-streaming issue, as the meetings have not been recorded after
the board approved an electronic-media policy recently.
From the audience, Berkeley Davis, who with Cameron Thorne,
volunteered to han-dle the live-streaming, said, We are giving our
time for that; its not something were paid to do so I cant give you
an answer on that. We are working on it.
The day after he walked out, trustee Mac Pitrone said that the
meeting was on
the border of illegality as well as ethically-challenged.
The board meeting ended up exactly like the lawyer from CIRSA
told us not to do it, Pitrone said, referring to an ethics meet-ing
that day by the towns insurance com-pany.
For instance, a board meeting is not the place for personal
attacks or character as-sassination, Pitrone said. The meeting
started with character attacks on Howard Price (marshals trustee)
and continued with a character assassination of Chris Frandina,
Pitrone said. And were sup-posed to put up with that? Im sorry but
that was wrong.
As far as live-streaming goes, the board passed a resolution
approving the practice. All they have to do is ask, Pitrone said.
The policy is in place; if somebody wants to bring their own camera
all they have to do is follow protocol; its that simple.
The accusations against Price are un-founded, he said. That
meeting was de-signed to embarrass the five people being recalled,
he said, referring to himself, Mar-garet Peterson, Jane Newberry,
Ralph Lo-Cascio and Howard Price.
Particularly galling to Pitrone were the charges against Price
of conflict of interest in being the liaison to the marshals, i.e.
po-
lice, department.When Price was approved as the liaison,
Marshal Tim Bradley complained about only having one telephone,
Pitrone said. So Howard got him another telephone, at his expense,
Pitrone said.
When Bradley complained that the of-fice computers were
outdated, Price do-nated two updated computers. At his ex-pense,
Pitrone said. Does anybody know that besides the trustees? I dont
think so.
Incensed over the entire deal Pitrone added, To this day, the
computers are not installed, he said. Thats how much they
appreciate the fact that they got two up-dated computers and theyre
not even con-nected yet.
Price made the donations in the name of his company, Multi-Net
Marketing.
For her part, Mayor pro tem Jane New-berry said she felt
blackmailed by Lack-mond and Weidner. They threatened us with
recall if we didnt set the workshop, she said. The workshops have
to be posted ahead of time.
As she did in the meeting, Newberry stressed that, according to
Colorado law, the questions have to be published in the agenda, so
that the public can be aware of the issues, to ensure transparency
from the board.
Trustee Margaret Peterson felt that Mayor Lorrie Worthey allowed
the meet-ing to get out of hand. I was flabbergasted because there
were no questions written down, nothing asked, she said. I dont
think were obligated to let the citizens be-rate us.
Like Pitrone, Peterson referred to the meeting on ethics that
day. The citizens group tried to browbeat us, intimidate us, she
said.
Peterson is clearly upset by the division. Its just so ugly, she
said. This community is broken and the factions started with this
administration.
According to the Sunshine Laws we cant answer questions that
arent on the agenda and I dont want
you to waste your time if we dont have the questions.Dick
Lackmond
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