50 C ENTS T RINIDAD C OLORADO Proudly Serving Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico • www.thechronicle-news.com ~ Vol. 139, No. 25 W EDNESDAY F EBRUARY 4, 2015 FEBRUARY 5 Continuum of Care THURSDAY (8 a.m.) Group will meet at Fisher’s Peak Soup Kitchen, 308 Church St. Info: Charlene Tortorice, 719-846-9159. Network Council THURSDAY (8 a.m.) Regular meet- ing will be held in the Bell Block Building’s Trinidad Community Foundation room. Information: Margaret Apodaca, 719- 846-3943. SPPRCD Meeting THURSDAY (1 p.m.) Spanish Peaks Purgatoire River Conservation District meets at the District Office. Information: 719-846-3681 Ext. 117. Carnegie Library Teen Action THURSDAY (4-6 p.m.) Teen Anime and Manga (Japanese animation) Club meets at the library, 202, N. Animas St. Info: Felicity Boepple, 719-846-6841 or [email protected]. PRCWD Water District THURSDAY (7 p.m.) Purgatoire River Conservancy meeting will be at City Hall Council Chambers, 135 N. Animas. Infor- mation: Thelma Lujan, 719-846-7285. Today’s Quote “People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.” ~Anton Chekhov FEBRUARY 6-8 Attention Republican Women RIDAY (11:30 a.m.) The Las Animas County Republican Women’s Club will meet at the Primero Café at Mt. Carmel, 911 Rob- inson. Info: Paula Marshall, 719-845-9544. Carnegie Library Event FRIDAY (3:45-5 p.m.) The Library will host a Jane Austen Tea Party for all Austen lovers (teens and adults). Info: Fe- licity Boepple, 719-846-6841 or felicity. [email protected]. American Legion FRIDAY (6 p.m.) The Trinidad Ameri- can Legion meets at the Sayre Senior Center, 1222 San Pedro. Info: Adjutant John Garduno, 719-680-1277. ABSTRACT WORKSHOP SATURDAY & SUNDAY (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) TSJC’s Professor of Art Vilas Tonape will offer the second part of a 2-weekend abstract painting workshop at the College Art Department. Registration and info: Jo- sephine Chacon, 719-846-5474. PUBLIC SERVICE GET ‘EM WHILE THEY LAST! The Chronicle-News 2014 Collec- tor Mugs with beautiful artwork by Trinidad Artist Paula Little are here and waiting for you to come pick them up, 200 West Church St. Info: 719-846-3311. ASK A LAWYER FEBRUARY 10 (3-6:30 p.m.) Walk- in for a free 20-minute consultation (any- thing other than criminal cases) with an experienced attorney at the Las Animas County Courthouse, 200 E. First St. Child- care will be provided. Info: 719-680-7333. VALENTINE CANDY GRAMS THRU FEB 9: Place your order for a fun Candy Gram to be delivered to your beloved on Feb 13. by a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Info: 719-846- 9285. Proceeds benefit the Chamber of Commerce Projects Fund. Abstraction & Refraction FEBRUARY 11: A fine abstract art and jewelry show hosted by the Trinidad Area Arts Council opens at Gallery Main, 130 E. Main. Info: Chloe Butler, 719-846-1441. Pro- ceeds benefit the TAAC Youth Art Program. Senior Driving Class FEBRUARY 12 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) The AARP Driving Class will be held at the Sayre Senior Center, 1222 San Pedro St. Registration and information: Carl Moz- engo, 719-868-2288. VALENTINES BAKE SALE FEBRUARY 13 (7:30 a.m.-Noon) Treat your Valentine to a special treat from the Chamber of Commerce Bake Sale that will be held at the Las Animas County Courthouse, 200 E. First St. Info: 719-846-9285. Proceeds benefit the Chamber’s Projects Fund. Art of Marriage FEBRUARY 13 (6 p.m.) & FEBRU- ARY 14 (8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) Couples who want to refresh their lives will not want to miss this inspiring seminar at the Fisher’s Peak Community Church, 10377 Santa Fe Trail. Info/Registration: 719-846-6018. SCRT Performance FEBRUARY 13-22: The Dixie Swim Club runs at the Southern Colorado Rep- ertoire Theatre, 131 West Main St. Info: 719-846-4765 or www.scrtheatre.com. OPERA TRINIDAD FEBRUARY 14 (NOON) Enjoy the fa- mous opera LA FORZA DEL DESTINO by Guiseppe Verdi that will be showing at the Movie Picture Showhouse. FREE Felting Workshop FEBRUARY 15 (2-5 p.m.) Felting with Cat Fur, a super fun workshop will be at Gallery Vivant, 218 E. Main St. Materi- als will be provided. Info: Susan Palmer, 805-603-6181. T HE F INE P RINT W EATHER W ATCH Wednesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 45. West wind 10 to 15 mph be- coming northeast in the afternoon. Night: Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Light and variable wind becoming west southwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west in the morning. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Friday: Sunny, with a high near 67. West southwest wind around 5 mph. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 66. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34. West wind around 5 mph. Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 63. West southwest wind around 5 mph. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. R IVER C ALL Purgatoire River Call as of: 02/03/15. Johns Flood ditch: Pri- ority # 5 --- Appropriation date: 03/20/1862. Trinidad Reservoir Accounting: Release 0.10 AF Inflow 29.10 AF -- 14.67 CFS Evaporation 0 AF Content 16,311 AF Elevation 6,178.11 Precipitation 0 Downstream River Call / John Martin Reservoir: (Conservation Storage) 05/31/1949. THE C HRONICLE N EWS DIFFICULT DECISIONS TSJC explains athletic department reorganization, cutting golf program By Eric John Monson News Editor The Chronicle-News Late last week Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) announced the reorganization of their Ath- letic Department. The most pain- ful part of that reorganization ap- pears to be the cutting of the very successful boys golf program, but concurrent announcements including the search for a new athletic director and a national search for a new volleyball coach were also made. According to TSJC, in her weekly staff briefing, TSJC Presi- dent Dr. Carmen Simone said “We will be posting an internal search for an Athletic Director. This change will allow Rich Hold- en, who currently wears three hats [AD, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Golf], to focus his at- tention on our Women’s Basket- ball program in the coming years. His efforts as Athletic Director have taken our programs to high levels of success and we owe him a debt of gratitude. As Rich passes the torch to his successor, he will remain available to offer guidance and advice. With his support, our quest for athletic excellence will not miss a beat.” “The trigger was the departure of our volleyball coach [Ellen Mc- Gill who took a head coaching job at NCAA, Division II, University of North Carolina Pembroke],” said Greg Boyce, Director of Marketing and Communication at TSJC. “I think anytime you have a change like that coming to a program you have to look at the department and decide what’s best moving for- ward and how to do that most effi- ciently. So, yes, I think it’s correct to call it ‘reorganization’. We’re reorganizing to get the best utiliza- tion of our resources.” From the catacombs of Scott Gym at TSJC, Assistant Athletic Director (and a regular contribu- tor to The Chronicle-News, cover- ing TSJC sports) Mike Salbato Photo courtesy TSJC The Trojan Golf Team (L-R) Carlos Sisneros, Jake Ice, Justin Frederick, Frazer Pomfret, Justin Carlock, Coach Rich Holden and Donovan Masias. Continued on Page 2 ... AN ENDEARING LEGACY OF HOPE Rachel’s Challenge — Working to inspire youth By Steve Block The Chronicle-News Rachel Joy Scott was the first student to be murdered by two crazed gunmen in the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999. Scott left behind six diaries and journals describing her positive outlook on life and the importance of treating other people with respect and dignity, and her uncle, Larry Scott, gave a presentation about her life and the Columbine shooting Monday afternoon to high school students at the Trinidad Middle School auditorium. Assistant Superintendent George Dasko told the students that it was very important that they treated everyone they met with respect and compassion. Student Sally Jane Ruybalid thanked the Bar N-I Ranch Community Service Fund for providing the grant funding that brought the Rachel’s Challenge presentation to Trinidad. Student Curtis Dun- ford told the Community Service Fund leaders about a previous Rachel’s Challenge presentation he had attended, thus sparking the fund’s inter- est in funding such an event in the Trinidad school district. The Challenge uses Rachel’s writings through 40 motivational speak- ers, including three of them from Rachel’s own family, who spread Ra- chel’s message about compassion and respect for others across the coun- try and across the globe. Among her writings was this statement. “I have Photo courtesy of the Scott family Rachel Joy Scott Continued on Page 6 ... CARING FAMILY SUPPORT SafeCare Colorado begins work in Trinidad By Steve Block The Chronicle-News A new program designed to help children and their families has started working in Trinidad, under the auspices of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pueblo. SafeCare Colorado offers pro-ac- tive, in-home voluntary services that support families in under- standing the health, development and safety needs of young chil- dren. SafeCare is part of a group of cornerstone prevention programs included in Governor John Hick- enlooper’s 2013 Child Welfare Plan, “Keeping Kids Safe and Families Healthy 2.0.” Michelle Kinder is the local caseworker for the program and her phone num- ber is: 719-859-4480. SafeCare is a nationally recog- nized, evidence-based, in-home program that provides direct skills training to parents in the ar- eas of parenting, child safety and child health. It’s a voluntary home visiting program for families who do not currently have an open case with the Department of Human Services (DHS). A review of Colorado’s substan- tiated child abuse reports clearly shows that young children under the age of five are at the greatest risk for child abuse or neglect. Saf- eCare gives counties the chance to provided services to families after DHS is closed, to prevent future interactions with the child welfare system. It also gives counties the opportunity to provide services to families before they become in- volved with the DHS, thereby pre- venting child maltreatment, abuse or neglect. The first program year began in September. 2014 and concludes in June 2015. During that time pe- riod Catholic Charities expects to reach out to 130 families, accord- ing to Ida Rhoads, Director of Pro- grams for Catholic Charities of the Pueblo Diocese. “SafeCare will strengthen fami- lies and will reduce the amount Steve Block / Chronicle-News Michelle Kinder is a caseworker for SafeCare Colorado, a group that works to help at-risk families with young children. Continued on Page 6 ...