The Pueblo Chieftain
■ Pueblo, Colorado
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 Page 7A
CITY / REGION REPORT
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Local road information ■ Traffic hotline/585-4714 ■ Road conditions/1-877-315-7623
Rotarians ready for annual duck race _________________________________________
Top prizes this year include $1 million, Cadillac Escalade. _________________________________________
By BRITTNEY WHATLEY THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
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A river of yellow will fill the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo next month when 10,000 numbered rubber ducks are dumped into the HARP channel by a crane just east of the Victoria Avenue bridge for the third annual Duck Stampede. The race, sponsored by Rotary 43, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on May 22 during the Wild Wild West Festival. New to this year’s race is a chance to win $1 million sponsored by Emergicare Medical Clinic, or a
Cadillac Escalade donated by Pueblo Southwest Motors, according to Chips Wood, a spokesman for the Rotary club. From the 10,000 swimming ducks, three will be pulled for the Cadillac and one duck will be pulled for the $1 million prize, Wood said. Those duck numbers then will be compared to preselected numbers through an outside company to determine the winners. “It’s a slim chance, but you just never know,” Woods said. The club also is offering large cash prizes for the first three ducks that make it to the finish line in front of the HARP amphitheater. First place will receive a $5,000 cash prize, second place will receive $3,000 and third place will receive $2,000.
COUNCIL / from page 5A learned that the plan to refurbish adjoining City Hall had exceeded the $5 million that council was expecting. That triggered a sharp response, with council telling Pacheco the project cannot exceed budget. Wineman and Zwick assured council they understood that requirement and that designs for Memorial Hall already had been modified to lower costs. ● Council also heard from its Americans With Disabilities Act Advisory Committee about the need to improve city sidewalks. It’s an old and familiar issue for city officials, but Kristen Castor and Sharon Campbell told council the legal terrain is changing, with more court decisions placing responsibility for sidewalk repair and maintenance on municipalities, not the homeowner. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a judicial train that’s
coming,” Campbell said. The ADA committee members said they understood the city could not afford to replace all the broken city sidewalks in the near future, but urged council to consider other options, such as creating sidewalk improvement districts, where homeowners could pay for their own improvements. Cities with sidewalk improvement plans fare better when challenged by lawsuits, Campbell said. City Attorney Tom Florczak said the court decisions on sidewalk liability have been more mixed than Campbell indicated. Pacheco told council the city has earmarked $700,000 for sidewalk improvements this year, plus the $400,000 a year it spends on installing sidewalk curb cuts for the disabled. That annual commitment is part of an agreement with the federal Department of Justice. proper@chieftain.com
VISIT / from page 5A graduate, they will have had exposure to at least four universities. Lincoln’s sophomore class always visits CSU-Pueblo. “Many of these students have never been on a college campus so this is a way to give them exposure to college and to let them know what opportunities exist out there for them,” Wright said. Lincoln’s enrollment is 96 percent Latino, according to Wright. She said CSU-Pueblo has many qualities that can appeal to Lincoln’s students. Among them are that CSU-Pueblo is a Hispanic Serving Institution (at least 25 percent Hispanic enrollment) and that it offers programs and support for first-generation students. The visitation day allows for the high school students to get a feel for
DUCK STAMPEDE ■ Who: Pueblo Rotary Club 43 ■ What: Third annual Duck Stampede
■ When: May 22 ■ Where: Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo
■ Top prizes: $1 million ● Cadillac Escalade ● $5,000 ● $3,000 ● $2,000
■ Cost: $5 adoption fee _________________________________________
CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/FILE
Ducks may be adopted Nearly 10,000 rubber ducks splash down into the channel of for $5 from various loca- the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo at the outset of a tions including JR’s Coun- past Duck Stampede. try Store outlets, Little Caesars, McDonald’s and “adopt a duck” tab. within the Pueblo commuthe Robert Hoag Rawlings nity. Public Library and branchThe largest amount will All funds raised will be es, which have drop boxes go to toward the club’s donated to the Rotary 43 for checks. Ducks also may be Foundation, which then “Dictionary Project,” which a d o p t e d o n l i n e a t donates to various pro- annually purchases dictiow w w . d u c k r a c e . c o m / grams, grants and other naries for every thirdpueblo by clicking on the civic organizations, all grader in Pueblo County.
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college life while learning about some academic programs available at the university. Oscar Colmenero, 16, said he was curious to see how CSU-Pueblo professors interact with the students. “I want to see how focused they are on their students,” he said. “I want to see how the classes operate and to see what opportunities I can have at this university.” Oscar said he also was interested in learning more about CSU-Pueblo’s
Woods said the approximate cost for the dictionaries will be around $21,000 and the club plans to raise at least $30,000 through the duck race. With 8,000 ducks adopted in the first year, the club hopes to have all of the 10,000 ducks adopted this year. Woods said the club already has solicited funds from several sponsors including Xcel Energy, Parkview Medical Center, St. MaryCorwin Medical Center, Centennial Insurance Agency and Gobin’s Inc. “We have a lot of great prior sponsors and help from various clubs,” Woods said. Anyone interested in helping with the race may visit the website and click on the “get involved” tab. city@chieftain.com
Trinidad man guilty in stabbing death _________________________________________
Trinity Romero will be sentenced in June for the killing of Kyle Phillips. _________________________________________
By ANTHONY A. MESTAS THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
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TRINIDAD — A 32year-old man was convicted of murder Monday in the stabbing death of a Weston man. A jury found Trinity Jay Romero of Trinidad guilty of second-degree murder in Las Animas County District Court. He was accused in the Aug. 15 stabbing of Kyle William Phillips, 24, who died following an altercation with Romero at the Empty Pocket Saloon, 1810 N. Linden Ave., authorities said. Romero was arrested Sept. 4 in connection with the crime. He has been held in the Las Animas
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The visitation day allows for the high school students to get a feel for college life while learning about some academic programs available at the university.
SDS / from page 5A The lead contractor is ASI Constructors of Pueblo West. Construction on pipelines through Pueblo West and through Walker Ranches in northern Pueblo County is scheduled to begin in late summer. Some construction has begun in El Paso County, and fabrication of parts for the dam connection is nearly complete. In Pueblo West, 13 landowners are facing condemnation, while easements or land have been purchased on another 120 parcels. Colorado Springs will proceed with an eminent domain process in the case of Walker Ranches to determine the price of easements, while work continues on finding a way to revegetate the easement
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athletic programs. “Football is one of my interests, along with engineering and criminal justice,” he said. Rosario Cabrera, 16, said she has heard about CSU-Pueblo and was eager to experience the campus and to learn more about the academic programs. “I wanted to see how this college works into my plans,” said Rosario, who wants to major in psychology. “From what I’ve seen so far, it’s a very nice campus with a lot of opportunities.” In addition to the sophomore visitation day, CSU-Pueblo also offers a weeklong summer program for rising junior students from Lincoln. Those students spend a week on campus participating in activities and experiencing the university. gperez@chieftain.com
County jail o n a $250,000 cash-only bond since his arrest. A sentencing hearing has Trinity been sched- Romero uled for June 16. Third Judicial District Judge Leslie J. Gerbracht handed the case to the jury of seven women and five men shortly after 11 p.m. Monday. The jurors reached the verdict about three hours later. A Las Animas County sheriff’s report said deputies were called to the bar about 11:45 p.m. on Aug. 15. Phillips was found on his back on a sidewalk to the west of the bar with stab wounds to his chest. He was taken to Mount San Rafael Hospital, where he died. Witnesses during the trial testified that Romero stabbed Phillips in the
chest after a confrontation inside and outside the bar. Witnesses also said Romero was the aggressor and that both men were intoxicated during the altercation. Throughout the case, Romero’s lawyers claimed their client acted in selfdefense and that Phillips initiated the fight. Earlier in the trial, which began last week, controversy involving the line of questioning from District Attorney Frank Ruybalid nearly caused a mistrial. According to the court, Ruybalid had agreed not to introduce facts concerning when Romero was arrested. Ruybalid said the date of the arrest was “not relevant.” During testimony Thursday, Ruybalid asked Las Animas County sheriff’s deputy Travis Russell about the apprehension of Romero. Romero’s lawyer, Patrick McCarville
AUTOBEE / from page 5A had never met. Autobee was an altar boy at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Blende and a descendant of Charles Autobee, one of the early settlers of the Pueblo area. He loved tennis, baseball and big-game hunting. Once, he killed a 600pound bear that threatened him. Autobee graduated in 1998 from Pueblo County High School and from the culinary arts program at Pueblo Community College in 2000. He began working for the Colorado Department of Corrections on Feb. 1, 2001. On Oct. 18, 2002, at the age of 23, Autobee was working as a kitchen supervisor at Limon Correctional Facility when he was beaten to death with a large soup ladle by Edward Montour, an inmate
objected and Gerbracht cleared the jury from the courtroom. After ordering that Ruybalid only ask questions about the attempt to apprehend Romero during the first 24 hours after the crime, jurors filed back in to the courtroom. After a question from Ruybalid, Russell said deputies were looking in several places for Romero the first 24 hours after the crime, and then added that they had been looking the same way for the next several weeks. McCarville moved for a mistrial saying the testimony was in bad faith and that the jury received prejudicial information. The judge denied the motion. According to court documents, Romero allegedly called the Las Animas County dispatch center in the days after the incident and agreed to turn himself in, but he never arrived at the sheriff’s office. anthonym@chieftain.com
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already serving a life sentence for murder. “The entire corrections family, each of the counties in my district — Fremont, Crowley, Bent, Huerfano, Las Animas — all remember that day all too well,” said Sen. Kevin Grantham, R-Canon City. “There is a hole in our heart because of this loss.” Montour was sentenced to death, but the Colorado Supreme Court commuted his sentence to life in prison without parole. Last year, Montour tried to block future attempts to reinstate his death sentence but failed. Prosecutors have not yet pursued reinstatement of his death sentence.
“When we hear of tragedies, sometimes we forget that they were real people,” said House Minority Leader Sal Pace, D-Pueblo. “Eric Autobee was a corrections officer who put his life in danger every single day to protect us, to protect the offenders who are incarcerated. And sadly, his family has one less child, one less brother in their home.” “More so for his coworkers than for anybody in the DOC, I’m happy that they’re honoring Eric in this way,” said Bob Autobee. “It’s hard on us, but it’s an honor and it’s important so the staff will always remember.” pmalone@chieftain.com
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through the property. At full capacity, the pipeline will divert 96 million gallons of water per day to those communities. The pipeline won’t be completed until at least 2016, and the cost for the first phase of the project will be $880 million. So far, about $125 million has been spent, mostly for permits, engineering and legal issues. As part of SDS, however, each community will store water in excesscapacity accounts in Lake Pueblo beginning this year. Lake Pueblo was built as part of the FryingpanArkansas Project, authorized by Congress in 1962. Nonproject water can be stored in most years. Excess capacity space in
Lake Pueblo will be allocated at $36 per acre-foot with an increase of 1.79 percent annually over the 40-year life of the contract with the four communities. For the first seven years of storage, the bills will be reduced by a total of $6 million in recognition of oversizing the initial quarter-mile of pipeline from Pueblo Dam to the Juniper Pump Station. Once that section of pipeline is completed, it will be deeded to Reclamation. Consequently, payments through 2017 will total about $760,000. Payments from the four communities will total more than $1.25 million in 2018, and will increase each year by terms of the contract and as more
water is stored. By community, storage totals are: ● Colorado Springs, 17,000 acre-feet in 2011, increasing 500 acre-feet annually until it reaches 28,000 acre-feet. ● Pueblo West, 8,000 acre-feet in 2011, increasing to 8,312.5 acre-feet by 2017 and ramping up to 10,000 acre-feet thereafter. ● Fountain, 400 acrefeet in 2011, increasing to 1,300 acre-feet by 2017 and ramping up to 2,500 acrefeet thereafter. ● Security, 250 acre-feet in 2011, increasing to 1,000 acre-feet by 2017 and ramping up to 1,500 acre-feet thereafter. By 2050, the combined accounts would total 42,000 acre-feet. cwoodka@chieftain.com
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