December 19, 2013 Jefferson County, Colorado | Volume 9, Issue 30 A publication of
arvadapress.com
A moment of Zen Arvada’s Zenzinger sworn in to state Senate By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com Mary Hodge will always be grateful for what Rachel Zenzinger did for her almost three years ago, during the most difficult time of the Brighton state senator’s life. Hodge’s son, who was her Senate aide, died at the start of the 2011 legislative session. Zenzinger stepped in and helped the grieving Hodge stay on track with her work. Now, on the heels of winning a recent Senate District 19 vacancy committee vote, Zenzinger joins Hodge as a Democratic colleague in the Senate. Zenzinger was sworn in during a Dec.
13 ceremony, following which Hodge conveyed a great deal of pride in her friend. “Rachel is special to me,” said Hodge. “She caught me up and was able to keep me current when my son died. She did this, and she deserves it.” Zenzinger, a former Arvada councilwoman, takes over the seat that was vacated following last month’s resignation of Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Westminster. Hudak was facing the threat of a recall election at the time of her resignation. Zenzinger, who once served as Hudak’s campaign manager, won a vacancy committee vote to replace Hudak earlier in the week over former state Rep. Sara Gagliardi. “This is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me,” Zenzinger said after she was sworn in by Colorado Supreme Court Zen continues on Page 5
State Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, poses with members of her family and Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Bender after her swearing-in ceremony inside Senate chambers on Dec. 13. Photo by Vic Vela
Zenzinger leaves an empty chair Arvada District 1 Council seat now vacant due to Senate appointment By Crystal Anderson
canderson@ourcoloradonews.com
Heather Hauptman happily jumps up during the nine-minute workout while her partner counts her reps. Photos by Crystal Anderson
Getting fit for furry friends Crossfit business hosts nonprofit fundraiser
By Crystal Anderson
canderson@ourcoloradonews.com One Saturday morning, residents from Arvada and Wheat Ridge gathered at Crossfit Crazed, 5608 Yukon St., to pull up, jump, and sweat for the animals of the community. Pull Ups for Paws, a benefit held at Crossfit Crazed, Dec. 7, brought the community together to help the furry friends housed at the Denver Dumb Friends League. “We wanted to give back to the community,” said Jason Harper, Crossfit Crazed owner. “Giving back to the animals and the community is a good way to bring people together for one cause.” Pull Ups for Paws gathered around 40 athletes and sponsors from across Arvada to participate in a workout benefiting the less fortunate animals in the community. The benefit challenged participants to complete as many reps as possible in a nine-minute workout. During those nine minutes, each athlete completed three sections of pull-ups, burpees, and box jumps, doing as many reps they could in three minutes. But for athletes like, Stephen Geer, it wasn’t just Friends continues on Page 5
On Friday, the Arvada City Council will have an open seat among them. In a democratic vacancy meeting, Dec. 10, Arvada City Councilwoman Rachel Zenzinger, was appointed to the Colorado Senate District 19, the seat formerly held by Evie Hudak. With this new appointment, Zenzinger vacates her District 1 position on the council. “I’m very pleased for Rachel, I think she’ll do a great job in the Senate,” Mayor Marc Williams said, “Now we’ll have a friend in municipal issues down at the statehouse.” Catching wind of Zenzinger’s interest in the position, the Arvada City Council prepared for her possible appointment and the vacancy, a situation which, according to Councilman Bob Dyer, hasn’t happened before. “In all the time I’ve been on the city council and viewed it in the audience, I don’t remember there ever being a vacancy,” Councilman Bob Dyer said, “I’m not sure what to expect.” This is the first time in Arvada’s council history where an appointment was held for a seat vacated for a senate appointment, leaving the council 30 days to find a replacement who resides within district one’s boundaries (Northeast Arvada). “Rachel was unopposed in her election for her seat,” Mayor Williams said. “It’s an opportunity for a fresh face, someone who meshes well with council, who can make the time commitment and who will listen to the citizens.” Interested parties will then have until noon, Dec. 30, to submit a letter to the council, applying for the position. Once all applications have been received, the council will review them, hold interviews, a public hearing, and then make their final selection. The new councilmember will serve from the date they are appointed until the 2015 regular election. “It’s quite a job, and unfortunately people have such a small amount of time to think about it,” Dyer said. “I would hope that people who apply have an understanding of the issue at hand and hope that someone will have knowledge of the city council.” Zenzinger will officially resign her position with the council, Friday, prior to swearing in with the Colorado Senate. For more information, visit arvada.org or contacting the city clerk, Chris Koch, at 720-898-7545.
Crossfit Crazed owner, Jason Harper, does a pull-up during the first heat of the benefit Pull Ups For Paws on Dec. 7. Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.