Citizen Centennial 5/3/13
Centennial
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 24
May 3, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
County OKs oil, gas rules Two-year process clears way for faster approvals By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com
Centennial resident Grayson McGraw says historic gravesites and mausoleums, like this one in Denver, are an important part of any state’s history. However, many gravesites in his home state of Louisiana, some dating back to the 1700s, are slowly being swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico. McGraw hopes to raise awareness — and about $2,000 — to complete an hour-long film documentary. Photo by Deborah Grigsby
Saving Katrina’s last victims Filmmaker to document Gulf ’s sinking cemeteries By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com Nearly eight years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, the infamous “storm of the century” is still claiming victims.
But these victims don’t complain, nor do they even ask for help. These victims are among the more than 20 historic coastal cemeteries that are losing their battle with Louisiana’s eroding coastlines. “Many of the graves there date back to the 1700s and 1800s,” said Centennial resident Grayson McGraw, who hopes that through a documentary film project, he can garner public attention to save and possibly
to learn more or donate Visit www.kickstarter.com, and search for “coastal cemetery desecration awareness.” Or contact McGraw directly at altitudeparanormal@ gmail.com. relocate the Cheniere Caminada cemetery in Grand Isle, La. McGraw, who works as a retail fraud inKatrina continues on Page 10
Wings of Hope gets supersonic support SR-71 pilot speaks at event targeting pancreatic cancer By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com It’s no secret that Brian Schul likes speed. The retired Air Force pilot once flew the SR-71 Blackbird, the world’s fastest — and perhaps most classified — aircraft. But even for a guy who’s flown more than three times the speed of sound, some things, like a cure for pancreatic cancer, can’t come fast enough. Schul, who lost both his mother and brother to pancreatic cancer, was the keynote speaker at a special Wings of Hope fundraiser on April 25 at The Wildlife Experience in Parker, organized by his sister, Maureen Schul, the former mayor of Castle Pines. One of only 93 men to fly the mysterious black plane know as “the sled,” Schul shared his inspiring story of being shot down in Vietnam. Badly burned, Schul was hospitalized for nearly two years, only to come back to pilot the world’s fastest and highest-flying aircraft ever built. Schul also shared what he describes as
more information For more information about Wings of Hope, visit www.wingsofhopepcr.org. To learn more about Brian Schul and his photography, visit www.sleddriver.com.
Arapahoe County now has a formal process for permitting oil and gas exploration. In a unanimous vote April 30, the county commissioners approved not only an administrative procedure, but a companion memorandum of understanding, the two major documents that oil and gas companies, like ConocoPhillips, have been waiting on for almost two years. While the MOU is voluntary for oil and gas operators, Arapahoe County Senior Planner Sherman Feher says the two are essentially tied at the hip. Feher went on to explain the connection. “What this is, basically, is a quid pro quo situation,” he said. “Operators would agree to more stringent standards than the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission stipulates, then in exchange, the county would provide an accelerated administrative process with lower fees.” Thomas Dugan, an attorney for ConocoPhillips, applauded the decision, saying the open exchange of information with council and staff resulted in reasonable and workable documents. “I’ve been through this public process a hundred times, and in my experience, this had been a very organized process and your staff should be commended,” said Dugan. South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce President John Brackney called the decision critical to the state’s future. “There’s a bigger picture here, and it’s jobs, jobs, jobs,” said Brackney. “We at the South Denver Metro Chamber have always believed that energy policy should be one of our highest priorities. But not everyone was happy about the County continues on Page 10
Pot issues heating up Legalization could come back to ballot By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com A late legislative session effort that could put Amendment 64 back on the ballot led to a fingerpointing exercise in political theater late last week — a wild turn of events in marijuana reguReport lation activity that capped an eventful period of pot-related action at the Capitol. News of an Amendment 64 repeal effort generated buzz, just two days after the first piece of legislation that seeks to set up a
Capitol
Retired Air Force pilot Brian Schul stands in front of “the sled.” Schul has partnered with Wings of Hope, a charity organization that helps fund research for pancreatic cancer research. Photo by Gallery One one of the rarest collections of SR-71 photographs in the world. “I always had my little camera with me,” he said. “Now most people would think you couldn’t take a camera along on a topsecret mission, but I dug into the Air Force regulations and it never said I could — but it also never said I couldn’t.” Schul’s collection, mostly film, is the foundation for his book, “Sled Driver,” which is one the most authoritative publi-
cations on the plane. The book was on sale at the event, with proceeds from it, as well as some of his photos, going to Wings of Hope. “Our goal is to help raise awareness and research dollars for pancreatic cancer,” Maureen Schul told the crowd of more than 300. “My family was stunned as to how little there was in the way of early diagnostic Hope continues on Page 10
Pot continues on Page 11
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