1
JULY 4, 2014 VOLU M E 1 3 | I SS UE 32
CentennialCitizen.net
Page 8
A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
New law is for the birds (and squirrels) Council outlaws feeding all other wildlife By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Residents of Centennial are free to feed birds and squirrels, as long as they do so judiciously. “You don’t want one neighbor infringing on another neighbor’s right to happiness and to enjoy their property,” Councilmember Vorry Moon said during the June 16 Centennial City Council meeting. “You want everybody to enjoy their property. That’s why we don’t say you can’t feed birds. If you want to feed birds, fine. Just don’t do it in excess.” Council went on to pass an ordinance that
prohibits feeding any other wildlife at all, but allows birds and squirrels to enjoy handouts as long as it doesn’t lead to unsanitary or unhealthy conditions. Several neighbors attended the meeting in support of the law. They said a particular resident has been putting out leftover food, even raw meat, in an effort to attract wildlife to her back yard. What she actually ended up with, they say, is vermin. “I have found everything from bagels to steak bones in my yard,” said Diana Szczech. “… We’ve tried everything we know to try and reason with this neighbor, but it continues. We are fed up.” The lone vote against the ordinance came from Councilmember Keith Gardner. “This is the first time we’ve broached into someone’s back yard,” he said. “That has been sacrosanct, right? That’s your back yard. But
Feel free to feed the squirrels. Stock photo I totally sympathize with what you’re saying. As a legislator, I can’t imagine having to live in that environment.” Councilmember Doris Truhlar said she
agreed with Gardner at first, but grew to understand the extent of the problem. “It attracts rodents to the whole neighborhood,” she said. “Even a worthwhile endeavor such as feeding the birds can be taken to the extreme.” City staff members say they won’t enforce the law, which carries a penalty of up to $2,600 like all other municipal laws in Centennial, until after a reasonable education period. “It is important to note that typical backyard recreational bird and squirrel feeding would not be prohibited under this ordinance,” writes Maureen Juran, deputy city attorney, in her memo to council. “Only in those rare and egregious circumstances where bird or squirrel feeding practices are creating public health or welfare concerns would the city enforce the ordinance.”
Tate wins primary in HD 37 Centennial Republican will face Democrat Nancy Cronk By Ryan Boldrey
rboldrey @coloradocommunitymedia.com
Carl Williams, of Denver, looks at the 1929 Alexander Eaglerock airplane he built. “It absolutely changed my life,” he said of his first flight in the aircraft. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Bomber gets eyes on the sky B-17 dazzles Aviation Week visitors in the air and public on the ground By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz @coloradocommunitymedia.com With its tail wildly swinging back and forth, the glimmering B-17 inched off the ground and toward the heavens. Uncontrollable grins decorated the faces of the 10 passengers aboard the “Aluminum Overcast,” one of five B-17s in existence still flying and “probably the best one” if you ask crew chief Don Burbank. The four engines roared as the World War II-era bomber climbed to 5,000 feet (10,000 feet if you count the city’s elevation). The “Aluminum Overcast” was the star attraction of Centennial Airport’s Aviation Week, which included a luncheon, charity golf tournament and a 1940s-era hangar dance. Proceeds from the week’s activities benefitted the Colorado Aviation Business Association Foundation Scholarship Fund and the Centennial Airport Foundation. The massive B-17 was the talk of the south metro area, capturing the attention of an awestruck public on the ground. Lumbering along at low altitude, the aircraft
Aviation continues on Page 9
ABOVE: The “Aluminum Overcast” prepares for takeoff at Centennial Airport on June 19. LEFT: Pilot John Bode and co-pilot Sean Elliott bank in “Aluminum Overcast,” one of five remaining airworthy B-17s in existence.
Centennial Republican Jack Tate breezed onto the November ballot after garnering 66 percent of the vote in the June 24 primary race for House District 37, easily defeating fellow Republican Michael Fields. “Michael is an intelligent young man who has a very bright future ahead of him — as a teacher, lawyer, political activist, or any endeavor of his choosing,” Tate said. “I look forward to working with him in the coming years.” Tate, a local businessman, Tate engineer and project manager, will face Democrat Nancy Cronk in the Nov. 4 general election. The two are vying to replace term-limited Republican Spencer Swalm. Tate, 46, said he plans to run a clean race, saying that from what he knows of his next opponent, “she is well liked, has a strong, progressive voice and is very active in the community.” His hope is that voters will see his business background and private-sector experience as a valuable asset he can put to use on behalf of fellow Coloradans. “I have some skills and capabilities that allow me to speak about things that are important to voters right now,” he said. “This (primary) result, I think, gives me some good momentum going into the fall.” Tate picked up some of that momentum by visiting close to 5,500 homes in his district, which includes east Centennial, before the primary election. That was something he said gave him “a clear picture of the concerns people had about jobs, the economy, and destructive and costly overreach by the federal government into areas such as education and health care.” He received a phone call from Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob Beauprez two days after the primary, congratulating him on his victory. “Too many times we’ve seen well-intentioned policies end up doing more harm than good,” Tate told Colorado Community Media in a recent interview. “As a proven conservative businessman and free-market advocate, my first priority will be to reduce government regulation on small businesses.”