August 13, 2015 VOLUME 120 | ISSUE 28 | 75¢
ElbertCountyNews.net E L B E R T C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Fundraisers aim to help EHS track Facility is shut down due to deterioration By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media For two seasons at Elizabeth High School, starter pistols have been silenced, grandstands have been empty, and no runners have broken the tape at the finish line. The idleness at the school’s track is not for want of good athletes, fans or officials; it is due to the condition of the track, which has deteriorated to the point where the facility can no longer be used for meets. According to Clay Terry, leader of the EHS Track and Field Resurfacing Task Force, the damage to the track’s surface has reached a point where the school has not only shut down local meets, but also made it off limits to individual runners and deemed it unsuitable for hosting community events. “It’s not just a school problem,” Terry said. “It really has impacted the community’s use of the track.” The EHS track was installed when the school was construct-
POSTAL ADDRESS
ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100)
OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ELIZABETH, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 11 a.m. Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m. Classifieds: Mon. 10 a.m.
PL E ASE RECYCLE T HI S C OPY
Limited district resources have delayed the repair of the Elizabeth High School track, resulting in the closure of the facility. Photos by Rick Gustafson
ed in 2000. Typically, running tracks require a new surface every five to seven years, but limited resources have forced the district to delay repairs since its installation, which puts the EHS track at nearly three times its useful life. According to the Elizabeth School District, the damage to the track has become more extensive than just surface wear. Cracks have developed, allowing water to penetrate into the underlying pavement, which further damages the infrastructure beneath with each cycle of freezing and thawing. The pole vaulting and jump runways also need to be repositioned to comply with new minimum safety standards established by the Colorado High School Activities Association. In June 2014, the EHS Track and Field Booster Club created the Track and Field Resurfacing Task Force with the original goal of raising $100,000 by July 1, 2015, and completing repairs before the start of the 2015-2016 school year. With that deadline passed, the group has managed to raise around $25,000 and secure a promise from the Elizabeth School District for a $20,000 match to the first $65,000 of
donations. The $85,000 would be enough to resurface the track, but not enough to cover the repositioning of the pole vault and long jump runways. On Aug. 15, EHS Track and Field Task Force will continue its fundraising efforts, sponsoring two events, the Cardinal Clay Shooting Challenge and Elizabeth’s fourth annual 5K run and 1.5-mile walk. The Cardinal Clay Challenge at the Quail Run Sporting Club in Kiowa is open to teams and individual shooters, with a choice of either morning or afternoon sessions. Registration for the challenge will be first come, first served, and will remain open until the start of the event at 9 a.m. Aug. 15. Shooters can find more information at http://bit. ly/1DD3Oye and volunteers may sign up at http://vols.pt/ UeEUSq. The other event, a 5K run and 1.5-mile walk, will be held at Casey Jones Park and begins at 8 a.m. Runners and walkers can register at https:// runsignup.com/Race/CO/ Elizabeth/4thelizabeth5k through Aug. 13. The Cardinal Clay Shooting Challenge and 5K are part of a series of events held over the past year and a half in sup-
Clay Terry, leader of the EHS Track and Field Resurfacing Task Force, said damage to the track’s surface has reached a point that the school had to make the track off limits to individual runners. port of the project. Last May the Citizens Impact Committee held a golf tournament at Spring Valley Ranch. Other efforts include Pizza Day for Kids at Buzzards, and the sale of Premium Booklet Coupon Books and Apps. Terry and his task force plan
to continue fundraising until their goal is reached, but given the current response to their efforts and the present condition of the track, it is likely that the stands will remain silent for a third season and possibly longer.
Food donations run short during summer Volunteers help restock shelves By Chris Michlewicz cmichlewicz@colorado communitymedia.com The Parker Task Force is reminding residents that hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation. With kids home for the summer, business has been brisk at the nonprofit food bank. Visits to the food bank in June and July were up 20 percent over the previous year.
Diane Roth, spokeswoman for the task force, said “food has been flying off the shelves this summer.” The Parker Task Force, which is moving into a new facility at 19105 Longs Way this month, provides individuals and families in the communities of Parker, Franktown and Elizabeth with food, limited financial assistance and other support services to help them become selfsufficient. The task force is having a food drive to help restock the shelves. Volunteers will collect food and personal care products
at grocery stores from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 15. Because of vacations and busy schedules, fewer donations are typically made during the summer months. That’s why the task force is appealing to the public for help. The 10 most-needed items are: pancake mix, cooking oil, Hamburger Helper, instant oatmeal, pasta sauce, chicken broth, juice bottles, sugar, laundry detergent and paper towels. For a complete list of the most needed items, go to www.parkertaskforce.org/needs.htm. Steve Budnack, chairman of
the task force, said the increasing number of clients coming in is “unbelievable.” “There are a lot of families we’ve never seen before, and families we haven’t seen in a while,” he said, adding that some people are requesting more than the allowed number of visits. The food bank is also in need of items for its Backpack Program, which sends school kids home for the weekend with backpacks full of individual snacks, like granola bars, fruit cups and macaroni and cheese.