December 10, 2015 VOLUME 120 | ISSUE 45 | 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
Elbert County GOP changes leadership Three new officers take posts as party looks toward future By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media In a special meeting of the Elbert County Republican Vacancy Committee, area Republicans were called to the Elizabeth American Legion Hall on Dec. 2 to fill three executive officer positions. With a unanimous vote, Tom Peterson was elected as party chairman, taking the place of Scott Willis, who resigned on Nov. 11 to announce his candidacy for the District 3 county commissioner seat in 2016. Peterson has an extensive resume of service with the Republican Party and has held party offices in Elbert County since 2006, including precinct committee person, secretary, and most recently vice chairman. Peterson thanked Willis for his years of service as chairman and emphasized the need for teamwork within the party. “Each of you should understand the importance that no one (person) can do anything alone. This is truly a team effort, a group effort, and only the efforts of all of us working together can we accomplish what we strive to do … take our country back; ensure that we are moving in the direction of limited government, freedom, liberty, and the principles in which we stand for as Republicans,” he said.
GOP continues on Page 11
Tom Peterson, shown with his wife, Linda Peterson, is sworn in as the new Elbert County Republican Party chairman. Photo by Rick Gustafson
Lighting up Kiowa was possible thanks to the support of Sturgeon Electric, Elizabeth Networking Group, Berends Earthmoving, Rapid Medical, Ridgeline Construction, Patty Anne’s Café, Kiowa Lions Club, Kiowa Fire Department, the Cornine Family, and other local organizations, businesses, and families. Photos by Rick Gustafson
Lights reveal spirit of community Illumination is result of many helping hands By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media The town of Kiowa presented its eighth annual Lighting of the Lights seasonal celebration on Nov. 28. Billed as the “ultimate beginning of the holiday season,” the day started at the Lions Hall with crafts and games for kids downstairs and the second annual customer appreciation sale in the Elbert County Coalition for Outreach thrift store upstairs. By 6:30 p.m., residents gathered on the lawn of the Kiowa Town Hall for Santa and Mrs. Claus. The magical couple arrived in a parade of lights, compliments of the Kiowa Fire Department, to throw the switch illuminating the two 50-foot-tall evergreens on the lawn. “It was so cold that I don’t think we had as many as normal,” said Town Administrator Michelle Oeser, who estimated a crowd of around 50 people. Following brief comments by the mayor highlighting significant events in Kiowa during the past year, the crowd moved down the hill to the warmth of Patty Anne’s Café for refreshments and pictures with Santa. “Patty Anne’s always makes homemade food and hot drinks,” Oeser said. “That’s all at no cost to the people who come in to mix and mingle.” With finances tight, the Lighting of
The eighth annual Lighting of the Lights seasonal celebration lit up Kiowa Town Hall Nov. 28. Residents gathered on the lawn to await Santa, who posed for pictures later at Patty Anne’s Café. the Lights celebration is funded entirely through donations rather than paid for out of the town’s budget, and if not for some quick work by local organizations, this year’s tree lighting might not have been possible. In previous years, a local benefactor had sponsored the lights, but this year, the cost to string the rented lights nearly doubled, and local groups stepped in to fill the gaps. According to Oeser, the groups raised enough money for the town to either buy lights for both trees but not put them up, or to buy and string lights for a single tree. “Then Sturgeon Electric stepped
up and donated their time and equipment and put the lights on. They will take them down for us too,” she said. With the purchase of the new lights, the town will only need to raise enough money, around $2,400, to have the lights put up and taken down next year. In addition to Sturgeon Electric and the Elizabeth Networking Group, local organizations, businesses and families chipped in to make the event possible. They included Berends Earthmoving, Rapid Medical, Ridgeline Construction, Patty Anne’s Café, Kiowa Lions Club and the Cornine family.
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. 12 p.m. | Classifieds: Mon. 10 a.m. | Obits: Mon. 10 a.m. | Legals: Thurs. 11 a.m.