December 17, 2015 VOLUME 120 | ISSUE 46 | 75¢
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Fire station holds tree lighting Elizabeth holiday festivities include events for children By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media With fire trucks temporarily cleared out of their bays, there was plenty of room inside the Elizabeth Fire Department for Santa, his elves, and vendors who greeted visitors at the Elizabeth Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Tree Lighting Festival in Elizabeth on Dec. 4. This year, the chamber transformed the traditional outdoor event called An Olde Country Christmas, typically held on East Main Street, into the Christmas Tree Lighting Festival held inside at the Elizabeth Fire Department. “With it being a nighttime event and being in December, over the last few years it had become not very well attended,” said Trista Ellis, chamber executive director. “We kind of changed things up this year, and we had it at the fire station. We were really impressed. It was a great turnout and our vendors were really happy.” This year’s event featured hand-crafted and custom vendor goods and a silent auction for the adults, while the kids had pictures with Santa at Saint Nick’s North Pole, ornament decorating and a candy cane cakewalk. “We were really impressed with the turnout, with it being a first-time event,” Ellis said. “Mayor Clay Hurst did our tree lighting, and then afterwards, the Girls Scouts sang carols.” Sponsors of this year’s tree lighting included G&G Landscaping, who hung the lights on the tree, and Viaero Wireless, who provided the ornaments and decorating materials for the kids. Other sponsors included the town of Elizabeth, IREA, the Means Agency, All American Propane and Falkor Ranch Alpacas. The photos with Santa were provided by Dancing Lizards Photography along with EC Riders. In addition to the sponsors, Ellis especially acknowledged the Elizabeth Fire Department for its help in bringing the event to the community. “They provided the space for us, and they worked really hard getting it ready, hanging the lights on the building,” she said. “They deserve a really big shout-out.”
Two GOP activists seek posts on BOCC Richardson, Wells aim for seats held by Ross, Rowland By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media Republicans Scott Wells and Chris Richardson have stepped down from their positions on the Elbert County Republican Party Central Committee to run for two seats on the Board of County Commissioners. On Nov. 11, Wells stepped down as chairman of the Elbert Wells County Republicans to announce his intention to seek the District 3 seat on the BOCC in the 2016 election, a post currently held by Larry Ross. “I have been Richardson raising my right hand and volunteering for stuff since I was 18 years old and joined the Colorado Army
A crowd gathers for the Christmas Tree Lighting Festival, held inside at the Elizabeth Fire Department. Photo by Rick Gustafson
GOP continues on Page 5
County clerk removes poster about marriage
This poster, which sparked controversy with its biblical passage, has been taken down by the clerk and recorder’s office. Photo by Rick Gustafson
Language from Bible was at center of controversy By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media A poster containing a segment of a Bible verse describing marriage as being between a man and a woman — which had been hanging behind the customer-service desk in an office where Elbert County issues marriage licenses — has been removed. The poster is the property of Elbert County Clerk and Recorder Dallas Schroeder, a Republican. It includes a caption quoting a portion of the English Standard Version translation of First Corinthians 7:2. In an August email exchange between Schroeder and a group of public officials, some of whom
expressed concerns about issuing same-sex marriage licenses, Schroeder wrote, “There is no way to miss it if you are in for a marriage license. It is a picture of a bride standing on a hill with the groom walking up the hill to meet her. On the bottom I have a portion of the verse in I Corinthians where Paul says, ‘Each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.’ And cite the verse.” A copy of the email exchange and a photo of the poster found their way to the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a Madison, Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3). The foundation, which describes itself as an “association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics),” wrote four emails to Schroeder between Nov. 20 and Dec. 9 requesting that he remove the poster. In one email, Andrew Seidel, the foundation staff attorney, wrote, “When citizens are em-
ployed by the government they agree to accept certain restrictions. The Supreme Court put it very clearly: ‘when public employees make statements pursuant to their official duties, the employees are not speaking as citizens for First Amendment purposes, and the Constitution does not insulate their communications from employer discipline.’” In another email sent to the three members of the Elbert County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 19, county resident Jim Duvall — the husband of Jill Duvall, chairwoman of the Elbert County Democratic Party — objected to the poster and warned, “This will be the focus of another lawsuit if not removed.” Schroeder has said the poster had been up for 15 months with no negative comments from anyone other than Jim Duvall. However, this claim was countered by Jill
Duvall in an Elbert County News story published on Dec. 3 as well as in a television news story that aired Dec. 7 on Denver’s Channel 7. Schroeder could not be reached for comment, but he did send an email confirming the poster’s removal to the Duvalls’ attorney, Lark House Fogel Law Office, on the evening of Dec. 9. “We’re very happy the county did the right thing,” Seidel said. ‘It was very clear that that was promoting his religious beliefs, and it was done to intimidate people he does not like. The government cannot do that.” Jim Duvall said that he was pleased the situation could be resolved without litigation. “That wasn’t going to be beneficial to anyone,” he said. Elbert County has issued two same-sex marriage licenses since a June 26 Supreme Court ruling lifted bans on same-sex marriage.
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