News
Elbert Co 8-22-2013
Elbert County
August 22, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourelbertcountynews.com
Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 118, Issue 30
Do-over sought on oil, gas rules Expert who resigned says situation can be salvaged By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com
Performers with Circus-Your-Way provide entertainment during musical sets at the second annual Elizabeth Community Music and Arts Festival. Cooler weather and a stunning sunset made for a delightful backdrop for the Elbert-based youth entertainment group.
Celebrating all things creative One of the big attractions at this year’s Elizabeth Community Music and Arts Festival was a giant graffiti wall featuring the work of professional graffiti artists from coloradocrush.org. The organization strives to embrace the urban art form in a positive light, sharing its meaning and culture with others.
Music and art filled the air in Casey Jones Park on Aug. 17 as the second annual Elizabeth Community Music and Art Festival got underway. Area bands, artists and entertainers gathered to celebrate creativity and culture. Elizabeth Mayor Clay Hurst said the event’s success relies heavily on its sponsors and this year’s sponsors worked hard to nurture the program and help it find its place in the community. There were graffiti artists, circus performers and a variety of interesting culinary treats including Armenian falafels.
Photos by Deborah GriGsby
Retired petroleum engineer Grant Thayer says he acted hastily after Elbert County commissioners voted to reject an amendment to the land-use code and the accompanying memorandum of understanding that would have formalized the county’s process for oil and gas exploration. Thayer resigned from the county’s allvolunteer editing committee — the group that helped prepared the controversial documents — shortly after the board’s July 10 vote, citing “lack of leadership” on the matter, resulting in what some have labeled an ambush vote. But Thayer cedes that with clarity of time he’s been able to reflect. “We can fix this,” Thayer told commissioners on Aug. 14. “I think we can take a lot of the negatives here and turn them into a positive, and the positive I’d like to suggest is that the BOCC return the regulations as written to the editing committee, recognizing there are some points that need either clarification or need to be rewritten.” Thayer says the perhaps the biggest mistake made was the fact the documents in question have been referred to as oil and gas regulations. “We don’t have oil and gas regulations,” he explained. “What we have is really an oil Gas continues on Page 5
thousands flock to Cabela’s for grand opening Hunters, campers and curious gather to formally open Lone Tree store By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com Parker resident Joe Folmar and Elizabeth’s Chris Alward suffered through a cold, windy Wednesday night in the Lone Tree Cabela’s parking lot. Thursday morning, that earned them spots near the front of a line a few-thousand-people in length. “We slept in our lawn chairs, tucked into a little ball,” Folmar said. “It was probably about 50 degrees with 30 mph winds. I think it’s worth it. Now, it’s just what kinda goodies are we going to get?” Cabela’s gave gift cards in varying amounts — one for $500 — to the first 500 people in line for the Lone Tree store’s Aug.
15 grand opening. Campers started showing up at the store Aug. 13, store officials said. By the time the doors opened at 11 a.m., they estimated 5,000 people were waiting in a line that stretched all the way around the 110,000-square-foot building. Another 5,000 more gathered several miles north at the Thornton store, which opened simultaneously. Lone Tree’s store, at 110,000 square feet, is slightly larger than Thornton’s, and even surpasses the 85,000-square-foot Sydney, Neb., store in size. Most in line said they were longtime Cabela’s customers, many of whom previously had made the long journey to the Sydney store. Cabela’s is headquartered in Sydney. Some were hunters, some campers and some just curious. “I think we mainly came because it’s fun to people watch,” said Golden resident Kerry Bostwick. “This is really fun. Everyone is
so laid back.” “I’m excited to look at the clothing and shoes and not have to guess at the size,” said Littleton’s Randy Alldridge, who in the past was a Cabela’s catalog shopper. Rock music blasted across the parking lot, and cart-pushing Cabela’s employees doled out water bottles and doughnuts to the waiting customers. While tour buses deposited customers at the back of the store and the overflow parking lot at Havana Street and RidgeGate
Parkway threatened to overflow, store employees rallied inside. Football in hand, Cabela’s regional retail manager Diane Uhlenkamp revved up the more than 200 staff members and corporate visitors crowded inside the store’s massive main hall. “It’s Super Bowl time,” she said. “It’s gonna be big from here on out. Take great care of those folks out there because that’s what Cabela’s continues on Page 5
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Cabela’s staff high-five the Lone Tree store’s first shoppers as they enter the store moments after its Aug. 15 grand opening. Photo by Jane Reuter