January 30, 2014
50 cents Jefferson County, Colorado | Volume 148, Issue 9
A publication of
goldentranscript.net
GOP lawmakers urge action on firefighting fleet By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com A day after Gov. John Hickenlooper touted wildfire legislation that was introduced last week, Republicans state lawmakers held their press conference, where they urged the governor to back a revived effort to get the state to buy its own aerial firefighting fleet. Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, introduced a bill on Jan. 24 that would require the state to lease aircraft designed to fight fires, including the immediate purchase of three Type 1 helicopters. The day before, Hickenlooper – who was joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers that included King – told reporters
that he wasn’t ready to support King’s legislation, based on the logistical complexities involved with the state operating its own fleet, including the hefty price tag of such an undertaking. But King, flanked by other Report Republican lawmakers and fire officials, said he doesn’t understand why Hickenlooper isn’t fully on board with his effort. “I gotta tell you, I laugh a little bit at the pushback I’m getting on this legislation,” said King. King pursued similar legislation last
Capitol
year, which culminated in a state study of the issue that is expected to be released in the spring. The press conference came on the heels of Hickenlooper’s support of several measures aimed at wildfire prevention and mitigation. The eight bills have bipartisan sponsorship and should get plenty of support through the legislative process. However, the bills do not contain some key recommendations that were made by the governor’s own wildfire task force, such as imposing fees on homeowners who live in forest areas and the creation of a state building code. Republican lawmakers were careful to not be too critical of the governor’s wildfire mitigation efforts. Sen. Ellen Roberts,
R-Durango, and Rep. Frank McNulty, RHighlands Ranch, said Hickenlooper has shown good leadership in protecting the state from the threat of wildfires. “But I don’t understand Gov. Hickenlooper’s opposition to the state maintaining these rapid response vehicles, airplanes and helicopters that have been proven to work; that have saved lives; that have saved homes and have saved communities,” McNulty said. During the same press conference, Republicans introduced other pieces of legislation related to wildfire mitigation, including a bill from Roberts that would update the state’s emergency radio system.
Foothills Art Center welcomes new director Internships may be on the horizon to assist students into an art profession By Amy Woodward
awoodward@ coloradocommunitymedia.com
City council approved the CSM design to build a new athletic center and upgraded stadium which will add an additional 1,000 seats for 4,500 visitors. The 91-yearold stadium which sits on the historical Brooks Field is reported to be one of the oldest in the state. Photo by Amy Woodward
Council approves CSM athletic design Stadium upgrade passes 5 to 1, construction to begin late March By Amy Woodward
awoodward@coloradocommunitymedia.com After coming before the city’s planning commission and council four times, Colorado School of Mines received a green light from council on its athletic center and stadium design which brought a lot of controversy to the 12th Street Historic District neighborhood. With Councilor Marcie Miller absent, council voted to pass the proposed rezoning approval and design 5 to 1 with Weinberg voting against. Public comment was peppered
with CSM support which gave council additional citizen opinion. At least 20 people spoke on the matter including the chamber’s newest CEO Dawn Smith who spoke on the chamber’s support of the athletic complex. Some of Golden’s movers and shakers such as Ed Dorsey and Ray Goodhart also spoke in favor of the rezoning. “This project is far from being subjective,” Dorsey said. “For instance it is not subjective that the Colorado School of Mines is an extremely important part of the City of Golden,” he said. “Mines contributes a great deal to this community, and as another planning commissioner put it this should be decided on what’s really good for Golden, all of Golden not just one area of Golden.” Residents in the historic 12th Street and 8th Street historic districts pleaded with council to consider the pres-
ervation of Golden’s historic neighborhoods and for CSM to reconsider their designs. But most members of council along with Mike Bestor, city manager, said that resident fears over loss in property values was unfounded and that CSM made significant changes to their designs. “I think that the reality will be more satisfying than our fears might lead us to suspect,” Councilor Graves said. Construction is scheduled to begin on the 54,000-square-foot facility and stadium upgrade in late March 2014 with a completion in July 2015. The upgraded stadium will receive a name change to the Marv Kay stadium and the athletic complex will become the Harold M. and Patricia M. Korell Athletic Center.
Mary Ellen Williams is the Foothills Art Center’s newest executive director and she is hoping to expand the art center’s resources to include internships and workshops on how to be a successful artist. Growing up in Michigan, Williams attended the private institution of Smith College in Massachusetts where she earned her BA in Studio Art before attending graduate school to receive an MBA. She spent nearly eight years as the executive director at the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District and then served as CFO for Williams LiveWell Colorado, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the reduction of obesity through health education. “I have varying interests, and one of them has always been health and fitness and good nutrition,” she said. “It was just a great opportunity in so many ways to be exposed to not only to work that is promoting health living but nonprofit management techniques.” While working as CFO for LiveWell, Williams said she learned more about how nonprofits work in the health sector including strategic planning and tracking. But after being away from the arts for six years, Williams started missing the imaginative world of craft and creation. “The visual arts
Council continues on Page 4 Director continues on Page 2
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