Transcript Golden
November 28, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourgoldennews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 147, Issue 52
Jeffco Open Space working to fix Apex Park Close to $605,000 in damage reported to FEMA By Amy Woodward
awoodward@ourcoloradonews. com Open space staff — along with 160 volunteers — have worked continuously at 12 of Jeffco’s park since the September floods that produced record setting rainfall and left behind significant damage. A public information meeting held by Jeffco Open Space on Nov. 19 at the American Mountaineering Center revealed unprecedented trail damage at 12 out of 28 parks in Jeffco, which left behind sink holes around 5 feet deep and almost twice that across, as well as erosion, and rock and boulder debris that block the paths along the trail. Damage to the parks has been reported to be around $605,000, according to Jeffco Open Space. Most of Jeffco’s parks have reopened with the exception of a few trails at North Table Mountain and West Wild Iris Loop at Alderfer Three Sisters Park.
Apex Park, which received the most damage is still closed, and is anticipated to remain closed throughout 2014. “It’s nasty,” Kim Frederick, trail services supervisor at Jeffco’s open space said on the damage at Apex. “The way the damaged showed up is really what compromised our ability to keep it open.” Sink holes and washed out paths replaced with rock and boulder debris are some of the major road blocks to Apex’s quick recovery. “We’re actually going to try and focus on opening the east and north end of the park but the Apex trail itself will remain closed, that’s the area that has the most damage in particular the lower portion of the Apex trail, that’s the bottom of the drainage,” director at Jeffco Open Space, Tom Hoby said. “If the weather holds up, we’ll keep working at this all winter and maybe we’ll get it open early next year, we just don’t know.” Over 750 volunteers have registered at the Jeffco’s Open Space website, and registration is still open. “That’s really an incredible testament to how much people love Jeffco open space and how willing
A lone cyclist begins his trek up the steep mountain trail known as the North Table Mountain Loop at North Table Mountain Park on November 19. The Rim Rock trail has remained closed since the September floods, but will re-open in a few weeks with Mesa Top at Waterfall trail still closed without an anticipated opening date. Photo by Amy Woodward they are to be involved and volunteer,” Hoby said. He added that the most important factor for rebuilding Apex is ensuring the park, like other parks that have been repaired, is built to withstand future floods. “We want to rebuild these trails
in a sustainable way, if we just do a `throw it down and build’ type situation we’re going to be back there and frustrated as time goes on,” he said. Hoby also gave a little teaser as to what the 2013 Master Plan holds for new trail construction
including a connection between White Ranch Park, Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon state park. To register as a volunteer email inquiry to: osvol@jeffco.us. To receive Apex updates email: apexpark@jeffco.us.
Hudak in a crunch: Lawmaker weighing options in potential recall By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com State Sen. Evie Hudak could be in a loselose situation, and she knows it. The Westminster Democrat acknowledges that if organizers behind a recall effort collect enough signatures to force a special election, there is only one sure-fire way that she will remain a senator. “The way I win is if they don’t get enough signatures,” she said during a recent interview with Colorado Community Media. “Other than that, I think you’re right, that I’m in a lose-lose situation if they get enough signatures. People will be angry if I were to resign. People would be angry if I were to be recalled.” Hudak refused to answer affirmatively if she will run in a recall election, if things go that far. “Obviously, people like you have forced me to contemplate,” she said. “The reason I can’t make a decision is because I don’t know if they’re going to have enough signatures. There are a lot of things in play. “Right now, I want to remain a senator. I think I’ve done a good job.” Hudak was asked whether it would send a bad message if a lawmaker steps aside from office, through the mere threat of a recall — without even fighting back in an election to keep his or her seat. “You’re expressing why it’s so difficult, and why I can’t give you an answer right now,” she said. Organizers have until Dec. 3 to submit 18,962 valid signatures of District 19 voters to the secretary of state’s office. Hudak’s district includes Westminster and Arvada. Hudak has run in tough elections bePOSTAL ADDRESS
Chris Leinster of Westminster talks on his smartphone while seeking signatures for a petition to recall Democrat state Sen. Evie Hudak of District 19 on Nov. 1. Recall effort supporters had tables set up on both sides of Wadsworth Boulevard north of West 80th Avenue. People with placards in opposition to the recall stood on the sidewalks near the tables including Arvada’s Nick Dogich, center background, and Liz Geisleman, at right in background. File photo fore. She initially won her Senate seat in 2008 with 51 percent of the vote. Last year, Hudak was re-elected by a slim margin of 342 votes over her Republican opponent, and one where a Libertarian candidate received 6.5 percent support. Hudak is the third Democratic lawmaker to be targeted for recall. The other two, former Senate President John Morse
of Colorado Springs and Sen. Angela Giron of Pueblo, lost their races. The group that is behind the recall effort, which calls itself Recall Hudak Too, has a laundry list of reasons why she should be recalled. Clearly, though, Hudak is being targeted over her support of gun legislation that was signed into law this year, and because she is a vulnerable Democrat whose
loss in a special election could flip control in the General Assembly’s upper chamber to the Republicans. That’s why there has been chatter among state politicos that Hudak could end up resigning from office, a move that would allow another Democrat to hold that important seat. “At this time, I have no intention of resigning,” she said. “I hope I won’t have to make that decision.” Mike McAlpine, who is organizing the recall effort, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this story. Learning from recent recall efforts Hudak and her campaign manager Chris Kennedy say they learned from what happened in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. “I don’t think we knew how serious it was and how capable these guys were,” Kennedy said. He said because of that, the Hudak campaign has sent volunteers door-to-door, as well as positioning volunteers in areas where petition gatherers are attempting to collect signatures. The actions of volunteers on both sides of the recall attempt have been the story within the recall story, as efforts on the part of some groups have stirred controversy. The Democracy Defense Fund, A proHudak group — one that the senator says she is not affiliated with — has directed robocalls that warn District 19 voters that some of the recall petition gatherers have criminal backgrounds. “We’re trying to get the message out, why it would benefit people in the community not to sign the petition,” Cheryl
Hudak continues on Page 24
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