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October 22, 2015 VOLUME 92 | ISSUE 10
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Rams open doors to agriculture Green Mountain High launches first-ever farming program
By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com Everything is connected to agriculture. That’s the founding idea behind Green Mountain High School’s first-ever Agriculture Pathway for students looking to learn about one of the country’s most crucial industries. The program is not only a first for Green Mountain, but also for the area at large. Teacher Courtney Mayo designed the curriculum around the interests and experience of her students. “I’m allowed to design the curriculum to fit the program, and so I started by talking to students about careers in agriculture,” she said. “Whatever career they were interested in, I am able to show them how it connects to agriculture.” The key to a complete agriculture program is a careful balance between three areas, according to Mayo — Future Farmers of America (FFA) work, class/lab time and Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) work outside of class, which can include volunteer time or work credit. “I want these students to be leaders and advocates for agriculture,” she said. As part of the agriculture program at Green Mountain High School’s new agriculture “The great thing is with the SAE portion program, students are getting involved with Future Farmers of America (FFA). of the program, students get out in the Courtesy photo world and put their skills to the test.” The program is just getting on its feet, but has been met with considerCourse for the past three years. able interest from Green Mountain “I’ve always looked for FFA programs, students. More than 60 students signed but you can’t really find them in schools This is the fi rst in an occasional series up for two classes this semester, and here,” he said. “I was looking for an that follows Green Mountain High Mayo is already planning on enrollopportunity to get a strong agricultural School’s agriculture program for its first ment doubling for the spring semester education, and this program offers year. with the addition of classes focusing on that.” animal sciences. Mayo credited principal Colleen OwThe classes started out with informamale, young female, mature male, maens for her unflagging support and comtion on FFA, and students are working ture female and castrated male cattle, mitment to student growth. And Mayo their way through animal sciences. sheep, swine, horses and chickens. is already looking for ways to make the Students will continue on to plant sci“I wanted to focus on animal science, program as dynamic as possible. She ences, and then finish the semester with but Ms. Mayo helped me to open up would like to raise money for a greennatural resources, forestry work and to agriculture, and I really like it,” said house and an area where students can career research. sophomore Casey DeField. “We’ve been work with animals. Agriculture is all about hands-on able to do a lot of different things, and “I want this program to be something learning, and Mayo brought that same go to some FFA conferences to work the community can get in on,” she said. ethos to class work. On Oct. 13, students with other people.” “I grew up with agriculture as a passion, worked on the names for different stagSenior Joseph Deitrick decided to but I never had the opportunity in high es in animals’ lives. Mayo used “bingo” take the class because his grandfather school to do this kind of work. Now I get and animal sounds to help students rewas involved in FFA, and he has worked on turf maintenance at Homestead Golf to teach my passion.” member the names for newborn, young
ABOUT THE SERIES
Gaming Laboratories International is a gaming testing facility located in Wheat Ridge. The company tests the technical standards of gaming machines to make sure they are fair and random for all players, accountable to ensure the state’s interest in revenue, and protective against cheating. The company has 20 laboratories worldwide, and it opened the Wheat Ridge location less than a year ago. However, the company continues to grow, so the Wheat Ridge location is the third move within Jefferson County since its first location opened in Golden in 1995. Photo by Christy Steadman
Mayor’s race leads in campaign spending Associations top donors list By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com The mayoral race between Ward 1 councilwoman Ramey Johnson and Ward 4 councilman Adam Paul is topping campaign donations and spending, according to the recent campaign finance reports from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. In the reporting period between Aug. 27 and Oct. 7, Paul started with $32,091, received $22,470 and spent $39,770. Johnson began with $6,598, received $12,575 and spent $13,761. The only council candidates who approached such numbers were Ward 2 candidate Richard Bryant, who started the reporting period with $4,884, raised $2,825 and spent $5,316; Ward 3 incumbent Pete Royabl, who started with $1,444, received $5,286 and spent $2,031; Ward 4 candidate Michael Coughlin, who started with $3,530, received $5,281 and spent $7,736; and Ward 5 candidate Dana Gutwein, who started with $5,109, received $4,495 and spent $5,085. The lowest raising candidates are Ward 2 candidates Steven Ly and Sharon Vincent and Ward 1 candidate Jeff Yeager. Ly started the reporting period without any mone and did not receive any. The only money spent he loaned himself for campaign supplies. Vincent started the reporting period with $173.65, raised $170 and spent $225. Finally, Yeager started the month with $3,595.12, but didn’t receive any contributions, and spent $2,648.65. The top donors during this period were: the Metro Housing Coalition, which gave $5,000 to Paul, $1,500 to Bryant and $1,500 to Gutwein; Richard and Edie Bryan, who gave $500 to Johnson, $500 to Charley Able, $5,000 to Roybal, $500 to Barb Franks and $500 to Jessica Skimel; the Apartment Association of Metro Denver, which gave $1,000 to Paul, $500 to Ty Hull and $500 to Bryant; and the Denver Metro Area Realtors, which give $250 to Hull, Bryant and Gary Harty. Of the top donors, the Bryans are the only residents of Lakewood.
Gambling industry highlights economic and political importance Local gaming business employs 125 engineers and does worldwide business By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com The American Gaming Association wants the 2016 presidential candidates to understand the positive impacts of the popular entertainment industry of casino gaming. To get that message across, a roundtable event took place Oct. 14 at Gaming Laboratories International, a testing and certification business in Wheat Ridge, in which Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) and Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colorado) joined Colorado gaming industry professionals, the American Gaming Association and Wheat Ridge council member Genevieve Wooden in a discussion on the industry.
“No doubt some people have less than favorable opinions of casinos,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. But knowing what the gaming industry does, he added, can help people embrace it. The American Gaming Association, a lobbying group for the industry, recently launched “Gaming Votes,” a national political initiative meant to educate voters and candidates on gaming’s positive impacts. The campaign highlights how the industry supports thousands of jobs and drives economic growth, particularly in political swing states. “Voters tend to be progressive” on a national level, Freeman said. However, some policy makers may “see it as a necessary evil” rather than an innovative industry. Local impact The gaming industry creates high-tech jobs Casino continues on Page 18