Elbert County News 1023

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October 23, 2014 VOLU M E 1 1 9 | I S S UE 38 | 7 5 ¢

ElbertCountyNews.net E L B E R T C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O

A publication of

Governor race more than John, Bob show

CHECKING OUT THE CARS

Four other candidates add spice to electoral stew By Vic Vela

vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com

These two deer take a moment just before sunset on Oct. 11 to see who’s driving by on Ponderosa Lane in Kiowa. Photo by Ryan Boldrey

POSTAL ADDRESS

ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100)

OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ELIZABETH, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 11 a.m. Legal: Thurs. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 10 a.m. G ET SOCIAL WITH US

P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY

Elizabeth High senior Rob Leonard is thriving at running back and linebacker for the Cardinals this season, while maintaining a 3.71 GPA. Photo by Mike DiFerdinando

Athlete relishes magical run Elizabeth’s Leonard makes most of senior year By Mike DiFerdinando

mdiferdinando @coloradocommunitymedia.com Elizabeth High School senior Rob Leonard tries to soak in every moment. The click and clack of cleats against concrete during the procession from the practice field to the locker room will soon dissipate. The friends who call out and poke their heads around the corner to watch him be interviewed will be going their separate ways. And the irreplaceable feeling of competition, the pregame butterflies and nerves which have become so familiar, may soon simply be a memory of one of the best times of his life. In a matter of weeks, the sun will set on his prep football career, and like many before him, Leonard isn’t quite ready for the ride to be over. “It’s tough,” Leonard said, sitting in the Leonard continues on Page 18

Elizabeth High’s Rob Leonard (24) carried the ball 21 times for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the Sept. 19 homecoming win over Englewood. Courtesy photo

One candidate is the husband of a strip club owner who has been endorsed by Snoop Dogg. Another is a faith-driven ballet dancer. They make up half of the field of lesserknown gubernatorial candidates who are trying to shake up the two-party system while also putting some color back in Colorado politics. Either John Hickenlooper will win reelection on Nov. 4 or Bob Beauprez will take the seat from him. But don’t tell that to the four candidates in the race whose names are not Bob or John. “I can win and it’s going to send a shockwave through politics on the planet,” said Mike Dunafon. Dunafon is the mayor of Glendale who had a brief playing career with the Denver Broncos. He is married to Debbie Matthews, who owns Shotgun Willie’s strip club. Dunafon, who is running as an unaffiliated candidate, wants to reduce the size of government and believes that the two major parties have failed to rein in spending. He is critical of recent efforts aimed at boosting K-12 education performance. He brands “Orwellian” Common Core education testing measures as “common floor” methods. And he is against Amendment 68, a ballot measure that would provide schools with tax revenue that would come as a result of allowing casino-style gaming at the Arapahoe Park racetrack. “Why don’t we just pass prostitution and say we’re giving it to the kids?” Dunafon said. Dunafon is also pro-gun and pro-gay marriage and he supports the release of non-violent drug offenders from jail. But Dunafon has made waves this election cycle for the non-traditional endorsements he has received, including those of hip-hop stars Wycleaf Jean and the one and only Snoop Dogg. In fact, the two collaborated with Dunafon on a remix of the song, “The Trap,” which Dunafon says is “a metaphor for our false set of political choices.” “Stop the intolerance/Gay couples free to wed/Women control their bodies/Get the government out of bed,” go some of the lyrics, with Dunafon and Snoop sharing vocals. Libertarian candidate Matthew Hess doesn’t have hip-hop artists backing his campaign, but he is tapping into Dunafon’s passion for attracting voters who are fed up with the current two-party system. “I think they don’t feel represented anymore,” Hess said. “It continually comes up that there’s a feeling of disregard, almost a benign neglect from the two parties.” Hess, who grew up in Douglas County, is a systems administrator who said he has volunteered thousands of hours with the Boy Scouts of America. Hess doesn’t like government intrusion and he believes overregulation and high taxes slow economic growth. In other words, he is a classic Libertarian. “Some do think Libertarians are nuts, Governor continues on Page 18


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