March 12, 2015 VOLU M E 70 | I S S UE 1 8 | 5 0 ¢
WestminsterWindow.com
A D A M S C O U N T Y A N D J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O A publication of
Special Olympian prizes gold medals Westminster man competed over 13 years By Ashley Reimers
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com Most people don’t keep VHS tapes — or VCRs, for that matter. Not Dan Fick. The Westminster resident keeps one tape take he’ll have for life, a documented memory of a time he felt on top of the world. Fick, who has autism, spent 13 years in the Special Olympics, from 1989 to 2002. He competed in the summer and winter games, traveling to Alaska and North Carolina. In 2001, he was featured twice on an Anchorage news station for his skills in snowshoe racing. Fick was lucky enough to gain VHS copies of his appearances as a keepsake. “I got a VCR put upstairs in my bedroom so I can watch the tapes. It’s about a three- or four-minutelong thing,” he said. “I was on TV two nights in a row for my snowshoe racing.” Fick’s athletic talents reach beyond the snow. During multiple summer Special Olympics, he competed in basketball, volleyball, soccer, track and field, cycling, swimming and softball.
And although the summer games kept him pretty busy, his favorite remains snowshoe racing. “I like snowshoe racing because it’s me against the mountain, not just me against the competitors,” Fick said. “I like to train in the cold weather better than the hot weather, too.” Because of Fick’s abilities, he was noticed by coaches and corporate sponsors. After a few years he no longer trained solo, but spent time with coaches training at Copper Mountain and Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He trained every day, keeping in mind the level of capability of his competitors, and his motto, “the will to train, is the will to win.” “The talent in the world games Special Olympics was unbelievable. The best of the best,” Fick said. “Even if we had a disability, we didn’t slow down. There were some pretty fast people out there.” Fick’s determination and dedication earned him three gold medals, prized possessions he keeps in safe-deposit box at a bank. He was also a 2003 Special Olympics Hall of Fame finalist. Fick said he misses training for and competing in the Special Olympics. Now, he keeps busy exercising at the gym, fixing up his house, watching television and traveling. He’s been on eight cruises, escaping to places like St. Thomas, Aruba and, most recently, Belize. “Autism hinders my intelligence level,” he said. “I’m not like other people, but I have strengths way above other people too, like endurance. And I have gold medals, and they are hard to come by.”
Dan Fick sorts through the athletic trophies he’s earned over the years. The Westminster man spent 13 years competing in the Special Olympics. Photo by Ashley Reimers
POSTAL ADDRESS
I-25 tolls approved, US 36 tolls on hold By Ashley Reimers
areimers@coloradocommunitymedia.com
WESTMINSTER WINDOW
(ISSN 1072-1576) (USPS 455-250) OFFICE: 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031
Before any toll fees are established for the US 36 Express Lanes, the High Performance Transportation Enterprise board is asking for more public outreach. During a March 2 public meeting, Plenary Roads Denver, the concessionaire managing the U.S. 36 Express Lanes Project, proposed toll fees that would cost up to $7.75 for a southbound trip from Interlocken to Denver during morning peak times with an ExpressToll pass. But since the first phase of the US 36 Express Lanes Project, which is building an express lane
in each direction of U.S. 36 and will accommodate high-occupancy vehicles, bus rapid transit and tolled single-occupancy vehicles, doesn’t open until mid-summer, the board would like more feedback from the community. “The Express Lanes toll rates proposed by Plenary Roads Denver must be able to provide a reliable, safe service and ensure reliable travel times for carpools, solo drivers and the Regional Transportation District buses that use them,” said HPTE board member Don Marostica. “We would like additional public outreach to be conducted on the toll rates before the board makes a decision.” The board did approve toll rates for the I-25 Express Lanes, which will take effect on March
16. The new rate at peak times will be $4.65 with an ExpressToll pass and $6.98 using license plate tolls. A civil penalty increase from $46 to $250 was also approved and will take effect at the same time as the new toll rates. According to Terry Ostrom with Plenary Roads Denver, the large fine increase is meant to serve as a stronger deterrent against toll evasion. “This civil penalty increase is also in line with surrounding states,” Ostrom said. The HPTE board is requesting public meetings be scheduled during evening hours and be located in the north metro area for convenience. For more information on US 36 Express Lanes or I-25 Express Lanes, visit www.codot. gov.
PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the Westminster Window is published weekly on Thursday by MetroNorth Newspapers, 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210, Westminster, CO 80031. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WESTMINSTER, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 8703 Yates Dr., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. G ET SO CIAL WITH US
P L EA S E R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Adams 12 board declares vacancy By Ashley Reimers
areimers@coloradocommunitymedia.com After dedicating over a year of time and energy to the Five Star school board, Rico Figueroa will not finish his four-year term. On March 2, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Broomfield District Court to declare a vacancy in the Director 4 position. On July 11, 2014, the Broomfield District Court ruled that Figueroa was not legally elected because he didn’t receive the most votes in the November 2013 election against Amy Speers, who was also not elected because she didn’t live in the District 4 boundaries. The board officially declared the vacancy during the March 4 meeting. Board president Mark Clark became emotional talking about Figueroa’s time and work on the board.
“Rico was a good board member and is a good man. God has another calling for him and he’ll move on,” he said. “He stood for ethics and morals and was dedicated to the kids. We might have had difference of opinions, but we were all here together and when you spend time on this board, you become friends. We all love Adams 12.” The Adams 12 board has 60 days to appoint Figueroa’s replacement. Applications are being accepted until April 8, and those qualified must live in the District 4 boundaries and Figueroa be an Adams County registered voter. Adams 12 employees and anyone convicted of a crime involving a sexual offense against a child are not eligible to apply. The appointment will fill the vacancy through
the November 2015 election. Although Figueroa plans to stay involved in the district, taking another shot at the appointment or November election is not in his future. He doesn’t plan on running, he said, but will stay active in making a difference and impact on those who do run for the four open seats in districts 1, 2, 4 and 5. “I want to do what I can to find the right candidates for the board who will make a meaningful difference,” he said. “I’m the kind of guy that believes you have a purpose, and clearly mine is not on the board right now. I can roll with the punches and move on. It doesn’t get me down. But I’d still like to be involved in some way.” Anyone interested in applying for the District 4 seat should contact Frances Mullins at 720-972-4007 or frances.mullins@adams12.org. For more information on the appointment process, visit www.adams12.org.