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November 28, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwestminsternews.com
Adams County and Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 69, Issue 4
Hudak in a crunch Lawmaker weighing options in recall effort By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com
James Hondrogiannis is the owner of Goody’s Eatery in south Westminster, a breakfast and lunch restaurant that opened in early September. Photos by Ashley Reimers
Good eats at Goody’s By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ ourcoloradonews.com James Hondrogiannis has been in the restaurant business since age 6. The Westminster resident started out with simple jobs like washing dishes and busing tables, before graduating to manager at his father’s restaurant, the Parkway Café in Federal Heights. Now Hondrogiannis is putting all of that experience and knowledge to the test with the opening of his own place, Goody’s Eatery in south Westminster. “After growing up in restaurants, I always knew I would open my own,” he said. “It takes a lot of passion, but it’s worth it.” Everything made from scratch, including fresh-cut hash browns and homemade green chili, Goody’s Eatery is a breakfast and lunch restaurant. Located in the old Westy’s Café building at 3010 W. 72nd Ave., the interior has been completely transformed from the ground up. With help from his family, Hondro-
Corned beef hash and eggs is just one of many items on the menu at Goody’s Eatery, a breakfast and lunch restaurant in south Westminster. giannis designed the restaurant to be light and airy with a welcoming and cozy atmosphere. “When the building became available we really wanted to revitalize it for this part of Westminster,” he said. “The location is great with a lot of traffic, especially be-
ing down the street from the future light rail. It took a lot of work and a long time, but it feels really good to have a hand in it from the beginning.” Goody’s continues on Page 13
State Sen. Evie Hudak could be in a lose-lose 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 before. 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. Hudak continues on Page 13
Votes counted for Speers in Adams 12 race By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews.com Around this time, most city councils and school boards are welcoming newly elected officials. But in the Adams 12 Five Star School district, one position still remains unoccupied. On Nov. 18, Denver Chief District Judge Robert Hyatt ordered the clerks of Adams
and Broomfield counties to count the votes cast for Amy Speers in the District 4 race against Rico Figueroa. Speers was ineligible to run for District 4 because she resides outside of District 4 boundaries. After the votes were tallied, Speers ended up with the most votes. In Adams County Speers earned 63 percent of the votes, over Figueroa’s 34 percent. Numbers were
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similar in Broomfield, with Speers earning 66 percent of the votes and Figueroa earning just 38 percent. “I am very happy that the people in the community get to hear the results and glad their voices were heard,” Speers said. “It is bittersweet for me.” According to the district website, the order made by Hyatt invalidates the emergency rule that the Secretary of State issued on Nov. 5 that stated, ““If the designated election official determines, after ballots are printed, that an individual whose name appears on the ballot is not qualified for office, the votes cast for that individual are invalid and must not be counted.” After the election a group of plaintiffs filed a suit against the Secretary of States’ authority to administrate the emergency rule. The Secretary of State had until Nov. 21 to appeal the ruling. As for moving forward, Joe Ferdani, Ad-
ams 12 communications director, said the school board will accept the certified votes from the counties during a Dec. 2 meeting, which will also include the swearing-in of District 3 board member Kathy Speers Plomer, but due to the ongoing legal process the district is unsure where everything will be for the District 4 position. If the District 4 seat is declared vacant, Ferdani said the board has 60 days to appoint a new board member. “As soon as we know the finality of the court proceedings, that will create more clarity for next steps,” he said. “There are many moving pieces and parts to this.” Until then, Figueroa will remain on the board until he is elected or another person is appointed.