Redstone Feb/Mar 2016

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OUR 16TH YEAR

CELEBRATING

EDSTONE R•E

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LOOK FOR REDSTONE REVIEW AT ISSUU.COM / SDCMC VOLUME 17, NUMBER 1

LYONS, COLORADO

RESIDENT / OCCUPANT PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID LYONS, CO PERMIT No 2053 $.50

FEBRUARY 17 / MARCH 16, 2016

B •R •I •E •F •S Journalism Educator of the Year Award DENVER – Richard Joyce, professor of Journalism at Colorado State University – Pueblo received a letter from Ed Otte, president of the Society of Professional Journalist, Colorado Pro chapter telling Joyce that he Joyce received the Journalism Educator of the year Award. The letter stated: “It is my pleasure to inform you that you were selected by the SPJ Colorado Pro chapter board to receive the 2016 Journalism Educator of the Year award at our Region 9 Top of the Rockies contest awards program at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at the Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm Place.” Otte went on to say, “This is a well deserved honor because it recognizes your years of service at CSU-Pueblo and, specifically, the outstanding work you have done with the school’s journalism students. The journalism program is stronger today because of you. Congratulations and we hope to see on April 21.” Joyce has been teaching for over 20 years at CSU – Pueblo and will retire at the end of Continue Briefs on Page 4

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Male Red Fox with Kit – Prospect Park, Wheat Ridge, Colorado; Photo by Fi Rust. The number one reason Prospect Park attracts photographers is the large Red Fox population found there. The adult male fox in this photograph fathered more kits than any other, so Fi made the image as a tribute to him. Fi Rust was born and raised in Kent, England, where she first acquired her great love of nature. She began her career as a wildlife photographer in early 1990 after a move to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A birthday trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in 1994 inspired her to move to Boulder the following year. Fi’s award winning images have been widely exhibited and published in magazines, books and calendars. In the summer, Fi participates in many of Colorado’s fine arts festivals, and her work is available for sale locally at the Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery in Boulder and the Red Canyon Art Company in Lyons. See more of Fi’s beautiful photographs at www.focus-on-nature.com.

FEMA gives Highland Ditch 120 days to comply, Flood houses demolished By Susan de Castro McCann Redstone Review Editor LYONS – At a special meeting of the Lyons Town Board on February 3, Victoria Simonsen, Lyons administrator, told the board that the diversion structure built by the Highland Ditch Company after it was destroyed by the 2013 flood was not in compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulations. She attended a meeting with Highland Ditch and FEMA advisors who told the ditch company executives that they had 120 days to bring the diversion structure into compliance or all FEMA funding would be denied. And FEMA told Simonsen that if Highland chooses not to comply and lose federal funding, the Town of Lyons would be at risk. The diversion structure (built out of compliance) would pose a flood risk for the town because potential flood water could back up into Lyons. It would become the town’s liability and Lyons could potentially lose all its FEMA insurance in the future. This would force the town to remove the diversion structure. Simonsen said that one of the FEMA officials said to her, “This is one where you call

in the Attorney General.” The ditch company originally applied to FEMA and was denied funding to repair or replace the diversion structure so Highland Ditch called the meeting on February 2 to appeal the FEMA decision, asking FEMA officials to reconsider their decision and grant Highland the funding for rebuilding the diversion structure. But FEMA told Highland that the structure was built way out of compliance and FEMA regulations were not taken into consideration when the structure was built even though the FEMA regulations were given to Highland Ditch. “It sounds like they lost the manual on FEMA flood regulations,” said Mayor Pro Tem Connie Sullivan. Highland asked FEMA for over $1 million in funding for reimbursement for the rebuild. According to Simonsen, Highland applied for a repair permit for the diversion structure, but FEMA said that they did a total rebuild and not a repair plus it was not upgraded to current standards and current water flows. FEMA told Highland that there are eight items for compliance that must be met by Highland before reimbursement can be considered such as: the new structure cannot cre-

ate a rise in water level during a flood, meetings must be held with neighbors, and Highland must get public input, as well as several other things. None of the FEMA compliance issues were addressed when Highland rebuilt the diversion structure. Sullivan said that at a recent meeting with Highland Ditch, she and some of the town staff encouraged Highland to comply with the FEMA regulations and to meet the 120 day deadline. FEMA has offered to work with Highland to help it get into compliance. It seems likely that Highland will try to comply and meet the deadline because there is too much at stake to leave the structure as is. The original diversion structure, built in 1870, was destroyed by the flood in September, 2013. The structure is located on the St. Vrain River behind the houses off of McConnell Drive. After the flood the Highland Ditch Co. along with other ditch companies scrambled to repair their diversion structures before the spring runoff in May, 2014. The Highland Ditch Co. is a privately owned company and one of the largest ditch companies in the state. Ditches operate using diversion dams and head gates. The dams slow the water and back it up so it can then flow through the head gate, which is open to let the water through. At this point the water is diverted from the river to various irrigation ditches for farmland and in the case of the Continue Town on Page 17


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