Southeast Colorado Diversity Council Hosts Annual Banquet

Gerry Jenkins, Jared Penaflor

Jared Penaflor was welcomed as the new president of Southeast Colorado Diversity Council during the organization’s 8^th annual banquet at the Lamar Eagles Lodge, Saturday, October 11.  Formerly known as Voces Unidas, this past year, the group decided to reorganize and become independent of the Lamar Chamber of Commerce.  Along with Penaflor, new officers included Leticia Garcia as vice-president and Liz Vasquez as treasurer.  They will replace Gerry Jenkins, Kirk Crespin and Brenda Estrada, respectively.

Emily Nieschburg

Emily Nieschburg was the featured speaker for the event and outlined the past two years of activities for the Healthy Places Initiative in Lamar. The target goal of the community-based organization is to create several city-wide areas and parks which will become focal points for increasing outdoor activities for Lamar citizens, and especially for local youth.

“We’ve seen a tremendous level of community involvement over the past two years and this local buy-in has been necessary to have our citizens develop a personal interest in the community and in their family’s health,” she told the gathering. Nieschburg explained that Prowers County has one of the highest youth obesity percentages in the state, adding, “One out of every third child in the county lives in poverty.”  For that reason, she explained that the health and exercise oriented programs had to be affordable and accessible to the lowest income earners in the county.

One area in which the students are working for themselves is “One Step Up”, a community impact program. Numerous youngsters are taking photos of areas they’d like to see changed in the community and composing short essays on what types of changes they’d like to see accomplished.  “They are helping to prioritize areas in town that are important to them.  The work they do will be incorporated into part of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan project that begins in January,” she added.

Jenkins, Fire Chief Cook, Penaflor

Past and new presidents, Gerri Jenkins and Jared Penaflor presented awards to various citizens of the community, highlighting their efforts at community betterment over the year. The Excellence in Health award was presented to Emily Nieschburg; Excellence in Civic Duty was presented to Lamar Fire Chief Marshall Cook who accepted on behalf of the community’s first-responders, past and present.

LCC President, John Marrin

The Excellence in Education award was presented to Lamar Community College, with President John Marrin accepting.

Danielle Dechant

The Community Spirit award was given to Danielle Dechant.

Linda Harbour and Loretta Johnson

The Citizen of the Year award was presented to Kim Engsberg for her continued dedication to Lamar residents as the Executive Director of Southeastern Developmental Services, with Linda Harbour and Loretta Johnson accepting on her behalf.

The dinner was catered by Las Brisas Restaurant in Lamar and the evening’s entertainment featured DJ Paul Navarrette.

By Russ Baldwin