Year in Review 2014: November/December

November:

As 2014 began to close the City of Lamar had plans for future activities.  The city will thought to take advantage of CDOT’s deep resurfacing project along US Highway 287/Main Street through Lamar next year, and will replace all the affected water and storm water lines during the highway construction.  JVA Consulting Engineers have estimated the water project at $3,246,800 with the bulk of the cost amounting to $1,228,000 to replace a network of eight and twelve inch pipes, plus an additional $405,000 for Fire Hydrant Assembly and Service Line Assembly parts.  The council approved an application for Energy and Minerals Impact Grants, plus State Revolving Grants to finance the project which is expected to begin in 2015.  The exact start date had not been specifically mentioned to city officials as the understanding from previous communications led them to believe the Overlay project will start several months into the new year.   It was believed that the median and center street light system would be removed and at least one of the north/south bound lanes would be left open for traffic while work progressed on the opposite site of the road.

Sam Zordel

The position of Prowers County Sheriff was the only election contest for the local November General Election, and Republican Sam Zordel defeated the unaffiliated challenger, Ron Manly 2,235 to 1,640 votes. Both men were employed in the Sheriff’s Department. Zordel had recently been promoted to Undersheriff by James Faull to replace Ron Trowbridge who was hired as the director of the newly created Child Abuse Hot Line Department in the County. Manly is a Senior Deputy with the Department. James Faull announced early in the year that he would not seek re-election.  Although there was no election for Prowers County Commissioner, Ron Cook will replace Joe Marble as the District Two representative. Cook defeated Marble in the local Republican Party caucus this past spring and Cook will assume the seat in early January. The City of Lamar would seek a replacement for Cook who has been serving as a city councilman.

Lamar Police Chief, Gary McCrea, after having been placed on administrative leave with the department since mid to late October, was replaced by Captain Kyle Miller as acting interim chief of the Lamar Police Department.  City Administrator, John Sutherland, said he was not at liberty to be more specific regarding McCrea’s departure from the city and could not comment if McCrea tendered a resignation or was asked to step down, he simply stated that McCrea, “was no longer with the police department.”  McCrea was hired by the City of Lamar approximately six years ago, having served as the Kansas City International Airport Police Department, where he was the Operations Support Commander.  Miller graduated from Lamar High School and has worked his way up the ranks within the department to the rank of Lieutenant and most recently as Captain in 2013.  He joined the Lamar force in 2004.

L-R: Courtney Holt Rogers, Debbie Pelley, Jill Tinnes, Megan Grett (back) Lisa McCollough, Jana Weimer, Ashley Berkshire, Tammy Turpin Martinez

The one year old Lamar Area Hospice palliative care program received a $7,000 donation in early November, presented to Deb Pelley, Executive Director of the organization by members of the BBB, Beer-Brats & Boobies Committee.  The funds were raised through sponsor contributions as well as entry fees from the 174 runners/walkers who participated in their 3rd annual event, held during Lamar’s Oktoberfest celebration last month.  The organization received another donation later in the month as Pelley was presented with a check for $20,000. Two annual events are held which raise funds that go directly to the local hospice organization; the August Angels Open Golf Tournament at Spreading Antlers Golf Course, and the annual Hospice Barn Dance, held this past year at the Lamar Eagles Aerie.  It was with sadness that hospice members and the community at large noted the passing of Jillian Tinnes who had dedicated much of her efforts to the creation of the cancer BBB fund-raiser held in October.

Marsha Willhite

Marsha Willhite, Administrator for the Town of Holly, tendered her resignation to the Holly Board of Trustees.   On Wednesday, November 12, 2014, the Trustees officially accepted her resignation and appointed Town Clerk, Mary Rushton, as temporary acting administrator.  Holly Mayor Brad Simon said the Board of Trustees held an executive session regarding the Administrator’s unexpected resignation.  “We discussed her absence and what direction we’d take to find a replacement,” he said, adding, “There had been a little talk with her about stepping down at some point, and I believe she felt the time was right.”  Simon said the town’s administrator contract is renewed annually in January.

Colorado World Champs-Kneeling Jesse and Phy & in back Dustin, Nick and Kyle

The title of the best Ranch Rodeo Team in the World was claimed in November by two Colorado teams.  Jolly Ranch and Lord Ranch of Agate and Lamar, Colorado rode to the number one spot recently during competition in Amarillo, Texas.  Jess Jolly, Dustin Bowling, Nick Peterson, Ply Lord and Kyle Spitz took first place honors at the Working Ranch Cowboys Association’s World Championship Ranch Rodeo on November 9.  Jolly and Downing are brothers-in-law who work the Jolly Ranch’s 400 head cow/calf operation in Agate.  Nick Peterson is employed at the ranch and had roped with Jesse Jolly in college.  The other part of the team consists of former PRCA team roper Phy Lord and Kyle Spitz.  Lord and his wife, Shali, a pro barrel racer, manage the family ranch in Lamar.  Spitz, who comes from a long-lived agricultural family, bred many of the team horses.

Baxter Black

No one attending the annual Lamar Chamber Farm-City Banquet on November 15, had any doubts about who is Baxter Black or his abilities for narration.  The former veterinarian, who became one of the most well-known cowboy poets in the country, spoke to the majority of attendees at the Lamar Community Building on an eye-to-eye level, whether they were farmer, rancher or connected in some way to the agricultural economy of southeast Colorado.  Pat Palmer announced the Best Carcass winners from the Sand and Sage Fair, remarking, “This particular part of the program must date back about 20 years or so, back to the early days of the ABCDE show held at the old LCC arena.”  The top five winners were Joel Souders, Cole Burns, Luke Rink, Tristan Travis and Sam Rink.    Josh Japhet, FFA President, presented the annual District FFA report and introduced the lineup of officers.

Ribbon Cutting on Raw Water Transmission Line. Derek Johnson , John Sutherland and Lee Merkel, with Rick Akers Hold the Ribbon

The month ended on a positive note for Lamar residents as members of the Lamar City Council and other interested parties attended a ribbon cutting ceremony to observe one of the final improvements to the city’s water infrastructure system.  The event commemorated the replacement of an 80 year old water transmission line which had been a deficit to Lamar’s water supply operation.  Mayor Roger Stagner quipped that the city has replaced a six mile long soaker hose.  “It was located only five feet below the surface, running from the well fields to the storage area and had developed so many leaks, the water was evaporating away from the system and not being replaced,” stated  Gary Berngard, the Honeywell Program Manager who has overseen several Lamar City infrastructure improvements over the past few years.  Berngard said the level of corrosion to the inside of the line had constricted water flow to only about 65% of normal and it was costing additional electricity to move the water needed to meet Lamar’s demands.  “You’ll notice the quality of the water has also improved as all the flaking and sediment from past years has been eliminated,” he added.  City Administrator, John Sutherland, said that in addition to those benefits, “We can blend our high quality wells with those which are still good, but of lesser quality, and that also allows the better wells an opportunity to recharge.” The project was financed through a combination of a $985,000 energy impact grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and a $200,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Water Supply Reserve Account.  Honeywell guaranteed the annual savings which would be generated by the new water delivery system.

Native American descendants of the victims of one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history gathered with supporters and other park visitors Saturday and Sunday following Thanksgiving, to recognize those brutally killed 150 years ago at the Sand Creek Massacre.  The weekend activities drew more than 1,000 people, about half of whom were members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Montana, Wyoming and Oklahoma. The historic site, dedicated in 2007 and administered by NPS, preserves the place where their ancestors were brutally attacked by U.S. troops on Nov. 29, 1864.  “The event exceeded our expectations,” said Alexa Roberts, NPS superintendent of the site. “This year marks a real watershed for Sand Creek. It is a turning point for public awareness and for a more forward-looking dialogue about the massacre and its meaning.”

December:

Prowers County Commissioner, Wendy Buxton-Andrade, has received a singular honor from her peers during the recent Colorado Counties Incorporated Winter Conference earlier in December.  Buxton-Andrade was presented with the CCI Commissioner of the Year Award from her 275 counterparts, representing their counties throughout Colorado.  The award recognizes the outstanding contributions to CCI made by a commissioner throughout the year and is presented to a commissioner for their activities which are noted to be “above and beyond” the call of duty.  The award recognizes a commissioner who goes beyond their county level to devote additional time in the service of the statewide county association.

Wendy Buxton-Andrade

The long-awaited and anticipated VA Medical Clinic, formerly the Movie Gallery store, officially opened to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by veterans serving from WWII up to Desert Storm and Afghanistan.  Various speakers commented on how the nation must continue to serve the medical needs of all veterans and honor its commitment to their well-being as minimum compensation for those who helped preserve our freedoms with their blood and their lives.  It took almost 18 months to construct a permanent facility after the VA clinic ceased operation at Prowers Medical Center.

Ribbon Cutting for the VA Clinic
L-R: Cheryl Kester Clinic Mgr, Dr. Lithium Lin Deputy Chief of Staff, Congressman Cory Gardner, Commissioners Schnabel and Buxton-Andrade and Jeremy Miller-Local VA Representative

One new restaurant opened for business as Delicioso’s on South Main Street and opened its doors as a combination Chipotle-style restaurant for afternoon diners and featured an Italian menu for evening patrons.  This business, a former KFC and than a short-lived Asian restaurant, saw considerable infrastructure alterations to meet building and health codes.  Just days before Christmas, it was confirmed that the former Taco Johns, just up the road on South Main Street, ended its franchise relationship with the corporation and became simply Tacos.  That venture was also short-lived as the newly named facility ceased operations on December 28.

The statewide toll-free hotline for reporting suspected child abuse and neglect was officially dedicated at the Prowers County Annex Tuesday, December 16.  The Hotline County Connection Center will employ 12 persons to direct the calls to proper authorities throughout Colorado.  The Lamar Call Center will serve the entire state and the hotline is a component of Governor Hickenlooper’s Child Welfare Plan which received bi-partisan support in the state legislature.  Most of the funding, according to Julie Krow, Director of the Office of Children, Youth & Families, will come from the state.  The Center will officially go on-line on January 1 and a major advertising campaign to publicize the hot line numbers will start in April, after the operators have received several months of on-the-job training.  Ron Trowbridge, the former Prowers County Undersheriff, became the Center’s executive director.

Ribbon Cutting for New Hot Line Center

CDOT officials informed the City of Lamar that the Main Street Overlay project was being pushed back on the calendar after all.  The improvements for Main Street are now thought to be sometime in the fall of 2015 and perhaps even later than that time frame.  The City Council made adjustments to the grant application, opting for a continued planning grant instead of funds to provide for actual water system improvements.  In a related street construction development, the Camino de Santa Fe project to extend that roadway north, to Highway 50 or East Olive Street, is expected to begin next spring and be completed by the summer.  This will provide an alternative entrance to Wal-Mart and Dollar General, and connect East Olive Street to Parmenter at the eastern edge of town.  Another long-awaited project will be the completion of the remaining two ball fields at the city’s Sportsplex.  Some fencing work on the remaining two fields was being completed while the late fall weather was still comfortably warm.  Progress was being made on the medical front in the county, as the Prowers Medical Center Board of Directors voted to approve their $8M expansion plan for the hospital with construction scheduled to start in the spring of 2015 and High Plains Community Health Center announced plans for construction of a separate pediatric center adjacent to the Chronic Care Adult Center.

Walls Are Lined with Boxes

Christmas Eve and Christmas day weather this year was an improvement compared to last year’s, last minute dust storm that swept across the Plains by mid afternoon.  The warmer day was an improvement for those Toys for Tots/Food for Families volunteers that delivered gifts and holiday meals to the less fortunate in Prowers County.  It was noted there was another increase in requests for gifts, from about 900 last year to just over 1,200 only a few days ago.  A reminder that although the nation’s economy had seen an improvement, financial belts were still pulled tightly throughout southeast Colorado.  As had been predicted, with the on-going litigation over ARPA and the Lamar Repowering Project, several employees directly connected to the power plant had been let go.  One note too, in that although there had been more requests for gifts this year, those needs were essentially met, one indication that residents in the county considered each other neighbors and would be willing to lend a hand when the need arises.

By Russ Baldwin