News
ELBERT 1/24/13
Elbert County
January 24, 2013
75 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourelbertcountynews.com
Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 117, Issue 52
Study probes school safety In wake of national tragedy, district puts spotlight on itself By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com
Elizabeth Middle School student Emmi Lindsey spells her way through a final round at the district spelling bee on Jan 15. After more than 40 grueling rounds, Lindsey emerged as the winner. Abby Mohlis, seated center, and Lana Gore, seated left, nervously await their turns. Photo by Deborah Grigsby
Sweet spell of success Elizabeth girl advances to state championship By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com The fact that Emmi Lindsey wore a bright yellow card around her neck that simply identified her as “speller number one” comes as little to surprise to those who know her. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t surprise her either.
She’s had the number before. And been number one before. The tall, slender Elizabeth Middle School student is the new district spelling champion and will advance to the Colorado State Spelling Bee in March. Challenging a dozen of the district’s best spellers, Lindsey endured more than 40 grueling rounds at the 2013 Elizabeth School District Spelling Bee, held Jan. 15 in the high school cafetorium. “I think the easiest part about preparing for the district spelling bee was memorizing the word list,” confessed Lindsey of her win. But rote memorization gave way to skill when students exceeded the district’s 164-
word spelling list and judges had to scramble for a new list, unseen by students. “Yeah, that was pretty scary when they went to the new list,” she said. New list, scary? Heck, the old list was pretty intimidating for most. “Philodendron,” “delicatessen” and “stalactite” had audience members scratching their heads as they tried to spell along. Abby Mohlis, of Elizabeth Middle School, placed second. Lana Gore, who attends Legacy Academy in Elizabeth, placed third. The state spelling be will be held March 15 and 16 at the Colorado Convention Center’s Mile High Ballroom, 700 14th St. in Denver.
Stock show brings out diverse crowd City dwellers get look at country life By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com
Jennifer Ranes puts a halter on a sheep as she takes her animals to be weighed at the National Western Stock Show. Ranes traveled from Vernal, Utah, for the second year to show the sheep she raised. Photo by Tom Munds POSTAL ADDRESS
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
The sights, sounds and activities make the National Western Stock Show an adventure trip, because those are not the daily sights, sounds and activities most city dwellers experience. A visit to the sprawling National Western complex is an entry to the world of livestock judging, horse shows, displays of farm equipment and demonstrations on different subjects. For those who like to shop, there is a vast array of vendors offering an almost endless variety of merchandise. The National Western is called “the Super Bowl of livestock shows” with judging and sales of cattle, sheep and a number of other animals. People come from all over the United States and several other countries, and thousands of animals pass through the grounds during the run of the show. “We drove 17 hours to show our cattle,” Josh Lorenz of Grand Park, Ill., said as he cleaned up his animal tied in an outside Western continues on Page 7
While national headlines continue to spotlight school safety, a study initiated by Elizabeth School District Superintendent Douglas Bissonette will serve as the basis for the formation of a safety group. Bissonette said the new Elizabeth School Safety Task Force will be made up of a cross-section of people and subject-matter experts who will help solve problems and prioritize safety issues. The study, prompted by the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., was designed to address concerns and “what was already on the forefronts of everybody’s minds,” said Bissonette. “We wanted everyone in the district to have the Bissonette opportunity to share with us any concerns they may have, as well as recommendations.” Sent to more than 2,000 residents, faculty and staff, preliminary results from both parents and staff indicate most feel safe at school. However, Kim Cech is one parent who doesn’t agree. “Frankly I am just shocked at the school’s open-door policy,” said Cech, who recently moved to Elizabeth from a Chicago suburb. “I am just shocked at how anyone can, literally, just walk through the front door of some of the buildings.” “First of all, our schools do not have an open-door policy,” said Bissonette. “All visitors to the school are required to sign in and wear a badge that identifies them.” Cech says an open-door policy is exactly what the school district has, pointing to the fact that buildings lack secure entry control points where visitors are detained until identified and “buzzed” in remotely by an electronic lock. While Bissonette cedes more can always be done, he defends the district’s current policy of registering visitors as they enter the school. “Someone can’t just walk into the school without being stopped and questioned,” he said. “Staff, our students, and even our parents all know that a badge is required and that anyone they feel shouldn’t be in the school should be reported immediately.” At the beginning of the current school year, an enhanced video surveillance system was deployed at Elizabeth High School. The system provides a network of highdefinition cameras throughout the building and enables authorized staff and faculty to access near real-time imagery via computer. Cech says video systems have lag time and are not as effective as locking doors or arming school staff with guns. Bissonette says, to date, he feels exceptional measures have been taken to prioritize safety, making the most impact with limited district resources. “Prioritizing safety decisions will be one of the things the new task force will be Security continues on Page 7