News
Elbert 4/25/13
Elbert County
April 25, 2013
75 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourelbertcountynews.com
Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 118, Issue 13
Sheriff gains online notoriety with video Heap’s message on guns is response to president By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com A video message from Elbert County Sheriff Shayne Heap in response to a Colorado visit from President Barack Obama has gone viral. Heap’s online posting, “A Colorado Sheriff Responds to President Obama,” went up on April 3, the day of the president’s visit to support Colorado’s gun-control legislation. In it, Heap calls Obama’s visit “political showmanship.” Within days of posting his video message, the clip had more than 454,000 hits on YouTube and 65,000 “shares” on Facebook, making the video an online hit. The response at the sheriff’s office has been overwhelming, Heap said. Since the
video’s launch, Heap has received thousands of emails, three job offers and two marriage proposals, and has spoken to people from nearly 40 states. “This is a very real and successful form of communicating our message,” Heap said. Heap’s message is critical of lawmakers’ reaction to gun violence with what he calls restrictive gun legislation. Colorado’s Legislature this session passed gun-control measures that Heap said affect gun commerce but have no effect on criminals who commit violent crimes. The legislation was driven by urban lawmakers with an agenda that reflects urban crime trends, Heap said. “The president flew in (April 3) from Washington, D.C., which has the highest per capita murder rate in the nation, and he wants to tell Colorado what to do,” Heap says in his video. “We are frustrated with Video continues on Page 5
Elbert County Sheriff Shayne Heap, center, is flanked by the sheriffs from Weld and Fremont counties during an April 3 sheriffs’ protest of a visit by President Barack Obama, who praised Colorado’s gun-control efforts. Courtesy photo
Local students shine on stage By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com
Visitors to the 2013 Empty Bowl peruse the pieces from Elizabeth potter Steve Buck, a longtime contributor to the event that raises money for the Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Center. Photo by Rhonda Moore
Event delivers on potters’ promise Hundreds attend fundraiser that assists crisis center By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com Visitors to the Empty Bowl saw a few new features at this year’s event, which made changes to make the fundraiser a more family-friendly event. The 2013 Empty Bowl was April 20 at the Douglas County Event Center in Castle Rock, with more than 500 advance tickets sold to raise money for the Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Center. Now in its 13th year, the event features the work of area potters who donated about 2,000 original, hand-thrown bowls, which serve as a thank-you gift for attendees.
Visitors also get a pass to sample the soups, breads and desserts donated by area restaurants. In years past, the event was on a Friday, with sales of the bowls reserved for the last hour of the event. This year, the Empty Bowl moved to Saturday and placed the bowls available for sale when the doors opened. The event also featured special display tables to recognize potters who donated 80 or more bowls, a kids’ play area for young children and a raffle in lieu of a silent auction. The Empty Bowl raises money for the Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Center, which supports victims of domestic violence in Douglas and Elbert counties with a shelter, free counseling, legal advocacy and a 24-hour crisis line, among other things. The Empty Bowl symbolizes the empty
POSTAL ADDRESS
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
bowl left at the family table when a victim of domestic violence flees, said Jennifer Walker, executive director. “We thought we could do something new and wanted to create a more children’s friendly event,” Walker said. “We wanted it to be more of an open house atmosphere.” The center is recovering from one of its toughest years, with the loss of about $200,000 in federal grant money, Walker said. With more than 80 percent of its clients remaining violence-free for more than six months after receiving services, the center remained committed to finding ways to keep services running, she said. “We’ve done well without compromising the services we provide to our clients,” she said. “This is an amazing community. That fact that we made it through is thanks to the community.” The community this year included ceramic students from Rock Canyon High School who, under the tutelage of art teacher Daniel Gonzalez, donated hundreds of bowls to the event. Gonzalez has been guiding students through the Empty Bowl for about five years. “This is all on top of their Advanced Placement curriculum,” Gonzalez said. “I think it really opens their eyes to how art can be an integral part of the community. It’s been a great experience.”
Three Elizabeth High School students were selected to perform on the Colorado All-State Band. The students are Andrew Chase, who plays the trombone; Casey Gerczynski, saxophone; and Myles McMahan, euphonium. The three are first-chair musicians on the school’s band and were selected from among 900 students who auditioned for a spot in the all-state band. They joined about 185 students selected to participate in the all-state band’s two performing groups, and they played April 6 at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. “I was thrilled,” McMahan said. “I tried to get in last year and didn’t. Seeing that I actually got it was pretty overwhelming. It was a lot of fun, because in high school a lot of people are in bands because it’s an easy A; but at all-state you see people who are really devoted to their music.” McMahan is a junior and intends to try out for the all-state band in his senior year. Chase and Gerczynski are seniors and have tried out in previous years. The senior-year honor was a meaningful experience. “When I found out, I almost cried,” Gerczynski said. “I tried out last year and I didn’t make it. This year … it’s my senior year and it’s at the college I want to go to. All my free time goes to my saxophone.” Gerczynski plans to study music education in college, while Chase intends to keep playing trombone on a recreational level. “I really like playing jazz. Maybe I’ll get a little jazz demo and play once in a while,” Chase said. “The all-state performance was a really good experience with that many kids and that many people.”
Casey Gerczynski was among three Elizabeth High School students in the Colorado All-State Band. Courtesy photo