Chronicle Parker
Parker 4.4.13
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 23
April 5, 2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourparkernews.com
Overhaul of school finance advances Republicans balk at $1 billion cost By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com A bill that would lead to immense changes in how Colorado schools are financed passed the Democratic-controlled state Senate on April 2, following a party-line vote. Democrats see the “School Finance Act” as Report an opportunity to modernize an antiquated school finance formula, and to create a more equitable structure by which districts are funded. But Republicans argue that the 200-page bill does nothing to put in place the reforms that the state’s education system needs. And they cringe at the $1 billion price tag that accompanies it. Senate Bill 213 would fund full-day kindergarten, provide preschool for at-risk children, and would increase needs-based programs for special education and for students who are learning English. The bill also expands funding for students who are involved in gifted and talented programs at schools, and it gives school districts the opportunity to have extended school years and school days, if they choose to do so. In addition, the bill would make changes
Capitol
Parker Mayor Mike Waid is a little concerned as his 12-year-old son, Matthew, seems to enjoy creating a Mohawk with what’s left of his hair. Father and son volunteered to go bald for the St. Baldrick’s Day festivities March 30 at the PACE Center in Parker, a head-shaving event that helps in the fight against childhood cancer. Photos by Deborah Grigsby
Going boldly bald for a cause Eighteen shave heads in Parker for pediatric cancer research By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com The room was buzzing with the sound of electric shavers and uncontrollable laughter. Bald heads abounded by the end of the “Shave the Mayor” event benefiting the St. Baldrick’s Foundation March 30 at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center. Roughly $6,000 was raised for pediatric cancer research as 18 people, including organizer Mike Waid — the mayor of Parker — were shaved to the scalp. Waid grew out his hair and beard for five weeks and said he eventually started to look like “sasquatch”; now he doesn’t recognize his reflection in the mirror. Waid auctioned off the opportunity to shave his head for $200 and raised a total of $1,200 for St. Baldrick’s, a nonprofit that operates with low administrative costs so more money goes toward cancer research. Waid’s 10-year-old son, Matthew, even got in on the action and grinned from ear
Finance continues on Page 9
Eric Samora, 11, is surprised to feel his head after stylist KoriJo Whitsitt shaved the Parker boy’s mop for the Parker St. Baldrick’s Day festivities. About $6,000 was raised for pediatric cancer research as 18 people volunteered to go bald. to ear when his dad took the shaver to him. The mayor was especially touched when the Nation sisters — Lisa, Patti, Cindy and Autumn, of Parker — walked in and volun-
teered to sit in the stylist’s chair. The family has been touched by cancer and lost loved ones, and wanted to find a way to promote Bald continues on Page 9
Commissioners reclaim library appointments Elected county officials to recommend, approve trustees By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com The Douglas County commissioners took over the process of nominating and appointing library trustees, with a 3-0 vote at the March 26 commissioners’ meeting. Prior to the change, the Douglas County Library District Board of Trustees had, since the early 1990s, recommended new appointments for ratification by commissioners. With adoption of the new policy, two of the three commissioners will act as a nomination committee for new trustees when positions open, and a two-thirds majority vote of the commissioners will be required to approve the recommendation. The commissioners’ decision was pre-
ceded by nearly two hours of public comment, most of it critical of their proposal. Of the handful of people who supported the commissioners’ decision, half were rejected library trustee applicants, or were related to someone who ap- Repella plied but was not selected as a trustee. The now-discarded process of the library board handling its own nominations is one of two protocols allowed under state law, which prohibits an elected trustee board. The second option is to have county commissioners appoint trustees, as they do with the planning commission and other public volunteer boards and commissions. Critics of the commissioner-appointed process fear it will politicize the library board. Commissioners adopted the process to create greater accountability to taxpay-
ers, said Commissioner Jill Repella, District 3. “The first thing that goes through my mind and my heart is how disappointed I am that the word `politics’ is being thrown around in this issue,” Repella said. “This is about governance to me. It is a very large budget of taxpayer dollars. If something goes wrong, I ask who’s responsible. “Ideally a separate government should be an elected body,” she said. “This is the only connection to an elected body the citizens have. We are taking it from a weak link to a stronger link.” The commissioners’ solution was to create the two-commissioner nomination committee for a trustee nomination. The committee will submit its recommendation to the three-member board of county commissioners for ratification. The commissioners’ resolution was designed to mirror the provisions allowed in Library continues on Page 9
Board eyes water deal Six south metro providers sign WISE agreement By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com Parker’s busiest water provider will soon decide whether to strike a deal that will import water from Denver and Aurora. The Parker Water and Sanitation District board of directors will hear a presentation later this month from new manager Ron Redd, who will recommend that the district enter into WISE, the Water, Infrastructure and Supply Efficiency project. Six members of the South Metro Water Supply Authority, including Pinery Water and Wastewater, the Cottonwood Water and Sanitation District and Stonegate Village Metropolitan District, committed to WISE by signing intergovernmental agreements in late March. The agreements will bring nearly 7,000 acre-feet of recycled water to the south metro area. An acre-foot, Water continues on Page 9
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