November 29, 2012
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourarvadanews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 8, Issue 27
Tighe topples Odom
ROUNDING THE CORNER
In a turn-around from early election results, Tighe defeats Odom By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
Ralston Valley junior quarterback Jacob Knipp (15) avoids Cherokee Trail players Kaleb Barnum (44) Nic Bogulski (88) and Jacob Martin (51) Saturday during a 5A semifinal football game at Legacy Stadium in Aurora. Cherokee Trail won 17-10. See story on Page 23. Photo by Andy Carpenean
Food bank serves up expansion 1,300-square-foot addition allows for more food storage By Sara Van Cleve
svancleve@ourcoloradonews. com After months of fundraising and construction, the Arvada
Community Food Bank’s new addition is complete and in full operation. The expansion, built for storage, is 1,300 square feet and includes two freezers. “The expansion affords us
Virginia Boggs, a volunteer at the Arvada Community Food Bank for 22 years, watches during a celebration Nov. 20 for the recent expansion.
the opportunity to store a significant amount of product for our clients and the children who receive our Feed the Future Backpack Program sacks,” said Arvada Community Food Bank Executive Director Ernie Giron. The food bank, 8555 W. 57th Ave., serves about 1,000 households per month, which totals 65,000 to 70,000 pounds of food. Giron said in 2011 alone, the food bank received or purchased one million pounds of food and product had to be stored in the community room, making it unusable for nonprofit groups and organizations to use to meet for months. With the expansion, though, the room is once again open for its original purpose — community gatherings. And the expansion couldn’t have been finished at a better time of the year. “In the last three weeks we’ve had 40,000 pounds of food donated,” Giron said. “In November and December in the prior year we received 90,000 pounds of food. It would come in such great volume that it’s something we couldn’t efficiently manage.” But now, the expansion is allowing for more food to be stored and to be distributed much more efficiently. This year’s Thanksgiving dinner box distribution was the most efficient it has ever been, Giron said, thanks to the expansion. “It’s great because our food bank is an integral part of our community,” said Bob Fifer, a member of the food bank’s
Brad Ruppert, president of the board of directors for the Arvada Community Food Bank, addresses those gathered to celebrate an expansion of the food bank Nov. 20. Photos by Andy Carpenean board of directors. “It’s a centerpiece for Arvada.” The community helped make the expansion possible by raising $100,000 for the project through a capital campaign. “This is a time when people are struggling,” said Brad Rupert, the chairman of the food bank’s board of directors. “The need for the services are increasing; that’s a hint that people are struggling out there, but we still have a well of support, what seems like an endless well of support, that is willing to come together to benefit those other than ourselves. This is a remarkable community.” Community members and leaders gathered together Nov. 20 to celebrate the food bank’s expansion with a ribbon cutting.
Casey Tighe is the new 2nd District Jefferson County commissioner. The county clerk and recorder certified the votes for the 2012 General Election on Nov. 21, and the final tally put the Democratic candidate Tighe ahead of appointed incumbent John Odom by 738 votes. Tighe’s 136,164 votes gave him just enough of a cushion to avoid triggerTighe ing a mandatory recount. “I’m honored by the voters of Jefferson County, and I hope I do a good job,” Tighe said last week. The race results remain close enough that Odom or the Republican Party could request a recount and accept responsibility for the costs involved. A recount could begin as early as this week, and would be expected to take five business days. Odom could not be reached over the Thanksgiving weekend. There were several close races in Jefferson County this year, but none triggered an automatic recount. The county certified its vote results on the day before Thanksgiving. “Our elections staff performs a tremendous amount of work after Election Day to ensure that our accounting for this election balances and every eligible vote is counted,” said Jefferson County Clerk Pam Anderson in a released statement. Anderson’s office reported a total of 313,662 ballots were counted in this election, which is the highest number of ballots cast in an election in Jefferson County. Turnout for this election was at 96 percent of all active registered voters. When the polls closed on election night, Odom had been in the lead by 133 votes. “I was a little worried and disappointed, but still had hope,” Tighe said. Thousands of other ballots were counted after Election Day though, including military, oversea, and provisional ballots. Those ballots provided the 871-vote swing needed to grant Tighe the win. Tighe thanked his campaign manager Audrey Kline, and the coordination of the Jeffco Democratic Party for pulling out the close win. “I also think that voters in Jefferson County really listen to what a candidate says, and not just voting the party card,” Tighe said. Tighe will be sworn in and take office in January, alongside his fellow commissioners Donald Rosier and Faye Griffin.
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