WE spent part of Tuesday at the CSU SLV Extension 4-H Ag Fest learning about the 5th-grade science curriculum and hope you enjoy the photo above and video below. Tuesday into Wednesday yielded all sorts of interesting news items across the San Luis Valley as finalists to replace 12th Judicial District Court Judge Martin Gonzales were named, the Salazar Rio Grande Center del Norte Center at Adams State announced a big new gift, and the town of Center continued its push on progress around its downtown plan. Read on:
Finalists named
for 12th Judicial District Court judge
Alamosa County Attorney Jason Kelly is among the three finalists for the 12th Judicial District Court judge being vacated by Martin Gonzales. Kimberly Cortez-Rodriguez of La Jara and Benjamin Pacyga are also finalists.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will make the selection. Under the Colorado Constitution Polis has 15 days from Feb. 8 to make the appointment. A committee screened and interviewed the applicants and named the three finalists to recommend to Polis.
Comments regarding any of the nominees may be sent via e-mail to the governor at gov_judicialappointments@state.co.us.
Town of Center plans move ahead
The town of Center announced several significant awards and initiatives that have taken place in the last six months and have accelerated the goals of community building, entrepreneurship and workforce development, the reuse and activation of space, and the town’s development vision.
“Center has made enormous strides toward achieving the goals around strategic redevelopment to support the local population through invitations for entrepreneurialism and sustainable projects,” said Kylie Brown, rural program manager for Downtown Colorado, Inc.
Center collaborated with Downtown Colorado, Inc. on a plan to revitalize its downtown core. It recently has been awarded the following assistance to help it continue the work:
- $114,588 through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Main Street: Open for Business (MSOB) program.
- $20,000 through DOLA’s planning grant program.
- $120,000 through DOLA’s Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) grant.
- Master planning and historic preservation assistance from the national Design and Preservation Rapid Assistance Team (D-PRAT) from the American Planning Association (APA).
- Economic redevelopment assistance through Kansas State University’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) program.
- The Town’s Highway 112 Streetscape Revitalization project was selected as a capstone project from CU Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning’s Masters in Urban and Regional Planning program.
Center will continue to engage with the Colorado Challenge Program in 2022 to continue the progress of all of these initiatives, said Center Town Manager Brian Lujan. “The town has worked very hard to receive numerous grants and assistance to continue its vision into the future,” said Lujan. “Most importantly, this support is allowing us to make major advances in bringing to life the thriving economic and social community our residents desire, generating local pride that has not been seen in decades, and hopefully serving as a blueprint for other rural communities who have suffered from a past of stagnation.”
Salazar Family Foundation helps
Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center
The Denver-based Salazar Family Foundation, founded by Rob and Lola Salazar in 1999, has provided $250,000 to establish a named endowment for the Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center at Adams State University.
The Salazar Family Foundation’s support helps secure the future of the Salazar Center, said Director Rio de La Vista. The Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center works to help Adams State students and the San Luis Valley community meet challenges and develop new opportunities to conserve the land, water, history and culture at the headwaters of the Rio Grande.
The Salazar Family Foundation’s core mission, to encourage students to achieve their educational goals by supporting organizations that are committed to improving the quality of education and students’ access to it, made it a good match for the work at the Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center.
Ken Salazar and his family founded Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center at Adams State in honor of their parents in 2015. “Here at the Salazar Center, we work to grow the next generation of conservation leaders and to deepen the engagement between Adams State and the Valley’s active network of partners and caring community members,” said de la Vista. “Through our Water Education and Rio Grande Natural Area initiatives, we promote solutions that build upon the thriving spirit of collaboration in the San Luis Valley. This substantial gift from the Salazar Family Foundation will make a world of difference in our ability to build and sustain these programs far into the future.”
The Adams State Salazar Center offers programs such as the new water studies minor, with courses open for community members to audit; the annual Rio Grande State of the Basin Symposium, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 26; an ongoing series of community water talks; and special programs such as the “Rio Grande Aerial School” with partner EcoFlight, which gives students chances to see the valley from the air and learn about the way water works in the environment, agriculture, and towns.
“We hope this generous gift inspires others to likewise contribute to the center’s unique and timely programs for students and community alike,” said Adams State President Cheryl D. Lovell.
Ag Fest focuses on teaching 5th graders
MONTE VISTA – The two-day Ag Fest being held at the Ski-Hi Regional Events Complex uses agriculture to deliver a fifth-grade science curriculum to its attendees. More than 400 fifth-graders from every elementary school in the Valley will attend the Ag Fest put on by the CSU SLV Extension 4-H office. In this short video, listen to 4-H Agent Morgan Young describe all ways the students learn:
Alamosa Presidents Day
trash schedule
The city of Alamosa released its trash pickup schedule for Presidents Day on Monday, Feb. 21:
Commercial Route – will be collected Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Residential Route – will remain the same.
The Rickey Recycling Center will be closed Monday, Feb. 21, and will reopen Tuesday, Feb. 22. Questions? Contact the Public Works Department at 719-589-6631.
