tcn 2014 04_25_final

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50 C ENTS T RINIDAD C OLORADO Proudly Serving Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico www.thechronicle-news.com ~ Vol. 138, No. 83 APRIL 25-27 FRIDAY (10 a.m.) & SATURDAY (1 p.m.) Join the Trinidad Tree Board to learn about planting trees and tree care. Informa- tion: Karen Wolf, 719-846-9843 ext. 136. ~Student Homework Help FRIDAY (10 a.m.-Noon) Free Math and Science homework help for middle school and high school students at Trinidad State Junior College, Library 308, 600 Prospect. Information: Jenn Swanson at 719-846- 5670. ~Prayer Support Group FRIDAY (6:30 p.m.) Everyone is invited to join the prayer support group at the Inter- national House of Prayer, 520 W. Baca St. Refreshments will be served. Information: 719-845-7815 Today’s Quote “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” ― Muhammad Ali ~ Community Men’s Breakfast SATURDAY (8 a.m.) Bring your sons and join us for food, fellowship and fun every 4th Saturday at the First Christian Church, 402 E. First St. (basement fellowship hall). Information: Tom Berry, 719-846-0879 or 719-846-3843. This monthly event is free and everyone is welcome to attend. ~Comcast Community Clean-up SATURDAY (8 a.m.-Noon) The Trinidad Community Foundation and Comcast will host the annual Comcast Community Clean- up project. Participants to meet at Cimino Park. Information: Margaret Apodaca, 719- 846-3943. ~Livestock Meeting SATURDAY (12:30 p.m.) The Southern Colorado Livestock Association will meet in the Hoehne Community Building for a pot- luck lunch and presentation on “National Heritage Areas” by Dr. Norman Kincaide and Elizabeth Erickson-Noe. Everyone is wel- come to attend. Information: 719-469-4048. ~Philosophy Discussion Group SATURDAY (12:30 – 2 p.m.) Join this free discussion group at the Lava Yoga Stu- dio, 828 Arizona. RSVP: 719-846-2325 or email: www/lavayogastudio.com. Everyone is welcome. ~TSJC Hall of Fame Event SATURDAY (6 p.m.) The Trinidad State Educational Foundation invites you to the annual Fun & Friendraiser dinner and silent auction at the Scott Gym. Information: 719- 846-5649. ~Community Chorale SUNDAY (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) A fundraiser pasta luncheon will be held at the Primero Café in the Mt. Carmel Health & Wellness Center on Robinson St. Proceeds benefit the Community Chorale. ~ Meditation Group SUNDAY (11 a.m.) You are invited to experience what meditation can do for you. This free group meets at the La Quinta Inn on Toupal Drive. Information: Noah Simpson, 719-680-0109 or 224-430-4322. ~Fiesta Dinner SUNDAY (11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.) The Mount San Rafael Hospital Auxiliary is host- ing their annual fundraiser “Fiesta Dinner,” in the hospital cafeteria, 410 Benedicta. Infor- mation: Sylvia Lackey, 719-846-6497. Take out is available and proceeds benefit the auxiliary’s hospital equipment projects. APRIL 28 ~Holy Trinity Academy MONDAY (5:30 p.m.) School board meeting at the school, 613 Prospect St. In- formation: Andrea Jimenez, 719-846-4522. ~Community Chorale MONDAY (6:15 p.m.) Rehearsals for the annual Spring Concert under the direction of Jireh Thomas are being held at the First United Methodist Church, 216 Broom St. Information: 719-846-3720. New members always welcome, no auditions necessary. PUBLIC SERVICE ~Help Save the Veteran’s Post URGENT: All interested parties who would like to help the veterans save Trini- dad’s local VFW Post 984 from closing, please contact Commander John Rios at 719-846-6094. The Post is in desperate need of caring individuals to champion this organization that provides so many honor- able benefits to the community. ~Mammography Project APRIL 29 (5:30 p.m.) A public meeting will be held in the boardroom at the Mt. San Rafael Hospital, 410 Benedicta Ave. to dis- cuss this project and grant submission to the USDA Information: 719-846-8053. ~Latin Golf Scholarship APRIL 30 DEADLINE: Applications may be picked up at all Las Animas County high school counselor’s offices and at Chacon Insurance, 125 E. Main St. High school and college students are eligible. Sponsored by the Trinidad Latin Golf Association. Informa- tion: 719-846-9253. ~Free Disposal Day MAY 3 (7 a.m.-4 p.m.) The City of Trini- dad Landfill, 2401 N. State Street will accept residential refuse without charge. Tires will be assessed normal fees. Electronic waste is excluded. Information: 719-846-2538. ~9Health Fair MAY 3 (7:30 a.m.-Noon) Annual 9Health Fair will be in the lobby of the Mt. San Rafael Hospital, 410 Benedicta Ave. In- formation: 719-846-8051. T HE F INE P RINT W EATHER W ATCH Friday: Sunny, with a high near 78. Breezy, with a SW wind 10 to 15 mph in- creasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. Breezy, with a SW wind 10 to 20 mph. Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Windy, with a S-SW wind 10 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Night: A slight chance of showers and thunder- storms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Windy, with a W-SW wind 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipi- tation is 20%. Sunday: A 20 percent chance of show- ers. Partly sunny, with a high near 58. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 25 mph. Night: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Monday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a N-NW wind 15 to 20 mph. R IVER C ALL Purgatoire River Call as of 04/24/2014. Highland Canal ditch: Priority #27 -- Appropria- tion date: 05/31/1866. Trinidad Reservoir Accounting: Release 120.89 AF Inflow 214.23 AF -- 108.01 CFS Evaporation 16.34 AF Content 18,783 AF Elevation 6,181.93 Precipitation 0.13 Downstream River Call: Highland Canal: 05/31/1866. THE C HRONICLE N EWS “W EEKEND E DITION F RIDAY , S ATURDAY & S UNDAY A PRIL 25-27, 2014 TRANSPORTATION City Council approves funds for Southwest Chief rail upgrade By Steve Block The Chronicle-News The effort to save Amtrak’s Southwest Chief is rolling into high gear, and Trinidad’s City Council agreed to join in the fight at a Tuesday special meeting. Council approved a resolution and authorization to commit $10,000 in matching funds to the total pool of $250,000 required for a federal Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant application for $15 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The City funding will come from the 2015-16 General Fund budget. City staff recommended approval of the resolution. The City’s Tourism Board approved an additional $4,000 in funding for the TIGER grant match at its Wednesday meeting, upon the request of City Manager Tom Acre. The Las Animas County Board of Commissioners will consider a resolution at next Tuesday’s board meeting to contribute $10,000 out of next year’s budget to the effort, and pending commitments have been proposed of $10,000 each from Bent, Otero and Prowers counties and the city of Lamar. The resolution allowed Trini- dad to join many other Colorado counties, communities and pri- vate donors committed to saving the Southwest Chief. The effort is being spearheaded by Garden City, Kansas, which is one of the stops along the Chief’s route from Chicago to Los Angeles. The Bur- lington, Northern and Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF), which owns the railroad tracks, has pledged $2 million in funding if the TIGER grant is awarded by DOT. BNSF will repair approximately 50 miles of the Chief route in Colorado and Kansas if the grant is approved. Amtrak has pledged $4 million for the project, and the Kansas De- partment of Transportation has pledged $3 million. State legisla- tures in Colorado and New Mexico have not yet approved any funding for the project. The railroad tracks along much of the Chief’s route in Kan- sas, Colorado and New Mexico are very old and in need of repair or replacement. The total proj- ect funding would be $24 million, including the matching funds, if the TIGER grant is approved. The funding is expected to cover ap- proximately 50 miles of railroad right-of-way refurbishment, in- cluding installation of new rails, replacement of ties and ballast as needed, surfacing and alignment of the track and restoring it to Federal Railroad Administration Class IV status with a passenger train speed of 80 mph. In addition, BNSF has committed to maintain- ing the route at Class IV status if the route is fully rehabilitated, ac- cording to the website colorail.org. BNSF has no particular segment of the route targeted for the refur- bishment. Instead, the company will select track portions most in Photo courtesy of Amtrak Continued on Page 2 ... TRINIDAD STATE GALA ‘Hats off to the Past, Present & Future’ to honor legacies, feature keynote speaker By Greg Boyce Special to The Chronicle-News The Trinidad State Educa- tional Foundation will hold its annual Fun & Friendraiser & Hall of Fame event on Saturday, April 26 at 6 p.m. in the Scott Gym on the Trinidad State Junior College Campus. The evening’s events in- clude a recep- tion and social hour at 6 p.m., a silent auc- tion and din- ner at 7 p.m., with the key- note speaker and the Hall of Fame induc- tions to follow. This year’s theme for the Fun & Frien- draiser, “Hats off to the Past, Present & Fu- ture,” honors those who pos- itively affected the college to such an extent that their lega- cies live on today and will continue to impact future generations at Trinidad State. The key- note speaker for the event, Tim Sim- mons, is the son of legend- ary Southern Colorado basketball coach Harry Simmons — known as “The Chief” — who coached the Trinidad State basketball team in the early 1940s. Tim Simmons specializes in sports media and special events as an independent event-service consultant. Prior to his consult- ing career, Simmons worked from 1981 to 1992 at the Coors Brewing Company, where he managed sports promotions, special events and entertainment marketing. Since then, he has taken on sev- eral sports- media roles with various organizations, including the Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games; Heart of Dallas Bowl; Armed Forces Bowl; and the Women’s Pro- fessional Vol- leyball Asso- ciation. Following the keynote speaker, Don and Kather- ine Berg, Ben Johnson and Fidel Romero will be post- humously inducted into the Trinidad State Educa- tional Foun- dation Hall of Fame. The Trinidad State Educational Foundation Hall of Fame honors individuals who contribute to the betterment of Trinidad State Junior College through service, commitment and dedication. The legacies of the 2014 inductees con- tinue to this day and will be hon- ored and remembered as a part of the “Hats off to the Past, Present & Future” event. Don Berg served as President of the Trinidad State Educational Foundation during the Foun- dation’s restructuring in 1973. He served in that capacity until 1980 and remained on the Board of Directors until 1983. The son of Albert V. Berg, for whom the Berg Building at Trinidad State is named, Don and his wife, Katherine, continued his father’s commitment to the College by es- tablishing the Albert V. Berg Me- morial Scholarship. Ben Johnson, a founding mem- ber of the Trinidad State Educa- tional Foundation in 1968, also served on the College Advisory Council for more than 35 years, from 1939 to 1975. Johnson was a member of the Foundation un- til the early 1990s. The residence hall, Johnson Hall, was officially dedicated in April 1963 in honor of Johnson’s service to the insti- tution. Fidel Romero served the Trinidad Campus as a custodian for 36 years, through 1976. For- mer Trinidad State President Roy Boyd referred to him as the “Rock of Gibraltar,” not only for his de- pendability on the job, but also for his ability to touch the lives of stu- dents and give them the determi- nation to finish their education. Romero’s family honored his com- mitment to education and Trini- dad State by establishing the Fidel Romero Scholarship. The families of Don and Katherine Berg, John- son and Romero will accept the awards on behalf of the inductees. The Fun & Friendraiser gala is open to the public. Individual tick- ets for the event are $50 per per- son. Corporate sponsorship levels of $5,000, $2,500, $1,000 or $800 are also available. Pieces donated for the silent auction include a hand-carved powder horn with a map of the Santa Fe Trail, created by gun- smithing student and historical author Gary Yee; handcrafted pens, made by a gunsmithing alumnus; and art prints and pho- tography prints by local artists, among other unique items. Proceeds from the event benefit the Trinidad State Educational Foundation in its mission to pro- mote the growth and development of Trinidad State Junior College. The Educational Foundation is a private, non-profit corpora- tion founded in 1968 to raise and manage private gifts for Trinidad State. Tickets for the event must be purchased in advance. For ticket reservations or more information, contact the Trinidad State Educa- tional Foundation at 719-846-5649. Photo courtesy of Greg Boyce A hand-carved powder horn with a map of the Santa Fe Trail, created by gun- smithing student and historical author Gary Yee, will be featured among many other unique items in the silent auction at the event. Photo courtesy of Tim Simmons Tim Simmons, sports media consultant and son of legendary Southern Colo- rado basketball coach Harry Simmons, will be the keynote speaker at the Fun & Friendraiser event at TSJC’s Scott Gym on April 26.

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Page 1: Tcn 2014 04_25_final

50 Centstrinidad Colorado

Proudly Serving Southeastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico • www.thechronicle-news.com

~Vol. 138, No. 83

APRIL 25-27FRIDAY (10 a.m.) & SATURDAY (1

p.m.) Join the Trinidad Tree Board to learn about planting trees and tree care. Informa-tion: Karen Wolf, 719-846-9843 ext. 136.

~Student Homework HelpFRIDAY (10 a.m.-Noon) Free Math and

Science homework help for middle school and high school students at Trinidad State Junior College, Library 308, 600 Prospect. Information: Jenn Swanson at 719-846-5670.

~Prayer Support GroupFRIDAY (6:30 p.m.) Everyone is invited

to join the prayer support group at the Inter-national House of Prayer, 520 W. Baca St. Refreshments will be served. Information: 719-845-7815

Today’s Quote“Don’t count the days, make

the days count.”

― Muhammad Ali

~ Community Men’s BreakfastSATURDAY (8 a.m.) Bring your sons

and join us for food, fellowship and fun every 4th Saturday at the First Christian Church, 402 E. First St. (basement fellowship hall). Information: Tom Berry, 719-846-0879 or 719-846-3843. This monthly event is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

~Comcast Community Clean-upSATURDAY (8 a.m.-Noon) The Trinidad

Community Foundation and Comcast will host the annual Comcast Community Clean-up project. Participants to meet at Cimino Park. Information: Margaret Apodaca, 719-846-3943.

~Livestock MeetingSATURDAY (12:30 p.m.) The Southern

Colorado Livestock Association will meet in the Hoehne Community Building for a pot-luck lunch and presentation on “National Heritage Areas” by Dr. Norman Kincaide and Elizabeth Erickson-Noe. Everyone is wel-come to attend. Information: 719-469-4048.

~Philosophy Discussion GroupSATURDAY (12:30 – 2 p.m.) Join this

free discussion group at the Lava Yoga Stu-dio, 828 Arizona. RSVP: 719-846-2325 or email: www/lavayogastudio.com. Everyone is welcome.

~TSJC Hall of Fame EventSATURDAY (6 p.m.) The Trinidad State

Educational Foundation invites you to the annual Fun & Friendraiser dinner and silent auction at the Scott Gym. Information: 719-846-5649.

~Community ChoraleSUNDAY (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) A fundraiser

pasta luncheon will be held at the Primero Café in the Mt. Carmel Health & Wellness Center on Robinson St. Proceeds benefit the Community Chorale.

~ Meditation GroupSUNDAY (11 a.m.) You are invited to

experience what meditation can do for you. This free group meets at the La Quinta Inn on Toupal Drive. Information: Noah Simpson, 719-680-0109 or 224-430-4322.

~Fiesta DinnerSUNDAY (11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.) The

Mount San Rafael Hospital Auxiliary is host-ing their annual fundraiser “Fiesta Dinner,” in the hospital cafeteria, 410 Benedicta. Infor-mation: Sylvia Lackey, 719-846-6497. Take out is available and proceeds benefit the auxiliary’s hospital equipment projects.

APRIL 28~Holy Trinity AcademyMONDAY (5:30 p.m.) School board

meeting at the school, 613 Prospect St. In-formation: Andrea Jimenez, 719-846-4522.

~Community ChoraleMONDAY (6:15 p.m.) Rehearsals for the

annual Spring Concert under the direction of Jireh Thomas are being held at the First United Methodist Church, 216 Broom St. Information: 719-846-3720. New members always welcome, no auditions necessary.

PUBLIC SERVICE~Help Save the Veteran’s PostURGENT: All interested parties who

would like to help the veterans save Trini-dad’s local VFW Post 984 from closing, please contact Commander John Rios at 719-846-6094. The Post is in desperate need of caring individuals to champion this organization that provides so many honor-able benefits to the community.

~Mammography ProjectAPRIL 29 (5:30 p.m.) A public meeting

will be held in the boardroom at the Mt. San Rafael Hospital, 410 Benedicta Ave. to dis-cuss this project and grant submission to the USDA Information: 719-846-8053.

~Latin Golf ScholarshipAPRIL 30 DEADLINE: Applications may

be picked up at all Las Animas County high school counselor’s offices and at Chacon Insurance, 125 E. Main St. High school and college students are eligible. Sponsored by the Trinidad Latin Golf Association. Informa-tion: 719-846-9253.

~Free Disposal DayMAY 3 (7 a.m.-4 p.m.) The City of Trini-

dad Landfill, 2401 N. State Street will accept residential refuse without charge. Tires will be assessed normal fees. Electronic waste is excluded. Information: 719-846-2538.

~9Health FairMAY 3 (7:30 a.m.-Noon) Annual

9Health Fair will be in the lobby of the Mt. San Rafael Hospital, 410 Benedicta Ave. In-formation: 719-846-8051.

the Fine Print

Weather WatChFriday: Sunny, with a high near 78.

Breezy, with a SW wind 10 to 15 mph in-creasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Breezy, with a SW wind 10 to 20 mph.Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near

76. Windy, with a S-SW wind 10 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Night: A slight chance of showers and thunder-storms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Windy, with a W-SW wind 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipi-tation is 20%.

Sunday: A 20 percent chance of show-ers. Partly sunny, with a high near 58. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 25 mph. Night: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. Breezy, with a west northwest wind 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a N-NW wind 15 to 20 mph.

river CallPurgatoire River Call as of 04/24/2014. Highland Canal ditch: Priority #27 -- Appropria-tion date: 05/31/1866.

Trinidad Reservoir Accounting:Release 120.89 AFInflow 214.23 AF -- 108.01 CFSEvaporation 16.34 AFContent 18,783 AFElevation 6,181.93Precipitation 0.13

Downstream River Call: Highland Canal: 05/31/1866.

the ChroniCle neWs“Weekend edition”Friday, saturday & sundayaPril 25-27, 2014

TRANSPORTATION

City Council approves funds for Southwest Chief rail upgradeBy Steve BlockThe Chronicle-News

The effort to save Amtrak’s Southwest Chief is rolling into high gear, and Trinidad’s City Council agreed to join in the fight at a Tuesday special meeting. Council approved a resolution and authorization to commit $10,000 in matching funds to the total pool of $250,000 required for a federal Transportation Infrastructure

Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant application for $15 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

The City funding will come from the 2015-16 General Fund budget. City staff recommended approval of the resolution.

The City’s Tourism Board approved an additional $4,000 in funding for the TIGER grant match at its Wednesday meeting, upon the request of City Manager Tom Acre.

The Las Animas County Board of Commissioners will consider a resolution at next Tuesday’s board meeting to contribute $10,000 out of next year’s budget to the effort, and pending commitments have been proposed of $10,000 each from Bent, Otero and Prowers counties and the city of Lamar.

The resolution allowed Trini-dad to join many other Colorado counties, communities and pri-vate donors committed to saving the Southwest Chief. The effort

is being spearheaded by Garden City, Kansas, which is one of the stops along the Chief’s route from Chicago to Los Angeles. The Bur-lington, Northern and Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF), which owns the railroad tracks, has pledged $2 million in funding if the TIGER grant is awarded by DOT. BNSF will repair approximately 50 miles of the Chief route in Colorado and Kansas if the grant is approved. Amtrak has pledged $4 million for the project, and the Kansas De-partment of Transportation has pledged $3 million. State legisla-tures in Colorado and New Mexico have not yet approved any funding for the project.

The railroad tracks along much of the Chief’s route in Kan-sas, Colorado and New Mexico are very old and in need of repair or replacement. The total proj-ect funding would be $24 million, including the matching funds, if the TIGER grant is approved. The funding is expected to cover ap-proximately 50 miles of railroad right-of-way refurbishment, in-cluding installation of new rails, replacement of ties and ballast as needed, surfacing and alignment of the track and restoring it to Federal Railroad Administration Class IV status with a passenger train speed of 80 mph. In addition, BNSF has committed to maintain-ing the route at Class IV status if the route is fully rehabilitated, ac-cording to the website colorail.org. BNSF has no particular segment of the route targeted for the refur-bishment. Instead, the company will select track portions most in

Photo courtesy of Amtrak Continued on Page 2 ...

TRINIDAD STATE GALA

‘Hats off to the Past, Present & Future’ to honor legacies, feature keynote speakerBy Greg BoyceSpecial to The Chronicle-News

The Trinidad State Educa-tional Foundation will hold its annual Fun & Friendraiser & Hall of Fame event on Saturday, April 26 at 6 p.m. in the Scott Gym on the Trinidad State Junior College Campus. The evening’s events in-clude a recep-tion and social hour at 6 p.m., a silent auc-tion and din-ner at 7 p.m., with the key-note speaker and the Hall of Fame induc-tions to follow.

This year’s theme for the Fun & Frien-draiser, “Hats off to the Past, Present & Fu-ture,” honors those who pos-itively affected the college to such an extent that their lega-cies live on today and will continue to impact future generations at Trinidad State. The key-note speaker for the event, Tim Sim-mons, is the son of legend-ary Southern Colorado basketball coach Harry Simmons — known as “The Chief” — who coached the Trinidad State basketball team in the early 1940s.

Tim Simmons specializes in sports media and special events as an independent event-service consultant. Prior to his consult-ing career, Simmons worked from 1981 to 1992 at the Coors Brewing Company, where he managed sports promotions, special events and entertainment marketing. Since then, he has taken on sev-

eral sports-media roles with various organizations, including the Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games; Heart of Dallas Bowl; Armed Forces Bowl; and the Women’s Pro-fessional Vol-leyball Asso-ciation.

Following the keynote speaker, Don and Kather-ine Berg, Ben Johnson and Fidel Romero will be post-h u m o u s l y inducted into the Trinidad State Educa-tional Foun-dation Hall of Fame. The Trinidad State Educational

Foundation Hall of Fame honors individuals who contribute to the betterment of Trinidad State Junior College through service, commitment and dedication. The

legacies of the 2014 inductees con-tinue to this day and will be hon-ored and remembered as a part of the “Hats off to the Past, Present & Future” event.

Don Berg served as President of the Trinidad State Educational Foundation during the Foun-dation’s restructuring in 1973. He served in that capacity until 1980 and remained on the Board of Directors until 1983. The son of Albert V. Berg, for whom the Berg Building at Trinidad State is named, Don and his wife, Katherine, continued his father’s commitment to the College by es-tablishing the Albert V. Berg Me-morial Scholarship.

Ben Johnson, a founding mem-ber of the Trinidad State Educa-tional Foundation in 1968, also served on the College Advisory Council for more than 35 years, from 1939 to 1975. Johnson was a member of the Foundation un-til the early 1990s. The residence hall, Johnson Hall, was officially dedicated in April 1963 in honor of Johnson’s service to the insti-tution. Fidel Romero served the Trinidad Campus as a custodian for 36 years, through 1976. For-mer Trinidad State President Roy Boyd referred to him as the “Rock of Gibraltar,” not only for his de-pendability on the job, but also for his ability to touch the lives of stu-dents and give them the determi-

nation to finish their education. Romero’s family honored his com-mitment to education and Trini-dad State by establishing the Fidel Romero Scholarship. The families of Don and Katherine Berg, John-son and Romero will accept the awards on behalf of the inductees.

The Fun & Friendraiser gala is open to the public. Individual tick-ets for the event are $50 per per-son. Corporate sponsorship levels of $5,000, $2,500, $1,000 or $800 are also available.

Pieces donated for the silent auction include a hand-carved powder horn with a map of the Santa Fe Trail, created by gun-smithing student and historical author Gary Yee; handcrafted pens, made by a gunsmithing alumnus; and art prints and pho-tography prints by local artists, among other unique items.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Trinidad State Educational Foundation in its mission to pro-mote the growth and development of Trinidad State Junior College. The Educational Foundation is a private, non-profit corpora-tion founded in 1968 to raise and manage private gifts for Trinidad State.

Tickets for the event must be purchased in advance. For ticket reservations or more information, contact the Trinidad State Educa-tional Foundation at 719-846-5649.

Photo courtesy of Greg Boyce

A hand-carved powder horn with a map of the Santa Fe Trail, created by gun-smithing student and historical author Gary Yee, will be featured among many other unique items in the silent auction at the event.

Photo courtesy of Tim SimmonsTim Simmons, sports media consultant and son of legendary Southern Colo-rado basketball coach Harry Simmons, will be the keynote speaker at the Fun & Friendraiser event at TSJC’s Scott Gym on April 26.

Page 2: Tcn 2014 04_25_final

“Weekend Edition” Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 25-27, 2014 Page 5The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado

COMMUNITY4-H AgFest celebrates farm life, future of food, leadership

AGRICULTURE

By Scott MastroCorrespondentThe Chronicle-News

Founding Father George Washington said, “I know of no pursuit in which more real and important services can be rendered to any country than by improving its agri-culture.” To that end, Las Animas County 4-H’s AgFest at the County Fairgrounds last week was a celebration of agriculture and how it enriches the nation, and the event emphasized citizenship, healthy living, sci-ence, engineering, technology, leadership, responsibility and life skills.

The 4-H motto states, “I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living,” with the group’s 4-H name being derived from the four italicized words in the above motto.

These ideals and edicts were exempli-fied by the attendees at this year’s AgFest. Mick Livingston is the northeast Colorado CSU Extension Agent for 4-H Youth De-velopment, and he said, “Now in its fifth year of enlightening students and teachers about the science of food production, Ag-Fest brings youth a positive message about wholesome, safe, sustainable food.”

Dean Oatman is a Las Animas & Huer-fano Counties 4-H Extension Agent, and he said, “We have about 200 students from five

Las Animas County schools and one from Huerfano County. We’re excited to be part of AgFest and to have the opportunity to bring this informative program to fifth- and sixth graders in our area.”

Livingston said, “Food production needs to double by 2050 to feed our expanding population. American agriculture depends on current public policy decisions that will guide food production for the next 40 years. It’s crucial we make informed decisions and accept new science and technology. Our future depends on these kids.” AgFest students moved from makeshift classroom to makeshift classroom, enthusiastically participating in all of the event’s features.

Las Animas County 4-H Director Lorri Arnhold talked about chickens and the parts of an egg, then ended her presentation by showing students day-old chicks. In the next booth, students learned about machin-ery and pulleys.

Oatman spoke about range ecology, say-ing, “Three things that define rangeland are soil, plants and animals. It’s everything, the insects even, that make the grasses grow to feed cattle. Your yard is a little-biddy piece of rangeland.”

He noted the symbiotic relationship of humans and plants. “We give them carbon dioxide, and they give us oxygen.”

Kit Carson County Extension Agent Ron Meyer talked about genetically modi-

fied BT corn. He explained, “It kills bugs, but does not harm humans.” Fellow Kit Carson County Agent Kelly Witzel told a class of Hoehne fifth graders about pollu-tion, saying, “Point-source pollution means we know where it comes from. Non-point-source pollution means we don’t know, like the recent Washington State landslides.”

At another station, Prowers and Bent County agent Lacey Mann talked about agri-tourism, stating that the Colorado tech-nology industry nets $8 billion a year, and tourism brings in $14 billion, but agricul-ture is the best, with $27 billion.

Crowley and Otero Extension Agent Bar-ry Acton showed Ms. Maes’ Fisher’s Peak fifth-grade class how to make butter in a jar, allowing students to take turns shaking the jar filled with cream. “It’s simple,” he said. “By shaking the cream, we add oxygen to it. That’s all it takes.”

Des Moines, Iowa native and Denver res-ident Amy Gossman works for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. She pointed out that, “Some of the top commodities grown here are corn, wheat, beef and sheep,” add-ing, “everything we eat and wear comes from farmers and ranchers.”

Hoehne students Shania Casados, Jackie Jolly, Aubrey Garcia and Jeremiah Varela spoke with Mick Livingston. Jackie said, “Farm kids do chores. We have cattle, hors-es, alfalfa and rabbits. I show the rabbits at 4-H.” Aubrey said, “I have horses, rabbits and quail. We started with two quail, and now we have 200. We feed them, but they’re free to fly around. My rabbits are California rabbits. They get huge.”

Arnhold said, “This was our first year with AgFest in Trinidad. We had kids from here, Primero, Hoehne, La Veta, Branson and Kim. Next week we’re in Hugo, Lamar and La Junta.”

Mick Livingston had a final thought about AgFest and 4-H’s role in the future of food. He said, “Last year a Genoa-Hugo fifth grader said to me, ‘If we didn’t have agri-

culture, we’d be naked and hungry.’” Mick shook his head. “Smart kid.”

To find out more about 4-H, contact [email protected] or [email protected], or phone 719-846-6881. They’re located at 2200 North Linden Street.

Scott Mastro / The Chronicle-NewsA one-day old chick, above, was part of Lorri Arnhold’s AgFest presentation about poultry produc-tion. Hoehne students, lower left, left to right, Shania Casados, Jackie Jolly, Aubrey Garcia and Jeremiah Varela pose with AgFest organizer Mick Livingston last week at the County Fairgrounds. Kit Carson County 4-H Instructor Ron Meyer, below, talked about food production at last week’s AgFest.

Trinidad State shooter to attend Olympic campBy Greg BoyceSpecial to The Chronicle-News

James Norin, a gunsmithing student and a member of the Clays Shooting Team at Trinidad State, has been accepted to a summer camp for shooters at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

The two-day camp will take place at the Olympic Training Center and at Fort Car-

son in Colorado Springs at the end of May. “The national coaches come and coach you,” said Norin, while working on the bar-rel of a rifle in a machining class. “I think it’s brand new. I don’t think they’ve ever done it before.”

Norin, of Fort Collins, is an experienced shotgun shooter who qualified for Junior Olympics competitions three times while in high school. He shot 99 out of 100 in Ameri-can Skeet at the Association of College Unions International Clay Targets Tourna-ment in March in San Antonio. He finished sixth in the country in that event while competing with the Trinidad State Clays Shooting Team.

Photo by Greg BoyceJames Norin, who is working in a machining class in this photo, will take part in a two-day shooting camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs at the end of May.

Photos by Steve Block / The Chronicle-News

Progress on Main Street . . .These construction workers, above, were building a covered walkway in the 100 block of East Main Street, next to First Na-tional Bank. The former buildings at the location had to be torn down because of their deteriorating condition. The walkway is being installed for pedestrian safety, while the bank, which owns the property, works on a more permanent solution. The result-ing development is expected to be an attractive addition to Trini-dad’s downtown area.