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Biglen resigns from board
WHAT’S HOT Holiday Hoe Down
Applications are sought for vacant seat in Elk Creek B D H B Staff Writer
After president Tim Biglen resigned from the Elk Creek Fire board rather than face a recall election, applicants are being sought to fill his vacant seat. The remaining members of the board hope to appoint someone to fill the position, and they have asked for applications from interested district residents by Dec. . To apply, submit a resume and cover letter to the department at Station , Blackfoot Drive, Conifer, CO . For more information, call --. The board plans to conduct short candidate interviews at its next meeting at p.m. Tuesday, Dec. , at Station . The new board • A history of turmoil at Elk Creek / member would serve • Hiring of chief deuntil the next election layed by a month / in May . • District will buy Temporarily, board ambulance / vice president Mike Rogers has taken over the duties of president, and board member Len Wisneski will act as vice president/secretary. This is the second time in a year that the board has had to fill a vacant position. Board member Bruce Riley resigned last October, and the board was in a months-long stalemate over who to appoint. Its indecision went on for so long that in March the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners stepped in and appointed Alec Schwartz to finish Riley’s term on the board. The inability to agree on a fifth board member was one of the examples of turmoil in the department that organizers said necessitated a recall of Biglen. Other issues included allegations that former Fire Chief Bill Dolan had fraudulently received disability payments from the Firefighters & Police Pension Association of Colorado and allegations by interim Fire Chief Pete Igel that Biglen had used intimidation tactics. Biglen stepped down Nov. by sending a one-sentence e-mail to the remaining four board members, saying simply that he resigned from the board, Rogers said. Biglen had until Nov. to resign. If he had not resigned, a date for a recall election would have been set. His resignation saves the fire district several thousand dollars in election costs. Biglen could not be reached for comment. “We will continue to take care of the district business first, and we can do it one director short,”
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Photos by BARBARA FORD | The Times
From left, Quincy Antener, Carly Scheck and Megan Cooper, all fourth-graders in Michele Altenhofen’s class, sang “This Land is Your Land” at Elk Creek Elementary’s Veterans Day celebration last Thursday.
Students honor vets at Elk Creek Elementary
‘It’s good modeling for our kids,’ school’s principal says B B F
T
Staff Writer
he students at Elk Creek Elementary School showed their support for veterans with a pageant and salute to the USO on Veterans Day. Students spent last week learning about the military and why veterans are important to the country. Area veterans who attended the pageant were honored on a Wall of Heroes with their picture and a brief history of their service. Elk Creek Elementary School principal Joanne Marion said every grade participated in the program, and the kids were very
impressed with the veterans. “It’s good modeling for our kids,” she said. “It’s good for the veterans and for the kids to see how our community comes together for the vets.” About a dozen veterans attended the afternoon program, but many more fi lled the gym at the evening presentation. “When all the veterans come up on stage at the end of the program, it’s an emotional moment,” Marion said. Rick Johnson, Conifer VFW Post district vice commander, said the VFW supports the school, and he’s grateful for the acknowledgement of local veterans’ service. “We support the school because they do this for the VFW and all vets in the mountain area,” Johnson said. Johnson said that before he joined the VFW, Veterans Day was just another day. Please see VETERANS, Page 24
World War II veteran Art Denonvilla, , attended the school’s event.
Please see ELK CREEK, Page 11
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Raven’s Holiday Hoe Down is scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Raven’s Restaurant, 25577 Conifer Road. There will be dinner and line-dancing lessons provided by the Chassis Lassies All Girl Car Club of Denver. The cover charge is a toy or gift card for kids ages infant to 17 years old. Dinner is barbecue beef brisket, potato salad, pork and beans, apple cobbler, and a coupon for one drink, all for $15. Western attire is encouraged. A portion of the food sales goes to benefit the MRC, and all toys and gift cards will go to children at the MRC’s annual holiday party on Dec. 19.
VFW breakfast and toy drive
Conifer VFW Post 12009 will collect toys at its monthly all-you-caneat breakfast from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at Conifer Community Park, 11369 Foxton Road. VFW members are asking people to bring two gifts for a child ages newborn to 17 years old or one gift card, and receive a free breakfast. Gifts and gift cards will all go to the MRC.
Permits for cutting Christmas trees
The U.S. Forest Service is selling 7,000 Christmas tree cutting permits for anyone wishing to cut their own tree this holiday season. Permits are $10 per tree, with a limit of five trees. Permits are sold at the Forest Service office at 19316 Goddard Ranch Court in Morrison or by downloading an online order form. It’s recommended that tree-cutters purchase their permits early because they sell out quickly. The Buffalo Creek treecutting area will be open from Friday, Nov. 26, until Sunday, Dec. 12.
Ham radio license exams to be given
Exams for all levels of FCC amateur (ham) radio licenses will be administered at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, in the garden level of the Church of St. Mary of the Rockies, 236 Bulldogger Road, Crow Hill, Bailey. For more instructions or to pre-register for the exams, call E.R. “Padre” Bova at 303-8386568, e-mail w0wpd@earthlink.