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the denver post B denverpost.com B friday, december 23, 2011
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Dems in redrawn district eye how to treat primary An expert says the hopefuls — with few policy differences — must run against not only Coffman but the entire Congress.
Meeker Elementary School opened in fall 2010 but was closed last summer because of structural problems. Investigators found that the school was susceptible to collapse in high winds or an earthquake. Craig F. Walker, Denver Post file
Soils are at issue after faulty classification
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Kinnaird Linn, however, said the board is investigating because “it appears that public safety has been compromised by an individual regulated by the board.” The state Division of Fire Safety oversees school construction in Colorado, including issuing certificates of occupancy. But officials there say their inspections determine whether design plans are being followed — not whether a design is sound. The division is investigating 20 Neenan projects. “It appears that Howell is trying to shift blame, and we will get to the bottom of this through our investigation,” said Kevin Klein, director of the state Homeland Security Division, which includes Fire Safety. The Meeker school was closed last summer after an independent review found it was designed to the safety code of a storage shed and susceptible to collapse in high winds or an earthquake. Howell had strongly opposed conducting the outside review, insisting the school was stable and safe. Howell did not have a valid license for a period while working on the Meeker project, but Neenan has said it was valid by the time he put his stamp on the designs. Howell’s license was expired from Oct. 31, 2007, to Feb. 25, 2009. DORA reprimanded him for the lapse. Kuhn, whom Howell hired in the past week, suggested Neenan is using Howell as a scapegoat. “I think that Mr. Howell has unfairly been the target of all the attention in this case,” Kuhn said. “I think the facts and evidence when it comes to light will exonerate him.” A Neenan representative declined to comment Thursday. Kuhn also said Howell’s case might be bolstered by a recent report that found soils at the Meeker site were classified incorrectly for design purposes. If Howell and others relied on those data to do their work, the responsibility falls to the firm that prepared the incorrect soils report, Kuhn said. Officials with that firm — Terracon Consultants Inc. — could not be reached for comment Thursday. Howell also was the engineer of record on the Sargent Junior-Senior High School in the San Luis Valley,
Neenan Co. representative Bob Meserve, right, listens as consultant John Mechling of CTL Thompson makes a point at a school-board meeting in Meeker in October. Meeker Elementary has been closed. Craig F. Walker, Denver Post file
Harlan Gary Howell Professional engineer EDUCATION: Bachelor of science, architectural engineering, University of Colorado WORK EXPERIENCE: 35 years’ experience. Licensed in Colorado; formerly licensed in Missouri and Oklahoma. Hired by the Neenan Co. of Fort Collins in December 2007 as staff structural engineer. NEENAN SCHOOL PROJECTS: Vanguard High School, Colorado Springs; Sterling High School addition, Sterling; Campbell Elementary School addition, Sterling; Ayers Elementary School addition, Sterling; Brush Elementary School, Brush; Brush Middle School addition, Brush; Weld Central Elementary School, Keenesburg; Fort Morgan High School addition, Fort Morgan;
which a review found needs repairs because a beam supporting the roof in one area cannot withstand snow loads.
Miami-Yoder High School addition, Rush; West Grand Elementary School, Kremmling; Fraser Valley Elementary School addition, Fraser; Granby Elementary School addition, Granby; Meeker Elementary School, Meeker; Sargent Junior-Senior High School, Monte Vista; Alamosa Elementary School K-2 Campus, Alamosa; Alamosa Elementary School 3-5 Campus, Alamosa; Mapleton Early College and Expeditionary School of the Arts, Thornton. QUOTE: “An in-depth knowledge of different structure types combined with a common sense approach gets optimal results.” Sources: 2009 Neenan proposal for school building project; Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
With its rich mix of voters, Colorado’s newly aligned 6th Congressional District is demographically among the most competitive nationwide and, for now, the lone district in the state set to host a primary election as the new year arrives. The recent announcement by physician Perry Haney — who toyed with the idea of running in the state’s 3rd District — that he will join the race has Democrats forced to decide whether he or state Rep. Joe Miklosi will move on to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Coffman in the general election. Both Democratic candidates find themselves competing in a district that since its origin in the 1980s has been a GOP stronghold but is now divided in thirds between Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters. Still, questions remain about how two Democrats should run against each other in a new district where no party has the upper hand. “There won’t be a great deal of policy differences between the primary candidates,” said Rick Ridder, a Democratic political consultant with RBI Strategies & Research. “In this district, with its political diversity, they need to run against the incumbent Coffman as well as the whole incumbent Congress, which receives far from stellar approval ratings.” Haney’s goal is to capitalize on calling himself a political outsider at a time when voters have grown weary of so-called career politicians. “Sending another career politician to Washington, D.C., will produce more of the nothing that’s already going on,” said Haney, taking a jab at both Miklosi, who has served two terms in the state legislature, and Coffman, a former state treasurer and secretary of state who served in both chambers of the Colorado legislature. Events from this week could foreshadow much of the primary. Both Miklosi and Haney hammered Coffman through news releases and social-media posts for his “no” vote on a two-month extension of the federal payroll-tax cut. “I’m going to continue to focus on job growth and highlight Mr. Coffman’s do-nothing record in Congress, and the payroll-tax cut is the latest example of that,” said Miklosi, who at times in a recent interview was hesitant to mention his primary challenger, instead wanting to remain on message about the district’s need for jobs and improving the economy. “Initially, Miklosi struggled
New battleground The newly configured 6th Congressional District is no longer a Republican stronghold — but it still presents challenges for Democrats. 6th Congressional District Map area COLORADO
WELD
ADAMS 25
JEFFERSON
By Kurtis Lee The Denver Post
76
E470
70
DENVER
ARAPAHOE 25
ELBERT
DOUGLAS Representative:
Mike Coffman (R)
2012 challengers:
Joe Miklosi (D) Perry Haney (D)
Voter affiliation: 33% 34% Democrat Republican
32% Unaffiliated
To find your congressional district, check our searchable map at: photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/ projects/new_zones Sources: Denver District Court records; secretary of state The Denver Post
with being the legitimate candidate, and he’s survived that as there’s no substantial Democrats running against him in the primary,” said political analyst Floyd Ciruli. “So now he doesn’t dare give any legitimacy to Haney, who is truly an outsider.” By contrast, Ciruli said Haney, in positioning himself as the outsider, is banking that all incumbents — even two-term state legislators — will fall hard in defeat next year. “Money will be a tremendous factor, as it always is,” Ciruli said. “And if Haney wants to spend his, he can get that visibility on radio and TV and no doubt be competitive in a primary.” From the south Denver suburbs, spanning east, the 6th District now houses all of Aurora, which is among the most racially and socioeconomically diverse cities in Colorado. Even so, Ridder says this is a primary only the most active and politically engaged voters from the district will be engaged in when it arrives in June. “Who comes out victorious will have plenty of time to heal before moving toward the general election against Coffman, a seasoned campaigner,” Ridder said, noting the benefit from a primary is to get out and try different campaign tactics. “You have to win the pennant, then reassess and see what team you have for the World Series.” Kurtis Lee: 303-954-1655, klee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kurtisalee
Eric Gorski: 303-954-1971, egorski@denverpost.com, or twitter.com/egorski
Three Aurora firefighters knocked about by backdraft from blaze in home’s attic The trio, who got out on their own, did not suffer serious injuries. By Joey Bunch The Denver Post
Three Aurora firefighters were knocked off their feet by the backdraft of an attic fire Thursday evening, but all were able to escape the home and avoid serious injury, a spokesman said. The firefighters, who were not identified, were taken to a
hospital as a precaution and were treated and released. A resident who was home at the time was not injured. Fire crews had been on the scene at 1415 S. Biscay Way for a few minutes when the blast of hot air occurred at about 7 p.m. The crew was searching for the source of the fire in the attic. The fire had moved from a fireplace into a flue and the attic, said Fire Capt. Allen Robnett. A backdraft is a current of hot air that moves backward
down a chimney or pipe. “The force knocked them down, but they were able to pull themselves together and get out on their own power,” Robnett said at about 8:30 p.m. “We had them checked out as a precaution, and they’ve since been released.” The cause of the fire was a failure inside the fireplace, but Robnett did not know if the fireplace was wood-burning or gas. Two residents of the home, who were not named, were assisted with housing Thursday
night by the American Red Cross. The 30-year-old, single-story home is on a cul-de-sac south of Buckley Air Force Base and east of South Tower Road. Public records show the current owner is Oscar P. Hernandez. The home was last sold for $175,000 in January 2006.
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Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
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