Steamboat Today, Sept. 24, 2009

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S T E A M B O AT

TODAY

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2009

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

FREE

®

Vol. 21, No. 229

RO U T T

C O U N T Y ’ S

DA I LY

N E W S PA P E R

S T E A M B O AT S P R I N G S

Play areas dedicated Strawberry Park, Soda Creek elementary schools get new playgrounds Page 2

S T E A M B O AT S P R I N G S

Candidates speak out First Impressions forum focuses on early childhood care and education Page 3

SPORTS

MATT STENSLAND/STAFF

Colorado Department of Transportation maintenance worker Dan O’Connor, of Steamboat Springs, sweeps the curb along U.S. Highway 40 just west of 13th Street during a ditch maintenance project. CDOT workers locally are among those who will be affected by statewide budget shortfalls.

State woes hit home

Local agencies brace for additional revenue shortfalls Brandon Gee

PILOT & TODAY STAFF

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

Rockies fall, 6-3 Page 20

■ LOTTO

■ INDEX Briefs . . . . . . . . .10 Classifieds . . . . .26 Comics . . . . . . . .24 Crossword . . . . .25 Happenings . . . . .7 Horoscope . . . . .24

Projected state budget shortfalls may mean less mental health services for the needy and a shortage of grant funding, but don’t expect any reductions in snowplows or patrollers on state highways. Routt County has been spared from some of the state’s largest and most conspicuous budget

Mountain News .16 Nation. . . . . . . . .19 Scoreboard. . . . .23 Sports. . . . . . . . .20 ViewPoints . . . . . .8 Weather . . . . . . .35

Wednesday night’s Powerball numbers: 7-8-20-25-29 11 Lotto numbers: 5-7-10-15-12-29 Cash 5 numbers: 1-5-21-29-32

maneuvers because it isn’t home to any major state nursing units, mental hospitals, universities or prisons. But local officials said Wednesday that they won’t completely avoid sharing in the pain, especially as state revenue forecasts continue to show shortfalls. On Monday, the nonpartisan Colorado Legislative Council released its September revenue forecast, which showed a $560.7 million shortfall in the state’s 2009-10 budget. The shortfall

■ WEATHER

Sunny with clouds. High of 57.

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is $240.7 million higher than a $320 million shortfall previously forecast and addressed by Gov. Bill Ritter. The state is facing a combined $1.3 billion shortage this fiscal year and next. It is not clear how the state will attend to the additional deficits announced Monday, but local agencies are bracing for hits. The city of Steamboat Springs and Routt County may abandon plans for a firearms training facility if scheduled grant awards continue to be canceled.

“If there is no grant round, then that project is really not going to go anywhere,” city grant writer Winnie DelliQuadri said. Some local employees of the Division of Wildlife, Routt County’s state parks, Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol already are participating in four statewide furlough days and preparing for more. “There is an anticipation See Budget, page 15

■ THERE’S MORE ONLINE For around-the-clock updates, breaking local news and sports scores, videos, photos and an interactive community forum, visit www.steamboatpilot.com.


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