Colorado Confidential - Front Page

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Wendy Norris — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:26:59 GMT

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ACLU Sues Denver Over Jail Manual

Erin Rosa — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:58:06 GMT

The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado has filed a lawsuit against Denver and the city's Sheriff's Department seeking information about how arrestees will be processed during the Democratic National Convention in August.
According to a statement from the ACLU, the organization recently filed an open records request seeking a department procedure manual for Denver's downtown jail, where arrestees are first taken to be processed and fingerprinted before being released or sent to a larger jail located on the edge of Denver County.

The possibility of mass arrests at the convention have raised concerns about where individuals will be detained and for how long.

The ACLU claims that the city has refused to hand over the manual, saying that it would be contrary to the "public interest," prompting the lawsuit to obtain the policy book.

Such responses to open records requests are nothing new for Denver. In April, Colorado Confidential filed an open records request seeking details about what equipment police said they were purchasing for the convention. The Denver Police Department denied the request, maintaining that the information was not in the "public interest."

"The Denver Police Department has a history of over reliance on the 'contrary to the public interest' language," said Mark Silverstein, legal director for the state chapter of the ACLU, in a previous interview, noting that the state ACLU has successfully sued Denver five times regarding the open records response. "It's overused. It's used in situations where it's not legitimate."

In a recent interview with the Denver Sheriff's Department's first female division chief, Marie Kielar, who is managing detention plans for the convention, it was revealed that the department would not be giving out the location where arrestees are expected to be detained during the convention before the event takes place.

"It's just having a great plan in place and really, literally praying that people don't get too crazy and there's no kind of terrorist events," Kielar said about security plans for the convention during the interview.

Kielar has stated that the city is preparing for more than 1,200 arrests.

The ACLU also filed a lawsuit in early May seeking information about parade routes and demonstration zones during the convention.

The Battle for Battle Mountain

Tom Boyd — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:30:00 GMT

The fate of a high-dollar, private ski-and-golf resort adjacent to Vail is now largely in hands of voters.
Tucked away in a narrow valley between Vail and Leadville in Colorado's central Rockies, in the shadows of the mega ski resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek, the small town of Minturn has long been home to people who like being off the beaten path, away from the hubbub, near to nature and yet not too far from Interstate 70, which buzzes past only a few miles away.

That's all changed in recent years, however, as Minturn finds itself in the center of the Vail Valley's largest land development since the creation of Beaver Creek in 1980 - a private ski and golf resort called Battle Mountain. An estimated 200 to 300 of Minturn's 720 registered voters will decide the project's fate in a referendum election Tuesday.

Officials for the faded former railroad town have been at the bargaining table with Florida developer Bobby Ginn for three and a half years, wrangling over the details of a posh, billion-dollar-plus development that would include a private ski area, two gondolas, 1,700 homes and two 18-hole golf courses on a 5,300-acre chunk of prime private real estate cobbled together from old mining claims.

Supporters, including unanimous town council annexation approval in February, several Main Street businesses and citizen leader and former councilman Fred Haslee, say the project will reinvigorate a town that's been bypassed and overlooked by Vail, Vail Resorts and the entire Vail Valley for the past 40 years.

"With the Ginn development, all the things that we've seen in communities surrounding us are suddenly viable for our residents," Haslee said. "Right now there's one basketball court - half court - and a couple of horseshoe pits, some playground equipment ? this developer is going to build new amenities [including a recreation center] and put Minturn on the map."

But detractors say it will forever alter the funky hideaway off the backside of Vail Mountain, where skiers often head out of bounds and ski down to the Saloon, a legendary local hangout, via the Minturn Mile, a classic backcountry ski run. Frank Lorenti, a political greenhorn, has openly called for Ginn to "pack up and head back to Florida."

"If this goes through, I'll make money," said Lorenti, who owns a storefront building in town and circulated the petition that forced a referendum on the project, "but I don't want to lose my small-town way of life."

A portion of the resort, almost all of which would be located above 8,000 feet in elevation, would be built on the rust-colored tailings of an EPA Superfund cleanup site. Another section would be within the boundaries of the condemned and abandoned mining town of Gilman, and another portion would be built in pristine, high-elevation forest about a mile from Vail's Back Bowls.

The Ginn Company, with golf and beach resorts throughout Florida and the southeastern United States, purchased the land for $32.75 million in 2005, and suddenly a town that hadn't seen high-powered negotiations since the decline of mining in the early years of the 20th century was across the table from a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

Town officials warmed to the task and began leveraging hard, asking for a list of improvements including a new recreation center, a new wastewater treatment plant, a scholarship fund, money for the purchase of nearby open space and $3.5 million for wildlife protection - among other benefits totaling nearly $200 million.

In return, Minturn would annex the Gilman property, approve the project's increased density over what Eagle County would allow, and help provide the magical ingredient for any Western development project: water.

Lorenti said Ginn's development will subjugate the town to the Ginn Company's rule, dismantle the town's unique character, decimate prime elk and other wildlife habitat, raise property taxes and choke two-lane Main Street in a cacophony of big trucks for years to come.

Supporters counter it will remove the specter of lead, zinc, gold and silver mining's heavy pollution in the area. According to Minturn town documents, Ginn must have EPA approval to build his golf courses, which are planned for the still-contaminated Bolts Lake area just outside of town.

Lorenti isn't sure Ginn has the power to complete the work that the multi-billion-dollar Superfund cleanup hasn't yet fully accomplished. On the other hand, supporters point out that Ginn once converted Florida's toxic Lake Apopka into the ritzy Bella Collina resort.

The $3.5 million included for wildlife protection is another boon, supporters say, but others argue the money is too little, too late.

Ryan Bidwell, executive director of environmental watchdog group Colorado Wild, said conservationists and the ski and real estate company Vail Resorts missed a critical opportunity early in this decade to buy the land from its previous owner, Turkey Creek, LLC - a pair of Denver lawyers who pieced together the property by snapping up old mining claims in the early 1990s.

"It's unfortunate in a lot of ways that people didn't have the vision to think about conservation of that property when it might have been an easier option," Bidwell said. That option existed during a brief window between 2003 and 2005.

In the 1990s, Vail Resorts had 50-percent development option on the property, and some were concerned that the ski company - which was waging a war of public opinion during its Blue Sky Basin expansion - would build a resort similar to Ginn's, then connect the two via a one-mile ski corridor.

After environmentalist protests over Blue Sky Basin turned ugly in 1998, with the eco-terrorist organization Earth Liberation Front torching several buildings and chairlifts on Vail Mountain, Vail appeared to give up on any plans to develop the Battle Mountain parcel.

When Vail Resorts began publicly discussing a conservation easement on portions of the property, Turkey Creek sued for breach of contract. In 2003, a judge ruled in favor of Turkey Creek, Vail Resorts was out and Turkey Creek started shopping the property around.

Eagle County was engaged in an open-space buying spree at the time, spending millions for the Bair Ranch property at the mouth of Glenwood Canyon and the Eagle River Preserve in Edwards. The money, some contend, could have been used instead to buy the Battle Mountain property rather than smaller parcels down valley.

After the Minturn Town Council unanimously approved annexation on Feb. 27 of this year, Lorenti began gathering signatures to take the issue to a referendum. In a town with roughly 720 voters, Lorenti gathered 89 signatures - enough to put the issue to a critical vote. A "yes" vote would be a huge step toward development, but a "no" vote isn't likely to kill it completely.

"If we vote no, (Ginn) is either going to leave or he's going to renegotiate with us," Lorenti said. If Ginn renegotiates, Lorenti said, the citizens of Minturn could fight for a lower mill levy, water and sewer fees, and "a lot of stuff that could be putting money in the citizen's pockets rather than the town's pockets."

The key to Lorenti's argument is that Ginn won't pack up and head down the road to seek approval from Eagle County, which currently has jurisdiction, or seek annexation into the nearby town of Red Cliff, opening a new cycle of negotiations with either of those entities.

"He's smokin' dope on that one," Haslee countered, adding he thinks Red Cliff or Eagle County would jump at the chance to be a part of a project that could reap millions in property taxes for either entity - and Minturn would once again be left in the cold.

Ginn Company spokesman Cliff Thompson declined to comment until after the May 20 vote, instead referring questions to the citizen-support website at Minturn Citizens for Annexation.

Town councilwoman Shelley Bellm, who voted in favor of annexation, said, "No matter how deep you dig or how shallow you go, you can find a benefit for everyone."

She also pointed out that if Ginn takes his plans to Eagle County or Red Cliff, Minturn would still shoulder the impacts of the development, without any of the benefits.

If voters approve the project May 20, they will have a say in everything from how much traffic comes through the town to how much money is spent rebuilding Minturn's aging infrastructure, Bellm said.

And it surely hasn't escaped notice that, although the ski and golf resort will be private, Minturn residents would be offered discounted membership. But don't expect Lorenti and Haslee to be meeting up for a friendly round of golf anytime soon. Insiders say the project is still many years away from completion.

For more, visit the town of Minturn's detailed outline of the project at Minturn.org. Visit the supporter's website at Minturn Citizens for Annexation and the opposition's website at Minturn Times.

Freelance writer Tom Boyd is a lifelong Vail resident who writes about skiing, outdoor recreation and the environment for a variety of regional and national publications. He also co-owns and contributes to Real Vail.

The history of the Battle Mountain project
? 1992 - Vail Associates, as it was known at the time under the ownership of George Gillett, purchases a 50-percent development option on the Gilman tract between Minturn and Red Cliff southwest of Vail Mountain. The $4.5 million, in part, funds the acquisition efforts of Denver lawyers Michael Page and Jim Aronstein, who are steadily patching together a huge tract of old mining claims.
? 1994 - Vail Associates begins public Snowcat tours into the Blue Sky Basin expansion area (later Blue Sky Basin) in order to garner community support.
? Feb. 22, 1994 - Vail Associates files a formal proposal for an 885-acre, three-chairlift expansion into the Blue Sky Basin area south of the existing Back Bowls on the other side of Two Elk Creek.
? May 30, 1994 - A coalition of environmental groups announces it has enlisted legal help to formally oppose Vail's Blue Sky Basin expansion.
? August, 1995 - Vail Associates for the first time publicly acknowledges its financial interest in the Gilman tract in a series of articles published in local newspapers.
? May, 1998 - Turkey Creek and Vail appear close to an agreement on the future of the Gilman tract when Turkey Creek partner and Denver attorney Jim Aronstein proposed developing the area around Bolts Lake and conveying the upper benches of the parcel to a public trust for at least $12 million. But the ski company balks when Aronstein proposes using the conservation easement as leverage to obtain a ski connection through U.S. Forest Service land, a politically sensitive issue for the ski company.
? Oct. 19, 1998 - Seven arson fires are set on Vail Mountain, destroying the Two Elk Lodge, damaging four chairlifts and causing $12 million in total damage. The radical environmental group Earth Liberation Front claims responsibility in the name of the Canada lynx, a small wildcat believed at one time to live in area. The costliest case of eco-terrorism in U.S. history at the time remained unsolved for years. Only recently were several ELF members convicted of the crime.
? August, 1999 - Vail Resorts officials for the first time publicly acknowledge conservation may be the most appropriate use for the Gilman tract. Eagle Valley Land Trust and U.S. Forest Service officials subsequently reveal they have had discussions with the ski company about preserving the parcel.
? Fall of 1999 - Minturn begins drafting a memorandum of understanding with Vail Resorts, which is ultimately approved by both parties, that gives the town final say over any lift connection between the town and Vail Mountain. The biggest concern cited by town officials at that time is the Union Pacific rail yards, which the ski company is said to be eyeing for development.
? October, 1999 - Vail's board of directors decides to exercise its 50-percent option on the Gilman tract in a bid to maintain some control over the parcel and recoup some of its $4.5 million investment. The ski company confirms its desire to pursue a conservation easement. Turkey Creek refuses the ski company's $5,000 check.
? November, 1999 - Turkey Creek, LLC, sues Vail Resorts in Eagle County District Court for breach of contract for failing to aggressively pursue development of the Gilman Tract. Vail Resorts counter-sues.
? January, 2000 - The Blue Sky Basin ski expansion, formerly Category III, opens to the public.
? Sept. 24, 2003 - District Judge David Lass finds in favor of plaintiff Turkey Creek, LLC, in its lawsuit against Vail Resorts, ruling the ski company breached its 1992 contract with Turkey Creek (a 50-percent option) by "not committing to prompt and diligent development of the property." Lass also states Vail Resorts used the public relations value of preserving the tract as open space in order to gain approval of its Blue Sky Basin expansion. The judge rules Vail must forfeit its development option and its original $4.5 million investment.
? Nov. 21, 2003 - Vail Resorts appeals district court ruling to Colorado Court of Appeals in Denver. The appeals court later upholds the district court ruling.
? Jan. 5, 2005 - The Ginn Company, a golf resort and residential development company based in Florida, purchases 5,300 acres of the Gilman tract for $32.75 million, revealing that it hopes to build an unspecified number of homes on the land, as well as possibly a private ski area and golf course.
? Feb. 1, 2005 - The Minturn Town Council votes against exploring annexation of the Gilman tract as requested by new owner Bobby Ginn, saying the developer had not revealed enough of his plans for the parcel.
? Feb. 15, 2005 - The Minturn Town Council reverses itself and votes to explore annexation of the Gilman tract after developer Bobby Ginn reveals more details of his project.
? Feb. 27, 2008 - After three years of negotiation, the Minturn Town Council unanimously votes to annex the project and proceed with final approval.
? May 20, 2008 - In a referendum, Minturn voters will decide whether to uphold a unanimous Town Council decision to annex Battle Mountain, or reverse their approval, potentially sending the entire project back to the drawing board.

Photos: Gilman, an old company mining town perched on the cliffs above Minturn on U.S. Highway 24, was abandoned in 1984 for reasons never made totally clear. The Celebration, Fla.-based Ginn Company has proposed putting its workforce housing on the site in the latter phases of its private ski and golf resort called Battle Mountain, parts of which are located on an EPA Superfund cleanup site. Photos by Tom Boyd.

Both Dem and GOP Conventions Spark First Amendment Concerns

Erin Rosa — Sun, 18 May 2008 18:49:12 GMT
The Democratic National Convention that is coming to Denver in August has already stirred criticisms pertaining to free-speech rights from activists who plan to demonstrate and hold rallies during the event, and it's no different for the upcoming Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.
As our sister site Minnesota Monitor reports, not even the police are happy about recently disclosed plans for a parade route on the first day of the GOP convention, and activists with the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War are still pursuing a lawsuit that was filed in March seeking specific details about where people will be allowed to assemble during the event:

The Republican National Convention is creating some strange bedfellows. Earlier this week St. Paul Police Federation president Dave Titus described the planned parade route for protesters on the opening day of the convention as "a recipe for disaster."
At a press conference this afternoon to announce that a lawsuit against the City of St. Paul will continue, protest organizers struck a similar tone. "If we try to march that route with 50,000 people, it's going to be a mess," Jess Sundin, founder of the Anti-War Committee and a representative from the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, told reporters.
...
"It is a logistically impossible permit," protest organizer Deb Konechne said at the press conference. "It does not even come close to resembling the permit requested."
...
The group plans to file an appeal with the St. Paul City Council on Monday protesting the parade route. It seems unlikely, however, that the protesters will get much sympathy from the municipal body. Ward 2 city council member Dave Thune, normally a strong ally of the anti-war movement, recently characterized the parade route on the St. Paul Issues Forum as "a great route for demonstrating within sight and sound of the Republican delegates."

Meanwhile, in Denver, activists have yet to discover any information about where they will be permitted to go during the Democratic convention other than the fact that a parade route will be made available sometime during the convention. The situation has prompted a lawsuit against the city and the Secret Service from activists who want more information about the route and assembly spots.

Live from the Colorado Democratic Party Convention - Day Two

Team Report — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:41:44 GMT
More news and observations from the final day of the Colorado Democratic Party Convention.
An estimated 10,000 party faithful are expected to attend the state convention at Colorado Springs' World Arena.
Saturday, 9:05 Goin' to the WA
Bus service from the DoubleTree to the World Arena came in handy. Ran into Sen. Ken Salazar and Rep. Diana DeGette. The parking lot was full by about 7:30 a.m. CD4 delegate confirmed that they ended their convention/assembly at midnight on Friday.
Leslie Robinson
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10:05 a.m. SURPRISE! The convention starts on time!
Leslie Robinson
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10:15 a.m. Gov. Bill Ritter at the podium
"Wind of change is sweeping through this country now. We need to have an energy policy that's meaningful not only to us in Colorado but for to the planet. We need to lead the charge in global warming. Colorado is showing the way. It is about the promise of this country, we will take risks to take on challenges and Democrats will work everyday to get it done.
Leslie Robinson
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10:20 a.m. Anti-war protesters arrested outside the arena
Media reports coming out of the Springs note that Eric Verlo and Peter Froese were arrested this morning for leaving the "Free Speech Zone" outside the World Arena to display an anti-war banner.
Colorado Confidential reported last year on the arrests of Verlo and members of Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission at the Colorado Springs St. Paddy's Day parade -- which resulted in an internal police probe following injuries suffered by those arrested.
Wendy Norris
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10:30 Sen. Ken Salazar is next, in his white hat, jeans and jean jacket.
"We are going to end the Bush-Cheney rule and have a president named Obama or Clinton. Democrats will be united to restore America. We will bring the war in Iraq to an end. Democrats will bring healthcare for all Americans and not for the few."
Leslie Robinson
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10:40 Rep. Diana DeGette stirs up the convention
Ready to turn Colorado completely blue? I've spoken before the Democratic National Convention and this looks so much more awesome. We are unified and committed to winning in November. We are going to mop the floor with John McCain. Why is this election the most important in our lifetime? It's the time for quality healthcare for all. It's about time to protect the environment for us and our children. And it's time to pass my step cell legislation. We need to end the unjust war, not in 100 years, but next year. Notice that the Democrats took the last three special congressional district elections." ("Yes, we can" reverberates through the crowd.)
Leslie Robinson
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10:59 a.m. Rep. John Salazar, also in a white hat
"We're going to have a Democrat in the White House. It is only us and only you who can defeat ourselves. Until we know who the presidential nominee is, the important thing would be for all of us to work together."
Leslie Robinson
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11:05: Rep. Ed Perlmutter jumps on stage to the theme of Rocky.
"Change began in the 2006 and must continue in 2008. We passed a minimum wage law and we made a college education more affordable. Our work is not complete. We can't afford another term [like that of] George Bush. No more eavesdropping, which is against the Constitution. This is hard work to change the direction of the country. Every single day must be about changing. Each one of you knows we have huge challenges in front of us. Who's ready to start? Who's ready to change the White House? (Everyone jumps out of his or her chair and cheers.) After this primary season is finished, we have to come together. Change begins here in Colorado Springs.
(A side note: Every time there is mention of the U.S. getting out of the Iraq War, the audience cheers.)
Leslie Robinson
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11:15 a.m.: The nomination of Rep. Mark Udall as the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate begins
Wilma and Wellington Webb lead off a dozen or so people who nominate and second the nomination. Lights are dimmed to play a video about Udall, who, surrounded by supporters slowly weaves his way through the crowd to the stage with the spotlight on him -- is that supposed to be symbolic of a "light in the darkness?"
Udall talks about breaking our addiction to foreign oil. "There's good news, there's answers and Colorado is leading the way. I helped make Colorado one of the leaders of renewable energy. We can't deal with another year of an energy policy written by the oil companies." He also talks about helping families by improving the economy and the failed Bush Administration's foreign policy. "I opposed the Iraq War from the start" gets a standing ovation. However, there are still some anti-war shouts from the crowd during his speech. "We are still Democrats in this room ... as far as I know. We are all in this together, Democrats, independents and Republicans, too."
Udall gets the nomination by acclamation. Ritter finishes by saying, "Let's go win this."
Leslie Robinson
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12:15 p.m.: The CD2 candidates are invited to take the stage.
Jared Polis gives a short speech. Joan Fitz-Gerald didn't come; she's walking her district, the audience is told. The third Democrat in the race, Will Shafroth, is petitioning on the ballot.
Leslie Robinson
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12:25 p.m.: Terry McAuliffe, Clinton's campaign manager, stirs up the crowd
He starts off talking more about Democrats winning in November than he does about Clinton. "It's great to be in a Blue State and it's going to be one unified party of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama." When he claims that out of 35 million people who have voted in the primary, Clinton has more popular vote than Obama, his comments set off a shouting match between the two camps. "Hillary, Hillary, Hillary" is drowned out by "Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama." It takes about three minutes for the delegation to quiet down.
"Until we get to the end of the primaries, let's have a healthy debate," he continues. "Then we will move on to John McCain in the fall. George Bush has created a civil war in the Middle East." The crowd boos. "This is our year," McAuliffe continues, "And the Democrats will run the country again."
Leslie Robinson
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1 p.m. The Platform
They saved the strongest position for last: Censure and Impeachment. No person is above the law. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have abused their power. They should be investigated, censured and, if appropriate, impeached.
The crowd goes wild.
Other platform positions adopted underscore commitment to a strong economy and jobs creation; campaign, election and media reform; and reproductive choice. Also top platform positions:
-- Supporting the "immediate, safe and responsible withdrawal" of U.S. troops from Iraq.
-- Denouncing the use of torture
-- Strong public education.
-- Energy - Colorado should be a national leader in sustainable energy development
-- Science and technology - "We believe in the power of the human mind" - and not politicizing scientific studies.
Cara DeGette
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1:10 p.m.: Democratic State Senate and Representatives - show and tell
Senate President Peter Groff introduces current members of the state senate and also the 2008 candidates. "We don't stop at president or congressional candidates on the ballot, vote for all Democrats on the ticket."
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff recognizes the Democratic representatives - and the candidates they are running for open and currently GOP-occupied seats. Introducing Anna Lord, who is challenging Republican Rep. Bob Gardner in Colorado Springs this year, Romanoff says of El Paso County, "We're slowly turning it from a deep and ugly red to a bright and beautiful blue." (Currently, two Democrats hold legislative seats from this Republican stronghold, more than in anyone's memory)
Rep. Bernie Buescher from Mesa County steps up to the microphone and asks the state convention delegation to give their thanks to the term-limited Romanoff, who gets a standing ovation.
Leslie Robinson and Cara DeGette
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1:30 p.m. - Betsy Markey, Hank Eng and Hal Bidlack come on up
"I'm Betsy Markey and I'm working very hard to retire Marilyn Musgrave," says Markey, running for the 4th Congressional District. The cheers are very loud.
Eng, running in the 5th CD to replace Republican, talks for a really long time about restoring America's dream.
"This administration has ? taught this nation how to fear. We're going to take this country back to the nation we all believe in."
Eng, whose parents were Chinese immigrants, also spoke of the handful of Republicans vying to replace Tancredo. "They want to carry on the legacy of Tom Tancredo, " Eng says. "Boooooo!" yells the crowd.
Hal Bidlack is running against whoever wins the Republican primary in the 5th CD - and whether the candidate is incumbent Rep. Doug Lamborn, Jeff Crank or Bentley Rayburn, Bidlack says, "We can do better, we must do better."
"This race is not about the left or the right; it's about moving forward," he says. And of Lamborn, who the Democrat calls being in "lockstep with the White House," Bidlack says "He's not a bad man, he just needs to find a different line of work."
Bidlack sets some kind of record - he sticks to his four minutes of floor time.
Cara DeGette
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2:20 Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano stumps for Obama
"I'm proud to be here for the Obama campaign and proud to nominate him for president of the United States," Napolitano begins. "Why did I make this decision to support Obama? I was looking for a new president of this new century."
"Obama, Obama, Obama" chants the audience for a couple of minutes.
"Welcome to the Obama team," Napolitano continues. "I can tell already there are a lot of people who already made up their mind." More cheering and whistling. "I have this message: we are not done yet. We need to reach out to other Democrats for the next president, Barack Obama." Clinton supporters start booing, but then Napolitano mentions Sen. John McCain and the boos blend into the whole delegation.
"Don't underestimate McCain -- we're going to be more tireless than he is and when we reach beyond this hall to other Coloradans, we have an important message to send fellow Americans - we can do better."
"Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can," the audience chants, echoing the continuing refrain of the day.
"Do you want a third term of the same? Do you want a McBush? We are all Democrats and this is our time to make our mark. Americans can do better and it's time to make Barack Obama our next president," Napolitano says. She gets a standing ovation as she leaves the stage and an Obama cardboard figure gets walked up and down the aisles in a flurry of Obama signs.
Leslie Robinson
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2:35 p.m.: A moment for Ted Kennedy
CDP Chair Pat Waak takes the stage to announce that U.S. Senator Kennedy is in the hospital for tests after suffering a seizure. "Let us send our good thoughts and prayers to him."
Leslie Robinson
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3:10 p.m.: Stump speeches over; now to the business of voting
The state delegates are now going to make their selection for presidential preference. Voting will commence for the selection of Democratic National committee people and for the at-large and party leader national convention delegates, too. We will sign off now and give you the results when the state party makes them available.
Were you at the state Democratic convention? Add your comments on the event.
Leslie Robinson and Cara DeGette

Live from the Colorado Democratic Party Convention

Team Report — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:11:08 GMT
Your intrepid Colorado Confidential staff are Colorado Springs for the Colorado Democratic Party Convention. An estimated 10,000 party faithful are expected to attend the state convention today and tomorrow at Colorado Springs' World Arena.
Get the latest updates on news, photos and gossip below the fold.
Friday, 12:15 p.m.: Presidential speakers lined up
Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Sugar confirmed that Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will be speaking in behalf of presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe will be representing his candidate at the convention on Saturday at the World Arena, time TBA. The presidential preference poll will be taken after the guest speakers have made their presentations.
Leslie Robinson
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1:30 p.m.: Trouble's brewing from Western Slope delegations
Out of the congressional district national delegate races completed so far, including CD1, CD2, CD6 and CD7, no delegates have been selected from rural towns. Delegate addresses range from Boulder, Denver, Littleton, Lakewood and Aurora.
One state delegate for Obama, Kim Doyle-Wille from Eagle County, is taking steps that rural Colorado is represented on some of the 55 national delegate seats. (Of the 70 national delegate seats from Colorado, three out of 15 superdelegates are from rural areas: Dem Party vice chair Dan Slater from Canon City; DNC member Debbie Marquez from Edwards; and Rep. John Salazar from Manassas.) Doyle-Wille has formed an ad-hoc committee called "COMOCO" for Coalition of Mountain Counties united for fair representation of Colorado.
Doyle-Wille sent this email out to 39 mountain and rural counties on the Western Slope with the intent to "unify delegations to obtain fair representation" from CD3 and CD4 on the national delegation slate:

The results of the CD1, CD2, CD6 & CD7 delegate selections for the Democratic National Convention bring to light an important issue of representation for rural Colorado Mountain Communities.
It would appear that rural communities are being annihilated by the demographics of the political 'machines' of the large counties and cities of the Front Range. Thus far NOT ONE rural or mountain county has seated a delegate for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
This is what needs to occur on behalf of the COMOCO delegates: slate (Western Slope national delegate candidates) by State Convention time and also at the upcoming CD3 and CD5 Conventions or there WILL be repeats of the outcomes seen in the CD results to date.
For this reason, we are working hard to unite as a force through the Coalition of Mountain Counties, 'COMOCO', to show our strength, passion and hard work that has been done, at the upcoming State Convention in Colorado Springs. We believe that the metropolitan concerns, in their zeal to compete against other large counties within their CD's have unintentionally disenfranchised the 'backbone' of Colorado
Doyle-Wille is planning a COMOCO meeting when she arrives in the Springs this afternoon, time TBA. More info will be reported when available.
Leslie Robinson
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2:35 p.m.: Well, so much for the convenience of early registration
Over 600 people have lined up in the DoubleTree lobby and into the hallways as they wait to sign up for early registration. In the background over the loudspeaker, hotel management warns people to move their cars from the shopping center parking lot across from the hotel. The problem is there is no where else to park.

Leslie Robinson
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2:40 p.m.: Obama and Clinton supporters dot the registration line
Cyndy Kulp (left) and Patricia Gooden (right), Democrats from Colorado Springs tip their hats for Obama.
Leslie Robinson
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2:55 p.m. Chuck Bader from the AFL-CIO is no doubt a Clinton fan
Leslie Robinson
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6 p.m.: They're pretty sure she's gonna blow
The Pikes Peak/Mount McKinley jokes are flying - including among Democratic spokespeople Matt Sugar and Lauren Rose.

"It's beautiful to be back in the shadow of Mount McKinley," Sugar says with a broad smile, a not-subtle swipe at the Bob Schaffer for US Senate TV ad that was pulled this week, in which the Republican brags that he proposed to his wife on the top of Pikes Peak, with a photo of Alaska's Mount McKinley in the background. Pikes Peak of course, provides a dramatic backdrop to the City of Colorado Springs.
As a matter of fact, Sugar notes, the press should have a pretty good view during the convention tomorrow.

"I think from the press room [at the convention hall] you can see Mount McKinley," Sugar says.
There are plenty of Hillary signs, and a smattering of Obama signs, planted in the medium on the way into the convention hotel, the Doubletree. But no sign, at least today, of any protesters -- particularly those of the elephant persuasion who may not be too happy about the flood of donkeys streaming into this Republican stronghold.
So where, exactly is the free speech zone going to be set up for any protesters? Sugar and Rose aren't exactly sure that there will be one, but they're happy to venture a guess:

"That would be at the base of Mount McKinley," Rose says.
Cara DeGette
------

6:30 p.m.: Delays, delays
Although CD5 convention and assembly was supposed to start at 4 p.m., the meeting hasn't officially begun because the alternates have not been seated. The problem? Long registration lines from the afternoon and now the registrars can't find the alternate list. So all the county chairs in CD5 have to go back to the registration tables to help with the alternate check-in. People groan. Outside, CD3 delegates wait. And groan. Their meeting was slated for 6 p.m., but now it has been rescheduled for 8 p.m. shoving the CD4 meeting to at least 10 p.m. or later. More groans.
In the background, announcements that anyone parking in the Target parking lot across from the hotel will find their car towed. Some CD5 delegates start for the door. Another announcement: "Come back! Come back! Target won't tow!" (Good PR move on Target's part.) Cheers and applause erupt.
In the meanwhile, Democratic VIP's work the halls. Wellington and Wilma Webb; Rep. John Salazar; and CD4 congressional candidate, Betsy Markey.
Leslie Robinson

7:12 p.m. CD4 is still rounding up alternates; CD3 goes to Plan B
The lobby of the Doubletree Hotel is filling up fast. Delegates from CD3 (Western Slope) are told to wait there until another meeting room is arranged. It's really getting hot and noisy. Paul Brown from Mesa County says, "This can't be good," as he looks at the growing crowd. Another delegate asks, "Is anyone in charge?" In the meantime, national delegate candidates work the group and their volunteers hold up signs.
"I thought our caucuses were unorganized. This makes us look good," Delta County Democratic Party chair Eric Jessen comments, looking at the crowd. He said he wasn't a delegate because he wanted new people to come and "experience the chaos."
Rep. John Salazar takes control of the hundreds of CD3 delegates jammed into the lobby. "We're moving this to the outside!" Everyone cheers and heads to the door.
Outside, Salazar is nominated by acclamation during the assembly portion of the meeting. For the national delegate selection, everyone has to stream back inside to the ballroom. The CD5 meeting is finally finished, but no one will know the results of the national delegate election until tomorrow.
Leslie Robinson

9:15 p.m.: It's not over yet
Obama (cutout) and Robert Michael from Ft. Collins share a moment in the hotel hallway as CD4 delegates wait for CD3 to finish their meeting. It could be a long wait since someone in the hotel lobby with a bullhorn is asking for Obama alternates for CD3. Some Clinton delegates and alternates were a no-show to the CD3 convention, so Obama alternates can be seated in their place. There is another glitch in CD3 - none of the Mesa County delegates have been given the proper credentials, so hundreds of CD3 delegates have to wait for Mesa County to be checked-in.
Rep. John Salazar takes the microphone to kill some time and to thank the delegation for their support. "The Third is the most beautiful district in the nation and I plan on keeping it that way," he tells the CD3 convention delegation. "I'm going to fight oil and gas to make sure the Roan Plateau remains pristine!" That line brings down the house in applause. "I'm going to fight for farmers and ranchers even if I have to take on the U.S. Army personally!" More roars come from the audience.
Back in the lobby, CD4 delegates hang out, waiting their turn in the ballroom for their convention. Maybe they'll get done by midnight tonight.
Jack Real, a volunteer from Garfield County, notes that some people today had to wait in line for more than three hours to be registered. "They were told there weren't enough computers to handle the crowd. Didn't the party know anyone was coming?" he asks sarcastically.
All of a sudden, there are drums beating and thumping. A drum corps from the Sienna High School is performing. They are entertaining, but one wonders who came up with the idea to play drums at 9:30 at night. "We were invited to come," a student says, but he didn't explain if the invite came from the Democrats or the Republicans.
However, after nine hours of intense confusion, drums are just what tired Democrats needed -- for an excuse to go to the bar.
Leslie Robinson
Tune in tomorrow for Colorado Confidential's continuing live coverage from the bowl (or is it bowels) of the World Arena for the Colorado Democratic Party convention.

So Far, Delegates with Disabilities Under-represented on State Slate

Leslie Robinson — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:01:13 GMT
With 37 national delegates seats out of 70 already filled for the Colorado Democratic Party, only one delegate with disabilities has been selected. As of Friday morning, there are 33 delegates and five alternate seats still to be determined at the state convention at the World Arena in Colorado Springs this weekend. The question among some of party disability activities is: will the party meet its goal of diversity?
In the Colorado Democratic Party (CDP) delegate selection plan, one of the main goals was to have a diversified delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Denver Aug. 25-28. Out of the 70 national delegate and nine alternate slots assigned, the party is seeking to include four delegates with disabilities. Joe Beaver, the chair of the Democrats with Disabilities Initiative, is concerned the party won't meet its goal.
Beaver himself was fortunate last weekend; he was chosen to be a national delegate for Sen. Barack Obama from Congressional District 7. So far, he is the only disabled delegate to represent the Colorado Democrats.
"I came to the CD7 convention a couple of hours early to prepare," Beaver said, "I had flyers made and put a poster on the back of my wheel chair promoting my candidacy as a national delegate." Beaver said his most effective campaign ploy was to drive up and down the aisles. "It was hard to miss me."
Now, he wants to help other national delegate hopefuls with disabilities get selected out of the CD3, CD4 and CD5 conventions Friday night and out of the at-large and party leader groups on Saturday.
"I let CDP Chair Pat Waak know that we have only one out of four national delegate seats filled for persons with disabilities. So far, the party has gone out of its way to accommodate the state delegates with special needs," Beaver explained.
Nick Isenberg, who has hearing and vision difficulties, is an Obama state delegate from Glenwood Springs and he hopes to get one of the five national delegate seats out of CD3 convention Friday night at the DoubleTree Hotel in Colorado Springs. He has prepared for his campaign, too.
"I sent emails to all of the county chairs in the CD3, asking them to vote for me and to mention my name in their delegation. Volunteers will carry my posters and I'll have 300 name tags that say, 'Stick with Nick' to distribute," Isenberg said.
He is also bringing special equipment to amplify his hearing capabilities and has reserved special wireless earphones made available by the party.
Beaver said he is going to help Isenberg campaign so at least one more national delegate with disabilities is chosen to go to Denver. "I think he has a good chance."
Isenberg agrees. "I think my chances will be about 30 to one - much better than other CDs. If I'm not selected, I've signed up to be a volunteer at the national convention. One way or the other, I will be there in Denver."
For other stories about the Democratic national delegate selection process:
Colorado Delegate Hopefuls Face Fierce Competition for Convention Seats
Campaigning Key to Delegate Hopefuls
Hopeful DNC Delegate Prepares for State Contest
National Delegate Tackles Second Challenge: The County Convention
Photo: Nick Isenberg needs special equipment to supplement his hearing.

House Passes Bills to Address Subprime Loan Crisis

J.C. O'Connell — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:22:15 GMT
One in 33 homeowners will face foreclosure in the next two years because of subprime loans made in 2005 and 2006, according to a study released in April by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
And the news gets worse: In Colorado, one in 25 homeowners will find themselves in forclosure during the same time period, according to the study.
U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Golden, is pushing for two bills addressing the foreclosure crisis: the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008, and the Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008, which were passed by the House last week.
"I've heard from so many constituents impacted by foreclosures, declining home values and tough economic times," Perlmutter said in a statement. "This legislation strikes a balance between free enterprise and regulation, which is what needs to happen for our system to work."
Almost 50,000 Colorado homeowners will face foreclosure over the next two years, according to Leslie Oliver, Perlmutter's spokeswoman. The areas of the state with the highest rates of foreclosure currently are Adams and Arapahoe counties, she added.
Also, according to the Pew study, 51 percent of homeowners will be affected, with an average $4,251 loss of property value; $3.2 billion is projected to be lost in state and local tax revenue.
The American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 would provide mortgage refinancing assistance for borrowers willing to take a loss and share any future profits from the resale of their home with the government. The Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008, which provides $15 billion in loans and grants to local communities to rehabilitate foreclosed properties, is an attempt to offset the negative effects a foreclosure can have on an entire neighborhood. The two acts must still make their way through the Senate and be signed by the president to become law.

Vail Council Takes Heat for Publicly Castigating Teen Vandals

David O. Williams — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:00:00 GMT
The Vail Town Council assumed an unusual role last week, setting aside land-use applications and housing regulations to interrogate a pair of teenage boys who were caught spray-painting graffiti and obscene images on a sidewalk in front of the town's Donovan Pavilion.
According to a story in the Vail Daily, Blaze Heuga and Max Ward were the only two teens police were able to identify in a group that spray-painted a depiction of genitals and obscenities aimed at Battle Mountain High School and its administrators the night before the April 5 prom.
Last week, the two Battle Mountain juniors spoke at the regular evening town council meeting, apologizing for their actions and delivering a check for $485 of their own money to pay for the damages. They were also suspended from school for three days.
Heuga, 17, is the son of Jimmie Heuga, who along with Billy Kidd was one of the first Americans to win an Olympic ski-racing medal in 1964 at Innsbruck, Austria. Heuga launched the nonprofit Heuga Center Edwards in 1984 after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1970.
Blaze Heuga, of Edwards, reportedly smiled at times during his public comeuppance before being told by councilman Farrow Hitt there's "nothing funny about it. Thanks for nothing and coming in here and screwing our town up."
Mayor Dick Cleveland, an investigator with the district attorney's office, repeatedly demanded the two give up their co-conspirators, which the boys steadfastly refused to do.
"The truly embarrassing finale was the insistence by the mayor that they divulge the names of their accomplices," Vail Daily columnist Kaye Ferry wrote Wednesday. "And it wasn't a request; it was a severe example of the belligerent schoolyard bully. Now, no one thinks [the boys] should have done what they did. But at the end of the night, you really had to question if there were any adults in the [Vail town hall] building."
Cleveland didn't return a phone call requesting comment Wednesday, and I'm hoping it's because he now regrets the entire incident and just wants it to fade away - something relentless posters and letter writers to the Vail Daily have been unwilling to let happen for the last week.
Comments have ranged from a smattering of huzzahs for the council taking on these teen ne'er-do-wells to those wondering just what town council members were thinking by conducting the public inquisition for such a relatively minor offense. The prevailing public opinion appears to be that the entire incident was best handled by the police and school officials.
Personally, I can't imagine how I would have reacted had the Denver City Council publicly vilified me for spray-painting Manual High School as a senior prank in 1983 (I think the statute of limitations has expired on that one, Asst. Principal Applewhite, but I do apologize).
But I really doubt the threat of such government intervention would have stopped me and my friends. The Pink Floyd reference on the front steps, "Welcome to the machine," was just too inspired.

Denver Principal Among Obama's Top Education Advisers

David O. Williams — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:37:10 GMT
Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama has tapped a Colorado educator as one of his top advisers on education issues.
Michael Johnston, principal of the Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts in Denver and a co-founder of New Leaders for New Schools, was named by U.S. News & World Report as one of Obama's top three education advisers.
Johnston grew up in Vail, the son of hotel owner and former Mayor Paul Johnston, and graduated from the private Vail Mountain School in 1993. After earning his undergraduate degree at Yale in '97, Johnston taught at a poor rural high school in Greenville, Miss., where he dealt with enormous, unruly classes plagued by poverty and debilitating social issues.
His book on the experience, "In the Deep Heart's Core," earned national acclaim and gave Johnston firsthand knowledge of the litany of problems facing public schools in America. After going on to earn a master's degree in education from Harvard and a law degree from Yale, Johnston helped launch New Leaders for New Schools, which recruits and trains urban school leaders.
In an article on the Yale Law School's Web site, Johnston talked about the relationship between law and education.
"There are actually these concentric circles of rule-making," Johnston said. "The rules the school makes that bind the students, and the rules that the principal makes that bind the teachers, and the rules the state makes that bind the principals and the school districts.
"It was as I started to work my way out through those concentric circles that I got more interested in law, because that was when I realized that law is the last circle. Law sets the boundaries inside which all these events take place."
In the May 8 U.S. News article Whom the Candidates Listen to on Education, Johnston is listed along with Linda Darling-Hammond, founder of the School Redesign Network, and Christopher Edley, the law school dean at the University of California-Berkeley, who was on a commission that issued recommendations for reforming the No Child Left Behind law.
In his blog on the Web site Real Vail.com Johnston's Vail Mountain School classmate Tom Boyd wrote that Johnston joined the Obama campaign a year ago, when the Illinois senator was still a long shot for the Democratic nomination.
"This candidate's 'long-shot' status, I gathered, allowed Johnston and other education gurus the opportunity to think big, think freely, and avoid the snares placed by the 'usual suspects' of education policy," Boyd wrote Monday.
Johnston could not be reached for comment.