by Gena Akers
Gator Gets a New Home
Jay Young, owner of the San Luis Valley’s Colorado Gators Reptile Park, recently drove 2,200 miles in 48 hours to rescue Jaxon, an 8-foot alligator. Wildlife officials found Jaxon in a backyard in Los Angeles, relocating him to a zoo. After retrieving Jaxon, Young visited the alligator’s original owner, who counted the gator as a pet, albeit an illegal one. Since bringing Jaxon to his new home in the San Luis Valley, Young has raised over $12,000 online to construct a new habitat, safe from the younger, more aggressive gators.
New Judge on the Way
Governor Hickenlooper signed a bill on March 20 to add a fourth district court judge for the San Luis Valley. With the law comes $34,000 in funding and the promise of three additional full-time employees. With additional support, the judicial district will better meet state staffing requirements, currently operating at only 72%, the lowest figure among Colorado’s 22 district court systems.
Oral History Project Underway
Lorrie Crawford has begun an oral history of the Japanese-Americans and Japanese immigrants who settled in Costilla County beginning in the 1920s. Costilla County is home to some of Colorado’s oldest permanent settlements. Crawford explains that “being able to record those voices that will never have to be lost is really special.”
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The Pink Elephant Has Fallen
Work crews in Alamosa have successfully demolished four buildings on the corner of State Avenue and 6th Street at the heart of downtown Alamosa, including the Pink Elephant building. The Alamosa Economic Development Corps is looking into redeveloping this section of downtown, which draws over 30,000 tourists per year.
Missing Boy Found at Dunes
Caleb Lund, a 6-year-old boy, was found after having gone missing at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Lund was found south of the park around 7 a.m. and was awake at the time. He was reportedly not wearing shoes when he disappeared around 6:30 p.m. the night before. He has made a full recovery.
Two Honored by Tu Casa
Recipients of the 2015 John and Margaret Biles Guardian Angel Awards were honored during Tu Casa’s recent Mardi Gras Charity Ball. Last year’s recipients, Debbie Sowards-Cerny, Paula Medina and Julie Gomez-Nuanes, presented this year’s awards to David Mize and the General Federation of Women’s Citizenship Club. More than 400 people attended Friday night’s event, contributing over $70,000 to Tu Casa’s work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Standardized Tests Have Meaning at ASU
Adams State University is about to become the first college in Colorado to use results from standardized testing assessments to evaluate high school graduates. These results will be used in conjunction with the ACT and SAT. At the same time, 26 school districts across the state have asked to opt out of the English and math tests.
Shorts
• Adam State University’s Nielsen Library has launched a new seed library, including roughly 360 packets of seed that encompass 100 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
• Several students at Sargent School reported a “small amount of foreign and unidentifiable material” in their soup. Students from kindergarten to sixth grade ingested the soup before weevils were spotted. No illness has been reported.
• In partnership with Tu Casa and county sheriff victim advocates, the San Luis Valley Quilt Guild recently donated more than 200 stuffed animals and 35 quilts to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• A Centennial School District board member, Augustine “Roy” Esquibel, was given a deferred sentence for possession of cocaine after a plea bargain was reached. Esquibel was also given probation for resisting arrest.
