Brief by Marcia Darnell
San Luis Valley – July 2007 – Colorado Central Magazine
Centauri
Centauri High School in La Jara was ground zero for controversy. A group of kids apparently decided it would be fun to become openly racist. The teenagers made bigoted comments around school and ran a Confederate flag up the school’s flagpole. Finally, they posted photos of themselves doing the “Seig Heil” salute on the web and threatened violence.
Coming hard on the heels of the Virginia Tech massacre, the threats were taken seriously, at least by the community. Centauri’s response was perceived as tepid. The prom was postponed but the perpetrators weren’t punished.
Parents and community members showed up at a school board meeting to express concern. Because the public invited themselves to the meeting, one parent called it a “grapevine meeting.” Students protested, too. They held a walkout and rallied for safe schools and an end to hate. The administration adopted the “Safe 2 Tell” program, in which students who feel something is wrong can call in anonymously.
Giving Back
ASC alumnus William Porter (class of ’51) made it big. The founder of eTrade, Porter has become a dot-com tycoon. Now some of that success has made it back to his alma mater. Porter and his wife, Joan, gave 250,000 shares of his company’s stock to the Adams State College Foundation. Worth about $5.8 million, the gift will go toward scholarships in science and math. It’s the largest gift in the college’s history.
That Blows!
The D-Day windstorm knocked out trees, branches, power, roofs, and whipped up a brush fire near the Great Sand Dunes. About 160 acres was scorched before the blaze hit the sand and died.<
Brief Briefs
Alamosa was host to the Colorado Wildfire Academy, which plowed an estimated half-million into the community. The academy is slated for Gunnison next year.
Bus service began between San Luis and Alamosa, with stops in Fort Garland and Blanca.
There’s a new chief in town. John Jackson, formerly of Overland Park, Kan., is the new chief of the Alamosa Police Dept.
Water is abundant in the Valley this year. Irrigators are facing no curtailment in use on the Rio Grande Basin.
The SLV Ecosystem Council filed suit to make the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service do an environmental review before allowing Lexam Energy Exploration to drill on the Baca Wildlife Refuge.
The Alamosa County Assessor’s office is dealing with screams of pain this year. The county instituted a new program to evaluate housing worth, resulting in many homeowners’ assessments getting jacked — increasing as much as 40 percent in assessed value. Appeals are under way.
According to a mid-winter count at the refuges, the bald eagle population is declining in the Valley.
A new power line is proposed to import electrical juice from Walsenburg.
Alamosa County is mulling taking over the new San Luis Valley Museum. The museum would be eligible for more grants under such an arrangement.
Maria Mondragon-Valdez was named the Valley’s solar coordinator by the USDA Resource Conservation and Development Council.
The Friends of the San Luis Valley Refuges was named Friends Group of the Year by the National Wildlife Refuge Association in Washington, >D.C.
Dr. Joe Vigil, Adams State College’s legendary track coach, was inducted into the Colorado Running Hall of Fame.
Mary Gallegos got probation and a stayed jail sentence. The former jail administrator was convicted, with her husband, of using public funds and inmate forced labor for their own benefit. Isaac Gallegos is in prison.
Evans Elementary School in Alamosa opened its new playground, built with grants and donations.
Neil Seneff got a mohawk. The principal of Ortega Middle School in Alamosa restyled his hair as a reward to the students for reaching a reading milestone.
Melanie DeHerrera won a Boettcher scholarship. The Antonito high grad plans to go to CSU.
Monica Falk of Trinidad State Junior College — Valley Campus will represent Colorado at the Cisco Networking Academy in Washington, D.C.
Stephen Valdez of La Jara is new to the Adams State Board of Trustees.
