2020 Year in Review – June

Former Main Cafe

 

Council Passes Resolution for Main Café Historic Designation 

Steps have been taken to have The Main Café in Lamar designated as a historical property by the Lamar City Council.  A resolution was passed to that effect to accept the application which was initiated under the direction of the City of Lamar Historic Preservation Advisory Board.  This will allow the building at 114 South Main Street in Lamar to be categorized as an historic building for the purpose of preservation, renovation, rehabilitation, reuse and nomination to the Colorado and National Registers of Historic Places. The building, which was built in the 1890s has been repurposed numerous times, as a dry-goods store or clothing store in 1900, a printing shop in 1906, a telegraph office and stationery shop in 1919, an attorney’s office was added in 1925 and the Main Café operated from 1939 to 1990.  The city plans to abate the asbestos and other environmental contaminants on both floors, historically rehabilitate the exterior front, roof and back entry, finish out the first floor to be used as a restaurant and construct two apartments on the second floor. Administrator Steve Kil said the Main Café was one of the two top Main Street developments the city wants to see improvements.  The other is developing the Troy Motel into a potential retail site once the South Main Street building has been demolished.

By Russ Baldwin 

 

Governor Hickenlooper,

Hickenlooper Wins Colorado Primary  

Former Colorado Governor, John Hickenlooper, defeated challenger Andrew Romanoff in Tuesday’s statewide primary ballot contest.  The unofficial statewide vote stands at 525,716 for Hickenlooper and 357,311 for Romanoff.    

The primary contest for District 4 in Colorado had only two candidates, one from each political party and neither was challenged.  Incumbent U.S. Representative Ken Buck, a republican will be pitted against democrat Ike McCorkle this fall.   Buck received 99,334 votes to McCorkle’s 68,266.  

The primary for District 64 on the GOP side was uncontested by incumbent Richard Holtorf who took over the vacant position following the passing of Kimmi Lewis.  Holtorf will face off against the lone candidate, democrat Dean Ormiston in November.  Ormiston received 5,563 in regional balloting.  

Incumbent District 35 State Senator, Larry Crowder, did not run for re-election and his seat was filled by republican Cleave Simpson who will go up against democratic challenger Carlos Lopez in November.  Simpson got 14,960 votes to 16,837 for Lopez. 

By Russ Baldwin

 

 

 

 

Lamar Main Street Construction Underway 

Lamar, Colorado – The City of Lamar announced the start of Phase II infrastructure improvements on South Main Street. The Waterline Project will replace the existing 70 year old water distribution system along Main Street/Highway 287. The waterline work will focus between Park and Cedar from June until the end of July. During the week of July 3rd, crews will work under the Fort Bent Canal. Residents will be notified prior to any water outages along with the anticipated duration of each outage.  The second phase of waterline work will begin August 1st and will affect the area from Savage Avenue South to Saddle Club Drive until the end of September. No work is planned at this same time from Cedar South to the Fort Bent Canal.

 

 

Lamar Utility Board Follows Energy Outreach Recommendations 

The Lamar Utility Board met in regular session, observing social distancing recommendations this past Tuesday, June 23rd.  Regarding COVID-19 impact to customer finances and ability to meet power bills, Superintendent Houssin Hourieh noted Governor Polis’s office did not extend the order on banning disconnections of utilities for nonpayment on accounts by impacted customers.  On June 9th, the Board approved extending the payment plan from six to twelve months during COVID-19 utility arrears from March 1st through June 13, 2020. 

New guidance regulations were received from the executive director of Colorado Energy Outreach which allows claims made for home cooling in addition to home heating.  Customers who meet the income criteria will qualify for LEAP funding.  The season will expire at the end of July.  The state has also made other resources available for those who do not meet the LEAP guidelines and the state legislature approved $4.8 million to support non-LEAP low income bill payment with the passage of House Bill 20-1412.

By Russ Baldwin

 

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