Prowers Journal Annual Year-in-Review, September 2021

Official Seal City of Lamar

City of Lamar Helps Fund Social Media APP

In an effort to provide community awareness of events, businesses and services, the Lamar City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding and contract for CityByApp.  The city is partnering with various organizations to provide funding for five years for the subscription agreement.  The city’s share will be $5,000 a year for five years.  Prowers Economic Prosperity is funding the same amount Lamar Light and Power is contribution $2,000 for five years, the Lamar Chamber of Commerce is on board for a total of $12,500, PMC for a total of $10,000 and LCC for $5,000.  CityByApp would provide, in part:  GPS Map for places to eat-drink, shop and overnight; City Forms and Records, News/Weather/Live Traffic, Real Estate News, Police and Fire Department websites, job postings and local searches, library and parks and rec websites, chamber website, Neighborhood Watch Group and other offerings.  The app, according to city media director, Martha Alvarez, should take 180 days to set up and become available in early 2022.
By Russ Baldwin

Moving 9/11 Tribute Observed 20th Anniversary

The settings at the Prowers County Fairgrounds were familiar to anyone who had attended past Tri-State 9/11 Tributes; the grandstands, the speakers, the Hall of Honor… but this year’s event held a particular poignant atmosphere given that it was highlighted by a call of national and personal reflection with the measurement of 20 years gone by and in light of the painful loss of Wiley students just several days earlier.

Tom Tudor was the featured speaker at the Tribute.  Tudor served as a sentinel and relief commander at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from February 1969 to Memorial Day of 1970. He is the past President and Board Member of the Society of the Honor Guard – Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  He recapped how Arlington Cemetery took precautionary measures on September 11, 2001, to safeguard the resting place of so many of the nation’s war-dead.  This year’s parade honored 2021 Grand Marshall Wayne Clausen as well as Bryson Schemahorn for 2020 as that event had been cancelled due to pandemic safeguards.  A special observance was noted by the prominent position given to honor those Wiley Panther students, included on the Sheriff’s official vehicle which preceded the majority of the parade.
By Russ Baldwin

Lamar Re-2 School District Cancels Board Elections, Discusses Steps for Meeting with Indian Affairs Commission

The Lamar Re-2 School Board met for a special meeting this past Wednesday, September 1st to approve a resolution to cancel the November school board election by acclimation.  It was a unanimous vote derived in part because the number of applications equally matched the number of board openings, negating the need for a ballot question this November.  For District A, Rod Dunn is leaving and Cody Laughlin will be the district replacement.  In District E, Nancy Winsor is leaving and Jerrod Grice will replace her.  Jake Chamberlain remains at the board for District F and Chris Wilkinson remains for District G.

A zoom and in-person meeting followed with Kathryn Redhorse, Executive Director, Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, regarding the mandated need to alter either the Lamar Savage name or Indian mascot image or both.  Senate Bill 21-116, approved this past summer, calls for a monthly fine of $25,000 for any school district not in compliance with the name/mascot change by May, 2022.

Board members, reflecting the desires of the majority of responding community members, believe their best option would be to maintain the Savage name and create a new mascot that does not refer in any way, to a tribe or member of Indigenous Americans.  The newly created law does allow for a school district to align itself with an Indian tribe which would approve of the district’s curriculum on Indian history.
By Russ Baldwin