2022 Year in Review-January

Here’s a look back at some local events that had an impact on the lives of Prowers County residents.

City Waiting for Ruling on Latest Marijuana Ballot Challenge

Arguments against the validity of the initiating ballot questions pertaining to the sale and taxation of recreational marijuana products were presented before Prowers District Judge, Michael Davidson on Monday, January 10th.  His decision is expected to be issued to both parties by February 1st.

In the court hearing, Wanda Rohlman, Plaintiff, was represented by attorney Darla Scranton Specht with the Defendants, Lamar City Clerk, Linda Williams and the City of Lamar represented by City Attorney, Lance Clark and Nicholas Poppe of the law firm retained by the city, Nathan Dumm and Mayer P.C.

The Plaintiff’s basic position argued that because of an insufficient number of valid signatures on the petitions used to initiate questions (2A and 2B) on the November 2nd, 2021 election, the ordinances 1248 and 1249 passed by the Lamar City Council should be considered invalid, negating the legalization of sales and taxation of marijuana products in Lamar.  Following the 2010 election, members of that Lamar City Council passed a moratorium prohibiting the sale of the product, based on the outcome of that vote, which remains in effect.  Rohlman’s attorney also asked for the court to determine the motivations of current council members when they passed the two ordinances following the 2021 election.  Basically, if the petitions from SOCO Rocks, the initiators of the petitions had never been brought before the council, would the council have issued the ordinances to be placed on the ballot?
By Russ Baldwin

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Cobblestone Groundbreaking

Lamar Moving Forward with Construction Projects

The Lamar City Council agreed to contribute $25,000 to the Cobblestone Hotel project during its January 24th meeting, pending some alterations to the contract agreement.  The owners are paying to have the city’s sewer line re-routed from under the hotel which will be built due south of the Cow Palace Inn on North Main Street.  BriMark Builders and the city have been in negotiations for the construction of the 54-room property for Cobblestone since 2019 and are now moving forward with the project.  The city’s incentive package includes assistance with developing the site for construction, water, sewer and electric lines and building permit for $249,260, minus the $25,000.  The total project is estimated at $5M.  Mayor Kirk Crespin explained the incentive package is based on performance guidelines which the owners of the hotel will have to meet to qualify for the incentives over a period of time.

Another future construction project will be underway on North Main Street as the city council approved a bid for labor and materials to have Southeastern Colorado Builders break down the blue “WHO” building, remove it from its current site, north of Anderson Street and re-erect it at a new site to be used for municipal storage.  The cost of the project is $30,800.  Craig Brooks, City Building Inspector, said Southeastern Colorado Builders will have to meet a specific timeline for taking the building down and moving it to its future location near the town’s two water tanks, but there is a flexible timeline for its reconstruction and the company will receive installment payments when it meets a benchmark in the project.
By Russ Baldwin

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Lamar High School DECA Earns Chapter Honor

Lamar High School DECA in Lamar, Colorado was recently awarded Thrive Level Recognition in the DECA Chapter Campaign for the 2021-2022 school year.  The results were announced on decadirect.org.

Each year, DECA recognizes leading chapters that have built strong local programs focused on serving an exceptional number of members, advisors, alumni and business partners.  These chapters and individuals dedicate outreach activities and other DECA-related endeavors.  The chapter’s advisor and student leaders have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to DECA.

DECA’s promotional champaign provides chamber members an opportunity to share with their school and community what DECA is all about and how their chapter is making a positive impact on its members and community.

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Lamar Savage Mascot

RE-2 Mascot Committee Selected

The Lamar RE-2 School District, Board of Education, recently announced the members of the Lamar High School Logo committee, tasked with deciding on an alternate logo for the school.  This past summer, the state passed Senate Bill 21-116, mandating potentially offensive Native American mascots be eliminated and the Lamar School District is one of several schools that have until June of this year to find a substitute that will comply with the guidelines set up by the Colorado Commission on Indian Affairs.  The school would like to keep the name of the Savages, but change the concept of the mascot which is a representation of an Indian wearing a headdress.

The logo committee is comprised of twenty-two persons.  The make-up consists of alumni, community members, parents, school staff, students and administration members as well as a member of the school board of directors.  The group is receiving advice from a company, Jostens, which manufactures school rings and assists schools throughout the county with branding concepts.

Lanie Meyers-Mireles, School Board President, Chris Wilkinson Board member and Superintendent, Chad Krug, held a Zoom work session with members of the Indian Affairs Commission on Wednesday, January 12th, to provide an update on their creation of a logo committee and to see if they were heading on a course that would be acceptable to the Commission as a whole.  Lamar was one of several Colorado schools making similar presentations, all faced with the possibility of monthly $25,000 fines by the state beginning this June if they have not made a logo/mascot switch by that deadline.
By Russ Baldwin