With Veterans Day, always on November 11, falling on a Saturday this year, many government agencies and court systems are observing the holiday on Friday, November 10. Here are the openings and closings you can expect:
Local government offices: Like in the vast majority of states, most government offices of counties, cities, towns and other official entities will be closed on Friday.
Arapahoe County Government offices closed Friday for Veterans Day
Adams County Government offices will be closed Friday in observance of Veterans Day.
Banks: The vast majority of banks, such as the Big Four — JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citibank — will be open on Friday and will be closed on Saturday.
Post offices: Post offices are open Friday but closed Saturday. Mail pickup and delivery are on the same schedule.
Schools: Closings vary district by district. For instance, New York City public schools will be open on Friday while those in the Los Angeles Unified School District will be closed.
Libraries: Local libraries, such as Anythink Bennett and Kelver Library (Arapahoe County Libraries) are open today. However, most public libraries are closed on Saturday and some, such as those in New York City and Los Angeles are closed today.
Markets: Stock, bond and futures markets are open on Friday.
Federal offices: Non-essential federal offices will be closed on Friday. Federal courts also will be closed.
National Parks will be open on Friday and will have free entrance on Saturday and Sunday. Many state parks also will be offering free admission on Veterans Day weekend.
State offices: Most state offices and courts will be closed on Friday. However, in a few states, such as Wisconsin, which does not recognize Veterans Day as a holiday, they will remain open. And in Rhode Island the holiday is observed on Monday.
Retail businesses: Most commercial enterprises will remain open on Friday as well as on Saturday. In fact, the period around Veterans Day has become a time for sales and offers.
Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today issued the following statement in response to the release of the Senate Republican tax plan:
“Senate Republicans are attempting to jam through a tax bill that will affect every American without so much as a hearing. This is a terrible disservice to the people we represent. The rushed product of this closed-door process is likely to be an attempt to lavish tax cuts on the wealthy at the expense of the middle class—leading to higher deficits and deep cuts in Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid. It’s past time for Republicans to put the brakes on this approach and work with us on meaningful and fiscally-responsible tax reform that invests in our families, our kids, and our future.”
Emergency Management – Future Legislation – Market Outlook – And More
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Nov 14
Colorado Livestock Association (CLA) is hosting its annual producer educational symposium in Sterling, CO on November 14, 2017. The Northeast Livestock Symposium will feature a full day of informative speakers covering a multitude of important topics affecting the livestock industry.
The symposium will kick off at 8:30 with a discussion about current water issues by Jim Yahn, North Sterling and Prewitt Reservoirs manager. Following, Jim Robb, Chief Executive Officer of the Livestock Marketing and Information Center (LMIC) will provide a market outlook. The LMIC has provided economic analysis and market projections concerning the livestock industry, since 1955.
Emergency management during disaster situations is a priority to many in the Northeastern part of the state following the destructive grass fire earlier this year. Officials from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Department of Agriculture will discuss emergency protocols and the future collaboration between emergency responders and agriculture producers to aid in effective disaster response.
Colorado State Senator Jerry Sonnenberg will give an outlook on the upcoming legislative session and discuss issues related to rural Coloradoans and livestock agriculture industry. Greg Bloom, CEO of the Colorado Beef Council, will discuss the recent legal activities occurring in other states related to the beef checkoff. Michael Turner, Colorado State Energy Office, will present on the grant programs available for producers to aid them in making their operations more energy efficient. John Crawmer, Safety Consultant, Pinnacol Assurance, will discuss safety leadership and building a safety culture on operations to reduce injuries in the workplace.
CSU Live Performance Stadium Sessions at the Colorado State University campus will feature Dubskin, Porlolo and Stella Luce before the home football game against Boise State on Nov. 11.
DubskinStella Luce
Stadium Sessions is a series of free live performances by top Colorado bands launched this fall as part of the 2017 football season.
On Friday, Nov. 10, during “Football Friday” at the Iris & Michael Smith Alumni Center, Porlolo performs at 4:15 p.m., followed by Stella Luce at 5:15 p.m.
The Other Black and Def Knock are scheduled to play Saturday, Nov. 11, at The MOB, which opens at 4:30 p.m. in the Ramskeller at the Lory Student Center. Def Knock starts at 5:10 p.m. and The Other Black starts at 6:50 p.m. The event will also feature free food, video games, a trivia competition and Ram swag.
At the Iris & Michael Smith Alumni Center, Eli Slocumb & Grace Kuch perform at 6 p.m., followed by Dubskin at 6:30 p.m.
Stadium Sessions, made possible by CSU’s partnerships with The Music District and Bohemian Foundation, is open to the public and features more than 30 bands on three on-campus stages during weekends when the Rams are playing at home.
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) received the prestigious National Land Trust Excellence Award, presented by the Land Trust Alliance during their 2017 national conference which is being held right here in Denver this week.
The Land Trust Alliance, a national conservation organization that works to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America, awards the National Land Trust Excellence Award annually to an accredited land trust that has achieved significant impact on the conservation community. The award recognizes a land trust that has excelled in innovation, collaboration, communication, and initiation of broader support for land conservation.
I am thrilled to accept this honor on behalf of CCALT, our landowners and supporters. Ranching heritage and natural beauty have always defined Colorado. CCALT is privileged to have the opportunity to work with the landowning families that steward Colorado’s productive agricultural lands to conserve what makes Colorado such a unique and special place to live. CCALT’s work benefits all Coloradans in a profoundly positive yet largely unrecognized way. Thank you to the Land Trust Alliance for the recognition of our work and commitment to helping ensure that Colorado will forever be defined by its natural beauty and western heritage. — Erik Glenn, Executive Director
CCALT is the first land trust in Colorado to receive the National Land Trust Excellence Award.
Stacked Lazy Three Ranch Photo credit: DJ Glisson, II
As recognized for this award, CCALT has worked with multiple partners, landowners, and supporters to conserve more than 513,000 acres over the last 22 years. Founded by members of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, CCALT was designed to help Colorado ranchers and farmers conserve their property and transition their operations to the next generation. To date, CCALT has worked with more than 265 ranching families across the state.
Tricia Bader-Binford • Bobbi Brown-Vandenberg • Jenny Coalson, L. D. Elarton • Don Kimble • Brian Richmond • Ken Shaw • Kent Smith • Joe Silva
Aurora, Colo. – The Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame has announced its 29th Hall of Fame class, a nine-member group that depicts the rich history of the Association, along with providing real-life examples of what participation, coaching, leading and advocating for students can do. Each of these people has established themselves as a role model for today’s young people seeking their way to adulthood.
The CHSAA Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 includes three of the state’s top former athletes in Tricia Bader-Binford (Roaring Fork), Jenny Coalson (Ellicott) and Joe Silva (Fruita Monument), along with four coaches in Bobbi Brown-Vandenberg (Boulder), Don Kimble (Limon), Ken Shaw (Regis Jesuit) and Kent Smith (Boulder/Highlands Ranch/Ponderosa). Official Brian Richmond (Fort Collins) and an administrator L. D. Elarton (Lamar) round out the Class of 2017.
Being selected for the CHSAA Hall of Fame speaks volumes about the impact the honorees have made to the high school landscape in Colorado. The CHSAA is humbled to be a part of the ceremonies that elevate and recognize these individuals and teams who excel amongst their peers.” CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green said in making the announcement.
The selection committee struggles with the make-up of the class every year. They debate and advocate knowing that there are so many good people deserving of this recognition. The single most important item to the committee is the impact that each of these inductees, like those that came before them, have had in their respective areas of the state. The 29th class reflects the efforts, passion and love Colorado has for high school activities. — CHSAA Hall of Fame administrator Bert Borgmann
The committee, which is headed by Bob Marken (Buena Vista). Committee members aside from Marken include Kevin Boley (Legend), Larry Brunson (CHSAA Hall of Fame), Michele DeBerry (Boulder Valley Schools), Dick Katte (CHSAA/NFHS Hall of Fame), Jeremy Kerns (Byers), Shelli Miles (Widefield), Mike Miller (Cheyenne Wells), Dan Mohrmann (CHSAANow.com), Carol Sams (Grand Junction), Cherie Toussaint (Pueblo SD 70 Schools) and Kendall Wilson (Poudre).
CHSAA CEREMONIAL INDUCTION
The Class of 2017 will be inducted during a ceremony on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at the Radisson Hotel-Denver Southeast (I‑225 and Parker). Individual tickets may be purchased for $50 each by contacting the CHSAA. The festivities get underway at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited.
The selection of the one student participant to the CHSAA Hall of Fame puts the total number of participants in the hall at 68. There are now 69 coaches/sponsors, 28 administrators, 17 officials and 11 significant service contributors enshrined in the CHSAA Hall of Fame that began in 1989. There are also four teams in the hall. The Hall of Fame now features 197 inductees.
2017 CHSAA Winner Biographies
Tricia Bader Binford
Tricia Bader Binford (Roaring Fork HS) – A three-sport athlete – basketball, volleyball and track – Bader was a five-time state track champion, three-time all-state basketball player and led the Rams to the 1989, 1990 and 1991 state basketball titles. She was a three-time all-state player and the player of the year as a senior. She won the 1991 Rocky Mountain News’ Steinmark Award and RHS has named its “Three-Sport Athlete Award” after her. A former WNBA and Australian professional player, Bader is the head coach at Montana State where she was the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year in 2015-16. As great as she was on the court, she was equally great off it, maintaining great character, and inspiring many young women in rural communities to become involved in sports.
Bobbi Brown Vandenberg
Bobbi Brown-Vandenberg (Boulder HS) – A girls’ coach for 32 years in Colorado and Wisconsin, Brown was the architect of one of the strongest girls’ basketball programs in Colorado. Her BHS teams were 182-28, winning the 1984, 1986, 1989 (undefeated), 1990 and 1991 state titles. Her 1985 and 1992 teams finished second. She also took a leave of absence in the middle of her Boulder tenue to finish her graduate studies. A former CU basketball player, was also an assistant varsity football coach in 1990, coaching wide receivers and defensive backs. She coached at Fairview and Boulder from 1981 until 1992. She was Coach of the Year by The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Boulder Daily Camera five times. She is currently the Viterbo University (La Crosse, WI) women’s basketball coach.
Jenny Coalson
Jenny Coalson (Ellicott HS) – Coalson was a three-sport athlete at Ellicott, leading her team to two state basketball championships and winning four state individual track titles, while placing 10 more times. She won the triple jump as a freshman, the 200 meters and shot put as a junior, along with winning the long jump as a senior. The 2A Basketball Player of the Year twice in basketball, Coalson was all-state in basketball (twice) and volleyball (once). She was selected to the CCGS and CHSCA All-State Teams in both sports as a senior. In addition, she is a Little Britches world champion rodeo performer. She won the 1995 Rocky Mountain News’ Steinmark Award She went on to play and excel in basketball at Kansas State.
LD Elarton
Eldon “L.D.” Elarton (Lamar Schools) – One of the state’s most respected administrators, Elarton’s career as a student participant, teacher, coach and administrator was steeped in Lamar. A native of the community, he played baseball, basketball and football, was student body president and an all-state participant for LHS. After college, he returned home to teach and coach, starting in 1968 and moved up the ranks, serving as teacher, assistant principal, principal, finance director and superintendent. As a coach, Elarton earned Baseball Coach of the Year honors in the Will Rogers League at Widefield High School. Once returning to Lamar, he initiated the Academic Letter Award, host numerous CHSAA Music and Speech events, while the school’s baseball, wrestling and girls’ basketball teams won 10 state titles among them. He was active on the state and national scene through CASE and NASSP.
Donald Kimble
Don Kimble (Limon HS) – A music teacher who established one of the finest music programs, the late Don Kimble taught music for the Badgers for 29 years after one year at Flagler. His bands received 26 first division ratings in state large group festivals, both in performance and sight-reading. The marching band also won state recognition in 1977 for its field performances. Kimble directed four different bands at Limon, the fourth-grade band, fifth-grade beginning band, the Cadet Band (6, 7 & 8 graders) and the Senior High School Band. He taught Music Appreciation and took his pep bands to many out-of-town athletic contests. He was also assigned three choirs to conduct. Kimble was a master at balancing the demands for his students between athletics and his music programs.
Brian Richmond
Brian Richmond (Fort Collins) – One of the state’s top gymnastics coaches and judge, Richmond coached high school for 17 years, but has been a high school judge since 1971. He coached gymnastics at four high schools – Jefferson, Poudre, Fort Collins and Thompson Valley – with the PHS team winning the 1984 title and runners up in 1985. A former CSU gymnast and coach, Richmond became one of the top judges in the state, as well as one the national and international scene. He judged 20 CHSAA boys’ state meets and has been a mainstay with the girls’ state meet, having worked 35 of those. He has judged on the national and international stage. He was inducted in the National Gymnastics Judges Association Hall of Fame in 2011.
Ken Shaw
Ken Shaw (Merino, Yuma, Sterling, Rocky Mountain, Smoky Hill, Regis Jesuit HS) – One of the state’s legendary athletes who became one of Colorado’s top prep basketball coaches, Shaw guided his Merino team to a pair of state tiles, while going undefeated. He was a prolific high school athlete at Merino, and held the career scoring record when his career was over. That mark has since been broken, but Shaw’s name still dots the basketball record book as a player. Additionally, Shaw was a standout football player, and has his name in that sport’s record book. As a coach, his teams have won more than 710 games and he guided Regis to three straight 5A championships. His teams also won titles two other times, at Yuma and Sterling. His teams have a record 29 state tournament appearances.
Joe Silva
Joe Silva (Fruita Monument HS) – A Bronze Star Recipient in Vietnam, Silva was a three-time state wrestling champion for Fruita Monument and compiled a 58-0-2 mark in his career. In 12 state matches, opponents scored just 6 points on him. He also participated in football and baseball. He is a former District 51 Teacher of the Year and taught 29 years at Fruita Middle School. During that time, he, along with 2016 inductee Ray Coca and others broadcast the Western Slope State Championship matches on radio and television. From 1963-65, Fruita enjoyed much success in wrestling, baseball and football. The constant on these teams was Silva. The school won two wrestling team titles and the football team was state runner up twice and baseball once over the period.
Kent Smith
Kent Smith (Boulder, Ponderosa, Aurora Central, Highlands Ranch, La Veta, Alamosa) – Having just retired after 53 years of coaching, Smith is one of the state’s top coaches, regardless of sport. And, he is noted for his integrity and ability to build better people through activities. He has been the head boys’ basketball coach at Boulder and Ponderosa, the head cross country coach at Ponderosa and Highlands Ranch, as well as the head boys’ soccer coach at Aurora Central. Additionally, he served as head girls’ basketball coach at La Veta and Alamosa. His teams have won state titles in basketball (twice at Boulder) and cross country (six times at Highlands Ranch). He runs a dog and horse rescue ranch near Walsenburg.
Additionally, the staff has selected Varsity, a company dedicated to the dynamic, athletic and high-profile sport of spirit to receive the Colorado Tradition Award. The staff has also selected Woodie Smith, a former coach and athletic director at Overland High School to receive the Distinguished Service Award this year.
Tickets are $50 per seat or $500 per table of 10. Please contact Whitney Webermeier () for reservations. Contact the CHSAA office with questions.
“A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
Over the course of 25 years, Colorado State University’s Powerhouse Energy Campus has been transformed from an abandoned municipal power plant into a state-of-the-art research facility with global impact.
The Powerhouse team will celebrate its 25th anniversary and its long history of energy innovation on Nov. 2. The campus and community are invited to an open house, 2-4:30 p.m. at the Powerhouse, 430 N. College Ave., Fort Collins.
The free, public event will include guided tours of the facility, live demonstrations of current energy research, ice cream sundaes, appetizers, beer, and a program highlighting the history of the Powerhouse.
From coal plant to Powerhouse
The transformation of the power plant into a campus began in 1992. Bryan Willson, then a CSU assistant professor of mechanical engineering, toured the City of Fort Collins’ decommissioned coal-fired power plant on the north edge of downtown. Willson looked past the lack of heat, power and bathrooms, and saw the perfect site to build CSU’s Engines and Energy Conversion Lab (EECL). The EECL team worked to renovate the facility while they launched ambitious, large-scale research projects.
Ultimately, they outgrew the original 35,000-square-foot facility, and a 65,000-square-foot addition was completed in 2014, providing more work space for faculty, staff, students and start-up companies.
With the addition, the building’s name was officially changed to the Powerhouse Energy Campus. The new name reflected the broad interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the energy work being done at the re-modeled facility. At the same time, the building officially became the home base for CSU’s Energy Institute, of which Willson is the executive director.
“We’ve grown tremendously over the past two decades,” Willson said. “We’ve gone from a small ragtag team working out of a dilapidated power plant to over 250 people working at the state-of-the-art Powerhouse to help solve the world’s most pressing global energy issues.”
National, international recognition
Today, the Powerhouse Energy Campus is a modern, LEED Platinum building that is one of the largest free-standing energy facilities at any university. It is recognized nationally and internationally for its interdisciplinary approach and its groundbreaking work on engine technology, electric grids, biofuels, energy policy, human behavior, energy access in the developing world, and energy-focused entrepreneurship.
“There is a lot to celebrate, and even more to look forward to,” Willson said of the upcoming celebration. “Powerhouse students, faculty, and company partners implement energy innovations at a global scale and make this a one-of-a-kind energy research facility.”
The first diesel engine, Caterpillar 3508, installed at the CSU Energy Powerhouse — 1998.
Colorado State University generated $338.4 million in research expenditures in Fiscal Year 2017, a boost of nearly 2 percent, which affirms the university’s research prowess in the face of downward trends in national research support. CSU researchers were also issued a record 66 patents in that same timeframe, an indication of the university’s strength in innovation.
CSU’s Alan Rudolph said research is an integral part of the university’s mission.
This marks the 10th consecutive year research expenditures at the university have topped $300 million. The $338.4 million total is up from $332 million over the previous year. Research expenditures include money from federal, private, state and local organizations.
The figures were presented Oct. 6 at the CSU System Board of Governors meeting in Fort Collins.
Alan Rudolph, CSU’s vice president for research, said the numbers highlight the continued impact and performance of research at the university.
“Research is an integral part of our mission,” he said. “CSU is sustaining our position among top-tier universities and we’ve strengthened our position in some areas, based on the excellence of our faculty. We continue to address the unmet challenges of our day, including weather prediction and climate resiliency, translational medicine and infectious diseases, through research conducted by our faculty and students.”
Earlier this year, CSU broke ground for the C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute, which promises medical innovations by harnessing the body’s healing powers to help animals and people suffering from a wide range of diseases. The facility will open in fall 2018.
Expenditures up from federal funding
Federal funding of research at CSU increased by 16 percent, to $247.3 million. On the national level, federal funding of research and development held steady in recent years, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Clouds near the mouth of the Amazon River, an image captured by the CIRA team.
CSU’s Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, which earlier this year was awarded the CO-LABS Governor’s Award for High-Impact Research, had $27.4 million in research expenditures in FY 17. The team works on the nation’s newest weather satellite, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Rudolph acknowledged that research universities face challenges when competing for federal funding.
“Funding for science is experiencing uncertain times and, yet, the importance of science in key issues facing our planet and our nation has never been more important,” he said. “CSU has positioned itself well as an objective source of discovery and translation of science and will continue to contribute objectively to the dialogue.”
Research spending on projects supported by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services totaled $41.4 million, a slight increase from expenditures in the previous fiscal year of $37.3 million. U.S. Department of Defense-related expenditures were $58.8 million, a slight drop from $60.1 million in FY 16.
Expenditures supported by the National Science Foundation totaled $32.3 million in FY 2017.
Tech transfer sets new records
CSU Ventures, the university’s technology transfer office, continues to set new records.
The office negotiated 44 agreements with companies to license CSU technologies. In addition, researchers filed 101 invention disclosures and were issued 66 patents, nearly double the number from the previous fiscal year.
“We used to get a handful of patents issued each year and, with the university’s strong commitment to innovation and research, we now see numbers in the 60s,” said Todd Headley, president of CSU Ventures.
Todd Headley, president of CSU Ventures
Licensing revenue for FY 17 totaled more than $3 million, and CSU Ventures also launched six new startup companies.
Headley said one of the highlights of the year was seeing VetDC, a university startup, receive FDA approval for Tanovea-CA1, a new drug to treat canine lymphoma. Veterinarians with CSU’s Flint Animal Cancer Center serve as key advisers for VetDC and played a key role in designing clinical trials to evaluate the full potential of the drug for canine cancer patients.
“We’re continuing to evolve, and to support the university as best we can,” said Headley. “I’m really encouraged by CSU faculty and industry engagement. We continue to see excellent participation.”
In 2016, CSU was designated an Innovation & Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The designation recognizes public research universities working with public and private sector partners in their states and regions to support economic development through a variety of activities, including innovation and entrepreneurship, technology transfer, talent and workforce development, and community development.
