House arrest, fine for man in Elks Lodge asbestos case
A former Boulder Elks Lodge trustee who faced up to two years in prison for knowingly exposing people to asbestos was sentenced to four months of house arrest and ordered to pay $3,000.
Allen Goldstone, 53, pleaded guilty in March to failing to notify environmental regulators about the asbestos uncovered during renovations to the lodge, which occasionally rents its rooms to the public.
Under a plea agreement, Goldstone faced up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $30,000.
But U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham strayed Friday from the sentencing guidelines of the agreement, chastising the U.S. attorney for “bullying” the defendant and his lawyers by disregarding possible evidence that would help the defendant.
The Boulder resident’s clean criminal record, as well as his history of volunteer work during his 20 years with the Elks Lodge, led Nottingham to reject prison time for Goldstone, calling it “totally inappropriate.”
AURORA
Retired AF general to head public schools
John Barry, a retired Air Force major general, was appointed Friday as superintendent by the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education.
The seven-member board voted 4-1 with two members absent and Edward Lord dissenting.
Barry received a three-year, $200,000 contract and will begin in mid-July.
FORT COLLINS
Former CSU worker convicted of theft
A former Colorado State University worker faces up to 12 years in prison after she was convicted of stealing $17,000 from the University Counseling Center.
Reva Jeannette Miles, 55, was found guilty of felony theft and misdemeanor credit card fraud. Her trial was in Larimer County District Court during the first week of June.
Prosecutors said Miles, a 30-year employee of the university, was responsible for depositing cash and checks from the center. They said she deposited the checks but not the cash.
She was also accused of making about $500 in improper purchases on a university-issued credit card.
Sentencing is set for July 17.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Rainbow Family team scouts sites for event
Routt County is bracing for 20,000 to 60,000 members of the Rainbow Family to converge on a site on national forest land for the group’s week-long annual gathering in July.
An advance party of about 150 people visited the area this weekend to look for a suitable site for the event, often described as a huge gathering of hippies. One member of the advance party, who identified himself as Bodhi, said the group is looking at five potential locations.
“We need a fresh water source, one main meadow that is 100 acres or larger and about 5 to 10 square miles of hippie land,” he told the Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper.
“And we will need another large meadow to accommodate thousands of vehicles,” he said.
Bodhi predicted 60,000 people would attend. Mike Zopf, director of the county health department, said the number would likely be closer to 20,000.
GRAND JUNCTION
Canyon’s ancient art marred by spray paint
Spray-painting vandals damaged ancient Indian rock art at McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, and saving the images could be difficult, officials said.
The blue, white and black graffiti was discovered last weekend and was done between May 30 and June 4, the Bureau of Land Management said. The BLM administers the area, about 10 miles west of Grand Junction on the Utah border.
Desert sandstone quickly absorbs paint, making it difficult to completely remove, officials said. They were awaiting word on what materials might help.
“I guess there are products that are recommended that should be able to remove most of the paint, but not all of it,” BLM spokesman Mel Lloyd said.
ALAMOSA
Adams State College picks new president
Adams State College in Alamosa has hired a new president.
David Svaldi, who has been interim president for about a year, will take over the permanent job, the board of trustees decided Friday.
Svaldi, 57, was named acting president when former president Richard Wueste was placed on administrative leave. Wueste was fired in October.
Svaldi became a communications professor at Adams State in 1986 and had been provost since 2002.
College trustees also approved a 2.5 percent tuition increase for next fall, which is about $25 per semester.
GRAND JUNCTION
Ranch, feds settle suit over wildfire’s start
Nearly three years after fire scorched 5,000 acres of public and private land in northwestern Colorado, the owner of a ranch has agreed to pay the federal government $115,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging the blaze started there.
The agreement between the Colorado Nature Ranch and the federal Bureau of Land Management was reached May 22. The BLM announced the settlement Friday.
BLM investigators said the fire started on the ranch July 8, 2003, about 30 miles northeast of Grand Junction. It spread to 5,292 acres, including BLM land.
In a lawsuit filed by the federal government last summer in U.S. District Court, the government alleged the fire started as ranch workers were burning piles of brush during a severe drought and after Garfield County had imposed a fire ban.
BOULDER
CU mines UNC for communications chief
The University of Colorado has hired the University of Northern Colorado’s vice president for advancement as its new executive director of communications.
Ken McConnellogue, a former newspaper reporter and radio commentator, will guide CU president Hank Brown, regents and chancellors as they improve communication with the state and national media, Brown said.
At UNC, McConnellogue oversees media relations, marketing and Web communications.
He is scheduled to start July 10 with an annual salary of $145,000.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Schools pick new district spokeswoman
Lynn Setzer, a former hospital public relations specialist and TV reporter, has been named executive communications director of Jefferson County Public Schools.
Before Thursday’s announcement, Setzer was with Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver. Before that, she was a reporter and anchor for KMGH-Channel 7 for 15 years.
Setzer will serve as district spokeswoman and will oversee the district’s communications program. Her salary was not announced.
