SPOTLIGHT ON …
5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Location: This district contains El Paso, Fremont, Teller, Lake and Chaffee counties and part of Park County.
Main cities: Colorado Springs, Cañon City and Salida.
Demographics: Population 641,475; 467,367 residents are older than 18, the minimum voting age
Voter registration: The 5th Congressional District has the highest percentage of registered Republicans of any Colorado district – 189,942 Republicans, 89,182 Democrats, 132,606 unaffiliated, 910 Libertarians, 395 Green and 101 other parties.
Political race: Incumbent Republican Joel Hefley is not running for the seat after serving in Congress for 10 terms. A Democrat has never represented the district since it was created in 1972. However, recent polls have shown Democrat Jay Fawcett and Republican Doug Lamborn tied at 37 percent, with 26 percent still undecided. Hefley has not endorsed his party’s candidate.
Sources: Colorado secretary of state; U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 estimates; Colorado Legislative Council
REGIONAL NOTES
PARKER
Dinner theater to aid arts council
The Parker Arts Council’s first fundraising dinner theater will be Nov. 4 at the Mainstreet Center at 19650 E. Mainstreet in downtown Parker.
Johnny Carino’s restaurant will cater dinner at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 8 p.m.
Dinner theater tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger. Tickets must be purchased by Nov. 2.
For more information, visit www.parkeronline.org.
LITTLETON
Family night puts public on stage
The public can perform or watch others read their poetry, deliver monologues, juggle, tell jokes, sing or play music at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Buck Community Recreation Center, 2004 W. Powers Ave.
Those interested in performing before a family audience should call 303-730-4616 or arrive at the recreation center by 6:30 p.m. the night of the show.
Tickets will be available at the door for $3 per person, or $2 for South Suburban Parks and Recreation District residents.
Coffees and desserts will be on sale.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
State grant gives airport a boost
Gov. Bill Owens announced Tuesday that Jefferson County has been awarded a state aviation grant of nearly $195,000 for improvements at the Jefferson County Airport.
The money will be combined with $5.7 million in federal and local dollars to move taxiways and maintain pavement.
“This will allow us to stretch our dollars,” said Commissioner Kevin McCasky, by freeing up the dollars the county would have spent on those projects for use on other projects.
FORT COLLINS
Northern forests get new overseer
Glenn Casamassa has been named the next supervisor of the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland in northern Colorado.
He replaces Jim Bedwell, who moved to Washington, D.C., to become director of recreation for the agency.
“Glenn’s passion for working with natural resources and with people make him a great fit for his new position,” said Rocky Mountain regional forester Rick Cables.
Casamassa began working with the agency in Alaska in 1982, has served in three Utah national forests and since 2003 has worked on the agency’s legislative-affairs staff in Washington.
