Given the multicolored wattage put out by the Denver City and County Building, you may not have noticed the more modest holiday lighting on the state Capitol across the way.
But if you have, you may have wondered when purple became a holiday color.
In recent years, there was no holiday lighting on the Capitol, due in part to the state budget crunch. But this year, Capitol officials decided to spend a few pennies to brighten up the building with wreaths below some windows, garlands around columns and lights on the gold dome.
Gov. Bill Owens‘ spokesman, Dan Hopkins, said that green lenses were inserted in some of the floodlights, and they worked fine. But when red lenses were installed, they melted. “So they put purple lenses on,” Hopkins said.
Why purple? No one seems to know. Coincidentally, purple is one of Owens’ favorite colors, and he used it in his gubernatorial campaigns. Did the Capitol staff decide to honor the governor as he serves his final Christmas in office? Hopkins doesn’t think so.
“It has everything to do with red absorbing more heat and melting,” he chuckled. “Who knows who made the decision; probably some guy standing on the roof who shouted, ‘Try the purple one!’ after the red one melted.”
Justicing is wonderful
Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alison Eid has recused herself from numerous cases her first year on the bench. She doesn’t give a reason for doing so because justices don’t, she said. But the speculation is that she was involved in handling so many cases at the attorney general’s office that she wants to avoid all conflicts of interest.
Eid, a former solicitor general in the attorney general’s office, said she won’t rule on any case that she prosecuted personally or supervised.
But as the cases work their way through the system, Eid said she is recusing herself from fewer cases.
Eid marks her first anniversary on the court on March 13 and will likely be taking on a slew of new cases.
“If a case arose after that time, I’m perfectly and ethically able to rule on that,” she said. As to her first nine months on the bench, Eid said, “I love it. It has been wonderful. The cases are challenging and interesting. I have wonderful colleagues. I’m really digging into the work of the court.”
The $300 train ride
Right now there is room for about 300 people on Gov.-elect Bill Ritter‘s Jan. 13 whistle-stop train tour from Greeley to Pueblo – but if more people want to take the $300 ride, they’ll be accommodated. Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer said the original plan is to have five cars on the vintage Union Pacific train. But if demand warrants, more cars will be added. Also, there will be buses available to return riders to their home cities.
Ritter plans to speak at each of the stops in Greeley, Brighton, Littleton, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, where the tour will wind up with a spaghetti dinner at the Union Depot. “The idea of the train tour is to celebrate the inauguration in a similar way that the governor-elect campaigned – every person and every place in Colorado matters,” Dreyer said.
Salazar in the kitchen
Now that Sen. Ken Salazar has a seat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee, he might be spending a lot more time in Washington – especially since new Majority Leader Harry Reid announced last month that he would hold the Senate to longer sessions once the Democrats take charge.
But that shouldn’t be a problem. Over the last two years, Salazar has located his favorite restaurants in the nation’s capital and knows where the grocery stores are, spokesman Cody Wertz said. In fact, the senator, who shares an apartment with his brother, Congressman John Salazar, is a pretty good cook, said Wertz, who has sampled the senator’s cuisine.
“His potatoes are fantastic. And he fixes a mean burrito,” said the loyal aide.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of The Denver Post editorial board.
