Annual breakfast for veterans, Legion ceremonies planned next week

Veterans Day events are scheduled next week in Pagosa Country.

The eighth annual Veterans Day breakfast, held to honor the veterans of Archuleta County, will be put on by eighth-grade students at Pagosa Springs Junior High School and the community center, in the Pagosa Springs Community Center gym, Friday, Nov. 9, from 7:30-10:30 a.m.

A flag ceremony, along with a band and choir performance, will take place at 9 a.m.

All current and former military personnel are welcome.

The Pagosa Springs American Legion Post 108 will celebrate Veterans Day Nov. 11, at the American Legion Hall on Hermosa Street, next to Town Park.

Members of Post 108 extend an invitation to veterans and their families, and all other residents in the area, to attend the events. This year, special recognition will be given to Vietnam veterans who served our country with pride and distinction.

Veterans Day began as Armistice Day in 1919 to remind Americans of the tragedy of war.
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, World War I ended. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day.

Over time, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day to commemorate veterans of all wars.

Legion members urge everyone to join them as they commemorate this day by celebrating the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, and by remembering the sacrifice veterans of all wars made for their country.

Registration will begin at 10:30 a.m., with ceremonies beginning at 11 a.m. After the ceremonies, there will be a raffle drawing, followed by a potluck lunch. Those attending are asked to bring their favorite dish or dessert.

Mayor forms committee to deal with litter problem

By Thea Skinner
Staff Writer

Seven community leaders have agreed to be members on the newly-formed Mayor’s Green Panel on Litter Awareness and Control committee, at the request of Pagosa springs Mayor Ross Aragon.

The committee met for the first time at Town Hall Monday, Oct. 22. Members, include the mayor, U.S. Forest Service Recreation Manager Paul Blackburn; Town Manager Mark Garcia; Archuleta School District 50 Jt. Superintendent Mark Devoti; Bill Nobles of the Pagosa Springs Rotary Cub and the Colorado State University Extension agent; David Linfoot, retired leader for Pennsylvania-based Subaru’s environmental efforts; and school board member Ken Fox.

The committee’s initial round table meeting came after Aragon signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Initiative Agreement. The move was endorsed by the Pagosa Springs Town Council.

“This litter phase is one part of the mayor’s initiative” said Mark Garcia, town manager.

Discussions Monday involved the need to create awareness through recycling education at the elementary school level; placement of signs involving $500 state fines for littering, along with enforcement of fines; and placement of a town Dumpster in which hunters can deposit trash.

Aragon and Garcia confirmed that recyclables taken to the Pagosa Springs transfer station are trucked to Durango.

The committee’s next meeting will be held Dec. 3. A representative from the Colorado Department of Transportation will be invited to join and attend.

Restorative justice: One court stays, one court goes

Archuleta County courts dealing with substance abuse are expected to have different prospects after this year. One court dealing with restorative justice is expected to continue its work, the other is expected to end its service to the community.

The local Drug Court is expected to end, due to light activity, but the DUI Court is expected to continue with its program.

Davilyn Valdez, a probation officer working with the Drug Court, estimated the Drug Court may continue to operate another six to eight months. No new defendants are being assigned to the Drug Court by the district attorney.

Archuleta County Court Judge James Denvir said the federal government has provided $100,000 for the county DUI Court this year and more funds are expected next year. However, no such funding is seen coming to support the Drug Court.

The Drug Court has also received support from the Community United Methodist Church and its pastor, the Rev. Don Ford. A church collection was taken in 2006 to back the court.

Pastor Ford said, “My entire involvement in the drug court system is about trying to help people change their lives and the lives of the people close to them. Officials need to look at the success of drug courts elsewhere in the U.S.” Many community supporters such as Ford, and Kevin LaQuey, spokesperson for the local Narcotics Anonymous organization, favor a continuance of the Drug Court.

Once the current defendants complete their processing in Drug Court, though, it is expected that the program will cease to exist, thus the six- to eight-month anticipated lifespan for the operation.

The local DUI Court, on the other hand, has sufficient numbers of defendants in the program to justify continued activity. And the program seems to achieve its purpose in most cases.

Persons on probation with the DUI Court are required to find work and if they have trouble finding work, a state agency helps with the job search.

The DUI defendants are monitored closely. They are expected to see a probation officer weekly and they are supposed to be in DUI Court once every two weeks.

They are also expected to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week. Besides that, they are ordered to pay court costs, which are sent to the Colorado court system.

DUI Court defendants are provided ankle bracelets, which detect whether they have used alcohol since the last time they were in court.

There are different phases of treatment in DUI Court. A defendant may progress from one phase to another. The DUI Court consists of five components: assessment, monitoring, supervision, treatment and court.

Even in the last phase of the program, the defendant must meet with the DUI Court probation officer and complete all required community service.

It is the mission of the Archuleta County DUI Court to increase community safety by reducing DUI recidivism through intensive treatment, supervision and court.

“The DUI Court is a good thing for the community,” the judge said.

In a typical DUI Court session, the judge is cordial with each defendant, but he also expects defendants to follow the parameters of the program. He reminds them what they are doing right and what they are failing to do.

Speaking to one defendant, Denvir said, “You have to deal with your problem.”

Some defendants are placed on therapy, not simply required to attend AA meetings.

One young man was reminded, “You come from a good family. I believe you are a good person. You can do this. I think you have a lot of potential.”

Defendants all seem to accept that they have an alcohol problem.

Denvir said jail is not the solution. “If I send someone to jail I am hurting his family and his employer. Anyone can sit in jail.”

While the DUI Court deals with 20 or more defendants at a time and is well funded, the Drug Court currently has fewer than six defendants.

District Attorney Craig Westberg has placed defendants in the Drug Court only if they faced charges of possession of drugs. Those charged with distributing drugs are handled by a higher court.

At one point, the Drug Court was dealing with only three defendants. This led Westberg to say the Drug Court should be discontinued. The judge disagreed with Westberg on that issue, but the determination of which court handles a defendant is left to the district attorney, and Westberg’s decision seems firm.

PAWSD board considers delinquent accounts, eminent domain

The Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) Board of Directors met in special session Tuesday and took action on several issues. Though outside its regular monthly schedule, the district called the session, in part, to approve a resolution certifying delinquent accounts. The district routinely does so in late October of every year.

Delinquent accounts arise from nonpayment of various rates, fees, tolls, penalties, charges, and assessments for water, sewer or water and sewer services furnished, or to be furnished (including charges for availability of such services).

Once accounts exceeding $150 are six months past due, the district may exercise its power under Section 32-1-1-1101(1) of the Colorado Revised Statutes and its own rules and regulations, to collect the delinquent fees and charges by certification to the Archuleta County Treasurer.

Before considering the resolution to certify delinquent accounts, the district must first call a public meeting, with proper notice to all affected property owners and parties.

As part of the resolution, a list of the unsettled accounts is included, and the district formally requests collection by the county treasurer. The treasurer will then attempt to collect the fees and charges owed, “in the same manner as property taxes.” Additional penalties are typically assessed against the property owner or affected party, in order to defray costs of collection.

Thirty-nine accounts were certified this year, totaling just under $14,000.

Archuleta County Director of Community Development Rodney Proffitt approached the PAWSD board last month, asking for the release of several property liens imposed by PAWSD because of delinquent fees and charges. The nearly two dozen vacant lots in question are scattered across the area, with most falling in Pagosa Vista Estates, Pagosa Trails and Lake Pagosa Park.

Following lengthy discussion, the PAWSD board agreed to lift the liens, for 30 percent of revenues generated by the eventual sales of said lots. With such an agreement, PAWSD believed it could recoup at least some of the more than $200,000 in past due receipts.

But Tuesday, Proffitt came before the PAWSD board again, saying the Board of County Commissioners had rejected its offer. He explained that the BoCC preferred to retain all the sales revenue, and “asked for another offer.” He then mentioned a PAWSD property in need of a subdivision exemption, and implied room for negotiation.

Over the past several years, the county has acquired ownership of the now encumbered lots, primarily as a result of delinquent tax payments. Many suffer extenuating circumstances, such as a deceased owner with no known heirs, a lack of legal access, being of inadequate size to build on, disputed boundaries or, in at least one situation, being submerged in water. In most cases, the properties are ones relatively few people appear interested in.

As a result, and following further review, the PAWSD board considered collection of any past due fees unlikely, and agreed to waive them and release the liens to the extent allowed by law. Depending on district bond requirements in respect to the waiver of fees, the county may not have to reimburse PAWSD at all.

As Tuesday’s discussion turned to ongoing projects, district director Carrie Weiss informed the board that enlargement of Stevens Reservoir was moving forward under favorable weather conditions. She did describe a minor “snag” with development of its future outlet, which could cost the district between $15,000 and $20,000, but lagging land acquisition negotiations appeared more troublesome.

Though final arbitration continues with three separate entities, those with adjacent landowner and developer Tom Smith have apparently bogged down. As one might expect, price seems to be the sticking point, but according to Weiss, Smith has not responded to several of the district’s most recent attempts to establish contact.

Therefore, Weiss said, the district has taken the first steps of acquiring roughly 20 acres of Smith’s property through eminent domain.

“We’re still hoping we can settle this without moving forward with eminent domain,” Weiss said Tuesday evening. “Mr. Smith is aware that it’s under consideration, but we’ve had no response.”

Either way, Smith will end up being compensated for the land, based on fair market value.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Supreme Court recently reversed a lower court decision that earlier granted PAWSD and the San Juan Water Conservancy District the rights to divert and store water at a proposed Dry Gulch Reservoir outside of Pagosa Springs.

In the process, the panel set aside the conditional water appropriations, and sent the case back to the water court for further proceedings. In its discretion, the water court may take additional evidence and argument as it deems appropriate on remand.

In light of the Supreme Court decision, Weiss suggested it was merely a bump in the road, and assured board members at Tuesday night’s meeting that Dry Gulch will become a reality. While both sides of the issue seem to agree, some changes may be forthcoming.

Nevertheless, final preparation of land purchase contracts continues, unimpeded. With PAWSD having recently acquired a temporary “bridge loan” to finance the purchase of some 600 acres for the reservoir, both districts are proceeding with reservoir plans.

PFPD clarifies fire code water flow requirements for new, large homes

Legal codes placing requirements on new home construction may be confusing and distressing to some residents living within the boundaries of the Pagosa Fire Protection District, yet safety is a primary concern for the district to protect property and lives, along with the ability to reach people and their dwellings in an emergency.

In early October, the Pagosa Fire Protection District Board adopted the 2006 International Fire Code (IFC), along with Appendix B involving requirements for water flow.

Appendix B of the code requires houses constructed at 3,600 square feet and greater to have a means of water delivery — 1,000 gallons of water per minute — available for fire protection purposes. The requirement applies to newly constructed residential buildings.

Fire flow is the measure of gallons of water per minute from any water source. If the flow is not met by an adjacent hydrant, or is not mitigated by flow from another external source, a sprinkler system is one of the many options for homeowners.

Most of Archuleta County and all of the Town of Pagosa Springs is included within fire district boundaries.

“We are trying to be proactive and not reactive,” said Manny Trujillo, Pagosa Fire Protection District assistant chief and fire marshal. “On the average there are 3,400 deaths in the U.S. per year due to fires.”

To date, the county has not adopted Appendix B. The town adheres to the 2006 International Building Code, which states: “The minimum fire flow requirements for one and two family dwellings having a fire flow calculation area which exceeds 4,000 square feet shall be 1,000 gallons per minute. All new subdivisions (preliminary plat Subdivision or P.U.D. applications submitted to the town planning department after Oct. 3, 2006) shall provide minimum fire flows as specified in Table B105.1 or unless specifically approved by the fire chief.”

The fire district board moved to adopt the standard to be in line with the national average.

The Appendix B ordinance adopted by the fire board states: “The minimum fire flow requirement for one and two family dwellings having a fire flow calculation area which does not exceed 3,600 square feet (344.5 m2) shall be 1,000 gallons per minute (3785.4 L/min). Fire flow and flow duration for dwellings having a fire flow calculation area in excess of 3,600 square feet (344.5 m2) shall not be less than that specified in Table B105.1.”

This table, on its own, said Trujillo, is “impractical or unreasonable” for the rural areas of Pagosa Springs. Based on the individual circumstances of each house, he may provide further options for fire flow assessment.

Options include: a decreased flow, wall separation, type 1A and type 1B buildings that calculate the three largest successive floors, and use of a 13D sprinkler system with a 300 gallon tank through the Wildland Urban Interface Code.

In Appendix B Section B103, under the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code or NFPA 1142, a homeowner may mitigate the requirement with options in areas where “adequate and reliable water supply systems do not exist.”

The alternatives may include using “water tenders” such as nearby ponds, water storage units or fire pumps, said Trujillo.

Adding sprinklers to a house is another option that covers many bases and offers insurance discounts while providing instantaneous fire protection.

The fire district is asking the county to adopt Appendix B, according to Trujillo.

“We are asking the county to meet the 3,600 square feet (the national average standard),” he said. “People are far out there (in the county). A rural area is dependent on tanker supplies and on-site water. And our travel distance is greater.”

Town Building Department official Scott Pierce is familiar with the codes.

“If you don’t meet it (the requirement), you have to mitigate it through different types of construction,” Pierce said.

For mitigation, homeowners have several options including: a noncombustible construction with steel and masonry; making a house fire resistant with materials like drywall in a process called “fire rating;” or providing sprinklers.

“If a house is installed with sprinklers, a reduction of 50 percent may apply to the fire flow (calculated from other sources). In this scenario, the 1,000 gallon requirement is reduced to 500 gallons,” he said.

Finding adequate fire flow from the existing hydrant delivery system in some parts of the district might be difficult.

“The infrastructure is undersize. The lines are often too small in some areas,” Pierce said. “This county is very rural and has a lot of challenges, but we cannot ignore those challenges.”

Pierce noted conditions exist that may be problematic.

If the water delivery infrastructure cannot meet the requirement, than a 13D sprinkler system with 300 gallon tanks will assist in fire protection. “That gives us 10 extra minutes of time to get to the home and save those contents and lives,” Trujillo said.

Concerns about additional costs for new home construction are being voiced and district officials responded, noting insurance savings. Fire district board president Dick Mosely answered some of those concerns. “Although the cost of a 3,600 square foot house and above would increase due to the new code,” he wrote, “it is doubtful that it will adversely affect the building industry in the county. A wise and prudent person should be willing to pay the additional $10,800 to protect their investment in a structure that would cost $500,000 to $720,000 depending on the type of construction. The purpose of a building or fire code is to protect the individual homeowner from harm and protect any future buyer of a home. The code assures that the home is properly built from a structural, electrical and plumbing standpoint and is a defendable structure from a fire, to save lives and property. That is the ultimate goal of the fire protection district and its board.”

To have a house or house plan assessed for fire flows and obtain a packet of information, contact Trujillo at 731-4191.

Countywide housing assessment underway

Finding a decent place to call home is a priority.

Finding a decent and affordable place to live in Pagosa Country, is difficult for many residents.

A county-wide housing assessment will examine the housing situation and seek to illuminate ways a maximum number of residents can find suitable, affordable housing.

The project is in the first stage of a three-step process suggested by Bill Whaley of the Department of Local Affairs Division of Housing in 2001.

The three-steps are: a needs assessment, creating an implementation strategy, and taking action on the strategy.

The three-step process addresses affordable housing and Whaley estimated a one-year turnaround to complete the process.

Whaley projected a cost of $30,000 for the assessment, with half covered through funds from the housing division and the rest raised in the community.

In 2001 an Operation Healthy Communities (OHC) study showed that a median priced home in Archuleta County sold for about $187,000.

The per capita personal income (PCI) at that time stood at $19,021. The per hour livable wage sat at around $9.55. The study concluded that about 47 percent of the population was unable to qualify for a loan on a median priced house.

The 2007, Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado Report cited a 2003 minimum livable wage of $10.36 per hour for a single person renting a one bedroom apartment in Pagosa Springs.

The report also indicated that the estimated PCI for 2005 was about $25,069.

Based on information from the Archuleta County Assessors Office, the median price in 2005 of a single family home increased to $226,550.

Town and county officials signed a contract with Economic Planning Systems in spring 2007 to create the assessment.

The assessment will evaluate a range of affordable housing needs based on income: from transitional housing, homeless and safe houses, to housing for the disabled, those with special needs and the elderly, said Julie Simmons, special projects director for the Town of Pagosa Springs. Affordable housing is based on Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards, which may allow people to qualify for subsidy on housing or home loans.

In order for a person to get on the HUD affordable housing list they will need to be at “Eighty percent or below the Area Median Income (AMI),” Simmons said. “Because we are considered a non metro area, it is basic here.”

The AMI that HUD uses to make assessments requires a person to be at a certain income level.

Once the county AMI is reported in the assessment, housing needs can start to be addressed.

“If you are between 80 percent and 160 percent (of AMI) you are more prevalent to qualify for conventional home loans,” Simmons said. “At 80 to 125 percent there is a gap with no subsidy for this income bracket.”

According to HUD, the 2007 Median Income for a family in Archuleta County is $51,500. Out of this, HUD uses four income categories: very low at 50 percent income limit, extremely low at 30 percent income limit, and low income at 80 percent income limit.

“I think we are going to see a whole range of needs — that is what it (the assessment) will draw out for our community,” Simmons said. “The needs assessment will determine each income level in the community. There are subsidies out there. It will set the benchmark of where we are and where we need to go.

“There is a shallow labor pool, we have a large homeless group — people living out of cars and trailers.”

Archuleta Housing Authority is getting 18 more units, and only three designated housing facilities for seniors exist, she said. “We have a graying portion of our population,” Simmons said. “In the assessment we will have a strategic plan with recommendations on what can be done for policy, service and support for affordable housing.”

The town has a line item for affordable housing in its budget, and is seeking a partnership with Archuleta County to create a liaison position to deal with nonprofit organizations, said Mark Garcia, town manager.

When the assessment is complete in early November, the effects on the HUD list may vary.

“Hopefully we can work to create more capacity and the HUD list can be shortened for organizations like Colorado Housing,” Simmons said. “We want to get people into owning houses. Hopefully that list is longer, but expedited so people can get homes.”

Brian Duffany, senior associate for Denver-based Economic Planning Systems (EPS) is compiling the working assessment.

“The study looks at relationships between housing and needs through a demographic analysis,” he said. EPS surveyed over 350 businesses in the county for input involving owners and managers. The survey asked how business is affected through purchases of homes and rentals.

“A lot of mountain areas are finding that the local workers are getting squeezed out and it is good that they (local government) are ahead of the curve,” he said. “Business owners have a hard time finding employees and keeping the employees. Affordable housing can be anything as long as it matches the wage of the local population, which may include subsidy.”

Duffany mentioned that in the mountain west second-home buyers are influencing the housing market by driving up the cost of housing.

“It is part of the whole baby-boomer retirement demographic right now,” Duffany said. “Studies (a Northwest Colorado Council of Governments study) in Colorado found that second homes are used anywhere from about 20 to 30 percent of the year.”

Section 8 of HUD, which provides subsidies, is a federally-funded program, and has “essentially been frozen with no funding to expand,” he said. “There are other ways. A low income housing tax credit is an IRS program and administered in Colorado by the State Department of Housing to build rentals —typically these serve people from 30 to 70 percent of AMI. Section 8 caps out at 30 percent of AMI.”

He explained that workforce housing is best addressed in a partnership with local businesses and real estate in the community.

A draft of the assessment will be available for public review in mid November. A public hearing on the assessment will be held at a joint town and county meeting in mid December.

Programs respond to those in crisis

Sometimes unexpected but dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval happens in a community or in a person’s life.

United Way in Archuleta County has identified as a local issue the ability to respond to those in crisis through initiatives that support emergency assistance, planning for and responding to community disasters and transitional services to help individuals caught in cycles of abuse or addiction.

In some cases, there are family, church, or other personal support systems that can intervene and help. In other cases, there is no support system in place or the crisis or disaster may overwhelm the available assistance. United Way in Archuleta County will allocate some of the funds raised this year to assist the following three organizations that intervene in unexpected and incapacitating crises: Pagosa Outreach Connection, American Red Cross, and Southwest Safehouse.

Pagosa Outreach Connection

United Way in Archuleta County is a participating funding organization with Pagosa Outreach Connection. Pagosa Outreach Connection is a collaboration of community-based, faith-based, government and business organizations that work together to provide emergency financial assistance for families and individuals in crisis. Financial assistance is provided to help with needs such as housing payments, utility bills, health care, transportation and vehicle repairs in times of emergency. This emergency financial assistance is provided to persons who are usually self-sufficient but are facing an unexpected crisis. By establishing a single entry point for applicants, the likelihood of duplicate aid by funding organizations is eliminated.

Pagosa Outreach Connection (POC) began in August of 2003. Since then, more than $150,000 has been provided to individuals and families in need. Faith-based organizations, collectively, are the largest financial contributor to POC, followed by the Salvation Army, La Plata Electric Association, the Rotary Club and United Way. Individuals or families are referred to Pagosa Outreach Connection by any agency. They are screened and verified by the staff of the Archuleta County Department of Human Services. Representatives of participating organizations meet weekly to consider applications and to determine the type and amount of assistance to be provided — if any. Although there are no specific dollar limits, available funding generally limits grants to between $150 and $600.

Red Cross

The Southwest Colorado Chapter American Red Cross prepares for and responds to disasters affecting Archuleta County and the other four counties of southwest Colorado by recruiting and training volunteers, educating the community, collaborating with other community and emergency organizations, and providing relief in emergencies big and small. The National American Red Cross chartered this local chapter in 1917, and its basic mission has changed very little during the intervening 89 years.

The 2005 hurricane season presented unprecedented challenges to the Southwest Colorado Chapter. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in the end of August, the National Red Cross sent out a call for 30,000 to 40,000 volunteers to respond to those events. To help meet that need, the local chapter trained 170 new volunteers and deployed 85 of these to the affected areas. Being part of a national organization requires reciprocal commitments of support. We have been lucky in Archuleta County that, for the most part, crisis intervention has usually involved one family at a time and the existing volunteers are adequately trained and able to respond.

Red Cross volunteers are trained first-responders and are dispatched with the local fire authorities or office of emergency management. This arrangement allows the volunteers to offer services immediately on site to the families impacted by the event. Services provided to the family can include food, clothing, shelter, health care, medicine, eyeglasses, household goods, mental health care, etc. There may be a time, perhaps on the scale of the Missionary Ridge fire in 2002, that we may require Red Cross support from outside of the county. Collectively, the goal of the American Red Cross is to be prepared for any scenario.

Southwest Safehouse

The Southwest Safehouse is the only residential domestic violence shelter in southwest Colorado. It provides emergency and long-term shelter for women and children survivors of domestic violence, rape, child abuse and other violent crimes. The Safehouse is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. By offering secure shelter, three meals a day and counseling, the Safehouse meets its clients’ basic needs and offers a forum for the victims to set and achieve their own personal goals.

In the 22 years since opening, the Safehouse has sheltered approximately 4,700 women and children. The value of their program is impressive both in size and impact. In 2006 they housed over 200 women and children, providing 4,624 nights of shelter and served nearly 14,000 meals. In 2007 they also expect to provide residential services to approximately 200 women and children with 5,475 nights of shelter. The Southwest Safehouse works closely with the Archuleta County Victims Assistance Program to identify local women and children in need of this service. In each of the past several years, approximately 7 percent of the Safehouse shelter services were provided to women and children from Archuleta County.

United Way in Archuleta County hopes to raise $70,000 through donations during its current campaign. Part of this has been pledged to each of the above organizations to support their efforts to respond to those in crisis in Archuleta County.

For more information, call Stacia Kemp at 759-9676. Donations may be sent to United Way of Southwest Colorado, P.O. Box 4274, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147.

Town Tourism Committee elects new board members

The Town Tourism Committee has announced the induction of its newest board members — Crista Munro and Marci Mitchell.

Munro comes to the board with a wide range of experience and expertise in the special event arena that will complement the current makeup of the TTC . A resident of Pagosa Springs since 1991, she has extensive knowledge of the community and is one of the founders of the Four Corners Folk Festival. She has served as executive director of FolkWest since 2002, which today produces three annual events — the Four Corners Folk Festival, Indiefest and the Mountain Chile Cha Cha. Munro holds a bachelor of arts degree from the Pennsylvania State University in English literature and has a professional background in writing, marketing and graphic design. She currently publishes the Pagosa Springs Dining Guide and has since the fall of 2003, .

Mitchell comes to the board with an extensive background in graphic design, copywriting and Internet marketing. She has served on the Archuleta County Fair Board, was a team manager for Pagosa Springs Intermediate School’s Destination Imagination fifth-grade team, served on the board of directors for Centerpoint Church, developing their new Web site, and was in charge of publicity efforts and the creation of the brochure for the church’s Fall Women’s Retreat. She has owned and operated MTECH Business Development for the past 12 years, which focuses on Internet marketing and Web design for companies throughout the U.S. Mitchell holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Spanish from Indiana University, Bloomington. She is currently assisting the Town Tourism Committee with the creation of its new Web site, which should be up and running by mid-November.

The Town Tourism Committee administers the town’s efforts to promote tourism to Pagosa Springs, thereby enhancing the town general fund revenue through Lodging Occupancy Tax receipts and, to lesser extent, through sales tax receipts. With advice from the 11-member board, program efforts include newspaper, periodical and electronic media advertising in both core market regions and in new market areas; participation in consumer and industry trade shows; administration of the contract under which the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center is operated; development and maintenance of ongoing relations with travel writers and other media representatives; and preparation of collateral materials (brochures and guides) for distribution through the Visitor’s Center, at trade shows and through other channels.

The TTC is proud to have such an outstanding, talented cast of board members and looks forward to a productive and exciting winter and 2008.
For more information on this topic or to schedule an appointment with Dianne Calderon, the committee’s executive director, call 731-0921.

CollegeInvest launches enhanced Web site to help families pay for college

Higher education financing help is now a few clicks closer for Coloradans.

CollegeInvest, a not-for-profit division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, has launched an enhanced Web site with new content and features to help Colorado families with their college financing needs — no matter where they are in the process.

 Visitors to CollegeInvest.org will notice new tools including specialized sections for families and students from childhood through college and beyond.  Educators, employers and financial planners also will find sections designed specifically for them.

 “We made CollegeInvest.org comprehensive to serve our many different audiences,” said Jennifer Robinson of CollegeInvest. “Anybody who is interested in knowing more about financing higher education will find information tailored to fit their needs on the new site. CollegeInvest gathered feedback from clients and site visitors to ensure that the site is a comprehensive and useful tool for financing higher education.”

 Families and students can access online calculators to find projected costs of college, how much they’ll need to save, and projected Colorado state tax deductions for investing in a CollegeInvest 529 plan. In addition, CollegeInvest.org makes available a variety of relevant resources including workbooks and tools for planning for college and tips for making the most of financial aid.

 CollegeInvest clients can access their accounts to view account balances and history, and download account maintenance forms.

 A calendar on the home page lists information on events and workshops led by CollegeInvest’s team of college savings and financial aid specialists across the state.

 “The Web site was designed to help make higher education more accessible for Coloradans,” added Robinson.  “The answers to your college financing questions are right at your fingertips.”

CollegeInvest is a not-for-profit division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. Since 1979, CollegeInvest has helped more than half a million families break down the financial barriers to college by providing expert information, simple planning tools, scholarships, college savings plans, and low-cost student and parent loans. For more information, visit www.collegeinvest.org or call (800) 448-2424 or contact your financial advisor.