ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest

Milestone at the Capitol with 2 blacks at top posts at same time : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/03/a-milestone-at-the-colorado-capitol/ In the same grand chambers where the Ku Klux Klan once held sway, two black men will assume the most powerful positions in the Colorado General Assembly. When the legislature convenes next week for its 2009 session, Peter Groff will again be elected Senate president, while Terrance Carroll will assume the post of speaker of the House. Colorado is the first legislature in the nation to have two blacks holding the top posts at the same time. Not Arkansas. Not Michigan. Not Mississippi. Not Illinois, or South Carolina or any other state where blacks come much closer to being the demographic majority. It's Colorado, where blacks make up only 4 percent of the population. Carroll and Groff - both Denver Democrats and the only black members among the 100-member assembly - say they are grateful for that chance to be a part of history.

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Era of Klan-destine bigotry : Colorado Government : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/jan/03/era-klan-destine-bigotry/ The Ku Klux Klan once was so entrenched in Colorado politics that some lawmakers brought their white robes and hoods to the gold-domed Capitol. By day, the KKK dominated the inner workings of Colorado government. By night, it held racist, anti- Semitic and anti-Catholic rallies - vowing to crush opposition both inside and outside the Capitol. That unappetizing slice of state history stands in stark contrast to next week's opening of the 2009 session, in which two black men - House Speaker-elect Terrance Carroll and Senate President Peter Groff - will create a new chapter in Colorado politics. The ascension of Groff and Carroll - coincidentally, the only two blacks in the legislature - is not lost on historians, who have documented the Klan's influence in Colorado during the 1920s.

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UCCS: Refusal to fund gay event biased | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/student_45079___article.html/williams_decisions.html University of Colorado at Colorado Springs officials on Thursday said that embattled student-body president David Williams did not act objectively in refusing to approve funding for a gay, lesbian and transgender student group event. Williams said he plans to appeal the decision to the Board of Regents, the governing body over the University of Colorado system. In November, the student Judicial Board found that Williams was not in violation of the school's mandate that student leaders be objective in making activity fee distribution decisions. Spectrum, a campus gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender student group, had applied for $2,100 for its National Coming Out Day observance in October. Williams argued that even though he did not give his approval, he also did not veto the budget request because he believes Spectrum is entitled to funding through the student government association. Because he didn't veto the request, it passed after five school days under the student constitution.

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Naked pumpkin runner accepts plea deal, avoids sex-offender status : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/18/naked-pumpkin-runner-takes-plea-deal/ The first of 12 runners cited for streaking on the Pearl Street Mall on Halloween night wearing nothing but pumpkins on their heads has accepted a plea agreement that prosecutors said would likely be offered to the others. Natalie Ziemba, 20, of Boulder agreed Thursday to plead guilty to disorderly conduct, a petty offense. She agreed to undergo six months of unsupervised probation, eight hours of community service and pay $27 in court fees. She will not be required to register as a sex offender, and her record will be cleared if she doesn’t commit any crimes for at least six months. In a light-hearted moment, a prosecutor joked with Ziemba that a condition of her probation would also include “no contact with fruits or vegetables.” “This was very uncharacteristic of me,” Ziemba told Boulder County Judge Thomas J.B. Reed.

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Witness: Gay man arrested at concert was ‘acting obnoxiously’ : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/18/witness-gay-man-arrested-madonna-concert-was-actin/ Jerome Schroeder claimed he was arrested at a Madonna concert last month because he is gay. He lodged a complaint against police and told his story to the media. But now investigators say there was more to Schroeder's arrest than he let on. A witness has come forward to say Schroeder and his companion were "acting obnoxiously" during the Nov. 12 concert at the Pepsi Center. And Denver's Independent Monitor, Richard Rosenthal, said Thursday he will take "no further action" on Schroeder's complaint. "I am sorry we could not be of service," Rosenthal wrote in a letter to Schroeder. Schroeder had requested mediation with the officers involved in his arrest. But Rosenthal said the Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau no longer supports that.

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Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas? : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/18/happy-holidays-or-merry-christmas/ Tinsel-covered signs wishing passersby a "Merry Christmas" once were common storefront decorations in December. Now -- in many communities, including Boulder -- shoppers are hard-pressed to find those words near any shop's front door. Controversy in recent years around the issue of politically correct greetings prompted some business owners to shy away from the word "Christmas" so not to offend people who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or nothing at all. Others have refused to bow to pressure to strike the word from their seasonal lexicon, and a new Rasmussen Reports poll indicates that might pay off. Of the 1,000 Americans surveyed over the phone, 37 percent said they would avoid stores where employees were told not to say "Merry Christmas" or shops with "Happy Holidays" signs. Some stores that previously swapped Christmas messages with more neutral greetings have responded to the criticism -- Wal-Mart and Target, for instance, recently resurrected their "Christmas" rhetoric. On their respective Web sites, Wal-Mart is calling itself a "One-stop Christmas shop" and Target has a "Christmas" link from its home page. Tiffany Houkom, 22, of Boulder, said she'd prefer everyone use the greeting they want and not worry about offending someone.

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Pumpkin runners discuss plea : Breaking News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/17/pumpkin-runners-discuss-plea/ Ten of the 12 people ticketed for indecent exposure after running down the Pearl Street Mall on Halloween wearing nothing but pumpkins on their heads were scheduled to appear in court Wednesday to enter a plea. But none did. The majority of the runners, who will have to register as sex offenders if found guilty, are trying to work out plea bargains with the district attorney's office, according to a clerk of the court, and so far none have plead guilty to any charges. An attorney for six of the streakers said that he did not expect to come to an agreement for several more days. Another of the runners is scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning, and three more have court dates set in January.

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Colo. Springs officer on leave after arrest - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11225950 Authorities say a Colorado Springs police officer faces burglary and harassment charges for allegedly going to his ex-girlfriend's home and trying to open a door after seeing another police car parked in front of her house. Colorado Springs police spokesman Lt. David Whitlock says 38-year-old Christopher Garcia is on administrative leave pending an investigation into his arrest early Friday in Pueblo. Garcia's ex-girlfriend, a Pueblo police dispatcher, accuses Garcia of sending her harassing text messages and phone calls because she didn't respond to his texts. According to a report, she told police she called another officer to her home for advice, saying she felt harassed by Garcia's accusations that she was seeing other men. She says Garcia opened a window next to her home's front door and tried to open it.

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Cops’ tab in DNC protester cases: $20,000 : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/10/prosecuting-dnc-protesters-has-cost-taxpayers-2000/ So far, it has cost taxpayers $20,000 for Denver police to prepare and testify in trials of protesters arrested during the Democratic National Convention this summer, according to figures compiled by the city. The tally came in response to a request by the People's Law Project, which has stressed that prosecuting the protester cases is a waste of taxpayer money. About 100 people were arrested Aug. 25 for blocking 15th Street at Court Place. About 60 people were set for trials that began in October and will continue into January. About half of those cases have been resolved by trial, dismissal or guilty plea. So far, five people have been convicted by juries.

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Some volunteer, others demonstrate during ‘Day Without a Gay’ : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/10/some-volunteer-others-demonstrate-during-day-witho/ Some people donated food. Some demonstrated. Some volunteered their time. Some just called in "gay." But for Bridget Brophy, the first national "Day Without A Gay" was reason to sing. Brophy and her partner, Suzanne Ottam, took off from work Wednesday and visited various offices and shops around Denver, where Brophy serenaded people with lyrics to the tune "If I only had a brain" from "The Wizard of Oz."

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DNC tab: $19,000 to prosecute protesters - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11180248 The city and county of Denver has spent more than $19,000 and used 316 hours of police officer time to prosecute people who were arrested during a protest on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. The estimate does not include time and costs for 10 trials held this week and last week, said Brian Vicente, executive director of the People's Law Project, who requested the data from the city and provided it to The Denver Post. Attorneys from the legal group, who have represented about 60 people charged with obstructing the street during the convention, continue to criticize the city for wasting resources on the cases. "I think the number is pretty amazing and backs up our argument all along that this is not a small endeavor for the city," Vicente said. "These officers are not on the streets fighting crime."

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‘Call in gay’ aimed at public awareness : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/09/day-without-gay-makes-debut/ If everyone at Out Front Colorado were to "call in gay" today and skip work, only the comptroller and a staff photographer would show up at the office. That probably won't happen, said Greg Montoya, editor and publisher of the paper that covers Colorado's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. That would be beside the point of making people aware of the GLBT presence in the larger community, rather than just in gay- owned and operated businesses. But Montoya is supportive of today's "Day Without a Gay," a nationwide protest. "I think they're trying to make a point that the GLBT community is employed in so many industries across the board," Montoya said.

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Some workers may “call in gay” - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_11181904 Cris Jones plans to take a personal day off from work today but not because he's feeling sick. The transportation planner with the city of Boulder is going to "call in gay." He's joining others in a "Day Without a Gay," a nationwide boycott of work prompted by Californians' recent passage of a proposition banning gay marriage. "It is important for the (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) community to make a united stand in the pursuit of equal rights," he said. "If just one person in my workplace becomes more educated about the inequity I face as a gay man as a result of this stand, then it will certainly be worth it." The Colorado Queer Straight Alliance organized a volunteer day today at the African Community Center in east Denver. The group was expecting at least eight volunteers, coordinator Jules Graves said. Some critics have questioned the wisdom of holding the boycott as the deepening economic recession has many already fearing for their jobs.

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Tribes protest proposed Ariz. coal mine on ancestral lands - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11172123 Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe representatives on Monday pressed the federal Office of Surface Mining not to grant a permit to Peabody Energy for its proposed Black Mesa coal mine in Arizona. The group, which included picketers, met with officials at OSM's Denver office. Al Klein, regional mining director, said the Black Mesa proposal, although not the preferred alternative, was part of the environmental-impact statement issued in 2006. He also said Peabody's permit application is in order. Black Mesa is the ancestral homeland to thousands of Navajo and Hopi families and is regarded by the Navajo as a sacred mountain. "This is a sad day for the Hopi and Navajo," said Hopi Tribal Chairman Ben Nuvamsa.

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Three more DNC protesters cleared : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/05/three-more-dnc-protesters-cleared/ Three more people were acquitted this week in trials of protesters arrested for obstructing a street during the Democratic National Convention this August. So far, the city has won four convictions. About 100 people were arrested and many previously pleaded guilty. About 60 were slated for trials that began in October and will continue into January.

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The Pueblo Chieftain :: Gay, lesbian fund honors Aguilera

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/12/08/news/local/doc493cb8235c096858562227.txt Pueblo City Councilman Ray Aguilera was recognized by the Colorado Gay and Lesbian Fund last week for his long service to the community. Aguilera was given the group's 2008 Advancing Equality Award for best community supporter. Aguilera was honored for his work to help establish the Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation and for his work on the Pueblo City Council on behalf of the working-class neighborhoods of Bessemer and Minnequa Heights. The group specifically recognized the education foundation's contribution to the community, giving more than $1.7 million in scholarships to more than 1,350 students.

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Survey: More Coloradoans embracing gay unions | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/gay_44440___article.html/marriage_unions.html Two years ago, by a 57 percent to 43 percent margin, Colorado voters approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. At the same time, they also defeated a measure to allow civil unions. Now, according to a survey released Thursday, more Coloradans appear to be embracing ideas such as civil unions and gay marriage. A slim majority of Coloradans support gay marriage and four-fifths support gay civil unions, according to the survey commissioned by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in California, and conducted Nov. 10-16 by Harris Interactive with 502 Colorado residents. GLAAD conducted a national poll, but Colorado was the only state the group polled separately. Even though California's Proposition 8 to outlaw gay marriage is more timely, having passed in the November election, the group felt that Colorado's history on gay issues and its being home to two opposing forces on the issue - Focus on the Family and the Gill Foundation - made this the best crucible for their research. GLAAD's leaders seemed pleased with the results. "Visibility is leading to the conversation, and the conversation with family and friends is giving people a better understanding about gay and lesbian people," said Neil Giuliano, president of GLAAD. "And they understand we need legal protections just like everyone else." But some say GLAAD's numbers seem slanted. "My first reaction is that these results seem pretty high, and I say that because of the disparity between what Colorado voters said in 2006 and what this survey says," said Jenny Tyree, a marriage analyst at Focus on the Family.

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Wishing for happy ending to Uganda ordeal - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11142398 The 30 members of Columbine High School's Unity in Action Club are using books as building blocks in war-torn Uganda. The group, which promotes cultural diversity and community service, hopes to collect thousands of books to help a school in Gulu, Uganda, create and stock a library. The books will be sent to the school or sold to raise money to buy age-appropriate books for children who have been impacted by war. In the two-decade conflict between the government and the insurgent Lord's Resistance Army, as many as 2 million people, or 90 percent of the population in northern Uganda, have been displaced. "I felt like I wasn't doing enough to help in the world," said senior Jessica Butt, 17. "It's hard to do something huge when you're a high school student."

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Safety concerns among gay, transgendered students sparks UCCS rally | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/campus_44365___article.html/williams_gay.html Concerns that gay, bisexual and transgender students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs have felt unsafe on campus this semester and have experienced verbal and physical harassment drew hundreds of people to a peaceful rally on campus Wednesday. About 200 students, faculty and community members attended the "Safety is a Human Right" rally, the work of numerous multiracial and sexually diverse groups. Some said it was a historic event for the campus. "There isn't a history of peaceful speak-outs here, especially that have included blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians and gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders," said Becky Thompson, director of the Women's and Ethnic Studies program, which helped sponsor the rally. The event was designed to celebrate UCCS' diversity and inclusiveness, said Ayden Merino, a gay freshman and one of the organizers. Merino said he's experienced gay bashing and that many of his peers have, too. "We're saying as a community: ‘We're not going to tolerate it,'" he said.

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Colorado man faces criminal charge in libel case - Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-craigslist-libel4-2008dec04,0,2332954.story Locked in a visitation dispute with his former girlfriend over their young daughter, J.P. Weichel wanted to vent, court records say. Weichel, 40, allegedly posted comments about the woman on the Craigslist "rants and raves" forum, accusing her of child abuse and welfare fraud and making crude comments about her sex life. The woman said the postings were defamatory. But unlike the majority of libel cases, which are tried in civil court, local authorities have taken the unusual step of charging Weichel with a crime. Colorado is one of a dwindling number of states with a criminal law against libel. The statute dates to the 19th century and is rarely used. But Larimer County Dist. Atty. Larry Abrahamson said Colorado's statute applied precisely to what Weichel was accused of doing.

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CU student leaders may help fund GLBT center : CU News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/03/cu-student-leaders-may-help-fund-glbt-center/ The University of Colorado’s student government on Thursday will consider whether to inject $50,000 worth of student fees into the Boulder campus’ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center each year. Putting the 13-year-old organization under the umbrella of the CU Student Union’s $30 million annual budget would mean both financial and policy support from student leaders, supporters said — and it would relieve a heavy fundraising burden. “We feel that this addition would provide a much-needed increase in student services for our university,” said Dustin Farivar, a UCSU tri-executive who co-wrote the bill under consideration. “This will allow them to spend less time fundraising and more time focusing on serving students.”

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East Africans open center, hope to blend | GreeleyTribune.com

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20081204/NEWS/812049985/1002/NONE A group of East Africans recently opened a community center in Greeley, which they hope will ease the integration of refugees and other newcomers to the city. The office at 928 13th St. has rooms for computer and English-as-a-second-language classes and serves as a welcome mat to East Africans trying to navigate their new community. It will work in conjunction with the Lutheran Family Services office that provides financial assistance and other resources for refugees getting settled in jobs and homes. Graen Isse, spokesman for the East Africa Community Council, said the group is working on getting nonprofit status to allow it to apply for grants to further its educational programs. So far, the office rent and computers are being paid for by combined donations from the office’s nine volunteer staff members — all East Africans who are relatively new to Greeley.

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Pushing for cost of DNC cases : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/02/lawyer-asks-city-again-turn-over-costs-protester-t/ The People's Law Project has filed another request with Denver to learn how much the city has spent prosecuting people arrested for blocking the street during the Democratic National Convention. The city responded to a request last month saying that specific records detailing the cost are not kept and that the Colorado Open Records Act doesn't require that special records be generated to satisfy a public information request. But Brian Vicente, director of the People's Law Project, sent a letter to the city Sunday asking officials to reconsider. City officials have three days to respond.

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Madonna fan blames anti-gay bias for his arrest at show - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11123599 Jerome Schroeder expected to leave the Pepsi Center after watching Madonna perform last month and go home happy. Instead, he was arrested and locked up after an incident he blames on anti-gay bias. The Denver radiologist, who was ticketed for trespassing, believes the officers who arrested him had an "anti-gay attitude." He has filed a complaint with Denver's independent police monitor. A Denver police spokesman said he couldn't comment on the case while it is under review. Pepsi Center spokesman Brian Kitts said Schroeder was arrested after police and security guards responded to a complaint that he scuffled with someone.

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Small in name; not in spirit: Holocaust survivor dies at age 91 : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/03/holocaust-survivor-dies-at-age-91-small-in-name/ Holocaust survivor Martin Small died Saturday at his Broomfield home after a seven-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Small, who would have turned 92 this month, had always been a survivor. Eighty-six members of his family were killed when the Germans invaded his small Polish village in 1942 -- most were buried alive. During the war, Small escaped ghettos and prison camps, often hiding in the forests and foraging for food. In 1944, he was captured by the Nazis and sent to Mauthausen Concentration Camp. A year later when the camp was liberated, Small had been left for dead, and was discovered stacked among the dead prisoners.

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