Christine Scanlan

DENVER – Friday, July 16, State Representative Christine Scanlan (D-Summit County) will join Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, Harris Sherman and others for a panel discussion as part of an America’s Great Outdoors Colorado Listening Session.
Secretary Salazar will moderate the panel discussion, which is expected to be a lively, far-reaching conversation addressing a number of topics ranging from land and water conservation to the bark beetle epidemic.

Rep. Scanlan is a key architect of the state’s bark beetle mitigation strategy and was tapped for the panel because of her expertise on issues relating to forest health, as well as her work to engage youth in outdoor programs.

What: America’s Great Outdoors panel discussion

Who: Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior
Harris Sherman, Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment
Christine Scanlan, State House Representative
Kevin Patterson, Manager, Denver Parks & Recreation
Lise Aangeenbrug, Executive Director, Great Outdoors Colorado

Where: Denver Marriott West
1717 Denver West Boulevard
Golden, CO 80401

When: Friday, July 16, starting at 2PM

# # #

State Representative Christine Scanlan (D-Summit County)
State Senator Mike Johnston (D-Denver) will be attending a town hall on teacher and principal effectiveness. Scanlan and Johnston, both education leaders, are hosting a town hall meeting to discuss the Great Teachers and Great Leaders Bill (Senate Bill 191). Rep. Scanlan wants to give schools more flexibility in hiring practices and wants to enable all kids the opportunity to learn.

The town hall will be held on Tuesday, July 13th between 3:00pm and 4:00pm at the Vail Municipal Building located at 75 S. Frontage Rd. in Vail. All area residents are welcome to join them for a conversation about the new law requiring accountability for student success.

Ritter signs biomass bill in Vail
Governor also signs bills that aim to protect wildlife and shelter animals
By LAUREN GLENDENNING

Local government officials are excited about a new state law that promotes biomass energy development that could also be the answer to the local pine- beetle epidemic.

Gov. Bill Ritter signed the bill, among other bills, at Vail's Donovan Pavilion Wednesday as part of his statewide bill-signing tour.

Ritter said risks from the 3 million infested acres of Colorado forests are high, but so are the opportunities to create jobs and encourage the use of alternative fuels. There's currently a biomass facility being proposed in Vail, awaiting the approval of a $26 million Department of Energy grant.

State Sens. Gail Schwartz and Dan Gibbs, along with state Rep. Christine Scanlan, who represents Eagle County, crafted the bill, which would promote biomass-energy development through tax incentives and renewable-energy initiatives.

Scanlan, who was in Washington Wednesday, issued a statement applauding her hopes for the bill.

“Colorado needs a viable, competitive timber industry practicing sustainable forestry,” Scanlan said. “This new law will revitalize the industry so they can clear out dead trees, find a smart way to recycle beetle-kill timber, develop green energy, create new jobs and preserve existing ones.”

Vail fire chief Mark Miller said the bill goes right along with the Town of Vail's forest-health project, which aims to get rid of beetle-kill trees and create a defensible space around the town to protect it from forest fires.

“There's hundreds of thousands of acres of beetle-kill wood — something has to be done with this wood,” Miller said.

White River forest supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams said it's exciting to have this new purpose for removing wood. The removal programs would still go through a public Forest Service process and environmental analysis, but the Forest Service would need to look at the overall projects a little differently, he said, because the purpose of removing the trees is different.

He said it's especially exciting because of the environmental tradeoff — removing the trees would not only protect the forest from fires, but also would remove a lot of the carbon that the dead trees send into the atmosphere.

Miller said there could be conflicts between the bill and the proposed Hidden Gems wilderness proposal, which has yet to reach Congress for a vote. The Forest Service can't remove trees from wilderness areas.

“It's a bit of a quandary, with the wilderness (and the beetle-kill epidemic),” Miller said.

Fitzwilliams said the area near Vail that would pose a problem if Hidden Gems were passed would be the Lower Piney area. He said there aren't many other conflicts because the wilderness proposals are mostly in roadless areas, where the Forest Service wouldn't be logging anyway.

He said there could be a conflict, though, with new technologies coming out that make logging possible without building roads.

Gibbs, who Ritter called one of the state Legislature's main experts on forest health, said the possibility of biomass energy from beetle-kill trees is a great way for the state to turn a negative situation into a positive.

“We're one lightning strike away from a potentially devastating situation here in Colorado,” Gibbs said.

Protecting our Forests

by Sen. Gail Schwartz and Rep. Christine Scanlan

Give a Coloradan the opportunity to speak of his or her favorite pastime, and you'd probably hear of a journey up the mountains to ski, a trip with the family to a state park, or of a leisurely afternoon fishing. We are proud of our state's abundant natural resources and we are proud to protect integrity of those resources. Not only does our landscape present the chance recreate and relax, but more importantly it provides economic prosperity for the state.

As we drive over Berthoud Pass or along I-70, we see lush green pine forests, interspersed with smatterings of dead, decaying trees. In recent years, our mountain communities have been under attack by the pine beetle and Sudden Aspen Decline. These dead and dying trees pose a great threat to the health of Colorado's water, landscape and economy.

In 2002, the Hayman Forest Fire in Southwest Colorado scorched 138,000 acres, causing $40 million in damages to property and watersheds, as the largest fire in state history. Not only does this disaster provide a sobering context to the catastrophic power of forests fires, but it serves as a forewarning for the potential for future fire outbreaks.

Currently, three million acres of dead lodge pole pine exist in the state, including the devastation here in our backyard. A Hayman-style fire in our area would have disastrous implications on jobs and tourism.

So working together in Denver, and with the support of local leaders, we convinced the state to reduce the amount of standing-tree kindling and to take immediate action to prevent fires.

Understanding the threat to our mountain communities, Colorado legislators acted swiftly to ensure the state is better protected thanks to Senate Bill 177.

This week in Vail, Governor Ritter will sign SB 10-177, which we sponsored with Senator Dan Gibbs. This bill addresses the consequences of our dead forests and promotes biomass energy. Chiefly, the bill will expand our renewable energy portfolio to include biomass, while greening our forests, helping our tourism industry and investing our timber industry.

Biomass or any organic matter can be processed into energy for heat, liquid fuels, or power generation. Downed or standing dead timber is a resource which can be combusted directly to produce steam or converted into a gas to power a turbine for electricity, and converted into a fuel oil substitute called bio-oil. In developing our own renewable energy sources, we are reducing our dependence on foreign oil and building our local economies. By example, the Town of Vail and Holy Cross Energy are considering a combined electricity and heat power plant.

SB 177 also streamlines government red-tape in order to promote a sound forestry industry. With SB 177, forestry equipment that is used to harvest woody biomass will benefit from the same tax exemptions that the agriculture industry receives, a necessary step toward promoting the growth in the biomass energy industry.

The Governor's Energy Office forecasts that 200,000 new jobs will be created in the next 20 years from efforts in renewable energy industries, including biomass.

In signing this bill we intend to protect the tourism and the forests that made “colorful Colorado” famous, through good forest management. In 2008, the state's travel and tourism industry produced nearly $11 billion, revenue critical to communities throughout the rural areas of the state. That $11 billion represents Colorado's second leading economic driver and is a necessary factor in keeping our state's budget balanced.

Tourism, timber, and energy are all key to our economy. By protecting our forests, we support industry and protect jobs. By helping the timber industry grow, we create jobs. And by making biomass a viable part of our energy portfolio, we grow jobs, support a new energy sector, protect our environment, and help our mountain communities thrive.

Rep. Christine Scanlan represents House District 56, which includes Summit County. Sen. Gail Schwartz represents Senate District 5, which includes Aspen and Gunnison.

Scanlan, Gibbs testify at forest health hearing in D.C.
Bill would enable the Forest Service to better protect communities and watersheds from catastrophic wildfire, Sen. Udall says
Julie Sutor
Summit County Correspondent
Vail, CO Colorado

Colorado Sen. Dan Gibbs Wednesday afternoon testified in support of federal forest health legislation before a U.S. Senate committee in Washington, D.C.

The bill, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and James Risch (R-Idaho), would provide the U.S. Forest Service with additional administrative tools to protect Western communities impacted by bark beetle outbreaks.

It was Gibbs's second trip to the Capitol for the hearing. It was first scheduled last month, but was canceled at the last minute when Senate Republicans, angry over the passage of health care legislation, used an obscure rule to block a number of hearings by various committees. Gibbs never had a chance to testify during his first visit.

“This has been an expensive couple of trips, but I feel passionately that we do need the federal government to step forward,” Gibbs said. “Hopefully me being out there helped make a compelling case that we need resources to deal with this. ... Sometimes you have to bring awareness to people who don't see these dead trees in their backyards.”

State Rep. Christine Scanlan also traveled to Washington to provide testimony at Wednesday's hearing.

“This bill is incredibly important to Colorado,” Scanlan said. “We are now gaining some real momentum here in Washington.”

Scanlan that new information from the Department of Agriculture makes clear the severity of the risks posed by the bark beetle epidemic, which has spread to 2.9 million acres in Colorado.

During the hearing, Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Harris Sherman said 100,000 dead and dying trees fall every day in Colorado and Wyoming forests impacted by the beetles.

“Blow-down of these trees is not talked about near enough,” Scanlan said.

Falling trees are closing campgrounds, loading fuel near the forest floor, closing roads and threatening infrastructure like power lines, Scanlan said.

According to Udall, the legislation would enable the Forest Service to better protect communities and watersheds from catastrophic wildfire in anticipation of the upcoming fire season.

Both Scanlan and Gibbs used personal funds to travel to Washington for the hearing.

The Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) recognized Rep. Christine Scanlan (D-Summit County) today as one of two Legislators of the Year. Rep. Scanlan was honored at a ceremony this morning at the State Capitol for her support of the youth corps in providing effective solutions to critical land, water and energy issues in Colorado.

“I am grateful to be honored by CYCA, an organization that values and recognizes that youth represents the best future for Colorado,” said Rep. Scanlan. “The Youth Corps is actually the one who should be honored: they continue to effectively engage young people in service to their communities and stewardship of their environment, and I am proud to be a supporter of such an important organization.

Last year, Rep. Scanlan, along with Sen. Kopp, sponsored legislation that encouraged the use of youth corps crews to complete forest restoration, fire mitigation, and beetle kill projects statewide, thereby providing jobs, training, and scholarships to many young people.

Also recognized today were Lieutenant Governor Barbara O’Brien as the 2009 Champion for Youth, Colorado State Parks as Partner of the Year, and Sen. Mike Kopp as the other Legislator of the Year.  

Scanlan: Education Reform: Doing More with Less

by State Rep. Christine Scanlan,
These are difficult times for Colorado families, and for our state. While we all understand the need to reduce our spending and balance the budget, we must make sure we are sharply focused on the issues that matter most as we prepare for the 2010 legislative session. For many of us, what matters most is education.

As I go door to door this summer, every parent I've talked to wants an effective environment for their child to learn, to create and to receive help. It is clear that a quality education is pivotal in determining a child's future. Reforming our public schools must remain our top priority as Colorado rebuilds its labor force and its economy for the 21st century.

The key element to rebuilding Colorado's economy lies with our schools. Sadly, some are under-performing. Our state's graduation rate is about 74 percent — although Summit County's is considerably higher. And too many students continue on without the skills needed to compete in a global economy. In 2008, only about 70 percent of Colorado's 3rd through 10th graders were proficient in reading — and only half are proficient in math.

It's clear to me that our public schools need more and better tools to help our children succeed.

In just the few years that I have been in the Colorado Legislature, we have made some huge strides in education reform. We especially made education a priority during the 2009 session.

• We enacted a significant change that will allow high school students to be enrolled in both high school and community college, earning college credit, if they develop a plan of what they want to do and how they will get there;

• We streamlined systems to increase accountability and improve tracking to show how individual students, not just schools, improve, over time.

• Rather than punishing struggling schools, we changed accountability systems to help provide schools needing a turnaround extra resources and guidance;

• I sponsored the School Finance Act, which rewards low-income schools that boost student performance and allows districts to spend more on programs that work best in their areas;

• We are improving teacher quality by identifying the most effective teachers;

• We increased the amount of unpaid leave working parents are allowed in order to be more involved with their kids' education;

• We established a plan of action for dropout prevention and student reengagement;

• And we expanded the school lunch program for low-income kids.

While we made significant progress, there is still much work to be done.

President Obama recently established a $4.35 billion fund available from the U.S. Department of Education for preschool through post-secondary education reform. This is important for Colorado schools.

The program is called Race to the Top, and states interested in receiving a portion of the money must compete against each other to submit innovative proposals that establish assessment standards, improve teacher effectiveness, and provide intense support for low-performing schools. The reforms we enacted in the past have us well-positioned to win this Race.

Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien has created several public committees working on Race to the Top; we welcome your involvement. Your input is vital to our success, so please attend a committee meeting or submit your ideas in writing. You can find out more at http://www.colorado.gov/ or contact me directly.

I'm proud that I was asked to be a part of the team that will draft and submit the final proposal, so I will put your good ideas to good use.

I hope your children have a wonderful school year!

State Rep. Christine Scanlan represents Summit County in House District 56.

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2009

For more information:
Katie Reinisch 303-866-2774
Rep. Scanlan 970-470-0397
Sen. Gibbs 303-866-4873

COLORADO
MAJORITY COMMUNICATIONS
STATE CAPITOL

New Wildfire-Plan Law Led by Gibbs and Scanlan Goes Into Effect Tomorrow

(DENVER) Wednesday, August 5 marks the day that a number of new laws spearheaded by Democratic legislators and signed by Governor Ritter go into effect. State Representative Christine Scanlan and Senator Dan Gibbs (both D-Summit County) led several vital forest-health bills through the legislative process and are proud to watch the cornerstone bill, Senate Bill 1, become law on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 1 was at the top of Gov. Ritter’s agenda. With his leadership, Sen. Gibbs and Rep. Scanlan crafted a law which will establish comprehensive, locally-led, community wildfire protection plans throughout the state.
"This is an aggressive step forward for Colorado," said Rep. Scanlan. "It's critical legislation, providing state entities, private landowners and local communities assistance in addressing wildfire threats using innovative strategies. This new law will facilitate market-based solutions to help Colorado effectively combat the bark beetle infestation.”

“As a wildland firefighter I know how important community prevention plans are in terms public safety for the citizens of Colorado,” said Sen. Gibbs. “This law will help communities prioritize, prevent, and prepare for wildfires in their area."

# # #

 REP. SCANLAN & SEN. GIBBS TESTIFY IN FRONT OF CONGRESS
Lawmakers: “Federal government must act now to combat bark beetle devastation”

WASHINGTON DC - State Representative Christine Scanlan and State Senator Dan Gibbs, both Summit County legislators, called upon Congress to act immediately to combat Colorado’s mountain pine beetle epidemic. The two lawmakers were part of a historic hearing dedicated to raising awareness about the issue and developing solutions to combat the growing infestation. The hearing included the testimony of local, state and regional officials from across the west, as well as private business owners and representatives from various federal agencies.

“Let us make no mistake: this is not just a local issue. The bark beetle epidemic poses an immediate threat to the United States’ overall security.” said Rep. Scanlan. “Tens of millions of people across the west depend on the water that flows downstream from Colorado, and the electricity that travels over impacted lands.”

Sen.Gibbs, who joined Rep. Scanlan at the hearing, echoed the testimony: “Colorado lawmakers are committed to fighting the fire threat and restoring our forests. However, the need has simply outpaced our financial resources on the state level. It is now incumbent upon the federal government to act.”

In her remarks before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest and Public Lands, Rep. Scanlan called on Congress to:
Increase funding for local, state and federal officials to apply toward fire prevention and suppression
Send President Obama a strong version of the FLAME Act, which would decouple fire prevention and suppression funding, and would continue the “good neighbor” policy that has been so effective
Follow Colorado’s lead to introduce legislation that removes barriers to cross-jurisdictional cooperation, and that encourages public-private collaboration.
Over the next two days, the pair also plan to meet with key members of Congress and their staffs to encourage expanding federal action and developing a viable market for “blue wood” beetle-killed products.

# # #

Rep. Scanlan Leads on Forest Health Issue
Rep. Scanlan will present two significant Wildfire/Bark Beetle bills to the
House Agriculture Committee at 1:30 in HCR 0107... And heads to DC to lobby next week

(DENVER) Today, State Representative Christine Scanlan (D-Summit County) is leading two forest-health bills through the legislative process. And next Wednesday, she’ll lead a delegation to Washington, DC to urge the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Forest Service, Interior Secretary Salazar, the Colorado Congressional delegation and others to address the bark beetle epidemic and forest fire potential – before it’s too late.

Rep. Scanlan will present two bills to the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee at 1:30 in House Committee Room 0107.

With Rep. Steve King (R-Grand Junction), she will present Senate Bill 1, The Community Wildfire Protection Plan. That bill, led through the Senate by Sen. Dan Gibbs (D-Summit County), helps local governments prepare for wildfires so they can respond effectively and efficiently in emergency situations.

Rep. Scanlan says that, “Having a plan and guidelines established before firefighters hit the ground will help save lives and property.”

House Bill 1199 is The Health Forests, Vibrant Communities Act, an omnibus bill which makes a number of significant changes and allocations regarding the management, protection, and use of Colorado's forests, particularly in response to the bark beetle de-forestation and resulting increased risk of forest fires.

Rep. Scanlan describes HB 1199 as “a good step for the state to assist private land owners and local communities address their own wildfire priorities.”

Rep. Scanlan said that she is looking forward to lobbying our federal partners in D.C.

“We must bring to Washington's attention the extreme risk Colorado faces for a catastrophic wildfire in the northern central Rockies,” Rep. Scanlan said. “This is an issue of urgent national importance. The vast majority of beetle kill acreage is on federal lands where critical infrastructure and essential watershed are located.”

Rep. Scanlan is paying for her trip.

VAIL, Colorado —When it comes to gas prices, residents in Colorado’s high country will be the first to admit they feel cheated, paying significantly more at the pump in the Vail Valley and in Summit County than they see in Denver.

To get to the root of the problem, local elected officials invited members of the Colorado Petroleum Marketers Association to the Dillon Town Hall to explain the process behind the pricing.

“Residents have always been concerned about the gas prices in Summit County, and those concerns have been exasperated by the current economy,” said state Rep. Christine Scanlan, a Democrat whose district includes Eagle County.

“I feel like I have never seen us within a nickel of the prices in Denver. ... Not everyone understands why gas would be that much more expensive,” Scanlan said at Monday’s meeting.

Tackling what can sometimes become a volatile topic for many locals, Bill Gallagher with the Petroleum Marketers Association explained that there are numerous factors that contribute to high prices.

“No one except the oil and gas companies, Wall Street and credit-card companies benefited from the recent spike in prices,” Gallagher said. “And while Colorado prices are traditionally lower than the national average, I understand that that is not always the case here in the high country.”

Gallagher went on to explain that while added federal and state taxes are felt nationwide, high country gas retailers have the added burden of paying a freight cost, which can add as much as to five cents a gallon.

Although some who attended the meeting contested that freight costs were nothing more than a worn-out excuse, Gallagher added that it typically costs about $400 per truckload to transport up to Summit County.

“When you consider the cost of the time and the driver, $400 is the value needed to get a return on what it takes to come over the hill,” Gallagher said.

The added cost of doing business in the mountains is another contributor to high gas prices, and it was pointed out that rent at a gas station in Breckenridge was close to $15,000 a month. An identical facility in Denver pays $4,400 a month for rent.

Gas retailers in the High County also have higher starting wages than down on the Front Range, as clerks and managers in Summit County typically make $2 to $4 more in the mountains than gas employees in Denver.

Gallagher also spoke at length about two additional cost contributors that drivers don’t usually consider: Credit-card fees and cold-weather shrinkage.

“Credit-card fees are a hidden cost to all of us,” Gallagher said, adding that 75 percent of gas sales include credit cards. “Last year, A-B Petroleum paid $1,162,00 in credit card fees. ...Those fees are fast becoming a huge burden for retailers.”

Gas retailers in the mountains also have to account for shrinkage when tanks are delivered. As a liquid, gas is delivered to local stations hot, but as it cools, the gas decreases in volume.

“In the winter, retailers lose hundreds of gallons a month,” Gallagher said. “Some is even lost in transit if the truck is traveling in very cold weather.”

Lack of competition within the county is another factor in how individual retailers set their prices, and Scanlan admitted that since Eagle and Summit counties are communities that rely on tourism, “the market will continue to bear the prices.”

I want to extend a warm thank you to each and every one of you for all your hardwork and dedication to my campaign - I would not have won without your support! 

The Summit County Builders Association, in consideration of the thousands of working families living in Summit County, is proud to support the following candidates in their bid for election. The SCBA, through its Political Committee, Summit Builders Political Committee, has endorsed the following candidates for the 2008 General Election. Each candidate’s name is a hyperlink to their campaign website - we encourage you to learn more about each of these candidates and to contribute directly to their campaigns.

Colorado House

House District 56

Vote for Christine Scanlan

• Works hard to find solutions to tough problems.
• Strong position on construction defect legislation.
• Proponent of careful consideration of all I-70 traffic and funding solutions
• Strong proponent of pine beetle / wildfire mitigation efforts

 At first I thought Thursday’s endorsement of Republican Ali Hasan for the House District 56 seat had to be an errant reprint of the Vail Daily’s hilarious annual April Fool’s edition. (See article here)

After first admitting their editorial board was deeply conflicted (as well they should be), the Daily then demonstrated it’s deeply confused about the qualities that constitute an effective lawmaker.

Despite incumbent Democrat Christine Scanlan of Dillon successfully passing 11 bills in her very short stint in the state House since replacing Rep. Dan Gibbs – most of them focused on educational and environmental issues, including beetle kill and water quality laws – the Daily said Scanlan fits into the “Denver woodwork.”

Huh? Those sound like pretty critical issues to mountain dwellers. Hasan’s big gimmick? Mountain monorail. I’m as supportive of mass transit along the I-70 corridor as the next guy, but his claim that he can pull it off with mostly private funding and fees assessed to lift tickets (oh, and maybe a little bit of a tax increase) is naïve at best.

Scanlan has been part of the coalition that has been working tirelessly for years to build consensus all along the corridor, and the plan that emerged from that group (some widening in bottlenecks critical to the trucking industry, more chain-up areas, a promise not to six-lane through Clear Creek County) actually put mass transit back on the table after the Owens’ administration steadfastly refused to even consider mountain rail.

Now a rail study is in the works by the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority that will lay out all the available technologies, potential ridership, optimal station and line layout and all the funding options.

To think Hasan, at age 28, will be able to waltz into the Capitol and get lawmakers to sign off on a massive funding package or ballot question asking voters statewide to build a multi-billion-dollar mass transit line that primarily benefits ski country (and, of course, Front Range skiers) is ludicrous.

Scanlan fought hard to defeat tolling measures that could have crippled tourism in the mountains, instead focusing on getting back to the state House and doing the hard work of putting a comprehensive transportation-funding package together that will provide money for I-70 fixes, statewide infrastructure needs and, down the road, a realistic mass transit plan.

The Daily also argued that Democrats have been ineffective since taking control of the Legislature in 2004 (remember, two of those years the obstructionist Owens was in the governor’s mansion), but I’m pleased with the direction the state is taking, developing a new-energy economy that will put us as the forefront of the renewable industry for decades to come and bringing environmental issues and climate change to the forefront of the state debate.

Meanwhile, conservatives’ main complaint is about the Legislature’s mill-levy freeze, which would have pumped increased property taxes (stemming, of course, from increased values) into our badly underfunded public-education system. A judge ruled that move constitutional but the case is being appealed, and Coloradans continue to enjoy some of the lowest property tax rates in the nation while our schools suffer.

Scanlan heads the Keystone Center in Summit County, a nonprofit environmental education and conflict-resolution organization. She and her husband have raised three daughters in the high-priced high country. She knows how hard it is to make ends meet up here; she knows the challenges of keeping our local schools not just afloat but competitive; and she has demonstrated good fiscal judgment and nonpartisan consensus-building skills in tough economic times.

Hasan has consistently demonstrated very poor judgment throughout his campaign, from his tumultuous relationship with his ex-girlfriend and publicist, a former Vail Daily reporter, to his selection of loose-cannon gadfly Kaye Ferry as his campaign manager to comments that he would remain celibate through the election.

The record amount of money Hasan has spent on the race, more than twice what the most expensive state House races typically cost, is another strike against his judgment and serves as a warning that working within tight state budgets might not be his strength.

Finally, the Vail Daily admits Hasan come across as “loony” and that their own endorsement could be construed as “crazy,” but what’s really crazy is the $71,000 the paper has collected from Hasan in advertising. The most expensive state House races of all time have come in around $100,000, and Hasan has spent more than two-thirds of that in one newspaper.

In the interest of full disclosure, Scanlan’s campaign is paying this site $1,200 for advertising (including building the ad you see on this site and on the Vail Daily site). We offered Hasan the opportunity to advertise, but he told us Ferry advised him not to.

That’s fine, but even if Hasan had outspent Scanlan 70 to 1 in advertising on our site, we wouldn’t have endorsed him. Consider this the official RealVail.com endorsement for Scanlan. No need to call us crazy.

•    I have become a leader on the bark beetle epidemic, sponsoring and passing bark-beetle bills SB71, SB221, and HB1269; I have convened an action-oriented task force which met with experts, toured affected sites, and quickly created 7 new legislative solutions to the problem; and recently, I led a delegation to Washington to get millions in federal funds and to demand action.

Check out these great tips!

Whether your child is a first-timer or a seasoned pro, back-to-school time can be stressful for families. In my work with educators in Summit County, I have witnessed how parental involvement and influence helps children succeed in school. Here are some ways you can help your child succeed this school year:

1. Homework haven

Help your child develop good homework and study habits by creating an area that is consistently used for doing homework. Set aside a regular time that is strictly for doing school work, far away from the television! If you don’t have a place at home free from distractions, become a regular at your nearest library.

2. Shut-eye

Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep. Research shows that kids who get enough sleep (10-11 hours for kids ages 5-12) are more successful in school. Re-establish a permanent bedtime if you became lax over the summer.

3. Brain food

Make sure your child eats a good breakfast and packs a nutritious lunch. Make lunches the night before, and use this time to talk about healthy foods. Younger children, in particular, need to adapt to new meal routines before the school day demands it of them.

4. Set a good example

Show your child how much you like reading, or talk about math and measuring when you’re making a recipe together. Read aloud to each other instead of watching television. Talk about the book each of you are reading, and show genuine enthusiasm for their comments. Remember that children can learn anywhere, anytime.

5. Talk to each other

Talk to your kids as much as you can about what they are learning in school. They may say they don’t like it, but it shows your child that you value their education. On a car ride home or on a family walk, take the time to show interest in their learning. You will soon find out what interests them most, and then encourage them to explore those subjects.

6. Organize

Ease back-to-school anxiety by being prepared. Help your child to lay out her clothes and pack her backpack the night before. Keep calendars with important dates in a place where everyone in the family can see.

7. Get your child involved

Encourage your child to register for fun and educational extracurricular programs. Find out if your school or community offers an after-school activity that would interest your child. From pottery and art classes to reading clubs and soccer practices, there are many opportunities for your child.

8. Get yourself involved

Evidence suggests that students’ success stems in part from their families’ involvement in their school. When parents and teachers are in touch, children are more likely to do well in school. And when parents are heavily involved with schools, children’s academic performance vastly improves. Involve yourself in the academic community: Volunteer, join the PTA and stay in touch with your child’s teacher.

9. Be flexible

Be flexible in the first weeks back. School can be a long day for a young person, and getting back into routine after a long summer break can be exhausting.

10. Get help

Offer your help if your child is struggling, but don’t do all the work for them. Tutors can be a good alternative.

Happy Learning!

Come Join Christine as she hangs out with the locals on Friday before and during the rodeo and then on Saturday at the dunk tank.   

Our campaign participated in the fun filled parade in Gypsum.  It was wonderful seeing all the residents, children and parade participants along the streets of Gypsum.  Thank you to all of those who participated.