Category Archives: 2023

Liberty Rocks Hosts CCSD-1 School Board Candidates

 

by Fred Hernandez
That this event was considered of paramount importance to most of the community was clearly evident in the sell out audience that came to hear the six candidates vying for a seat on the Custer County School District board. It was close to eighty friends and neighbors in a “standing-room-only” attendance on Thursday evening, October 19th, at Tony’s Mountain Pizza when Chairwoman Ann Barthrop called the meeting to order a little after the six o’clock hour, immediately after the standard Pledge of Allegiance and group singing America
Dr. Ann Willson did her familiar invocation quoting, from the book “Prayers and Presidents”. This time she quoted President Warren G. Harding from his speech during American Education Week Proclamation on November 20, 1922.
“Without a vision the people perish ( from Pr. 29:18). Without education, there can be little vision. Of education it is said that ‘It is twice blest; it blesseth him that gives and him that takes’. It will be greatly worth the effort if, as an incident to the observance of Education Week, we can impress this thought upon the young manhood and womanhood of the nation and redirect their interest and patriotic zeal to the idea of making a proper contribution to educational work. The strength and security of the nation will always rest in the intelligent body of its people. Civic organizations and religious bodies may render special service by their cooperation; and particularly it is recommended that parents enlist themselves in behalf of closer understanding between school and home.”
Sage words indeed and a most appropriate quotation for the evening’s program.


Chairwoman Ann then briefly announced that the BOCC had arranged for speakers to do a presentation at Lange Hall on Proposition HH on Friday, October 20th.
In the interest of space and time, the over two hours meeting has
been edited to feature the salient points made by individual candidates and to capture the essence of their core beliefs. The order in which the candidates were called was picked randomly.

First up was Daniel Gasper, currently Shop Manager at Custer County Road and Bridge who apologized for not being a public speaker but shared his passion for the importance of maintaining a high standard for the school’s performance.

The next was Ms. Erin McCarthy, daughter of candidate Joseph McCarthy who regrettably but unavoidably had to go out of town. Erin is the mother of four children two of whom go to the local school. She read a letter penned by her father who expressed his sadness at some of the problems besetting the school and what steps needed to be taken going forward in order to address them in a positive manner. (The letter is on page 3 of this week’s issue.)
Third candidate was Regina “Reggie” Foster who gave a brief background of her experiences, in particular communications and team building, which she would apply if elected to the board.
The next candidate to introduce himself was Jeremy Hockett who cited his experience and training while he was in the U.S. Navy for over a decade where he learned to be an instructor and thus able to offer that training and experience.
Dr. Linda Brown, the write-in candidate, has a doctorate degree, a masters degree and has been a teacher, home school teacher, school founder and has given presentations in Oxford and Barcelona. She is a national trainer at the Northwest Evaluation Association which provides training for trainers and traveled throughout the country teaching trainers. This organization provides data on specific tests for each state which is an important tool that shows where there may be “holes” in the curriculum and thus making it possible to adjust the curriculum in a timely manner for the benefit of the students.
The sixth candidate Jennifer Kriegh is an active parent and currently a volunteer at the school. She spoke eloquently about the need for a school board member to be a good listener to the teachers, the students and, equally important, the parents. Moreover, she goes on, board members have to be accessible at all times and totally transparent most especially when it comes to the budget.
Chairwoman Barthrop then went to the questions starting with; How many board of education meetings have you attended and what motivated you to run? Both candidates Foster and Kriegh said they could count on one hand the board meetings they missed indicating that they attended the majority of meetings and they are motivated to run for the sake of their children’s good education which to them is of great importance. The next question was, “What are the three educational priorities that in a perfect world you would try to achieve and how will you achieve these?”
Candidate Gasper for his part sees how the school is changing due to politics and he wants to keep politics out of the school, retain the rural values of this community and improve communications and transparency. Candidate Foster stated that the school has wonderful teachers but they lack the tools to do the best job. She went on to say that teachers need to be heard when they express their needs and there is an urgent need to address the problem of teacher retention. Jeremy Hockett in his turn asked why prayer is not allowed in school when other agendas are tolerated? He spoke of the aging community and the need to make it attractive for younger residents with children to move into the county.
What was most evident through-out the give and take between candidates and Chairwoman Ann, who served as moderator, were
the following: the candidates were all in agreement that transparency is seriously lacking and needs to be improved. Another issue that needs immediate improvement is communications between the board and teachers, staff members and parents. There is also the issue of the lack of accountability which all the candidates agree needs to be addressed as a priority.
After a brief break, the audience was invited to address the candidates who were sitting side by side on the dais. Most noteworthy was the question raised by resident Mr. Len Arrigo who stated that he had heard a lot of rhetoric but nothing about the truly important concerns that the public have such as: parental rights, boys in girls sports, transgenderism, legalization of marijuana. Once again all the candidates were in almost perfect sync. Everyone agreed that parents have the ultimate right to teach their children according to their values and the values which the community holds dear. All candidates oppose [catering to] transgenderism and agree that as a general rule boys should not be allowed to play in girls sports.
From the more than two hour discourse one could conclude that this crop of candidates for the next school board are passionately committed to improve the overall performance of the school in general and of every child in particular. Everyone of the candidates individually brings their unique talents and qualifications to the contest. It will be challenging for the voting public to make the decision to choose the best combination of three members for the new board. We wish all candidates the best in their campaign.

 

Fremont County School Board Candidates

 

Thomas Wenzl  click here. This will take you to the Fremont Crusader Newspaper’s interview.  Or read Below.

Graceann Pittner click here. This will take you to the Fremont Crusader Newspaper. Or read Below.

Matthew Alexander click here. This will take you to the Fremont Crusader Newspaper. Or read Below.

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Thomas Wenzl, School Board Candidate for Cañon City RE-1

It is very important that a school board functions intentionally to strike a balance between the interests of the school district and the interests, and dialog with, the parents, grandparents and community that elected them. The school board works for its electors. The school board is a checks and balance between the two bodies to maintain fairness for all, even while adhering to any legal requirements. It would be incredibly useful to create opportunities for school board members, and other school administrators to meet informally with parents, and community members throughout the school year to dialogue with one another; feeling heard and understood.

The school board, by its own policies, makes a commitment to ‘reflect the values of the community.’ This should apply to curriculum, financial and policy related values. In these areas, the buck stops with the school board directors.

In terms of everything taught; be it lesson plans, programs or surveys, the school board is terminally responsible for all this content. Yet many parents don’t have access to much of this content, and therefore, the lack of transparency of the things taught, leaves parents wondering if it indeed reflects their family values. Controversial topics, restorative justice practices, and material driven by Social Emotional Learning (SEL), or diversity, equity and inclusion(DEI) should be reviewable and/or approvable by parents before being taught.

Financial records are also an area of interest to the community. The school district pays a lot of entities which go by a set of acronyms. As a taxpayer myself, I’m concerned as to how tax dollars are being spent, what is the school district getting for their dollars? Does the curriculum or programming make the students better educated in things like math, reading, science, chemistry or history? Are the outcomes for this educational content, paid for by the school district, measurable? Does the content reflect the family values of the parents and community? Considering the buzz words above; SEL, DEI, which the school district teaches, and because the merit of these movements is controversial in society, understanding where, and why the money is spent toward these areas is important to parents and the community.

In terms of policies, the school district generally does a fine job of meeting legal obligations. There are a couple of policies that have caught my attention, however. In the revised Mission Statement, the school district has placed, once again, an emphasis on social-emotional needs, while saying almost nothing about academic achievement.

Essentially, the measures of success are unmeasurable attributes. In an educational institution, academic achievement should take prominence. Another policy that got a lot of attention from parents and the community, was what became the transgender guidelines. The school board determined that, upon its publication, the legal requirements had been met. But what about the students in the locker rooms who are uncomfortable, traumatized or fearful, having to share those private spaces? Until students, parents and school employees all feel that a mutually acceptable environment is created, and everyone feels safe, the work is not finished!

While the school district rightfully takes pride in highlighting the accomplishments and opportunities of the graduates who have pursued trade fields and taken advantage of the dual college enrollment options, it’s important to remember that attaining a solid foundation in core academic skills, including mathematics, reading and writing at grade-appropriate levels, is equally important. By equipping students with these essential skills, we empower them to thrive in various aspects of life, preventing any form of limitation on their future opportunities. Job preparation is highly valuable, but the more math, reading and writing that a student learns, the more opportunities they will have in the future.

Thomas grew up on a farm and learned responsibilities at a young age. Thomas and his wife Carol have seven children and seven grandchildren. Together they served as the Friday night cooks at the local homeless shelter, Loaves & Fishes for seven years, and were foster parents, providing a safe home for 31 needy children. Two of which they gave a forever home through adoption. Thomas has lived in Cañon City since 1995.

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Graceann Pittner, School Board Candidate for Cañon City RE-1

There are terrific things happening in our school district: alternative vocational/technical programs, dual credit college programs and the Multi-District Initiative by which students have access to specialized programs in RE-1, RE-2 and RE-3. We want to build on these programs to offer our students many different pathways to a successful future. However, to say everything is great, is to ignore the areas that need improvement. We can celebrate all the wonderful things about our students, teachers, and schools and work to improve things at the same time. We realize if we fail to provide a strong foundation of reading, writing, math and basic learning skills, if we fail to raise the bar of expectations, and if we fail to give students the tools to meet challenges, then we are failing our students.

I am running for the school board in answer to a call from community members who have an interest in being involved with their local schools to make important decisions and have their voices heard. Parents want to be allowed to raise their children according to their own values and want schools to concentrate on simply educating them. The school board serves as the bridge between the community and the schools by providing oversight and direction. They have the specific duties of developing responsible policies, overseeing the educational planning, staffing, financial resources, and facilities that will ensure the educational welfare of all Cañon City students, and “providing adequate and direct means for keeping the local citizenry informed about the schools and for keeping itself informed about the wishes of the public.” It is this last point, a direct quote from our RE-1 Board Policy BBA that highlights the greatest contrast between the ‘We the Parents’ candidates and the others.

You deserve absolute transparency regarding the education of your children. You have the right to advocate for policies and curriculum that will benefit your children. I am concerned about the amount of money that is spent purchasing initiatives that offer ‘solutions’ to deal with social emotional learning, bullying and mental health, many of which have built-in, preconceived ideologies that are in direct opposition to the beliefs and values of many of the parents and families in our community. I believe we would be better served to work with our school counselors, psychologists, teachers and parents to create long-term systems to help deal with the rising number of students who are struggling in school. We have talented, caring people right here in our district who have the institutional knowledge to rebuild programs that disappeared when funds dried up after the 2008-09 recession, programs such as Garden Park High School and the Bridges program at CCMS. There are different ways to deliver education to our children that will help them thrive. I agree with Madeline Hunter (acclaimed educator) when she said, “Expecting all children the same age to learn from the same materials is like expecting all children the same age to wear the same size clothing.”

Because of my business background (banking, real estate, and small business), and my 40+ years working with children (22 years teaching) in five different school districts in three different states, I have seen successful ways to deal with the problems we are currently experiencing. Do I have all the answers – no – but I have the experience and commitment to work with those in our school community who can and will work toward positive solutions.

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 Matt Alexander     School Board Candidate for Cañon City RE-1

Every parent’s desire is that our children will have a better life than we did. That they will reach new levels of success, be smarter and have a better education. That is why I, Matthew Alexander, chose to run for the Canon City School Board. I am a fourth generation native of Colorado and founder of Moon Rock Landscaping. Prior to that I have worked both in blue-collar and white-collar fields. I have served in ministry in inner city Chicago working with both youth and adults in underserved communities. A resident in Cañon since 2006, I have served the community from being a youth pastor to a Rec Sports coach, chairman for the Head Start Policy Council and happily served on board of the CCHS Band Boosters. As a business owner, entrepreneur and a parent of three kids, two having graduated Cañon City Public Schools and one currently a sophomore in High School, I am poised to offer sensible parental representation on the school board.

It is essential to understand that our education system has been on the decline locally and nationally for some time now. Liberals have had the majority of control in public education for a long time and we are seeing the results of a failed liberal education. It is time to get back to a fundamental education that is not tied to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the negative parts of Social Emotional Learning, Critical Race Theory, Comprehensive Sex Education or attempts to show a left leaning bias in the classroom or curriculum.

My opponents would have you believe that I am bringing some ideas that are going to “turn classrooms into political battlefields.” That they are listening to parents and are better suited to work with administration and staff. That they are going to keep politics out of the classroom. These are the very things that I have been talking about, not at the finish line to garner votes, but from the beginning of my campaign.

I have been talking to the community, teachers, parents, students. I know what people are saying. They want fewer excuses and better results. I recently sat listening to a school board work session as they discussed CMAS testing results and SAT scores in Cañon City, as group after group showed continued decline, no questions were asked. As it was discussed in a certain elementary school, that third grade students were 1/2 a grade level behind in reading, fourth graders 3/4 grade level behind. Fifth graders were a full grade level behind, again not one single board member asked why or asked what was being done to fix this or even discussed ideas for bettering our system. As a businessman, I plan and analyze how to improve work performance, better customer service, employee relations and more. The school board should be doing the exact same thing. Working with teachers and administration to make sure that the education is improving and not settling for the status quo.

When elected by the community as the right choice for Students, Parents, Teachers and community members, I promise I will work harder than anyone else to better our education system. When my opponents say we will keep politics out of schools, what they are truly saying is we will keep conservative politics out of schools. I will keep ALL political indoctrination out. I ran for YOU, the parents, to have control over what your kids are reading and what they are being taught. I ran for YOU, the parents, to have the control over your children’s beliefs in religion, politics, mental health, physical health, gender or sexuality decisions. These are all private matters and should be between you, your kids, counselors, ministers and family. It is not the school’s responsibility to be involved in these matters. Let’s get back to letting teachers teach and letting kids learn.

 

The Infamous June 29, 2023 BOCC ES, A Window Into Corrupt Government

The Infamous June 29, 2023
BOCC Executive Session

A Window Into Corrupt Government

by George Gramlich, News and Commentary
Sangre de Cristo Sentinel

Some background: Earlier this year Custer County Commissioners Kevin Day and Tom Flower pushed to dramatically change the structure of our county government by adding a whole new, all powerful, layer of government to our small structure: That is creating the position of a County Manager (CM) who basically would run the whole show. Apparently, Day and Flower thought that the job they were elected to do was overwhelming and they didn’t have enough time to attend meetings around the state with our bureaucrats and elected officials begging for money. So, they wanted somebody to do their work for them.

Well, that didn’t go well with the citizens of Happy Valley and they made a huge stink. Day called a workshop meeting, and the citizens flattened him and Flower. Commissioner Canda volunteered to form a study group on that idea and to also review the entire county government structure and function. Day and Flower then backed off waiting until Canda’s study group gave their report.

Continue reading The Infamous June 29, 2023 BOCC ES, A Window Into Corrupt Government

BOCC Double Header Oct 3 & 4

News and Commentary
The 10.3.23 BOCC:
The October 3, 2023 meeting of the Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) started at 1 p.m. in their royal throne room. All three commissioners were present: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and Lucas Epp.
In Commissioner Comments, Canda gave an update on our local “rabbit ears” two TV channels that broadcast from a local mountain to the peasants in Happy Valley. He said he met with chief engineers of both stations and that there is no written contract between them and the county and also there is no law forcing them to maintain broadcast translators for us. Canda says they are both looking around for used equipment that they would give us or we would have to buy our own. He is scheduling a meeting with the stations general managers to further explore options.
Canda is also going to schedule a meeting with a property tax expert and our assessor to discuss options and strategies on reducing our property tax mill levies due to the astronomical increase in property valuations.
Len Arrigo was first up in Public Comments. He wanted to know what controls were in place to monitor out-of-cycle (OOC) checks as it appears Finance cut a check for the fired County Manager for $30k (severance pay per contract which Day had inserted into the contract) and it was not reviewed or ok’d by a commissioner. He said he is going to do a CORA request to get a copy of the check.
In New Business, Day introduced a resolution to release the audio of the BOCC Executive Session (ES) on August 31, 2023 where the commissioners discussed the few resumes that were submitted for the County Manager position. (Remember Day restricted the resume submission period to only five days to minimize anybody decent submitting a resume so News and Commentary
The 10.3.23 BOCC:
The October 3, 2023 meeting of the Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) started at 1 p.m. in their royal throne room. All three commissioners were present: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and Lucas Epp.
In Commissioner Comments, Canda gave an update on our local “rabbit ears” two TV channels that broadcast from a local mountain to the peasants in Happy Valley. He said he met with chief engineers of both stations and that there is no written contract between them and the county and also there is no law forcing them to maintain broadcast translators for us. Canda says they are both looking around for used equipment that they would give us or we would have to buy our own. He is scheduling a meeting with the stations general managers to further explore options.
Canda is also going to schedule a meeting with a property tax expert and our assessor to discuss options and strategies on reducing our property tax mill levies due to the astronomical increase in property valuations.
Len Arrigo was first up in Public Comments. He wanted to know what controls were in place to monitor out-of-cycle (OOC) checks as it appears Finance cut a check for the fired County Manager for $30k (severance pay per contract which Day had inserted into the contract) and it was not reviewed or ok’d by a commissioner. He said he is going to do a CORA request to get a copy of the check.
In New Business, Day introduced a resolution to release the audio of the BOCC Executive Session (ES) on August 31, 2023 where the commissioners discussed the few resumes that were submitted for the County Manager position. (Remember Day restricted the resume submission period to only five days to minimize anybody decent submitting a resume so  the job. Even with his weak resume.) Day said that since the meeting discussed resumes from people who were not a “finalist”, then the law says the recording can’t get released. (Remember, Day and Flower only chose Wilson as the only finalist so no other resumes could be released. Canda wanted “Candidate G” as a finalist but Day and Flower shot it down.)
After much commissioner and County Attorney gabbing, citizen Nadine Peterson spoke up and suggested that the BOCC have the meeting transcribed and leave out any resume info. Citizen Bill Parker then spoke up against the three minute time limit Day is imposing on us citizens’ comments.
Canda then spoke up and said this was the first time he saw a three minute time limit on the Agenda itself and said, “Kevin, you put that there. We didn’t vote on it. The people have a right to make their case, especially for a small county like us.” He also said we should release a copy today of the blood money check that Wilson got. Later on, citizen Steven Wilcox said the commissioner should vote on having a three minute comment limit and he wants that on as an agenda item for the next meeting.
There then was a big discussion on the controls and protocols for OCC checks with citizens demanding answers from Day. Epp said he would look into that and Canda noted that it was his understanding that big OOC checks needed approval.
And that was that.

The 10.4.23 BOCC:
The October 4th BOCC meeting started at 9 a.m. in their throne room. In Commissioner Items, Canda continued the local TV transmitting issue stating that a new VFR translator costs around $13k and we would need two of them. He is going to meet with the two TV station chief engineers about them installing and maintaining them. Continue reading BOCC Double Header Oct 3 & 4

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE – Dan Gasper

Interview by Fred Hernandez
A native of the Centennial State, Dan Gasper was born in a family of five siblings and raised in Denver where he grew up and graduated from McClain High School. He then attended Warren Occupational Technical School where he special-ized in mechanics. Following in his father’s footsteps, he went to work for a GMC dealership and became an expert in his field. After twenty years of service he retired and in 2019, he moved to Custer County where he has many family members. He first worked for D&W Services LLC before accepting a position as Shop Manager for Custer County Road and Bridge. As the manager of the shop, he oversees all aspects of repair and maintenance of vehicles and all other equipment owned by the county from heavy equipment to chain saws, trucks, cars, ATV’s and all other machinery and equipment of the various departments of the county including the Sheriff’s Department, Airport, Wetmore Division, Office of Emergency Management and more. He is married to Breanna who is Administration and a Victim Advocate at the Sheriff’s Office.
Dan is a typical, hardworking, family man, father, uncle and friend. A traditional American who believes in his country and the values that it was founded on. As a father of a sixteen-year-old boy attending the local school, and having firsthand experience with what is going on in big city schools, he is concerned that what is taking place in the big cities may be making its way into the rural areas. He wants to be in the right place to prevent that from happening. While he admits that there is always room for improvement, he does not believe that the local school is moving in the wrong direction. In fact, he can see that his son is doing well, enjoys the sports programs, has good friends and gets along well with all his peers. He notes that some of the teachers are actually exceptional and have great relationships with students.
By his own admission, Dan is not a politician and wants as much as possible to keep all politics out of the school. He is a good listener, is honest and speaks his mind. However, he is quick to say that he does not speak until he knows all the facts, until he has done his own research and verified the issues. Dan does not have any agenda except to keep the school in the right direction and on that subject, he is quick to add that for those who do have an agenda, there are other places where they can go. He does not believe that changes have to be made for the entire school to accommodate a few.
Dan Gasper is concerned for the welfare of his son, his nephews and those of his friends, neighbors and fellow citizens. He wants the best for all children according to the values we all share as citizens of this great nation. We wish Dan all the best in his campaign for the school board.

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE – Jennifer Kriegh

Interview by Fred Hernandez

Jennifer Kriegh

Born in the town of Wakita and raised in Enid, a town in North Central Oklahoma, Jennifer attended Chisholm High School (the farm school located outside of town) and Wichita State University. She got her work ethic from her parents. Her father was a corporate pilot and her step-mom was a D.A. Always a worker, even in her school days, she sometimes held three jobs. She has lots of experience in a multitude of disciplines from the service industry to management. After college she worked for a commercial flooring contractor where she estimated and project managed flooring projects for schools, hospitals and commercial buildings. In 2008, she began her real estate career. Jennifer’s love for teaching began when she was recruited by a large brokerage firm (450 agents) to be the Director of Education for their real estate school, where she taught, wrote curriculum, and had a dozen instructors reporting to her.
Six years ago, the Kriegh family moved to Custer County. Today, Jennifer is the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the county and concurrently assists the Manager of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). In addition, she already is connected to the school district as the Chairperson of the School/District Accountability Committee. This a statutory committee that is made up of parents, community members, staff and the principal. This group reviews and provides recommendations about spending, curriculum, school performance, turn around plans, and school principal evaluation. Jennifer also brings a unique perspective to the position of school board member not only as a parent of children who attended the school but also in that at one time she was a full time employee of the school helping out in the IT Department as well as a substitute teacher; and coach of the middle school boys and girls basketball teams.
During the interview with the Sentinel, Jennifer revealed some of her core beliefs when it comes to the education of children. First and foremost children should experience consequences for non-performance and be awarded for excellence. In her opinion the school was doing relatively well pre-covid but suffered much during the lockdowns. The standards degraded due to the way it was handled. When the curriculum were not designed to be in an online format and teachers have to completely redo their lesson plans and goals with little to no time, this causes challenges for the students. In addition, kids learn from each other and without this interaction, learning is stifled. This lack of social interaction causes, in some cases, depression, agitation and other traits from being unable to be with others of the same age. New challenges were created that need to be focused on to bring the school district back to the higher standards it once enjoyed. As far as curriculum is concerned, Jennifer does not believe the school should allow teaching an “agenda”. To protect our children, we must have the same rules, guidelines, and expectations for all. In today’s world, there are so many different social accommodations that activists want to make normal; however, this is at the detriment of the majority. She would argue that there are many options for parents if they believe the curriculum is not in the best interest of their child, but do not insist on changing the whole school just for a few. The school needs to treat everyone equally. Bottom line is to teach facts. The goal should be to achieve excellence in reading, writing and math. Music, sports, and other extracurricular activities are also important. These provide our children another way to prepare for the world they will find when they graduate. This could be understanding time management, learning how to be a part of a team, or simply to be a carrot rather than the stick to encourage hard work in their other studies. We wish Jennifer the best of everything as she campaigns for Custer County School Board. Interview by Fred Hernandez
Born in the town of Wakita and raised in Enid, a town in North Central Oklahoma, Jennifer attended Chisholm High School (the farm school located outside of town) and Wichita State University. She got her work ethic from her parents. Her father was a corporate pilot and her step-mom was a D.A. Always a worker, even in her school days, she sometimes held three jobs. She has lots of experience in a multitude of disciplines from the service industry to management. After college she worked for a commercial flooring contractor where she estimated and project managed flooring projects for schools, hospitals and commercial buildings. In 2008, she began her real estate career. Jennifer’s love for teaching began when she was recruited by a large brokerage firm (450 agents) to be the Director of Education for their real estate school, where she taught, wrote curriculum, and had a dozen instructors reporting to her.
Six years ago, the Kriegh family moved to Custer County. Today, Jennifer is the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the county and concurrently assists the Manager
of the Office of Emergency
Management (OEM). In addition, she already is connected to the school district as the Chairperson of the School/District Accountability Committee. This a statutory committee that is made up of parents, community members, staff and the principal. This group reviews and provides recommendations about spending, curriculum, school performance, turn around plans, and school principal evaluation. Jennifer also brings a unique perspective to the position of school board member not only as a parent of children who attended the school but also in that at one time she was a full time employee of the school helping out in the IT Department as well as a substitute teacher; and coach of the middle school boys and girls basketball teams.
During the interview with the Sentinel, Jennifer revealed some of her core beliefs when it comes to the education of children. First and foremost children should experience consequences for non-performance and be awarded for excellence. In her opinion the school was doing relatively well pre-covid but suffered much during the lockdowns. The standards degraded due to the way it was handled. When the curriculum were not designed to be in an online format and teachers have to completely redo their lesson plans and goals with little to no time, this causes challenges for the students. In addition, kids learn from each other and without this interaction, learning is stifled. This lack of social interaction causes, in some cases, depression, agitation and other traits from being unable to be with others of the same age. New challenges were created that need to be focused on to bring the school district back to the higher standards it once enjoyed. As far as curriculum is concerned, Jennifer does not believe the school should allow teaching an “agenda”. To protect our children, we must have the same rules, guidelines, and expectations for all. In today’s world, there are so many different social accommodations that activists want to make normal; however, this is at the detriment of the majority. She would argue that there are many options for parents if they believe the curriculum is not in the best interest of their child, but do not insist on changing the whole school just for a few. The school needs to treat everyone equally. Bottom line is to teach facts. The goal should be to achieve excellence in reading, writing and math. Music, sports, and other extracurricular activities are also important. These provide our children another way to prepare for the world they will find when they graduate. This could be understanding time management, learning how to be a part of a team, or simply to be a carrot rather than the stick to encourage hard work in their other studies. We wish Jennifer the best of everything as she campaigns for Custer County School Board.

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE – Linda Brown

Interview by Fred Hernandez
Dr. Linda Brown was born and initially raised in Texas City on the Gulf Coast of the Lone Star state. After graduating from High School she proceeded to assemble a truly impressive number of degrees, certifications and skills including a Doctorate
of Educational Leadership- Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana (Minor in Technology); Specialist
Degree in Educational Leadership-Chadron State
College, Chadron, Nebraska (Minor in Technology); Masters of Education in Computers-Lesley College, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Cum Laude); Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education-University of Colorado (with honors). Her imposing computer skills alone are noteworthy; include Claris Works (Macintosh), WordPerfect and Microsoft Office, HyperStudio, Prezi, Power Point, Adobe Premiere, iMovie, Microsoft Movie Maker (Video capture and editing), WebPages production, Robotics programming (various products/programs), MicroWorlds, Visual Basics, and HTML. Dr. Linda Brown has over two dozen honors and presentations.
Her work experience is no less impressive to say the least. She founded and administered a Christian school in the early 1980s, she was a homeschool teacher, elementary teacher, middle school teacher, an instructor in a community college, a director of technology and media, an instructor (two different universities at two different times,) became an elementary principal and director of technology and media, assistant superintendent, a national trainer at Northwest Evaluation Association providing training to trainers. More recently Dr. Linda was National Core Faculty/ Instructor at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for ten years. The family moved to Montana and she worked as an Instructor at Little Big Horn College in Crow Agency for five years. From 2006 to 2010 she was the Superintendent of Wyola School District in Wyola, Montana. Being married to a U.S. Military career officer explains her transfers to different parts of the country. In 2010,
they were back in Nebraska where she worked as Asst. Professor at Chadron State College until 2014 when she became Associate Professor in the same college until January 2023.
In addition to all her academic achievements and extensive hands-on experience, Linda is a mother who home schooled six children, one of them with special needs. There is virtually no aspect of a child’s educational needs from the basics to the more complex, that is not covered under the training, education and practical experience of Dr. Linda Brown. Academically speaking, her credentials are impeccable, her vast hands-on experience difficult to match and she feels she could be a real asset to the local school district, especially with her extensive knowledge of curriculum and Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) test data usage which will be gainfully applied to improve students’ performance. Linda invites you all to her website for more details and information: https://sites.google.com/view/dr-linda-brown-custer-school.
Linda Brown is a write-in candidate. You are also invited to a Meet and Greet at Sugarlump on the corner of Main Street and 2nd Street in downtown Westcliffe on Tuesday, October 17th from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Come and meet Linda, get to know her. We wish her all the best in her campaign for the school board.

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE-Joseph McCarthy

Interview by Fred Hernandez

“The new school board needs a member with a clear vision, business background and leadership ability.” With that statement Mr. Joseph McCarthy announced his keen interest in serving on the next school board. Born in New York, the product of public schools and state college, he learned at the age of 13, as a Boy Scout; and 16, as an Eagle Scout, the important lessons that have benefited him throughout his life: to serve God, family, and country. From his father, a New York City police officer and fireman, he learned the ethos of service to others which is deeply ingrained in his belief system. After college he landed a job on Wall Street but not as a money man or stockbroker. He worked for FINRA, originally the National Association of Securities Dealers, as a financial services regulator committed to protecting investors. All financial firms and entities dealing with the public must be registered members of FINRA, an organization under the oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission. A firm believer that with hard work one can accomplish anything they set their mind to, Joseph worked for the same company for twenty-six years rising to the position of Senior Vice President and Regional Director.
After twenty-one years in Colorado, ten years of which he has lived in Custer County, Joseph works at the Custer County Sheriff’s Office as an Evidence Technician. Aside from a recess when he left the Sheriff’s Office to help his ailing father, he has history at the Sheriff’s Office since the time of then Sheriff Jobe, until now under current Sheriff Smith.
Bringing to the table extensive experience in management, Joseph has a keen interest in assisting the school district achieve its mission “to prepare students for life beyond graduation.” He wants the young ones to learn how to think on their own and not be taught what to think. One of his objectives is to have the school board take a close look at the curriculum of every grade. Needless to say, he is not in favor of CRT. With his business acumen he is already looking ahead at the one critical issue the board will face, namely the 3rd tranche of the Federal Stimulus Funding which ends in less than a year. This is of paramount importance because the school will be hard pressed to replace this large funding source.
With his experience and expertise Joseph would make a good addition to the school board. In his own words, read his letter to the editor in our September 22nd issue or go to  to our website post of letters from candidates here.

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE Regina “ Reggie” Foster

Interview
by Fred Hernandez

Reggie Foster, Custer County Extension Director, Office of Engagement and Extension, Colorado State University, September 18, 2023

A native of the Sunshine State, Reggie was born, raised and received her early education in Tampa, Florida. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Mercer University. Upon graduation, Reggie went to work in the newsroom of WAPW-FM, in Atlanta, Georgia. She was hired to cover the Gulf War and rose to be Station News Director . She was lured back to Tampa by a job offer from her hometown stations WTSP-TV and WUSA-FM. Destiny had other plans, however, when she met her future husband, Michael, who was assigned to the 3rd Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia. They married and returned to Georgia where Reggie earned her Masters Degree in Education from Columbus State University.
In 2005, on one of the many trips Michael and Reggie made to Colorado to enjoy hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities, they discovered Custer County and purchased their future retirement property. Michael and Reggie built their retirement home and moved to Westcliffe full time in 2020.
These days Reggie is a member of the faculty of Colorado State University serving as the Custer County Extension Director. In her work Reggie is responsible for our county 4-H programs and for providing residents with Ag and natural resources assistance. Every Thursday Reggie connects with high school students during the 4-H Coffee Hour and on Wednesday evenings she is a parent leader for Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
She has three daughters; a sophomore, an 8th grader and one is a graduate of CCHS and attending a Christian University,
If elected to the school board, Reggie will bring a unique set of skills. Reggie has more than a decade of experience clearly communicating from TV and Radio newsrooms to mass audiences. Pair that with her experience as an advisor for U.S. Army military families spread across Italy, Belgium and the U.S., where she built cohesive teams and effective communication systems. These skills are important for the success of any organization or program. She knows how to listen and can relate to teachers, parents, com-munity members and students as well, thanks to her weekly school volunteerism.
In Custer County, she has served as a substitute teacher and as a volunteer instructor for the gifted and talented program. She is the Chairperson of the Excellence in Education Committee, a group composed of five county residents, four of whom are parents. Their task is to raise money for classroom/learning needs for which the School District is short on funds, such as musical instruments, field trips, and curriculum. Reggie is the secretary of the Booster Club, a group of parents and community members who raise money specifically for athletic program needs, such as balls, nets, and uniforms. Reggie serves as an advisor to the Education Legacy Fund, a county-based committee of semi-retired professionals who have a deep interest in expanding the educational opportunities of our local youth.
For Reggie, it is possible for Custer County to achieve a higher standard of learning. In her own words: “ There is a ‘YES’ out there somewhere! Too often we take NO for an answer and stop trying to do what is in the best interest of our students.” Not Reggie; she recognizes there is tremendous room for improvement in academics, esprit de corps and teacher support. Reggie is willing to find the YES and make it so. For Reggie, the beauty of Custer County is its fine traditions, patriotism and family values and she will remain true to those things. Reggie sees a need to embrace the community’s desire to support our schools. As a person who is beholden to no one, Reggie will make decisions on the basis of facts and will be a good steward of the school’s resources. With her personal experience in school activities, along with having had three children in school, she is convinced she has a very good idea of the current functionality of our schools. Reggie encourages you to vote on November 7th. We wish Reggie all the best in her campaign for the Custer County School Board.