New faces on Aurora City Council?

Three Aurora City Council seats could potentially be vacant after the Nov. 2 election. The three council members currently running for other offices are Ryan Frazier (candidate for CD-7), Bob FitzGerald (candidate for Arapahoe County Commissioner) and Sue Sandstrom (candidate for Arapahoe County Treasurer).

If any of these seats are left vacant after the election, the remaining city council members would have to appoint new council members before the end of the year. However, the new members would be required to go through the normal election process in 2011. 

Some people already have their sights set on the council seats. 

Bob LeGare, former city councilman, today said he was interested in putting his name in the hat for an at-large council position. Frazier and FitzGerald are currently at-large council members. LeGare was only 57 votes short of winning a seat on the city council last year. Being appointed is much easier than being elected, but it would behoove council to choose a candidate that has a good chance of being elected in 2011, LeGare said.

Another person interested in possibly becoming an Aurora City Council member is Aurora resident Jason Clark. Clark is currently running as an Independent candidate for Governor, but if he doesn't get elected, he intends on applying for a council position and/or running for Mayor in 2011, he said. Mayor Ed Tauer's term will end in late 2011.

Alfonso Nunez, owner of La Cueva Mexican restaurant on Colfax, says he would also be interested in applying for a council seat. He ran last year and was defeated, but he says he's interested in any position where he could have the opportunity to "make Aurora better". 

LeGare thought other possible candidates might include Deb Wallace, who is also a former city council member, and Bob Roth, a businessman who ran for council in 2010 but was defeated. Still trying to confirm their interest...

The city clerk and recorder's office staff hasn't heard of any interested candidates yet but an application process could be posted online after Nov. 2 if any of the current council members are elected to other offices.

So, there's a potential for three new council members, plus our newly appointed city manager, Skip Noe. Would a drastic change in Aurora's leadership be a benefit or a detriment?

Election season nears to a close...

How many times in the past two weeks have you heard the phrase "Paid for by ... " on TV or radio? My guess is that it's a lot. Unless of course you're so fed up with the elections that you press the "mute" button as soon as the commercials come on.  But soon the political ads will come to an end. If you haven't voted yet, it's time to check the boxes on your ballot.

Here are a few tips before you do that, though.
* Question what you hear on the TV and radio advertisements. Misinformation and misinterpretation are abundant this year in the political attack ads.

* Don't rely on one source of information when you are choosing which candidates to vote for. Google their names, visit their websites (almost all candidates have their own, personalized campaign websites), read news stories about them, watch YouTube videos of them, and if you have questions call their campaign offices. I know this may seem time consuming, but if I've learned anything during this election, it's the importance of being informed.

* Don't forget to take some time to check out the third party and Independent/Unaffiliated candidates.

* Read your blue book! It's easy to understand and very helpful for ballot questions. It's written by the Colorado Legislative Council and they have done a great job researching the effects the initiatives would have on state government and taxpayers. My favorite part is that it has an "Opponents say..." and "Proponents say ..." section for each initiative.

* Personally, I'm waiting until the end of the month to check my boxes because you never know what skeletons might be discovered hiding in these candidates' closets... After all, it is Halloween season!

Here are some useful resources:
Secretary of State election information
Aurora election information
Aurora Sentinel Voter's Guide

Vote smart!!!

Looking for a pet?

Today, Gabe and I visited the Aurora Animal Shelter for a story I'm doing about their campaign to raise $80,000 for new outdoor dog runs. Look what we found hanging out in the lobby of the shelter!

 

Here are two more photos courtesy of Cheryl Conway, spokeswoman at the Aurora Animal Shelter.

Each kennel is about 3.75 feet by 3.8 feet.

If you are in the market for a dog or cat, there are tons of cute little furry animals that need homes at the Aurora Animal Shelter. The shelter houses about 300 cats and dogs (and sometimes lizards) per month that are all in need of homes. They're all adorable, I can assure you! Although the shelter doesn't have any puppies, it does have dozens of kittens all waiting to go to loving homes.

I know everyone loves puppies, but if you're looking for a dog to adopt there are several advantages to getting an older dog. Here are some reasons why older dogs might be a good option for you (from the The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals):

* Older dogs are open books—from the start, you’ll know important things like their full-grown size, personality and grooming requirements.
* Older dogs are great at focusing on you—and on the task at hand—because they’re calmer than youngsters. Plus, all those years of experience reading humans can help them quickly figure out how to do what you’re asking. * Grownup dogs don’t require the constant monitoring puppies do, leaving you with more freedom to do your own thing. If you have young children, or just value your “me time,” this is definitely a bonus.
*Older dogs have been around the block and already learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.

Click here to find out more about the top 10 reasons to adopt an older dog.



P.S. If you've lost a pet in Aurora, you can look for it using the city's online database here.