The Home Front: On Day 4 of the Pueblo teachers strike, has a ‘viable’ offer emerged?

“Thursday, the fourth day of the teachers and paraprofessionals strike against Pueblo City Schools (D60) ended with a hastily called press conference and news that Superintendent Charlotte Macaluso had made a third offer, which she termed ‘viable,’ to leadership from both unions,” reports The Pueblo Chieftain. “Macaluso offered a brief statement outside the district administration building at the close of business Thursday. No details of the union offers were given and questions from the media were not allowed. ‘I have been working very diligently to bring a resolution to this current situation,’ Macaluso said. ‘I have been in constant communication with the two associations. In fact, I either meet with them or talk to them on a daily basis.'”

“If you’ve been uncomfortable taking your family to the Titled Kilt Pub and Eatery in downtown Greeley, part of a national franchise of restaurants known for scantily clad servers, the local owner and managers are hoping you’ll give the establishment another try when it reopens Tuesday as The Patio Pub & Grill,” reports The Greeley Tribune. “The rebranding process to turn the sports bar and restaurant into a locally-owned, family friendly eatery will begin on Mother’s Day, when the place will close for a couple of days, but it has been in place since March, according to general manager Dan Dakunchak. He conceded that the decision to break away from “the connotation that we’re a biker bar” became increasingly important when, according to a police report, a man was assaulted by a biker gang member at the restaurant. A sign at the restaurant’s entrance will soon inform: “No colors, no cuts,” referring to the way gangs identify themselves by colors or logos. That’s not to say bikers won’t be welcome, he added. The Patio Pub & Grill will continue to host biker events. They just won’t be open to the public.”

“Longmont Municipal Judge Robert Frick sentenced Jason Escobedo to six months’ probation, $255 in fines and $606 in restitution to the woman whose dog was killed by Escobedo’s dog in December,” reports The Longmont Times-Call. “Escobedo could have been given up to 180 days in jail and fined up to $599 for owning an aggressive animal. He pleaded no contest to that charge and another charge of failing to restrain or control a dog was dropped in March. Longmont resident Anne Kelly was walking her miniature poodle, Isaac, around the Golden Bear neighborhood southeast of 17th Avenue and Pace Street on Dec. 5. Escobedo’s French mastiff, Mia, got out of his backyard and attacked Isaac, mauling the small dog.”

“If the Yampa Valley Housing Authority gets to build a second income-restricted, affordable apartment complex in the spring of 2019, it will offer some of the best pedestrian connections of any residential development in the city,” reports The Steamboat Pilot. “And the new 72-unit apartment complex would be on the opposite side of Steamboat Springs from the 48-unit The Reserves at Steamboat, which the Housing Authority completed in 2017.”

“A rather dire global report on air pollution contains a nugget of good news for one local community — and perhaps surprisingly so, given its location in an area of heavy natural gas development,” reports The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. “The World Health Organization last week released data that it says shows that nine out of 10 people breathe air with high levels of pollutants, with 7 million people dying each year from outside and household air pollution.”

“The Rialto Theater Center in downtown Loveland may begin hosting Sunday church services in September via an agreement in the works between the city and Rez.Church, formerly known as Resurrection Fellowship,” reports The Loveland Reporter-Herald. “Though the agreement is not yet finalized and some details remain to be worked out between city staff and church representatives, the general format of the agreement would allow Rez.Church to rent the entire building for eight hours starting at 6 a.m. most Sundays. Rez.Church is a nondenominational Christian church based in Loveland, but also serving the surrounding communities of Fort Collins, Greeley and others.”

“The U.S. Forest Service has decided not to appeal a federal judge’s ruling to nix the controversial Village at Wolf Creek – a significant win for opponents of the proposed development and a possible major blow to developers,” reports The Durango Herald. “In May 2017, a federal judge ruled the Forest Service skirted its responsibilities when it approved a land swap that would give access to the proposed massive development near the Wolf Creek Ski Area. A series of court filings and attempts to reverse the decision over the ensuing months ultimately failed. In November, the Forest Service filed a notice that it intended to challenge the judge’s decision in a higher appeals court. The Forest Service had a final deadline to file the official appeal on Wednesday. And according to court records, the Forest Service has not filed any sort of appeal.”

“A prominent party rental company in the valley is suing two of its former employees for allegedly conspiring with one another to misappropriate and exchange what the company calls its ‘trade secrets,'” reports The Glenwood Springs Post-Independent. “Premier Party Rentals, located in Carbondale, is one of the largest event rental businesses in the Roaring Fork Valley, offering tents, tables, chairs, dance floors and other party essentials for myriad events. On April 6, two of its former employees had lunch at The Pullman restaurant in downtown Glenwood Springs, according to court documents filed by the plaintiff.”

“The Cañon City Police Department in the last five years has had a tough time recruiting qualified candidates and retaining officers, but Chief Daric Harvey is looking at fresh approaches to tackling these issues that are not unique to this area,” reports The Cañon Cty Daily Record. “Harvey gave an overview of the department, including vacancies and a proposed hiring/recruitment plan, during Wednesday’s General Government meeting.”

“The Wilson property — a beautiful, secluded three quarters of an acre at the far western end of Boulder abutting the Mount Sanitas open space, with sweeping views of the Flatirons and the city down below — is the kind of prime real estate that should attract a buyer in a matter of days,” reports The Boulder Daily Camera. “But the family’s spent more than seven years trying to sell, and they’re still stuck with it. That’s because the property’s long been tangled in a spectacular bureaucratic mess — one the family hopes will come to an end soon via an annexation of the land, which sits in unincorporated Boulder County, into the city of Boulder.”

“The 60th birthday party for the Colorado Springs-based North American Aerospace Defense Command started Thursday nearly a half-mile underground in the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain,” reports The Gazette in Colorado Springs. “A rare tour of the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center came ahead of a formal ball Friday and a ceremony Saturday morning at Peterson Air Force Base that will include a full contingent of military brass and a series of demonstration flights, including a display by the Canadian Snowbirds flying team. But it started in the nuclear-proof bunker that has become the symbol of the bi-national U.S.-Canadian command, thanks to movie thrillers and science fiction hits.”

“A former nurse at Poudre Valley Hospital accused of groping female patients in Colorado and Nebraska pleaded guilty to four felony crimes in Larimer County on Thursday,” reports The Coloradoan in Fort Collins. “Thomas Moore, 45, faced similar charges in Adams County, Weld County and Nebraska. Moore has now pleaded guilty in four cases involving 12 women. A 13th victim came forward in Weld County after the conclusion of that case, according to Deputy District Attorney Joshua Ritter. However, the Weld County District Attorney’s Office agreed, with the consent of the woman, not to file a new case in Weld County if Moore agreed to take a guilty plea in the Larimer County case.”

“An observant visitor to the recently updated Hotel Monaco in downtown Denver might spot a number of subtle touches in its halls and rooms meant as homages to Colorado’s rich natural resources,” reports The Denver Post.

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