Recently, I had the opportunity to attend many local fundraisers and local events in the community. These included KPC Kids Place and Family Connections breakfast which raised needed dollars for the only free respite care for parents, the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) luncheon, the Wounded Warrior Games Opening Ceremony at the United States Olympic Training Center, The Goodwill Dinner (where Commissioner Lathen and I accepted an award on behalf of El Paso County), Rocky Mountain Health Care’s chef tasting dinner for their Program of the All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

At the Blue Jeans and Brass event to raise money for military charities through the Pikes Peak or Bust rodeo kick off and the unveiling of a new piece of artwork and improvements at Bear Creek’s Dog Park.  It was also great to be honored with judging the silhouettes for the rodeo, Manitou Springs High School taking the first place position of the 16 entries and to be present at Comcast Cares Day at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.  And not to be forgotten, was the annual FurrBall for the Pikes Peak Humane Society at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort.

…At the 2012 Arts Business Education Consortium Awards, El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark was honored with the 2012 Community Support for Arts Education Award for her hand in developing the U. S. Honor Flag Art Project, which took place in September of 2011. El Paso County brought the project to the community in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office, School District 11, the Pioneers Museum, the Colorado Springs Airport and the U.S. Honor Flag Network.

The U.S. Honor Flag flew above the rubble of the Twin Towers following the attacks of September 11, 2001.  It has watched over memorial services for more than 1,000 fallen soldiers, firefighters and police officers, and has been a source of inspiration for active duty military personnel over battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, and served as the centerpiece of the County’s 150th Anniversary celebration.

The El Paso County U.S. Honor Flag Artwork project engaged student artists in spreading the spirit of the U.S. Honor Flag and enhancing awareness of the County’s Sesquicentennial Celebration. District 11 students created original artwork depicting their concepts of “freedom,” understanding of the American flag and appreciation of the symbolism represented by the U.S. Honor Flag.  Selections were then chosen for display at the Colorado Springs Airport for the ceremonial arrival of the U.S. Honor Flag.

“I’m honored to receive this important Arts, Business and Education award on behalf of El Paso County and the team of people and organizations involved with the U.S. Honor Flag, the Sesquicentennial celebration and significance of our American flag with School District 11’s artwork contribution,” said Commissioner Sallie Clark, who along with representatives from the various community partners accepted the award today. “It’s also very exciting that the children’s artistic drawings and essays representing ‘What freedom means to me’, have been selected to accompany the U.S. Honor Flag as it travels around the country and abroad, to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.  I’m so appreciative of the collaborative efforts with El Paso County and our Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Springs Airport, the Pioneer’s Museum and especially School District 11, which have important significance to patriotism in our community and our nation,” Clark added.

This year’s ABE Awards, held at the Antler’s Hotel, marked the 33^rd year of the luncheon, and was hosted by Dave Csintyan of The Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and EDC. The program included a keynote address from Charlie Baughman, Senior Site Manager of Progressive Insurance, and honored several local figures for their contributions in the field of Arts Education.

…Commissioner Sallie Clark along with her fellow commissioners, welcomed Jay Miller of the Pikes Peak Arts Council and artist Carol Hightower who presented the El Paso County Board of Commissioners with a Kimono Art Panel as part of the 2012 Community Art Initiative. Clark is also a member of the City-County Art Commission.

…The Pikes Peak Lodging Association unanimously endorses Sallie Clark in Commissioner race–organization recognizes Clark’s experience, knowledge and entrepreneurial business spirit

April 7, 2012, Colorado Springs, CO - The Board of Directors of the Pikes Peak Lodging Association (PPLA) unanimously endorsed Sallie Clark for re-election to the El Paso County Board of Commissioners to represent Commissioner District 3.

“Sallie Clark has a proven track record as an effective representative as well as a successful businesswoman,” said PPLA President Steve Ducoff. “Commissioner Clark has served her district in an outstanding manner and brings a wealth of knowledge in the lodging, hospitality and tourism industry.  As a small-business owner on the Board of County Commissioners, Sallie also brings an important entrepreneurial spirit and perspective to county government, especially important during these challenging economic times.”

The board of directors of the Pikes Peak Lodging Association recognizes Sallie Clark as the best person with the most experience to continue as the representative for Commissioner District 3 and encourages community support of her candidacy.

“I’m honored to have the endorsement of the Pikes Peak Lodging Association in my role as an El Paso County Commissioner,” said Clark. “Considering the impact that vacation travel has to District 3 and El Paso County, as a business owner and past board member of the Colorado Travel and Tourism Authority, I understand first-hand, tourism’s importance to the economy in our region. I look forward to continuing to advocate and complete projects that will benefit the lodging and tourism industry and our local residents—roads, transportation, infrastructure, public safety and our regional county parks system, among others.”

El Paso County Commissioners Promote Healthy Counties, Healthy Families During National County Government Month. El Paso County is celebrating National County Government Month as an initiative through the National Association of Counties (NACo) during the month of April and National Public Health Week (April 2 – 6) to highlight county government programs and services to the public. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Healthy Counties, Healthy Families.”

“We are very proud of the essential services and programs our county provides each day and especially the people who deliver them,” said Commissioner Sallie Clark, who also serves as the liaison to the Department of Human Services and serves on the Board of Health. “National County Government Month is a great opportunity for the public to take a closer look at the county services and foster a greater understanding of the role and responsibility of county government.” Commissioner Clark also noted that the NACo Prescription Discount program in which El Paso County participates has saved local residents over $408,000 at no additional cost to the County or taxpayers through a partnership with the National Association of Counties program. “Especially during these challenging economic times, this program offers assistance to those who need it most, by simply picking up a free card at County facilities or accessing our www.elpasoco.com website,” Clark said.

EL PASO COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH: Public Health is coordinating a Kaiser Permanente sponsored Weigh and Win Kiosk at the Citizens Service Center where the public and employees can weigh in and track their weight loss progress to receive quarterly cash incentives for weight improvement. Public Health is hosting, as a part of the Healthy Community Collaborative, a health expo with a sneak peak of the upcoming HBO documentary “The Weight of the Nation.” “Our goal over the next five years is stop the upward trend of obesity in El Paso County and over 10 years to push that trend back down,” said C.J. Moore, Chair of the Board of Health who also serves on the Healthy Community Collaborative.
The Department of Human Services has a couple upcoming public awareness events in April which is also Child Abuse Prevention Month. “It is all of our responsibility to help stop child abuse in our community and I commend the work the Commissioners are doing to help our children grow up safely in El Paso County,” said Jan Doran, Vice Chair of the Department of Human Services Advisory Commission.

EL PASO COUNTY PARKS: Family hikes at Fountain Creek Nature Center and Bear Creek Nature Center have been set up by the County Parks for April. “We focus on these hikes being a multi-generational activity and a true family affair,” said Jim Mariner, Chair of the County Park Advisory Board.

EL PASO COUNTY HAZARDOUS WASTE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES: There are also household hazardous waste and prescription drug disposals set up during the month of April and an Earth Day Celebration. “Last year the Household Hazardous Waste Facility served over 15,000 customers. Reused, recycled or properly disposed of over 70,000 gallons of paints, over 30,000 gallons of toxic materials, 60,000 pounds of batteries, and 195,000 pounds of electronics. This certainly epitomizes the NCGM theme of “Healthy Counties, Healthy Families,” said Steve Eivins, Chair of the El Paso County Solid Waste Management Technical Committee.

For a full list of scheduled events go to: www.elpasoco.com/docs/NationalPublicHealthWeek.pdf

*El Paso County Public Information

…the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition (PPFC) Political Action Committee (PAC) has endorsed Sallie Clark, Amy Lathen, and Dennis Hisey for county commissioner. The endorsement was based on their previous support for our right to keep and bear arms, their performance at the PPFC candidate forum, results from a candidate survey on firearms issues, and a straw poll of the PPFC members. “Sallie Clark has shown proven leadership on 2nd Amendment firearm rights”, said Paul Paradis, President of the PPFC.   For more information on the PPFC, visit www.ppfc.org

…on Thursday, March 8, the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition hosted a candidate forum for Commissioner candidates at the VFW Hall.  The major focus was to discuss 2nd Amendment positions with a series of related questions. Each candidate was given one minute to answer in addition to an opening and closing statement. Concealed carry, open carry and the new Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Range Complex collaborative with Ft. Carson, El Paso County and the Sheriff’s Office were topics of interest. All current candidates for District 2, 3 and 4 attended including current Commissioners Amy Lathen, Sallie Clark and Dennis Hisey with each reiterating their complete support and advocacy for the new public shooting range.

In the last week, I had the privilege of carrying the county government message to Washington, D.C. and Capitol Hill during the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) 2012 Legislative Conference. The continued issues of the federal government’s budget was a major focus as national officials reported and provided information on future funding for important local services which are mandated by law including public safety and transportation.

I was joined by more than 1,400 other county officials from across the country to convey to Congress and Administration officials the great challenges faced by county government to continue to deliver essential services to the American people in a troubled economy. The conference was held March 3-7 in Washington D.C.

It was important for me to attend the many steering committees on which I serve: Justice and Public Safety, Veterans and Military Task Force, Arts and Culture, Membership, Programs and Services and my most recent involvement with Cybersecurity issues. As we headed to the Hill, I accompanied commissioners across Colorado to make our concerns for various issues known to our delegation members.  We covered the entire state, including both rural and urban communities to speak with one voice and to add to the discussion and issues of NACo’s leadership and represent our respective communities.