Around The Hoop

Newly elected county officials take oath

There's a new sheriff in town. And a new county commissioner.

Longtime lawman Joe DiSalvo and Rustique restaurant owner Rob Ittner took their oaths on the steps of the Pitkin County Courthouse today. They replace Bob Braudis and Patti Clapper, respectively.

In addition to DiSalvo and Ittner, County Commissioner Rachel Richards, Assessor Tom Isaac and Clerk & Recorder Janice Vos-Caudill — all incumbents who went unchallenged in the November election — were also sworn in as public officials by Pitkin County Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely.

Check out GrassRoots TV's footage of this morning's ceremony.

While the official oath-taking was without controversy here, the same can't be said for our neighbors to the south in Saguache County, where some people — including Aspen government transparency activist Marilyn Marks and election watchdogs — claim the county clerk there, Democrat Melinda Myers, is stealing the election.

You can read about the so-called “debacle” in an article I wrote last week for the Colorado Independent. Several complaints have been filed with the Colorado Attorney General's Office, along with 12th Judicial District prosecutors, and new twists and turns in the saga pop up on a daily basis.

Here's the story in a nutshell: The incumbent clerk and commissioner, both Democrats, lost on Election night but after a “re-tabulation” of the votes three days later overturned the results. There were enough improper procedures that the canvass board refuses to certify the election results, casting doubt on the true winners in the clerk and commissioner contests, and the public trustee's ability to collect new taxes.

River Name / Location	Stream flow, ft3/s	Gage height ft
Gore Creek
At Upper Station, Near I-70 Twin Bridges	n/a	5 ft
Booth Creek	n/a	4 ft
Abv Red Sandstone Creek At Vail	256	7 ft
At Mouth Near Minturn	289	7 ft
Beaver Creek
At Avon	21	2 ft
Lake Creek
Near Edwards	114	1 ft
Cross Creek
Near Minturn	158	4 ft
Homestake Creek
At Gold Park	199	5 ft
Eagle River
East Fork Eagle River Near Climax	n/a	2 ft
At Red Cliff	30	3 ft
Near Minturn	296	4 ft
Wastewater Treatment Plant At Avon	875	5 ft
Below Gypsum	844	5 ft
Colorado River
Near Kremmling	374	4 ft
Near Dotsero	1,410	3 ft
Below Glenwood Springs	3,140	5 ft
Near Cameo	3,260	6 ft
Below Grand Valley Div Nr Palisade	1,800	5 ft
Near Colorado-utah State Line	3,860	4 ft
Near Cisco, Ut	4,270	3 ft
At Lees Ferry, Az	9,740	9 ft
Near Grand Canyon, Az	8,190	6 ft
Yuma Main Canal Ww At Yuma, Az	1,030	10 ft
Roaring Fork River
Abv Lost Man Cr Near Aspen	n/a	n/a ft
Ab Difficult C Nr Aspen	61	1 ft
Near Aspen	115	1 ft
Near Emma	593	6 ft
At Glenwood Springs	1,280	4 ft
Hunter Creek
Near Aspen	57	2 ft
At Aspen	52	4 ft
Frying Pan River
Near Ruedi	110	1 ft
Crystal River
Abv Avalanche Crk, Near Redstone	773	3 ft
Arkansas River
Ef Arkansas R At Us Highway 24, Nr Leadville	60	3 ft
Near Leadville	95	5 ft
Below Empire Gulch Near Malta	159	4 ft
Below Granite	363	4 ft
Near Nathrop	423	4 ft
At Parkdale	444	3 ft