Food for hard thought

“If you’re unable to feed yourself healthy, delicious foods that you enjoy, you’re unable to have a productive day, you’re unable to make bigger decisions that impact long-term health outcomes for your life.”  — Monique Marez, coordinator of the Pueblo Food Project

By Regan Foster

In Pueblo, one out of every five residents goes to bed hungry. 

A whopping 35 percent of food produced in the United States in 2019 went unsold or uneaten. 

And every two and a half minutes, the American West loses a football field worth of natural area to human development. 

These problems and more were laid bare on the table Nov. 13 during the Pueblo Food Project’s inaugural Sun, Soil and Water Summit. The project–a multi-pronged initiative designed to, among other things, fill local bellies by bridging the gap between producer and consumer–hosted the two-day conference in an effort to not just identify issues facing local food chains, but explore potential solutions. 

Monique Marez is the coordinator of Pueblo Food Project. 

“Our hope is that this particular conference and the whole of the Pueblo Food Project leads to a more vibrant, sustainable, nutritious, equitable food system for every eater in Pueblo County,” she said. “One in five Puebloans ends their day hungry, and that’s unacceptable in our community. Along those lines Pueblo has the highest obesity rate for 18 and under in the state … by a long shot. That’s another part that is related to the food system.

“If you’re unable to feed yourself healthy, delicious foods that you enjoy, you’re unable to have a productive day, you’re unable to make bigger decisions that impact long-term health outcomes for your life.” 

Attendees to the sold-out event heard from food entrepreneurs and attended seminars on diversifying food systems, local food systems and composting techniques to enhance Southern Colorado’s soil.  

Matthew Garcia, CSU Pueblo assistant professor in the School of Creativity and Practice, and founder/creative director of a multi-tiered living art initiative called desertArtLAB, told audience members that indigenous plants such as cholla cactus not only repair arid soils, but they also have a deep culinary tradition in the Western U.S. 

They also are stigmatized, he said. 

“We all know cholla. Some of you may hate them. But that’s part of the conversation: Why do we hate our land?” Garcia said. “These things … are some of the most spectacular plants on this Earth, and they’re edible. 

“Our grandparents ate cactus. We were tied to this land in ways that aren’t often explored.” 

DesertArtLAB is in the throes of rebuilding a previously barren plat near downtown Pueblo, replenishing the soil using carefully selected and traditional edible plants. It’s a 30-year project on the low end, Garcia said, but its goal is to help people reconnect with the food systems around them and mitigate some of the loss of Western landscapes. 

“Through our research through our endeavors, we like to ground our studies in the philosophies of the Americas,” Garcia said. “There are names for this land that precede colonization.” 

David Laskarzewski, the co-director of a nonprofit partnership called UpRoot Colorado, said more than a third of the nutrient-dense food produced in this country in 2019 ended up in the landfill. He added that a single head of lettuce, tossed into a garbage bag and buried in an anaerobic environment like the dump can take between 20 and 25 years to decompose. 

Food waste accounts for 8 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse emissions — more commonly known as CO2 — on the planet, he said. That’s a lot of long-term damage from a food item that could have helped fill an empty belly, he said. 

“For those of us with food access, we take it for granted,” Laskarzewski said. “And yet there are so many who go hungry.” 

If this all leaves you feeling a little uncomfortable, well, good, Marez said. That’s where the solutions will be found. 

“When we work together and we share resources and we celebrate successes and we collaboratively problem solve across sector, we will achieve our goals,” she said. “It’s not easy to step outside your own box, but when we do, we open things up for new possibilities.” 

** See related: A history of food scarcity in Pueblo **

The post Inaugural summit tackles tough questions about systems, sustainability first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

“I want to win more games than last year for sure. As a team we want to give up the least amount of points than any other team in the RMAC. We as a team want to lock down defensively.” — Starting point guard Lian Ramiro

Magic 8 Ball

By Nathan Torres
Special to The Today

The Colorado State University Pueblo Thunderwolves men’s basketball team is expecting nothing less than success this upcoming season. Coming off a 3-15 record last season, the Thunderwolves are motivated and determined to contend for the RMAC Championship. 

To be sure, athletics on campus this year will definitely help the Wolves and their fans return to normalcy, since the COVID vaccines became available this past spring.  

Matthew Hammer is the head coach for the squad. Going into his third year at the helm, one of Hammer’s team mottos is to “be better today than yesterday.”  

“Our record was not good last season, but we had short rests for many games last season with a condensed schedule,” he said. “We struggled being as prepared as we wanted to be last season with games being cancelled at the last minute. 

“It was very hard to build momentum without fans last season.”

Hammer believes he has a great team this year full of talent up and down the roster. Last year’s squad saw four freshmen in the starting lineup, he said, and he knows that this team can have a different leading scorer every night. 

“We need to have goals of getting a great shot every time we are on offense,” Hammer said. 

The men’s squad opened the season Nov. 12 and 13 with a tough back-to-back series on the road, losing 66-74 to Cameron University and 64-77 to MSU Texas, respectively.

The team opened home play Nov. 19 with a 114-62 trouncing of Spurgeon College, setting off a 66 percent winning streak in the next three contests (103-77 over Bacone College Nov. 20; 39-61 to Texas A&M International Friday; and 84-76 over Kansas Christian Saturday, respectively). 

Malcolm Little is a sophomore guard for the Pack. He said while the team is young, he is looking forward to a successful season. 

“The team chemistry is good,” he said. “Coach Hammer is a very cool coach to be around, and a great leader for our team.” 

Little is very committed to improving his craft on the court. He says that he shoots before and after practice at times, just to get the proper reps in and improve his overall game.  He hopes to play professional basketball after his college career at CSU-Pueblo ends.

But as for this season, “I want to improve on my defense and communicating on the court.” 

Meekness Payne is starting forward for the Thunderwolves. A junior on the court, but a senior in the classroom, he is a political science major with a minor in business. After his college career he plans on going into real estate — if he does not end up playing professional basketball overseas, that is. 

Payne has great confidence in his team this season. 

“I want to go deep in the tournament and win the 2022 RMAC Championship,” he said. “I do not want any stops this season due to COVID.” 

He’s also been putting in long hours to make it happen. To propel his game, he studies NBA Superstars such as Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and Glenn Robinson. 

“I worked out this past summer to get stronger,” Payne said. “I worked on my footwork and left hand and creating moves off the dribble.

“[Coach Hammer] pushes us every day and holds us accountable. We as a team need a coach like that to be successful.”

Lian Ramiro will be the starting point guard for the Pack this season. What are his goals for the season? 

“I want to win more games than last year for sure,” he said. “As a team we want to give up the least amount of points than any other team in the RMAC. We as a team want to lock down defensively.” 

Ramiro said every player in college has to be respected because it’s a high level of play. He believes that in a couple of years, this basketball team will be scary for the opposition to play against, he added that although it’s young, this squad can accomplish big things this year. 

For now, he’s focusing on the present because, as he said, “Any team in this league can win.”

** See related: Photo essay: Thanksgiving Classic ** 

The post CSU Pueblo men’s basketball squad looks to build in 21-22 season first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Pack fans were treated to an exciting weekend of hoops Friday and Saturday during the Thanksgiving Classic at Massari Arena.

The CSU Pueblo women’s basketball squad dominated its two-night set, setting the stage for a forceful season in a 97-48 trouncing of University of the Southwest (N.M) Friday and doubling down Saturday with a 83-45 victory over Friends University.

The men got off to a rough start Friday with a 39-61 loss to Texas A&M International, but rebounded Saturday to best Christian College, 84-76.

The squads next hit the hardwood  Friday, when both teams are slated to do battle against UCCS at home. The women’s game starts at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s is expected to tip off at 7:30 p.m., respectively.

Multimedia journalist and chief Today photographer Brianna Sammons will have a preview of the women’s season in our Dec. 4 edition. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak of some of the images she made during the contests.

–Regan Foster

** See related content: Magic 8 Ball **
For a full schedule of winter athletics, visit gothunderwolves.com.

The post Photo essay: Thanksgiving Classic first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, or to be the one to offer it this holiday season. You may be blessed or be the blessing.

By Rebecca VanGorder
The Today Editor-in-Chief

Thanksgiving is a time to gather and be grateful. Christmas is the celebration of Christ coming as a baby. Hannukah celebrates the miracle of light for the Maccabees. 

There are so many holidays in so little time that call to mind celebration, gratitude, family and friends, and feelings that release an inordinate amount of dopamine. 

It is good to reflect and celebrate; it is hard too.

Many people have experienced, directly or through a friend, broken families, dysfunctional relationships and sentiments of the feeling of being an outcast. I myself am the black sheep of my family. Part of that is my choice; most of it isn’t. I’ve accepted that role and generally wear it with pride, but the holidays are hard, and pride is a crappy balm for a wounded heart. 

I am blessed to have an amazing husband who loves and supports me in every way that matters (I’m still fighting for a pygmy goat) and would fight the world to protect me from every hurt. My kids are pretty awesome too and incredibly loving, if not always obedient and tactful.

That’s where family effectively ends for me. I grew up in a household of six most of my life, and that grew to nine after my parents adopted three of the boys they had fostered.

I was used to big family holidays with guests added in for spice. I was used to hustle and bustle and an overflowing Christmas tree. Mind you, with that many people it was usually one to three presents each. 

I loved the controlled chaos that was my holiday season growing up. I was close with my parents and would come back to visit for Christmas when living out of state. 

A few years ago, the rug was ripped out from under me, and in the span of a little over a year I lost my entire family. When I say lost, I don’t mean death, which might have been easier in a way. I mean that I have no contact with either of my parents or any of my six brothers. I lost support systems I thought were indomitable. 

Since then, I have had to learn to rebuild my ability to have relationships where people are allowed close enough to hurt me. I’m still learning. 

Throughout life’s education, I have come to learn that I am not alone in so much of this: The dysfunctional families. The broken families. The blended and mending families. No one is ever truly alone. 

A friend tentatively invited my family for Thanksgiving, and whether or not it works out that my family and I go, I am so grateful and blessed to have a friend that would reach out like that. 

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, or to be the one to offer it this holiday season. You may be blessed or be the blessing.

If you need help

Who: Wolfpack Wellness Center has counseling services available.
Where: Located in the CIHHI building room 174
When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
Info: Phone (719) 549-2838
Appointments are required, but emergency appointments can be accommodated. Services include: individual therapy, group therapy, massage therapy, Acudetox, Heartmath and Mental Health Monday.

EMERGENCY CRISIS AFTER HOURS ASSISTANCE: (719) 549-2838

The post Opinion: During this season of celebration, you are not alone first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

As of Nov. 17, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) identified at least 46 transgender and gender-nonconforming people who have been killed in the U.S. since Jan. 1 of this year; more than in any year since they began tracking the statistic in 2013.

By Bill Redmond-Palmer

Nov. 20 was the 22nd observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

It is a time to reflect on and remember the lives of transgender, nonbinary and other gender-nonconforming people whose lives have been cut short because of hatred and transphobia. Most have been violently murdered. Others have taken their own lives after the cruelty and hatred grew too much for them to bear.

As of Nov. 17, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) identified at least 46 transgender and gender-nonconforming people who have been killed in the U.S. since Jan. 1 of this year; more than in any year since they began tracking the statistic in 2013. (The previous record was in 2020, with 44 deaths recorded for the entire year.) Of those 46 victims, 28 were Black and eight were Latinx.

Since 2013 HRC has documented more than 250 transgender and gender nonconforming people who were victims of fatal violence. Two thirds of those known victims have been Black women, and nearly 60 percent of those deaths involved a firearm. It is important to keep in mind that the total number of recorded deaths is lower than the actual number, as many are misreported.

Even in the face of a global pandemic, I will never forget Tacy Raino Ranta, one of my first trans friends, for whom I had great admiration, and cofounder of one of Baltimore’s first trans support groups. Twenty-two years ago, my friend Tacy was shot dead in the middle of the street in the neighborhood where she lived for no other reason than being who she was. That was my cruel awakening to the baseless hatred trans folks face.

The brutal murders of Crystal Edmonds, April “Ms Dee” Green, Kandy Hall, Mya Hall, Mia Henderson, Tyra Trent, Alphonza Watson and Tydi Dansbury among others, whose memorials I attended, and whose deaths I covered over the years, all made sure I did not forget that cruelty.

This year, even if others do not, I will say the names of the 46 known transgender and gender non-conforming people killed, to date, in the U.S. since Jan. 1: Jo Acker, Tyianna Alexander, Taya Ashton, Fifty Bandz, Tiara Banks, Bianca “Muffin” Bankz, Poe Black, EJ Boykin, Alexus Braxton, siblings Jeffrey “JJ” Bright and Jasmine Cannady, Chynba Carrillo, Miss CoCo, Jahaira DeAlto, Jenny De Leon, Remy Fennell, Jenna Franks, Mel Groves, Briana Hamilton, Thomas Hardin, Jessi Hart, Danika “Danny” Henson, Serenity Hollis, Kiér Laprí Kartier, Dominique Jackson, Pooh Johnson, Marquiisha Lawrence, Tierramarie Lewis, Dominique Lucious, Zoella “Zoey” Rose Martinez, Disaya Monaee, Rikkey Outumuro, Rayanna Pardo, Jaida Peterson, Diamond Kyree Sanders, Iris Santos, Natalia Smut, Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, Royal Poetical Starz, Oliver “Ollie” Taylor, Tiffany Thomas, Samuel Edmund Damián Valentín, Shai Vanderpump, Sophie Vásquez and Keri Washington.

May their memories be a blessing, and may their names never be forgotten.

The post Opinion: On this Day of Remembrance, reflecting on those we have lost first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

It’s who did not come back. I’m not the hero– it is the men who died there [in combat] are the heroes.

By Alorah Saldana-Vigil

Eugene T. Muniz didn’t mince words when it came to the significance of Veteran’s Day. 

“It’s who did not come back,” the World War II veteran said. “I’m not the hero– it is the men who died there [in combat] are the heroes.”

Muniz was born on Nov. 15, 1919 in Sugar City, a small community in Crowley County. Growing up, he worked on the beet farm that the city had established in the early 1900s. This town was thriving off this sugar beet mill and got its name from the booming business. 

In 1942, Muniz was drafted into the Army in World War II at the ripe age of 22. He served for four years until he completed his term and was honorably discharged as a corporal. 

“I sent a letter home telling them I had been drafted and I was going to war,” he said. “I went overseas. It took about 23 days to get to Australia.”

He said it took one truck and one train to get to the town of Adelaide. 

“It was cold,” Muniz said. “We used tents but they weren’t very good. You know sacks? [potato burlap sacks] They threw us a sack and said ‘fill it with straw.’ That was my mattress for my stay” 

Muniz looks at Veterans Day nonchalantly now, but with a man as decorated and respected as him, you can understand why. 

“I got some medals from the GI which I already had, but it was a presentation,” he said. “That was with my letter.” 

He was presented with a letter from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., in February of this year. They thanked him for his service and wished him a happy 101st birthday. They also presented him with an Army service coin. 

During his deployment in Australia, he recalled adamant details about how he never got a shower, explaining that it was going about 120 days without one. The troops never got a change of clothes and supplies were scarce. 

“There were no tables to eat at,” he said. 

Muniz remembers watching the supplies drop from the sky and running to get them because it was first come first serve. 

“Cigarettes came and they [the troops] wanted them. Four [cigarettes] came in them [rations],” he said. “We carried over 60 pounds with us and all of our ammo [ammunition] dropped more to us if we needed it.”

“A lot of them were drinkers and smokers, but I never really was. I wanted to get out.” 

Muniz ran into trouble for going AWOL. During this time he caught malaria and was at an Australian hospital receiving treatment for about 12 days. The Army picked him up from the hospital and took him back to his company to complete his duty.

Muniz was selected to help the United States Navy during training sessions in New Guinea. His platoon was given the assignment to help train the Naval officers and teach them strategic military operations. “It was just who wasn’t injured,” he said of the selection process. He did add that he heard of another planned attack on the Philippines, but it was not successful. 

By the end of his term in 1945 he weighed about 110 pounds but was just happy to not be in those terrifying combat situations again.

 Muniz is a decorated Veteran, having earned a plethora of medals including the victory medal, a Bronze Star for heroism and a Purple Heart. 

He is the last surviving member of his military friend group. Known as a jokester who loves to spend his time playing card games, he said he has no greater aspirations for his upcoming 102nd birthday than “to go dancing.” 

** See related: Opinion: We must pay tribute to those who would give all **

The post A Veterans Day perspective from a warrior of World War II first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

By Alorah Saldana-Vigil

It would seem civilians are quick to project their thoughts and feelings, but what about our veteran acquaintances who function in society right next to us? These are the men and women who fought in combat day in and day out without thinking twice. And yet, stories and experiences are often left untold due to the backlash and retaliation of our own American people. 

Many Americans paid the ultimate sacrifice in that seemingly unknown land. A lot of service members even died before their battle buddies’ eyes. Veterans Day is a lot more in depth than what civilians can understand. 

Veterans Day is for the loved, for the lost and most importantly for the forgotten.

In recent years, though, honoring our veterans has become taboo, to put it lightly. Nowadays, people are very absorbed in politics and just wanting to be “right,” and that has put our veterans on the back burner, even on Veterans Day. 

Since military service of any branch is voluntary, many believe that veterans should be overlooked because it’s “what they chose;” but to put it into perspective, without those brave civilians choosing to put themselves out there, we as a country wouldn’t have the way of life that we so enjoy.

 I personally have not been in combat nor have I deployed, but I have so many battle buddies that have and hearing their stories are equal parts comical and heartbreaking. While deployments can have aspects of fun, there is still a mission to accomplish, and you have to do what you are there to do. 

Many troops miss out on the sentimental moments and miss holidays with their family. Hell, they even miss out on a hot meal, more often than not. This includes the troops with no family and who receive no packages or mail from home. 

To me, Veterans Day is for the loved, for the lost and most importantly for the forgotten. Even going back to World Wars I and II, these brave soldiers have sacrificed so much to be receiving the bare minimum. Only people who have gone through it can understand the heaviness that comes with serving your country. 

I went to basic training in South Carolina at Fort Jackson and immediately went to Advanced Individual Training in Virginia at Fort Lee. I was gone from everything I have ever known for about nine months. 

In that time, I was pushed to my lowest but brought back to my highest. I learned what my body could physically do and withstand. On our longest field training, we walked over 65 miles in a five-day span, with 60-plus pound rucksacks (a backpack containing all our belongings) on our backs.

Now I understand that this is not combat or anything even close, but the hell that my platoon and I went through was enough to make me question my entire existence. I didn’t magically show up to training being able to do this — but I learned, sacrificed and worked hard to do it anyway.

To me, this is the heart of becoming a soldier. You cannot find this will and motivation on the street in just any ordinary civilian. As a soldier, you go through many trials and tribulations personally, mentally and together with your platoon. 

You really would die for the people standing next to you in formation, and that is an amazing bond to have. 

In the Army, one of the most famous sayings is to “embrace the suck” and this is exactly what all service members have to sometimes remind ourselves when we are on duty and there is a mission to accomplish. 

Veterans Day is a very important holiday that needs to be recognized not only for the service members to be appreciated, but for the amazing sacrifices that are made for the nation. Of course some of these missions are not seen on American soil, but the struggle is always there.

The day-to-day life in combat is apparent, and the mental overload the soldiers face due to the sometimes-lack of basic necessities isn’t always apparent. Even a call home or just being in touch, no matter how it’s accomplished, seems so out of reach when we live in a world where civilians have their phone in their hand 24/7.

Because of this, I believe Veterans Day is one of the most important holidays on the calendar. 

** See related content: A Veterans Day perspective from a warrior of World War II **

These Cartoons, named ‘Antipsychotics’ and ‘Help Desk,’ are courtesy of Travis Landchild. According to his website, ”Stick Vet Comics are about Veteran life in the civilian sector. The comics are a way of communicating truth through humor by describing the challenges Veterans face after serving in the military.” For more information about Landchild or his upcoming book based on the series, visit www.stickvetcomics.com.

The post Opinion: We must pay tribute to those who would give all first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Cozzolino’s winding road from construction management major to global song stage

By Danielle Whitaker

CSU Pueblo senior and up-and-coming country music star Cody Cozzolino plays to the crowd during a 2021 concert. [Courtesy photo/Cody Cozzolio]

The administration and professors have worked with my schedule but I’ve kept them all in the loop as much as possible to stay up to speed in the classroom. So it has been great. CSUP has been great to me and this journey.
— Cody Cozzolino

The global coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the course of countless. For Colorado State University Pueblo senior and up-and-coming country star Cody Cozzolino, life seems to have changed for the better.

During the push to online learning last year, the construction management major realized that he could get a lot of his courses done virtually at his own pace without ever having to step foot on campus.

When his “hidden talent” of singing and playing guitar began to turn into a full-time hobby, Cozzolino discovered that doing school remotely would give his schedule the flexibility to go to school and work on his craft at the same time.

How does he manage the logistics of attending classes while on tour?

“It definitely has been tricky,” Cozzolino said. “The administration and professors have worked with my schedule but I’ve kept them all in the loop as much as possible to stay up to speed in the classroom. So it has been great. CSUP has been great to me and this journey.”

From his first performance in June 2020 to now, Cozzolino has opened for “many talented pros that [he has] been a fan of for so long,” including: Josh Turner, Jon Pardi, Clay Walker, Craig Campell, Michael Ray, Matt Stell, Mitchell Tennpenny and Easton Corbin.

He has already performed to a sold-out crowd at Memorial Hall, on “THE STAGE” on music row in Nashville, Tennessee, and — coming this baseball season — Denver in both the Ball Arena and at Coors Field.

After being signed as a recording artist in Nashville, Cozzolino said his next steps are to finish recording his first extended play record, before going back on the road again, hopefully at least once to promote his first single, “On My Way,” which is scheduled to play on national level soon.

Despite the unexpected nature of his journey to fame, Cozzolino said his: “whole journey has been unbelievable. I’ve gotten the opportunity to do so many amazing things and meet so many incredible artists and I truly can’t believe it’s even happening. God is good and Pueblo, Colorado, is good.”

After graduation Cozzolino plans to move to Tennessee full-time before a whirlwind summer full of shows, music festivals and first international tour with artists Michael Ray, Love and Theft, Jerrod Neiman, Colby Caillat and Trent Tomlinson. 

*** See additional student spotlight: Meet your 2021 Homecoming Queen **

The post From CSU Pueblo student to country star first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Pueblo voters had some strong mandates for the city Tuesday night: Let’s get some new faces in City Hall, and new road work underway.

County voters also mandated new bodies on the Pueblo County School District 70 Board of Education, as challengers and first-time candidates led a near-clean sweep of the five seats open on that board.

Unofficial tallies updated at 5:49 p.m. Nov. 4 by the Pueblo County Clerk’s office projected that four new City Council members will take the oath of office in 2022. That includes a neck-and-neck race between incumbent Bob Schilling and first-time candidate Regina Maestri that remained too close to call into the election night homestretch.

Stick with The Today for updates, as the election has yet to be canvassed and certified.

City Council at-large

Heather Graham: 10,569
Dennis Flores (I): 10,463
Mark Aliff (I): 9,872

As Pueblo’s city council race boiled on Nov. 3, the at-large seat was still a close toss-up. Businesswoman turned first-time candidate Heather Graham led the field of three with 10,569 votes as of 5:49 p.m. Wednesday. Incumbent Dennis Flores ran a close second with 10,463 votes, while councilmate Mark Aliff fell behind with 9,872 ballots.

Preliminary numbers are still unofficial, as the election has not yet been certified. A pair of at-large seats are up for grabs in the three-person race.

Graham’s election watch party was in high spirits and the candidate said she felt “pretty good” Tuesday night, with the initial results that were in. After several minutes had passed without an up-dated vote count, an attendee of the watch party exclaimed, “Should we just party like we won?”

Graham said that she did vote yes on Prop 119, which aimed to create the Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress Program (LEAPP) and would be funded by a hike on the marijuana retail tax by raising it five percentage points, sending it from 15% to 20%. She had also stated that she voted yes on ballot issue 2A, which would use $576,609 from 2020 excess sales tax revenue to fund road repairs in Pueblo.

Graham is one of the younger candidates running for city council and is part of a trio with Sarah Martinez and Brandon Martin. She ran a platform to help small businesses in the city, and was notably on a committee to push for the 5-Star Certification process for businesses in the community.

Aliff was previously on the city council and is the current vice president of the council. He ran on a campaign focused on tackling the city’s $7 million deficit and has been a vocal opponent against Pueblo’s current mayor Nick Gradisar. Neither Aliff nor Flores responded to a request for an interview.

— Jack Schauer and Seth Six 

City Council District 1 (one seat)

Regina Maestri: 2,110
Robert D. Schilling Jr: 1,956
Elvis Martinez: 1,245

Blue and white signs adorn the yards of various houses across the city of Pueblo. Their message is written in bold white letters: “Elect Regina Maestri, City Council District 1!” 

Having moved to Pueblo in 1986, Maestri came here hoping to find her American dream among the town’s rich culture, but was disheartened by the rising crime rate the city has seen in recent years. This served as her motivation to bring change to Pueblo, focusing mainly on Pueblo’s economic issues. 

She has been a strong voice in the battle to save the small businesses on which the town has been built, and an advocate to bring change to the city’s current economic situation. 

The 55-year-old, who as of 5:39 p.m. Nov. 3 held a 154-vote lead over incumbent District 1 councilman Bob Schilling, has been outspoken about her efforts to bring change to the city of Pueblo. Her campaign itself centered around achieving economic success and promises to bring quality leadership, an American voice and strong value system to the city, if elected.

Numbers were preliminary and results were still unofficial. 

Maestri, who was surrounded by friends and family at her home on Tuesday night as she awaited the results of the election, sounded confident in her status in the polls. 

“I’m feeling pretty good for a first-time runner,” Maestri said. At 9:30 p.m. that evening, she led the race 1,597 votes to Schilling’s 1,596. Elvis Martinez, who also challenged for the first district, was a distant third with 924 votes as of 9:30 p.m. 

Schilling, who held a 12 vote lead for much of the evening, said he expected the results to be tight this year, largely due to the low voter turnout. But he kept in high spirits. 

“It’s like horseshoes,” he said. “You take what you can get.”

— Alexa Rodriquez

City Council District 3 (one seat)

Sarah Martinez: 3,192
Laura Moreschini: 1,735
Jody Voss: 1,730
Lucretia Robinson: 554

Apparent District 3 victor Sarah Martinez jumped into the 2021 Pueblo City Council election with her heart set on helping her community. A native Puebloan who values the people and places of this town, some of her most of the most important platforms are implementing a system for the community to report potholes/sidewalk damage, having Puebloan voices heard and family care policies. 

Pueblo County’s unofficial poll finds Martinez leading by more than 2,000 votes compared to her closest competitor. Preliminary numbers showed she earned 3,192 votes to Laura Moreschini’s 1,735, Jody Voss’ 1,730 and Lucretia Robinson’s 554.

“Right now I am doing a lot of deep breathing,” Martinez said around 8 p.m. on election night. “I’m sitting with my family right now.” 

Martinez directed The Today to her website for more on her platform. 

— Alorah Saldana-Vigil

City Council District 4 (one seat)

Vincente Martinez Ortega: 1,974
Brandon Martin: 1,140
Todd Rogers: 1,070

A Pueblo native and veteran community organizer will take over the seat once held by beloved long-time councilman Ray Aguilar. Vincente Martinez Ortega appears to have claimed Aguilar’s 4th District seat in a low-key and low-turnout three-person race.

Ortega claimed 1,974 ballots, according to unofficial numbers released by the Pueblo County Clerk’s office, compared to Brandon Martin’s 1,140 and Todd Rogers’ 1,070.

The 39-year-old told The Pueblo Chieftain that, as the son of prominent civil rights activists the late Rita Martinez and Jose Estiban Ortega, he grew up on picket lines and in courtrooms, while his parents demonstrated against English-only laws and in support of equal rights.

In his candidate statement on his Facebook campaign page, Ortega wrote that: “I’m running to ensure the community is at the table when decisions are being made, to make sure those most impacted by issues are heard when they bring forward solutions. For too long, much of this District has been dismissed as a liability and I want to help the City to understand and plan for Bessemer and District 4 as an asset.”

He addressed his 527 Facebook followers on election night in a heartfelt post that honored his parents, stating: “Thanks for all the support, mi comunidad! I was working an incredible community event tonight as the results rolled in and I was among gente. My parents were honored as ancestors on a community Dia de Muertos altar and I felt the power of generations surrounding me. We have lots of work to do and I will continue to need my community and trust my community and listen to my community. Adelante!”

–Regan Foster

Ballot 2A and other initiatives

Yes: 15,356
No: 6,248

City of Pueblo voters delivered a referendum to the city requesting that our roads be repaired. Unofficial results reflected that ballot issue 2A will pass by a whopping 9,108 votes. The proposition requested that the city should “de-Bruce” the city budget. 

Due to the city’s ability to retain the surplus taxes, Pueblo residents have demanded that they be put to good use, devoting $576,609 in 2021 surplus to repairing local roads. It’s part of a $5 million plan to overhaul a slew of roads, starting in 2022 and spanning over five years, benefitting all local residents including the CSU Pueblo area. Bonforte Boulevard is among the major roadways slated for repair in the upcoming years. 

The-five-year plan will initiate within the next few months, putting to work one of the four ballot initiatives that Pueblo voters were asked to address.

State initiatives

A trio of statewide initiatives, meanwhile, got kicked back to the drawing board. According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, an amendment to the Colorado Constitution and a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning money that the state receives has been unofficially rejected. Constitutional Amendment 78 failed by over 200,000 votes, with 851,358 votes against the change to the constitution and 642,790 in support. 

Proposition 119, referring to an increase on state taxes on retail cannabis sales, has also been rejected. There will be no change to the Colorado revised statutes concerning the creation of a program to provide out-of-school learning opportunities for Colorado children aged 5 to 17, or associated tax hike. The proposition failed with 696,899 votes in favor of the proposition and 826,475 against.

Proposition 120 has likewise been rejected. This proposition was in relation to the Colorado Revised Statutes concerning property tax reductions for multifamily homes. The vote failed with 860,883 to 648,050. 

All numbers are still preliminary.

— Kai Decross-Gonzaleas

District 70 board of education

There is a lot of new blood heading to the Pueblo County School District 70 Board of Education. 

According to preliminary, unofficial election results, at least four out of the five board positions have new district members after the Nov. 2 election. 

• The Board of Education Director-District 1 was previously held by Paulette Frye but appears to be heading to Dr. Aaron “A.J.” Wilson, with the unofficial results being 5,942 votes for  Wilson, 3,855 votes for Frye and 2,901 votes for third-place finisher Marla Spinuzzi Reichert. 
• Moving on to the Board of Education Director-District 2: The position was previously held by Frederick Quintana, but according to the unofficial results it should now be held by Anne Ochs. She pulled in 5,566 votes, followed by Quintana with 3,834 votes and Daniel Toussaint with 2,946 votes. 
• As for the Board of Education Director-District 3, the neck-and-neck horserace that was too close to call as of press time appears to have resulted in another defeated incumbent. Seat-holder Staphanie Cordova-Catalano (4,182 votes) appears to have fallen to challenger Cathleen Culhane Howland (4,445). Kayla Marler rounded out that race with 3,435 ballots.
• For Board of Education Director-District 4, Christopher DeLuca bested Robert Boyd by some 800 ballots. DeLuca earned 6,473 to Boyd’s 5,604 as of Wednesday evening.  
• Lastly, the Board of Education Director-District 5 race found John Christenson easily claiming the seat wtih 7,133 ballots, to Theresa “Terrie” Tafoya’s 5,346.

-Michael Milisavljevich

** See related content: How to take stock of your local ballot in 2021 **

The post New members, road mandate follow election first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.

Queen E

“It was overwhelming, but in a good way. It was amazing to have the support from my team and friends when my name was called.” — Sonia Earles, 2021 Homecoming Queen

By Katie Meeks

Sonia Earles, recently nominated and Homecoming queen victor, is a softball fanatic with a bright future. Earles, originally from Sacramento, California, came to CSU Pueblo to play the sport and experience the beauty Colorado has to offer. 

“I came here because it seemed really pretty and had the most to offer academically,” she said. “I actually didn’t get a visit [on campus] because of COVID, so I committed blind. But, I’m really happy with my decision.

“I love it here.”

Earles has five siblings and expressed some discomfort being away from her family.

“It’s weird being away from my family for sure; they are my whole world. It’s pretty hard, my mom and dad are like my best friends so not having them around 24/7 is a little odd,” she said.

However, she has taken comfort in surrounding herself with teammates and coaches to keep her feet on the ground — or make that, the mound. As a pitcher, Earles loves the sport she has played for 11 years.

“My favorite part about softball is just the girls and the coaching staff. They are definitely my home away from home,” she says. 

Earles, 17, is studying early childhood education and is specifically wanting to go into special education. She loves to lift and be around friends, all while trying to juggle the newfound college lifestyle of staying on top of class work and maintaining a sleep schedule. 

She was surprised, to say the least, at her recent Homecoming crowning.

“I didn’t even know I was nominated,” Earles said with a laugh. “My teammate works for student engagement and surprised me with the news. My other teammates … encouraged me to campaign to help with votes.

“It was a crazy feeling. I definitely did not think I was going to win.”

Earles said that as a freshman, she didn’t believe this idea was even plausible considering she doesn’t know very many people. 

“It was overwhelming, but in a good way. It was amazing to have the support from my team and friends when my name was called,” she said. 

Earles thanked the university and students, and said she looks forward to her continuing college career as Wolfpack’s very own 2021 Homecoming queen. 

See related content:

The post Meet your 2021 Homecoming queen first appeared on CSU-Pueblo Today.