El Pomar announces grant winners
On March 13, a total of $192,500 in grants was awarded by the Southwest Regional Council of El Pomar Foundation to 17 Southwest nonprofits working in youth development.
The grants were recommended by El Pomar Foundation’s Southwest Regional Council, an advisory board of community leaders representing five counties in Southwest Colorado. Grant recipients include: Big Brothers Big Sisters, $45,000; School Community Youth Collaborative, $17,500; La Plata Family Centers Coalition, $15,000; La Plata Youth Services, $15,000; Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County, $10,000; Mountain Studies Institute, $10,000; Pagosa Youth Center, $10,000; Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Partners, $10,000; San Juan Board of Cooperative Educational Services, $10,000; Southwest Open School, $10,000; Boys & Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, $7,500; Piñon Project, $7,500; Archuleta County School Health Clinic, $5,000; Montezuma County Farm to School Project, $5,000; Seeds of Learning Family Center, $5,000; Silverton Youth Center, $5,000; and Students Taking Action Against Underage Drinking, $5,000.
Kurt Will earns green designation
Kurt Will – of Will Construction, LLC – has earned the Certified Green Professional educational designation, identifying him as a builder with the skills and the best strategies for incorporating green building principles into new home and remodeling projects.
Will Construction has been building custom homes in the Durango and Bayfield area since 1992. The CGP curriculum includes three days of training from leading building industry practitioners and academics on a range of topics, including strategies for integrating ecology-friendly building principles into homes using cost-effective methods of construction. Coursework is based on the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard. The standard includes sections on energy, water and resource efficiency; indoor environmental quality; lot and site development; and homeowner education.
For more information, visit www.nahb.org/category.aspx?sectionID=1174, www.willconstruction.com or call 884-9830.
LPEA receives awards for newsletter
La Plata Electric Association has been honored for newsletter excellence by the Colorado Rural Electric Association for its publication Watt’s Up, included in association’s monthly magazine, Colorado Country Life.
LPEA CEO Greg Munro took first place in the “Best Explanation of an Industry Situation” category with his article “All in the (extended) Family.” Manager of Operations Steve Gregg received first place honors for the “Best Safety” article, called “Safety is Everything,” with Indiana Reed, marketing communications specialist and Watt’s Up editor, taking second place in the safety category for the article “Electricity and Fire Safety.” Reed also took all four awards in the remaining two categories, “Best Community Article” and “Best Photo.” The “community” articles covered energy efficiency and lighting retrofits at Stoneage and LPEA’s program to help install solar panels in area middle schools. Reed’s photos, which accompanied articles “Rounding Up Emma Sweeney” and “Protecting our Feathered Friends,” earned first and second place, respectively.
To opt out of the mailed, hard-copy version of the newsletter and receive email notification of the electronic posting, visit www.lpea.coop and click “Contact Us.”
Farmers Market names new market manager
Durango Farmers Market welcomes the new market manager, Cody Reinheimer.
Reinheimwer comes with a strong background in organic farming, management, education, marketing, public relations, special-event planning and music production. He also will be filling the role of music manager for the market. To meet Reinheimer visit the Information Booth at Durango Farmers Market, held from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday May 10 through Oct. 25 at the First National Bank parking lot.
For more information, visit http://durangofarmersmarket.com.
Keller Williams adds broker associate
Keller Williams Realty Southwest Associates, LLC welcomes its newest broker associate, Anand McManus.
McManus is originally from Honolulu, Hawaii. McManus’ passion for the mountains brought her to Durango in 1998. McManus’ professional history includes work in an appraisal offices, as a mortgage processor, selling time-shares, and as a math and science teacher most recently in the math department at Fort Lewis College.
For more information, call 375-3254.
Women’s Health Coalition changes name
The Women’s Health Coalition of Southwest Colorado, a volunteer group that raises funds to aid individuals in cancer treatment, has changed its name to the Health Coalition of Southwest Colorado.
The group began raising funds to help cancer patients with nonmedical expenses seven years ago. During that time, as many as 250 ($500 grants) have been awarded, and more than $65,000 in gas vouchers given for travel to treatment. As an area-wide group supporting both men and women, the Health Coalition invites men and women to join in this life-saving effort.
To become a member, call 799-1654 or write, HCSC, P.O. Box 1455, Durango, CO 81302.
Boys, Girls Club names new board members
The Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County announces the addition of Janet Mosher and David Smith to its board of directors.
Mosher is in dealer relations at StoneAge Inc. Born and raised in Alaska, Mosher moved to Colorado after being recruited to play soccer for the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks. She graduated with a degree in exercise science and put her degree to work as the recreation manager at the SunUte Community Center in Ignacio. In 2011, Janet began her career at StoneAge. Mosher volunteers for many local groups including: Younglife, Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, SUCAP Youth Services, and the Southern Ute Head Start. She also serves on the Leadership La Plata Curriculum Committee and Head Start Policy Committee.
Smith is production technologist at BP America Production Company, Durango Operations Center. He has been employed with Amoco/BP for more than 35 years. Smith serves on the Durango Operations Center’s Contributions Committee and for 14 years served as their chairman. Raised in the Denver area, Smith moved to Durango in 1998. Smith currently serves on the board of the Durango Lions Club.
For more information, call 375-0010 or visit www.bgclaplata.org
Rachel Bell completes tax program
Gervais & Associates, P.C. announces Rachel Bell has completed her University of Denver’s College of Law Graduate Tax Program and earned a Master of Taxation degree.
Bell is an accounting professional with 13 years of tax and accounting experience, nine of those in public accounting. After working for several years in the Denver area, Bell has been back in Durango since 2007. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fort Lewis College and her master’s degree in Accounting at the University of Colorado at Denver. She has been a licensed CPA since May of 2007.
Gervais and Associates, P.C. serves businesses and individuals with income tax advisory, preparation and financial consulting services. For more information, call 385-1002 or visit www.gervaiscpas.com.
Herald Staff
