Saturday, Aug 5, 2017 5:03 AMUpdated Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017 9:23 AM
Impromptu event draws hundreds, including protesters
Donna Graves, left, and Lynne Bruzzese were among the packed house at a town hall meeting Friday in Durango featuring Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Rep. Scott Tipton and U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner. The town hall, which covered a wide range of issues, was held after the officials toured the Gold King Mine site with Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Gov. John Hickenlooper opens a town hall meeting Friday in Durango. Seated to Hickenlooper’s right are, from left, Rep. Scott Tipton and U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet. The town hall addressed numerous topics, including health care and the environment. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Nancy Van Dover talks about her concerns for the environment to Sen. Cory Gardner, as Sen. Michael Bennet, back left, answers questions after a town hall meeting Friday in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Protesters from Durango and around the state showed up to hear Rep. Scott Tipton, Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet and Gov. John Hickenlooper at a town hall meeting Friday in the La Plata County Commissioners Board Room. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Sen. Cory Gardner answers a question during a town hall meeting Friday in the La Plata County Commissioners Board Room after officials toured the Gold King Mine. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Jeremiah St. Ours poses a question to Rep. Scott Tipton, Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet and Gov. John Hickenlooper during a town hall meeting Friday in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Sens. Cory Gardner, left, Michael Bennet, center, and Gov. John Hickenlooper listen to Rep. Scott Tipton during a town hall meeting Friday in the La Plata County Commissioners Board Room. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
It was standing room only to hear Rep. Scott Tipton, Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet and Gov. John Hickenlooper during a town hall meeting Friday in Durango. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Sen. Michael Bennet answers a question during a town hall meeting Friday in the La Plata County Commissioners Board Room. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, center, listens during a town hall meeting Friday in the La Plata County Commissioners Board Room. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald
Hundreds of people attended a town hall meeting Friday in Durango, where Gov. John Hickenlooper, U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, and Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet took questions from participants.
The town hall was a bit of an impromptu event. It was added to another event that brought government officials to town in the first place: A tour of the Gold King Mine and Superfund site north of Silverton with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt.
The town hall started about 2:15 p.m. at the La Plata County Administration Building. It lasted about 45 minutes, but Gardner and Bennet stuck around to take questions for about another hour.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside, some targeting Pruitt but most targeting Gardner, who has been ridiculed for refusing to hold in-person town hall meetings for about 493 days – until Friday.
The elected officials made quick remarks about the Superfund site and then opened the floor to questions. Topics included education, the environment, federal health care, Colorado’s low unemployment rate and much more.
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