- Cortez Re-1 School District needs school board applicants.
- Documentary film highlights water issues in Colorado.
- Cucumbers linked to salmonella outbreak in the Southwest states.
What does a school district do when there aren’t enough people to serve on its board? That’s a problem facing Cortez district Re-1, where no candidates filed petitions in time to run for two of the four seats available in the November third general election. At Tuesday’s board meeting, Superintendent Alex Carter discussed possible options for the future. One is cutting the board from seven members to five. The other is switching to at-large voting in all but District D, covering the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, which is required by law to remain a separate district. Meanwhile, the board is advertising for applicants to fill the two empty seats by appointment.
In other news, while forecasters are anticipating plentiful precipitation in the local region this winter, the future is looking increasingly dry. On Wednesday, a capacity crowd at the Sunflower Theatre watched the Southwest Colorado premiere of “The Great Divide”, a documentary about water. Colorado’s population is expected to double to 10 million by 2050, and a statewide water shortage is expected by 2030. After the film, a local panel discussed options including water conservation, more reservoirs, greater efficiencies in water supply systems and trans-basin diversions. Meanwhile, Colorado is finalizing a state water plan that is open for public comment until September 17.
And consumers are being warned to be careful which cucumbers they eat. The CDC reports that 341 people nationwide, half of them children, have been sickened by a strain of salmonella poona linked to cucumbers grown in Mexico for Andrew and Williamson Fresh Produce. Victims include 14 in Colorado, 18 in New Mexico, 30 in Utah, and 66 in Arizona. The “slicer” cucumbers, often called “American” cucumbers, are dark green and are usually sold in bulk displays without any individual packaging or plastic wrapping. Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps but recover without treatment. However, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems may develop severe infections. Consumers should not eat cucumbers from Andrews and Williamson Fresh Produce, and should ask their retailer or restaurant what company supplied their cucumbers.
