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head: Pancakes for preschoolers

Reid Williams

DILLON – The Maxwell Street Bar and Pizzeria is better known for its Chicago-style meats and pies, but Saturday morning the restaurant was serving up hundreds of plates of pancakes.

The Dillon Ridge eatery was one of 16 businesses that pitched in to aid the Zoomers annual pancake breakfast fundraiser. The preschool and child-care facility depends on such events, said board president Jen Pierson. Supporters hope to raise $2,500 through the breakfast event, she said.

“Being a nonprofit, it’s always a challenge to pay our teachers enough to keep them, keep our price low for parents and pay the bills,” Pierson said.



The Zoomers philosophy is based on the center’s origins: In the 1980s, parents facing a lack of child-care options banded together to create their own. The school now serves children from birth to age 6 with developmentally appropriate activities that teach children through play. Zoomers parents are required to volunteer each month, often in similar fundraising events.

Parents said the Zoomers experience is a valuable one. Maxwell Street owner Bruce Perry helps out, even though his son has moved into public schools.



“My son went to Zoomers for five years – he still has friends there and he talks about it all the time,” said Perry, who also held a fundraiser for the school in October. “They were good to me and my son. The teachers and directors are great. It’s a trustworthy place.”

Parents in Summit County know that finding childcare openings can be a challenge, but Zoomers staff said the slow summer season has created some spots at the school.

Alcohol training focuses on event volunteers

SUMMIT COUNTY – The Summit Prevention Alliance (SPA) wants to make sure volunteers at the county’s myriad special events know what they’re getting into when they’re serving alcohol.

SPA is sponsoring a TIPS training seminar for responsible alcohol service. The free workshop is scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday at Dillon’s town hall. The seminar covers identification checks, how to avoid overserving, handling problem customers and personal liability issues.

“Even though they’re volunteers, they need to realize they’re liable,” said SPA coordinator Beverly Gmerek, who added civil courts can assess judgments up to $100,000 in related cases. “They can be criminally cited, and there will be checks this summer.”

SPA regularly conducts compliance checks on alcohol and tobacco laws at area restaurants, bars and stores. Gmerek said she’s trying to get event volunteers to take the issue as seriously as retailers do.

To RSVP for the seminar, call Beverly Gmerek at (970) 668-2077.

Nominees sought for district judge

SUMMIT COUNTY – The Fifth Judicial District needs a new judge, and a nominating committee is seeking candidates to recommend to the governor.

The district’s nominating committee will review nominations before forwarding them to the governor, and the deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. June 13. To qualify, a candidate must be a registered voter in the Fifth Judicial District and must have been admitted to the practice of law in Colorado for five years.

The initial term for the new judge is two years. The incumbent judge then must be approved by voters for additional six-year terms. The annual salary for the position is $104,637.

Application forms are available from Justice Nathan B. Coats, ex-officio chair of the nominating commission, Colorado State Judicial Building, 2 E. 14th Ave., Denver, CO 80203; from Christine M. Yuhas, district administrator, Summit County Justice Center, 501 N. Park Ave., Breckenridge, CO 80424; or, online at http://www.courts.state.co.us/scao/press/benchpress.htm.


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