Summit Greens
Summit Greens
P.O. Box 8386, Breckenridge, CO 80424
Email link: Summit Greens
Summit Greens was founded on September 21, 1999 at a meeting at Mountain Java in Breckenridge and formally accepted as a chapter of the Green Party of Colorado on April 29, 2000. The Green Party of Colorado is an affiliated chapter of the Green Party of the United States, which is in turn part of the Global Greens which includes over 80 countries. We are the only world-wide political party.
Summit County has been under severe development pressure which is threatening the beautiful environment so many of us moved here for and millions visit each year. Even our economy depends on having a beautiful environment. Summit Greens have been working on issues of growth and development, public transportation, the environment and affordable housing among others.
Summit County is located 60 miles west of Denver at elevations ranging from 9,000 to 14,000 feet. Seventy-one percent of Summit County is National Forest land and we are home to four ski resorts located on public land and large areas of publicly owned backcountry and wilderness. Millions of people from all over the state, country and world visit Summit County each year to enjoy the beauty of the mountains.
------------------------------------------
LOCAL CAMPAIGNS:
Doug
Malkan was the Green Party candidate for Summit County
Commissioner, District 1 on the November 7, 2006 ballot. Doug has lived in
Summit County for 16 years and has an outstanding track record of
fighting for the environment, for open
space, for affordable housing and for better local government. Doug's
platform was to put
more resources and attention into open space preservation, wildlife habitat,
wildfire mitigation, trails management and
creation, daycare, affordable housing, public transportation, clean fuels, recycling, waste reduction, energy
conservation, outdoor
lighting regulations and more.
Doug's website: www.dougmalkan.com
Tom
Castrigno was the Green Party candidate for Summit County Commissioner,
District 2 on the November 2, 2004 ballot. Tom has lived in Summit County for 17
years and runs The Mobile Chef, a small business which he started 4 years ago.
Tom also has been a substitute teacher for the Summit County School
District and teaches kids in elementary through high school. He has also taught
classes at CMC and the Breck Rec Center. Tom had several
issues which he highlighted in his campaign including the environment,
public transportation, affordable housing and good fiscal policies. Toms website: www.coloradogreens.org/summit/tom.htm.
Justin J. McCarthy was the 2002 Green Party candidate
for Summit County Commissioner,
District 1on the November
5, 2002 ballot. Justin ran an organized campaign with print and radio advertising, direct mail, T-shirts, bumper
stickers, flyers, phone banks, registration drives and "hear the truth"
events. Summit Greens organized a debate between the
candidates which was broadcast repeatedly on RSN cable TV ch. 3 and 13. Justin
raised many issues that would not have been discussed if not for the campaign. Justin's website: www.coloradogreens.org/justin.htm.
Save the Peninsula
Initiative (Frisco Initiated Question 200.) This successful campaign won with
66% of the vote. We petitioned to get on the ballot and successfully campaigned to
oppose building a golf course on the Frisco Peninsula. The Peninsula is public land
currently zoned as parks and rec and is the site of the Frisco Nordic Center. We reached out to many groups and individuals to form a coalition that worked. The issue of a golf course
on the Peninsula included many impacts to the environment, wildlife, water usage,
hiking and mountain bike trails, frisbee golf, impacts to the character and
quality of the nordic center and the financial cost to the taxpayers of Frisco. The initiative was
conceived, authored and organized by Summit Greens' Co-Chair Doug Malkan. The initiative passed by an
overwhelming
two-to-one margin in the November 5, 2002 election. A big victory for the town
of Frisco and Summit County.
See the group's website at:
www.summitfreepress.com/peninsula.
-------------------------------------------------
ELECTED GREEN OFFICIALS IN SUMMIT COUNTY:
Jeffrey Bergeron was elected to a four year term to the Breckenridge Town Council on April 6, 2004. Jeffrey is also Co-Chair of the Summit County Green Party chapter. Jeffrey under the alias of "Biff America" can be seen on RSN cable television on several shows throughout Summit County, heard on KOA radio and read in several mountain publications. Jeffery can frequently be seen riding his mountain bike into town, unless he's on his Vespa.
Former Green Party candidate Jim Lamb was elected April 4, 2000 and served a four year term on the Breckenridge Town Council. He introduced bio-diesel fuel to the town's bus system.
-------------------------------------------------
OTHER LOCAL ISSUES:
Summit Greens were opposed to the County Commissioners' ill-fated plans to eliminate local planning boards throughout the county, which was successfully beaten. We were opposed to the County Commissioners giving up our rights to be involved in the Peninsula planning, wherein the Commissioners gave up our rights at the Peninsula with no public meetings and no public notice. We opposed the Commissioners giving up "1041" powers, or high-level planning powers over areas of great importance which includes snowmaking and golf courses and affects the areas around Dillon Reservoir. Summit Greens are opposing Vail Resort's plans to develop real estate in the Jones Gulch wildlife corridor at Keystone, and we have attended meetings giving public comment . We were opposed to Vail Resort's plans for a gondola alignment which impacted the center of the protected wetlands of Cucumber Gulch in Breckenridge. We have successfully campaigned for tougher snowmobile regulations in Summit County in 2000 and are watching the current Winter Travel Management planning process in 2004 which will determine snowmobiles' impact on the backcountry. We were opposed to cyanide open pit heap leach mining and wrote comments and attended meetings opposing it, this form of cyanide mining was finally banned in Summit County in 2004 due to the public pressure. We held Summit County demonstrations opposed to war in 2003 and met with our elected representatives to urge not going into Iraq.
-----------------------------------------
LOCAL GREEN LEADERS:
Doug Malkan is a founder of the chapter and a Co-Chair of Summit Greens. Doug also works on the Green Party's national staff as the accountant. Doug was the creator and organizer for Save the Peninsula in November 2002, which stopped the planning and construction by the Frisco Town Council of a golf course on the Frisco Nordic Center: www.summitfreepress.com/peninsula. Doug was also one of the core group that started and organized Smoke Free Summit in 2003 and 2004. SmokeFree Summit's initiative passed in the Nov. 2003 election and took effect on June 1, 2004. Doug was also the creator and organizer for the Breckenridge Medical Marijuana Initiative which passed and became law in Breckenridge Colorado in April 1994. The initiative was a forerunner for the statewide medical marijuana initiative. Doug was also the founder and publisher of Summit County's alternative newspaper Summit Free Press published from 1996 to 2000, website: www.summitfreepress.com.
Tom Castrigno is a former Co-Chair of Summit Greens. Tom is also the owner of a small business called the Mobile Chef, which specializes in Thai and Indian cuisine. Tom ran as the Green Party candidate for County Commissioner on the November 2004 ballot.
Amy Marshak created and helped organize the Summit County candlelight vigils for peace in 2001, http://www.summitfreepress.com/candles.htm. She traveled the country working for the Ralph Nader 2000 campaign as part of the "Corporate Clean-up Crew." She is again traveling the country doing good deeds.
Sally Hales holds the position of Secretary for Summit Greens.
-------------------------------------------
GREEN PARTY OF COLORADO BALLOT STATUS AND REGISTRATION:
In Colorado we are extremely lucky. In 1998 we went from being one of the worst states in the country for third parties to get on the ballot to being one of the best. Colorado, thanks to new legislation passed in 1998. We now have what are called minor parties. The Green Party, as one of only four parties in the state to qualify, now has the ability to place candidates on the ballot like the two major parties.
On November 7, 2000 the most respected citizen activist in the country, Ralph Nader, was on the ballot in 45 states, including Colorado, as the Green Party Presidential candidate. Nader, unlike candidates from the two major parties, had to petition to get on the ballot in most of those states, and in a number of cases had to actually sue state governments to be allowed on the ballot. In Colorado, we were able to place Nader on the ballot directly because of our minor party status which allows us ballot access for our candidates. (In Summit County, Nader got 10.2 percent of the vote in the election, compared to 2.7 percent nationally.) But, maintaining minor party status is dependent on us having a certain number of registered voters in the state. In Summit County it is one of our top priorities to register Greens to make sure we retain our minor party status.
When affiliated with the Green Party of Colorado you can participate in the Green Party’s version of primaries, in which we vote for candidates at an exciting local meeting or "caucus." Register to vote and write "Green Party" as your party and help us maintain our ballot access status.
-------------------------------------------
HOW TO REGISTER WITH THE GREEN PARTY:
To register as a Green fill out a voter registration form. For your party affiliation write “Green Party.” For a form, go to the County Courthouse, 208 E. Lincoln St, Breckenridge, the Motor Vehicle department at the County Commons, or any town hall. Or easier yet, call 453-2561 ext. 3479 and ask for a voter registration form by mail. It's that easy.
-------------------------------------------
The Green Party is a global movement committed to the principles of ecology and social justice. Greens work to create sustainable, healthy communities and ecosystems based on the understanding that all life is interconnected and interdependent.
There are active Green Parties in at least 76 countries worldwide. The Green Party in the USA was founded in 1984, and organized in Colorado in 1992.
To become involved with the Green Party you can 1. VOTE Green!, 2. change your voter registration to Green, 3. receive Green email, 4. make a donation to the Green Party, 5. attend a Green Party event in Summit County or elsewhere, 6. become active as a volunteer.
-------------------------------------------
WHAT ARE THE GREEN PARTY VALUES?
Members of the Green Party work toward a “Green” society as articulated by our 10 Key Values of: grassroots democracy, social justice, ecological wisdom, non-violence, decentralization, community-based economics and economic justice, gender equality, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility, and future focus and sustainability. Read more about the Green Party at www.gp.org.
-------------------------------------------
SUMMIT GREENS MEETINGS AND CONTACT LIST:
Summit Greens holds meetings and sends out alerts for important public input opportunities that are announced on our email list. We have two lists, one for registered Greens and one for those who just want to receive occasional information. To subscribe or unsubscribe send a message to: Email List Changes.
Go Green!
GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
