Fort Collins Coloradoan from Fort Collins, Colorado • Page 9

Local News of record2 State3-7 Opinion6 SECTION Sunday, January 1, 2006 a Fort Collins Coloradoan 2 City editor: Pat Ferrier, 224-7742 E-mail: citynewscoloradoan.com i mwm Star mmm Officials want help with immigrant crime By SARA REED SaraReedcoloradoan.com The Greeley City Council's decision to not take a stand on a push to bring an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office to Greeley won't affect the chances of one being established, local law enforcement officials say. Ken Buck, district attorney for the 19th Judicial District, which includes John Cooke, who supported the resolution "If the federal government wants to establish an ICE office here, they'll establish an ICE office here." Although an ICE office might not have much impact on the population at the Weld County Detention Center, Cooke said it would be a proactive step. See ICEPage B7 Weld County, submitted a resolution to the Greeley City Council in November, asking it to support his request to set up the office. The council decided to refrain from taking a stand on the issue. Buck said the office would make it easier to de port undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes, which would help reduce crime.

Buck said the request was not about the issue of immigration but was part of a comprehensive crime-reduction strategy. The resolution was protested by many groups that worried that the office would target law-abiding individuals. Opponents said undocumented immigrants would become moref fearful of law enforcement and more crimes would go unreported. The bottom line, proponents say, is that it is up to the Imniigration and Customs Enforcement office, or ICE, to decide where it's going to establish a new office. "(The council's decision) wasn't unexpected," said Weld County Sheriff 2085 ends with Mow for Peace City joins worldwide event for 20th year By JIM STRINE JimStrinecoloradoan.com More than 100 kindred spirits gathered Saturday morning to bring in 2006 with a resounding message of peace, love and inner-prosperity casting away the noise, glitz and glam usually associated with New Year's Eve celebra- tions.

Locals who gathered before dawn at Fort Collins Senior Center were joined by others First Night events PageAl 0 Kathleen Duff On family 12 years still not enough prep time Time passes so obviously when there are children in the house. Clothes are outgrown, toys are tossed aside. But a new year, coupled with a child's birthday, only makes time seem more difficult to grasp. Kids don't grow in inches; they sprout in fits and bursts and events. Sometimes, those growth spurts are more noticeable in other people's children, but lately, my older daughter has my head reeling while trying to track her apparent changes.

An infant born 12 years ago on a cold, snowy night at Poudre Valley Hospital now is nearly my height Her shoe size exceeds her mother's. The long, thick ponytail has been replaced by a short, wavy, wild style. The days of first words, first steps and first days of school are over, forever cherished in family annals. Now we prepare for the challenging stuff: that first heartbreak; that first potentially dangerous mistake; that first real challenge to her parents' wilL Sarah is the one person in the family I regularly turn to for hooking up TVs, DVDs, cell phone features, computers, etc. Just like she does with high-tech Sarah is busily testing cords in her life to see which ones match.

She is trying on friends, classes, music, books and sports to see what works for her. Certainly, it was expected that Sarah would grow to form her own opinions, but now that the time has come, gosh, it can be difficult to accept that she has a mind of her own. We may stand eye to eye, but we don't always see that way. As quickly as the changes are coming for Sarah, our mother-daughter relationship is evolving faster than the speed of light Not a day goes by in which I don't question each 'Yes" or each "no" handed out with so many requests. Maybe I did have 12 years to prepare for this, but the shifting dynamics are startling and unsettling.

We are both in uncharted territory and both battling to be the captain. On one day, I am counseling her to wear a jacket because it's cold. On the next, she is explaining to me the deeper meaning behind a noveL One moment, I am fully the no-fun parent criticizing a bit too much. A few minutes later, we are chatting like buddies about music and magazines and the difference between George Clooney and Orlando Bloom Like most parents, we usually mark our children's birthdays by talking about the year gone by. But this time is different I can only see the future of a green-eyed young lady.

Sarah is seeking adventure while her mom is looking for comfort in the things that have stayed the same. I found one of those gems the other day when we walked into a store together. Instinctively, Sarah reached out for my hand. A few years ago, she needed my hand to keep her safe. Now, I need her hand more than she will ever know.

Kathleen Duff is the Col- oradoan editorial page editor. Call her at 224-7733, fax 224-7899 or send e-mail to It Photos by Sherri BarberThe Coloradoan Han Shamir starts the Hour for Peace with the opening ritual. More Fort Collins Senior Center. The International Hour for Peace started than 200 people attended the 20th annual event, held Saturday at the in 1 984 and was held in Fort Collins for the first time in 1 986. Members of 'f the crowd gathered for Al II I' all over the world in a simultaneous international Hour for Peace, celebrated at noon, Greenwich Mean Time, or 5 a.m.

MST. "I hope the balminess of the morning is the warming of our collective consciousness," said event planner Cheryl Beckett This year's Hour for Peace marked the 20th year Fort Collins residents have come together to foster goodwill and peace and to "break down the walls of separation," event organizer Dan Shamir said in his opening remarks. While the event followed a timeline, planners allowed plenty of room for introspection and meditatioa For the first half-hour, event emcees quietly read Judeo-Christian passages and encouraged attendees to look one another in the eyes to wish peace upon them. Between the short readings, there was a mixture of silent reflection and meditation while local musician Pamela Robinson played the American Indian flute. "I stand with all of you who are every day out there making our state, nation and world a better place," Beckett told the audience.

Before the hour was over, Grace Marie, a dancer with See PEACEPage B7 me nour ror Interested? Grace Marie leads a peace dance ensemble at 7:30 p.m. every day. at the Fort Collins Masonic Temple. To learn more about several peace organizations in Fort Collins, visit www.fortriet.orghr4peace. 1 Peace raise their hands as they participate in the Dance of Universal Peace.

The event is held for one hour on the last day of December at noon Greenwich Time, or 5 a.m. MSI I 'Let peace come forth from every mind and let love come forth from every Han Shamir, in a mediation reading at the Hour for Peace Price of postage going up again First-class stamp to cost 2 cents more starting week from today 3 New postal rates Page B7 39-cent stamp, left; 2-cent stamp, below IS Two-cent stamps are for sale at the post office to supplement the 37-cent stamp once postage for a first-class letter is raised to 39 cents next week. Most postage rates are increasing by 5.4 percent, 312 years after the previous increase of 3 cents per stamp. Rich Abrahamson The Coloradoan By JIM STRINE JimStrinecoloradoan.com If you've got stamps you're planning to use for mailing this month, you'd better get your two cents' worth to accompany them. As of Jan.

8, the Mm Colorado and Western Regional postal service spokesman Al De-Sarro said the in r. 's rates this year. However, with rising fuel prices resulting in higher transportation costs, the increase would have been necessary anyway although possibly not until 2007, DeSarro said. To avoid a rush on stamps following the Jan. 8 deadline, postal service officials are encouraging customers to make early purchases of the new 39-cent and 2-cent stamps.

DeSarro said the postal service has no definite use in mind for the $31 billion escrow SeeP0STAGEPageB7 voted to ac crease is to meet mandates from Congress requiring the post office to A cept the Postal Rate Commis- price of a stamp from the U.S. Postal Service will be 39 cents, up 2 cents. A new 2-cent Navajo Jewelry stamp is available to add to 37-cent stamps, and there is also a new 39-cent Lady Liberty stamp. The postal service's board of governors recent- create a $3.1 billion escrow account. Had Congress not issued the requirement, DeSarro said, the postal service would not have needed to raise mailing sions suggestion to increase most postage rates by 5.4 percent across the board, the U.S.

Postal Service announced this week. 4 KathleenDufficcJoradoan.com. CONTEMPORARY STYLE Scandinavian Design 2834 S. College Ave 970-204-9700 JUjutil DwktUii Lbf jujfc Jt ltiVwii. a uio j..