The Daily Sentinel from Grand Junction, Colorado • 9

iP10C2)n3 Section TelevisionCrosswordLandersObituaries Sunday, January 5, 1092 Colorado a bright spot in economy City facing groups cut by county C. Patrick Cleary Daily Sentinel Council status as volunteers could change C. Patrick Cleary Daily Sentinel Growing demands on the Grand Junction City Council have some members fearing for the future of the volunteer council By Jan 2, one of the council many committees, the quality of life committee, already had to pare down a meeting schedule to allow enough time to deal with at least four of the eight issues at hand Im really concerned about the current and future council members," said Councilman Paul Nelson "Im concerned about who they will get to serve on council because of how much money and how much time it takes Nelson, a single father said baby-sitting bills make up a significant part of his budget. Council members are paid $200 a month and the mayor $250 Nelson said he fears the era of See Council, page 3B People and organizations that once relied on Mesa County for money even existence are turning to the city of Grand tion for help, but they won necessarily get a warm welcome The Mesa County Health Department wants to appear before the city with a request for support of an air quality control committee, according to a list of potential applicants for city funding that the city is compiling The county last week dissolved its environmental advisory committee citing a lack of funding The environmental committee had asked the county for $3 000 Museum of Western Colorado Director Richard Sims has for three-months tried to appear before the busy quality of life committee of the City Council to apprise it of expansion plans "Certainly the city as I see it will have to be 3 major player in the construction of a new museum Sims said Club 20 is also set to appear seeking city support for a computer program, according to the list drawn up by Jody Kole. assistant to the city manager The county late last year began cutting what commissioners called non-essential services from its 1992 budget Councilman Reford Theobold said the word now is that the city is the next course for funding But the city wont necessarily fund programs that the county cuts, Theobold said Theobold said this new opportunity allows the city to be selective First-term Councilman Jim Baughman, though, said he wants the citys commitments limited Baughman said he believes the city should do what it can to secure some type of continued funding for the museum After all, the voters in 1974 said they wanted funding for the museum in the first place, he said Ginger Rice Daily Sentinel Colorado remains a bright spot in an otherwise dull national economy a sign that might bode well for municipalities contemplating bond issues, a private survey of economic conditions says For the third consecutive quarter, Colorados economy was one of the top 10 performers in the survey by Kemper Securities Group Also for the third time, the West Central region fared best with the poorest economic performances concentrated along the East Coast and in New England The study is designed to help investors evaluate municipal, corporate and structured finance bonds We think thats significant, said Richard Ciccarone of Kemper Its especially important for municipalities because a stronger economy will generate a higher level of taxes to support bond issues In general, Ciccarone said, the growing strength of the Colorado economy will translate into lower interest costs for the government agencies and the taxpayers who ftmd them.

But, he warned, that may not be true across the board because other factors must be considered in the pricing of specific bonds, such as the revenue bonds for Denvers new international airport Colorado made the top 10 in three of the five components of the analysis With growth of 17 86 percent, it was third in employment change It was eighth in mortgage delinquencies, with a decline of 7 64 percent, and ninth in total employment with growth of 1 44 percent. Mortgage foreclosures Colorado declined by 8 24 percent and home sales, the only criteria by which Colorado lost ground, also declined by 4 75 percent That dropped Colorado from its second place showing in the second quarter to fourth place In the first quarter, Colorado placed fifth in the comparative ranking of the states The study applied economic-trend indicators of employment growth, home sales, mortgage delinquencies, mortgage foreclosures and unemployment rates, across all 50 states and the District of Columbia Each of the categories was weighted equally to determine which states were relatively stronger based on the percentage change ftrom the third quarter of 1990 to the third quarter of 1991 In the third quarter, South Dakota topped the list of strongest performers, followed in order by Montana, Arkansas, Colorado, Oregon, New Mexico, Louisiana, Nebraska, Alabama, and Wyoming Rhode Island was the weakest performer Generally, though, My personal opinion is the taxpaying public is about fed up with this, Baughman said So we have to address this and get back to where we used to be Historically, what the family, church and citizen groups take care of is now being thrown back on the backs of government As a society we have to address this I dont see why the government should be so much more involved Councilman Paul Nelson said hes more immediately worried about how to pick up the slack left when the county begged off funding for hazardous-waste removal See City, page 3B Garfield County library district proposed Heather McGregor Daily Sentinel get rid of the librarys dependence on the sales tax entirely With a county population of 29,974, the six-branch county library system counts 12,000 library users per month, and handles 1,400 reference questions per month, Thomas said Under a budget of $750,000 the 1991 budget was $707,000 all six library branches could get the computerized Marmot index and circulation system, he said ber, the board decided to take action Steve Thomas, the full-time library director, said the first step will be to ask the commissioners on Monday to authorize a library district A meeting is set for 3 30 at the Garfield County Courthouse The proposed district would carry a 1 5 mill levy, raising about $450,000, to supplement the 11-year-old, 025 percent county sales tax devoted to libraries, roads and bridges If the commissioners agree, the libraries would take just $300,000 of the sales tax and still come out ahead, Thomas said If the commissioners refuse the proposal, Thomas said the library board will circulate petitions to put the library district question on the November ballot If they go that route, he said, theyd seek a levy of 2 5 mills, raising $750,000 a year and GLENWOOD SPRINGS Garfield County Library officials say theyre tired of competing with roads and bridges for county funds and want to form an independent library district After the Garfield County commissioners pared the library board's 1992 budget request of $750,000 down to $635,000 in Decem $1 million bond for sitter in toddlers beating death dl 4 Associated Press Jane Heidi Jensen is suspected of beating a 10-month-old girl to death with electric animal clippers. Li ENGLEWOOD A baby sitter was arrested early Saturday and held under $1 million bond for allegedly beating a child to death with an electric animal clipper. Jane Heidi Jensen. 28, was being held Saturday in the Arapahoe County Detention Facility after being arrested at her Englewood home at 2 50 a said Pat Sullivan Arapahoe County Sheriff.

She was arrested for investigation of second-degree murder and felony child abuse in the death of 10-month-old Jacqueline Rosenfield. Investigators say Jensen was grooming her poodle the morning of Dec. 31 when the toddler began whimpering and crying. Based on interviews with other children the home at the time of the incident and on an autopsy, authorities believe Jensen picked the child up by her hair and beat her with an Oster Model A5 Small Animal Electric Clipper childs licensed day-care provider did strike the child above the left eye with the side of the animal clipper, then probably picked the child up by the hair of her head and, while holding her by the hair, did strike her1 several times about the head resulting in two skull fractures and lethal brain damage, Sullivan said. The beating occurred about 9 a the child initially screamed at the beating then became increasing listless and by 3 20 that afternoon she went into convulsions, Sullivan said.

Jensen then phoned the childs father and called 911. She was instructed to start CPR and did that until Castiewood Fire Deparl- ment paramedics took, over with full-scale CPR, he said The child was transported to Swedish Medical Center and died there. Jensen claims Jacqueline suffered her fatal injuries when she fell off a second stair in the home, about a 15-inch drop Both the stairs and the landing were carpeted and Sullivan says the injuries could not have occurred from that kind of falL The Rosenfield infant had been placed at Jensens day care initially on Dec. 23 Her family had just moved to Englewood from Philadelphia. Jensen cared for three children besides her own 2 year-old.

The investigation is the third abuse or neglect probe against Jensen since she opened her home to other children in April 1990. Two other possible neglect or abuse complaints were reported to county social services, but apparently were investigated and dismissed by social workers. Jensen also operated an illegal day-care home when she lived in Lakewood in the fall of 1938. according to Jefferson County social services officials. AP Laoerphoto Caged cat i Cart Leonard, a Colorado Division of Wildlife officer, distracts a 75-pound female mountain Bon so another officer can tranquillize her Friday west of Loveland.

Officials dunk the same cat killed two goats on New Year's Eve, The Bon and her a were released in northern Colorado Saturday..