With the introduction of 4 new members to the GVR Metro District, it did not take long for the GVR Community Center to be a target. The 4 new members did not hide their objections to the GVR Community Center before being elected, but what they failed to accomplish was gaining overwhelming support in their quest to stop the Center! In fact, looking at the election results, they did not even have 10% of the community vote for them. So, what exactly are their motives in trying to stop a Center that has already been started? And, exactly what community backing do they have in this quest? The fact is, trying to put a stop to something already in progress will only cost the community more money and cause more tension. So, how does this help the community?

Let's look deeper into the motives of the new board members! It does not take long to find a GVR Metro District board member ( Anthony Noble in this case) with a huge conflict of interest. The same property that the community center is being built on had been previously eyed by Mr. Noble for purchase. With this fact, one has to wonder how much animosity this District board member holds for the community center and how much influence he will have in trying to prevent it from being built?

Perhaps more serious in nature is the fact that another new member lied about her credentials during her campaign for the board position. Mary Schumer has stated in writing and in meetings that she is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Though this information was published in the GVR HOA Newsletter (from a document she submitted) and published in the Far Northeastern Neighbor, she denies ever writing anything. She also denies any involvement in a voter's information card circulated through the community during the campaign. Though she is in denial about the written documentation, one thing Ms. Schumer has done is speak in public, both in the GVR HOA meetings and GVR Metro District meetings, claiming to be a CPA.

If you were to dig deeper, you'll find the best part of Ms. Schumer's "denial". It appears she has lied to her employer (University of Colorado) because CU's public records show her listed as a CPA. I guarantee they didn't just add that to the end of her name. If you check for her credentials on the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies- Division of Registration website ( https://www.doradls.state.co.us/alison.php), you will not find her listed as a Colorado Certified Public Accountant. The state of Colorado specifically states that you must be registered with the state in order to put CPA or Certified Public Accountant at the end of your name.

Given the fact that Ms. Schumer has failed to understand Colorado Law, how can she be trusted to hold a public office? Perhaps she just conveniently disobeyed Colorado Law to get elected?! It gets worse! At the last GVR Metro District meeting she tried to "Explain" her reasoning for this mistake, stating that she is a CPA but in the state of Illinois. This, however, leads to another problem. First, she is in the State of Colorado, so she needs to obey the laws of this state. Second, upon searching Illinois records, there is no record of a CPA Certificate for Mary P. Schumer. With all of these facts, the question is can these new board members objections and intentions be trusted?

A lot of the arguments the opposition has used to object to the community center have focused on property taxes and an election a few years ago asking the community for construction funding of the community center through a property tax increase. This ballot initiative failed, and the GVR Metro District moved on to other issues. Through the years, the GVR Metro District came into extra money WITHOUT raising taxes, and they found themselves with the funding to build the community center WITHOUT increasing taxes. So, how can the opposition state, "They will raise your taxes!" and "They are building a community center that that was voted down!" These statements are incorrect and misleading. I challenge any of the new members and the opposition to prove me wrong!

My opinion of these 4 new board members is that they are acting in a self-serving manner and are not taking the community's future into their decisions. I have talked to a lot of families that live in GVR, and they would welcome a new Community Center where their kids can enjoy classes and events. There are also other groups, of all different ages, that would benefit from having this community center in their own backyards. If you want to have a wedding, with the GVR Community Center you can have it there. If you want a family reunion, you can have it at the community center. With both of these, think of the close proximity the GVR Community Center would have to the airport and surrounding hotels. In addition, think of the money that this brings to our community. If you want to get to know your neighbors you could attend a class/gather at the new community center. If you want to talk about saving money, the GVR HOA would be able to save the community money by booking a conference room and not having to rent a room at the Denver GVR Recreation Center. I bet the opposition won't tell you any of this! The opposition group will also not tell you that this Community Center has been endorsed by both Mayor Hickenlooper and Denver City Council President Michael Hancock; they have both viewed this Community Center as a good step forward for the citizens of GVR!

So, again, what are their intentions with stopping the Community Center from being built? It's time to find out. I would like to encourage the GVR Community to participate in keeping the building of this community center on track. The GVR Metro Board is holding a special meeting on Wednesday, June 11 th at 6:30pm, at the GVR Metro District Admin Building (1 Block easton 45th near Tower Rd). I STRONGLY urge anyone who wants a community center or was expecting it to be built, to take your opinion to the GVR Metro Board directly! These 4 new members need to know were the rest of the community stands. Without your input, they will only continue to forge ahead with their own future for the community!