Power - Love - Forgiveness

THIS IS THE REAL DEAL, people. Take a few minutes and read.  Then wear or surround yourself in something orange, Chloe's favorite color. And feel the love...

Teen sentenced for negligent homicide

Posted: Wednesday, Jun 15th, 2011
BY: JULIA WILSON

ALAMOSA — District Judge Martin Gonzales said the sentence of Kyle Stotsky would not bring the Weavers’ daughter back but he could send a message to others that there are consequences for one’s actions.

He sentenced Stotsky to 45 days in Youth Track with credit for six days already served; two years supervised probation; fulltime employment or fulltime enrollment in an educational institution; 500 hours of useful public service; and restitution of $3,881.77 to victim Chloe Weaver’s family and $4,000 to the Victim Compensation fund. The court gave all parties 90 days to finalize the total amount of restitution.

Chloe Weaver, 20, Nederland, and a friend, Craig DenUyl, 24, Kalamazoo, Mich., were out for a Sunday afternoon bicycle ride headed north on County Road 108 when Weaver was hit by a truck driven by Stotsky.

Weaver and DenUyl, members of the Mennonite Volunteer Service in Alamosa, worked at La Puente and on other community projects.

Stotsky fled the scene and was later located at his home.

Originally charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a class three felony; criminally negligent homicide, a class five felony; and careless driving, a traffic offense, he plea bargained and plead guilty to negligent homicide, a class five felony.

The sentencing hearing started with Herm, Cindy and Hope Weaver, Chloe Weaver’s father, mother and sister, giving pre-sentence statements.

Addressing Stotsky, they each expressed the wish that he would become a person who would be dedicated to improving the plight of his fellow men “to continue the work Chloe was doing.”

Their statements were filled with compassion and hope.

“I want you to have the courage to take responsibility for your life and actions, honestly and humbly,” Herm Weaver told him. “I want you to carry on, in some small way, the work Chloe came here to do, to make it a better world.”

District Attorney Dave Mahonee told the court how difficult the case has been.

“It’s clear the life lost was a beautiful life,” Mahonee said. “She was a beautiful young girl who cared about life.”

He said the meeting between the Weavers and Stotsky was incredible.

“The love they showed for Kyle almost brought me to tears,” he said. “It showed the strength of their faith. They don’t want to see Kyle incarcerated but they do want him to have consequences.”

Mahonee suggested 2,000 hours of community service so Stotsky could continue the work Chloe was doing.

“I don’t want him to work with La Puente, they knew Chloe and we don’t necessarily want them to have to deal with Kyle,” he said. “I would like him to be helping people. That was what Chloe was doing.”

Public defender Dan Walzl also expressed the hope that Stotsky could be sentenced to probation and public service. He said substantial public service would “honor the victim.”

Stotsky, in tears, spoke to the family and the court.

“The accident changed my life,” Stotsky said. “I would never intentionally hurt someone. All I can ask for now is forgiveness.”

Gonzales spoke to Stotsky.

“You are 16,” Gonzales said. “The forgiveness of the family has reverberated throughout this case. I am not sure you realize the seriousness of the case. A lack of understanding based on a lack of experience.”

He commented on the victim’s family.

“You have had a shield around you of forgiveness and love by the victims that is phenomenal,” Gonzales said. “They have been your guardian angels. For that you should be thankful. All too often I see victim’s families consumed by hate.”

He talked about the consequences of the accident.

“This is a minor ripple in your life compared to the ripple in the victim’s family lives,” Gonzales said.

“You are remanded to custody.”

another link to read:

* http://www.alamosanews.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=20996&page=74

Lilacs & Cottonwood

Spring is here. And even on the high plains of Colorado, the weather has warmed enough to get all kinds of juices flowing in trunks and stems and leaves. We've got 11 year-old landscaping in the back yard and I must say, the lilacs (Chinese and Korean dwarf) have filled out and grown so large that with the unusual moisture we've had this spring, the blossoms are lingering and wafting a most heavenly scent across the back yard. I am finding excuses to sit out there to complete tasks -- any kind possible. I know it will end soon, and I'll be missing them again till next year.

On the other hand, we've got the most MONSTROUS cottonwood tree just to the north, at the neighbors. Rumor has it that the developers 30+ years ago were instructed/required to plant only the "cotton-less" variety -- but what did they care? Who would know? A year or two later, they'd be long gone and the rest of us would have to deal with it... Every year it produces an amazing profusion of lofty white fluffiness that sticks to everything -- it walks in with you on the bottom of your flip flops and balls up on the carpets. It plants itself next to the broccoli in the garden and puts down roots right along with the tomatoes and nasturtiums, it floats into the cars and blows into your nostrils whether you kept your windows closed overnight or not... Last year this same neighbor had piles of it a foot deep on her deck. I'm guessing some of our mulched corners easily matched that, plus a yard speckled with chicken-like "feathers" sticking into the dew. Walk out if you dare!

Based on other tree work we've had done over the years, the size of this engorged behemoth alone (estimated height 100 feet with multiple trunks at least 2 feet in diameter) would run close to $4,000 to have it removed. In the meantime, guess what my husband has just discovered? Cottonwood lofties are highly flammable. At first he used the word "explosive", but I think that was just his testosterone talking. At first he simply made use of the propane lighter but now, I see he must have run to the hardware store, he's cruising the lawn with something called a Bernz-O-matic power cell . I've never seen such a thing. (Please, hide it from the children!)

I don't want this season to end. But I cannot wait for all the cotton fluff to ball up, get soaked down, become one with the lawn and preferably get mowed down to size if each little seed ball has plans for grandeur and long-term growth. We'll be weeding or torching the rest.