All three of CSU's Laurel Village buildings received LEED certification. Laurel Village Pavilion was awarded LEED Platinum certification, the first of its kind at the university, while the two residence halls, Alpine and Piñon, received LEED Gold certification.
James Stephen Brinks, 81, of LaPorte, died Thursday, June 11, at home, due to complications of Alzheimers disease.
Dr. Brinks was born in South Haven, Michigan, January 2, 1934, to Jacob E and Evelyn Kahne Brinks. The middle of five children, he was raised in a religious Lutheran home.
The family moved to Plymouth, Michigan, when he was 4 years old. He attended a one-room school house from kindergarten through fifth grade, when the school district was consolidated. He graduated from Plymouth High School in l952, from Michigan State University with a B.S. degree in l956, and with an M.S. degree in l957. His Michigan State education was largely paid for by 4-H scholarships earned for livestock judging. He belonged to the agriculture fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho.
He received his PhD in animal breeding and genetics from Iowa State University in l960. His first job was in Denver, with the USDA ARS from l960 through l967, where he was investigations leader for beef cattle breeding research for the land grant colleges in the 12 western states.
He joined the animal sciences faculty at CSU in l967 and continued there until his retirement as professor in l992. He was major adviser for 76 masters and PhD degrees, and made important contributions to the beef cattle industry. He received many awards including the J.R. Prentice Memorial Award in Animal Breeding and Genetics from the American Society of Animal Science, the Jack E. Cermak Advising Award, and the Oliver P. Pennock Distinguished Service Award. He was author or co-author of more than 200 publications about beef cattle genetics and was often invited to speak at beef cattle meetings throughout the United States, Australia, Spain, Brazil, and Argentina. His work and writings are well respected by academics and industry professionals alike.
He served for many years on the Larimer County planning commission, and on the board of directors of the Pleasant Valley and Lake Canal, and of the Larimer County Farm Bureau.
In l955 Jim married Sharon Lee Muir in Saline, Michigan. After giving birth to a son and adopting a daughter, she died of leukemia in l968. He married Rose Stehno Dean in l969 in the newly built Blessed John XXIII campus church. They lived on Sheely Drive in Fort Collins until moving for a one-year sabbatical in Maryland, and then permanently to their Laporte farm.
During this period he built a cabin on Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs which the family enjoyed for 30 years.
Jim is survived by his wife, Rose, his sons Kevin (Kati) Brinks of Centennial, Dr. Alan (Kathleen) Dean of Fort Collins, Rex Dean of Waltham, MA, Dr. Andrew Dean (Dr. Marta) of LaPorte, twins John Brinks of Fort Worth, Texas; and Jim Brinks of LaPorte; his daughters, Karen Wetzbarger of Loveland, Dr. Laura Pritchett (Dr. James) of Bellvue, and Mary Dean of Fort Collins; his siblings Donald Brinks of Pagosa Springs, Dave Brinks of Flint, Michigan., and Susan Shade of Fort Collins; 18 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.
Jim was also preceded in death by his parents and his brother Kenneth Brinks.
Until triple bypass surgery in 2003, Jim loved smoking his corncob pipe, bowling, hunting, fishing, golf , skiing, playing poker, traveling and raising cattle. In the 1980s and 1990s, he developed a composite breed cow herd, which graced his historic farm along the Poudre River in Laporte. He was unquestionably a workaholic and both he and his family learned to build fence, ditch irrigate, buck hay, brand cattle, pull calves, garden and can, and all the rest that goes with farm life.
In 1993 the Provost and Claymore (aka Lessert) descendants of the original owners of his farm had a reunion in Laporte and took Jim into the Lakota Oglala Sioux tribe with the name: Down to Earth Man. Jim will be laid to rest in Grandview next to the grave of John Provost, the first owner of the farm.
The last 12 years of his life were clouded with Alzheimers, which he faced with reality and grace. He never lost his innate kindness or his gentleman’s dignity nor his desire every day to get up and go someplace.
A funeral mass concelebrated by the Reverends Steven Voss and Greg Ames will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 15 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fort Collins. Interment will follow at Grandview Cemetery. A reception will be held in Meredith Hall following the Interment.
Friends may send condolences to the family at bohlenderfuneralchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Abbey of St. Walburga, to St. Joseph’s parish, or to a charity of choice.
Stumped by clogged sink? Perplexed when you plug in because an outlet won’t work?
CSU employees and the Ripple Effect are teaming up on a series of classes to introduce the basics of home repair. The classes, funded in February through the first Ripple Effect grant process, aim to help CSU employees safely tackle common problems around the house and provide education about when to contact a licensed professional.
“More than half of America’s adults are single, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” said Scott Baily. Baily is director of Academic Computing and Networking Services at CSU, and he proposed the classes to the Ripple Effect grant process. “In many cases, single women do not have the knowledge to do simple repairs around the house; these classes provide a means for women to become more self-sufficient.”
Series of classes cover basics
The series of classes includes two sections. One three-part series of classes will focus on plumbing. Matt Markle, a Facilities Management employee, will teach the section. Markle has been at CSU for 16 years and has been a pipe fitter and plumber since 1991.
“I want to teach this class because I think of my grandmother and mother, who depend on me to make repairs on plumbing, electrical, etc.,” said Markle. “They don’t have the experience or knowledge to perform these tasks. I know what it costs to have someone come out and that can have quite the impact on your wallet. With some basic knowledge, someone can make an attempt to fix their plumbing on their own.”
The plumbing classes will help participants learn to perform routine repairs such as finding the main water line in a house and closing the main water valve properly, unclogging a drain, and fixing a leaky toilet. Markle will also share tips for when to call a professional plumber, as well as recommend resources about plumbing repairs. Plumbing classes will be held from 6:30 – 8 p.m. July 8, 15 and 22, in GSB 303. Participants should plan to attend all three to complete the section.
The second section of repair classes will focus on electrical repairs and will be held on Aug. 5, 12, and 19. Participants will gain an understanding of electrical panels, and learn how to identify and turn off a breaker before doing electrical work, as well as how to replace a faulty wall switch or outlet. These classes, taught by Pat Demchok, will also provide context for when to call a licensed electrician and additional resources.
Demchok has been involved in the electrical industry for more than 40 years and currently works in CSU’s Telecom office. Before working at Telecom, Demchok worked for Facilities Management. He’s an experienced instructor, having taught electrical apprentice classes in the past.
Registration info
Participants should plan to attend all three classes to complete the section.
CSU cleaned up in recent competitions, earning awards for demonstrated excellence for a number of public relations- and fundraising-related projects.
Updated July 15: End date for project has been extended to July 24, due to weather delays. Original text (June 11, 2015) The roof of the Administration Building will be replaced starting on June 22. Depending upon weather, the project is slated to conclude on July 17. Parking directly south of the building will be closed, impacting 11 parking spaces including reserved permit spaces, loading zones and state and service vehicle spaces.The drive providing access to those parking areas will be closed along with the south entrance of the building. These closures will accommodate a crane and provide access to the roof for contractors. This project will not affect parking lots 349 and 350 (the metered lot and the A lot) to the south of the Administration Building.
A team from CSU's Department of Atmospheric Science is participating with researchers from nearly two dozen universities and research organizations to solve the mystery of severe weather after dark.
This summer, in addition to launching an online version of the Master’s in Arts Leadership and Administration, the LEAP Institute for the Arts at Colorado State University will offer an Arts Board Leadership Entrepreneurs Workshop (ABLE).
Three Colorado State University faculty members are taking a group of students to South Africa this month to help preserve the art, history and customs of an indigenous community.
As political unrest continues in the war-torn East African country of Burundi, a Colorado State University professor is planning to travel there this summer to continue his work in educating a new generation of leaders in peace-building and sustainable development.
CSU's Pet Hospice Program provides basic nursing services, quality-of-life assessments, emotional support and more.