Steamboat Today: "Kelly Stanford's interview with Earl Rhodes" by From the Editor

July 11, 2007

Here is his e-mail to School Board president Denise Connelly (copied to Kelly):

-----Original Message----- From: Earl Rhodes [mailto:earl@youngelaw.com] Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 4:48 PM To: dbconnely@msn.com Cc: stanfordk@ticus.com Subject: Kelly Stanford contact

Denise, Kelly Stanford has made several efforts to contact me and be clear with me and you that she did try to cooperate in my investigation efforts. On June 6, 2007, I called her at her office. She called me back at about 1:15 pm, and told me she did not work for the school district in the late spring of 2005. I was eating lunch when she called. . I arranged to call her at 3:00 pm on that day. At that time I called her and did not get an answer to my call. I don't know if I left a message, or could have left a message or not. I did not call her again. today I am sending her emails questions for her to answer. I hope this clears this up. Ms. Stanford would like some public acknowledgment of the fact that she did return my phone call. Please call me if any questions.

Earl Rhodes Attorney at Law Younge & Hockensmith, P.C. 743 Horizon Court, Suite 200 Grand Junction, CO 81506

When Kelly did not hear from Rhodes, she assumed that he recognized from her initial comment to him that she was not relevant to the investigation.

On Tuesday Rhodes did e-mail Kelly several questions which she responded to. Kelly has asked that the School Board amend its report to clear up that she did return the investigator's phone call and that she was willing to cooperate. Here are the questions from Rhodes and Kelly's answers:

15509001 REVISION DATE: 7/10/07

QUESTIONS FOR KELLY STANFORD

NAME Kelly Stanford

WORK ADDRESS TIC The Industrial Company 2211 Elk River Road , Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

DESCRIPTION OF WORK BACKGROUND Public school teacher in Texas 1992-2000, Assistant Principal in Texas 00-01, Content Standards Director/Curriculum Director SSSD July 01-April 05, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Cuero ISD, Cuero, TX May 05-May 06, Curriculum Director SSSD August 06 through February 23, 2007

YEARS EMPLOYED BY STEAMBOAT SCHOOL DISTRICT July 2001 through April 2005 and August 2006 through February 2007

WHAT JOBS; WHEN - Content Standards Director/Curriculum Director SSSD July 01-April 05, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Cuero ISD, Cuero, TX May 05-May 06, Curriculum Director SSSD August 06 through February 23, 2007

LAST DATE WORK FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT February 23, 2007

WHERE EMPLOYED IN MAY AND JUNE, 2005 Cuero Independent School District, Cuero, TX

WHEN FIRST LEARN ABOUT DEVINCENTIS-MCGOWAN EMAILS Learned about contact between DeVincentis and a person in Mercer Island in May/June 2006 when DeVincentis told my husband, Scott Stanford, that he was in contact with someone there. Did not know the contact was emails until they were turned over to the newspaper.

DID YOU KNOW OF THESE EMAILS IN MAY, JUNE, 2005 No

DID DR. HOWELL IN JUNE, 2005 DISCUSS WITH YOU THE PERCEIVED NEED TO ACCESS THE DEVINCENTIS COMPUTER TO GET INFORMATION FROM HIM No

DID DR. HOWELL DISCUSS WITH YOU THE EXISTENCE OF THESE EMAILS IN THE SUMMER OF 2005 - No

DID YOU DISCUSS THE EXISTENCE OF THESE EMAILS WITH ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEE OR SCHOOL BARD MEMBERS BEFORE APRIL, 2007 - No

IF SO WITH WHOM, THE SUBSTANCE OF THE DISCUSSION AND THE DATE OF THE DISCUSSION

G:DATA1515509001kstanfordquestions71007.wpd

Way too much time spent on this, I realize. Bottom line is Kelly had no role in the e-mails.

Scott Stanford, Editor
sstanford@steamboatpilot.com

(970) 871-4221/(970) 291-9278

kielbasa ( Matthew Stoddard ) says...

Great job, Scott. I applaud you for showing this. I agree she didn't deserve the parting shot in light of this. It sounds like the interview process could have been more available if they wanted ALL input from ALL parties involved.

I still stand by my remarks, though, that both sides are screwed up in this.

July 11, 2007 at 11:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )