Hank Brown is out to save the dome on the State Capitol building -- but not as governor

Hank Brown could have had a big office under the gold dome: Back in the anyone-but-Dan Maes days, the former U.S. senator was urged to make a last-second run for governor. But while Brown was one of the first old-guard Republicans to drop his endorsement of Maes, he didn't jump...

By Patricia Calhoun

January 19, 2011

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Hank Brown could have had a big office under the gold dome: Back in the anyone-but-Dan Maes days, the former U.S. senator was urged to make a last-second run for governor.

But while Brown was one of the first old-guard Republicans to drop his endorsement of Maes, he didn't jump into the race.

But Brown is still doing his duty for the state. At noon today, he'll be in the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the Capitol to kick off the Share in the Care Colorado campaign to repair the dome. It's a campaign he's chairing.

The most notable part of the dome, of course, is the gold cover -- 200 ounces of 24-karat gold that miners donated in 2008 to gild the cast-iron, copper-clad dome of the building that was designed by Elijah E. Myers in 1885. But there are other parts of the project that are far less glamorous; the entire repair project is estimated to cost $12 million and will take three years.

The State Historical Fund will cover $4 million of the tab. Colorado Preservation Inc. and Share in the Care Colorado are out to raise the rest -- not raise the roof.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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