The torch of office for the Arapahoe County Commissioner
representing District 5 was passed at Jan. 3 ceremonies marking the
retirement of Commissioner Frank Weddig and the swearing in of Bill
Holen to fill the remainder of Weddig’s term.
About 150 people attended the ceremonies, including current and
former city, county and state elected officials as well as U.S.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Arapahoe, and former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart.
The ceremonies began with speeches honoring Weddig, who opted to
retire after a total of 30 years of public service at the city
state and county level.
A number of speakers lauded Weddig for his service on the Aurora
City Council, the state House of Representatives, the state Senate
and as a county commissioner. Rod Bockenfeld, board of
commissioners chairman, thanked Weddig for the seven years he
served on the commission and told him he would be missed.
When it was his turn, Weddig thanked his family for all their
support throughout his public service career and he thanked all
those who attended the ceremony. He said, while he is leaving
public office, he won’t disappear as he plans to be an active
citizen advocate on a number of issues.
The next item on the agenda was William Sylvester, 18th Judicial
District chief judge, administering the oath of office to
Holen.
Holen, selected by the vacancy committee, will serve the
remainder of Weddig’s term as the District 5 commissioner. Weddig’s
term expires in January 2013, which means if Holen wishes to remain
in office, he must seek election to the position in November.
“It is an honor to represent the people of Arapahoe County and I
hope I can bring some unique skills to this position,” Holen said
after the swearing-in ceremony.
He said there were a few butterflies since there was such a
large crowd gathered for the ceremony.
“I appreciate having so many friends here for this special
occasion,” he said. “I am ready to get to work as a county
commissioner. As a matter of fact, I am headed up to my office
right now to get started.”
