Endorsements

The Indian Peaks chapter of the Sierra Club
Matt Appelbaum, Macon Cowles, Angelique Espinoza, Crystal Gray, Lisa Morzel, Susan Osborne and Ken Wilson

Friends Interested in Dogs and Open Space
Shawn Coleman, Espinoza, Adam Massey, Osborne and Wilson

Boulder Outdoor Coalition
Espinoza, Massey, Osborne and Wilson

Boulder Mountainbike Alliance
Cowles, Espinoza, Gray, Massey, Morzel, Osborne and Wilson

PLAN-Boulder County
Cowles, Gray, Morzel, Osborne, Eugene Pearson, Peterson and Wilson

Here's a look at some of the picks:

The Indian Peaks chapter of the Sierra Club endorsed Matt Appelbaum, Macon Cowles, Angelique Espinoza, Crystal Gray, Lisa Morzel, Osborne and Wilson. In a letter to members, the group's leaders said choosing from among the 22 candidates wasn't easy, but "the following candidates have, in our estimation, the most experience with city and local issues, and all have sound environmental stances and credentials."

The Boulder Outdoor Coalition endorsed only four candidates, although seven seats are open on the council. The group favors Espinoza, Adam Massey, Osborne and Wilson. Three of the four are newcomers, and Wilson has served for only three months. Buzz Burrell, a spokesman for the outdoor group, said that's not a coincidence. "We picked four that are newcomers, and it's a little bit of wanting fresh ideas, fresh faces," Burrell said. "We wanted to back new ideas for the city."

But the coalition's strategy for picking candidates angered Tom Riley, who said he never received a questionnaire from the group.

"I'm really dismayed that they made these endorsements and only heard from half of the candidates," he said.

Burrell said his group did make a mistake and neglected to send out questionnaires to 10 or so candidates. He said the coalition had identified candidates it was likely to support to interview in person.

"We thought the whole process was going to be a little unwieldy, in that it's hard to do justice and listen to 22 people," he said. "I'm full-on apologizing. I'm sorry."

Burrell said the coalition has since sent out questionnaires to all the candidates and will post their responses on the group's Web site.

PLAN-Boulder County backed Cowles, Gray, Morzel, Osborne, Eugene Pearson, Susan Peterson and Wilson.

The board's picks include one past PLAN-Boulder County member, Morzel. But another former board member and chairman of the group, Appelbaum, didn't make the cut. "He certainly knows as much about the city as anybody," Pat Shanks, who serves as the organization's chairwoman, said of Appelbaum. "It was a really broad and fair discussion — it had to do with issues, and that's just the way it came down. There's other newcomers that are really impressive." Shanks said Peterson, for example, has come a long way in a few months.

"She has really gained a lot of understanding of the important issues of the city," Shanks said. "Between her energy and her obvious intelligence, we felt she was a good choice."Appelbaum said he was disappointed but not surprised to learn that he didn't get the group's endorsement. He said PLAN-Boulder County's leadership sometimes focuses too narrowly on growth issues.

"It's a great organization with a great history, but they've narrowed their focus a lot; I think they've gotten dogmatic on a number of issues," he said.

"I've disagreed with them on some things," including a ballot issue last year that would have required the city to go to voters for most annexations larger than five acres, which Appelbaum opposed.

"I think getting the Sierra Club endorsement certainly validates my environmental credibility, which I think I've earned over the years," he said.