Westminster Window 5/9/13

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May 9, 2013 50 centsA Colorado Community Media Publication

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Construction moving along on Northwest Rail LineBy Ashley Reimersareimers@ourcoloradonews.com

Its been almost a year since ground was broken for the Northwest Rail Line, a 41-mile commuter-rail line from Denver Union Station to Longmont.

Regional Transpiration District repre-sentatives gave a construction update to residents of Westminster and Adams Coun-ty connected to the project at a community open house on May 1.

We want to be engaged with the com-munity throughout this whole process, said project spokesperson Laura Rinker. We want to hear the communitys ques-tions and views on the project. The open houses also allow us to get peoples contact information so we can keep in touch with them for future events.

Northwest Rail Line is a fixed-guideway transit project that passes through North Denver, Adams County, Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville and Boulder ending

Standley Lake alumna shares story, teaches students CPRBy Sara Van Clevesvancleve@ourcoloradonews.com

When Standley Lake High School alum-na Lindsay Hayden was just 17, she went into cardiac arrest at school and came very close to dying.

She returned to Standley Lake on April 30 to share her experience of that day, and to teach students how they can save a life through Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation.

It was shortly after lunch on April 7, 2008, Hayden said. I was just sitting in class with a bunch of friends talking about prom which was coming up in two weeks. I fell to the floor and started seizing.

Haydens classmate, Cameron Durand, who worked at Water World as a lifeguard at the time, immediately began CPR as two other students ran to get the automated ex-ternal defibrillator, or AED.

The reason Standley Lake had the AED that saved her life was because of another student who did not survive cardiac arrest at school.

There was a student by the name of Dan Lunger and he was a 16-year-old swimmer, Hayden said. On the first day of our junior year he had passed away from sudden car-diac arrest, so some of his family donated the AED in memory of him to our school, and it turned out seven months later that

was the AED that saved me ... the first time my heart had no response and the second time my heart finally came back to normal rhythm, so at that point I was in full blown cardiac arrest, Hayden said.

Hayden had a pacemaker implanted and has had no other incidents since.

The 22-year-old graduated from Colora-do State University in May 2012 and is cur-rently an employee of the American Heart Association where she advocates for aware-ness and the education of CPR to adults and youth alike.

I just think its really important to come back to Standley Lake and raise awareness, Hayden said. For me the most important thing is just to tell people this is what CPR is, to do it and dont be scared to do it be-cause it could save a life. You never know, we always say you cant make them deader. You can only help somebody by doing CPR. You cant hurt them.

On April 30, the American Heart Associ-ation and Exempla Good Samaritan Medi-cal Center provided 200 students with CPR Anytime curriculum kits.

The kits include an instructional DVD for infant and adult CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, and a mini Resusci Annie, or CPR manikin, that clicks when CPR is per-formed accurately.

Dave Rush, owner of CPR Professionals, an American Heart Association authorized training center, led the students through the basics of hands-only CPR.

Being that cardiac arrest is the num-ber one killer of Americans and far too few people know CPR, and it takes several expo-sures to CPR to be able to perform it confi-dently and accurately, this is an important opportunity for students to be exposed to CPR, Rush said.

Hayden said the thought of mouth-to-mouth CPR with the breathing component makes many people nervous, especially

Richard Meisinger, a sophomore at Standley Lake High School, practices CPR on a mini Resusci Annie, or CPR manikin, at the high school on April 30. The American Heart Association BOE4UBOEMFZ-BLFBMVNOB-JOETBZ)BZEFOUBVHIUTUVEFOUTIBOETPOMZ$13VTJOHUIF"NFSJDBO)FBSU"TTPDJBUJPOT$13"OZUJNFDVSSJDVMVNBOELJUPhotos by Sara VanCleve

Standley Lake High School alumna Lindsay Hayden shares her experience of going into cardiac arrest while at school with current Standley Lake students during UIF"NFSJDBO)FBSU"TTPDJBUJPOTWJTJUUPUIFTDIPPMUPUFBDITUVEFOUT$13$MBTTNBUFTGBTUUIJOLJOHBOEVTFPG$13BOEBO"&%TBWFE)BZEFOTMJGFBOETIFJTOPXBOBEWPDBUFXJUIUIF"NFSJDBO)FBSU"TTPDJBUJPOUPUFBDIyouth about CPR.

Students from Standley Lake High School practice CPR on a mini Resusci Annies, or CPR manikins, at the high school on April 30. The American Heart Association and Standley Lake alumna Lindsay Hayden UBVHIUTUVEFOUTIBOETPOMZ$13VTJOHthe American Heart AsTPDJBUJPOT$13"OZUJNFcurriculum and kit.

Learning to

save lives

Mental health bill on way to governorHickenlooper requested action in wake of Aurora shootingsBy Vic Velavvela@ourcoloradonews.com

A bill that will pump nearly $20 million into the creation of a statewide mental health crisis response system is on its way to the desk of Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Senate Bill 266, which was a major fund-ing priority for Hickenlooper this legislative session, passed the House on May 6, follow-ing a bipartisan vote of 44-21. It had already cleared the Senate.

Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, called the bill historic legislation.

When it comes to mental health fund-ing in Colorado, we have never funded it appropriately, Newell said during a recent Senate debate. I honestly believe this bill will save lives.

The bill creates a 24-hour mental health hotline system and sets up five walk-in cri-sis service centers around the state. Mobile and residential crisis services also would be available under the bill.

The legislation also creates a public in-formation campaign to raise awareness of mental health services and needs.

The bill directs the Department of Hu-man Services to set up a request-for-pro-posal process that will lead to a coordinated mental health crisis system.

Construction continues on Page 24

Health continues on Page 23

CPR continues on Page 24

Graduation2013

Special EditionSee high school features and commencement information on Pages 6-7

2 Westminster Window May 9, 20132-Color

Time for Change: A frank conversation about suicide prevention among working-aged men

Wednesday, May 15 - 7:00-9:00 a.m. American Furniture Warehouse

8501 Grant St., Thornton, CO 80229

This event is FREE, however seating is limited and reservations are required. Please RSVP to A.Woodford@CommunityReachCenter.org to reserve your spot.

Sally Spencer Thomas, Psy.D., CEO of Carson J. Spencer Foundation, presents Man Therapy... a mental health and suicide prevention campaign that employs humor to cut through stigma and tackle issues like depression, divorce and suicidal thoughts.

Bucky Dilts, local businessman and retired Denver Bronco, presents insights on suicides in the NFL.

Working-aged men account for the largest number of suicide deaths in Colorado. Although there are many gentlemental health services available to effectively prevent suicide, too many men continue to die without accessing help and support. Grab a doughnut, pull up a recliner, and take in this life-changing presentation!

Questions?Contact Deb Haviland, 303.853.3472 or Lindy Schultz, 303.853.3679

A BIG thanks to our host, American Furniture Warehouse, who invites you to enjoy 1 hour of exclusive, private shopping following the presentation.

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OFFICE: 7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030PHONE: 303-566-4100A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the West-minster Window is published weekly on Thursday by MetroNorth Newspapers, 7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WESTMINSTER, COLORADO.POSTMASTER: Send address change to: P.O. Box 350070, Westminster, CO 80035-0070. DEADLINES: Display advertising: Fri. 11 a.m.Legal advertising: Fri. 11 a.m.Classi!ed advertising: Tues. 12 p.m.

WESTMINSTER WINDOW(ISSN 1072-1576) (USPS 455-250)

Pot debate !nally lives up to billingFor much of the legisla-

tive session, there was one thought that would enter into my mind, perhaps more than any other: This marijuana stuff is pretty boring.

Seriously. For a drug thats capable of making ev-eryday experiences pretty interesting for a whole lot of people out there and can make those old Allman Brothers vinyls sound even sweeter for the most part, covering the Legisla-tures attempts to regulate the newly legalized retail pot industry had been quite the snooze fest.

So, thank goodness for the last few weeks of the legislative session, which produced a slew of pot activity including some profound philosophical debates over the regulation of the drug that man-aged to put the Wee! back in weed.

But things surround-ing the implementation of Amendment 64 the voter-approved measure that legalizes recreational marijuana use sure did start out slow this legisla-tive session. There were committees after com-mittees after committees, many of which started at 7:30 in the morning. Ugh!

And from those hearings emerged super-exciting terms like vertical integra-tion; excise tax; egress; ingress. But, I digress. Thankfully, the last couple of weeks of legislative pot talk made up for all of the months of boring regula-tory language, trite mari-juana puns and over-used Cheetos references.

Thoroughly entertain-ing debates over how to tax the drug and where people should be allowed to congregate to smoke it emerged at sessions end.

And the political lines over those issues became about as blurred as high-way lines might appear to a stoner on his way home

from a String Cheese Inci-dent show at Red Rocks.

Its been all over the place, said Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont, in a recent interview. Singer was the sponsor of House Bill 1318, which puts in place an Amendment 64 taxation model.

Singer said it was refreshing to see that de-bates over marijuana knew no political boundaries.

Ninety percent of the folks here have this really open mind about it, like, `So, what do you think?, Singer said. And my an-swer is, `I dont know, what do you think? And were figuring it out together.

Breaking news: Repub-licans dont like taxes. And they, like many people, dont like drugs. So what was fascinating to observe over the last couple of weeks of the session was members of the Grand Old Party arguing in favor of lowering tax rates on retail marijuana sales. Their ar-gument was sound they didnt want the drug taxed

too high, out of fear that the black market would benefit. But the irony is that the end result of lowering taxes on marijuana makes it cheaper for people to buy drugs! That irony was not lost on Singer.

The traditional con-servative argument for less taxes kind of steps in the way for the traditional conservative argument for less drugs. So, how do we balance that? Singer said. Same thing on the progressive side. Theres people on that side worried about social factors of drug addiction and the social factors of incarcerating people because of drugs.

Its a little off kilter.You can say that again.

Case in point was a fasci-nating debate in the Senate over whether the state should allow the existence of marijuana clubs, where people could have a com-mon place to enjoy the drug, like Cheers for pot smokers. Wouldnt you like to get away?

This issue sure made for some strange political bedfellows.

Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, joined forces with Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, to propose an amendment to one of the marijuana regulation bills, that would have treated marijuana clubs like cigar bars only

they wouldnt be allowed to actually buy the drugs there, just smoke them. Sen. Vicki Marble, R-Fort Collins, argued in favor of Steadmans amendment which, now that I think about it, could very well be the first time that a Colo-rado legislative reporter has ever written that sentence. Awesome!

The last thing you want them to do is to hang out in a back alley and smoke it, Marble said on the Senate floor recently.

Democratic Sens. Cheri Jahn of Wheat Ridge and Gail Schwartz of Snow-mass opposed the pot club amendment, along with Sen. Larry Crower, a Repub-lican from Alamosa.

Kool-Aid is legal, but do we need a place to drink Kool-Aid? Crowder quipped during a recent Senate debate. If you want to go to a party that has it, then go ahead and smoke it.

See what I mean? Pretty cool, eh?

The political lines are blurred, in some sense, in the Republican caucus (on this issue), said Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, in a recent inter-view.

This topic cuts across party lines and philosophic lines that are really com-plex.

By the time this column hits Colorado Community Medias papers, the Gen-eral Assembly should have already wrapped up work on the implementation of Amendment 64 regulations.

Jahn said shes learned a lot about marijuana over the course of the session.

I know more about this than I thought I ever wanted to know, Jahn told me. Who wouldve thought? However, if you really look back at over the last five or 10 years, you could really see its been moving this way and the attitudes in Colorado and through the country have really changed.

That may be true. But legislators like Gardner who opposed Amendment 64 would just as soon be talking about something else.

Ive heard more mari-juana testimony than I have on any other subject in the General Assembly, Gard-ner said. That is astound-ing to me. I never thought it was something that was a good use of our time, but we have no choice.

Vic Vela is the legislative reporter for Colorado Com-munity Media. Email Vic at: vvela@ourcoloradonews.com. Also, follow Vics legis-lative updates on Twitter: @VicVela1

HAVE A LEGISLATIVE QUESTION?Email your ideas to Colorado Community Media Legislative Reporter Vic Vela at vvela@ourcoloradonews.com or call him at 303-566-4132.

Westminster Window 3May 9, 20133-Color

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Northglenn senior headed to Yale By Ashley Reimers areimers@ourcoloradonews.com

For Northglenn High School senior Ryan Mera Evans, academics isnt a hoop-jump-ing process, its a means to an end and a progression.

He looks at his education as an oppor-tunity, not an obligation. That positive atti-tude and tenacious drive to succeed are just a couple reasons why hes headed to Yale University next fall.

Mera Evans received two scholarships, the Questbridge Scholarship and Gates Mil-lennium Scholarship, which will cover his full tuition at Yale. Although hes over the shock of the scholarship news, the excite-ment hasnt worn off.

Im still in a sense of wonder about it. Its super exciting, he said. Now its just a matter of planning my future and looking at all of my options.

Before being accepted to Yale, Mera Ev-ans took a week-long trip to the east coast to check out all of the Ivy League schools. He said the moment he stepped onto the Yale campus he knew it was the place for him.

The sense of community and the atti-tude of the students really stood out to him.

At the other top performing schools I felt that it was too competitive and the community was too cut throat, he said. But that was something I felt completely different about Yale. It seemed like the peo-ple were happier and more outgoing.

Mera Evans plans to study political sci-ence or economics at Yale.

He also plans to take a variety of other

fun and interesting classes. He says hes al-ways been interested in government and political science, specifi cally democratic transitions and globalization. And just this year an interest in education was sparked after coaching a team for the We the People program, a statewide constitutional schol-ars program.

Ive really taken to education and how it can be used as a transformative social tool, he said.

Theres a lot of work that needs to be done and I can feel myself getting involved with it either by becoming an educator or more on a policy-based level because of my interest in government.

Along with his dedication to academics, Mera Evans was also a four-year varsity soc-cer athlete, a member of DECA and a tutor in his high school. He is active in his com-munity volunteering at his church and the Have a Heart Food Bank in Westminster. For him, volunteering in his community is the least he can do.

Mera Evans will spend the summer working full time at Water World, while preparing to leave Northglenn behind, the place hes called home his whole life.

The thought of moving far away doesnt scare him it excites him.

Mera Evans says he plans to experience everything he can while learning from his fellow classmates.

Honestly, the thing Im most excited about for college is experiencing all of the conversations, perspectives and walks of life of my peers, he said.

Im excited to get out of Northglenn and really explore and experience the world.

Northglenn High School senior Ryan Mera Evans is headed to Yale University in the fall on two college scholarships. Photo by Ashley Reimers

4 Westminster Window May 9, 20134-Color

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WESTMINSTER NEWS IN A HURRY A! ordable dog and cat spay/neuter services o! ered

Foothills Animal Shelters mobile surgical unit is bringing affordable services thanks to support from the Animal Assistance Foundation.

Spay/neuter procedures for cats and dogs are being offered at a variety of locations in Westminster in coordi-nation with Jefferson County Animal Control and Westminster Animal Management.

Spay/neuter dates in Westminster are May 10 and 14 and June 14 at Murdochs Ranch & Home Supply, 9150 Wadsworth Pkwy. Check-in is at 7:30 a.m. and surgery space is on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis. Pets will go home the same day between 3-4 p.m. Cost is $20 for cats and $60 for dogs. For more information, visit www.FoothillsAnimalShelter.org/Clinic.

Tribute Garden ceremony to honor armed forces

Westminster will honor those who serve or have served in the military at 10 a.m. on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 18, at the Armed Forces Tribute Garden, 6001 W. 104th Ave. A fl ag ceremony, keynote address, El Jebel Shrine Pipes & Drums, salute to veterans, and a reading of names of the projects 45 new honorees are planned for this outdoor event.

The Tribute Garden salutes the sacrifi ces, commitment and patrio-tism of all in our countrys armed services. Call 303-658-2192 for event details.

Council reviews strategic planWestminster City Council con-

ducted its annual review of the citys strategic plan during a planning

session April 26-27 at The Heritage at Westmoor Golf Course.

The council uses a strategic planning process to help achieve its long-range vision of a city that is rich in complexity and a community that is desirable as a place of residence or business.

Each year the council reviews its vision for the future and recommits to a fi ve-year strategic plan to achieve that vision.

The plan identifi es the citys underlying principles on which deci-sions should be based and includes specifi c goals to be achieved. Each goal is further defi ned by a set of ob-jectives and short-term actions to be taken to achieve the associated goal.

For more information on the stra-tegic plan visit www.ci.westminster.co.us.

SEND US YOUR NEWS

Colorado Community Media welcomes event listings and other submissions. Please note our new submissions emails. Deadline is noon Fridays.Events and club listingscalendar@ourcoloradonews.comSchool notes schoolnotes@ourcoloradonews.comMilitary briefsmilitarynotes@ourcoloradonews.comGeneral press releases Submit through our website

Obituariesobituaries@ourcoloradonews.comLetters to the editoreditor@ourcoloradonews.comNews tipsnewstips@ourcoloradonews.com

Fax information to 303-426-4209Mail to 8703 Yates Drive Suite 210, Westminster, CO 80031

Westminster Window 5May 9, 20135-Color

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Graduation 2013

Thornton High School7 p.m. Monday, May 13, CU Events CenterLegacy High School2 p.m. Thursday, May 14, CU Events CenterNorthglenn High School7 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, CU Events CenterHorizon High School2 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, CU Events CenterMountain Range high School7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, CU Events CenterVantage Point High School11 a.m. Thursday, May 15, Colorado HeightsPinnacle Charter High School6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, auditoriumBelleview Christian School7 p.m. Friday, May 17, Alma TempleMapleton schools10 a.m. Saturday, May 18, DiTirro StadiumPathways6 p.m. Thursday, May 23, ESC Training CenterJefferson Academy Charter School3 p.m. Friday, May 24 Colorado School of Mines, The Green CenterHoly Family10 a.m. Thursday, May 23, Micahel G. Gabriel Foot-ball StadiumStandley Lake High School7 p.m. Friday, May 24, Coors Event Center, CU Cam-pus BoulderWestminster High School10 a.m. Saturday, May 25, Wells Fargo TheaterAcademy of Charter Schools11 a.m. Saturday, May 25, District 12 North StadiumCommunity Christian School10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 25, school gym, 11980 Irma DriveHidden Lake High School7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, Ranum Middle School auditorium

(Look for additional information in next weeks edition.)

Graduation2013

CommencementCalendar

Legacy seniors dream of the future By Ashley Reimers areimers@ourcoloradonews.com

Legacy High School assistant prin-cipal Kylie Russell describes this years graduating class as a bunch of go-getters who know what they want to do with their future.

This class is all about following their dreams, she said. Many of them will be attending school out of state.

Class valedictorian is Tait Mancosky. He is from Westminster and has a 4.396 grade point average and is a four-year honor stu-dent. He plans to attend Boston University to study economics or political science.

Salutatorian is Daniel Kinch. He is from Northglenn and also has a 4.396 grade point average and is a DECA National top performer. He plans to attend Northwest-ern University to study chemical engineer-ing or materials science.

The class of 2013 isnt just a group of dreamers but is also academically success-ful earning the highest average ACT score of any graduating class at Legacy.

Russell said one of the biggest goals achieved this year was the completion of the Senior Capstone project, which is an intensive, research-based project that in-

corporates writing, organization, presen-tation and creative skills to demonstrate the culmination of a students academic progress at Legacy.

Students choose their own topics which encourages them to fi nd out what they are truly interested in, whether that is a career, a hobby or a new passion in life, she said.

A small sampling of their amazing projects include cake decorating, chaos theory, dressage, and photojournalism.

After the completion of their project, students are then required to present their topic to members of the Legacy commu-nity.

This years graduating class size is 481.

COMMENCEMENT DETAILS

LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL COMMENCEMENTWHEN: May 14, 2 p.m.WHERE: CU Events Center, 950 Regent Drive in BoulderNUMBER OF GRADUATES: 481CLASS SONG: Home by Phillip PhillipsCLASS COLORS: Blue and gold

Grads plan big for future By Tammy Kranz tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com

Seventy-five percent of the graduating class at Belleview Christian is going to college next school year. Despite only having 12 students

graduating, thats still an impressive percentage.

As for as the other three students, they may not be going to college but that doesnt mean they will be twid-dling their thumbs.

One will be attending Youth with a Mission, one is joining the Air Force and the other is joining the Navy.

When Jeanne Rogers, senior class advisor at the school, thinks of the class of 2013, she said she feels proud.

I was so impressed that they were all so eager to attend college, she said.

This school year marked a fi rst for the school the fi rst year for its football program.

Many of the seniors played foot-ball and it was a great way to end high school, Rogers said.

Rogers said the graduating class would probably remember most about this year is that the girls bas-ketball team went to state.

It was exciting and we are so proud of our girls, she said.

Another event she thinks the stu-dents will remember is the Spiritual Life Retreat at Camp Elim in Wood-land Park.

COMMENCEMENT DETAILS BELLEVIEW CHRISTIANCOMMENCEMENT: 7 p.m., Friday, May 17, KPOF Hall, Denver

GRADUATING CLASS SIZE: 12TOTAL ENROLLMENT: 288SENIOR CLASS OFFICERS: President, Austin

Thompson;vice president, Jessi Randall,

VALEDICTORIANS: Kayla Iwahashi and Giyeong Kim

MASCOT: BruinsCLASS SONG: Stand By Me

Westminster Window 7May 9, 20137

www.uccs.edu 800-990-UCCS (8227)

I grew up in Minnesota and wanted a whole new experience for college. I chose UCCS for the beautiful campus and scenery, as well as the many opportunities to participate in outdoor activities. What I like best about attending UCCS is the supportive environment for academic excellence. The Science Learning Center has been an incredible help to my success here. Molly, Senior, Health & Wellness Promotion major

Reaching higher to inspire others to be hea lthy

Mountain Range: Beyond the limits

About the class of 2013:The class of 2013 is full of students who express their individu-ality in and outside of school. Weve created our own path and arent the clich definition of a se-nior class. There isnt a popular crowd; everyone has the chance to be involved.

Highlights:Making a bold statement and

uniting in neon during Home-coming.

Graduating students will re-member the freedom they had to be themselves yet still were part of a bigger community.

COMMENCEMENT DETAILS

MOUNTAIN RANGE HIGH SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT: 7 p.m., Friday, May 15, CU Boulder

TOTAL ENROLLMENT: 1,979GRADUATING CLASS SIZE: 418SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT: Jadyn Phillips

STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT: Preston DeHerrera

VALEDICTORIAN: Bruna SiqueiraSALUTATORIAN: Elena MorelandMASCOT: MustangCLASS MOTTO: Dont tell me the skys the limit when there are footprints on the moon. - Paul Brandt

WESTMINSTER NEWS IN A HURRYParks master plan input

Jeffco Parks has scheduled a series of meetings to hear from the public and to collect infor-mation that will be used in craft-ing a Parks Master Plan.

The parks department has scheduled a series of public meetings to gather input on future plans for the Boettcher Mansion, CSU Extension in Jef-fco, the fairgrounds and Open Space parks.

The public will review maps, information and themes. A short presentation will be followed by group interaction. Meetings at the Jeffco Fairgrounds, Jeffco Open Space and Boettcher Man-sion include a tour the facilities.

Public Input Opportunities:Thursday, May 16, 12 p.m.

to 1:30 p.m., Jeffco Fairgrounds 15200 W. 6th Ave. Service Rd., Golden, CO 80401

Tuesday, May 21, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Coal Creek Canyon Community Center 31528 Colo-

rado Highway 72, Golden, CO 80403

Wednesday, May 22, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Ken Caryl Ranch House 7676 S. Continental Di-vide Rd., Littleton, CO 80127

Thursday, May 23, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Jeffco Open Space700 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401

Tuesday, May 28, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Boettcher Mansion Colorow Road, Golden, CO 80401

Wednesday, May 29, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Conifer Area (TBD)

For more information, contact Thea Rock, Jeffco Parks Communications Manager, at trock@jeffco.us or (303) 271-5902.

Summer Reading Club beginsSignups for the Jefferson

County Public Library (JCPL) 2013 Summer Reading Club have begun.

Kids, teens and adults can

sign up online at jeffcolibrary.org/summerreading or at any JCPL location. Summer Reading Club runs from June 1 through July 31.

The Summer Reading Club encourages kids and teens to read more over the summer, and to explore other services avail-able at community libraries.

Once they have accomplished certain goals, kids and teens in the club will receive a free book, compliments of the Jefferson County Library Foundation. Additional rewards and coupons can be earned by continuing to earn achievements, including the chance for kids, teens and adults to win a Kindle.

Not to be left out, adults can participate in Groundbreak-ing Reads events all summer to be entered to win a Kindle of their own. See jeffcolibrary.org/summerreading for additional information.

Graduation2013

ADAMS COUNTY NEWS IN A HURRYBailey named employee of year

Pam Bailey of Henderson was named the Adams County Employee of the Year.

To become Employee of the Year, employees are nominated by their coworkers, and each month a committee selects one nominee for the Employee of the Month Award.

It is from these 12 employees that the Employee of the Year is chosen.

Bailey was selected as Employee of the Year following committee review and selection

as Employee of the Month for March 2012.

Bailey began her career with Adams County in 1972.

As the administrative supervi-sor in the county attorneys office, she has accumulated a commanding knowledge of every aspect of that office, from the smallest tasks to the most complex of projects.

She coordinates countless processes, from IT matters and budget administration to meet-ing schedules, records, employee matters, and external communi-

cations.Some of Baileys notable ac-

complishments over the years include being Employee of the Month in 1984, and being awarded the Adams/Broomfield Bar Association Legal Assistant of the Year in 2009.

She has worked for nine dif-ferent county attorneys during her 40 years of service to Adams County.

Adams County currently has about 1,800 employees who serve the countys 450,000 residents.

HAVE A STORY IDEA?Email your ideas to Westminster Community Editor Ashley Reimers at areimers@ourcoloradonews.com or

call her at 303-566-4131.

8 Westminster Window May 9, 20138-OPEN

12TwelveTopics

Weeks

This Week:Tech in Schools

Kimberly Jezeks stu-dents use todays technology to solve age-old math prob-lems.

I think my hands are a lot cleaner theyre not covered in marker and chalk, Jezek said jokingly in a May 17 interview with Colorado Community Me-dia. I rarely use markers on my board I use this app (Edmoto) almost every day.

Jezeks teaches mathemat-ics to seventh- and eighth-grad-ers at Clayton Partnership School in Thornton, and student partici-pation is a hallmark of her ap-proach along with incorporat-ing modern technology into her lesson plans.

Students in Jezeks class, like seventh-grader Laksmin Lavan-deros, use more modern devices to solve mathematics equations that date back hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Using the information you have here for the base and the height, what would the equation be to solve the area of this paral-lelogram, Jezek asks Lavanderos as she uses her wireless stylus pen to write in the angular mea-surements on her iPad several yards away at her desk.

Lavanderos then uses anoth-er stylus pen along with the measurements, which appear simultaneously on a whiteboard projection screen at the front of the class to write an equa-tion using given measurements that appear on the screen and on Jezeks iPad.

Jezeks classroom like many others in school districts through-out the state is a example of how students learn, share and research information in an in-

creasingly digital age.I think in order to suc-

ceed in this world, they need to have access to technol-ogy and be able to use it, otherwise theyre not even going to be in the running for things later on, said Lisa Furlong, a Clayton Partnership fourth-grade teacher who transitioned from a chalkboard to an interactive board last year after the school relocated into Mapleton Public Schools new Skyview campus.

Its finally allowing (students) to be competitive at an early age instead of trying to force it all at the very end to make sure that they learn it, Furlong said. If theyre starting it at this age, theyll actually be able to com-pete in the job field when they get older.

Moving forward, changing perceptions

Using new devices and tools in classrooms is not necessary a new trend for school districts and educators as technology innova-tions are regularly introduced and marketed to consumers.

But what has changed, school officials say, is the general per-ception of how learning occurs in the classroom.

Tech used to be what I refer to as the icing on the cake, but

we cant do it that way anymore because its in the standard for most core content areas, said Julie Bowline, instructional tech-nology and library services direc-tor at Adams 12 Five Star Schools.

We used to just stress the learn-ing of technology tools, but what Ive seen is more of a shift toward having students learn those tools and apply it throughout their curriculum.

Bowline said this shift of per-ception over the last decade also illustrates a need for educators to stress the importance of technol-ogy literacy and informed use, since almost anything regard-less of credibility is available at a students fingertips with a few computer keystrokes.

Matt Cormier, executive di-rector of educational technol-ogy at Jefferson County Public Schools, said these perception shifts have also changed the tra-ditional instruction model with-in the classroom.

Since answers to simple ques-tions are easily searchable on the Internet, Cormier said teachers must now formulate more com-plex questions for students as a way to stimulate the learning process.

In the past, the teacher was the person who had the knowl-edge and was delivering that knowledge to kids, but that isnt always the case anymore, Cormier said. The device knows more than the instructor, so what we see is an adjustment in the way teachers teach they begin to facilitate lessons and not just lecture.

However, Cormier said, this collaborative learning process between teachers and students is no longer confined to the class-room.

An example, Jezek said, are individual Gmail e-mail ac-counts created by the Mapleton Public School district for each one of her students. These e-mail accounts allow for students to reach out to her for help even when class is not in session.

For many years, we could say, Education happens within these four walls and happened from Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Cormier said. What we see with technology is that it breaks those walls down.

Top, Jonathan Rust, a !fth-grader at Clayton Partnership School in Thornton, uses an iPad to write out a fractional equa-tion for his mathematics class that is displayed on the SMART Board at the front of the room. Mobile devices, such as tablets and notebooks, are being in-troduced as learning tools within school classrooms as the costs for these devices decrease over time. Left, Kimberly Jezek, a seventh- and eighth-grade mathematics teacher at Clayton Partnership School, sketches a parallelogram for her seventh-grade class on an iPad using a program called Educreations, which turns an iPad device into a whiteboard by recording live video and handwriting movements that are then projected on a screen at the front of the classroom.

Tech ki\b

Rede!ning the classroom one e-device at a time

Story and photos by Darin Moriki

!e device knows more than the instructor, so what we see is an adjustment

in the way teachers teach they begin to facilitate lessons and not just lecture.

Matt Cormier, executive director of educational technology

Tech continues on Page 9

Westminster Window 9May 9, 20139

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Opportunities as challengesWhile the advent of technol-

ogy has changed the way learn-ing happens both in and out of the classroom, school offi cials say a lot more needs to be done to make technology more accessible to students.

At issue for many offi cials are the high costs associated with newer technology innovations, such as interactive boards and laptops, which can easily exceed $1,000.

The solution, Cormier and Bowline said, are smaller con-sumer devices, such as portable tablets, clickers and lower-cost in-teractive board substitutes.

Securing these new technolo-gies has been a challenge for school districts across the state as per-pupil funding fl uctuated over the past fi ve years.

There are times when kids are trying to use technology and its kind of dragging along slowly because we just dont have the infrastructure, Bowline said. Its a constant battle. Adams 12 is trying so hard to keep class sizes at reasonable sizes, and

I think theres always a glaring need for technology improve-ments, but theres always a need for other things that directly affect our kids.

In Jefferson County, Cormier said the school district cut fund-ing for Discovery Education streaming a Discovery Chan-nel-backed educational video resource several years ago as state per-pupil funding declined. To stave off further cuts over the years, Cormier said the states largest school district like many others worked to fi nd cheaper technology alternatives that could provide similar services, such as substituting laptops for clickers when conducting assessments.

To address this issue, Cormier and Bowline said school districts across the state are gradually al-lowing students to bring their own mobile devices into the class-room.

But this option comes with its own unique obstacles.

When youve got all of those different devices out there, com-patibility issues make it harder for the teacher to plan with a specifi c device or application in mind, Cormier said.

School offi cials say, however, that many school districts are tak-ing it in stride, understanding that technology alone cannot foster learning.

Success in the classroom re-ally starts with a masterful teach-er, said Karla Allenbach, who is the learning services director at Mapleton Public Schools.

Our teachers skillfully incor-porate a variety of resources and tools to help each child fi nd suc-cess in the classroom. Technology is not the only tool, but it is cer-

tainly one of the tools our teachers use to help each student develop a love of learning and master stan-dards.

Laksmin Lavanderos, a seventh-grader at Clayton Partnership School, uses a stylus pen to solve a geometry problem on a SMART Board at the front of her mathematics class. Photo by Darin Moriki

Continued from Page 8

Tech

Teachers asked to do more, get paid less I read with some interest Michael

Alcorns column Hitting Home (pub-lished in the online Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel May 2).

Its rewarding for teachers to hear theyve made a difference in a students life. His point that less is more was right on when it comes to written communica-tion.

Sadly, that philosophy runs foul when applied to the budgeting process as the current District 12 administration and school board continue to demonstrate.

Teachers with larger classes, less sup-port staff, and fewer programs to offer kids cannot possibly improve the learning of their students; yet, they are currently asked to do this with less pay in District 12.

At the regular board meeting Wednes-day night I sat with more than 700 other citizens and listened as superintendent Gdowski and the districts fi nancial offi cer

reported that there would be even less money available next year and further cuts would have to be made.

I found it wholly incongruous later when the board seriously discussed donat-ing to a county group that works with kids. Only one board member, Fred Shaefer, found this idea as crazy as I do.

True, the donation of $1,000 is a mere drop in the bucket of a multimillion dollar budget, but funding outside sources while continuing to slash the budget seems like feeding the world while your own citizens are starving.

Marta HeddeWestminster

Keep eye on open space For several months, I have been follow-

ing the situation at Crown Hill Open Space (between Lakewood and Wheat Ridge), where JeffCo Open Space proposed to

build several structures that the public did not want.

I presented comments to the county commissioners on April 30 and to the Jef-ferson County Open Space Advisory Com-mittee on May 2, and I want to share these concerns with the general public in order to promote as much participation as pos-sible in the upcoming JeffCo Open Space/Parks Master Plan process.

I have noticed several issues that will continue to generate negative publicity and waste taxpayer dollars if they are not addressed:s,ACKOFINFORMATIONTAILOREDFOR*EF

ferson County on how to connect children and families to nature. Need to conduct public outreach on the topic.s,ACKOFSHAREDVISIONANDGOALSBE

tween the public and the staff.s,ACKOFPUBLICINVOLVEMENTATALLLEVELS

of parks and open space planning.s.EEDTODEVELOPTRANSPARENCYRE

quirements with input from professional resources and the public, put them in writ-ing, and then follow them.s,ACKOFACCOUNTABILITY.EEDTOCON

duct a review by a qualifi ed, disinterested third party to ensure that the open space program is abiding by program guidelines, legal covenants from Great Outdoors Colorado, and other relevant rules and obligations.

If you share these concerns and would like to volunteer to ensure that county open space is a leader in public involve-ment, transparency, accountability and connecting children to nature, send an email to fojcos@yahoo.com.

If you would like to participate in the master plan process, please call JeffCo Open Space at 303-271-5925 or Thea Rock, communications manager, trock@jeffco.us.

Cara Snyder Lakewood

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

10 Westminster Window May 9, 201310-Opinion

OPINIONS / YOURS AND OURS

W Rail opening shines green light for region By about 5 p.m. April 27, the line of

people at the Jefferson County Govern-ment Center building light-rail station in Golden no longer extended over the hillside toward the foothills.

The moment seemed to round out a monumental weekend for RTD that fea-tured two days of free rides on the newly opened W Rail light-rail line.

We witnessed an enthusiastic launch for a project that came in eight months ahead of schedule, and we later reported that RTD estimated 35,000 riders rode the rail on that Saturday.

We went for a ride as well and were impressed with the 35-minute trip from Golden to Union Station.

The train mostly travels a track line that has existed for a century so as expected, homes, buildings and business properties are nestled by the track. And interspersed

with the old is new development.Yes, times have changed.Interestingly it has been more than one

economic downturn since smart growth and infi ll development were common terms in these parts. But we remember the concepts and are pleased to consider the impact of the W Rail in offering another mass transit option and infi ll redevelop-ment.

Increased mass transit is welcome in many ways, not just for redevelopment but for quality of life consider Jefferson County, which sports one of the oldest

populations in the state with about 13.1 percent over 65 years of age while the state average is 11.3 percent.

The corridors 11 new W Rail stations including the Federal Center, Red Rocks Community College are important stops, sure to be energized day in and day out. The idea to schedule parties, in other words activities and booths at each stop along the 12.1-mile route was a good way to introduce the personalities of the stops and their adjacent neighbor-hoods to the region.

And the new line extends east to exist-ing light-rail stops at Auraria West for Metropolitan State University, the Pepsi Center, Sports Authority Field and fi nally Union Station.

We heartily welcome this line that extends straight west, a little different from the more north and south oriented

existing Denver metro rail corridors. Lo-cally some business development folks said the project has put Jefferson County on a more even playing fi eld.

The business community is primed to tap opportunities to develop the corridor and attract workers after all the corridor was on the drawing board before Fas-Tracks was approved.

And from a more regional point of view, we know the impact of the entire plan will increase as each additional corridor is completed and the FasTracks plan which is admired internationally comes to fruition.

Sure FasTracks has had its cost issues and completion issues particularly with the North Metro Rail Line but for now we can enjoy the freshly energized corridor between Golden and downtown Denver.

OUR VIEW

What is your favorite outdoor activity? Although spring snowstorms have brought inches and inches of snow, Coloradans still manage to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. So we asked people at the Front Range Community College campus in Westminster about their favorite outdoor activities.

My favorite activity is de! nitely running, and Ill go wherever I can. Its just a release of everything. Amber Haschenburger

I usually ! sh at least once a week so thats my favorite activity. Its mostly about being outside in nature and appreciating the environment. Vance Lane

I really like long board-ing. I just love to go fast and feeling free. Kevin Wayts

Probably ! shing. I like to go where everyone else is going, just anywhere really. Jaden Hawk

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOUIf you would like to share your opinion, go to www.ourcoloradonews.com or write a letter to

the editor. Include your name, full address and the best telephone number to contact you.

Please send letters to editor@ourcoloradonews.com.

or write a letter to

the editor. Include your name, full address and the best telephone number to contact you.

No union on ! re! ghter labor bill As the state legislative session winds

down, Gov. John Hickenlooper is being tested on various bills which his fellow Democrats have sent to him.

The highly politicized session has produced much legislation that is anything but bipartisan. It is not politically healthy for one party (Democrats or Republicans) to have control of both legislative houses and the governors offi ce.

The 2013 session proves this point. A classic example is Sen. Lois Tochrops (D-Adams County) SB 25 which provides an easy way for fi refi ghter labor unions to get on the ballot seeking collective bargaining.

PLAIN AND SIMPLESB 25 is a union bill for fi refi ghters

across Colorado which the governor should veto.

It is the camels nose under the tent for expansion of municipal labor unions. The bill would usurp home rule and take away the authority of elected city councils. It would erode elected representation.

Why is the state Legislature sticking its nose in a local matter? I would venture to say that fi refi ghter unions (some are recognized and some are not by the elected city councils) were helpful to Democratic candidates in their election races.

The issues of working conditions, and equipment and safety procedures ulti-mately belong at the council table not the bargaining table.

Employees currently have options to seek to be recognized as a collective bar-gaining unit. Use the process that is avail-able to you. It has been used before.

For example, Westminster police and fi re personnel put the issue on the ballot, but were unsuccessful while Thornton fi refi ghters were successful in a vote to be recognized.

MISLEADING BALLOT LANGUAGEThe issue with this legislation is not

being afraid of learning what fi refi ght-ers think they need as stated by a state representative. Far from it. There are already processes in place that address

communications to air such desires and needs such as budget public hearings, employee issues committees and grievance procedures. City councils should be held accountable in those regards.

The bill mandates that signatures equal to 5 percent of those who voted at the last general election can cause an election on collective bargaining. That is a small amount compared to what Westminster requires on any petition driven ballot issue (10 percent of all registered voters in the last election).

Why should fi refi ghter collective bar-gaining be much easier to go to the ballot?

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTSThe other key issue in the bill has merit,

but is too narrow in who would benefi t. It addresses the rights of only fi refi ghter em-ployees on the issue of political campaign activity.

Currently, some cities, including West-minster, do not allow any of their em-ployees to participate in various election campaign activities.

Such prohibitions would likely be held unconstitutional if addressed in a court of law. These prohibitions should be elimi-nated either by local legislation, statewide legislation or by a judge.

All municipal employees should be af-forded their constitutional rights. This can be addressed without collective bargain-ing.

I hope Gov. Hickenlooper vetoes SB 25.

Bill Christopher is former city manager of Westminster and used to represent Dis-trict J on the RTD board of directors.

Westminster Window Colorado Community Media8703 Yates Drive Suite 210., Westminster, CO 80031 Phone 303-566-4100t'BY

GERARD HEALEY President BARB STOLTE Publisher

MIKKEL KELLY Editor PATRICK MURPHY Assistant Editor

ASHLEY REIMERS Community Editor

MARK HILL 4BMFT&YFDVUJWF AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager

SCOTT ANDREWS Creative Services Manager

SANDRA ARELLANO Circulation Director

WILBUR FLACHMAN Publisher Emeritus

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of regular columnists, found on these pages and else-where in the paper, depending on the typical subject the columnist covers. Their opinions are not necessarily those of the Westminster Window.

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WERE IN THIS TOGETHER

Westminster Window 11May 9, 201311

Sophie TonnJune 6, 1916 ~ April 27, 2013

In years past, Sophie liked to cook, bake and to paint in Oils. She also loved to paint and !re ceramics.

Sophie worked for Mars, Inc. for 25 years. She started in the Experimental Kitch-en, worked in Production, and was the !rst women to make the Carmel for the Milky Way candy bar. "is was a di#cult job which had only been assigned to men, but Sophie proved that a woman could do the job as well as a man.

Sophie loved Florida where she lived for 32 years, having moved there when she retired.

Sophie leaves her sons Don (Barbara) of Broom-!eld, CO, Ted of Florida and sisters Jean Lakin of Florida, Verna Mary Budny of Michigan, and brother Ed (Mary) of Indiana, two grand sons Don Jr. (Kari) of Superior, CO and Rob

(Nora) of Hinsdale, Il, grand daughter Jaime of Roselle, IL, six great grandchildren, Lindsay, Amanda, Hunter, Gri#n, Brooks, and Scar-lett and one great - great grand child, Eva.

Sophie leaves these !nal words:

Id like the memory of me to be a happy one,

Id like to leave an after-glow of smiles when life is done.

Id like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways, of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.

Id like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun,

Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.

W Rail opening shines green light for region existing Denver metro rail corridors. Lo-cally some business development folks said the project has put Jefferson County on a more even playing fi eld.

The business community is primed to tap opportunities to develop the corridor and attract workers after all the corridor was on the drawing board before Fas-Tracks was approved.

And from a more regional point of view, we know the impact of the entire plan will increase as each additional corridor is completed and the FasTracks plan which is admired internationally comes to fruition.

Sure FasTracks has had its cost issues and completion issues particularly with the North Metro Rail Line but for now we can enjoy the freshly energized corridor between Golden and downtown Denver.

No union on ! re! ghter labor bill

communications to air such desires and needs such as budget public hearings, employee issues committees and grievance procedures. City councils should be held accountable in those regards.

The bill mandates that signatures equal to 5 percent of those who voted at the last general election can cause an election on collective bargaining. That is a small amount compared to what Westminster requires on any petition driven ballot issue (10 percent of all registered voters in the last election).

Why should fi refi ghter collective bar-gaining be much easier to go to the ballot?

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTSThe other key issue in the bill has merit,

but is too narrow in who would benefi t. It addresses the rights of only fi refi ghter em-ployees on the issue of political campaign activity.

Currently, some cities, including West-minster, do not allow any of their em-ployees to participate in various election campaign activities.

Such prohibitions would likely be held unconstitutional if addressed in a court of law. These prohibitions should be elimi-nated either by local legislation, statewide legislation or by a judge.

All municipal employees should be af-forded their constitutional rights. This can be addressed without collective bargain-ing.

I hope Gov. Hickenlooper vetoes SB 25.

Bill Christopher is former city manager of Westminster and used to represent Dis-trict J on the RTD board of directors.

Good stories always need to be shared Remember the song for it was Mary?

Well, over the shampoo bowl at the local Fantastic Beauty Shop I had the good for-tune to meet a very special Mary. She and I were both getting permanents so we had some time together. Special Mary as I call her is nearly blind and very hard of hearing but what a story teller she is recounting her 97 years on the earth.

When I asked her about her long tenure on this earth she said why it was so long ago I played with dinosaurs back then.

Growing up on the farmMary was a child of the severe Dust

Bowl years. She remembers those terrible dust storms of the late 1920s and early 30s. Those storms would be about fi ve hours of black sky and a howling wind.

If the storm hit while the children were walking to school they hightailed to a

nearby farm house. The teachers would make sure all the kids were accounted for and then shed play games to keep them occupied. Remember, it would be pitch dark as there was no electricity, only kero-sene lanterns.

At home they ate their food in small bites before the dust would make it not fi t to eat.

Mary said her early years growing up in

Olney Springs, Colo., were tough ones but her mother and dad raised six children in those depression and dust bowl years.

When the dust storm was over the dust would have piled up on the fence line of tumbleweeds so high they could walk right up over the top of the fence. Although it was an eerie darkness the sun was red. When that happened the children thought the world was coming to an end.

Still full of lifeMary still has one sibling left, an

88-year-old sister who lives in Pueblo. She says her sister will have to play catch-up because Mary still has lots of time to tell stories and reminisce about the good ol days that in many ways were happy times.

When Mary is in the beauty shop its an upbeat fun place to be because she is so happy and content in spite of her physical

ailments. Mary and I both thank beauti-cian Becky for introducing us.

If we had more time, Mary would be happy to tell us more stories of by-gone years and we plan on doing just that.

Quote of the weekToday, the hens never even see a

rooster. MaryStay well, stay involved and stay tuned.P.S. Mary has a wonderful companion in

Howard who drives her around and laughs at her good humor.

Vi June is past Democratic state representa-tive for House District 35. She is a former mayor of Westminster and a former news-paper publisher. A Westminster resident for more than four decades, she and her husband, Bob, have fi ve grown children and eight grandchildren.

Re-learning the art of simply admitting mistakes A pitcher, frustrated at giving up a big

hit, loses his concentration and watches as the next batter jogs casually around the bases after hitting a home run.

A driver, failing to leave on time for a job interview, speeds down the road and gets pulled over by the state patrol.

A school district, criticized after mak-ing an early call for a snow day that never materialized, fi nds itself a week later not calling a snow day when conditions might have warranted one (just joking, bossits always kinda fun to see whos reading).

Do you know what all of these are? These are examples of making the next mistake.

Funny thing, being human we tend to screw things up.

Perhaps with the best of intentions and through little fault of our own, we try things that just dont work out very well. The thing is, most of the time, everybody around us is willing to forgive us those mis-takes. Its usually the next mistake thatll

kill you.In politics, its said that its never the

crime that ends careersits the cover-up (see Nixon, Richard).

Were all getting a little lesson in that this week, as the House is holding hearings on the events of last Sept. 11 in Benghazi, Libya, which left an American ambassador and three others dead.

At the time of this writing, we still dont know all of what will be said in those hearings. What we do know, however, is

troubling enough. In spite of repeated warnings about the deteriorating security situation in Libya, reinforcements were never sent; in spite of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, no additional resources were committed to American person-nel; and in spite of clear evidence to the contrary, we were repeatedly told that this attack was spontaneous demonstration that got out of control.

Whatever the fi rst mistake actually was, its clear that a whole series of next mis-takes led to the death of four people and an ugly Washington scandal.

I think sometimes were so conditioned to avoid mistakes that, when we do make one, our instinct is to hide from it or to make an excuse to rush headlong into the next mistake.

We see celebrities and politicians double-speak and hide behind clever legal maneuvers to avoid ever having to say I was wrong, and our kids are learning from us that theres no mistake so big or

so costly that it cant be hidden behind the right media strategy.

Wouldnt it be refreshing to train the next generation, which is notorious for not taking responsibility for anything, to get in the habit of stopping, taking a deep breath, and saying my bad?

That moment of calm, that refl ection, is often enough to stop the next mistake; and that owning up to our mistakes is usu-ally enough to earn forgiveness and, more importantly, to move ahead smarter.

Its a hard thing to do, and certainly one thats taken me most of my life to fi gure out (if at all).

But imagine how much lighter the world would be if we could all just re-learn the art of admitting our mistakes.

Michael Alcorn is a music teacher and fitness instructor who lives in Arvada with his wife and three children. He graduated from Alameda High School and the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Time to embrace the spring

It is spring.If you have an observant eye you

will see a growing level of wildlife activity subtlety occurring all around.

During the winter, Canada geese and ducks were seen in large fl ocks moving from night water roosts to feed on grass parks and golf courses, or beyond the cities to grain fi elds.

Squirrels, rabbits and prairie dogs and other small animals followed similar habits as they forged for win-ter food and water.

With the seasonal transition, you can see pairs and couples among the goose, duck and bird populations.

Squirrels, rabbits and prairie dogs may look slightly larger and may move a bit slower as they approach birthing days.

Small birds, hawks and eagles can be seen in pairs, selecting nesting sites. Some mated pairs have already selected nests and are warming eggs already laid.

Spring is a time of year when we need to sharpen our senses and be more aware of the wild world around us.

The cities have done a commend-able job in setting aside considerable open space along creek bottoms, wondering irrigation canals, timbered areas, ponds, river access and weeded natural habitat.

What too often goes without thought is the responsibility we play

in protecting and supporting wildlife in our own backyards.

Having thousands of acres of pro-tected open space does not on its own assure the natural environment we seek. With that open space goes our role to protect the environment of the wild creatures that share the urban setting with us.

There are a number of basic things we can do in our own backyards to support and encourage the presence of birds and small animals.

Place bird feeders in trees or garden plots and provide bird baths for water. Plant shrubs and trees that provide habitat, nesting and protec-tion for the birds and animals.

When pruning trees and shrubs be watchful for nests or lodging sites and protect them. Be observant of family pets, to assure they do not disturb nests or lodging sites.

Birds will soon emerge from their

nests and small animals such as cot-tontail rabbits, squirrels will move from their lodges.

A growing population of Ameri-can bald eagles and a wide variety of hawks and owls are making the north area their nesting and fl edgling areas.

When taking pets on trail walks be watchful of newborn animals and birds and avoid contacts by pets.

One of our worst sins in our coex-istence with wildlife is the careless-ness in which we sometimes drive.

To many of us nothing is more un-settling than to see a driver hit and kill a squirrel racing across the street or ignoring a rabbit at curb side before making the run to the other side of the street.

We need to be more mindful that there are mutual elements in our wild environment.

We can do a better job protecting wild creatures.

A pair of bald eagles feeding at nest Photo courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation

12 Westminster Window May 9, 201312-Color

Caring Respecting Connecting Preserving

AdvisorCaregiving is a di!cult job . . .

May 9, 2013

You call yourself a wife, hus-band, son, daughter, or neigh-bor. You take your husband to the doctor and remind him to take his pills. You help your wife get dressed and prepare her meals. You grocery shop for dad and clean his home. You prepare a couple of meals each week for your neighbor. As time passes you feel the need to do more.

Is it time to start thinking of yourself as a Primary Caregiv-er, a person who takes respon-sibility for someone who can-not fully care for themselves? In some cultures there may be various members of the family engaged in caregiving. In small doses the role of pri-mary caregiver is manageable. As the help needed increases and begins to compete with the demands of your own life, the caregivers life can become quite a challenge.

Over all, caregivers who ex-perience the greatest emo-tional stress tend to be female. They are at risk for high levels of stress, frustration, anxiety, exhaustion and anger, depres-

sion, increased use of alcohol or other substances, reduced immune response, poor physical health and more chronic con-ditions, neglecting their own care and have higher mor-tality rates com-pared to noncare-givers.

In addition, most caregivers are ill-prepared for their role and provide care with little or no support, yet more than one-third of care-givers continue to provide intense care to others while suffering from poor health themselves. An influential factor in a caregivers decision to place an impaired relative in a long-term care facility is the family caregivers own physical health.

For over 27 years The Senior Hub has provided care and services to the elderly living in our north and east metro area communities. The Respite and In-Home Services pro-gram, a State certified Class B Home Care Agency, helps old-

er adults remain independent in their homes and reduces the burden on adult children or aging spouses who are the primary caregivers. Without Respite and In-Home Servic-es, many of these older adults would need to be placed in long-term care facilities.

The services provided by our Respite and In-Home Services program can benefit both the homebound client and the primary caregiver. Studies have shown that programs like ours, which provide care-givers with a break from their daily responsibilities, reduce stress and increase the care-

givers mental and physical wellbeing. Caregivers are

better able to continue to care for their loved

one. At the same time, our staff of-fers new stimu-lation for those who are isolated

at home, provid-ing some additional

social interaction and enriching their lives.

Our employees visit clients homes to provide personal care that enables the primary caregivers a break from daily caregiving. This respite al-lows primary caregiver to re-charge and step away from their loved on