• Closing outlying Motor Vehicle offices
• Cutting 27 snowplow vehicles (33 percent of the entire fleet) and reducing snowplow services to only primary arterial roads.
• Closing as many as three libraries, reducing hours of operation and cutting staff.
• Eliminating all non-mandated programs in the District Attorney's Office, including the Child Sex Offender Internet Investigation Unit, Economic Crime Unit, Crimes Against Children Unit, Communities Against Senior Exploitation Program and all adult and domestic violence diversion programs, reducing staff positions by 21.
• Limiting road maintenance, including pothole repairs, to emergency only. Any new road construction within the county also would be eliminated.
• Eliminating as much as 44 percent of social services program expenses, which will delay service delivery times for child welfare, food assistance, veteran service programs, substance abuse assistance and more.
• Reducing staff in the Sheriff's Office including detentions, patrol, support services and investigation (134 full-time positions).
• Reducing the Open Space Division's capital projects and joint-venture grant programs.
• Reducing the county's hours of operation and possibly moving to three- and four-day weeks.

To learn more about Jefferson County's resolution in opposition to Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 and 61 and the impacts the three ballot initiatives would have, visit the county's State and Federal Legislation web page.

More than 1,200 people attended the daytime, family-fun festivities and enjoyed live music, great Mexican food, interactive tours of the new facility, giveaways and a raffle. Most importantly, 26 animals also found their forever homes on the historic date. 
 

From left, Commissioners Faye Griffin, Kevin McCasky and Kathy Hartman eye one of the cats above them at the Foothills Animal Shelter's new cat colony.

About 200 party-goers also enjoyed the evening gala, which included a silent and live auction, and was very successful. Guests enjoyed dueling pianos and tasted a variety of foods from 17 area restaurants and chefs. About $100,000 of net proceeds were raised for the brand new facility. 
 
If you did not get a chance to attend either of the grand opening celebrations, Foothills Animal Shelter invites you to visit the new facility at 580 McIntyre Street in Golden, near 6th Avenue and Indiana Street on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

 

Contest De"Tails"

• Dates: Tuesday, Sept. 28 to Tuesday, Oct. 12. No entries will be accepted after 3 p.m. on Oct. 12.
• How to enter: Submit a high resolution color photograph of your pet to fascontest@fas4pets.org.
• Rules: Please submit only one photo per pet. Limit two photos per household. Photos that include any names, humans, advertising logos or markings will not be accepted.
• Prizes: Two winners will be selected. The winning photos will be featured on the sides of the Foothills Animal Shelter van for one year.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.
 
This is exciting progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

• Not be on Medicaid
• Not have health insurance that will pay for a mammogram
• Have not had a mammogram or pap test in the past year
• Meet certain financial criteria (determined when appointment is being scheduled)
• Be 40 years of age or older (Women under age 40 may be eligible for low-cost pap smears through our Family Planning Program.)

The birth control pill has been available to women since the 1960s and millions of women of childbearing age have benefited from this once-a-day birth control method. However, today women have different options than the daily pill. Here are some effective long-term birth control methods offered by Jefferson County Public Health:
 
Hormonal

• Intrauterine Device (IUD): A device that is inserted through the vagina and cervix, into the uterus and can be left in place for up to 10 years.
  • Paragard®
  • Mirena®
• Birth Control Implant: An implant that is worn under the skin for up to three years.
• Implanon®

• Essure®: A permanent birth control method that requires placement of a tiny coil mechanism into each of the Fallopian tubes.
• Tubal Ligation: A sterilization procedure for women that surgically cuts, blocks or seals the Fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy.
• No-Scalpel Vasectomy: A sterilization procedure for men that blocks the tubes that carry sperm from the testes. Outpatient procedure performed in our clinic.

• Lakewood Clinic, 260 South Kipling Street  - 303-239-7078
• Arvada Clinic, 6303 Wadsworth Bypass  -  303-275-7500

• Paragard Information - www.paragard.com
• Mirena Information - www.mirena-us.com
• Implanon Information - www.implanon-usa.com
• Tubal Ligation Information
• Essure Information - www.essure.com
• No-Scalpel Vasectomy 
  

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Domestic Violence can happen to anyone, yet it is often ignored or denied. It is most commonly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors, including physical, sexual and psychological attacks, used by one intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gain, maintain or regain power and control in the relationship
 
The National Institute of Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. The Domestic Violence Resource Center states that 50 percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children. Through education and awareness we can change the attitude and perception of Domestic Violence. Together we can stop the cycle.
 
If you are in danger, please call 911, your local hotline or (in the United States) the National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233 or TTY (800) 787-3224.
 
Jefferson County Public Health offers the following resources for families in need:

• Prenatal Plus empowers women to make lifestyle changes that positively impact their pregnancies and result in healthy babies by using a client-centered approach. Call (303) 232-6301.
• Nurse-Family Partnership empowers low-income, first-time mothers to become confident parents and strong women by partnering them with nurse-home visitors. Call (303) 239-7074.
• For pregnant women with substance abuse issues needing treatment, please contact the Special Connections Program at (303) 239-7162. The goals of Special Connections are to reduce or stop the substance using behavior of pregnant women during and after pregnancy; to produce a healthy infant from the pregnancy; maintain the family unit; and promote a safe child rearing environment.

International Walk to School Day brings together parents, teachers and community leaders to accompany groups of children on their journeys to school. Schools may use this opportunity to develop strategies to encourage daily or weekly walks to school beyond International Walk to School Day to increase the number of children who walk, bike, skip or roll to school every day. Furthermore, a walk-to-school event is an opportunity to include bicycle and pedestrian safety education to teach children the skills they need to be safe while crossing streets.

• Prospect Valley Elementary, 3400 Pierson Street
• Pennington Elementary, 4645 Independence Street