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Contact your Commissioners
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Faye Griffin
Chair
District One
Donald Rosier
Chair Pro Tem
District Three John Odom
District Two
303-271-8525 |
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Want more news from the county? You can also subscribe to 'BCC Actions,' a newsletter that covers the happenings from your Jefferson County Board of Commissioners Hearings and Staff Briefings.
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Dinner & History Nov. 18 | | |
Join the Jefferson County Historical Commission on Nov. 18, 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. to celebrate Jefferson County's 150th anniversary. The dinner will be at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 15200 West 6th Avenue and parking will be free.
The evening will include a guest speaker, President Thomas Jefferson, and also a presentation of hall of fame inductees, former State Senator Norma Anderson and the 1861 settlers George and Sarah Church.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available at the event. To get your tickets now click here or visit www.blacktie-colorado.com and click on the calendar tab.
For more information, visit www.historicjeffco.org or contact Ernie Witucki at 720-323-8458. To learn how to become one of the event sponsors, contact Bob Briggs at 303-981-4141. |
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November News at the Library
Golden Library Closed for Construction Nov. 4-Dec. 16
As we mentioned in last month's eNews, the Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) has a unique opportunity to replace the Golden Library heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system before the end of the year at no additional cost to JCPL. As a result, the Golden Library will be closed temporarily, from Nov. 4 through Dec. 16. Storytimes will be held three times a week at the Golden First United Methodist Church. Click here for details.
Automated Materials Sorters Installed at Evergreen and Lakewood Libraries
As you have seen, automated materials sorters have been installed at the Belmar, Columbine and Golden Libraries to help keep up with growing demand for library materials. Work has continued to bring this exciting technology to the system with two additional installations at the Evergreen and Lakewood Libraries.
Patrons at the Standley Lake Library can expect their sorter to be installed in December and JCPL hopes to complete this project at the Arvada Library in 2012.
Thanks for your patience while JCPL makes these changes. | |
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Pawsitively Young at Heart
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Adoption Specials to be Offered for November's Adopt a Senior Pet Month
Foothills Animal Shelter, one of the largest animal shelters in the metro Denver area, is gearing up for November's Adopt a Senior Pet Month by launching its Pawsitively Young at Heart program to help promote senior pets.
DE"TAILS:"
When: Nov. 1 - 30
What: All senior pet adoptions (any pet more than eight years in age) receives $20 off the regular adoption fee. For senior cats, their adoption fees will be only $5 and for senior dogs only $60. Note: The spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchip and health check will still be included in this much reduced fee.
Where: Foothills Animal Shelter,580 McIntyre Street in Golden
Why: Many times older pets are harder to adopt. However, there are many advantages to owning older pets. They can already be housebroken, litter box trained and know how to behave in a home setting. Their temperament is also typically calmer and a new adopter will not have to go through the time-consuming kitten and puppy phase. Contrary to popular belief, an old dog can be taught new tricks. Animals of any age enjoy learning. In summary, older pets can still make terrific companions.
More Info: www.FoothillsAnimalShelter.org
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Open Space Survey
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If you received the Jefferson County Open Space Citizen Survey in the mail, completed the questionnaire and submitted it to our consultant, Open Space thanks you!
If you haven't had the opportunity to complete the survey, now is the time. Open Space is eager to hear from you. Please follow the directions provided in the cover letter you received with the survey and have your opinion included in our research. Open Space appreciates your time and thoughts.
Once Open Space has the survey results, a report will be made available on the Jefferson County Open Space website in early 2012. Again, thank you for participating in Open Space's first-ever, county-wide survey.
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Two Services Moving Under One Roof
by Bailey Becker, Jeffco Public Information | |
 Moving days are just around the corner for the Sheriff's Office South Precinct and the Clerk & Recorder's south Motor Vehicle Office. These two offices are moving to one new location, 11139 Bradford Road, in south Jeffco.
Moving dates are subject to change, but currently, the Sheriff's Office South Precinct, at 8100 Shaffer Parkway, is scheduled to move on Friday, Nov. 11. It is expected to be fully operational at the new building on Nov. 14. To contact the South Precinct, visit www.jeffco.us/sheriff or call 720-377-2001.
The Clerk & Recorder's South Jeffco Motor Vehicle Office, currently located at 6004 South Kipling Parkway, will be closed on Friday, Nov. 18 and will reopen in its new office on Monday, Nov. 21. The other four Motor Vehicle offices will be open for business on Nov 18. To contact the Motor Vehicle Division, call 303-271-8100 or for information on the other locations, visit www.jeffco.us/mv.
Consolidating these services to one location allows the county to save on rental costs, and it creates a more convenient service center for citizens, especially those registering their cars as the new location is very close to an emissions testing center.
For updates on the relocations, visit www.jeffco.us or follow us on Facebook: Jefferson County Colorado or on Twitter: @JeffcoColorado.
Click here for a printable version of this map. |
| Floodplain Questions in Jefferson County?
by Pat O'Connell, Jeffco Planning & Zoning | |
How do you find out if a property is in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) in Jefferson County? Simply contact the Jefferson County Planning & Zoning Division at 303-271-8700 or visit www.jeffco.us/planning.
On the website you can find the interactive mapping program, jMap, which includes floodplain limits. Also on the website is information about building in the floodplain, land disturbance activities in the floodplain, how to protect your building from flooding, and some tips about what
to do in a flood.
Another important floodplain component is the FEMA Elevation Certificate. Planning and Zoning has copies, available to the public, for buildings constructed in the floodplains since 2004.
So don't delay, contact the Planning and Zoning Division today with your Floodplain questions. |
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Adopt a Family This Holiday Season
by Jeffco Human Services | |
 Please join Jefferson County Human Services in making the 2011 Holiday Season a little brighter for families in need. The Jefferson County Children, Youth and Families Division Adopt-a-Family Program serves children and families that are dealing with issues of child abuse and neglect. Clients who are referred to the Adopt-a-Family program are in need of assistance during the holiday season and without the help of generous community donators may not receive any gifts this holiday season.
A gift drop off will take place Dec. 5 - 9 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Jefferson County Human Services Building Cafeteria, 900 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden, near the north building entrance.
Gifts may be wrapped and should be labeled CLEARLY with the family members name and family number. There will be assistance in unloading your vehicle if needed and donators are welcome to join us in the cafeteria for refreshments during the gift drop off week.
For questions about the program, click here or contact Korina Keating at 303-271-4103. You can also go online, www.jeffco.us/cyf and click on the 2011 Holiday Program link, to fill out the Holiday Program Donor Form. |
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Build Capacity to Make Lasting Change
by Mallory Hyatt, Jeffco Human Services | |
 November is National Adoption Month, a time to bring attention to the 107,000 children and youth in foster care throughout the United States waiting for adoptive families. On average, there are more than 1,000 children combined in out-of-home care and 60 children awaiting adoption in Arapahoe and Jefferson counties at any given time.
Join the Jefferson County Department of Human Services for the sixth annual National Adoption Day. Twelve families are planning to formalize adoptions for 18 children on Saturday, Nov. 19, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 100 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden. The ceremony starts at 9:20 a.m. and adoptions begin at 10 a.m. One really exciting adoption finalization this year will be a 16-year-old boy who has been in the foster care system for eight years and has had 11 placements. His current foster family has made the commitment to adopting him and everyone is really happy for him and his family.
The keynote speaker for the day will be Diana Joy, an adult adoptee and adoptive parent. Diana works to empower children who have endured abuse and neglect. Additionally, gift bags will be given to each family to bring home with various goodies such as adoption books, stuffed animals, and much more. There will also be various activities for the children such as a caricature artist and an arts and crafts table. Additionally, representatives from the Colorado Post Adoption Resource Center and Promoting Safe and Stable Families will be present to provide resources to adoptive families.
In Jefferson County, National Adoption Day is a time when courts, judges, attorneys, clerks, adoption professionals, child welfare agencies and advocates come together to finalize adoptions and find permanent, loving homes for children in foster care. Courtrooms fill with emotion as parents commit to love and care for a child. Judges make the adoptions official while children and parents hug tightly, thankful that they have found their forever family.
Every child deserves to belong to a forever family who can give them stability, commitment and guidance into adulthood. With the goal of finding every child his or her forever family, an exhibit of photographs highlighting the spirit of foster care children will be on display this November. Known as the Heart Gallery, this event is Colorado's most effective recruitment tool for locating adoptive families for older children and approximately 40 percent of the children featured in the exhibit find their forever families within one year of being featured. This year's Colorado Heart Gallery opening celebration will take place on Friday, Nov. 4 from 5 - 10 p.m. at the Artwork Network, 878 Santa Fe Drive in Denver. Jefferson County's waiting children also are featured in this event.
Parenting is an immensely satisfying experience involving smiles, giggles, lessons-learned, wisdom and most of all, love. Parenting takes commitment, persistence and sometimes a leap of faith. If you would like to take a leap of faith and make a difference in the life of a child call 303-636-1KID or visit Jefferson County's Adoption Services Website at www.collaborativefostercare.com.
For additional information regarding the Heart Gallery visit www.heartgalleryco.org. |
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Power Against Fraud for Teens
By Pam Russell, Jeffco District Attorney's Office |
Identity theft continues to be a threat, not only for seniors but teenagers as well. In fact, the percentage of teen victims of identity theft is on the rise.
Teenagers are increasingly vulnerable as their world becomes dominated by electronic communication devices. Lots of today's teens have cell phones, and most have smart phones with all the bells and whistles - the popular apps, GPS, webcams, etc. They also have access to credit cards, online shopping and popular game sites. All involve the exchange of personal and/or financial information.
Social networking sites like FaceBook invite unsuspecting teens to post personal identifying information that can easily be used by someone who claims to be a "friend."
We can help. Our Power Against Fraud programs can be tailored to potential ID theft victims of any age.
Identify thieves are savvy and slick. The Internet provides a protective screen for their crimes. They can be phishing for personal and financial information from another state, or another country, which makes it difficult or impossible for police and prosecutors to bring them to justice. Once someone's identity has been compromised it can take up to seven years and thousands of dollars to repair the damage.
Teens are particularly vulnerable in that they often don't think ahead or consider possible negative consequences. It simply doesn't occur to them that there are those who would take advantage of them or target them for criminal activity.
The District Attorney's Office offers free Power Against Fraud presentations tailored to students, parents and teacher groups. Call Cary Johnson at 303-271-6980 to schedule a free presentation.
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Noble November...Public Health Updates
by Nancy Braden, Jeffco Public Health | |
Raise Your Voice . . .
 Health insurance is expensive and it is covering less and less of the care Coloradoans need. Colorado is creating an online marketplace to let consumers shop around for insurance. The goal of the marketplace is to increase affordability, access, and coverage. However, your input is needed. A local forum is being hosted to get feedback from residents of Jefferson County. This forum is hosted by CoPIRG Foundation (Colorado Public Interest Research Group), the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative and the Colorado Center on Law and Policy - a coalition of non-profits.
- Where: Jefferson County Public Health, 260 S. Kipling St, Lakewood, CO 80226 (auditorium)
- When: Thursday Nov.10, 6:45-7:45 p.m.
- RSVP: www.copirg.org/RSVP
Mobile Web App Tracks Vaccinations
 A new, free mobile web application called "Good to Go" helps parents track their children's immunizations. Download the application from, http://immunizeforgood.com. This app is the latest addition to the Immunize for Good campaign launched early this year by the Vaccine Advisory Committee of Colorado in partnership with the Colorado Immunization Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition. The website also offers accurate, up-to-date information about childhood vaccines and the diseases they prevent, recommended immunization schedules, and an animated video using simple, easy-to understand language to explain how vaccines work.
Jefferson County Public Health also offers low cost immunizations. Please call 303-232-6301 to make an appointment or click here.
It's Turkey Time!
 Whether you are cooking for yourself, your family or a whole bunch of people, it is important to be aware of safety issues when thawing, preparing, stuffing and cooking your turkey. Below are a few simple steps that can help keep food-borne illness off the menu this Thanksgiving.
Safe Thawing - Turkeys must be kept out of the "danger zone" temperature (between 40 and 140°F) - this is the temperature range where food borne bacteria multiply rapidly. Click here (or here for Spanish) for safe methods for thawing.
Safe Preparation - Bacteria present on raw poultry can contaminate your hands, utensils, and work surfaces as you prepare the turkey. After working with raw poultry, always wash your hands, utensils, and work surfaces before they touch other foods.
Safe Stuffing - Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165°F, possibly resulting in food borne illness. Follow these steps to safely prepare, cook, remove, and refrigerate stuffing.
Safe Cooking - Set the oven temperature to no lower than 325°F and be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Cooking times will vary, but the food thermometer must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F. For more information on safe internal temperatures, click here.
For more tips on how to handle your turkey, download JCPH's handout or visit the JCPH Food Safety webpage.
2011 Leaders in Food Safety
Speaking of the importance of preventing food borne illness, four Jefferson County food service establishments are applauded as Leaders in Food Safety this year for their excellent attention to food safety in Jefferson County. Click here to read more or here
to view photos of the establishments.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month
JCPH Nutrition Services recommends that everyone learns about diabetes and how a healthy diet can play an important role. Twenty-six million children and adults in America are living with diabetes, including approximately 27,000 in Jefferson County. Another 79 million in the U.S. are considered at high risk for developing type 2 Diabetes. The statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a discouraging picture of where we are, and where we are headed unless steps are taken to stop diabetes.
- Every 17 seconds, someone is diagnosed with diabetes.
- Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050.
- Find out if you are at risk? Click here to take the Diabetes Risk Test.
During American Diabetes Month® this November, the American Diabetes Association encourages you to join in the call to stop diabetes. Visit www.stopdiabetes.com. |
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Celebrating Veterans Month in Jefferson County
by Mallory Hyatt, Jeffco Human Services |
In November, Jefferson County, along with the entire country, celebrates Veterans Day with a great deal of respect and gratitude for all the men and women who sacrifice so much for our freedom. This is a time when the Jefferson County Department of Human Services focuses on the many services available to veterans and their families through two programs, the Veterans Service Office and the Workforce Center Veterans Team.
The mission of the Veterans Services Office is to help veterans, in any way possible, such as assisting them and their dependents in applying for benefits they may be eligible to receive. Benefits and services include compensation, dependent and survivor benefits, home loan guarantees, vocational rehabilitation, health care, burial, pension, and life insurance. The Veterans Services Office talks to 125 veterans and an average of 20 claims are made per month.
"The Veterans Services Office will be going out into the community to spread the truth about VA benefits. With an economy like we've had, it's important for veterans to know what benefits and services are available to them," states Jefferson County Veterans Services Officer Henry Mondragón.
A representative will be available on Monday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Apex Center, 13150 West 72nd Avenue, Arvada. No appointment necessary, simply come by. More dates will be announced.
Other resources for veterans include the Jefferson County Workforce Center. It's not always easy to find a job after military service; the Jefferson County Workforce Center works with veterans to utilize, promote, and expand training, work ethics, and skill sets to find a great career, post military service. Services include, but are not limited to, registration, counseling, supportive services referrals, job opening referrals, job development, education, and training.
All veteran services provided by Human Services are simple ways to give back to these brave men and women as well as the community. For more information regarding veteran job services and Jefferson County Workforce Center, contact John Koontz at 303-271-4769, jkoontz@jeffco.us or visit www.jeffcoworkforce.org.
If you are a veteran who can benefit from these services or knows of someone who can, please contact Henry Mondragón at 303-271-4205, vs@jeffco.us or visit the Veteran Services webpage.
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