Keeping your kid safe in the car: Clear Creek County Public Health Now o ering reduced-cost car seats and free installation education

Clear Creek County Public Health is making sure parents, grandparents, guardians and anyone who travels with a child can now have peace of mind that their child is properly secured in a car seat or restraint system while riding in a car or other motor vehicle.

According to Children’s Hospital Colorado, children up to the age of eight should use a car seat or a booster seat — some may even have to use one until age 12 for their own safety. Heartbreakingly, car crashes remain one of the leading causes of death for kids, according to national

Letter To The Editor

Sheri Rick Albers

JUST SO WE’RE CLEAR data. at’s why, after more than 40 hours of training, Clear Creek County Public Health Nurse Sara Blais is now certied to check and guide guardians on how to install a car or booster seat in their cars for free.

With all of the different types of car seats and booster seats — it can be hard for parents and guardians to determine which is best — let alone install it.

I am no longer going to be silent. I urge you to start paying attention to what your commissioners are doing.

Regarding their statement addressed to media partners: “ e Board does not believe that the Sheri has adequately accepted responsibility for his central role in this tragedy or the need to swiftly correct all the gaps in training and protocols that existed at the time of Christian’s death. e Board embraces its responsibility…” I have personally listened to BOCC meetings regarding budget and protocol changes within the last year. Key word is “listened.” I don’t believe the board, the county manager or the county attorney have heard. ere have been several presentations and conversations on the changes being implemented and trainings being done. e commissioners are demanding the sheri ’s o ce to further cut its budget. If they “embrace” the responsibility and want the gaps “swiftly corrected,” that comes at a cost of doing business to which they hold the purse strings. Where are they spending their money? Maybe “partnering” with their departments instead of media.

“We are also pursuing a partnership with a regional communications center that already has extensive experience with co-responder

Currents

We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www.clearcreekcourant.com/ calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email dbrobst@coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the print version of the paper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.

Camp Comfort Weekend Camps: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice’s Camp Comfort for chil-

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

“As a parent myself, I know caregivers want to do what is best for their children and one of the best ways they can do this is by properly restraining them while driving,” she said. “I am excited to be the one that can provide valuable education that will empower caregivers to prevent unintentional injury to their children.” programs, training, and protocols…” e “partnership” they are referring to is banishing the Clear Creek Dispatch Center and moving all communications to Je erson County Communications Center Authority (Je Com911) to which they have already allocated $7,000 just for a study to see if it is feasible. Je Com911 is a 911 dispatch center that has nothing to do with experience with co-responder programs, training or protocols. It is a dispatch center. I will again urge you to pay attention. is would drastically impact public safety within Clear Creek. e commissioner’s statement was a cowardly, deceptive and sel sh way to create a path forward for their personal agendas. Shame on them.

Clear Creek County Public Health is the only place in the county that is o ering a service like this. In addition, Clear Creek County is also able to supply car seats to those in need in exchange for a $25 donation — for those who can a ord it.

“No one will be turned away if they need a car seat,” Blais said. Car seat/booster seat checks and training will be done by an appointment basis at the Clear Creek County Health and Wellness Center located at 1969 Miner St. in Idaho Springs.

For more information on this program or to set up an appointment, call the Clear Creek County Public Health Information Line at 303-6707528 and leave a message. Just So We’re Clear is a column about Clear Creek County updates from Clear Creek County Public Information O cer Megan Hiler.

Rick Albers has given his entire 43-year career to the citizens of Clear Creek. His life dedication has been to the citizens, community and public organizations throughout. He has given up time from his family and his personal life to sel essly give to his community and continues to work to generate positive change even under duress and defamation of the government that should be working with him, not against him. He has the strongest integrity, honesty and ethics I have seen. He genuinely cares about his family, sta and community.

Joni Albers, Idaho Springs

dren 6-12 who have lost a loved one will be June 16-18 and July 7-9 at the Rocky Mountain Village Easter Seals Camp, 2644 Alvarado Road, Empire. Cost is free for all children thanks to donors, but a $25 deposit is required per child to hold their spot. Visit campcomfort.org for more information and to register.

Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup Days

RUTH DANIELS Advertising & Sales rdaniels@coloradocommunitymedia.com

KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com in Empire: Friends of Clear Creek will host Adopt-a-Highway Cleanup Days in Empire from 8-10 a.m. on Saturdays, June 17, July 15, Aug. 19 and Sept. 16. Meet at the Empire Visitors Center, and the group will clean up a half mile of Empire’s twomile stretch along Highway 40.

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