August 14, 2014 VOLU M E 1 4 8 | I S S UE 36 | 5 0 ¢
GoldenTranscript.net J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
By Amy Woodward
awoodward@colorado communitymedia.com Editor’s note: This is part three of a four-part series, exploring the challenges of Alzheimer’s in the region. George’s name has been changed to protect his identity. George, 74, a retired psychiatrist, admits he has always been gullible, even before his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. But recent events have caused him to seek the advice of his family before being tricked into a situation that could leave his pocket empty or worse. Although advertisements on the Internet, which offer price specials on medicinal products, allow George to think his purchase through, faceto-face interactions in which he is being targeted seem to be a little more confusing. As he walked home from the store in the afternoon, a car pulled up next to him driven by a woman he didn’t recognize who said, “Hi, I think I know
Ann P., a visiting senior with dementia at the Senior Resource Center in Wheat Ridge, clutches a stuffed puppy while trying to recall the answer to a trivia question posed to her and other seniors. While it is unknown if Ann has ever been a victim of a scam, her illness can make her susceptible to various forms of fraud from health insurance to funeral and cemetery scams. “They (seniors) are the forgotten victims although, we are making strides,” said Scott Storey, senior chief of the Jeffco Elder Abuse Unit. Photo by Amy Woodward
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It affects memory, thinking and behavior with symptoms worsening over time. Abnormal protein buildup in the brain is believed to cause the symptoms. There is no cure. Treatment only slows symptom progression. The disease is most common in those 65-and-over, but “early onset” is occasionally seen in patients in their 40s and 50s. — Source: The Alzheimer’s Association
you.” George had no idea who she was but her story seemed plausible: Yes, he and his wife used to live around here. Yes, they both dined at area restaurants, so why wouldn’t it be possible this woman used to be their waitress, as she claimed? She offered him a ride home in the car, where a young man who sat in the vehicle listened carefully as George Seniors continues on Page 7
Recycling law to hike paint prices Republicans raise hue about consumer cost By Vic Vela POSTAL ADDRESS
GOLDEN TRANSCRIPT (ISSN 0746-6382)
OFFICE: 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210 Golden, CO 80401 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Colorado, the Golden Transcript is published weekly on Thursday by Mile High Newspapers, 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210, Golden, CO 80401. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT GOLDEN, COLORADO.
vvela@colorado communitymedia.com Paint prices will eventually go up because of a new law aimed at promoting recycling. The law, parts of which took effect last week, tacks on a fee for household paint purchases. The fee will go toward the creation of a paint recycling drop-off program. State Sen. Linda Newell, D-Little-
ton, who backed the legislation that led to the law, said she hopes the prog r a m w i l l Report have a positive environmental impact. “It is the highest volume product that is not recycled,” Newell said of used paint cans. “It either ends up in landfills with paint inside cans or it ends up sitting in people’s basements, or it ends up in the water stream.”
Capitol
The drop-off centers will be located at home improvement and hardware stores, where cans can be recycled at no cost. “Retailers themselves don’t have to do this,” Newell said, “but the majority will want to be a retail recycling site because it drives traffic to their stores.” The process of creating the program began last week. After the new year, retailers will get together to discuss the full implementation of the program, Newell said. The per-can fee amount is not detailed in the legislation’s fiscal analysis, but it is estimated that at least $93,000 in fees will be needed to
be collected in the first year in order for the state to cover administrative costs. The cost doesn’t sit well with Republicans, the overwhelming majority of whom voted against the bill earlier this year. “Once again Governor (John) Hickenlooper and the Democrats have created yet another burdensome program that heaps more unnecessary fees onto consumers in Colorado,” House Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland, said through an emailed statement. “Now that this law has gone into effect, Coloradans can thank the Democrats for the increased cost of paint.”
School tip line now under state control New laws include change for violence reporting system By Vic Vela
vvela@colorado communitymedia.com
The reorganization of a school violence hotline was among a handPOSTMASTER: Send address change to: ful of new safety laws that took effect 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210 last week. Golden, CO 80401 The Safe2Tell Act moves an existing anonymous tip line from the DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. nonprofit 1sector to a state-run proLegal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified:Newspapers_6x1.75_Layout Mon. 5 p.m. DRW_Community 7/21/14 11:26 AM Page 1 gram that is operated through the
Department of Law. The program was set to shut down due to a lack of funding before the Legislature unanimously passed a bill earlier this year that transfers its control to the state. The hotline was set up after the 1999 Columbine High School shootings as a way for students to provide anonymous reports of potential campus threats. The state claims that since its implementation, the hotline has prevented some school attacks and suicides and has led to intervention in more than 2,000 bullying instances. “Students are often the first to hear threats against a school, or to see
bullying or drug use, so they play a critical role in preventing these problems,” state Senate President Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, a bill sponsor, said through an emailed statement. “Safe2Tell empowers students to break the silence in an anonymous, proactive way so that kids can focus on learning while at school.” Also taking effect last week was a separate public safety effort that imposes new penalties on businesses that sell designer drugs. The law subjects vendors who sell synthetic marijuana, often called “spice,” to civil liability. Synthetic drugs have been known to be more dangerous than marijuana and have
resulted in some deaths. “Despite their growing popularity, synthetic drugs are incredibly dangerous and this new law is a crucial step in taking action against these harmful substances,” state Rep. Lois Landgraf, R-Fountain, a bill sponsor, said through an emailed statement. “I’m comforted knowing this law is now in place to help keep synthetic drugs out of Colorado children’s hands.” Also taking effect last week is a new public safety law that makes operating a vehicle chop shop a Class 4 felony. The law is meant to curb cases of automobile thefts in the state.
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