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October 8, 2015 VOLUME 92 | ISSUE 8
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LakewoodSentinel.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
WEST METRO CHAMBER ADDS TO HALL OF FAME
SCHOOL BOARD
Elections force imminent change in Jeffco All five seats up for grabs in pivotal election season By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com
The West Chamber honored five outstanding citizens in its second Hall of Fame luncheon on Sept. 29. To read about this year’s inductees turn to Page 12. Photo by Clarke Reader
Health for Life Friendship Bridge raises funds for Guatemalan health By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com Although separated by thousands of miles and socioeconomic status, much unites the women of Guatemala and those in the United States when it comes to health concerns. Through the efforts of Friendship Bridge, a non-governmental organization headquartered in Lakewood, these two groups are connecting to benefit the women of Guatemala. This summer, Friendship Bridge launched Salud Para la Vida (Health for Life), a program designed to provide preventative care for the more than 21,000 women Friendship Bridge works with. “We were talking with our clients and one of the things they kept bringing up was health issues,” said Dana Bruxvoort de Andres, marketing and communications manager with the organization. “Last year, we started dreaming about health programs and decided to focus on preventative health.” The way Salud Para Vida works is Friendship Bridge has health staff in the country that visit rural villages where indigenous women live, and provide them with health education on topics like cervical and breast cancer, diabetes and family planning. They also provide screenings, not only for the aforementioned illnesses, but also for basics like Body Mass Index. Guatemala has 24 indigenous languages, and nurses only get sent to villages where they speak the language. “If there is anything unusual, we’re able to help them get into the complex care of our partner organizations,” said Bruxvoort de Andres. “It’s a unique model we’re trying, and so far we’ve just done it in one of our branches. We’ll look at its successes before doing a full rollout.”
Friendship Bridge works with rural, indigenous women in Guatemala and provides financial, education and health services. Photo Courtesy of Friendship Bridge While the aim is for Salud to be self-sustaining, funding is required for this pilot process. To that end, Friendship Bridge launched a “Saluda-thon” in September,to raise the $25,000 needed for the program. Brandi Mason, vice president of philanthropy at the organization, said 26 participants are taking on their own health challenges with funding from family and friends. Participants came up with their own challenges for the month-long event. “I just had my first child, so I’ve been doing things like working out four times a week, drinking more water and meditating,” Mason said. “Many of our clients are facing the same health challenges all the time as the ones we’re taking on this month, so it has been very eye-opening for many.” The campaign raised more than the $25,000 goal, and Mason said the organization is already looking into a similar effort for next year. “It costs about $25 to cover the expanded health services for these women,” she said. “Imagine all we can do with the money we’ve raised for them now.”
ABOUT FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE Friendship Bridge works with impoverished Guatemalan women to create a better future for themselves, their children and their communities through microfinance and education. Friendship Bridge works primarily with indigenous populations in rural areas where the rate of poverty in Guatemala is the highest. Microcredit is effective in developing countries where wage-paying jobs are scarce and people survive through self-employment by creating and operating micro-enterprises such as weaving, embroidery, raising livestock or poultry, or growing fruits and vegetables. Access to micro-capital allows for increased productivity, higher yield, and, therefore, higher income for their families. Without access to those services, it is extremely difficult to get out of poverty. Source: www.friendshipbridge.org
Two years of controversy come to a reckoning this November: as the Jefferson County School Board election could see anywhere from two to all five of the board seats change hands. The election, normally slated for only two of the seats — in which incumbents chose According to Ballotpenot to dia, while a recall of a run again Jeffco board member — has may be new, recall elecbecome all tions of school board the more members are not new pivotal to Colorado. Earlier this thanks to year residents in Center a recall Consolidated School targeting District in the San Luis the curValley sought to recall rent board four school board memmajority, bers. Two were successthree conful, one failed and one servatives did not make the ballot. elected in 2013. Over the past five years, Ken 16 recall efforts occured Witt, Julie in Colorado, with only Williams five making the ballot in and John that time. Newkirk Source: http://ballotpehave dia.org/School_board_ champirecalls#tab=2015* oned charter school programs and tying teacher pay to performance. They have also gained attention and criticism for an alleged lack of transparency, the controversial hiring of Superintendent Dan McMinimee and board attorney Brad Miller, review of the district’s Advanced Placement U.S. History curriculum, increased teacher turnover, an unusually-short 10-month teacher contract and the alleged bullying of anyone opposing their agenda — including students, community members and fellow board members. Although a majority of voters elected the board incumbents just two years ago, the recall campaign gathered more than twice the number of signatures necessary to reach the ballot box, making this November’s outcome difficult to predict. “Regardless of the makeup of the board,” Newkirk said, “what I’d hope to see is that they put the best interest of the kids at heart.” The election reflects a national trend of political polarization that is evident from Congress all the way down to local levels such as county commissions and school boards, said Robert Preuhs, associate professor of political science at Metropolitan State University of
RECALL HISTORY
Elections continues on Page 16