November 27, 2014 VOLU M E 1 0 | I S SUE 26
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Foundation seeks to honor vets By Crystal Anderson
canderson@colorado communitymedia.com Seven tolls resonate for the fallen. In May, the Honor Bell will ring for the first time, symbolizing honor, dignity and respect for Colorado’s fallen veterans. “Honors are rituals, and military honors that are given is a ritual where they do things in a certain manner,” said Frank Griggs, founder of the Honor Bell Foundation. “What we wanted to do is come up with a way of honoring veterans beyond just taps, beyond just presenting the flag — a final toll, in honor of this in-
dividual.” A nonprofit organization, the Honor Bell Foundation seeks to recognize deceased veterans with a tolling ceremony at their funeral. After the presentation of the flag to the next of kin, the 35-second ceremony will consist of seven tolls, each with their own meaning: response, service, protection, defense, sacrifice, suffering and loss of life. “Honor, respect and dignity are really at the hallmark of what we’re doing,” said Michelle Mallin, the foundation’s director of communications. “This is really honoring our veterans at their final moments.” The bell ceremony, performed
Founder Frank Griggs stands among fallen veterans at the Fort Logan Cemetery. Courtesy photo upon request by the next of kin, will be available for any veteran’s funeral. Griggs said preference would be given to combat vets killed in action, and first responders. Along with the ceremony, the organization is also providing
additional opportunities in the classroom for students to see a replica of the bell, and learn about the history, sacrifices and achievements Americans have made through their service in the military. “The education opportunity
we have with the bell is really fantastic,” Mallin said. “It gives us the opportunity to take the bell to different classrooms to show students … it’s just a special way to Vets continues on Page 14
Audit finds child services wanting Agency chief notes complexity of issue By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com
A major from the Colorado State Patrol demonstrates the “quarter test” that tells car owners if they are in need of new tires. Photo by Amy Woodward
Stay safe by staying prepared I-70 winter driving campaign starts with education By Amy Woodward
awoodward@colorado communitymedia.com Sixty percent of all traffic delays are due to traffic accidents, according to the Colorado State Patrol. “A minor accident takes just 10 minutes to clear up but can delay traffic up to one hour,” said Steve Garcia, major for the Colorado state patrol. Officials said traffic accident delays were often increased by curious onlookers who break to look at the accident, but the message from the Colorado State Patrol was a clear one: If a minor accident is capable of being moved to the side of the road — move it over. In light of last week’s preview of winter weather, the Colorado Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Colorado State Patrol and the I-70 coalition, discussed improvements to last year’s Change Your Peak Time campaign during a media event on Thursday, Nov. 13. The campaign, which focuses on improving safety and mobility for drivers on the 1-70 mountain corridor, is looking to encourage motorists to change not only the time they drive, but also how they
drive, through the understanding of chain laws, preparing a vehicle for winter drives and knowing the Move It Law for minor accidents. “We will very much be focusing on winter preparedness,” said Amy Ford, CDOT communications director. This includes making sure tires are prepared for driving the mountain corridor. “We obviously had some incidents last year where unfortunately some of the drivers who were impacted — actually had bald tires on the road,” Ford said. “It doesn’t mean all of us are out there driving on bald tires but I suspect more of us are than not.” One way for drivers to check if their tires are adequate is through the quarter test. Placing a quarter on its rim inside the tread of a tire will tell whether the tire needs to be replaced. If George Washington’s head is half way or all the way covered, the tread is in good condition. If most or all of George Washington’s head is not covered, the tire needs to be replaced. In addition to winter preparedness, CDOT is partnering with the Denver Regional Council of Governments or DRCOG for a Way To Go program to encourage carpooling, vanpooling and an I-70 SkiPool that will allow commuters to pool for one mountain trip each weekend. Safe continues on Page 14
A state audit cites several areas of concern over the handling of cases within the state’s child welfare system. The 260-page report lays out dozens of recommended fixes to “deficiencies” that were found in samplings of cases that were screened by the Department of Human Services during the 2013 fiscal year. The findings included problems with the screening process of potential child abuse cases as well as a lack of proper state supervision over child welfare services handled by individual counties. “The audit findings collectively suggest a need for the department to improve its supervision of the child welfare system to promote strong and consistent practices by the counties to help protect children,” reads the report, which was authored by the State Auditor’s Office. However, DHS Executive Director Reggie Bicha strongly pushed back against some areas of the report during a Nov. 12 legislative committee hearing. “Child welfare practice is extremely complex,” he told the panel. The report gathers information from samplings of the 70,400 reported cases of abuse and neglect that were screened by the department in 2013. The audit finds that in some cases, “it was unclear” whether counties followed state-mandated rules when determining whether cases warrant further investigation by the department. Case workers’ timeliness of initial contact with families also was a concern. In a small number of cases sampled, the audit found that “caseworkers did not interview or observe children involved in child welfare referrals within countyassigned response times.” Other samples showed some risk as-
sessment documents had incorrect information about families and their histories, while other reports failed to identify child safety issues. Bicha told lawmakers that his department agrees with many of the recommendations spelled out in the audit and that many of the findings dealt with issues the agency had already been addressing. Bicha also stressed that caseworkers do their best to assess each situation properly and said that mandating “onesize fits all” regulations does a disservice to the public and to each individual child’s needs. Bicha particularly took issue with concerns that counties responded in contradictory or unreliable ways to auditors’ findings that state guidelines were not being followed properly. “Having a difference of opinion, rethinking initial conclusions, or debating interpretation of law, policy and practice in a world of very limited resources should not be grounds for questioning the department’s testimonial evidence or validity or our reliability,” Bicha said. The department has put in place a handful of reforms over the last couple of years after news reports found troubling handlings of cases involving children who died due to abuse and neglect. Among the reforms set to launch in January will be the creation of a statewide child abuse and neglect hotline that was approved by the Legislature in 2013. The audit was requested by lawmakers, including Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, who is known to craft legislation focused on the protection of children. Newell said through an emailed statement that the report “reaffirms how delicate and complex the child protection system is.” Newell said she will follow up on the findings and that additional legislation may be taken up when lawmakers reconvene in January. “We need to continue to work with the state department and counties on improving the system,” she said.