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April 30, 2015 VOLU M E 31 | I S SUE 44 | 5 0 ¢
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Talks eye grievance panels, teacher schedules Next negotiations set for first Monday in May By Crystal Anderson
canderson@colorado communitymedia. com In their April 20 meeting, negotiators for the Jefferson County School District and the Jefferson County Education Association furthered discussions around grievance committee structures and teacher sched-
ules. “Collaboration at both the district and the school level is going to become a cornerstone for the new framework of this agreement,” said Jim Branum, a member of the district’s negotiating team. “Hopefully, an evolution in behavior throughout the district where people are coming together as
respected professionals to work out differences in the best interests of students.” The conversations centered around finding a solid, streamlined and collaborative grievances process for teachers, principals and school and district staff that allows for all parties to find and feel comfortable with a resolution. Along with that, the sides disagreed on how those committees should be structured, as well as how teacher schedules should be laid out. The district advocated for a minimalistic approach, while union representatives wanted more detail
to be written into the contract. “There has to be clear expectations and clear parameters around some of the scheduling so everybody’s on the same page, so it doesn’t create these gray areas,” said Barb Aswege, a North Arvada Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher and union negotiator. Negotiations will continue through May. The next meeting will be 4-8 p.m. on Monday, May 4, at the Jefferson County Education Center, 1829 Denver West Drive, Golden.
LOCALLY FOUNDED AND STILL GROWING Natural grocers, formerly known as Vitamin Cottage, was founded in Golden in 1955 as a door-to-door business. Today, the grocery and vitamin retailer has stores across the western United States in nearly 100 locations, including stores in Golden, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Arvada and Westminster. The company’s health and ecology ethos extends to the checkout line, where the store uses no paper or plastic bags and the receipts are Bisphenol A (carbon-based synthetic compound) -free.
Student volunteers from Bell Middle School stand with members of the Golden City Council to commemorate Earth Day in Vanover Park. The students planted five trees in the park, courtesy of Natural Grocers. Photo by Glenn Wallace
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New trees planted for Earth Day Natural Grocers and students from Bell Middle add to Vanover Park By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@colorado communitymedia.com
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OFFICE: 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210 Golden, CO 80401
Golden grew a little greener this Earth Day, thanks to a team-up between some of the city’s youth, and a local business. Natural Grocers, which was founded in Golden 60 years ago, sponsored the tree planting, paying for five new trees to be added to Vanover Park, at the corner of Ford Street and Water Street. Students from the
Interact Club at Bell Middle School volunteered to do much of the digging, in assisting the city’s Parks and Recreation department in the planting. It was the fourth year in a row that Bell students had volunteered their time to add trees to the city. On hand for the ceremony was Heather Isely, the executive vice president for Natural Grocers, and no stranger to the city, having graduated Golden High School, and attended Bell Middle herself. Her parents founded the company, then known as Vitamin Cottage, in Golden 60 years earlier. “This is really where they got their start,” Isely said. “I’m so happy to be able to come back home to do this.”
According to Isely, good nutrition, and being environmentally conscious has always gone hand-in-hand with her family’s company. “I spent my childhood planting trees with my dad,” she said. The Earth Day ceremony was also attended by Mayor Marjorie Sloan The Interact Club, a nationwide youth program created by Rotary Club, worked fast digging out the dirt and rocks needed to plant the five different birch trees in Vanover’s green turf. About 20 of the club’s total 45 members participated in the event. “I just think it’s great our city has such awesome kids,” city councilwoman Marcie Miller said.
PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Colorado, the Wheat Ridge Transcript is published weekly on Thursday by Mile High Newspapers, 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210, Golden, CO 80401. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT GOLDEN, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Wheat Ridge Transcript 722 Washington Ave., Unit 210 Golden, CO 80401 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. G ET SOCI AL WITH US
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NEWSMAKER Q&A
Lutheran celebrates nurses Activities hosted throughout the week By Clarke Reader
creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com Nurses’ Week and Hospital Week are celebrated May 6 through 10 and May 10 through 16, respectively, and Lutheran Medical Center is using the events as opportunities to honor their employees. The hospital is also having a celebration on Thursday, May 14. The event is open to the public and will feature a barbecue, photo booth and other activities. We called Geri Towndrow, chief nursing officer at Lutheran, to ask her about the events and the importance of nurses. What is the hospital is doing for Nurses’ Week? GT: We’re going to be organizing nurses throughout the organization, to let them know how much we value them. We want to cel-
ebrate what a gift nurses are. What kind of events will you be having for nurses? GT: We’re going to have educational opportunities for nurses, as well as back massages
and discussions on how to empower nurses to take care of themselves. Often nurses are so focused on the people they care for, they don’t give themselves the necessary attention. How many nurses do you have at Lutheran? GT: We have around 670 registered nurse, as well as nursing assistants. This week is a chance for us to honor all who provide care. Tell me about the importance of celebrating nurses? GT: Nursing is one of the most trusted professions there is. Our nurses are a large part of the reasons patients return to us here. People naturally trust nurses, but many don’t understand how difficult nursing is.