State preschool program leaves

Some Unsure

BY ERICA BREUNLIN THE COLORADO SUN

A preschool in Greeley that has shepherded countless kids through the rst years of their education over the past 21 years may welcome its last class of 4-year-olds next month, eyeing an uncertain future as it dives into the state’s newly expanded preschool program.

Nearby, a di erent preschool that caters to mostly children of lowincome families has only been able to ll a quarter of its classrooms for the start of the school year and is weighing its options — which could include closing its doors.

Preschools across Colorado are sprinting to make nal preparations for the start of the state’s expanded preschool program, known as universal preschool. And with less than a month until the rst day of school, many question whether they’ll have enough state funding to stay open. at question has bubbled up in the past month, after Colorado’s new Department of Early Childhood changed the way it will calculate how much funding preschool providers will receive during their rst few months of the program.

SEE PRESCHOOL, P8

Westminster State of the City Aug. 23 e Westminster Chamber of Commerce will host Mayor Nancy McNally as she discusses city improvements, updates, and changes from key city sta . e presentation is set for 11:30 a.m. Aug. 23 at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver, 8773 Yates Dr.

Attendees represent diverse interests and industry and will walk away with a greater understanding of our community.

Lunch is provided at this event.

Veterans Memorial Sign Program

Begins Adams County is highly invested in showing support for residents who are currently serving or are veterans of the United States military services. As part of this commitment, the Public Works Department has implemented the Veterans Memorial Sign Program. is program is intended to allow residents of Adams County who are family or friends of military veterans killed in the line of duty to request dedication of a street in Adams County to the memory of their departed veterans. Our rst o cial application and installation was on July 18, honoring PFC Adolph A. Martinez at the intersection of Federal Blvd and 65th Ave.

Residents are encouraged to submit applications for veterans they wish to memorialize through the program. Learn more and apply at adcogov.org/tra c-safety.

Back-to-School Bash Partnership Opportunities e Adams County Human Services Department is once-again hosting their annual Back-to-School Bash event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 12. There are currently opportunities for organizations to partner with Adams County on this program –whether that’s through donations or attending as a vendor. The event is exclusively for Adams County families. In 2022, the Back-toSchool Bash provided over 3,000 kids with backpacks and school supplies. If your organization is interested in partnering, reach out to Karla Ojeda at kojeda@adcogov. org.

Naloxone Training for Employees and Community Members e Adams County Health Department’s Harm Reduction Team will be supplying all Automated External De brillator (AED) cabinets in government building with Naloxone this month. In addition to this resource, the team will be o ering Overdose Prevention Trainings for all sta who are interested in learning how to prevent, identify, and reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone will be made available to take home after these trainings.

If you have any questions about the training or other resources, contact our Harm Reduction team at: 303-363-3077 or by email: harmreduction@adcogov.org

Premier Members Credit Union hosting food drive

Premier Members Credit Union will be collecting donations for local food pantries during the entire month of August. Visit your local Premier Members Credit Union branch, or their corporate o ces in Broom eld to donate. Each branch chose a local food pantry to donate to ensure all donations stay local to that community.

Locally, ve branches of the credit union are hosting collections sites. ey include locations at 755 E. 144th Ave. in ornton, the sites at 10339 N. Federal Blvd and 8440 Federal Blvd. in Westminster and the locations in Firestone and Erie.

“We always want to provide support to our local communities,” said Carlos Pacheco, CEO of Premier Members Credit Union. “One of our company pillars is Premier: Gives, where we provide the communities we serve with funds and employee volunteers to support initiatives of education,nancial literacy, and basic needs. is food drive will help many members of our communities to thrive.”

A Stroll in the Garden for CASA e Court Appointed Special Advocate program, or CASA, for the 11th Judicial District is promoting one of its major fundraisers now scheduled for September.

CASA is inviting supporters to come enjoy a Stroll in the Garden at this year’s Indulge for CASA Gala from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sept. 13 at Denver’s Balistreri Vineyards, 1946 E 66th Ave. is Garden Party will be full of delicious food and drinks, fantastic auction prizes, exciting entertainment, and more! Indulge for CASA is presented by the Kenneth & Myra Monfort Charitable Foundation.

CASA’s mission is to provide courtappointed volunteer advocacy for children and youth from the child welfare system so every child can be safe, have a permanent home, and have the opportunity to thrive.

Healthy Farmers Markets e markets will provide $20 produce vouchers for residents who are 65+ or are enrolled in WIC, SNAP, or Medicaid. ere will also be recipes and nutrition information available. ursday markets will be from 9 a.m. to noon throughSept. 28, at Anythink Wright Farms, 5877 E. 120th Ave. See all upcoming Adams County outreach events at adcogov.org/outreach-events.

Adams County and Anythink Libraries are o ering Healthy Farmers Markets in ornton for residents through Sept. 28.

Tuesday markets will be from 9 a.m. to noon through Sept. 26, at Anythink Huron, 9417 Huron St.

Work Options FREE Culinary Training Program e Adams County Human Services Department is partnering with local nonpro t Work Options to provide a free culinary training program for residents.

Program participants train with pro- fessional chefs over a six-week course and earn certi cations and up to $400 per month. Work Options also o ers food truck internships.

In addition to the training program, Work Options provides the Human Services Center 11860 Pecos St., Westminster, with a full menu of breakfast and lunch options including breakfast burritos, pastries, burgers, pizza, daily specials, and more in the Mountain View Café. e café is located on the third oor of HSC.

Learn more about the program at workoptions.org.

‘Taking No Chances’ e 17th Judicial District Attorney’s O ce and e Link, a community resource and assessment center in ornton, are o ering free, 10-week programs to families of Adams County teenagers to help develop personal and interpersonal drug-resistance skills.

Sessions are from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call 720-292-2811.

Legal self-help clinic e Access to Justice Committee hosts a free, legal self-help clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the rst Tuesday of every month. e program is for customers who don’t have legal representation and need help navigating through legal issues.

Volunteer attorneys are available to discuss such topics as family law, civil litigation, property and probate law. Call 303-405-3298 and ask for Legal Self-Help Clinic at least 24 hours in advance.

Mental health

Community Reach Center o ers in-person intake assessments from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at the Brighton Learning and Resource Campus, 1850 E. Egbert St. in Brighton. Call Community Reach Center at 303853-3500.

For walk-in intake, bring an ID and insurance information. For those who would prefer to complete the intake forms and schedule an appointment, the intake forms are available online at www.communityreachcenter.org. ere will be a short screening for u-like symptoms before entering the center to ensure safety and wellness for everyone.

Anyone feeling unsafe or suicidal should call Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255, text 38255, or visit the Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) Center at 2551 W. 84th Ave., Westminster. rough an arrangement with e Colorado Spirit Program, there is support for feelings of worry, hopelessness, anger, loss, isolation and disconnection that many individuals are experiencing as a result of the pandemic.

It’s free and con dential. Services include virtual individual and group counseling. community networking and support, assessment and referral to community resources and psychoeducational materials and emotional support. Email J.Sheehan@CommunityReachCenter.org.