Westsider Westsider 7.26.13
North Jeffco
POSTAL PATRON
July 26,2013
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwestminsternews.com
North Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 29
PRSRT - STd ECRWSS US POSTAgE PAid BROOmfiELd CO PERmiT #101 Eddm
Cycla one to watch Federal Heights recycling company named a Colorado Company to Watch By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews.com For 40 years Patricia McCully worked in the thrift store business. It was her time and experience in that field that led to her next business venture in 2007 when she opened Cycla LLC in Federal Heights: An environmentally conscious recycling management company that connects buyers and sellers throughout the world to help them dispose of recyclable material. McCully’s business focuses on servicing thrift stores all over the world with their excess inventory. She also provides services to industries with post-consumer materials and textile recycling needs, nonprofit textile collection programs and commercial laundries in hotels and correctional facilities needing to retire linens and uniforms. She works closely with Recycle That LLC, a nonprofit organization that provides donation boxes throughout the community for easy recycling of clothing, shoes, fashion accessories, books, CDs and DVDs. “I opened Cycla because I already knew what needed to happen with textile recycling on the back end because I had been working for years on solutions for clients and their recycling needs,” she said. “Recycling is big for thrift stores because they don’t sell everything. They sell their unsold items to us and we then sell the items to the secondary market.”
McCully’s unique business in recycling caught the eye of Colorado Companies to Watch program director Sam Baily, who announced last month that Cycla was chosen as a Colorado Company to Watch. “Colorado Companies to Watch is pleased to recognize Cycla as a 2013 Winner. Cycla has redefined recycling and identified new opportunities within the thrift store market,” Bailey said. “In addition, they have made investments in nonprofit organizations through their work with Recycle That. Cycla’s growth and commitment to the community make it an outstanding company in Colorado.” McCully admits she was quite surprised with the honor, but very excited to be recognized. She said she’s thrilled to be put in a category of companies identified for leadership, innovation and impact. McCully said Cycla couldn’t have made it this far without the commitment and dedication of her business partners and employees. To McCully, recycling is a no-brainer, a passion she’s had her entire life. With Cycla she is hoping to pass along some of her recycling efforts to the community. “Right now nationwide, 85 percent of everything in a household that is recyclable, as far as textiles, is going into a landfill,” McCully said. “So there is huge potential for home owners to recycle more, they just have to have the ability and know where to go, and that can be through thrift store or donations boxes. Just don’t throw it away because anything is recyclable if it’s a textile.” For more information on Cycla, or ways to recycle textile materials, visit www.cyclallc.com.
Cycla employee Chris Suppes using a compacting machine to bale clothing in the Cycla warehouse. Cycla, a professional recycling company in Federal Heights, was recently named a Colorado Company to Watch. Photo by Ashley Reimers
Two mosquitoes found with West Nile virus Jeffco residents urged to show awareness, caution By Clarke Reader
creader@ourcoloradonews.com
Rep. Cherilyn Peniston, D-Westminster, listens as Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, speaks during an event that celebrated a law that allows undocumented students in Colorado to attend colleges and universities at in-state tuition rates. Photo by Vic Vela
ASSET youths thank lawmakers State bill grants immigrants in-state tuition By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com Undocumented youths held events statewide on July 18 to send Colorado lawmakers one message: Thank you. Immigrant students held celebrations with state legislators to say thanks for their roles in the passage of a bill earlier this year that allows undocumented students in Colorado the ability to attend state colleges and universities at in-state tuition rates. Senate Bill 33 was signed into law by Gov. John Hick-
enlooper in April. The so-called ASSET bill — Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow — allows all students to pay in-state tuition rates, so long as they are high school graduates who have attended a Colorado school for at least three years. The bill finally passed the Legislature after several unsuccessful attempts over a 10-year period. Celebratory events were held in Aurora, Colorado Springs, Longmont, and at the Westminster campus of Front Range Community College, where state Rep. Cherilyn Peniston told attendees that getting the bill through the General Assembly this year was a top priority. “You don’t go down to the legislature to represent ASSET continues on Page 21
Two mosquitoes from different traps in Lakewood have tested positive for West Nile virus in the past two weeks. Several other jurisdictions across the state have also had positive tests for the virus, and so the city and county are urging citizens to be aware of the potential danger. “West Nile is something that is probably here to stay,” said David Volkel, environmental specialist with Jefferson County Public Health. “It’s not going away, and so we need people to be aware of this and act accordingly.” Jeffco Public Health maintains surveillance of mosquitoes with traps all over the county, which are checked weekly to see if any mosquitoes caught carry any diseases. According to Volkel, mosquitoes are drawn to standing water — from bird baths to rainwater collected in an upside down Frisbee — as places to lay their eggs, which only increases the number of bugs. There are four “D”s that
people are encouraged to keep in mind: drain any standing water; dusk and dawn are when mosquitoes are most active and extra precautions should be taken during those times; dress in long-sleeves and pants; DEET or other repellents should be used on exposed skin. Drew Sprafke, regional parks supervisor, said parks like Bear Creek Lake Park and other wetland areas will have a much higher concentration of mosquitoes, and people should make use of repellent and skincovering clothing if they’re going to be visiting these parks around dusk or dawn. West Nile has been an issue in Colorado ever since what Volkel called “the original year” of 2003, when the disease was at its worst. Since then the cases have lowered considerably, but there always a few every year. “We had a pretty wet April, and with the recent showers that we’ve had this July, it’s likely we’ll see more mosquitoes around,” Volkel said. For more information, visit http://jeffco.us/publichealth.
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.