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July 11, 2014 VOLU M E 1 2 | I SS UE 36
ParkerChronicle.net A publication of
D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Teacher puts history to good use Cimarron educator’s devotion to subject saluted By Jane Reuter jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com A Douglas County middle school teacher’s love and respect for her family helped her earn the title of 2014 Colorado History Teacher of the Year. Shannon Shelton, who teachers at Parker’s Cimarron Middle School, grew up surrounded by men who served in the military — among them her brother, father, grandfather and his three brothers. “I was deemed at a very young age the keeper of the tales,” said Shelton. “They said the stories will die unless someone continued them.”
Her determination to keep those stories alive carried over into Shelton’s job. In 2010, she started an annual Veterans’ Day ceremony at Cimarron, honoring veterans from the community and encouraging students’ families and community members to attend. In 2014, about 1,800 people attended the student-led event. Among the attendees were Shelton’s parents, her son, 120 veterans and their family members. Students wrote letters Shelton to veterans, which were organized by war and posted on a wall of honor. A student’s father who was serving in Afghanistan Skyped in to participate in the ceremony. Veterans met with students after the formal portion of the
event for a reception. “What better way to learn about everything that’s involved with war and sacrifice than talking to real veterans and hearing their stories?” Shelton said. The program has built upon itself, expanding far beyond history into English and other subjects. “So many of the students have brothers, sisters or family members that have served,” she said. “We’ve been able to send care packages over to Afghanistan. Through that, we have created some pen pals with some Afghan children. They write in Farsi, but we have a student in our class who translated the Farsi for us.” Though Shelton initiated the program, she deflects credit for the award. “I have an amazing group of staff I work with, as well as the group of students I had,” she said. “They had nominated me. It was
just an incredible honor.” A mother of three, Shelton said she’s proud to watch her students take ownership of projects like the Veterans’ Day assembly. Some of them now are creating a peer court at the middle school. “Although they’re in eighth grade and don’t think they can do much, I truly believe they’re responsible for changing the world,” she said. Shelton is eligible for the 2014 National History Teacher of the Year award. As part of her state recognition, Cimarron Middle School’s library will receive an archive of history books and educational materials, and the school will be named a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a nonprofit organization devoted to the improvement of history education.
New laws take effect Revenge-posting, marijuana, fatal hit-and-runs, Jessica’s Law, and more addressed Staff report A wide-ranging group of 50 new laws dealing with everything from Internet crimes to marijuana research to Jessica’s Law took effect July 1. The statutes are among 425 bills that passed the Legislature and were signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper this year. One of the more interesting laws creates a misdemeanor for the Report online posting of sexual photos of a person for the purposes of harassment or financial gain, otherwise known as “revenge porn.” Posting of the so-called revenge porn is often carried out by an angry lover or spouse as a way of getting back at their partner over a relationship gone wrong. The new law — which had bipartisan support at the Capitol — carries with it a maximum fine of $10,000. “The effects of someone posting intimate photos online can be devastating to the victim, but now there will be serious consequences for the perpetrators of this horrible practice,” said bill sponsor Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, through an e-mailed statement. Another noteworthy statute will provide $9 million for the study of the health benefits of medical marijuana. The legislation sets up a grant program to fund scientific research into the ways that medical pot can impact those who have chronic ailments. New public safety laws also took effect on July 1. They included a law that will give police more time to investigate fatal hitand-runs. The law extends the statute of limitations for fatal hit-and-runs to 10 years. Prior to the new law taking effect, a hitand-run crime could not be prosecuted five years after the incident occurred. “This new law will go a long way toward giving law enforcement the ability to solve any fatal hit-and-runs that occur in Colorado,” said Rep. Kathleen
Capitol
The group of volunteers work on the plumbing for a new bathroom for a remote Fijian village. Courtesy photos
Trip builds bonds, bathrooms Parker teenagers go across the world for humanitarian project By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz @coloradocommunitymedia.com The idea of Fiji normally brings about thoughts of sandy beaches and palm trees, but two Parker teens know that’s not the whole picture. Haley Kinslow and Afton Williams recently returned from a trip to the island nation on behalf of Humanitarian Experience for Youth, a nonprofit that sends charitable young adults around the world to help out where they are needed. Friends and family members weren’t the only ones surprised to learn they were heading to Fiji. “I never thought of Fiji as having parts that were considered third world,” Kinslow said. Some people laughed at the idea of them installing bathrooms in a poor rural village, but sanitation can be a big problem in areas that lack the resources to provide adequate facilities. The girls were among a group that returned June 26 after digging holes and trenches for six septic systems that carry waste away from the village, Williams said.
Kinslow and Williams, good friends who attend Legend High School together, saw the humanitarian journey as a bonding experience they could share while helping those in need. They bonded with more than each other; the teens got to know the villagers, particularly a young girl named Grace who kept them company while they worked, Williams said. Kinslow described a ceremony in which the village chief welcomed the 21 teens and four adult leaders. The hospitality only increased from there. “They brought us into their homes, cooked for us everyday, took care of us,” she said. “They were just so kind. I’ve never met people so loving and friendly before. They ended up serving us just as much.” Humanitarian Experience for Youth, an organization started by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also facilitated trips by three Ponderosa High School students, who went separately to Tonga, Belize and Ecuador this summer. A friend’s cousin spoke highly of her own trip and Kinslow says she has wanted to go on a philanthropic mission to a foreign nation since she was little. Aside from a drive across the Canadian border, Fiji was her first international trip. Kinslow, 17, took up her parents on their offer to pay for immunizations. From there, it was up to her to raise
money through donations and paychecks. The effort was more than worth it, as she has the life-long memory and new friendships to show for it, not to mention six bathrooms for the village of 100. Kinslow is already saving for her next excursion and hopes to go to Belize, Brazil or an African country next summer before heading off to college.
Afton Williams, a Parker teen who recently returned from a humanitarian trip to Fiji, hangs out with Grace, a child from the village where she was based.
New Laws continues on Page 13