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October 1, 2015
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A R A P A H O E C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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SouthPlatteIndependent.net
LITTLE DOGS HAVE THEIR DAY
Gazing into the depths: Students visit wastewater plant. See Page 8
At home: Asian Indians are a growing community in the area. See Page 13
Behind the scenes: Athletic trainers play crucial role. See Page 23
Bodi, a 7-year-old Boston terrier, shows off his tricks for the families at Colorado Dachtober Fest at Progress Park in Littleton. Like many of the foster dogs at the Sept. 26 event, he was hoping to be adopted. Dachtober Fest was no place for the big dogs. No, the Sept. 26 event at Progress Park in Littleton was for the cute little pups, like dachshunds and other small breeds. The dogs competed in contests and races, like the Doxie Dash, while humans ate, drank and shopped. Proceeds from the event went to Wyoming Dachshund & Corgi Rescue and other small-breed rescue groups.
PHOTOS BY MEGAN DE GUZMAN
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An 8-year-old, ex-foster Yorkie sports his Bronco gear at the event. Many hopeful dogs entered the costume contest, but this dog had his eye on the prize.
Leo, age 3, enjoys the ride in the mini-red Mercedes. While there were plenty of attractions for the furry friends, there was also music, food and drinks for the owners.
Senior Reach supports at-risk generation Mental-health issues, suicide surge as baby boomers retire By Jennifer Smith jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Maria Pearson’s job is to help seniors, but her even more important job is to find the ones who need help — and that’s everyone’s job. “We are one point of entry for our seniors, for those folks who are most vulnerable, who have never asked for help before,” she said. “We ask the community to be our eyes and ears.” Maybe you have an elderly neighbor who seems to be drinking too much, or an aunt who suddenly lost a bunch of weight, or a father who seems to be repeating things a lot. These can all be signs of mentalhealth distress, and that’s what Pearson, executive director of Senior Reach, is out to combat. The program operates locally under the auspices of the Arapahoe/ Douglas Mental Health Network. But it’s been vetted by the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs
and Practices, a database of mentalhealth and substance-abuse interventions. At the heart of Senior Reach is a training program to teach people to recognize signs that a senior might need such an intervention. Pearson says she’ll visit any church, neighborhood group, school, book club or service organization to give a presentation that could help community members save lives. “We will go anywhere to talk about the program,” she told those gathered at HealthSouth in Littleton on Sept. 22 to help formally kick off the program. Once clients are identified, Senior Reach can help with a long list of reliable resources for food, transportation, medical care and mental-health treatment — things that can become more complicated after retirement, said Pearson. “Almost one in four people have at least one chronic condition,” says Luci Draayer, a licensed clinical social worker with the Colorado Neurological Institute. “Take the regular ‘boomer dynamics’ … and Seniors continues on Page 12
Maria Pearson, executive director of Senior Reach, wants the community to help find seniors who might be experiencing depression, anxiety or other mental-health issues. She’ll be traveling throughout the area to train anyone who wants to learn how. Courtesy photo