1-Color
May 22, 2014
50 cents Adams County and Jefferson County, Colorado | Volume 69, Issue 28 A publication of
westminsterwindow.com
GRADUATION DAY
Governor John Hickelooper signs Senate Bill 14-150, the Counselor Corps bill, sponsored by Senator Rachel Zenzinger, on right, on May 16 at Standley Lake High School. The governor also signed House Bill14-1276, which creates a funding source for secondary schools in the state to implement and provide CPR training into their curriculum. Photo by Ashley Reimers
Mountain Range graduates celebrate the conclusion of their commencement ceremony on May 14 at the CU Event Center in Boulder by performing their tradition of the “Roller Coaster.” Photos by Pam Wagner
Governor signs bills into law By Ashley Reimers
areimers@coloradoco mmunitymedia.com
Best friends throughout high school, Emilee Wagner, on left, and Victoria VonDuyke share a hug prior to the commencement ceremony for Mountain Range High School on May 14 at the University of Colorado Boulder Events Center.
Governor John Hickenlooper signed two bills into law on May 16 at Standley Lake High School, both effecting students. The first bill signed was Senate Bill 14150, sponsored by Senator Rachel Zenzinger of District 19 which covers parts of Westminster and Arvada. The bill makes several changes to the existing school counselor corps grant program, a program designed to increase and support the amount of counseling available in secondary schools. The bill extends the length of the grant cycle to four years and extends the program into middle and junior high schools. The annual total grant amount will also increase to $10 million, from $5 million through this bill. Zenzinger said the ultimate goal of this program is to help increase the graduation rate within the state and increase the percentage of students who appropriately prepare for, apply to and continue into post-secondary education. “I know counselors made a big difference in my life. What they do our schools is invaluable,” Zenzinger said. “We need counselors and it’s such a pleasure to offer up this bill in order to get more schools counselors in our schools so that we can really help our students succeed.”
The second bill signed into law was House Bill 14-1276, sponsored by Representative Dianne Primavera and Senator Mary Hodge. The bill creates a funding source for secondary schools in the state to implement and provide CPR training into their curriculum. The bill will set aside $250,000 to fund CPR curriculum in schools. “I’m always grateful for bills that we’ve worked on to be signed into law and it’s especially gratifying to me when it’s legislation that’s potentially lifesaving,” Primavera said. “This is a lifesaving bill. Seconds really matter when it comes to cardiac advance. The faster we can get someone CPR, the better chances they have to survive.” Helping in the success of the bill is former Standley Lake High School graduate Lindsay Hayden. At the age of 17, Hayden, now 23, went into cardiac arrest and collapsed in class. Her friend and ultimate lifesaver, Cameron Oliver came to her rescue by performing CPR on Hayden, while a second student rushed to retrieve an AED unit. “If those two brave teenagers had not taken the action they did that day, I would not be alive. It’s never too early to learn the life-saving skill of CPR,” she said. “That’s why I’ve been supporting this bill from the beginning and pushing for it to go through because it can save lives.”
Documentary to be housed in Library of Congress By Ashley Reimers
areimers@colorado communitymedia.com A powerful documentary on the roles of women in war in the United States recently premiered at Front Range Community College in Westminster. Titled “Women Warriors: A Vision of Valor” is a 50-minute documentary following the stories of 10 women veterans who
served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The documentary was created by Front Range digital media students who collaborated with Rep. Ed Perlmutter and staff and the Library of Congress to bring to life the gripping, yet touching stories of the women. Perlmutter said he’s proud of the stories of the brave Colorado women veterans that will be shared with the public and preserved in the Library of Congress.
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“These courageous women all contributed to preserving and protecting our freedom and national security,” he said. “The students and faculty at Front Range Community College must be commended for all their stellar, professional work and talent in recording the history and producing this powerful and moving film. The history of these Colorado women veterans is the history of our nation.” Lead by Brandon Berman, Multimedia Graphics Technology teacher, the team of students worked vigorously to create and produce the film. Students researched history, conducted interviews and created animation and graphics. Berman said the process was completed in record time, with students working on overdrive to compete the film. He said when putting the film together, the team was careful not to force the story. “We really tried to use the script we created, which was factually based, with our skeleton structure,” he said. “For each issue, there were some negative experienc-
es, and some positive experiences, so we tried to give a balanced perspective, but a real one at the same time.” After the initial screening of “ Wo m e n Warriors: A Vision of Valor”, the film will be distributed to 100 high schools as a historical teaching tool. “We’re proud of this documentary,” Berman said. “It’s an experience none of us will forget. When it is given to high schools in the district, what an impact it will have.”