May 29, 2014
50 cents Jefferson County, Colorado | Volume 30, Issue 48 A publication of
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New laws address child care costs Legislation closes loophole that had prevented some low-income families from receiving assistance By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com Three bills that became law last week aim to alleviate the high cost of child care in Colorado. The laws, signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper on May 22, address a number of fi-
nancial areas and are a response to Colorado being the fifth least affordable state for child care. A key piece of the package creates child care tax credits for families that make less Report than $25,000 a year. The new credit — which is capped at $1,000 per family per year — is available to those who do not qualify for existing child care
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tax credits that are tied to federal returns. “It’s a lot of money when you’re only making $25,000 a year and trying to pay for child care,” said Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, a bill sponsor. The bill fixes a loophole that disqualifies many low-income families from receiving a tax credit that was set up by the state in 1996. The child care tax credit that the new law replaces applied to families that earn less than $60,000 a year. But that credit was tied to federal income taxes, which doesn’t apply to many low-income families because their earnings are sometimes
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too low to even have to file federal taxes. Pettersen also co-sponsored a bill with Sen. Jeanne Nicholson, D-Black Hawk, that addresses cases when families receive pay increases at work that disqualifies them for continuing to receive child care assistance — a significant financial issue for families that has been dubbed the “cliff effect.” The legislation sets up grant funding for the Cliff Effect Pilot Program, which allows families to phase out of assistance
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Marijuana manufacturing curtailed City Council to draft zoning restrictions for pot infusion business By Hugh Johnson
both issues that often surface with this disease. During the first meeting, which was held on May 20, Belle and LeeAnn Bellum, care management director with the MS Society, were using the help of nursing students from Regis University to get a sense of how well participants walk, and teaching the basics of using the poles. “Walking is a great way to get exercise and in some case people with MS just need some education on how to walk well,” Belle explained. “It will give them a better aerobic and core work out.” Participants in the classes received homework to help them become more
Wheat Ridge council opted at the May 19 study session to move forward with plans to place spatial restrictions on business that manufacture marijuana infused products. At the April 28 meeting, council placed a moratorium on license applications for marijuana manufacturing facilities. Currently, medical and retail marijuana facilities must be at least 3/4ths of a mile from each other and 1000 feet from schools, campuses, daycare locations and drug treatment centers, but no such restrictions apply to manufacturers that produce marijuana infused products. The moratorium gave council the chance to evaluate whether manufacturers should have the same limitations placed on them. The biggest argument against implementing the restrictions was that manufacturers are not retail stores and therefore do not advertise to the general public. Thus, having a facility close to a school wouldn’t matter because students would not be able to identify the buildings let alone obtain marijuana infused products. Councilwoman District Four Genevieve Wooden called for tighter regulations based on the growing presence of marijuana in the city and the threat it poses to the Wheat Ridge community especially children. Police Chief Daniel Brennan said that there have been more instances of marijuana in schools, even at the elementary level. He also noted a slight uptick in crime involving marijuana burglaries. In response Jerry DiTullio of District One said that imposing the limitations would only restrict viable businesses that are legally allowed to create their product under the state constitution. He also said the responsibility falls on parents to steer their children away from drugs. “Whether it’s sex, drugs or rock and roll or alcohol, parents are responsible for taking care of their kids,” DiTullio said. District Three’s Tim Fitzgerald also did not see the need for the restrictions, given that the facilities don’t attract attention. He said the centers were just another form of business and compared the manufacturers to barber shops in that there are no limits how close barber shops can be to one another. Wooden disagreed, mentioning that many other municipalities had banned
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Ellen Belle, physical therapist with the Colorado Neurological Institute, works with MS patients at Crown Hill Park to help them exercise safer. Photos by Clarke Reader
National MS Society helps residents walk better By Clarke Reader
creader@colorad communitymedia.com Crown Hill Park is a favorite spot for locals looking to get some exercise and enjoy nature, and the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the National MS Society will be using the park over the coming weeks to teach people dealing with multiple sclerosis a better way to walk. The MS Society is teaching patients to use Nordic Ski Poles to help them balance and maintain their ability to walk safely on their own. “I’ve been teaching this class for around three years, and it’s all about helping people who are dealing with MS,” said Ellen Belle, physical therapist with the Colorado Neurological Institute. “Using these poles
Members of the National MS Society practice Nordic Pole walking with MS patients to help them get around better. is a great way to help people with MS stand up tall, improve their heel strike when walking and give them a longer stride.” Belle said some of the other benefits of using Nordic ski poles is they help to build core muscle strength to combat balance,
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