March 27, 2014
50 cents Jefferson County, Colorado | Volume 30, Issue 39 A publication of
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Marijuana regulations tightened
Making waves
Hickenlooper signs bills, one that aims to keep pot away from kids By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com Gov. John Hickenlooper signed two bills into law on March 17 that tighten regulations of marijuana sales and aim to make it more difficult for the drug to be consumed by children. House Bill 1122 will require that medical marijuana that is sold in edible form — such as pot brownies or cookies — are wrapped in opaque packaging that does not create an Report “attractive nuisance” for kids. The law seeks to prevent incidents where children accidentally eat pot-laced edibles, which can sometimes result in emergency room trips. “Child-resistant packaging is required for things like Tylenol because it works,” Hickenlooper said during a Capitol press conference. “You should have no different standard for marijuana.” Regulations that the Legislature put into place last year as a result of the 2012 passage of Amendment 64 — which legalized recreational pot use in Colorado — already includes strict packaging requirements for retail sales. This law sets that same standard for medical marijuana sales. Hickenlooper was joined by Dr. Sam Wang, a pediatric emergency room physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Wang said there has been an increase in the number of children who are hospitalized due to accidental ingestion of marijuana. “Symptoms vary quite a bit, anywhere from mild symptoms, a little bit of sleepiness, but we’ve had some severe cases where children have actually had an inability to breathe adequately, requiring tubes.” The bill also gives retail marijuana store owners the ability to confiscate a fake ID from a person under 21 who attempts to buy the drug. Additionally, the bill increases penalties for those who are caught selling marijuana to minors. “Everybody came together on this and
Capitol
Wheat Ridge’s Max Sweeney looks for his time and how his team finished their 200 Medley Relay during Saturday’s Dick Rush Memorial Swim-Dive Invitational. See stories on Page 14. Photo by Daniel Williams
Lutheran expands Senior ER New services, training in place By Clarke Reader
creader@coloradocommunitymedia. com Senior populations all over Jefferson County are increasing exponentially, and Arvada, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge are just a few cities where the elderly population is expected to continue this trend. In an effort to provide an emergency department that cateers specifically to this group of patients, Lutheran Medical Center started a Senior Emergency Room in Oct. 2011. According to Jan Dionne, clinical nurse specialist and program manager for the Senior ER, the department featured only eight beds and wasn’t in the best condition.
“It used to be a pediatric after hours emergency care space, and we thought what could we do with it,” she said. “We ended up starting the state’s first Senior ER, and soon had more patients than beds.” Last week the Senior ER reopened with more beds and increased space. “The need for this service has been growing along with the aging population in Jefferson County,” Bev White, director of the Emergency Department and Critical Care said. “About 22 percent of our emergency patients are seen in the Senior ER now, and many patients know about it and request this service.” The ER now features 14 specially-designed, private patient rooms and a 40 percent increase in space, from 2,500 square feet to 13,500 square feet. It also offers patients specialized care, screenings and environment which decreases the stress that
often accompanies visits to emergency rooms. “It’s just amazing — everything is there to address issues of aging people,” Dionne said. “The average length of a stay for the Senior ER is four-and-a-half to five hours, which is longer than for most, so we want to make sure we take care of these patients.” According to Dionne, the staff have received special training in geriatric nursing care and the use of screenings for older patients. “We’re very concerned about making sure the elderly get proper care,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do, and we want them to know that they have a place in the area where they can get the care specific to their needs.” For more information on Lutheran’s Senior Services, visit www.exemplalutheran. org/seniors.
Marijuana continues on Page 20
Council exploring ‘Ridge at 38’ business district concept By Hugh Johnson Wheat Ridge City Council heard a proposal from Wheat Ridge 2020 for the creation of a business improvement district for 38th Avenue at the March 17 study session. Last year Wheat Ridge 2020 studied the plausibility of having a business district for
the 38th Avenue corridor, aka “Ridge at 38.” The district would be owned and run by the merchants and property owners of the businesses along 38th Avenue, with the goal of making physical and marketing improvements to the corridor using private funds. Wheat Ridge 2020 hired Progressive Urban Management Associates, or PUMA, to
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lead the study. PUMA’s President, Brad Segal, and Vice President, Anna Jones, were on hand to explain the business district. According to Segal, the district would range from Marshall to Wadsworth and would be comprised of 44 commercial parcels and 37 property owners. District members would pay an annual assessment fee equal to $.05 per square foot of land plus $.05 per square foot of building. The district would pull an estimated $62,500 annually, a number Segal said council should consider matching. Segal outlined three steps that the city must take to the form the district. First, property owners must start a petition in favor of the district’s creation. The petition must represent a majority of owners in acreage and value. During the petition process, Wheat Ridge 2020 and PUMA will ask property and business owners to nominate people for the improvement district’s
board. Second, city council must approve the district’s creation at a formal public hearing where proponents and opponents can voice their opinion. Finally, those in the district’s immediate vicinity must vote to allow its formation due to guidelines set in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights commonly known as TABOR. District Two Councilman Zach Urban had reservations about matching the funds. He wanted to make sure that council had a say in what the district can and cannot do. Jones told him that the district would have to make an annual report to council. Council consented to move forward with the formation of the business improvement district. There was also a general agreement that the city would match the $62,500 of the district’s annual assessment fees.