August 20, 2015
VOLU ME 32 | ISSU E 8 | 50 ¢
August 17-23, 2015
Race Day Guide Inside WheatRidgeTranscript.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
First bell at Bell Middle Eighth graders help welcome new students
By Glenn Wallace gwallace@coloradocommunitymedia.com Amber morning sunlight, and a bevvy of school staff greeted new students to Bell Middle School on Monday for the start of the 2015/16 school year. “It’s a great day,” said P.E. teacher Erin Ourganian, better known as Mr. O, as he helped direct the flow of parental traffic dropping off new students. The day was specifically for new seventh graders to get introduced to the school, while the eighth graders would officially start Tuesday. “When they (seventh graders) come in, they’re so small, and they have that excited and terrified look in their eyes,” said Ourganian. He said one of the reasons he’s kept teaching at Bell for 15 years was the chance to see those students grow in many different ways by the time they graduate up to high school. The new students congregated outside the school doors, some with parents by their sides, some with old friends from elementary school. Among them was Caden Gerig, who said he was excited to start a new school. He said
he came here from Lakewood specifically to take advantage of the school’s iSTEM program, which offers hands on science, technology and engineering project-based learning. Mom Danika Gerig said she was more nervous. “ H e ’s — Students going to be fine — Staff though,” she said, — Teachers patting C a d e n’s — Schools on ... back. — Campuses I n side the s c h o o l ’s gymnasium awaited dozens of eighth graders, all wearing bright green shirts, marking them as WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Leaders. As the new students pass through the gym doors, they were greeted by a long line of WEB Leaders, cheering, with hands
JEFFCO SCHOOL DISTRICT BY THE NUMBERS
86,000 14,000 5,200 155 185
New students mill outside the front doors of Bell Middle School on Monday morning, as the late-summer sunrise shines off the windows of the arriving school buses. Photo by Glenn Wallace raised for high fives. “It feels awesome helping kids,” WEB Leader Luke Maestas said between shouts and high-fives. Once inside, the new students were given name tags by more eighth grade volunteers, while uptempo pop songs blare over the PA system.
Eventually the new students took their seats in the Bobcats’ gym. School councilor, and WEB Leader organizer Lynn Renter took the mic, greeted the new students to their middle school. “We are all about teamwork and excellence at Bell Middle School,” she said.
Official has new post at medical center Former chief medical officer steps into top operating role By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com POSTAL ADDRESS
WHEAT RIDGE TRANSCRIPT (ISSN 1089-9197)
Lutheran Medical Center’s new chief operating officer and vice president is Dr. Tina Johnson, who has been serving as its chief medical officer. She will now oversee the Wheat Ridge facility’s patient safety, quality and performance improvement, medical staff services, hospitalist services, care management, cardiology services and clinical informatics. We called Johnson to discuss her time at Lutheran and plans for her new role. Tell us a little about your background. I was born and raised in California and received my bachelor’s degree in Portland, Oregon. I went to Columbia University in New York for my medical degree. I came to Denver Health for my residency 21 years ago. A friend of mine worked at Lutheran and told me about it, so I came over and have been here for 17 years.
OFFICE: 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210 Golden, CO 80401 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Colorado, the Wheat Ridge Transcript is published weekly on Thursday by Mile High Newspapers, 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210, Golden, CO 80401. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT GOLDEN, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 722 Washington Ave., Unit 210 Golden, CO 80401
What has your experience at Lutheran been like? I’ve worked with a lot of physicians on campus and taken up operations opportunities when I was able. As chief medical officer, I’ve taken more of a leadership role. The previous COO (Peggy Price) retired, and it was kind of a time of transition for us, so I ultimately expressed interest. I wanted to take on more of an operations role, while still working with departments like safety, cardiovascular and oncology, and with volunteers.
What are you hoping to do in your new role? I want operations to think strategically and position us for success. Of course, we always need to be providing both high quality health care and the most efficient health care. I’m looking forward to working with my peers on these goals. We need to set up our clinicians to be successful at our hospital.
Johnson
What’s your favorite thing about Lutheran? I really like working with the other people we have here. It seems like everyone who comes here has a connection to the hospital. They will come with chest paints or whatever, and they start telling you about how they know the hospital. The patients and community feel really connected. I feel really confident in describing us as a unique space.
DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legals: Fri. 11 a.m. Classifieds: Mon. 5 p.m.
Grandmother arrested in death of 10-year-old PL E ASE RECYCLE T HI S C OPY
Staff Report A Wheat Ridge grandmother has been arrested on suspicion of causing the death of her grandson, 10-year-old Angel Goodwin. Onesia Ann Najera was arrested at a motel near 5th and Wadsworth last week. She was taken into custody without incident accord-
Najera
ing to police. Police had issued an arrest warrant for Najera, on two counts of child abuse resulting in death, a week earlier, but had been unable to locate her. Goodwin was found unresponsive by authorities the
evening of May 5 at an apartment in the 2600 block of Chase Street. The developmentally disabled boy was transported to a nearby hospital, and later pronounced dead. Wheat Ridge PD said officers were familiar with the residence, having visited it before, in tandem with Jeffco Health and Human Services.