Learn More About Your Local Mini Government At League Of Women Voters’ ‘The Hidden Life Of Special Districts’
League of Women Voters Jefferson County, in collaboration with the Jefferson Unitarian Church, will sponsor “The Hidden Life of Special Districts,” a free panel presentation open to the public on March 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at 14350 W. 32nd Ave., Golden.
Since special district elections will be held May 2, the intent of the panel is to answer questions such as: What are special districts and what do they do? Who are the candidates? Where do I vote? How do I know if I am in a special district?
Special districts include the water and sanitation, fire protection, park and recreation and metropolitan entities that serve a particular area. They are required to conduct elections to fill the boards that govern these organizations. Your tax bill lists your special districts. Renters may go to the county assessor’s office to find their tax bill.
Notifications for special district elections are usually found in the classified section of a local newspaper or on a district’s website.
Voters are encouraged to request absentee ballots in writing by April 25.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3Yu9zsu
Celebrate Spring During Wheat Ridge Historical Society’s Next Second Saturday Gathering, March 11
In anticipation of the Vernal Equinox on March 20 followed by the Budding (full) Moon on April 6, the Historical Society will focus on spring at its next Second Saturday Social.
Stop by the Baugh House (W. 44th Avenue and Robb Street) on March 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and talk gardening ideas, enjoy some snacks and listen to story tellers as they weave tall tales. Bring a tale of your own and win a prize!
Also with an eye toward warmer weather, volunteers at the Historical Park will apply the finishing touches to the Johnson Cabin and the Soddy. Folks who have visited the cabin recently may have noticed the lack of a bed. Early inhabitants of the tiny cabin probably would have used a three-legged bed. Attached to the wall with hinges, the bed could be folded against the wall to afford more room for activity during the day. The new three-legged bed will be on view this spring. The Soddy, although still being monitored for wall movement, will also receive a new bed, an iron frame bed to go in the southwest area of the home.
These buildings and the others in the Historical Park are open Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We can also make appointments for tours on other days; just email or call us at the contact information listed below.
It’s that time for all annual members to renew their memberships, and now members can pay dues or join online at the website listed below.
For more information go to wheatridgehistoricalsociety.org. You can also email us at wrhistorical@gmail.com, call 303-421-9111, or stop by the Red Brick House Fridays at 4610 Robb St. Be sure to follow us on Facebook.
‘A Shot In The Dark’ Photography Exhibit And More At Lakewood Arts Gallery
Lakewood Arts Gallery is featuring “A Shot in the Dark” photography exhibit through March 24 to coincide with Denver’s Month of Photography. Also on display will be artwork from Edgewater Elementary, Hanna Marks and Anna Feneis, through March 31.
There will be an opening reception and First Friday Artwalk on Friday, March 3, too.
Lakewood Arts Gallery is located in the 40West Arts Hub at 6501 W. Colfax Ave in Lakewood.
Go to lakewoodarts.org or call 303 980-0625 for more information and gallery hours.
Nurse Home Visitation Programs Available To Help Jeffco Families Thrive
Being a parent can be incredibly challenging and rewarding, especially during little ones’ earliest years or when a child has special healthcare needs. To help families better navigate these important times and situations, Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) offers several programs that connect parents and their children with personalized support and care – right when and where they need it.
According to a release from JCPH, these important public health services are called nurse home visitation programs, and they pave pathways between families and compassionate, professional nurses who can provide care, guidance and resources to parents in the comfort of their homes.
“Raising happy, healthy kids takes a village, and at JCPH, we’re happy to be a part of that community for the families we serve,” said Kate Follett, RN, BSN, CARN, Public Health Nurse Supervisor at JCPH. “The nurses in our home visitation programs are more than just trusted health professionals — they’re support systems and lifelines for families.”
JCPH offers several nurse home visitation programs, each with varying missions and eligibility criteria.
• The Nurse-Family Partnership program is a free prenatal and early childhood nurse home visitation program for first-time mothers who meet financial guidelines. If you are pregnant with your first baby, or your first child is less than one month old, you can enroll in Nurse-Family Partnership and have a registered nurse visit you in your home or some other convenient location until your baby turns two years old. With your very own personal nurse you will get the support, advice and information you need during your pregnancy and when your baby arrives. In Colorado, this program is free, voluntary and open to any woman eligible for WIC and/or Medicaid even if you don’t use those services. Call 303-570-4532 to learn more.
• The Healthy Start at Home program offers nurse support to women during pregnancy and the first two months postpartum, with the option to extend up to one year postpartum. Public health nurses offer support, education and resources on topics including pregnancy, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, birth control, how to care for a baby and more. This program offers home or office visits to support healthy lifestyle choices, including healthy eating and tobacco free living. This is a free program, however the program will bill Medicaid for these services if the client is enrolled in Medicaid. Contact us to learn more.
• NICU2Home is a follow-up program for families whose baby has been in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). To help make this transition as smooth as possible, this program offers families helpful information, support and connections to resources. The NICU2Home team of nurse care coordinators offers a family-centered approach to parent education, support, referrals and community connections on topics including prematurity, infant cues, feeding, sleeping, safety and more. This is a free program that offers monthly home, office or community visits with additional phone check-ins as needed. Contact us to learn more.
For more information, call 303-232-6301 and ask for a nurse in one of the above listed programs. Or visit: www.jeffco.us/public-health
It’s Official: Intermountain Healthcare Is Now Intermountain Health
Intermountain Healthcare – which operates Lutheran Medical Center – officially changed its name to Intermountain Health on Jan. 23. The change was announced in 2022,
and was based on feedback by consumers, patients and employees, and their needs and expectations of a health system, according to an announcement released that day. It also updated its logo to reflect the name change.
The updated look associated with the name change will gradually be phased in over the next several years, per the release, with the more noticeable early changes occurring on Intermountain Health’s websites and with digital tools available to patients and the community.
Headquartered in Utah, Intermountain Health operates multiple clinics and hospitals in Colorado and six other western states. Intermountain is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division (SelectHealth) with more than one million members, and other health services.
Miss The Bus (Or Train)? RTD Has Made Some Service Changes
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) made service changes to select light rail lines and local, regional and FlexRide bus routes on Jan. 8. The changes support RTD’s System Optimization Plan (SOP), which prioritizes its “regionally focused, high-quality transit network that delivers strong connectivity to equity communities and transit-supportive land use corridors,” according to a recent press release.
Locally, changes include:
• Rerouting of Route 76 (Wadsworth Boulevard) between Interstate 70 and Olde Town Arvada Station, adding two new stops along the route while serving all existing stops along the route
• Minor schedule adjustments were made to Route 44 (West 44th Avenue) to increase on-time performance.
• Minor schedule adjustments were made to the W Line (Light Rail Golden to Denver) to improve train sequencing and connections to the E Line while also increasing on-time performance
Elsewhere in the metro area, notable changes to service include:
• Consolidation of the C and F rail lines with the D and E lines, respectively
• Expansion of weekday service hours of Route 30
• Splitting of Route 12 into two routes (Route 7 and Route 12)
Some proposed service changes didn’t go into effect, however:
• A change to Route 10 could not be made due to lack of opportunity for operator relief at the terminal
• A change to Route 15L was deemed not necessary to accommodate schedule changes on Route 15
RTD said changes were made in addition to schedule adjustments for a number of lines and routes to increase on-time performance and operational reliability.
RTD adjusts its schedule three times a year to address ridership changes and activities such as traffic patterns, economic factors and customer feedback that affect its system, per the release. It claims some of the changes support increases in ridership, improvement of on-time performance and increase in service reliability. However, it said another reason is to adhere to the collective bargaining agreement between RTD leadership and the Amalgamated Transit Union 1001, which ensures appropriate time for operator breaks.
For a complete look at the changes RTD made, visit the Service Changes page of the website – rtd-denver.com
