Alternatives allow older dogs to age gracefully - #lakewoodnews

Senior dogs struggle with some of the same issues as humans --; getting up on a cold winter morning, navigating household obstacles like stairs and wood floors, and general aches and pains.

We are so fortunate to live in a time where there are almost as many health options for our aging pets as there are for us. Alternatives for canines include chiropractic care, massage therapy, acupuncture, nutritional supplements, physical therapy, warm water swimming pools and underwater treadmills.

When I evaluate a client for massage one of the first issues I address is the dog's weight. A dog that is having difficulty with pain and movement will experience even more difficulty if they are carrying extra pounds. Cutting back on food and treats is a place to start but your dog still needs to get exercise. Short, frequent walks for an older dog is best. Swimming is also a wonderful option, as it is a non-weight bearing activity that doesn't put stress on joints, while still burning calories. Adding foods to your dog's diet like low sodium green beans will help him feel full without adding pounds.

Check your dog's home environment. Throw rugs can be a great alternative to slippery wood floors, but throw rugs can also slide out from under a dog's feet. Place some kind of non-skid backing under the rug or use sticky tape to secure the rug to the floor.

Does your dog jump on and off furniture? Landing on the floor with the dog's full weight can be a hazard. Place a set of small doggie stairs, a stool or a cushion next to high surfaces and work with your dog to encourage their use. Even old dogs can still learn new tricks and it doesn't take long for them to realize it is more comfortable to climb up and down stairs than to jump off the bed.

And, finally, treat your dog to a massage or acupuncture. This can release endorphins, reduce pain, cause a relaxation effect and bring fresh, oxygenated blood into an area where it is needed. When done by a trained professional, these modalities can relieve conditions both acute and chronic, helping your senior to feel young again.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://wheatridgetranscript.com/stories/Alternatives-allow-older-dogs-to-age-gracefully,212792?branding=15

Can't always play by the rules - #lakewoodnews

I tell you what --; sometimes this world presents parents with impossible choices.

My whole life, I've been taught that it is good to be virtuous; that is, living by virtues is a good thing. So, I was raised to be compassionate, to try to "walk a mile" in other peoples' shoes. I was also taught that maintaining self-control is a good thing, that bad things come of losing your composure and your temper.

And, in turn, I try to raise my children with some of those values. I want them to give other people the benefit of the doubt, to always be looking for the good in people, and never assume bad intention or nefarious motive. I try to get them to have a soft heart, to treat others kindly and respectfully. I also want them to work hard, to be humble enough to keep working and to let their work speak for itself.

And, when they do that? As often as not, they get walked on by more aggressive or, shall we say, less restrained peers. And, please, my children are not perfect--; I'm just saying how I would like for them to act.

My son, 9, plays by the rules. He understands sports pretty well, seems to get the rules, and expects others to be fair and abide by the same rules. Sure, there are times when he won't call a foul on himself or fudges the out-of-bounds line, but he doesn't go around making up new rules out of whole cloth whenever the mood suits him. So, I can't tell you how many times this little guy, who stops to hug the dogs every time he walks in the door, comes home from school upset that some of the more aggressive and competitive kids just make up new rules on the playground at recess, and the adults can't do anything about it.

Obviously, these are small things. I don't get worked up about stuff like that, because I know that, over time, all of those problems will sort themselves out. I wish it didn't happen, but, that's part of life.

And then I read a story from Delaware, about a 16-year old girl who got into a fight in a school bathroom, was overwhelmed when two additional girls jumped into the fray against her, was videotaped by other girls standing around watching the fight (NOT seeking help for her), and died later that day from the vicious beating.

I'll bet she went into that confrontation thinking that the other girl would fight her own fight. I'll bet she never imagined that her classmates would be so barbaric as to inflict serious injury. I'll bet she never doubted that, if things got out of hand, someone would help her out.

And, I'll bet her parents never, in a million years, imagined that when they kissed her goodbye that morning that it would be the last time they would do so.

But, the world we live in now seems to be one in which the bold and the brash get the fame (see Kardashians), in which the aggressive make up their own rules and facts (see any number of recent or current political debates), in which people without consciences simply take what they want (see Enron), and in which might makes right.

And in which it is no longer safe to assume basic humanity from other people.

I will still teach my children kindness and compassion, because in a world like this, those traits are ever more valuable. But I will also teach them caution, suspicion, evasion, self-defense, and that, if the stuff does hit the fan, fight to win--;and not just this fight, but all the ones that might be coming after.

I hate to think that way, I really do. But, I would hate it even more to have to walk the next mile in the shoes of that poor girl's parents.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://arvadapress.com/stories/Cant-always-play-by-the-rules,212793?branding=15

ASU, Alamosa reaffirm partnership

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Foster parents recognized, urgently needed

from Valley Courier - News http://www.alamosanews.com/V2_news_articles.php

Creating the new generation of bookworms - #lakewoodnews

When Golden resident Crystal Vockel caught one of her children re-using homework assignments to get away with not doing extra reading, she knew something had to be done.

"I realized we had to have a routine," she said. "Even on busy days."

So about a year ago, Vockel developed a strict reading schedule for her four children --; Anthony, 6, Isaiha, 9, Michael, 13, and Mickayla, 16.

"It was a struggle at first, but now it's routine," Vockel said. "I don't even have to say it --; they're so good about doing it now."

Reading to --; and with --; children every day is a piece of advice parents may commonly hear from a librarian or teacher. However, not only do librarians and teachers stress the importance of reading, parents, such as Vockel, also see value in it.

According to a survey of 2,252 Americans by the Pew Research Center conducted in 2012, half of the parents with children under age 12 read to their child every day, and 58 percent of them have children under the age of 6. Additionally, 26 percent of the parents read to their child a few times a week.

Each of the children must read for 30 minutes a day --; in addition to whatever homework assignments they bring home. Michael and Mickayla enjoy reading, so they are allowed to read by themselves in a bedroom or other quiet place. But, after their reading time, they must either discuss or summarize the book with their mother.

Isaiha struggles with reading, so he reads to his mom for 20 minutes, then she reads to him for the remaining 10.

"I want to help them grow and succeed," Vockel said. "If they come up to me and want to read, I drop everything."

At least once a week, the family also plays games to help learn "trick words," which are commonly used words the children need to know for school. Vockel likes Go Fish or Memory. Also, there are sticky-notes all over the house --; inside closet doors or cabinets --; with the trick words written on them.

"So, whenever Anthony opens the cupboard, he has to say the word," Vockel said.

It took time for the children to learn their good reading habits, Vockel said, and it hasn't always been easy. Not only are all four children involved with sports, Vockel, 30, is a busy mom. She works at Pleasant View Elementary in Golden and is studying for her GED at Red Rocks Community College. She plans to pursue a degree that allows her to continue working with children.

Her children inspired her to return to school.

"They see me struggling," Vockel said. "But I knew if I didn't do it, they wouldn't do it."

Vockel believes it's important to show interest and be involved with her children. So, when she saw her children struggling with reading, she sought tips and advice from their teachers to help develop the routine.

"It's been amazing," she said. "It has really helped them tremendously."

Donna Walker, Jefferson County Public Library's director of public services

A baby might a hold book upside down, but at least he or she is holding a book. A child may be wandering around during storytime, but at least he or she is listening. A toddler may giggle as his or her mom or dad sings "Row, row, row, row your boat" while washing dishes, but at least the child is paying attention to the words.

All of these promote early literacy.

It's all to "help them find their way to the excitement of reading," Walker said. "And we know it makes a difference."

Turning on the television is easy, Walker said, but reading with --; or to --; a child is an intentional act parents and caregivers can do for the child.

"It demonstrates the value of reading to a child when other people take the time to read to them," Walker said.

Barb Yeutter Roig, manager of the Jeffco library's Kids and Families outreach program

Yeutter Roig was only half-kidding when she said parents can start reading to their newborns as soon as they get home from the hospital.

"It is so important for children as soon as they're born," she said. "It does make a difference. Children need to be engaged."

The Kids and Families team visits preschools, Head Start programs, daycares and preschools in Jefferson County, plus events where parents and caregivers gather, to provide tips and advice that promote early literacy.

"The parents are the drivers of this," Yeutter Roig said. "Without the parents, we wouldn't have a shot."

Storytimes at the library are great for promoting early literacy, but busy families can't always attend.

"The goal is to promote early literacy to the whole community," Yeutter Roig said.

One tip is as easy as talking to a child, which exposes them to words and language.

"The more words they have in their word bank, the more successful they'll be," she said. "Talking is the easiest, most effective thing a parent can do for their child."

Suzanne McGowan, branch manager at Anythink Wright Farms in Adams County

Storytimes at the seven Anythink library locations, which serve Adams County, are generally at capacity, McGowan said.

"Adults and parents are really involved with it," she said.

Parents who attend storytimes get tips and resources to use at home, but a big part is the social aspect --; "they can talk with other parents."

However, there are plenty of things families can do at home to promote early literacy.

Fifteen minutes of time spent together at home reading can "instill a lot," McGowan said.

"Plus, there's the bonding of parent and child," she said. "It becomes a positive experience."

Children are constantly learning, McGowan said, so with reading, just like any other skill, repetition is important. However, she also suggests to check with teachers and librarians for new ways to "keep it fun and fresh for everybody."

Susie Spiegler, reading specialist for kindergarten and first grade at Pleasant View Elementary School in Golden

Reading together should be a shared and enjoyable experience, Spiegler said.

In fact, it shouldn't be forced, and plenty of ways exist to ease children into wanting to read, Spiegler said.

Spiegler suggests setting aside time when cell phones and other electronic devices are turned off to read together. Not only will it help build confidence in reading, families engage in sophisticated conversations --; no matter what level of reading. She suggests to start small and build.

"Let your child be the one to direct that," she said.

A parent doesn't necessarily have to be a superior reader, she added. "It's important to share in that learning experience."

Parents who are having a difficult time motiviating their child to read can always lean on the school or teachers for advice.

"We'll put our heads together and come up with a solution," Spiegler said. "We want to make it work for them."

Kim Ballantyne, coordinator for Jeffco Summer of Early Literacy program and the Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act administrator for Jeffco libraries

It's important to think about all the different ways to read, Ballantyne said.

Find ways to engage children with all kinds of text, she said, and help them find a purpose for reading. It can be reading a recipe to learn to cook something new or the instructions manual for assembling shelves in a bedroom.

"It's not always sitting down and reading a novel," Ballantyne said.

Finding the right book can also make a difference in children who are reluctant to want to read. Some children like to read fiction, while others enjoy learning all about something, such as dinosaurs, for example, in an illustrated nonfiction book.

Either way, Ballantyne said, "find a book that they will enjoy."

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://goldentranscript.net/stories/Creating-the-new-generation-of-bookworms,212676?branding=15

Dark day launched brighter tomorrows - #lakewoodnews

Wendy Hightower, 35 and eight months pregnant, sat on the grass near a small gray and bronze headstone adorned with trinkets of family life --; a snow globe from Disney World, a ceramic Easter bunny, shiny pinwheels that spin in a breeze.

As she had done almost every day for two years, Wendy talked to her daughter, Madison, an exuberant 2-year-old who had died suddenly from an E. coli infection.

Regan Beisenherz-Rouse, 18, exploring the cemetery for photos to shoot for class, noticed as Wendy laid crimson Stargazer lilies --; a flower Regan loved --; on the ground. She saw the tears on her face. And she felt compelled to walk over.

Wendy told her she had lost a child. That these 15 minutes on her way home were her one-on-one prayer time with Madison. That when the baby was born, she wouldn't be able to visit every day.

Regan told Wendy about her passion for photography and dancing with the Littleton High School team. They talked for about 20 minutes, then said goodbye.

But Wendy couldn't stop thinking about Regan, wondering how she spelled her name, turning the conversation over and over in her mind.

"I don't know why I felt so strong about it --; I just did," Wendy says about the encounter. "I didn't have her last name. I didn't figure I'd ever see her again."

A week later, Wendy found a Ziploc bag resting on Madison's grave. Inside was a photograph of her headstone. On the back, these words: "Now, you'll be able to see her every day. Regan."

Wendy started to cry.

And so begins this story about how an act of kindness nearly 17 years ago set in motion a chain of events that spun threads of joy from sorrow. How, sometimes, something as simple as a name can mean everything. And how, maybe, just maybe, unseen forces weave a little magic when it's most needed.

* * * * *

Madison was the third child in Wendy and Dennis Hightower's family. Soon after her death in August 1997, they decided to reverse Dennis' vasectomy, performed after Madison's birth.

The doctor warned that conceiving a child would be difficult and recommended artificial insemination. Eight months passed. Nothing. But on Valentine's Day 1999, after the final insemination, Wendy was pregnant.

They knew it was a girl and had chosen Morgan as a name. Like Jordan, then 9, and Colton, 6 --; and Madison --; all names ending in "n," it seemed to fit.

But meeting Regan changed that.

"She really understood . . . and cared enough to come back and take that picture and write that note and leave it for me," Wendy says. "She just made a huge impression."

The name, after all, ended in "n." But more than anything, it just felt right.

So, on Oct. 7, 1999, Wendy and Dennis named their new daughter Regan and reveled in her blessing.

"She brought joy back in the family," Wendy says. "We were all heartbroken, and she brought that back."

A few weeks passed. Then a neighbor's son, Pat Lytle, a student at Highlands Ranch High School, and his girlfriend --; who knew the story of the name --; decided to try to track down Regan during the school's football game against Littleton High School.

They walked over to the Littleton side and asked a cheerleader if she knew a girl named Regan who was on the dance team.

"She's my best friend," the girl answered. "She's sitting right there."

The teens approached Regan.

"Do you know Wendy Hightower?" For a minute, Regan couldn't place the name. "Well, she had her baby and she named her after you."

Regan was stunned.

"What do you say to that? It was the most lovely thing that had ever happened to me."

A few days after meeting Wendy in the cemetery, Regan --; unable to forget Wendy's sadness or her love and dedication to her daughter --; had returned to Madison's grave with her camera.

She developed the film and printed the photograph in the school's darkroom. She wrote the note on the back and placed the picture in a Ziploc bag, in case of rain. And then she drove back to the cemetery and left it on the headstone.

A week later, she returned. The photograph was gone.

"I really just wanted her to be happy . . . to heal," Regan says. "It was really obvious she was still hurting."

After the football game, Regan visited Wendy at her home and met baby Regan. When Regan graduated later that school year, Wendy and Dennis --; and little Regan --; came to her graduation party. During the ensuing college years, Wendy and Regan wrote every now and then, but eventually lost touch.

Neither, however, forgot the connection. Both believed there was a reason they had met.

Maybe God had something to do with it.

Maybe, Madison.

* * * * *

In February, Wendy and Dennis, now 52 and 56, and their daughter, Regan, 16, traveled from Austin, where they'd moved in 2001, for a volleyball tournament in Denver.

Wendy and Regan Beisenherz-Rouse, now 34, married and pregnant with her first child, had found each other a few years back through Facebook. They'd messaged back and forth, but hadn't seen each other in person.

So they planned lunch at a restaurant in Littleton where the two Regans --; referred to by Wendy as "little" Regan and "big" Regan --; could finally meet.

Little Regan was a bit nervous, wondering if conversation would come easily. It did. "She was super-easy to talk to," little Regan says. "And super-sweet."

They peppered each other with questions. About little Regan's volleyball and school and her older brother and sister. About big Regan's baby due this month, her family, her photography business.

"She's just as wonderful as one of Wendy's children would be, relaxed and confident in her own skin," big Regan says. "She was just genuine."

They discovered both had brothers in the music field in Austin. And both of their families are from Texas.

They hugged when they left.

And as they walked out, little Regan told her mom, "If you had to name me after somebody, I'm glad you picked her."

Little Regan has no doubt that Madison had something to do with that.

"Madison is definitely the reason I'm Regan and not Morgan," she says.

She grew up understanding she had a sister in heaven. Madison was always part of the conversation and little Regan always made sure her presence was remembered.

Wendy says, "Anytime anybody would ask me how many kids I had, and I said three" --; because explaining Madison's death made others uncomfortable --; "she would always correct me and make sure I would include Madison."

For little Regan, it's simple: "If Madison hadn't of passed away, I most likely wouldn't be here . . . and I can't imagine what they went through losing her. But it makes me smile just thinking of her."

She also knows this: "Take nothing for granted. Tell the ones you love that you love them because you never know what will happen."

Wendy is certain the name was meant for her daughter.

"It was a good feeling, the way it happened," Wendy says. "I just remember how impactful and purposeful it felt."

Big Regan looks at Wendy and Dennis and little Regan and sees a shining example of how life should be lived, with love and compassion and hope.

She's grateful her instincts pushed her to be a part of their story: "When you come right down to it, you need to do what's in your heart."

These days, just weeks away from the birth of her first child, big Regan finds profound meaning in all that has happened --; and wishes for more goodness in everyday life.

"If I could change anything," she says, "I would change people's days, just by being kind."

Like she did on a long-ago afternoon in a cemetery when a grieving mother touched her heart.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://highlandsranchherald.net/stories/Dark-day-launched-brighter-tomorrows,212680?branding=15

Preserving both safety and liberty - #lakewoodnews

I grew up in Monte Vista, a small town in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado. In my memory, there were two stoplights, although there may be more now. I remember once when my mother was stopped while driving by a member of the local police force. No doubt this man played gin rummy with my dad at the American Legion, and his wife probably chatted with Mom in the grocery store.

Nevertheless, he was all business when he approached her driver's side window. "Rosemary," he said, "you were speeding." She pointed out that she was actually well within the speed limit, but apparently, in those days, automobiles emitted a small puff from their tail pipes when drivers let up on the gas. What my mom replied when that policeman told her that he'd seen that telltale puff has stayed with me. "I don't care if I'm going 5 miles an hour," she said. "If I see your lights in my rear-view mirror, I'm going to take my foot off the gas."

Perhaps you followed the standoff between the federal government and Apple over its iPhone encryption. The government wanted Apple to develop a "back door" that would allow the FBI to unlock a phone used by one of the San Bernardino killers. Apple, which has built much of its business on assuring privacy for the people who use its devices, servers and cloud, refused to create a way to crack this encryption and thus potentially expose everything its users had entrusted to the company.

Ultimately, the government used - most likely, hired - hackers to unlock the phone. I understand that the phone didn't yield any usable information but I'm sure I don't have all the facts, and that's beside the point, anyway.

What stood out for me in this situation is not whether the government could - or should be able to - force a business to deliberately debilitate a proprietary process. Even a privacy advocate like me has mixed emotions about the cost of giving up civil liberties for the potential of crucial information.

No, what raised its head again was the notion that anyone who has nothing to hide would be the least bit concerned about his or her private and personal information being "unlocked" by the very company that promised to protect it. Or, for that matter, by a government that is clearly struggling to balance citizens' rights guaranteed by the Constitution with the need for national security.

Basically, if you aren't speeding, why would you need to take your foot off the gas?

However, as my mother unintentionally taught me so long ago, you can be doing everything right and still be the subject of scrutiny. So when the NSA surveils my communication, and the FBI unlocks my phone, don't tell me I shouldn't worry if I have nothing to hide.

My real worry is that of Benjamin Franklin's around the time of the birth of our nation: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Whether we are residents of small-town rural America or part of the larger global society, as U.S. citizens, we need to preserve both.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Preserving-both-safety-and-liberty,212677?branding=15