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ANIMAL BLESSING From Page 1 lolling tongues and waving tails of the many dogs at the service. “I wouldn’t let my cats sit out an opportunity for a trace of God,” Schulman said. “God made all creatures great and small.” Sharon Keith-Zamora and her son, Robert, brought Cuddles the hamster to the service. According to Keith-Zamora, Cuddles will act as a blessing ambassador for the family’s other animals. “He’s the representative for all our animals,” she said. “It’s important to people. Pets are a part of the family.” During the blessing, Hehner laid gentle hands on the animals. Some approached meekly, others dashed with four-piston-powered enthusiasm. Hehner blessed old and young animals, some bursting with energetic vitality, others swathed in colorful fleece. Their owners knelt next to Hehner and told her the animals’ names and brief tales of their pets’ love. Don and Ali Tuchband of Pine rescued an aged Maltese named Chloe from the Evergreen Animal Protective League. Don held the deaf and blind Chloe, wrapped in a warm blanket. “We attend church here, and these animals are our kids,” Don said. Ali, who works at Lone Rock Veterinary Clinic in Bailey, said many people in the area are devoted to their pets and believe in the enduring love their creatures give in return. “I believe they have souls, and after they pass, we will meet again,” Ali said. Hehner said animals play a huge part in people’s lives because of their unconditional love for humans. She spoke briefly of a past friend, Boo, a -year-old Schnoodle with a penchant for American cheese who saw her through her life from child to adult. “Some people look at the eyes of an animal and don’t see a soul,” Hehner said as she shook her head. “(But) God is in everything.”
JOB-SEARCH TOOLS From Page 1 no nearby labor department office. Haavind said the program will soon expand into other libraries. Alison Grace, an employment specialist with the Colorado Workforce Center, meets with job seekers at the Bailey library from a.m. to noon the first Thursday of the month, and helps them write resumes and teaches them how to use the tools available through the Workforce Center. Soon, people will be able to speak with an employment specialist via Web cam and the conferencing software Skype. “With Skype, people won’t have to wait to talk to a specialist,” she said. Haavind said using the Web cam and Skype features would not only help people talk to a counselor about basic job-hunting needs, but they will also be able to identify skills, receive training, upgrade skills and prepare for interviews. “Now all that can be done in the online environment,” Haavind said.
Above: Cats Frodo, left, and Fi Bee, brought to Deer Park United Methodist Church by owner Mel Schulman of Bailey, wait to be blessed by the Rev. Laura Hehner on Sunday. At left: Hehner blesses an -year-old Chihuahua named Gizmo. “Some people look at the eyes of an animal and don’t see a soul,” Hehner said as she shook her head. “(But) God is in
Photographs by Matthew Jonas | Times photo editor
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Raccoon Creek Haavind said the program started in September, but she didn’t have exact numbers of how many people are using the workforce station at the Bailey library. Bailey librarian Yvonne Garrison said more people are using the computer and its resources, and it brings hope to those who are looking for work. “This service is to help unemployed people find work,” she said. “Since the recession … this is a real need.” Haavind said more than libraries across Colorado host a virtual workforce center in a partnership with the Colorado Department of Education. “We discovered the increase in job-seeker traffic to the library,” Haavind said, “especially for those who needed assistance, and the library staff was overwhelmed by the need.” Services offered through the program include: job listings; job fairs and other special events; resume assistance and job-interview preparation; networking tools and workshops; academic, vocational and job assessments; customized training; labor market information; occupational and industry profiles; American with Disabilities Act resources; career planning tools; and veterans services.
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