Colorado Pedestrian Deaths up 89

Lost Creek Guide January 20, 2021Page 6 Study: Colo. Pedestrian Deaths Up 89%Hello from the Wiggins Cornerstone 4H Club!

Our club has approximately 19 members and their ages range from 6 to 15. Randall Fatalities increase for the first time in three decades. Rumsey and myself, Christine Sears, are the club leaders, and it is a pleasure to work DENVER (Jan. 12, 2021) - The number of pedestrians killed annually on Colorado’s with our 4 H members! We have some new members joining us this year that we have roadways has nearly doubled since 2008, per new analysis from the AAA Foundation for been unable to meet yet because of the Covid-19 restrictions, but are hoping to have an Traffic Safety and AAA Colorado. That surpasses a 55 percent nationwide increase in pein person meeting in February! 4H offers many wonderful and exciting projects and its destrian deaths over the same period. All told, across the country, more pedestrians lost not just raising livestock! Our members have participated in a variety of projects through their lives in 2018 than in any year since 1990. 4H. Projects such as leathercraft, cake decorating, model rockets, sewing, creative cooks, “We’re lucky to live in Colorado, where we cherish our active lifestyles – and where there home environment, market beef, goat, lamb, and swine (and that›s just naming a few!). are so many good reasons to leave the car at home and run, walk or bike. That pedestrian We also have members participate in breeding animal projects such as breeding beef, deaths here outpace the national average should ring alarm bells,” said Skyler McKinley, dairy and poultry. Some of our members even raise and exhibit their own animals. This director of public affairs for AAA Colorado. “As we continue to grow, drivers, pedestrians past year has been a challenge for all of us. Our members, with the support of their par- and, most importantly, governments need to do more to protect our most vulnerable.” ents, have been hard working, dedicated to completing their projects, and should be very The report’s key findings include: proud of their work! We look forward to this 4H year! • In Colorado and across the country, the startling jump in deaths occurred almost entirely in urban areas, much of it at mid-block locations along arterials (major roads designed to move large volumes of traffic). Urban crashes account for 93 percent of the total national increase in pedestrian fatalities. • Non-white populations are over-represented among pedestrian fatalities. Deaths of Black and Hispanic pedestrians increased by a larger amount than white pedestrians on a percentage basis. • Nationwide, pedestrians killed at non-intersection locations without crosswalks rose 70 percent from 2009-2018. • Three of every four pedestrians killed on U.S. roads in 2018 were struck in darkness. Fatalities in darkness also account for the vast majority of the overall increase in pedestrian fatalities since 2009. The number of pedestrians killed in darkness in 2018 was larger than the total number of pedestrians killed in any and all lighting conditions in 2009, 2010 or 2011. • 84 percent of all pedestrian fatalities in 2018, and 84 percent of the overall increase in pedestrian fatalities over the study period, occurred on roads with speed limits of 30 mph or higher. Past AAA Foundation research has shown that when a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, their chances of survival drops precipitously with each additional mile per hour increase in speed at speeds above roughly 25 mph. • Alcohol remains a problem among pedestrian fatalities, as 32 percent of all pedestrians who died had a blood alcohol concentration equal to or greater than the legal limit for driving. Still, sober pedestrians’ fatalities increased by a larger amount over the study period, both in raw numbers and on a percentage basis. The number of sober pedestrians killed in 2018 was nearly as large as the total number of pedestrians killed in 2009. “As we work to eliminate preventable tragedies on our roadways, it’s imperative we avoid a blame game between pedestrians and motorists,” McKinley said. “The bottom line is that everybody has the same right to use our transportation infrastructure without fearing for their life. The data suggest that pedestrians should take care to cross at crosswalks, when possible. Drivers, in turn, need to be more vigilant – especially in urban areas, and especially at night. Finally, governments must seriously evaluate lowering speed limits and changing roadway design in pedestrian-heavy corridors. We can reverse this trend, but it’s going to take working together.”

kinnearinsurance@outlook.com

Safety Tips for Drivers • Look out for pedestrians at all times. When you are operating a vehicle, you have accepted a heightened responsibility for other people on the road. Safety is a two-way street. Often, pedestrians— especially younger ones— are not where you would expect them to be. Remain vigilant. • Follow posted speed limits, especially in areas of heavy pedestrian traffic. This is even more important in areas that have lower speed limits, such as school zones and neighborhood streets where pedestrians may appear suddenly. • Overall visibility is limited in bad weather conditions and poorly lit areas. Not only is it more difficult for drivers to see oncoming pedestrians, it also is harder for pedestrians to see you. Make sure your lights are on and you use your signals properly. Use extra caution in these circumstances. • Put down your phone. Smartphones and handheld electronic devices take your eyes off of the road and distract your attention. • Always yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. When approaching a crosswalk, reduce your speed and be prepared to stop. When you are stopped at a crosswalk, allow enough room between your vehicle and the crosswalk so other drivers can see the pedestrians you have stopped for. Do not pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk: They have stopped to allow pedestrians to pass or make sure the way is clear.

Safety Tips for Pedestrians • Never assume a driver will give you the right of way. Make every effort to make eye contact with the driver of a stopped or approaching vehicle before entering the roadway. • Use crosswalks when crossing the street. If a crosswalk is unavailable, be sure to find the most well-lit spot on the road to cross and wait for a long enough gap in traffic to make it safely across the street. • Stay on sidewalks whenever possible. If a sidewalk is not available, be sure to walk on the far side of the road facing traffic. This will help increase your visibility to drivers. • Know and follow all traffic rules, signs and signals. You need to be aware of the rules vehicles around you must follow to properly anticipate what drivers will do.

Colorado Pork Producers to hold election for 2021 Pork Act Delegates

The election of pork producer delegate candidates for the 2022 National Pork Producers (Pork Act) Delegate Body will take place at 9:00 am February 22, 2021 in conjunction with the 2021 annual meeting of Colorado Pork Producers Council at the Morgan County Fairgrounds in Brush, Colorado beginning at 9:00 am. Any producer, age 18 or older, who is a resident of the state and has paid all assessments due may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt proving that hogs were sold in their name and the checkoff deducted.

For more information, contact Colorado Pork Producers Council, PO Box 116, Lucerne, CO 80631, (970) 356-4964, jkelly@copork.org.

January 20, 2021 Lost Creek Guide Page 7

Colorado is about to Change its Coronavirus Wagoneers News

Vaccine Priority List — Again Wyatt Wilcox, Monday, January 4, 2021 The Wagoneers 4-H Club met on Monday, January 4th.

People between the ages of 65 and 69 could receive the Unfinished Business Discussed: vaccine sooner under the changes John Ingold, The Colorado Sun — johningold@coloradosun.com Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Tuesday that the state will soon announce more changes to its priority list for the coronavirus vaccine, with people between the ages of 65 and 69 and possibly others being moved up. The changes are in response to new guidance from the federal government, which will also recommend giving greater priority to adults of any age with serious underlying medical conditions. At a Tuesday news conference, Polis said the state will “of course” adopt the new federal guidance. Polis said those ages 65 to 69 will likely become eligible in a couple weeks to receive the vaccine. Polis’ office later announced that the state will release a new priority list next week and sounded a more cautious note on the timing for when the new priority group would become eligible. But Polis also said the state doesn’t want the new group to leapfrog ahead of seniors age 70 and over. “We do want to prioritize those who are most vulnerable.” Polis said. “And there is a difference between a 60-year-old, a 70-year-old, an 80-year-old. … We don’t want to squeeze out an 82-year-old for a 66-year-old.” Another complicating factor is that the federal government plans to change how vaccine doses are allocated to the states. Currently, they are distributed based solely on population. Representing roughly 1.7% of the U.S. population, Colorado is currently receiving 1.7% of the vaccine supply — around 70,000 doses per week to be used as first doses. But at a Tuesday press briefing, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said, starting in two weeks, doses will be allocated based on a state’s Weld County 4-H Officer Training- 4-H Club officers can attend the annual officer training at the 4-H Building at Island Grove Park in Greeley. It will be held on Thursday, February 4th at 6:30 PM. New Business Discussed: Canned Food Drive- Thank you to the Chapman family for volunteering to deliver the donations from the food drive. 4-H 101- 4-H 101 is an educational program where families can learn about being in 4-H. This is a great event for new families in 4-H. This event will be on Feb., Thursday 25 at 6:00 PM, and dinner is provided. Please make your reservations (Call 970-400-2076) by Friday, Feb. 19th. Weld County Fair Camping Reservations- On Monday, January 11th at 8:00 AM, you can make a camping reservation for the WCF, first come, first serve. To reserve a spot please call Nancy Gogreve at 970-400-2085. Beef ID Day- This event will be on Saturday, February 20, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the Producers Sale Yard in Greeley. Camp Cloverbud- Camp Cloverbud is on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Exhibition Building in Island Grove Parks, Greeley. Due to COVID-19, there will be a morning and an afternoon session with 25 campers each. There can only be Weld County 4-H members. Shirts- Wagoneers Club members have voted for a new design and color for club tshirts. Please remember to check out the county newsletter for additional information about Weld County 4-H events and activities. Congratulations to Wesley and Ben Swieter for being recognized in the Weld County 4-H Member Spotlight for their Shooting Sports projects! population of people 65 and older. The pace at which people are being vaccinated in the state will also be taken into consideration.

The new allocation method “gives states a strong incentive to ensure doses are going to work, protecting people rather than sitting on shelves or in freezers,” Azar said.

It is unclear what this will mean for Colorado’s supply of vaccine. Colorado ranks in the middle of states for the number of people age 65 and older. But Colorado has one of the smallest populations of seniors as a percentage of the total population. Meanwhile, Polis has repeatedly touted Colorado as being among the leading states for the percentage of vaccines that have been administered

After a Tuesday afternoon phone call with federal officials, Polis’ office released a statement noting that Colorado “will not be making any changes to our vaccine program until we can get concrete details on supply quantities, timelines for receiving that supply and engaging our partners who are on the ground administering the vaccine.” Nonetheless, the statement said the Polis administration is “actively planning how we can scale up and expand eligibility in anticipation for receiving more supply of vaccines. “

The changes could further top-load the state’s priority structure. Almost every place in Colorado has finished vaccinating their high-priority health care workers — designated Phase 1a in the state’s current plan — and moved onto the next group, Phase 1b.

Phase 1b — which contains an estimated 1.3 million people — is currently split into two halves. The top half of Phase 1b includes first responders and all adults over 70 years old. The bottom half includes frontline essential workers such as teachers and grocery employees.

People ages 60 to 69 and adults of any age with underlying medical conditions are currently included in Phase 2 of the state’s plan, which is scheduled to start in spring.

According to estimates from the State Demography Office, there are approximately 288,000 people in Colorado ages 65 to 69. It is unclear how many Coloradans would be considered to have underlying medical conditions that qualify them for higher priority, but an earlier draft of the state’s vaccination plan suggests it could be as many as 1.5 million people.

Polis did not answer a question about whether the new priority structure will bump teachers and other essential workers further down the list.

Federal officials also announced Tuesday that they will begin delivering all available doses of vaccine to the states, rather than hold some back to cover the necessary booster shots needed for the current vaccines, made by Pfizer and Moderna. The federal government intends to rely on increases in production to make sure enough doses are produced on time for the booster shots.

Polis has said he would welcome that change, and Colorado hospital leaders said they are ramping up their ability to deliver the vaccine.

“The limiting factor right now is the supply of vaccines coming into the system,” said Peter Banko, the president and CEO of Centura Health, which expects to be able to vaccinate more than 22,000 people per week by the end of February.

“Reagan was optimistic about America amid the cynicism and general retreat of the post-Vietnam era because he believed unfashionably that America was both great and good -- and had been needlessly diminished by restrictive economic policies and timid foreign policies. Change the policies and America would be restored, both at home and abroad. He was right.” – Charles Krauthammer (1950-2018) writing in the Washington Post on June 11, 2004.