MAKING a DIFFERENCE A supplement to the Craig Daily Press
Working together to make a difference in our community.
2 |February 24, 2017
Making A Difference
A Supplement To The Craig Daily Press
A Supplement To The Craig Daily Press
Making A Difference
February 24, 2017| 3
Local foster parents say ‘yes’ to helping kids in need By Lauren Blair
A call comes in the middle of the night that a child needs a place to sleep for the night. Or maybe the child needs a place to sleep for a year. Saying yes invites a host of unknowns into the home, but it also means helping a child in their moment of greatest need, and saying yes is exactly what Craig residents April and Earl Camp have been doing for the past 18 years. “It’s the wildest roller coaster ride you’ll ever go on,” Earl said of his experience as a foster parent. “But to us, it feels like it’s worth any bit of heartache you have to deal with,” April added. Moffat County has been hurting to find enough foster parents in the past couple years — the tally has recently risen to seven sets of parents or families, easing the urgent need a bit — but Moffat County Department of Social Services has long been able to count on the Camps. “When they’ve got space to take into a kiddo, they will consider any age, any situation, or any special needs that kiddo might have. They really are in this to help kids in any way they can,” said DSS Foster Care Coordinator Lauren Rising. The Camps found their way into
foster parenting when their youngest son, EJ was born with a rare syndrome that led to him spending months in the neonatal intensive care unit. There, they learned of countless children who were unwanted by their parents because of deformities and disease. “We just started looking into what we could do to help and found that it wasn’t just special needs kids that needed help, it was older children too,” April said. Over the years, they’ve taken in everyone from six teenage boys at one time to, most recently, a 2 year-old who was successfully reunited with his parents. “When you get to see your kids go back home, it just makes everything all worth it,” April said. “I miss him so much, but it’s the best feeling to see him go home where he belongs.” The Camps have endured some difficult moments but also tell of the satisfaction of running into grown children from time to time that they fostered more than a decade ago. “We want these kids to grow up and be a proud part of society, every kid,” Earl said. “We hope we can influence them to do something with their life and to have some self worth.” They recently welcomed a new
Craig Fire/Rescue works for good of community, daily By Danielle Elkins
The brave men and women of Craig Fire/Rescue are real-life superheroes — the kind that wear bunker gear rather than capes. Despite having full-time jobs, families and other obligations, they’re always there in a flash when there’s a fire or other emergency. Their duties don’t stop there, though — they do several other things to help the community throughout the year. “We do a lot of things in the community,” said Lt. Kris Olsen, who has been a member of Craig Fire/Rescue for 13 years. “Inspections, community events like the fair, helping out with the fireworks for the Fourth of July, visiting schools, giving out scholarships and providing fire extinguisher trainings,” he continued, listing a few of the many things Craig Fire/ Rescue does in support of the community. You may be wondering how they manage to do it all. Craig Fire/Rescue has a large enough pool of firefighters to form two battalions — Battalion A and Battalion B. The battalions take turns each month responding to evening and weekend calls, unless they’re fires, explained Clay Trevenen, who’s beginning his fifth year with the department. Additionally, everyone tries to help out with community events as they can. Although they’re able to take turns responding to evening and weekend
calls, juggling their many responsibilities is tough. But that doesn’t stop the selfless firefighters. “It’s a lot sometimes,” said 2016 Rookie of the Year Annie Sauer. “I try my best. Some days it’s not that easy but I work really hard to try and meet all of my obligations,” she continued, explaining that she also works for Moffat County Schools helping young adults with disabilities find employment. Trevenen, who is a science teacher at Moffat County High School, feels humbled by all of the responsibility on his shoulders. “You see people in really tough situations — whether their property is on fire, there’s been an accident or there’s a medical call.You really see people at their most vulnerable and it’s quite humbling,” Trevenen said. The firefighters get by with a little help from their families. “You can’t do this job and not have your family’s support. It does take away from family time but my family always offers full support,” said Trevenen. The firefighters are certainly setting great examples of selflessness, heroism and good citizenship for their own families, as well as for Craig’s youth — a very important service that may not be listed in their official job duties. “I hope I show girls that if they have an
Photo by Lauren Blair
Craig residents April and Earl Camp took up foster parenting 18 years ago and never looked back.Their experiences have ranged from heart-wrenching to triumphant, but their conviction and dedication to helping both kids — and their parents when possible — is unwavering. daughter into their home, 8-year-old Lucy, whom they adopted in December after caring for her for three years. Their son, EJ, is now 21, but the Camps show no signs of slowing down.
“I don’t think they’ve ever said no to me to take in a kid,” Rising said. “God bless them, their hearts are in the right place.”
interest in something that isn’t necessarily traditional, they can go out and do it,” said Sauer of being a female firefighter. “I’m proud to serve our community with the team we have. Our whole team is professional and willing to do whatever they can to help out the community.” One of Trevenen’s favorite parts of being a member of Craig Fire/Rescue is the camaraderie among the firefighters. “It’s a great bunch of people to hang out with and work with. It’s exciting.You see things that the average citizen doesn’t
see. It’s an adrenaline rush and a great public service.” When asked why they wanted to become firefighters, Olsen, Trevenen and Sauer’s answers contained one common denominator: the desire to give back to their community. The members of Craig Fire/Rescue don’t sacrifice so much of their time and risk their lives for the glory – they do it so that they can make the community they love safer for everyone.
Craig Fire/Rescue officials search for occupants involved in a one-vehicle rollover. Officials found the upside-down vehicle empty and no one on scene. A northbound Subaru rolled off Colorado Highway 13 about 5 miles north of Craig, colliding with a fence.
Photo by Lauren Blair
4 |February 24, 2017
Publisher
Renee Campbell
Editor
Making A Difference
A Supplement To The Craig Daily Press
Moffat County Booster Club raises funds, promotes school pride By Andy Bockelman
Noelle Leavitt Riley
Circulation Supervisor Courtney Orvalla
Advertising Manager Sheli Steele
Creative Services Manager Julia Hebard
Designer
Jessica Wagner
Writers and photographers
Noelle Leavitt Riley, Andy Bockelman, Lauren Blair, Danielle Elkins, Sasha Nelson
Administrative Assistant Christy Barnes
Advertising
Cori Kroese, KayCee Goncalves
Advertising Design Veronika Khanisenko
When funding for certain school programs in Northwest Colorado becomes difficult, one group is there to provide a little boost. Moffat County Booster Club works to bring in money to support various athletic and extracurricular endeavors. The group, which was first formed in 2012, is a non-profit organization with a mission statement to enhance school spirit and promote Moffat County High School and Craig Middle School by providing resources wherever needed. In the past year, the Booster Club’s projects have included buying a new Moffat County Bulldog mascot, MCHS Homecoming t-shirts and a new sound system for the football field. Providing funding for improvements to the high school’s weight room also was a boon, said Rich Houghton, MCHS athletics and activities director. “We didn’t have enough racks for all our weights, and we needed some more clips on the bars, we just needed that brought up to code,” Houghton said.“That helped a lot.” Past projects have included updating the team banners in the MCHS that celebrate sports achievements and, some years, bankrolling a Homecoming halftime fireworks show. Mark Samuelson and Tony Peroulis provide leadership for the Booster Club, which brings in its money through advertising banners promoting local businesses that further enrich community pride. “It helps pick up where the funding might not be there,” Samuelson said.“It’s all done locally to support the kids.” Funding for state-level competitors in sports or other activities is also a priority for the group, providing some extra cash beyond the per diem amount budgeted for students to eat leading up to competition.
Photo by Andy Bockelman
Moffat County High School fans cheer on the Bulldog football team during Homecoming. Promoting school spirit and raising funds for activities is the goal of Moffat County Booster Club.
“We want them to be able to have a nice meal, something special when they’re representing us at state,” Samuelson said. In 2016, MCHS wrestling, girls basketball, track and field, DECA/FBLA and cross country were among those that attended state events. Any team or extracurricular group is able to apply for funds from Booster Club but are also welcome to host their own fundraising efforts in tandem with the organization, which boys basketball and cheerleading recently did. Samuelson said the structure allows students to show initiative in addition to receiving some aid. In their first year with MCHS, Houghton and Principal Craig Crebar said they are impressed with the support Moffat County Booster Club offers. Crebar noted that similar organizations at other schools where he’s worked often set aside money for only one team rather than sharing the wealth. “This group is one of the best I’ve seen in supporting all activities,” he said. For more information on how to support Moffat County Booster Club, contact Mark Samuelson at 970-701-1014.
Leading a Journey fi lled with Family, Friends, Kindness, Compassion and Commitment. As a Father, Pastor and Friend, he does so much for so many. Len Browning’s passion for community and family shows with his commitment to several community groups such as Rotary, Love, Inc. and the Ministerial Alliance and his involvement with his family. He is just an all around generous man with a heart of gold.
SALES & INSTALLATION 37 EAST VICTORY WAY • 970-826-4000
A Supplement To The Craig Daily Press
Making A Difference
February 24, 2017| 5
Latina leader builds bridges across cultural, linguistic divides By Lauren Blair In some ways, Craig’s majority white community and Latino community are separated by cultural and linguistic barriers, even with Latinos comprising more than 17 percent of Craig’s population in 2010 when the last official U.S. census was taken. But one woman has been doing her part for more than a decade now to build bridges between these two groups. Mayola Cruz has lived in the Yampa Valley for 17 years and uses her natural extroversion to help her fellow Latinos connect with people and services in Craig. “I love to talk,” said Mayola Cruz, originally from the state of Aguascalientes in central Mexico. “So I knew I needed to learn English. I needed to communicate with my co-workers, my boss and people in the community.” Cruz is now bilingual and currently puts her talkativeness to use as a member of Northwest Colorado Health’s Patient Advisory Board, where she helps give voice to the health care needs of the Latino community. “She really advocates for the Latino population,” said Eveline Bacon, referral and care coordination manager for Northwest Colorado Health. “She also invites people to meetings… She motivates them to come out and engage
in our healthcare.” Bacon first worked with Cruz through the nonprofit Integrated Community, starting in 2008. The organization has since downsized to a single office in Steamboat Springs, but Cruz continues the work of promoting integration on a daily basis. “Not just for health care, but if they need registration for their car… or if they need to find connections, like a lawyer, she might not know everybody and how everything works, but she knows how to find out and she’s not afraid to ask,” Bacon said. For Cruz, the work is as important as ever. “The situation right now is so scary for so many people,” she said. Cruz shared an anecdote of five friends, all women, sharing a meal together at Pizza Hut in Craig and speaking in Spanish when they noticed they were getting dirty looks from several white women at the table next to them. On the other hand, Cruz’s Spanishspeaking church, “Iglesia Christiana,” where she serves as church secretary, was welcomed this month to hold their services at Craig Christian Church. Members of both congregations kicked off the new relationship with a joint bilingual
Photo by Lauren Blair
With her warm and vivacious personality, long-time Yampa Valley resident Mayola Cruz seeks to help her Spanish-speaking peers integrate with the English-speaking community of Craig. She serves as an advocate for the Latino population on Northwest Colorado Health’s Patient Advisory Board, and also recently helped a local Spanish-language church, where she serves as church secretary, find a new home at Craig Christian Church. church service Feb. 5. “It’s the opposite. One side is making ugly looks and saying, ‘You’re in America, you should speak English,’” Cruz said. “On the other side, our Christian brothers and sisters are saying, ‘You are welcome here.’” Cruz helped make the switch possible by building relationships with members of Craig Christian Church and attending some of their events over the years. “She’s been real instrumental in that, connecting churches and Christians
together,” said senior minister of Craig Christian Church, Scott Middleton. Cruz is seemingly undeterred by some of the more difficult moments and focuses on encouraging fellow Spanish speakers to learn English and to reach out to their English-speaking peers. “She is warm and open. Anybody can come and talk to her. It’s just an honest care that she has for the people,” Bacon said. “She’s able to break through and engage the others and show them, no, we all belong here.”
Making A Difference
6 |February 24, 2017
A Supplement To The Craig Daily Press
The Craig Daily Press and Print Shop staff want to thank everyone in our community who works together to Make a Difference.
ďż˝ Rotary Club of Craig
Dedication
Young Professionals
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Parent Advisory Committee
4-H Club
We would also like to recognize the involvement of our own employees in area activities.
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Human Resource Council
Animal Shelter
Commitment
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Moat County United Way
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Making A Difference
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Photo by Sasha Nelson
The Craig Lions Club is small with only 11 current members, but they continue to work to on a mighty mission to help every child see. From left: Al Shepherd, Jane Hume, Kristi Shepherd and Doug Wellman.
Two of the community’s oldest service clubs have a single focus — ensuring that kids see clearly. By Sasha Nelson
Two of the community’s oldest service clubs have a single focus — ensuring that kids see clearly. Lions Club International was started by Chicago businessman Melvin Jones in 1917 making the parent organization 100 years old this year. Club lore has it that Helen Keller set the mission in 1925 when she asked the service clubs to be “knights for the blind,” said Craig Lions Club Treasurer Al Shepherd, a 40-year member of the club. Craig Lions Club was chartered on Dec. 14, 1944 by early captains of industry including George Kimble and Lloyd Dupree who were both newspaper men, Judge Ralph White, attorney George Pew, dairy owner Art Woodbury and banker F.M. Pleasant. At first the club served as a Chamber of Commerce. “Community leaders invited businessmen from Denver to come in on the train and visit and help the community,” Shepherd said. Notables, such as school Principal Rodger Little and State Farm Insurance agent George Lewis chartered the second club, the Cedar Mountain Lions Club, on May 15, 1960. They wanted to offer an evening club for men who were unable to meet during the day. “Our big thing is our fundraisers to take care of little kids and families… We pay for glasses or eye surgeries,” said Cedar Mountain Lions Club President Tony Maneotis.
The clubs have also: • Supported glaucoma testing • Provided financial assistance to the elderly for cataract removal • Organized the 9 Health Fair the first 33 years of the program in Craig • Supported international efforts to fight eye disease in countries such as Africa The clubs continue to: • Provide eyeglasses for those with low or fixed incomes • Collect used eyeglasses, through local optometrists’ offices for redistribution overseas • Support the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank in Denver • Contribute financial assistance to eye surgeries including eye transplants • Provide twice-annual eye screenings for over 600 area children from birth through first grade “About 10 percent of children come up needing eye care. If we catch any problems with these kids before age 6, things can be done for them,” Shepherd said. Both clubs raise funds with food and fun to support the cause. All money raised locally goes back into the community, Shepherd said. “We cook hamburgers, hold pancake breakfasts, and all the money made stays in the community,” Maneotis said when describing the Cedar Mountain Club’s fundraising activities.
The Craig club sells breakfast during the Colorado Mine Rescue Contest. And every other year they bring the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus to town. The Craig Club also used to sell fresh Christmas trees, but as club members aged they became unable to physically handle the trees. So tree sales were transferred to the Rotary Club of Craig. Both clubs have roughly a dozen members that are not as young as they used to be. “I’m in my 80s, and I need help. We need younger people to take care of this job,” Shepherd said. Attracting younger members has been a challenge. “We need to involve the younger people as it’s not an old people organization,” said Craig Lions Club President Kristi Shepherd, Al’s daughter. At first club membership was restricted to men. Lions International welcomed women in 1987. The idea of sitting next to women in a meeting was unsettling for some Craig Lions members, but after the first lady (Alice Rigney who worked at the hospital) joined the club, attitudes changed, Al Shepherd said because “they make things work and get things done.” Cedar Mountain, the newer club, is old-fashioned. Its charter doesn’t allow women to join. “When I joined it was strictly men. Now, during events, when we need help, our wives have stepped in,” Maneotis said. Craig Kiwanis Club, is also a
gentleman’s only club. The local Kiwanis chapter was started as a result of Lions Club rules. “Right at the end of World War II a lot of young men coming back whose fathers were in the Lions Club. Sons could not join the Lions Club and so they started the Kiwanis Club,” Al Shepard said. Many service clubs find recruiting new, young members difficult. “Younger people are not joining organizations. All the organizations are dwindling. When someone dies, no one replaces them,” said Craig Lions Club member Doug Wellman. The two clubs have contemplated merging.“It’s something we are looking at for the future,” Maneotis said. If the Lions Clubs were to disappear the community would lose valuable free services. “Without Lions Club children would no have early testing,” Al Shepherd said. Lions make a difference. “What we do is important. The service is available for nothing,” said Craig Lions Club Secretary Jane Hume. Both clubs welcome new members. Craig Lions Club meets at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the Colorado Northwestern Community College Community Education Center (Bell Tower Building) at 50 College Drive in Craig. Cedar Mountain Lions Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month. To learn more call club President Tony Maneotis at 970-826-1472.
8 |February 24, 2017
Making A Difference
A Supplement To The Craig Daily Press
Human Resource Council makes most of city, county money By Sasha Nelson
The Human Resource Council of the United Way brings nonprofits together to facilitate charitable giving of city and county funds. Moffat County performs better than neighboring counties in connecting people to services, as reported in the Craig Daily Press. This success was repeatedly attributed to HRC. “The purpose of the HRC is to provide support funding and information to its members, collaboratively seek financial support, act as a collective voice, coordinate services to avoid duplication and increase awareness regarding community service needs and activities,” said Moffat County United Way Executive Director Amanda Arnold.
What is the HRC? In 2001 Corrie Ponikvar was director of Moffat County United Way, Dave DeRose was the mayor of the city of Craig and Marianna Raftopolis was a Moffat County commissioner. All three signed the original memorandum of understanding to create the HRC and it’s allocation committee. “The city charter would not allow the city to provide support to nonprofits unless they partnered with a government agency,” Ponikvar said. Nevertheless both government entities were regularly hearing requests for funding.
Photo by Sasha Nelson
Connections 4 Kids relies upon HRC funding to support parenting education programs. Executive Director Betsy Overton is pictured with artwork contributed by children throughout Moffat County for the organization’s annual Cherish the Little Things Art Show.
Photo by Sasha Nelson
“We got tired of every meeting, someone would come to the city or county with a funding request,” DeRose said. Ponikvar looked to Routt County where a third party facilitates the distribution of city and county dollars to charitable causes. She felt that model would serve the community. “It takes the politics out of it,” Ponikvar said. The agreement between city, county and United Way states HRC cannot fund fraternal, religious or political organizations. It’s created efficiencies for city and county. “We don’t have to deal with the constant onslaught. It’s a lot more efficient,” DeRose said.
Who is the HRC? HRC involves two groups: A collaborative forum and a committee charged with sharing out government money to good causes. About 30 to 35 representatives attend quarterly meetings that used to be called the Interagency Meeting, Ponikvar said. The group appoints one nonprofit representative to the HRC Allocations Committee. The HRC Allocations Committee is a separate, closed group, that includes: • Three citizens • The United Way board chair • A county commissioner, currently vacant after Commissioner Chuck Grobe’s departure • A city council representative, currently Councilman Joe Bird • Love In the Name of Christ of the
Yampa Valley Executive Director Pat Jones, who was reappointed in January as the nonprofit representative Each April the committee reviews funding requests and determines allocations by March 15. This year city and county each contributed $40,000 for a total of fund of $80,000.
How does HRC make a difference? The collaboration that happens as a result of HRC helps government agencies and non-profits more efficiently use limited resources on behalf of the community. “It holds nonprofits accountable for spending funds wisely,” DeRose said. Nonprofits save the community money. “We know that some of the agencies we have funded reduced the costs that would have otherwise been paid by city or county entities such as the police department or county social services,” Ponikvar said. Over the years, despite budget ups and downs, HRC funding has remained relatively stable. “The requests seem to be going up every year. Revenues have capped what we can provide and we have to review it year by year,” Bird said. If the city and county were to eliminate funding for HRC, the program would be missed. “It has been such an asset for our community,” Arnold said. “We are excited it is continuing.”
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Making A Difference
February 24, 2017| 9
Red shirt staff of Boys & Girls Club provide young leadership By Andy Bockelman Children can learn a great deal from adults, but when those who are just a few years older work with them, both young kids and teenagers can benefit from the experience. As with other branches of its national organization, Boys & Girls Club of Craig employs teen staff members to oversee and engage in activities with its members. Dubbed “red shirts,” these young adults have a job that’s a little bit like babysitting, a little bit like teaching and a little bit like an older sibling. Most of those who become red shirt staff are former BGC members. Red shirt Dylan Howlett said he first began coming to the club at age 7 and looked up to staff members who were employed there at the time. He has been a staff member for about a year-anda-half, trying to have the same kind of presence for the younger generation, whether it’s games in the gym, building Lego sets or other activities. “When you build a bond with these guys, it helps you in the future, like you’ll know what to do when you have your own kids,” Howlett said. Sidney Ferguson also has fond memories of spending time with older kids that inspired her to eventually join the staff. “I was itty-bitty, about 6 years old, and when I got older I became a junior volunteer, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to work here,” she said. Though she left briefly, coming back to the club as a red shirt was a choice Ferguson said worked out well. “I just fell in love with it after I was able to get a connection with the kids,” she said. “I was kind of distant and standoffish at first, but it got better.” Ferguson added that being a role model for club members is vital, having learned life lessons they can impart and help kids make the right choices. Staff members all have different stories for what got them involved. For Kayla Weber, an altercation about a year ago at Moffat County High School required her to perform community service. Weber said she chose Boys & Girls Club, a decision that has benefitted her in multiple ways. She was struggling with anger control, and spending time around younger children has helped her calm down. “Once I got here, I really wanted to work here more because I love kids,” she said. “Dealing with kids makes you more patient.” Weber said she tries to reach out to kids who have trouble socializing and strives to build their confidence. “The best thing about working here is you get to see all kinds of different kids every day, and it opens your heart more to children and their needs,” she said. “It makes you understand what kids go through, and us being younger, we can relate to them more.” Craig Unit Director Kari Neuman agreed that the red shirt staff in Craig has proved to be a valuable part of the club, teens interacting with kids in a way that might be more difficult for older adults. “They’re able to guide them in a different way or be silly with them,” she said. What’s more, club members might be getting a look at their future selves. “We have this ladder of mentorship and leadership, and that high school position is something younger kids can look to them and say, ‘one day, I’ll be a red shirt staff,’” Neuman said.
Photo by Andy Bockelman
Dylan Howlett guides Boys & Girls Club of Craig members in making Lego creations. Howlett is a member of the Boys & Girls Club “red shirt” staff, teenagers who supervise activities for younger kids. Red shirts are often former club members and provide a good role model for their counterparts.
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10 |February 24, 2017
Making A Difference
Giving law enforcement a friendlier face By Lauren Blair
“To serve and protect” is the classic motto of law enforcement, but despite the undeniable service officers perform for Moffat County citizens, some still find them intimidating. Moffat County Sheriff’s office Corporal Dara Bond wants to change that. While she works every day to preserve the peace, she’s also working to give law enforcement a more positive persona in the public eye. “Sometimes they see us in their worst times, but I don’t want that to be all people see in us,” Bond said. Having started at the Routt County Sheriff’s Office in 2000, Bond has only been with MCSO for two years, but she hasn’t wasted any time finding ways to connect with the community outside her regular duties. She serves on the advisory board of Moffat County’s Grand Futures Prevention Coalition, where she acts as a representative from the Sheriff’s Office and gets involved with local youth. “I want to be out there. Hopefully I don’t see these kids in a bad situation, but if I do, we’ve built up trust and they feel like they can talk to me,” Bond said. “It’s important to me to earn that trust with
that generation.” Grand Futures’ Moffat County Program Director Karli Bockelman appreciates her mentorship every bit as much as the kids do. “She’ll come in her uniform, but you get to talking to her and she’s not intimidating at all,” Bockelman said. “She’s a person I go to when I need help with something or when I’m really stressed out.” Bond’s involvement with Grand Futures dovetails with her participation on an events committee formed between MCSO and Craig Police Department to help officers get out to local nonprofit and community events. “We certainly encourage that from all of our team members,” said Moffat County Sheriff KC Hume. “We are as much a part of the community in both our professional and personal endeavors, so I think it’s imperative that we continue to engage.” The committee helps officers plug into events or organizations — like Grand Futures’ Zombie 5k, toy drives or food drives — that they may already have an interest in, giving them a chance to build positive rapport with the people of Craig.
“I love to have the community understand that piece. We want to help,” Bond said. “Every person in this office, we want to help the community and be a positive part of the community.” Within the Sheriff’s Office, Bond has also helped bring in state grant money to fund extra drunken driving enforcement, and is currently in the midst of launching a mounted patrol unit. “It’s amazing how many people will approach you when you’re on a horse,” Bond said. “And it couldn’t be a better place for it.” The mounted patrol could be used to build community rapport during parades or weekend festivals like Whittle the
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Wood. However, it would also serve a very functional purpose in helping law enforcement patrol more rugged parts of the county, assisting with search and rescue efforts or finding lost hunters. Bond takes the work of protecting public safety quite seriously, but her genuine fondness for the people she serves is clear. “If an individual has a rock solid character and they carry themselves and they lead with that, it translates well into everything they do,” Hume said. “Dara certainly has the purpose, passion and pride for our community, for our chosen profession and the work that we engage in.”
Corporal Dara Bond, a Moffat County Sheriff’s deputy, is working to build trust and positive connections between law enforcement and the community by getting involved with local youth and nonprofit events. When not on patrol, she can be found getting involved with the Grand Futures Prevention Coalition, organizing law enforcement participation in local events and helping start a new mounted patrol unit under the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.
Photo by Lauren Blair
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Many Craig groups play a part in Missoula Children’s Theatre visits By Andy Bockelman
The educational experience is not limited to the classroom, and each year many groups in Northwest Colorado pitch in to help local kids get a unique and enriching encounter unlike any other. Since 2012, Missoula Children’s Theatre has visited Craig as part of its program to work with young actors in all 50 states and multiple countries. Starting on a Monday, thespians as young as kindergarten audition for the upcoming show, spend the rest of the day and the rest of the week in rehearsals, and by Saturday they are ready and raring to give the community a great performance. MCT’s repertoire of productions are largely fairy tales and fables recognizable to kids and adults alike with contemporary humor. Earlier this month, the curtain went up on “Peter and Wendy” a variation of “Peter Pan,” while other shows that have come to Craig have included “The Tortoise versus the Hare,” “Blackbeard the Pirate,” “The Pied Piper,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Red Riding Hood.” Each show involves music and choreography young participants can master over the course of one week. MCT provides the set and costumes
Photo by Andy Bockelman
The cast and crew of Missoula Children’s Theatre’s “Peter and Wendy” gather onstage following a Feb. 4 performance. MCT has visited Craig for six years to provide shows with young local actors thanks to funding from multiple area organizations. and two staff members, one who plays a major role onstage to keep the action running and the other serving as director and backstage organizer. “I think towns like Craig really enjoy Missoula Children’s Theatre, and it’s small towns like this that we’re here for,” said Casey Papas, director of “Peter and Wendy.” Amy Peck serves as the Craig coordinator each time MCT visits the area, fulfilling a role originally started by former resident Michelle Chalmers.
“The arts are kind of a challenge in Craig, and something like this lets them stretch and grow in a different way,” she said. Numerous local agencies provide funding or other assistance for MCT’s presence in Craig, including Friends of Moffat County Education, Northwest Colorado Chapter of Parrotheads, Kiwanis Club, Elk Run Inn and The Memorial Hospital Foundation. Jennifer Riley,TMH’s vice president of hospital operations, said an anonymous donation in 2012 helped bring the program
to the area and ever since the Foundation has been pleased to support it. She added that MCT’s work is an ideal way to keep kids engaged and exposed to the fine arts. “It’s something they might not otherwise have a chance to participate in,” she said.“It’s amazing what they do with these kids, and it’s something we thought was valuable.There’s more to health in children than just physical health, there’s environmental health and social health, and this promotes all of that.”
CNCC needs a strong foundation to grow By Sasha Nelson
Property tax revenues are down, the economy is sluggish, and state and federal funding for higher education continues to come under pressure, so growth for Colorado Northwestern Community College will require the help of a strong foundation — the CNCC Foundation. “We are committed to growth, so the foundation has an important role to play with that. Foundations across the nation generate countless billions of dollars and backfill the shortfall,” said Moffat County Affiliated Junior College District Board of Control Terry Carwile. Carwile along with Lois Wymore are two of the longest serving members of the CNCC Foundation Board. Both also serve on the Moffat County Affiliated Junior College District Board of Control.The purpose of the CNCC Foundation Board since 1979 has been “expanding the college’s resources through grants, corporate or individual gifts and special fundraising events,” states CNCC’s website. Lois Wymore was asked to represent students on the foundation board in 1993 and eversince. “We spread the word about the college. Everyone on the board is excited about the college and the possibilities of what we do and what we can do,” Wymore said. Connecting the college to the community is one of the duties of board members. “The foundation is the arm of the community college that gets out into the community and let’s people participate at an individual level,” Carwile said. Carwile was invited to join the foundation board about 14 years ago and now acts as the liaison between the board of control and the foundation board. “The future of the foundation is going to be a good one, a productive one,” Carwile said. The 21-member foundation board is comprised of citizens from across the college service area. They meet about once a quarter. “We are four members short. We are looking for potential members,” Wymore said.
Interested community members are asked to write a letter of interest to the foundation. The membership committee reviews the letters. “There is usually a phone interview then we invite them to a meeting and see if it’s a good fit,” Wymore said. Board members are asked to give time if they are unable to give money. “Scholarships have been our biggest thing,” Wymore said. “There is nothing more satisfying than to know that when it’s scholarship time that we have passed out 27 $500 scholarships.”Wymore believes that even small scholarships make a big difference helping students pay for basics like rent or fuel. “I’d say 94 to 95 percent have turned their lives around and have gone on to do something or be something,” Wymore said. The next big fundraising event is the annual Rangely DinnerDance in March with details still being finalized. “The dinner dance funds scholarships. It’s usually a lot of fun and the food is outrageously good,” Wymore said. Board members are currently soliciting items for the silent auction held during the event. Wymore and Carwile are planning to team-up to create new foundation outreach to the college’s Routt County, Hayden, Oak Creek and North Park (Kremmling) service areas. “It would behoove us to get out to those service areas and expand the network,” Carwile said. The CNCC Foundation is one more way for the community to be involved in supporting the growth of the college. “It gives the community the opportunity to step-in and advance the institution with a contribution. Money can be endowed allowing individuals to decide what programs to support and at what level,” Carwile said. “So people can put their hands on the college and make a difference.” Information about giving is available on the CNCC website or by calling 800-562-1105 Ext 3277.
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12 |February 24, 2017
Making A Difference
A Supplement To The Craig Daily Press