SUBMITTED BY ARAPAHOE LIBRARIESCome in from the cold for some hot deals on cool reads at the Used Book Sale at...
Explore the Faces of Mexico City, Colorado Printmakers, Contemporary Feminism and the New Landscape of Five Po...
Moving from wannabe author to the real thing is totally possible this coming year Are you a snoozer? Are you l...
BY MARA PURL A new year often begins with new plans, fresh ideas, or maybe even resolutions. It begins with a...
An Aurora police officer pleaded guilty last week to driving under the influence and prohibited used of a weap...
BY DORIS B. TRUHLARGOVERNMENTAL REPORTER The Centennial City Council, at a meeting earlier this week, heard a...
BY DORIS B. TRUHLARGOVERNMENTAL REPORTER Centennial City Attorney Robert Widner made a presentation to the Cit...
“Multigenerational interaction (in memory care) promotes and stimulates emotional well being and vitality” SUB...
Cherry Creek Republican Women will meet Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 11:30 a.m. at Glenmoor Country Club. Arapahoe Coun...
SUBMITTED BY EXIT REALTY EXIT Realty DTC | Pikes Peak | Cherry Creek announced that Jeni VanOrnum was ap...
SUBMITTED BY ARAPAHOE LIBRARIESCome in from the cold for some hot deals on cool reads at the Used Book Sale at Smoky Hill Library, which will be held Thursday, January 23, 9 am-8:30 pm; Friday, January 24, 9 am-6:30 pm; Saturday, January 25, 9-4:30 pm; and Sunday, January 26, 12-4 pm at Smoky Hill Library, 5430 S. Biscay Circle, Centennial.
The sale, which is coordinated by the Friends of Arapahoe Libraries, will feature an expanded selection of books, including hardbacks, paperbacks, children’s and better books all at various prices. Sunday is bag day – we provide the bag and you fill it for only $7.
Through the sale of used books, the Friends of Arapahoe Libraries raises funds to support programs and projects for the libraries, including events, materials, equipment and more. During 2019, the Friends granted Arapahoe Libraries more than $100,000.
For more information, or to become a member of the Friends, visit arapahoelibraries.org/used-book-sale, or call 303-LIBRARY (303-542-7279).
Explore the Faces of Mexico City, Colorado Printmakers, Contemporary Feminism and the New Landscape of Five Points
Denver Arts & Venues is pleased to announce four new art exhibitions at McNichols Civic Center Building.
Ecosistema 06050 (First Floor Community Gallery) Jan. 7-31: This photographic exhibition, a selection from Jacob Prado’s “Ecosystem 06050” collection, focuses on Mexico City, the place that the artist now calls home. It is the portrait of a place where time seems to have stopped for centuries while simultaneously continuing, shouting the stories of youth whose vibrant pride harkens back to the moment their ancestors chose to inhabit this land.
Spirit Resonance: The Vitality of Printmaking (Boettcher Cultural Pavilion) Jan. 18-April 5: Presented in conjunction with Month of Printmaking (March 2020), this print exhibition highlights works that explore abstraction in various forms, proposing the importance of a “spirit resonance” or vitality that results from the various printmaking methods.
Dearly Disillusioned (Third Floor) Jan. 18-April 5: Dearly Disillusioned is a boundary-pushing exhibit coinciding with the centennial of women’s suffrage and the fourth annual Womxn’s March. Curators and artists collaborate to explore new intersections of historical and contemporary narratives that inspire change in our community.
Portrait of a City(First Floor Community Gallery) Feb. 1-29: Portrait of a City focuses on Denver’s shifting Five Points neighborhood. At first, Johnson could only see the lost pieces of her home, but through the changing landscape of the community, she’s building new relationships with her neighbors. Portrait of a City is the outcome of those new connections.
McNichols Building exhibitions are free and open to the public Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m..
Additional events will be hosted throughout the spring giving opportunities for visitors to go deeper into the art shows.
Womxn’s March Impact Expo, Jan. 18, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. To better ignite action and create lasting impact, Womxn’s March organizers have opted to forego a rally; instead, marchers will visit the McNichols Civic Center Building after the March to connect with almost 60 local non-profits and grassroots organizations that are serving the community by focusing on reproductive rights, climate change, gun safety, immigration, voter registration, domestic violence/sexual assault assistance resources, and arts activism. FREE – RSVP.
Community Engagement Workshops: Womxn Building Resilience, Jan. 18, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3:30 p.m. Join Dr. Rohini Gupta and Denver-based Mongolian artist Eriko Tsongo to discuss incidences that have divided our community locally, nationally, and globally. Participants are invited to engage in an interactive art component for shared stories of adversity to promote healing. $10 – Register.
Dear White Women Podcast, Jan. 18, 12:45 p.m. This live podcast will take a different look at sexual assault, starting from the inception (and original motivations) of the #metoo movement and focusing in on our assumptions about the singular narrative of assault. $10 – Register.
McNichols Project – Spirit of the People
Jan. 18, 5-8 p.m. Celebrate three very different exhibitions tied together through the spirits of activism, strength, energy, humanity and beauty. The reception will also include a performance from Denver singer-songwriter Julie Davis with “Bluebook.” Davis creates sparse, haunting soundscapes driven by her vocals, upright bass and looped percussion. FREE – RSVP.
Portrait of a City
Feb. 8, 5-7 p.m. Join Denver painter Rochelle Johnson to celebrate the opening of her exhibit.
Dearly Disillusioned Artists’ Talk, Feb. 22, 1-5 p.m. Meet the Dearly Disillusioned artists and discover their creative processes and inspirations.
Art & Feminism, March 8, 1-5 p.m. Hosted by Art Hyve, Art & Feminism will include a lecture and workshop from Kathe Kolwitz, founding member of the Guerilla Girls.
Dearly Disillusioned Poetry reading, March 14, 1-3 p.m. Pink Progression presents a poetry and art book featuring more than 25 poets and artists.
Dearly Disillusioned Writing Workshop, March 14, 3-4 p.m. Join Denver-based Mongolian artist Eriko Tsongo for a writing workshop.
These exhibitions and related events are supported by Denver Arts & Venues Cultural Partner Program.
Moving from wannabe author to the real thing is totally possible this coming year
Are you a snoozer?
Are you looking for the perfect phrase, word, idea? Are you stuck? Wouldn’t getting unstuck and moving forward be a fantastic goal for the end of the year and the beginning of next. Have you been snoozing where it comes to your book? Maybe this is the day, the week, the month, the year when your book becomes a success or the new one is no longer in your dreams or chatter … it becomes a reality.
Is there a book in you?
Most think there is. And most don’t get them out. You could have the makings of a fantastic novel, a creative young adult series, and exquisitely illustrated young children’s stories. Cookbooks, health, space, romance, intrigue, how-to or business book may be lurking in your creative closet.
You just may be able to take your career to a whole new level with the creation of a book. Adding to your professional credentials, if done right, could position you as the expert in a specific field. A book could talk you to a whole new level, a different type of professional business card. Amazing doors can open with book in hand.
Many wannabe authors, speakers, or whatever, practice the art of one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, three to get ready, three to get ready … and they never go. They keep reaching for one more thing; one more piece of information; another interview; another who knows what. Sometimes, it’s just another excuse. Their book never gets written, much less published. Their quest for the perfect book has become the enemy of creating a good book, even a great book.
Perfection and Procrastination are joined at the hip. Break the bond and move forward today.
Step 1: Choose a spot
… any spot that is yours and yours alone. It’s the “Do Not Cross … Author at Work” spot. Authors need their space and time. Space will contain all the ingredients you need to support you. Think computer, phone— if necessary, pens, pencils, paper, files with reference items that you’ve collected, notes you’ve saved or made to support your topic, other reference books, a favorite snack. I confess—I’ve written an entire book with M&Ms and Cheetos being the reward each time I finished a chapter, beverage of choice, toys, etc. Your space. Claim it and let others know that when you are in your space, it’s a “Do Not Disturb … Author at Work” sanctuary.
Find time. Some authors must work specific hours; others are more loosey-goosey. Do what works for you but do it.
Step 2: Just do it …
even if what you get down looks like gibberish. Is it a cliché? Nope, it’s a start. You can’t move forward to publication until you’ve got some words. So, dump them out. Think of it as a giant puzzle. Sometimes just finding all the edges takes time. As in a puzzle, colors begin to gather, segments within it come together, and it does come together if you persevere. The more you organize your thoughts, stories, stats and general info, the better it is when it comes to the first dump. The general topic, sub-topics, stories/facts/stats to support the topic all go into magic piles.
Where and how you choose to “dump” is your choice. You may write all by hand … if you have been procrastinating or dragging your feet—it’s best to bypass this method and pick up the latest version of Dragon’s Naturally Speaking; download it to your computer. Put on a headset with a mic and start talking—your words are transcribed in the program into a Word document. Or, you can glue yourself to a favorite spot and just start writing—kick start your creative juices.
Step 3: Get help
You may need book coaching to goose you. You may need to get the big picture in place where you can see the book, even virtually feel what it will look like. Do you know your title … or do you need some help in creating it? Don’t be surprised, titles often change as writing progresses. If it’s firm, a mockup of a cover might be the visual encouragement that keeps you going. All authors need editors who edit for a living. Your editor isn’t friend or sister, although they can be readers.
Plan on engaging other professionals who create books—interiors and exteriors. Will illustrations or cartoons enhance your work? Unless you are a pro in book design, book covers, illustrations, etc., don’t turn your book into a DIY project.
Step 4: Make up your mind
It’s a new year. As an author—or one to be—what’s it going to be for you—your first book? A new book? A workbook for a class you would like to teach? How about an audio program? Do you see a video version of your book or creating Exercises and Projects for readers to use and enjoy? The paths you choose can be multiple, which makes it exciting for the author. You.
Your book can do amazing things … you need to bring the amazing you to the party and invite the pros in for the journey.
Dr. Judith Briles, the award-winning and best-selling author of 37 books and honored with over 40 national book awards. To date, her books have been translated into 17 countries with over 1,000,000 copies sold and been featured in over 1,000 radio, TV and print formats. She has worked with thousands of authors and created 500 plus bestsellers. Her website is www.TheBookShepherd.com.
BY MARA PURL
A new year often begins with new plans, fresh ideas, or maybe even resolutions. It begins with a new calendar, too. And for some, there might be a calendar book that has enough room for jotting notes. Well, just how elaborate might these notes be? Might this calendar book actually become a journal?
Uh-oh. The moment the word “journal” comes up, do you feel overwhelmed? Does this fall under the category of “resolutions I’ll never be able to keep”? Do you feel you’ll never have enough to fill a week, a month, let alone a year? It’s true that some of us write a lot, some of us write a little. But remember, your journal is just for you. Who says it has to follow anyone else’s format?
You can choose to write a certain number of pages; or you could, instead, set a schedule of writing for a certain amount of time each day, week, or month, regardless of how many pages this may yield.
And here’s something you may not have experienced before: flow. Flow is such a dynamic, extraordinary concept that the author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote a book called Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. [link https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Psychology- Experience-Perennial-Classics/dp/0061339202]
Sometimes we have the experience of trying to squeeze water from a stone: We work hard, but only get a few drips now and again. What if there were a way to prime the pump, and hit a water vein that pours forth more than we might have thought possible.?
There is simply nothing more effective than journaling for “priming the pump.” When we write even a few words in a journal, we begin to acknowledge our thoughts and tap into that underground wellspring. It’s often when we write out our ideas that we find out what we actually think. This gives us a starting point, whether for small things like cleaning out a drawer, or a big project like planning a novel series or a house renovation.
Once you’ve committed to the idea of writing a journal, you’ll start to find out how the flow of works for you. You may decide short notes jotted a few days a week will work well for you. Or you may find you like writing a good, long session once or twice a month.
What if you sit down to write one day, and absolutely nothing comes to mind? A dear friend and mentor of mine said that how she overcomes this problem is by simply looking at the first object her gaze lands on. “There is dust on the Venetian blind,” began one of her journal entries. By a sentence or two later, she was already experiencing “flow.”
Whatever style and schedule you choose for your journaling, here’s a key recommendation: keep it regular. This tends to retrain us, developing an internal expectation of discovering our thoughts through what can become an increasingly satisfying practice.
Journaling, in whatever form you choose, can greatly enhance your life by giving you a better sense of control over your time, energy, and projects. And It gives you a starting point for your writing, whether you’re a novice, or a master.
Mara’s Authors Tips column appears monthly in the Villager.
Mara consults for authors through Haven Books. Find out more about her services, team members, and clients at www.HavenBooks.net Follow Mara’s own writing at www.MaraPurl.com, @MaraPurl, Facebook.com/Mara.Purl or email her at MaraPurl@MaraPurl.com.
An Aurora police officer pleaded guilty last week to driving under the influence and prohibited used of a weapon – drunk with a gun. Both counts are misdemeanors.
Douglas County Court Judge Susanna Meissner-Cutler on Jan. 9 sentenced Annette Brook, 56, of Parker, to 20 days of in-home detention and 12 months probation.
Prosecutors asked for 10 days in jail.
On June 17, 2019, Colorado State Patrol troopers responded to westbound C-470 and Lucent Boulevard in Douglas County on a report of a single-car crash.
A 2017 Jeep Cherokee driven by Brook, who was off-duty, had hit a concrete highway barrier.
Brooks said she had fallen asleep at the wheel, but it was determined her blood-alcohol content was 0.227, well above the legal limit of 0.08.
A loaded handgun was in a bag in the SUV.
“Nobody is above the law in our community. Police, plumber, principal, or otherwise are equally protected and accountable under our laws,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “When a well-investigated DUI case is brought to us, we will pursue it without regard to title, occupation, station, or demographic. DUI is dangerous, illegal and wrong every single time.”
BY DORIS B. TRUHLARGOVERNMENTAL REPORTER
The Centennial City Council, at a meeting earlier this week, heard a presentation by the City’s Principal Planner Jenny Houlne regarding further extensive development of the Centennial Center Park, which is just to the east of Centennial Civic Building.
The cost of the further development is estimated to be $5.4 million over the next three years. Houlne explained that the Arapahoe County Open Space Fund can be used to pay for open space and trail projects, which will be built in cooperation with South Suburban Parks and Recreation District.
A private company, Design Workshop, Inc., has assisted Centennial in developing a park plan adopted by the Planning and Zoning Commission on May 8, 2019, and approved by the Council on May 20, 2019.
The city and the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement in 2004 that entitles Centennial to use Open Space Sales and Use Tax, known as “Shareback Funds,” for development of the park. That agreement was amended in 2012, with the amendment providing for an additional 10 years to be added to the Shareback Funds Agreement. The Shareback Funds Agreement will now extend until 2023.
Houlne said Centennial’s Open Space Advisory Board annually reviews and recommends projects to be funded by the Shareback Funds.
There will be three phases to the project. Plans for Phase 1 of the project call for an extended parking lot with a drop-off area to be built. In addition, Phase 1 will also include additional restrooms and a sledding hill. Plans are for Phase 1 to be designed in 2020 and built in 2021.
Phase 2 will include a community pavilion and is anticipated to be built in 2022. Phase 3 will include a garden path with landscaping, picnic area, and a multi-purpose lawn and is anticipated to be built in 2023. A Request for Proposals will go out later this month, followed by the selection of a consultant to oversee the project.
The planning also will include decisions on placement of trees in the park. Houlne said that the city hopes to start designing Phases 2 and 3 later this year.
The city staff met with the council in October 2018, in regard to plans for the expansion of the park, which has won awards for its innovation. The city tallied more than 300 responses to an online survey regarding the improvements to the park.
The Shareback Funds are distributed annually on or before June of each year. Centennial received about $2.9 million in Arapahoe County Shareback Funds for 2019.
Centennial City Attorney Robert Widner made a presentation to the City Council Monday night titled “Advanced Legal Topics.” It included the differences between various types of actions the Council is permitted to take.
The passage of ordinances is “the most important” action the council takes, Widner said. There are two presentations of an ordinance, the first being the “first reading” and the second being the “second reading,” which includes a public hearing on the ordinance, the term describing a municipal law.
A second type of action the council may take is consideration of a resolution, which is a formal action requiring only one consideration. As for an ordinance, the majority vote of council determines whether the resolution is passed or not.
A third kind of action is a “motion,” which is the least formal action the Council may take. Finally, a fourth type of measure is a “proclamation,” which is a ceremonial recognition and is an action of the mayor.
In passing ordinances, the Council has wide discretion, Widner said. Council immunity from lawsuit related to an ordinance is “absolute.”
When a council is taking quasi-judicial action to determine legal rights of individuals or small groups of citizens, there must be notice and a hearing, Widner said. Additionally, citizens have a right to speak to the Council when quasi-judicial action is being taken.
In regard to administrative action by the Council, there is little or no legal recourse for the public to require reconsideration of its decisions.
The land use decisions are the “big ticket” issues for the Council, the city attorney said. Additionally, the adoption of a comprehensive land use or master plan for use of land in the city is a legislative action, he stated.
The lecture by Widner was part of the orientation of new council members, who were sworn in at the first meeting of the year on the first Monday in January. There are three new council members, and one council member who was re-elected for a second term.
“Multigenerational interaction (in memory care) promotes and stimulates emotional well being and vitality”
SUBMITTED BY RENEW SADDLE ROCK
The transition into senior living is one of the most difficult conversations for families to have with loved ones – and it’s one most seniors don’t want to address. In fact, according to AARP, 77 percent of seniors say they’d like to remain in their home for as long as possible. Some of this is due to familial issues, but much of it has to do with the stigma around the traditional senior housing model.
RENEW Saddle Rock is looking to transform that model by integrating a unique approach to multigenerational collaboration, strong medical oversight and sophisticated data collection to aid medical practitioners and families, all to create a new and desirable model of memory care.
“Our goal is to heighten the atmosphere of memory care,” said Lee Tuchfarber, chief executive officer of RENEW Management. “By creating unique, engaging experiences every day that appeal to the entire family, we help create stronger family and social engagement, while promoting physical and psychological health. We also employ a highly trained staff that places an emphasis on strong medical oversight specific to dementia.”
As a first step in its commitment to memory care, RENEW began collaborating with a board-certified neuropsychologist who works with RENEW on memory care research and development – a function you won’t commonly see in any other senior community. Dr. Sonia Mosch works with the Minnesota Vikings, the Minnesota Wild, and has a deep background in working with patients with dementia. Through her board certification, she has attained the highest level of credential in neuropsychology and will use information gained from her practices to maximize health, happiness and well-being for RENEW residents.
In addition to ensuring a strong neuropsychologist on the team, RENEW focuses heavily on strong medical oversight as the basis of its philosophy. The current staff includes a cardiovascular nurse practitioner that interfaces with the wellness team, an Executive Director and Director of Wellness who are both Registered Nurses and one other licensed practical nurse – far beyond the traditional community model. In addition, upon hiring, all caregivers at RENEW receive 34 hours of specialized dementia training to ensure they obtain CARES Certified Dementia Specialist, a nationally recognized credential, as well as Alzheimer’s Association training called essentiALZ, properly equipping them to work within the community.
“RENEW is heavily influenced by the science,” said Mosch. RENEW’s Clinical Liaison Karen Doll CVNP-BC, RENEW’s Managing Director, and RENEW’s Information Technology expert put in place a dashboard with a clinical basis to track patients’ cognitive skills, mood and other gold standard indicators of health and wellness that make up the Collaborative Care Report. “Tracking each residents’ functional status on a dashboard allows us to communicate better with physicians and families,” explains Tuchfarber.
RENEW’s proprietary Collaborative Care Report provides medical practitioners with greater clinical insight into their patients’ functional status. The report enables primary care professionals to measure and understand the resident’s condition and determine the best course of treatment that will enable them to achieve the highest possible functional status and quality of life.
“Our aim is to support quality of life beyond merely building an elevated environment,” explained Tuchfarber. “We see a need for metrics and assessments that measure quality of life parameters that are of importance to people with dementia. Tracking and trending information in collaboration with resident doctors brings a better understanding of the resident which, in turn, empowers the care team to coordinate care.”
Outside of strong medical oversight, RENEW also prides itself in offering innovative programming that includes multigenerational collaboration. Geriatric depression is a major problem. At RENEW, we feel strongly that multigenerational interaction promotes emotional wellbeing and vitality.
“You can see that the walls in residents’ rooms are covered with photographs of their grandchildren,” said Tuchfarber. “Seniors have a grandparenting impulse. So, we are developing a robust program with consistency, depth, and longevity that goes beyond doing intergenerational activities sporadically, once in a while. This heavier investment in time and effort brings about a deeper impact – true caring, connection and support develops between these book-end generations.”
RENEW is also developing a program that involves hosting training classes that help children become skilled facilitators and guides to adults with dementia. The interesting and unexpected result of this is that, not only do the elderly residents benefit, but the children benefit as well. They develop elements of their character, such as empathy, and learn that giving is receiving.
“We’ve known for a while now that close, personal relationships help sustain vitality and happiness as we age,” said Tuchfarber. “The power of seniors interacting with youth via intergenerational activity isn’t a new concept, but ensuring activities are consistent allows our intergenerational activities to become high-impact, therapeutic aspects within our community.”
“The team at RENEW takes such great care of my mother,” said Cheryl, daughter to one of RENEW’s residents. “For the first time ever, I don’t have to worry about her as I know the staff at RENEW will drop everything to care for her needs. It’s like the Ritz Carlton for memory care! I tell everyone I know, including my daughter, to make sure they take their parents to RENEW when it’s time to transition into a memory care facility.”
“There are many communities that talk a good talk, but then you meet the staff and realize it’s exactly that – talk,” said Nadine Roberts Cornish, CEO of The Caregiver’s Guardian. She is a licensed gerontologist, author of two books and TEDx speaker on the topic of caregiving. “I hold the RENEW staff in the highest regard. They are highly qualified, provide great care and truly walk the walk when it comes to excellent memory care for seniors. I appreciate what RENEW is doing to change memory care in Colorado.”
RENEW Saddle Rock offers a unique program called RENEW Short Term Stay, also known as Respite Care. Short Term Stay gives primary caregivers and individuals with memory care needs the opportunity to take a break. Fully furnished 1 and 2 bed suites are currently available.
“Sixty percent of caregivers are clinically depressed or burnt out,” said Tuchfarber. “RENEW’s Short Term Stay is a great way for caregivers to take a little time for self-care while giving both parties a glance into what life at RENEW would look like as the potential of transition approaches for these families.”
To learn more about RENEW, visit www.renewsenior.com or call (720) 664-4949 to book a private tour.
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