BHS drama students will be presenting our spring play, Once Upon a Fairytale, April 18 -21. This play is a fun-filled parody of a fairy tale that involves a spoiled rotten princess, her wicked aunt, a clueless shepherd and a couple of trolls of questionable intelligence. There will be a special 4:00 p.m. performance on Wednesday, April 18 for children and families who might not be able to attend in the evening. The performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the door. Children under 12 are $5.00 and adults are $6.50. Please plan to attend for an enjoyable evening and to support our hard-working drama students!

Berthoud police investigate possible hate crime against exchange student

BERTHOUD, Colo. (CBS4) – A black foreign exchange student from Germany says she was viciously attacked in a park in Berthoud. Now police are calling it a hate crime.

Police say a group of white men accosted the 15-year-old student in Bein Park, which is right next to Berthoud High School.

The girl is a junior at Berthoud High School. Last Thursday she was walking home through the park when she said she was accosted by four men.

The police say they have little doubt it was racially motivated because she said the men told her that they were looking for a minority — a Hispanic or gay, but a black would do. They then told her to bend down, and bow down.

“I’m stunned. This doesn’t happen. We don’t have a racial problem here,” student Morgan Madden said.

“Everybody wants to find the guys who did it and beat them up,” student Kaylena Young said.

The exchange student said she was walking home from a track meet. She said the four white men appeared to be non-students in their 20s.

“They made some racially intimidating and frightening comments to the young lady,” Chief Glen Johnson with Berthoud police said. … Read More

]]> http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2012/04/17/berthoud-police-investigate-possible-hate-crime-against-exchange-student/feed/ 0 http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2012/04/12/berthoud-community-library-promotes-early-reading/ http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2012/04/12/berthoud-community-library-promotes-early-reading/#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:27:55 +0000 admin http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/?p=29897 Berthoud Community Library District promotes early reading through
One Book 4 Colorado

 Berthoud – Wednesday April 18 –Berthoud Community Library District is promoting early reading by providing a free new book to every four-year-old in Berthoud as part of the statewide One Book 4 Colorado. One Book 4 Colorado is a statewide initiative aiming to support family reading at home and instill a love of learning in Colorado youngsters.

“One Book 4 Colorado puts books in the hands of children and a joy of reading in their hearts,” said Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia. “Teaching children to read is a family, school and community responsibility. We are grateful to the many organizations coming together in communities across the state to help Colorado’s children succeed.”

Families of four-year-olds can stop by the Berthoud Community Library any day between April 18-29 to pick up a copy of the book in either English or Spanish.

One Book 4 Colorado is the result of collaboration between Reach Out and Read Colorado, Colorado State Library, public libraries, the private sector, and the foundation community. It is modeled after the successful Preschool One Book One Denver program originated by the Denver Preschool Program.

More than 70,000 copies of the same book will be distributed to children across Colorado at local public library events and at Reach Out and Read clinics and doctors’ offices. The book will be available in both English and Spanish and will be accessible to children with special needs. A statewide book distribution and family support events will take place April 18-29, coinciding with Preschool One Book, One Denver and Week of the Young Child.

For more information about One Book 4 Colorado, visit http://www.onebook4colorado.org/.

]]> http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2012/04/12/berthoud-community-library-promotes-early-reading/feed/ 0 http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2012/02/29/paws-to-read-at-berthoud-library/ http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2012/02/29/paws-to-read-at-berthoud-library/#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:28:52 +0000 admin http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/?p=29134

Kvontay Dursharm and Tillie

The Berthoud Community Library is proud to host the Paws to Read program. On the fourth Monday of every month Paws for Responsibility provides two screened, trained and registered therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for this special reading program. With these furry friends to listen and encourage young students, reading becomes a privilege rather than a chore!  The Berthoud Community library has held two successful sessions with several repeat participants.

This past Monday, February 27, the children met Joan Harrold and her dog Wylie and Pat Maynard with Tillie.  Children from grades 1-5 were represented including; Kvontay Dursharm, Caleb and Abigail Cunningham, Nolan Simon, Grace Meeker, Lindsay Burkhalter, Kelsey and Riley Witting.  The dogs got to hear all kinds of tales from Monster High by Lisi Harrison to Dr. Seuss to Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson.

The next Paws to Read will be held on March 26 at 6:30 pm.  Call the Berthoud Community Library at 970-532-2757 or come in to reserve your spot

!

Kelsey Witting, Joan Harrold and Wylie

Pat Maynard, Tillie and Lindsay Burkhalter

Colorado State University Wants Pudgy Puppies for Clinical Trial on Obesity and Diet Changes

FORT COLLINS – Dogs with a New Year’s resolution to lose weight can try a new diet, thanks to a Colorado State University study. CSU’s Animal Cancer Center is recruiting overweight or obese dogs for a clinical trial that looks at how newly formulated food may improve Fido’s overall health and help him keep a girlish figure.

The clinical trial will evaluate if a new food is more easily digested and how effective it is at curbing hunger, while also evaluating regular blood tests for signs of whether it may help prevent cancer and be an alternative for dogs with allergies.

To participate, dogs must be:

- otherwise in generally good health
- between 2 and 7 years old
- weigh more than 22 pounds
- have a body condition score between 6 and 9.

Dogs in the study will receive the specially-formulated food for one month as well as three free but required blood draws during the course of the study. Dogs will be required to visit the Veterinary Teaching Hospital for the blood tests and physical exams. In addition to bringing their dog to the hospital for these tests, owners will be required to measure their pet’s food intake and collect fecal samples. Owners will receive complementary food, exams and tests and a $50 credit toward any services or product offered at the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

“Dogs who carry around extra weight or who are obese benefit in many ways when they slim down,” said Dr. Elizabeth Ryan, the veterinarian in charge of the study. “Putting an overweight dog on a diet will improve his quality of life, increase his life span, decrease chronic inflammation and decrease his risk for some cancers, arthritis, diabetes and some respiratory and urinary tract infections.”

To participate or receive more information, call (970) 297-4144 or e-mail cadie. ollila@colostate.edu.

More information also is available at http://www.csuanimalcancercenter.org/dietary-obese-dogs.

Attorney General announces guilty verdict for Loveland man who ran a $5.7 million investment-fraud scheme

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that a Larimer County jury has convicted Phillip R. Trujillo (DOB: 7/21/1949) of Loveland of six felonies for his role in a running $5.7 million investment-fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, filed against Trujillo in June 2010, Trujillo’s scheme defrauded 70 investors with promises that their investments in entities named PTV 22, PTV 33 and PTV 44 would be free from risk and would generate generous returns. Trujillo did not disclose to their investors what their investments were actually being used to fund unsecured promissory notes and to then help pay legal fees related to those notes once they were in default. Trujillo also failed to disclose commissions paid to himself and personal loans he issued to himself using investors’ funds.

Trujillo’s codefendants, David M. Piatt (DOB: 9/8/1969) and Timothy B. Burk (DOB: 1/23/1962) each pleaded guilty to securities fraud, a class-three felony, on March 23, 2011 and received one-year deferred sentences. As part of the sentences, Piatt and Burk agreed to pay about $1.2 million in restitution.

Trujillo could face up to 12 years in prison and up to $750,000 in fines on each of the six class-three felonies. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2012 at 1:30 p.m.

Consumers who believe they have been defrauded in a securities fraud scheme can files complaints with the Office of the Attorney General viawww.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov/securitiesfraud.

Larimer County Sheriff’s Office investigators have determined the report of a sexual assault by a police impersonator is false and did not happen.

Heather Speicher

As a result, Heather Speicher, DOB: 08/19/84, of Fort Collins has been arrested for Attempting to Influence a Public Official (F4). Plans to seek restitution for the misdirection of valuable, limited law enforcement resources are being discussed with the District Attorney’s office.

Ms. Speicher is being held at the Larimer County Jail on a $2500 bond.

Ms. Speicher reported that on the evening of January 5, 2012 she was stopped by a man portraying himself as a police officer and subsequently sexually assaulted. An extensive investigation ensued. Six investigators and two lab personnel were assigned to the case and reviewed approximately 40 tips, that were generated by the public, for four consecutive days after the initial report. Ms. Speicher also assisted investigators in developing a composite sketch of the fictitious suspect.

Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith said it is important to fully investigate any allegation of sexual assault as well as police impersonation; however, false reports of this nature redirect very limited resources that are needed for other important investigations.

While this report proved to be false, incidents of this nature do occur. Motorists are still reminded to be cautious when stopped by an unmarked or uneasily identified vehicle.  They are encouraged to turn their flashers on and drive safely to a well-lit populated area and/or call 911 to verify the identity and location of officers. Motorists are further encouraged to stay in their vehicle until an additional officer in a marked vehicle arrives. Law enforcement vehicles are typically later models with significant emergency light systems.

The charge(s) are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

No additional information will be released.

Press Release

GREELEY (Jan. 16, 2012) – Banner Health’s focus on quality patient care has earned the system a ranking among the top five large health systems in the nation according to a Thomson Reuters announcement released Monday.

Banner Health owns or operates four hospitals in Northern Colorado: North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, McKee Medical Center in Loveland, Sterling Regional MedCenter in Sterling and East Morgan Community Hospital in Brush.

The Thomson Reuters’ 15 Top Health Systems divided the health system into three groups based on overall operating expenses. Banner Health was among the large system group with operating expenses of more than $1.5 billion.

As a Top 5 Large Health System, Banner was recognized for having superior survival rates, fewer patient complications, better long-term outcomes, better adherence to accepted care protocols and patient-safety standards, shorter hospital stays and higher patient-satisfaction scores. Another key distinguishing factor was Banner Health’s use of health information technologies to implement electronic medical records at every Banner facility.

According to Thomson Reuters, among the key findings in the study were the following:

• • Lower 30-Day Mortality Rates: 15 Top Health Systems held post-discharge 30 day mortality rates steady, while peer health systems demonstrated a significant increase in post discharge mortality.
• • Better Survival Rates: Winning hospitals had 17 percent fewer deaths than expected considering patient severity, while non-winning hospitals had 4 percent more deaths than expected.
• • Fewer Complications: Patients of the winning health systems had 19 percent fewer complications.
• • Shorter Hospital Stays: Patients treated in the winning system hospitals have a median average length of stay of 4.7 days, nearly half a day shorter than their peers’ median of 5.1 days.
• • Better Patient Safety and Core Measure Adherence: Top health systems had 23 percent fewer adverse patient safety events than expected and had better adherence to core measures of care than their peers.

ABOUT BANNER HEALTH

Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health is one of the country’s largest nonprofit health care systems. Located in seven states, Banner Health owns or manages 23 health care facilities as well as physician practices and nationally recognized research centers. To learn more go to www.BannerHealth.com.

Former Thompson Board of Education member and small business owner, Karen Stockley, has announced her candidacy for the Larimer County Board of Commissioners representing District 3.

Karen has lived most of her life in Colorado, and in her district in Berthoud for over 13 years. She is married to Jay Stockley and is the mother of five children, all of whom have attended Berthoud schools.

Stockley has an extensive history of community service. She recently completed four years as Treasurer on the Thompson R2J Board of Education. She has also served on Berthoud’s Planning and Zoning Commission, the School Board’s Legislative Coalition, has volunteered at her children’s schools and with her daughters at the Berthoud History Museum. Karen enjoys owning and running her own successful small business in south Fort Collins.

Karen cites her priorities as high-performance and cost-effective county government, job creation, support for small businesses and rural farms, excellence in education, quality county services, new-energy technologies, safe family-friendly neighborhoods, and open and responsive representation.

“I’m passionate about protecting and improving our quality of life in Larimer County,” said Karen. “I believe my active involvement in business, community service, and our local schools has given me the knowledge and experience to meet the challenges facing Larimer County today. I’d be honored to be the next representative for District 3.”

Commissioners must live in the district they represent, but they run at-large and are voted into office by all voters countywide.

For more information, go to www.karenstockley.com 

U.S. Senator Mark Udall will hold a Town Hall Meeting in Fort Collins next Wednesday, January 18. He will be here  to discuss how he can partner with business and community leaders on policies that will help create jobs and spur the economy. He wishes to talk to community members about issues important to the region and his role in helping to bolster the local economy. Please note that seating is limited, and admittance will be first come, first served.

The meeting will be in the East Ballroom at the Lory Student Center on the CSU campus from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wheelchair accessibility is available at the west entrance (through the bookstore) or the south entrance.