Our Government/Nuestro Gobierno

White House

President Obama announced the Presidential Delegation to the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. First Lady Michelle Obama will lead the delegation this summer, accompanied by Olympic and Paralympic greats to attend the Opening Ceremony, meet with U.S. athletes and encourage American children to be active in their daily lives.

Casa Blanca

El presidente Obama anunció la Delegación Presidencial para la ceremonia inaugural de los Juegos Olímpicos del 2012 en Londres. La primera dama Michelle Obama encabezará la delegación de este verano, acompañada por las grandes figuras en los Juegos Olímpicos y Paralímpicos para asistir a la ceremonia de apertura, reunirse con los atletas de los Estados Unidos y alentar a los niños estadounidenses a ser activos en su vida cotidiana.

Colorado’s Governor

Gov. John Hickenlooper announced the creation of the Colorado Fire Relief Fund 2012 benefiting those affected by Colorado wildfires. The funds will assist all Colorado communities impacted by wildfires in 2012 and will complement ongoing efforts at www.helpcoloradonow.org.

Gobernador de Colorado

El gobernador, John Hickenlooper, anunció la creación del Colorado Fire Relief Fund 2012 beneficiando a los afectados por los incendios forestales en Colorado. Los fondos ayudarán a todas las comunidades afectadas por los incendios forestales en Colorado en 2012 y complementará los esfuerzos en www.helpcoloradonow.org.

Denver’s Mayor

Denver Parks and Recreation, with support from Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s office, announced that admission to the 16 Denver outdoor pools on Saturdays and Sundays will be free for Denver youth under the age of 18 and just $1 for Denver adults 18 and over. This program will run every Saturday and Sunday through the end of the 2012 Denver outdoor pool season, which is scheduled for Aug. 12.

Alcalde de Denver

Parques y Recreación en Denver, con el apoyo de la oficina del alcalde Michael B. Hancock, anunció que la admisión a las 16 piscinas de Denver al aire libre los sábados y domingos será gratuito para los jóvenes de Denver bajo la edad de 18 años y sólo un dólar para adultos de Denver de 18 años. Este programa funcionará todos los sábados y domingos hasta el final de la temporada de piscina al aire libre del 2012 en Denver, que está programada hasta el 12 de agosto.

Boulder cancels fireworks show

Boulder city officials announced that the annual Ralphie’s Independence Day Blast is canceled due to extremely dry conditions in and around Boulder. The fireworks show had been scheduled for Folsom Field on Wednesday, July 4.

Boulder Fire Marshal Dave Lowrey cautioned that individuals should not set off fireworks on their own; it is illegal for individuals to possess or use fireworks within the City of Boulder.

Arvada: Celebrate safely this 4th of July

In light of the recent fires in Larimer and Park counties, the Arvada Police Department is reminding residents that the purchase, possession, use or explosion of any firework is prohibited in Arvada.

Violators of the City of Arvada fireworks ordinance can be ticketed and could face a fine up to $999. If the illegal use of fireworks leads to an actual fire in our community additional charges could be added, including arson. If you witness a fire or injury as the result of using fireworks, call 9-1-1.

If you have a general complaint about fireworks use, the Arvada Police Department operates a phone line where citizens can report fireworks violations in the days leading up to the 4th of July. The Fireworks Hotline can be reached at 720-898-6919. This line is only monitored during the days leading up to the 4th of July.

Carrera to receive honor

Mario M. Carrera will receive the AJC Colorado 2012 Lifetime Civic Achievement Award at a dinner that will be held in his honor on Oct. 18 at the Grand Hyatt Denver.

Entravision’s senior vice-president of Spanish –Language Television, has teamed with AJC Colorado to promote more civil discourse and build greater bi-partisan consensus for comprehensive immigration reform policies that reflect both our humanitarian and free-market values.

AJC Colorado President Donald Yale announced a team of Event Chairs for this tribute dinner, including Scott Binder, Joe Blake, Pat Cortez, John Ikard, Stephen Jordan, Manuel Martinez, Ron Montoya, Dean Prina, Annette Quintana and Patricia Barela Rivera. Gov. John Hickenlooper, Sen. Michael Bennet and former Mayor Federico Peña will serve as Honorary Event Chairs.

Guidance to combat bullying

Almost 10 percent of bullying related to schools occurs on school buses, yet many drivers don’t feel equipped to handle bullying incidents on their buses. Training materials developed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students provide guidance on how bus drivers can effectively respond to and prevent bullying.

Published in June 2011, the materials help bus drivers create a safe and respectful environment on our nation’s school buses. The state-of-the-art information, which includes a palm card for drivers as an easy reference tool for actions to take, provides ways to intervene in bullying behavior, de-escalate threatening behavior, and build a supportive bus climate to prevent bullying.

Visit safesupportiveschools.ed.gov to access the free materials.

Orientación para evitar el acoso

Casi el 10 por ciento del acoso escolar ocurre en los autobuses escolares. Sin embargo, muchos conductores no se sienten preparados para hacer frente a los incidentes de acoso que ocurren en sus autobuses. En respuesta, la Oficina de Estudiantes Seguros y Saludables del Departamento de Educación de EE.UU., ha desarrollado materiales de capacitación que ofrecen orientación sobre cómo los conductores de autobús escolares pueden hacer frente al acoso y prevenirlo con eficiencia.

Para acceder a los materiales gratuitos, visite safesupportiveschools.ed.gov.

It’s official

Metropolitan State College of Denver officially transitioned to Metropolitan State University of Denver Sunday, July 1, enacting the name-change bill signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper in April.

MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan feels that the shortened name of MSU Denver will keep one foot in our past while placing one foot in our future. “It is possible and important to do both. Colloquially, we will always be Metro State, but considering how hard we had to fight to keep the word Denver in our name, I am convinced that MSU Denver is the best choice.”

Bid for 2022 winter games

The panel of local experts and planners exploring a potential Olympic bid voted unanimously in support of the City of Denver and the State of Colorado pursuing the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Members of the Denver Olympic Exploratory Committee arrived at this recommendation following a thorough and detailed public process to explore the benefits and concerns of both bidding for and hosting the Games.

The Committee assessed four key aspects of bidding for and hosting an Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: community strengths and benefits, financial commitments, operational requirements, and host city guaranties.

The Committee not only made recommendations on the feasibility of a bid for the Olympics, it also recommended Denver and Colorado pursue a theme of community health, if a decision is made to move forward.

Adams 14 announces new superintendent

Adams County School District 14 (Adams 14) announced that Pat Sánchez will serve as the new Superintendent of Schools.

Mr. Sánchez brings more than 15 years of comprehensive administrative experience to the Adams 14 team, most recently as the Director of Human Resources for Aurora Public Schools.

Mr. Sánchez’s educational background includes time spent as a principal at M. Scott Carpenter Middle School in Adams County School District 50, West High School in Denver Public Schools and Ranum/Westminster High School. He has also served as assistant principal at Westminster High School, and as Dean of Students as well as assistant principal at Aurora Central High School in Aurora Public Schools.