Elbert County
News
December 13, 2012
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourelbertcountynews.com
Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 117, Issue 46
Woman hears, thanks to help Group home, audiologist garner funds for devices By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com
Elizabeth Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Beverly Durant rings in the holiday season as she rounds up locals to participate in the town’s annual tree-lighting ceremony, which was held on Dec. 1. Photo by Deborah Grigsby
Tree lighting signals holiday arrival Parade, shopping make for full day By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Elbert County, as Elizabeth Mayor Clay Hurst threw the switch lighting the town’s 30-foot tree in the police station parking lot. Close to 300 people gathered around a bejeweled Colorado blue spruce on Dec. 1, following a brief holiday parade down Main Street, for the annual tree-lighting ceremony. Bursting with more Girl Scouts than floats, the parade swelled in size as it collected onlookers along the way.
Radar, an 8-month-old bloodhound with the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, is recovering from surgery. Radar is in training to become a K-9 deputy and will one day replace Red, when the older dog retires. Courtesy photo
75 cents
“We had a great turnout this year,” said Hurst. “It’s been our goal to have community activities like this to build a sense of identity, and annual events like the tree-lighting ceremony help us do that.” Sponsored by the Elizabeth Downtown Advisory Committee and the Elizabeth Tree Board, the lighting ceremony preceded First Friday Night Live, the monthly extended shopping event hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Susette Frausto, Tree Board chairwoman, who had the task along with her husband of stringing the lights on the threestory tree, said the job took several hours with an extended pole to prepare the tree for the evening’s event. “But this year’s tree is very special,” she said. “This tree was the first to be donated by the Tree Board back in 1999, so it’s very
special for us, since this is the first year the board has sponsored the tree-lighting event.” Uniformed Girl Scouts and the Western Plains Fife and Drum Corps helped make the evening merry with sugar cookies, hot chocolate and traditional Christmas tunes. Local merchants kept things bright, with an endless sea of miniature lights, face painting, discounted merchandise and music. Santa and Mrs. Claus lingered, posing with local children for formal portraits. While chilly temperatures made for cold fingers and noses, warm hearts caroled their their way back down Main Street, disappearing into the night. Hurst added, “Really, anytime we can get people downtown, for a community event, is good; you can’t enough of them.”
Four-legged lawman gets a tune-up Surgery aims to divert trouble for Elbert K-9 By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com A four-legged deputy is recovering from surgery and anxious to get his nose back on duty. Elbert County Sheriff’s Deputy “Radar,” an 8-month-old bloodhound, recently underwent gastropexy surgery to prevent a condition called torsion bloat, sometimes called twisted stomach. “This was simply preventative surgery,” said Elbert County Sheriff Shayne Heap. “It’s just a condition that is inherent with Radar’s breed, particularly when they get older, so we thought we’d take care of it before anything happens.” Oh, and while Radar was under sedaPOSTAL ADDRESS
Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.
tion, he was also neutered. Most often performed on large breed dogs, canine gastropexy is a surgical procedure that prevents the animal’s stomach from flipping over, cutting off circulation to both the stomach and spleen. Radar’s stomach was surgically tacked to the side of his abdominal wall so as he grows, it won’t twist or shift. The neutering part, while not so lifethreatening, was necessary for Radar, who will serve the county as its future tracking and decomposition dog. “It’s important the dog’s not distracted by other things while on the job,” said Heap. “These dogs have such a keen sense of smell, Radar could probably pick up the scent of a female dog a mile away, and we don’t need that when he’s tracking.” Radar currently works with his handler, Deputy Frank Hurst, and is being trained to replace K9 Deputy “Red,” an 8-year-old bloodhound who retires next year. According to the sheriff’s office, Dr. David Swieckowski, a veterinarian at the Franktown Animal Clinic, started a charity to help cover Radar’s $1,900 bill. Swieckowski collaborated with Dr. Chad Devitt at Englewood-based Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado, and the two worked an agreement to perform Radar’s surgery free of charge. “We can’t adequately express our gratitude to Dr. Swieckowski and Dr. Devitt Hound continues on Page 10
A 68-year-old Elbert County woman was given the gift of hearing, thanks to the tenacity of an assisted living administrator and a Parker audiologist. Juanita Hosmer, a resident at A Country Home in Parker, has had hearing problems since she was about 19. Most likely hereditary, Hosmer’s troubles came to light shortly after she moved to the rural group home from New Mexico. “I noticed Juanita was frustrated and often secluded herself in her room, away from the other residents,” said Linda Melbardis, owner and administrator. “And it was because she couldn’t hear people talk or even the television.” Determined to find a solution, Melbardis contacted a caseworker on Hosmer’s behalf. “The sad thing is, the caseworker told me that most agencies were more likely to fund younger people for hearing aids than the elderly,” Melbardis said. “But I was determined to make it happen.” Having no real income of her own, Hosmer would need significant financial help to purchase the $2,600 hearing aids she needed so badly. A by-chance visit to a local ear, nose and throat specialist put Hosmer and Melbardis in contact with Parker audiologist Sarah Bretz. Melbardis had already spent countless hours advocating for Hosmer’s case, writing letters, making phone calls and humanizing Hosmer in ways that helped her case stand out among others, often to no avail. Bretz referred them to Friends of Man and the A.V. Hunter Trust, two of the three charitable organizations that eventually funded a significant portion of Hosmer’s new digital behind-the-ear hearing aids. Help continues on Page 7
Elbert County resident Juanita Hosmer has a special reason to smile this holiday season. She recently received new digital hearing aids. Photo by Deborah Grigsby