Courier View Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak 9-11-2013
Teller County, Colorado • Volume 52, Issue 37
September 11, 2013
75 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourtellercountynews.com
Litigant assists in court cases Teller County offers a selfhelp corner at courthouse By Pat Hill
phill@ourcoloradonews.com
Students at Cripple Creek/Victor High School demonstrate team work as they raft down the Arkansas River. The kids are part of several programs at the high school, including Rachel’s Challenge. Courtesy photos
Students at RE-1 surmount barriers Rachel’s Challenge program offers uplifting choices to disadvantaged students By Pat Hill
phill@ourcoloradonews.com In a school district with some barriers to student success, a place where transiency is close to 30 percent and 31 percent of the 335 students are considered homeless, there is an uplifting feeling in the air, something intangible. The cultural evolution in the RE-1 School District is the result of collaboration of people determined to enhance the lives of the students, starting with programs such as Rachel’s Challenge. “Absolutely, this is something we needed to bring in because my first year here it was pretty clear that culturally there was a lot of aggression in the building,” said Trudy Vader, principal of the Cripple Creek/ Victor High School. Since that first observation in 2005, Vader has initiated changes that tap into cultural, social, emotional and academic veins. With Rachel’s Challenge, named in honor of Rachel Scott, a victim of the shootings at Columbine High School, Vader helped the students develop a sense of community. “Rachel
Students at Cripple Creek/Victor High School get to take part in experiential activities as part of their comprehensive education. Pictured, are two high-school students cheering each other on as they rappel in Cheyenne Canyon. believed in creating positive relationships and impacting people’s lives in a positive way. She also believed in dreaming big,” Vader said. Following the challenge, the district implemented the Dream Big program for highschool students, funded by a five-year $660,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Education. The program’s goals pro-
mote the STEM curriculum, science, technology, engineering and math through activities such as robotics, rockets and rock climbing. “Anything that engages these kids; the vision is that all students find out who they are, what they’re passionate about and that all their dreams are possible,” said Debbie Morrill, who was hired to blend the programs within the 21st Century Community Learning Center.
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This year, the learning center was the source of a $600,000 five-year grant from the CDE for an after-school program for middle-school students. “There are 10 goals, eight of which are around math, reading, parent engagement and self-esteem,” Morrill said. “We’ve been building them up, because if their self-esteem is in the toilet they’re not going to care about math or reading.” Buoyed by the reduction in negative behaviors, Vader and Morrill moved on to initiate Chain Reaction as a counterpoint to bullying issues. “After the training session, 11 new students said it was the first time they’d ever felt welcomed in school, that it felt like family,” Vader said. “The sessions get pretty emotional.” Rachel continues on Page 10
She didn’t intend to be late. She had the date on her calendar for months. Yet the day she’d been dreading slipped by. As a result, Gery (who asked that her last name not be used) failed to show for an appearance in Teller County Court on Aug. 29. “I feel like an idiot,” she said. Because she planned to represent herself in the case, Gery was referred to Lisa Younger Anderson, self-represented litigant coordinator, a long title for someone hired by the 4th Judicial District to help pro-se litigants. “We all make mistakes; we’re human,” said Younger Anderson, honing in on Gery’s emotions. Embarrassed and frightened, Gery explained why she intends to serve papers on her former landlord. “I was the tenant and I paid in advance through Aug. 15 and we were out of there by July 22,” she said. “My problem is that she re-rented the place July 24, so she should have refunded my money.” While litigant coordinators cannot offer advice or recommend a particular lawyer, they can assist with the paperwork and explain the procedure and, in Gery’s case, seek approval for another court date. “If she wasn’t able to rent it, of course, I wouldn’t expect my money back,” Gery said, adding that the total amount comes to $1,198. After a chat with Judge Linda Billings-Vela, Younger Anderson explained what’s next for Gery. “The court wants you to show cause why you were tardy this week,” she said. In another case, Mary (who asked that her name be changed for this story) is protesting a bill for $1,600 from Centura Health. Mary claims she was forced by clinicians in Cripple Creek to be transported to the emergency room in Colorado Springs. As a result, she believes the bill is unfair. “When I got to the hospital, I had no care whatsoever, no antibiotic, no chest x-ray - nothing,” she said. Court continues on Page 10
Lisa Younger Anderson, self-represented litigant coordinator for the 4th Judicial District, helps a woman, who is representing herself, fill out the paperwork for a jury trial in small-claims court in the Teller County Courthouse. Photo by Pat Hill