December 16, 2011

Suicide prevention addressed at chamber

McGraw Memorial Park short $3,000 in matching funds at meeting, but meets funding goal Dec. 13

by Tom Locke

For Sally Spencer-Thomas, the subject of suicide cuts close to home. Her brother, Carson Spencer, co-founded his own successful company at 29, but besides a charismatic personality he also had bipolar disorder and an alcohol problem. And after a particularly intense episode of mania followed by depression, he committed suicide at 34 in 2004.

Spencer-Thomas spoke at the Platte Canyon Area Chamber of Commerce meeting on Dec. 13 after being introduced by chamber president Marcel Flukiger, who noted that Park County has one of the highest suicide rates in the state.

Indeed, in 2010, there were 14 suicides in Park County, coming close to tying the record of 15 suicides set in 2009. Of the 14 suicide victims in 2010, five came from outside the county, according to then-County Coroner Sharon Morris. (See the Jan. 7, 2011, Flume.) Before 2009, the previous Park County record had been eight suicides, set in 2001 and tied in 2004 and 2006.

In addition, the state as a whole ranks high in suicide deaths, according to Spencer-Thomas. "Colorado is always in the top 10 for suicide death," she said.

After her brother's death, the Westminster, Colo.-based Carson J. Spencer Foundation was founded in his memory. It has focused on training suicide prevention gatekeepers, offered educational programs, and leveraged partnerships, including one in particular with Junior Achievement that Spencer-Thomas focused on in her presentation.

With Junior Achievement, the foundation has established a social entrepreneurship project whereby students in the project find out why students in a school are distressed (for instance, bullying) and then establish programs to address the problems. The Adolph Coors Foundation has stepped in to help, and goals have been substantially increased, with plans to expand the program from three schools - Green Mountain High School in Lakewood, Rangefield High School in Aurora and CEC Middle College in Denver - to 10 schools this year, 20 next year, and 50 in three years.

The foundation also has other programs, including resources for the bereaved friends or family of the suicide victim. Volunteers are needed. For more information, contact Spencer-Thomas at sally@CarsonJSpencer.org.

McGraw Memorial Park

Doug Stephens, secretary of the Park County Historical Society, said at the chamber meeting that the group needed to come up with $3,000 in matching funds very quickly for McGraw Memorial Park in downtown Bailey in order to avoid losing considerably more than that in grant money from Great Outdoors Colorado, which uses a portion of state lottery proceeds for outdoor projects such as parks and trails.

But on Dec. 14 Stephens told The Flume that the funding goal had been met on Dec. 13 thanks to $400 contributed by individuals and businesses and the balance contributed by Park County.

Stephens had said on Dec. 13 that there was $18,964 in GOCO money that McGraw Memorial Park hadn't spent yet "and may not be able to spend" if the $3,000 in matching funds was not raised.

Stephens said that GOCO provided a grant of $149,764 and there was an applicant match from Park County of $7,000. A partnership match of $16,775 in cash was to be provided, and the Park County Historical Society had received about $13,774, so it was about $3,000 short.

The Historical Society had spent $130,799 of the GOCO money, so there was a potential of spending more than $18,000 in additional GOCO money if the $3,000 partnership match was obtained, he said on Dec. 13.

Stephens said Gary Nichols, the Park County director of tourism and community development, is in charge of administering the grant, and he wanted the $3,000 in by Dec. 15. That's so all the paperwork could be turned in by Dec. 31, said Stephens.

Stephens noted that Barbara Jerome Behl, owner of Bailey-based Deer Creek Realty, had created a challenge for businesses and individuals by writing a check of $100 and other donors had responded.

Stephens also said that the two miles of trail scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011 is not quite complete at Morrow Mountain, which is part of McGraw Memorial Park. The trail is 700 feet short of completion, he said, necessitating a request for an extension of time from GOCO.

The Coalition for the Upper South Platte has provided a letter of commitment for the completion, Stephens said.

"If it hadn't been for the October snows, we would have been done already," he said.

Promotional maps

Chamber president Flukiger talked about at least 20,000 maps that are planned for production by the 285 Tourism Committee, which is a joint effort of the Platte Canyon chamber and the Conifer Area Chamber of Commerce. As planned, the map would be 17 inches by 22 inches and on one side would be the area from Aspen Park to Pine Junction and on the other side would be the area from Pine Junction to Kenosha Pass. There are a "minimum of 20,000 maps that we want to print," Flukiger said.

The maps would have a combination of geographic and cartoonish elements, and plans are to have 30 ad spaces on each side that will probably be sold for about $150 each.

The map will "basically show off all the businesses that are tourism-related," said Flukiger.

Chamber board member Bill Kulenburg thinks the idea is a good one and said he and Flukiger will be selling the ads. "We anticipate publishing it every year," he said of the map.

In a follow-up interview, Flukiger said that the sales package should be ready in January or February, the printing should be done in March, and distribution should be done in April.

Lyn Kulenburg re-elected to chamber board

Lyn Kulenburg, co-owner of Bailey-based Lynwood Park B&B, Trout Pond & Store, was re-elected to the chamber board by voice vote for another three years.

"She is a great resource and knows a lot of people in town. ... We're lucky to have her on the board for another three years," Flukiger said.

Plans for 2012

As for plans for 2012, Flukier said the chamber will focus on priorities established from results from an informal survey at the last chamber meeting. They include: 1) attracting businesses to fill commercial spaces in Bailey; 2) working closely with Park County Tourism; 3) working closely with the Conifer chamber; 4) continuing to pursue the possibility of tax incentives for businesses; and 5) continuing with rewards programs attracting local residents to shop locally, such as the coupon program on the chamber's website.