May 22, 2020                                                                   Official Newsletter of Weld County Government

SPECIAL EDITION

Dear 2020 Weld County graduates,

Unfortunately, COVID-19 brought an abrupt end to the school year as you knew it and took away the opportunity to enjoy many activities you were looking forward to in your senior year.

While the second half of senior year has been frustrating, know that the adversity you’ve overcome will only make you stronger moving forward. Be proud of the fact that when met with adversity you persevered, completing your online coursework so that you can obtain your high school diploma and move forward with your life.

Such perseverance in the eyes of uncertainty reflects that you have many of the necessary skills to succeed in the future and tackle whatever it may bring.

The fact that you, and so many Weld County seniors, faced this adversity but stayed committed and saw the year through speaks to your work ethic, commitment, and dedication and deserves recognition and celebration. There will be plenty of time for celebrating in the future and there will be many more big things to celebrate as you progress in life, but know that we are extremely proud of all of you for achieving the first of many milestones in your life.

Congratulations, 2020 graduates!

Sincerely, the Weld County Board of Commissioners

Honoring tomorrow's leaders today

“Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Board of County Commissioners in Weld County, Colorado that in recognition of Roosevelt’s state title victory along with the work ethic and knowledge put forth by the coaches and students of the knowledge bowl team, May 6, 2019, be known as Roosevelt Roughriders Day.”

As those words were read by the Weld County Board of Commissioners and applause rang out in the Centennial Hearing Room, smiles became etched on the faces of Roosevelt’s knowledge bowl team, as its members tried to take in the significance of the recognition they were receiving.

“We were so excited. We had never been recognized, and we were two-time state champions,” second-year Roosevelt knowledge bowl head coach Autumn Hunt said, when reflecting on the impact of Roosevelt Roughriders Day. “It was the first time these kids had community leaders or adults say, ‘we know that (knowledge bowl) is hard, and we recognize that it’s hard, and we want to congratulate you!’”

That’s just one of the reactions since the Weld County Board of Commissioners began the tradition of regularly recognizing Weld County state champion high school teams in 2017. First reserved for athletic teams, the board recently began recognizing academic teams for their accomplishments. Following each season, Weld County’s state champion teams are invited to a board meeting to be commended by the board for their season and have a day proclaimed in their school’s honor.

“Work ethic, leadership, teamwork, commitment and the ability to overcome adversity are skills that not only serve kids well in school but also assist them as they move forward in life,” Weld County Commissioner Chair Mike Freeman said. “The proclamations we make show the pride we have in our young people while also saluting them for taking steps to strengthen many skills they’ll utilize as they grow older.”

The proclamations also add to the educational experience of the students recognized. Highland High School in Ault has had its state champion cheer and track teams recognized in previous years. Highland Athletics Director Steve Latuda said that as students are publicly applauded for their efforts and pose for a picture with their teammates,  coaches and the board, they also realize — perhaps for the first time — the impact their hard work and accomplishments can have beyond the walls of high school. That impact, and the confidence it gives students, is well worth missing some school in the morning to participate.

“They may miss a period or two, but it’s good to get our kids out of school and have them recognized,” Latuda said. “The biggest thing they get out of it is being recognized by people outside of Ault. To be able to be recognized and have their picture taken with the board and have others see and recognize (their accomplishments), I think that gives them a good sense of pride.”

As impactful as the recognitions are, they are done at no added expense to the county. Schools provide their own transportation to and from the morning board meeting and proclaiming a day in the school’s honor takes about 30 minutes. In those 30 minutes, however, proud parents snap pictures and school staff, team members, coaches and the Board of Commissioners celebrate the accomplishment of young people. It’s certainly an exciting moment to end a memorable championship season. But for many, the moment is much more meaningful.

“One of the most important things that can be said is commissioners are taking time to recognize these young individuals who are going to be future leaders of this community,” said Eaton High School Athletic Director Steve Longwell. "I think that’s extremely important.”

So, as the memories of state championship seasons are remembered for years to come, one remains etched in the history of Weld County. And it’s one that benefits the students, their parents, the commissioners and county residents alike.

It was the opportunity to honor today’s state champions and tomorrow’s leaders of Weld County.

By Baker Geist, Weld County Communications Specialist

The first team proclamation was in 2015 and recognized the Greeley Bears. The Bears, a pop warner football team, were honored by the board after winning the regional championship game that year in Dallas.

While proclamations are usually reserved for teams, the board proclaimed Andrew Alirez Day on March 25, 2019, honoring Greeley Central graduate Andrew Alirez for being the first four-time state wrestling champion in Weld County history.

There are schools who choose not to be publicly recognized. Those schools are mailed a signed proclamation from the commissioners.

To learn more about the Weld County Commissioners,
please click here. 

The availability of COVID-19 testing in Weld County is increasing as Weld County Government will host free community drive-thru testing events in early June. The events, in combination with those led by health care providers and other public and private agencies throughout Weld County, are part of a goal to collectively test 10 percent of the county’s population by July 18.

People who are experiencing symptoms and asymptomatic people who are in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 are eligible for testing. A doctor’s note is not required, and those wanting to be tested must be at least 18 years of age and register by 3 p.m. the day before an event.

Registration opens seven days prior to each event and can be completed by visiting www.weldhealth.org. 

The first four drive-thru events will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following locations:

• June 1 in Fort Lupton at the Southeast County Services Complex, located at 2950 9^th St. Registration is open from May 25 - May 31.
• June 3 in Briggsdale at Briggsdale School, located at 515 Leslie St. Registration is open from May 27- June 2.
• June 5 in Severance at Severance High School, located at 1200 Hidden Valley Pkwy. Registration is open from May 29-June 4.
• June 8 in Firestone at the Southwest County Services Complex, located at 4209 Weld County Road 24 ½. Registration is open from June 1- June 7.
• More dates and locations to follow.

Securing enough test kits for countywide testing has been difficult, but the Weld County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has been persistent in asking the state’s Emergency Operations Center for testing kits since mid-March. These events in June reflect the first time since the beginning of the pandemic Weld County has obtained enough test kits to test the general population.

As stay-at-home orders ease, expanded testing remains critically important. Robust testing, combined with continued contact tracing, allows Weld County Health Department staff to monitor community spread of the virus. Additionally, these events help meet the recommended testing levels in Weld County.

“We know that COVID-19 test availability is important to our residents, and our staff has been working diligently to expand testing opportunities,” Weld County Chair Mike Freeman said. “Now that we have tests for widespread community testing, we look forward to testing those who need it and using that data to gain more knowledge about COVID-19 in our county.”

What the public can expect:

Each drive-thru testing event will follow specific procedures. Participants will follow the steps below once they arrive at a testing site:

1. To be tested, individuals must be at least 18 years old.
2. The participant will enter the entry station checkpoint with their windows rolled up. When instructed, the participant will show staff a photo identification with an email confirmation of their reference ID and appointment time through their closed window at the security gate checkpoint.
3. Once staff confirms the appointment, the participant will be directed to the Admission Station checkpoint and show identification and reference ID to the Admission Coordinator through the driver’s side window. Staff will retrieve requisition, label, specimen bag and testing materials. The Admission Coordinator will verify that the participant’s name and date of birth is correct. If correct, the Admission Coordinator will mark the car window with a sticker showing the participant’s position in the vehicle and attach the specimen bag to the car.
4. The participant is moved to the Sample Collection Bay where a swab is taken and collected. Once the swab is collected, the participant is directed to the exit.
5. Participants will be notified of results by phone within 24 hours.

For more information on these testing events, or to register, go to www.weldhealth.org. Additionally, be sure to follow Weld County’s Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.

Welcome to County Roots, the official newsletter of Weld County Government. For those of us who work in county government, we think what we do is pretty interesting. So the goal of this newsletter is to highlight some of the partnerships, technology and efficiencies we are using to make government stronger and more effective for its residents.

Our goal is to establish regular communication with residents, spur interest in county projects, highlight county accomplishments and provide meaningful information to the public. In fact, our goal is to live up to the name “County Roots.” Want to know more about the meaning behind the name? Please visit our webpage, where you can also find previous editions of this newsletter.

If you have a topic idea or general feedback about this new venture, please let us know at jfinch@weldgov.com.