Miserably, school violence has become routine across the nation. For example, just by watching the news alone; one listens to, and witnesses countless occurrences of school violence. “Highly publicized school shootings, [like the massacre in Columbine[1],] have created an uncertainty about the safety and security of this country’s schools, and have generated fear that an attack is imminent in any school, in any community” (Vossekuil, 2002, p3). For this reason, the United States government set into motion, various studies to determine both the direct and indirect causes and effects of school violence. The procedure of this research paper is to examine the impact that school violence has on students’ learning environment, and to hypothesis new safety approaches. In addition, this research paper will focus on the fundamental characteristics that can cause a student’s narcissistic behavior to lash out, as well as, the effects of their behavior has on the student’s peers.

The intention of bullying, for example, is intended to make the victim feel stressed and impaired. The aggressor generally has power over the person/s whom they are bullying. Bullying is a major foundation that relates to the rising amount of unpleasant incidents of school violence; and it necessitates attention from educators. School sadism has an emotional impact on children of all ages; this act of domestic terrorism is seen as early as kindergarten, to the college level – where students bring guns to school to simply alarm other students, whom they have been hostile with (Toppo, 2003).

School violence has become an all-too approved crisis within the last few years. In 1996, a study conducted by the Children’s Institute International Poll of American Adolescents, revealed that 47 percent of adolescences’ believed that their schools survival rate was on a decline due to violence. 10 percent adolescences’ were insecure of being shot or wounded by classmates carrying weaponry to schools; while more than 20 percent of the students were afraid to go to restrooms, because these unsupervised sections of the school, were well-liked locations for student victimization (The US Department of Health and Human Sciences, 2003).

Plausible Causes of School Violence

Contrary to common concept, school violence does not start from gang-related occurrences; but rather it does gain from frequency of narcissistic (some who shows extreme love and administration for oneself, and worthlessness of others) behaviorisms, like bullying. Bullying is defined as an act of intentionally causing pain to others through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more devious methods of coercion (Bullies and their victims: Understanding a pervasive plight in the schools, Batsche, G. M., & Knoff, H. M. (1994) School Psychology Review, 23 (2), 165-174 EJ 490 574). Bullying, which is often a approved element of school violence, is also repeated acts of aggressive behavior to torment and to calculatedly impair another person/s. Bullying is characterized by a distinctive entity behaving in a manifested approach to acquire power over another person (Besag, 1989). Behaviors may include name chastising, verbal or paper/technological written abuse, social isolation and exclusion from social functions, physical abuse, or coercion (Carey, 2003; Whitted & Dupper, 2005). Bullies may behave this way, to be perceived as popular, tough, or simply to seek attention. The aggressor may be bulling out of jealousy; or in return, the aggressor may be a victim who appears to be acting out, because they themselves are bullied (Crothers & Levinson, 2004).

The USA National Center for EducationStatistics suggests that bullying can be broken into (2) two categories:

1. Remark Bullying

2. Indirect Bullying (also known as social aggression)

Direct bullying necessitates a vast deal of physical aggression such as pushing, punching, and slapping, throwing things, choking, kicking, stabbing, pulling hair (often seen in female/female situations), scratching, biting and scraping.

Indirect bullying is characterized by threatening a victim into social isolation. This process of social isolation is accomplished through an extensive range of techniques. These techniques include vague communication by spreading gossip, refusing to associate with the victim, bullying other people who desire to socialize with the victim, and criticizing the victim’s behavior and other socially-significant indicators which include the victim’s run, religion, and disabilities. Other forms of indirect bullying, which are likely related to verbal chastising; are name calling, the silent treatment, manipulation, hearsay, scuttle-butt (military jargon for water cooler gossip), and laughing at the victim in ridicule mocking.

According to Trump (1998), a common setting surfaces when, “A student is harassed, slapped around, and punched roughly daily on the bus ride home from school.” For the most part, when there is a precedence of abuse that occurs over a lengthy period of time, the victimized student/s often brings a knife or a gun of some variation to school, and formulates a plan (premeditation) to pull the weapon out, and stab or shoot the bully. Not only are students bullies, but often teachers are identified as manipulative aggressors. On the other hand, many teachers tend to observe bullying as a normal, natural fraction of life; which can mean that they are therefore, indifferent when they see it occur (Coy, 2001). Unfortunately, when teachers ignore the fact that bullying is occurring, it is probable to suggest that the victimized student may feel alone, and that their options are limited.

Peer Pressure

Students face search for pressure everyday because they have a void to fulfill, along with a need to fit in with other students their age. Peer pressure can be both:

1. Positive

2. Negative

Peer pressure is positive when it is giving confidence to colleagues and/or friends of students, to improve themselves academically or socially in a legal, harmless manner. A group of students supporting other students to be involved in community service programs is an illustration of obvious peer pressure.

In contrast, negative peer pressure involves a group of students compelling other students to participate in illegal and/or detrimental behavior.

Another form of peer pressure relates case in point, back to the notorious bullying in schools. Bullying is a relentless predicament because it can have negative consequences on the entire school’s ambiance, and it can hinder students’ rights’ to learn in kindly surroundings. Victims habitually dread school, and view it as a miserable and insecure place to be. Bullies’ give that the impression that for the most part, they need to feel in control; and to draw from some sort of realm and satisfaction, by inflicting afflict and suffering on to others.

The National School Safety Center calls bullying, “the most enduring and underrated problem in American schools” (Banks, 2000, p. 12). It is interesting that the severity and frequency of bullying have an inverse relationship. The severity increases with age, while the frequency decreases. Prime and tragic examples of severity are the students from Columbine High School, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. They were no-expense-spared targets for verbal and physical harassment by the athletes of the school. Researchers and observers speculate that they were pushed over the edge from years of torment (Banks, 2000).

The Media

The media also plays an important position in the spread of school violence. “Violent movies, violent music, violent video games-many believe they have combined to erode the moral fiber of today’s youth, turning some into ruthless killers” (Glasgow, 2003). After the terrorism at Columbine occurred, news stations replayed video recordings of the chaos that followed. The attention individualized Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, the Columbine shooters, which may have been inspiration to others, who suffered being bullied and wanted to lash out against their attackers. “In a society that is flooded with media images of violence, Mediascope

The problem may not necessarily be the direct correlation between student watching an image on the television or the movies and duplicating it; it is likely the constant exposure to violence that tends to guide children to believe that violence is an ordinary and not deviant behavior. These various kinds of media attention have a tendency to significantly influence students that already have penchants to violence, leading them to occupy it is not out of the ordinary.

Preconditioned, should a student/s decide that they are going to terrorize their school or a specific individual, it is virtually easy to do so, despite the many failed attempts and successful school acts of violence in the past. The internet contains a generous amount of information on how-to-concepts, like building bombs, planning murders, how to diagram out a school attack, suicide packs, and much more terrifying acts to fuel criminal-behavior. A 1999, Gallup Poll indicated that 82 percent of Americans, who were surveyed, blamed the internet for a major source of mitigating information that led to the Colorado slaughter (Moore, 1999). Basically, any student (even a young child who knows how to type) can search the internet to learn ways to thought and execute an attack. Despite laws and enforcement, guns are incredibly easy for children to gain. “Too many guns handled in rage, by troubled adolescents, can often be traced abet to irresponsible adults” (O’Connor, 1998).

For example, children as young as preschool ages are excellent of obtaining a gun in their parents’ home; and sadly enough, there is a likelihood of finding an arsenal of accessible weapons in neighborhoods and adjoining cities. Chances are that many of these young children are not aware of the consequences and deprecations that pick up from “playing” with a gun. Older students have easy access to guns, and can use the internet to create an action plan for using the weapons. “Access to weapons among some students may be
The Preparation behind the Violence

In many incidents of school violence, the terrorist often brags to friends are other victims of abuse regarding their intentions. Regardless of whether or not their attentions are believed to be authentic or joked about, the student/s may have mentioned their concept of action briefly to friends. As a rule of thumb, these friends or acquaintances never reported the mentioned violence to the proper authorities, because they believed the attack were only idiotic nonsense; and that they would never actually go through with it (Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2003). According to the findings of the Safe School Initiative, “in nearly 2/3 of the incidents [studied], more than one person had knowledge about the attack before it occurred. In nearly all of these cases, the person who had direct knowledge of the event was a friend, schoolmate, or sibling” (Vossekuil, 2002, p25). Arguments that are similar to the September 2001 attacks can be correlated to school attacks, in that people or organizations that had direct knowledge that intent might exist; then theoretically, the entire attack would have most likely been prevented.

Consequently, many citizens argue that these student terrorists’, who engage in some sort of illegal activity, prior to an assault, can be seen as a “cry for help.” Notwithstanding, if the marvelous befriend and counseling was given to the student, it is plausible that the attack would have never occurred. In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech[2]

Weapons Release

Virginia Tech

During February and March 2007, Cho premeditatedly purchased the weapons that he would later use throughout his killing rampage. On 9^th February 2007, Cho purchased a .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun, from a federally-licensed firearms dealer in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Cho bought a Glock semi-automatic handgun, on 13^th March 2007

On 22^nd March 2007, Cho purchased two 10-round magazines“All the [shit] you’ve given me, right back at you with hollow points…”

Effects

Bullying has many negative effects on students even before a sadistic retaliation transpires. For the victim, it may be a noteworthy factor related to their low self-esteem, or that directly relates to lowering their self-esteem. This low self esteem can either lead to suicide or it can cause the student to act in response with a violent retaliation. Permitting bullying to continue can have countless negative consequences for the bullies themselves. If a more strong-minded reach to end bullying were exercised, perhaps fewer students would experience the pain of being tormented daily during school.

Consequences of Bullying

If zero is done to lower the amount of occurrences of school violence, many negative consequences will likely continue to acerbate. For example, the less unfortunate number of children who stay home to avoid bullying will increase. Currently, 162,000 students stay home each day because they are afraid to go to school” (Weinhold, 2003). If bullying is not stopped, more shootings will occur within the schools. Short term preventive solutions, such as metal detectors and security guards are used, but there will be no long term solutions that focus on the true nature behind the threat of why children lash out. These short term resolutions only sheds a spotlight on preventing children from inappropriate violent acts, instead of actually removing the rooted foundation for why they choose to be violent.

Fear

School violence has many negative effects on the students, and on the school overall. “Students and teachers coming into our schools must have a advantageous and orderly environment. Children cannot learn and teachers cannot teach if they are scared or intimidated” (Philips, 2002). It is unjust for both students and teachers to function in continuous fear of being attacked at school. It would be nearly impossible for a student to concentrate in their learning environment if the student lives in a constant condition of fear.

Prevention Methods

Bullying is a foremost cause of school violence, and any attempts to eradicate it would lower the relentless frequency of school violence. The Secret Service and the Department of Education collaborated and created the Safe School Initiative, a program designed to establish a safe learning environment for students. The study examined 37 incidents of school violence in the United States, for a period of 26 years, to expose the philosophy and behavior of student attackers, and to determine what preventative procedures could have been taken to avoid the torment. “In a safe school climate, adults do not bully students and [they] do not bully each other, and they do not turn a blind eye to bullying behavior when they know that it is going on in the school” (Vossekuil, 2002, 70).

Professional School Security Assessment

The first crucial step in developing a plan of action for safe school environments is having a professional school security assessment already set in to practice. The purpose of this assessment is to give education staff a describe on the existing security conditions in their schools; and to evaluate the strengths and their weaknesses of the current practices. “An assessment identifies vulnerabilities and risks related to security threats. It also makes specific recommendations, short-term and long-term, for corrective action to reduce these risks or to continue effective practices,” (Trump, 1998, 45). More often than not, the breakdown of an assessment includes (a) interviews with the faculty and the staff, (b) an analysis of authoritative date relating to disciplinary actions, and (c) an examination of the school’s design and structure (Trump, 1998). Notwithstanding, perhaps the assessment should either include *(d) or employ a separate assessment which includes students’ opinions.

Quick Fixes

After an incident of school violence, there is usually some sort of quick fix. The most approved “quick fix” is the use of metal detectors. Metal detectors are not entirely efficient in preventing students from smuggling weapons into schools; it is feasible for a student to get a weapon into a school by climbing into a window. Handheld metal detectors are more effective than stationary ones and surveillance cameras are another effective method in lowering violence in schools. One, however, must retract into sage operating costs, determining who will monitor the surveillance cameras, and in what locations will the cameras be most effective. The most distinguished thing to remember is that even though it may seem like these surveillance cameras are not effective, perhaps because the school has only confiscated two guns within the year, imagine how many guns were not brought to school because of the knowledge that these surveillance cameras and metal detectors were present (Trump, 1998).

School security personnel, smooth of either security guards or police, have become a typical presence in schools. Duties include, “[1] deter, detect and defeat criminal activity, [2] prevent theft and other losses caused by fire, damage, accident, trespass, or criminal activity, [3] protect life, property, and the rights of individuals, and [4] enforce laws, rules, regulations, and statutes” (Hylton, 1996, 27). It is typical to have one guard for every four hundred students that are in the school. This design there are plenty of security personnel to deal with an emergency if one were to arise.

Long-term Solutions.

A recent program, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design [CPTED], takes a new approach to safety measures. “By conducting a CPTED analysis, school officials can pinpoint specific environmental changes that will foster desired behaviors rather than inadvertently encouraging unwanted behavior” (Schneider, 2001). There are three main points to CPTED. Natural surveillance is key and this means watching the whole area without overexerting oneself to do so. Pruning shrubs is a good way to improve natural surveillance because this allows faculty, staff, and security to easily notice for suspicious characters. The second main point in this program emphasizes natural access control. This simply means controlling who can enter the school by having one main entrance and closing off all unsupervised entrances. The final point is territoriality or establishing control over the environment. Administration should execute positive who is section of the school environment and who is not. A good way to implement this method is to have the students wear uniforms and to have the teachers wear name tags (Schnerider, 2001).

The best way to prevent attacks on schools is to try to get rid of the reasons why children turn violent. Lowering the amount of bullying that occurs will be very beneficial. “Students should be encouraged to report incidences of bullying by promising the students anonymity. The school should compose a student discover program by training student volunteers to patrol and report instances of bullying” (Coy, 2001). If a school makes its student body aware that bullying will not be tolerated under any circumstances and the punishment for bullying is harsh, students will be less likely to bully their peers. This in turn will foster a learning environment that will not have as many students who are hostile and have built up rage; however, there will always be students with problems. The final preventative method is, “… educators can play a part in prevention by creating an environment where students feel comfortable telling an adult whenever they hear about someone who is considering doing harm to another person, or even whether the person is considering harming themselves” (Vossekuil, 2002, 42). This method will only be effective if the authority figures listen to the students and handle the information fairly and justly.

In fresh years, school violence has spread to every type of school in the nation. The attackers have been of every urge, gender and ethnicity. The problem is that students feel that they cannot resolve their problems without resorting to violence; administrations need to give students another way out. School violence negatively affects every person in the learning environment in numerous ways. By eliminating the causes of school violence, a safe learning environment for all children can be achieved.

References:

-Books:

Fein, R. A. (2002) Threat assessment in schools: a guide to managing threatening situations and to creating safe school climates. Washington, D.C.

Hylton, J. B. (1996) Safe school: A security and loss prevention plan. Boston, Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann Publishing.

Saunders, C. S. (1994).Safe at school: Awareness and action for parents of kids grades K-12. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Free Spirit Publishing INC.

Trump, K. S. (1998). Practical school safety: Basic guidelines for safe and secure schools. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press INC.

Vossekuil B. (2002) The final characterize and findings of the safe school initiative: Implications for the prevention of school attacks in the United States. Washington, D.C.

-Journal Article (Peer Reviewed)

Coy, D. R. (2001 November 1) Bullying. ERIC/CASS Digest. Retrieved March 9, 2003 from EBSCO ERIC Database

-Journal Articles

Phillips, S. (2002 September 27) Unruly Pupils Face Hard Times. The Times Educational Supplement pp.22 Retrieved March 9, 2003 from Lexis-Nexis/ Academic

Schneider, T. (2001 January 1) Safer Schools through Environmental Design. ERIC Digest. Retrieved March 9, 2003 from EBSCO ERIC Database

Toppo, G. (2003 January 13) School Violence Hits Lower Grades. USA Today pp1A. Retrieved from Lexis-Nexis/ Academic database

-Newspaper Articles

Glasgow, G. (2003) Media the Message. The Daily Camera. Retrieved April 26, 2003 from http://cfapps.bouldernews.com/printpage/index.cfm

O’ Connor, E. (1998 July Clinton Backs Gun Access Penalties. The Associated Press. Retrieved April 16, 2003 from http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/07/08/clinton.guns/

-Internet Resources

Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2003, March 23). “Center for the Prevention of School Violence Floor Plan”. Retrieved April 15, 2003 from http://www.ncsu.edu/cpsv/

Moore, C. (1999) Blaming The Internet For School Violence Scapegoats The Real Problem. Retrieved April 27, 2003 from http://barque.freeyellow.com/scapegoat.html

The US Department of Health and Human Sciences. (2003) “School Violence Prevention”. Retrieved April 15, 2003 from http://www.mentalhealth.org/school

Weinhold, B.K. (2003) “Bullying and School Violence: The Tip of the Iceberg”. Retrieved April 27, 2003 from http://www.balarad.net/clients/weinhold/bullyingmain.htm

[1] The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, 20^th April 1999, at Columbine High School near Denver and Littleton. Two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went on a shooting rampage, killing 12 students and a teacher. They also wounded 23 others, before committing suicide. It is the fourth-deadliest school killing in United States history, after the 1927 Bath School disaster, 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and the 1966 University of Texas massacre.

[2] The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting comprised of two separate attacks that were about two hours apart on 16^th April 2007, on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. The perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people and wounded many more,before committing suicide, making it the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history violence/default.asp of ammunition through eBay from Elk Ridge Shooting Supplies in Idaho; and an additional 10-round magazine of ammunition on 23^rd March 2007, from another eBay seller. Along with an electronic warning message, Cho had sent a photograph of a hollow point bullet, to NBC News with the caption from a licensed gun dealer located in Roanoke, Virginia. Various other weapons and ammunition were also purchased by Cho at pawnbrokers in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he successfully fulfilled the legally-required background check, for the purchase and possession of a handgun. He was successful at completing both handgun purchases, even though he had botched to drawl information on the background questionnaire about his mental health, which would require court-ordered outpatient treatment at a mental health facility. He also purchased guns on websites, which were shipped to him at his college dormitory. massacre, Virginia Governor, Tim Kaine, organized a group consisting of diverse representatives and professionals to investigate, and to examine the feedback and management of issues related to the Virginia Tech bombardment. The discussion group released its concluding findings in August 2007, detailing Cho’s afraid past. The group apparently criticized over profuse failures by school administrators, educators and mental health professionals who had contact with Cho; and whom ineffectively noticed his fading condition, and their combined lack of response to accept him help that he so desperately needed. The group also condemned misinterpretations of privacy and gun laws, as well as flaws in Virginia’s mental health system.

The expectations for the democratic presidential contenders continue to rise as they head into South Carolina. With four early contests behind them, South Carolina has the weight to make or break the three democratic candidates. For weeks it has been said by pundits and insiders that what happens in New Hampshire will dictate what happens in South Carolina, and what happens in Nevada would show where South Carolina is headed. It is yet to be seen what will actually happen in this next crucial state for the Democratic Party.

The fight for Iowa was tough for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but in the end, Obama won with 38% and Hillary came in third with 29%. Days later, the mainstream media pushed a relentless Obamamania to all but assure an Obama victory in New Hampshire. No one in the country was to believe that Hillary could win any of the early states and that her candidacy had merit. It was Obama who was to be the rock star of politics, not Hillary. That however, was flipped on its head when Hillary came in first in New Hampshire. How could this happen? Everyone began to search for the answer by examining the polls, the pollsters, and the level of racism in the voters, but no one noted that after Iowa, Hillary raised over $1 million dollars in three days. Perhaps more of us would have thought a Hillary New Hampshire victory was possible if we recognized her support.

Nevada was considered the spot that would test the candidates on their electability among a more diverse demographic that is more representative of the nation than Iowa or New Hampshire. In a close race, Hillary won the state, beating skeptics in the media yet again. The Original York Senator won among most demographics, and effectively proved her electability among a national race. Hillary heads to South Carolina with her head held up high, and her organization confident as it begins a tough fight.

A candidate can win many of the states but calm lose the nomination. Unlike the Republican Party, the Democratic Party has a delegate system, where a candidate wins a certain number of delegates according to the amount of votes they salvage. Whoever has the most delegates in the end, wins the nomination. While the media struggles to figure out who is in the lead, the delegate count already has the answer: Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In Iowa, Barack Obama won the state with a strong 38%, and so was awarded 18 delegates. While she lost with a third place showing, Hillary also won 18 delegates. The Iowa loss was not so harsh as is led to be believed. The Recent Hampshire distinguished widely expected to give Obama a double digit win, a landslide that began in Iowa and would continue to storm through the other states to give Obama the nomination. All that turned out to be wrong when Hillary came in first, winning the site. In this state, Hillary won 11 delegates while Obama won 12. The media was at a loss and the Obamania was place to a rest. Nevada came in giving Hillary a strong accumulate, awarding her and Obama with 14 delegates. So far the race looks neck and neck as far as votes and delegates go.

Not really. To become the democratic nominee, a candidate must win a majority of the delegates attending the party convention in Denver, Colorado. The candidate must salvage 2,025 delegates to win the nomination. The number of delegates could change if some are not able to befriend, the party changes the states to be included in the final count, or if the delegates are no longer in office. Delegates can pledge to a candidate ahead of their states causus or primary, and there are superdelegates who are elected officials who attend the convention who can go to either candidate. The delegate count as of now will change as the hasten goes on. Hillary is clearly ahead with an improbable 210 delegates, against Obama’s 123 delegates. To understand this, lets break down the count among the major states:

Iowa: 18 Obama, 18 Hillary, 17 Edwards
New Hampshire: 11 Hillary, 12 Obama, 4 Edwards
Michagen: zero delegates
Nevada: 14 Hillary, 14 Obama
New Jersey: 10 Hillary, 1 Obama
New York: 39 Hillary, 1 Obama
California: 18 Hillary, 9 Obama, 1 Edwards

Edwards is clearly behind and stands no chance of winning the party nomination. Hillary’s support never gave way to a window of opportunity for Edwards to put into question her electability, so as a result, he has nowhere to go but out of the race. That is, unless he wants to tip the nomination to Obama at the last minute by handing Barack his delegates. If he does indeed decide to go that route, he will have to manage to discontinue in the race long enough to see Super Tuesday where the remainder of the states vote. Either way, John Edwards will not win the nomination.

In my opinion, Hillary Clinton will go on to manufacture a strong showing in South Carolina where the race is tight. I think she’ll win the place, and a edifying number of delegates. She’ll then go on to winning California, New York, and New Jersey, along with most of the Feb. 5th states. The Democratic Party nomination will be hers, and the campaign for the White House against the republicans can really begin.

The inquire of for a permanent restraining order filed by Luke and Lola Bodley against Cory Parella was vacated by Magistrate Emily Anderson, Thursday at the Adams County Courthouse.

The ruling was that the initial order was filed under the clauses in the law allowing for benefit of doubt to the Plaintiff, and a continuance was filed because the Plaintiff failed to satisfy Due Process, which requires the Defendant be legally served.

The ruling was overturned and vacated on the basis of insufficient evidence by the Plaintiff.

The Plaintiff accused the Defendant of being a threat to the event known as Heaven Fest, according to the court transcript. The judge ruled that the law does not pertain to events, but to persons. The law requiring permanent status also requires the burden of proof that ongoing imminent danger would exist.

The judge ruled that the Bodley’s failed to provide sufficient evidence. The order was vacated and the case was closed.

During the hour-long hearing, it was discovered that Mr. Bodley lacked sufficient proper venue to file the order in the first place, given the scope he was seeking.

He and his wife attempted to represent several entities, including Heaven Fest, LLC, but the Defense showed the Bodley’s lacked the authority to characterize a multiple of those entities. According to the Secretary of State, as of August 11, 2010, the corporate position of Heaven Fest had been delinquent since 2006. Colorado corporations do not have the right to be represented or acknowledged in a court of law if they are delinquent in their location with the Secretary of State.

The permit issued by the city of Longmont to hold Heaven Fest was filed by Worship And The Word Movement, which is currently a nonprofit in Good Standing with the State of Colorado. Had Heaven Fest been the entity holding the permit, the permit would have been void.

As of August 14th, the trade name Heaven Fest remains available in Colorado. Records show that Worship And The Word Movement paid for the filing update for “Heaven Fest;”, a.k.a. Heaven Fest LLC at 4:35 p.m., shortly after its President, and Heaven Fest co-founder pastor David Powers, heard the Defense state this fact during the hearing, while attending the August 12th hearing.

The fee to file a trade name is $35.

Heaven Fest COO Jeanie Rhoades was also present but gave no testimony.

A police report citing a man who identified himself in an online posting was presented by the Defense, was filed by the Defendant on August 11th, citing threats the Defense was receiving from supporters who claimed to have relationship with the Bodley’s and Northern Hills Christian Church, also mentioned in the restraining order.

The report states that on August 8th and 10th, and 11th, a man whose identity is withheld until the police investigation is concluded, visited the web situation known as Associated Exclaim and made threats to the Defendant and his family, who works as a journalist for the news agency.

The man allegedly posted commentary referring to the Defendant’s family by name, a violation. The posts were deleted for safety reasons and the web spot was adjusted to disallow “guest” or “anonymous” comments.

No posts have been made by anyone since.

Associated Content has stated that their legal department is aware of the incident.

The Judge’s ruling comes two weeks after over 20,000 people attended an event in Longmont, Colorado called Heaven Fest. On July 31st, Bodley had issued a copy of the Defendant’s photo (taken from the Defendant’s private Facebook page, a violation of the Privacy Act), to Longmont Police who were assigned to event security, in anticipation of the Defendant’s trespass.

This act was in violation of the scope of the order the Plaintiff filed with the court.

The Defendant states he was at home barbecuing with his family at the time Heaven Fest was happening.

The Bodley’s alleged that a Facebook message sent by the Defendant to the Plaintiffs dated June 18th, included the words, “I hope no one gets hurt at Heaven Fest.”

The judge annunciated the sentence aloud twice, one in the context of a voice that might intend pain, and the other that was more real. She cited the lack of tone possible in emails, and declared the Plaintiff’s interpretation of the email to be insufficient evidence to indicate imminent danger, current or ongoing.

“I can’t control how these people read their emails,” the Defendant stated. During 2008 and 2009, medical emergencies requiring hospitalization had occurred at Heaven Fest.

All previous relations between the Plaintiff and Defendant were ruled irrelevant.

The Plaintiff also made allegations of slander by the Defendant, based on ongoing news coverage written by the Defendant through Associated Content and The Examiner, Boulder Edition.

The judge ruled any such discussion was outside the scope of this case and stopped short of explaining the laws regarding the freedom of the press and the celebrity clause in the Privacy Act.

Both acts allow writers to publish commentary about celebrity events without the consent or permission of the subject based on content released by subjects through commercial venues.

Private venues are not eligible for public disclosure.

Heaven Fest is currently accepting artist applications for its next event. No permit or invitation by Longmont has been issued to allow Heaven Fest to return. A city council meeting is scheduled for October 1, 2010 to examine the event and discuss the the future of the event in Longmont.

“Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they understanding best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.” Hebrews 12:10

…when God tells you, ‘No, son, you’re wrong.’

Cory Parella is a freelance journalist, movie producer and Christian pastor in Denver, Colorado.

Today’s societal evolution has brought a larger acceptance of cremation as a final disposition of the human remains. Many religious factors and the very idea of cremating a human remains was considered taboo years ago. However, with the changes brought about in relaxing religious restraints, changes in societal outlook and even younger generations looking at the funeral industry differently than did their elders, cremation has gained an acceptable method of disposition and in many locales and metropolitan areas is the more common method.

Choosing a cremation doesn’t mean a family cannot have final closure. More often than not, many families have a mis-understanding of what cremation services are available to them. Certainly the basic cremation is the most thought of option whereby the body is removed from the place of death, temporarily refrigerated until required permits are obtained and then cremation takes place. A cremation service can be as simple and basic or as extravagant as the family wishes.

It is not uncommon for a family to purchase a complete traditional funeral service complete with a cremation casket and then cremation to follow. The difference is not going to a cemetery for burial. Cremations are certainly an alternative method for disposing of the human remains, but should not be an alternative for a funeral or a service of remembrance. All cremation services are priced differently depending on the funeral home of choice and the family’s economic situation. It is wise to call the many different funeral service providers and query as to their pricing and what is included in their prices. Also ask what charges may not be a “funeral home or cremation charge” which could be added as a “cash advance item”. A suggestion is to do so before the need for a funeral home’s services while thinking and logic is clear and not clouded with emotions.

Many people choose cremation because we are living in such a transient society. The disposition of the cremated remains (the ashes) can be of scattering, burial, placing in a columbarium niche or the family simply keeping them in the home. Because people do move around being able to keep the cremated remains is a favorable option until such time they may make a decision as to the final disposition.

Others choose cremation because they don’t value the funeral, perhaps they are not religious, simply do not want to view the body or don’t want to have any type of memorial. What is interesting is that the majority who choose cremation have a higher education level and a higher annual income. These tend to be the “baby boomers” they look at cremation as being more environmentally friendly and easier on the family emotionally. They have a tendency to be more spiritual rather than religious.

Arranging For a Cremation

It is very important to understand that one simply cannot just have a human remains cremated without first incandescent that all funeral homes must, under all circumstances, abide by the laws governing cremation in their state. Just as we have banking laws, insurance laws, credit laws and laws of every kind, funeral homes in each state of the nation have laws that oversee the disposition of a human body, whether it be cremation, ground burial, entombment or donation to science. If your friend, or even a stranger, asked you to break a law for them, will you do it knowing you can be fined or possibly imprisoned? The answer should certainly be No! Countless of times, as a funeral director, given the family circumstances, I have been asked to bend and even break the law just to accommodate. I will not do that and neither should any funeral director.

Please research the laws in your particular state regarding cremation. You may do this online or ask a local funeral director. All funeral directors, to maintain a license (exception is Colorado), must be knowledgeable of the mortuary laws in the state they are licensed. Colorado does have laws overseeing the disposition of a human body but that state does not license its funeral directors.

Every hospital or midwife must procure information for a Certificate of Birth and file the document with the location bureau of principal statistics. A funeral director will regain information from a family and file a Certificate of Death with the local government agency where death occurred. The information on the Certificate of Death must mirror image that information on the Certificate of Birth, ie; complete full name, first, middle, last; place of birth, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, father’s name. In most states a maiden name cannot be used as a middle name. In addition most states have increased the amount of information required to include demographics such as occupation (even if the individual is retired, occupation prior to retirement), highest level of education, race, nationality, legal site. Always remember the Certificate of Death is also a legal document and there are penalties under law for willfully falsifying the document. Request whatever number of “certified” copies of the original you will require to settle the affairs left slack. Some people need only one or two, others require many more. The Certificate of Death is used to close bank accounts, transfer titles, sell real estate, settle investments, insurance claims, retirement programs, etc. Everyone leaves an estate. It may be no more than selling off or transferring the title of an automobile to immense investment holdings of real estate, stocks, bonds and the like, but to terminate these a Certificate of Death is required. The question is always asked, “May I effect copies myself? ” The answer is always “No”. Copies made on a copier can be easily altered. Can you make copies of your checks instead of buying checks from the bank? No. Can you make copies of you payroll check and deposit those over and over? No. Remember, these are legal documents.

In your state please ask a funeral director which person may authorize the cremation. Most states require a document that is called “Authorization to Cremate” that funeral homes have. Not just anyone can sign this particular document. In my plot the law is specific as to who may authorize a cremation. The decedent can place in his or her will their wishes to be cremated but it must be specific to cremation. In general, the surviving spouse is the only person who can legally authorize cremation. In the case where the individual is widowed or divorced, in my space, each surviving adult child must sign for the authorization to cremate. Notice I said each… not one or two if there are three or more. All must tag. From there it goes along the lines as the place recognizes survivorship. Please check with your state what the laws require. In my state a form which is called “Agent to Control Disposition of Remains” is recognized and can be executed before an individual dies. This form can be used to appoint an agent who can make final decisions for the person after death. By appointing an agent, whoever that may be, the agent then supersedes all others in making final arrangements. The form must be signed in the presence of a notary public. Please check with your respective position and learn if an “Agent to Control Disposition of Remains” is recognized and accepted. Also, please bear in mind that a Power of Attorney ceases to exist when death occurs.

A Certificate of Death must be signed by a medical physician and filed in the local area in which death occurred and positive permits issued by the local registrar permitting cremation. Again, in my state, a cremation cannot occur until the Certificate of Death is completed and signed by the Funeral Director, the physician, filed with the local registrar and permits issued by the registrar. Your locale may differ somewhat, but this will give you a general idea that one cannot just cremate immediately after death occurs. After all accurate documents have been completed, filed and obtained then the funeral director may travel with cremation. Different locales move at different speeds, have different regulations and cremation may begin a day or two after death, others may take a few days.

If you choose cremation be prepared to select from a variety of containers the funeral director has to offer to place the cremated remains in. Selecting an urn from a funeral home is not mandatory but the funeral home does have a wide selection and in a variety of imprint ranges. Families may even consume containers online and some even bring in their own container. Remember though that if you choose to use a container you purchase elsewhere or is a container from home to place the cremated remains in, most funeral homes are not responsible for any breakage or leakage that could occur at a later date. Ask the funeral director what the funeral home’s policy is.

Burial Societies

There are a number of Burial Societies that exist for the purpose of providing their membership up to date information regarding funeral and cremation pricing. Many of these societies have a membership fee. They collect the General Price List and Casket and Outer Burial Container Ticket List from area funeral homes and compile that information into a listing for the members. If you choose to join a Burial Society be sure the lists they provide are accurate and up to date. However, you can obtain the same information simply by requesting the imprint lists directly from the funeral homes, either in person or by mail. Many funeral homes today have their prices for services, merchandise and cremation on their web sites. According to Federal Trade Commission rules, all funeral homes must comply with itemized pricing whereas all services are priced individually. You can pick and choose what level of service you want. You can omit limousines or you can choose to have them. You can omit a visitation/viewing/wake or you can have one. You will be charged accordingly. I strongly recommend visiting a funeral home or go online to their website. Many funeral homes provide “package services” at different levels that include many degrees of service and these packages have discounts. Many funeral homes have “cremation packages”, also. It is your decision to buy a membership into a Burial Society or obtain the information for free. Where one may not want to do the research for themselves, purchasing a membership into a Burial Society may be more economical and time saving.

Pricing

Today many people are very price conscious when shopping for any item, be it clothing, electronics, appliances, home repairs, insurance, etc. It isn’t any different when someone needs the services of a funeral director. Some families return to the funeral home that has served other members of their family in times past. Others must choose a funeral home for the first time. There is no law that sets the price of cremations. Each funeral home sets their prices according to what the market will bear in that locale. Where I have heard people exclaim the high cost of funerals and cremations, one should be reminded that over the last ten years, funeral costs have risen less than the national average of inflation. Why funerals and cremations do cost is because the funeral home must make a profit to pause in business. Funeral homes must purchase supplies and merchandise from manufacturers who must also lift the raw goods to perform. Funeral homes must also pay property taxes, income taxes, payroll taxes, utilities, insurance. Certainly funeral homes are paying the same for a gallon of gas as anyone else to operate their vehicles. Just as any other business must meet their overhead expenses to do business and serene make a profit to pause in business, funeral homes must do the same. Funeral Directors are not getting rich by any means but they must make a favorable salary to discontinue in the business and support their families, too.

The best notify is to compare prices with funeral homes. Over the years many coarse cost funeral homes have opened and they are designed to keep costs low and they do this by offering fewer services than the larger traditional funeral homes. A family is not getting discounted professionalism by any stretch of the imagination; they are only paying less but if the needs and demands are for what a traditional funeral home provides as part of their services, low cost or discount funeral homes will have a charge for these. So do not choose a low cost funeral home if you are expecting them to provide what the traditional homes “give away” or don’t charge for without expecting to pay.

Facts About Cremation

One must understand that depending on the local laws, there may be a waiting period of up to 48 hours from the time death occurs and human remains is cremated. Before any cremation can occur, all mechanical devices must be removed, such as pacemakers, because the can cause an explosion during the cremation process. Open flames within the cremation chamber can raise the temperature from 1600 to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately two to three hours. Of course, the time will vary depending on the weight and size of each human remains.

After cremation, the cremated remains are removed from the chamber using a hoe-like instrument. Every effort is made to remove every particle. To elaborate what cremated remains are, they are the skeletal remains of the body. These are placed in a tray for cooling. After cooling, the cremated remains are processed into the final consistency. Most cremated remains will weigh 4 to 8 pounds, depending on the bone structure of the human remains. All metal objects such as prostheses, artificial hips are removed from the chamber and disposed of as well as any jewelry dental gold break down into small pieces disposed of according to local law. The cremated remains are then returned to the family in a temporary container or a container the family has chosen.

In closing, cremation has become more acceptable as a manner of disposing of the human remains. There isn’t anything that is barbaric about as some may believe. Families choose cremation for a variety of reasons, but I like to believe that their choice is a personal choice that a funeral director does not need to delve into, but to provide.

Most people know of the California gold rush and the historic 49′ers but Colorado also has a very storied and larger gold hurry of it’s own. Gold was actually discovered in Colorado in 1849 and 1850 by prospectors heading to the California gold rush; however, the amounts of gold found in the South Platte river were not enough to keep these early Colorado prospectors from the much-hyped wealth of the California gold rush. It wasn’t until 1859 that the Colorado gold hurry was officially in full swing on the front range of Colorado around Denver and Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. The Colorado gold urge was the largest in American history and these prospectors were called the 59′ers for the peak year of the bustle. The boom continued until around 1861 when most of the placer gold had been panned. The focus then turned towards hard rock mining but in those early days, the technique for extracting the gold from the sulphide ores was not productive. This extraction process was later improved and prospectors began searching other parts of the state for gold ore deposits.

As a result of this search for gold in the late 1800’s, many other significant minerals were discovered. Lapis Lazuli was discovered near Gunnison and is the only known locality in the United States. Many silver ore bodies were found including the celebrated matchless mine in the Leadville mining district. Uranium was also discovered on the western plateau and is still one of the most active types of mines in Colorado.

There are an estimated 23,000 abandoned mines in Colorado! Thanks to these early prospectors there are many great opportunities for collecting minerals that have been left on these mine dumps and test pits throughout the state. Many of these mineral-collecting locales are on public lands and open to collectors.

I have described some of my favorite locations in the following paragraphs. Please always remember that these abandoned mine dumps do contain hazards like rusty nails, consuming rocks and rattlesnakes. Please use caution when exploring these areas.

The Great Western Mine – This mine can be reached by taking highway 24 west out of Colorado Springs. It is located at the top of Wilkerson pass unbiased before you reach the visitor center on the north side of the road. Bring a small shovel, as you will need to dig into the decomposing dump material. It won’t take long before you start seeing flashes of lustrous green in the sandy mix that is the prized malachite! Look closely at the larger rocks you fetch and it will succor to have a limited brush or some water to clear the dirt from the rock. Most of the specimens are fragile and are still in a decomposing state but I have found some nice pieces of harder material that make some excellent display pieces. I have been to this mine many times and each time I have been rewarded with some very nice samples. You can also find azurite at this mine dump but the samples I have found have only been dreadful quality but I am confident that spending more time here should explain rewarding in locating some nice exhibit pieces of azurite and even some better specimens of malachite.

Mary Murphy Mine – This mine is a tiny harder to find but well worth the trip especially to see the old buildings and abandoned mining structure. From Salida or Poncha Springs go north on US 285 to County road 162 in Nathrop. Follow county road 162 west towards the mount Princeton hot springs and the chalk cliffs. Follow this road to the Iron City/St Elmo area and discover for forest service road 295 to the Mary Murphy Mine. There are signs pointing to the Mary Murphy Mine along the way. The Mary Murphy mine was a gold producing mine operating from 1870 to 1925 and produced 220,000 ounces of gold. On the dumps today you can still score very nice samples of galena, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and rhodochrosite. I have personally collected very nice reveal specimens of galena and sphalerite with chalcopyrite, pyrite and quartz crystals. These minerals can be found within cavities of the rocks and boulders on the mine dumps. It will pick some rock pounding to open these cavities and some require quite a bit of effort but the rewards will be worth it.

Vulcan, Great Chimney & Good Hope Mines – From Gunnison, go west on US Hwy 50 to CO Hwy 149. At CO Hwy 149, cross the Blue Mesa Reservoir and go 1 mile to county road 31. County road 31 is not indicated as such but there is a signpost labeled 3304 indicating it is a BLM road. Go approximately 11 miles on county road 31/BLM 3304. You will see the very large mine dump of the Vulcan & Chimney mines up the hill to your right. There are several different mines here according to records, the Vulcan Mine, the Mammoth Chimney Mine & the Good Hope Mine. It is difficult to tell where one is over the other but the main mine dump sits on top of the hill. You do have to travel through private property, which is clearly marked so please stay on the road. Once you reach the top of the hill and the mine dump, you are on BLM land and it is open to collecting. There are remains of buildings and cabins on the way up to the mine, which make for some nice photographs. The mines produced sulphur in the early 1900’s and then copper was mined during WWI. The main ore vein was comprised of quartz, galena, sphalerite, & pyrite along with minor amounts of chalcopyrite, gray copper, sylvanite, tellurium and native gold & silver. If you are looking for some nice pyrite specimens, this is the place! You will see pyrite sand all over the place as it is decomposing from the rocks and flows into “pyrite streams” at the base of the mine dump. Also view for the white rock that looks like driveway gravel. This is where I found some nice crystals of pyrite. I did not acquire any pyrite cubes but the rounded crystals are still quite stunning against the white background of the host rock. We also found many good specimens of limonite and orange colored quartz that is most likely staining from the iron. Pyrite is iron disulfide and the smell of sulphur is stronger at this mine than any other I have visited. Nothing quite like the smell of a mine dump!

Sunset Mine – From Canon City go west on US Hwy 50 to county road 3 at Parkdale. Take county road 3 until you get the junction of county road 3 and county road 28. County road 3 continues to your left towards the Royal Gorge but you need to take county road 28 to your right. From the junction of county 3 & county road 28 you will go about 4.6 miles to the sunset city Gulch plot. The Gulch is a dry river wash that does have a BLM sign. You can park here. Across county road 28 up the hill is the mine. You cannot search for the mine from the road but hike up the hill about 100 yards after you harmful the road and you can’t miss it. (If you drive to far you will start seeing fences indicating private property and a label saying Deer Mountain fire district, turn around about 2/10 of a mile) On my 1^st visit to this mine, I was surprised to find that the mineshaft had not been sealed. The BLM has a program to seal these types of abandoned mines for the public’s safety. This does not inhibit mineral collecting as most of the mineral specimens are found on the mine dumps not in the actual mine itself. As of 2007, this mine has now been sealed and made safe. The major paying ore at the Sunset mine was Copper. There are two main areas to collect at. The main vertical shaft has the largest mine dump with a lot of schist material. On the west side of the vertical shaft, there is another depression in the ground and on the dumps of this hole, we found some very nice malachite & biotite mica specimens. I was especially pleased to find this grouping of minerals because I have nothing similar in my collection. On many of the specimens there are malachite inclusions right through the Biotite. This makes some very nice display pieces. We also found red garnet on the host feldspar in the surrounding hills. It is kind of small but attractive with the red garnet sparkling in the sun against the pink feldspar.

Czar & Czarina Mines – The views of the surrounding mountains is absolutely gorgeous here. The mines sit within an Aspen grove with a breathtaking view up the valley. I always start thinking how the old time miners must have felt up in these mountains, a very long way from civilization. Did they have time to appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature or were they too busy, blasting away and hauling rock all day long. I am distinct that the allure of the mountains is fragment of what brought this breed of man here to look for gold in the first place. I always feel cessation to those men when standing at mines like this one.The mineral collecting here is about what you would expect at most Gold & Silver mines. The difference I noticed here was the quality & size of specimens. It appears as if this mine has not been visited by very many rock hounds prior to our visit. The mine dump contains many excellent rocks to determine from. Look for rocks with quartz veins and demolish apart to expose the quartz crystals with nice pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite crystals. You don’t need to stray far from your vehicle to secure some nice specimens here but if you want a good short hike, there are plenty of larger rocks with nice crystals up the draw towards the sister mine on top of the hill. The old mine chute is still intact enough to get a good sense of what it looked like in the days of the mining operation. Some of my common pieces tranquil here were honest around the venerable ore chute and just down the hill from it.

I have been collecting minerals for many years and have even interested and interested my family. There are many things to see and do when looking for and exploring these abandoned mines. Many of these mines have spectacular mountain scenery and many of them have old mining structures and buildings. A true sense of what the obsolete time miners must have felt and experienced will creep in to your consciousness as you explore these places. With 23,000 abandoned mine sites to view, I know I will be busy for many years to approach. I hope you will find as mighty enjoyment out of it as I have had over the years.

Rachel and Harold Hoth, Farmersburg, were one of 172 farmers in Iowa to receive the 2006 Heritage Farm Award for ownership of the same farm for 150 years or more.

Rachel, age 84, reading from a genealogy report, compiled by her late brother Daniel, said that her great-grandfather, Daniel Brownson, pronounced Brunson, came to Iowa around 1839 after marrying Asenath Tyler; they had heard that the land was better in Iowa and that they could grow crops, which they couldn’t do in up state New York where it was too rocky.

“Daniel’s main objective when he came here was to get money to hold a house – he worked at the white forest in Wisconsin and he bought forty acres of land at $1.25 an acre – this is what we are living on now,” Rachel said. “There was another speculator who wanted the land too, he took a boat from McGreggor to Dubuque to beat Daniel – Daniel had walked from National to Dubuque and beat the land speculator by 20 minutes,” she added, reading from her records.

Rachel explained that when Spring came they built the log cabin, which was replaced in 1861 by the red brick house and runt red brick wash house, which later became a smoking house. The house she currently lives in, also in red brick and situated next door, was built in 1929.

After the Civil War was declared, two Northeners escaped from the South and fled up the Mississippi to McGreggor, and as luck would have it, they were bricklayers and probably carpenters, she explained. Daniel hired them to build the house. The house was built of brick and the cellar walls were constructed of quarried limestone and the bricks were transported on the river to Clayton and hauled by oxen to the farm; a ten mile trip, she pointed out.

“Daniel was the one to recognise that the horse was better than the oxen, he owned 40 or 50 horses,” Rachel said. “Indian ponies were used for riding and light hauling duties. He could notice the use or the need for a better horse – one that could do the work of oxen quicker and more responsively,” she continued, reading from the records.

Consequently, after the Civil War, Daniel went to France to capture Norman or Percheron stock. His nick name was Frenchy because he spoke French, Rachel said.

“He [Daniel] makes a speciality of breeding exquisite stock which he shipped to America at heavy expense. His yard of colts is one of the wonders of handsome horse flesh. He sold several thousand dollars of stock this Spring, and his herd numbers fifty, of various ages and value,” it said, in the Clayton County History book.

Rachel’s grandfather, son of Daniel, was Freeman Brownson, they ran the family business which was known as D.Brown & Son. Importers and Breeders. Later, Rachel’s father, Lloyd, joined the business.

Rachel had three siblings, all deceast, but she recalls her childhood on the farm fondly. She was very cessation to her brother Daniel who past recently.

“We helped our mother with the housework,” she said. “I used to mow hay with a team of horses. It was before the days of snow ploughs and farmers had to make a path through other peoples fields to get out – it was different,” she continued. “When we were married, we rented from my father until 1958 – then we bought the farm for about $200 an acre,” she explained.

“Harold just can’t sit still.”
Rachel and Harold have been married for 61 years, they were married in 1945. Harold has been a truck driver ever since they retired from farming. “Harold just can’t sit collected,” Rachel commented.

“I always liked living in the country – I think that it’s a good life,” Rachel said. “I used to attach in the crops and abet occupy them out in the fall. One time I was picking corn – and all of a sudden the tractor was on fire – luckily I had the presence of mind to switch off the ignition as I jumped from the burning tractor to establish my life,” she chuckled.

Rachel and Howard rent the farm, to what she called, a responsible young farmer, these days, but they do still reside on the same plot just a short distance from the novel log cabin built by her pioneer great-grandfather.

“I guess the very last year we just combined corn and sold it as a cash crop,” said Rachel explaining how they afflict down their farming. “We had livestock and grain, we fed the cattle which we sold at market when the price was right,” she said.

Rachel pointed out that they had at one time farmed oats too, but that they discontinued it. They also had hogs for a while, and she pointed out that it wasn’t a disease spot that caused them to get rid of the hogs, it was just that they were getting older and they still had a hundred head of cattle.

“I used to help with the feeding of the cattle, milking doesn’t interest me,” Rachel said, referring to not having dairy cattle. “We always grew a garden, we had our own vegetables – now I plant one patch of tomatoes, I can’t do mighty anymore – past eighty,” she said smiling.

“I liked to be out in the garden, I always had to do a lot of field work. I didn’t have much time for myself,” she said, explaining why she didn’t have much time for her hobbies of recipe, miniatures and cookie jar collecting.

Rachel was jubilant to have received the award but wished her brother Daniel could be around to indulge in it too. Rachel has one surving grandchild, Daniel, who lives in Dubuque. Rachel and Harold had three children together, Douglas, who now lives in Colorado, Susan, who lives in LaCrosse and Steven, in Dubque, father of grandson Daniel. Rachel had four siblings; Daniel, who had two children, Jeanette, who had three children, Eloise, who had three children and Berna, who had four children. A total of 15 offspring, all stemming from great-grandfather and pioneer of Northeastern Iowa, Daniel Brownson.

The picturesque farm, a scenic site off the beaten track, cannot be seen from 190 Street in Farmersburg, which is a gravel road, because it is place in a secluded valley off a dirt road.

The Heritage Farms Program
The Heritage Farms Program was initiated by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship this year. The ceremonies honoring the families who have owned farms for 150 years or more was held on August 17 at the Iowa State Fair.
Two families in Monona received the honor, as did two families in Farmersburg. The Heritage Farm Awards were presented by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge.
The Heritage Farm Program, according to a report by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, says that Secretary Judge stated, the program acknowledges Iowa farm families, it honors them by recognizing their contribution to the land and the responsiblity that comes from working the land. Their extraordinary contribution having been fraction of forging the Iowan way of life.

Due to the business that I am in I sometimes have to travel against my will to various places around the United States. One of the things that I dislike most about this is going to places where it is colder than it normally is in the southern part of the United States. As such, Colorado is probably one of the places that I would have liked to avoid more than anything but when I was forced to travel here for business I made the best of it. I decided that I would consume my time to travel around within Denver and find the best food that the city has to offer. To my surprise I found some amazing food and based on my own experience I can tell you that there is great food in Denver and I will help you make the search for gigantic food within Denver very easy.

DJ’s Berkeley Café is one of the best places that I found in Denver because their breakfast is amazing. Their omelets are mountainous and I would recommend the sausage, egg and cheese. It is made of what I believe are about six eggs. I was not able to finish it and I was amazing because I can eat a lot. I would expect to exhaust about $20 here for two people and they have friendly waiters and some other amazing food, which includes the fries, chicken fried steak and coffee. If you are looking for great southern food then this is the place to come. It is located at 3838 Tennyson St and they are originate from 8am to 2pm but I suggest you go early because it gets very busy.

Spicy Basil is another one of my favorite restaurants here because they offer everything that a good establishment would. They have great service and the waiters are very nice. They atmosphere was beautiful and I recommend the sesame chicken since I loved the taste of that dish. My girlfriend had the beef and broccoli and we spent about $16 total so it was worth it. They also serve Thai because it is Asian fusion and I loved their wontons also. They are located at 1 Broadway and if you don’t want to go here alone you could call them any time between 11am and 11pm for delivery to the door.

Marco’s Coal Fired Pizza is heaven for a pizza lover because they offer it for breakfast and dessert. I am a huge fan of their three-meat pizza and you should cessation by here and get it. They also serve a Nutella pizza that it amazing. They are open form 11am to 11pm at 2129 Larimer Street. They accept credit cards

As a homeschooling parent I’ve heard all the little snide comments, heard all the questions, and had to convince my family it was the right course for us to take. Homeschooling isn’t right for every parent. The educator ends up with zero personal time, having to clean up more science experiments than doing dishes and having to be creative in turning an already stressful event like grocery shopping into an educational experience. So, it does take a very high level of dedication to make it through with ones sanity intact. All that being the case, homeschoolers are statistically 4 grade levels ahead of their public school counterparts.

On top of the daily stresses of handling the children’s education, the educator must also become the advocate; arguing the pros against cons with spouse, family, friends, strangers and sometimes the school board itself. This is quite often the hardest piece for the home educator. While we feel in our hearts that we know whats best for our children, it can be difficult to put our arguments into intelligent words that will convince those that care and discourage those that judge.

The following are a list of arguments I and many home educators have had to deal with….

Aren’t homeschoolers religious zealots? We’re not overly religious, isn’t that a requirement?

While it may be legal that many choose homeschooling to influence their children with their absorb morales and religious beliefs, it is by no means a prerequisite. Yes there will be some who will assume we belong to some kind of cult that forces us to live in a cave of tradition, those who sing this sentiment are only displaying their own ignorance.

I agree whole heartedly with the separation of church and state; mostly because the teacher in a public school would only be a single representative of a single religion – which may not be my own. Since it would be impossible to have a religious holiday for every religion, or to teach the practices of every religion, than I agree religion should not be a part of public school. On the other hand, when teaching in my own home, we can freely discuss our private beliefs, as well as introduce the beliefs of the world. I can ensure my children follow my philosophical path while respecting the other paths of their fellow humans.

So, yes, some like homeschooling due to its freedom from the separation of church and state. They like to be able to instill their morals in each of their lessons. But, again, it is by no means a required subject. Only 75% of homeschoolers attend religious services.*

How can a homeschooled child get into college?

This is a big question and one that needs to be considered carefully with secondary level (high school) children. There are several ways for a homeschooler to get into college, but the bottom line is most colleges care more about ACT and SAT scores than transcripts. Now, a homeschooled child can choose to get a G.E.D. or an Adult Education Diploma, just to have that documentation available for the college. Others will enroll in an accredited home study course through a private school or Charter school (run by the district) again to have the paper in hand when approaching colleges. But, a homeschooling parent can prepare for the inquiries a college might send out, for transcripts, by keeping detailed records.

The conflict come into play that a homeschooling child will generally ‘graduate’ high school at the age of 16*. So, while his compatriots in public school are completing the 8th grade, he is essentially ready for college. This can mean getting a head start on entrance exams, or it can mean having the freedom to take a couple of years to work building a realistic view of life as an adult.

We don’t have a lot of money, isn’t it expensive to homeschool?

This is quite possible the biggest misconception about homeschooling. The average income of a homeschooling family is only $40,000 – 50,000 per year,* with 18% making $25,000 and 44% between $25,000 – 49,000 per year**. Furthermore, the average homeschooling family spends only about $450 per year on education.*

Whether a home educator chooses a purchased curriculum – which comes complete with teaching and learning tools – or to create their own, is up to the goals of the family. Each student learns differently, and thrives in different settings. Some children need strict structure provided by a purchased curriculum, while others thrive in a more hands on setting.

Almost all homeschoolers agree that younger children, younger than 6th grade, learn through a combination of book learning, and the use of their senses. Touching, experiencing, experimenting and feeling are better teachers than any book. Some home educators choose to allow this principle to rule their educational style, taking their children out into the world to learn by doing. This costs virtually nothing and can be rewarding both in the level of the child’s knowledge as much as the building of memories.

We didn’t go to college, how can we inquire to be a teacher?

Well, chances are your 6 year old wont starting off with college level physics. The number one thing I’ve told new homeschoolers over the years is that I’ve learned almost as much as my children, as I have a college education. The reason for that is learning by doing, by breaking the knowledge down so your little one can acquire it, will give you a better understanding of the belief than you may have ever had through straight book learning.

Can homeschooling really give as good an education as public schools?

In a word, No, homeschoolers achieve higher than public schoolers. In public schools, higher standardized test scores generally coincide with income levels. This is not the case for homeschoolers. Further, white vs. minority standardized test scores are virtually the same (87% in reading, 82 & 77 % respectively in math*) where as they vary in public schools (61 to 49% in reading, and 60 to 50% in math respectively)*. So homeschooling crosses the financial and socio-economic boundaries much more effectively than public schools.

The why is a bit of a debate, even among homeschoolers. Many believe overcrowding and underfunding in lower income public schools results in children falling through the cracks, whereas in homeschooling the ratio is closer to 1 on 1 education. Peer pressure, which can get in the device of education in public school, is diminished greatly in homeschool.

What about sports and music or all the other extra-curricular activities available in public schools?

This tends to be an valuable sticking point with dads especially. The truth is most districts offer the extra-curricular activities to all students within the district – whether they support the public schools or not. Further, many towns have separate teams and orchestras which cost very little money to join. There are many options out there for sports. Even if your district or town has no alternative or leeway for homeschooling, you can usually derive a homeschooling group in your area that will have sporting events or play groups available. Recent studies note 98% of homeschoolers belong to 2 or more social/community events such as Scouts, Ballet, 4-H, Bible Clubs, Music Classes, Group Sports, etc.

The dreaded question: What about socialization?

Every homeschooler hears this seek information from so often it becomes irritating. It is therefore ironic that the number one reason for homeschooling is the conflict of social issues in the public schools. Socialization is the term used to report how peer groups interact with each other in a social setting. Many homeschoolers don’t gawk how this describes public schools, where children must sit quietly in their chair and enlighten only when spoken too. Conversely, homeschooling turns education into a much more social event. Homeschooling children have the freedom to create their communication skills with various adults and siblings of various ages in a setting that promotes interaction. Further, as the above question addressed, most homeschoolers are also involved in social activities outside the home that offer children the opportunity to interact with their peer groups.

The reality is, homeschoolers have the advantage over public school children in social situations. They are encouraged to develop their own identity, to not fear asking questions or interacting with someone new. Many have never been in a situation that abuses their self image or identity, which further strengthens their self image. The homeschooler leads their public school counterparts with a strong vision of imagination, creativity, academics, social skills, sense of self, commitment to family, a respect for but not cowed by the government.

How does one get started in homeschooling?

Each state has different requirements for the homeschooling family. The first step for those interested in investigating home education, should derive out the requirements in your space. Some states have high requirements, which means a family must be approved for homeschooling, then what subjects are taught and how as well as standardized tests are all regulated by the board of ed. Where as some other states have zero requirements, meaning a family need not even notify anyone of their intent. There are pros and cons for both states. The high regulations can seem intrusive to the family that wanted to homeschool for the freedom of learning what and how their liked; but those states with higher requirements also generally have many more resources…including Charter Schools – which are curriculum’s and lessons designed by the school district, they tend to be very low cost or even free. Those states with low to no requirements have very little resources available to the homeschooling family. You can find out your states requirements through such web sites as www.hslda.org the Homeschool Legal Defense Assoc.

How many hours a day should we homeschool?

Again this differs from family to family. One should not view homeschooling as public school at home. Sure some subjects will have the home educator standing before the students instructing them, but most of the learning is done hands on. Further, with the ratio of educator to student being so much lower in homeschooling most homeschoolers only end up “schooling” about 3 hours a day. If you consider a public school which averages 6 hours long, with a class of 30 to every 1 teacher, each student only gets an average of 45 minutes 1-on-1 attention. With the personal attention less time is required to teach. Also, the way a subject is approached in homeschooling, is molded directly to the learning style of the student. This can not be done in a class of 20 or 30, they must reach a subject from the most usable manner, but in homeschooling, the home educator can mold and shift the teaching manner to best suit the students needs, which further decreases the amount of time considerable to learn.

How do we approach homeschooling, once we know the laws and requirements of our state?

Well, to determine if homeschooling is right for you is going to steal a bit of trial and error, of learning what will work from you – the educator- and from your child – the student. Essentially, you need to learn to communicate in a new scheme. This learning curve will be greatly decreased if you analyze your situation prior to getting started. It will also help you decide what type of curriculum would be best for your family.

To analyze your needs write a list of your vision, your needs and your child’s needs/personality. Retort such questions as:

Why are we homeschooling?
What do we want our children to learn?
Do we hope our children will attend college?
How much time (daily/weekly) can we devote to learning? How long (years) do we hope to continue it?
How much money can we invest in homeschooling?
What traits in our child will affect their learning? (they get bored easily, don’t follow directions well, get focused on a single topic to the exclusion of all others, etc)

Furthermore, analyzing your child’s’ learning style will greatly wait on you in determining the best avenue of education available to you…

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
Interpersonal Intelligence
Linguistic Intelligence
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
Musical Intelligence
Spacial Intelligence

Most children display one or more of the above learning styles. Understanding how your child’s learn can guide you in what curriculum you choose. The definitions can be found at http://hmt.myweb.uga.edu/webwrite/bodily.htm

Homeschooling Definitions:

Charlotte Mason Method: Charlotte Mason was a British educator and an observer of how children learned. She determined children should be out of doors experiencing nature in all its glory at least 4-6 hours a day, and children over the age of 12 should have one full day devoted to outdoor activities each week. She believed education should be much less about book learning and more about being in touch, experiencing and learning from the world around them. This does not mean there is a lack of actual “school work” as The Mason Method also has daily practice of Copying (working on spelling, grammar, writing) and such, but mighty of her method is based on the child’s experiences through life rather than life being taught to them.
Charter School: This is an innovative approach to Public School. This is not considered homeschooling, but public school within the home. Essentially its attending public school via the computer and is supported through the school district.
Classical Education Method: The basis of the classical method is the belief that all children, no matter their learning styles, go through 3 phases of intellectual or educational development. K-6 = memorization, Grades 7-8= more argument oriented, Grades 9-12= independent thinkers & communicators. Furthermore, students learn through the classical subjects: literature, philosophy, Latin & Greek, etc. Classical teaching methods range from class lectures, to debates, to Socratic (discussion-oriented) teaching. Independent learning skills are sharpened at all grade levels. Classical teaching methods range from class lectures, to debates, to Socratic (discussion-oriented) teaching. Independent learning skills are sharpened at all grade levels.
Curriculum: All the courses of scrutinize offered through the educational process, or through a single major or system.
Eclectic Schooling: This is a spattering of all the methods. Home educators use whatever method seems the right one at the time, or based on the subject. For instance, an educator might choose the classical method for teaching their child Latin, and a Charlotte Mason Method for teaching the life-cycle of a plant.
Lesson Plan: A detailed description of instruction for an individual topic or lesson.
Montessori Method: Montessori emphasizes learning through the use of the 5 senses, each child is encouraged to learn at their own pace. Education is seen as an consuming process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a esteem of learning. Children can support Montessori private schools or a home educator can study to become an accredited Montessori educator.
Unit Studies: A unit method of learning is all about the connectedness of all things..for instance, when learning about sharks a home educator can also teach math in the measurements of shark sizes or the number of teeth, they can teach science with the habitats and life cycles of sharks, geography in the migration patterns, spelling through writing the over 80 family names of sharks, etc. Unit studies is about choosing a topic then molding all other aspects of the lesson understanding around that single topic.
Unschooling: Each unschooler will give a different definition of what unschooling means. There is no sure description. Essentially, an Unschool Educator is more concerned with the process of learning than with the content. There is no station rules, basically anything goes. It is also focused on not pushing any subject on the child. It is also often referred to as Child-Led Learning, where the child discovers the next stage in learning when they are ready to discover it.
Waldorf Method: The founder Dr. Rudolph Steiner firmly believed learning should not just involve the minds of children but their bodies and spirits as well. Instead of using traditional textbooks children are encouraged to effect their own textbook.

*http://www.chec.org/Legislative/News/HomeschoolingStatistics/Index.html ; Christian Homeschoolers of Colorado, Brian D. Ray, PhD, Home Schooling on the Threshold (NHERI Publications, PO Box 13939, Salem, OR 97309), and HSLDA, Home Education Across the USA (HSLDA, 17333 Pickwick Dr., Purcellville, VA 20132), and HSLDA, Home Schooling Works, Pass it on! Rudner Report, (HSLDA, 17333 Pickwick Dr., Purcellville, VA 20132).

**http://homeschoolinformation.com/homeschooling/homeschool_statistics1.htm ; Heart of Wisdom, Homeschool Information, Statistics; Findings of an independent study by Lawrence M. Rudner, Ph.D., Director of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation.

Situation
On April 20, 1999 Eric Harris and Dylan Kliebold implemented their plan to bring weapons to their high school and extinguish people. Kliebold and Harris were students at Columbine High School. Kliebold and Harris parked in separate parking lots. Harris parked in the junior lot and Kliebold in the senior lot. It is speculated, that these spots were chosen because of their views of main entrances.

Kliebold and Harris began planning implementing their attack, in the parking lot. They had already set a firebomb a half-mile away. Evidence indicates this bomb was meant to distract emergency responders. The fire bomb was position to detonate at 11:14 a.m. The bomb did not completely fail. A small fire was produced that was quickly extinguished by fire personnel. Kliebold and Harris also prepared two propane bombs. They met at Harris’s car and placed the bombs inside two duffel bags. Each bomb weighed approximately 20 pounds.

Klebold and Harris entered the cafeteria and left both duffel bags. They placed the bags a few minutes before the “A” lunch shift started. Klebold and Harris returned to Harris’s car to wait for the bombs to detonate. Their intentions were to shoot students fleeing the cafeteria.

Brooks Brown, a fellow student, ran into Klebold and Harris. Brown and Harris had recently patched up a long-standing argument. Harris warned Brown, “Brooks, I like you now. Get out of here. Go home.” Brown, feeling uneasy, walked away.[5] Students leaving for lunch reported seeing Brown walking away from the school.

The propane bombs failed to explode. Klebold and Harris armed themselves with an arsenal of other weapons and walked into the building. They entered the school through the West entrance. Klebold and Harris began their plan at 11:19 a.m. A witness hears Harris yell, “Go! Go!” Klebold and Harris pulled shotguns from under their trench coats. Rachel Scott and Richard Castaldo were sitting on a grassy knoll to the right of Harris and Klebold. Scott was shot four times. Castaldo was hit eight times.

Harris removed a 9 mm semi-automatic from under his trench coat and removed his coat. Harris aimed down the West staircase, reach his station. Three students were walking up the staircase. All three students were shot. Harris and Kliebold then began shooting away from the school. They were targeting students eating lunch, south of the school. Two students were shot. One was able to run away. The second student played dead. Three other students were able to escape without being injured.

Klebold moved down the West steps towards the Cafeteria. He shot one student on the way to the Cafeteria. A wounded student was lying on the stairs. Klebold shot him again, in the face. Another wounded student was struggling to get down the steps. Klebold shot him from leisurely, killing him. Klebold entered the gym.

Harris was still at the top of the steps. He targeted several students sitting come the cafeteria’s entrance. He began shooting down the steps at them. One student was wounded while trying to flee. Klebold returned to Harris’s space. It is speculated, Klebold was checking on why the propane bombs did not detonate.

Klebold and Harris began opening fire on students standing approach the soccer field. They began sharp west into the school. They threw several pipe bombs, every pipe bomb failed to detonate (4). A teacher thought the two were shooting a video or pulling a prank. She began moving towards the West entrance with another student (6). Klebold and Harris shot out nearby windows. The teacher was hit by flying glass. The student was hit in the shoulder by shrapnel. The teacher ran down the hall and told students in the library to duck under the desks and be quiet. She dialed 911 and hit behind the library’s admin desk. 911 records time stamped her call at 11:25 a.m.

At 11:24 a.m., Klebold and Harris began taking fire themselves. A Jefferson County deputy had arrived and began shooting at them. Ten rounds were fired at the deputy. The deputy radioed that he was in need of assistance. Harris and Klebold began moving down the school’s main hallway. They shot anyone that they saw and three pipe bombs down the hall. They shot out the windows to the East entrance. They headed benefit towards the West entrance and turned towards the library.

Meanwhile, a coach had evacuated students from the cafeteria through a staircase that led to the second floor (4). The stairwell was reach the library hallway. The coach and another student saw Klebold and Harris enter the hallway towards the library. The coach was hit in the chest. The student escaped into a nearby classroom. The room’s teacher pulled the coach into the classroom. The teacher and several students used cell phone to contact police.

Klebold and Harris were now near the library above the cafeteria. Two bombs were thrown down into the cafeteria. A third bomb was thrown down the library hallway. All three bombs successfully exploded. Harris and Klebold entered the library at 11:29 a.m. The library contained 50 students, 2 teachers, and 2 librarians (4). Harris immediately shot a display case at the opposite end of the admin counter. His shot injured one student. On the 911 recording, Harris can be heard yelling “Get up!” Students from an adjacent room reported Harris saying, “Everyone with a white cap or baseball cap, stand up!” and “All jocks stand up! We’ll secure the guys in white hats!”[4] Traditionally, members of the school’s sports teams wore white hats. No one stood up. Klebold and Harris moved along the library wall to two rows of computers. Klebold fired at a student in the upper row of computers. The student was struck in the head and neck. Klebold and Harris laid both of their duffel bags down to reload.

Meanwhile, police had arrived and began evacuating students. Klebold and Harris walked past the windows where they had fair been. They noticed the police evacuating students. They began shooting out the windows to gain clear shots at police. Shooting out the windows caused police officers to return fire. Turning away from the windows, Klebold fired at a nearby table, injuring three students (4). Harris fired underneath the first desk in the row, killing one student. Harris then shot underneath the second desk, injuring one student. He moved to the third desk and shot a third student.

Harris moved away from the computers. He walked to a table near the computers. Harris slapped the table three times, looked underneath, and said “Gape a boo.” He then shot one student in the head. His weapon recoiled hitting him in the face and breaking his nose. Another student was sitting beside a nearby table. There was not enough room for the student to cloak under the table. Another student was trying to assist a wounded student. In doing so, the top of his became visible. Klebold fired two shots at him.

Klebold moved to yet a third table. Three student athletes were hiding under the table. Klebold attempted to pull one out but was unsuccessful. He called to Harris to join him. Harris knelt down and shot one student in the chest. Klebold also fired under the table and killed another student. The third student escaped harm by playing dead. Klebold and Harris left the library at 11:42 a.m.

Klebold and Harris headed toward the cafeteria. On the map, they three a fire bomb into a closet and fired into an empty classroom. They entered the Cafeteria at 11:44 a.m. Harris tried to detonate a propane bomb by shooting it. He was unsuccessful. They left the cafeteria at 11:46 a.m. At 11:48 a.m. a gallon of fuel was ignited causing a fire that was extinguished by the fire sprinklers. Harris and Klebold then wandered the North and South halls, looked into classrooms, and made eye contact with students; however, they never attempted to enter the classrooms. At 11:55 a.m. they returned to the cafeteria and walked through the kitchen. At 11:58 a.m. they returned to the South hall. Shortly after noon, Klebold and Harris committed suicide.

At 12:00 p.m., SWAT teams arrived on campus. Several explosives are found on the external of the building by police officers. First students are loaded into ambulances and taken for medical care. At 12:30 p.m. SWAT teams began a room-by-room sweep of the school. A few hours later the school is declared kindly. Between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. 615 officers representing 27 agencies converge on the school. Anguished parents find at a nearby elementary school.

Five Major Organization Activities
Management -
Jefferson County Sheriff Department’s deputy and SWAT commander was the first to respond to Columbine High School. Lt. Manwaring requested both the SWAT Team and Command Staff be paged. The initial ICP was established at 11:36 a.m. Lt. Manwaring is the initial IC. The support SWAT commander arrives on scene and begins trying to collect information for the IC from radio traffic. At 11:45 a.m. Lt. Welcher arrived on scene. Lt. Welcher assumed the role of IC. Lt. Welcher would retain the role of IC throughout the event. EMS and Fire operations were assigned to Fire Chief Pessemier. Police officers from Denver aided in crowd control, scene protection, explosive ordnance disposal, investigation, and interviews. The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) also assisted initial operations. CSP officers assisted in a variety of roles.

Operations –
In all, 35 different law enforcement agencies and 11 fire and EMS agencies would answer. Among them were:

Fire Departments keen were Littleton Fire Department, Denver Fire, Englewood Fire, Sheridan Fire, South Metro Fire, West Metro Fire Protection District, and West Metro Fire Protection District.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) involved were American Medical Response, Columbine Ambulance, Denver Health, Pridemark Paramedic Services, and Rural Metro.

Law enforcement agencies involved were Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Adams County Sheriff’s Department, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Arvada Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Blackhawk Police Department, Boulder Police Department, Boulder County Sheriff’s Department, Central City Police Department, Columbine Valley Police Department, Commerce City Police Department, Denver Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Edgewater Police Department, Englewood Department of Safety Services, Police Division, Erie Police Department, Gilpin County Sheriff’s Department, Golden Police Department, Greenwood Village Police Department, Lafayette Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Littleton Police Department, Northglenn Police Department, Sheridan Police Department, Thornton Police Department, Westminster police Department, and Wheat Ridge Police Department.

Government agencies involved were Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Colorado National Guard, Colorado Space Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Planning and Intelligence -
School officials and external response agencies had only worked together superficially. During the incident, critical set data such as floor plans and classroom charts were not available. IC and Incident Management Team had to rely on hand drawn floor plans and second hand information from students, teachers, and administrators that had escaped. IC and Incident Management Team’s information collection was made more difficult by conflicting information between radio traffic and 911 calls.

Logistics -
Over 600 law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel responded to the Columbine shooting. The shear number of responders produced many logistical challenges including interoperability between radios, marking identified staging areas, and even feeding all the officers.

Incident Management Team had very limited credible information to plan from. Lack of information caused a delay in SWAT teams entering the building. Three SWAT teams were available shortly after the incident began. However, they did not have credible information as to how many shooters, where the shooters were, or if they had hostages. Incident Commander and the Incident Management Team had to hold the teams until they had enough information to hold from sending the teams in “blind”.
Finance and Administration -

Columbine High School shooting involved agencies from local, state, and federal government. Right cost figures were not available. Jefferson County Sheriff’s office estimates the response and following investigation at over $1 million dollars. Jefferson County Sheriff was determined to be the agency having jurisdiction. Initial funding of all operations was their responsibility. Over the next year many agencies would provide funds to the school, law enforcement, and victims to help alleviate costs.

Assessment
There has been school shooting prior to Columbine High School. One of these occurred in Jonesboro Arkansas. This shooting was one of the first ones that keen a very high level of planning and preparation. Klebold and Harris had procured and prepared firearms, ammunition, pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, and propane bombs. They had even planned a diversion for emergency response personnel.

The number of casualties was partly produced by the incident’s timing. Students were outside eating, entering the cafeteria, and moving through the halls. Klebold and Harris knew the routine and chose an entry point that gave them access to multiple targets.

Columbine High School did have an emergency plan. However, like many plans of this time, they included only natural events. Neither teachers nor students had been trained in identifying suspicious behavior. One student was even warned of the event. Instead of alerting authorities, he went home. Beneficial identification could have reduced law enforcement’s response time, if not stopped the incident.

Personal Opinion
No one wants to peer anyone hurt or killed. Columbine High School shooting did form several vital changes to school emergency preparedness.

Schools realized that they are not immune to terrorism. Schools began working with their local public safety professionals to identify ways to prepare for such emergencies. School emergency response plans now take an all-hazards approach. Trainings have been produced that boom school staff, teachers, administrators, and students how to identify potentially perilous behavior. Congress funded a leer by the Secret Service that outlined exactly the steps that someone takes before actually committing an attack. This eye gives warning signs that can be seen and acted upon.

Federal funding became available for these actions. Prior to this shooting, schools did not have the necessary funding for proper emergency preparedness. Congress traditional Columbine to push through legislation that provided funds for everything from emergency plan development to security cameras.

The most principal lesson was that events could require the response from multiple agencies. This lesson changed the previous mindset that response agencies should only drill with other agencies in their town or county. The importance of regionalization was reinforced. Columbine was not the only event that reinforced this, however, it contributed to this awareness. Today, we have area Homeland Security Working groups in every state. Some places even have regional Hazmat and Urban Search & Rescue teams. All of these groups provide small communities with resources they would not otherwise have that are close enough to quickly respond.

References
Managing the Incident. n.d. CNN.com. Retrieved on December 3, 2009 from http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/columbine.cd/Pages/Managing.the.INCIDENT.htm.
Columbine Tragedy Timeline. n.d. Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved on December 3, 2009 from http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/shooting/timeline.shtml

Being someone who did not finish college and did not kill up going down the path of my major anyway, I am amazed at how far I have come without a degree. I know there are many other people out there like me and that in today’s society it is becoming increasingly more difficult to really reach the point of having a ‘career’ instead of honest a ‘job’ if you do not have a degree. The secret stepping stone for reaching that point is gained with determination, growth, and obtaining a residence that interests you and gain as much as knowledge as you can from it.

For me, the job that has put me where I am today not only provided me growth as an individual but also taught me valuable tools that I was able to expand upon to use for other positions in the future. After leaving college during my pregnancy, I was desperate to find a secure job. I happened upon a small ad in The Boulder Daily Camera in Colorado back in the late 1990’s for a small company looking for people with decent math and computer skills. The company specialized in providing flood hazard information for mortgage and flood insurance companies across the nation. I was lucky enough to be hired as a full-time employee with the company and little did I know that it would lead me to where I am today.

Immediately upon starting at the company, I was taught how to research and interpret floodplain maps produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the entire United States. Instruction was also given on other tools of the trade including mapping, researching property records, legal descriptions, metes & bounds descriptions, acreage calculation, GIS, and how the various government agencies maintained property records around the United States. Having grasped these skills along with the computer skills I already had, my interest and enthusiasm for the position grew quickly.

I stayed with company for a few years but found myself needing to relocate. With the new qualifications and skills added to my resume, I was able to land a position with a local county government assessor providing property research assistance to the public. In this position, I added to my knowledge the property assessment laws and procedures in the state of Colorado and began taking right estate appraisal courses. From there I obtained a real estate appraisal license and was able to get a location as a county exact estate appraiser for the county assessor. I had reached a point in my life that I could proudly say that I had a career instead of just a job. The tools that I clipped to my belt in my original floodplain mapping site had paved a path for me.

I have since left the position with the assessor but only because I was offered another position I could not refuse with another government office. I still am utilizing the skills learned from the floodplain analysis company when I unknowingly started down my career path so many years ago, as well as, the additional knowledge I have gathered along the way. My work is secure with qualified income and something I can say I am very proud of.