Bennett Files For Aurora City Council At-Large
Pamela Bennett has filed to become a candidate for the City of Aurora City Council At-Large. After serving in the U.S. Air Force and working for 20 years as a technician and engineer in the aerospace, electronics and oil and gas industries, Bennett has focused on serving her community. She is currently an Aurora Commissioner where she serves on the City’s Veterans Affairs and Cultural Affairs Commissions and is active with a variety of non-profits in the community. In announcing her candidacy, Bennett emphasized to her supporters and to the residents of the City of Aurora her strong belief that to realize the City’s potential and to improve the quality of life for all residents, the City must working diligently to plan for the future while maintaining a disciplined approach in managing growth and development.
For more information, visit www.auroragov.org.

Madison Announces Candidacy For District 8
Carla Madison announced her candidacy for Denver City Council District 8. A Denver native and 16-year District 8 resident, Carla has been president of the City Park West neighborhood since 1999. Madison has served on a variety of city panels and task forces including the Uptown Healthcare District, the Manual High School Redevelopment Council and the Children’s Hospital Redevelopment, among others. A strong advocate for small business, she is currently a co-coordinator of the Uptown Sampler.
For more information, call 720-205-6506 or visit www.CarlaForCouncil.org.

Connor Announces Run For City Council
Julie Connor has announced her candidacy for Denver City Council District 7. Connor, who has been serving the community as Councilwoman Kathleen MacKenzie’s aide for the past two and a half years, intends to fill the position that the term-limited MacKenzie will leave behind. Connor plans to be involved in every rezoning effort, the zoning code update and zoning language amendments. She will also continue to enhance public safety by dedicating resources to police technology, infrastructure improvements, code compliance enforcement and drawing the line on graffiti. Additionally, she will continue working to nurture small, local businesses and neighborhood schools because they both diversify and add vibrancy to the community.
For more information, call 303-777-1440 or visit www.ConnorforCouncil.com.

Passports Now Required When Flying To Canada Or Mexico
As of Jan. 23, all US citizens—including children—are required to have a passport when flying to Mexico or Canada. Therefore, all airline travel anywhere outside of the U.S. requires a passport. Previously, flying to these neighboring countries only required a birth certificate or other form of state ID. The Tri-County Health Department can provide the certified birth certificates needed to apply for a passport for any person born anywhere in Colorado since 1908. They can be ordered in person, by mail and over the Internet for $17 for the first certificate and $10 for each additional copy of the same name. Birth certificates are issued within minutes when ordered in person, but passport applications can take up to six weeks, so travelers need to plan ahead when scheduling trips.
For more information, call 303-220-9200. or visit www.tchd.org/birthcertificates.html.

Office Of Suicide Prevention Awarded $1.2 Million
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, through the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, recently awarded funding to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Office of Suicide Prevention for a three-year project called Project Safety Net. The comprehensive suicide prevention project will build a ‘safety net,’ whereby a network of individuals who work in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems are trained to identify and work with adolescents and young adults who are at heightened risk for suicidal behavior. Adults working with adolescents ages 15 to 18 in the juvenile justice and family welfare systems, and the adolescents’ parents or caregivers, are the target population of the community initiative.
For more information, call the Office of Suicide Prevention at 303-692-2539.

Violence Prevention Services Awarded $1 Million
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently awarded the Prevention Services Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment $343,453 per year for three years to enhance Colorado's capacity to address child and adolescent health through violence prevention.  Colorado was one of only two states awarded this funding to implement violence prevention strategies designed to prevent child maltreatment, suicide, sexual violence, bullying, school violence, community violence and teen dating violence. The strategic plan is titled “Bold Steps Toward Child and Adolescent Health: A Plan for Youth Violence Prevention in Colorado.”
For more information, call the Injury, Suicide and Violence Prevention Unit at 303-692-2609.