Rocky Mountain Arsenal

The Colorado Attorney General, John W. Suthers, announced yesterday that a settlement has been reached on a claim for natural resource damages at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Superfund site. The suit was filed in 1983 against Shell Oil and the U.S. Army. The details are available in a press release from the AG's office.

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal pages from the Hazardous Materials and Waster Management Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment are a good resource for an overview of conditions at the arsenal. There is a short history, a description of environmental concerns and remediation process, and the final report from the Medical Monitoring Program.

We have several reports of interest at the Colorado State Publications Library:

• Analysis of diagnosed vs. expected cancer cases for the northeast Denver Metropolitan
• Area in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, 1979-1996
• The Rocky Mountain Arsenal pilot exposure study
• The Rocky Mountain Arsenal wildlife viewing recreation analysis and recommendations
• Natural resource damage assessment plan for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, 2007

Other titles can be found in our library catalog using the search terms "rocky mountain arsenal."

Zebra Mussels

The nice spring weather means people are starting to head out to the lakes with their boats. This year, however, boaters are required to undergo inspections of their boats to prevent the spread of this invasive species, which is not native to Colorado. (Zebra mussels spread by attaching themselves to the bottoms of boats). So far the mussels have been found in Lake Pueblo State Park and authorities are working hard to keep them confined to that lake and protect against their spread to other Colorado lakes. This year the State Legislature even passed SB 266 which allows authorities to inspect boats and other watercraft for these mussels. The state says it could cost millions of dollars to control them if they spread.

For more information on zebra mussels, visit the Colorado Division of Wildlife's Zebra and Quagga Mussels page, which includes tips for boaters, how to identify zebra mussels, and streaming videos concerning mussel contamination and inspection.

Demographic Information Maps

The Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs' Demography Section has added a new page to their website, the Thematic Map Gallery. This very interesting site offers a variety of demographic maps. These include historical maps illustrating population back to 1880 as well as "night sky maps" that illustrate the clusters of light at nighttime that indicate areas of greater or lesser population. There are also a variety of maps based on information from the 2000 census, and maps forecasting population change all the way to 2030.

Financial Literacy

This past session the General Assembly passed HB08-1168, "Concerning financial literacy in kindergarten-through-twelfth grade education." This bill requires revision of the state's model content standards to include "financial literacy," meaning, teaching kids about money and finances. A previous bill, HB04-1360, required that the State Board of Education create a resource bank of materials pertaining to financial literacy. Though it is still partly under construction, this resource bank can be found online on the Colorado Dept. of Education's website or also through the State Publications Library's web catalog. The resource bank includes model curricula, math and economics textbooks, and links to financial institutions offering educational resources.

Visitation Rights

We have recently received a new guide on visitation rights for parents called: "A Parent's Guide to Visitation: How to Establish and Enforce Parenting Time" from the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Enforcement. The guide gives information about getting a parenting time order, and lists other resources available on child support issues. The guide is available on the Internet, and also available in print for lending from the State Publications Library, or from a depository library in your area.

Additional information is available on the "Community Resources" website, which has information on how child support works, worksheets to calculate child support, along with tips on parenting.

For links to resources on parenting from other state agencies, see the parenting section of our "Focus on the Children" subject guide.

Planning your Colorado Summer Vacation

It's getting to be that time when people are planning their summer vacations. CoSPL has in our collection the official state vacation guides from the Colorado tourism office; these are also online at http://www.colorado.com/. We also have a number of guidebooks on Colorado's scenic/historic byways.

Planning a hiking or camping trip? Or just need some directions on how to get where you're going? Check out CoSPL's many maps including State Parks trails maps; fishing maps; and highway maps highlighting sights of interest.

Also, for some fun summer reading on the plane or in the car, CoSPL also has some great historical books on Colorado travels and destinations, including Colorado: A Summer Trip, by Bayard Taylor, who visited Colorado in the mid-nineteenth century. Other Colorado traveling books include

• The Western San Juan Mountains
• Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains
• Discover Colorado: Colorado's Scenic and Historic Byways
• Colorado Outdoors Getaways (video)
• Colorado 12, Scenic Highway of Legends
• Colorado Mini-Tours
• Scenic Trips into Colorado Geology
• Fly Fishing Colorado (DVD)
• Bent's Fort on the Arkansas
• The Georgetown Loop: A Capsule History and Guide
• El Pueblo Museum: A Capsule History and Guide
• This Blue Hollow: Estes Park, the Early Years
• Colorado Byways: A Guide Through Scenic and Historic Landscapes
• Mesa Verde National Park: Shadows of the Centuries
• Colorado Museums and Historic Sites
• Exploring Colorado State Parks
• Rocky Mountain National Park: A History
• America's Switzerland: Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park

Recidivism - What Works

An interesting report has just been issued on efforts to reduce recidivism (repeat offenders) and what effect incarceration has on crime. "What Works: Effective Recidivism Reduction and Risk-Focused Prevention Programs," (PS7/2.2/R24/2008) was prepared for the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice by the RKC Group in February, 2008. The report examines educational and vocational programming, substance abuse treatment, drug courts, sex offender treatment, cognitive-behavioral programs, and others. Each approach is evaluated by evidence-based data on a national and state (Colorado) level. The report is available for loan from the State Publications Library, and also available online. (large file: 5MB)

The team at the Institutional Library Services unit of the Colorado State Library has produced a great DVD that describes basic library functions and how library resources can help prisoners and ex-offenders alike. It's called "Out for Life: How your library can help," and is available for loan from our library. (ED3/140.2/L62/2007 )

You may also want to check out the "Recidivism Fact Sheet" from the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, which gives statistics for recidivism in Colorado, along with estimates on the impact it has on the Colorado economy.