29. December 2011 by admin.

Our boys

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20. December 2011 by admin.

AN “almost” PERFECT CHRISTMAS
By: Martin Masar

Sometimes it takes the wisdom of a child to open the eyes of others. In September of 2011, as the leaves of fall were finding their way down to the ground, a group of children at CBR YouthConnect were having a group meeting. One of the youngsters indicated that he did not know the meaning of giving and sharing, because he had never experienced it in his life. He recalled his young years of disillusionment and distrust. He could not have prevented his birth or the years of testing and doctors all trying to help the struggling parents find an answer to his many behavior problems. It was suggested during the group that possibly by giving to others, in any way he felt comfortable, he might be able to experience the feeling of giving. The feeling when your heart swells a hundred times and you know – it was “almost perfect”. The group of children conjured up a plan to ask needed area families to come and participate in the annual CBRYC Christmas Party.
I suppose this is where I come in, as Executive Director my job was to find those needy families. I was certain I would have no trouble finding them and with the help of another service organization three families were eventually identified. We gently contacted each and asked if they would like to come to our Christmas party. We told them there would be plenty of gifts for the children and even gifts for the parents too – no one was to be left out this Christmas.
The families were overwhelmed and tearful. As the Holiday Season approached we began the preparations for the annual event, with planning, parades, and a myriad of other events and activities needing to be coordinated. Oh, and it was decided that no agency funds were to be used for these families. If this giving from our youth to these families were to occur, it would be from our hearts. In the lessons we learn, the greatest act of giving is that which comes from within. Finding that perfect place makes for an almost perfect Christmas.
In the weeks that followed, children and staff from CBR YouthConnect reached deep into their pockets and began purchasing items for the affectionately called “CBRYC Christmas Families”. One 12 year old youngster recalled he was once on the receiving end of this type of kindness. He reached into his pocket and produced a ragged torn one dollar bill. He placed it in the donation box and smiled. This act of kindness had a profound effect on all of us. Then, as if by some magical force from somewhere just beyond the Northpole the donations flooded in.
Several days prior to the annual event, staff members packed up several Christmas trees, lights and ornaments and took them to the family homes. We did not want the families go to another day without a Christmas tree and lights. In one home, found to be barely fit for the family, with plastic covered windows and other bits and pieces of life sewn together to hold the house intact, a child of maybe three or four answered the door.
The staff handed him the Christmas tree, lights and ornaments. His eyes burst open and not sure he was believing what he was seeing, he placed the tree box on the ground and laying beside it studied the picture of the Christmas tree. He excitedly shouted out, “Is this what I think it is - is this it – is this our Christmas tree?” The staff whose eyes were now filled with tears announced excitedly, “Yes, and lights too and ornaments – all for you and your Christmas tree!” The mother proud in her way, fought back tears as she tried in-vain to hush the Christmas spirit within the child.
As the child danced out his excitement, he paused only momentarily to ask his mother “is this now an almost perfect Christmas?” She wiped the tears from her eyes and gently caressing his face replied, “Yes, this is now an almost perfect Christmas.”
Oh, and on that night of nights, the CBRYC annual Christmas party, the children of CBRYC who masterminded this idea met the Christmas Families. It is in those moments, those unexpected times when the eyes of a four year old child meets with the eyes of a 10 year old, the boundaries of life fade and all to a suddenly they are but lifelong friends - drawn together by the magical spirit of Christmas.
It wasn’t until after the festivities were over, the meal devoured, and the gifts unwrapped, that one youngster who had been rather vocal about his experiences with giving approached me. “Nice night Mr. Masar?” he asked. I replied, “Almost perfect, you agree?” He stared away, somewhere beyond the Northpole to a magical and wonderful place and said, “Naw, it was perfect.”
*It takes the kindness of others to reach deep into their pockets and support our children. It takes you. Become the “U” in YouthConnect. Please help CBR YouthConnect. Visit our web-site at cbryouthconnect.org.

**In 2011, 90% of the children residing at CBR YouthConnect, voluntarily reached into their hearts and donated from their meager bank accounts to the CBRYC Christmas Families. For the staff this generous act of giving by the children in their care – was indeed priceless and yes, A Perfect Christmas.

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13. December 2011 by admin.

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7. April 2011 by admin.

At times, working at CBR YouthConnect you get to a point where you think you could not be more proud of “Our Boys” and then you experience just one more thing that makes you so proud to be affiliated with such wonderful and talented young men that it brings tears to your eyes. Once again it has happened. The boys in the Art’s and Craft’s class participated in the 55th Annual Otero Art’s Festival. With over 2,000 participants this year, representing 27 schools, CBRYC had a number of submissions from 14 boys, with 11 of those entries earning ribbons! This represents 30% of all the children at CBRYC. Once again I say gosh, I just couldn’t be more proud of “Our Boys!” We must congratulate all of the boys and also the staff who poured their hearts and dedication into completing the projects and getting them ready for submission into the Art Show. Marianne Hale and Corky McKenzie along with the help of Debbie Henderson and many unit staff helped in making this Arts Festival another memorable occasion! We must celebrate the milestones in the lives of these boys. It takes something different from a teacher - it requires a connection to the student. When our boys find that something inside that comes alive with the Arts, we once again have changed a life forever.

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16. September 2009 by admin.

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5. August 2009 by admin.

On Oct. 2, CBR YouthConnect will celebrate 50 years worth of experience helping troubled boys and girls in unique settings, giving them the ability to be productive and responsible members of society.
One of the leading methods in treating youth to reconnect with society has been to first teach them how to connect with animals.
On Wednesday, Denver businessman Steve Fuller, president of Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation, reviewed for the La Junta Rotary Club how Colorado Boys Ranch was started from scratch by a group of state judges and La Junta businessmen who saw the need to help some 4,000 “delinquent” boys get a second chance in life. Fuller also told the Rotarians how CBR YouthConnect has evolved into one of the nation’s premier psychiatric residential treatment facilities.
Fuller weaved into about 40 minutes a story that is long and complicated, full of challenges, changes and countless positive outcomes. But one thing has remained constant: From its humble beginnings until today, the Boys Ranch has learned that caring for animals often is the key to helping troubled youth reconnect in positive ways with the people around them.
“It’s an exciting time for CBR YouthConnect,” Fuller said. “There is great potential here for research down the road, especially in animal-assisted therapy. We’ve already had some teams come to study how we do things, but there are no standards for it across the nation.”
In other words, CBR YouthConnect sets the standard in animal-assisted therapy for helping boys at the ranch north ot La Junta, which Fuller said will continue to house only boys, and for girls who are part of new programs evolving in the Denver area. One of those programs “Pawsitive Connection” has paired more than 340 girls and boys with dogs to train help them to help people with disabilities.

The boys and girls come from residential treatment centers across the Denver metro area to participate in the animal-assited therapy program provided at CBR YouthConnect facilties.
Fuller said he knows there is a tremendous amount of money available across the nation that CBR YouthConnect can tap into to continue to build its animal-assisted therapy. He also knows many colleges and universities are interested in studying how CBR YouthConnect not only manages the program, but also how it achieves some amazing rates of success in turning around the lives of troubled youth.
Under the guidance of Chuck Thompson, who served many years as the chief administrator at the ranch, still serving president of the CBR Foundation, some other new programs have evolved that might be unfamiliar to folks in the La Junta area.
Fuller said Thompson connected several years ago with Tri-Care, the U.S. military’s primary healthcare provider and insurer, to help serve military families, especially during times of increased deployment of forces overseas, which splits apart families and can increase the need for help with youths. Fuller said Maj. Gen. Arnold R. “Bob” Thomas got excited about that connect and has been a member of the foundation’s board since.
More recently, Thompson and the staff discovered a highly successful youth program in the Philadelphia area called George Jr. Republic. It specializes in “preventative aftercare,” which helps youngsters in the juvenile justice system stay in their homes through a variety of specialized services. The Philadelphia juvenile justice system has helped hundreds of children avoid placement in psychiatric residential treatment facilities.
Thompson brought the program back to Colorado by first sending a group of CBR YouthConnect counselors to Pennsylvania last year to learn how it could be successfully recreated here. Thompson is now introducing the preventative aftercare program to counties across Colorado.
“The judges love it. Social workers love it, and the program is exploding,” Fuller said.
Some things have remained the same here as they always were at the ranch north of La Junta. Bob Cody, a member of the original CBR board of directors, still serves on the CBR Foundation Board. The ranch still has an executive director, Martin Masar, who has demonstrated the ability to make tough choices like his predecessor, Thompson. Under Masar‘s guidance, Colorado Boys Ranch has continued to operate in the black during the current tough economy.
Also under Masar, CBR YouthConnect has continued to maintain its heritage, and will continue to stand for Colorado Boys Ranch, Fuller said.
The rebranding as CBR YouthConnect in 2002 helped establish a new direction for Colorado Boys Ranch, including rebuilding its appeal in Colorado to philanthropic organizations that were most interested in seeing Colorado youth helped.
Under CBR YouthConnect, a unique blend of psychotherapy, environments enriched by animal-based therapy, and neuroscience has evolved to give boys here, and both boys and girls in the Denver area, a well-rounded and balanced therapy experience.
Colorado Boys Ranch today can boast of accreditation from some of the state’s and nation’s leading groups. They include:
– Joint Commission on Accreditation and Healthcare Organization;
– North Central Association Commission on Accreditation of School Improvement;
– TRICARE/TriWest, which provides healthcare services to U.S. military families;
– National Association for Children’s Residential Centers;
– Colorado Association of Family and Children’s Associations; and,
– Colorado Division of Mental Health Certification.
A recent study of former CBR youth reported a 92.5 percent treatment success rate, which was based on eight different criteria, including whether the youth was reunited iwth his family or guardians, or was able to live independently.
That kind of success can be attributed to many factors, including the fact the organization has continued to evolve to meet the needs of a changing society. But Colorado Boys Ranch (CBR YouthConnect) also can trace its success back to its humble beginnings, when it first met the needs of boys who needed a second chance at life, rather than just another long stay inside a cell block.
To read the full story of those humble beginnings, how CBR developed here, and how it changed and imprved through the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70’s, 80’s and 90’s, pick up a copy of the 50th anniversary edition of “The Rancher,” the publication of Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation.

http://www.lajuntatribunedemocrat.com/homepage/x863180898/Exciting-future-storied-past

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1. May 2009 by admin.

“George told me he couldn’t do it; that he was incapable, “explains Maryanne Hale, CBR YouthConnect’s Art Program Teacher. George is a youth in the Art Program, attending that class for about three months. He was very recently given an Honorable Mention ribbon at the local art show, competing against other La Junta youth and was very proud to share his creation.

“…this is the Elder Orb Beholder from Baldur’s Gate…and this monster appears in a space underground called the…” he continues, excitedly gesturing his hands to help present the lore associated with his paper mache monster. His art piece is a brown creature, with a row of brightly-painted white teeth and multiple eyeballs.

George believes that doing the art program has helped him deescalate when he is feeling stressed, or needs a way to cope with the thoughts of the day. “I feel like I’m calmer and I’m glad to do this when I’m feeling bored,” says George, now holding his hands together in politeness. When asked how he made another one of his pieces, a brightly colored fish with detailed scales on its underbelly, George is on his feet once again and excitedly detailing the process step-by-step. “First, I crumpled up newspaper into a ball,” motioning as though he were doing the project again in air, “and then I crumpled more newspaper into a cone, then I added golf balls and put in the wire. Then I had to have the teacher help me make a hole for the mouth. Then we did the paper mache and painted it.”

“It’s important to know the process, and it is significant that so many are able to remember it all,” beams Maryanne. “Art helps a youth be successful; they see something they made or something they have done and they know that it’s theirs, and they did it. Those are things of success.”
George would like to do more sculptures of some classic movie monsters, and would also like to do a life-size, “Drow Elf” sculpture. Right now, George is near completion on a very detailed alligator head made from clay. “It’s Leatherhead from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” he points out. “I wanted to show everybody my artistic talents,” says George, still gesturing in enthusiasm, “I didn’t think I could do it at first, but I put my mind to it, and I know I can do it, and I know I can do much more.”

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28. April 2009 by admin.

La Junta, Colo. -
For Kristi Hartless, her presence at the final running of the storied Tiger Relays on La Junta’s history laden cinder track meant more than that of paying forward the gratitude garnered from relays past.
For Hartless, the final running on the cinders meant keeping a promise made long ago to a man she admires still today; a mentor to not only the sport, but to her everyday life.
A once discus and shot-put hurler at La Junta High School, Hartless claimed third in the disc and sixth in the shot put in 1992, her junior year in high school. During her senior tenure, Hartless suffered a horseback riding injury which ended her season and has since made her paralyzed and wheelchair bound.
She recalled the incident from the pit Friday.
“I was coming back to win it all, she said of returning to school her senior year under the supervision of former track and field coach Bob Murphy. “I got hurt during Christmas break and Murphy found a way for me to help out with the meet.”
Fourteen years later and since a field judge at the discus pit, Hartless recalled a promise made then to her former coach.
“He told me, ‘never let them take this away from you,’” she said. “And I haven’t. I hope I never do.”
Following Friday’s final round, Hartless took one final spin around the discus pit she once threw from as a high school competitor now from her wheelchair before rolling on to the storied infield where she picked pieces of the grass she says she plans to keep for herself and Murphy.
Hartless too took part in a commemorative 800 meter run / walk around Tiger Field intended for runners of relays past.
Amongst the runners were the familiar faces of La Junta’s Dave Bomar and Lorie Moreno-Roch, and along the infield the memorable faces of former La Junta High School athletic director Tano Paolucci, longtime volunteer Ron Davis, and former participants Jerry Church and Larry Fisher.
“It never was the track that made this a special meet”, said Vera Tate, wife of the late John Tate, son of founder Paul Tate, when referring to the forty-plus years of service dedicated by Paolucci, Davis, and countless others. “It’s the people that make the event possible that make this meet what it has become.”
Vera Tate, now a resident of Pueblo, says the relays will always hold a special place in her heart. “Before John I didn’t know much about track”, she admitted. “But because of him track will always be in my blood.”
In sharing the passion once displayed by her father and grandfather, Sue Tate, daughter of John Tate, too expressed undying passion for the sport, particularly on Tiger Field, saying, “I love the cinders. It’s a great place to compete and a place that I’ll never forget.”
In the sixty years that the Tiger Relays have taken place, Sue has, under her own count, missed only six meets dating back to 1949, the year that her grandfather started the relays. She was three years old then.
“It’s a sad time to see the events on this track come to an end”, said Sue. “But it is also a very happy time. The kids deserve better and the new track will give that to them.”
Construction on the new Tiger Field began April 1 and will be the new sight of the Tiger Relays beginning next season.
The new field will feature an artificial turf and nine lane all-weather track currently being constructed behind the existing La Junta High School. The current Tiger Field will soon be demolished to make room for the new Arkansas Valley Community Center, a $4.3 million project slated to break ground shortly after.
“It doesn’t matter where we hold this meet”, said long-time volunteer Ron Davis during this year’s relays. “There are people and coaches that will continue to support the relays as long as they are around, and for that reason, the Tiger Relays will never die.”

http://www.lajuntatribunedemocrat.com/homepage/x50633943/Lasting-memories-Friday-marked-the-last-LJ-Tiger-Relays?popular=true

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