Sheriff Wall nixes elderly programs
Friday, June 29, 2007
Steamboat Springs — Milner resident Jane Winograsky will miss her regular visits with the Routt County Sheriff's Office.
Winograsky, 89, is one of several elderly Routt County residents who have been affected by Sheriff Gary Wall's decision to cut the AARP ElderWatch program.
"I really appreciated it," she said. "I was sorry to hear that the program was cut. I thought it was going to continue. It isn't very fair."
Former Sheriff's Office deputy Elise Andres had headed the program designed to protect elderly, rural residents from crime and financial scams since the program began in 2003.
Andres said she spent her time helping elderly residents such as Winograsky fill out paperwork for energy assistance and medical help in addition to providing other law enforcement services.
On Thursday, Wall said he allowed the ElderWatch program to "die of natural causes."
Andres resigned from the Sheriff's Office three weeks ago. She said she was spending more and more time as a detention officer and less and less time with the ElderWatch Program.
"Through my visits and other calls for service, I found a lot of our seniors live alone and had some special needs," she said. "I think ending this program sends a message to our seniors that they don't matter, and they do matter."
Wall said that's not the case. "If anybody needs to be taken care of in the county, we will do that regardless of age," he said.
Wall also has decided not to revive the DARE program, a drug and substance abuse education program Andres taught in some Routt County schools.
Wall said he "inherited" both of the programs and decided not to participate in them after evaluating them.
"ElderWatch died a natural sort of death," he said. "DARE had run its course. No one has encouraged me to continue that program or even start it up."
In addition to her ElderWatch duties, Andres was performing other job duties at the Sheriff's Office that kept her from the program.
Wall contends Andres was only seeing "two or three people."
"We can't afford having a full time person spending time seeing two or three people," he said.
Andres said she was in contact with at least 30 people, and would call or see about 10 of those people every week until she was no longer given the time to continue the program.
"I believed in the program because it provided our residents with a much needed service," she said. "I'm sad to see it go."
Shelley Orrell, program director for the Routt County Council on Aging, said she was disappointed when she heard the program was being cut.
"It's unfortunate because Elise (Andres) was able to go out in a capacity and reach people we weren't accessing," she said. Elise "could help people who were isolated or being violated by scams."
Comments
dundalk 5 years, 11 months ago
Taking care of our seniors should be continued.
Since Wall has his priorities all messed up, one can only presume that his priorities are as follows:
A) New televisions at the Sheriff's Office; B) Personal use of COUNTY OWNED vehicles as Mayflower Moving Vans covering Vernal, Utah; C) Screwing the living hell out of this county before he moves on, just like a large hoard of Mormon Crickets;
In Gary Wall's confusion he forgets that one day he'll be an old windbag, and no one gives two hoots about him.
thecondoguy1 5 years, 11 months ago
I was in Louisville the other day and got behind a little old lady in her faded out blue 1980's Taurus, she was going so slow I expected to be collecting social security before I got to my next stop. It had a home made bumper sticker taped across the trunk, it simply stated "BE PATIENT, YOU TO WILL BE OLD SOMEDAY". If we can't take care of these people, what good are we???
Queenie 5 years, 11 months ago
BCC - HELP US! SAVE US FROM THE SHERIFF!
steamvent 5 years, 11 months ago
Before people rush to get on the Beat Up Wall bandwagon, they might want to consider that if care of our elderly is a priority, then cause a program that encompasses all aspects, including those the Sheriff was covering. What does the Routt County Council on Aging do? Last fall our taxes were increased to care for a small population of special needs folks, many of whom relatively recently located here and more will because of the program. We're causing new taxes without vote for affordable housing for young people who "deserve a start up break." Lets not let the elderly people fall through the crack because we're moving ahead too fast to care. Is it the Sheriff's responsibility our OURS?
katrinkakelly 5 years, 11 months ago
Maybe the VNA would take care of the issues for the elderly.
I did defend Wall and gave him a chance after being elected. Then I had my own issue and directly contacted him for help, his response was to call someone else or some other department because he could not help us with a "COUNTY" problem!
Dundalk, I concede.
JQPUBLIC 5 years, 11 months ago
Let's see, no funding for gramnet, a welcome mat for drug dealers....no funding for d.a.r.e. (drug abuse resistance education), we must keep those dealers happy even at the expense of our youth.... and no funding for the elderly because Wall contends Andres was only seeing "two or three people, (Andres said she was in contact with at least 30 people).... I know who I believe!
You're getting your message across loud and clear Wall.... are you saving the funds for more trips to utah?
steamvent says...Is it the Sheriff's responsibility our OURS?.... WHO do you think the sheriff works for anyway? He isn't really a king, he just likes to act like one.
Are ya all still feelin' warm and fuzzy now?
stunnedindaboat 5 years, 11 months ago
You know what it really scarey? We are only a few months in to a 4 year term with Wall. Look what he has done to the Sheriff's Office in a few short months. We're not Vail in the 70's. Experienced staff are dropping like flies, programs created and set up to help serve and protect our community are also dropping like flies. But on a good note we all have the honor of paying $3.34 a gallon for a fleet of vehicles to be used to run errands, go to the store, move furniture, road trips to other states etc.. We are paying for Wall and his attitude towards the community as a whole D.A.R.E. (kids) and now the elderly. How soon can we say "recall"!
stmbtprof 5 years, 11 months ago
what a hypocrite wall is....getting rid of DARE so he doesnt endanger his hippy friends is one thing , but now getting rid of helping the elderly...he has scammed routt county...
ffv 5 years, 11 months ago
Two different stories (2-3 people vs. 30 helped per week ).
Isn't there a work log, timesheet or some document that is available which validates one over the other? You would think that Wall collected that type of info even to do a simple, quick cost/benefit analysis. If that written data doesn't exist, then how could Wall make a good management decision?
I would think the Pilot could ask for and get that information.
dundalk 5 years, 11 months ago
Scott:
Can we PLEASE get a little investigative reporting done here? You have made mention that some of us have helped you with some news. That's appreciated.
I would love to get an additional paycheck to jump into this mess, but time constraints prohibit me from doing a load of this smelly, crappy dung digging to justify what Wall is doing to our community.
PLEASE...dig deep, maybe even 6 feet down to dig up the elderly Wall wants to dump and get the goods on this mindless brain fart Wall.
I've got a better idea...Let's call Bill O'Reilly.
portagetheyampa 5 years, 11 months ago
This sheriff is a nut and I believe, dangerous to all of us citizens in Routt County. This man has an agenda that puts himself first and only. Southrouttmucher, you are right to wonder if in 4 years, or less the way Wall is "reorganizing" OUR priorities, will Iraq be more safe. Will there be a Routt County or will it become Wall County??
Elise Andres grew up in Steamboat. I had the good fortune to work with her and she is (or was, now that another good person has left the SO) an excellent officer, always caring about people.
The DARE program was one of the most successful ways to connect teens with law enforcement officers. Now Wall has axed that, too.
I think we all need to be very concerned about this man. What can we and the commissioners do about him??? A recall is a great idea. He makes Dr. D. seem pretty darn harmless and we're trying to recall him!
Wall is an egomaniac! Will he make us all Wall County??
Andrew Bisbee 5 years, 11 months ago
I moved to Steamboat for the same reason many of us live here. For a safe place live and to raise a family.
One of the main things that keeps a place safe is law enforcement. I have lived in places were there was a lack of it and have seen first hand what that can do. Very ugly stuff.
We need to put a stop to this hands off approach, before it causes our safety to be compromised. Not to mention wasting our taxes.
steamvent 5 years, 11 months ago
JQPUBIC: I don't give a crap about Wall personally, but you're so caught up in the lynch mob mentality that you missed my point .... the public voted for Wall, Horizons, a museum tax with NO sunset and Steamboat is causing housing taxes without a vote. Guess the elderly don't fit into the new social plan. I suppose you'd load up the Sheriff with other responsibilities like maybe testing the noose you have waiting for him.
stunnedindaboat 5 years, 11 months ago
It's not a lynch mob mentality, it is a caring for everyone (young and old) mentality. I was born here 46 years ago, my father worked with the Routt County Sheriff's Office in the 60's I did in the 70's, Gary Wall has his own agenda. Every candidate announced who they would choose for Undersheriff. He did not, why, because he would not have won if we all knew the ENTIRE truth. The Routt County Sheriff's Office is fast becoming the joke of the county if not of the state. I thank God me and my child live within the city limits of Steamboat so I know our Law Enforcement does want to protect the kids and care about the elderly. If Wall keeps cutting funds and programs that actually "protect and serve", every...every (young and old) citizen of Routt County, he or the Undersheriff could take a two week road trip to Canada and do some fishing, buy new furniture or get great decorative Moose items, sad.Our TRUE law enforcement officers who have worked their entire lives to serve and protect are being trashed by the "sudo" law enforcement at the Routt County Sheriff's Office. We know the new Sheriff wanted an office in down town at Courthouse for more public comment..huh...he won't even return phone calls??? Me thinks there are two other reasons he wanted to be at 5th and Lincoln. We need help, this guy has got to go! Just with the damage to the reputation of the county and the respect we all had for our hard working, dedicated and caring officers at the Routt County Sheriff"s Office who have left (in masses) and after the damage to the respect of the office alone in the last five months. If anything were to happen to me or my family out of Steamboat City limits I would deal with it and/or go to the State or City if I could. Please SAVE US FROM OUR SHERIFF..SUFOS!!!
stunnedindaboat 5 years, 11 months ago
There's more to being a Sheriff and Underseriff than new TV's and furniture.....sorry I forgot the '70s were all aboout that kind of stuff. Do they make a moose shaped jail cot?
madmoores 5 years, 11 months ago
Just a thought here. Paula Woodward of 9news(www.9news.com)is very good at bringing the sh&$ to the surface. I feel for you people and your safety, it seems to be compromised at this point and getting worse all the time. Give her a call, see if she can do a little digging for you. She may not solve any problems but there would be a whole lot more folks that would know what is going on.
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