Get help making your home baby-safe

So there’s a baby on the way, and you think about baby-proofing your home.

Then the baby’s born, and you think more about baby-proofing your home.

Now the baby’s starting to become mobile, and baby-proofing is more than just wishful thinking. It’s a necessity.

If you want help making sure your baby is safe, then Gary Jensen at Baby Safe Homes is the person to talk to. Beginning Feb. 1, Jensen will provide parents with insights on keeping their homes safe for small children by doing in-home assessments.

Jensen, an Evergreen resident since 1975, has just finished training with a San Diego-based company called Baby Safe Homes.

“I go into homes where little ones rule, and I do a brief walk-through, giving parents tips for making their home safe to small children,” Jensen said. “Then, if they are interested, I install products which can help prevent serious injuries to inquisitive and mobile children.”

Some of the products he sells and installs include gates, drawer locks, toilet latches, doorstops without rubber tips, fireplace door locks and carbon monoxide sensors.

“The thing we really offer is education,” Jensen said. “There are certain things in the home that can’t be kept from children.”

For example, you can’t lock up an entire stove, but you can teach parents to cook on the back to try to keep the hot burners away from tiny exploring fingers.

Jensen, who spent 21 years working for the Colorado Department of Revenue, says he remembers how worried he was when his son was born. He was concerned his son would fall down the stairs or somehow get hurt in the house.

Making a home safe for small children is essential, Jensen said.

“You can put off remodeling a bathroom, but you can’t put off child-proofing a home.”

Jensen can be reached at 303-913-1169. Learn about Baby Safe Homes at www.babysafehomes.com.

Window technology inventor looking for investors

Evergreen resident David Stark is in a quintessential catch-22.

He has invented an energy-efficient window system that has caught the eye of the Department of Energy and major window manufacturers in the United States. In fact, the Department of Energy has funded some of the product development.

So here’s the issue: Investors won’t put money into the company until Stark has a prototype to show them. But Stark doesn’t have the money to build the prototype.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Stark, whose company is called EverSealed Windows. “We have a revolutionary technology that will be used (commercially) once it’s ready. We are being delayed because we can’t find investors. Everything is ready except the funding. There are a lot of investors in Evergreen, but I don’t know how to reach them.”

The revolutionary technology is a double-paned window with a vacuum between the panes. According to Stark, this is the first new window technology in 40 years and will replace the current double-paned windows that usually have a gas, typically argon, inside.

“A vacuum is the ultimate thermal insulator,” Stark said. He also expects to ensure that his windows will last 40 years.

The motivation behind the technology is not just being environmentally conscious but to meet new federal guidelines that will take effect in 2013, Stark said.

He has assembled representatives from many of the major window manufacturers including Marvin, Pella and Velux and representatives from NREL — the National Renewable Energy Lab — in Golden to collaborate on the project.

The windows, the technology and bringing his ideas to fruition are Stark’s passion. He will readily talk with anyone who will listen about his ideas, his patents and what it will take to complete his work. To reach Stark, call 303-674-1197.

Tysu moves yoga classes

A new yoga studio has opened in the Evergreen North Center.

Yoga instructor Tysu Jung, who has taught yoga at the Evergreen Recreation Center for many years, now has a place of her own. She says she has kept the same class schedule she had at the rec center and has added classes. She is joined by her husband, Robert, and they are teaching a full complement of yoga classes throughout the day.

The Jungs specialize in both hatha yoga and ashtanga yoga. Hatha yoga is a gentle form of yoga that helps with health and longevity. Ashtanga yoga is a challenging class that builds core strength and stretches the body, so it is especially good for athletes.

“Yoga is complementary with sports and any athletic thing,” Jung said. “It helps with other activities that are more strenuous. (Yoga) gets the kinks out.”

Having her own studio allows her to offer more private classes and specialized classes such as mom-tot and prenatal yoga.

The class schedule can be found at www.tysuyoga.com or by calling 303-674-5632.

Have tips about businesses in Evergreen? Contact Evergreen resident Deb Hurley Brobst at deb@evergreenco.com.