Flagstaff star cards for sale

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The ninth annual Flagstaff Star Holiday Card, a Boulder fundraiser to help pay for the maintenance and upkeep of the brightly lit star displayed on Flagstaff Mountain over the holidays, is now on sale. The star, which is now 100 percent wind-powered, is lit in the evenings from Nov. 21 through New Year’s Day.

The cards, designed by local artist Linda Sole Faul, are on sale for $12.95 per box of 10 at the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, Page Two, the Boulder Bookstore, Lucky’s Market, the Puddle Car Wash, Art Mart and Art Source International. In addition, star cardlabeled wine is being sold at Bookcliff Vineyards, Liquor Mart, Superior Liquor, Boulder Wine Merchants, Boulder Wine & Spirits and Pettyjohn’s.

A showing of the Flagstaff star artwork and other pieces by the artist will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 19 at Art Mart. Leanin’ Tree assisted in the development and production of the card.

Deals on lights for wheels

With days getting shorter and more bikes on the road, GO Boulder, the University of Colorado at Boulder and local merchants have teamed up to highlight the importance of using a bike light for night cycling. The campaign is providing discounts of 10 percent to 30 percent on bike-light accessories at participating merchants.

Coupons can be printed from www.goboulder.net and redeemed at 15 different retailers listed on the coupon. They are valid through Nov. 20.

“Cycling without a light at night is a $50 fine,” says GO Boulder’s Marni Ratzel. “We hope that through this campaign more cyclists will put lights on their bikes, making the Boulder community safer for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.”

Gingerbread bridge contest coming

Front Range engineers and architects will show off their gingerbread-building skills from 3 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 at the Boulder Draft House, in the 2009 Boulder Gingerbread Bridge Competition.

In the event, architectural and engineering firms construct a 24-inch bridge out of gingerbread, and their creations are put to the test by increasing their suspended weight until they collapse.

Designers will be judged in part on the ratio of the bridge’s weight to its supported load. Additionally, each bridge will be judged on architectural design. And it has to be edible, too.

The bridges will be put on display at the venue for event participants and a panel of judges to critique, prior to the main event: the bridge breaking.

Pictures and information can be found at gingerbreadbridge.com.

WOW! Museum shows off new exhibit

The WOW! (World of Wonder) Children’s Museum in Lafayette has unveiled a redesigned, interactive Whole Foods Market exhibit, and this winter, Whole Foods Market will be sponsoring educational programming about nutrition at the museum.

New additions to the exhibit include displays about where the ingredients of a pizza come from, using one’s senses to experience fresh smells of a supermarket and the importance of recycling.

“This collaboration promises to provide many fun and educational activities for our visitors,” museum Executive Director Lisa Atallah says. “Whole Foods Market will also be providing nutrition and cooking classes for children at WOW! this winter, thanks to their onstaff nutritionist and chef.”

UMC renovates bowling lanes

The Connection, the game area in the University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has completed a major renovation of its bowling lanes. All 10 of its original lanes, which dated back to 1953, have been replaced.

To celebrate, the Connection is showing off its new lanes by offering free bowling during several grand reopening events in November and January.

In addition to the replacement of the lanes, there are new ball returns and strip party lighting running down the sides of the lanes, creating a multicolored light show for parties and special events. The UMC Connection also purchased new balls and pins.

Free bowling will be offered from 7 to 9 p.m. on Nov 13; from noon to 4 p.m. on Nov 14; from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan 13; from 7 to 10 p.m. on Jan 14; from 7 to 9 p.m. on Jan 15; and noon to 4 p.m. on Jan 17. More information is available at umc.colorado.edu/theconnection.

CU student group donates defibrillator

Student Emergency Medical Services (SEMS) at the University of Colorado at Boulder has donated an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the University Memorial Center. The AED is being mounted at the reception desk for easy access in emergency situations. All UMC workers will be trained to use the device, which is able to diagnose cardiac rhythms to determine if they are life-threatening. If the rhythms are deemed lifethreatening, then the AED will shock the patient and use electrical therapy to get the heart beating regularly.

SEMS made the $1,500 purchase with a grant through Centura Health. SEMS is a student-run, volunteer program that aims to develop a safer student experience through peer-to-peer education and emergency care. SEMS, which consists of volunteer emergency medical technicians and students trained in CPR and alcohol education, volunteers at campus events to assist with basic life support in emergency situations.

For more information, visit www.semsboulder.org.

RSVP takes over Ice Busters

Local nonprofit RSVP of Boulder County is taking over the city’s snow removal program, Ice Busters. Ice Busters provides senior citizens and physically disabled persons who are unable to clear snow from their sidewalks assistance to meet the city’s snow removal ordinance. This winter, while the city will remain active in the program through city communication resources, RSVP is taking over the logistics and management of the program.

RSVP is looking for volunteers interested in clearing snow for individual clients, or teaming up with neighbors and friends to “adopt a block” and provide snow removal for those that are unable to clear snow. The transition to the RSVP Fix-It program, which has served the community for more than 37 years, will save the city money and is expected to provide greater reach for those needing assistance through RSVP’s network of volunteers. In addition to snow removal services, the Fix-It program provides other services, including home weatherization, escorted medical rides and grocery shopping for seniors and adults with disabilities in Boulder County. For more information, visit www.rsvpboulder.org.

Boulder High gets credit union

Boulder Valley Credit Union opened the first student credit union branch in the Boulder Valley School District at Boulder High School last month.

Named after the school’s mascot, the Panther Student Credit Union is intended to provide opportunities for students to learn about financial services and credit responsibility through hands-on experience, with their parents’ involvement and support, according to a news release.

The student credit union offers an Educational Student VISA Credit Card, which a parent is required to co-sign.

“The opening of the student credit union coincides with the Boulder Valley School District’s new financial literacy programs that are now an academic requirement at BVSD high schools,” says Jason Bauer, vice president of marketing for Boulder Valley Credit Union. “It is important that students be educated about how credit cards work in a handson environment before they graduate and enter the real world.”