Students unite for Haiti

A group of University of Colorado student leaders are joining forces to raise $100,000 for Haiti relief. The “CU Stands for Haiti” campaign consists of several large fundraisers put on by about 25 student groups.

Logan, ClimateSmart recognized

The Leadership Initiative Award was presented to Jim Logan, principal of Jim Logan Architects, and the Pioneer Award was presented to Boulder County for the ClimateSmart Loan Program.

Chinese New Year events come to Boulder

The Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association will celebrate Chinese New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Tiger with performances of the Lion Dance and Kung Fu at several locations in Boulder and along the Front Range until Feb. 21.

Lawmakers host meeting at CU

State Reps. Claire Levy, D-Denver, and Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, D-Longmont, will host a town meeting on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 10 a.m. to noon in Room 247 of the University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

First annual ‘State of the City’ event

The Boulder Chamber of Commerce has announced that the Elevations Credit Union’s first annual “State of the City” event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 11, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. City Manager Jane Brautigam will discuss Boulder’s economic picture, highlights of 2009 and 2010 policy goals.

Ball to benefit students in Africa

Boulder-based nonprofit Educate!, which aims to educate and empower children in Africa, will host its annual fundraising ball on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. at Rembrandt Yard Art Gallery and Event Center.

Boulder’s I Have a Dream Foundation wins grant

USTA Serves, the charitable entity of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), has awarded the Boulder branch of the I Have a Dream Foundation one of its 24 year-end grants under its “Aces for Kids” umbrella.

Sewer maintenance in Erie begins

A sewer maintenance project that city officials anticipate will take approximately three months began on Feb. 1 in downtown Erie.

County awards local business

The Boulder Chamber of Commerce has announced its 2010 award recipients for its 105th Annual Dinner on Monday, Feb. 8, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Glenn Miller Ballroom in the University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

10th annual 5k for dog lovers

Nonprofit organization Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA) has announced the 10th anniversary of the Canine Classic, a 5K for runners, walkers and dog lovers of all ages.

Xcel doesn't always tell customers when they're being cut loose

On the evening of Jan. 12, the heat in Taylor Lindstrom’s Boulder home went out without warning. She called Xcel Energy, and was told that, indeed, Xcel had turned off the electricity because the bill had not been paid. Lindstrom, who thought she had been paying her Xcel bills, asked why she had not been notified of any overdue amount — or the pending disconnection, for that matter.

Farmer, neighbors tussle over 'demonstration' designation

Zia Parker is asking the county to designate her property as a “demonstration farm.” She wants permission to teach classes that would meet two Sundays each month from June through October. But four of her neighbors, including one who had initially agreed to teach the chicken component of the course, oppose the designation of “demonstration farm.”

Boulder store owner spins story of success

When Narayan Shrestha left Nepal for New York City in 1977, he says he had $300 in his pocket, spoke almost no English and had only a couple of friends in America — one in Chicago and one in Dallas.

Obama, one year later

An evaluation of the president's first year

A YEAR AGO, the mood in Boulder was elation. After eight years of nightmarish governance at the hands of the Bush-Cheney administration, voters had finally put a man in office who reflected our values, who seemed like he was our president. On Jan.

K-12 teachers may see layoffs in state budget shortfall

Battle lines are forming in the legislature over what will undoubtedly be the biggest issue during the session this spring: the state’s dwindling budget, and how to avoid the train wreck that is looming for areas like K-12 education, which is likely facing a cut of at least $260 million in 2010–11. It could mean a significant number of teacher layoffs, one legislator predicts, because the vast majority of school district budgets are spent on salaries.

A look back at the Aughts

This week, Boulder Weekly staff looks back at events that shaped the past decade. More than a time to reminisce, the new year and new decade give all of us a chance to reconsider what we’re doing and to resolve to do better from now on, both as individuals and as a nation. Here’s hoping that the Teens will see a nationwide shift away from fear, and the anger that inevitably comes with it, to compassion and compassionate action.

2009 Boulder County People of the Year: Team ClimateSmart

We honor Alice Madden, Will Toor, Ann Livingston and Susie Strife

It started with a man named Cisco DeVries. As chief of staff to the mayor of Berkeley, Calif., DeVries was looking for a way to enable more people to update their homes with renewable energy and save money on their utility bills. He came up with an idea: finance upgrades through the city and attach the debt to the property taxes of participating homeowners.

One man's rocky journey chasing down a dream

He removes his cap; fingers brush past his left ear and instinctively find the scar at the base of his skull. It’s much smaller now, about the size of a half-dollar coin, and much more manageable. There are other scars: two incisions along the base of his neck, and one right below his larynx — “almost like a tracheotomy,” he shrugs. The latter serves as a reminder of the day surgeons removed samples of his lymph nodes from his chest, found them to be massively swollen and black as coal, and concluded that Mike Newton’s cancer had spread.

Student leaders float proposal to expand, renovate CU's recreation center

CU student leaders are in the early stages of floating a proposal to renovate and expand the rec center, a project that would likely cost millions of dollars and require a significant increase in student fees, which again has become a sensitive topic among members of the Board of Regents.

Young undocumented immigrants face dead end after high school

Monica, who declines to give her real name, dreaded high school graduation, because most colleges don’t accept undocumented immigrants, and employers cannot legally hire someone without a Social Security number. “Graduating from high school, I wasn’t excited at all, because I was going to become a criminal,” Monica told Boulder Weekly.

Republicans are insane

The results of The 2010 Comprehensive Daily Kos/Research 2000 Poll of Self- Identified Republicans are in, and it’s just as we feared. A majority of Republicans are insane.

Lucero: A one-man wrecking crew?

Wow, we knew that Republican CU Regent Tom Lucero was one of the most powerful members of the Republican-dominated Board of Regents, but we didn’t know he was single-handedly responsible for the dismissal of former CU Professor Ward Churchill.

Robertson's hate tour continues

So, Pat Robertson thinks that the earthquake in Haiti was caused by the Haitians making a pact with Satan to liberate themselves from the French back in the day.

The politics of racial cynicism

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Dumbass, is lucky that President Barack Obama is a more gracious man than he. Back when Obama was a presidential hopeful, Reid, whose mouth has apparently not yet been connected to his brain, reportedly expressed his view that Obama could win the presidential election because he was “light-skinned” enough and had “no Negro accent, unless he wanted to have one.” Reid’s idiotic assertion was immortalized in the book Game Change, an account of the 2008 presidential election.

Mrs. America better for America?

Maybe they figure that with a ring comes less chance of a sting. That’s right, the Mrs. America Pageant is in its early stages, and is searching for Mrs. Boulder. Mrs. Boulder will go on to compete in the Mrs. Colorado pageant, held in May at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver.

Begging bankers call for fiscal responsibility

There’s a new term circulating among middle-class homeowners these days: strategic foreclosure. If you’re one of the people who bought your house when the housing bubble was at its bubbliest, your house might not be worth shit compared to its purchase price. Some people have decided that continuing to pay their mortgage when they’re underwater on the value of their home isn’t worth the effort. They’re packing their things and giving their homes back to the bank so that they pursue opportunity elsewhere.

Bunk banks

The list of local banks that won’t do business with medical marijuana dispensaries just keeps growing. Last week, we heard that Summit Bank & Trust in Broomfield had given a cold shoulder to a dispensary co-owner seeking a loan — only after finding out the nature of her business. We left messages with Kurt Sava, Summit’s retail banking manager, but curiously, he never called back.

They're not really lords

What is it with guys who own mobile home parks? From what we can tell, they all graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Academy for Arrogant Assholes.

We're No. 3? Get real!

The Daily Beast named Boulder as the nation’s third smartest college town, giving the city an overall grade of A on criteria such as overall percentage of the town’s population with academic degrees and its level of political engagement.

Woods and his iron

Tiger Woods has apparently joined the ranks of other rich and famous guys who are married but can’t keep their pants zipped. Yawn. Every news organization in the country seems to be obsessing over his recent accident and the state of his marriage, as if it were truly news. But whether Woods has been putting on the wrong green really ought to be a matter of concern between him and his wife.

Space shuttle Endeavour lights up the night sky in successful launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Endeavour brought an early dawn to Kennedy Space Center on Monday, punching its way through cloudy skies to close the curtain on night-time shuttle launches and kick off the final year of liftoffs for the aging orbiter fleet.

Soldier charged after allegedly using water punishment on 4-year-old daughter

SEATTLE — A Fort Lewis soldier has been charged with assault after he allegedly held his 4-year-old daughter mostly under water because she couldn't recite the alphabet. Charging papers equated the technique to torture.

Michael Jackson's doctor charged with involuntary manslaughter

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors on Monday charged Michael Jackson's personal physician with involuntary manslaughter in connection with administering a combination of surgical anesthetic and sedatives blamed in the music legend's death last summer.

At least five dead in Connecticut power plant explosion, many more injured

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — A devastating explosion that was heard and felt for miles destroyed a power plant Sunday morning as workers purged a natural gas piping system, killing at least five and injuring many more, emergency response officers said

Palin doesn't rule out 2012 presidential run

WASHINGTON — Fresh off her speech to the Tea Party convention, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Sunday left open the possibility she would run for president in 2012 and asserted President Obama would lose if the election were held today.

Illinois lieutenant governor nominee drops out over scandal

CHICAGO — Scott Lee Cohen, the pawnbroker whose surprise victory in last week's Democratic lieutenant governor primary was followed by scandalous revelations about him, quit the race Sunday at the urging of party leaders.

NASA will try to launch Endeavour again Monday

ORLANDO — Unacceptable launch weather conditions scrubbed Sunday morning's planned launch of space shuttle Endeavour. NASA officials report they will try again Monday, with a launch attempt scheduled for 4:14 a.m. EST.

Bolden: NASA needs a big rocket and jobs at KSC

ORLANDO — NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden told reporters at Kennedy Space Center Saturday he expects NASA to launch a big rocket in the 2020s that would pave the way for human exploration of space beyond low Earth orbit.

Storm wallops mid-Atlantic with 2 feet of snow

NEW YORK — The biggest winter storm in close to 90 years walloped the mid-Atlantic states Saturday, shutting down Washington, D.C. and burying the region in power outages, flight cancellations and miserable driving conditions.

'Snowmageddon' hits D.C., mid-Atlantic

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A prolonged blizzard covered Washington, D.C., and the mid-Atlantic states in a smothering canvass of snow Saturday, grounding planes and triggering widespread power outages as people across the region turned to skis and sleds to traverse icy roads.

'Vagina Monologues' celebrate female sexuality, raise awareness

Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” was a sensation, a celebration – and also taboo – when it was performed for the first time in New York City in 1996. Since then, the play has evolved from a celebration of women’s sexuality to a mission to stop violence against women.

Business owner reworks logo that offends some Native people

It started with what Dan Pullen thought was the perfect logo — the name of his alternative healing center, Yampa Wellness, with the image of a sacred Indian pipe, or chanupa.

County budget cut will hurt needy families

The Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services (DHHS) announced Thursday that it is facing a budget shortfall of about $4.5 million and is planning a host of staffing and service reductions, many of which will hurt the county’s neediest families.

Nederland vote on pot legalization going to ballot

The Town of Nederland’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday night to send a marijuana legalization measure to the April 6 ballot. The proposal would remove all criminal penalties in Nederland municipal code related to marijuana, its concentrates and paraphernalia for anyone who is at least 21 years old.

Louisville library hosting 'Love in the Afternoon'

In honor of Valentine’s Day, the Louisville Public Library is hosting its second annual “Love in the Afternoon” event, featuring readings and discussion with local romance novelists. The event, which is free, will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Louisville Public Library, 951 Spruce St.

Nederland preschool teacher accused of assault

On Jan. 28, at approximately 8 a.m., Nederland preschool teacher Kristen Carol Barnett, 38, turned herself in at the Boulder County Jail after being charged with one count of sex assault on a child by someone in a position of trust, a class 3 felony.

County approves permaculture classes at farm on 63rd

After hearing about three hours of public testimony Thursday night, the Boulder County commissioners gave their blessing to Zia Parker’s plan for hosting permaculture classes at her small farm on North 63rd Street. The board voted unanimously to give Parker permission to host the full number of class participants she had requested — 20 students for the adult workshops and 12 students for the kids sessions.

Longmont's Habitat for Humanity store robbed

Employees of Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore Home Improvement Outlet in Longmont discovered on Jan. 26 that the store’s safe, containing almost $3,000 in cash and checks, had been stolen. The money in the safe included cash for the store register as well as deposits and receipts from Jan. 21–23.

Former CU faculty member's death alcohol-related

Margaret Zamudio, a former University of Colorado at Boulder faculty member who made headlines a decade ago for drug use, being fired from CU and suing the school, died on Christmas night in Laramie, Wyo., and alcohol has been listed as a contributing factor in her death.

Sunflower Farmer's Market to host author and nutritionist Jordan Rubin

Sunflower Farmer's Market is hosting best-selling author and nutritionist Jordan Rubin for a lecture on how to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Hospital patients fight

On Feb. 7, Boulder city police officers arrested a 26-year-old Broomfield man on charges of second-degree assault. The suspect is accused of punching a male victim in the head after a verbal dispute, causing broken facial bones.

Tenderizing the meat

A woman reported that she was talking to a Safeway employee standing behind a glass cooler case used for displaying meat and other foods, when she said she noticed that the employee had his penis outside of his pants and was masturbating as he spoke with her.

McGuckin's employee stabbed during attempted robbery

A McGuckin’s loss-prevention employee was stabbed the evening of Jan. 28, according to a Boulder Police report.

Lost hikers found 100 yards from parking lot

Six hikers lost their way on Jan. 24 after leaving the Gregory Canyon Trailhead, heading toward the Bluebell Shelter.

Denny's rocks

A 39-year-old transient man is accused of throwing small rocks at the window of the restaurant and then throwing two larger, grapefruit-sized rocks at a manager who stepped outside to speak with him.

Errant arrow lands in window

Boulder Weekly is introducing a new feature this week, the Police Blotter. Throughout the week, we'll write about a few happenings at local cop shops.

Vonn is the one to beat on the slopes

LOS ANGELES — Lindsey Vonn was going downhill so fast — in a wholesome, epic, lucrative way — there wasn't time to wait for her to actually win an Olympic medal.

Saints rally in second half to defeat Colts in Super Bowl

MIAMI — They toasted Drew Brees, Jeremy Shockey and Tracy Porter on Bourbon Street for their fourth-quarter heroics in New Orleans' historic 31-17 Super Bowl XLIV win over Indianapolis on Sunday night in Sun Life Stadium.

Shirts, caps for Super Bowl losers go to Haiti relief effort

MIAMI — With less than 10 minutes to go in Super Bowl XLIV, NFL employees entered the ''secret room," a storage area in the bowels of Sun Life Stadium, to pull out eight black Reebok athletic bags filled with championship T-shirts, caps and towels.

NBC plans 835 hours of Olympics coverage

Here's a quick look at NBC's planned 835 hours of coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics on the network, cable channels and Internet.

Saints sure aren't acting like an underdog with Super Bowl XLIV approaching

MIAMI — Maybe it's karma, that Vince Lombardi's grandson, Joe Lombardi, is the New Orleans Saints' quarterbacks coach.

Resurrection: The Saints' story

Seemingly over-matched by a Minnesota Vikings team led by Hall of Fame shoo-in Brett Favre, the New Orleans Saints finally advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in the franchise’s 42-year history with a 31-28 overtime win in the National Football Conference championship game. It was a very special moment for a very special city.

CBS sells out of ad time for Super Bowl

LOS ANGELES — CBS didn't need a Hail Mary pass to unload its commercial spots in Sunday's Super Bowl after all.

Super Bowl commercials take the U.S. pulse in seconds

LOS ANGELES — The Super Bowl, which apparently is some sort of sporting event on Feb. 7, is a unique media happening: a moment when the nation comes together to adjudicate the meaning of advertising and to ratify its absurd, over-scaled importance in our culture.

Vancouver putting on its best face for Olympics

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — For the last decade, Luben Banchev has sold hot dogs from a small cart outside the Vancouver Art Museum. Three years ago the city unveiled a massive digital clock nearby that since has been counting down the days, minutes and seconds until the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

High-octane Colts and Saints play for the ring

NEW ORLEANS — The calendar says Mardi Gras is three weeks away. Not anymore. It started here in the Superdome on a magic night that helped erase 43 years of franchise disappointment and lift a city that deserved the joy finally savored.

Philadelphia airport screener disciplined over prank

DETROIT — A University of Michigan student boarding a plane in Philadelphia to return to Detroit Metro Airport from winter break got a big fright in the form of a prank by an airport security screener.

Fat owners linked to fat dogs, but not fat cats

Many thanks to the Lempert Report for alerting us to a piece of pet-obesity news. A study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition investigated the relationship between body weight in pet owners and body weight in their pets. Its finding: Overweight owners tend to have overweight dogs, as other studies have reported before. But no such relationship was seen between owners and pet cats.

Police leave ransom note for pot plants, nab alleged grower

MARATHON, Fla. — After a citizen's tip led undercover detectives to six large marijuana plants growing in a wooded lot in the Florida Keys, police half-jokingly left a phone number and ransom note.

Chillax, the '09 banned words list has arrived

DETROIT — Drawing nominations from English enthusiasts and those just plain tired of overused expressions, Lake Superior State University's Word Banishment Committee has issued its list of words and phrases it deems time to be "unfriended."

Couple accused of stealing Christmas gifts, setting fire to church

MODESTO, Calif. — Officers arrested a married couple suspected of breaking into a Modesto church late Tuesday, stealing Christmas gifts intended for needy children and starting a fire, a police spokesman said.

Drunk 4-year-old Tenn. boy found trying to steal Christmas presents

A four-year-old boy was found wandering in the street – beer in hand – wearing a dress in Chattanooga, Tenn. earlier this week.

'Bayonetta' a tasty witch's brew

Similar to games like Devil May Cry, Afro-Samurai, and maybe even Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta is an action-filled “beat em’ up” with what seems like hundreds of moves and combos, a handful of spells, and a nice collection of weaponry. The Japanese-produced video game, now available on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, follows Bayonetta, the lone witch who survived a war between two clans – the Lumen Sages and Umbran Witches. Of course the Sages represent everything good in the world and the Witches represent the dark evil side.

Game developers see potential, not gold rush in Apple's iPad

On its surface, Apple's iPad may seem like a glorified e-book reader, but developers working on games for the system say they see within its extra-large screen and faster processor, great gaming potential.

Southwest to enable Wi-Fi use on 737 fleet

CHICAGO — Southwest Airlines has finally decided to wire its Boeing 737 fleet for wireless Internet service after dabbling with the concept for two years. The big question: Will the discounter offer its Wi-Fi service for peanuts?

iPad neat, but I'm waiting for ver. 2.0

After playing with Apple's iPad at its press debut Wednesday, I want to buy one — just not yet. One of technology's truisms is that version 2.0 is almost always much better than version 1.0. So it's usually a good idea to wait.

Why Apple's iPad will change gadget world

Who would have thought that the most innovative thing about the iPad was going to be its price?

Apple iPad squares off with Amazon's Kindle; analysts lay their bets

LOS ANGELES — When Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs showed off the new iPad — complete with built-in bookstore — he praised Amazon.com for pioneering the electronic book business with its popular Kindle reading device.

iPhone users will get to make Internet calls over AT&T cellular network

Users of Apple Inc.'s popular iPhone will now be able to save money by making Internet-based phone calls over AT&T's cellular network.

Apple again taps our tech hopes and dreams

I knew that the hype surrounding the Apple tablet had reached extraordinary proportions when I got an e-mail from Juan Antonio Giner a few weeks ago.

Jobs: iPad offers 'best browsing experience' in mobile world

SAN FRANCISCO — It's called the iPad, it looks just like what everyone expected — like a supersized iPod Touch — and it's first and foremost a Web and media tablet.

Apple launches iPad tablet device

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. put an end to months of speculation on Wednesday when the company unwrapped the iPad, a new touch-screen tablet computer that Chief Executive Steve Jobs said would revolutionize how people access their digital content and change the future of personal computing.

Iran says it will build 10 nuclear plants, beef up military

BEIRUT — Iranian officials trumpeted new nuclear and military ambitions Monday in the face of domestic political discord and stepped-up international talk of tightening economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Tymoshenko under pressure to concede in presidential race

KIEV, Ukraine — Pressure swelled on Monday for Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to bow out gracefully from a hard-fought and narrowly lost presidential race.

NATO arrests Afghan police official accused of aiding insurgents

KABUL, Afghanistan — NATO forces swooped down on the home of a senior Afghan police official, arrested him and accused him of helping insurgents make and plant roadside bombs, Western military officials said Sunday.

Defying the West, Iran's president orders hike in nuclear enrichment

ROME AND BEIRUT — In a possible move to deflect attention from Iran's political woes, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday ordered the nation's atomic energy agency to begin enriching uranium from 3.5 percent to 20 percent purity to serve as fuel for a Tehran medical reactor.

Ukraine's young democracy is marked by theatrics

KIEV, Ukraine — When it comes to messy politics — and old-fashioned entertainment — it's hard to top the theatrics of the relatively young democracy in Ukraine. Here are a few choice moments from the presidential campaign that ended with Sunday's runoff election:

Cocaine trafficking keeps Ecuador anti-drug authorities busy

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — The beat cop quickly discovered why the three men at the entrance to the storage yard had bolted as he pulled up in his patrol car.

Iraqi Shiite group claims it is holding American hostage

BAGHDAD — An Iraqi Shiite group with close ties to Iran has claimed in a videotape Saturday it was holding an American hostage who is believed to be an El Cajon, Calif., man reported missing in Baghdad by the Pentagon.

Pentagon chief says Iran's response to nuclear proposal is disappointing

ANKARA, Turkey — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and a conservative official in Tehran found something they could agree on Saturday, as each dismissed the Iranian foreign minister's suggestion that a deal was close on Iran's nuclear program.

Haitians prepare for boat journey to Florida

CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti — The unfinished wooden boat rocks gently in the backwater of Cap-Haitien Bay, lulling 17-year-old Douna Marcellus and two dozen others to sleep as tight balls of mosquitoes hover overhead. Cicadas serenade them from the reeds on one bank and, on the other, black pigs root through smoldering trash.

Twin bombings kill at least 22 in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD — Two bomb blasts targeting a bus filled with Shiite Muslims and later a hospital in Karachi on Friday killed at least 22 people in the latest outbreak of violence plaguing the troubled, nuclear-armed state.