Boulder County CROP Hunger Walk recruiters, walkers, sponsors, organizers and friends are handing over a check for almost $15,000 to Community Food Share in Longmont.
It’s the largest amount the Boulder County charity walk has ever raised for Community Food Share in the walk’s 24-year history. About 480 walkers — also a record number — walked up to six miles around Macintosh Lake in Longmont on Oct. 18. The walk is held each year not only to raise funds for relief agencies, but also to heighten awareness of hunger and poverty locally and globally.
In all, the event raised more than $60,000 to help people suffering from hunger and poverty. Seventy-five percent goes to national and international organizations like CARE, Heifer International and Church World Service; 24 percent is given to Community Food Share of Boulder and Broomfield counties; and 1 percent goes to Bread for the World.
Community Food Share, like other food banks around the nation, is currently seeing more demand for its services than ever before.
CROP Hunger Walks are sponsored by Church World Service (CWS), which has provided millions of dollars in emergency aid and assistance to those in need. Go to www.bouldercropwalk.org for more information.
Boulder woman honored for human-rights work
Torkin Wakefield, co-founder of BeadforLife, has won the 14th annual International Human Rights award, given annually by the United Nations Association of Boulder County. She was honored at a private reception at the Leanin’ Tree Museum on Dec. 16.
BeadforLife is an organization of African women, principally located in Uganda, who make decorative beads from waste paper and other found materials and create jewelry and other items from them. The jewelry is then exported and sold abroad at prices designed to allow the women to make a living wage. Co-founded by Wakefield 10 years ago, the organization has blossomed into a major economic force for tens of thousands of Ugandans. The profits are returned to fight extreme poverty, specifically in areas of health care, housing and business training initiatives. More information is available at www.BeadforLife.org.
The Board of Directors of UNA of Boulder County recognized Torkin as its International Human Rights winner for her efforts to improve the lives of these women.
To be eligible for the award, nominees must be residents of Boulder County and must have made major contributions toward the support of one or more of the rights found in the Universal Declaration. The award was created in 1995 as a means of recognizing the often unrecognized efforts of people who care about the dignity and value of people everywhere to labor in the international human rights field. Nominations are solicited annually in August, and the reception is held each December.
Work on Hwy. 66 almost done
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has completed concrete resurfacing on State Highway 66 between U.S. 36 and U.S. 287, but some minor work remains and will take place over the rest of December.
“The main goal of this project was to resurface a deteriorating segment of SH 66 in order to extend the life of the roadway,” said James Flohr, CDOT resident engineer. “Improving the roadway surface also means improving curb and gutter and other roadway elements, which is the work we are completing now.”
Because the concrete work is complete, SH 66 has reopened to bicyclists. Some work will still be under way during daytime hours, so CDOT is reminding motorists and bicyclists to pay attention to construction signs and abide by the reduced speed limit of 45 mph.
The entire project involved rotomilling eight miles of asphalt on SH 66 and resurfacing the highway in concrete. The project did not include rotomilling and paving the SH 66/Hover Street intersection, as the City of Longmont reconstructed the intersection last summer. The entire project will be complete by the end of December, weather permitting.
Library offers meters for checkout
The Boulder Public Library began offering Kill-A- Watt meters for checkout to patrons on Dec. 15 as part of the “Power Check” program. The program is a collaboration with Xcel Energy and the joint city and county ClimateSmart program. Power Check encourages residents to use the meters in their homes and learn how much energy appliances and devices consume. The meters come with instructions.
The Kill-A-Watt meters will be available at the main Boulder Public Library, as well as the Meadows and Reynolds branches. The meters can be checked out for three weeks and must be picked up at the front desk. The meters can be placed on hold in the library system using a library card. Users may search for the meters in the library catalog using “Power Check.”
For information, visit www.boulderlibrary.org, or call 303-441-3100.
Ferro heads land-use review division
The City of Boulder has announced that Charles Ferro has been promoted to the position of manager for the city’s Land Use Review Division in the Department of Community Planning and Sustainability, following a competitive search process. Previously, Ferro held the position of senior planner in the division.
Ferro has significant work experience in current and long-range planning, including working in the areas of development review, physical planning and comprehensive planning policy development in both Florida and Colorado. He joined the City of Boulder in 2005 and has served as senior planner on a number of highly visible community planning projects, including the Crestview East Annexation, Recycle Row and the recent interim land use regulations related to medical marijuana. He has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
The Land Use Review Division is part of the city’s Planning and Development Services (P&DS) workgroup, which oversees the development review process. The land use review manager works closely with other managers in P&DS, including engineering, building review and comprehensive planning.
Ferro has served as acting land use review manager since September. The position was previously held by Robert Ray and remained open while the department underwent reorganization.
Police seek civilian volunteers
The Boulder Police Department is looking for two community volunteers to serve on the Professional Standards Citizen Review Panel.
The panel reviews investigations into allegations of serious misconduct by members of the police department and makes recommendations to the chief of police.
Applicants must be at least 21 years old, be U.S. citizens, have lived within the city limits for at least three years, have no felony convictions, and have no misdemeanor convictions in the past five years.
Volunteers will be required to attend a nine-hour training class on Feb. 6, and are asked to make a service commitment of two years. The panel meets as needed. Although the number of meetings can vary, the panel historically has met fewer than 10 times each year.
All applications are due no later than Jan. 7.
Qualified applicants who reflect Boulder’s diversity and qualified members of the CU community are encouraged to apply.
Anyone wanting more information or an application should contact Sgt. Kerry Yamaguchi at 303-441- 3312 or YamaguchiK@bouldercolorado.gov.
Fringe fest seeking applications
The 2010 Boulder International Fringe Festival began accepting applications online on Dec. 15. The first 25 percent of slots in each category will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The rest will be entered into the general lottery to be drawn in February at The Big Fringe Lottery Party. The final application deadline is Jan. 30 at 11:59 p.m. The Sixth Annual Boulder International Fringe Festival will run Aug. 18–29 in Boulder.
NCAR director tapped for Florida State post
Eric Barron, director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), has announced that he is stepping down from his position to assume the presidency of Florida State University. An alumnus of FSU, Barron was recently selected by its Board of Trustees to lead the university.
“In his brief tenure at NCAR, Eric has made a large positive impact,” says Richard Anthes, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which manages NCAR for the National Science Foundation. “He has begun a number of significant initiatives that will continue to guide the future of this organization at a critical time for weather and climate research. We are sorry to lose him, but thank him for the thoughtful leadership and ability to build consensus that will also serve him well in the leadership position at Florida State.”
Barron says that although it was a difficult decision to leave NCAR, he is excited to return to his alma mater.
“Florida State is an outstanding university that is poised to become one of the finest in the world,” he says.
Barron took over as NCAR director in July 2008.
Cats need homes
The Longmont Humane Society is continuing its “Name Your Price for a Kitty” event through December. Through the end of the month, all cats 1 year old and over are available at the Longmont Humane Society for whatever adoption fee patrons wish to pay. Adoptions include a spay or neuter, a microchip and vaccinations. Currently there are 182 cats seeking good homes at LHS. The normal adoption fee is $115. For information, go to www.longmonthumane.org.
Dog park closes for construction
The dog park at East Boulder Community Park, adjacent to the East Boulder Community Center at 5660 Sioux Dr., was closed on Dec. 14 and will remain closed through spring 2010. The closure of the temporary park will allow for the second phase of construction at the park to begin, which will include a permanent dog park, as well as multi-purpose athletic fields and other infrastructure improvements.
Dog park improvements will include new surfacing and drainage upgrades, improved fencing and trashreceptacle access, pond-shore enhancements and additional parking.
There are other city dog parks that remain open, including the Foothills Community Dog Park at 7th Street and Silver Lake (between Locust Avenue and Lee Hill Drive); Valmont Dog Park at 5275 Valmont Rd.; and the Howard Heuston Dog Park at 34th Street, south of Iris Avenue (unfenced dog park; voice and sight control tag required).
