May Day to honor workers, migrants
International Workers Day, celebrated on May Day, was instituted in 1886 when 180,000 U.S. workers engaged in a strike to fight for the eight-hour workday. Since 1988, workers and organizers along the front range of Colorado have paid tribute to the working class and all they have given the nation at annual May Day events.
The 2010 May Day Celebration will consist of four events. May Day/Unity Day will be celebrated at the Boulder County Courthouse on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall on May 1, from 1 to 4 p.m. The event is free and will focus on raising awareness about the struggles of immigrants and workers.
At 5 p.m. that day there will be a march to honor miners massacred at the Columbine Mine in 1927. The march will start at the Harlequin Theater, 990 S. Public Rd., in Lafayette.
Two concerts featuring San Francisco Rockin’ Solidarity Labor Chorus will also mark the day in honor of working people — a May Day Concert to be held at 7 p.m. on May 1 at the Harlequin Theater in Lafayette; and a May Day Concert at the Mercury Café, 2199 California St., Denver, on May 2, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are offered on a sliding scale of $5 to $10, but no one will be turned away.
Joining the Solidarity Labor Chorus at the Harlequin are Pretty Good Folk Bank, Elena Klaver, Deb Gallegos, Doug Rippey, Blues on the Lamb and Gary Ball, while Elena Klaver, Doug Rippey will join them at the Mercury Café.
The Harlequin concert will also include an art show paying tribute to Cesar Chavez and food will be available. Sponsors of this year’s event include the Bread and Roses Workers Cultural Center, Industrial Workers of the World, Jobs with Justice, and the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center.
Each of these events will provide an opportunity to learn more about labor history through songs and speakers, as well as opportunities to get involved.
County gets $25M for retrofits
Boulder County, in partnership with several other entities, will receive $25 million in federal stimulus grants (out of a pool of $452 million in Recovery Act funding) through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Retrofit Ramp-Up Initiative.
Under the initiative, communities, governments, private-sector companies and nonprofit organizations will work collaboratively to promote large-scale retrofits and make energy-efficiency resources accessible to homeowners and businesses across the country. The program is expected to save households and businesses about $100 million annually in utility bills and create up to 30,000 jobs during the next three years.
According to a statement from the Boulder County Board of Commissioners, the county was one of only 25 communities in the country to receive the funding. The $25 million federal investment is expected to leverage an investment of $180 million in energy upgrades and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 200,000 tons.
The county’s partners in the effort were the City and County of Denver, Garfield County, the City of Boulder, the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office, the Metro Mayors’ Caucus and the Denver Regional Council of Governments.
Boulder Chamber social media event
The Boulder Chamber is holding its second annual social media event from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 30, at UCAR Center Green, at 93085 Center Green Dr. This half-day, hands-on workshop will feature a panel discussion moderated by Ground Floor Media on how social media is evolving, trends that are emerging and what businesses need to do to keep up.
There will be break-out groups where attendees can choose two topics on managing social media, best practices, strategy, blogging, ROI and Twitter business essentials, allowing close interaction with their topic expert.
The cost of a half-day session is $65 for Chamber members and $75 for non-members. For more information visit boulderchamber.com.
Cities combine MS walks
This year, for the first time, the Boulder and Longmont multiple sclerosis (MS) planning committees have combined their respective walks into one event.
The committees hope to raise $125,000 this year for research and assistance efforts and attract 1,000 participants for the walk.
The event takes place on Saturday, May 15. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., and the walk is from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Boulder Reservoir, at 5565 51st St. For more information, contact Boulder/Longmont MS Walk Co-chair Susan Barstad at 970-482-5016 or [email protected].
BW’s White lands award
Boulder Weekly Editor Pamela White has won a first place award from the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for her April 23, 2009, article, “Until proven guilty.”
The award, given in the category “Legal Affairs Reporting: News or Feature,” was presented on April 10 at the SPJ chapter’s “Top of the Rockies” Excellence in Journalism Awards.
One judge called it “an exceptionally thoughtful, well-researched story about what has gone wrong with the juvenile justice system. Very nice exploration of all sides of the issues, brought to life by compelling stories of several juvenile offenders.”
The award was given in the SPJ’s Region 9, which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah.
Hill Flea Market returns
The Hill Flea has morphed into a seasonal market, focusing on spring cleaning in May and end-of-summer fun in late August. It will be held on only two dates this year: Saturday, May 8, and Sunday, Aug. 22, both from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Hill Flea is both a marketplace and community space designed to be a destination for all ages. One part vintage flea market, one part interactive flea market, the Hill Flea brings traditional vendors, artisans and entrepreneurs together to offer their talents and goods for sale.
The Flea will be spread over a large area on the Hill to bring the energy of an open-air street market back to the neighborhood.
Organizers are asking residents to consider May 8 as a date for spring-cleaning by “up-cycling” their goods back into the local community, or partner with a charity to help hawk old possessions for a cause.
Advisory boards have openings
The deadline to apply for open seats on three City of Boulder advisory boards is 5 p.m. on May 4.
Applications are being accepted for the Landmarks Board, Transportation Advisory Board and the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
Each board and commission has specific responsibilities and requirements, including collaborating with and advising particular city departments and City Council on related issues. Service on all boards is voluntary. Generally, applicants must be a city elector, 18 years of age, and reside within the Boulder city limits.
Applications can be picked up from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the City Council Office, 1777 Broadway, or can be found online at www.bouldercolorado.gov (under the “News” tab). Formal appointments will be made on May 18.
Local organic weed control
A Boulder-based company, Organo-Lawn, has introduced One Earth Weed Control, a 100 percent organic, selective, post-emergent weed control and fertilizer application. The weed control, derived from clove oil, will kill broad-leaf weeds found in lawns after they have germinated, with a 50 percent to 90 percent rate of effectiveness, compared to the previous best 100 percent organic option, which only achieved between 10 percent and 50 percent weed control.
Organo-Lawn experimented with the weed control for the past two years, determining the necessary application strengths consistent in all weather conditions-warm and cool temperatures, drought and moisture, etc. The company also determined which surfactants (wetting agents) made the product most effective. Organo-Lawn tested around 60 different nozzles to find out which pattern of mist was most effective for application.
City issues flood tips
With the advent of flood season, city officials are circulating flood safety tips and referring residents to the website www.boulderfloodinfo.net.
Recommendations include keeping an emergency kit accessible. Include a battery-powered radio, extra batteries, flashlights, rubber boots and gloves, first-aid supplies, medicines, water stored in tightly-sealed containers and food that requires no cooking or refrigeration. During a flood, officials say, residents should stay out of flowing waters, avoid driving through flooded areas, stay away from power lines and electrical wires, and tune into local radio or television news channels.
The website features floodplain maps, informational videos and a family flood action plan that should be filled out prior to a flood event and posted in homes. The family flood action plan can also be picked up in the Municipal Building, at 1777 Broadway. For more information about personal preparedness, visit www.readycolorado.com, or contact the Office of Emergency Management at 303-441-3390.
New Vista goes green
The University of Phoenix and the Earth Day Network have announced a partnership to give a “green makeover” to New Vista High School in Boulder.
The centerpiece of the greening project is the installation of a 4.9k/W solar panel system that will save the school approximately $85,000 and 312,390 lbs of carbon emissions over the lifespan of the system. The school will also be fitted with an educational energy monitoring system so that teachers and students can keep track of energy generation and savings. New Vista will also enter students into a contest to win a full scholarship to the University of Phoenix for a bachelor of science degree in environmental science or a bachelor of science in business/green and sustainable enterprise management.
Skyler named Young Careerist
Dr. Jenni Skyler, local sex therapist and director of The Intimacy Institute of Boulder, has been named the Boulder Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Young Careerist for 2010.
Lindsay Shaw, owner of Lindsay’s Boulder Deli at Haagen-Daz, was the runner-up.
The annual Young Careerist Program highlights and celebrates the achievements of successful young women. Sue Deans, retired editor and vice president of Daily Camera, Jerry Lewis, former publisher/editor of the Boulder County Business Report, and Wendy Reynolds, senior vice president of Flatirons Bank served on a panel to judge the competition.
Skyler, who writes the Sophisticated Sex column for Boulder Weekly, and Shaw were among five participants in the Boulder BPW competition. The other candidates were Julie Winslow, investment advisor with Securian Financial Services; Katie Pekarek, project manager with Kristin Lewis Architects; and Kathryn Matta, off-site events specialist for A Spice of Life Catering.
Judging was based on the Young Careerist representative’s career achievements and ability to project an image that reflects the role of today’s young work force in society. Young Careerist Representatives were judged on four phases of competition: written biographical information, personal interview, group interaction and prepared four-minute speeches.
