Briefs | Chamber opposes ‘Big Bad 3’

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Chamber opposes ‘Big Bad 3’

The Boulder Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has voted to formally oppose three tax and government financing measures on the November ballot.

The board says Amendments 60 & 61 and Proposition 101 would hinder state and local governments in providing services critical for a healthy economy and to attract and retain businesses.

“These three measures are very extreme and harm the ability of our state and local governments to function in a normal way,” says Chamber Board Chair Eric Long. “May I ask, who will then repair our highways so we conduct business?” In general, Amendment 60 removes and reduces property taxes, Amendment 61 prohibits or strictly limits borrowing by the government, and Proposition 101 eliminates or reduces various state fees and taxes. The City of Boulder projects at least a $20 million budget reduction in January 2011 if the measures pass. The Chamber’s Board said in a news release that while it understands the intent and spirit of the measures is to reduce taxes and create a smaller, more efficient government, the “draconian” manner in which they would be implemented would be more harmful than helpful to the Boulder area and state economy.

Organizations such as the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Competitive Council, the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry are calling the measures “the big bad three” that will “crush Colorado’s economy.” For more information, visit www.donthurtcolorado.com.

‘Little Rock 9’ member to speak

Carlotta LaNier, one of the “Little Rock Nine,” will speak and sign copies of her book, Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School, on Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Boulder Book Store.

In 1957, LaNier was one of the nine students to attend the previously all-white Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas under U.S. military guard. Just three years after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the desegregation of the nation’s schools via Brown vs. Board of Education, the students were the first African- Americans to graduate from an overwhelmingly white school.

LaNier had not written about the events that unfolded during her high school years until her memoir, which is due out in paperback on July 27.

LaNier moved with her family to Colorado in 1962, where she graduated from what is now the University of Northern Colorado. She has two grown children and currently lives with her husband in Englewood.

Try a kids triathlon

The City of Lafayette Recreation Department will host a “try”athlon for kids ages 6 to 11 at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 9, at the LaMont Does Park Pavilion at 500 S. Boulder Rd.

Participants will be divided into appropriate age groups the day of the event. The basic triathlon will involve riding bikes, running in the park and swimming in the outdoor pool. The cost is $10 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. The entry fee includes ribbons, refreshments and open swim at the pool after the race. Preregistration at the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center is required prior to the race. For more information, visit www.cityoflafayette.com/recreation.

County hosts workshops on falling

Boulder County Aging Services began offering a national fall-prevention program this week called “A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls.”

The workshops are being held at various locations throughout the county and are designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels for older adults. No fees are charged for those 60 and older, but donations are appreciated. Workshops are being held through October.

Due to limited class sizes, participants are asked to pre-register. Contact Marja Johnson at 303-441-3599 or mjohnson@bouldercounty.org to register or for more information and locations.

Hack for a good cause

The first annual “Hackin’ Our Way Home” Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for the Longmont Humane Society, will be held on July 17 at Ute Creek Golf Course. Check-in is at 1 p.m., with a 2 p.m. shotgun start.

Prizes will be awarded for putting, longest (and shortest) drive, closest to the pin on par 3 holes and a grand prize for a hole-in-one.

Prizes will also be awarded to the top teams in a four-person scramble format.

A dinner and silent auction will immediately follow.

The cost is $110 per golfer or $400 for a foursome (signing up together).

Call 303-772-1232, ext. 222, or visit www.longmonthumane.org for more information.

Give back to your community

Boulder County is seeking volunteers to fill vacancies on a host of advisory boards and commissions to help guide decisions on matters ranging from the arts and the aging community to land use planning and mosquito control.

The county is recruiting residents to fill 14 vacancies on the Adult Protection Review Team, Aging Advisory Council, Board of Review, Citizen Review Panel, Core Services Board, Cultural Council, Eldorado Springs LID Advisory Committee, Extension Advisory Committee, Fire Code Review Committee, Human Services Advisory Committee, Mosquito Control Advisory Board, Planning Commission, Resource Conservation Advisory Board and Workforce Development Board.

For more information, visit www.bouldercounty.org/bocc/Advisory Boards or contact Carrie Haverfield at 303-441-1688.

Lyons gets a new mural

Motorists, cyclists and residents traveling along either U.S. 36 or U.S. 7 may notice a new outdoor work of art in Lyons, thanks to the owners of the newly refurbished St. Vrain Market.

This spring, the market’s new owners, Neil and Connie Sullivan, commissioned muralist Jake Pinello to transform the outdoor west wall of the market into a scenic eastward view of Lyons’ landscape.

Pinello had approached the Sullivans about completing a longtime dream of featuring his muralwork on the wall of the market.

“This wall has spoken to me for a lot of years,” says Pinello. “And when the opportunity arose with the market’s new owners, everything fell into place for creating a fresh new mural to be enjoyed from the outside of the market in.”

The mural is on schedule to be completed in July.

Pinello owns Flat Rabbit Murals with his daughter Kahlie Pinello and his sister, Claudia Drake.

For more information, call 303- 823-5225 or go to www.stvrainmarket. com.

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