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Calling all pickleball players! Registration is now open for our Spring Fundraiser event – Pickleball Palooza.

Join us on Saturday, May 4, 2-5 pm for open play and challenger courts. We will also have:

• Tickets for spectators to attend and be in on all the goodies.
• Pickle tasting station by Boulder Pickling Company with option to purchase (a portion of proceeds will benefit Meals on Wheels of Boulder).
• A silent auction kiosk for bidding and a display of some of our silent auction items.
• Extra items in your registration packets including beer vouchers for Sanitas Brewing Company (a few suites down!), pickleball stickers, and more.
• Other fun to be announced!

The silent auction will run online starting Mid-April through the event with a variety of lively items and experiences to bid on and win!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! 

Winning Sponsor

Dinking Sponsors

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Classic Sponsors

Pickled Sponsors

View Event and Register

The Pickleball Palooza Silent Auction is going live on Friday, April 19th at Noon!
Register online or download the app!
      

Thank you to our auction item donors! 

     Francea Phillips and Tiffany Merlo    Ken Chez

MARCH FOR MEALS 2022 EVENT – MARCH 18-25

Meals on Wheels of Boulder joins organizations across the country to celebrate!

Boulder, CO— From March 18-25, Meals on Wheels of Boulder is joining organizations across the nation in celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the signing of the Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Program amendment with an event called March for Meals.

Meals on Wheels of Boulder, through this event, is also honoring the everyday champions in our community that support the mission of the nonprofit - to provide nutritious meals and a daily well-being check to Boulder residents, regardless of age or income.

During the week of March 18-25, several fun activities are planned: 

• Community Champions Week - a series of scheduled public figures from our community will ride along with an assigned volunteer driver and a photographer/videographer to appreciate firsthand meal deliveries to our Boulder neighbors. Each day will start at 10:30 a.m. at the Meals on Wheels of Boulder building at 3701 Canfield Street, Boulder, CO.
  
  March 18 – Mayor Aaron Brockett
  March 21 – John Tayer, President & CEO of Boulder Chamber of Commerce
  March 23 – Carol Riggs, past owner of Sturtz & Copeland
  March 24 – County Commissioners Claire Levy and Marta Loachamin
  
• Text to March - a text-to-donate campaign to raise $10,000 in honor of the occasion. You can march by texting MARCHFORMEALS to 44-321. Any amount is appreciated.
  
• Stories Showcase – a webpage filled with testimonial stories, photos, and videos to honor the everyday champions who make Meals on Wheels of Boulder's mission come to life.
  
• Mini-Concerts - a webpage filled with videos of music from some of your favorite, local musicians.

Ars Nova Singers, Bitterroot, Boulder Philharmonic, Colorado MahlerFest, Face Vocal Band, Lisa Bell, Banshee Tree, Kind Hearted Strangers, Mark Oblinger, Lois LaFond &  The Rockadiles, and Float Like a Buffalo. 

To join in on the fun at March for Meals 2022 visit  www.mowboulder.org/marchformeals2022. 

With the deadline of August 31 quickly approaching, people 50 and older are encouraged to submit their story to the Center for Productive Longevity’s (CPL) Later-Life Story Contest as soon as possible. The contest has two categories: (1) Entrepreneurship Success Stories and (2) Inspirational Life Stories, with one winner in each category who will receive $1,000 and a specially designed display trophy. CPL has selected a panel of three independent judges who will choose one winner in each category, and their selections will be announced on October 1, 2012.

“We have received a number of fascinating entries and are excited to share these stories with people of all ages,” says William Zinke, 85, founder and president of Center for Productive Longevity. “However, we know that there are more people out there who are moving the needle, making a difference, inspiring others and bringing new businesses to life. We want to hear from you, too!”

With 30 years added to longevity in the 20^th century, people are leading active and fulfilled lives into their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. The goal of this contest is to demonstrate that older people in America can continue to lead successful and inspirational lives. Once the contest deadline has passed, CPL will select a variety of entrepreneur success stories to post on its website, highlighting the stories of the two winners.

Entries should be under 1,200 words and are easy to submit. Visit www.ctrpl.org/laterlifestorycontest to complete a submission form. Entrants must be 50 and older and be willing to have their story posted on the CPL website for viewing and for possible publication. Stories may also be sent to James Hooks at jhooks@ctrpl.org.

For more information on CPL and the Later-Life Story Contest for older entrepreneurs, visit www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

CPL is also currently working on the finishing touches for the next meetings in its “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” series. The meetings are designed to contribute to a national momentum for new-business creation, which enables Baby Boomers to remain productively engaged and also facilitates national economic growth.

The meetings, designed for people 50 and older, are being held at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14, Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management in Chicago on October 11, and the University of Denver on November 15. To register and view preliminary agendas, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview.

The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, recently wrapped up its last meeting in the “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” series. These meetings attracted more than 400 participants 50 and older to the four meetings in Kansas City, Mo., Boston, Chicago and Denver.

There are 78 million Baby Boomers (one-quarter of the total U.S. population) reaching the traditional retirement age of 65 at the rate of 4.2 million each year from 2011 through 2029. With unemployment high and economic growth low for the foreseeable future, new-business creation is a bright spot on a gloomy employment horizon for older people. A survey sponsored by AARP in 2011 indicated that 80 percent of the Baby Boomers surveyed intend to continue working after leaving their regular career jobs. This series of meetings is on the leading edge in encouraging Baby Boomers to consider the benefits and opportunities of new-business creation as they consider how to remain productively engaged.

This interest in entrepreneurship as a career after retirement is reflected in national research as well, with increasingly more people 55 and older creating their own businesses than people 20-34. In fact, according to Kauffman Foundation research, the relative percentage of entrepreneurs has increased by almost 7 percent for people 55-64 from 1996-2011, the largest increase among all age groups. By contrast, the percentage dropped about 5 percent for people 20-44.

“This is what built America! Individuality, capitalism, inventiveness, and the freedom to create your own business,” stated Karen Rose, a participant in the Denver meeting. “This meeting reignited passion in so many of us, along with providing educational avenues to turn passion into success.”

Tom Backhus, another participant in the Denver meeting, said, “The event has given me confidence in moving forward and ideas on the importance of writing my business concept.”

Each meeting had presentations by successful, highly visible entrepreneurs such as Jerry Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder, Silpada Designs, Doug Rauch, former President and CEO, Trader Joe’s, Larry Levy, Founder and Chairman of Levy Restaurants, and Alan Hall, Founder and Chairman, MarketStar.

Participants also attended interactive breakout sessions on topics relating to new-business creation and how to become an entrepreneur, including: risks and rewards, strategies for identifying and selecting potential business opportunities, developing a business plan or business concept statement, and exploring funding support.

Written evaluations from all of the meetings indicated that participants benefited and were even inspired by their experience. Almost all participants reported that it increased their understanding of the benefits and opportunities provided by entrepreneurship, and 74 percent stated they were now more likely to create a new business as a result of the meetings.

For more information on CPL, visit www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTRPL. 

The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between older people and opportunities for them to continue in productive activities, is hosting its fourth meeting in the “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” series on Thursday, November 15. This meeting, which is the final stop in the series, will be held at University College on the University of Denver campus. To register and view the agenda, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/november-15-2012. Participants must be 50 and older (50+).

The meetings are designed to contribute to a national momentum for new-business creation, which will help Baby Boomers remain productively engaged while reducing unemployment and increasing national economic growth. AARP, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and CPL are sponsors of the meeting, along with other organizations.

The day will include presentations from three successful entrepreneurs 50+ and two rounds of interactive breakout sessions on topics relating to new-business creation and how to become an entrepreneur.

The featured speakers include:

• Jody Holtzman, Senior Vice President–Thought Leadership, AARP, has more than two decades of experience helping companies develop and implement competitive strategies and achieve their strategic market goals. At AARP he leads AARP's new Thought Leadership efforts, which support the new brand positioning around a focus on living, not just aging, and for people 50+ to live their best lives.

• Courtney Price, President & CEO, VentureQuest Ltd., in the early ‘90s, founded the Entrepreneurial Education Foundation in Kansas City, MO, and co-founded FastTrac, which was selected to have the best materials for entrepreneurship training in the U.S.

• Alan Hall is Founder and Chairman of MarketStar Corporation, which is a global, outsourced sales and marketing company. MarketStar assists technology companies by increasing sales through the small to medium business sector. Omnicom Group (OMC) now owns MarketStar. He is also the Founder and President of Grow America, whose focus is on stimulating the growth and development of entrepreneurship throughout the U.S.

• Ding-Wen Hsu, President, Pacific West Technologies, has more than 30 years of MIS and managerial experience. A native of Taiwan, she has been very active in the Asian-American communities in Denver since she moved to Colorado in 1978. She is one of the founders of Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the largest Asian American festival in the Rocky Mountain region. In addition, she is the co-founder of International Multi-Cultural Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes understanding and interaction among various cultures.

• Adam Swiecki, President, Swiecki Enterprises, founded Swiecki Enterprises in 2003 after serving as an Army Officer and financier. Focused on the action sport market, he has built leading ecommerce businesses in skate (SkateboardsEtc.com), surf (SurfboardsEtc.com), and snow (SkiGogglesEtc.com).

This meeting focuses on the reality that, with unemployment high and economic growth low for the foreseeable future, entrepreneurship is a bright spot on a gloomy employment horizon for Baby Boomers 50+.

Space for the meeting is limited, and people are encouraged to reserve a place as soon as possible. The charge of $35 per person covers a spouse, if desired, and a post-meeting workshop on the “how-tos” of creating a new business. Registrations should be made by November 1 at http://www.ctrpl.org/november-15-2012/registration.  They will be accepted thereafter on a first-come basis.

For more information on CPL and the senior entrepreneurship meetings, visit www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTRPL. 

The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, is organizing three more meetings this fall in the “Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers” series. The meetings are designed to contribute to a national momentum for new-business creation, which enables Baby Boomers to remain productively engaged and also facilitates national economic growth.

The events will be held for people 50 and older at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14, Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management in Chicago on October 11, and the University of Denver on November 15. To register and view preliminary agendas, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview. Sponsors of upcoming meetings include AARP, CPL, and a number of other organizations.

Each of the meetings will have presentations by three successful entrepreneurs. The meetings will also include two rounds of interactive breakout sessions on topics relating to new-business creation and how to become an entrepreneur, including: risks and rewards of being an entrepreneur, strategies for identifying and selecting potential business opportunities, developing a business plan or business concept statement, and exploring funding support.

The first meeting in the series was held March 27 in Kansas City, MO at the Kauffman Foundation, a focal point for entrepreneurship in America, and attracted 95 participants. The written evaluations indicated that the meeting was extremely successful: 87 percent of the participants reported that it increased their awareness and understanding of the benefits and opportunities provided by entrepreneurship, and 97 percent stated they were now more likely to create a new business.

This interest in entrepreneurship as a career after retirement is reflected in national research as well, with increasingly more people 55 and older creating their own businesses. In fact, according to Kauffman Foundation research, the relative percentage of entrepreneurs has increased by almost seven percent for people 55-64 from 1996-2011, the largest increase among all age groups; by contrast, the percentage dropped about five percent for people 20-44.

The minimum age level is 50, and qualified people can register now for one of the following meetings at http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview: 

• September 14, 2012: Babson College, Wellesley, MA

Babson College has been selected for each of the last ten years as having the best post-secondary school program on entrepreneurship in the country.  Leonard Schlesinger, the President of Babson College, and Ralph Sorenson, past President of Babson College and founder of its Center on Entrepreneurship, will be the opening speakers.

• October 11, 2012: Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management, Chicago, IL

Dr. Paul Magelli, Senior Director, Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and James Shein, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Kellogg School, will make the opening presentations.

• November 15, 2012: University of Denver, Denver, CO

The details for the Denver meeting are still being finalized, but will include Courtney Price, President of VentureQuest, and one other speaker.  Go to http://www.ctrpl.org/november-15-2012 for the latest information.

The number of participants will be limited to 125 on a first-come basis. The cost of $35 per person covers inclusion of a spouse, if desired, and a post-meeting workshop on the “how-tos” of creating a new business. Payment to the Center for Productive Longevity must be received by the first of the month in which the meeting is held to confirm participation.

CPL has also initiated a national competition, the Later-Life Story Contest, for people 55 and older. The competition has two categories: Entrepreneur Success Stories and Inspirational Later-Life Stories. A panel of three independent judges will select one winner from each category who will receive $1,000 and a specially designed trophy. CPL will post the best stories on its website (ctrpl.org) under “Success Stories.” The contest deadline is August 31, and winners will be announced on October 1, 2012.

To submit a story, visit www.ctrpl.org/laterlifestorycontest and complete a submission form. Entrants must be 55 and older, have a compelling story to share, and be willing to have it posted on the CPL website for viewing and for possible publication. Stories may also be sent to James Hooks at jhooks@ctrpl.org.

For more information on CPL, the meetings and how to submit entrepreneur success stories, visit www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

Ecotech Institute, the first and only college focused entirely on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainable design, today announced that it has named Susan Pawlak as the school’s new Director of Career Services.  In this position, Susan will focus on creating long-term relationships with renewable energy and sustainable companies and will match highly skilled Ecotech graduates with employers. 

“The best way to secure a job is through relationships and contacts, and Susan serves as a dedicated advocate for our students,” said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute.  “In addition, she will position Ecotech as a go-to resource for local and national companies searching for high-quality employees.”

Susan isn’t a new face to Ecotech.  She has been with the school since May 2011, originally serving as an OSHA Safety and Health instructor.  Susan also helped to develop parts of Ecotech’s energy efficiency program.  Prior to joining Ecotech, she worked as an Adjunct Instructor at Front Range Community College where she taught in the Clean Energy Technology program and Corporate Solutions department.  Susan retired from Anheuser-Busch in 2008 after 26 years, where she concurrently managed manufacturing operations and training and development.  She was a hiring manager and designated as a master trainer for Anheuser-Busch as a mentor and coach for managers, supervisors and operator/technicians.  Her background and experience with manufacturing technology and interpersonal soft skills made her the perfect fit for Ecotech’s Career Services department.

“It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to forge solid relationships with companies that are seeking the type of employees Ecotech will be able to deliver,” said Pawlak.  “When students come to Ecotech they have a goal of getting a job that will lead to a fulfilling career in renewable energy; I get to help these students make that goal a reality.”

In Susan’s spare time, she’s an active volunteer.  She Co-Chairs the Veterans Plaza of Colorado, a project that pays tribute to all military men and woman associated with Colorado.  She has also volunteered for boards, business associations and is currently a volunteer phlebotomist for the 9Health Fair.  For 20 years, Susan served as a volunteer paramedic, volunteer firefighter and as Director of Operations for a volunteer ambulance service.

Ecotech Institute will have its first graduating class in July 2012.  Ecotech, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, launched in Aurora, Colorado in April 2010 with seven highly practical degree programs and one certificate program that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers.

Rich Preece, TurboTax Consumer Tax Advocate, recently released a new video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r1jfMax-wU) offering tax-filing tips for tax procrastinators easily and accurately file their tax return before the deadline but also to ensure they get the biggest possible refund on their taxes. 

With April 18^th just a few weeks away, it’s time for all those tax procrastinators who haven’t filed to start gathering together their tax documents.  Just because you have waited until the last minute to file doesn’t mean that you have to leave money on the table. Up till the 11^th hour, taxpayers can take steps to be sure to maximize their refund.

Go online where you can prepare your tax return:

• File your tax return electronically.
• Have your tax return deposited directly.
• If you can’t make the April 18th deadline, file for an extension. 

This year’s ranking Top 10 Tax Procrastinating Cities, compiled for 10 years by Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), the maker of TurboTaxâ tax software products, shows no changes in the top four cities that are among the last to file federal tax returns. Chicago, New York and Austin, Texas trail Houston in the rankings. San Antonio nudged its way into the top tier for the first time since 2008, giving the Lone Star State three of the first five spots. The TurboTax Blog contains an interactive map of this year’s top procrastinators.

People in these cities aren’t alone in their tendency to wait till the last minute.  TurboTax estimates 27 percent of taxpayers wait until the last two weeks of tax season to file their taxes. This year, there’s even more good news for tax procrastinators, an extra three days to file, with the federal tax deadline moving from April 15 to April 18.

The full list of this year’s late-filing cities, with last year’s ranking in parenthesis, is as follows:

1.     Houston – (No. 1): Houston, we have a problem!  Locals landed in the top spot in five of the last 10 years.   

2.     Chicago – (No. 2): Windy City residents are unable to move from No. 2 for the second year running, possibly due to food comas induced by all the deep dish pizza-eating.

3.     New York – (No. 3): For the third year running in the No. 3 spot, New Yorkers in the City that Never Sleeps take a nap until tax time.

4.     Austin, Texas – (No. 4): Busy Austinites, so burned out from festival-hopping, put off their tax duties – landing in the top five again.

5.     San Antonio – (No. NA): It seems one of the biggest military centers in the U.S. needs more soldierly discipline this time around, popping into the top 10 for the first time since 2008!

6.     San Francisco – (No. 5): Known as innovators for all things tech, San Franciscans are doing their taxes only a bit quicker, moving down one spot from No. 5 despite their connected reputations. 

7.     Seattle – (No. 6): It looks like all that rain is washing out more than mail routes for 7th place Washingtonians. Despite their commitment to java hot spots, filing taxes online before the tax deadline clearly isn’t a top priority.

8.     San Diego – (No. 7): When you’re wearing sunglasses 24/7, it’s hard to even see your taxes, let alone file them. San Diegans file just a bit faster due to peer pressure this year with TurboTax headquarters right down the street.

9.     Los Angeles – (No. 8): Starving actors hanging out in this town are too busy looking for some nosh. It’s no wonder they dread filing their taxes!

10.  Dallas – (No. 9): They say cowboys ride alone, but Texans managed to lasso in four cities on this list -- including No. 10, Dallas.

Dropping off the top 10 list this year: Las Vegas

The list is determined by the number of tax returns electronically filed via the TurboTax Online service between April 14 - 17, 2010.

To view the video interview with Rich Preece from TurboTax please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r1jfMax-wU. 

Rich Preece is Consumer Tax Advocate at TurboTax, the nation’s leading tax software.  Rich Preece provides consumer tips and advice to help Americans prepare and file their own taxes easily and accurately. Preece has contributed to local and national print and online publications, including PC Magazine and USA Today as well as local and national radio and TV broadcast segments such as Fox Business.

protecting your Battery Power on A Laptop

QMy netbook battery doesn’t last very long. Are there ways to get more than a few hours of power between charges?

ANetbook battery life can range from under two hours to almost seven, depending on the model and what the computer is doing like Dell GK479. For example, watching videos with the screen brightness turned all the way up will usually drain the battery much more quickly than typing a report in a word-processing program.

Check the System settings or Control Panel areas for power management options aimed at prolonging battery life. Some netbook models come with customized power schemes to maximize battery life for that apple a1022. In general, dimming the screen brightness is one way to cut power consumption when you are away from an electrical outlet. Quitting unused programs and doing one thing at a time — like writing a blog post — can also improve battery life.

Using USB-based hardware like mice, music players and flash drives can drain your netbook’s battery. When you are not using the Internet, turning off the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions can save juice. If you are working offline and not using external devices such as fujitsu fpcbp155, temporarily turning off your antivirus software and any other programs that run in the background can save energy. And keeping a Windows netbook defragmented can save power by reducing the workload on the hard drive.

If you find that you still need more time between charges than your netbook delivers, consider getting an extended-life battery like sony vgp-bps2a. These batteries can add hours to the time between charges and are available online. When shopping, make sure you get a battery that fits your netbook model; prices average about $100.



Other drives, like Iomega’s eGo for Mac (bit.ly/eClTC), include a basic backup program for the Mac. Most external drives can be used with Time Machine or third-party software like the SuperDuper backup program ($28 at shirt-pocket.com)for hp pavilion dv9000 battery . Many Mac-friendly backup drives can be connected in more than one way. Along with the usual USB 2.0 connector, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 are often options, which can free up a USB port and make backing up your Mac even faster.

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