VFW Post 1771 at 105 West Emma Street in Lafayette Colorado will once again be hosting a free, open to the public Car Show on May 16, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. til 4:00 p.m.. Flame grilled deluxe burgers and bratwurst will be available, and music from the 50's and 60's will be provided by Brothers II Sound Systems. Bring the whole family and enjoy great vintage and classic cars in a nostalgic setting. Tents and seating on the green will be available. For questions contact the Post at 303 665-9993
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Students from CU's College of Architecture give back to the community on Saturday at North Port Apartments. North Port is a public housing complex, managed by Boulder Housing Partners. Residents are elderly or people with disabilities who qualify for low income housing assistance and rely on community resources and individuals to supplement and enrich their lives. About 10 Architecture students will be donating their time to paint interior hallways and the community room while fulfilling a service learning initiative. Low income housing does not automatically translate into a poverty of experience. Residents at North Port support one another in living independently and safely together. These CU students will brighten the physical space at North Port and expand their awareness of and understanding of the value of ensuring affordable housing is available to all. For more information on volunteer opportunities, contact Richard Butler, Volunteer Coordinator for Boulder Housing Partners, 720-546-4645.
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Join Nite at the Rec, Friday April 3rd for American Idol Nite!It is time to warm up your vocal cords for this smashing competition, the winner and runners up will receive miniature guitars!See you there young idols.
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Breast cancer survivors and advocates gathered March 15 at the State Capitol to show their support for the Committed to the Cure Breast Cancer license plate bill, which ensures that funds from the sale of breast cancer license plates will actually go to breast cancer treatment and prevention. House Bill 1164 is making its way through the House. Rep. Dianne Primavera brought this legislation for two reasons. First, to ensure funds raised from the plate go to breast cancer treatment and prevention. Second, to make the funds raised from sales go directly toward expanding access to life-saving screening services, allowing underserved women to get the cancer treatment they need regardless of where they are diagnosed. Breast cancer survivors and advocates showed their outrage that it has been four years since 'Commit to a Cure' started showing up on license plates, yet zero money raised has gone to breast cancer treatment and prevention. Instead, the money goes to the Highway Users Trust Fund. "This 'pink-washing' has got to stop!" said Rep. Primavera, sponsor of the bill. "How many of you were shocked to learn that when you bought this license plate, not one cent went to breast cancer treatment and prevention? This bill will do what is boldly written on the license plate: Commit to a Cure!" HB 1164 will create a fund to expand eligibility for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act, which provides treatment for low- to moderate-income women who are uninsured or underinsured; but only if a woman is diagnosed through one of the state's Women Wellness Connection (WWC) providers. The legislation will add a surcharge of $25 on all new or renewed breast cancer license plates. Currently, WWC is reaching less than 20 percent of eligible women in Colorado. If a woman is diagnosed by a clinic or physician that is not a WWC provider, she is denied care through the Treatment Act. This leaves hundreds of women without access to life saving breast and cervical cancer treatment simply because of where they were screened. Rep. Primavera continued "This bill is the first step in educating women to expand early detection and early treatment. It is a shame that a woman can be denied coverage because she walked into the wrong place to be screened. By creating on-going funding for cancer care, we will save lives." The new surcharge will fund future expansion of the Treatment Act. Evidence suggests that many more individuals would purchase the breast cancer plate if some funding goes towards breast cancer. "It is time we close the gap. I am a living witness of falling through the loophole and being denied treatment," said Jeanette Oxelson, a Denver resident who was diagnosed with breast cancer after weeks of trying to get care. "It is time that Colorado is put on a path towards expanding the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program so that when women like me take charge of their health, they aren't penalized for it. Rep. Primavera's bill will start us on this path."
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I had the pleasure of being joined at the Capitol March 25 by Cassie Goevert-Reynolds, a student at Kohl Elementary School in Broomfield. Cassie is an outstanding young lady, and she was chosen to lead the House of Representatives in reciting the pledge of allegiance. Great job Cassie!
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Fireside Production is going dark for Earth Hour. Check out the Fireside Feature we produced on Earth Hour '08... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUCI442jPig&feature=channel_page. Then, make a difference and go dark tonight!
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A Grande Finale Patisserie has opened a second location making it even easier for you to enjoy our decadent Desserts!Along with our extended hours, you can now enjoy wine and microbrews while indulging at our Lafayette location.A Grande Finale Patisserie489 N. Hwy. 287 Suite 100Lafayette, CO 80026720-890-4906www.agrandefinale.comMonday-Thursday~6:30am-8:00pmFriday & Saturday~6:30am-10:00pmSunday~6:30am-3:00pmWe are continuing to offer products from local, Colorado companies. Espresso, coffee and tea from Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea, truffles and chocolates from Concertoes in Chocolate and now wines from Balistreri Vineyards and microbrews from New Belgium Brewery.Stop in and support your local businesses! We would love to see you!!
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Hey all, just wanted to let you know that I've received a suspicious "comment" on my page from a "Timmi Schmidt" a very personable greeting soliciting "free ringtones". Wouldn't it be nice if solicitors could just stay the heck out of every aspect of life. What a bunch of vultures.
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Get free Easter Sheet Music THE EASTER EGG HUNT, at FunSheetMusic.com This site has some wonderful music for piano students. The Sheet Music includes Audio so students can hear it played as well as a sing-along audio. The lyrics are wonderful. Be patient the high quality print files take just a minute to download. HAPPY SPRING!
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Fireside Production is unveiling its new Facebook page. Please become a fan and stay up-to-date on Fireside projects and video blogs. We also invite you to share your thoughts or start discussions on just about anything that's on your mind...http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1365636911#/pages/Denver-CO/Fireside-Production/70433508409?ref=ts
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Healthy Community Banks Unfairly Impacted and Consumers Should Heed Wake-Up CallAs the economic crisis puts a spotlight on the obscure world of credit default swaps (CDS), an unregulated $62 trillion market that most people never heard of and even fewer understood, the fear of a CDS catastrophe is haunting the country’s largest banks, and the nation’s healthy community institutions and consumers are paying the price.An analysis of FDIC data as of 12/2008 conducted by BancVue (www.bancvue.com), a leading provider of products and consulting to community banking institutions, shows that commercial banks $10 billion or larger have just over $24 worth of credit derivatives for each dollar of equity. By comparison, the rest of the industry has essentially one-tenth of a penny of CDS for each dollar of equity. Those numbers translate to the big banks having roughly 23,000 times as much credit derivative exposure versus all other community financial institutions.This comes at a time when megabanks are already reeling from write-downs on mortgage-related securities. "These are the same institutions that themselves have either directly or through subsidiaries invested in the subprime market," said Don Shafer, Chairman of BancVue. “After suffering losses all over the place, the megabanks are now waiting for the next shoe to drop. In the meantime, it’s placing an undue burden on healthy small banks and should serve as a wake-up call to consumers.”Since the mortgage-backed securities that many swaps were supporting began to lose value in 2007, investors have feared that the swaps, originally meant as a hedge against risk, could suddenly become huge liabilities. While the CDS marketplace is completely unregulated and the swaps trade without a central clearinghouse, it’s known that commercial banks are among the most active participants. According to the Comptroller of the Currency, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, and Wachovia were ranked the top four most active players.In February, federal regulators facing a cascade of bank failures depleting the deposit insurance fund raised the fees paid by U.S. financial institutions. Although the FDIC intended on charging more from higher risk banks, they also suggested levying a hefty emergency premium in a bid to collect $27 billion this year. The higher premiums being assessed were originally set for 20 cents for every $100 of insured deposits levied equally on the 8,305 federally insured institutions. To put that in perspective, for a $250 million dollar community bank, the “one time tax” would constitute a $500,000 hit, which could wipe out 20% to 40% of a bank’s annual profits. At the Independent Community Banking Association Convention last week, FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair predicted that the assessment will probably be lower. She went on to say that the FDIC is seeking comments on whether the agency should use total assets or some other base for the special assessment, which would have consequences for how the burden is distributed.“How about basing part of the assessment on the amount of credit derivatives a bank holds compared to their equity?” continues Shafer, referencing BancVue’s research showing the extraordinary exposure to CDSs of the megabanks versus the community financial institutions. “If you are going to unfairly burden smaller banks that played by the rules, the least the FDIC can do is base the levy on the banks that helped trigger the crisis.”Even amidst this threat and turmoil among the megabanks, consumers are still trusting more than 70% of deposits in the U.S. to these large financial institutions. “Americans appear to be paralyzed in their banking relationship leaving so much of their hard earned cash in TARP and CDS-laden megabanks. It’s time for consumers to wake up and evaluate their banking options, particularly when community banks offer a less risky deposit alternative with better products and services,” concludes Shafer.
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Posted by Jason McQueen on March 25, 2009 at 10:07am
The Mountains Edge Fitness Center is celebrating our 10 year anniversary in April. We will have fun events throughout the entire month of April. We will have Cake and goodies on our actual anniversary on April 1st, but we will have a BBQ celebrating the event on April 16th from 530-830pm. We will also be hosting a "Meet the Personal Trainers" event on the 18th from 10-1pm. We will offer complimentary consultations during on the 18th. Everyone is invited! Please come by and help us celebrate 10 years of health. Call 303-494-5000 for any additional information.
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Times are ruff, so lend a paw! Fortunately, it can be done in style. The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation and Pure Puppy today announced de-tails for Project RUFFway on Thursday, April 9 at Mile High Station. The first annual fundraiser and fashion show benefiting the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation features models paired with adoptable dogs – lovable shelter dogs looking for their “forever homes”. Money raised will benefit the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation and Colorado State University’s Animal Cancer Center.The evening of gourmet food, hip fashion, and furry friends is expected to attract more than 350 of Denver’s most fun-loving dog enthusiasts. The evening will include fabulous prizes, “Best in Show”-style commentary, a live DJ, stories of inspirational pups and much more. Models will wear vintage, second-hand clothes to match their wonderful, deserving vintage, second-hand adoptable canine companions.Date: Thursday, April 9th, 2009Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm (VIP Reception sponsored by Camp Bow Wow); 6:30pm (doors open);7:30pm-8:30pm (runway show)Location: Mile High Station (2027 W. Lower Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80204)Attire: Business casualTickets: $25 (general admission – one complimentary drink and hors d’oeuvres included); $100 (VIP –free beer, wine and food during pre-event reception and a stylish t-shirt)For more information and to purchase tickets online, please visit www.bowwowbuddies.com.Sponsors include: Pure Puppy, Camp Bow Wow, Denver Magazine, Chalk Racing, HealthyDogUSA, Gardenswartz, McPeters & Dodds, Pupsicles Dog Care, GCC Incorporated, Pets on the Park, Gourmet Fine Catering, Willow’s Boutique Salon, Buffalo Exchange, Wardrobe Works, Pawsitive Style, Mile High Station, Sportiqe Apparel Co., A Music Plus, Joy Wine and Spirits, Zen Dog and Downes Consulting.About Bow Wow Buddies FoundationBow Wow Buddies Foundation is a Boulder-based 501(C)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for sick, abandoned, abused, unwanted and neglected canines everywhere. The mission of the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is to promote the health and welfare of dogs worldwide by focusing on finding foster and lifetime homes for unwanted dogs, promoting humane education and treatment, and investing in research and treatment for dogs devastated by illness and disease.
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With the economy and investment opportunities slimming, consumers are looking for alternative, safe avenues for storing their money other than their mattress. CheckingFinder.com, home to the highest yielding free checking accounts at community banks and credit unions across the nation, has announced a limited time offer of a trial membership to Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com for every person who submits an application.In addition to the advice and tools from Dave Ramsey, a personal money management expert and best-selling author, consumers will find checking accounts yielding up to 5.15% APY and be able to open them within minutes on CheckingFinder.com."Dave Ramsey is renowned for offering life-changing financial advice on his nationally syndicated radio talk show and in his books, and we're proud to be able to offer his MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com, especially during these tough economic times," said Gabe Krajicek, Chief Executive Officer of BancVue, the company responsible for providing high-yield REWARDChecking® to community financial institutions and aggregating them with the help of marketing partner, FIRST ROI on CheckingFinder.com.CheckingFinder.com is an online search engine that helps consumers find free, high-interest checking accounts with no minimum balance from community financial institutions across the country. Consumers have the peace of mind knowing that all these accounts are insured through the FDIC, NCUA, or ASI. The advertised rates are not introductory teaser rates, there are no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements associated with the accounts, and ATM fees are refunded nationwide.Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com is a subscription site helping people discover financial peace by walking them through Ramsey's 'baby step process' for dumping debt and building wealth. MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com is widely considered to be one of the best tools available to keep people motivated and accountable for their finances."Dave Ramsey has been a solid supporter of what we're doing at CheckingFinder™ and with the REWARDChecking accounts," said John Waupsh, Chief Executive Officer of FIRST ROI. "He truly understands what it means for money to work harder."For more information on these free, high-yield checking accounts at community financial institutions and the free trial offer to Dave Ramsey's MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com, visit http://www.checkingfinder.com.
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Dear Marie Jose,Thank you for an absolutely wonderful show: Dance Etoile’s Triplets of Belleville was one of the most entertaining and unique ballets I have seen. Bravo! That my family was moved to tears, laughter and to the edge of our seats in such a short period of time is testament to your unique ability as a choreographer director and performing artist. Please extend my compliments to your fantastic troupe!I also wanted to congratulate you on the superbe and highly technical classical ballets presented in Corsaire, The Flames of Paris, The Black Eagle and La Valse d’Amalie. The dancer all should be congratulated on their stunning performances. Sebastien’s performance was spectacular. It is a rare treat to have a director of your ability in the Denver/Boulder dance community.The Triplets of Bellevile is the perfect ballet, equal parts athleticism, humour, technique and pantomime. As fans of the original movie our expectations were set quite high and Dance Etoile delivered a superbe adaptation of the story in dance. The triplets, played by Nyasha Davis, Sophie Payannet and Sophie Meints captured the perfect nuances of humour, sensibility and sensuality of the times.Please don’t stop producing such wonderful performances. One of my biggest fears in moving to Colorado from London was that my children would not have the opportunity to enjoy such fine ballet and the performing arts. Dance Etoile’s performances help remind me that great dance can be found locally. We are fortunate to have you here in the area and it would be sad not to have your unique and original work in out lives.Thank you so very, very much.Gabriela Codina
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Hello!Thanks for spending your Fridays in March with Nite at the Rec, we had so much fun with our Magician Rob and his pets Leo, Ben and Jerry. We also gave St. Patty some love last week by wearing green.Join us this Friday for some March Madness, wear your team's gear and come ready to play in our basketball tournament for free Nite at the Rec passes.See you soon :)Nites Staff
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First Western Financial, Inc. the premier wealth management company in the West, announced today that John Shope and Melissa Montgomery-Fitzsimmons have joined the firm, filling two new leadership positions.Mr. Shope will assume the role of Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, for First Western Financial, Inc., where he will be responsible for overseeing the firm’s expanding sales and service infrastructure as well as managing the Bank’s marketing efforts. He was most recently with Executive Resorts in Denver where he was Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales. Mr. Shope brings more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry to First Western, including senior positions with Wachovia Bank, Mellon Bank, Bank of America, and AllianceBernstein L.P..Ms. Montgomery-Fitzsimmons steps in to the new position of Director of Wealth Planning where she will be responsible for managing the organization’s overall wealth planning effort, including coordination of all wealth management services at the Bank’s individual offices. She comes to First Western from JP Morgan in Denver, where she was Vice President, Wealth Advisor. Previously, Ms. Montgomery-Fitzsimmons had been a practicing attorney specializing in wealth transfer and tax strategies. She has been in the estate planning and financial planning industry for 19 years.“Melissa and John bring a deep knowledge of wealth management to First Western and we are thrilled to have them join us,” said First Western Trust Bank Founder and CEO Scott Wylie. “They are the right people at the right time for the firm and their abilities will go a long way toward accelerating and managing the organic growth of First Western.”The successful recruitment of the two executives is the latest in a series of important hires for Colorado-based First Western. The firm, which recently opened offices in Scottsdale, Arizona and in the Denver Tech Center, completed the acquisition of Ryder, Stilwell, Incorporated, a Los Angeles-based investment management firm, in November.First Western Trust Bank has established itself as a leader in the wealth management industry in the western United States. In addition to the new operations, First Western has offices in downtown Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Cherry Creek that specialize in serving the needs of the entrepreneurial spirit of the West.About First Western Financial, Inc.First Western Financial, Inc., the holding company of First Western Trust Bank and First Western Investment Management was recently ranked as one of Inc. 500's fastest growing private companies in the United States and the fastest growing banking institution in the country. With $2.2 billion currently in Affiliate assets under management, First Western fields a team of experienced professionals to deliver personalized wealth management solutions for each individual client. First Western Trust Bank, the West's premier private bank and trust company, is the only private bank to comprehensively integrate private banking, investment management, personal trust and wealth planning for high net worth individuals and their families. For more information, please visit www.fwtb.com, or call 303-531-8100.
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iCAST, a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainable development using a triple bottom-line approach, today announced a simple one-stop program to help commercial and residential property owners in Boulder County qualify to obtain financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements.iCAST’s “Green Button” service is designed to cut the hassle and streamline applications for residents interested in participating in Boulder County’s $40 million ClimateSmart Loan Program. The full-service program oversees all aspects of the efficiency upgrade, from energy audits, bids for all products and services, installation of energy conservation and renewable energy systems and monitoring of savings.In addition, iCAST’s unique service model provides real-world experience and green collar job training for a corps of Colorado students enrolled in the iCAST program who are seeking careers in renewable energy and energy efficiency.“For Boulder County residents, we can streamline the move to energy efficiency—and help train tomorrow’s green energy leaders,” said Ravi Malhotra, Chairman of iCAST. “It’s a win-win for the community and future generations.”In 2008, Boulder County voters approved Ballot Measure 1A, which established a “Clean Energy Options Local Improvement District” allowing Boulder County to sell bonds to fund up to $40 million in commercial and residential energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements.The Boulder County program is the largest such loan program in the country, and is at the forefront of a growing state and national trend among communities that are seeking to improve energy efficiency in their neighborhoods. Berkeley, Calif. has already enacted a smaller $1.5 loan program, and 40 other communities across the country are considering such a plan including the state of Colorado.“We applaud the foresight of Boulder County voters and we stand ready to put their smart decision into action,” said Chris Stoneman, VP of Operations at iCAST” No other community in the country has committed to making such an impact on energy efficiency.”iCAST’s program will guide commercial and residential property owners through the ClimateSmart Loan Program’s application and qualification process, which includes:• Getting a home energy audit, as loan acceptance priority will be given to property owners who have done a home energy audit using a blower-door test.• Attending a workshop, which take place across the county through March 28. http://www.conservationcenter.org/e_climatesmart.php?form_id=23• Getting a project bid and submit it with the loan application. Bids will help determine loan amounts an applicant will receive if approved for a loan. Bids with energy efficiency work will receive another priority point.• Submitting loan applications by April 10 2009About iCASTiCAST (International Center for Appropriate & Sustainable Technology) helps communities use their local resources for their benefit. Our projects foster economic viability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility in under-served communities—and a new vision for their future. A 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization based in Lakewood, Colorado, iCAST partners with organizations to help local citizens in the community development process. And we offer a unique service learning model for students to receive credit for working on these real-world projects. to promote sustainable development using a triple bottom-line approach that promotes environmental stewardship, economic viability and social responsibility.
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I am looking for Parents and little students for its French, Mandarin, Spanish, German, Tibetan, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Hungarian, Russian and English as a Second Language full immersion language courses with native teachers.
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So what would happen if Chicken Little and a couple of sandwich board prophets attended a G8 Summit or something like it?Imagine the conversation if the world's greatest minds got together, and the discussion included "I told you! Why didn't your listen?" from the two socially least likely to have a clue about national and global finance issues.It's intersting that now we have governors turning away the stimulus offering, congressmen talking about an additional stimulus program, and Chinese investors urging the U.S. to be careful with the way it throws around money.Dare I say maybe the Chinese have it right for once?Say what you want about quality and pay scale, but they are investing in our country's bad debt. And at a rate that is far beyond most anyone else. Why do we need a foreign country to buy our bad debt anyway? Maybe it is because U.S. businesses are too busy being profit-making middlemen than manufacturers. And if that is the case, does the numerous laws regulating, no hamstringing, how businesses can operate in relation to the environment have anything to do with it.Then just today, March 14, there it was. One more piece in the puzzle that only a few years ago was called religious fiction. A Nigerian official suggested more people follow the way of the Euro... with a single unit of currency worldwide.So what would happen if a growing number of states politely told Presiden Obama and Congress "No thanks. We will find our way through this mess without the stimulus money."? What would happen if we spent less time with our hand out and more time with it getting caloused with a legitimate day of work?It seems if Wall Street's ebb and flow does nothing else, it shows what greed will do. Profit seldom happens overnight, and if it does, it will likely be fleeting like a ponzi scheme that will eventually go bust.
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