Join fellow beer aficionados at the 1st Annual Erie Brewfest – July 6, 2013 – Coal Creek Park, Erie, Noon – 4pm. 15 Colorado Breweries. Hosted by the Erie Chamber of Commerce, supported by the Town of Erie and the Colorado Brewers Guild. $25 pre-purchase online; $30 at the event. eriebrewfest.com
Contact:
Elle Cabbage, Executive Director
Erie Chamber of Commerce
235 Wells Street
Erie, CO 80516
303.828.3440
Verde PR & Consulting
Kristin Carpenter-Ogden
kco@verdepr.com
Alex Hunt
alex@verdepr.com
Boulder, Colo. (June 26, 2013) - BikeRoar, an online bicycle information hub that connects cycling consumers to Independent Bicycle Retailers (IBD’s), announces a partnership with Verde PR & Consulting, effective immediately.
BikeRoar, a pioneering online bicycling website and community, was founded on the Gold Coast of Australia in 2011. BikeRoar invites consumers to search, share and compare cycling products from a database of over 40,000 products – from complete bikes to framesets to parts and accessories. BikeRoar’s global mission is to connect riders with a growing network of more than 4500 independent bike shops across the globe, effectively tying in consumer online research with the IBD network. Verde will support BikeRoar’s mission with traditional public relations, Content Solutions and social/digital services, as well as online influencer campaigns, going forward.
“BikeRoar looked to partner with a company that would help drive our brand awareness within the cycling industry at all levels,” said BikeRoar’s Global Business Development Manager Dax Neech. “Verde was an obvious choice for us with their strong ties in the cycling community and proven history of success. We are stoked about this project and are looking forward to a long relationship."
BikeRoar is preparing to launch an app that tracks and relays on-the-ground consumer feedback obtained at cycling events and demo days to manufacturers and dealers. This timely information becomes a valuable asset when evaluating cyclists’ desires and design trends. BikeRoar is a proud partner to International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA); retailers that are IMBA members receive a 25-percent discount on BikeRoar subscriber services.
“Supporting BikeRoar enables our agency to support Independent Bicycle Dealers, which furthers the growth and sustainability of the cycling community and markets,” said Kristin Carpenter-Ogden, Founder and CEO of Verde. “BikeRoar represents an exciting platform built for cycling enthusiasts that pulls together content, products and community. We’re super excited to catalyze the reach of BikeRoar and connect more consumers from the online research process to their local IBD.”
About Verde PR & Consulting
With offices in Jackson, Wyo., Durango and Boulder, Colo., Verde PR & Consulting is a full-service brand communications, public relations, social/digital marketing, branding, content and consulting agency, with an emphasis in sustainability. Verde’s clients are rooted in the active outdoor lifestyle industries of outdoor, bike, and snowsports, and also in the consumer electronics, pet, travel, and the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) markets. For more about Verde PR, visit: www.verdepr.com.
About BikeRoar
Born in Australia in 2011 BikeRoar is a comprehensive online news and information hub built by, and dedicated to, bicycle enthusiasts who are looking for the best platform to connect with independent bicycle dealers. A database of over 40,000 parts and products allows BikeRoar to serve as a reliable resource for bicyclists to compare, buy, sell and review everything bike related. BikeRoar has recently developed an app that allows manufacturers and subscribers to track demo day feedback. For more about BikeRoar, visit: www.bikeroar.com.
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Englewood, Colorado, June 17, 2013 – Manhard Consulting, a full-service civil engineering firm with offices nationwide, has hired Michael B. Unger, PE, to serve as Area Manager of Denver Operations. Unger will be based in the Englewood, Colorado office.
In his position, Unger will be responsible for business development along all service lines, resource allocations, budgeting and overall financial performance. In addition, he will work with the national management team to assist in strategic planning and identify acquisition and regional growth opportunities.
"Michael's inherent understanding of our business will greatly contribute to our ongoing efforts to grow our firm along the Front Range," said Don Manhard, Jr., president and CEO of Manhard Consulting. "His vast experience in both operational and project management made Michael an obvious choice to lead our team as we continue to evolve."
Prior to joining Manhard Consulting, Unger served as Western Regional Manager of the Infrastructure Business Unit for Stanley Consultants, where he was responsible for all facets of the operation. His 25-year career brings extensive experience in project management and performance in the areas of infrastructure, land development, transportation, municipal services, construction management and surveying to his new role.
Unger received a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is on the Land Development Coalition Executive Committee of the American Council of Engineering Companies.
Manhard Consulting, Ltd. provides civil engineering, surveying, water resources management, water and wastewater engineering, environmental sciences, construction management, land planning, landscape architecture and other services to more than 6,000 clients from its offices in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana and Nevada. The firm’s corporate headquarters are in Vernon Hills, Illinois. To learn more about our company and services, visit manhard.com or facebook.com/pages/Manhard-Consulting-Ltd.
Athleta invites the Boulder community to salute the sun on Solstice with a free yoga class.
The vinyasa yoga class, taught by Anna Battagliese of Core Power Yoga, will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 21 near the picnic area at Eben G. Fine Park at 3rd and Arapahoe. • Google Map
Participants are encouraged to bring their own yoga mats. After the class, yogis are invited for coffee and a light breakfast at the Athleta Store, 1133 Pearl Street.
For more information contact the Athleta store at 303-443-9237.
Scholarship Opportunity for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Children's book writing and illustrating seems to be an exclusive field where artists struggle to finds ways they can emerge as relevant. Many agree that attending a conference is a great way to compete in the publishing industry; it serves as an opportunity to meet agents, editors and successful authors and illustrators. Rocky Mountain writers and illustrators have an opportunity to attend a conference for free. Only two weeks are left to apply for the VICKIE FERGUSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP. Scholarship recipients will receive fully paid tuition to the 2013 RMC SCBWI Letters and Lines Fall Conference, plus a manuscript or portfolio review (as indicated on the free application). The scholarship will be awarded to one writer as well as one illustrator—please apply if you’re actively committed to your craft. Application deadline is June 22, 2013.
To apply, please click link for application: [2013VF_ScholarshipApplication.pdf]
More about the conference: September 28 and 29th, The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is excited to host the annual Letters and Lines Conference at a new location, the Denver Marriott West in Golden, Colorado. This weekend event will include two unforgettable days packed with valuable learning and networking opportunities. Attendees will find many opportunities to connect on a personal level with our speakers—when—during break-out sessions, intensives, individual critiques, pitch sessions, query workshops, first page readings, and more. If some of these terms are foreign to you, it’s all the more reason to attend. You’ll not only learn how to elevate your work, but you’ll also learn the business side of your craft. This year’s lists of distinguished speakers include:
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Take a look at last year’s scholarship recipient: click here
Thank you Vickie Ferguson. The Vickie Ferguson Memorial Scholarship honors the memory of Vickie Ferguson, long-time member of RMC-SCBWI, who passed away in May 2005. Vickie was dedicated to her writing. This scholarship seeks to support those writers and illustrators who are committed to their craft and are actively writing and/or illustrating.
Lafayette, Colorado- June 3, 2013 - What if you knew that your darkest moments could help your loved ones in immeasurable ways? Springtime may seem like an odd time to focus on this difficult topic, but is there ever really a perfect time to tackle our toughest stories? This month’s tips focus on how you can tell the more complicated or difficult moments in your personal narrative to your kids and future generations.
Denying that we've lived through difficult times doesn't help anyone. In fact, in his new book, "The Secrets of Happy Families," Bruce Feiller shows compelling research that "the more children know about their family's history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned."
Whether it be guilt, illness, or addiction, telling your most painful stories will bring about great transformation for you and your loved ones. It is important that our kids hear about both the good and bad times in our lives, so that they see and understand our ability to bounce back and live through even the most extreme of painful circumstances. Here are some ways that may make it easier for you to share your difficult stories.
1. Lead with what you've learned without being preachy.
One trick to getting your listeners to open their ears (and their hearts) is to not come across as a know it all. In order to do this, make sure you've gone through the important step of deep reflection before you try to share what you think you've learned. If you want it to be a bonding experience, it shouldn't feel like you are unloading onto them. If you've done the work either on your own or with a professional to uncover the lessons in your hardships, your experiences are more likely to resonate with your listeners and to help them work through their own difficult times.
Bernice Robertson survived breast cancer and a double mastectomy when she was in her 40s. She is now in her 90s and grateful to have survived but also to have been able to help others women going through their own battles with breast cancer. She was a volunteer for years, using her experience to inspire while at the same time fully aware that not everyone would have the miraculous outcome she had. She was able to help countless other women because she shared her story while being aware that we all have our own paths to walk. If you begin with something you learned during or after your pain, it may just be easier for you to talk about it and for your loved ones to listen.
2. Focus on the facts rather than your feelings.
When I interviewed Frances Coraz for her life story movie, she was so scared to talk about her childhood she avoided meeting with me for months. When we finally met, she admitted she was afraid because her mother had died suddenly when she was a little girl and she never talked about it.
We decided to focus on the facts, and as she began recounting where they lived, what her father did for work, it became easier for her to go back there. When we got to the part of her mother's death, she did get choked up of course, but it wasn't nearly as terrifying as she'd imagined it. She even remembered a tender long-forgotten detail, her father making her hot cocoa the day her mother died and every day thereafter for a long time.
By breaking down the story into facts, she was able to distance herself from the strong emotions, and talk about what had happened. This gave her family who later watched her movie real insight that they'd never before had about her early life experiences. And in the end it was a relief for her to be able to share the stories and to remember her mother.
3. Give your loved ones context.
Since your difficult stories can run the gamut of topics, it helps to set them up with some context, whether that be historical, personal, or emotional. Standards, customs, and culture are constantly shifting.
When giving context, it's also important to remind your listener that situations and people in life aren't usually all one way or the other. When Jennie Pikur remembers her father, Paul, a farmer with a drinking problem, she acknowledges he had a terrible temper but also that he had a gentle side. She fondly recalls how he brought her berries or flowers from the fields when she was ill as a child. Her sister, Mary Balasa, backs her up saying, "You could make this a horror story, but there was a lot of love there."
It may have been tempting for some to paint Paul as a monster, but that wouldn't have been true, just as painting him as a saint wouldn't be either. Acknowledging other sides of your story is just as important as telling the stories themselves. The positive details Jennie shares with her family about her father doesn't change the horrible things he may have done, but it does make a difference in how he is remembered him. It shows his humanity. If you want to make the most impact with your stories, especially the hard to tell ones, make sure that you set them up with a clear and simple context.
4. Remember you are you because of what you've lived.
Whether your difficult stories have to do with divorce, addiction, abuse, loss, or choices you made that you feel guilty about, acknowledging that they happened and sharing them with people you love will both deepen your bond and remind you of your own strength in overcoming them. You know Nietzsche's famous quote, "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger," your most difficult experiences are proof positive of this.
Add to that the tons of research about the damaging, even crippling effects that secrets can have on our relationships and our health, and you will see why it's even more important to share all kinds of stories, not just the rose colored ones.
But before you go telling all, remember that the point is not just to unburden yourself, but to create a sense of belonging to something greater and to demonstrate that you have overcome great obstacles and come out ahead. Because when you reflect on your life, there are surely examples you can find of challenges you've faced and gotten through the wiser for it. Make sure the people you care most about, know these important accomplishments in your life. After all, if you don't tell you stories now, chances are someone else will for you one day. Wouldn't you rather be the narrator of your own experience?
Arielle Nobile, Producer/Director and Legacy Connections’ Films Founder, has been helping people tell their stories in the medium of narrative cinema since 2005. She has produced and directed over 100 films. She also gives talks and teaches Legacy workshops all over the country.
