Blogs

Thousands of runners of all ages participated in the Frank Shorter 5K RACE4Kids’ Health Sunday, and the Foundation for a Drug-Free World was there to cheer them on.

The Foundation has participated in the annual race for the past three years to help parents and kids understand what drugs do so they can make better decisions about them.

This year, the Foundation offered kids of all ages to take the Youth Drug Free World Pledge. Dozens of kids pledged to live a drug-free life and to show their friends that a drug-free life is more fun. Part of the pledge also included telling others the truth about the harmful effects of drugs by learning about drugs themselves, and working with others to create a drug-free community.

Parents and educators stopped by the booth to take information, thank the volunteers for educating the kids, and “keep up the good work” because drug education is so necessary right now.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World  is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. It is proudly sponsored by the Church of Scientology and Scientologists all over the world.

Millions of drug education booklets have been distributed globally, and the Foundation makes its materials available for free to anyone who wants to help forward the message to live drug free.

PRO MUSICA COLORADO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA WELCOMES BACK EDWARD DUSINBERRE

The Heart of Hungary features a World Premiere of Jeffrey Nytch’s Violin Concerto: Costa Concordia

Boulder and Denver, Colorado—On April 13^th, 7:30 pm at Bethany Lutheran Church (4500 E Hampden Ave, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113) and April 14th, 7:30 pm at Mountain View United Methodist Church (355 Ponca Place, Boulder, CO 80303), Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra's season finale, entitled The Heart of Hungary, welcomes back Grammy-winning violinist of the Takács String Quartet, Edward Dusinberre, for a very special world premiere of local composer, Jeffrey Nytch's Violin Concerto: Costa Concordia.

The Violin Concerto: Costa Concordia was written in memory of Sándor Fehér, who put the lives of others, many who were children, ahead of his own, and who died in the ill-fated shipwreck of the Costa Concordia (2012). He was pictured with a life jacket, prepared to leave the ship, but he went back to retrieve his violin, rather than be parted from his musical voice. He was only 38 years old.

"The story of self-sacrifice is an inspiring one, and relevant today," says Cynthia Katsarelis, Music Director and Conductor of Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra.

The concerto was commissioned for Edward Dusinberre, first violinist of the Takács String Quartet, and a consortium of orchestras including the Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra, Mission Chamber Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Symphony, and the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh.

In the words of composer Jeffrey Nytch, "The piece is, at its heart, is a love story, one in which the characters are joined together again for eternity only in the depths of the sea. The particular events of the shipwreck are of secondary importance."

"Not only is the story of Sándor Fehér a heartbreaking one, I believe it speaks to something broader: this idea of our humanity — our capacity for sacrificial love — transcending tragedy. The fact that it’s a love story between a man and his instrument makes it ideal for musical treatment, but I believe the universal theme transcends the particulars. And so I believe/hope the piece will speak to people on a deeply personal level," says Nytch.

The collaboration of Pro Musica Colorado, composer Jeffrey Nytch, and violinist Edward Dusinberre, also seeks to record this piece. They are in the midst of a fundraiser to obtain recording costs at www.coloradogives.org/promusicacolorado.

Also programmed is Béla Bartók's folk-inspired Divertimento for String Orchestra. Paul Sacher, Swiss founder and conductor of the Basler Kammerorchester, commissioned Bartók to compose the Divertimento.

"Bartok's Divertimento is a delightful, neoclassical work that contains elements of a Baroque Concerto grosso, a Classical Era 'amusement,' and folk elements of interesting scales and quirky rhythms,” says Katsarelis, "It was commissioned by Paul Sacher for the Basler Chamber Orchestra. I’ve always admired Sacher, he founded the orchestra to pursue his passion for new music, and his legacy is over 100 works by leading composers writing for chamber orchestra.” 

Ticket prices to The Heart of Hungary: $35 General, $5 Students, $60 ($25 extra for recording funds). Groups save 15% when you purchase 10 or more Adult tickets for the performance. Tickets are available online at: www.promusicacolorado.org. For more information, or to purchase tickets by phone, call: 720-443-0565.

Program:
Jeff Nytch Violin Concerto: Costa Concordia
Béla Bartók Divertimento for String Orchestra

About Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra and Cynthia Katsarelis, Music Director and Conductor

Now in its sixth season, Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra has many of Colorado’s finest musicians, and is committed to impassioned performances of repertoire ranging from the classic to the cutting edge.

Cynthia Katsarelis has served with the Cincinnati Symphony, Pops and May Festival, the Greensboro (N.C.) Symphony, and has conducted many professional, college, and youth orchestras. She has assisted James Conlon, Keith Lockhart, Erich Kunzel and Michael Christie. Most recently she conducted the Colorado Music Festival’s Young People’s Concerts. Katsarelis is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, with degrees in both violin and conducting. READ MORE

About Edward Dusinberre, violinist

Edward Dusinberre was born in 1968 in Leamington Spa, England, and has enjoyed playing the violin from a young age. His early experiences as concertmaster of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain encouraged him to choose music as a profession. He studied with the Ukrainian violinist Felix Andrievsky at the Royal College of Music in London and at the Juilliard School with Dorothy DeLay and Piotr Milewski.  In 1990 he won the British Violin Recital Prize and gave his debut recital in London at the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre. Upon completion of his studies at Juilliard, Dusinberre auditioned for the Takács Quartet, which he joined in 1993.

In July 2010 Edward released a recording of Beethoven's violin sonatas no. 9 and 10 with pianist David Korevaar on the Decca label. Andrew Clements wrote in the Guardian newspaper; “Edward Dusinberre brings the same wonderfully subtle and intensely musical qualities to these two violin sonatas as he does to Beethoven’s quartets…” READ MORE

About Jeffrey Nytch, composer
Jeffrey Nytch enjoys a rich and diverse career as a composer, performer, educator and advocate – but it hasn’t been a straight line getting there. He spent much of his teen years exercising an uncanny ability to make money in the stock market, and dreamed of someday going to Wall Street and conquering the world. Then there was his study of geology, which nearly took him down a different path altogether. But throughout it all, music has been the abiding passion of his heart; in the end, it won out with his career as well.

What followed has been a professional odyssey of sorts, involving an accomplished composition career, various teaching positions, a five-year stint as an arts administrator, and an assortment of day jobs ranging from managing a small business to serving as a minor administrative cog within the machine of a very large university. READ MORE

Xcel Energy and The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

are new supporters for NOCOM 2018

Loveland, Colorado— Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership (NoCO) has announced two major new sponsors for its NOCOM 2018 manufacturing trade show April 12, 2018: The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and Xcel Energy.

These two organizations join a team of sponsors that include FirstBank, Aerotek, Flood and Peterson, and EKS&H. These sponsors all add to the manufacturing sector in Colorado and contribute to the development of the industry.

OEDIT is sponsored by the state to provide opportunities to businesses and enterprises in Colorado. The office, under the leadership of Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, provides financial and technical assistance supporting local and regional economic development projects throughout the state.

“The quickly expanding advanced manufacturing industry in Northern Colorado plays an important role in the state’s economic landscape,” said Katie Woslager, senior manager of Advanced Industries at the Colorado Office of Economic Development. “We are proud to sponsor the 2018 NOMCOM to facilitate further growth and collaboration in the industry.”

Xcel Energy provides power to residents across Colorado and beyond, while providing resources required by the manufacturing industry. Xcel Energy is tied in with the manufacturing sector in Colorado, providing products and services to many firms in the state.

“Given the growth Colorado is experiencing, our partnership with Xcel Energy is imperative,” said NOCOM 2018 Chair and H2 Manufacturing Solutions CEO Heidi Hostetter. “Colorado is one of the fastest growing states in the nation. Northern Colorado, specifically Larimer and Weld counties, is growing twice as fast as the state. It is important that we address our options sooner than later, and this type of growth has to include our energy partner. Local manufacturers are well aware of the need to be more involved with our local and state side Xcel Energy teams. Together we need to take advantage of Xcel Energy’s packages, rebates and programs.”

“The Governor’s arm for economic development is a key and critical partner to NOCOM and really reflects the commitment from a state level to our manufacturing community,” said Christine Juker of the Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership. “Partnering with Xcel Energy addresses a huge and critical infrastructure need that all manufacturers face.”

The event showcases Northern Colorado’s expanding manufacturing sector, connecting suppliers, manufacturers, capital, and services. Registration is now open at this link. Admission is $15 for pre-registered attendees (students are free) and $20 at the door, with post-event B2B networking event (sponsored by H2 Manufacturing Solutions and Manufacturer’s Edge) included, and $30 for the kickoff breakfast featuring keynote speaker Jim Davidson, sponsored by BMA America. Other sponsors include Speaker Hall sponsor Northern Colorado Economic Alliance; Venue sponsor City of Loveland; and Coffee sponsor Noffsinger Manufacturing.

About the 4^th Annual NOCOM Trade Show

NOCOM 2018 takes place Thursday, April 12^th, 2018, The Ranch Events Complex, Loveland, CO. For more information or to register, visit www.nocomfg.com. Attendees can download the Yapp App from Yapp.us, Google play or Apple’s app store and enter the ID code NOCOM2018 for detailed information on the event. A PDF flyer for the event is available at this link. Exhibitor booth space is still available, $390 for a 10x10 booth and $540 for a 10x20 booth. Contact NOCOM for details.

Date:     Thursday, April 12^th, 2018

Time:    7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

                Kick-off Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. at the Budweiser Events Center (separate ticket required)

                Sponsored by BMA America

                B2B Networking Reception 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

                Sponsored by H2 Manufacturing Solutions and Manufacturer’s Edge

This year’s NOCOM Trade Show features more than 100 exhibitors, a speaker hall featuring several manufacturing industry leaders, manufacturing forums, and a B2B reception. Topics discussed will include: Get the best bang for the buck with healthcare; Navigate programs and grants targeted to grow Colorado manufacturing businesses; Learn insiders' secrets on the latest and greatest technology advances should be part of your strategy for this year . . . and beyond; and Navigate challenges that manufacturers face.

This year’s NOCOM Trade Show will feature over 100 exhibitors, a speaker hall featuring several manufacturing industry leaders, manufacturing forums, and a B2B reception. The event will showcase Northern Colorado’s expanding manufacturing sector, connecting suppliers, manufacturers, capital, and services.

“NOCOM continues to be the largest trade show in the state because we design it around manufacturing and supply chain demands, needs and forecasts. We continue to strive to ensure that each gets better, stronger and more valuable to our manufacturing community,” says Heidi Hostetter, NOCOM Chair.

For more information and to register for this event, visit www.nocomfg.com. For more information on sponsorships and to become a corporate sponsor, contact Heidi Hostetter, NOCOM 2018 Chair, at 303-517-6541or hhostetter@faustson.com.

About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy is the primary provider of energy services to residents of Colorado state-wide. It also works with the manufacturing industry, partnering with firms and businesses across the state. Millions of businesses and homes in eight Western and Midwestern states are powered by Xcel Energy, which is increasingly becoming more customer-focused, forward-thinking, and productive. Like their Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter or LinkedIn for up-to-date news and information.

About Colorado OEDIT

OEDIT’s goals include building a robust public-private approach on a statewide level for economic development, monitoring economic conditions in Colorado and strengthening regional economic structures, increasing quality job creation, and more. In the manufacturing sector, the average annual wage for Colorado workers is 43% higher than the average annual wage for all industries, in part because of OEDIT’s support of the manufacturing industry in Colorado. In all, there are 5,900 manufacturing firms receiving support of some kind from OEDIT. Keep up with everything OEDIT does on  Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership

The NoCo Manufacturing Partnership was formed in 2013 as a result of Governor Hickenlooper’s state Economic Development plan called the Colorado Blue Print. The Blue Print identified 11 key sectors of the economy in Colorado by region. Northern Colorado’s two main sectors identified were Health and Wellness and Advanced Manufacturing. Regions within the state were encouraged to form sector partnerships to provide more localized grass roots support to augment state efforts in each sector. These would be industry specific, led by business, in partnership with economic development, education and workforce development. A collaboration arose as part of the Blue Print process involving people from each of these affiliations and the NoCo Manufacturing Partnership was born. It continues to be an all-volunteer, business led, FREE membership organization designed to support Northern Colorado manufacturers. It is served by a Board of Directors, representing each affiliation from private business to local government, as well as two active committees: Networking and Manufacturing Talent/Rocks! Find us on the web, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Loveland, Colorado— Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership (NoCO) has released the schedule for the NOCOM 2018 manufacturing trade show April 12, 2018 at The Ranch Event Center in Loveland, CO. The event showcases Northern Colorado’s expanding manufacturing sector, connecting suppliers, manufacturers, capital, and services.

NOCOM 2018 Schedule

7:00 to 9:00 a.m.              Breakfast and Keynote, Creating Culture to Promote Innovation, Jim Davidson

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.    Trade Show Floor Open with 100+ exhibitors

9:30 to 10:45 a.m.           Small Business Tools: Preparing your Business for Innovation

11 to 11:30 a.m.               Success! Innovation Achieved! AMP Robotics/Smuckers

11:30 a.m.                           Coworking: Officing Without Overhead

Angel Kwaitkowski, Founder/Author DIY Coworking

12:00 p.m.                          Coworking: Officing Without Overhead

12:30 p.m.                          Coworking: Officing Without Overhead

1:00 to 1:30 p.m.              Branton Cole, PwC Network

1:30 to 2:00 p.m.              Innovation in Employer-Based Health Care Reporting, Kristin Paulson, JD, MPH, Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC)

2:00 to 3:00 p.m.              Panel: Busting Myths, Exaggerations, and Biases About Millennials, facilitated by Christina Haxton of Center for Sustainable Strategies

3:00 to 3:30 p.m.              Creating a Culture for Innovation, Paul Harter, Aqua Hot

3:30 to 5:30 p.m.              B2B Networking Event

“NOCOM continues to be the largest trade show of its kind in the state because we design it around manufacturing and supply chain demands, needs and forecasts. We continue to strive to ensure that each year gets better, stronger and more valuable to our manufacturing community,” said Heidi Hostetter, VP of Faustson Tool and NOCOM 2018 Chair.

About the 4^th Annual NOCOM Trade Show

NOCOM 2018, with more than 100 exhibitors, takes place Thursday, April 12^th, 2018, The Ranch Events Complex, Loveland, CO. For more information, visit www.nocomfg.com.

Major sponsors of the NOCOM Trade Show include Aerotek, Colorado Department of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), EKS&H, Flood & Peterson, Xcel Energy, and FirstBank. Additional sponsors include Speaker Hall sponsor Northern Colorado Economic Alliance; Venue sponsor City of Loveland; and Coffee sponsor Noffsinger Manufacturing.

Registration is now open at this link. Admission is $15 for pre-registered attendees (students are free if pre-registered) and $20 at the door, with a post-event B2B networking event (sponsored by H2 Manufacturing Solutions and Manufacturer’s Edge) included, and $30 for the kickoff breakfast featuring keynote speaker Jim Davidson, sponsored by BMA America.

Find the NOCOM Trade Show App on Yapp in the Apple store or Google Play and enter the Yapp event ID: NOCOM2018.

The morning keynote address, titled Creating Culture to Promote Innovation, will be delivered by legendary mountaineer and adventurer Jim Davidson. Hailing from Fort Collins, Davidson has summitted some of the world’s highest peaks, surviving harrowing trials and extremely dangerous situations. He distils these experiences into lessons about resilience and innovation in the face of high stakes.

For more information on sponsorships and to become a sponsor, contact Heidi Hostetter, NOCOM 2018 Chair, at 303-517-6541 or HHostetter@faustson.com.

About Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership

The NoCo Manufacturing Partnership was formed in 2013 as a result of Governor Hickenlooper’s state Economic Development plan called the Colorado Blue Print. The Blue Print identified 11 key sectors of the economy in Colorado by region. Northern Colorado’s two main sectors identified were Health and Wellness and Advanced Manufacturing. Regions within the state were encouraged to form sector partnerships to provide more localized grassroots support to augment state efforts in each sector.

These would be industry specific, led by business, in partnership with economic development, education and workforce development. A collaboration arose as part of the Blue Print process involving people from each of these affiliations and the NoCo Manufacturing Partnership was born. It continues to be an all-volunteer, business-led, FREE membership organization designed to support Northern Colorado manufacturers. It is served by a Board of Directors, representing each affiliation from private business to local government, as well as two active committees: Networking and Manufacturing Talent/Rocks! Find us on the web, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

                                                            1 World Translation & Transport turns 15!  

Just down the street from the Lafayette Rec Center, on Harrison Ave., sits a piece of urban history, the old Lafayette Town Hall!  There are no plaques or historical markers to let you know you’ve arrived at this venerable locale, however, a small business now occupies the space, about to make a name for itself in this fine old civic center.  As they say, “You can’t hold a good business down!”

For the past 15 years, One World Translation has been “Making a World of Difference” through its focus on translation and interpreting services among medical, legal, business-to-business, government agency and education clients across the great state of Colorado. 

During that time, the company built an outstanding reputation as an ethical, highly responsive business leader for on-call and on-site communication services across 80 different languages and related cultural groups, upholding the highest standards in the industry. The company further sought to break ground in the industry by hiring interpreters as employees and offering common benefits like time-off and health care for a dynamically complex and often taxing profession which continues its fight today for recognition in the career world.  Only one other company in the country offered the same.

One World started in Lyons, Colorado, in March 2003 and grew with the demand as Colorado opened its arms wide to embrace more and more immigrants and refugees from all over the globe. In the 90's Aurora Public School District was home to more than 90 different languages.

In its pursuit of interpreters, at times, the company had to extend its own boundaries and teach budding linguists how to interpret properly, use computers, even how to use alarm clocks.  After living in refugee camps for many years, these interpreters had great linguistic skills in hard to find languages and a desire to assist their fellow immigrants at times; they just needed to refine their skills in workplace readiness.  One World came up with ways to meet their needs. Skill building extensions were offered at no cost to the budding linguists for a very long time.  Plans are in the works now to teach certificate courses at affordable costs.

In this, its 16^th year of business, more significant changes are afoot for this dynamic, resilient and forward-thinking company.  First, there is the matter of the name change.  From this time forward, it will be 1 World Translation & Transport, answering calls 24/7/365.  Watch for that number 1! 

As the name implies, 1 World is taking to the road, adding door-to-door mobility to further meet the needs of a diverse, widespread, and homebound or temporarily injured/impaired clientele.  The transportation service will be available for scheduled and short notice trips in high demand and underserved areas from Northern Colorado to Denver and Colorado Springs/Pueblo/Alamosa/mountain communities and the Western Slope: where need calls out for safe, quality, reliable services.

What sets this company apart from other vendors clamoring for this business?  High quality service, attention to safety standards and long-term partnerships serve as a pathway for compassionate, consistent and supportive effort built on a foundation of care.  

The combination beats Uber, Lyft, One Call, Where 2 and other competing services.  Imperatives:  strict background checks and guidelines, driver acceptance codes/guidelines, a positive history of validating financial partner audits, consistent reliability, quality staff, customer satisfaction, excellent linguists, responsive customer service and attractive price points.  

1World Translation & Transport will start transportation services first with their longstanding Worker's Compensation customers whom they have supported with professional linguists for the past 15 years.  The transportation service will initially be introduced to insurance company claims adjusters. From this base it will move into human services and possibly the private sector as demand and requests dictate. All transportation services, as with interpreting and translation requests, can be fulfilled through a simple call or email to 1 World.

1 World Translation & Transport continues to meet the growing needs of the young, old and in-between in partnerships with service businesses critical to everyday life.  The company supports the effectiveness and performance of the many busy Colorado professionals tasked with delivering such services to the Limited English Proficient "LEP" and ambulatory persons needing transportation assistance through their own codes of excellence.

This woman owned, Boulder County grown, small business rises from roots in Lyons, Longmont and now Lafayette, Colorado. 

For more information contact:

www.oneworldtranslation.com; info@oneworldtranslation.com; 303.485.5200

The Technology AdvantEDGE Series presents “Building a Business Case for Additive” with GE Additive on Thursday, March 29

(Denver, CO) Manufacturer’s Edge is pleased to introduce the 2018 Technology AdvantEDGE Series – a series of workshops introducing new and emerging technologies that manufacturers can implement into their processes and products. The first event in the Technology AdvantEDGE series will be held on Thursday, March 29 at 9am in Denver.

“Building a Business Case for Additive” is presented in cooperation with GE Additive and is aimed at organizations that are interested in exploring in metal additive manufacturing (AM) and need to quantify the economic opportunity.

The workshop will focus on the ROI that metal additive brings and will equip participants with the knowledge to sell the business case for AM to their leadership.

The session will be led by consultants from AddWorks™, GE Additive’s in-house design consulting group, who helped design the fuel nozzle and Advanced Turboprop (ATP). Both parts are FAA certified and were re-engineered using AM and gained significant weight savings, part count reduction, and better performance. The AddWorks™ team will help attendees understand how to develop an AM mindset from the outset.

“Additive manufacturing is fundamentally changing how manufacturing is done, but what often stops organizations from starting their additive journey is a fear of the unknown and understanding what the payback is going to be,” says Heidi Hostetter, Vice President of Faustson Tool.

This one-day workshop will cover the following topics:

• Key factors in identifing the right part for AM with metals
• Design, materials and manufacturing considerations during part design
• Building a ROI-led business case with key cost assumptions
• Identifying the right parts for AM
• Optimizing your additive post-processing
• Design recommendations and considerations
• Building an additive part cost model
• How to sell additive up through your organization

This is a hands-on workshop and attendees are encouraged to bring a part with them that might be a suitable for AM production. The Addworks team will then explore the compatibility and potential benefits of implementing an AM redesign.

What: Building a Business Case for Additive

Dates: March 29, 2018

Time: 9am–5pm; happy hour/networking event 5–7pm

Place: Geotech Environmental Equipment (2650 E 40th Ave, Denver)

Cost: Free; lunch is provided

Sponsored by: Manufacturer’s Edge, H2 Manufacturing Solutions, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and GE Additive

More information: www.manufacturersedge.com/events

Direct registration link: https://tech-advantedge-series-additive.eventbrite.com

About the Technology AdvantEDGE Series from Manufacturer's Edge:
As the Manufacturing Extension Partner for the state of Colorado, Manufacturer's Edge is committed to keeping Colorado manufacturers informed with the latest cutting-edge info and access to the latest trends. We want to show you what is on the horizon so that you can anticipate the arrival and stay competitive. To that end, we are pleased to introduce the 2018 Technology AdvantEDGE Series -- a series of workshops where we will introduce a variety of new technologies that manufacturers can implement into their manufacturing processes and products. These workshops will cover everything from new materials such as composites, smart fibers, and fabrics to new manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing and robotics. Topics of interest will also include radical new technologies that will change the way we live, such as flexible hybrid electronics, biopharmaceuticals, and biofabrication.

Let us help you stay ahead of the game by anticipating and preparing for the amazing innovations on the horizon. Let us bring the future to you!

About Manufacturer’s Edge:

Manufacturer’s Edge is a statewide manufacturing assistance center partially funded by the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Manufacturer’s Edge encourages the strength and competitiveness of Colorado manufacturers through onsite technical assistance through coaching, training, and consulting, collaboration-focused industry programs, and leveraging government, university, and economic development partnerships. Learn more at our website, on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

About H2 Manufacturing Solutions

H2 Manufacturing Solutions offers a broad range of services to help manufacturers navigate the daily challenges of the modern manufacturing world. Our one-stop shop addresses any business challenge a manufacturer encounters, from representing best-in-class equipment and service providers to operational improvement consulting to business development strategies to technical expertise. At H2, our mission is to make manufacturers’ day-to-day challenges more manageable and less frustrating. Our promise is to deliver Honest. Hardworking. Results. For more information, contact H2 Manufacturing Solutions at 970-692-3344 or adam@h2manufacturingsolutions.com. Visit H2 Manufacturing Solutions on the web, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

About GE Additive

GE Additive is part of GE – the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solution that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE Additive includes material provider AP&C and additive service provider to the medical industry, DTI. As a notable user of additive technologies GE recognizes the value and potential it brings to modern design and manufacturing. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the “GE Store,” through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, resources and intellect.

Legendary mountaineer and Northern Colorado resident speaks on resilience and innovation in the manufacturing industry

Loveland, Colorado— Legendary mountaineer, expedition leader, inspirational professional speaker, and Fort Collins native Jim Davidson will keynote Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership’s NOCOM 2018 manufacturing trade show at 7:00 a.m. April 12, 2018 at The Ranch Event Center/Larimer County Fairgrounds. The breakfast, sponsored by BMA America, kicks off a day-long event showcasing Northern Colorado’s expanding manufacturing sector, connecting suppliers, manufacturers, capital, and services.

Davidson will speak about the theme of this year’s event: Creating Culture to Promote Innovation: “In my keynote, I share the epic tale of how I had to find a way to climb an overhanging ice wall alone to escape a deep glacial crevasse. I was short on resources, technique and time. Yet, I was able to overcome this challenge, just like manufacturers tackle challenges every day.”

Hear invigorating stories and lessons that help businesses employ innovation and resilience when facing challenges and opportunities. Short on resources, time, and technique? Resolve problematic challenges through adaptation and innovative thinking.

“As an advocate of both manufacturing and climbing, I’ve learned leadership is most vital in your darkest hours, not your finest moments, and Jim is a great example of this,” said Adam Papillion, director of operations for H2 Manufacturing Solutions. “Through many years of climbing and friendship with Jim, nothing has transferred more to my professional life than Jim’s lessons on resilience.”

Davidson will be on site after his talk at the show’s registration table signing copies of his New York Times best-selling book, The Ledge. As time permits, he will connect with individuals and organizations on the challenges they face in a competitive manufacturing world, and how they can solve them through resilience and innovation.

Jim has summitted the world’s tallest peaks, survived harrowing trials and extremely dangerous situations, and he shares the power of resilience to audiences around the world. Davison’s stories of survival help people face their own challenges and opportunities. With 36 years of adventures to draw from, he distills unique content for each audience to reveal how to adapt to profound change, overcome anxiety and uncertainty, and reach lofty goals.

Register for the 7:00 a.m. breakfast, full day of programming, and post-event B2B networking via the Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership website. Learn more about Davidson, view his videos and pictures, and read about his experiences on his website, speakingofadventure.com.

About the 4^th Annual NOCOM Trade Show

Date:    Thursday, April 12^th, 2018

Time:   7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

            Kick-off Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. at the Budweiser Events Center (separate ticket required)

            Sponsored by BMA America

            B2B Networking Reception 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

            Sponsored by H2 Manufacturing Solutions and Manufacturer’s Edge

Major sponsors include Aerotek, Colorado Department of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), EKS&H, Flood & Peterson, Xcel Energy, and FirstBank. Other sponsors include Speaker Hall sponsor Northern Colorado Economic Alliance; Venue sponsor City of Loveland; and Coffee sponsor Noffsinger.

The event showcases Northern Colorado’s expanding manufacturing sector, connecting suppliers, manufacturers, capital, and services. Registration is now open at this link. Admission is $15 for pre-registered attendees (students are free) and $20 at the door, with post-event B2B networking event included, and $30 for the kickoff breakfast featuring keynote speaker Jim Davidson. Attendees can download the Yapp App from Yapp.us, Google play or Apple’s app store and enter the ID code NOCOM2018 for detailed information on the event.

The NOCOM 2018 kick-off breakfast is sponsored by BMA America, experts in plants for the production of fructose, sugar, and dextrose whether dealing with machinery, individual process steps, or entire factories. Visit BMA’s website for more information.

Admission to the post-show B2B networking reception, sponsored by H2 Manufacturing Solutions and Manufacturer’s Edge is included with registration for all attendees. H2 Manufacturing Solutions offers a broad range of services to help manufacturers navigate the daily challenges of the modern manufacturing world. Manufacturer’s Edge, Colorado’s statewide manufacturing assistance center through NISP’s MEP program, boosts the competitiveness of Colorado manufacturers through onsite technical assistance and support.

This year’s NOCOM Trade Show features more than 100 exhibitors, a speaker hall featuring several manufacturing industry leaders, manufacturing forums, and a B2B reception. Topics discussed will include: Get the best bang for the buck with healthcare; Navigate programs and grants targeted to grow Colorado manufacturing businesses; Learn insiders' secrets on the latest and greatest technology advances should be part of your strategy for this year . . . and beyond; and Navigate challenges that manufacturers face.

About BMA

The roots of BMA America in Greeley stem from 90 years old Brewer Steel, founded as a family business in Greeley, Colorado. Over the years, BMA's reputation as a reliable, quality fabricator grew, and the business expanded to include heavier products and fabrications. With the addition of specialized equipment and key personnel, BMA Americas custom fabrication today enjoys a reputation as one of the leading fabricators in the Rocky Mountain West, maintaining its reputation for quality and on-time delivery. In November 1994, Brewer Steel was purchased from the Brewer family by BMA Braunschweigische Maschinenbauanstalt AG enabling the company to grow further and develop new business fields. Next to custom fabrication for regional customers, today, BMA America can offer capital equipment and spare parts for the sugar industry, engineering, and other after sales services. Our long-standing customers include the cane and beet sugar industry in North-, Central- and South-America.

About Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership

The NoCo Manufacturing Partnership was formed in 2013 as a result of Governor Hickenlooper’s state Economic Development plan called the Colorado Blue Print. The Blue Print identified 11 key sectors of the economy in Colorado by region. Northern Colorado’s two main sectors identified were Health and Wellness and Advanced Manufacturing. Regions within the state were encouraged to form sector partnerships to provide more localized grass roots support to augment state efforts in each sector.

These would be industry specific, led by business, in partnership with economic development, education and workforce development. A collaboration arose as part of the Blue Print process involving people from each of these affiliations and the NoCo Manufacturing Partnership was born. It continues to be an all-volunteer, business led, FREE membership organization designed to support Northern Colorado manufacturers. It is served by a Board of Directors, representing each affiliation from private business to local government, as well as two active committees: Networking and Manufacturing Talent/Rocks! Find us on the web, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Broker Associate Craig LoSasso adds experience as an advocate for Home Buyers and Sellers in Northern Colorado

Loveland, CO - Nanci Garnand and RE/MAX Eagle Rock are excited to introduce a new member of The Nanci Garnand Team Real Estate broker family: Craig LoSasso. Craig joins a team of advocates able and ready to help customers buy and sell homes in the community.

With the addition of Craig LoSasso, the Nanci Garnand Team now has associate brokers in Wellington, Loveland, and Berthoud, covering all of Northern Colorado.

“I have had a wonderful and fulfilling career as a firefighter/paramedic, retiring as a chief officer. In that span of more than two decades, that experience helped me become a leader, mentor and coach. I take pride in being detail-oriented and delivering stellar customer service. I have dealt with extreme pressures and deadlines and have met them through dedication and organization,” says LoSasso.

The Agents and Staff of The Nanci Garnand Team understand how difficult it can be to find a home for the right price in this market. That’s why they’re dedicated to constantly working with clients to answer questions and aggressively chase down home options that work well for each of their clients.

In addition to LoSasso joining the team, Broker Dave Gornall has relocated to Berthoud to help clients there. No matter where clients are looking for homes in Northern Colorado, The Nanci Garnand Team can help.

Gornall has experience in buying and selling properties as a consumer himself and takes his duty as an advocate for 

his clients very seriously. He can be reached at 970-820-0411.

They both have been successful with their aggressive marketing plan in getting sellers’ homes under contract in a matter of days.

Gornall is settling into his new Berthoud house and is looking forward to being involved in the Berthoud community. He has worked as a licensed Realtor® and served as a member of the Fort Collins Board of Realtors® since 2015. He can be reached at 970-590-8891.

About Nanci Garnand

Nanci Garnand started in real estate in 1995 after a successful career as a consumer, commercial lender and private banker. Garnand strives to take care of her clients in order to earn their repeat business and referrals. For more information, call or text (970) 227-1327 or email Nanci@SellsRealEstate.com. You can also connect with Nanci on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancigarnand) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/ngarnand).

About RE/MAX Eagle Rock

RE/MAX Eagle Rock connects families to new construction, single family, luxury, and patio homes, as well as investor and commercial land and lots. Properties are often Mountain View properties, waterfront properties, golf course living, or executive or luxury homes. The team at RE/MAX Eagle Rock helps clients that are looking for an exclusive home or just something in a specific area of Northern Colorado. Their staff of full-time, Brokers specialize in  residential homes, commercial development, golf course waterfront property, and investment property. These experienced commercial professionals provide you with the ability to quickly and clearly find the right course of action that will deliver maximum value to your company or your individual financial portfolio. Contact the RE/MAX Eagle Rock office at http://www.nocoresidential.com or (970) 541-0840.

Every two minutes, someone is injured in a drunk driving incident. One person every 50 minutes dies because someone is drunk on the road. Most of the time, the drunk people are the ones who survive and the sober people driving to work, school, or home are the ones who lose their lives. This is something that I have been warned about my whole life, but I never took it seriously. I would borrow my mom’s car and drive tipsy or high thinking it was okay and I was safe, and luckily I always was.

Until Friday the 13th, October 2017, when I got into the car with a person 22 years of age, who was hammered, and we hit a tree going 40 miles per hour.

We hit the tree head on, smoke was everywhere, and the airbags went off. Luckily we were all wearing our seatbelts; I was sitting in the middle back seat and would have flown through the windshield if I hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt. We stumbled out of the car and struggled to open the passenger door, where our good friend was sitting, but it was bent inward and stuck. A kind citizen ran out from the bank that was nextdoor to the tree and helped us pry the door open. The driver stumbled toward us with blood on his forehead. The front wheels of his sportscar were askew and barely on the car. The tree was indented, and there were pieces of rubble everywhere.

We all sat down on the ground and started crying, the wind had been knocked straight out of us, and it was hard to breathe. The police and and paramedics showed up. Our friend in the passenger seat had hurt her leg, and we had all been thrown forward with such force we were worried about our ribs. The police gave everyone a Minor in Possession of Alcohol ticket, and the driver was arrested and whisked away to jail for drunk driving and endangerment of minors.

We all survived, but it shook a lot of sense into all of us. We hadn’t trusted our initial intuition not to not get into the car, and now we were paying for it.

Driving drunk is a serious matter. Young drivers (ages 16-20) are 17 times more likely to die in a car crash when they have a blood alcohol concentration of .08% than when they have not been drinking. One in ten people will drive drunk during their teen years. The health risks of drinking alcohol are already dangerous enough---people die of alcohol poisoning every day---a good amount of them being teens.

I am writing this to inform the community that people's lives are affected by alcohol related accidents, and every day people die due to alcohol. This is a scary reality. It is time to teach the teens of our communities nationwide to drink responsibly and exercise caution when getting into a car when the driver may be impaired. If we spread the word, then people's lives can be saved.

I feel blessed that my accident was not fatal and that we didn't hit another person's car. If we had killed someone else driving on that road, we would have to live with this guilt the rest of our lives. The passersby and the people on the road that day were affected and the police and paramedics coming to the scene had to take time out of their days to deal with stupid, drunk teens.

We happened to be blessed, but not every accident has a happy outcome; we must spread awareness.

We must stop drunk driving.

Net Neutrality

For me, it is simple to identify the worst part of being a high school student. It is not having to worry about GPAs, SATs, or any other acronym that comes with the modern high school experience. The worst part of being in high school is being young. Our opinions are often invalidated due to our youth. Any opinion on the Trump administration, national policies, elections, is ignored. Older generations tend to forget that we see the effects of national policies more clearly than they do. Whether it be the effects the rhetoric used in the past election cycle or the ending of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, high school students feel what the effects of national events in our everyday lives.

When it comes to the Federal Communication Commissions (FCC) dismantling of net neutrality, students will feel the affects of this much worse than any other groups. On Thursday, when net neutrality rules were repealed, three main things happened. Blocking websites, throttling the speeds of websites, and paid prioritization all became legal. The dismantlement of  Obama-era rules prohibiting blocking and throttling internet speeds will not affect schools as much as paid prioritization will. In the long term, the ending of the ban on paid prioritization could be detrimental to the K-12 education system.

At the heart of paid prioritization comes the ability for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to start offering pay-to-play deals. The fast lane of internet speeds could and will become dominated by large companies and people who have the ability to pay. This is where the public school system comes into play. In Colorado, one of the main problems our education system faces, stems from a lack of funding. Over 55% of Colorado school districts have to operate on a four day week, just to save money. Schools that can not stay open for a five day week will surely not be able to pay to have their schools receive faster internet speeds from their ISP. A modern day classroom though, relies on the internet. NPR cited a specific example of a school in Chattanooga that had students use an online resource from the University of Southern California. The University of Southern California placed a high definition camera on its scanning electron microscope which the students can control on a website and use to do experiments. This website and innovative classroom idea relies on “fast lane” internet speed. Now that schools may have to pay for “fast lane” speed means educational experiences like this one will start to disappear for these schools. The internet allows even the most secluded schools in Colorado to have the same classroom experience as schools within the Boulder Valley School District.

Of course, Ajit Pai was not thinking of the affects of the end of these regulations will have on the education system. This new deregulation of a national policy will create waves that will disrupt the K-12 education system. As a student, we will feel these waves reflect in our high school experience. Young students voices are as invalidated constantly; I hope that those on Capitol Hill creating these policies, will listen to our voices in the future.MLA Citations

“F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Dec. 2017, mobile.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/technology/net-neutrality-repeal-vote.html.

Figueroa, Ariana. “How A Deregulated Internet Could Hurt America's Classrooms.” NPR, NPR, 13 Dec. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/12/13/570262813/how-a-deregulated-internet-could-hurt-america-s-classrooms.

Mika Nijhawan

11/17/17

P. 6

The School-to-Prison Pipeline

We are told from a young age to live for the future. We go to high school so we can go to college, get a degree, get a job, settle down, marry, and have our white picket fence in front of our suburban homes. The life track we have been told to follow since birth, begins with high school. The purpose of high school is to teach and prepare us for college and the rest of our lives. Of course, we do not need college, but high school should be preparing us for  the rest of our lives. High school’s purpose is certainly not  to essentially funnel students of color into our flawed criminal justice system.

High schools continued use of zero tolerance policies and in-school police officers has lead to institutions of education and prisons becoming more connected than ever. To be frank, we think these methods work because why would we have zero tolerance policies and SROs (school resource officers) if they were not affective? The sustained use of these negative policies can be attributed to the fact that we see these policies as keeping anarchy from breaking out in schools. We have kept zero tolerance policies despite the fact that they do not improve a students overall academic well being; according to a study by the Center for Community Alternatives, 75% of colleges gather high school disciplinary records from their applicants and almost 90% of those schools use said records to make admissions decisions. This means a student who was suspended for a minor, non violent violation will see their chance of being accepting into college severely decrease. Similarly, students who have been suspended are more likely to drop out according to a study published by the American Journal of Community Psychology. Northeastern University  also found that about one in every ten male high school dropouts are in jail, while only one of every thirty five males with a high school diploma is in jail. High school’s with zero tolerance policies are preventing students from attending colleges, encouraging them to drop out, and pushing them toward the criminal justice system. Additionally, zero tolerance polices affect latino/black students more. The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) published a study showing how black students are more likely to be suspended for things such as insubordination, while white students mainly get suspended for provable offenses like doing drugs.

Zero tolerance polices just add to the racial disparities we see in the criminal justice system, and SROs are not effective either. Initially, they were put in place after Columbine to protect schools from campus shooters. According to a study done by Matthew Theriot from the University of Tennessee, schools that have SROs usually have an increased number of student arrests, but despite the large number of arrests, very few students were actually charged in court. Considering very few students were charged in court, we see schools with SROs do not have a substantive amount of serious crime, but if you are a person of color attending a school with a SRO, you are more likely to be arrested.

Clearly, zero tolerance policies and SROs do not help improve high schools. Instead, they negatively affect black and Latino students, essentially stopping them from getting that white picket fence. The solution to harmful polices is, of course, to get rid of them, and replace them with something better. In this case the something better is restorative justice. Restorative justice is based upon the idea that when students get into arguments, the school does not suspend both students; instead the students come together and talk it out. The Oakland school district has been testing this policy for over ten years; they found that graduation rates increased by 60% after implementing the restorative justice program. According to Sonia Jain-Aghi, who helped create the 2015 report analyzing the restorative justice program, creating “a restorative justice program in a school increases student engagement, brings in a more positive social environment and teaches problem-solving, all of which contribute to the better academic results.” The reports and studies do not lie, zero tolerance policies and SROs do not work. Restorative justice does.

While restorative justice is clearly the future, Boulder seems to be stuck in the past. There are six school districts in the Boulder Valley School District, including (but not limited to) Fairview High School, Boulder High School, Centaurs High School, and Broomfield High School. Fairview High’s student handbook cites “zero tolerance” for certain offenses. Boulder High School’s student handbook is worse- their list of offenses includes “willful disobedience, defiance, or insubordination”; the consequence could be a five day suspension (and studies done by the NEPC show these types of policies hurt black students more than their white counterparts). Centaurs High and Broomfield High have more effective policies in the sense that they include restorative justice as a possible consequence (but both schools still suspend students). The Boulder Valley School District is on its way to becoming a better district for its minority students, but we could still take a few hints from the Oakland School District. That is, of course, if BVSD wants their graduation rates to increase while creating a better student environment.

High school is not meant to prepare us for a life within the criminal justice system. Yet, this is exactly what high school’s in Boulder (and across the country) do. The life track we are told to follow is not for everyone, but we all should have equal opportunity to go to college, get a degree, get a job, and have our white picket fence in front of our suburban homes. Zero tolerance policies and SROs stand in the way of that life, which is reason enough for high schools to begin the process of reversing decade old policies that favor certain students over others.

Abdul-Alim, Jamaal. “Most Colleges Weigh Student Discipline Records in Admissions.” Education Week, 8 Feb. 2017, www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/05/29/most-colleges-weigh-student-discipline-records-in.html.

Dillon, Sam. “Study Finds High Rate of Imprisonment Among Dropouts.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Oct. 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/education/09dropout.html.

Hemphill, Sheryl A., et al. “Pathways From School Suspension to Adolescent Nonviolent Antisocial Behavior in Students in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States.” Journal of Community Psychology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Apr. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3774047/.

Losen, Daniel J. “Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice.” National Education Policy Center, National Education Policy Center, 5 Oct. 2011, nepc.colorado.edu/publication/discipline-policies.

Turner, Cory, and Kavitha Cardoza. “All-Boys School In D.C. Focuses On Helping Young Men Of Color.” NPR, NPR, 19 Oct. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/10/19/558706791/all-boys-school-in-d-c-focuses-on-helping-young-men-of-color.

Oakley, Doug. “Oakland: School district to expand restorative justice programs to all 86 schools.” The Mercury News, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2015, www.mercurynews.com/2015/01/14/oakland-school-district-to-expand-restorative-justice-programs-to-all-86-schools/.

Vox, YouTube, 11 Jan. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoKkasEyDOI.

Wikipedia contributors. "School-to-prison pipeline." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 14 Nov. 2017. Web. 14 Nov. 2017.

The Power Behind the ‘Average Joe’

Bernie Sanders and Roy Moore, are examples of politicians from different parties doing the same thing- tapping into the power of the ‘average Joe’ and their grassroots movements. Bernie Sander’s original bid for president of the United States was originally viewed as a fringe campaign, an independent going against the “democratic establishment”. Yet, through harnessing the power of the majority, he raised eight million dollars- in a single day. Roy Moore initially started off without the support of major GOP leaders, yet still won the republican primaries. Even after the claims of his sexual harassment of women surfaced, he still is leading in polls against Doug Jones. The reason that both Sanders and Moore were able/are able to be successful politically is because they tap into the grassroots capacity of their parties. What we can take from Sanders and Moore is our need to tap into our own grassroots capacity.

Sanders and Moore are advocates for the majority, the normal, ‘average Joe’ democrats and republicans. They are people who understand the power the ‘average Joe’s’  have. We, are the ‘average Joe’ and we do not understand the power we hold. We can change the way politicians look at issues like workforce development, immigration, and especially education. In Colorado, specifically, the average Joe’s have changed the way education is viewed within our own state. The key way this was done, was by the majority realizing the true power behind their grassroots moments.

One example of Colorado’s grassroots capacity is seen through the PARCC test. The PARCC test is a standardized test that is agreed on by most to be the single greatest time waster of the modern era. Luckily, Colorado state legislators have now reduced the testing requirements needed in high school. Kim Redd is a longtime educational advocate in Colorado and she claims that the reason state legislators changed testing requirements was because of grassroots activism, “…students have protested, parents have opted their children out of tests, the State Board of Education has spoken out”. When the ‘average Joe’ talked and took advantage of their true grassroots power, change happened. This is just one example of the true grassroots power the average hold.

Bernie Sanders and Roy Moore understand the grassroots capacity of the average Joe. We, ourselves, do not seem to understand our own power. We forget that Sanders and Moore would be nowhere without us. The ‘average Joe’ is the backbone of American democracy- we can not forget that. We need to collectively realize the power we hold and take advantage of it. The fight for equal education in Colorado is not over, several small towns suffer from teacher droughts, the graduation rate of Hispanic students is almost 15% less than their white counterparts, and getting access to resources for college continues to be a struggle for the minority.

The way to fix these issues is to take advantage of the grassroots power we hold. As Kim Redd says, “Change [in education] occurs through both a grassroots level as well as a legislative level”. Taking action, talking to state legislators, calling national representatives, attending town-hall meetings, making donations, are all small things we can do to take advantage of our own grassroots power. If Bernie Sanders and Roy Moore were able to recognize the sheer mass of might that comes from the ‘average Joe’s’, it is about time we do as well.

The College Board

To high school students, the College Entrance Examination Board (The College Board)  is like the friendly hand guiding us to higher education. The College Board administers the SAT and AP tests; when we look for scholarship programs, we start at the College Board website. It calls itself “a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success”. Nevertheless, the College Board is merely another example of a capitalist money drain that only aides certain groups to success.

The College Board claims that it is a not for profit organization, meaning the good “Samaritans” running the board should not be claiming a direct profit from the institution. GuideStar, another non profit organization, compiles comprehensive financial reports of non profit agencies through publicly available information, such as tax forms. During the 2015 fiscal year, the College Board had a total revenue of  $915 million, while losing $840 million in expenses cost. Their net gain was over $75 million. This 75 million is generated from College Boards astronomically high costing tests, was not used to benefit low-income or at risk students. Rather this money was placed directly into the wallets of the CEOs and top executives of the College Board; the same people who initially decided the costs of these tests.

How much do tests like the SAT cost? To take the test (with the essay section), it costs students $60, 1.36 million students took this test last year. These fees are too much to bear for some families, so the College Board has created a Fee Waivers program. If you are eligible, you can take the SAT for free twice, receive four score reports, and waive four of your college application fees (among other things). The SAT Fee Waivers program is under no circumstance, a bad thing. Yet, the College Board has used this program to claim they, as an organization, are beneficial to low-income students. At the same time, the SAT is not the only College Board test high achieving high school students take. Last year, 2.7 million students took 5 million AP tests. The College Board does not provide fee waivers for AP tests, though; they only have fee reductions. A student living below the poverty line, can qualify for a $32 fee reduction, meaning they pay $53. Most students take more than one AP test and they may need to purchase prep books, the costs can add up quickly.

A lack of resources and lofty test costs negatively affect students in Colorado in particular ways. Over the last decade, Colorado has seen an immense increase in the number students living in high concentrated poverty areas. A child living in a high concentrated poverty community is more likely to suffer from things such as high stress and emotional problems, even if they do technically live above the federal poverty line. This also means these students are isolated from resources that are available to them, therefore to reach these students, the College Board needs to make more of an effort. Additionally, in Colorado after the recession, homelessness among students has almost doubled. In most situations, these kids and their families are not living on the street, but rather have doubled up in homes with friends/family. These crowded houses are preferable to living in a car, but this means that academic performance suffers. In general, the data shows that ever since the recession, the academic performance of Colorado students has been suffering.  Overall, our child poverty rate is going down, but there are still issues to address. The best way to get students out of poverty is through education. The only problem is, it is very difficult for these students to find and receive programs like the College Board’s fee waiver program. The solution to this lack of resources/lack of ability to find them, is to expand these programs. Make them more available and wide spread. so all students in high poverty and high stress situations know about and can utilize them. Of course though, the additional $75 million in profits generated by the board, is not being put to good use.

It is true that the College Board’s SAT and ACT fee waiver/reduction programs, have been essential for some students. The issue, is that they aren’t readily available or expansive enough for other students, like the Colorado kids living in high poverty areas or doubled up homes. We must realize, the reason these program are essential, is because of the high costing tests. We would not need free waiver programs, if the test was originally free. But, these tests do cost money and the high costing tests means that the College Board, a not for profit, creates a net profit of over $75 million. This 75 million does not go back into bettering these waiver programs. This net gain does not increase the number of cost-free SATs or completely waive AP test prices for students. The profits of a not for profit merely profit one type of person- the one in charge, while in high school students in Colorado (and America) are left to deal with the consequences.

“AP Exam Fee Reducations.” AP Exam Fee Reductions, apcentral.collegeboard.org/ap-

        coordinators/exam-ordering-fees/exam-fees/reductions.

Berkman, Justin. “SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips.” How Many Colleges Should You

         Apply To? Expert Guide, blog.prepscholar.com/how-many-colleges-should-i-apply-to.

“College Entrance Examination Board.” GuideStar, www.guidestar.org/profile/13-1623965.

“Colorado Report - 2016.” Talk Poverty, talkpoverty.org/state-year-report/colorado-2016-report/.

“Fees and Fee Reductions.” AP Exam Fees and Reductions, apstudent.collegeboard.org/

               takingtheexam/exam-fees.

Minor, Nathaniel. “Colorado's child poverty, explained in 12 charts and maps.” Colorado Public

        Radio, 23 Mar. 2015, www.cpr.org/news/story/colorados-child-poverty-explained-12-charts-

        and-maps.

“SAT Fee Waivers.” SAT Suite of Assessments, 12 Sept. 2017, collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/     

         sat/register/fees/fee-waivers.

“The NCES Fast Facts Tool provides quick answers to many education questions (National    

         Center for Education Statistics).” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home

         Page, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372

Wikipedia contributors. "College Board." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The 

         Free Encyclopedia, 2 Nov. 2017. Web. 7 Nov. 2017.

Winerip, Michael. “SAT Essay Test Rewards Length and Ignores Errors.” The New York Times,

        The New York Times, 4 May 2005, www.nytimes.com/2005/05/04/education/sat-essay-test-

         rewards-length-and-ignores-errors.html.

“2.7 Million Students Expected to Take Nearly 5 Million AP Exams in May.” The College    

         Board, 16 May 2017, www.collegeboard.org/releases/2017/students-take-ap-exams-in-may.

Representatives from Larry H. Miller Dealerships presented a check for $10,000 to SafeHouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN) on Wednesday, December 6, as part of the dealership group’s “5 Weeks of Giving.” The $10,000 donation will support Safehouse’s Emergency Shelter program, which provides immediate crisis intervention and safe shelter to survivors of interpersonal violence and their children. The fastest growing segment of the homeless population in the Denver Metro area, and in the U.S., is woman and children, and domestic violence is the number one cause for their homelessness, according to SPAN.

Shelter residents may stay at SPAN for up to six weeks, and they receive all basic needs, counseling and advocacy services, access to a therapeutic play area and computer stations, and other services to foster self-sufficiency. SPAN began providing emergency shelter services in 1979. The organization provides safe shelter for more than 350 survivors and their children each year in their 27-bed facility.

The donation is being presented as part of Larry H. Miller Dealerships’ “5 Weeks of Giving” campaign to help positively impact the lives of Coloradans throughout the holiday season. Larry H. Miller dealership employees across Colorado are presenting more than $60,000 in monetary donations to various charitable programs, conducting collection drives in support of children and families, and volunteering their time in the communities they serve.

Assistance from Larry H. Miller Charities, the charitable arm of the dealership group, is directed towards women and children’s programs, with an emphasis on health and education. Funds are generated, in large part, through employee contributions.

Longmont couple’s first baby makes history at city’s new hospital

A little more than two months after opening, more than 100 babies have been born at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital.

Taylor and Jason Fahlstrom of Longmont are the proud parents of the 100th baby born at the newly opened hospital in Longmont. Lily Dorothy Fahlstrom was born at 8:35 p.m. Nov. 2, 2017, weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounces and measuring 19 ¾ inches.

“I pushed really hard to have the 100^th baby,” Taylor Fahlstrom said jokingly from her recovery room the next day.

Not long after the birth, a soft lullaby echoed in hallways throughout the hospital as a simple and sweet way to announce that a baby had been born. It’s a tradition that plays out with every birth at Longs Peak and brings smiles to faces throughout the facility.

The next day, Lily’s parents gently inked up a couple of their fingers to leave their mark on an art installment that had been a work in progress since the first baby was born at the hospital on Sept. 1. 

Erie artist Marty Peterson worked with the Longs Peak Hospital Foundation on a unique, interactive art project to celebrate the first babies born at the hospital. Peterson donated his time and talents to create the basis of the project, which depicts the trunk and branches of two trees. After each of the first 100 babies was born, parents were invited to add their fingerprints. Each fingerprint -- or thumbprint -- represents a leaf on the trees. Many even added their names and dates next to their prints.

The final pieces represent community growth, teamwork and the celebration of life. They will be framed and permanently displayed in the Birth Center on the third floor.

"The first couple months of Longs Peak Hospital have been exciting for all of us," said Dr. Amy Johnson, the UCHealth obstetrician who helped deliver the 100^th baby. “Our group has more than 85 collective years of caring for women and babies in the community, and we look forward to serving many generations to come here.”

In addition to the birth center, Longs Peak Hospital features an intensive care unit, four operating rooms, a Level III trauma center and emergency department, cardiac services, a special care nursery, a cafe, a gift shop, 24/7 retail pharmacy, radiology and laboratory services, a meditation room and a courtyard. 

About UCHealth

UCHealth is an innovative, nonprofit health system that delivers the highest quality medical care with an excellent patient experience. UCHealth combines Longs Peak Hospital, Memorial Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, UCHealth Medical Group, Broomfield Hospital, Grandview Hospital, Yampa Valley Medical Center and University of Colorado Hospital into an organization dedicated to health and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. With more than 100 clinic locations, UCHealth pushes the boundaries of medicine, providing advanced treatments and clinical trials and improving health through innovation.

During the next five weeks, employees from Larry H. Miller Dealerships will spread cheer throughout Colorado communities in an effort to make the season a little brighter for those in need. Employees from Boulder, Denver Metro and Colorado Springs will share the spirit of giving by presenting more than $60,000 in donations to numerous charitable programs and conducting collection drives throughout the holidays to support children and families.

“We aim to be good citizens and community partners year-round, but we look forward to the opportunity to impact even more charitable programs, individuals and families during the holiday season,” said Ray Reilly, senior vice president, Larry H. Miller Dealerships.   

Local charities and organizations to benefit from the campaign include:

SafeHouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (Boulder) – This donation will support Safehouse’s Emergency Shelter program, which provides immediate crisis intervention and safe shelter to survivors of interpersonal violence and their children. Shelter residents may stay for up to six weeks, and they receive all basic needs, counseling and advocacy services, access to a therapeutic play area and computer stations, and other services to foster self-sufficiency.

Bags of Fun – (Centennial) – This donation will help to fund the Bags of Fun program, which aims to bring joy, laughter and relief to every child fighting a long-term or life-threatening disease or condition. The brightly-colored, cheery backpacks are filled with fun rehabilitative games and toys that are age-specific and custom built for each child.

Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver (Denver) – Funding will support the programs and operations of the newest Boys and Girls Club in Green Valley Ranch. The new club will provide afterschool programs to approximately 150 youths per year.

Firefly Autism (Denver) – Funding will allow the organization to provide scholarships to families in need, who have children enrolled or soon to be enrolled in the autism therapy and behavioral support program. Firefly Autism’s comprehensive services include clinical assessments and the development of individual treatment plans for students up to age 21, including school, home and community-based programs.

The Denver Santa Claus Shop (Denver) – Both monetary and toy donations will support the nonprofit’s intention to give “a toy to every girl and boy,” many of whom might not otherwise have a toy to open at Christmas. The organization sets up a giant, temporary toy shop for four days in December; qualified families (referred by social service agencies) are invited to come and select gifts for their children. Larry H. Miller Dealerships in the Denver Metro area will be collecting new and “gently loved” toys at their locations through November, in an effort to help the organization reach its goal of supplying gifts to 13,000 Denver children.

The Rise School of Denver (Denver) – This donation will support the school’s integrated therapy project to provide music, occupational, physical and speech therapy services to students, including those with developmental disabilities.

Kids Crossing (Colorado Springs) – Kids Crossing is a private, nonprofit child placement agency that provides foster care and group facility care, and has served more than 250 children throughout Colorado. A tree filled with ornaments will be displayed in Larry H. Miller Liberty Toyota, and customers and employees may select an ornament and purchase the items requested on that ornament for a foster child.

Marian House (Colorado Springs) – Catholic Charities of Central Colorado provides help and creates hope for homeless and vulnerable individuals and families in Colorado Springs. Employees of Larry H. Miller Toyota Colorado Springs will “adopt” several families for the holidays and provide gifts and essential items.

All financial donations are via Larry H. Miller Charities, the charitable arm of the dealership group. The nonprofit organization disperses donations through a grant program focused on organizations that serve women and children, with an emphasis on health and education. Funding is primarily made up of employee contributions.

Longmont's Circle Graphics donates canvases to Ronald McDonald House of Durham

Stress relief through a creative outlet – that’s what Circle Graphics provides parents and families staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Durham & Wake (RMHDW) in their time of need.

Since the spring of 2016, Circle Graphics has donated over 150 coloring canvases to give more than 50 RMHDW families support while their child is hospitalized and receiving critical medical care. Almost half of the families who stay at the House are immunosuppressed, meaning they are on constant isolation from other people or public places for months, or even a year at a time. 

“No matter how many board games are played or Instagram posts read, this can be a trying and often lonely time for families,” said Stephanie Whigham, Director of Family Care at Ronald McDonald House of Durham. “It’s a struggle to find meaningful activities for those who cannot be out in the common spaces. The canvases were exactly what they needed, parents and older patients alike, to stimulate the mind and calm the body. We are so thankful for Circle Graphics’ generosity!”

Viesta King checked in at RMHDW at the end of August 2016 when her 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, was in need of a heart transplant. King waited on a compatible heart while her daughter was in the hospital on life-saving equipment.

During her almost six week waiting period, King was given a canvas from Circle Graphics. She shared with the staff that the canvas helped her get through one of the most difficult times of her life. When the anxiety became overwhelming, King said she focused her energy on filling in the shapes on the canvas to remain calm and focused.

Jessica now has a new heart and is slowly recovering and growing stronger. King said the canvas she colored will always serve as a reminder of the strength and beauty she sees in her daughter.

“Our team has been volunteering to cook meals for Ronald McDonald House for many years, but we wanted to find a way to do more,” said Gavin Jocius, Executive Vice President of Circle Graphics Art Division. “The coloring canvases were a perfect blend of stress relief and creativity to give families a gift that was truly from Circle Graphics’ heart. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Ronald McDonald House and helping families like Mrs. King’s.”  

Circle Graphics’ canvases offer designs and patterns for a range of skill levels from beginner to expert and include feathers, submarines, peacocks, geometric shapes, quotes and more. These coloring canvases are available online with prices starting at $18. To learn more about Circle Graphics, visit www.circlegraphicsonline.com.

The Longmont Theatre presents

The Outgoing Tide

September 15, 16, 22, 23 at 7:30 pm
September 17 & 24 at 2:00 pm

Written by Bruce Graham
Director James Carver

In a summer cottage on Chesapeake Bay, Gunner has hatched an unorthodox plan to secure his family’s future but meets with resistance from his wife and son, who have plans of their own. As winter approaches, the three must quickly find common ground and come to an understanding—before the tide goes out. This drama hums with dark humor and powerful emotion.

Tickets: www.longmonttheatre.org or call 303-772-5200

You may be familiar with Via, some of you might even use Via’s services or know someone who does.

Over the years, Via has grown into more than a simple paratransit service. Like many nonprofits, the quest for sustainability and new sources of revenue has led Via to consider social enterprise, generally defined as mission-related businesses that have promise for producing income directly benefiting the nonprofit’s clients or enhancing its ability to fulfill its mission.  

Via has operated as a social enterprise business model for over two decades.  Via’s three large earned-income contracts—the Hop, Access-a-Ride and Call-n-Ride—are transportation programs Via provides under contract to RTD, CU-Boulder and the city of Boulder and generate revenue to support our mission services. 

Expanding on the social enterprise model, Via is now offering the National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course to the general public. Through this certified course you can improve basic skills and refresh your driving knowledge.

This eight-hour course is designed to give you the practical knowledge and techniques to avoid collisions and traffic violations. It is a highly interactive course that helps drivers to choose safe, responsible and lawful driving behaviors through a self-assessment risk survey, a series of learning activities and discussions, and videos with real-life driver simulations and hazards recognition scenarios. Most insurance companies recognize this course and your participation could lead to discounts on insurance premiums.

The class is offered on Tuesdays at Via’s facility at 2855 N 63rd Street in Boulder.  For more information, or to register for an upcoming class, please contact Dale Binkley at 303-447-2848.

Via is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting independence and self-sufficiency for people with limited mobility by providing caring, customer-focused transportation options.  For more information on the many services Via provides, visit us online at viacolorado.org, call 303.447.2848 ext. 1014, or email us at mobilityspecialist@viacolorado.org.

For Immediate Release – August 24, 2017

(Lafayette, CO) – TRU Community Care, founded as Boulder County Hospice in 1976, is proud to present Transcending the Norm—New Thoughts on Caring for Our Community, a symposium October 10-11 featuring keynote speaker Dr. Timothy G. Ihrig. Ihrig’s TED Talk, What We Can Do to Die Well, has been viewed more than one million times.

At this two-day event, attendees will hear from experts in palliative and hospice medicine about the future of health care and what we can do to provide the best outcomes for patients, particularly the elderly. Topics may include: paving the way for palliative partner relationships; practical approaches for moving care upstream; PACE and population health—keys to reaching underserved seniors; and palliative care’s place in advocating for our elders.

When asked about end of life, Dr. Ihrig said, “Palliative medicine is the answer to engage with human beings, to change the journey that we will all face, and change it for the better.”

Join TRU Community Care and Academy Senior Living for this timely and important educational opportunity. Community members, health care providers, partners of hospice, PACE and palliative care and those curious about how to live their best in the last years of life are welcome to attend.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit trucare.org/events.

About TRU Community Care

TRU Community Care provides end-of-life hospice and palliative care as well as grief services to those residing in Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and southwest Weld counties. TRU now offers TRU PACE, a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. TRU Hospice of Northern Colorado serves Greeley and extends to Weld and Larimer counties. Additional services include grief support groups, which are available to anyone in the community free of charge. It is a privilege for us to help those who are grieving regain their balance and resume healthy living. Grief groups include adult, teen, and child as well as equine therapy. At TRU Community Care, we add life to days, because that’s what TRUly matters. The sooner you call, the more we can help – 303.442.0961 or visit trucare.org.

Contact:

Annette Mainland, Vice President of Philanthropy

TRU Community Care

303.604.5261

annettemainland@trucare.org