Joe Gierlach's blog

The Pelican Brief Podcast

2021-10-14T13:34:00.006-04:00

Click on the links below to listen or subscribe

Welcome to The Pelican Brief podcast

Our intention is to have conversations relevant to St. Petersburg, Florida, and the surrounding Tampa Bay Area.

What makes The Pelican Brief a bit more interesting, is that you can participate in the podcast on a few levels, depending on your desire and comfort level. — Most people simply listen in and only speak up if they have a question from one of the main contributors.

If you want to join the conversation live, you will need to join Twitter. Here is a link with instructions on how to join Twitter and participate in The Pelican Brief.

Generally, each podcast covers three segments. If you have an idea for a segment on one of our next shows, we are interested in hearing about your idea, and you can become a special guest for that podcast. Simply contact Joe Gierlach, on whatever social media platform brought you to this blog post.

Otherwise, feel free to listen and subscribe to the podcast links below.

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This is the Apple Podcast feed:

This is the Spotify Podcast feed:

Here is the CastBox feed:

Be a Guest on The Pelican Brief podcast

2021-10-11T14:39:00.009-04:00

Recording The Pelican Brief podcast live

The Pelican Brief is a podcast about St Petersburg, Florida, and the surrounding Tampa Bay Area. What makes it a bit more interesting, is that you can participate in the podcast on a few levels, depending on your desire and comfort level.

The Pelican Brief is recorded live at different locations in St Pete on Thursdays at 2:00pm Eastern Time.

Each episode has a few topics that we cover, and we may invite a special guest or expert in the field of a featured topic. If you are a special guest, you can attend the recording live at that week's location.

We are also recording live on Twitter Spaces which now provides a conversational Social Audio App on your smartphone.

You can Follow Me Here, and as a special guest, you can also participate in the podcast remotely from your phone.

Besides Special guests invited for a specific episode, we also have regular local St Pete experts who will be on The Pelican Brief recording. You could also become a regular participant in the conversation and follow our moderators on Twitter from wherever you are on Thursday.

You can create a profile on Twitter, or you can dust off the old Twitter Profile you made in 2015 and use that. For whatever reason, many people involved in Real Estate's future in Cryptocurrency and NFT's are hosting conversations on Twitter Spaces. If you receive an invite to The Pelican Brief podcast, you can also add this event to your calendar.

Everyone is invited to be in The Pelican Brief spaces, where you can listen live, and if you have a question or comment, you can raise your hand, and one of the moderators can bring you 'up on stage' to hear you. Just keep in mind that it is being recorded and you will likely be on the podcast.

TIP: If you do choose to be on the program from your phone, please make sure there aren't background noises distracting us from hearing you. You can also use AirPods or another type of earbuds with a microphone which makes your voice more clear over the phone. Also, make sure you have a good connection to WiFi so your phone transmits a clear connection.

Here is a link to The Pelican Brief so you can hear an example.

The Pelican Brief is published as a podcast on the following Thursday. It is syndicated so that anyone can listen, and subscribe, through Apple, Spotify, or Google podcast apps.

Do you have an Idea for a Segment? (see below)

We are also looking for a person to be a "fact-checker" who will listen to the live podcast, look-up things on line that come up in the conversation, and provide little facts and details that we may be missing. This person would be a regular contributor and moderator of the podcast.

We need a Five Second Jingle, if you are a musician, or a digital composer, check out this video:

You decide what level of participation you are comfortable with. You can be a special guest, a local expert, a regular contributor, a live participant, or a podcast subscriber.

How to Play Gridiron Bridge

2021-09-23T18:31:00.017-04:00

The Albers family played this game at the Wild Echo Lodge in Sparrow Lake Canada while on a family vacation in the early 1970s. They brought the game to Strongsville, Ohio where it briefly rose in popularity. The game, however, was only recorded in the memories of the participants, and ultimately waned in practice due to the number of participants needed for lively play. The Wild Echo Lodge itself was eventually converted to time-share condominiums making this blog post, quite possibly the only known record of the game.

Gridiron Bridge is designed for its simplicity, and super quick learning curve, so that guests can show up and play without feeling intimidated. It is effective at mixing people up with just the right amount of time to get to know people under intense competition.

As the name suggests, teams are 'football themed'. Each team consists of four players with specific roles. Players begin by sitting with their own Team. These four cards are pulled from the deck: Ace, King, Queen, and Jack, shuffled face down, and each player draws a card that determines their role. No do-overs or trades! (The process can be repeated for subsequent rounds to switch up the roles.)

The Four Roles per team are:

Ace: Team Captain — The Keeper of the Schedule.
King: The Scorekeeper — The Keeper of the Potato.
Queen: The Equipment Manager — The Dealer of Each Hand.
Jack: The Waterboy — The Dealer of Refreshments.

Home Field and Scoring:

A Master Schedule must be created in advance — a copy of which is given to the Team Captain at each table. The schedule includes two items:

First, the schedule states which suit is trump in each game (i.e. Hearts are trump)
Secondly, the schedule states which team plays each team in each game (i.e. Buccaneers go to Cowboys. Cowboys go to Patriots, Patriots go to Browns and Browns go to Buccaneers in the first game)

The Team Captain and the Scorekeeper remain at their Home Field (table). The Equipment Manager and the Waterboy travel to away games (other teams' tables). So, in our example above, the Equipment Manager and the Waterboy from the Buccaneers would go to the Cowboys' table, and the Browns' Equipment manager and Waterboy would travel to the Buccaneers' Home Field (table).

A Potato is given to each Scorekeeper. The Potato is stuck with toothpicks with flags on them, which of course represents each unique team (i.e. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, etc.)

For each game, the winner is determined. If the Away Team wins the game, then they take a flag from the Home Team's Potato back to their own home field and stick it in their Home Potato. In our example, if the Buccaneers traveled to the Cowboys and won, they would take a flag from the Cowboys' potato and place it in their own potato.

However, if the home team wins, they simply keep their flag. When all teams have completed their game, we go to Game Two, Three, and so forth.

For 12, 16, or 20 people, play the rotation twice. Halfway through, when all games in Round One are complete, the Team Captain and Scorekeeper switch roles with the Equipment Manager and Water-boy, so that the other two people on your team travel for Round Two.

For 24, 28, and 32 people, rotate through all the teams once.

All disputes are settled with the best of three games of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

GamePlay:

The actual card game can be traced to the game of Whist — the simplified predecessor of Bridge. There is no bidding, the trump suit is predetermined, just start playing.

Players on the same team sit across from each other. The visiting team's Equipment Manager and Waterboy come to the table. The Waterboy makes sure the table has adequate refreshments. The Equipment Manager shuffles and deals out all the cards (13 cards per person).

Players are explicitly forbidden to comment on the hand they are dealt, and may not use hand signals, or other gestures to convey the quality of their cards.

The person to the left of the dealer always begins by placing a card in the middle. The next person, in clockwise order, must follow suit, by playing a card from the same suit led, if held. If a player does not have that suit, they may or throw a trump card, or throw off any other card.

Cards rank in order with the lowest being the Two, and Ace being the highest. Players must try to follow suit. The higher card in the same suit takes the trick unless a trump card is played which takes the Trick, and higher-ranking trump cards take the Trick as well. Once the winner of the Trick is determined the cards are turned face down in a stack next to the player who won the trick.

The person to the left of the dealer may also lead with a trump suit if they choose.

After the first trick, the lead goes to the player who won the last trick. We count the number of Tricks earned by each team to determine the winner. Winning visiting teams take a flag and winning home teams simply retain their own flags.

Set-Up:

The number of people determines the number of Flags per Team and Potatoes.

12 People = 3 Potatoes, 4 flags per team.
16 People = 4 Potatoes, 6 flags per team.
20 People = 5 Potatoes, 8 flags per team.
24 People = 6 Potatoes, 5 flags per team.
28 People = 7 Potatoes, 6 flags per team.
32 People = 8 Potatoes, 7 flags per team.

All the Teams begin by sitting at their home table. After picking cards to determine their team Role, players arrange themselves across from each other for the first practice hand to learn the game. Teams may certainly help each other out to learn as much as they can before the Equipment Managers and Water-boys travel to other Away Games.

Sample Schedule for 8 Teams:

Game 1 = Spades are trump:

Bears go to Broncos
Broncos go to Jets
Browns go to Bears
Buccaneers go to Cowboys
Cowboys go to Patriots
Jets go to Rams
Patriots go to Browns
Rams go to Buccaneers

Game 2 = Hearts are trump:

Bears go to Jets
Broncos go to Buccaneers
Browns go to Rams
Buccaneers go to Patriots
Cowboys go to Browns
Jets go to Cowboys
Patriots go to Bears
Rams go to Broncos

Game 3 = Diamonds are trump:

Bears go to Rams
Broncos go to Bears
Browns go to Jets
Buccaneers go to Browns
Cowboys go to Buccaneers
Jets go to Patriots
Patriots go to Broncos
Rams go to Cowboys

Game 4 = Clubs are trump:

Bears go to Patriots
Broncos go to Cowboys
Browns go to Buccaneers
Buccaneers go to Bears
Cowboys go to Rams
Jets go to Broncos
Patriots go to Jets
Rams go to Browns

Game 5 = Spades are trump:

Bears go to Browns
Broncos go to Rams
Browns go to Patriots
Buccaneers go to Broncos
Cowboys go to Jets
Jets go to Buccaneers
Patriots go to Cowboys
Rams go to Bears

Game 6 = Hearts are trump:

Bears go to Buccaneers
Broncos go to Browns
Browns go to Cowboys
Buccaneers go to Jets
Cowboys go to Broncos
Jets go to Bears
Patriots go to Rams
Rams go to Patriots

Game 7 = Diamonds are trump:

Bears go to Cowboys
Broncos go to Patriots
Browns go to Broncos
Buccaneers go to Rams
Cowboys go to Bears
Jets go to Browns
Patriots go to Buccaneers
Rams go to Jets

Here is a link to Individual Team Schedules that can be printed out from Google Docs for the above eight-team Master Schedule.

The goal of the game is to cover your potato with as many opponent’s flags as possible so you can crush their spirits and claim total domination.

It really is fun, especially if you don’t take it too seriously. You may need to remind the “real” card players in the room that they may become frustrated by their non-card playing friends but they need to get over it. Or they’re going to have to eat their team’s potato at the end.

The Luxe Beach House — playlist Designed for Open Houses

2021-06-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

Playlist mining at Restoration Hardware

I like to stay on top of the latest architecture and design trends, so I end up hanging out in high-end modern furniture stores like Restoration Hardware or Design Within Reach.

It was at Restoration Hardware that I suspected that they must have hired somebody to curate a music playlist that enhances the experience of buying the pieces of furniture. They are selling more than furniture items, but a lifestyle and the feeling we get from being part of it. Their music playlist enhances the experience.

Some of the music I remembered hearing when I was at a resort in Cabo San Lucas at the pool overlooking the ocean. So right there, as I'm browsing outdoor patio furniture on the roof, I felt like buying the lounge chair, so that I could be transformed to Cabo again.

I began to realize that the feeling that came over me, really had a lot to do with the playlist and how powerful background music can be. I wondered if I had this playlist at home could I create the same experience? So, while I'm catching up on design trends, I decided to capture the playlists using Shazam. I think of it as playlist mining. Then I made my own playlist on Apple Music and Spotify.

I believe that I've curated the ideal playlist to sell expensive beach homes. I shuffle this playlist for my Open Houses in St. Pete Beach, Florida. I figure that if this music can help people be more comfortable investing in fine furniture without buyers' remorse, then it should work on real estate as well.

Even if you are not a real estate agent, but you just want to feel like you are in a luxurious beach house. You can make yourself a mojito, lean back, and imagine being there while listening.

Of course, if you'd like your own luxurious beach home, then I can help you get one of those too. I reduce my commissions for friends looking to improve their lifestyles.

Here are the links to my Luxe Beach House playlists:

Luxe Beach House playlist on Apple Music:

Luxe Beach House playlist on Spotify:

The Women in STEAM Podcast

2021-06-13T12:28:00.014-04:00

Click on the link below to listen or subscribe

I am very proud of how my daughter, Aspen, is growing up, and evolving into a young woman. I will never know exactly what it was like for the women that went to school with me and worked with me throughout my career. However, now my daughter is providing some insight for me with her podcast.

In the description of the Women in STEAM podcast, it says, "Join Aspen Slavick-Gierlach, ... in her journey to explore the cutting-edge scientific and technological innovations of the 21st century, by interviewing influential women who have invested their careers in STEAM."

While I believe her original goal was to speak with professional and accomplished women describing their experiences, and giving advice to younger women, I find it compelling for me to see these experiences through her eyes. So, I would recommend her podcast to men as well — especially fathers of daughters.

If our goal is to promote the advancement of women in science, medical, technology, and research programs, the conversation would need to include men.

So regardless of which gender you identify with, please listen and enjoy my daughter's podcast, Women in STEAM on Apple or Spotify. If you are so inclined, please subscribe and share. It is the greatest compliment.

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This is the Apple Podcast:

This is the Spotify Podcast:

Vital Signs: The 9Health Fair

2016-04-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Helping me to keep the remaining blood in my body
at the Nederland 9Health Fair.

At the onset, my expectation in training for the BolderBOULDER was to develop a weekly routine, but it has unintentionally increased my awareness of other health and wellness aspects which may include annual routines as well. Deciding to focus on health last year, I made the commitment to come to the 9Health Fair at the Nederland Community Center.

For the town to provide this venue, is a tremendously convenient resource for mountain folks in the entire Peak to Peak region.

This year's event was postponed for a week due to last week's four foot snow storm. I came back to get the same screenings, and see if the exercise program (that I have been on for the past year) has improved my well being from the inside out. The 9Health Fair is an ideal chance to get a blood screening to see what is going on in my bloodstream.

Last year, I also began inputing vital statistics into the Apple Health App. I started with the basics, and even moved on to find out my blood type for the first time in fifty years. So, if I ever get run over by a bus (even though I'd more likely be inside the bus) but as the expression goes, if I got hit by a bus, I'll feel better knowing that the paramedics can access the Health App, and know my blood type.

I numerically confirmed that I've been a little overweight for the past three decades or so. What had been the low side of the 'Dad Bod' syndrome, had creeped up on me and I was about ten pounds heavier than the ten pounds overweight I had been. Some of it also might have been due to the fact that I had shrunk over an inch. What? "Oh yea. It happens to everybody," the perky physician's assistant said.

My wellness data in my palm with the Apple Health App

Moving on to other vital signs; Previously, I had not paid attention to my blood pressure before, but now I appreciate that I can record these readings with the day and time, and that my health information has a place to live in the Apple Health App. "Hey, can I get the x-ray from the time my friend Wally broke my leg during eighth-grade football practice?" (Apparently, I can't get those x-rays considering that they recycled the material because x-rays were made with silver halide.)

I wonder, "Wouldn't it be cool to have an accurate and complete medical history of broken bones, measles, having my tonsils removed at five years-old, allergies, etc.?" This relatively small amount of data, can be carried around with me 'just in case' I ever need it. I'm also appreciative that Tim Cook and Apple are supportive of me being able to protect my own personal data. I wonder what it would be like to rely, and trust, people working on my body while I'm unconscious, with the information I put in my iPhone.

[Related Story: Nederland is Now a HEAL Town – Just Do It]

It is just about this part of the dream state, that I wake up to a few people from the 9Health Fair looking down at me, because I passed out during the blood draw. Well, that's an experience that never happened to me before. I am grateful for the considerate folks at the 9Health Fair.

Screenshot of my AddApp

We are now reaching a point where I can track aspects of my health like an olympic athlete might have done just a couple of decades ago. My goal is to find a way to have this information collected in the easiest way possible, and improve my health. It's not just tracking steps, I can track over the past year my workouts, miles running, weight, blood pressure, sleep patterns, all sorts of nutrition, resting heart rate, even my blood oxygen saturation levels. When I get my blood results back, I'll be able to compare things like cholesterol or iron levels to last year's screening.

My hope, is that eventually all this data will be compared against each other across different platforms to provide insight into my health. The closest app to accomplishing this goal is called AddApp. It will tell me things like; that I sleep better when I exercise, or in the case of my actual feed in the image here, "Your data shows a link between your sodium intake and your running duration", or "When you consume more protein, your step count is higher the following day."

Similarly, the 9Health Fair also has a fabulous website called 9HealthReady for holistically focusing on five 'pillars' of wellness: Prevention, Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, and Mental Health. I spent a few hours browsing these pages, and it is packed with useful information by local experts who share simple and effective resources to help you create or maintain healthy habits. Pretty much what I was looking for in this project.

If you missed the 9Health Fair in Nederland, you can still catch the 9Health Fair in Parker May 1, Thornton May 7, and Denver June 5. See the 9Health Fair website for details.

I'm anxious to see if training for the BolderBOULDER will become incorporated into my lifestyle and how that habit is reflected in these annual blood tests.

[Here is a Video Valediction] The fourth song in my Running Track is where my run starts to get good. This is London elecrto-duo, Groove Armada with I See You Baby (Fatboy Slim Remix). Collectively, Joe's Running Track is sort of Techno, Trip Hop, Progressive House music, but if you actually run to this track, I think you’ll understand what I mean. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Nederland is Now a HEAL Town – Just Do It

2016-04-07T05:45:00.000-04:00

Julie George from LiveWell Colorado discusses
the HEAL Campaign with Mayor Joe Gierlach

Part of documenting my training for the BolderBOULDER is incorporating the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign through LiveWell Colorado. I'm inviting anyone in Boulder County to adopt my Training Schedule, and encouraging all the municipalities in Boulder County to adopt HEAL Cities & Towns Resolutions.

HEAL stands for Healthy Eating and Active Living, two critical components to a healthy lifestyle and the focus of LiveWell Colorado in its effort to prevent and reduce obesity throughout the state.

On March 15, 2016, the Nederland Board of Trustees unanimously approved Resolution 2016-07 Declaring Nederland a LiveWell HEAL Town, and Setting Forth Nederland’s Commitment to Obesity Prevention. Colorado municipalities that adopt similar resolutions with goals to increase access to healthy eating and active living are eligible to become a HEAL city or town, and receive free technical assistance, education, and marketing resources. Joining The Campaign designates Nederland as a leader in promoting healthy eating and active living among Colorado municipalities. I'm proud to say that the next action that the board took that evening was approving a full water fee waiver for the Nederland Community Garden which will be revitalized this summer.

For the past several years, we had incorporated LiveWell ideals into our town's goals, but due to limited resources, those goals were placed on the back burner by town staff until they found 'free time'. Similarly, I also had the desire to adopt a healthy lifestyle someday, when I had some free time. I realized that the only way to make this happen was to 'Just Do It'.

Deciding to Just Do It

At the time, I had been on the Executive Board of the Colorado Municipal League where I met Julie George, Director of HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign for LiveWell Colorado. I attended one of her presentations at the CML Conference in Vail, and again a year later in Breckenridge. During my stay at the conference, I biked on the Recpath from Breckenridge to Frisco and back for the first time.

I came back to Nederland and went straight to Tin Shed Sports, our local bike shop, and asked why we don’t have a bike trail like that. I discovered a secret, rocky trail that locals were using in the forest behind my house, and I now run on today. It was because that trail was available to me, at that moment, I had the opportunity to say to myself, I can start today–Just Do It. I didn't say to myself, "I'm going to apply for a planning grant so that I can build a trail and run on it someday when I have free time."

Lyons Mayor Connie Sullivan, Nederland Mayor
Joe Gierlach, Lafayette Mayor Christine Berg, Louisville
Mayor Bob Muckle, Longmont Mayor, Dennis Coombs,
Boulder Mayor Zan Jones, Superior Mayor Clint Folsom

The town had plenty of excuses why it didn't get around to working on our adopted goals, and I had plenty of excuses of why I wasn't focusing on my personal health goals. So, last year, I was trying to push the idea of joining the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign with a volunteer at the Nederland Community Center (which has the "Fitness Place") and they did a fundraiser as a two month long "Community Wellness Challenge", which I participated in. I was just beginning my own personal journey of making a commitment to pay attention to my health, which coincided nicely with the Challenge.

I feel that the LiveWell HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign enlightened me a bit on the role our community plays in every individual's health and wellness. The Campaign aims to reduce and prevent obesity by engaging municipal leaders to champion healthy eating and active living in their communities through adoption of policy and promotion of opportunities for residents and municipal employees. The Campaign provides technical assistance to support this process. Nederland is the second HEAL Town in Boulder County, after Lafayette.

Last year, I participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge with the Mayors of Boulder County along with the County Commissioners. The leader in that effort was Mayor Christine Berg from Lafayette. It is in that spirit, that I challenge the municipalities in Boulder County to pass resolutions to become a HEAL City or Town for LiveWell Colorado.

Taken from the resolution Nederland passed March 15th, "... WHEREAS, 56 percent of Colorado adults and 26.5 percent of our children are overweight or obese; and WHEREAS, the adult obesity rate has doubled in Colorado since 1995 and, if trends continue, only 33 percent of Colorado adults will be a healthy weight by 2020; and WHEREAS, over the past three decades, childhood obesity has tripled among school-aged children in the U.S.; and WHEREAS, more children are being diagnosed with diseases linked to overweight and obesity previously seen only in adults, such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The current generation of children are expected to have shorter lives than their parents due to the consequences of obesity; and WHEREAS, the annual cost to Colorado—in medical bills, workers compensation and lost productivity— for overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity exceeds $1.6 billion; and ..."

But perhaps the most revealing insight was in Julie George's presentation to the Nederland Board of Trustees. She presented a chart [similar to the first chart in this CDPHE Report] which shows that Colorado is the least obese and therefore the 'leanest' state in the U.S. Over time across the country, obesity has increased, including in Colorado, and Colorado is still the 'leanest' state in the country. However, Colorado in 2013 is more obese than the least healthy state in the country in the 1990's.

If we are going to reverse this trend, we have to act now – Just Do It.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Latin House Guitarra G, from G Club presents Banda Sonora, the third song in my Running Track that I’ve been running to. Collectively, Joe's Running Track is sort of Techno, Trip Hop, Progressive House music, but if you actually run to this track, I think you’ll understand what I mean. [What is a Video Valediction?]

My Top 10 Kilometers of BolderBOULDER

2016-04-01T18:55:00.000-04:00

Training for BolderBOULDER on a brisk day

Part of documenting training for this epic 10K, here's a link to My Top 10 Kilometers as it appears in the BolderBOULDER blog, but I'm also re-posting it below for posterity:

As I'm visualizing how race day will go, I'll post this now, and I can refer back to it as we get closer to the end of May to get pumped up for race day. I call it my Top 10 Kilometers.

1K - Chilly/Brisk Morning

I wake up at 8,400 feet above sea level, and on the last weekend of May, it will still be a chilly, brisk morning, with a refreshing smell of pine forest. The sunrise will be 5:35am, and I'll be going to the RTD lot in Ned. You can take the RTD RunRide on Race Day which brings people in from Park-n-Rides from all over the metro area. In 2014, over 6,100 people chose to walk or ride their bikes to the starting line, and almost 10,300 people rode the RTD bus – 38% rode the bus, biked or walked to the start. I'll need to wear some type of sweat pants as I descend 3,000 feet to Boulder.

2K - Transformed Urban Landscape

Around 6:30am I leisurely ride the B-Cycle from the bottom of Boulder Canyon through empty streets that have been closed off. Similar to the effect that the artist Cristo creates when he and Jeanne-Claude, wraps bridges, or buildings with cloth, to bring a new perspective to everyday sights, the quiet stillness of the morning ride through town, with the roads blocked off, all the cars gone, and not many people coming from the base of the canyon, is peaceful, contemplative, perhaps a bit of pre-race butterflies. The buildings seem to offer a fresh new presence.

As I get closer to the starting line-up, the activity, number of people, and energy increases. I'll need a place to ditch my sweat pants where I can pick them up later. Hmm, who do I know that lives near 30th in Boulder? Or, I can use BB Mobile Locker. (an option when you register for the BolderBOULDER on line for $3. Well worth it.)

3K - Kentucky Derby Trumpet:

The BolderBOULDER is set up to run about 100 Waves, with staggered start times starting at 6:50am with the fastest A Wave. I'm entering the fifth non-qualifying wave which is the FM Wave at 7:37am. I think I ran in the KBCO Wave one year, so, maybe I can unofficially designate this FM Wave, as the "Frozen Dead Man" wave, in honor of Bredo Morstol, Nederland's Famous Frozen Dead Guy.

The classic Kentucky derby trumpet will play 'Call to the Post', like the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. It will bring back memories for me, because at my very first BolderBOULDER start, I realized that the locally famous announcer guy, Dave Felkley from Nederland, also used to announce the start of the BolderBOULDER from a platform.

Dave and I became friends, as we would later conduct the grand opening of Frozen Dead Guy Days, or announce the 4th of July parade. He announced all the Neder-Nederland races too.

Some people run the BolderBOULDER, with the name of a veteran, or relative that passed away pinned to their back, for Memorial Day. Once I hear that Kentucky Derby trumpet, I'll think of Dave, and I'll be off. You'll need to sign up for the Frozen Dead Man Wave (FM) to run with me.

4K - Elvis and the Bands

The bands are fabulous. I can't believe Elvis continues to perform year after year. Welcome distractions, spaced out perfectly – the guy that plays the theme from Rocky through loud speakers. In all, there are twenty-nine official bands/entertainers on the BB10K course. The BolderBOULDER is a full experience for all the senses.

5K - Running in the Hood

I like running the neighborhoods. This will be the first year that I will train before the race and I plan to run the full course, all through the neighborhoods a few weeks before the race. Several people have created BolderBOULDER course maps on MapMyRun.

For me that stretch of 13th Street behind Lucky’s Market for whatever reason, sort of marks a part of the race with a new attitude. It's usually packed with cheering people, and it's at a high elevation, with a fair amount of down hill after that. So, that area invigorates me.

[Related Story: Anyone can follow along with Joe's BolderBOULDER beginner training schedule here]

6K - The Slip-N-Slide at 3-3/4 miles

Of course, one of my favorite moments is the Slip-N-Slide, plus the belly dancers and people in their front yards with sprinklers or hoses. Even that many runners wear costumes or tutu's, and many spectators wear costumes. The spectators and runners seem to blend together in a massive moving experience of costumes, sometimes it's like lava flowing down the street and some runners wearing costumes get caught on the edge or slow down on the sides of the flow and interact with a spectator, or event in a front yard the way lava would stick to a rock and then roll around it, and continue on.

The water stations act similarly as runners manage these pit stops. That moment, when I can throw my cup down, I'm grateful that the BolderBOULDER shares Nederland's commitment for the environment. 250,000 cups are composted and diverted from landfill, and in 2015, eleven tons of recyclable materials from Folsom Field and the course were diverted to recycling facilities.

7K - Tunnel Entering the Stadium

After climbing that steep hill up to the stadium, then running through the tunnel, and instantly absorbing the energy from the stadium crowd. This last lap around is just magical.

So, being a beginner, it took me a while to figure out that PR meant Personal Record (not Public Relations) in Runners World magazine, when they were talking about races.

So, this lap around the stadium gives me so much energy, but it's still pretty far so that I have plenty of time to wonder if I should have used up more energy during the race, and could have had a PR.

8K - International Pro Team Challenge

It’s a chance to see world-class runners, most of them represent their countries in the Olympics. I’ve had the privilege of meeting olympic athletes, and I like to watch them live.

It’s like seeing the olympics for free, right after trying the same race myself, in a sport where everyone watching can empathize and have a feeling for what the athletes are going through.

9K - RaceDay Expo

Between the snack at the end of the race, and the RaceDay Expo, there's no need to bring lunch, and then try and figure out where to stash the food. Hey, that's right, I have to remember to pick up the sweatpants I stashed before the race. Better yet, they bring the BB Mobile Locker to the finish for me. How cool is that?

Plus, there's no need to figure out which restaurant to go to. After I finish, I always head across Colorado from the stadium for great food and drink samples along with tons of other schwag from over 80 Expo vendors.

10K - The Biggest Memorial Day Party on Earth

Then, by noon, I realize that throughout this experience, I've probably seen every possible way of displaying the US Flag, and that me and my closest 70,000 friends are now enjoying the biggest Memorial Day Party on earth, with F-16's flying overhead.

I wonder, do they just fly over to the next event in Utah? then Las Vegas? then San Diego? But my thought gets interrupted by the Mile-Hi Skydiving Team landing in the stadium with giant flags from each branch of the military.

There is really nothing quite like the BolderBOULDER, and I am grateful to be a part of it.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is German DubTech Flight 108, from Gabriel Le Mar, the second song in my Running Track that I’ve been running to. Collectively, Joe's Running Track is sort of Techno, Trip Hop, Progressive House music, but if you actually run to this track, I think you’ll understand what I mean. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Blogging for BolderBOULDER Begins Now

2016-03-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Mayor Gierlach carrying his six year old daughter on his
shoulders after completing the BolderBOULDER on her own

It is a privilege to be selected as one of the 'official BolderBOULDER Bloggers' for this year's 10K race.

The 38th annual BolderBOULDER will be held on Memorial Day, May 30th, 2016. It was named America’s All-Time Best 10K by Runner’s World and is the 3rd largest running race in the U.S. (7th largest in the world) The race attracts over 50,000 runners, joggers, walkers, wheelchair racers, and draws professional athletes from around the world to compete for one of the largest non-marathon prize purses in road racing.

I have run the BolderBOULDER about 8-10 times in the past 15 years, either in a banana suit, or costume, or with a child in my backpack. Later, in 2011, I was so proud to be running alongside my 6 year old daughter all the way through the course. But I’ve always had some sort of excuse for not training, or seriously ever running a 10K.

Therefore, this year I decided that I will actually train for the BolderBOULDER for the first time. I have an awesome trainer, which I've never had before, so I can learn what trainers do. My expectation, is that the training process, will probably have more of a lasting impact on my health habits than the race itself.

My goal is to develop a training schedule for the BolderBOULDER and see how it could be incorporated into a sustainable routine in my life, long after the 10K race is over. I may not train for anything else specific (other than next year’s BolderBOULDER or maybe the Neder-Nederland in the fall) but my goal is to adopt a running lifestyle for the next phase of my life.

Joe Gierlach in a banana suit in BolderBOULDER 2002

I am a beginner on my own journey. The individualism is one aspect that I like about running. I am looking for advice from any mid-level runners, to post comments on my blog posts, to help me, or people who empathize with my goal to develop a running routine.

Training Starts Today.

For my personal friends reading this, feel free to 'like', 'share', 're-post', subscribe to the blog, spread the word.

However, anyone can follow-along on my ten week journey, and I assume just about anyone could keep pace with the Mayor of Nederland on the same training schedule.

Using many wellness Apps, I've narrowed it down to a few that I use regularly. So you will be able to follow my training schedule, and maybe learn a little about wellness along the way.

[Related Story: Here is Joe's Bolder BOULDER Training Schedule]

In future posts, you'll see that I have experimented with different Apps and devices to track nutrition, water, steps, exercise, sleep, yoga and meditation. Some are easier than others, but overall, the Apps have helped me to improve my health so far, and I’d like to see what I can do with it.

I use a wireless headset and listen to the same running track every time I run. I know it sounds corny, but a computerized sexy woman's voice interrupts and tells me my mileage, pace, and split pace. Then she says, "You can do it, Keep going."

Based on which part of the song she interrupts, lets me know how I'm doing.

I compiled my list of songs in 'Joe's Running Track' on YouTube. For people new to my blog, I usually sign it with a video valediction, but for this series on training for the BolderBOULDER, my valediction will be my Running Track.

[Here is a Video Valediction] It is a link to my Running Track that I’ve been running to (in the same order) for the past few years, every time I run. It’s sort of Techno, Trip Hop, Progressive House music, but if you actually run to this track, I think you’ll understand what I mean. [What is a Video Valediction?]

BolderBOULDER Training Schedule

2016-03-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

Mayor Gierlach on the Kinnikinnick Trail

Using websites like Runner's World and MapMyRun, I reviewed several beginner and intermediate training schedules for running a 10K, modified them a bit, and I'm now tweaking it with a professional trainer.

Past days show what I have already completed. The links contained in the description are clickable which will take you to MapMyRun with more details about each run.

If you already use MapMyRun, you can see me here on the BolderBOULDER Virtual Training Group. This group doesn't appear to be really active, but perhaps someone would like to reinvigorate it for the 2016 training season.

Here is my Training Schedule:

For people new to my blog, I usually sign it with a video valediction. [What is a Video Valediction?] but for this series on training for the BolderBOULDER, my valediction will be my Running Track.

Institute for Challenging Disorganization

2015-07-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Professional Organizer, Nancy Castelli and Mayor Gierlach
at The Institute for Challenging Disorganization

My friend, Nancy came to Denver to attend the Institute for Challenging Disorganization conference.

This intrigued me, not realizing that an organization like the Institute for Challenging Disorganization even existed. They address issues like Compulsive Hoarding Behavior.

Just the prospect that this organization exists, validates my fear that I am a hoarder preparing for the next power outage or national disaster. In some ways, the 1,000 year Boulder Flood now indicates that it can happen again much sooner than 1,000 years from now. This only justifies more hoarding. Even my compost pile is Feng Shui.

Nearly three decades ago, I met Nancy after an eventful trip where my friend Steve and I changed a flat tire in less than three minutes in order to see the Police Synchronicity Tour. The concert was at a venue in Cincinnati where eleven fans had been trampled to death at a Who concert, many years prior.

Now Nancy Castelli is the CEO of BALANCE: Turning Matter Into Energy, and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She explains in this blog post why I am not a compulsive hoarder, but I find the process of organizing, disorganizing, and reorganizing, to be fascinating. Not so much focused on my personal organization habits, but how does a town reorganize after a national disaster? How can the organization prepare for a more resilient future?

Thresholds of Organization:

It all reminds me of a common discussion with my wife: She had a lower threshold for dust or germs than I did. I had a lower threshold for organization. So, she would see the obvious need to do laundry or dishes before I ever reached my threshold, but she did not see the need to put the clean clothes or dishes away. [She'd say, "... just going to wear them again anyway" ] I, of course, didn't recognize that my shirt needed to be washed [She'd say, "You're not going to wear that, are you?" ] because I was busy focusing on matching socks, folding clothes and coordinating them by color and texture.

This example becomes more important when it is extrapolated for an organization like our Town. [ "Why maintain dirt roads, when the snow melt is just going to ruin it next spring?" ]

Why is Organized Crime is Worse than Disorganized Crime?

Mike Myers as Dr Evil in a planning meeting

When people cooperate and work together, the result is very powerful. When the organization's mission is crime, well, that would be bad. Indeed, human nature's ability to organize itself is perhaps the single most powerful aspect of our species. It even put a man on the moon. (On the other hand, we landed on the moon well before we thought to put wheels on suitcases.)

It reminds me of the Austin Powers scene where Dr. Evil is in a planning meeting. Just as we recognize that Dr. Evil's organized crime ring is obviously not good for our community, we are often skeptical of our own government's power, simply because it is organized, and can accomplish many things, some of which we may not want. Yet we expect our government to plan for public safety, like protecting our citizens from being trampled to death at a Who concert in Cincinnati.

All of this was going through my mind, as I sat and watched the presenters at the state Capitol for the Rebuild Right campaign, sponsored by the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado.

[Related Story: Rebuild Right – the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado]

The Ned Mind Map 2011

Our community has had many forms of organizations, and back in 2011, I had to create this Nederland Mind Map in order to organize them in my own mind.

Some people believe that we live in the mountains to get away from corporate and governmental organization. I've also sited an example where The Inter-Mountain Alliance could also be perceived as an organization determined not to fall into the trap of becoming an organization.

[Related Story: Who is the IMA?]

Since the time of that Mind Map, we've been organizing the town, and other organizations associated with the town, and came up with a community-wide organization strategy – but it is not what you might expect from an 'organization'.

#NedZero grows Feng Shui from Chaos

On May 19, 2015, the Nederland Board of Trustees unanimously approved its continued support for the #NedZero community engagement tool. This is a state-of-the-art tool to facilitate 'organized disorganization', and enhance 'distributed problem-solving'. It is ideal for a town like Nederland known for its 'local distinctiveness'. Here is a 7 minute slideshare describing how it works.

Growth and change is inevitable. The process of becoming disorganized, then to reorganize, refreshes the system. I trust that our community will put #NedZero through rigorous and refreshing disorganization and reorganization. In addition, the Board of Trustees also puts our projects through the Nederland Planning Process (NPP) to ensure they meet the needs of our community.

[Related Story: Humans and Nature]

We will need to think things through as a community, find a way to address the #NedZero list of action plan items, in order to become resilient to flood, fire, drought, or even economic resiliency.

This is item 2D-09 in the #NedZero Action Plan, under D. Community Dialog.

[Here is a Video Valediction] Decades later ... and many miles away ... this is The Police performing Synchronicity II in Tokyo (2008). [What is a Video Valediction?]

High Peaks Art Festival

2015-06-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

High Peaks Art Festival Owner and Show
Coordinator, Cathy Stiers with Mayor Gierlach
photo by Lance Jones

This weekend, the High Peaks Art Festival returns to Nederland for it's Fifteenth year. It is the brain child of long time resident, Cathy Stiers. Well over 30 years ago, she married jewelry designer, Rocky Stiers and moved to Nederland in the same year. (making a lifestyle change and moving to the mountains, is a fairly common theme for local Nedheads)

Even though the High Peaks Art Festival draws artists from all over the region, it embraces the local Nederland art culture of artizen craftsmanship. It's an intimate venue with 43 artists, which feels like a casual 1970's Birkenstock craft fair with macrame pot hangers & scented candles, except the artwork has developed a reputation for the highest caliber of fine arts and contemporary crafts.

The High Peaks Art Festival is a juried art show. There are 13 categories: Best of Show, Best of Colorado, Fine Craft, Jewelry, Photography, Painting, Glass, Mixed Media, Fiber, Ceramics, and Wood. The Dave Felkley Memorial Award will be given to the artist whose work best represents nature and our mountain environment.

Artwork includes pottery, sterling silver jewelry, watercolors, woodworking, metal, stained glass, batik clothing, mixed media, sculptural gardenware, glass jewelry and much more.

There's free admission, and this two-day event also features live music by local Ned musicians, food and ice cream from Blue Owl Books, and there are sponsors for each of the categories, including the The Carousel of Happiness.

FestivalNet rates the show four out of five stars for the event, and five stars for the show director.

Here's the lurid Details:

June 27-28, 2015 At the Nederland Town Square Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Sunday: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Easily accessible from RTD, by taking the N Bus Route to the Nederland Park-n-Ride. More info at: http://highpeaksartfestival.com/

[Here is a Video Valediction] I guess when you are Joni Mitchell, your back-up band can be Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker, Lyle Mays, and Don Alias. Here they perform Raised on Robbery (1974) ... just because I have fond memories of the Chevy Biscayne. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Who is the IMA?

2014-02-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

The IMA Meeting in Nederland

Characterized by local distinctiveness the Inter-Mountain Alliance, or IMA, organically evolved from the need for planning, organization and representation of the mountain region ... yet there are no elections, appointments, or voting on issues. Perhaps an organization determined to avoid becoming an organization. Now that's a club I want to be a member of. It's why we live in the mountains.

Generally, it is the conversations between these people (who loosely represent different geographic areas) that transfers knowledge and information across the region. Simply using our experience living in the mountains, which makes decisions to become apparent, consensus and cooperation are quickly agreed upon. For the website, Harry Hempy has attempted to put the IMA Mission into words:

The Intermountain Alliance (IMA) is a forum for sharing knowledge of, and experience with, topics of interest to mountain residents, such as emergency preparedness, disaster response, fire mitigation, forest health, rural access to human services, and federal lands.

IMA advocates for the needs of mountain residents and facilitates discussion at regular monthly meetings between IMA representatives from each participating mountain community and elected officials, government organizations, and non-profit organizations.

Your mountain community is invited to participate in IMA.

Whatever the IMA is – it has been very successful at the Ancient Greek, or the Athenian style of democracy, where political satirists and comic poets contributed directly in lawmaking, instead of elected officials. The IMA saved lives during the Flood of 2012, and has attracted the attention of many county departments, state officials, and the U.S. Forest Service.

[Related Story: U.S. Forest Service Proclamation]

The IMA Timeline:

IMA evolved from the Mountain Mayors Association, consisting of the mayors of all the incorporated towns in the mountainous area of Boulder County, originally convened by Rebecca Lawrence of Ward in 2010 to share lessons learned from the Fourmile Canyon Fire. Community-based emergency preparedness was originally the focal point of the group as we focused on understanding the needs and desires of mountain residents during and after a natural disaster. Working closely with the Boulder County Office of Emergency Management, we documented the resources present in each town and devised community-specific plans to support our local volunteer fire departments. In 2012, we launched Mountain Emergency Radio Network (MERN) in partnership with BCARES (Boulder County Amateur Radio Emergency Services). MERN ham operators in Allenspark were instrumental to helicopter evacuations following the floods of September 2013.

The IMA has expanded beyond the realm of emergency preparedness and also advocates for the needs of mountain residents to State and County officials. Federal organizations, State legislators, Boulder County Commissioners and officials, as well as the Boulder County District Attorney have visited IMA meetings with the intention of understanding how to better serve our mountain communities.

[Related Story: Expanding Services in the Mountains in Spite of Federal Cuts]

The Inter-Mountain Alliance (IMA) is included on Foothills United Way's Boulder Mountain Resources web page.

You can also join the Inter-Mountain Alliance Google Group to receive emails about the group's activities. It's easy to unsubscribe from this group (and stop receiving emails from it) by sending an email to intermountain-alliance+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

This is the Oscar winning, Woody Allen in the opening scene of his film: Annie Hall:

Nederland's "Magic of the Mountains"

2013-12-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Town Hall

On Friday, December 6th, at 5:00pm outside our centrally located Town Hall, Mayor Gierlach and his elf assistants will conduct the first tree lighting ceremony in over 20 years. Sponsored by the Nederland Downtown Development Authority, and with the help of some donations from Arapahoe Ranch and Indian Peaks Ace Hardware, they will be putting up a few trees with lights in public spaces. Lights will be at Town Hall, the Visitor Center, the Roundabout, and the Bridge over Middle Boulder Creek. (Even Governor Hickenlooper brought his family to Nederland to witness our light installation)

First Friday Art Tour:

From 5:00-9:00pm, the town will shine with family-friendly activities and unique shopping for Nederland's December First Friday Art Tour, sponsored by the Nederland Community Center Foundation's "Art at the Center". (Click here for details) Stop by the Visitor's Center to pick up a passport and map. For each venue visited that is displaying art, participants get a stamp on their passport. Collect 8 stamps and earn a free ride on the Carousel of Happiness. Passports and maps are also available at participating businesses.

As the holiday lights brighten the evening, musicians enliven the local restaurants and stores. Listen to live music, enjoy a variety of restaurant choices, sip on a locally crafted draft beer or warm up with a steaming latte while perusing original artwork. Find unique gifts to take home. Stores will be open until 9:00pm for your shopping pleasure. See below for more events all weekend.

Don't miss making a pine cone wreath and recycled gift wrapping and live festive music at Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center. The bear will be there with special gifts to give away to children throughout the weekend. Visit Mountain People's Co-Op for their open house and check out the newly stocked gift items. Dandelion is celebrating 'being in business' for one year, so stop by to congratulate them and view fine art and gifts. Cori Boogaard will be featuring her own photography at Wild Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery, and hopes her images will inspire you to travel. The Nederland Community Library will have refreshments and artwork to view until 7:00pm. The Dam Liquor Store will feature wine tasting. Updates on other artists and events will be posted as we get closer to the event. Complete your tour with a carousel ride, holiday lighting and singing holiday songs outside the Carousel of Happiness.

Holiday Mountain Market all weekend:

Extend the celebration by visiting the Holiday Mountain Market featuring locally crafted gifts and artwork on Saturday 10:00am–5:00pm and Sunday 10:00am–4:00pm at the Nederland Community Center.

Every year, the Nederland Area Seniors sponsors the Holiday Mountain Market which hosts over 40 artisans and crafters. A silent auction with a weekend getaway, gifts, certificates, and original artwork, along with a 50/50 cash split raffle on Sunday afternoon offer more gift opportunities. Children visit Santa for wishes and photos both days from noon to 3:00pm. Live music and hot food make the Holiday Mountain Market more than just a shopping spree. Enjoy your favorite Nederland choirs, instrumental ensembles, and dancers for two full days of family fun. (Click Here for the Schedule)

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Bela Fleck & The Flecktones covering Vince Guaraldi's Christmas Time as well as Lucy and Linus at the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Rules for Local Distinctiveness

2013-08-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

Local rock with mining artifacts used to make a fence/wall

As we went through a year and a half process of creating our community-wide vision, a broad theme emerged about the local distinctiveness of Nederland, which was reflected in one of the opening statements from Envision 2020:

Our community proudly maintains its small-town feel and distinct identity – a small is beautiful, less is more approach. While our town has grown, we have remained true to our origins while internalizing a model of sustainability in which a healthy society comes from a healthy economy and a healthy environment is essential for both.

Local Distinctiveness is so prominent, that we even have our own Time Zone, but it was difficult to describe in the Envision 2020 process. Oftentimes resorting to anecdotal evidence like, "Nederland is a place where you are less likely to impress someone with a Lexus, and more likely to impress them with your knowledge of foraging for morels, or capability of tele-skiing Mt. Toll."

[See Related Story: The Ned Time Zone]

So, in order to examine Nederland's local distinctiveness, I've expanded the NederMayor blog to include the NedSpotlight tab at the top of this page. The purpose of NedSpotlight is to highlight the people, places and things of Nederland that make it uniquely authentic. I am looking for guest bloggers to write stories about Nederland from less obvious nooks and crannies of our community.

Addressing the Homogenization of America:

Distance to the nearest McDonald's

Nederland is a culture that has evolved on its own, determined to avoid the Homogenization of America as shown in this 2009 visualization of the U.S. by the distance to the nearest McDonald's by Stephen Von Worley. Click on the photo for more details

Our isolated topography has an added benefit. Nederland had been quarantined from the Affluenza epidemic that has occurred across most of middle America. If you are unsure of exactly what Affluenza is, here is the full Affluenza Documentary Video explaining it.

So, we know what we don't want to do, but what do we want to do? Nederland Mayor Pro-Tem, Kevin Mueller, provided an excellent example with Common Ground's Rules for Local Distinctiveness.

Rules for Local Distinctiveness:

Common Ground is an organization based in Shaftesbury, Dorset, England (coincidentally home to the scenic Gold Hill road) Here is the Mayor of Shaftesbury, Simon Pritchard. Common Ground describes itself as:

"Internationally recognized for playing a unique role in the arts and environmental fields, distinguished by the linking of nature with culture, focusing upon the positive investment people can make in their own localities, championing popular democratic involvement, and by inspiring celebration as a starting point for action to improve the quality of our everyday places."

Here are some excerpts from the Common Ground Rules for Local Distinctiveness:

Fight for AUTHENTICITY and integrity. Keep places lived in, worked in and real. Demand the BEST of the new.

CHANGE things for the better. Not for the sake of it!

Let the CHARACTER of the people and place express itself. Kill corporate identity before it kills our high streets. Give local shops precedence.

Defend DETAIL. Respond to the local and the vernacular. No new building or development need be bland, boring or brash.

ENHANCE the natural features – rivers and brooks, hills and valleys, woods and heaths. Never let a stream be 'culverted' out of sight and open to abuse.

We need ENCHANTMENT, clear streams as well as clean water in our daily lives.

Take the place's FINGERPRINT. Forget words such as resource, site, customers and the public. Abstractions lead us astray. Think and talk about places and people.

Get to know your GHOSTS. The hidden and unseen stories and legends are as important as the visible.

Don 't fossilize places. HISTORY is a continuing process, not just the past. Celebrate time, place and the seasons with Feasts and Festivals.

Work for local IDENTITY. Oppose mono-culture in our fields, parks, gardens and buildings. Resist formulaic and automatic ordering from pattern books which homogenize and deplete.

JETTISON your car whenever you can and go by public transport. Places are for people and nature not cars. Cars can detach us from places and unwittingly allow their destruction.

Know your place. Facts and surveys are not the same as KNOWLEDGE and wisdom. Itinerant expertise needs to meet with aboriginal, place based knowledge so we can make the best of both worlds.

Buy things that are LOCALLY DISTINCTIVE and locally made – such as food and souvenirs. Resist the things that can be found anywhere.

Get to know your place intimately. Search out PARTICULARITY & PATINA help add new layers of interest. Personality often resides in SUBTLETY and idiosyncrasy. Look closely and often.

QUALITY cannot be quantified. You know when something is important to you – make subjective and emotional arguments. Don't be put off because the professionals have marginalized all the things they can't count. Make them listen and look.

REVEAL the geology. Use the brick and stone of the locality. Reinforce the color, patterns, craftsmanship and work of the place.

Get things in proportion and in SCALE. Every place has its own distinctive dimensions.

VALUE your own values! Democracy thrives on discussion about things that matter to us. Let the experts in on your terms.

Slowdown, wisdom comes through WALKING, talking and listening.

Exile XENOPHOBIA which fossilizes places and peoples. Welcome cultural diversity and Vive la Différence.

ZONING and segregation kill places! If industry is bad enough to be hidden should it exist at all?

If you are inspired by the Rules for Local Distinctiveness, and are so inclined to write a guest blog post in NedSpotlight, please send me a note.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is a Ned favorite worldbeat band, Eufórquestra from Fort Collins, performing Soup (2009) They will be playing NedFest this Saturday, August 24 at 4:00pm. [What is a Video Valediction?]

The Orphan Circus Comes to Town

2013-08-16T12:30:00.000-04:00

Mayor Gierlach photo-bombed by the Orphan Circus

I had the opportunity to have a VIP tour of the Louisville Downtown Street Faire hosted by Mayor Bob Muckle, and Erie Mayor Pro Tem, Ronda Grassi. The businesses on Louisville's Main Street, got together and raised $100,000 to renovate an old barn by the train tracks for the venue. Then they donated the barn to the town. What makes the Street Faire interesting, is that all the restaurants also have a booth at the fair.

It might seem obvious, but in Nederland, we've had an ongoing debate regarding events. Some of our residents would prefer a quiet bedroom community, and they were able to restrict our largest event (NedFest) so much that it was pushed to the end of town by the reservoir, fenced off, and the original organizer (Michigan Mike) was held responsible for all the security, parking, vending, beer sales, sound levels, etc. The end result was that the impact to residents was reduced, but the local restaurants and businesses suffered.

Making it look easy during the performance

Our second largest event (Frozen Dead Guy Days) was organized by our Chamber of Commerce and its goal was to benefit local restaurants and businesses. So, the event is spread out among all the businesses, who sell FDGD merchandise, and sponsor events at their location throughout the three day event. The result is that FDGD has become a prime indicator of business success, however, there are more traffic control issues at the main bridge in town, and the event is so spread out, that our law enforcement has to beef up staffing.

The Louisville Street Faire model seems to solve both issues, the event is easily managed and contained by the train tracks, and all the restaurants and businesses benefit by participating.

The Nederland Board of Trustees will have a work session on September 24 regarding events and noise, and I wonder if Nederland businesses can agree to adopt a similar model which solves both issues.

Orphan Circus:

On my VIP tour in Louisville, a pleasant surprise for me was the Orphan Circus. They are a Cirque Du Soleil style aerial performance troupe comprised of young teenage students. I joined the crowd in amazement as these kids spun around and caught themselves at the last moment after sliding down the fabric 20 feet. The aerial hula hoop performances are unreal.

The Orphan Circus

Orphan Circus performer shows her burn marks

I got the 'behind the scenes' tour of the troupe, and one of the performers showed me the burn marks on her arms from sliding on the fabric. She wore them like a badge of honor. During performance, they make it look easy, but these young women practice their craft for many hours a week, on a disciplined regiment.

The parents are a great support group, engineering the structure that holds them up, and assembling a fairly elaborate sound system with the speed and precision of professional roadies. I was so impressed that I asked the Town to hire them to perform for Nederland's Fourth of July celebration down by the Ned teen center.

The Orphan Circus exceeded our expectations for the Fourth of July, and you can still catch them at the Louisville Street Faire on Friday evening.

[Here is a Video Valediction] The 15th Annual NedFest Music and Arts Festival is next week, (August 23-25) and they'll host great bands all weekend. Check out the excellent lineup here. But along another NedFest tradition, I have hula hoops on my mind, so this is street performer, Lisa Lottie from London, hooping to the Parisian trio, Gotan Project's tango, Diferente

BONUS: [Here is a Video Valediction] ... and this is the Gotan Project performing Diferente in Nederland (Holland) [What is a Video Valediction?]

Thinking Outside the Frozen Box

2013-08-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

Teresa Crush-Warren on the Travel Channel set,
creator of the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival

The Travel Channel's Monumental Mysteries series came to Nederland to explore the mystery of Grandpa Bredo Morstøl and his Grandson, Trygve Bauge who cryogenically froze his grandfather in Nederland. Their segment on our Frozen Dead Guy aired today.

I recently attended a Colorado Municipal League conference session about 'Reinventing Government in the 21st Century'. The speaker was talking about how the expression, "think outside the box" has become cliché, and that there is no box anymore.

When the Travel Channel called me at Town Hall a few months ago to see if they could do the story on Grandpa Bredo, I began thinking that every town should have a frozen dead guy in their town. As I watched Teresa explain the story, I thought, "Once you have a frozen dead guy, there is no box anymore. There are no limits to what we can do as a town. It's a very liberating thing for a city or town to have."

So, when I'm down among flatlanders, I am often introduced as the Mayor with a Frozen Dead Guy in our town. Then, I got to thinking that maybe we could rent-out our Frozen Dead Guy to other municipalities so that they too, could free themselves from being stuck inside the box.

I'm grateful that Trygve lived in our town. He cryogenically froze his grandfather in suspended animation, and freed our town from thinking inside our box. The irony of course, is that Grandpa Bredo is literally frozen inside a box. He leaves us with a liberating thought – The anticipation of the day that Bredo is re-animated in the future, and free from his box.

[Related Story: Frozen Dead Guy Days – Freeze the Day!]

The Travel Channel video shoot was fun, here's how Monumental Mysteries aired the segment:

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Carly Simon performing Anticipation in Central Park in 1971. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Expanding Services in the Mountains in Spite of Federal Cuts – TODAY

2013-07-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

Colorado State Senator Rachel Zenzinger,
discusses the impacts of Sequestration
with Nederland Mayor, Joe Gierlach at the
Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)

Because of sequestration, the national government is making across the board cuts to social services which directly impact local programs. Yet, Boulder County is expanding services in Nederland.

Thursday, July 25, from 8:30a.m. – 12:30p.m., there will be a representative of Boulder County Social Services available at the Community Center to assist mountain folk to apply for needed County and State services. See below for details.

How Did This Happen?

The answer is not always so black and white.

At the federal level, the first round of sequestration cut $769,500 in the Denver region, (reductions as high as 15 percent) for critical programs such as Meals on Wheels, transportation rides for medical appointments, home repair programs, dental care, eyeglasses, assistance with home preservation (avoiding foreclosures), counseling, etc.

Recently, a few representatives from the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) went to Washington D.C. to talk to our Colorado congressmen and senators about the impacts of sequestration on our aging population. (Specifically, Chairwoman, Mayor Sue Horn, Executive Director, Jennifer Schafele, and DRCOG's Director of the Area Agency on Aging, Jayla Sanchez-Warren.)

They had productive meetings with our Colorado Congressional delegation (Udall, Bennet, Pearlmutter, etc.) and also met with White House staff; Dept. of Health and Human Services Admin staff, and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont's staff (he's leading the cause for the Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act or OAA).

The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) is working with the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) and a host of partners to collect data about the OAA's impacts, which indicates that these programs reduce costs, by keeping older Americans out of expensive care giving facilities. Cost-effective and efficient OAA programs and supports are the lifeline for older adults throughout the nation, helping them through the provision of home-delivered meals, rides to medical appointments and for shopping, in-home support and other services. The OAA also supports the family caregivers of these older adults.

State of Colorado Benefit Funding Increased:

While the federal government is cutting, last spring in Colorado, legislators Guzman and Primavera introduced SB-127 which went into effect July 1st, adding a one-time additional $2 million statewide for the Older Coloradans Fund, in addition to another $2 million in the state budget. This is for older Coloradans to get the nutrition, transportation and homemaker/personal care services they need to remain independent and living at home – again, reducing overall costs.

This is a great and welcome accomplishment in Colorado (described in this Huffington Post Article) Yet, we need to keep working to meet the growing unmet need of this population and counter the effects of sequestration on our state services for older adults.

The Nederland Area Mayor's Task Force on Housing and Human Services

Nederland brings County Services up 3,000 feet:

At the local Peak to Peak Area level, we began the Nederland Mayor's Task Force on Housing and Human Services which is broader in scope than focusing only on older adults. This past spring, the Task Force has been working hard, and have already put together the Peak to Peak Health & Human Services Guide describing all the services offered, with contact information. It can be a complex array of services that is not always so black and white, with different requirements for each program, and a combination of federal, state, and county funding sources. So, to make it easier for Nederland Area residents to take advantage of these programs:

Thursday, July 25, from 8:30a.m. – 12:30p.m., there will be a representative of Boulder County Social Services available at the Nederland Community Center to assist mountain folk to apply for needed County and State services.

This is a terrific opportunity to talk with an eligibility specialist, without having to go down the mountain. It's worth it to stop by and find out if you qualify for services like SNAP (food stamps), child care, utilities assistance, emergency needs, medicaid and cash assistance, etc. A Boulder County representative will be available in Nederland once per month for the next 3-6 months.

The county representative will be in the office of Keith Carr, our local representative for Boulder County Aging Services, just around the corner from where Nederland Food Pantry check-in is. These hours also coincide with the Nederland Food Pantry Hours. Boulder County is extending this service to the mountain area only if people come in and take advantage of their presence here, so let's avail ourselves of this chance. Bring proof of income and ID/Citizenship with you to speed up the process. This eligibility technician will also be able to enroll folks, for a one-stop experience.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is a Ned local favorite Colorado jam band: The String Cheese Incident, performing Black and White on Austin City Limits. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Permission to Play Games Picnic – July 3

2013-06-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

Pat Whited, cook for the FDGD pancake breakfast,
and Jim Elder, President of Nederland Area Seniors
(Jim and Marty Cheshes will be the Grill Meisters on 7/3)

"Life is like a bicycle. You have to keep moving to keep your balance." That is one of my Dad’s favorite expressions these days. Although he decided at age 85 to stop riding a bike, he still keeps moving, embracing life’s activities, mostly with his feet on terra firma now. Getting fit again has turned back the clock for him, rejuvenating him to the level of body and mind he enjoyed some years ago.

Permission to Play Games Picnic:

To entice all our local friends to come out and play with new friends during this blink in time we dare call Summer, we invite everyone, especially those over age 60, to join us for an outdoor picnic. We will grill out and enjoy potluck sides/salads/desserts together at the pavilion at Chipeta Park (east of B&F Market on the north side of Lakeview Drive). A variety of lawn games (bocce ball and more) will invite us to play outdoors and Ken Adler will install his pickleball equipment for some friendly double-team competitions. Here's the details:

Join us with a potluck dish at 11:30am on Wednesday, July 3, at the park and plan to stay into the mid-afternoon.

Please call us (303) 258-0799 by Monday afternoon, July 1, to let us know you will attend so we can purchase enough food and non-alcoholic beverages for everyone. As this is not part of our federal meal program, cash donations to offset costs will be gratefully received.

Lately, several local seniors have confided that physical activity has been their saving grace, that taking care of their fitness has become a high priority in aging well. It takes more of their time than it used to, walking, dancing, or working out with weights. But their minds are sharper, they are more interested in other people and the community, and have a better sense of self-worth and purpose in their lives. All because they got off their tired tail ends and got moving. Their "fun factor" in life has improved dramatically since becoming active and involved – in anything.

We could cite here many research articles that extol the virtues of active lifestyles – both physical and social – in the well-being of people of all ages. We know this instinctively. The lion who withdraws from the pride pulls away to die. People who withdraw from the pack tend to wither, too. That does not mean we all have to spend 24/7 in contact with others; reflective, recuperative time alone is an important part of our health and sanity. It means that we drum up some energy and seek out opportunities to share in the community around us to the best of our abilities.

Giving back to a community in which we feel loved or safe helps us become important members of that group of people which surrounds us and protects us. How do we give when we are tired or feeling weak? How do we make commitments when we can’t trust our bones and joints to operate properly on demand? We all know folks who are in more difficult circumstances than ourselves and we can reach out to assist them in some small way. Each of us can do whatever is within our scope to help one person or one family cope with the challenges of their lives or health, even while dealing with our own.

Investing time, effort, and other precious resources into caring for ourselves physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually may rejuvenate us into new directions. Maybe we wish we had learned to paint or play a musical instrument. It is not too late. Maybe we wish we had made friends who would stand by us the rest of our lives. It is not too late. Maybe we wish we could meet a grandchild in another state. It is not too late. Maybe we wish we could walk with a friend along the reservoir at sunset or moon-rise. It is not too late.

Sometimes achieving these wishes means giving ourselves permission to play. It means plucking up our courage to come out of hiding to meet new people. We can set aside judgment of our new friends until we can get to know them a little better. One experience of a person, group, or place is not enough to allow for all of the opportunity that awaits us in getting to know new people. Welcoming each other without snap assessments based on childhood hurts and fears opens new doors. We can encourage ourselves as we would our grandchildren to play well with others and pretend we are having fun until we finally release ourselves into actually having fun.

About the Author: Serene Karplus – is the Executive Director of the Nederland Area Seniors, Inc. (NAS) which assists senior citizens in enhancing their quality of life, enabling them to live a life of respect and honor. This is accomplished through the facilitation of nutrition, transportation, education, recreation, socialization and outreach programs for all seniors living in the Greater Nederland Area.

Celebrate Fourth of July in Nederland

2013-06-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

Celebrate our community, and an energy efficient 4th of July, with the Town of Nederland. All events are FREE!

12:00 noon – Parade:

Kick-off Your Independence Day with the Classic Nederland 4th of July Parade at noon. You can join the line-up on the east side of Post Office around 11:00am to participate, or be a spectator for this community tradition. Dave "Bigfoot" Felkley will be announcing at the corner of 2nd Street and Snyder.

1:00pm – Ribbon cutting ceremony:

Come and see how the old sewage lagoon is being transformed into a beautiful park and community performance area. Posters of the new park plans will be on display at the treatment plant, so that you can visualize the new park adjacent to the building. This will be the first time you can see the Barker Reservoir from this area in over a decade.

The mayor is inviting all Nederland kids to help cut the ribbon on the most energy efficient waste water treatment plant of its kind on the Front Range. For those interested, tours of the new facility will be available, which keeps our water rates down, and heats the Teen Center at the same time. I'll bet you never thought sewage treatment could be so exciting, but our engineers really know their shit, and it gives our community a new park as well.

1:00pm - 7:00pm – Ned Pickin' Picnic:

Git' your giddy up at the Ned Pickin' Picnic featuring: The Eldorans, Caribou Mountain Collective, and Fat RabbitDog. It's BYO blanket and food. Fun will be provided with: wagon rides, kick ball, volley ball, corn hole and other games to participate in. Or you can bring your own favorite lawn game at Guercio Ball Field.

Feel free to bring and share your wares. Vendor Spots are FREE. There is room for art and craft vendors, organizations, and food vendors. Note: food vendors must be licensed and not compete with locally available food. A good fundraising opportunity exists for a non-profit to sell water and sodas. If your organization is interested in doing a drink booth, contact Eva Forberger at evaf@nederlandco.org or 303-258-3266.

The Nederland Fire Protection District will be manning the barbecue grill for anyone who wants to throw something on the grill.

3:00pm – Water Barrel Wars:

The Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD) celebrates it's 100th Anniversary with a water barrel wars at the Barker Reservoir parking area. The NFPD will be competing against other fire districts in the region. This 'fun with high pressure water' event is always a crowd pleaser.

1:30pm - 7:00pm – Orphan Circus Performances:

Aerial performances through out the day by the Orphan Circus in the TEENS Inc. parking lot. This troupe of Cirque du Soleil style performance arts, are not to be missed. They will be performing their high-flying acts throughout the afternoon in between musical acts of the Pickin' Picnic.

At Dusk – LED Light Parade (optional):

While we didn't have anyone to officially coordinate a 'Burning Man style', LED Light Parade, people are welcome to come downtown in Nederland with LED lights or something that glows, to help create an energy efficient, safe, non forest fire causing, fun to watch and participate in, 4th of July display. Next year, we'll coordinate this light show, but this year, you'll have the opportunity to have fun practicing your glowing hula-hoop performance and work the kinks out.

For more information go to www.nederlandco.org or call Nederland Town Hall at 303-258-3266.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Caribou Mountain Collective performing Them Eagles of Colorado.[What is a Video Valediction?]

Mayors' Big Night at the Theater, dude.

2013-05-30T13:00:00.001-04:00

Mayor Gierlach assisting Kayla Evans
pass out door prizes at the Backdoor Theater.

True story – A few months ago, I met two young women at the Blue Ball during Frozen Dead Guy Days. They were dressed as dead ice princesses with white wings and tutus. I was wearing my top hat mayoral get-up and people were having their picture taken with the mayor. One of the dead ice princesses said, "Like, are you REALLY the Mayor, dude? We don't even know who our mayor is." They were from Littleton, Colorado.

I replied, "Your mayor is Debbie Brinkman. She's a very nice lady. She has a cute little dog named Willie, and she invited all the mayors in the Metro Mayors Caucus to a movie night-out at your new movie theater in Littleton."

They said, "No way, dude."

"Sure, there are times that mayors read 300 page board packets, but tonight, I'm also a judge for the Ice Queen Contest and if you play your cards right ..."

Backdoor Theater:

A month later, I met with Kayla Evans who has been managing Nederland's community Backdoor Theater, and greeting people every weekend for ten years.

The original theater poster for the very
first screening at the Backdoor Theater

Kayla had been on the Community Center Foundation Board before a six-foot snow storm collapsed the roof. There was a guy who thought about running a theater in the old auditorium, but concluded that it wasn't financially viable. That spurred the idea of the non-profit Backdoor Theater. (It used the back door of the building, which later became the front door). They got some help form the Town for equipment and the first movie was a double feature; The Kid, starring Bruce Willis, and the first Mission: Impossible starring Tom Cruise. Back then, they passed out bleacher cushions to alleviate the pain from the original hard wooden seats. The 'new' seats came from a dismantled theater in CU.

Kayla knows every person that walks up to the counter and greets them with a comment or question as they purchase their tickets. "Nice haircut. Did you pay for that? Is your car still in the shop? How's your mom doing? What... is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?" She has developed her people skills from the Arapaho Ranch Cabins and her involvement in theater. She loves kids and has an uncanny ability for discipline that is fun and focuses on respect for the theater.

Today, I joined her for the traditional raffle of candy before the film. She makes jokes, keeps the kids in the front row in line, reminds people to take the texting out into the hallway.

The Backdoor Theater mission is to provide a safe place for kids (young and old) to experience first run films. (Technically, it's a second run theater, because the big multiplex operations can keep the film longer, so there can be a three week lag time.) Kayla's goal is to consistently provide a venue that you can bring the family without breaking the bank. Admission is $6.00 for Adults, $3.00 for children under twelve. Backdoor Theater retains 45% to 65% of gross box office receipts. The remainder goes to the studios.

The platter film system at the Backdoor Theater

There is only one movie shown at 7:00pm on Friday and Saturday nights. It takes about six hours per week for the projectionist to splice together eight reels of film onto a platter system, break it down afterward, then ship the 50lb package back to the studio. ($50-$70 shipping.)

At our June 6 meeting, the Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a loan to purchase digital upgraded equipment for the theater. For purists, it may not have the exact same look and feel as actual film, but the way films are made today, it is far more practical. With digital, the theater can get films on premier week, and there are other capabilities like streaming media. The mission remains the same, providing kids with something to do and enhancing the community.

What does she do while movie is playing? Sweep the corridor, and on Saturdays clean the popcorn machine. I asked her about the Aurora shooting. She reminds me that her goal is that people feel safe. She knows every person who walks in the theater, but she goes way beyond basic safety. She allows people to feel safe enough to Laugh Out Loud (LOL) without inhibitions, or engage in the film's suspension of disbelief. It's all part of the jokes, comments and making people feel comfortable and welcome.

Mayors' Big Night at the Movies:

Littleton Mayor Debbie Brinkman invited the Metro Mayors to a private screening of the Coen Brothers' 1998 cult classic: "The Big Lebowski". It was at the first Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Colorado.

From my home, the venue is 57 miles away, three thousand feet lower in altitude, and a world apart. My yard regularly has deer, elk, fox, many birds and the occasional bear or moose. When I descend those three thousand feet, I can feel the decrease in wildlife, and the increase of concrete. I travel down Santa Fe Drive, passing Target, Costco, Lowes, Pier 1 Imports and the like. I realize that the RTD Light Rail also follows Santa Fe. With better planning, I could have used my Nederland community-wide EcoPass and exit at the train station right across the street.

Nonetheless, Mayor Brinkman welcomes me to the "Glass Half Full" bar in the theater which has 32 Colorado brews on tap. I order a Double Chocolate Stout, and the bartender mentions, "You know what? You can take that beer into the theater if you want to." (My kind of place)

From left: Littleton Mayor Debbie Brinkman, Glendale Mayor Mike Dunafon, Mayor Hall's daughter, Columbine Valley Mayor Gale Christy, Nederland Mayor Joe Gierlach, Jim Noon, Centennial Mayor Cathy Noon, Sheridan Mayor Dallas Hall, Bow Mar Mayor Rick Pilgrim, Carol Pilgrim, Foxfield Mayor Lisa Jones

I met the Alamo Drafthouse partner and he takes a picture of us mayors in the 'Glass Half Full' bar. I am introduced as the mayor who has a cryogenically frozen dead guy in his town. He went to CU Boulder, so he was all too familiar with Nederland. He begins the mayoral tour of the facility, and mentions, "Don't worry, you can take your drinks into the theater."

The seats are separated and include an attached table, for eating dinner. Each table has a menu, note cards for writing your order, and a place for the card so the attendants can quietly retrieve your order without disturbing your viewing experience. I commend them for having a vegetarian option. The whole place is designed around the experience. In this case, The Big Lebowski is one of their participatory films, so he explains that each seat has underwear to be thrown at a specific moment in the film, glow sticks for the dream sequence, and so forth – participation in the style of the Rocky Horror Picture Show of the 1980's. Quotes are run across the screen for the audience to say them along with the film. We order White Russians.

Metro Mayors at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for a screening of The Big Lebowski

The biggest rule: No cell phone use in the theater. In fact, a person was kicked out for texting, and called the office. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema posted the phone message on YouTube, which went viral. Here is a link to the actual answering machine message.

I give a Big Thank You to Mayor Brinkman for inviting us to the The Big Lebowski. I hope the dead ice princesses develop an appreciation for their Mayor as well.

I drove back up the canyon to Ned thinking about these two innovative approaches to the movie theater experience. As The Dude said being forced into a limousine, "Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!"

[Here is a Video Valediction] Michael Jackson made recordings for his Bad album at the Caribou Ranch Recording Studio in Nederland, after the Thriller album came out, which was MTV's first world premiere video (directed by John Landis). [What is a Video Valediction?]

The Carousel of Happiness

2013-05-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Carousel of Happiness is open 7 days a week. During the fall and winter months, the Carousel has a limited schedule Thursday through Monday. Check here for times.

I took the opportunity to visit the Carousel of Happiness on National Carousel Day July 25, 2013. Of the estimated 4,000 carousels in the United States in the early 1900s, fewer than 200 remain.

Scott Harrison and Mayor Gierlach in front of
the Carousel of Happiness on Memorial Day 2013

Built entirely by volunteers, the building that houses the carousel is quite unique in its own right. The measures that have been taken to ensure the building's sustainability, show a deep commitment for the environment.

There are PV Solar panels on the roof, and plenty of recycled and reused parts. The base floor is made of recycled whisky barrels. The Wurlitzer Theater Organ, the old cash register. The original carousel frame was recycled and had over 2,500 incandescent light bulb sockets. They had a fundraiser where people could buy an LED light bulb, and put your name on it. My name is above the dolphin.

The building's interior woodwork was made from beautiful beetle kill, blue stained pine. The blue stained fungus that streaks through the wood grain is an indicator that the tree was reclaimed from the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic.

When the building was empty before it opened, my daughter and I had volunteered to paint the black metal rods that hold up the carousel. I remember that the building felt unusually peaceful. We ended up staying a few hours later than we had planned. Nothing more than hand-painting metal rods and letting them dry while we painted the back side of other rods. For a young child, it took a fair amount of concentration and patience. The Town of Nederland itself, is a place where people come to get away from the stress of societal pressures, or away from survival-mode in the concrete jungle down below.

The Carousel of Happiness building. Photo by James DeWalt

My daughter was five years-old then, and I got her a Golden Ticket for the second ride on opening day, Memorial Day 2010. The first ride was a silent memorial run. Scott Harrison has run the carousel empty and silently for veterans who have fallen, each year on Memorial Day since then. I make the effort to visit the Carousel on Memorial Day. Veterans who came to the ceremony, would stop by and thank Scott. One of them said Semper Fi as they shook hands. Afterwards, he mentioned to me that being in a war is indescribable.

The Wurlitzer Theater Organ

As a young Marine in Vietnam, Scott had received a tiny music box that he held to his ear to distract him from the horror of the war going on around him. The music, Chopin's "Tristesse", brought him a peaceful image of a carousel in a mountain meadow. After rescuing the abandoned Looff Carousel in Utah he spent the next 26 years hand-carving animals to bring it back to life.

The Carousel is an incredible work of art, and a lifetime achievement. The original carousel horses were sold-off to collectors long before Scott obtained the frame, so he decided to hand-carve a variety of whimsical animals, and there is a story behind each one. There is no doubt that Scott is a true visionary, but I sensed that there was something even deeper. In today's world of instant gratification, what motivates a person to persevere on a mission and vision for 26 years?

Riding the Dolphin

My first thought was a quote from Stephen Covey:

"There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase; to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy. The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing, shelter, economical well-being, health. The need to love is our social need to relate to other people, to belong, to love and be loved. The need to learn is our mental need to develop and grow. And the need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution."

While I love the Covey quote, it seems a little too egoistical to fit Scott's personality, and working on a project for 26 years would take something more than just the human need to leave a legacy.

[Related Story: Here is an article written by Joshua Berman for the Denver Post Travel Section: Nederland's Carousel of Happiness: Still happy, still only a buck]

Hidden Faeries, Antique Clown Shoes, and
the Blue-Stained Pine Beetle Wood

As we stood there watching children riding the carousel, Scott mentioned that he would carve the wooden animals after his children went to bed each night. He worked for Amnesty International which was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its campaign against torture. For his job, Scott had to read papers with detailed accounts about torture. He suggested that he did the wood carving to balance out the horrific images in his head from reading about torture.

Whimsical, but Not a Whim:

It's the attention to every detail, that makes the whole experience magical. You'll find little faeries in all sorts of places. Piece by piece, every part of the carousel had to be first visualized in Scott's mind, then created in Scott's shop over a long period of time.

The process of creating the Carousel of Happiness had to be rewarding in its own form. Scott's 26 years carving whimsical animals aligns with the 31 years he was working for Amnesty International. I imagine that the texture, density and smell of working with wood has such a soothing quality on the human spirit. The concentration and visualizing in three dimensions is enough to occupy the mind, and wash away the day's stresses.

The Carousel of Happiness, Photo by James DeWalt

The Carousel of Happiness is not just a ride. (It doesn't go very fast, nor is it that thrilling.) The Carousel is an experience that transcends more than a century of craftsmanship.

The Carousel is the result (perhaps even a byproduct) of Scott Harrison's approach to dealing with unspeakable tragic, human actions. Because it was created as the antidote to torture stories, it is made from pure love. Once you step through the door, you won't be able to explain it, but it feels comforting to just be in the same building. It's the ride of a lifetime.

[Here is a Video Valediction] One of my daughter's favorite songs, this is Welsh singer/songwriter, Jem (Jemma Griffiths) with her music video, Just a Ride. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Ned Visitor Center Reopens

2013-05-21T15:00:00.001-04:00

Amanda MacDonald and Mayor Gierlach
volunteering at the Nederland Visitor's Center

The Board of Trustees (BOT) directed town staff to issue an RFP for a concessionaire to manage the volunteer activities at the Nederland Visitor's Center. The contract with DogHouse was approved and the Nederland Visitor's Center is now open.

I had a chance to spend the afternoon answering visitor questions with another volunteer, Amanda MacDonald. It sure was enlightening to see first-hand what visitors are interested in. Thirty-Five people came in, on an uneventful, chilly, Monday afternoon, asking a variety of questions about places to go and things to do – Mostly directions, maps, and suggestions. It was people from all over the country with a small story to tell about how they found our town.

It was so much fun to volunteer and be a Nederland ambassador. The Visitor Center tracks visitors, and 200 people came flooding in last weekend. People are curious about our mining history, the frozen dead guy, natural areas, hiking, and restaurant suggestions. Everyone appreciates a friendly person to greet them.

Several shifts are still available and there will be an informative gathering at Salto Coffee Works this Thursday, May 23rd from 4-6pm. Please come if you have any interest. No commitment required. Yummy Food and beverages will be available.

It is also listed in the Boulder County Business Report: Nederland's Info Center Seeks Volunteers

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is the indie pop group from Milwaukee, GIVERS performing "Atlantic" in Austin, Texas at the Big Ugly Yellow Couch. [What is a Video Valediction?]

U.S. Forest Service Proclamation

2013-05-18T17:00:00.000-04:00

Sylvia Clark, U.S. Forest Service Boulder District Ranger
accepts a Proclamation from Mayor Gierlach

For our area, most of the gun debate has very little to do with the responsible gun owners in our own Peak to Peak region, and much more to do with irresponsible gun owners from the flatlands.

For over a decade, we've had a problem with flatlanders who dress up in full camouflage with high capacity AR-15's and shoot up old microwaves and small refrigerators in an area just outside of our town limits. Locals have found bullets lodged in child play structures and decks in their back yards. Other people in the neighborhood have complained about the noise pollution and referred to it as a "sonic water-boarding" torture on the weekends. Still others have found steel jacketed bullets being used which are a wildfire danger. In general, the reckless shooting practices have been a nuisance to our community.

The town passed Resolutions 2007-02, and 2009-07 taking positions against recreational shooting at the old Nederland dump site on Magnolia Road. Every Mayor in the past decade has tried without success to close the site to shooting.

In 2011, I signed a letter in support for a grant for Gilpin County to construct a shooting site in order to relieve the stress on our Nederland site. Since I took office, we have also made strides to create a positive relationship with the US Forest Service and the Boulder County Forestry Division.

[Related Story: A Call from the White House – A Lesson in Democracy]

The area has now been closed to shooting since January, 2013. On April 2nd, I presented a Proclamation in Appreciation of the US Forest Service for Closure of the Magnolia Road Forest Site to Shooting.

It states that "the Board of Trustees finds this action to be vital in protecting the mental and physical health and safety of Nederland Residents near to the site".

We have also partnered with several organizations in the region to develop the Regional Mountain Trails master plan. The public comment period ends May 20. Click here for details.

This spring, as we hike and bike in the Magnolia/Big Springs area, it is hard to imagine what it was like when there was shooting. But if you see someone dancing along the trail, you'll know why.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is "Love: Triptych" a jazz/pop project which won the Downbeat award for the best jazz arrangement in 2010. – Performing "Come Dance" featuring Ann Di on vocals. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Ned First Friday Art Tours

2013-05-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Mayor Gierlach listens to local artist
Melodia Roche describe her creative process,
in front of her work, at Dandelion Fine Art and Gifts.

The Nederland First Friday Art Tour occurs on the first Friday of each month at 5:00-8:00pm from May through August.

First Friday is endowed by the Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) and Community Center Foundation. In June, the Art at the Center event will also be part of the tour.

These First Friday tours are a great way to meet the artists and have an in-depth conversation about their creative process. I have really enjoyed discussing imagination, ingenuity, and inventiveness during the Art at the Center events.

For example, in May, I was able to connect with local artist Melodia Roche, and learn how she views each project as a "cocoon for new thoughts and feelings to emerge". She employs techniques to bring out her subconscious presence, like painting during live musical performances – most recently Gipsy Moon, who played for our visiting delegates from Tajikistan. She paints in oil which can stay wet for longer periods. This way, she can swirl the color around until the paint tells her what it wants to become. She draws much of her inspiration from nature.

Each month, a new map of participating businesses and their artists is published. Anyone can participate and it's free. (Businesses and/or artists can have a larger listing on the map for $25 which helps with printing and advertising.) The deadline to register is the 15th of the month.

For details, see the Nederland First Fridays section of the Nederland Downtown Development Authority webpage.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Sheryl Crow covering the Beatles – Mother Nature's Son. (featuring a Danish cat named Skrømtet) [What is a Video Valediction?]