NederMayor blog

Vital Signs: The 9Health Fair

2016-04-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

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

2016-04-07T03:45:00.000-06:00

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

2016-04-01T16:55:00.000-06:00

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

2016-03-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

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

2016-03-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

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

2015-07-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

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 - This Weekend

2015-06-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

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?]

No Car Needed to access the Continential Divide

2015-06-16T10:00:00.001-06:00

The Nederland Park-N-Ride is the new pick-up and drop-off location for the summer shuttle to the Hessie trailhead.

The Hessie Trailhead has been one of the most popular access points to hike to the Indian Peaks Wilderness and the Continential Divide, where you can still directly experience icy cold glacier water in the heat of the summer.

However, that popularity typically caused traffic and parking issues on the roads near the trail head, until the shuttle service began on the weekends in the summer.

Boulder County's shuttle service (Run by Via Mobility) had reduced congestion by transporting several thousand people to the trailhead each year. This year, it will pick you up at the Nederland RTD Park-N-Ride (First and Jackson street in Ned) and drop you off at the Hessie Trailhead, and you can even bring your leashed dog on the shuttle.

Because the pick-up and drop-off is at the Nederland RTD Park-N-Ride, folks from anywhere in the RTD Region can now access the Continential Divide without a car. In the winter, of course, the RTD 'N' Bus drops people off at Eldora Ski Resort, making it also the only ski resort that is accessible without a car on RTD.

The trend in Denver and Boulder for people to avoid all the cost, pollution and hassle associated with maintaining a car, has been growing, and services that are linked to RTD, and alternative transportation options will become increasingly valuable in the next few years. It's all part of the "Gazillion Reasons Why the Nederland EcoPass is So Cool."

[See Also: Boulder B-Cycle – Gazillion Reasons Why the Nederland EcoPass is So Cool – Part 5]

The shuttle runs every 15 minutes, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, so there is no complicated planning involved. Just jump on and enjoy the ride.

Providing multi-modal options, benefits everybody. So, here is a link to the Boulder County page describing the details of the program, and another County link for the Hessie Trailhead.

It is a new way to experience the pristine icy cold glacier water first hand, without a car.

This is item 8M-01 in the #NedZero Action Plan, under M. Walkable Scale Mobility.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is a video by British musician, Aim, with the title track from his 1999 album, Cold Water Music. Which was on my headset when I was trail running in the Indian Peaks Wilderness before I wrote this. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Ned Clean-Up Day – Now on Ridge Road

2015-06-04T19:30:00.000-06:00

Ned Clean-Up Day 2013 collected 22,750lbs of material.

I'm not exactly sure why, but Ned Clean-Up Day is one of my favorite days of the year. Typically the first Saturday after Memorial Day. In my opinion, it should be a local holiday.

In 2013, Ned Clean-Up Day diverted 22,750 pounds of material away from the landfill. (see details at the bottom of this article)

Here's how it works:

When: Saturday, June 6, 2015 – Starts at 8:00am and ends when the dumpsters are full.

Where: Boulder County Transportation Yard located on Ridge Road.

Who: Boulder County Residents only.

This service is NOT for commercial enterprises. (Proof of Boulder County physical residency will be required. Acceptable documents for proof of residency include an Xcel energy bill, a Town of Nederland utility bill, and a Boulder County property lease. A driver's license will not count as proof of residency.)

To offset the costs of the eight landfill waste dumpsters, the Town will be charging a flat $10 fee for any vehicles disposing of landfill waste. You can however, request a $10 voucher at the Nederland Community Center check-in desk (303-258-9721) during business hours June 4th & 5th on a first come, first serve basis. The only requirement for receiving vouchers is proof of Boulder County residency.

In addition to the eight landfill waste dumpsters funded by the Town, the County will be funding dumpsters for tire recycling, couch and mattress recycling, and electronics recycling. The Town will also provide scrap metal recycling and bicycle recycling at the event.

Traditional recycling and appliance recycling will be available free of charge at the Nederland Transfer Station the day of the event; composting will be available for a small fee. Furthermore, there will be no charge to community members disposing of yard and wood waste at the Nederland Sort Yard the day of the event. The $10 flat fee will only apply to those disposing of landfill waste.

Questions? Willing to volunteer for Ned Clean-Up Day? Please call Town Hall at (303) 258-3266.

If you want to be really smart about Ned Clean-Up Day, here is a link to the Firewise Homeowner Tip Sheet, which explains how to protect your home from fire danger, and prepare for Ned Clean-Up Day.

The 2013 Ned Clean-Up Day diverted 22,750 pounds of material away from the landfill.

We collected 17,000 lbs of scrap metal, 2,000 lbs of slash, and 2,000 lbs of e-waste (old computer equipment), and 960 lbs of household hazardous materials. Plus, 600 lbs of material that was re-used within Ned, and the ReSource yard took another 200 lbs of building material for re-use.

According to statistics gathered by the University of Utah's School of Architecture and Planning, this blend of material diversion and recycling, would save 23,000 kWh of electricity, or 2,750 gallons of oil, or about 400 million BTU's of energy.

Also, from the University of Utah:

In a lifetime, the average American will personally throw away 600 times his or her body weight, which for an average adult would leave a legacy of 90,000 pounds of trash at the end of their lifetime.
Of the garbage Americans throw out, half could be recycled, which is enough to fill a football stadium from top to bottom everyday.
Of these recyclables, Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial air fleet every three months, enough steel to reconstruct Manhattan, and enough wood to heat 5 million homes for 200 years.

I hope the average Nedhead isn't in the same category as the average American, but maybe that's why I feel so good about Ned Clean-Up Day.

This is item 4Z-08 in the #NedZero Action Plan, under Z. Zero-Waste.

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is the Madison, Wisconsin band: Garbage, performing Stupid Girl at the Ogden Theatre in Denver. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Art at the Center – Nederland Community Center

2015-05-26T11:30:00.000-06:00

Art at the Center curators Tracy Brewer and Annie Thayer
with Nederland Mayor Joe Gierlach

The Peak to Peak region in and around Nederland attracts the most talented artist residents, and the Nederland Community Center has plenty of wall space. Therefore, since 2009, the Nederland Community Center Foundation Board has hosted a wine and hors d'oeuvres art opening called "Art at the Center" three times per year to feature new works of art by local artists at the Community Center.

The event has blossomed into a community extravaganza focused on the Nederland Area art scene. Details about how this art exhibition works can be found on the Community Center website.

The next Art at the Center opening is:

Thursday, May 28, 2014, 5:00-7:00pm
at the Nederland Community Center
750 Highway 72 North, Nederland CO, 80466

Co-curators, Tracy Brewer and Annie Thayer, have both lived in the Greater Nederland Area for more than two decades each. Annie said that back then, Nederland kept coming up randomly in peculiar ways, drawing her to the area. Both curators were willing to exchange a few inconveniences of living at high altitude, for the love of a small quiet mountain town among nature and wildlife. They recognize that many of the exhibiting artists and photographers are inspired by the protected open space surrounding Nederland.

I met with each of them separately, yet they both mentioned the satisfaction and joy they feel by providing a venue for local artists to gain exposure. A few works of art are consistently sold during each Art at the Center opening. Many local businesses and restaurants also come to Art at the Center to select artists, whose work they will display in their own establishments for the First Friday Art Tours which, as the name implies, occurs on the first Friday of each month.

This Art at the Center opening is sponsored by the High Peaks Art Festival, which is a juried art show in Nederland that draws artists from the wider western region.

[Related Story: High Peaks Art Festival]

Tracy mentioned that the original idea in 2009, was to use elementary student art to decorate the bare walls in the Community Center, but it quickly metabolized into a special occasion that people mark on their calendar, look forward to, and even dress-up a bit. (in Nederland 'dressing-up' can be interpreted as wearing a new fleece and jeans with no holes) Tracy says that when she is around so many artists, she is compelled to present herself in an artful way, to honor them.

I find the event to be an opportunity to have in-depth conversations with artists to discuss their process, which is often non-verbal, and fascinating when an artist explains their technique in their own words. I describe one such interaction in the following article about First Fridays, but Art at the Center also provides a safe venue for some moderately intense conversations that may not have been verbalized in years.

[Related Story: Ned First Friday Art Tours]

This effect that Art at the Center, reminds me of another article about the Backdoor Theater, where the director took pride in providing a safe place for people to laugh out loud, or show their emotions while watching a feature film. Coincidentally, the Backdoor Theater is downstairs in the Community Center, and if the reader can indulge me, by stating that our Nederland Board of Trustees meetings are also in the same building. So, in an interesting way, the Community Center is a place where people can feel safe discussing art, culture and politics – sort of like a Renaissance Center, or the Acropolis of Athens, which is also on a hill above its city.

[Related Story: Mayors' Big Night at the Theater, dude.]

While Annie Thayer earned her PhD in bio-mechanics, she also became quite a disciplined artist later in life, creating hundreds of watercolor paintings. It is a common issue that after an artist's own walls are filled, they must eventually sell their work in order to continue their craft, or even to afford more art supplies. So, being an artist takes on a new dimension when your work is shown at a gallery, discussed in public, sold, and hung in someone else's home.

Therefore, it is a necessary process, and an interesting interaction among the creative process of the artists, the sympathetic appreciation of the observers, and deeper understanding of the buyers.

Art at the Center is such a treasure for our community.

This is item 5Q-01 in the #NedZero Action Plan, under Q. Downtown Culture.

[Here is a Video Valediction] It's a trailer for the award winning documentary, ScrambleVision produced by Yellow Pine Picture Company in association with Filmcartel.org, a local Nederland production company. It features the amazing artwork of Keith "Scramble" Campbell and the emerging live painting movement. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Can We Enhance the Nederland Community Storybook?

2015-05-19T08:30:00.000-06:00

Darcy Kitching and Mayor Joe Gierlach
reminisce the Nederland Community Storybook

Back in January 2011, Vickie Berkley and Darcy Kitching collaborated with then-mayor Sumaya Abu-Haidar and the Envision Nederland 2020 Steering Committee to create the first Community Storybook: a beautiful guide to the town's values and the sites, scenes, events, and people that make Nederland unique. They attended all eight community focus groups, analyzed the resulting data, held their own story-listening sessions at the Community Center, conducted individual interviews with residents, photographed sites around town, and collected local images to include in the book.

Recently, I had a chance to meet with Darcy Kitching, owner of Places Make People, and catch a glimpse of her impression of what the Envision Nederland 2020 process was all about.

[Reconnecting with Nederland]

It was interesting to look back at what she and her colleague had chronicled – to re-examine that year and a half long visioning process from the beginning, when I was Mayor Pro-Tem supporting Sumaya's plan.

By July 2011, they had produced what they hoped would be a great showpiece for the community and a tool to keep the conversation about values and visioning alive among Nederland's residents.

[Here is a link to the Nederland Community Storybook]

Darcy explained, "We finished the Community Storybook just as Sumaya was leaving office, and the book was not broadly distributed. Knowing how much the people of Nederland have accomplished over the past four years, successfully putting the community's vision into action in a host of plans and developing the #NedZero online platform, we decided to check in with Mayor Gierlach and learn how we might revise and update the Nederland Community Storybook to make it useful to residents, visitors, business owners, and others interested in the town today."

In the Community Storybook, they interpreted our eight core values to be:

Sense of Community
Environmental Stewardship
Inclusiveness
Support of Young People's Development
Economic Vitality
Self-Governance and Self-Reliance
Volunteerism and Community Service
Small Town Character

As this vision has evolved into several major masterplans and over 160 action items within #NedZero, we see the same eight themes throughout. For the past four years, these ideas have been honed and vetted for practicality, budget, and prioritization. The whole idea remains as intact as it was when we passed the Resolution 2011-18 adopting Envision 2020 in the fall of 2011. See the story below.

[See related story: Envision Nederland 2020]

Of course, four years later, we still have a need for continuing this conversation about Nederland values. This is item 2D-06 in the #NedZero Action Plan, under D. #CommunityDialog:

2D-06: Interview community members and elders to chronicle their thoughts on Nederland now and in the future, and foster the Community Storybook conversation.

If you wish to re-join the conversation, check out what's happening at the links above, or simply hashtag, #NedZero #CommunityDialog on any of your favorite social media platforms.

[This SlideShare explains how it works]

We have seen that the current Board of Trustees has been most successful in decision making, when we have used this community vision as our guiding principals. It is a testament to Mayor Sumaya Abu-Haidar's wisdom in spending the resources to establish this vision.

[Here is a Video Valediction] Thinking about the origins of Envision 2020, this is Tennis, an indie-pop band from Denver, performing Origins at eTown in Boulder. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Gearing-up in Springtime at the Nederland Food Pantry

2015-05-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Susan Elizabeth Lee, Sock It To Em President,
and Mayor Joe Gierlach packing socks in Denver.

I met Susan Elizabeth Lee when she was kicking off the Sock It To Em Workday campaign at the Metro Mayors Caucus legislative reception. Its a promotional campaign where residents are asked to forego wearing socks to show support for the homeless, and to recognize the great need for warm socks. Here is a link to their website

During the reception, I mentioned to Sue, that Nederland had a robust Community Food Pantry program, and Hansen Wendlandt had asked the patrons what they needed most, and they said, "Socks!"

This year, the Sock It To Em socks program raised over 14,000 pairs of socks to date. Sue sent me a message saying she had 400 pairs of socks for Nederland (more than double her goal for Nederland). We had to get the socks from Castle Rock to Nederland and met half way in Downtown Denver at the Metro Mayors Caucus meeting in April.

We packed the car with socks in Denver so I could bring them to Hanson for the 2015 season of Summer Sandwiches and Socks program. The Board of Trustees agreed to partner with the Summer Sandwiches and Socks program, and last year's program turned out to be a huge success. Contact Hansen here if you would like to volunteer for the Summer Sandwiches and Socks program.

The Nederland Food Pantry Grows Food Too.

Gail Margiolis shows off the first strawberries of the season

You may not know that the Nederland Food Pantry also grows a fair amount of fresh herbs and vegetables in a greenhouse-like alleyway behind the Community Center, and in the large flower boxes outside.

The first strawberries have sprouted and the Nederland Food Pantry is gearing up for the summer season as well.

[See also: Nederland Food Pantry is a Life Saver – 5 Reasons to Donate]

Everyone knows that it's more gratifying to donate to a charity that saves cute little animals, than facing the reality that there is a hunger issue in our own community. So, the Nederland Food Pantry's Executive Board came up with their second annual fun event called "With a Little Help from Our Friends".

Here's the details:

Saturday, May 2, 2015, 6:30pm - 10:00pm.

at the Nederland Community Center
Silent Auction, and Snack Bar open at 6:30pm.
Music from 7:00 - 10:00pm.

The live rockin’ music of Slopeside
A 'something for everyone' silent auction

A 'just what I wanted' snack bar (everything $5 or Less)

Admission is by 'Your Generous Cash Donation'.

Also, with your donation, please bring a non-perishable food item, or a personal hygene item.

If you cannot make it to the event or donate services, you can also make a tax deductible donation. Just make your check payable to:

Nederland Food Pantry
P.O. Box 467
Nederland, CO 80466

You can call the Director, Chris Current, at (303) 642-0599 with donation questions.

This is item 2U-01 in the #NedZero Action Plan, under U. #HumanServices

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Chris Botti, and Dominic Miller performing Sting's (1987) Fragile. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Ned's FDGD – One of Nation's Top Cultural Festivals.

2015-03-23T10:00:00.000-06:00

The Cereal Killers compete in the Coffin Race.

According to a USA Today poll, Nederland's Frozen Dead Guy Days is the nation's 5th best cultural festival, leading several familiar names, such as the Kentucky Derby, Mardi Gras, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Our end of winter festival was nominated by USA Today for their "10 Best Readers Choice" for "Best Cultural Festival in The World".

[World-wide is probably a stretch, but you can see the results on this link.]

It seems that the 'younger' festivals had more eager followers, and edged out Mardi Gras, and the Kentucky Derby from even making the top 10. These younger festivals fill niches or take different approaches, which make them special.

Related Story: [Frozen Dead Guy Days goes International]

Of course, our festival has seen film crews and reporters from three continents, but being compared to Mardi Gras, or the Kentucky Derby, somehow legitimizes something.

I wasn't around when they invented Ground Hog Day, the game of Golf, or fabricated holidays like Sweetest Day, but we all intrinsically know we needed an "end of winter festival" and Frozen Dead Guy Days certainly fit the bill. Over the past dozen or so years, we've watched FDGD evolve into what it is today, with some growing pains along the way.

Some of our local businesses have complimented the promoters, and argue that this year's Frozen Dead Guy Days, was the best executed event we've had so far. Joining Mardi Gras on this USA Today poll validates the hard work that went into our successful event.

[Here is a Video Valediction] Here is a clip from FDGD 2015. It was produced, shot and edited by three aspiring film makers; Andrew Turk, Justin Smouse and A.J. Wager. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Frozen Dead Guy Days goes International

2015-03-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

Mayor Gierlach, Mayuko Kawakita, and Tetsurō Degawa

Today (Friday the 13th) begins Frozen Dead Guy Days. I will host the Opening Ceremony (click here for details).

Nippon Television (NTV) is the second largest television network in Japan. They broadcast a popular series about world-wide events called The Quest, or in Japanese, "Sekai No Hah Teh Mah Deh Itte Q," which translates to "Quest to the End of the Earth." Tomoko Ishibashi from Far Eastern Entertainment America (FEEA) coordinates the logistics for the show in the U.S..

Last year, from her office in Los Angeles, Tomoko emailed me saying that they wanted to bring a five-person television crew, a director, and a couple of actors to Nederland, for Frozen Dead Guy Days (FDGD). She asked if I would be willing to show them around town and explain how the FDGD events worked. I agreed, and met them at Town Hall one day before the big event. It wasn't the most unusual request, because in 2013, a film crew from Russia came to participate in the Frozen Dead Guy Days events.

So here is a two minute film clip from the half hour show:

[Excerpts from Japanese TV at Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland.]

That week was a bit hectic though. I had arranged to be interviewed by a newspaper reporter from Grandpa Bredo's hometown in Norway that same afternoon. On the following day, I was scheduled to emcee the Opening Ceremonies for FDGD, and be a judge for the Ice Queen Contest in the evening. On Saturday, I agreed to discuss the event on National Public Radio which was broadcast live from The Very Nice Brewing Company.

On the morning when I met with them, a decent one foot dump of spring snow fell, and I assisted the driver with getting chains for their cast and crew vehicles. They flew the actors in from Tokyo, along with their celebrity personal assistants, who held umbrellas over their heads before the shoot. It was quite an organized production.

The first actor was Tetsurō Degawa, and he has been a famous television comedian for quite sometime. His favorite phrase is "Yabaiyo, yabaiyo!" It's dangerous, dangerous! He even has his own merchandising and action figure. He wrote a blog post about his visit to Ned here. The second actress was Mayuko Kawakita, and she's a fashion model, who has recently come into her acting career. She was featured near the end of this popular SoulJa Hip-Hop Video, and starred in a motion picture called, Fashion Story - Model. So, it's sort of like a Japanese version of Chevy Chase and Christie Brinkley in National Lampoon's Vacation.

Between takes, I had lunch at the PI with Tomoko and the crew. She was taking calls and lining-up the next project. She mentioned that she's on the road three weeks out of the month. The crew must have been jet-lagged having flown-in from Tokyo just the day before. They were off to another location on Monday.

I found it interesting that each media outlet has a different angle on the story. For example, this Japanese show had no interest in Grandpa Bredo at all. Whereas the Travel Chanel's Monumental Mysteries focused on grandpa. You can see it in this article:

Related Story: [Thinking Outside the Frozen Box]

[Here is a Video Valediction] Here is a clip of event owner, Amanda MacDonald speaking about the 2013 Frozen Dead Guy Days with Boulder Life TV. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Frozen Dead Guy Days – Freeze the Day!

2015-03-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

Grandpa and the Ice Queen at the Blue Ball 2013

Frozen Dead Guy Days will be held March 13, 14, & 15, 2015. This year you can follow @frzndeadguydays on Twitter, and use #FDGD to post your pictures throughout the weekend.

Last year, was one of the best festivals we've had.

To kick-off the festivities, (6:00pm Friday, March 13) I will be the Master of Ceremonies at the Roundabout in town for the lighting of the official centerpiece. Then, we will have a Steampunk Prosession down the street and across the bridge to the Very Superstitious Blue Ball in the ReAnimate Yourself Tent in Chipeta Park. This is an event that will surely stop traffic, (mostly because we've instructed the police to do so)

At 8:00pm on Friday the 13th, I will be one of the judges for the Ice Queen & Grandpa Look-a-Like costume contest. Winners receive his and her Carhartt Tuxedos (pants, jacket & hat) sponsored by the Mountain Man Outdoor Store in Nederland. Now that's something worth freezing yourself over. Music featuring Dead Floyd, Pine Dwellers and the Gasoline Lollipops.

[Related Story: Mayors' Big Night at the Theater, dude.]

Most of the main events occur on Saturday (Parade of Hearses, Costume Polar Plunge, and Coffin Races) and there are several smaller fascinating events and exhibits throughout, but the true Frozen Dead Guy Days aficionados attend the Blue Ball on Friday as well.

Click here for a Complete Schedule of Events for the weekend, and other festival information. The musical line-up this year is top notch. Check out the full 2015 Music Schedule here.

[Related Story: Thinking Outside the Frozen Box]

There are plenty of stories about our mysterious resident. The Frozen Dead Guy Days event itself has attracted attention from around the world and taken on a life of its own. The FDGD event now satisfies a need in the community for an 'end of winter event' regardless of why it started. But Grandpa is still here, and he has a place in our history and our hearts.

[Related Story: Dead Guy's Departure Won't Put Fest On Ice]

Drive Carefully (better yet, take RTD), and have a blast in the snow. Frozen Dead Guy Days is a pretty 'off the wall' festival, but it doesn't mean you have to be. Please be mindful of the people around you and respectful of the good people of Nederland who are kind enough to host this unique event in their lovely mountain community.

[Related Story: Events in Ned – The Mountain Ear]

Freeze the Day!

[Here is a Video Valediction] Here is a clip of event owner, Amanda MacDonald speaking about the 2013 Frozen Dead Guy Days with Boulder Life TV. [What is a Video Valediction?]

A Dozen of the Most Influential People in Tomorrow's Society

2015-02-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Nederland MSHS Counselor, Aly Shambo
and Mayor Joe Gierlach pass out certificates
as students sign the book.

This week was the Nederland MS/HS National Honor Society dinner and induction ceremony.

Each year, our Town has a tradition of hosting dinner for the inductees, and afterward, I've had the honor of awarding the certificates to students for the past several years. Then, the inductees hand-sign the same book that has been used for decades.

Personally, all I remember about being inducted into the National Honor Society, was seeing my name on a list. I went to a bigger high school than Nederland MS/HS, and I was involved with a lot of other activities. I did not pay much attention to the National Honor Society activities, but I remember making sure my name was on the list. I think I got the pin after basketball practice, and I told my mother about it a week later.

This is the only time in my life, that I can remember making my mother cry. When she realized that I did not invite her to watch me get inducted into the National Honor Society. At the time, I had a lot of other things that were 'more important' in my life.

The Basic Attributes of our Community

Four main purposes have guided chapters of National Honor Society since its inception:

to create enthusiasm for SCHOLARSHIP
to stimulate a desire to render SERVICE
to promote LEADERSHIP
and to develop CHARACTER in the students of secondary schools.

These purposes also translate into the criteria used for membership selection in each local chapter.

More than ever before, we will need to rely on this new generation of scientists, engineers, planners, communicators, philosophers, and a few careers that haven't been invented yet. We will need their innovation and energy because we are facing increasingly bigger challenges with respect to climate change, our financial system, affordable housing, human services, clean air & water, renewable energy, transportation, and our ecosystem.

I don't think it is likely that the solutions to these issues will come from the homogenized middle-America model. Rather, areas known for local distinctiveness, will be the incubators of ideas that resolve our societies biggest challenges, in unique ways – right here in Nederland.

[See Related Story: Rules for Local Distinctiveness]

We are looking for people who express the same characteristics as the National Honor Society: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. In other words, we need smart, clever, influential people with integrity, who are motivated to serve the greater community.

This should be one of the most important events of the year, and yet, the National Honor Society induction ceremony is only attended by the students, their parents and a handful of people each year. Just like my 16 year-old self, everybody seems to have 'more important' things to do.

I may not know what 'swarp' means, but I know that I have just met some of the most influential people in our society, at an exclusive gathering, and few others realize it.

[Here is a Video Valediction] Here is the eclectic band from Hermosa Beach, California, Lal Meri performing, "Dreams of 18". [What is a Video Valediction?]

Nederland Food Pantry is a Life Saver – 5 Reasons to Donate

2015-02-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Nederland Food Pantry in the West Wing
of the Nederland Community Center

There's no fancy marketing. No catchy name. It's just the Nederland Food Pantry.

The business plan is simple – They give food to people who need it, along with basic toiletries.

The Nederland Food Pantry is welcoming, and yet it's more discreet than expected. Volunteers prefer to stay 'behind the scenes' with no recognition. They are even reluctant to be in my picture (especially Executive Director Chris Current) often turning their backs, or hiding behind food isles. However, one-on-one, each patron is welcomed, and individually walked-through the pantry by a friendly volunteer.

This special care is important because in most cases, when a person comes to terms with needing food assistance, there is no doubt that they are dealing with bigger issues in their life as well.

I had a chance to meet with the Nederland Food Pantry's Executive Board as they were planning for their "With a Little Help From Our Friends" fundraiser which will be held on Saturday, May 2nd at the Community Center. (Scroll to the bottom of this article for all the details of this event.)

Last year, the Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) reviewed a fee waiver for the event. I strongly encouraged my fellow board members to approve the waiver, which was unanimously approved. This year we will also be reviewing their lease renewal. I came up with five fortuitous reasons why it's important for you to especially donate this year.

1. There's No Sign. You might not know it's there:

The Food Pantry is tucked in a back room of the West Wing of the Nederland Community Center with no heat. Over three years ago, (January 17, 2012) the Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) approved waiving rental fees for the Food Pantry to use this storage area. According to the application, it was to "... provide service to our community, while funding allocations are being reduced, and the number of households being served, has increased. Thus, we've outgrown our current space." Three years later, the need is greater.

2. The Nederland Food Pantry is a Savior:

By 2013, the Food Pantry grew to serve 200 people per month and expanded to include anyone from as far as Allenspark, Jamestown, Ward, Gold Hill, Eldora, Salina, and anywhere in between. After the September Flood, they consistently served an additional 110 people per month, exceeding 310 monthly people in need. Exponential demand growth. In 2013 (after the flood) the Food Pantry provided "holiday boxes" for 244 people, in 2014 they fed 265 people.

By the end of 2013, the Food Pantry assisted 2,708 people in the fight against hunger, through distributing over 55,000 pounds of food. For 2014, the Food Pantry assisted 3,444 people (a 27% increase!) distributing 63,000 pounds of food.

It seems as though people in need, from a wider Greater Nederland Area, have come to trust the Nederland Food Pantry, and they are helping the 25% of working families who don't have enough food to meet their basic needs.

3. Funding Cuts when Demand is Increasing:

Last Thanksgiving, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), was cut by $5 billion, when the number of people looking for work, or are underemployed, haven't been this high in decades. Then, the farm bill signed into law, cut another $8.6 billion from food stamps during the next decade.

The national debate over government funding the food assistance program has cut resources locally, just as we are coming to understand that the problem is growing in the Greater Nederland Area. (Click on the chart for a larger view of the image)

If that's not bad enough, Colorado has historically been one of the worst states for people not enrolling in the SNAP program even though they are eligible. People will specifically live in mountain areas to get away from 'the system'.

There are many underemployed people living in the mountain region of western Boulder County, but do not feel comfortable filling out the paperwork down below. Therefore, they are unreported, and the mountain region receives less resources.

This was the status quo, until the September Flood, which pushed many folks over the tipping point, with more and more people in the middle class are falling through the cracks, with little understanding of assistance programs that are available. We have already seen the increased demand for the Nederland Food Pantry services. Of the 14 counties effected by the flood, Boulder County was impacted most. Limited resources in the flood relief effort are being sent to the areas that help the most people, which has never been the Nederland Food Pantry.

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

4. The Middle Class is Least Likely to Donate:

As I met with the Nederland Food Pantry's executive board, it was clear that the need is quite obvious, but our community is the least likely to donate funds. With only a few exceptions, the Greater Nederland Area does not have an über-rich population, nor does it have chronically poor population. According to a study by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, (sited here in The Atlantic) in which researchers analyzed giving habits across all American ZIP codes ... they found that less affluent ZIP codes gave relatively more. The theory is that populations with high poverty rates contribute a higher percentage of their income to charity because they see the direct benefit.

Wealthy populations have long standing philanthropic traditions, trust funds, and established foundations which are designed to provide tax incentives for their patrons. For example, I had the honor of being a guest at a fundraiser from my friend and colleague, former mayor Doug Tisdale of Cherry Hills Village. I watched in amazement, as he raised over $50,000 in about 45 minutes for the Cat Care Society. I've been an animal advocate for many years, and fully appreciate his fundraising skill. By comparison, it would pretty much take a miracle for the Food Pantry to raise that much funding in the fight against hunger in the Peak to Peak region.

[Related Story: Tails of the Painted Cats]

5. It's Not Sexy, but it's Vitally Important:

Here's the details:

Saturday, May 2, 2015, 6:30pm - 10:00pm.

at the Nederland Community Center
Silent Auction, and Snack Bar open at 6:30pm.
Music from 7:00 - 10:00pm.

The live rockin’ music of Slopeside
A 'something for everyone' silent auction
A 'just what I wanted' snack bar (everything $5 or Less)

Admission is by 'Your Generous Cash Donation'.

Also, with your donation, please bring a non-perishable food item, or a personal hygene item.

Part of the fundraiser is a silent auction and they need people to donate items/services. They are asking people to donate their personal services, such as taking down a tree, housecleaning, craft lessons, etc., as well as handmade items. This will also offer an opportunity for folks who don't have the cash to donate, to donate something they can afford to.

If you would like to donate services, please email Janette Taylor at Janette.Taylor@Forethought.net or call (303) 258-3586.

If you cannot make it to the event or donate services, you can also make a tax deductible donation. Just make your check payable to:
Nederland Food Pantry
P.O. Box 467
Nederland, CO 80466

You can call the Director, Chris Current, at (303) 642-0599 with donation questions.

This is item 2U-01 in the #NedZero Action Plan, under U. #HumanServices

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Yo-Yo Ma, Sting, Chris Botti, and Dominic Miller performing Sting's (1987) Fragile. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Boulder B-Cycle – Gazillion Reasons Why the Nederland EcoPass is So Cool – Part 5

2014-11-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

B-cycle station at 29th Street

I took the opportunity to try out Boulder B-cycle as part of the "Gazillion Reasons Why the Nederland EcoPass is So Cool" program series.

The Ned RTD EcoPass is Free for any resident in the Greater Nederland Area within Boulder County. [see details here] The "Gazillion Reason" series is my experiment to intentionally increase my personal use of the Nederland EcoPass in order to explore practical tips and tricks.

As far as the B-cycle goes, at first I thought, "What's the point in using the B-cycle when it basically goes to other places that RTD goes anyway?"

You'll have to read the story all the way through, because I found that the answer has something to do with my progress through earlier phases of the "Gazillion Reasons" experiment. Let's explore the first 4 phases:

Phase I – DIA: From a money-saving standpoint, the easiest use of the Ned EcoPass, is to take the N Bus down to Walnut Station in Boulder, then take the AB Bus to DIA Airport and save the gas, parking fees, etc.

Considering that I was already planning to arrive at the airport two hours before my flight, the process of packing my luggage, and trip planning in general, almost ensured an easy transition to RTD planning. Saving money felt good. Then, I thought, "That was great for me and the planet. What else can I use the Ned EcoPass for?"

Phase II – Low Risk: The next logical step, is to take the kids on the N Bus down to Walnut Station, and walk across the street to the Boulder Farmer's Market on a Saturday afternoon. This is low risk. There is no complicated transfer to second bus schedules. I don't have to worry about being late for work. The return trip is easily before the last N Bus back up to Nederland, so there's no risk in getting stuck in Boulder. Kids love the bus ride.

[Related Story: Nederland EcoPass Success]

Phase III – Transfers: Single trips down to Boulder to meet people on Pearl Street was so rewarding, that I began exploring single-transfer rides. By this time, the whole notion of saving gas money, less carbon in the atmosphere, and now a little bit more exercise walking, was just a win-win-win, all the way around.

In practice, it took a bit more pre-planning than I thought, especially if there was a risk in being late. I tried using an iPhone App, but it still didn't remove the uncertainty.

Phase IV – Bring the Bike: Eventually, I tired of going through the brain damage of pre-planning, so I experimented with taking my bike down to the free day at the Denver Art Museum (every first Saturday is free at DAM).

At the most basic level, it reminded me of the freedom I felt as a middle-school kid, cruising around meeting my friends. Even at slow speeds, bikes are about 4 times faster than walking. So biking for 10 minutes, can get you to the same place as walking for 40 minutes – Big Difference.

The downside to biking, was being tethered to your bike. Putting your bike on the front rack of the bus (or underneath if you are not the lucky first two bike riders). Then, putting your bike on the next bus to Denver, and not being able to take the 16th Street Mall Shuttle. If you meet a friend who offers a ride, so then you have to lock your bike over night, and figure out how to get it later.

[Related Story: 5 Reasons the EcoPass is Important to our Community Resiliency]

Phase V – B-cycle: So, seeing the B-cycle adjacent to bus stops looked intriguing, but I thought, "What's the point in using the B-cycle when it basically goes to other places that RTD goes anyway?"

Just so people know how it works, here is an interesting video from Boulder Daily Camera's Ryan Van Duzer (AKA 'Out There Guy') cruising around town in 2011 back when B-cycle was Boulder's new bike share program. He interviews Elizabeth Train about how it works, when she was executive director of Boulder B-cycle.

Since then, James Waddell has transferred from the Denver B-cycle program to become the Boulder B-Cycle Executive Director.

Inside the Boulder B-cycle office where bikes are serviced

These cruisers are fun to ride. There's no hassle, the bikes are maintained by other people. The front basket is super convenient. The chain guard protects your pants from oil (and the skirt guard, which I didn't realize was an issue, but now see as a brilliant idea). The adjustable seat is easy-peasy to modify.

The big benefit for me, is that it takes a lot of pre-planning off my mind. As long as I'm in the central Boulder area, I can pretty much expect a B-cycle station to be near by. The B-cycle iPhone App makes it even more convenient. It shows me the closest B-cycle Station with how many docks and bikes are available.

Maybe I just lucked-out on the timing, because Boulder B-cycle added several new stations this year, and now they have 38 stations. Perhaps only a few months ago, when there were 22 stations, it wasn't so convenient, and I would have had to do more pre-planning. Now it seems the stations are disbursed all around central Boulder.

It was so much fun, that I couldn't wait to run an errand in Boulder, just to ride the bike. So, I decided to take "Le Tour de Boulder B-cycle Challenge", which is to ride to every B-cycle Station in one day. Definitely something I would have wanted to attempt in middle school.

Thirty-Four miles, and four and a half hours of biking time later, I made it onto the "Wall of Fame" for the Tour de B-cycle. [check out the wall here]

Doing the Tour de B-cycle taught me where every B-cycle location is, so that I know where to check-in or check-out a bike just about anywhere in Boulder.

Boulder B-cycle is definitely one of the "Gazillion Reasons Why the Nederland EcoPass is So Cool."

[Here is a Video Valediction] A Thursday evening cruiser bike ride in Boulder by local musician, Kit Love Robertson. The music is "The Molten Core" found on Aalborg Soundtracks Vol. 1. [What is a Video Valediction?]

LOL! Did You See the Mayor on Social Media?

2014-10-26T09:30:00.000-06:00

Mayor Gierlach discusses blogging with Lisa White
at the Colorado Municipal League (CML)

Nederland Mayor Joe Gierlach gave a presentation for the Mayor's Summit at the Colorado Municipal League (CML) called, "LOL! Did You See the Mayor on Social Media?" That slide presentation is displayed below.

About a year and a half earlier, (April, 2013) Mayor Gierlach stopped by the CML offices, and met with Membership Services Manager, Lisa White, for a Q&A about his blog. A summary was included in CML's quarterly "Colorado Mayors' Connection" e-newsletter.

So, as part of Cities and Towns Week, here is the Q&A, and the presentation:

[CML] Does your town use social media?

[JOE] We have a website and Facebook & Twitter accounts. As a town, we didn't use them much, but at a CML meeting, I remembered that both Fort Collins Mayor, Karen Weitkunat and Colorado Springs Council President Pro Tem, Jan Martin, had mentioned how important Twitter was at getting information out to the public during the forest fires in their areas.

[CML] So, you increased social media use in your town?

[JOE] It happened organically. One of our citizens started a Facebook page called Nedheads. At first, it became popular for residents to post road conditions in the Boulder Canyon. Then, because it was a closed Facebook page, people felt free to discuss town politics on a variety of topics. At times there were heated debates, and eventually they created a set of self-governing guidelines for conduct on the page.

[CML] What did the town government do?

[JOE] Because of sunshine laws, we didn't participate in the conversation. However, we quickly realized that many citizen questions could be answered if they read the monthly, one page, Town Staff Reports provided in the board packet. We created a section on the town's website for the Staff Reports, and I highlighted it in my mayor's report.

About a year and a half later Mayor Gierlach gave this presentation about the basic structure of the NederMayor blog and how it came about:

LOL! Did You See the Mayor on Social Media? from Joe Gierlach

[CML] How did the NederMayor blog get started?

[JOE] The local weekly newspaper (The Mountain-Ear) had been printing the mayor's report and called it 'The Mayor's Corner' but I didn't like the idea of being in a corner. So I renamed it the NederMayor blog, thinking that I would also post the same report in social media.

[CML] I noticed a lot of pictures on your blog. Is that intentional?

[JOE] Our Public Works Director began including images of corroded pipes in his report, and they became quite popular. I adopted the idea of including an interesting photo in each of my posts. Planning for the image adds an extra element to the process, but I believe that people rarely click on a post without a picture. The social media sites and tablet reader Apps, are more photo compatible as well.

[CML] Was it hard to make the switch?

[JOE] I was already writing my report for the board packet, including a photo for the newspaper, and re-posting it in social media. The transition to an actual blog, was a natural progression. I copied my old reports into the NederMayor blog, to see how it would look, and the medium really lends itself for effective communication.

[CML] Are there a lot of mayor's blogs?

[JOE] Blogging in general is a bit of an art form. Some genres are already saturated with bloggers like home improvement, or travel. There are even quite a few people who blog about blogging (which helped generate ideas for the NederMayor blog). There aren't that many active mayor's blogs, so it feels like I'm filling a market niche.

[CML] What are the technical challenges with blogging?

[JOE] Nederland is a small town, with no PR Staff, so I decided to teach myself HTML code. The process of learning to create it, has resulted in personalizing the NederMayor blog. Any municipal communications department could set up a blog page fairly easily, and several Colorado cities and towns currently have blog pages that are unused.

[CML] Are you concerned about legal issues?

[JOE] I don't blog about quasi judicial matters before the board unless I'm informing people about a decision that has already been made, and I link to the official document on our town's website. I use a disclaimer that the blog is unofficial and are my own opinions. This allows me to give the reader an insiders look at what it is like to be a mayor of a small mountain town. I have run a few posts by our town attorney, and there are subtle nuances that elected officials will recognize from CML training.

[CML] What results are you experiencing?

[JOE] The blog has increased traffic to the town's official website, and has prompted more public engagement in local government, in a somewhat entertaining and interactive way. You will have to visit the NederMayor blog at www.nedermayor.blogspot.com to understand the full experience. Hopefully, it will reintroduce government to the disenfranchised segment of our population within our rapidly changing communications environment.

[CML] Thank you for your insight. Do you have advice for other Colorado elected officials?

[JOE] It has been my pleasure. Elected officials can contact me anytime with specific blogging questions.

[Here is a Video Valediction] Here is a one and a half minute clip that CML put together, "Colorado Cities & Towns Week". [What is a Video Valediction?]

American Planning Association Honors Ned Plan

2014-10-07T17:56:00.001-06:00

The APA Award for Sustainability and
Environmental Planning in Crested Butte

I had the pleasure of attending the 2014 Conference for the American Planning Association, Colorado Chapter, in Crested Butte, Colorado.

Few other trade organizations have an eight page strategic plan, updated bi-annually by the president of the association, with detailed Goals, Implementation Strategy, Assigned Responsibility, Timetable, and Budget. What else would you expect from professional planners?

Of course one of my favorite Benjamin Franklin quotes, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail," is a great reminder of the importance of planning, which has been the focus in Nederland for the past several years.

I was scheduled to participate on a panel discussing sustainability. The panel included two other talented City Planners and champions of sustainability; Chris Meschuk, from Boulder, and Jonathan Wachtel, from Lakewood. I felt honored to review our town planning process, with an audience of professional planners, earning educational credit hours to maintain their professional license. (See the presentation at the bottom of this post)

This was the session write-up:

"Integrating Sustainability. In this session, we will explore a variety of approaches ranging from guerrilla (staff initiated) initiatives to attempts to find what may be the holy grail of tying sustainability indicators to budgets."

From Left: Design Workshop Planner, Anna Gagne,
Nederland Mayor Joe Gierlach,
SE Group Director, Mark Kane,
APA President, Stan Clausen

Then, we were informed that the Town of Nederland Comprehensive Plan was selected as a 2014 APA-CO Honor Award for Sustainability and Environmental Planning. Here's an except from their award letter:

"The project was chosen for an Honor Award because the committee felt the plan uniquely addresses sustainability with innovation not typically found within Comprehensive Plans. Your engagement process focuses on what sustainability means to residents. The actionable elements of the plan are clear and enhances the likelihood that implementation will occur. We congratulate you on your successful project!"

The application was submitted by Mark Kane, a Director at the SE Group who facilitated our Comprehensive Plan. Mark came in from Vermont to receive the award in Crested Butte.

The award ceremony also included a short video about our Comp Plan which explained how sustainability is woven into all that we do. Once I get a copy of the video, I'll post it here as well.

Here is the slide presentation that I gave for the conference:

See How One Small Town is Planning its Sustainability Moonshot from Joe Gierlach

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is the English downtempo band, Blue States performing Down the Days from the album First Steps Into (2007). [What is a Video Valediction?]

Old School Hardwood Floor – ReSource

2014-09-22T13:30:00.000-06:00

The reclaimed wood floor adds character to the room

A few years ago, I seized the opportunity to reclaim a hardwood floor. It was the old performance stage from Broomfield Heights Middle School. The contractor was cutting the floor along with the plywood sub-floor and stacking it up outside. I asked the Project Manager and Job Superintendent if I could take the material, so that they didn't have to pay to haul it off. They said that they wouldn't do any extra work to preserve any of it, but I was welcome to take it after their shift was over so that I wouldn't bother the workers, which were on a tight schedule. I agreed.

For the next three years, this whim of an idea, gradually evolved into a hobby, then became an obsession, ultimately occupying much of my free time as a driven mission, until it was complete.

First, I hauled it up to my home in five trips using the back of a Jeep Wrangler. They were large squares roughly one meter on each side. I felt good about rescuing this beautiful old material from the landfill. But then, it sat stacked-up on the side of my garage for several months before I took the time to address what to do with it. Every now and then, I would grab a square and carefully pry the oak plank away from the plywood backing. Then pull out each nail individually. This took about a year, but each square meter was randomly done in my spare time, so it didn't seem like work that took away from my lifestyle.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Wood planks before routing,
2. Filing 'goop' from the edges, 3. Finished planks, 4. Routing jig

As the pile of square meters shrank, the pile of stacked tongue and groove oak planks grew in my garage. As I came across damaged, or cracked boards, I'd add them to my stack of firewood. My seven year old daughter and I made a game of sorting the planks into four categories: boards with a tongue on one end but no groove on the other, boards with a groove but no tongue, smaller boards with a tongue and groove, and one meter boards with no tongue or groove.

I borrowed a planer from a friend and spent a solid month, planing off the surface coating from the top of each plank. Again, discarding bad boards into the firewood pile. After this much time working with the wood, the boards began taking on a personality of their own – the particular way old wood smells and feels.

My intention was to write a note underneath the floor, stating that these boards came from Broomfield Heights Middle School so that someday someone would find it. Then add the front page from The Mountain-Ear describing the 1,000 Year Flood of 2013, and two crisp $100 dollar bills that I won playing roulette in Black Hawk.

The next step was cutting off damaged ends and routing in the necessary tongue or groove. I sanded all six sides of each board and removed the occasional goop that had embedded into the seams of the original floor over the years. I needed to have clean edges for a tight fit, but I wanted to show the history by retaining the scuffs, divots, scratches and imperfections. Each board was revealing its character – perhaps a mark made by a student dropping a trombone or a scratch from moving a set from the school musical. I also kept some of the burn marks from the planer to show that it had been recycled.

Wearing the ear protection and the muffled sound of the sander in the background, is sort of like a sensory deprivation chamber. I mentioned the effect of working with wood in an article about the Carousel of Happiness. In my mind, I wondered what would be the point of writing the story of these oak boards underneath the floor, only for it to be found decades later. It needed to look like it was reclaimed to anyone who walked on it, but also had to be done well and not look too shabby. It had to be subtle. Leave a few indications of nicks and scratches, but cut off bad sections. These are the things going through my mind as I spent hours sanding boards.

[Related Story: The Carousel of Happiness]

Manually installing the wood planks

Then, I had a great opportunity to get some more, newer recycled oak boards which were also a bit longer. I used the two different batches of reclaimed wood and randomly mixed them together to create a patchwork mosaic pattern. This highlighted the fact that it was reclaimed wood without looking like just another old nicked-up floor.

I rented a manual nailer from the Boulder ReSource Tool Library for $4.50/day. (The pneumatic one was already rented out) The Boulder ReSource yard is incredible, and I felt like a kid in a candy store. Simply walking among all the recycled materials rejuvenated my energy to complete the hardwood floor, so I could reuse another material.

Installing it 'Old School' style:

Luna the Green-Eyed Feral Cat

With all the work that this wood had gone through, installing it manually seemed to be an appropriate application. Whoever invented the tongue and groove process was a genius. The whole idea of nailing boards down in a way that buries the nail below the surface is brilliant. The inter locking nature of the system, so that individual boards don't pop up over time, was a profound idea, and it has been used the same way for well over a century.

By this time, even Luna the cat knew that I was becoming obsessed with this floor – where it came from, how it was installed, the texture, the smell, even the way that it blended with Luna's color.

The people at the Boulder ReSource Tool Library are very supportive, and when I returned the nailer, they recommended to rent a floor a sander from Sunbelt Rentals in Boulder, which I did. The attendants at Sunbelt were helpful as well. I could have sanded it completely down, had no evidence that it was reclaimed wood, and it would have looked like a new oak floor from Home Depot.

'Before' and 'After' finishing reveals the character marks

It would have been much, much easier to just get the boards from Home Depot in the first place. That would have been a bit more expensive for materials, and not really add to the character of my home. So, I sanded just enough to smooth it out, but kept the charm and charisma of the nicks and scratches.

The purpose of finishing the floor with polyurethane typically seals and protects the wood, but also has a way of really bringing out the natural wood grain. Here too, the dings and scratches are enhanced, providing the character and history I was looking for. Maybe I'm the only one that will ever notice. Maybe we're starting to see an architectural style of reused materials with its own look, which makes a statement about valuing recycled materials as a society. In the past, homes made of recycled tires or bottles have been unique, but now with the ReSource yard, perhaps reusing materials may become more mainstream.

The whole process of getting to know the wood and installing it, was a rewarding experience that subtly changed my value system, and gave me an appreciation for the recycling efforts in our region. If we, as a community are to achieve our zero waste goals, we will need to make a little cultural shift toward the artistic appreciation of reused architectural elements.

Then to come full circle, I dropped off some materials that I no longer needed, at Ned Clean-Up Day. The Center for ReSource Conservation was at Ned Clean-Up Day to salvage my things and categorize them in the ReSource Yard for someone else to reclaim and use for their home. Hopefully, they won't sand it completely down, but leave a few of my nicks and scratches to proudly show it was reclaimed.

[Related Story: Ned Clean-Up Day]

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Steely Dan (Walter Becker and Donald Fagen) performing My Old School (looks like the American Bandstand studio) but was originally recorded at Caribou Ranch in Nederland (1973) on their Countdown to Ecstasy album. [What is a Video Valediction?]

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

2014-08-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

Grandpa Bredo Morstel and Mayor Joe Gierlach

The fundraising campaign for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," has gone viral. [click here to make your contribution] This publicity technique is particularly ripe for mayors.

Being a mayor inherently implies that within your first term in office, someone will ask that you have a pie thrown at you, tape you to a wall, or dump ice water on your head in the name of charity. I sat in for the dunk tank at last year's Nederland Miner's Days event.

Mayor Mike Waid from Parker, Colorado has embraced this aspect of mayorship completely, and he has shaved his head, and dyed his hair purple for charity. He challenged all the 41 Mayors in the Denver Metro Mayors Caucus to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. [click here for the video]

Today, the Boulder County Commissioners challenged all the Mayors in Boulder County for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. [click here for their video on Facebook] Certainly more entertaining than my video, but because we have a winter festival each year celebrating our cryogenically frozen resident, I expect that it can't be worse than the Polar Plunge.

I figure it's pretty much in our job description, so I re-challenge the other mayors in Boulder County.

Ned featured in National Travel Mag

2014-05-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Summer 2014 edition of ALIVE Magazine
Published by the Colorado Tourism Office

On a few occasions in the past few years, I've had the opportunity to interact with Al White, Director of the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO). He portrays a sense of accomplishment, as he always comes prepared with statistics about how the tourism industry is one of the largest employers in the state, tourists spend over $10-billion in Colorado, contributing $763 million (in 2007) to taxes, which equates to over $400 in taxes per household. As he rattles-off all those big numbers, it's hard to see how the Colorado Tourism Office would ever have a direct effect on Nederland.

One of the CTO's goals is to generate positive publicity as a premiere, four-season travel destination with diverse attractions and experiences. They have a matching grant program, and in partnership with the Colorado Historical Society, the CTO developed the Heritage Tourism Program to promote the state's rich cultural heritage. The Peak to Peak Highway is also part of their scenic byways promotions.

Ideally, our community would like to have a local, self-sustaining economy, in order to increase our resiliency. We recognize this in Envision 2020:

In 2020, Nederland's economy encourages and welcomes new, non-traditional economic models, the responsible management of tourism and the stewardship of the environment. The community consistently recognizes and responsibly encourages the thoughtful and meaningful relationship between recreation, culture and the economy.

As much as we would like to migrate away from relying on tourism from a long range planning perspective, there is no doubt that currently a substantial part of Nederland's economy is tourist related. It became blatantly apparent (feeling the direct impact) when the 2013 Flood cut off Boulder Canyon road to Nederland during prime leaf-peeping season. I even discussed it with U.S. Senator Michael Bennet:

[Related Story: Senator Bennet Understands What Leaf Peepers Are, and Why We Need Them.]

Boulder Canyon re-opened after 22 days, but the economic damage was already done, and we couldn't glue the leaves back on the trees.

Spread on Page 45 of ALIVE Magazine

Then, I got a call from the publisher of ALIVE Magazine, saying that Nederland would get a small feature and they wanted a photo. This travel magazine is sent out everywhere in the U.S. (except Colorado) in order to inspire people to plan their visit here. This issue printed 50,000 copies, and the Colorado Tourism Office sends out over 800,000 copies of the Official State Vacation Guide each year.

I contacted local photographer, James DeWalt to submit a few shots of Ned for their art director. It's a detailed process with layers of approval, and although I explicitly told them to give the photo credit to James, it was skipped in the process. They ended up selecting the covered bridge shot, and I would like to formally give the photo credit to James DeWalt now. He does incredible work. Click here for his portfolio on 500px, and here on 8500LightLab.

During the same months that it took to produce this magazine, I sat in meetings and conference calls regarding the flood recovery, thinking that it would be a good idea for the state to advertise that many of the flood effected areas are now open for business. Even Governor Hickenlooper mentioned that Nederland is open for business when we cut the ribbon, opening the Canyon Boulevard to Ned.

[Related Story: Ribbon Cut, Boulder Canyon Open, Full RTD Schedule Resumes]

Written by Joy Hamilton, the article appears on Page 45, titled: Detour This Way, 5 Worth-It Side Trips, and Nederland is the number one side trip. Here is the text:

Photo by James DeWalt in the article.

You can confidently claim that Nederland, just a half hour outside of Boulder, will be unlike any other town in your vacation repertoire. Case in point: Each March the town celebrates the frozen remains of Bredo Morstoel, a man who died of a heart attack in 1989. His family keeps his body preserved in dry ice in the hills of Nederland in the hopes that future science can revive him. Bizarre? Yes. Cause for a fantastic festival? Yes! Summertime renders an equally fun festival called NedFest (Aug. 22-24, 2014). Celebrate Nederland's nutty culture with craft brews, art and live music that put the perfect soundtrack to the sunny season.

Stroll downtown and experience the ambiance by browsing around local shops and restaurants. Don't miss the Carousel of Happiness, a restored 1910 carousel accompanied by an original Wurlitzer organ. Next door is the Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center. Get the scoop on local trails and learn about the ecology and wildlife that make this area a hub for anyone with a pair of hiking boots.

Consider driving to Nederland or take public transportation from downtown Boulder. It's also conveniently located on the Peak to Peak Highway, which skirts the Rockies through the towns of Estes Park, Central City and Black Hawk.

I'm not sure if this will draw anyone to Nederland and recoup the economic loss from last year's leaf peeping season, but we appreciate the gesture.

As a follow-up, 5280 Magazine covered this story: Summer Road Trip: Nederland
Featuring Nederland as a tourist road trip destination.

[Here is a Video Valediction] Thinking of cheesy cowboy marketing, cultural icon from the Detroit area, Madonna, hired award-winning Jean-Baptiste Mondino, who brilliantly directed this cowboy music video Don't Tell Me (2000) Notice the subtle camera bumps and edits precisely to the beat of the electronic drum machine. Flawless. Genius. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Rebuild Right – the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado

2014-04-28T07:00:00.001-06:00

The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado

I had the opportunity to attend the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado's 10th Annual Legislative Briefing in the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the State Capitol. This year's theme was, Rebuild Right: Safeguarding our Future with Resilient Communities and it included briefings from legislators about the bills they were sponsoring for flood recovery efforts as well as sustainability related legislation.

The Alliance's Rebuild Right Campaign is a process to initiate natural disaster adaptation and resilience planning to help Colorado become more economically stable and safer for all. Their goal is to develop a prioritized plan to reduce risk and adapt to potential future natural disasters that can be implemented as part of disaster recovery efforts; and for all recommendations to be vetted to ensure they forward the realization of Full-Spectrum Sustainability.

In part of the planning meeting, I explained that in Nederland we were forced into a similar social experiment in sustainability when Boulder Canyon closed immediately after the flood. Some of our locals at Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center began a series of meetings to address self-sufficiency, self-reliance, local food production, transportation and simple survival skills on a community level. Our community reaction during the emergency situation could be applied in a holistic manner, to habits and behavior during non-emergency times to prepare. Through this process, we could further define sustainability, and embrace opportunities to encourage simple local solutions for current issues. I explained more details in a blog post at the time.

[See Related Story: Can We Live for Two Weeks, Without Driving to Boulder?]

The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado's Rebuild Right Campaign was applying similar logic considering that Colorado has been besieged by natural disasters. There are reasonable expectations that there will be more fires, floods and other catastrophic emergencies in the future. (In fact, due to the above average snow pack, Boulder County does expect some type of emergency event to occur when spring run-off season begins) When disasters occur, there is an urgent need to rebuild public works infrastructure, buildings, utilities, and social/communication networks quickly. Now is the time to plan how to rebuild these systems to make them more resilient to future disasters, before the next disaster occurs.

How is the 'Rebuild Right' idea Played-Out on a State Level?

Mayor Gierlach in a crowd listening to Senator
Matt Jones at the Rebuild Right Legislative Briefing

At the briefing I heard from many Colorado Legislators about the bills they were sponsoring and how they affect sustainability. In particular, Senator John Kefalas discussed the 12 member, bi-partisan Flood Disaster Recovery Study Committee as well as HB14-1005 which would allow the owner of a ditch to relocate the ditch's headgate if changes to the stream prevent the headgate from effectuating the diversion; Representative Diane Mitsch Busch spoke about HB14-1030 which would streamline the process for small hydropower permitting, as well as HB14-1301 which would create more healthy, sustainable communities by fully funding the Colorado Safe Routes to School program; Representative Randy Fischer spoke about SB14-103 which would phase in more water efficient plumbing fixtures, and SB14-29 which would create a paint stewardship for Colorado; and Senator Gail Schwartz discussed a number of pieces of water legislation.

I also heard from House Majority Leader Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Senate Majority Leader Rollie Heath, Representatives Max Tyler, Jonathan Singer, Janak Joshi, Mike Foote, David Balmer, Rhonda Fields, Dan Pabon and Brittany Pettersen, as well as Senators Matt Jones, Andy Kerr, and Rachel Zenzinger. It was a full house, and I was recognized by Representative Jonathan Singer as I sat in the center of the audience pictured above.

As the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado advocates for policy change regarding healthy vibrant communities, promoting economic vitality, and mindful stewardship of natural resources, they maintain a list of sustainability related bills and legislative tracking. If you are interested in keeping informed about sustainability related legislation, you can also follow the Alliance's Twitter Page, and see event highlights/photos from the briefing on their Facebook Page here. Their blog posts are pretty interesting too.

This year, I've continued my hobby of advocating for Nederland's local control, by lobbying at the capitol for many of these bills, with quite a bit of success. So, I believe that our legislators do listen to the voice of small towns and have a desire to help us shape our community in our unique way.

[Related Story: Loitering at the State Capitol, without Getting Thrown Out]

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is performance artist, Heather Hansen with her experiment in kinetic drawing, Emptied Gestures. She explores ways to translate movement directly onto paper, emptying gestures from one form to another. [What is a Video Valediction?]

Celebrate Wild Earth Day

2014-04-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Wild Bear Executive Director, Jill Dreves
... and a bald eagle. Photo by PhotoFu

Come up to Nederland for the 13th Annual Wild Earth Day, which is the largest Earth Day event in Boulder County.

Sunday, April 27th 2014
11:00am – 4:00pm
(You can take the pleasurable ride up Boulder Canyon, on the RTD N Bus)

Wild Earth Day is hosted by the Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center in Nederland, and you can see all the details on their website here. The event is free, and always proves to be a great day of entertainment, education, and celebration of our planet earth.

I find it befitting that Wild Earth Day is hosted in Nederland because our community has a history of attracting environmentally minded folks to the area since Earth Day began in 1970. For some interesting details about Earth Day, scroll down to "Earth Day Perspective" at the bottom of this post.

The Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center hosts two signature events each year. First, is Wild Earth Day held each spring. The other is The Enchanted Forest held in the fall. There is more information about Wild Bear's incredible Executive Director, Jill Dreves in this related Enchanted Forest story:

[Related Story: See the Enchanted Forest in Nederland]

Here is the Daily Camera article (including a video) explaining the fabulous program that Wild Bear puts on each year, and how it was moved to Nederland from NCAR.

Billion Acts of Green (2012):

Every time I walk out of the Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center, I just feel good. So a couple of years ago, when the 'Billion Acts of Green' campaign contacted me, and asked if we would like to participate in their program (including submitting a 10 second video in a matter of a couple of days) I knew it would involve Wild Bear.

I also knew that local Nederland business, Delectable Planet produced hundreds of cooking videos, so I asked if they could turn around the video editing that afternoon, and they agreed. We went over to the Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center and filmed this video and had it edited in an hour.

The Nederland Board of Trustees approved signing a proclamation for Earth Day. The result was this video which was played (along with other towns) on the National Mall in Washington D.C. on April 22, and again in Rio de Janeiro in June (along with a billion others).

Earth Day Perspective:

Earth Day (April 22) was launched in 1970 to leverage the emerging consciousness about air and water pollution and led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts (administered in part by NOAA in Boulder).

Sometimes, I feel as though we take Earth Day for granted. Earth Day is a good time to reflect on how far we have come from those days in the 1970's when we thought nothing of driving huge leaded-gas guzzling cars. When it began, it was quite a profound change for America, and looking back, the United States was on a track we can only think of, in terms of second-world countries.

At the time, American rivers were so polluted, that it was common for them to catch fire, including the North, Chicago, Buffalo, Fallsaway, Passiac and Rogue rivers, as well as the Houston Ship Channel. Pollution was considered an acceptable by-product of industry. But it wasn't until the Cuyahoga River caught fire (in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio) that it became the cover story in TIME Magazine:

Some River! Chocolate-brown, oily, bubbling with subsurface gases, it oozes rather than flows. "Anyone who falls into the Cuyahoga does not drown," Cleveland's citizens joke grimly. "He decays". . . The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration dryly notes: "The lower Cuyahoga has no visible signs of life, not even low forms such as leeches and sludge worms that usually thrive on wastes." It is also -- literally -- a fire hazard.

The problem wasn't confined to large industrialized cities in the Rust Belt either. Even the small town of Nederland was at risk of being shut down as a town, until Mayor Paul Luedtke addressed our water system in 1971.

[Related Story: The Legacy of Ned Mayor Paul Luedtke]

With respect to air quality, the Denver area once had the highest carbon monoxide levels in the country. In the 1970's and early 1980's the Denver area exceed all EPA air quality standards nearly 200 days out of the year. Denver's infamous "Brown Cloud" hung over the city and also became news on national magazine covers. Fortunately, through impressive work by the Denver Metropolitan Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) the Denver area isn't even on the list for air polluted cities anymore. (click here to see the air quality in your zip code)

It all reminds me of this Keep America Beautiful public service announcement created by the Ad Council in the 1970's. For those readers too young to remember, the United States really did look like that.

Today, Nederland is recognized for its exceptionally clean air, clean water (which comes straight from a mountain glacier) and thriving wildlife. However, we have new environmental challenges that we could not have anticipated in the 1970's, so come and celebrate Wild Earth Day, and be inspired by the folks at Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center in Nederland.

[Related Story: Pacific Trash Vortex and the Single-Use Plastic Bag Debate]

[Here is a Video Valediction] This is Ziggy Marley performing Dragonfly. [What is a Video Valediction?]