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City of Boulder News Briefs
Aug 1st
Boulder Parks and Recreation fall recreation guide arrives soon; registration begins Aug. 6
The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department’s fall registration begins online at 8:30 a.m., on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Boulder area residents should receive the new recreation guide in their mailboxes the week of Aug. 4. The guides are also available in city recreation centers and many local stores and restaurants. The fall recreation guide is currently available online at www.BoulderParks-Rec.org.
Parks and Recreation Department’s annual tulip bulb giveaway Aug. 8
The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department’s annual tulip bulb giveaway will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8, on the 1300 block of the Pearl Street Mall (in front of the Boulder County Courthouse). There will be 320 bags of tulip bulbs available, and the bulbs are given away first come, first served.
Parks and Recreation staff changes the variety and color of the tulips planted on the Pearl Street Mall every year to provide a unique and impressive display each spring. Last fall, staff planted about 11,000 new tulip bulbs. After the bloom, staff removes the bulbs to make way for summer plantings, storing them until the annual tulip bulb giveaway each August. Pearl Street Mall tulips are imported directly from Holland from a wholesale provider. A small donation is requested for each bag.
Parks and Recreation has been giving away the tulip bulbs in this annual giveaway format on the Pearl Street Mall since 2006, and department staff estimate that around 56,000 tulip bulbs have been given away since then. For more information, call parks and recreation, at 303-413-7200.
South Boulder Recreation Center annual maintenance shutdown Aug. 10 through Aug. 18 with additional closures through Sept. 3
The South Boulder Recreation Center (SBRC), located at 1360 Gillaspie Drive, will be closed from Saturday, Aug. 10, through Sunday, Aug. 18, for the annual maintenance shutdown. The recreation center’s upstairs and the locker rooms will reopen on Monday, Aug. 19; however other maintenance items will require a longer shutdown.
One of the larger projects for this year’s annual maintenance shutdown is to re-plaster the lap pool, which takes longer than the normal shutdown. The lap pool will be closed through Sunday, Aug. 25, reopening on Monday, Aug. 26. In addition, the basketball gym, racquetball court, and downstairs studio will be closed through Monday, Sept. 2, and reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 3, due to upgrades to the ramp required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The North Boulder Recreation Center, Boulder Reservoir, Spruce Pool and Scott Carpenter Pool are open regular hours during the SBRC shutdown. The East Boulder Community Center will be open extended hours on Sundays during the SBRC shutdown. For a full schedule, visit www.BoulderParks-Rec.org. For more information, call Whitney Oftedahl, parks and recreation, at 303-413-7214.
City of Boulder Seeks Applications for Human Services Fund Advisory Committee
The City of Boulder Department of Human Services seeks qualified candidates for the Human Services Fund Advisory Committee (HSFAC). The HSFAC annually reviews proposals to the Human Services Fund and makes recommendations to staff and the city manager about the allocation of funding to community agencies to promote community health and well-being.
HSFAC members serve two-year terms and may be appointed for an additional two-year term. Committee members are expected to actively engage in the annual proposal review and deliberation process, which requires approximately 30 hours for deliberations, plus additional time outside of meetings for proposal review. In 2013, the fund round process will take place from August through December.
Expertise in one or more of the following areas is preferred: human services research and analysis, finance, youth development, early childhood, health/mental health, senior services, or community planning. Applicants must reside in the City of Boulder and may not currently serve on any other city or Human Services Department funding or advisory committees, boards or commissions.
To apply for the HSFAC or for more information, visit https://bouldercolorado.gov/human-services-plan/human-services-fund-advisory-committee-hsfac to download the application. Applications should be submitted electronically and are due by Aug. 19, 2013, at 4:30 p.m.
For more information, please contact Wanda Pelegrina Caldas at PelegrinaW@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-4059.
Boulder Municipal Court closed all day Aug. 9
The Boulder Municipal Court will be closed all day on Friday, Aug. 9, for a staff meeting.
Murder investigation of CU student, Sid Wells, nears 30 years; suspect remains on the run (or dead)
Jul 31st
August 1, 2013 will mark the 30-year anniversary of the shooting death of Sid Wells, a 22-year-old journalism student enrolled at the University of Colorado. The case received prominent media attention because at the time of his death, Wells was dating actor Robert Redford’s daughter, Shauna.
Thayne Smika mugshot
Wells had been shot in the head, and was found dead inside his Spanish Towers condo by his brother on August 1, 1983. Police suspected Wells’ roommate, Thayne Smika, and arrested him a few months after the homicide when investigators linked him to the murder. However, Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case. Smika left the area and in 1986, his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, CA.
In 2011, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office agreed to review the case and approved an arrest affidavit for Smika. Unable to locate Smika, police are again asking for the public’s help finding him. Investigators believe Smika is living under an assumed identity and have contacted Smika’s relatives (several of whom still live in Colorado) in attempts to find out where he is and what identity he has been using. Smika’s relatives have not provided any helpful information to the Boulder Police Department.
Deputy Chief Dave Hayes, who was one of the first detectives to investigate the case in 1983, is hoping that someone can provide information about Smika’s whereabouts. “It’s past time for justice for Sid Wells and his family,” said Hayes. “Thayne Smika escaped a first degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of freedom while the Wells’ family has been grieving for three decades.”
Age progression to present
Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact them. Detective Tom Dowd may be reached at 303-441-3385. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
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CU: Sustainability training program to be offered ($$$) online
Jul 30th
The University of Colorado Boulder this week began offering its sustainability training and non-credit certificate program entirely online, making the option available to participants across the nation.
CU-Boulder’s Sustainable Practices Program offers seminars and two non-credit certificates in business sustainability and community sustainability. The curriculum is designed to help professionals meet the growing need for “green” skills and credentials in the public and private work sectors.
“Our programs are grounded in the quality sustainability leadership that people expect from CU-Boulder,” said program director Kelly Simmons. “We’re excited that the expansion to online opens the opportunity for participants in Colorado and beyond, giving them access to thought-leading research and practices taught by CU-Boulder faculty and industry experts.”
The Sustainable Practices Program’s online curriculum, streamlined with the help of Kevin Krizek, curriculum director and CU-Boulder environmental design professor, combines video, presentations, discussions and live student-faculty interaction. Topics range from organizational change to zero waste.
The six-week seminars may be taken individually or in a series of four to earn one of the non-credit certificates. Program tuition ranges from $2,000 to $6,500 plus a registration fee.
The six-year-old Sustainable Practices Program has offered dozens of live, location-based trainings to hundreds of participants from undergraduate students to working professionals. The program, one of the first in the nation, is managed by the CU Environmental Center in partnership with Chicago-based All Campus, a student enrollment services firm that helps universities increase the visibility of their online programs and facilitates the successful recruitment of students.
For more than half a century, CU-Boulder has been a leader in climate and energy research, interdisciplinary environmental studies and sustainable practices. In 2009, it was ranked the top green campus in the nation by Sierra magazine. In 2010, it was the first campus to attain a Gold rating under the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Ratings System. The campus has a number of LEED Platinum- and Gold-rated buildings. Also, CU-Boulder’s student-run Environmental Center, which manages the Sustainable Practices Program, is among the nation’s oldest, largest and most accomplished entities of its kind.
For more information about CU-Boulder’s Sustainable Practices program visit http://sustainable.colorado.edu/.
CU press release
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