Posts tagged Boulder
My landlord, the rabbit and the rattler By Ron Baird
Aug 1st
My landlord, Jack, comes by from time to time and more often than not we sit and talk. He’s in his early 80s and looks like the farm kid he once was, with thick arms, big hands and a chest that hasn’t fallen much to the ravages of time.
His shock of gray hair has usually been wet-combed across his head, kind of like Opie of Mayberry at 75 if he hadn’t gone bald. He favors flannel shirts, jeans and workboots and often has a pipe clamped in his teeth, puffing away without inhaling.
He talks about climbing Colorado’s mountains back in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, when trips were made in old jalopies, the roads were narrow and winding and gear was primitive and heavy. He was at the University of Colorado then and he and a bunch of his climbing buddies scaled most of the 14ers in the state.
He graduated with a degree in some kind of engineering and has gone on to a full life of work and family here in Boulder. His wife is healthy, his kids are healthy and happy and have families of their own.
He’s building a steel-hulled boat in his back yard, has been for years, and fully expects to launch it into the ocean at some point in the future.
Jack is also a native of Boulder, grew up on a farm/ranch a ways north of town. He calls it a farm but I know that ground and there isn’t much that can be grown on it except cactus and wild grass and as it turns out subdivisions and mountain mansions. He was relating how lonely it was living out there as a kid.
I don’t know how we got around to it, but we were discussing rattlers, which were common back then. And he told me a story.
“One day when I was about 10, we heard the damnedest ruckus coming from the field behind the house and we went out to see what the hell was going on. When we got out there, there was a mother rabbit standing between a rattler and her babies, which were in a nest in the grass. I guess the rattler wanted to make a meal out of them babies and the mother was having none of it. When the snake started forward, she’d move towards it. The snake would coil and she would lunge, drawing a strike. At the last second, she would spin away and kick the snake in the head with both hind feet, knocking it away. The snake would gather itself and start forward and she’d do the same thing again. It was the damnedest thing I ever saw.
“Now, you have to understand that we weren’t very sentimental about such things back in those days. So we just watched. And besides, we’d never seen anything like that. Who could have imagined a momma rabbit would, or could, do something like that to protect her babies? But this went on for, I would guess, 20 minutes. Every time that snake started forward, she would kick it again. You could tell they were both getting pretty tired but the snake wasn’t giving up and neither was she. But the snake was bleeding from the eyes and mouth, and the bleeding was getting worse and worse. And it seemed to be disoriented and would lay there longer and longer before trying again. The rabbit would lay down, and its sides were fluttering she was breathing so hard. But when the snake got up so would the rabbit.
“Finally, the snake didn’t move anymore. I don’t think it was dead exactly, but it was dying. It’s head looked like somebody had hit it with a baseball bat. I wasn’t sure the mother rabbit was going to make it, either, but I’ll be damned if she didn’t finally she get up and hop to the nest where she had her babies.
“As I said, we weren’t too sentimental back then. We knew nature was hard. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how brave that momma rabbit was, so I went back to the barn and got a shovel and went out and cut that rattler’s head off, just to be safe. I think she earned that⎯not having to worry about that snake any more.”
Jack, even 65 years later, still shakes his head in admiration, as he finishes the story. “I’ve never stopped thinking about it.”
And now that I’ve heard the story, I can’t get the death duel of the momma rabbit and the rattler out of my head, either.
His shock of gray hair has usually been wet-combed across his head, kind of like Opie of Mayberry at 75 if he hadn’t gone bald. He favors flannel shirts, jeans and workboots and often has a pipe clamped in his teeth, puffing away without inhaling.
He talks about climbing Colorado’s mountains back in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, when trips were made in old jalopies, the roads were narrow and winding and gear was primitive and heavy. He was at the University of Colorado then and he and a bunch of his climbing buddies scaled most of the 14ers in the state.
He graduated with a degree in some kind of engineering and has gone on to a full life of work and family here in Boulder. His wife is healthy, his kids are healthy and happy and have families of their own.
He’s building a steel-hulled boat in his back yard, has been for years, and fully expects to launch it into the ocean at some point in the future.
Jack is also a native of Boulder, grew up on a farm/ranch a ways north of town. He calls it a farm but I know that ground and there isn’t much that can be grown on it except cactus and wild grass and as it turns out subdivisions and mountain mansions. He was relating how lonely it was living out there as a kid.
I don’t know how we got around to it, but we were discussing rattlers, which were common back then. And he told me a story.
“One day when I was about 10, we heard the damnedest ruckus coming from the field behind the house and we went out to see what the hell was going on. When we got out there, there was a mother rabbit standing between a rattler and her babies, which were in a nest in the grass. I guess the rattler wanted to make a meal out of them babies and the mother was having none of it. When the snake started forward, she’d move towards it. The snake would coil and she would lunge, drawing a strike. At the last second, she would spin away and kick the snake in the head with both hind feet, knocking it away. The snake would gather itself and start forward and she’d do the same thing again. It was the damnedest thing I ever saw.
“Now, you have to understand that we weren’t very sentimental about such things back in those days. So we just watched. And besides, we’d never seen anything like that. Who could have imagined a momma rabbit would, or could, do something like that to protect her babies? But this went on for, I would guess, 20 minutes. Every time that snake started forward, she would kick it again. You could tell they were both getting pretty tired but the snake wasn’t giving up and neither was she. But the snake was bleeding from the eyes and mouth, and the bleeding was getting worse and worse. And it seemed to be disoriented and would lay there longer and longer before trying again. The rabbit would lay down, and its sides were fluttering she was breathing so hard. But when the snake got up so would the rabbit.
“Finally, the snake didn’t move anymore. I don’t think it was dead exactly, but it was dying. It’s head looked like somebody had hit it with a baseball bat. I wasn’t sure the mother rabbit was going to make it, either, but I’ll be damned if she didn’t finally she get up and hop to the nest where she had her babies.
“As I said, we weren’t too sentimental back then. We knew nature was hard. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how brave that momma rabbit was, so I went back to the barn and got a shovel and went out and cut that rattler’s head off, just to be safe. I think she earned that⎯not having to worry about that snake any more.”
Jack, even 65 years later, still shakes his head in admiration, as he finishes the story. “I’ve never stopped thinking about it.”
And now that I’ve heard the story, I can’t get the death duel of the momma rabbit and the rattler out of my head, either.
Survey shows Boulder voters support creation of a city-owned electric utility by a wide margin
Aug 1st
Seventy-one percent of City of Boulder voters indicated that they either strongly support or support municipalization, according to the results of a statistically valid telephone survey conducted last month. The results were made public by the city today in advance of an important council meeting tomorrow night.
Other key findings include:
Seventy-one percent of those surveyed said the city would be better at offering renewable sources of energy and reducing carbon emissions than Xcel Energy.
A smaller, but majority, percentage (57 percent) thought the city could do a better job at finding innovative solutions to energy problems than Xcel Energy.
Xcel Energy, on the other hand, scored higher (67 percent) in providing reliable energy and (52 percent) in keeping monthly energy bills stable.
Reliability, service, control, energy sources and cost all received high marks as community priorities. Three of these were weighted against each other – low cost, increased renewable sources and having a say in utility decisions. Increasing renewable sources of energy were considered the prevailing priority among these by a majority of residents.
Sixty-five percent of those surveyed indicated they support the issuance of bonds to purchase Xcel’s system. Seventy-seven percent said they would either strongly support or somewhat support the extension/expansion of either the Climate Action Plan or Utility Occupation Tax to cover interim legal and engineering expenses necessary to determine final acquisition and start-up costs.
Ninety-one percent of those surveyed said they would support an increase of between 5 percent to “as much as it takes” in their monthly electric bills to reduce carbon emissions and/or increase renewable sources of energy.
Voters were even more likely to support the creation of a city-owned electric utility if there was a possibility of spending limits, a re-evaluation of final costs before a decision is made about whether to issue bonds and rates within 10 percent of those offered by Xcel Energy. Education about the existence of the 29 other locally-owned utilities in Colorado also made a positive difference.
“The decision our community makes regarding our energy future will be a historic one. These results show that the City of Boulder has listened carefully to our community as we have set our objectives and studied our energy supply options,” City Manager Jane S. Brautigam said. “While we are on the track that many voters support, we also know that taking a measured and prudent approach to this analysis is crucial. We pledge to continue working responsibly and objectively to understand the potential impacts and benefits to all segments of our community.”
The survey, conducted by National Research Center Inc. in Boulder, reached 1,265 registered voters and resulted in 400 completed responses. The response rate of 32 percent was one of the biggest the survey firm has seen in recent years. The results have a margin of error of +/-4.5 percent. The survey occurred between July 6 and July 18.
Tomorrow night’s council meeting will begin at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 2, in Council Chambers, 1777 Broadway. Elected officials are expected to hear a brief presentation about the survey findings and ask questions before discussing and then voting on ballot language related to how Boulder gets it energy in the future. There will be an opportunity for public input. The decisions council makes at this meeting are expected to form the basis for a third – and final – reading of ballot language on Tuesday, Aug. 16. The election is Tuesday, Nov. 1.
The complete survey report is available at http://www.boulderenergyfuture.com.
former city council women Angelique Espinoza Spin doctor for Boulder Chamber blogs and blabs:
Jul 29th
Hi, just a reminder that you’re receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in the Boulder Chamber’s policy and advocacy efforts. Don’t forget to add angelique.espinoza@boulderchamber.com to your address book so we’ll be sure to land in your inbox!
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This month I have a lot to share with you on what’s happening with the potential ballot issue on forming a City owned power utility (municipalization). And I am particular proud to announce that we are the first Chamber of Commerce in the state to come out in support of the Bright Colorado Initiative for statewide education funding.
We are also excited to relaunch a couple of popular event series, the Global Business Forum, and the program “formerly known as” Climate Leaders. Check out our upcoming online naming contest!
Your membership helps the Boulder Chamber engage on your behalf to ensure a strong local economy. Don’t hesitate to contact me with any ideas, concerns and suggestions to help make Boulder the best place to do business.
Sincerely,
Angelique Espinoza
Public Affairs Manager
Boulder Chamber
303-442-1044 xt 122
In This Issue
BBI Sponsorship Opportunities
Municipal Power Utility Closer to Ballot
Chamber Endorses Bright Colorado Initiative for Education
City Council Race, On Your Marks…
Quick Links To Ongoing Issues
CITY OF BOULDER:
Floodplain Ordinance(Critical Fac. and Mobile Pop.)Planning Board Meeting August 4th
Capital Improvements Plan
Affordable Housing Task Force
Other Hot Topics
BOULDER COUNTY:
Energy Smart for Business
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The Boulder Business Insider
Issues, Decisions and Events Affecting the Boulder Area Business Community
July 28, 2011
Boulder’s Energy Future is Your Business’s Future: What You’ll See On the Ballot
Correction: In June’s issue I jumped the gun by saying we would see two competing items on November’s ballot. Since then, an Xcel franchise with an innovative wind purchase agreement has come on and off the table. Council is still considering amendments to the proposed ballot language which, if voters approve, would authorize the City to pursue forming a municipal power utility to replace Xcel. Whatever happens, the results will determine your future energy rates.
The Chamber convened a small policy working group of business people, both supportive and skeptical of municipalization, to provide specific recommendations for the proposed ballot language. Main themes were proportional representation of ratepayers on a depoliticized governing board with decision-making power, competitive regional rate parity, a cap on bonding authority, and specific “off-ramp” triggers.
Council was mixed in their response to these recommendations and will vote on these and other details at the August 2nd Council Meeting, which begins at 5 pm and will be televised on Channel 8 in Boulder. If you have something to say to Council on this, you can sign up from 4-5 pm at the Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway, or during the public hearing on the item. Get up to speed with materials and videos available at www.boulderenergyfuture.com. Businesses constitute over two-thirds of Boulder’s energy users and the Chamber will continue to advocate on their behalf.
Boulder Chamber First in State to Endorse Bright Colorado Initiative for Statewide Education Funding
When the Boulder Chamber Board of Directors voted unanimously to support the Bright Colorado Initiative 25, which would provide five years of increased funding for K-12 and Higher Education in Colorado it became the first Chamber of Commerce in the state to do so. “Boulder has been somewhat less impacted by statewide cuts in education,” said CEO Susan Graf. “But our neighboring communities have suffered a lot. We felt it was important to support this stopgap measure to protect the economic vitality of the whole state.”
“Our board had concerns about the tax impact and expressed the need for more education reform” added the Chamber’s Public Affairs Manager, Angelique Espinoza. “With [Senate Bill] 191 passing last year, though, we agreed progress was occurring and that a five-year return to 1999 tax levels was a worthy investment. It fit with our policy agenda statement that supports education as fundamental to our mission.”
Boulder’s State Senator Rollie Heath proposed Initiative 25, and said he did so because he believes Colorado’s recent cuts to education funding are unacceptable. “It’s short-changing our most important resource for the future – our kids and young adults,” said Heath. “Also, you can’t separate education and economic development, especially in today’s knowledge-based economy. We think it’s worth it, and we are thrilled that the Boulder Chamber thinks so too. We really appreciate their support on this important issue.” For more information on the Initiative, visit www.brightcolorado.org
Relaunch of Two Popular Event Series Last evening we relaunched our popular Global Business Forum series with a visit from the Global Business Team from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. They gave us some great information about upcoming grant opportunities for companies looking to open new export markets for their products. A Big Thanks to Caplan & Earnest for sponsoring this series. If you’d like to get on the mailing list for upcoming monthly events, please send me an email with Global Business Forum in the subject.
In August we’ll also be relaunching a series formerly known as Climate Leaders. The new series continues our partnership with the City of Boulder’s EnergySmart program to offer businesses tips and best practices for energy and cost efficiency. The new focus will be to address the specific needs of particular business sectors. Check for details, coming soon on the Chamber website. Don’t miss out on the naming contest for the program!
Boulder City Council Race Almost Underway From August 2nd to August 22nd, aspiring City Council candidates will be garnering the 25 Boulder voter signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot. Five Council Members are up for reelection, Crystal Gray, George Karakehian, Lisa Morzel, Susan Osborne, and Ken Wilson. It seems likely that one or two may choose not to run. This means we may see a crowded field vying for the “open” positions and to unseat the incumbents. Check with your favorite Council Member or potential candidate to see if they are having a “signing party” at the Municipal Building in August.
The City is offering three trainings for potential candidates and committees. Check here for details. For many years aspiring local candidates for public office have come to the Chamber for its College of Political Knowledge series to learn about the realities, best practices and legal requirements of running a successful campaign. An archive of invaluable takeaways is available to anyone interested in becoming a candidate or campaign manager. Contact Angelique Espinoza at 303-442-1044 xt 122 for details.
