Posts tagged Boulder
One-of-a-kind, natural surface bike park to open June 11 in Boulder
Jun 6th
Media interview opportunities available in advance of Valmont Bike Park grand opening
What do you call 40 acres of twisting trails, mild to wild dirt, structural jumps, strategically-placed sand pits, logs, boulders and staircases? While off-road cyclists may soon call it, “Shangri La,” we call it, “Valmont Bike Park.”
Opening for the first time at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11, the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department’s latest park development has already been hailed as an outstanding bike park by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA).
“Cyclists from around the nation will be totally floored by what they see,” said IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel. “Based on its many options for riding natural-surface trails, the diversity of both technical and non-technical features and the outstanding quality of the build, Valmont will be among the top venues in the country for this style of biking.”
The City of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department will open the newly-developed park with a grand opening event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 11. The event will feature an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. with comments from council members, including Deputy Mayor Ken Wilson and Parks and Recreation Director Kirk Kincannon. Food and bicycle gear vendors, a cycling demonstration (on the park’s slopestyle features) and public riding in the park will round out the day’s activities. The event is free and open to the community.
The park contains a pump track, dual slalom and slopestyle riding loop as well as elements for a competition cyclo-cross course. The park also includes training and skill building trails, a toddler playground, event plaza, restrooms, parking and outstanding city and Flatiron views. Developed with the support and partnership of the local cycling community, Boulder Mountainbike Alliance (BMA) and organizations such as the PLAY Boulder Parks Foundation and Great Outdoors Colorado, the 40-acre Valmont Bike Park encompasses natural-surface amenities for multiple riding styles and skill levels.
“We are very excited to open this flagship park,” Kincannon said. “We invested in a collaborative partnership with BMA and the off-road cycling community to design and build this portion of Valmont City Park. The result is a park worthy of our internationally-recognized athletic community—one that will be a daily asset to local kids, families, riders and businesses and also attract events and riders from all over the country and the world.”
Note to Media: Media interviews with Parks and Recreation Department Director Kirk W. Kincannon will be available on a scheduled basis on June 7 and 8. The media is encouraged to attend the grand opening event on June 11. Please contact Shelly Ruspakka by June 7 at RuspakkaS@BoulderColorado.gov or 303-413-7214 to set up a media interview or to discuss plans for the opening event.
The bike park is currently closed due to allow completion of construction. The park will open to cycling on June 11. No footage of park use or demonstrations will be available until June 11.
Volunteers sought for Valmont Bike Park opening day June 11
Jun 6th
Valmont Bike Park officially opens on Saturday, June 11, and the City of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department and Boulder Mountainbike Alliance are seeking volunteer bike park hosts for two-hour shifts that day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Shifts and skills needed include:
Event, stage and booth setup – 7 to 9 a.m.
Empty Eco-Cycle stations – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Course marshals for trail crossings – noon to 5 p.m.
Bouncy castle supervisors – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Traffic control and parking (both bike and car) – 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Post-event cleanup – 5 to 7 p.m.
Volunteers will be trained at a mandatory park host training session held at Valmont Bike Park from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7. Volunteers must register and attend the training. Volunteers should be 16 years of age or older and comfortable interacting with the public. Bicycle riders of all levels are encouraged to respond but riding is not required. Sign up at www.BoulderMountainBike.org or by emailing valmont@bouldermountainbike.org.
Reminder: Valmont Bike Park remains CLOSED to unauthorized visitors and riders until opening day (June 11) to allow for completion of construction.
Long-term volunteers are needed through the summer months as well. For more information, call Shelly Ruspakka, Parks and Recreation, at 303-413-7214.
Plague identified in City of Boulder
Jun 3rd
Go ahead, try to pet me!!(I’ll rip yer face off)
Boulder, CO – A domestic cat living in the 2500 block of 6th Street has tested positive for plague. Additionally, a dead squirrel found at the intersection of 8th and Maxwell Avenue has tested positive for plague. As a result, the Mapleton Hill neighborhood has been posted with signs listing precautionary measures to avoid plague.
This is the first time plague activity has been confirmed in Boulder County this season, and public health officials want to remind residents about how to protect themselves against plague.
“We want people to understand what steps they should take to protect themselves, their family members, and their pets,” said Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) Environmental Health Division Manager Joe Malinowski. “Because plague is most commonly transmitted by fleas, taking steps to avoid flea exposure will be most helpful in preventing this disease.”
Public health officials recommend the following precautions to reduce the likelihood of being exposed to plague:
· AVOID FLEAS! Protect pets with flea powder, and keep pets on a leash and out of wild rodent habitats.
· STAY OUT of areas that wild rodents inhabit. If you enter areas with wild rodents, wear insect repellent and tuck your pants cuffs into your socks to prevent flea bites.
· AVOID all contact with wild rodents, including squirrels; do not feed or handle them.
· NEVER TOUCH sick or dead animals with your bare hands. Use a long-handled shovel to place dead animals in a garbage bag, and then place the bag in an outdoor garbage can.
· PREVENT rodent infestations around your house. Clear plants and materials away from outside walls, reduce access to food items, and set traps.
· TREAT known rodent sites around your home with flea powder or a suitable insecticide.
Plague occurs naturally in Colorado and is an infectious disease spread by fleas to wild rodents and other small mammals, such as squirrels, rats, prairie dogs, and rabbits. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague and occurs after a bite from an infected flea. Plague can spread to humans when infected fleas from squirrels, prairie dogs, and other wild rodents bite a human.
Household pets, such as dogs and especially cats, can either get plague or carry infected fleas home to their owners. In rare instances, plague can be transmitted to people from cats sick with plague. “Keeping cats indoors is the best way to protect them from getting plague,” said Malinowski. “In addition, pet owners should discuss with their veterinarians the best way to protect pets from fleas.”
Symptoms of plague infection include high fever, extreme fatigue, and painful swollen lymph nodes (called bubos). If you observe these symptoms in a person or pet, it is important to contact your health care provider or veterinarian immediately. Plague can be treated with antibiotics, but this treatment is most successful when the disease can be diagnosed quickly.
For more information about plague, please visit the BCPH web site at www.BoulderCountyHealth.org, or call the Health Alert Hotline at 303-441-1460.
