Posts tagged right
CU: “Our Hill” gets pilot project
Sep 28th
The City of Boulder and a group of engaged University Hill community members are launching a pilot program this fall that will test-drive the creation of a new services district concept in the Hill neighborhood to support ongoing revitalization efforts. The idea of the district is to share costs and create economies of scale for basic maintenance services, such as litter, graffiti and snow removal. The target area is the neighborhood zoned as high-density residential, adjacent to the Hill commercial district.
This concept is one of two “big ideas” presented to City Council in April 2010 by the Hill Ownership Group, an ad-hoc group of University Hill property managers, residents, business owners, CU employees and students, and city staff working together to support neighborhood improvements. The other “big idea” is the creation of an innovative/creative/arts district in the Hill commercial area.
The high-density residential services district is conceptual at this point, with boundaries, services and governance structure still to be determined. The Hill Ownership Group is continuing to explore the concept of a taxing district that could potentially address the following services:
· Litter pickup in the public right of way and potentially, with appropriate waivers, in specific areas on private property, such as front yards;
· Graffiti removal in the public right of way and potentially, with appropriate waivers, on specific types of private property;
· Weed removal in the public right of way;
· Sidewalk snow removal;
· Notification procedures for more serious quality of life offenses;
· A coordinated approach to recycling; and
· Additional trash service pickups at specific times, such as during move in and move out periods.
“Most of the property owners and managers on the Hill are already paying individually for these services. By pooling funds to purchase the same services, the district could create economies of scale,” said Ron Mitchell, Hill property owner and committee member.
The pilot project, which will run from Sept. 30 through Nov. 7, 2011, is designed to gather information and determine whether there are positive effects of coordinated maintenance in a limited area. The area covered by the pilot program will generally be between 10th and 13th streets, and between College and Pleasant avenues. The services provided during the pilot project include litter pick-up, graffiti removal, limited landscaping clean-up, and limited snow removal, depending on weather.
A subcommittee of the Hill Ownership Group is in the process of contacting property owners and managers in the pilot area to inform them of the project and obtain permission to remove litter and graffiti from portions of their properties.
The city will provide supervisory staff, and donated funds will pay for temporary labor and supplies (paint, garbage bags and tools). Sponsors of the pilot project include University of Colorado administration and student government, Roche Colorado, the University Hill Neighborhood Association, Boulder International Youth Hostel, Four Star Realty, Michael Boyers and Western Disposal Services. The pilot will include students from the restorative justice program for a few larger clean-ups. An important component of the pilot project will be documentation of before and after conditions and accounting for budgeting and planning purposes.
If, after the completion of the pilot program, there is support from property owners and residents to create a taxing district, the city will put the concept to a vote. The election, likely to occur in November 2012, would be limited to voters and property owners within the proposed district boundaries.
“This is an idea created by a cross-section of the Hill community, the very people who make the Hill the vibrant and innovative community it is. The city is excited to see what types of impact a residential services district can have,” said Molly Winter, director of Boulder’s Downtown and University Hill Management Division. “We are hopeful that if the Hill is a cleaner and well-kept community, those who live, work and play there will want to become partners in upholding a more desirable quality of life for everyone.”
For more information about the pilot program, the work of the Hill Ownership Group or the possibility of a taxing district, please contact Jennifer Korbelik,
CU Boulder Jobs up 23% for grads
Sep 27th
For the second year in a row, the University of Colorado Boulder saw an increase in companies seeking to hire CU-Boulder graduates with full-time job postings on campus jumping 23 percent for the 2010-11 school year, compared with 2009-10.
The number of interviews companies conducted on campus also saw an uptick, increasing 9.6 percent during the same period, a testament to the quality of a CU degree even in a weak job market, according to Lisa Severy, director of CU-Boulder’s Career Services office.
“Our recent graduates are having a lot of success in the job search, especially people who are prepared and engaged in their job search,” Severy said. “The best ways to be engaged while you are a student is to take advantage of campus career fairs and information sessions, use the campus job posting tools and network outside of school.”
In terms of sheer volume of job listings, technical skills are in high demand, Severy said. For example, graduates with degrees in computer science and electrical engineering are always in high demand. A relatively new trend in the job market is companies seeking social media specialists, she said.
“This is a niche many graduates can fill, because companies don’t have this expertise yet,” Severy said. “Graduates of any major who are knowledgeable about social media and enjoy working with it should have a lot of opportunities right now.”With so many applicants for every job, one would think it would make recruiters’ jobs easier, but that is not necessarily the case, according to Severy.
“We hear from recruiters that they are avoiding the mass marketing of jobs because they get way too many applicants,” Severy said. “Instead, they target small, quality pools of candidates that they can trust, which includes our system that is open only to CU-Boulder students and graduates.”
Since 2009, CU-Boulder has offered job search assistance to alumni, free of charge. Services such as the university’s online job-posting tool can be a real benefit because only alumni can access the system, she said.
The increase in recruiting activities also is impacting the upcoming fall career and internship fair on campus. While the event usually is held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom, this year more space was required, Severy said.
“We’re sticking employers everywhere we can find space to provide as many opportunities to our students and graduates as possible,” she said.
The fall career and internship fair for CU-Boulder students and alumni will be held Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the UMC. The fair is open only to CU-Boulder students and alumni.
For more information about Career Services and the fall career and internship fair visit http://careerservices.colorado.edu/public/
Boulder library has eBook for Kindle
Sep 26th
Boulder Public Library (BPL) is pleased to announce that its downloadable eBook collection is now compatible with the top-selling eBook reader, the Amazon® Kindle. Patrons can now download popular and classic eBooks to a Kindle device or any mobile device running the free Kindle app, such as iPhone®, iPad®, Android™, and more, all with their free library card.
To get started, visit www.boulderlibrary.org and click on the “Audiobooks, eBooks & more” link on the top right of the page. BPL also offers eBooks and audiobooks for use on a PC or Mac computer and popular mobile devices such as a Smartphone or MP3 player, and eBook readers like the Barnes & Noble® Nook™ and Sony® Reader.
Kindle users can browse Boulder Public Library’s collection of bestselling and classic eBooks from a PC or Mac computer, check out titles using their Boulder Public Library card, and select “Get for Kindle” to deliver eBooks to their Kindle or any device running the free Kindle app. Users who enjoy eBooks on Kindle will benefit from Amazon’s Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps.
Boulder Public Library currently has 1,150 eBooks available in its collection, and that collection will continue to grow. Visit the BPL website to download eBooks for free for your Kindle: www.boulderlibrary.org and click on the “Audiobooks, eBooks & more” link on the top right of the page, or call BPL’s Reference librarians at 303-441-3194 for assistance.
A high demand exists for the library’s eBooks collection, so patrons are encouraged to place holds if the book they are interested is not immediately available. The library will continue to build its eBook collection, so keep checking back for more titles.