Possible FRCC Campus On Vance Brand Airport Property

By Hsun Chen

Front Range Community College           On Jan. 7, the Longmont City Council considered an update to the current Airport Master Plan for Vance Brand Municipal Airport, located at the intersection of Airport Road and Rogers Road. The previous Airport Master Plan, dating back to 1993, needed major revision in all areas as a result of the old plan’s aircraft use forecasts being exceeded by current use.
            One of the issues discussed was the feasibility of building a large Front Range Community College (FRCC) campus on the south side of the airport to replace the current Longmont and Boulder campuses. The proposed building would use 30 acres of airport property designated for non-aviation purposes. On Jan. 9, the Airport Advisory Board (AAB) decided to recommend that Longmont city council consider this proposal. According to Kory Cash, AAB vice chair, the function of the AAB is to advise City Council on issues regarding the airport. He emphasized that Longmont City Council would make any final decision about the possible FRCC campus at Vance Brand airport. At this point, the only definite thing is that the AAB recommended that the city council look into the option.
            The Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) would ultimately need to put its blessing on the project before it moves ahead, according to John Poynton, Media Representative for FRCC.
            As far back as 1998, FRCC had planned on relocating to the Baker Property, located at the south end of Longmont at Main Street and Quail Road. Twenty-five acres of the 45 total acres at this site were earmarked for FRCC, according to the FRCC Student Academic Achievement Plan from September 2000.
            The property at the northeast corner of this intersection was intended to contain the new FRCC campus, replacing the existing Longmont and Gunbarrel campuses, as well as house multi-use facilities such as a city recreation center, cultural center, and museum. Unfortunately, this site was too small to accommodate both projects. FRCC needs a facility offering 50 acres of total space to support 130,000 to 160,000 square feet of academic floor plan. FRCC’s existing four buildings currently encompass roughly 60,000 square feet spread out over the Longmont and Gunbarrel locations and annexes.
            Since the available land at Vance Brand airport is only 30 acres, the remaining 20 acres required for the project would come from a pending annexation of private land belonging to Maureen Huff, adjoining the airport. “What she is trying to do is to get her property annexed by the City of Longmont,” said Tim Barth, airport manager at Vance Brand. To be approved, the property must show exceptional benefit to the city. The Huff property deal would offer an easement for a water transmission line, five acres for a fire training station,     and 20 acres of land at a reduced price for the proposed FRCC campus, said Barth. The school could be a key financial asset to the airport. Future developments could include additional hangar space for up to 500 planes, restaurants and more. FRCC is also considering creating a new aviation curriculum similar to what Aims Community College offers at Greeley-Weld County Airport, if the new campus at Vance Brand is approved.   Airport manager Barth feels that FRCC could definitely be beneficial to the airport. “It depends on how you look at it – some people think the airport should remain for airport use,” said Barth. “But if FRCC can bring in an estimated $150,000 to $200,000 per year in revenues?  I mean, that’s a no-brainer.”

Sidebar

            If you do business on the south side of the Gunbarrel shopping area, you undoubtedly have noticed that it’s getting harder to find a parking space. The parking crunch may be a result of the students attending classes at the temporary Front Range Community College (FRCC) campus, located between House of Chang and Pizza Hut Carryout. FRCC has experienced significant growth recently, and the Gunbarrel annex campus is necessary to serve its students. Ultimately, FRCC needs to find a home – somewhere big enough to accommodate it.

Student enrollment at FRCC is up 27 percent in Boulder and up 30 percent in Longmont as compared to last semester, according to John Poynton, Media Representative for FRCC.

            “We’ve turned tutoring rooms into classrooms – conference rooms are now classrooms,” said Poynton. “The staff is making an all-star effort to accommodate current demand….  They’re dealing with it in a heroic way.”

            Poynton thinks FRCC is enjoying increasing popularity for a number of reasons. “People are discovering more efficient ways to access quality education – the economy has a lot to do with it.” He also points out that FRCC’s student-to-teacher ratios is better than most four-year colleges, and that FRCC’s 7-day-a-week class schedule and local campuses make access easy.

Photo by Hsun Chen

Thirty thousand square feet of FRCC’s existing campus is hidden in a corner of the Horizon Park Shopping center at 2255 N. Main St. in Longmont, next to the Big Kmart.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Community Pitches In To Help St. Vrain Valley Schools
Wide-Ranging Donations Focus on Classroom Needs



By Charmaine Ortega Getz
 

Grassroots appreciation and material support has swelled in the wake of the St. Vrain Valley School District’s state-imposed belt-tightening.
“I’ve never seen a community come out so strong in support of its schools,” said Niwot High Principal Don Haddad recently.
He hastened to add, “One of the best things about this community is that it’s always been extremely giving.”

But when the school, along with the rest of the district, was forced to come up with 15 percent budget cuts where they would make the least impact on classroom education, support reached a new high.

“Financial contributions went up about 30 percent, donations of supplies increased by about 10 percent,” Haddad said. ”We were given over and above what we had to cut.”

            Nancy Herbert, Public Information Officer for SVVSD, says citizen generosity districtwide has been similarly gratifying. The SVVSD plans to list the gifts it has received on its web site in the near future, ranging from a widow’s mite of $4.20 to a plethora of materials. Herbert finds “the real unsung heroes” are the anonymous givers, “…dropping off extra paper and supplies, sometimes just leaving them at the door if we’re not open.“We want to say a special thank you to those remarkable, anonymous donors. They really brighten our spirits when we come to work,” Herbert said.

            When Catherine Bedell, executive director of Extras! For Education, an offshoot of the Adopt-A-School program was honored at a Feb. 12 St. Vrain Valley Board of Education meeting, she pleaded for a particularly urgent need to handle the many offerings of reusable supplies and equipment: A storage place.Two Longmont United Hospital officers have stepped forward. President and CEO Mitchell Carson and Director of Physician Development, Planning and Marketing Dave Palmisano had been discussing how best to involve the hospital in the education of students when the budget crisis was revealed. “It was pretty evident that all the negative publicity was putting egg on the face of the community,” said Palmisano.
S.O.S   “We regarded the quality of the school district as an asset when it came to recruiting new employees, and we wanted to rally the community to restore that positive image.”So the two founded SOS (Save Our Students), a program that works with Longmont Community Foundation and other groups to match academic needs with help from businesses, corporations and individuals. A donor list can be found on its web site.

            Reports of volunteerism have also surged with offers of assistance to sports programs and classrooms.“Of course, you can put (former Superintendent of Schools) Roger Driver at the top,” Herbert said. “He came out of retirement to help us straighten out our finances. Technically, he’s working for us as a consultant, but we’re only paying him a dollar.”

            Support Our Schools: <http://www.longmontfyi.com/luh/sos.htm> or call Longmont Community Foundation: 303 776-1700

            EXTRAs! for education recycles supplies and equipment to participating schools and some non-profit groups. For more information: 303 823-9460 or <http://www.adoptaschoolprogram.com/EXTRAs!%20for%20education.htm org>.
 
 






Out and About

By Ron Goodman
 

Whose Ladder Truck is it Anyway?

 “It’s ours,” said former fireman Marty Kridel of Niwot.

“ He’s right,” affirmed Selene Hall, “I remember what was promised when we approved the bond issue for the truck.  It was for Niwot.”

 “Not so,” said Ben Ojinaga, Public Information Officer for the Mountain View Fire Protection District. “All the equipment belongs to the district, to everyone in the district.  Now it is located at Station #1, County Line Road, for training purposes.  It was at Station #2 from ‘99 to 2000.  It’s up to Fire Chief Devlin to locate the equipment as he sees fit.”

There are four trucks stationed at Niwot now: an engine, a tanker, a brush truck and the paramedic ambulance. Ojinga said, “That is the right mix for Niwot.”

It is hard to understand what has changed in Niwot during the last several years so that we no longer need a ladder truck.
 

East Side, West Side, All Around the Town

           About a year ago I reported the opening of BabyCakes Boutique, on the north side of Second Ave. as well as Jennie Murphy’s BabyCakes Photography Studio on the south side of Second Ave.  2003 is a new year and north and south tenants have reversed themselves.  BabyCakes Boutique has moved to the south side, 361 Second Ave. BabyCakes Photography has moved to the north side.  The new BabyCakes Boutique store is more than twice the size of the original shop.
            Speaking of size, they now handle up to girl’s size 16. “We handle unique clothing and accessories,” said owner Liz Marin.  “We also feature specialty toys (not sold in big box or mass market outlets) that are interactive and educational.”
            They are open Mon. – Fri, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat. until 5 p.m., and they are open for personalized shopping by appointment and Sundays.  303-652-8884.
 
 

It Sparkles

            Vern Kahl of Niwot Jewelry & Gifts showed me some new white gold and diamond jewelry and also some sterling silver pieces. Kahl waskeeping busy with repairs and is looking forward to Ladies Night Out and awarding a $200 gift basket to one lucky participant.
 

Speaking of Jewelry

            Gail Anderson of The Christmas Place was busy moving her stock around.  She stopped long enough to show me some charms that are hand made in Italy.  “They are a hot item; we call them ‘Italian Charm Bracelets,’”  she said with a smile.
            I made the connection almost immediately. The charms link together to form a bracelet, and come in seasonal, holiday and patriotic designs. The bracelet starts at $9 with one charm; additional charms range from $19 to $21.
            If you guessed that they didn’t flatter my wrist, you’re right.  But they will look great on a person of another gender.
 

Speaking of Scottish Fisherman

            Ken Fucik of Twiggs is importing antique Scottish and Irish fishing tackle for the spring season (for those who fish for brogue trout). They also feature a large assortment of Vera Bradley bags. I don’t know if Vera has bags under her eyes, but one of her bags will look great under your arm.

 “Feel Good Store”            If you want to get your primrose painted and feel good at the same time, try the lavender-scented Painted Primrose at 132 Second Ave.  Owner Sara Cioni said, “People tell me this is a ‘feel-good store.’  Half of our work is custom. Our customers ask us and we find it for them.”
            They feature custom colored dried and fresh flowers and Sara helps with decorating for life cycle events.  Fresh flowers are available and delivery is free in Niwot.  303-652-0525.
 

Just Next Door

            Cindy Viggers of the Positive Image Salon, at 137 Second Ave. is just next door to the Painted Primrose. She recently redecorated with freshly painted warm gray walls.  The salon walls are waiting for the work of local artists to be hung.
            Another new addition to the salon is razor sharp haircutter Jamie Eliptico-Heise.  They can be reached at 303-652-1131.
 
 






Weddings Feature




Who Pays For The Wedding?

By Sonja Geoghegan

    There’s an old saying that nothing is constant but change.  This adage is certainly true when you are talking about weddings.  Today, the best man may be a woman. The same is true for who pays for what.
Weddiing 1   I spoke with several Niwot merchants who offer services for planning a wedding and asked the question; who pays for what parts of the wedding?
    My first stop was the Niwot Market and a conversation with deli and bakery manager Deb Hilker, who creates a flexible food menu that caters to the wedding party. “We paid for everything ourselves when we got married,” Deb shared, “although our parents helped with various aspects that were involved in planning and creating our wedding.”
     Then I spoke with Laurie Adams, general manager at the Niwot Inn. She said the weddings she has hosted were traditional, and the bride’s family paid for the wedding and groom’s family paid for the rehearsal dinner.
    I continued down the street to 2nd Avenue Hair Salon with my question and spoke with the owner, Nancy Armstrong. She reminded me of “how brides love to be pampered and feel in charge of the moment,” and that whatever the bride decides for the hairstyle, the attendants go along with it.
    The mother of the bride usually pays for the bride and the bridesmaids pay individually for their styles. Armstrong mentioned that it is quite expensive to be in a wedding. “The dress, shoes with the accessories easily cost $1,000 for each attendant.”
    Next, I stopped by The Painted Primrose and talked with owner Sarah Cioni who definitely has a love for flowers.  She told me that she asks the brides to create a Dream Folder that contains pictures of flowers, ribbons, and colors from magazines that they love. She uses the folder to help create the wedding bouquets or table arrangements.
Wedding 2   First-time brides follow tradition, where parents pay for the flowers; with older clients who might be re-marrying, the couple usually pays for what they select. Cioni said, “Often the bride’s mother or a best friend comes in to help select the flowers for the wedding.”
   I telephoned photographer Sandy Calvin of Sandy Stone Photography.  In her experience, she has seen a “combination of older couples getting married, having made a conscious decision to wait ‘til their careers are in gear and they pay for everything.”
    Stone said that there is a group “who splits the cost of the photographs with brides and groom’s family.” The young first-time bride usually takes the traditional route. “The mother helps her daughter select what types of photographs to be taken, and parents typically pay.”
    I paid a visit to Sew Clean, Alterations, Laundering & Dry Cleaning where owner Rozanne Penka shared her opinion that there has been “a slight shift in older brides who are paying for their own weddings with their fiancés.”
    Penka alters wedding and attendant gowns year round and still sees the parents of younger brides footing the bill. I had the opportunity to talk with Angie Emery while Penka was fitting her for her wedding gown.  Angie told me her wedding on Feb. 15 will be in Costa Rica at a Butterfly Museum. There will be 10 guests traveling with them and each guest has paid for his or her trip, although Angie and her fiancé are paying for the wedding.
    As for other local brides, the Courier’s own Julia Vandenberg is planning a June 7 wedding. She told me that using the computer and eBay was an affordable way to create her wedding, as she bought her gown and table decorations online. Hsun Chen, her fiancé, is of Chinese ancestry and elements of his culture are part of their ceremony, along with their two dogs.
            This couple plans to bring  their families together in celebration as each family helps to make their own wedding cheesecakes.
            Money was set aside from Julia’s and Hsun’s parents for their wedding but since this couple is established in the workplace, they plan to pay the balance cost of their wedding and dinner themselves.
     Rebecca Case, who is busy planning her “elegant evening August wedding,” told me that both her parents and her fiancé’s parents are helping with the wedding expenses.
    Tne tradition has not changed. Someone still picks out a ring and asks, “Will you marry me?” whether the ring is a family heirloom, or offered in a dark movie theater tucked into a prize packet with popcorn and champagne as Vandenberg’s was. Romance is still a vital part of the final equation.
 
 

Photo by Sonya Geohegan
Sarah Cioni, owner of The Painted Primrose, sharing photos of brides she has worked with.
 

Photo by Sonya Geohegan
Angie Emery trying on her wedding gown after alterations were done by Rozanne Penka of Sew Clean in Niwot
 

Photo by Hsun Chen (on main page)
Julia Vandenberg peruses the wedding gown offerings on Ebay.
 
 

St.Patrick At The Box Office: Music, Dance and Theatre in Boulder County

By Gay Waterbury
 

Shamrock For centuries, March 17 has been observed as the feast day of St. Patrick, the beloved missionary bishop responsible for converting much of Ireland to Catholicism in the first half of the fifth century.
   There are many stories associated with St. Patrick.  He is credited with driving the snakes from Ireland and performing many miraculous feats that brought the pagan kings and Druids to their knees.  The historical Patrick may not have been as colorful as he was in legend, but from his own “Confession,” written in the last years of his life, we know that he loved his work and his adopted homeland.
   One of Patrick’s lesser-known legacies was his devotion to the arts and learning.  It was in the monasteries that he and his followers built that the Irish monks painstakingly copied many manuscripts of Western civilization, while in continental Europe many such books and documents were destroyed by the invading Gauls.
   According to Edna Barth, author of “Shamrocks, Harps, and Shillelaghs,” legend has it that Patrick loved to listen to the tales of Irish heroes so much that he ordered that they be written down for the enjoyment of future generations.
   So give a nod of thanks to St. Patrick for being patron of the arts, and take in a play or concert in his honor.  Here are just a few events coming your way.   Start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early with Dublin’s Irish Cabaret, starring Noel V. Ginnity, on March 2 at Boulder Theatre.  For information, 303-786-7030.     Then thrill to the precision and beauty of Irish step dancing when the McTeggart Dancers perform at the WOW! Children’s Museum in Louisville at 1 p.m. on March 16.  303-604-2424.

 There are many other cultural events in March.  Here are just a few:


 


 
 

Between You & Me

By Karen Copperberg

  March is shaping up to be a “pre-summer” month in Colorado (at least as I write this column), especially if we consider our current drought – but we can concentrate on the holiday offerings of the month.
  March has Alexander Graham Bell’s birthday (not exactly a holiday, but who can be without a phone today??), Albert Einstein’s birthday, and of course, the first day of Spring, on the 20th.
T  he birthstone for March is the Aquamarine, believed to prevent seasickness and other stomach ailments, and given to protect sailors while they are at sea.  The flower of the month may be even more familiar: the daffodil.  Who doesn’t recognize the daffodil as a flower of spring, and new beginnings?
  Associated with rebirth, the flower also known as the jonquil or narcissus is said to bring good fortune to the person who avoids trampling it. It is believed to have been brought to Britain by the Romans, who mistakenly thought the plant’s sap could heal wounds.  In reality, there are sharp crystals in the flower that prevent animals from eating them.  If anything, the sap would irritate wounds. But they sure are cheerful and pretty to look at.
  Daffodils should never be present at a wedding, it is said, lest they bring unhappy vanity to a bride.  Most of you are probably familiar with the story of Narcissus, in Greek mythology.  Named after the handsome youth who never tired of looking at himself, the flower’s “drooping” is said to symbolize Narcissus still stooping over a pond to admire his own reflection.  (And p.s. – the story ends when Narcissus falls in and drowns!)

So it goes, until next month.  Keep it between you and me, or call us at 303-845-3077, or e-mail us at <Lhvcourier@aol.com>.