Our Government/Nuestro Gobierno

White House

The Administration has secured additional commitments from 95 companies and non-profits, three cities, two federal agencies and the White House to provide 110,000 new summer jobs and other employment opportunities for low-income and disconnected youth this year as part of the Summer Jobs+ initiative for a total of nearly 300,000 opportunities. Visit webapps.dol.gov/summerjobs.

Casa Blanca

La Administración ha asegurado compromisos adicionales de 95 empresas y organizaciones no lucrativas, tres ciudades, dos agencias federales y la Casa Blanca para ofrecer 110 mil puestos de trabajo de verano nuevos y otras oportunidades de empleo para jóvenes de bajos ingresos y desconectado en este año como parte de la iniciativa Summer Jobs+ (trabajos de verano) para un total de cerca de 300 mil oportunidades. Visita webapps.dol.gov/summerjobs.

Colorado Governor

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announced the release of the final Environmental Impact Statement for the final Colorado Roadless Rule. The preferred alternative identified in the impact statement provides conservation for 4.2 million acres of National Forest roadless areas within Colorado. The announcement is the culmination of a seven-year collaborative process between the US Forest Service and State of Colorado.

Gobernador de Colorado

El secretario de Agricultura Tom Vilsack y el gobernador de Colorado, John Hickenlooper, anunciaron el lanzamiento de la Declaración de Impacto Ambiental final para la última Regla de Colorado Sin Caminos. La alternativa preferida identificado en la declaración de impacto proporciona la conservación de 4,2 millones de hectáreas de áreas forestales nacionales sin carreteras en Colorado. El anuncio es la culminación de un proceso de colaboración de siete años entre el Servicio Forestal de los EE.UU. y el Estado de Colorado.

Denver’s Mayor

Mayor Michael B. Hancock joined renewable energy leaders to kick-off the inaugural World Renewable Energy Forum (WREF), an international conference that will bring thousands of representatives from 66 different countries to downtown Denver. The WREF will run from May 13 through 17. It will feature global energy leaders including U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Citigroup Managing Director and Global Head of Environmental Finance Mike Eckhart and Chief Executive Officer of Abengoa Solar Santiago Seage.

Alcalde de Denver

El alcalde Michael B. Hancock se unió a líderes de energía renovable para dar inicio a la inauguración del Foro Mundial de Energía Renovable (WREF por sus siglas en inglés), una conferencia internacional que reunirá a miles de representantes de 66 países diferentes al centro de Denver. El WREF se desarrollará del 13 de mayo al 17. Se contará con los líderes mundiales de la energía, entre ellos el Secretario de Energía de los EE.UU. Steven Chu, director gerente y jefe de Citigroup Global de Medio Ambiente Mike Eckhart y Consejero delegado de Abengoa Solar, Santiago Seage.

Remembering Armendariz

Robert Armendariz, founder and publisher of the bilingual publication Hispania News, has died at the age of 69.
Armendariz fronted the Colorado Springs Press Association and served on several community boards.

Armendariz’ funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 12 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1830 South Corona Avenue in Colorado Springs. For more information about his funeral mass, contact St. Joseph Catholic Church at 719-632-9903.

Cell phones are not toys

The Longmont police, fire and 9-1-1 Emergency Communication Center are enlisting the help of the community to remove batteries from old cell phones before giving them to children as toys. A cell phone without a service carrier, and one that has been deactivated, can still dial 9-1-1. This results in a lot of calls to the dispatch center and keeps personnel from attending to calls in which emergency staff is truly needed. Visit local kids on YouTube, search: Cell Phones are Not Toys! (www.youtube.com/watch?v=OesGB9nOCik).

Colorado Centennial Farms Awards

Families who have owned and operated their farm or ranch for 100 years or more are encouraged to submit a nomination to receive a Colorado Centennial Farms award.

Selected nominees will be honored at the 25th Annual Centennial Farms Celebration at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo in August. Farmers and ranchers nominating their property for this award must submit an application providing information about the history of their farm and its buildings by end of day on Monday, May 16.

Visit www.historycolorado.org/archaeologists/centennial-farms or call Lyle Miller at 303-866-2779.

Gates Millennium Scholar

Arrupe Jesuit High School announce that senior Patricia Olivas has been selected as a Gates Millennium Scholar, and will receive funding to attend Regis University.

In addition, if graduate studies are pursued in the fields of Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Library Science, Mathematics, Public Health or Science, Olivas’ GMS fellowship funding may be applied throughout the master’s and doctoral levels.

The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program, established in 1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The GMS Program is more than just a scholarship; it provides scholars with Academic Empowerment (ACE) services to encourage academic excellence; mentoring services for academic and personal development; and an online resource center that provides internship, fellowship and scholarship information.

Remembering Escuela de Guadalupe trustee

Sister Susan Swain, beloved trustee and co-founder of Escuela de Guadalupe, and a dear friend to many, passed away on April 27, 2012. Sister Susan was a woman of great dedication, faith and love, and she devoted her life to serving others.

St. Mary’s Academy, whose lower school Sister Susan led for many years, will hold a memorial service on Wednesday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. at its Forum. St. Mary’s is located at 4545 S. University Boulevard between Quincy and Belleview Aves.

Summer youth employment

The Denver Office of Economic Development (OED) is actively seeking business employer partners.
OED invites businesses with part-time and full-time job opportunities to participate in its summer youth employment programs. Youth age 14 to 21 participate in the program, with job placements beginning later this month.

For more information, contact OED’s division of Workforce Development, Youth Services at 720-865-5700 or youthservices@denvergov.org.

Learning Landscapes

Denver Public Schools is breaking ground on the final three Learning Landscape playground centers to be built under the voter-approved 2008 bond program.

The final three schools to get Learning Landscapes are University Park, Oakland Elementary and Newlon Elementary. In all, there are 93 elementary and K-8 schools that have new Learning Landscapes to better serve the students’ outdoor activity space needs and improve the functionality of the school’s grounds.

These final three school playgrounds will be fully equipped with new play equipment, shade structures, asphalt games, and outdoor classroom areas. Every piece of equipment helps enhance students’ imagination and individuality.

Playful City USA

For the fourth year in a row, Thornton has been named a “Playful City USA.”

The designation is made by KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing play back into children’s lives. KaBOOM! selected Thornton for its ‘outstanding dedication to play.’

Playful City USA communities are eligible for $15,000, $20,000 and $30,000 grants via Let’s Play, a community partnership led by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, to get kids and families active nationwide.

For more information on the KaBOOM! Playful City USA program visit www.playfulcityusa.org.