Rodger Hara – Blue Moon and Icons – History and Spring
Hope that all had a nice weekend. There was a nice spring softness to the air, even the wind on Sunday morning.
A few things of historical interest from the archives of Prairie Home Productions…
On March 29, 1886, John Pemberton perfected a headache and hangover remedy he had cooked up over a fire in his backyard. It contained coca leaves and extract of kola nut, and he advertised it as an “Esteemed Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage.” He had been making something called “Pemberton’s French Wine Coca,” but Atlanta had just passed a prohibition law, and he had to come up with an alcohol-free formula. He sweetened the new elixir with sugar instead of wine, and his bookkeeper suggested he name the beverage “Coca-Cola.” The following year, the prohibition law was repealed; and Pemberton decided Coca-Cola was a losing proposition. He sold off his interest in the formula and went back to making French Wine Coca. Coca-Cola is now the most widely recognized brand in the world. In the years since its first appearance, it has developed an underground reputation as a sovereign laundry additive, ham glaze, and rust remover.
On March 29, 1912, Captain Robert Falcon Scott wrote the last entry in his diary. Scott is remembered for his bravery in losing the race to the South Pole. His first expedition on the Discovery (1901-04) took him within 450 miles of the South Pole before he had to turn back. He later led the Terra Nova expedition, which reached the pole in January 1912 — only to discover that Norwegian Roald Amundsen had been there a month earlier. He wrote: “The Norwegians have forestalled us and are first at the Pole. It is a terrible disappointment and I am very sorry for my loyal companions … To-morrow we must march on the Pole, and then hasten home with all the speed we can compass. All the day-dreams must go; it will be a wearisome return.”
On the return trip Scott and his party of four all died of hunger and extreme cold. Their bodies were found eight months later just 11 miles from a food and fuel depot. On March 29, in his last diary entry, Scott wrote: “Since the 21st we have had a continuous gale … We had fuel to make two cups of tea apiece and bare food for two days on the 20th. Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write any more.”
March 30th is the birthday of Vincent Van Gogh, born in Zundert, Holland (1853). He’s the painter of sunflowers and starry nights whose work was just beginning to be acknowledged when he committed suicide at the age of 37. His brother Theo was an art dealer, and for years he had supplied Van Gogh with a small monthly stipend; in return, Van Gogh gave his brother every canvas he painted. He wrote thousands of letters to Theo. In one letter he wrote: “How much sadness there is in life. The right thing is to work.” He moved to a small town north of Paris and painted feverishly until insanity overtook him. Two days before he died, he wrote: “I feel a failure. That’s it as far as I’m concerned — I feel that this is the destiny that I accept, that will never change.”
March 30th is also the birthday of Anna Sewell, who wrote Black Beauty (1877) She was born in Yarmouth, England in 1820, and when she was 14 years old, she fell while running and injured her ankles so badly that she had trouble walking for the rest of her life. She became dependent on horses for transportation, and drove her father to and from work every day on the family’s horse-drawn carriage.
She didn’t start writing Black Beauty until the final years of her life, when she was confined to her house because of her ankle injuries. Black Beauty is subtitled “The autobiography of a horse, Translated from the original equine.” It’s narrated by the horse himself, who was based on one of the horses Anna grew up with. The novel is full of detailed passages about how to care for horses, and it was largely thanks to Sewell that several laws against the mistreatment of horses were established in England.
On March 30, 1867, the United States agreed to purchase Alaska from Russia for the sum of $7.2 million dollars. It had belonged to Russia for about 125 years, since Russians had been the first European explorers to get to the place and had proclaimed it their territory in 1741.
The American Civil War ended in 1865, and a couple of years later, on this day in 1867, the deal to buy Alaska was negotiated and signed by President Andrew Johnson’s secretary of state, William Seward. He announced that someday this big chunk of land would be a U.S. state. The American public by and large was not sold on the purchase of frozen tundra. People thought it was a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a faraway place, which they alternately referred to as Andrew Johnson’s “polar bear garden” and “Seward’s Icebox.” In fact, the purchase became commonly known as “Seward’s Folly.”
But then gold was discovered there in the 1890s and the Klondike Gold Rush followed, with tens of thousands of people heading north to try to strike it rich. They settled in as fishers and miners and trappers and producers of minerals, and Alaska was granted territorial status in 1912. It became the 49th state of the union, the largest one (consisting of 663,268 square miles) and also the least densely populated state. In 1968, oil was discovered at the far northern part of the state, at Prudhoe Bay. A pipeline was built and began to pump oil in 1977, and now the area near Prudhoe Bay is the largest oil field in the U.S.
And rumor has it that on April 1, Vladimir Putin is taking off his shirt, swimming across the Bering Strait with a Russian flag clamped firmly in his manly jaws and reclaiming the ancestral land of the Russian Eskimos for their birthrights…
PEOPLE
Andrew Romero is in New York City with his son Drew for spring break… interesting travel for Andrew this year – traveling to Colombia and then to his alma mater Columbia…
And speaking of Andrews and travels, Andy Kane recently returned from a three week trip to India…
A note from the globe-trotting Leslie Gibson who was in Australia when she wrote this…
Hey Rodger,
I hope you’re well. I’m in Australia, on a Greyhound, traveling from Sydney to Canberra, appreciating my wifi and catching up on email. Just read yours and want to thank you, again, for taking your time to be my/our point person, letting me/us know who is doing what, promoting what, where, why, when and how, all with your thoughtful and charming brand of reporting.
It’s easy to feel far away from the larger Housing goings-on in Colorado and even in the U.S., but moreso, for me, down under and far away from home.
So, just want to thank you for creating and assuming this role — I know I’m not the only one who appreciates it!
Cheers! Leslie
Jo Hamit has been appointed to act as Interim Ex. Dir. of South Metro Housing Options when Dan Burnham retires in May. The job announcement is attached.
And speaking of SMHO, Kyle Henderson has been appointed to the Board of Commissioners there…
The Long Term Flood Recovery Group in Boulder is looking for a supervisor for disaster recovery case managers there – job announcement attached…
Stefka Fanchi at Habitat for Humanity sent this note:
Please distribute the attached job openings to your network. We are reopening the search for the ReBuild Colorado Director, and there is also an Executive Director search for Chaffee County Habitat for Humanity. Personal references would be welcomed!
Stefka Czarnecki Fanchi
Executive Director
Melinda Pollack shared this:
Enterprise Community Loan Fund is hiring a new loan officer. The position can be based in Denver, Chicago or Cleveland.
Denise Balkas (formerly with the City of Aurora and Wheat Ridge 2020) is now Chief Operating Officer at The Alliance for the Economic Development of Oklahoma City…
The Westwood Healthy Places Initiative is searching for a Coordinator. We are relying on word-of-mouth to get the word out for this position, so please help us spread the word by forwarding this job announcement to your networks! Applications are prioritized if they are received by March 31st. Application is also available at www.westwoodunidos.com.
The Healthy Places Coordinator will utilize best practices to shape the built environment in the Westwood neighborhood in order to increase community physical activity. The Initiative utilizes inclusive approaches to engage diverse resident and organizational involvement, and it values and fosters resident leadership.
español:
La Iniciativa de Lugares Sanos de Westwood está contratando para el puesto de coordinador. Confiamos en nuestros socios para salir la palabra para esta posición, así que por favor ayuda nosotros a difundir este anuncio de trabajo a sus redes! Se priorizan las aplicaciones si son recibidos antes del 31 de marzo. La aplicación también está disponible enwww.westwoodunidos.com.
El Coordinador de Lugares Sanos de Westwood utilizará las mejores prácticas para dar forma al entorno físico en el barrio de Westwood para aumentar la actividad física comunitaria. La iniciativa utiliza enfoques inclusivos para engranar diversa participación residente y organizacional, y valora y fomenta el liderazgo de los residentes del barrio.
Rachel Cleaves, MCRP
Coordinator for LiveWell Westwood & Globeville, Elyria-Swansea LiveWell
Phone: (720) 217-5468
Rachel.cleaves@ucdenver.edu
Energy Outreach Colorado, CHFA and Group 14 Engineering are sponsoring a resident engagement program this Tuesday andWednesday at the Daniels Fund Building in Cherry Creek. Flyer w/info is attached.
“Join Energy Outreach Colorado and Group14 Engineering in a two day workshop on best practices in how to engage residents in healthy living, energy conservation, water conservation and waste reduction”
A note from Don Burnes about his T/A organization for homelessness prevention providers;
Hi Everyone,
I am very happy to announce that the Burnes Institute now has a formal website, BurnesInstitute.org, and a Facebook page, Burnes Institute. Please check us out.
Don
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Don Burnes, PhD
The Burnes Institute
6740 E. Colfax
Denver, Co 80220
The Burnes Institute: Inform. Impact. Transform.
And this note from the office City Councilwoman At Large Robin Kniech:
IHO Stakeholders,
We are hosting a public meeting to discuss revisions to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, including the possible framework for the new ordinance and the concepts being tested in the economic study, on Wednesday, April 9th from 6:00-7:30 pm at the La Alma Recreation Center.
Please help us spread the word about the public meeting, especially to those in the community who would be interested in affordable housing. While developers are welcome, this presentation will go over higher level concepts, and those interested in a more detailed discussion would benefit from industry specific outreach. Please let me know if you would like more information about these other outreach opportunities.
I have attached our flyer for the public meeting, a link to our website here, and the details of the meeting below.
IHO Public Meeting
Wednesday, April 9th from 6:00-7:30 PM
La Alma Recreation Center, Multi-purpose Room
1325 W 11th Ave, Denver, CO 80204
Light snacks will be provided
RSVP here or at (720) 337-7712
And this news from Marcie LaPorte at HUD:
We are so excited that an announcement for 2 Senior Underwriter positions for the Denver Multifamily Hub was posted today. The application process closes on April 11, 2014.
The announcement is on USAjobs.gov. The link to the application announcement for external applicants is below.
Let me know if there are any questions.
Marcie LaPorte
Director, HUD Denver Multifamily Hub
1670 Broadway, 24th floor, Denver, CO 80202
(303) 672-5388 (fax)
Finally, the Longmont Housing Authority is in search of a new Supportive Services Manager – a copy of the announcement is attached. Apps are due by April 4.
NEWS
Interesting story on the 100,000 Homes homelessness prevention program that uses the Housing First Model…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5nAyl-jZ_4
http://100khomes.org/blog/an-update-on-some-of-the-people-you-met-on-60-minutes
St. John’s Cathedral in Denver is hosting an Interfaith Passover Seder on Sunday, April 6th:
Here’s a link to a summary of the proposed changes to the tax credit program currently under discussion in the Senate. Remains to be seen how many of these will be enacted in the current form and how many other changes will be made as the legislation wends its tortuous way through Committee…
: Summary of the Housing Finance Reform Draft
Interesting perspectives, as always from the good folks at the Orton Foundation:
Our Community Heart & Soul approach to planning asks folks to ask each other, “What matters most?” because we believe in the power of shared values to shape better futures. When enough people agree on the qualities of their town they care most about, everyone is better connected with each other and the community. Those strengthened ties inspire people to work together to protect and enhance what they care about. We know, because we have seen it happen.
And this too from Orton…
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SOUNDTRACK
“Beautiful Day”, U2, “Walkin’ on Sunshine”, Katrina and the Waves, “59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”, Simon and Garfunkel, “I’m Yours”, Jason Mraz, “Morning Has Broken”, Cat Stevens, “Grazing in the Grass”, Hugh Masakela
HUMOR
MENTAL FLOSS
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Anne Bradstreet
10 AttachmentsEOC-Group 14 Resident Engagement Training-Denver.pdfIHO Public Meeting Announcement.pdfLHA_Supportive Services Manager Job Announcement.pdfexecutivedirectorad2014.docxExecutive Director classified ad.docxExecutive Director Job CCHFH 2014.pdfRebuild CO Flood Recovery Plan.pdfReBuild Colorado Project Director.docHP Application Packet.pdfLTFRG.DCMSupervisor.Boulder.pdf
Let the good times roll, indeed!!!
Now that the Round 1 apps are in to CHFA, applicants and their teams can take a deep breath and celebrate the end of that task and begin playing the waiting game… And so begins the first of two crazy/busy times for CHFA staff, divided by their number and multiplied by the number of applications. Applicants and their teams can give up working on their submissions for Lent and CHFA staff can give up free time and sleeping…
Depending on what part of the world you come from, today was Mardi Gras, Carnivál, Entrudo or Shrove Tuesday…
Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday and refers to the consumption/getting rid of all the fat and rich foods (oil, meat, dairy, sweets and alcohol) disallowed during the forty days of Lent. And in N’awrlans, it’s Cajun for Let’s get wild in the streets and party on!
In Rio de Janeiro, Carnivál has the same cultural manifestation as in Louisiana and comes from the Latin roots and roughly translates as “Farewell (vale) to Meat (carne) and its double meaning, “Farewell to the flesh” (or the fleshly desires)…
Entrudo is what Christians call today in Goa, India where the Portugese missionaries introduced it in 1480 and the day is also marked with wild street dancing, loud music and a carnival atmosphere…
And Shrove Tuesday is what many in the English speaking world call today, with an emphasis on the season’s penitential and contemplative aspects rather than its celebratory. Shrove is the transitive form of the Olde English verb Shrive, meaning to confess one’s sins and receive absolution for them. The Reformation in England in the 16th Century led to underscoring the self-denial aspect of the season and put an end for much of the world to having too much fun in public. So instead of parades and parties and bacchanal, many of us eat pancakes… And why do we eat pancakes? That odd tradition came from tossing out the superfluous. In times past, people took Lent so seriously that they kept a “training table” regimen for forty days, abstaining from meat, eggs and anything cooked in fat. In the days before refrigeration (and chemical additives) grease and lard quickly turned rancid so began the tradition of using it all up on the Tuesday night before Lent began. It’s the equivalent of having the power go out with no hope of quick restoration and inviting all your friends over for a big cookout of all the thawed foods before they spoil.
Wherever you are and whatever you call the day, it’s a good reminder of the need to give up things and habits that no longer serve us or are beneficial, to reflect on where you are on the path of your life and to think about giving up some old grudges and grievances and practice a bit of forgiveness… Couldn’t hurt…
And remember to set your clocks forward an hour on Sunday… it’s that time of year again…
PEOPLE
Two longtime supporters of affordable housing have passed away since my last newsletter: Walt Imhoff, founder and former President of the investment banking firm of Hanifen Imhoff (that later became Stifel Nicolaus) and Malcolm “Bud” Collier, former President of First Federal Savings and Loan. Both were active in the community, served on many boards and commissions and always gave freely and generously of their time and wisdom…
Brad Buchanan has left RNL Architects to become ED of the Denver Dept of Comm Planning and Dev replacing Rocky Pino…
Speaking of the City of Denver, Doug Smith has left there and the City is looking for a new Housing Director in the Office of Economic Development – job announcement is attached above…
Carly Johansson is the new Director of Real Estate Development at CRHDC replacing Steve Hegge…
And speaking of CRHDC, they are looking for a Licensed Loan Originator…
The title is “Licensed Loan Originator with salary plus bonus and benefits” and the link to the job description on our website is: http://crhdc.org/AboutUs/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx
Melanie Mayeranderson, PHR
Director of Human Resources
Community Resources & Housing Development Corp.
7305 Lowell Blvd., Ste 200
Westminster, CO 80030
p: 720.542.6565
f: 720-542-6585
Kristin Hyser has left the Jefferson County Community Dev Dept and joined the staff at the City of Boulder as the new Community Investment Program Manager. Her new contact info is below..
Kristin Hyser
Community Investment Program Manager
City of Boulder, Division of Housing
1300 Canyon Street, Boulder Colorado 80302
303/441-4187 (direct); 720/564-2188 (fax)
www.boulderaffordablehomes.com
And speaking of Boulder…
Hi Rodger,
We are growing here at Boulder Housing Partners and expanding our Property Management department. Could you please let your contacts know by sending along the attached job posting. Thanks so much!
Penny
Penny Hannegan, MBA, PHR
Director, Organizational Excellence and HR
Boulder Housing Partners
4800 N. Broadway
Boulder, CO 80304
Jim Mercado is putting on a little mini-Irish festival at his Skylite Station Gallery on March 15th… And pay special attention to the act that’s on stage at 4 PM – that’s my singing group that performed at the Housing Colorado Holiday Luncheon in 2012…
Skylite Station
910 Santa Fe Dr, Denver, CO 80204
Join us after the parade for our Irish Celebration!
§ Live Irish music, dance & food!
§ March 15th – 3pm – 10pm
§ Full Festival Cover Charge $5
§ Full Bar with Drink Specials
§ Happy Hour 3-5pm
§ Live Music
§ Performer Line-up includes:
Ø 4pm Celtic Friends
Ø 5pm Heritage Dancers
Ø 6pm Visionbox (Actor’s Studio) – Meatless Friday: performing excerpts from the play written by Brighde Mullins.
Ø 7pm Live Irish Music – featuring Kevin Labbe
Melinda Pasquini has left Faegra Baker Daniels and joined Polsinelli – her new contact info is below:
1515 Wynkoop, Suite 600
Denver 80202
Lara Jakubowski has accepted a job as the Capacity Building Manager of the Nonprofit Centers Network. NCN moved to Denver at the end of 2013 and will be located in the soon-to-be-renovated Alliance for Sustainable Colorado building. She says she’s excited to be able to continue her work in shared spaces and social purpose real estate on a national level.
Maggie Bolden, Palace Construction was honored by the recent Society for Marketing Professionals Marketing Excellence Awards Program as the Business Developer of the Year. The award reads as follows:
Maggie Bolden is the Director of Client Relations for Palace Construction. With more than 25 years’ in sales and customer service, Maggie has a wide range of experience in sales, business operations, networking and teaching. As the Director of Client Relations, she is responsible for implementing and contributing to the overall marketing and business development strategy for two divisions; commercial new construction and insurance/structural restoration. In addition to business development, she oversees proposal submittals, photography, trade show activities, marketing collateral, marketing strategy implementation, marketing research, public relations, and all other marketing initiatives.
Paul Caouette has spent two months with his intrepid wife on the railroad lines of Europe. A marvelous tramp with no itinerary. They decided which city to visit mostly on a whim. They returned to Florida late last month and will work on their boat to ready it for a sail or a sale…
Andrew Romero just returned from an incredible trip to Columbia – ask to see his pictures some time… Unbelievable!
Denise Balkas has left Wheat Ridge 2020 is now Chief Operating Officer at The Alliance for the Economic Development of Oklahoma City
Autumn Gold at the Colorado Division of Housing sent this request:
Hello Rodger, I have a request announcement that I need your help to send out to the masses as often as possible. I have attached an email request and press release. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!!!
The Homeless Programs Team is getting ready for the tax season! This is a very important part of the year for funding our Homeless Prevention Activities Program (HPAP) through tax check off contributions. Colorado residents are able to make voluntary contributions when they file their Colorado state income tax return.
The HPAP funds are distributed annually through a competitive process to non-profit organizations serving the most vulnerable citizens throughout the state. The purpose of the program is to provide assistance to households at risk of losing their homes without some kind of community assistance.
With your help last year the Homeless Prevention Program helped more than 500 families/individuals stay in their homes. This year, this type of assistance is more important to Coloradans than ever.
Our goal is to get more people to contribute and to increase the total number of donations we receive in order to serve more families and individuals. If you have questions about this project, please don’t hesitate to ask me!
We are requesting that you drop in a personal “ask” at the end of your email. Please forward this email to anyone else who think might want to support more funding for homeless prevention activities. As part of your email signature block please add:
Checkoff Colorado “A Simple Way to Give
ü Don’t forget to check the box for the Homeless Prevention Activities fund when completing your 2013 Colorado State Income Tax form!!
Simply enter the amount you would like to donate on line 39 or tell your accountant that you’d like to support Homeless Prevention programs when filing
your state income taxes.
Thanks for your support!
For More information http://1.usa.gov/1fjr1Wp
Kathy McCormick has moved to the Pacific Northwest where she’s working for the Tacoma Housing Authority – a great agency. She said “I recently broke my knee and as a result, wasn’t able to go to one of the local brew pubs for the Super Bowl game; I would have been an embarrassed Bronco fan. . . . “
Ariel Cisneros shared this bit of news:
Of interest for your clients, we have launched Investment Connection Online, which connects organizations with CRA eligible proposals needing funds with organizations that have the funds. You can go to: http://frbkc.custhelp.com/ci/documents/detail/2/Proposals to submit a proposal. Let me know if you want more information.
Best,
Ariel
Ariel D. Cisneros
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City — Denver Branch
303.572.2601
800.333.1020, ext. 2601
303.572.2398 fax
Connie Baker Wolfe sent this request for help:
I am not looking to reinvent the wheel, so I am seeking a few good job descriptions to use as some examples to help flesh out existing ones at WHN, or in some cases create new. Anything you can send would be useful. Thanks
- · Asset Management (entry or mid-level)
- · Chief Financial Officer
- · Staff Accounting Specialist or Bookkeeper
- · Executive Director or CEO
- · Chief Operating Officer, or Deputy Director
- · Homebuyer Education/Financial Education Coach
- · Homebuyer Education Counselor
I appreciate your help.
Connie
Peter Lindquist was laid off by his bank recently and sent the following out – call him if he can help you:
FYI – I am pursuing consulting and expert witness work for banking (lending) issues, primarily on the creditor side but by no means exclusively so. If you happen to hear of any entities or attorneys or whatever that need some help in unraveling a loan issue or other problem where I can help, please let me know.
Peter D. Lindquist
PL2, Inc.
NEWS AND STUFF
The first shot has been fired in the Tax Reform battle of 2014: Read a summary of the proposed changes at the link below:
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Interested in a warmer climate? Housing San Diego is in search of a new Ex. Dir…
http://housingsandiego.org/sdhf-seeks-new-executive-director/
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FRESC is looking for a Community Organizer – job description/announcement is attached
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The Denver Housing Authority is looking for a Manager of Operations and Training – job announcement attached…
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Bill Thomas, author of Second Wind: Navigating the Passage to a Slower, Deeper, and More Connected Life will be in Denver in May speaking about his book:
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The following job openings are currently available at CHFA:
- Business Intelligence Analyst/Project Manager (IT)
- chfareach Program Coordinator
- Integrated Records Management (IRM) Team Lead
- Senior Internal Auditor – *new*
Click here to visit the Job Opportunities page for the full job descriptions and to apply online.
We appreciate your interest in joining the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority team.
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Thank you for helping Denver’s Road Home put homelessness to bed on PJ Day! Because of you,
we raised more than $257,000 for the homeless!
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Ninth Annual PJ Day |
Ninth Annual PJ Day Highlights
- 83 schools raised cash and canned food donations
- 70 businesses supported PJ Day
- More than $257,000 raised
- Donations support shelter, housing, job training, mental health and support services for the homeless
- To view PJ Party pictures, visit www.pictage.com/1540185
A special thanks to all our sponsors and supporters in helping Denver’s Road Home put homelessness to bed!
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The Osage Cafe, created by the Denver Housing Authority (DHA), prepares youth living in DHA housing for future in culinary industry.
At the Osage Café in Denver, you can stop by for an egg sandwich for breakfast or a crisp salad for lunch – and help the community grow while you’re at it.
The café is the city’s first community-based culinary training center. Everything’s made by kids ages 16 to 21 through the Denver Housing Authority’s Youth Culinary Academy. Training lasts six to eight weeks and is meant to build experience in preparing healthy menu options. The course is free of charge.
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Hold your spot in one of our certificate workshops!
Quadel Assisted Housing Manager (AHM) Workshop
Wednesday-Friday, March 18-20, 2014
CHFA, Denver | register here
Novogradac Tax Credit Property Compliance Workshop & LIHTC Property Manager Certification Exam
Tuesday-Wednesday, April 29-30, 2014
CHFA, Denver| register here
Nonprofits Pull In Investors To Tackle Housing Affordability
One of the biggest problems facing low-income families is a lack of affordable housing. A coalition of nonprofits hopes to attack the problem using a well-known tool in the private sector — a real estate investment trust that allows investors to pool their funds to buy property.
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Minorities and families face high rates of housing discrimination in Denver’s increasingly competitive rental market, new evidence shows. View Full Story
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Good afternoon,
The U.S. Housing Market Conditions regional reports for Fourth Quarter 2013 are now available at the HUD website. The summary for the six states of the Rocky Mountain Region is available at http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/USHMC/reg//RockyMountain_RegRpt_4q13.pdf
Some highlights from the current regional summary:
- · The economy in the Rocky Mountain region grew at a steady pace, with nonfarm payrolls up 1.9 percent from a year ago, led by job gains in energy, construction, professional services, and healthcare.
- · Home sales markets in the region continued to strengthen; the number of homes sold and average prices for existing homes were up significantly from a year ago in many areas.
- · Apartment market conditions remained tight in most metropolitan areas in the region, despite the completion of a large number of new rental units in recent months.
- · Residential construction activity continued to increase in most states in the region, but the pace of growth has slowed.
Thank you,
James Conner, Economist
U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development
Denver Regional Office
1670 Broadway, 25th Floor
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 672-5070 (fax)
Brothers Redevlopment, Inc is preparing for their 36th Annual Paint-a-Thon… Do you know a senior whose home can use painting? Read on…
Denver: Wanted: Senior homeowners from across the metro area who can benefit from having their homes painted free of charge.
The Brothers Redevelopment Paint-A-Thon is prepping for its 36th season. Volunteer groups are signing up. Planning is well under way. Now it’s time to fill out the schedule to paint the homes of qualifying seniors from across the metro area.
Anyone can nominate a senior for the free Paint-A-Thon.
To qualify, individuals must be 60 years or older, own and occupy their own home and plan to live in it at least one more year. Seniors must have a limited income and be financially unable to hire a house painter. The home can’t be taller than 1½ stories and must be in need of painting.
Applications must be received by May 31. The form is available on the Web site www.brothersredevelopment.org. Click on the 35th Anniversary Season logo. An application also can be requested by calling Paint-A-Thon Coordinator Chad Nibbbelink at 720-339-5864.
Between March and September, Brothers Redevelopment works alongside event sponsors and hundreds ofvolunteers to paint the homes of income-qualified senior and disabled homeowners in cities across the Front Range at no charge.
A nonprofit agency, Brothers plans to paint more than 100 homes in the coming 36th season.
The average cost to paint a home can surpass $5,000-a huge expense for a senior/disabled homeowners living with financial and/or physical limitations, Nibbelink said. The free service allows qualifying homeowners to devote their limited and fixed-incomes to cover other important costs, such as medication, groceries and utility bills.
Brothers President Jeff Martinez said, “Painting is an essential part of a home’s overall maintenance and also helps preserve the homeowner’s investment. The program can really make a difference in someone’s life.”
Paint-A-Thon organizers also are enlisting volunteers to help paint the homes of seniors. For more information on volunteering, sponsoring the event or applying to have a home painted, call Brothers Redevelopment at 303-202-6340.
SOUNDTRACK
“Let the Good Times Roll”, Ray Charles, “Go to the Mardi Gras”, Professor Longhair, “Carnival Time”, BeauSoleil, “Superstition”, Stevie Wonder, “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In”, lots of artists but I’m partial to the Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong version, “Mardi Gras Mambo”, The Hawkettes and “Jambalaya”, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
HUMOR
MENTAL FLOSS
| “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson |
Finally, Thanks to everyone who responded to my “Who reads all the way to the end” request. You know who you are and you have my undying gratitude for letting me know that these word don’t just float out into the ether and disappear. Bless all of you and thank you for your kind words.
A “blue moon” is the fourth full moon in a quarter, which generally only has three full moons. In August, we had the full sturgeon moon on the 1st and the full blue moon on the 31st. It’s a phenomenon that only occurs every two or three years because the moon has a cycle of 29.53 days, a solar year has 365.26 days. In the Gregorian Calendar that we use, there are 12 months (“month” is a word derived from moon), so each calendar year contains about 11 more days than in 12 lunar cycles. The extra days accumulate so that every two or three years there is an extra full moon, that has come to be called the “blue moon”. Hence the origin of the expression generally used to refer to some rare occurrence, “Once in a blue moon.” Lately, some notable social/cultural icons have passed away – and for many, their passing evokes not much more than a shrug, if that. Paul Malinowski (who is recovering from a complex knee surgery that resulted in some post-surgery complications that has him on a six month – six full moons – recovery cycle) did his undergraduate work at Beloit College in Wisconsin. Each year, professors at Beloit prepare what they call the “Mindset List” for that year’s incoming freshman class. The list cites those things that the class of 2016 has little to no knowledge or awareness of.
For example: Robert De Niro is thought of as Greg Focker’s long-suffering father-in-law, not as Vito Corleone or Jimmy Conway. · Bill Clinton is a senior statesman of whose presidency they have little knowledge. · They have never seen an airplane “ticket.”
(To see the whole list, go to http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2016/ .) Along those lines, if not for his recent passing, the Class of 2016 has probably never heard of Neil Armstrong or the deaths of Hal David, Phyllis Diller, Sun Myung Moon or Russell Scott. Do you know who they were? Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. Not Neil Young, the Canadian singer as some no doubt younger person at NBC News thought… Hal David was a lyricist who, with Burt Bacharach wrote some memorable hits in the 70’s & 80’s including “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” “Promises, Promises” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose”. Phyllis Diller was a comedienne with an unforgettable laugh who spent much of her stage time laughing at herself or her husband “Fang”.
The Rev. Sun Myung Moon was the founder of the Unification Church, a worldwide church that some call a cult that gained notoriety for conducting marriages of thousands of people in South Korea who, until their wedding in a sports stadium, were total strangers. And last but not least, it’s OK if you don’t know who Russell Scott was. From 1958 until he retired from Denver television in 1998, he was “Blinky the Clown” and had a TV show called “Blinky’s Fun Club” and the goal of many children growing up in Denver during those 40 years was to get a shot on Blinky’s set on their birthdays. Only once in a blue moon do people like them come along and while it’s easy to forget them, they should be remembered for what they achieved in their lives…
And speaking of PEOPLE Shannon Cox Baker, Boulder Housing Partners, and her husband are the proud parents of a baby girl, Iva born last month… Doug Snyder has a new job as Development Director, Housing Development for the Volunteers of America.
Here’s his new contact info: Development Director, Housing DevelopmentVolunteers of America 2660 Larimer StreetDenver, CO 80205 Office: 720-264-3331Cell: 303-726-1055E-mail: dsnyder@voa.org And speaking of new jobs, Flo Tonelli, SHHP retiree, was recently appointed as one of the Denver Post’s “Colorado Voices” of 2012. She’ll have an opportunity to write five or more columns for the Post over the next year – look for her on the Post’s Editorial Pages… Shelly Marquez, Wells Fargo Bank, was honored last month by the Denver Business Journal as the winner of the Mile High Leaders category in the Outstanding Women in Business competition for 2012… And speaking of awards, MetroWest Housing Solutions recently received the MetLife Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing for their Residences at Creekside development in Lakewood…
Anne Lovett , Citywide Banks, has sent the attached invite to a fundraiser for the Colfax Community Network later this month. The organization does amazing work doing direct outreach to the motels on East Colfax and with the afterschool program for homeless children…
Ann Watts, Colorado Division of Housing sent this: For all of you who work with Direct Allocations of Private Activity Bonding (PAB) Authority: I wanted to send a second quick reminder that the deadline for dealing with your direct allocation of PAB authority is getting very close now, on September 17th. Thanks to everyone who has already given me a heads up on your plans. I’ve attached my original email outlining your options, FYI.
If you have any other questions in the next week, please contact my co-worker, Alison O’Kelly, at (303) 866-3409 or Alison.OKelly@state.co.us. I will be out of the office & out of cell service until I return to the office on Monday, 9/10. For everyone: I’m excited to help spread the word about DOH’s special Request for Applications for a variety of funding sources, including PAB cap.
I’m very hopeful that we’ll find good projects for all of the PABs that will be returned to DOLA/DOH on 9/17. Here you go: The Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Housing (DOH) is excited to announce this special Request for Applications (RFA) for Project Basing Housing Choice Vouchers (PBV), Private Activity Bonds (PAB) and Colorado Housing Investment Funds (CHIF). The intent of this RFA is to: 1) stimulate the PAB market in Colorado, and 2) create supportive housing for people with special needs. To achieve these two distinct goals, DOH is encouraging applications for any combination of these three sources, with or without gap funding from DOH’s traditional sources.
Janet Grimmett, City of Englewood, sent this announcement along: This year’s theme: Yesterday’s Change is Today’s Reality: Thriving in the New Workplace There’s something for everyone at the Summit for Professional Growth. This year’s Summit offers a variety of skill-enhancing workshops, including leadership skills, self-awareness and change management. Workshops for supervisors include an Employment Law update, tips for conducting effective meetings, coaching & managing team performance, and how to promote innovation. Tuesday, September 25, 2012 to Thursday, September 27, 2012
$150 for all 3 days
$60 single day
Don’t miss out on this wonderful training opportunity right in your own backyard!
View Registration Page Denver Councilwoman-at-Large Robin Kniech will be working on revising the City of Denver’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance over the next year or so – to contact her about what she’ll be up to, here’s her info: Robin Kniech, Denver City Council, At-Large, 1437 Bannock Street, Room 432, Denver, CO 80202. Email: kniechatlarge@denvergov.org. Phone: (720) 337-7712. Fax: (720) 865-9540.
Heidi Baker shared this link on what looks like a fascinating architectural film series this month: http://www.designonscreen.org/special-events/denver-2012-architecture-and-design-film-series/ Britton Slagle has joined the Mile High Community Loan fund staff as Admin. Asst…. INFO NEW MAPPING TOOL PRESENTS HUD’S LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROPERTY DATA IN INTERACTIVE, SEARCHABLE MAP FORMAT Novogradac & Company Offers New Tool for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Community San Francisco, Calif. – Novogradac & Company LLP unveiled a new online mapping tool that allows users to search and browse low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) properties placed in service between 1987 and 2009. The tool features data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s LIHTC Database, which includes information on more than 33,000 LIHTC properties and almost 2,203,000 housing units. “This new mapping tool makes it simple to access LIHTC property information by congressional district, state, county, city, census tract, ZIP code or even property name, all in a single place,” said Jim Kroger, a partner in Novogradac & Company’s San Francisco, Calif. office. “Offering HUD’s data in this searchable mapping tool presents a new way for the affordable housing community to leverage more than 20 years of data about low-income housing tax credit properties.”
The tool, created by Policy Map, allows users to view detailed information about each property, including address, number of units and low-income units, number of bedrooms, year the credit was allocated, year the project was placed in service, whether the project was new construction or rehab, type of credit provided, and other sources of project financing. “The flexibility of this tool makes it a valuable addition to Novogradac & Company’s set of online resources,” said Michael Novogradac, managing partner in the San Francisco office of Novogradac & Company LLP.
“The LIHTC mapping tool was created with the housing tax credit professional in mind, and as a result the system is useful for everyone from developers to investors to researchers.”
The U.S. Housing Market Conditions (USHMC) report for Second Quarter 2012 is now available online at the HUD USER website, http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/ushmc.htmlA PDF of the housing market conditions summary for the Rocky Mountain region is also attached. In addition to national and regional summaries, the current USHMC includes a topical piece titled, “New Oil and Gas Drilling Technologies Bring Significant Changes and Challenges to Housing Markets.”
The article includes discussions of energy-impacted areas around the nation, including three in the Rocky Mountain Region: the Bakken Formation in western North Dakota and eastern Montana; the Piceance Shale Formation in western Colorado and eastern Utah; and the Niobrara Formation in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming.
The link below is to a disturbing news story from the LA Times about a hospital system that has been caught recruiting the homeless to create false billings…http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/24/local/la-me-0824-homeless-recruits-20120824
HUMOR A farmer goes out one day and buys a brand new stud rooster for his chicken coop. The new rooster struts over to the old rooster and says, “OK old timer, time for you to retire.”
The old rooster replies, “Come on, surely you cannot handle ALL of these chickens. Look what it has done to me. Can’t you just let me have the two old hens over in the corner?”
The young rooster says, “Beat it! You are washed up and I am taking over.”
The old rooster says, “I tell you what, young stud. I will race you around the farmhouse. Whoever wins gets the exclusive domain over the entire chicken coop.”
The young rooster laughs, “You know you don’t stand a chance old timer, so just to be fair I will give you a head start.”
The old rooster takes off running. About 15 seconds later the young rooster takes off running after him.
They round the front porch of the farm house young rooster has closed the gap.
He is already about 5 inches behind the old rooster and gaining fast.
The farmer, meanwhile, is sitting in his usual spot on the front porch when he sees the roosters running by. He grabs up his shotgun and BOOM! He blows the young rooster to bits.
The farmer sadly shakes his head and says, “Damn. That’s the third gay rooster I bought this month.”
SOUNDTRACK “Blue Moon”, The Marcels, “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” Elvis, “The Long Hot Summer,” Jimmie Rodgers MENTAL FLOSS “We must welcome the future, remembering that soon it will be the past; and we must respect the past, remembering that it was once all that was humanly possible.“
People's Advocacy Council 