Catch-all Corner: garden grants, concert, alebrije workshop, scavenger hunt, birds, aging, Medicare info, water bill assistance, hazmat pickup, improved BoCo communications
A wide variety of tidbits!
GARDEN IMPROVEMENT GRANTS FROM LFROG
Hello friends and neighbors,
I'm writing to let you know about the Garden Improvement Grant Program offered by Lafayette Friends of the Garden (LFROG). The 2024 Lafayette Old Town Garden Tour was quite a success, and so we can offer a number of $500 Garden Improvement Grants this year. Thank you again to the gardeners and sponsors! Details are below.
1) Anyone who tends a garden in Lafayette is eligible to apply, residential or commercial, owner or tenant (except for members of LFROG). Projects can be DIY or contracted out.
2) Deadline to apply is July 31. Work must be completed by the end of the year. Funds are disbursed upon project completion, receipts are not required.
3) There is a simple 1-page application on our website:
Lafayette Old Town Garden Tour
We request at least two "before" photos with your application, and two "after" photos when done.
4) The main caveat is that the project can't involve high water usage.
If you have a project in mind, please feel free to apply. And if not, please spread the word to anyone who might be interested! Any questions, please let me know.
Thanks,
Seth White
Lafayette Friends of the Garden
FROM THE ARTS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES NEWSLETTER
Back to School Concert
Tuesday, July 30, 5-7pm- Lamont Does Park
Invite a school friend and join the Arts and Cultural Resources Department in saying farewell to summer and celebrate the beginning of the back-to-school season at Lamont Does Park. Enjoy local music, a food truck, and community. Visit lafayetteco.gov/Calendar
Art on the Street 2024 Scavenger Hunts
Come by The Collective Community Arts Center and pick up Art on the Street Scavenger Hunts. Take a close look at the 2024 collection and see if you can match the photos to the sculptures. Hint: The Tower and Love of My Life are NOT in the hunts. Enjoy!
You may also download PDFs of the Scavenger Hunts from the Art on the Street webpage: https://lafayetteco.gov/562/Art-on-the-Street
Alebrije Workshop with Mexican Cultural Center
Saturday, July 27, 11am, Lafayette Public Library, 775 W. Baseline Road
All ages are invited to this free workshop where attendees can enjoy an up-close personal view of the traveling exhibit "Alebrije, Xolotl: Dios Perro" by renowned Mexican artist Oscar Becerra-Mora, followed by an opportunity to learn how to make your own alebrije. This workshop is sponsored by the Lafayette Public Library and the City of Lafayette Arts and Cultural Resources Department. SRP Event - Alebrije Workshop with Mexican Cultural Center - Library Events and Spaces - Lafayette Public Library, Colorado (libcal.com)
AT THE SENIOR CENTER
Boulder County Area Agency Age Well Series
The Age Well Series is a unique opportunity to broaden and add depth to your understanding of aging and realize the growing scale and importance of our regional network of advocates, researchers, innovators, and practitioners.
More series information
Medicare Basics Classes and Counseling
The Medicare Counseling program offers live, virtual Medicare Basics classes throughout the month at varying times. Courses provide unbiased, up-to-date information about Medicare enrollment, benefits, costs, what and how Medicare pays, choices under Medicare plans, how they work, and prescription drug coverage.
Visit Medicare Counseling - Boulder County for the most up-to-date schedule of classes.
2024 WATER BILL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The City is piloting a water bill assistance program in partnership with Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC) to reduce the burden of increased water rates for Lafayette’s disproportionately impacted customers. This program is in addition to the existing utility bill assistance program available through SCCC.
For the first year, this assistance program will result in a monthly fixed reduction of $7.50 for Lafayette water customers who are qualified older adults or others on a fixed income.
Once a customer has been approved for the program through Sister Carmen, a credit will be applied to monthly bills through the end of the year (2024).
Please contact Sister Carmen Community Center for assistance in accessing this program:
303-665-4342
info@sistercarmen.org
The Lafayette Finance Department can assist with questions: 303-665-5588 Option 1 or utilitybill@lafayetteco.gov.
HOME HAZMAT PICK-UP
Do you have unwanted household hazardous materials like paints, batteries, and pesticides in your home but can’t get them to a proper disposal facility because of transportation challenges? If so, let Boulder County’s Home HazMat Pickup pilot program help. Staff will stop by your home to collect and transport this waste for proper disposal.
The Hazardous Materials Management Facility accepts hazardous waste from residents of Boulder County, the City and County of Broomfield, and the Town of Erie. To schedule your home pickup, email hazmatall@bouldercounty.org or call 720-564-2225.
HISTORY FROM A BIRD’S EYE VIEW
Thursday, August 8, 6:30 pm. History from a “Birds Eye View” - Changes in feathered fauna in an evolving landscape - Lafayette Public Library, 775 W. Baseline Rd. - In addition to its own song, that Blue Jay calling out in your backyard sings its part in the chorus of Boulder County's story. This fascinating program, co-sponsored by the Boulder County Nature Association, tracks the changes in the nature of our land – how changes in human land use have transformed the avian fauna of our region. Join Naturalist, Martin Ogle, and Lafayette Historical Society's Gerry Morrell to find out! No RSVP required. Questions? Contact Martin Ogle at Martin.Ogle@LafayetteCO.gov
The Boulder Office of Disaster Management for the City of Boulder and Boulder County to launch text message program and improve language access
Boulder County, Colo. - Starting July 9, 2024 the Boulder Office of Disaster Management (ODM) will add text messaging to the ways community members can choose to stay informed during a disaster. This is an enhancement to the current communications process, which relies heavily on the ODM website and social media.
The keyword text messaging system will only be used when the Emergency Operations Center is activated to respond to a disaster. This typically occurs for larger scale incidents that are likely to last some time and affect a large portion of the community. The system is not to be confused with the alert and warning system, which is how people receive emergency alerts directing them to take actions such as evacuate, climb to higher ground, or shelter in place. Information about signing up for emergency alerts can be found at www.BocoAlert.com.
Instead, the new and optional keyword text messaging system will provide important information that may be helpful to know during a disaster. Examples of information that will be shared include incident updates, community resources, road closures, sheltering information, and information about other community impacts.
To start receiving ODM’s push notification texts, users will need to text BOCOinfo to the number 888777. The request only needs to be made once. The service is free, except for any data usage charges that might apply.
Texts will include a brief subject line, for example, Shelter Update, with a link that users will need to click to access the full message. The system does not have the ability to share maps or images. These visual resources will be available, as always, on ODM’s website.
The messages will also be available in over 100 different languages through an integration with the ReachWell translation app. Community members who are interested in receiving content in a language other than English can learn more and download the translation app at www.boulderodm.gov/preparedness/reachwell/ . Once you have downloaded the app, select BOCOinfo and BOCOalert to receive both the emergency alerts and the incident updates in your preferred language.
All the information that is shared via text message and the ReachWell translation app will also be available on ODM’s website which can be found at www.BoulderODM.gov.
“We strive to provide a variety of communication methods to the community; adding text messaging capability helps to ensure that more people are in the know when it matters most,” said Mike Chard, Emergency Management Director.
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