September  Newsletter:

Article List:
September 15th-Brown Bag --Transportation
BE LOCAL -support the community
Biking Event for BE LOCAL
Apply for City Boards and Commissions

Brown Bag-September 15-Note time change: 12:30 start time
Citizen Planners will host a lunch time Brown Bag Friday, September 15, 12:30 PM to 2 PM for citizens to discuss the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan. The North Front Range Air Quality and Planning Council staff and consultant, Dixie Dixie Schmatz, will present a brief over-view and answer questions. The presentation covers national and local transportation facts and gives specific information about the North Front Range 2035 Regional Transportation Plan - including how it differs from past plans. Questions will be answered and specific comments will be recorded, following the presentation. The comments from the presentations will help determine which options are tested for inclusion in the final 2035 Plan.

If you are unable to attend and wish to get more information about the 2035 Plan go to www.nfrmpo.org and click on the box on the lower right that says The North Front Range 2035 Regional Transportation Plan.

This Brown Bag will be held in the Community Room in the basement of Home State Bank, 303 E. Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins. For more information call 482-4852.

BE LOCAL COUPON BOOK
A new kind of coupon book debuts at the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair this month.  The Be Local Coupon Book promotes independent stores, farmers, trades people, art groups, restaurants, and more. This inaugural volume, selling for $10, features more than 115 "Buy Local" coupons from 75 independent area businesses for a savings of over $2000.

In addition, the book features a "Choose Local: Walk the Walk" resource guide for making positive choices; a mini-directory of local tradespersons from the National Center for Craftsmanship; a dozen stories of innovation, heart and leadership from local programs; and an "Eat Local" map  identifying nearby outlets for locally grown foods coming into the Fort Collins community.  This map, included for free, also features the fair trade food available through local stores and coffee shops.

Gailmarie Kimmel started this program with the help of funding from the City of Fort Collins, New Belgium Brewery and the CSU Center for Fair and Alternative Trade Studies.  "This idea of a local living economy is very compelling.  It helps revive the natural web of human relationships that is grounded in respect and reciprocity.  It promotes what is unique and homegrown about our own community while working toward ecological health and economic justice.  It also connects us to efforts that protect local economies, local cultures, and local ecosystems around the globe."

Kimmel, a board member with the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association (RMSLA), found a willing organization to sponsor this project.  "People working with RMSLA understand that sustainability needs to speak to economic as well as social and environmental aspects.  Our goal is to energize healthy, face-to-face, local-to-local commercial relationships and direct this economic impact towards a deeper integration of these three aspects."

The Be Local book can be purchased at the upcoming 7th annual Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair, Saturday and Sunday, September 16 and 17.

Biking Event:
On Friday, September 15, 10:30 AM, the Be Local book will be moved from Citizen Printing to the Fairgrounds across from New Belgium Brewery using only bicycles!  Anyone with a bike cargo or child trailer is invited to partake in this clean energy, alternative transportation celebration (less than 2 miles).  Kimmel adds, "What a great opportunity to 'Act Local,' moving 60 boxes of hot-off-the-press coupons books via pedal power - Fort Collins' first Climate Protection Book Delivery… come join the fun!"

For details about the Be Local Coupon Book, bike caravan and Sustainable Living Fair, visit www.SustainableLivingAssociation.org or inquire at BeLocal@SustainableLivingAssociation.org

City Boards and Commissions:
Fort Collins has become a great city because of its citizen participation. Keep the spirit alive by volunteering for one of the many Boards. Find the one that interests you; choose from 28 Boards/Commissions such as Art in Public Places to Affordable Housing to the Water Board. Information on the activities of each Board  is available at www.fcgov.com/boards  You can even apply on line. September 25th is the deadline.

Future Articles
If you have items of interest to the readership and wish to have them included in future newsletters, please send information to citizenplanners@cs.com.