CHURCHILL DENIED REINSTATEMENT: Former University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill was denied reinstatement after a judge ruled against him yesterday. Churchill was fired on plagiarism charges in some of his writings, and he also is famous for comparing some of the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center bombing victims to Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi leader. Yesterday’s ruling goes against a jury’s April decision that said his firing was politically motivated due to the Sept. 11 comments, and awarded Churchill $1 in damages. After yesterday’s decision, Churchill’s lawyer, David Lane, told the Denver Daily News at the Rialto Café, 934 16th St., “History will prove us right.”
PERLMUTTER TALKS ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., along with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., will host an Energy Efficient Housing Dialogue to discuss their GREEN Act and the companion measure in the Senate, the Energy Efficiency Housing Act of 2009, this morning in Washington, D.C. in the Library of Congress. The legislation seeks to create incentives to make green and energy efficient improvements accessible to homeowners, consumers and businesses.
UDALL, BENNET MAKE FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS: Colorado’s Democratic Senators, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, made two federal funding announcements yesterday. The Senators said that Colorado Springs-area military installations are on track to receive $443.3 million in new federal funding for construction projects at Fort Carson, Peterson and Schriever Air Force bases, and the Air Force Academy. They also announced that $119 million in funding for the construction of a stand-alone Veterans Hospital at Fitzsimons is “one step closer to the reality” after an appropriations bill passed committee yesterday and is now headed for consideration by the full Senate.
DEGETTE APPLAUDS WHITE HOUSE FOR FOOD SAFETY: Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, yesterday praised the White House on its findings of the Food Safety Working Group, which was created by President Obama in March. The group is recommending a new, public health-focused approach to food safety based on three core principles: prioritizing prevention, strengthening surveillance and enforcement, and improving response and recovery. DeGette said the Obama Administration is doing “everything within its legal power to improve the safety of our food safety system” but said that Congress must still pass “comprehensive legislation to bolster the legal authority of our food safety agencies.”
DINE AT BJ’S FOR CASA: Fifteen percent of all food sales from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. today at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, at 10446 Town Center Dr. in Westminster, will be donated to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties is a non-profit organization that advocates for the physical, emotional and educational needs of abused and neglected children. Visit casa17th.org or call 303-654-3378 for more information
CITY CONTRACTS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: The Denver Office of Economic Development has awarded contracts to three community-based organizations to administer the summer Youth Employment Program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Denver Housing Authority, Goodwill Industries of Denver and Servicios de La Raza will administer the placement of approximately 600 at-risk youth with jobs this summer. The City and County of Denver has received a $4.7 million ARRA allocation for workforce development activities. Of this amount, $1.9 million is targeted to youth employment and training. The three contracts total $753,070. The program is not accepting any additional youth applicants, as all of the positions have been filled. The contractors are maintaining waitlists of additional interested youth. Contact Denver Housing Authority at 303-607-9216, Goodwill Industries of Denver at 303-430-5319 or Servicios de La Raza, 303-953-5950 for more information.
AAA WARNS OF HEAT’S TOLL ON BATTERIES: The American Automobile Association of Colorado is warning of the danger that this week’s predicted 90-degree-plus temperatures can take on automobile batteries. AAA says that heat is the leading cause of battery failure and shortened battery life. The organization reminds people to ensure the battery cables have a clean and tight connection to battery terminals, check the battery fluid level, have the electrical charging system tested, and get a trickle charger to keep the battery in good shape if you go weeks without driving your vehicle. Visit AAA.com for more information.
DDP NAMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS: The Downtown Denver Partnership named new board members at their 54th annual meeting, which was held last night at the Denver Marriott City Center. Jerry Glick was named as the chair of the DDP, Bruce James was named as the chair of Downtown Denver Incorporated and Ferd Belz was named as chair of Denver Civic Ventures. During her report, Tami Door, president and CEO of the DDP, emphasized that the organization has set a goal of increasing the downtown housing market by 18,000 households by 2027, noting that the downtown residential market grew by more than 1,000 units in the last year.
RECORD MUSEUM ATTENDANCE: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science saw 13,460 visitors – the highest reported free day attendance in over a decade – during its June 10 free day. The museum said that paid attendance continues to hold steady as well.
XCEL HOSTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY WORKSHOP: Xcel Energy and Energy Outreach Colorado have joined forces to present the Non-Profit Energy Efficiency Workshop this morning from 8:30-11 at the Grand Hyatt Denver. The workshop is designed for non-profit organizations that are looking for assistance in reducing energy consumption at their facilities, and targeted to organizations that own their own buildings and are responsible for paying utility bills. Visit xcelenergy.com or call 303-294-2300.
QWEST EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENT: Qwest Communications will announce its second quarter 2009 financial results this morning during a conference call. Qwest management will also be discussing the company’s perspective on the results. Visit qwest.com for more information.
AIRFARE SALE: Southwest and Frontier have announced significant airfare sales. Southwest customers can purchase one-way tickets for $30, $60, or $90 based on length of travel. For travel up to 400 miles, fares are $30 one-way. For travel between 400 and 750 miles, fares are $60 one-way. For travel more than 750 miles, fares are $90 one-way. These fares are available through 11:59 p.m. tonight for travel beginning Sept. 9 through Nov. 18. Visit southwest.com for more information. Frontier is offering one-way fares from $34 to $199 for flights booked by July 14 on its Web site for travel from Aug. 10 through Jan. 15, 2010. Visit frontierairlines.com for more information.
FREE MATH CONFERENCE: The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics is hosting a free lecture tonight featuring Andrew Lo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The lecture, entitled “Kill All The Quants – Models vs. Mania in the Current Financial Crisis” will be held tonight from 6:15-7:15 at the Colorado Convention Center in Four Seasons Room 4. Visit siam.org for more information.
LAMBORN CAP AND TRADE SURVEY: Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., is hosting a poll on his Web site that asks people to answer a few questions about the “cap-and-trade” bill that recently passed the House. Lamborn said the bill is “essentially a national energy tax” and cited a study by the Heritage Foundation that said there would be significant job losses in the future because of the legislation. Visit Lamborn.House.gov for more information.
PENRY TO ANNOUNCE DECISION: Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, has decided whether or not he will run for Governor and will make his announcement Saturday morning at 9 in front of the courthouse in Grand Junction.
