www.RogerWendell.com
Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic Evolution^SM

Boulder, Colorado

Okay, although I've never lived in Boulder (for more than two nights in a row...) I've worked, climbed, played, broadcasted, volunteered, and protested there most of my life since the early 70s. Except for the high prices, tight parking, Marxists, trust fund babies, and its anti-Americanism I've always enjoyed the place - despite the rest of our state holding such a dim view of it (never mind the "pave-it-to-Kansas" politicians in Aurora, the sanctuary city of Denver, and the leftist snobs in Aspen...). Anyway, after hanging out in Boulder for three decades I finally got around to creating this little web page during the summer of '05 - just when Penny Lane was going out of business...                    - Roger J. Wendell

Click on any of this page's "thumbnail" images for a larger view!

Penny Lane Coffeehouse

That famous sign!

Their other sign...

Penny Lane customers

1795 Pearl Street

The Penny Lane Coffeehouse lost it's lease during the summer of 2005 - closing its doors forever on August 18th. Penny Lane was quite the "hang-out," representing what I always thought was the true character of Boulder. Penny Lane first opened its doors in 1981 at 1738 Pearl and remained there until April 20, 1994. At that time they closed for about 14 weeks and then reopened across the street at 1795 Pearl on August 3, 1994 - staying at that location until their final closing in '05.

Click Here for the Original Penny Lane Coffeehouse web page...

Click Here for a YouTube video of Penny Lane's closing day employee photo shoot...

Boulder Miscellanea:

Flatirons Painter

KGNU Satellite Dish

Boulder Tornado 1997

In July, 2005 I discovered this lady parked alongside Cherryvale Road painting pictures of the Flatirons (She gave me permission to photograph her and post it here). In April, 1995 my daughter photographed me in front of KGNU's satellite dish. In late Spring, 1997 coworkers and I watched this tornado touch-down in southeast Boulder - it destroyed a shed and some other structures but luckily didn't hurt anybody - including those of us standing outside to watch!

Neptune Mountaineering

Okay, the photo at left isn't fair since it's actually from Boulder, Utah! Nevertheless, I took the shot while driving through Utah during the fall of 2000 and the area reminded me of what Boulder, Colorado may have looked like at the time of statehood. The photo at right is the "real" thing!

Mountain View Memorial Park

Pearl Street Mall

Pearl Street Mall

Glen Huntington

Band Shell

Band shell seating

Click Here's for my YouTube video of Dan playing his didgeridoo on the Pearl Street mall...

47th & Valmont

Boulder Court House

Guantanamo protest

Boulder's Time Capsule

My library card...

I think you can see, from the photos I've taken, that Boulder is a pretty "eclectic" place! Lots of art, environmental concern, peace and social justice activities are always underway. Boulder really is different, I feel, because its people are not only caring but they act on their instincts to create a better world for all of us. Boulder and its citizens can be proud of the good they've brought not only Colorado, but our country and planet as well!

 

 

Chautauqua Park	Department of Commerce	Boulder Co-op Market*	Boulder Co-op Market*
Main Post Office	Post Office vehicles	Air Care Colorado	Emissions Testing
Naropa Nalanda	Valmont City Park	Free lodging...	Former Chicken Processing Plant

* The Boulder Cooperative Market (2002 - 2007) was one of my favorite food places in town - not only could I buy quality groceries there but they served all kinds of great smoothies and vegan/vegetarian lunches. Unfortunately they closed their doors in August, '07 - I suspect it was due to economic pressure from the Wild Oats/Whole Food merger but will never know for sure...

Boulder Falls Warning...

Myrna at Boulder Falls

Roger at Boulder Falls

Boulder Falls is located 11 miles west of Boulder, on the north side of Boulder Canyon Drive (SR 119) between Boulder and Nederland. It consists of five acres of mining claims that were given to the City of Boulder by Charles G. Buckingham, president and co-founder of Buckingham Brothers Bank (now Norwest Bank). Buckingham had held a U.S. Patent since 1881 on the American Mill site that included the Falls. He donated it to the City of Boulder for recreational purposes in 1914, hence "saving this beautiful spot from the encroachment of the great tungsten boom." [From the City of Boulder's website]

My bike ride to Boulder...

Like I mentioned earlier, in addition to showing up in Boulder for all kinds of stuff in the early 70s and 80s, I started working there in early 1994 (until 2010). During the 14 years leading up to this entry I found all kinds of ways to get me to Boulder. When I lived near Cherry Creek Reservoir, 45 miles (72 kilometres) one way, I was involved with a bunch of great carpool companions who worked at different companies all around Boulder (Ball, Roche, some small shops, etc.) - in the mid 90s we were so dedicated to carpooling that we actually had two different cars going up Highway 36 each day! Since that was so successful we got involved with Ride Arrangers and rented a van at very reasonable rates. By the early 2000s that arrangement fell apart, due to low fuel costs and really high insurance and maintenance expenses. So, I started taking the bus - an hour-and-a-half adventure, each way, with a transfer in downtown Denver along the 16th Street Mall. Later on I moved near Golden and was able to take the "GS" straight up Highway 93 - even securing my bicycle to the front to get me to and from the Park and Ride and around town in Boulder. The bicycle/bus combination worked well for me - especially when gasoline prices were approaching $4 per gallon in 2008! [Golden is about 25 miles/40 km from Boulder]

Click Here's for a YouTube video of my daily bus ride into Boulder!

Cydd West
and his Boulder "Flat Iron"
art at 2301 Goss Street:

Cydd's Roof Profile

Cydd West sits...

Me and Cydd West

It was a warm, winter afternoon in Boulder when I stumbled upon Cydd West and his "Flat Iron" art. I was with Kaleab (who later took the picture of Cydd and I) when I explained this had to be the most unusual yard art display I'd ever seen. Then to my surprise, from above, was sitting the artist himself - Cydd West!! Cydd lowered himself from the roof to take time to explain what it was all about...

I learned, first, that the laundry irons were his representation of Boulder's very own geologic Flatirons (noted in the photo of the painter further up this page) just a few miles west of where he sits. Next, there's a good bit of Buddhism, Hinduism and other spiritual stuff thrown in for good measure here and there around the property. Finally, it appears that the property's owner is going to undertake some serious renovating but has invited Cydd to return once the project is complete. Interesting to note that the property owner showed up while I was there, as well, but I didn't have enough camera memory left to take his picture - oh well... Anyway, it wasn't clear what Cydd's plans are but let's hope he's able to return and build on this project further!

Boulder Municipal Airport
Yes, Boulder has its own airport!

Airport entrance

Airport sign

Parked planes

Parked planes

Parked planes

Close your fligh plan!

Hovenweep National Monument

Boulder Houses of Interest:

Former home of...

JonBenét Ramsey (2006)

Mushroom house (front)

Mushroom house (back)

Dushanbe Teahouse *

Teahouse (side) *

*The Monday, April 3, 2006 Daily Camera (Boulder's hometown newspaper) Editorial (p. 9A) had this to say about the Teahouse:

Boulder's gift, to Dushanbe, will be a "cyber-cafe" built to "green" standards. Don Mock, and other officials from the non-profit Boulder-Dushanbe Sister City organization were working to raise the $400,000 necessary to make the gift possible as I was creating this web page in spring of '06...

Valmont Butte
Valmont Butte is sacred Indigenous ground that has seen better times!

As seen from the north

Valmont Butte Concrete...

No Dumping at this time

Valmont Butte is located on the east side of town at what would be the intersection of 63rd and Pearl if the Butte didn't exist...
(Valmont Butte is on the way for many of us visiting Eco-Cycle)

Toxic landscape
Unanswered questions remain about pollution at Valmont Butte
by Pamela White
Boulder Weekly - May 29, 2008 p. 11

"It's the $2,575,000 conundrum: what should the city of Boulder do with Valmont Butte? The battered parcel of land, best known for the volcanic dike that rises above Valmont Road, has seen its share of use - and abuse - at the hands of humans. American Indians used the site in their ceremonies, camping below during the winter, hunting on the surrounding plains and burying their loved ones. Pioneer families built a cemetery and used the area for grazing and agriculture."

"Then industry arrived. The site became home to a gold mill, which became a fluorspar mill, which became a gold mill once more, which closed at last, leaving radioactive tailings ponds behind."

"Radioactive soil was transported to the site and buried on Valmont Butte, as were sealed barrels of chemical waste. Drums, tanks and transformers were dumped on the ground, and with them toxic chlorine, PCBs, paints, lubrication oils, wood finishing products and a host of combustible, corrosive and flammable substances."

University of Colorado at Boulder

University Memorial Center UMC Patio Administrative Center CU Book Store Fiske Planetarium Observatory dome Sommers-Bausch Observatory

"'That university you teach at,' he asked, 'is it pretty liberal?' "well,' I said, 'it's not Boulder.' 'Oh, God, no, I hope not,' he said. I laughed. Throughout much of the rural Rocky Mountain West, Boulder had long been regarded as bleeding heart central." - Daryl Farmer in his book, Bicycling beyond the Divide (Two Journeys into the West), p. 46

Boulder Cars!

Like any other town, Boulder occasionally has a local who sports a
car, truck, bus, van, SUV, or motorcycle that's a little unusual.
Here I'll compile a few photographs, as time permits, of some vehicles
I've seen around town a few times:

Airtight

I saw this same car around town for almost a decade (as of late 2008). I believe the owner is concerned about air pollution and has sealed all the cracks and crevices throughout his car to protect himself as I also saw him wearing a surgical mask...

KGNU

Boulder is the birthplace of KGNU community radio and people are obviously very proud of that!

Click Here's for a YouTube video of my bike ride down the Boulder Creek path adjacent a Prairie Dog town...

The Boulder Flatirons
(and Raptor Closings):

The Flatirons are sedimentary rock formations located about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) southwest of the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder. There are five large, numbered Flatirons ranging from north to south (First through Fifth, respectively) along the east slope of Green Mountain. The name "Flatirons" probably came early pioneers who couldn't help notice that these 300 metre (1,000 feet) rock faces resembled the flat, metal irons used to press clothing.

Osprey, Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and Prairie Falcons love the Flatirons and other climbing areas in Boulder. Since 1986, Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks has instituted annual closures during nesting season. These seasonal closures usually start on February 1st, lasting through July 31st, and have been very successful in preserving the number of raptors fledged each year. These protected areas, throughout Boulder, are monitored by volunteers throughout the closure period. It's interesting to note, too, that there are some bat closures, in certain parts of Boulder, that last until October 31st each year. I, personally, , wish to thank my friends in the climbing community for their help in making this conservation effort such a success each year in Boulder!

The Maiden

Seal Rock

Boulder has always been way ahead in lifestyle techniques that are low-impact and Earth-friendly. Click Here for my recycling page with a bunch of photos from Boulder's Eco-Cycle recycling center and the Resource building materials recycling facility...

Goat Leaf Recycling:

Each fall, along Cherryvale Road, this homeowner puts out some sort of hand-painted sign inviting passersby to drop off bags of dried leaves as goat food! So, while I'm driving to work, I drop off a bag or two of leaves from my yard on Green Mountain. I've never met the owner of this "operation, but want to take this opportunity to thank her/him for their idea of leaf composting this way! I have another photo of their "goat leaf compost drop-off" on my Recycling page.

Tech pioneers find fertile soil in Boulder By Claire Cain Miller The New York Times The Denver Post, Sunday, Section K-11, May 16, 2010 "'In Silicon Valley, you're a small fish in a huge pond, and it didn't seem as collaborative and a lot more corporate,' said Chad McGimpsey, who moved to Boulder a month ago and is now a regular at the twice-a-month coffee club. 'Here, you're a big fish in a small pond. Plus, there are the mountains.'"

"A long list of communities around the country have tried to become 'the next Silicon Valley.' But very few have the mix of money, universities, a high-tech talent pool and appealing lifestyle needed to hatch tech startups."

"Boulder, however, has been luring tech industry veterans and young entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley and Manhattan with promises of a tech community that allows for lunch-break hikes in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains."

"The town's big successes include Rally Software, a fast-growing company that makes project-management software; Socialthing, a social media service acquired by AOL; and Kerpoof, which makes Web design tools for children and was acquired by Walt Disney Co."

Venture capital dollars ar following the entrepreneurs to Colorado. From 2007 to 2009, venture capitalists invested $1.9 billion in 275 Colorado startups, up from $1.6 billion in 247 companies from 2004 to 2006, according to the National Venture Capital Association. The money is coming from Colorado venture firms - including Foundry Group, a high-profile firm in Boulder - as well as from Silicon Valley and New York."

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