You’re invited to “Perspectives” a Holiday Artwalk and Party with music on South Main St. in Buena Vista! In addition to Rock Run, we’re using the existing retail spaces to showcase some fabulous artists and musicians.
Saturday, December 12, 6-10pm
Art ~ Music ~ Food ~ Fun!
~ Musicians ~
Acoustic singer-songwriter Andy Larimer from St Louis
Andrea & Matthew Coen, traditional and original Americana
Sponsored by Rock Run Gallery and neighbors. Call 719-221-9398 for more info.

Under the direction of Jane Templeton and Linda Taylor, the 25 voice chorus will perform a wide variety of holiday and seasonal music. Featured guests will be Jon Treat on drums and Mary Cuyler on flute. One piano, four hands Christmas duets will be performed by the directors.

Performances are scheduled as follows:

Friday, December 11, 7:30PM
Mountain Heights Baptist Church, Buena Vista

Saturday, December 12, 7:30PM
United Methodist Church, Salida

Sunday, December 13, 2:00PM
First Presbyterian Church, Salida

Refreshments will be served after each concert. Suggested donation is $5.00. For more information call 539-2428 or 539-4618.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9th
9:00-11:30am Downstairs, Salida Library.
Snacks and drinks provided
Sponsored by Chaffee County Mentors
Please RSVP: 539.2630

Why this is worth your time:
Compassionate listening can be one of the most effective tools for creating and sustaining healthy relationships. This training will help you better understand your teenager, mentee, boss, neighbor, or spouse. Don’t miss it!

Join Colorado Kayak Supply for the International Day of Climate Action on
October 24th in Buena Vista! The International Day of Climate Action is an
initiative of the nonprofit 350.org, which aims to bring awareness to the
global warming crisis. Our rally in BV will be one of 4,317 events
happening in 171 countries on that day. Come be a part of history!

http://www.350.org/node/8617

The objective of every event around the world is to gather a group of people
for a photo shoot to highlight the number 350. 350.org will then assemble
all the photos they receive for a gigantic, global, visual petition to be
presented to governments and leaders across the world.

The gathering will take place at the Barbara Whipple Bridge at the Buena
Vista Riverpark at 10:00 am on Oct 24th. If all goes according to plan the
photo shoot should take about an hour. If you have a kayak, bring it along
with a cam strap (we’ll be hanging kayaks from the bridge for visual
effect!), if you don’t have a kayak or don’t want to dig it out of the shed
just bring yourself, friends and family! We’ve already created a HUGE 350
sign for our photo, but if you feel inspired you’re welcome to bring smaller
350 signs of your own to hold up for the picture.

All participants at the BV rally will have the chance to win give-a-ways
from Keen, Colorado Kayak Supply and NRS. If you have questions about the
event go to 350.org or contact Colorado Kayak Supply at 395-8653, ext 2.

What is 350.org?
350.org is a non-profit with a mission to inspire the world to rise to the
challenge of the climate crisis and to create a new sense of urgency and of
possibility for our planet. The organization works to educate people on the
current climate crisis. The number 350 (350 parts per
million) is important because that is the level that scientists have
identified as the safe upper limit of CO2 in our atmosphere. We are
currently sitting at 387ppm. We can make a difference–if we mobilize the
world to swift and bold climate action, which is what we’re planning to do
on October 24th.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Thanks,
CKS

Pumpkin Patch Festival

Autumn is a time of color and wonder in the Arkansas Valley and there’s no better way to celebrate it than to take part in its seasonal festivities. One such event will be the third annual Pumpkin Patch Festival at Cottonwood Meadows in Buena Vista. The Pumpkin Patch Festival is a two weekend celebration open to the public which offers a variety of activities and amusements for the whole family.

You can join in on a horse-drawn wagon ride pulled by a local team of horses. They’ll pull you out to the patch where you can pick the perfect pumpkin. Bring it back and carve it at the farm. Or, if you’d prefer, you can carve it at home and spend your time running through the hay-bale maze, playing cow-pie bingo, bidding in a silent auction, enjoying a barbecue lunch, sipping hot-apple cider and enjoying homemade pies and cookies, bobbing for apples, visiting and petting the rabbits, horses, calves, ducks, chickens, dogs and more. You can have your face painted, see fire trucks and learn about fire safety with the Chaffee County Fire Department, take a walk through the gardens or back to the beautiful meadows along Cottonwood Creek. Be sure to visit the raw milk dairy and Colorado Grown, a distribution center specializing in locally grown and Colorado-based products.

Admission is five dollars for adults and children three and over. The cost of admission and the barbecue will go to support Farmhands Education, a program of the non-profit Guidestone, which aims to join children with the hands-on experience of small scale, local food production. The Farmhands Pumpkin Patch hours are Saturday, October 17th and 24th from 10am to 4pm and Sunday, October 18th and 25th from 12pm to 4pm. The address for the festival is 15264 Crossman Ave. (CR 350), Buena Vista. For more information or to schedule education programs for your group schools, contact Andrea at Guidestone 719-395-5814. Special thanks to Cottonwood Meadows, Weathervane Farm, The Dairy at Cottonwood Creek and Guidestone for their support.

The orientation meetings are mandatory for applicants and are designed to acquaint prospective families who need affordable housing with Habitat’s mission, to outline individual family requirements, and to facilitate help with the application process. Applications will be provided at the meetings. Those unable to attend either of the meetings due to a schedule conflict should contact Kim Brenner, Administrative Director, at the CCHfH office prior to the meeting dates (see contact info at the end of this story).

Families especially encouraged to attend are those whose family income is between 30-50% of the median income for families in the county and whose living conditions are less than desirable. Family size is also a factor in consideration, as well as steady income and agreement to partner in HfH’s other guidelines.

With ever-increasing home construction and cost-of-living prices in the county, CCHfH’s mission to show God’s love through providing decent, affordable housing has never been more important. According to City-Data.com’s “Chaffee County Early Childhood Strategic Plan” (June 2008), the average cost of a new home in the county remains near $300,000. Costs to build per square foot are 20% higher than in surrounding counties, and the average wage per year is just over $25,000–much lower than the state average of just over $39,000 per year. This combination of factors and many others unique to Chaffee county makes owning a decent home out of reach for many struggling families. According to the 2008 figures provided by City-Data.com, an estimated 428 families with children under 18 are living in poverty.

“It’s a serious situation,” says Dick Cuyler, President of CCHfH’s Board of Directors. “We exist to address just these kinds of needs. But families often don’t know about us or hesitate to apply.”

Award of a Habitat home is based on three simple initial criteria: the family’s degree of need, their ability to pay the mortgage (which is interest-free), and their willingness to partner with Habitat’s policies and participate in the building of their own home through “sweat equity.” Currently the requirement is 300-500 hours of labor. Most families find the task a joy and a great learning experience and that it deepens their pride of ownership in their new homes.

CCHfH’s latest home, a duplex finished in the summer of this year, met or exceeded county standards for construction and has received a “Five Star +” energy rating according to board member Jim Culberson. This not only saves the two families money, but it leads the way in energy efficiency for the county. Habitat International, of which CCHfH is an affiliate, is committed to building homes worldwide that save energy, conserve resources, and give families a quality place to live. This, in turn, improves communities.

CCHfH is planning to break ground and begin work on another duplex, this time in Salida, in the spring of 2010–if the funds can be raised. It costs approximately $240,000, including materials, labor, and other associated costs, to build a duplex to house 2 families. To date, CCHfH has approximately $120,000 in cash and land resources toward the next build.

For more information on the family selection/orientation meetings or to become a volunteer for CCHfH, please contact Kim Brenner, Administrative Director, at the Buena Vista CCHfH office Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Phone 395-0482 or e-mail kim@chaffeehabitat.org