Monday, September 24, 2007

Sunflower Farms opening another class

Beginning next week, Sunflower Farms is starting a new class - a Tuesday afternoon SproutHouse (toddler drop-off) class.

When: 1-4 on Tuesdays; Oct and November

Ages: 3, 4 or 5 years old

Cost: $30 per session

Sign up for several classes or all nine. My son goes to this on a different day and LOVES it! They do craft projects, feed the animals, have super yummy snacks and spend almost all their time outdoors! I just think it's so amazing that we live in suburban sprawl but my 3 year old can hang out with chickens, pigs, cows and horses on a regular basis :)

SUNFLOWER FARM is located at11150 Prospect RoadLongmont, CO 80504
303-661-0954
http://www.sunflowerfarminfo.com

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Discovery Days Update

It seems the museum was moved by the support it has received for Discovery Days and is starting their own campaign to save the program! Yay! I received this email today:

"WHAT HAPPENED!
The proposed 2008 City of Longmont budget eliminates city general fund support for Discovery Days. This free program has a suggested donation of $1 per child to cover the cost of materials, supplies, equipment, and marketing. City funding has paid for staffing the program. To save Discovery Days, we must find $19,000 in on-going funding from new sources.

WHAT IS DISCOVERY DAYS?

Discovery Days is an early childhood program at the Longmont Museum & Cultural Center which encourages children ages 2 to 5 and their caregivers to actively engage together in educational, hands-on art activities. Through social interaction and inspiring experiences, this facilitated community program is a place where play and learning connect - where lifelong learning begins.

This program served 10,600 children and parents or other caregivers in 2006, 6,400 of them children. Since the program is free of charge, it is accessible to all regardless of income level. To accommodate the demand, drop-in sessions are offered three times each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, during the school year.

OUTLOOK

It is likely that a combination of funding sources will be necessary to maintain the success of Discovery Days. Options include:

Changing the suggested donation to a required program fee (and increasing the fee)
Obtaining grants and donations to pay program costs and fees for low-income families
Restoration of partial funding from the City of Longmont

HOW I CAN HELP?

-Volunteer whatever time you have to help the Friends and the Museum staff as we collect data and develop a plan to keep Discovery Days alive
-Donate funds or time to help solicit donations or grants
-CALL your City Council representative and ask that partial funding be restored to the budget.

The Friends of the Longmont Museum is accepting donations to help save Discovery Days. If you can give, the Friends will pass these funds on to the Museum to be used to defray the costs of this program and to provide funds for low-income families to attend.

Tax-deductible donations can be made in person at the museum or by mail to:

Friends of the Longmont Museum

400 Quail Road
Longmont , CO 80501
Please add this note in the memo section on your check: Discovery Days

If you are interested in helping to Save Discovery Days, contact Katie Torres, at 303-776-7596, katietorres@qwest.net or Morgan Copeland McCorkle, at 303-827-3569, morganthau@yahoo.com."

City of Longmont newsletter

I posted a link a while ago to help you sign up for the City's newsletter but their newsletter service has changed! Here's the link to sign up for the new service (old subscribers don't automatically get the new newsletter!): http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/selectalert/index.htm. Enjoy :)

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Reminder - ArtWalk is this Friday night!

View local artists' work and make some of your own! This is a great event for kids because it's free and they usually have great music, face painting and lots of art to see and do. See http://www.artwalklongmont.org/ for more information.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Music with Madelyn concerts at Sunflower Farms

Sunflower Farms is hosting a Music With Madelyn and Ernie Concert this Sunday, September 16th, from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm. So, in addition to all the fun things to do on the farm on this beautiful almost-fall day, if you come after 11 you will also catch their super-fun, interactive concert. Expect some new planting songs and pumpkin songs in addition to their usual high energy set that you've come to love. Questions? Call Madelyn at 303-443-8141. They will also be there on Sunday Oct 21 at 11:30 am... a great day to come and pick out your pumpkins! :)

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Save Discovery Days!!!

So you know how I just posted about Discovery Days starting today? Well, it did. But guess when it ends? In January! The City Council is cutting the funding for Ms. Stephanie's salary effective January 1st so Discovery Days will be no more unless WE do something about it. PLEASE PLEASE take five minutes RIGHT NOW and go email the Longmont City Council. You can do that either by going to their contact page at http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/city_council/contactform.htm or by emailing them directly using these addresses:

Mayor Julia Pirnack - juliapirnacklg@earthlink.net
Doug Brown, Ward I - dougbrownlg@earthlink.net
Karen Benker, Ward II - karenbenkerlg@earthlink.net
Marty Block, Ward III - marty.block@comcast.net
Mary Blue, At Large - marykblue@msn.com
Roger Lange, At Large - roger_lange@qwest.net
Fred Wilson, At Large - fredwilson@mesanetworks.net

I just finished my email to this group and my main points were that there are very few low cost activities for young children in this city (especially activities that encourage their artistic sides), I would have never set foot in the museum had it not been for Discovery Days, and I know many people who come from outside the city limits to attend this and spend good money while they're here (eating at McDonald's afterwards, for example, puts their outside money into our city's sales tax fund). My children love this escape from the winter blahs since we have very few other places to go in the winter - the mall took out it's (horrible) play place and Itty Bitty City at the Memorial Building on Fridays is a madhouse. We need Discovery Days to stay!!! Please make your opinion known to the city council ASAP so we can try to save this great program!!!

9/5/07 - ETA: The next City Council meeting is next Tuesday, September 11th at 7 pm at the library. I plan on being there to show my support for Discovery Days. Will you join me?