DID YOU KNOW?
Pumpkin Pie Days
The first official Pumpkin Pie Days were in 1899 in Longmont, where people came from across the Front Range for the event. The celebration was held yearly until 1915.
Many visitors traveled on special trains the railroad added for the occasion, which included a parade, horse races and the free pumpkin pie and other food provided by Longmont businesses and housewives. In 1908, 30,000 sandwiches and 75 barrels of coffee were served along with 10,000 pumpkin pies.
The St. Vrain Historical Society began commemorating the pie-eating celebration in 1969 at an antique show on the second weekend of October. Pumpkin pies are donated by society members and supporters at the yearly antique fair.
Source: City of Longmont (www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum/research/timeline.htm); St. Vrain Historical Society; Boulder History Museum
REGIONAL NOTES
WESTMINSTER
Environmental practices honored
Westminster has won an international award for environmentally friendly practices from a group affiliated with the United Nations Environment Programme.
The city won the top prize for “use of environmentally sensitive practices.”
It also won a silver award as one of the top communities of its size for livability.
The awards were handed out at the LivCom awards, which were launched in 1997 and are endorsed by the U.N. program.
More than 50 cities were finalists, and representatives from each city traveled to Spain to make presentations before a panel of judges.
The awards are divided into five categories, based on city size.
GRAND JUNCTION
Centennial celebration of Trumbo
The late author and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who was vilified in Grand Junction some 80 years ago for writing a thinly disguised, tell-all novel about the town, is being feted in Grand Junction to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth.
A number of academic and cultural entities teamed up to present an exhibit of Trumbo memorabilia at the Museum of the West through Jan 13.
On Dec. 9, a birthday bash will be held at the Avalon Theatre and reprinted copies of “Eclipse,” his book about Grand Junction, will be released. On Dec. 10, three movies for which Trumbo wrote the screenplays, “Spartacus,” “Johnny Got His Gun” and “The Brave One,” will be shown at the Avalon.
Van tours of historic sites referred to in “Eclipse” will be conducted that day.
Trumbo was born in Montrose, grew up in Grand Junction, and became a famous Hollywood screenwriter before he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era.
He wrote many of his most famous screenplays under pseudonyms.
For more information on Trumbo events, call 970-242-3562. For book sales and event reservations, call 970-683-2434.
HIGHLANDS RANCH
Metro Districts set budget hearing
The Metro Districts of Highlands Ranch will hold a public hearing on its proposed $16 million budget Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the district office at 62 West Plaza Drive in Highlands Ranch.
The proposed budget represents a roughly 6.4 percent increase from the current one. Property tax rates will remain the same, 20.282 mills.
The budget covers fire protection, park and open space maintenance, parkway landscape maintenance along major roads, facilities and vehicle maintenance, recreation services, engineering, community relations, general management and accounting.
Budgets are available to the public at the districts’ office. For information, call 303-791-0430.
DENVER POST STAFF REPORTS
