Tax Rate on Proposed Pool and Ice Rink Facility is 18 cents on $100 
Longmont Ballot Issue 3B, a proposal to increase the sales tax rate by .18 percent to fund a proposed pool and ice rink facility, will not result in a higher tax rate than 1.8 cents on a 10 dollar purchase, despite an error in the illustrative example found in the ballot language. Read the City’s news release.

Arguments For and Against Ballot Issue 3B
Those in favor believe:
• Longmont’s population has more than doubled since the development of the last competitive pool facility 40 years ago. The existing pool can no longer sustain the levels of programming and competition to meet the needs of the community today. 
• The construction of a new facility with multi-use competitive pool, leisure pool, ice rink, and fitness area can help meet the current demands and future needs of city residents seeking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
• A new facility would give access to residents who have no local access to year-round facilities for ice hockey, ice skating, and instructional ice programs.
Those opposed believe: 
• Construction of this project and payment of debt requires a sales tax increase. The City should find a different way to fund this type of project.
• The ice rink and competition aspects of this facility serve limited community interests. Longmont needs more facilities that can meet a wider range of recreational needs of its residents.
• User fees and charges will not be sufficient to cover the operation and maintenance costs for this facility and will require 0.03% of the sales tax to remain in place indefinitely.

Coffee with Council 
Longmont City Council will host the final 2019 Coffee with Council from 9 to 10 am on Saturday, October 19, at Intercambio, 1715 Iron Horse Drive, Suite 130. At this event, you can talk informally with at least two council members on any topic of your choice, and the coffee’s on us! Mayor Bagley and Council Member Martin are scheduled to attend. For more information call 303-651-8649.

After-school Pumpkin-painting Party
Head to the Library at 409 4th Avenue any time between 4 and 6 pm on Thursday, October 24, to paint a cute little personal pumpkin to take home and add flair to your holiday decor. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the craft. This program is for everyone age 18 and younger (younger than 9 must be accompanied by an adult). Register online at bit.ly/LibKids. No email? Call 303-651-8477 to register.

Pharmaceutical Take-back Event
The City of Longmont will host a Pharmaceutical Take-back Event from 8 am to 2 pm on Saturday, October 26, in the main lobby of Longmont United Hospital, 1950 Mountain View Avenue. Please remove names and personal information from prescriptions. Medical equipment, needles and illegal substances are not accepted. For more information, visit bit.ly/takeback-rx.

Free Leaf Collection Begins This Week
The City of Longmont is offering free curbside collection of bagged leaves beginning Monday, October 21. Leaves must be in paper or plastic bags and placed curbside by 7 am on the Monday of your collection week. If you miss curbside collection, you can take yard waste to the Waste Diversion Center at 140 Martin Street year-round. For more information or to see when your collection week is visit LongmontColorado.gov/WasteServices or call 303-651-8416.

Enjoy Day of the Dead Dance and Music
The Longmont Senior Center invites you to celebrate our community and honor loved ones at an all-ages Día de los Muertos dance from 6 to 8 pm on Tuesday, October 22, at the Longmont Senior Center, 910 Longs Peak Avenue. Bailes de mi Tierra dance group will perform folklorico, and DJ Raffa will spin some contemporary tunes. Enjoy tamales, snacks, and a memorial altar. This event is free, but please call 303-651-8411 to register in advance. 

Halloween Parade and Trick or Treat Street
Dress in your Halloween costume, march down Main Street, and visit participating Downtown merchants for Trick or Treat Street this Saturday, October 26. Children and adults of all ages can be part of Longmont’s annual free costume foot parade. Parade line-up begins at 9:30 am for a 10 am start at Roosevelt Park, 700 Longs Peak Avenue. No registration is required, and strollers or wagons are recommended for tiny feet. No motorized vehicles. Dogs are welcome but must be leashed, and no large animals please. For more information, call 303-651-8404. See the parade map at LongmontColorado.gov/rec.

Students Invited to Join Cultural Exchange
Students in grades 8 through 11 in a public, private or charter school in the area served by the St. Vrain Valley School District can have the experience of a lifetime traveling to Mexico or the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming as ambassadors for Longmont Sister Cities Association. Find more information and apply at LongmontSisterCities.com. The application deadline is Thursday, October 31.

Use Your Travels as Creative Inspiration
Travel inspires many things, and local artist Laura Garabedian wants to help you channel that inspiration into creativity. She’ll explore the intersection of travel and creativity in her program from 7 to 8 pm on Thursday, November 7, at the Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Avenue. In “Paints & a Passport” Garabedian will share stories about creating on the go and storing inspiration for later, as well as weathering the inevitable hiccups of international and remote travel. Register online at bit.ly/LibPrograms. No email? Call 303-651-8472 to register.

Volunteer to Teach English
Intercambio is seeking volunteers to teach English to adult immigrants with a new, more user-friendly curriculum. There is a particular need for volunteers in Longmont, and no teaching experience or Spanish are required. To learn more please fill out an online volunteer form at Intercambio.org. You will receive an email with information about upcoming information sessions. The next information session will be from 6 to 7 pm on Monday, November 4, at 1715 Iron Horse Dr., Suite 130. For more information call 720-758-9211 or email Raquel@Intercambio.org.