Amnesia victim has ties to Boulder

BOULDER, Colo. - "Benjaman Kyle" is named for the initials of the Burger King restaurant near Savannah, Ga., where he was found naked and badly beaten nearly five years ago.

He has few clues to the life he once led - where he lived, if he has any family.

He thinks he's about 60 years old. He thinks Benjaman is his real first name. He feels eerily comfortable in and around restaurants and wonders if he once worked in the industry.

Now his memories of an out-of-business Boulder burger joint and the vivid recollection of reading Restaurants & Institutions Magazine in the University of Colorado's Norlin Library have led the people who are helping him search for his identity to turn their attention here.

Filmmaker brings Zimbabwe to Boulder

BOULDER, Colo. — At age 21, Tatenda Muchiriri founded the Machapro Boys Club in his home village in Zimbabwe, with the goal of changing the way African men view and treat women.

It was a revolutionary idea there.

"I've heard of people doing programs with young women to empower them to take care of their bodies, take care of themselves and prevent AIDS from affecting them," said Robin Truesdale, a University of Colorado graduate who met Muchiriri on a 2006 trip to Zimbabwe. "But I've never met a young man who was interested in approaching it from the male angle, and I just found that fascinating."

Teacher, mother of four’s battle with cancer ends

BOULDER, Colo. — Saturday morning marked the end of a more-than-year-long struggle with breast cancer for Leson Dunkley-Hansen, a former teacher at Boulder Community School of Integrated Studies and a mother of four.

Dunkley-Hansen was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. The cancer eventually spread to her brain and lungs and caused her to stop teaching her fifth-grade class in March 2008. She died Saturday.

5 Questions for Jeanine Fritz, Boulder Outdoor Cinema manager

BOULDER, Colo. — Jeanine Fritz took over as productions manager for the Boulder Outdoor Cinema in 2004 for Dave Riepe, after two years with the cinema. Reipe, who created the outdoor cinema, as we know it today, added music, trivia and other pre-show entertainment. Fritz has also worked with a number of film festivals, critiqued films and film festivals for the Camera and does any other kind of movie-related work she can get.

Video: Bolder Boulder 2009

5 Questions for Julie Herman, of the Boulder Green Building Guild

BOULDER, Colo. — Julie Herman has been executive director of the Boulder Green Building Guild, which was founded in 2004, for almost two years.

Herman, who earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and history from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s from the University of Colorado at Denver, previously worked for PlaceMatters, another nonprofit organization, and has extensive experience with environmental and community development projects.

Centaurus High: Graduate overcomes autism, achieves the ‘impossible’

LAFAYETTE, Colo. — For Nicholas Asocar, a high school graduation is something many people thought he would never attend. Asocar was diagnosed with autism at a young age and doctors told his mother there was a chance he would never talk or be able to take regular classes.

But Asocar said he was able to join the more than 250 Centaurus High School graduates on Saturday because of the support he received from his family, friends and, most of all, his mother.

“She said I could do anything I set my mind to,” Asocar told his fellow graduates. “She also never gave up on me.”

Centaurus Principal Rhonda Haniford praised the hard work Asocar and every other graduate has put in throughout high school.

“A large chunk of them are going off to four-year universities or two-year universities. Some of them are traveling internationally, going to international schools,” she said before the ceremony. “I have great hopes for them, they have high aspirations and I know they’re gonna make it.”

Some of the graduates said that, though they will miss Centaurus and the friends and memories they’ve made, they are excited to go on to experience new things. Cody Goetsch, 18, said it feels good to finally be recognized.

“All the work that I’ve done for the last four years ... It’s good to finally know that I’ve accomplished something,” he said.

Steven Chereson, a language arts teacher who was recognized as the Centaurus High School Honored Teacher and presented with the Gastellum Award for involvement in the school and with the students, said he is proud of this class but that he will miss them next year.

“I find that every year when graduating time comes — when they’re about to leave us — I’m losing members of family but (with) this class it’s more so than others,” he said.

And, though they’re all going in different directions, Asocar assured the graduates there are great things in store for each of them.

“I know the future holds great things for everyone,” he said.

Fairview grad is 'just everywhere'

BOULDER, Colo. — Throughout high school, Helen Killeen has sacrificed her time for many organizations, including Amnesty International, Fairview High School's Coalition for Nonviolence, Peers Building Justice and is also the founder and president of the LORAX club, which works to educate people about environmental sustainability.

Despite challenges, Centaurus grad stayed focused

LAFAYETTE, Colo. — Sheridan Peterson has taken four years of rigorous coursework at Centaurus High School, including advanced levels of Spanish, AP calculus, and civil and architectural engineering. While maintaining excellent grades, she was also part of the Pom Squad as a freshman and sophomore and has worked at Papa Murphy's for the last two years.

Couple hopes to improve fun park

BOULDER, Colo. — Between their move to Boulder, marriage and purchase of an amusement park, Chris and Teresa Lomax have had their hands full in the past few months.

The couple, who moved to Boulder from Bend, Ore., bought Gateway Fun Park in November and since then have been busy getting ready for the summer season. On top of all the preparations, the couple got married last month.

Michael Pollan rallies Boulderites, businesses

BOULDER, Colo. — Michael Pollan, the professor, journalist and award-winning author, made two appearances in Boulder on Thursday to promote his books and to encourage the start of a "movement to reform our food system."

Pollan, who wrote "In Defense of Food," "The Botany of Desire" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma," is in the middle of a nationwide speaking tour. Pollan, who gave a brief talk and signed books at the Naturally Boulder Spring Fling and then spoke before a sold-out crowd at Boulder's Unity Church, said he decided to make a stop in Boulder because of the part the city plays in this "movement" to promote healthy, organic foods.

Local artist paints seventh Bolder Boulder poster

BOULDER, Colo. — Local artist Anne Gifford has been a part of the Bolder Boulder for 21 years and, just like the 10-kilometer race, she's still going strong. Gifford is the artist for this year's Bolder Boulder event poster, her seventh time since she created Bolder Boulder's first landscape art poster in 1988.

CU outreach program hopes to inspire engineers

BOULDER, Colo. — An outreach program that started with some extra rocket kits and a suggestion from Byron Young, a University of Colorado aerospace engineering major, has taken off since it started about 12 weeks ago. As part of the program, Young and other volunteers, most of them also engineers, go to local elementary schools, give a brief talk about engineering and then help the kids design, build and launch the model rockets.

5 Questions for Chautauqua's Susan Connelly

BOULDER, Colo. — Susan Connelly became executive director of the Colorado Chautauqua Association — a nonprofit organization that acts as steward of the Colorado Chautauqua National Historic Landmark — six years ago, following a law career in Florida and Illinois.

She became involved with Chautauqua because of her desire to foster community and to help make sure the benefits of one of the last remaining Chautauquas aren’t lost.

The Camera got a chance to speak with Connelly about Boulder, Chautaqua and the upcoming season of programming.

Interactive Map: Bolder Boulder map 2009

An interactive map that allows you to see the aid stations, entertainment spots, free parking areas, and more information on the Bolder Boulder, a 10k race in Boulder, Colorado. The Bolder Boulder recently registered its 1 millionth runner in the 31st year of the race. Roll over the icons for more information on the race.

Erie Town Fair showcases car show, vendors

ERIE, Colo. — Even though the hot air balloon launch was canceled due to high winds Saturday morning, the Erie Town Fair started long before the sun came up. Vendors were out on the streets unpacking their wares and setting up booths even three and four hours before the festival was scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

Colbert gets Boulder guitar for birthday

BOULDER, Colo. — Stephen Colbert, host of Comedy Central’s "The Colbert Report," received a surprise birthday present from a Boulder guitar shop Wednesday.

Colbert had a 1973 Martin D41 guitar presented to him at his "Colbert Report" staff birthday party, said Boulder musician Rob Ober, who sold the guitar to the show.

5 Questions for Robin Truesdale, musician and curator

BOULDER, Colo. — Robin Truesdale and Bonnie Carol are co-curators of the Zimbabwe Art Show, which is part of ZimFest, a festival that celebrates the culture, music, art and people of Zimbabwe. ZimFest will be in Boulder, this June, for the first time since the annual festival began in Seattle in 1991.

Truesdale, who started playing marimba music in 2002, ended up making a trip to Zimbabwe four years later as a result. She immersed herself in and developed a love of the Zimbabwean culture after her two sons, who are both musicians, introduced her to the music. Truesdale is also part of Pick Up Sticks, a Boulder-based marimba band, and has made two movies on Zimbabwe, one of them sponsored by the National Geographic All Roads Film Project.

New Vista sophomore recognized for writing

BOULDER, Colo. — For Tara Putorti, writing is not only a pastime, but also an outlet to express herself. The New Vista Senior High School sophomore, who recently won a Regional Scholastic Writing Award for a short story she wrote, said she was surprised but also excited to win the award.

Mass casualty drill trains emergency crews

JAMESTOWN, Colo. — Firefighters and other emergency rescue personnel practiced their skills Saturday in a mass casualty exercise in Jamestown. The drill, which had been postponed twice because of snowstorms, was a good chance for various agencies to prepare together for a large-scale emergency.