Varnes leaves city TV post; shoppers finding flu shots

Former and current local officials, including CU Regent Cindy Carlisle, newly elected County Commissioner Will Toor, former Boulder Mayor Leslie Durgin, now director of the AORN Foundation, and other friends gathered at the Dushanbe Teahouse to wish good luck to Richard Varnes, stepping down as Boulder?s telecommunications coordinator after a 30-year career.
Varnes, who?s been in the thick of city budget debates lately over funding for both the city?s Channel 8 and the public access Channel 54, says he hopes to take a breather before deciding what?s next in his career.

All Eye want for Christmas is a flu shot.
Shoppers at Twin Peaks Mall in Longmont got an early present this year. Amid the shortage of flu shots nationwide, alleviated somewhat by a new batch of the vaccine, members of the Longmont Clinic have been seen hawking flu shots for $18 a pop in the mall. Seemed to be a steady stream of shoppers rolling up their sleeves for the preventative prick.

This just in from Yahoo! Shopping.
A recent survey showed that 29 percent of U.S. adults plan to have something special to wrap for their pets this year. Ninety-six percent will buy gifts for relatives.
Sixty percent will spend hard-earned dollars on friends. Nearly 23 percent plan to buy gifts for their co-workers; 11 percent plan on buying their boss a holiday gift.
Eight percent of Americans will buy their mail carrier a gift, and 15 percent will purchase Eight percent of Americans will buy their mail carrier a gift, and 15 percent will purchase a gift for their neighbor. And about 45 percent of those who plan to shop for someone this season will end up buying something for themselves as well.

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Some folks can?t afford to give their pets gifts, and others find it difficult even to afford food or supplies for Spot and Fluffy. To help these pets and their poor, elderly, ill or disabled companions, Home Alone Pet & House Sitting of Lyons is holding its first annual Paw-liday Drive.
Owners Laura and Paul Lampe ask that you check your closets for items including leashes, collars, toys, beds, coats, bowls and unopened food to drop off at Home Alone Pet & House Sitting, 287 May Ave. in Lyons. Donations also can be left at the Barking Dog Café, 447 Main St. in Lyons.
For more information (303) 823-6153 or HomeAloneSitting@hotmail.com.

Spectra Logic Corp. again dedicated its annual charity drive to Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence, formerly Boulder County Safehouse. Spectra Logic selected this organization for the second year in a row.
Both the data storage company and the human rights organization are celebrating their 25th anniversary.
To support the Safehouse mission, Boulder-based Spectra Logic is holding a holiday drive where employees donate items from the organization?s Wish List. The collected items, as well as monetary donations, assist Safehouse in its day-to-day maintenance and provide items to help the women and children housed there to feel more at home.

Every year the holiday spirit moves the Colorado Contractors Association to help a nonprofit organization in Colorado with on-site physical improvements or contracting work. Dozens of association member companies and their employees donate thousands of dollars worth of materials, vounteer hours, and equipment to see it through. ?Our members want to give back to the community and we find lots of ways to do that,? explains CCA President Ben Connell.
Contact Tim Montano at tmontano@ccainfo.org or (303) 290-6611. Requests are due by Dec. 31.

TDA Advertising of Boulder came up with an ad campaign for Outlast Technologies Inc. of Boulder, whose SmartFabric technology is used in Dockers, Eddie Bauer, Gold Toe and other apparel to help regulate temperature. The campaign slogan is, ?Our fabric is smarter than our models.? The campaign is based on the questionable promise: Who better to introduce smart fabric than dumb models?
Photos used in the campaign show a male model wearing his jockey shorts over his slacks, a women in bed reading a book wearing sleep shades and a guy having a tough time dressing himself.

The Eye doesn?t have time for reality TV. But considering all the reality shows involving home improvement it?s considering, maybe, applying to be on ABC?s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or Fox?s Renovate My Family.
The Eye?s windows are especially an eyesore. But that seems to be every home?s problem because Hunter Douglas, based in New Jersey with operations in Broomfield, has had its window fashions featured on both shows.
Hunter Douglas is also the window treatment provider of choice for the boardroom in ABC?s The Apprentice.