Photos courtesy: Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center T he Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center (RMPJC) is making a clarion call: If unity has ever been needed on the front lines of the fight for justice, peace and human rights, it’s now. The Boulder-based nonprofit organization is guided by the philosophy that everything is interconnected and interdependent–thus, the need to acknowledge intersectionality in the various forms of oppression that people face. “At RMPJC, we work to bridge various movements for justice, recognizing that we as a community are stronger when we stand in solidarity,” says Center campaign coordinator Giselle Herzfeld. The RMPJC story began at the historic Encirclement of Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant near Denver on October 15, 1983. After years of protest and arrests, that day activists took a different tack: They surrounded Rocky Flats hand in hand around its 17-mile perimeter. That action led directly to the founding of the Boulder Peace Center, later renamed Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center. In the 41 years since the Encirclement, though humanity’s flashpoints in the struggle for justice have changed, RMPJC’s vision statement has not: “We strive to nourish the inherent capacity for compassion, generosity and joy in all people. We seek a healthy, sustainable relationship between people and the planet. We recognize that Earth and all its beings are inherently valuable and have the right to exist and be healthy. We seek to create egalitarian social, economic, political and environmental structures where all people are empowered to participate directly in decisions that affect their lives. We seek a world where conflict is handled justly and nonviolently, creating true peace.” Over the past five years in particular, with an escalating climate crisis, COVID and conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, with the real threat of nuclear war, many activists have been ground down with despair and burnout. “The past few years in particular have underlined why the power of community and care is so, so crucial,” says Herzfeld. “It is vitally important to be building deep relationships of trust and collaboration, and to stand in mutual solidarity with our allies. We cannot afford to fall prey to infighting and division because...it is only when we move together that we will have a chance of shifting the paradigm.” RMPJC is a multi-issue organization that has worked in a variety of campaign areas through the years. Currently, their primary focus is on Nuclear Guardianship and Free Palestine. They work in regional coalitions such as the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, Nuclear Free Colorado, and the Colorado Palestine Coalition. Herzfeld: “The Center is grateful and honored to be a part of these diverse and regional networks of organizers working toward common goals promoting peace and justice.” When the Work is Working Consider this powerful example of the culmination of the Center’s passionate civic engagement on Rocky Flats this year. Rocky Flats is heavily contaminated with plutonium and other radioactive materials. Since 2016, there has been a multi-government effort to install a mountain biking trail, called the “Rocky Mountain Greenway,” to encircle the most contaminated part of Rocky Flats, which remains an EPA Superfund site. On September 23, 2024, Westminster City Council voted to withdraw from the Greenway project. Their decision set a powerful new precedent. “In addition to establishing another local government decision which acknowledges the public health risks of recreation at Rocky Flats, it demonstrated the courage to stand up against regulatory capture,” explains Chris Allred, Nuclear Guardianship coordinator for RMPJC. “Westminster was being advised from multiple angles to ‘go along to get along;’ however, they took the most principled stand and decided to deny any additional funding to the Rocky Mountain Greenway. This is one of the more courageous actions we’ve seen by any local government, truly extraordinary. We believe that this precedent and the spirit behind it will prove stronger through the years.” At the time of this writing, Superior and Broomfield have also withdrawn from the Rocky Mountain Greenway, and seven school districts have also banned field trips at Rocky Flats. “As the precedents continue to mount, it proves that the construction efforts at Rocky Flats have only been made possible through manufactured consent and regulatory capture,” Allred says. “We will remain steady until we see justice. Boulder County has yet to withdraw and the community will continue to make the demand for responsible policy that protects people from environmental contamination. We recognize that organizing with local governments has a regional and national importance.” Support RMPJC on Colorado Gives Day A powerful way to support RMPJC is to make a donation on December 10 – Colorado Gives Day . Maximize your impact by becoming a monthly sustainer at rmpjc.org. There are volunteer opportunities, too, in the Center’s various campaigns. Sign up for the newsletter online and follow the Center on Instagram, @rmpjc.boulder , to stay up to date on its events and action opportunities. However you are able to contribute, and whatever your background or skill set, the Center is deeply grateful for the support and has a place for you. The Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center is grateful for the incredible partnerships it has developed with other organizations and institutions in the Boulder community, including Naropa University’s Joanna Macy Center and student groups at CU Boulder like Students for Justice in Palestine and Climatique. Reach out to the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center at 303.444.6981 or visit: rmpjc.org .Paccar Inc. stock falls Friday, underperforms marketA version of this story originally ran Sept. 30, 2024. When Stacy Fox heard the news that Freehold Raceway — known as the oldest racing track in the country — was shutting down this December, she was crestfallen. “I literally cried because my whole childhood was at the track,” said Fox, 46, who now lives in Savannah, Georgia, but grew up in Browns Mills in Pemberton Township in Burlington County. Both of her parents worked at the Monmouth County track — her father was a head accountant there for more than 30 years, and her mother worked the simulcasting switchboard at night. Fox remembers driving to the raceway with her mother before her shift, and riding back home with her father, at the end of his work day. She often spent Sundays at the track, when her father would catch up on work. She knew dozens of people who worked at the raceway. Even decades later, she has vivid memories of the thrill of spending time there with her brother, the family’s two youngest siblings. They peeked into the track’s vault filled with money, walked through the cigar smoke-filled club, met the jockeys and stroked the horses. “My dad was a big part of that place,” Fox said of her father, who died in 2000. After she learned the raceway was closing, she visited the track one final time in October with her mother, when they traveled to New Jersey. Coincidentally, her parents’ anniversary falls on the track’s last day — Dec. 28. In September, officials announced the horse-racing track, which features harness racing, is ceasing all live racing and simulcasting operations at the end of the year. New Jersey’s other tracks — Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands — are not affected by the closure. “This was an extremely difficult decision, especially given the historical importance of Freehold Raceway to the local community and the New Jersey horse racing industry,” Howard Bruno, the raceway’s general manager, said in the announcement. “Unfortunately, the operations of the racetrack cannot continue under existing conditions, and we do not see a plausible way forward,” he said. “We are incredibly thankful for our dedicated employees, horsemen and fan base for their support and patronage for so many years.” News of the closure prompted a flood of reactions and hundreds of comments on social media. Some people cheered the demise of horse racing at one more racetrack across the country, saying it was best for the horses. Others lamented the possibility of developers building on the site. Many were incredibly saddened by the impending shutdown, recalling fond days spent at the track in their childhood with family members and friends. After he retired, Bob Barlow's stepfather landed a job as an usher at the trackway because he enjoyed spending time at the track so much. Barlow's stepfather, Tracy Hall, is in a red jacket and pictured with a winning horse after a race. Provided by Bob Barlow Bob Barlow, who now lives in Connecticut, previously lived in East Windsor in Mercer County and would visit the track as a child with his stepfather, who loved watching the horses race and placing bets. Barlow said his stepfather, Tracy Hall, once won $800 from betting on the races in one day. Although Barlow doesn’t remember the horse’s name, he easily recalls the jockey’s name: Wilbur. “My stepfather winds up getting up, standing on top of the chair and screaming, ‘Come on Wilbur, come on Wilbur,’” said Barlow, 72. The horse won, and Hall was elated. “I literally thought he was going to pass out and have a heart attack,” Barlow said, “he was so excited.” When Hall retired from his security guard position at a research facility, he landed an usher job at the track, allowing him to get paid for something he enjoyed, Barlow said. If the track wasn’t busy, he could place his own bets. Occasionally, he would be invited onto the field after the race, when the winning horse — adorned with a bouquet of flowers around its neck — and its owner took photos. He was employee of the month in May 1995, and officials named a race after him, Barlow said. The track’s attendance declined in recent years. Carl Cito celebrated his 11th birthday at Freehold Raceway's restaurant, called the Renaissance Room, with his two grandfathers. Provided by Carl Cito Carl Cito, 26, would regularly visit the track with his two grandfathers — his mother’s father and his father’s father — starting when he was about 4, he said. His father trained and raced horses there, and although Cito still goes to the track now, he notices a difference in attendance. “Before me, it used to be super popular,” he said, referring to the time before he was born. Though he sees some younger people at the track today, it’s mostly an aging crowd. “My friends from the racetrack are mostly older than me,” Cito said. When the closure was announced, Freehold Borough Mayor Kevin Kane blamed track officials for the shutdown. There has been declining interest in standardbred harness racing, despite the raceway’s “long and storied history” in the borough, he said in a statement at the time. Track officials didn’t try to reverse the trends, Kane previously said. Freehold is jointly owned by Penn Entertainment and Greenwood Racing. “Management seemed disinterested in promoting or marketing the venue and failed to capitalize on the advent of sports betting in New Jersey,” Kane previously said. “The facility had become shopworn and dated with little capital improvements to attract new customers,” Kane said. “Attempts to meet with management to discuss promotional opportunities, band nights, car shows and other event-based strategies designed to get new customers into the facility were rebuffed.” In September, Stephen Gallo, the borough’s business administrator, said the horses will be retained by their owners once the track shuts down. The borough, which doesn’t own any of the property involved, plans to authorize a redevelopment study to determine if the area meets the criteria for an “area in need of redevelopment.” That could lead to proposals for a new use for the land. But, the raceway could potentially remain a horse-racing track. The borough has been in communication with state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, who represents the area, and is seeing if anyone is interested in continuing the raceway’s operations, Gallo previously said. “We have received several inquiries from parties interested in racing operations which we are following up on,” he previously said. Freehold Raceway is the nation’s oldest and fastest daytime half-mile harness racing track, according to its website . It first opened in 1853. It features live harness racing for trotters and pacers, and is open seven days and nights a week. It also hosts year-round thoroughbred and harness racing simulcasts from tracks throughout North America. Stacy Fox remembers growing up at Freehold Raceway — both of her parents worked at the track. She was given a mug that's branded with the track's name. Provided by Stacy Fox Fox, who was given a Freehold Raceway-branded mug years ago and has kept the keepsake, said the track is like a “security blanket” to her. Over the years, she spent many weekends and occasional evenings at the track. Its closure is “heartbreaking,” she said. But, “life goes on, the world changes, and things evolve,” Fox said. “And I guess it’s just time for it to close. I guess it’s just not what it once was.” “But, when it was, it was an amazing place,” she added. Stories by Brianna Kudisch Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com .jili k.o 。

DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — Robert Hinton scored 15 points as Harvard beat New Hampshire 72-62 on Sunday. Hinton shot 5 of 11 from the field and 5 for 7 from the line for the Crimson (3-7). Chandler Pigge scored 14 points while going 6 of 9 from the field and added nine rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Louis Lesmond had 13 points and shot 4 for 7 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Anthony McComb III led the Wildcats (2-11) in scoring, finishing with 21 points. Sami Pissis added 16 points and two steals for New Hampshire. Caleb Middleton had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Harvard's next game is Saturday against Furman at home, and New Hampshire visits Stonehill on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .No dancing allowed: Plateau bar’s case is latest battle in Montreal’s nightlife noise war Champs Sports Bar on St-Laurent Boulevard has been cited by Quebec's liquor and gaming board after a neighbour filed noise complaints. Quebec’s Régie d’Alcool says the bar doesn’t have the right permit for dancing. It’s now facing a $3,000 fine and must appear before a tribunal.

India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies at 92Bryce James Visits Historic College Basketball Program This Week

Neighbourhood row after family's £10,000 Christmas lights blasted as 'light pollution'