Earthblog

Photo by Anna Fagre

Earlier this month we held our 2nd annual Pitch-a-thon fundraiser at Odell Brewing.  The idea was to generate local story pitches while raising a few bucks to help publish our quarterly newspaper, MATTERHORN.  Below are 33 of the 50 plus ideas that were suggested.  We had to do a little editing first, which meant taking out ideas that were duplicates, didn't fit our mission, or had already been covered by us or other local media.

Please let us know (in the comment section) which of these stories you most want to see covered in the fall issue of MATTERHORN.

Thank you to everyone that came to the Pitch-a-thon and generously shared your thoughts and dollars.  And to Odell's for having us.  We appreciate all of your support and encouragement.  Look for the summer edition of MATTERHORN in June!

33 Pitch-a-thon Pitches

1.   Homeless on the streets.  Biography, case studies.

2.   A resource list/ calendar for a dog owners.  Dog hikes, dog friendly 5K’s, etc.

3.   Photo Essay of the Bingo Culture

4.   The USDA Wildlife Research Center – They recently moved to the foothills of Fort Collins from Denver.  What exactly do they do there?

5.   Trailer Parks in Fort Collins

6.   Shining the Plow:  The Story of Jim Hyde (1920-2000).  Jim was one of the largest farmers in Laporte in the 50s.   What happens mirrors the rise and delcline of farming in the US.  He was organic before there was organic but he died of pesticide exposure.

7.    Canyon Culutre.  Buckhorn Canyon and Rist Canyon have been locations of rural drop-out/ anti-establishment/ ex-urban counter culture for a century.

8.    A look at women’s reproductive healthcare in Fort Collins. Planned Parenthood vs. the Alpha Center.

9.    Interview with Marc Bekoff, an animal behaviorist from UC Boulder.

10.  AAA- All Area Art:  rundown of the recent art history of the still nascent visual art scene in Fort Collins.  Summit Studios, Gallery Underground, Pouder River Art project.  Interview new artists in the area.

11.  Print Headlines or stories from the old Fort Collins Courier – from the 1920’s.  Some of them are hilarious.

12.  Does large amounts of granite in CO = more radiation than any other state?

13.  Where are all the rooftop solar panels?  A dissection of centralized vs. decentralized renewable energy generation.

14.  Global Village museum and local roots of Peace Corps.

15.  Travel piece for local places like Greeley, Laramie and Ault.

16.  South Mason Corridor status.  And an interview with the guy who came up with the initial idea.

17.  An abridged inventory of City Drug:  The mish mash of International treats, Mother’s day cards from 1997, and fine Russian china.  Things you can’t find also?

18.  Small- shop production in Fort Collins, contemporarily and  perhaps historically.  Fine furniture, bikes, glass blowing, etc.

19.  Global Cannibal Partnership.  Satire/ spoof on Global Animal Partnership.

20.  The Hidden Side of Us (biographical sketches of the “B” side).  A collection of stories that you’ve never heard about your neighbors.

21.  Music section.  Spotlight on upcoming (live) music by local musicians. Album reviews for local, lower profile artists.

22.  Why do people move to Fort Collins? Interview a wide spectrum of transplants.

23.  There are old/vintage bikes in store windows around town.  What is this?  Is this an organized deal?

24.  How the city wastes (or conserves) water… fire hydrants, broken sprinklers.

25.  Xeroscaping!  Say you don’t want food or lawns.

26.  Excerpt stories from Burney’s Journey’s.

27.  Looking Up:  What’s going on in Northern Colorado Skies.  Cloud types, bird migrations, lightning strikes.

28.  Small Spaces – creative small design.  Tiny houses, airstreams, yurts, multi-family dwellings.  Photo essays and tips.

29.  Bi-partisan look at the pros and cons of mining up at Nunn.  Maybe a look into how Nuclear power technology has progressed recent years.

30.  War vets who are against the war.

31.  What’s happening with the Glade Reservoir.

32.  Flora and Fauna of Colorado, focusing on the Poudre River and Canyon.

33.  What doesn’t Fort Collins have a better Gay scene?  For a college town of 100,000 it sure seems small and clandestine.