It’s Monday, June 3, 2024.
Hello, Boulder, and a happy Monday to you.
This week, your primary ballots will arrive in your mailboxes. Right on cue, we’ve published our candidate questionnaires to help inform you as you fill out your ballots.
Our tireless senior reporter, John Herrick, compiled six questions for each candidate running in the Democratic primary on issues affecting that you have told us you care about most — housing affordability, homelessness, community safety, democracy and climate action. These questions address topics likely to surface in the legislature and are specific by design, aiming to elicit detailed responses that can help you differentiate between candidates in the same party seeking to represent Boulder in the state House and Senate.
We’ll have more coverage to come as the primary heats up. You might also be curious: Why only the Democratic primary? Most seats will be decided by the Democratic primary given the districts’ political leanings, and we will add to our guide as the general election nears.
Our food contributor T.M. Spring offers everything you need to know about Boulder’s restaurant scene this June — from the openings of two new taco spots in Boulder County to the closings of Masas & Agaves, Mateo and Boulder Wine Bar. Plus, the pool at the new Boulder Swim Club, a clubhouse-style restaurant and lounge, is now open.
Have a terrific day.
— Tim, reporter
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Meet the 2024 Boulder County Democratic primary candidates running for state legislature
Boulder Reporting Lab asked all candidates running to represent Boulder at the state legislature six questions. Here are their responses. Continue reading…
Boulder Eats: 12 things to know about this month’s restaurant openings, closings and food milestones
Boulder Reporting Lab’s June 2024 food roundup features Ziggi’s Coffee’s 20th anniversary, Teocalli Cocina’s new Longmont location, Pedro’s Taco & Tequila Bar on Pearl Street, and the closures of several former hot spots. Continue reading…
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Hello heat
We’ll be hovering near the 90s for most of this week. While electric bills will likely increase due to the need for air conditioning, you can save some cash by canceling any gym memberships you have for sauna access.
65-year-old woman dies in Boulder Canyon e-bike accident
A tragic accident occurred Friday afternoon in Boulder Canyon, resulting in the death of a 65-year-old woman. Emergency calls reported a woman floating face down in Boulder Creek around 4:20 p.m. Despite resuscitation efforts by first responders, she died from her injuries at the hospital. Preliminary reports indicate she fell off her e-bike into the water near Boulder Canyon and Four Mile Canyon. The accident triggered a response from multiple agencies, including the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Boulder Police & Fire-Rescue, Boulder Emergency Squad, Sunshine and Four Mile Fire Protection Districts, Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Rangers and more. You can read more about it here.
Out Boulder County changes name and expands reach
What started as Boulder Pride in 1994 and became Out Boulder County in 2010 will now be a resource for all Coloradans under the name Rocky Mountain Equality, the organization announced on Friday.
“This is a natural evolution for us,” said Executive Director Mardi Moore, who took the helm of Out Boulder County in 2013. “The needs of the LGBTQ community don’t stop at the borders of Boulder County, so why should our work?”
Following the 2016 presidential election, Out Boulder County began receiving increased requests for support and education from communities and public officials statewide. This demand grew during the Covid pandemic, expanding its statewide work, which included passing legislation to ensure the inclusion of LGBTQ people in Colorado public health data and access to non-gendered bathrooms in government buildings. It now also involves fighting efforts and signatures being gathered for proposed anti-LGBTQ initiatives on the November 2024 ballot. As its work extended further across the state, the name Out Boulder County no longer made sense, it said.
“Our new name honors how this organization has grown in the past 30 years and anchors our vital mission for the next 30,” said Board President Kaylin Gray. Back in 2013, there were two full-time employees focused mainly on the City of Boulder. Now, there are nearly 25 staff members supporting LGBTQ+ issues across Colorado.
Ozo moves to clay
Finally, we’re creating some artifacts for future civilizations to find other than shards of plastic bags stuck in trees. Ozo Coffee, one of Boulder’s renowned roasters, is partnering with Gaeastar, a company aiming to eliminate single-use items, to pilot a new cup made solely of clay, water and salt. The idea is that while plastic lingers in the environment indefinitely — reaching everywhere from the top of Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench — and accumulates in our bodies, clay cups, once broken, quickly return to the earth. What about paper cups? you ask. Those often have a plastic lining to prevent leaks. Sorry.
Sold for $2 a cup, Ozo drinkers will quickly recoup the cost with a 25¢ discount provided to anyone using their own cup. This initiative is especially important, as A1 Organics, Boulder’s composting company, stopped accepting commercially compostable packaging, meaning all those potentially compostable items now end up in the landfill.
Louisville’s new fishing line recycling program
Monofilament, one of the most common types of fishing lines, takes around 600 years to break down — even longer than the cups Ozo is trying to replace. To address this, the City of Louisville has started a new fishing line recycling program with receptacles at Harper Lake, Lake Park and Warembourg Fishing Pond. Though not meant for any trash other than fishing lines, the receptacles will happily accept lines you find that aren’t yours, rewarding you with invisible Good Samaritan points.
The collected lines will be sent to a recycling facility in Iowa dedicated to repurposing fishing lines. Since starting in 1990, the facility’s website states it has recycled more than 9 million miles of fishing line.
Have your say: Louisville also wants to know how it’s doing
What do you think of Louisville? Is it a good place to retire? To raise kids? Both? Neither? You can now let the city know through its online community survey until June 10. Estimated to take about 15 minutes, the survey also covers topics such as the city’s public works efforts, safety and shopping opportunities. You can provide your email at the survey’s end, but that’s optional, allowing you to be as honest as possible.
A brand-new music festival at Chautauqua — and it’s free
On Sunday, June 16, the Colorado Chautauqua Association is putting on its inaugural Flatiron Sounds Music Festival at Chautauqua Park. This free, family-friendly event will feature live performances from local and national acts, plus a beer garden, artisan market vendors and delicious local food. Performers will include Clay Street Unit, Two Runner, Jake Leg, King Cardinal and Alexa Wildish.
As Danny Cohen, Chautauqua’s general manager of public events, said several times over, it’s going to be a beaut: “We’re proud to offer our Boulder community a beautiful free festival at a beautiful location on a beautiful summer Sunday.”
BRL’s to-do list: Happening this week and weekend
Explore ALL upcoming events in Boulder. If you have something to promote, use the self-submission form on our events page, for free.
Wednesday – Sunday | Wildcat (film) | Times vary
“Directed and co-written by four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke, WILDCAT invites the audience to weave in and out of celebrated Southern Gothic writer Flannery O’Connor’s mind as she ponders the great questions of her writing.”
Thursday – Sunday | The Cultural Caravan’s 2024 June Festival | Times vary
“The Cultural Caravan’s 2024 Festival features 10 jam-packed days of live music all across Boulder County! Catch dozens of local artists in countless locations throughout the county!”
Friday – Sunday | Rent (the musical) | Times vary
“This iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning show re-defined what a musical could be and became the anthem of a generation. Yet it is still as poignant, timely, and life-affirming as it was when it was first produced.”
Saturday | Big Boulder Dog Walk! | 9:30-11 a.m.
“Join friendly dogs and their humansm.for a 2.4-mile leisurely trail walk at Foothills Community Park. All dogs get a doggy gift bag filled with treats, a toy, and dog waste bags plus a carrier.”
Saturday | Nikki Glaser: Alive and Unwell Tour | 7 & 9:30 p.m.
“Nikki Glaser is one of the funniest female voices in comedy today. For nearly two decades at clubs across the country, and as the host of three hit podcasts, Nikki has been honing her shockingly honest, no-holds barred style of comedy.”
Saturday – Sunday | MacBeth | Times vary
“When three witches deliver a prophecy in three parts to General Macbeth, he faces a choice: Should he let destiny take its course or conspire with his wife to pursue fortune’s favor on his own?”
Saturday | Dance ‘Til You Glow: Pride (Foam Edition) | 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
“Get ready to light up the night at DV8 Distillery’s BIGGEST and BADDIE-ST party of the year! Join us at Boulder’s ONLY queer bar and event space for an epic celebration of pride like never before!”
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