Boulder Weekly 04.18.2024

Credit: Marsha Steckling

UNLIMITED SKIING & RIDING FOR THE 2024/25 SEASON

BONUS DAYS AT PARTNER MOUNTAINS FOR 2024/25 SEASON

FREE SKIING & RIDING FOR REMAINDER OF THIS SEASON (CLOSING DAY IS SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2024)

INTERN: Lauren Hill

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Dan Savage, Toni Tresca, Gregory Wakeman, Justin Criado, Micha K. Ben David, Scott Denning

SALES AND MARKETING

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Free every Thursday since 1993, the Weekly also offers the county’s most comprehensive arts and entertainment coverage. Read the print version, or visit boulderweekly.com. Boulder Weekly does not accept unsolicited editorial submissions. If you’re interested in writing for the paper, please send queries to: editorial@boulderweekly.com. Any materials sent to Boulder Weekly become the property of the newspaper. 690 South Lashley Lane, Boulder, CO 80305 Phone: 303.494.5511, FAX: 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com

Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ©2024 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved. Boulder Weekly welcomes your correspondence via email (letters@boulderweekly.com). Preference will be given to short letters (under 300 words) that deal with recent stories or local issues, and letters may be edited for style, length and libel. Letters should include your name, address and telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters or those signed with pseudonyms. Letters become the property of Boulder Weekly and will be published on our website.

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY

How confronting Israel-Hamas War will help solve local inequalities, climate change

BY MICHA K. BEN DAVID

Why are Israel’s actions in Gaza a climate justice issue in Boulder County?

As I write this, over 1,000 Israeli civilians have been murdered by Hamas militants and over 130 Israeli hostages have still not returned home.

An unfathomably disproportionate number of nearly 40,000 Palestinians

have been murdered in Gaza, thousands more locked up in Israeli prisons. Several villages have been depopulated in the West Bank, and whole cities have been leveled to the ground in Gaza. Millions face famine and are left homeless, some for the third time in as many generations.

As an ex-Israeli combat soldier who served at checkpoints across the West Bank, I am personally familiar with the brutal realities of the occupation of Palestine. Those who tell the story starting with the Oct 7 Hamas attacks either ignorantly or deliberately omit the historical context of decades of occupation, subjugation and apartheid, not to mention Prime Minister Netanyahu’s motives for pro-

longing the attacks on Gaza (which are more about avoiding corruption trials and securing political power than ensuring security).

Yet over 60% of Israelis support these actions, turning a blind eye to the suffering they cause. We’ve become our worst nightmare.

As a descendant of refugees who fled pogroms and gas chambers in Europe, I relate with my Palestinian friends today. My family, too, has experienced a near-complete obliteration of whole family trees. As a result, I have come to believe the solution to imperialism isn’t nationalism, apartheid and exclusivity but diversity, inclusivity and equity.

Folks have asked me, “What does this have to do with us here in sunny Colorado?”

Starting in the heart of Boulder County, undocumented immigrants

OPINION

often find themselves living parallel lives reminiscent of the apartheid system imposed on Arab Palestinians in Jerusalem where I grew up. Despite being over 30% of the immigrant population in Colorado and essential contributors to our economy, undocumented people here navigate a separate legal system and face systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality and exploitation. These similarities echo the discriminatory policies, practices and cultures that deny Palestinians equal rights and opportunities in their own land.

Moreover, as we confront the legacy of settler colonialism in our own backyard, it’s imperative to acknowledge the haunting parallels with historical injustices. The Sand Creek Massacre stands as a stark reminder of the violent displacement and ethnic cleansing inflicted upon the Indigenous nations — Arapaho, Ute, Shoshone, Cheyenne and others — in the Boulder County region. The City is still seeking input for what to do with the land formerly home to Fort Chambers, where soldiers trained to annihilate Indigenous nations. Just as Indigenous Palestinians continue to endure the loss of their ancestral lands and the erasure of their cultural heritage, so too do Indigenous peoples here grapple with the enduring trauma of dispossession and genocide.

It is also no mere happenstance that the Black population of Boulder has stood at 1% for decades. Colonialism and white supremacy are part of the imperial genetics of our communities still today.

I was raised with the mantra “Never again” — not just to us Jews, but never again to anyone. Here in Boulder County, I’d hoped we’d wave the flag to say, “Not us, not here, not now, and not ever!”

There is nothing antisemitic about criticizing Israel: It may well be the most Jewish thing you can do. With this awareness, I implore my fellow Israelis to break the silence and confront the reality of our actions. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others without losing a part of our own humanity in the process.

The cycle of violence and oppression perpetuates trauma that threatens to consume us all. As U.S. citizens, we must acknowledge our complacency. We are, indeed, complicit. It’s April, and this has been going on for six months. I no longer want just a ceasefire — I want sanctions, arms embargoes, settlements dismantled and reparations for Palestinian families.

As we stand together in solidarity with oppressed communities worldwide and organize toward a paradigm of climate justice, it’s essential to recognize the intrinsic link to all forms of injustice. Just as we demand accountability for U.S.-backed Israeli actions in Gaza, we also confront the systemic inequalities and environmental injustices that exacerbate the impacts of climate change on marginalized communities in our neighborhood.

Collective action is not only necessary for addressing the violence and oppression we witness but also for tackling the urgent challenge of climate change. By standing together and amplifying the voices of those most affected, we work toward a future rooted in justice, equality and sustainability for all.

Micha K. Ben David is co-lead of the Climate Justice Hive at Naropa University.

This opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.

CAN WE HEAL THE PLANET?

It’s not too late — but things have to change, fast

BY SCOTT DENNING

Sometimes it may seem that humans have altered the Earth beyond repair. But our planet is an incredible system in which energy, water, carbon and so much else flows and nurtures life. It is about 4.5 billion years old and has been through enormous changes.

“Is it possible to heal the damage we have already done to the Earth?”

– Anthony, age 13

At some points in Earth’s history, fires burned over large areas. At others, much of it was covered with ice. There also have been mass extinctions that wiped out nearly every living thing on its surface.

Our living planet is incredibly resilient and can heal itself over time. The problem is that its self-healing systems are very, very slow. The Earth will be fine, but humans’ problems are more immediate.

People have damaged the systems that sustain us in many ways. We have polluted air and water, strewn plastic and other trash on land and in oceans and rivers, and destroyed habitats for plants and animals.

But we know how to help natural processes clean up many of these messes. And there has been a lot of progress since people started waking up to these problems 50 years ago.

Some pollutants, like plastic, last for thousands of years, so it’s much better to stop releasing them than to try to collect them later. And extinction is permanent, so the only effective way to reduce it is to be more careful about protecting animals, plants and other species.

Climate change is a problem that will get worse until humans stop making it worse — and then it will take many centuries for the climate to return to what it was like before the Industrial Revolution, when human actions started altering it on a large scale.

The only way to avoid making things worse is to stop setting carbon on fire. That means societies need to work hard to build an energy system that can help everyone live well without the need to burn carbon.

The Earth will certainly heal, but it may take a very long time. The best way to start is with everyone doing their part to avoid making the damage any worse.

Scott Denning is a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University. This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good.

This opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages (even adults). If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@ theconversation.com.

GOV’T WATCH

What your local officials are up to this week

BY KAYLEE HARTER

BOULDER CITY COUNCIL

Council will have a public safety discussion with Xcel Energy at its April 18 meeting, following shutoffs April 6-10 that left 55,000 without power. At its April 25 study session, council will discuss:

• Updates to quality of life and chronic nuisance laws. The proposed new ordinance redefines “public nuisance” as having one or more violations, previously two or more, and creates a definition for “chronic nuisance” properties.

The number of violations for a property to be classified as a chronic nuisance depends on the number of units at the property five public nuisance violations in a year for a single dwelling unit, for example, and 23 violations in a year for a parcel with 10 or more dwelling units.

Consequences for public and chronic nuisances — which includes violations like noise, trash and weeds — may include education, fines, or revocation or

reduced terms for rental licenses, “based on the nature of the violation,” according to the city’s website. The city estimates that between 10 and 20 properties will be designated as chronic nuisances each year.

• Further changes to zoning rules for affordable housing. Last year, council made changes to the land use code to allow more and smaller housing units and encourage greater diversity of housing types, according to draft materials for the April 18 meeting.

For Phase II of the project, council is considering simplifying the review process for middleincome housing, analyzing lowdensity areas to see where additional housing may be possible and exploring restrictions in lowdensity areas that would encourage home ownership.

LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL

• On April 16th, council approved the purchase of solar-powered ultrasonic buoys to control algae and monitor water quality in Baseline Reservoir, Goose Haven Reservoir Complex and Waneka Lake. The devices will help control and treat algae and algaerelated compounds that impact the taste and smell of drinking water, reducing or eliminating the need for herbicide use. Nine buoys cost the city $458,000.

A NEW HOPE

On the eve of Earth Day, Boulder Weekly asks about climate optimism

BY WILL MATUSKA

One of the first times I remember feeling utter hopelessness was on a pile of black dirt.

I was 8 years old, and my two brothers and I were tasked by our dad, who used to co-own and operate a small composting business, to pull weeds from the top. The pile towered at least 20 feet tall and stretched 200 feet long.

Baked in the early morning Minnesota sun, the top of the mound already felt like a seat heater on high.

Some of the plants grew above my head — certainly above my brother’s, who was three years younger than me and more interested in playing with dirt than completing our task.

Dad gave us some water and told us to come down when we were done.

Looking at the job ahead was daunting. We were ill-prepared, underresourced, frustrated with authority, distressed, thirsty and sweating. Hopeless.

Many of us can relate to a circumstance, past or present, that creates a

similar sense of internal dread. More people are feeling this way about climate change.

That sentiment is coined as ecogrief or climate anxiety, defined by The Handbook of Climate Psychology as “heightened emotional, mental or somatic distress in response to dangerous changes in the climate system.”

One in 10 Americans experience anxiety because of climate change at least several days a week, according to Yale. Concern tends to be greater among young folks, Democrats and people living close to the worst impacts, although it’s not that cut and dry.

Susan Clayton, a psychology professor at the College of Wooster, wrote in TIME that climate anxiety can threaten one’s ability to function. While it’s important to feel and acknowledge those negative emotions, she recom-

mends balancing them with positive ones, like hope.

So that’s what I went looking for.

I strolled Pearl Street, polled people in the climate space and posed this question: What gives you hope about climate change?

The people who answered came from different walks of life: One person was touring CU Boulder with their kids; another recently exited homelessness; one was studying sociology as a graduate student.

Most people didn’t have hope to share. To me, that’s more reason to highlight those who did. Here’s what they had to say.

The following has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

NATALIE NICHOLAS, LONGMONT

A couple things that give me hope about climate change are different entities that are popping up around the

Front Range to help promote sustainability through less waste and reusable packaging, especially in food and personal use items. Places like Nude Foods and the bulk food stores in Longmont and Loveland are setting really good examples. And while that might not be very realistic for people of all income levels, I think it does help promote awareness. Another thing that gives me hope is my generation and the younger generation focusing on efforts with renewable energies and even things like the electric vehicle movement.

VIOLET MICHAELIS, LA JUNTA

I hope we will be able to adapt with the changes. Climate change is something that is inevitable. I want to see what the future holds for us in many different ways. Let’s all do what we can to make a positive difference and influence on this earthly journey.

RACHELLE KOENIG, OSWEGO, ILLINOIS

The passion and focus of Gen Z on this issue and their willingness to call out what needs to be done.

BRIGID MARK, BOULDER

To hope is not naïve. As Rebecca Solnit writes, “Hope is an ax you break down doors with in an emergency… hope just means another world might be possible, not promised, not guaranteed…” Hope is not feelings of bubbly positivity and a certainty that everything will be okay. Hope is created, forged through our collective action.

ALAN LOPEZ, BOULDER

The fact that people open their minds to the change that is happening around them. Be the change you want to see to heal the planet.

ANTHONY LUCERO, BOULDER

My hope about climate change is that people will see we are destroying the earth before it’s too late.

RESOURCES TO HELP COPE WITH FEELINGS OF CLIMATE ANXIETY:

• The All We Can Save Project, a climate nonprofit, helps organize groups for deeper dialogue about climate change. Learn and read about tips for caring and healing: bit.ly/allwecan saveBW

• Climate Emotions Conversation is a free small group sharing and listening session organized by climate activist and psychologist Margaret Klen Salamon: bit.ly/ climateconversationsBW

• Read what psychologist Carly Dober tells her clients with climate grief in The Guardian: bit.ly/CarlyDoberBW

• Read Boulder Weekly reporter Kaylee Harter’s conversation with an ecopsychologist and former NCAR scientist about combating feelings of helplessness: bit.ly/weightoftheworldBW

CHRISTIAN HERMANN, NIWOT

I’m constantly inspired by all of the positive climate stories coming out of Boulder County. Here are a few recent examples:

• Heat pump installations have doubled countywide, and our grid is becoming cleaner each day.

• Boulder County’s solar co-op flew past its membership goals in record time.

• Jack’s Solar Garden is combining solar and farming to lead the nation in agrivoltaics research.

• Boulder Mushroom is making global headlines by using fungi to fight wildfires.

• Local restaurants are funding regenerative projects on over a dozen nearby farms through Zero Foodprint.

• Marshall Fire survivors are setting records by rebuilding energy-efficient homes.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. So many of our neighbors are redefining what’s possible in the climate space.

‘MYTH OF BENEVOLENCE’

CU’s complicated legacy of child welfare

BY ELI HAGER

PROPUBLICA

Diane Baird spent four decades evaluating the relationships of poor families with their children. But last May, in a downtown Denver conference room, with lawyers surrounding her and a court reporter transcribing, she was the one under the microscope.

Baird, a social worker and professional expert witness, has routinely advocated in juvenile court cases across Colorado that foster children be adopted by or remain in the custody of their foster parents rather than being reunified with their typically lowerincome birth parents or other family members.

In the conference room, Baird was questioned for nine hours by a lawyer representing a birth family in a case out of rural Huerfano County, according to

a recently released transcript of the deposition obtained by ProPublica Was Baird’s method for evaluating these foster and birth families empirically tested? No, Baird answered: Her method is unpublished and unstandardized, and has remained “pretty much unchanged” since the 1980s. It doesn’t have those “standard validity and reliability things,” she admitted. “It’s not a scientific instrument.”

Who hired and was paying her in the case that she was being deposed about? The foster parents, she answered. They wanted to adopt, she said, and had heard about her from other foster parents.

Had she considered or was she even aware of the cultural background of the birth family and child whom she was recommending permanently separat-

ing? (The case involved a baby girl of multiracial heritage.) Baird answered that babies have “never possessed” a cultural identity, and therefore are “not losing anything,” at their age, by being adopted.

Baird acknowledged that her entire basis for recommending that the foster parents keep the baby girl was a single less-than-two-hour observation and interview that she’d conducted with them — her clients. She’d never met the baby girl’s biological grandmother, whom the county child services department had been actively planning for the girl to be placed with, according to internal department emails. Nor had she even read any case documents.

A fundamental goal of foster care, under federal law, is for it to be temporary: to reunify children with their birth parents if it is safe to do so or, second best, to place them with other kin. Extensive social science research has found that kids who grow up with their own families experience less long-term separation trauma, fewer mental health and behavioral problems as adolescents and more of an ultimate sense of belonging to their culture of origin.

But a ProPublica investigation co-

published with The New Yorker in October revealed that there is a growing national trend of foster parents undermining the foster system’s premise by “intervening” in family court cases as a way to adopt children. As intervenors, they can file motions and call witnesses to argue that they’ve become too attached to a child for the child to be reunited with their birth family, even if officials have identified a biological family member who is suitable for a safe placement.

A key element of the intervenor strategy, ProPublica found, is hiring an attachment expert like Baird to argue that rupturing the child’s current attachment with his or her foster parents could cause lifelong psychological damage — even though Baird admitted in her deposition that attachment is a nearly inevitable aspect of the foster care model. (Transitions of children back to their birth families are not just possible, they happen every day in the child welfare system.)

Baird, in an interview with ProPublica, said, “In all cases I advocate for what I am convinced is the child’s best interest.”

Baird also noted that in many cases she is hired by county officials, rather than directly by foster parents, although ProPublica’s interviews and review of records show that this typically happens when officials are in agreement with the foster parents that they should get continuing or permanent custody.

Baird, despite not being a child psychologist, achieves credibility with these officials — and with judges — in part via the impressive label that she uses for her methodology: the Kempe Protocol.

‘NOT OUR PLACE’

The University of Colorado’s Kempe Center, the nation’s leading academic institute focused on child welfare and widely considered the birthplace of the modern U.S. child welfare system, is where this all began.

Baird developed the Kempe Protocol, alongside colleagues,

while working at Kempe in the 1980s and ’90s. She continually used the method both as an employee of the center and after entering private practice in 2017.

Founded in the 1970s, the Kempe Center is best known for getting laws passed across the country requiring “mandated reporters” like teachers and police officers to call in any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to a state hotline — after which kids were to be removed from their families, into foster care, if there was evidence of maltreatment.

“No organization,” said Marty Guggenheim, the founder of the nation’s indigent family defense movement, “played a more direct role in shaping the modern system of surveillance, over-reporting, and under-emphasizing of the harms associated with state intervention.”

ilies, and they are doing damage in the name of the Kempe Center,” a University of Colorado lawyer responded by declining the advocates’ request that the center “publicly disavow this protocol and correct the record.” The reason, the lawyer said, was that the judge or jury on a particular case “is in the best position to evaluate arguments raised by involved parties” as to

emails obtained through a Colorado Open Records Act request. “When the Kempe Center was given the opportunity to do the right thing,” wrote one pediatrics professor who has been at Kempe for more than a decade, “it hid behind its legal counsel.”

After ProPublica published the article with The New Yorker documenting Baird’s role in the trend of foster parents “intervening” in family court cases, faculty at Kempe started organizing a discussion around our reporting and sought an organization-wide reckoning with our findings.

But in recent years, Kempe has taken a more critical look at its past, accepting some institutional responsibility for what it has called the “myth of benevolence”: the idea that certain kids should be redistributed from their families to (often better-off) foster and adoptive parents. The center recently released a statement saying it had participated in ignoring poverty by placing sole responsibility for poor children’s health and well-being on their families’ alleged maltreatment of them. The statement acknowledged the center’s “complicity” in its “generation-spanning impacts.”

The center even invited Dorothy Roberts, a law professor and sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania who is a leader of the movement to abolish the child welfare system because of its widespread surveillance and separation of Black families in particular, to be a keynote speaker at a recent conference.

Yet when attorneys for poor birth families wrote to Kempe in late 2022 saying that Baird and experts she has trained “are doing real damage to fam-

Still another staffer wrote that past cases of hers similar to the one we wrote about “continue to haunt me.”

More emails called Baird’s method a “bogus Kempe protocol” and “junk science” used “to rip apart families.” She is “leveraging the Kempe name to bolster her opinion.”

“It was a gut punch to read this,” wrote another professor. “This is likely the most widely distributed reference to the Kempe Center that we’ve seen in the past decade or

Even amid this outcry, Dr. Kathryn Wells, the Kempe Center’s executive director, gave a lawyerly explanation to her staff. “Yes,” she wrote in an emailed response to them, “a former employee of the Center has used an approach based on attachment theory and named it after the Center, even though there is no such protocol.” The protocol, she said, was named after Baird’s longtime place of employment — Kempe — but “not trademarked nor listed anywhere in the work that the Center provides.”

In a previous email, Wells, who has national influence on child welfare policy and practice, had explained her reasoning for not taking further action, such as sending Baird a cease-anddesist letter. “If the claims in court are not supported in the literature, that is not ours to get involved with as Diane is not an employee and it is a legal issue for the attorneys to battle in court,” Wells wrote. She added, “Don’t believe it is our place to get involved.”

‘DEEP SOUL SEARCHING’

the scientific efficacy of the method. The lawyer added that the center has “worked with hundreds of individuals in its 50-year history in the child welfare arena, and we have little ability to control testimony of each individual.”

This response was far from satisfying to some of the Kempe Center’s own faculty, according to interviews with people who work there and internal

more.” The tragedy, the professor said, “is that it diminishes all of the good work we have and continue to do for kids and families.” (ProPublica is not naming the Kempe faculty and staff who wrote these emails because several asked not to be named, saying that they were fearful of retaliation by leadership or a negative effect on their academic standing.)

In interviews and emails with ProPublica, Baird said she is simply opposed, in almost all cases, to rupturing the current healthy attachment of any child under 3 with that child’s foster parents, even if a birth family member is available and family and cultural heritage stand to be lost forever. She said this is the age when kids are developing their capacity to form healthy relationships, and that they may experience being removed from their foster parents as a rejection, causing a loss of trust going forward. She also said that kids who have a history of caregiver changes and trauma, which is true of many little

The University of Colorado’s Kempe Center (above) is named for Dr. C. Henry Kempe, (top) who is credited as being the first American medical professional to identify and recognize child abuse. Courtesy: University of Colorado

ones in foster care, need a sense of “permanency,” often meaning adoption.

Baird says she is likely retiring soon, in part as a result of the increasing scrutiny of her practices that she has been facing. In an email to ProPublica, she wrote, “You have been the catalyst for a good bit of self examination,” adding, “Deep soul searching has followed and your process has helped me as I have worked to be honest with myself.”

Yet Baird still shares thoughts and advice about ongoing cases with a coterie of mostly younger experts — what she called in her deposition a “peer supervision and support” group.

“Do you think it’s maybe advisable that others don’t continue to use that protocol given its controversy and the lack of evidence?” she was asked in the deposition.

“I’ll leave that up to them,” she answered.

Several of these experts, according to their resumes, have trained at Kempe, or they have testified or told ProPublica that they’ve learned directly from Baird either at Kempe or in their continuing practice.

“Kempe is such a weighty voice that no judge is going to be like, ‘Oh, Kempe is wrong,’” said Melissa Michaelis Thompson, executive director of the Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel, Colorado’s public defender agency for indigent birth parents. Thompson said that her attorneys around the state keep seeing versions of the Kempe Protocol being used in their cases.

Wells, the Kempe Center’s executive director, told ProPublica in a statement earlier this month that the use of attachment theory and parentchild interactional assessments, the procedure that Baird conducts with birth families, “in isolation” and “particularly in non-therapeutic settings and without attention to bias,” is “not con-

sistent with current best practices and can be abused by experts.” Wells added that Kempe does not itself currently provide such evaluations for court proceedings or endorse the methodology for that purpose.

Even if the Kempe Center did fully disavow Baird and her cohort’s use of this protocol and practices like it, there would be no clear recourse for all of the birth families who’ve lost their children in the past because of Baird’s work.

Stephanie Riggs, the biological grandmother in the Huerfano County case — “huerfano,” ironically, means “orphan” in Spanish — had been doing everything she could to bring her granddaughter back from foster care. She was working nights to be able to travel to visit the baby girl during the day. She’d dug into her limited budget to get a crib, a dresser and baby clothes, bookshelves and baby books, and a play carpet and a toy box. She successfully completed a

safety check of her home, case records show. “The grandmother Mrs. Riggs has been committed” to the child “and loves her very much,” the county said in a report.

But then “Diane Baird turned everything upside down,” Riggs said. “I didn’t see how she could be unbiased,” Riggs said of Baird, because the foster parent intervenors were “giving her her paycheck.”

This past fall, with Baird’s help, the foster parents were granted full custody of the baby girl through her 18th birthday. Some visits may still be allowed in the future, at least by video, but Riggs is unsure if her granddaughter will ever meet her aunts, uncles and cousins, or go to their family reunions, or know their family traditions.

Only the crib remains, and it is empty.

A full version of this story is available online: bit.ly/4a5UTWQ

BOCO, BRIEFLY

Local news at a glance

BY KAYLEE HARTER

BOCO MOVES TO SHUT DOWN CEMENT PLAN

Cemex has lost the right to operate its cement plant in Lyons, according to a notice of termination from Boulder County sent April 10.

According to the letter from Community Planning and Permitting Director Dale Case, the termination comes after an increase in truck traffic following the closure of Dowe Flats Quarry in 2022.

“[T]his increase in truck traffic constitutes an enlargement or alteration of the nonconforming use which has the effect of creating a hazard or nuisance off the property, adversely affects the character of the neighborhood, or intensifying the use of the land and its need for services,” the letter reads.

Cemex has 30 days from the notice to either prove that the determination was incorrect, reduce cement plant use or file an appeal with BoCo’s board of commissioners.

Cemex has long been the subject of community controversy and activism efforts to shut the plant down. After the quarry’s closing, the county received complaints from residents about increased use of the plant, and Colorado Department of Transportation subsequently required the company to conduct a traffic study, which demonstrated an increased level of traffic at the plant.

Cemex can continue its operations until a final decision is made.

“Cemex is reviewing the notice issued by Boulder County’s Director of Community Planning & Permitting regarding the land use status of our Lyons Cement Plant and will respond within the next 30 days,” Maryssa Silva, external communications manager for Cemex, wrote in an emailed statement. “Cemex will continue to operate the plant under current operating conditions, producing highquality cement without disruption to

our hard-working employees or our valued customers.”

YELLOW SCENE SUING BOULDER FOR BODY CAM FOOTAGE

Yellow Scene Magazine is suing the City of Boulder for body cam footage from the December 2023 police shooting of Jeanette Alatorre.

“Boulder touts its recent Reimagine Policing plan, but refusing to comply with state-law accountability requirements isn’t the reimagination we had hoped for,” said attorney Dan Williams, lead counsel for the magazine, in a press release.

The suit claims that the City violated the Integrity Act, which requires local law enforcement agencies to “release, upon request, all unedited video and audio recordings of the incident” within 21 days of receiving a request for release of recordings.

According to the suit, City officials asked Yellow Scene for more than $8,000 after the magazine requested body and dash cam footage of the incident Feb. 2. Williams then requested a shorter video segment, and the City responded saying it would cost more than $1,400. In March, Yellow Scene re-requested the footage, specifically citing the Integrity Act, and Boulder said release would require a payment of more than $2,800. The same month, the City posted a narrated and edited version of the video online.

Boulder’s director of communication and engagement, Sarah Huntley, said in an email that the City has received notice of the suit and is currently evaluating it.

“While we have a different perspective on the statements and allegations

made in the lawsuit, this is pending litigation,” she wrote. “As such, we will make our case and respond through filings and hearings that are part of the formal court process.”

The suit seeks for the City to release the unedited footage at no cost so that “the people of Boulder can judge for themselves whether the Boulder Police Department is using excessive force or wrongfully killing persons on Boulder’s streets.”

IN OTHER NEWS…

• Boulder District Judge Robert Gunning halted proceedings in ACLU’s lawsuit against Boulder challenging the City’s camping ban, the Daily Camera reports. Gunning said the U.S. Supreme Court case on Grant’s Pass in Oregon will be “of great precedential value.” The Supreme Court is scheduled to debate that case April 22, and will decide whether it is unconstitutional and “cruel and unusual punishment” to make living outside involuntarily a crime when there is no shelter available.

• Incoming CU Boulder students can expect a 3-4% hike in tuition, the board of regents decided at its April 11-12 meeting. That’s around $360 per year for an in-state student enrolled in 30 credit hours and $1,600 for an out-of-state student. Other student fees will also increase, including residence hall fees (5%), mental health resources (10%) and the student activity fee (2.4%). Combined mandatory fees for undergrads will increase by $44 (2.7%).

• Boulder City Council members voted 7-1 against creating a Civic Area Historic District.

Grow your own vegetables and support local, organic farming

For more information, contact cferryman@boulderweekly.com 303-494-5511

LEAN ON ME

Tina Halladay of Sheer Mag is done doing things the hard way

BY JEZY J. GRAY

There’s an old saying of dubious origin you’ve probably heard before, and it goes like this: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

After a fast decade of going it alone, Philadelphia quartet Sheer Mag are ready to go far. Once dubbed “the best band nobody can sign,” the famously independent power-pop bruisers inked a deal last year with Jack White’s vinyl-focused Third Man Records for their third LP, Playing Favorites, released last month to widespread critical acclaim.

Following years of courtship from top-shelf indie juggernauts like Merge Records and Rough Trade, 38-year-old frontwoman Tina Halladay says it was finally time to seek out a little support in the interest of longevity.

“For a long time, there were a lot of things we didn’t need a label for. We were able to kind of figure it out,” she told Boulder Weekly ahead of the band’s April 22 gig at Hi-Dive in Denver. “I think we just got to a point where we reached the limit of what we can do on our own. If we’re going to keep doing this after 10 years, maybe it’s time to lean on somebody else a little bit.”

‘ROOM TO BREATHE’

Listening to Sheer Mag’s latest collection alongside full-length predecessors Need to Feel Your Love (2017) and A Distant Call (2019), you’d be hardpressed to find a fissure between now and their storied DIY days. Driven by the blistering peal of Halladay’s unmistakable and uncontainable voice, Playing Favorites continues a roadtested tradition of big guitars and bigger hooks that won’t leave your head for weeks.

While the band has built a sterling reputation as one of the decade’s most electrifying underground rock bands on their own terms, Halladay says signing with a label has thumped Sheer Mag to a new orbit that would otherwise be out of reach.

“It’s all stuff I don’t understand. I think that’s the reason we did it,” she says. “We’re on the Billboard charts for the first time ever. It’s like, what even is that? I have no idea what that means, but obviously it’s something good that doesn’t happen if you don’t have a label.”

where between a snarl and a sigh. “I guess I’m gonna take a cab to the city.”

“I told my story for so long, and this record is more about human experiences instead of just my own,” she says. “The other day I was like, ‘Didn’t everybody have a mental breakdown during the pandemic?’ The band was kind of teasing me about it, but now they’re agreeing and realizing it’s true. Maybe it’s a collective trauma we’re addressing.”

THIS AMERICAN KNIFE

Island. Asked how her upbringing might have influenced the person and artist she would become, the plainspoken punk singer says it likely put some steel in her spine.

“I’ve never really given a shit about what anyone thought. I’ve always had a stronger sense of self,” she says. “I was the only one who went to therapy — not like actual expensive therapy, but poor-people counselor therapy. I think that helped. I’ve never been apologetic about who I am.”

“It all has to do with us having the room to breathe and figure out what kind of band we are,” Halladay says of sharpening their signature style. “Having a recognizable sound is a very difficult thing. That happened by just doing things on our own for a while.”

But it’s not all familiar terrain on Playing Favorites. New shades abound on the dreamy disco boogie of Side-B standout “Moonstruck” and the sprawling orchestral swell of “Mechanical Garden,” which finds Halladay waxing on the communal grief of the last few years from a wider lens: “Everyone’s breaking down / it’s gumming up the works,” she sings in a register some-

With the support of a powerhouse label behind them, Sheer Mag are doing more than tinkering with the edges of a proven formula. The working-class band, whose proletarian heater “Expect the Bayonet” became a fixture at Bernie Sanders rallies in 2020, are also leveraging this opportunity to improve their own labor conditions as they embark on a new phase of their career.

“We were just reminiscing about the first sprinter van we ever rented. It was actually poisoning us,” says Halladay, who tends bar in Philly when the band isn’t on tour. “All our boogers were black — we were just covered in soot. It’s like punishing yourself to do this thing you wanna do really bad. Obviously we’re not doing it for our health.”

This tradition of grinding through hardship is nothing new for Halladay, who grew up in poverty with a father who suffered from addiction and a mother who juggled multiple jobs while raising four kids by herself on Long

Given Halladay’s experience growing up on the sharp edge of this American knife, her band’s longtime refusal of an easy payday is all the more remarkable. Now that Sheer Mag is facing their next chapter with a well-funded creative partner to help execute the vision built on their own over the last decade, the band is eyeing the future with a bit more wind in their sails — a sure way to go far, if not fast.

“We always did things the hard way — which can be, you know, hard,” she says with a laugh. “Now I feel like we allow ourselves more grace to maybe take it a little easier on ourselves than we did 10 years ago. I guess we just know who we are now.”

Philly power-pop bruisers Sheer Mag come to Hi-Dive in Denver on April 22. Credit: Natalie Piserchio

Sheer Mag’s third LP, Playing Favorites, was released March 1. Courtesy: Third Man Records

MUSIC

NORTH BY NORTHEAST

Hundreds of local acts make Fort Collins Music Experiment the perfect 4/20 weekend road trip

BY JUSTIN CRIADO

If you’re thinking about a road trip to the Fort Collins Music Experiment (FoCoMX) on 4/20 weekend, sifting through the extensive festival lineup of more than 350 Colorado artists playing across 30-plus local venues can be intimidating — especially if it’s your first time.

That’s why we did some digging to highlight a handful of acts you should add to your FoCoMX dance card. No need to stress, though: The Fort Collins Musicians Association’s 16th annual celebration of Rocky Mountain sounds is a good time no matter what.

JAIEL

Aurora artist Jaiel is a true trailblazer. After graduating as the first Black woman to receive a degree in music from Colorado College, she released an EP called Black Girl Songs in 2018 as part of her senior thesis. The six tracks embody what the artist describes as “the healing and resistance power of music.”

“Each song on the EP is both a testament to the traits that make Black women exquisite and a protest against a culture that tries to demean us,” she says.

Jaiel’s official debut, The Magical World of Black Girlhood, followed in 2022. The song “Sunshine Lovin’” was nominated for The Colorado Playlist’s Pop Song of the Year. In 2023, Jaiel was named an official Indie 102.3 Local 303 artist.

She lists Beyoncé, Tori Kelly, Janelle Monáe and Janet Jackson among her biggest influences. Conjuring equal parts pop, R&B and soul, Jaiel packs a message of empowerment into the genre-hopping fusion of tracks like “The Legend of Black Girl Magic (Peg’s Journey)” and “Black Girl Nation.”

The ever-busy artist — who in addition to being a dynamo singer-songwriter is also a dancer, actor and model — is hard at work on new music, set to be released sometime this year. Until then, check her out at FoCoMX.

ON THE BILL: Jaiel.

7 p.m. Saturday, April 20, Fort Collins Museum of Discovery - Launch Pad, 408 Mason Court.

FOXFEATHER

The songwriting duo of Carly Ricks Smith and Laura Paige Stratton officially formed alt-Americana project Foxfeather in 2013, when both lived in Boulder. But the co-collaborators go back even further. They initially met back in high school and started making music together in 2005.

Foxfeather is the continuation of a long-running bond that has helped make the group a Front Range staple. They have also performed all over the country with acts such as Andrew Bird and Yonder Mountain String Band.

Smith’s soulful voice has been described as “somewhere between the folky soprano of a young Joni Mitchell and the jazz-heavy range of Lake Street Dive’s Rachel Price” by defunct Boulder-based music magazine The Marquee

Now living in Longmont, Foxfeather shared their latest album, The Nature of Things, in 2022. Recorded across Boulder’s PS Audio Studios, Animal Lane Studios in Lyons and The Barn in Longmont, the 10 tracks are hopping and upbeat — from the catchy bluesrock of “Fillin’ me Up” to the swinging “End of My Rope.”

Aurora artist Jaiel makes empowering music inspired by Black womanhood. Credit: Katie Langley

Laura Paige Stratton (left) and Carly Ricks Smith are the singer-songwriters behind Longmont altAmericana act Foxfeather. Courtesy: Foxfeather

While Smith and Stratton are out front in Foxfeather, band members Blake Smith (lead guitar), Chad Mathis (bass) and Jay Elliott (drums and percussion) are just as deserving of their flowers.

ON THE BILL: Foxfeather.

3:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, New Belgium Brewing Co.Front Lawn, 500 Linden St., Fort Collins.

TRASH CAT

The trio behind Greeley’s Trash Cat are self-professed nerds. Mary Claxton (electric ukulele), Hayden Farr (baritone saxophone) and Brian Claxton (drums) draw inspiration from their favorite cartoons and pop culture.

So it’s not surprising that the group has appeared at Fort Collins Comic Con and the VINCON Vintage Video Game Convention since forming in 2018. Trash Cat also provided the soundtrack for the 2022 preschool web series Little Roar and His Big Family,

an LGBTQ-affirming children’s cartoon following a brother and sister T. Rex and their two moms.

Children’s songs aside, Trash Cat’s previous albums, Welcome to Trash City (2019) and The Tide (2021), land on the quirkier side of indie. Is it ska? Is it electronic? It’s both … kind of. Fan favorite “Robot Girlfriend” is such an earworm it doesn’t matter that the chorus is a string of “beeps” and “boops.” It’s just fun, no matter what you call it. The band’s new single “My Glow” sounds more serious, but it’s still whimsical and light on its feet. Trash Cat likes to walk the line between “tender-heartedness and absurdity,” according to the band’s official bio, and their latest endearing and wholesome track is a testament to that ambition. It’ll be hard to hold back a smile whenever Trash Cat launches into their set this weekend.

ON THE BILL: Trash Cat.

5 p.m. Saturday, April 20, Illegal Pete’s, 320 Walnut St., Fort Collins.

MUSIC

FOCOMX WEEKEND PASS: $75. FOR COMPLETE SCHEDULE, VISIT FOCOMA.ORG.

HORSE BITCH

Violins are emo. Yellowcard already proved that. But a pedal steel guitar? Now you’re cooking. And no one cooks quite like Denver rabble-rousers Horse Bitch. The five-piece crafts an off-kilter blend of somber rock and rowdy country described by the band as “emo honky-tonk.”

Horse Bitch proudly showed us what it’s all about on their 2021 debut RIP Pistachio. The 12 songs cover everything from fan fiction — “A Song About Severus Snape” and “A Song About Donnie Darko (2001)” — to root veggies and cold medicine: “A Song About Carrots” and “A Song About Cough Syrup.”

In case the zany music and cheeky song names weren’t enough, Horse Bitch describes themselves in press materials as “a big part of Roosevelt’s WPA (Work Progress Administration) initiative and crucial in lifting the U.S. out of the Great Depression.” They say the band became lost to history because of the “naughty name.” But don’t get caught up on the silliness; Horse Bitch is seriously good and definitely one to catch.

ON THE BILL: Horse

Bitch. 10 p.m. Friday, April 19, Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins.

CHEROKEE SOCIAL

The beginnings of indie act Cherokee Social go back to Baltimore, where frontman Julian Navarro started as a solo artist known as Faceless Ones. After moving to Denver four years ago, he signed with local label Unit E Records before recruiting guitarist Alex Creighton. That’s when the project really began to take shape.

Navarro’s Cherokee heritage is at the core of the music, but the themes he unpacks are universal. The band’s latest single, “Cinnamon Sugar,” is a funky, flirty love song, while the previously released track “Operator” mourns a long-distance relationship that ultimately didn’t work out.

The pair’s ultimate goal is to become a national touring act, and they’ve already opened for groups like Mato Wayuhi and Xiutezcatl. Cherokee Social shared a vinyl compilation of singles earlier this year, but the best way to hear the unique brand of indiepop is live.

ON THE BILL: Cherokee Social. 8:45 p.m. Friday, April 19, Equinox Brewing, 133 Remington St., Fort Collins.

Left to right: Hayden Farr, Mary Claxton and Brian Claxton of Greeley’s own quirked-up indie outfit Trash Cat. Credit: Nathan Tran

Denver’s Horse Bitch gets silly with their singular brand of “emo honky tonk.” Courtesy: Horse Bitch Cherokee Social unpacks universal themes through the lens of Julian Navarro’s Indigenous heritage. Courtesy: Cherokee Social

GOING APE

Greeley filmmakers get feral on ‘Sasquatch Sunset’

BY GREGORY WAKEMAN

Something strange is stirring in the wilderness. But unlike the devoted cryptid enthusiasts of reality shows like Finding Bigfoot, you won’t have to camp out in remote reaches of the Rockies to catch a glimpse.

Instead, the new film Sasquatch Sunset puts its namesake mythical creature in the center of the frame. Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough as part of a family of Sasquatches, the film by brothers Nathan and David Zellner follows the pack over the course of 12 months as they find themselves on a collision course with the changing world around them. Covered head to toe in makeup, prosthetics and fur, the cast is unrecognizable. There is no dialogue — only grunting.

Produced by modern “elevated horror” provocateur Ari Aster, Sasquatch Sunset is quickly generating buzz as one of the year’s most unexpected films. Fresh off directing stints on the cringe-inducing black comedy The Curse starring Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone, the Zellner brothers return to their directors’ chairs with David writing the screenplay and Nathan in a starring role. But while the family team may be off-the-map cre-

atively, their origins trace close to home in Greeley, where they were born and raised.

“Every weekend, our family would go to the Rockies or Estes Park,” David Zellner tells Boulder Weekly over Zoom. “We were always out in the wilderness. That really helped to establish our love of nature and our interest in Bigfoot. It really endeared us to the subject matter.”

Growing up in Greeley, the brothers would make short films on their dad’s Super Eight camera in the backyard. With nature as their backdrop, the pair often used stop-motion animation to pay homage to the media they loved.

“Like a lot of kids, we’d spoof what we’d been watching. So there was a lot of action and horror movie ripoffs,” David recalls. “After a while, we started to find our own voice. But everything we made had lots of stuff in the wilderness. It’s never intentional, but we always find ourselves out there.”

Looking back on the brothers’ first attempts at filmmaking, David sees a connection between those early efforts

and Sasquatch Sunset: “It still feels like we’re running around the woods with a camera and getting our friends to help us with these crazy ideas.”

‘THE MYSTERIES OF NATURE’

Sasquatch Sunset is not the Zellners’ first film to revolve around the elusive cryptid sometimes known as Bigfoot. Their five-minute short film Sasquatch Birth Journal 2 premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. Billed as “an unprecedented peek at the mysteries of nature,” the film depicts a human-like wood ape — played by Nathan — in the throes of labor.

“It was pretty successful in the film

festival circuit,” David says. “That was birthed from all of the online Bigfoot sightings, where they’re always sitting down, lurking or never doing anything interesting.”

The pair began to joke about what else a family of Sasquatches might get up to. With lots of ideas percolating, they started to take it more seriously and build a world.

“We really wanted to take a look at the interior lives of the creatures,” David says. “Right from the start, we knew we wanted it to be from their perspective, and not just be another Bigfoot movie through the eyes of humans.”

In order to stay true to their vision, the pair knew Sasquatch Sunset would require zero dialogue. This approach

Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, Sasquatch Sunset follows a family of its namesake mythical creatures as they find themselves on a collision course with the changing world around them. Images courtesy: Bleecker Street

made things more challenging, but it opened the door to new modes of storytelling.

“We knew we’d need a rich sound design and we’d have to get the exposition across through visual means exclusively,” David says. “The subtlest of facial expressions conveys their needs, desires and heartaches.”

FREE AND FERAL

As the pair were working out how to bring Sasquatch Sunset to life, they had to “rewire” their brains to adapt to the challenge. David approached it like directing a silent movie, focusing on the facial expressions and physicality of his actors. Rather than feeling restrained, he says it was liberating.

Both Eisenberg and Keough jumped at the opportunity. “They immediately got the tone of the script, the story and the characters, and were instantly up for the adventure,” Nathan says. “That was just so rewarding to get their feedback like that.”

The foursome then began the process of rehearsing and preparing for exactly how to portray a Sasquatch. “We wanted to use Bigfoot as a foundation,” Nathan says. “But we really saw it as us creating our own species. We want to make sure we all looked like the same creature and moved and communicated the same

way. We needed the audience to tell that we were a family or a pack or whatever, and had a connection.”

While David’s script distinctly rendered each furry character, the actors added their own nuances to make sure they all stood out from each other. For several weeks, Eisenberg, Keough, the Zellners and Christophe Zajac-Denek worked with movement coach Lorin Eric Salm to bring consistency to their movements. The catch? They could only do it over Zoom.

“That made it a little awkward,” Nathan says. But after a few weeks, the actors let loose in a park where they could be free and feral. When they finally put on creature designer Steve Newbern’s suits and arrived in Northern California to shoot, the quartet instantly felt transformed.

“Everybody had this epiphany moment,” Nathan says. “You could really feel the power in the bulky suits. The weight of them really influenced how you moved. At that moment, we all looked at each other and knew that it was going to be special — and a lot of fun.”

ON SCREEN:

Sasquatch Sunset opens in theaters April 19.

SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING

Talkin’ Squatch with Colorado Parks and Wildlife

BY WILL MATUSKA

After a video taken from a train outside of Durango circulated online last year, we prodded Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose for all the agency knows about Sasquatch and its mysterious whereabouts. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

What is CPW’s official stance on the existence of Sasquatch? We don’t have any physical evidence that a Sasquatch exists in Colorado, so if people have real physical evidence we’d be interested in that, but we have not biologically observed that in the state.

How often does CPW receive reports about it?

It happens from time to time. They kind of fall into two categories: One is people who think they have seen a Sasquatch or some type of large mammal like that, or people who are just calling in as a joke. I’d say people who live in the southwest and the southeast tend to call our offices more about Sasquatch sightings than people here in the Front Range where I’m based, and that’s just probably due to the different geography that’s down there.

So I’d say it’s rare — maybe a couple of calls each year for the entire state. After that video down in Durango came out, we did have a few calls into our southwest office. But unless it’s like a certain thing that sparks people’s memories, or some sort of viral video like that, then it’s kind of a rare occurrence.

What are those reports like, and how do people describe what they’ve seen?

Kind of how you think it would be: large, hairy creatures standing on two legs kind of thing. We sometimes have people call in and ask, ‘Well, what if I see a Sasquatch while I’m out hunting or recreating? Do I have license to shoot it?’ So it’s more like what-if scenarios, which are good questions to have.

I think you should be prepared for any sort of creature while you’re out recreating in Colorado, and a Sasquatch is one of them. … If somebody does encounter one in the wild, it would not be legal to shoot the animal because it would be considered an endangered species.

Do you have any tips for people approaching a Sasquatch in the wild?

I’d say never turn your back to it. Don’t feed it. It should just be on the same line as leaving wildlife alone. The Sasquatch has clearly avoided human detection this far and doesn’t really need our help with finding food, so I wouldn’t recommend doing that. Otherwise get some stable, not shaky, video.

Any other fun facts to share?

People who report the existence of Sasquatches to us say their favorite food is Twinkies.

THEATER

MOLIÈRE GOES VIRAL

Theater Company of Lafayette puts a social media spin on classic French satire ‘The Misanthrope’

BY TONI TRESCA

Powdered wigs are out; influencers are in. That’s the conceit behind director Brett Landis’ contemporary take on Molière’s The Misanthrope at Theater Company of Lafayette (TCL). Motivated by her increased use of social media during the pandemic, Landis realized the play could serve as a comedic commentary on the carefully controlled interactions of the digital age.

“That was how people were connected in a time when we couldn’t be faceto-face,” Landis says. “I started thinking, ‘How do we maintain real human connections when we are constantly having all these filters between us?’”

Landis, who first encountered Molière as an undergraduate at Carleton College, is a longtime admirer of the timeless playwright. Drawing from her early academic inspirations, Landis sees Molière’s exploration of social pretenses as ripe for adaptation in an era when online posturing often overshadows genuine self-expression.

SOFTWARE UPDATE

The 17th-century satire centers on Alceste, a man who despises the superficiality of society and yearns for a life where honesty prevails. But his love for the charming and flirtatious

place,” Landis says. “We are not changing the words, but we are using technology to suggest that the king is a Kardashian. One character is genderswapped … Alceste reads a poem that we have replaced with The Cure’s ‘Not At All,’ and we set a poem by another character to folk-rock music to update the feel but not the language. But, aside from that, we’ve tried to keep the integrity of the text.”

In keeping with this knack for scrambling timelines, the production design cleverly merges historical aesthetics with 21st-century flair. But scenic designer Frank Landis — the director’s

inspiration in celebrities like actress Zooey Deschanel and YouTuber Francesca Farago. Richards also created projections of social media posts and character selfies that will appear on the walls of the theater.

To further immerse the audience in the world of The Misanthrope, intermission includes a selfie contest and a TikTok challenge. Thanks to this and other points of engagement, actor Miranda Vargas believes the play will appeal to audiences of all ages.

“It will resonate with boomers, who have seen social media come into people’s lives, so will see a lot of the farce,” Vargas says. “I also think it would be good and confronting for young generations who are glued to their phones to see there are consequences.”

“I was struck by how relevant and universal the themes were at the time,” she explains. “In college, I directed a production of Tartuffe about politics and religious hypocrisy in the early 2000s, so it had already crossed my mind once to update Molière in a contemporary setting. The Misanthrope is his play that most directly addresses the social facades that we create; social media seemed like a good fit for the false personas we put on for other people online.”

Célimène complicates his ideals, as she thrives within the very societal norms he detests.

In TCL’s adaptation, Célimène is reimagined as a successful social media influencer, while Alceste is a hater whose distaste for the online world offends his friends. The play weaves a complex web of relationships, jealousy and deception, all set against a backdrop that replaces Paris’ royal courts with an equally perilous online terrain.

“It was remarkable how little in Richard Wilbur’s translation felt out of

Francophile father who studied French in high school — wasn’t big on the idea at first.

“When I told him I was setting it in the present day, his face fell a little bit,” Landis says. “But he had the clever idea to bring elements of French Rococo design into a more contemporary look.”

UNDER THE INFLUENCERS

When it comes to giving these historical characters a modern twist, costume designer Hannah Richards looked for

Landis hopes the production will encourage audiences to think about their relationship with technology. Her goal is not to demonize digital interactions but to promote a more mindful approach to our lives — online and off.

“I just want people to think about their media usage more consciously and intentionally,” Landis says. “The message is not that social media is bad or that we should all throw away our phones. It’s about being more thoughtful and looking at social media with a critical eye. You never want to lose sight of our ability to form authentic connections with other people, whether that’s over social media or face-to-face, because human beings need other human beings.”

ON STAGE:

The Misanthrope. April 19-May 5, Theater Company of Lafayette, 300 E. Simpson St., Lafayette. $25 (nameyour-price opening night)

The cast of The Misanthrope, running April 19 through May 5 at the Theater Company of Lafayette. Credit: Hannah Richards and Cristina Twigg

TENNIS,

ANYONE? Love-triangle sports drama ‘Challengers’ serves sexy fun

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

Within every game, there’s a second game playing out inside the first. We can’t always see it, but it’s often much more significant than the one we’re watching.

This is true regardless of your level of involvement with any given sport, but let’s say you’re the type who skips the regular season and the playoffs and only tunes into the finals. All you see are players competing for a trophy and nothing more. What you do not see — cannot see — are the players’ pasts, individually and collectively: the years spent in juniors, on the college circuit, in qualifying matches and minor tournaments across the globe and throughout the calendar. You do not see the drama that unfolds in the locker rooms, the times they’ve shared cramped hotel rooms on tour and sat next to each other on the bus. All you see is a ball traveling back and forth. All they see is a lifetime.

Challengers, the latest from director Luca Guadagnino, has so much fun with that lifetime that there’s a good chance you’ll read far too much into the next tennis match after watching this movie.

The story is framed by a Challenger Tour final in New Rochelle, New York — which isn’t geographically far from

Flushing, Queens, where the U.S. Open takes place, but feels metaphorically out of reach — with Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) trading points and spraying sweat in the warm summer sun. For everyone in the crowd, it’s one hell of a match, one that tips back and forth in favor of the other. But only one person in the crowd knows what’s really happening here: Tashi Donaldson (Zendaya), Art’s wife and Patrick’s former lover.

From this meeting in 2019 New Rochelle, Guadagnino and writer Justin Kuritzkes bounce freely in chronology from now to 13 years prior, to seven months later, to minutes before, to three weeks ago. From New Rochelle to Atlanta to Stanford — the setting and era may change, but the dynamic does not. Art and Patrick are close, and Tashi is the woman who comes between them. You’ve probably seen that story before: two men who can only love and hate each other through the woman who shares their lives.

But here, Tashi is more instigator than connector, a woman with her own desires and disappointments to navigate. She’s manipulative, sure, but so

are Art and Patrick. Winning a tennis match isn’t just about putting the ball past your opponent. It’s about taking them off their line, pulling them from the spot they want to be and making them play the game you want to play. There’s an art form to manipulation, and these three are artists.

What a nifty little construction Challengers employs: Three sets to a match, three acts to a story, three players in this one. In 2019, Art is the tennis prodigy who’s made good, won three of the four majors and is getting ready to retire once he completes the career slam. Patrick might be the better player, but he never quite figured out how to play the greater game and has been languishing in smaller tournaments with low payouts and little glory. Tashi was the best of the trio, but an injury sidelined her playing career and forced her to switch to coaching.

Recounting it like that makes it all sound so standard. Challengers is not. Guadagnino and Kuritzkes giddily toy with convention while encouraging a sexual current to charge the narrative. Then there are the matches, captured by cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, sometimes from above,

sometimes from the player’s point of view — herky-jerky movements full of energy — and sometimes from the ball’s perspective as it goes hurtling back and forth, smashing into rackets and crashing into nets. The editing from Marco Costa is a master class of eye lines and triangulation, and the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is one of the few from the duo that doesn’t just ping ethereally in the background but drives the characters with a loud, pulsating force. Everything here feels calibrated for fun.

If there is a misstep, it is in Challengers’s climatic finish, where streams of sweat pour off Art and Patrick in seductive slow motion as if Gudaginino still wants to delay gratification after two hours of basking in the beauty of these young and fit bodies, their sensual pull to one another and their constant jockeying to be on top. That might have worked in a more cloistered movie, but here, it just feels like overkill — especially after that scene between Art and Patrick in the sauna.

ON SCREEN: Challengers opens in theaters April 26.

Left to right: Mike Faist, Zendaya and Josh O’Connor in Challengers Courtesy: Amazon / MGM Studios

EARTH DAY EVENTS

19

GIRLS SKATE NIGHT

4 p.m. Thursday, April 18, Rayback Collective, 2775

The Rayback Collective’s usual lineup of food trucks is going green. Enjoy an array of plant-based and dairy-free grub from Tibet’s, ice cream from Best One Yet and international cuisine from Passport World Eats.

19

BOULDER DOG TAILS

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, April 19, Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway. $10

Friday is the last day to check out Marsha Steckling’s collection of dog photography at the Museum of Boulder. The outgoing show from the seasoned animal photographer features 43 pups pictured in 39 different Boulder County locations.

6:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, Square State Skate, 5757 Arapahoe Ave. Unit B1, Boulder. $10

Experimenting with a new sport dominated by men can be intimidating. That’s why Square Skate Boulder offers a special night at Boulder County’s only indoor park for women and non-binary people to enjoy a safer space to skate.

20

EARTH DAY SEED SWAP

9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 20, Broomfield Library, 3 Community Park Road. Free

Celebrate Earth Day by planting new seeds and adding to your own inventory. Broomfield Library hosts this community swap where you can sign up for its Seed Library program to keep the exchange going all year long.

EVENTS

20

NATURAL BEEKEEPING

10 a.m. Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, Boulder Reservoir, 5565 51st St. $150

This two-day class will teach everything you need to know about beekeeping. Day 1 covers basics like bee behaviors, hive habits and sustainability. Day 2 goes deeper on problemsolving and long-term expectations for your hive.

20

EARTH DAY CLEANUP

10 a.m. Saturday, April 20, Tom Watson Park, 6180 N 63rd St., Boulder. Free

Earth Day is a good excuse to clean up our environment, and Sanitas Brewing is making it easy and fun. Attendees will collect trash around town, then head back to Sanitas for some happy hour-priced beers.

20

ARVADA BEER FEST

Call 720.253.4710

All credit cards accepted No text messages

2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, Freedom Street Social, 15177 Candelas Parkway, Arvada. $55

Wear your best oversized flannels, capris and tube tops to taste offerings from over a dozen Colorado breweries, cideries and distilleries during this ’90s-themed beer festival. Tickets include unlimited samplings, and early entry tickets are available for more tasting time.

20

BLUEBIRD MUSIC FESTIVAL

Various times. Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21, Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $49+

Boulder’s premier indie-folk fest returns with headliners Joy Oladokun, Gregory Alan Isokov and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco among half a dozen supporting artists. Check out our recent Bluebird coverage, including interviews with Oladokun and Bluebird founder Travis Albright, at boulder weekly.com.

20

RECORD STORE DAY

7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, April 20, Paradise Found Records & Music, 1646 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

More than 400 exclusive and limited releases will flood independent record stores across the country this Saturday, so head to Paradise Found for the vinyl event of the year featuring free drinks and snacks from Laughing Goat and Moxie Bread Co. plus concert ticket giveaways and more.

21

EARTH DAY AT THE SHACK

1 p.m. Sunday, April 21, Greenlee Wildlife Preserve, 1600 Caria Drive, Lafayette. Free

If you don’t slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature, Earth Day might just pass you by. That’s why Lafayette’s Cultural Arts Commission hosts this Earth Day group nature journaling session suitable for all ages at the Shack at Waneka Lake.

EARTH DAY EVENTS

22

LUNAFEST EDM FESTIVAL

4 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday, April 22 through Sunday, April 28, DV8 Distillery, 2480 48th St. Suite E, Boulder. Day Pass $40, Week Pass $120

Previously held in Vero Beach, Florida, LunaFest will hold its inaugural festival in Boulder, and it’s bigger than ever before. The nine-day dance party features vendors, food trucks and performers from across the country to celebrate all things EDM in DV8’s inclusive environment.

24

THE KOREAN HERBAL APOTHECARY

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St. $5

Grace Yoon, founder of Korean herbal brand Qi Alchemy and author of The Korean Herbal Apothecary brings her knowledge of Korean herbalist practices and traditions to Boulder during this reading and signing event on Pearl Street.

An “endearingly funny and deeply affecting” Pulitzer-finalist play about one woman — and all of us.

PRESENTS

May 3 -19

The Dairy Arts Center | Boulder

THE AWARD-WINNING BOULDER ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY

BETC.ORG

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

4TELL 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

VARIETY SHOW: AND NOW…

FEATURING 6 p.m. Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

TONY CRANK 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

YELLOWMAN WITH MONO VERDE

COLLECTIVE. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

JEFF CROSBY AND THE BARLOW 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $21

RIVER MANN 9 p.m. Southern Sun Pub, 627 S. Broadway, Boulder. Free

FRIDAY, APRIL 19

MOUNTAIN REVERB 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont.

HARMONIOUS FOLK WITH SHINE

SWEET MOON. 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

DENNY DRISCOLL 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

RONNIE RAYGUN & THE BIG EIGHTIES 6 p.m. Bounce Empire, 1380 S. Public Road, Lafayette. $29

CLARE CHURCH WITH JASON

MALMBERG AND VICTOR MESTAS PEREZ 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

FRAIL TALK. 6 p.m. Friday, April 19, The Magic Rat, 111 Chestnut St., Fort Collins. BW PICK OF THE WEEK

BOULDER SYMPHONY PERFORMS ‘EROICA.’ 7:30 p.m. Grace Commons, 1820 15th St., Boulder. $25

BOB MARGOLIN 7:30 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $17

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

BLUEBIRD MUSIC FESTIVAL

(DAY 1) 2:30 p.m. Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $50

CRICK WOODER. 4:20 p.m. Longs Peak Pub, 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Free

DEFUNKT RAILROAD 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

DEAR LUNA 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

LOS CHEESIES 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

THE NEW WIZARD OIL COMBINATION.

7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

GRANT LIVINGSTON 7 p.m. Rayback Collective, 2775 Valmont Road, Boulder. Free

SORTOF VAGUE WITH ANTI-ALIAS

7 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

VITALWILD WITH ZAJE. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder, Free

SILVERSUN PICKUPS WITH ROCKET

8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $40

GREEN DRUID WITH PALEHORSE/ PALERIDER AND VOIGHT 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $20

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

BLUEBIRD MUSIC FESTIVAL (DAY 2). 2:30 p.m. Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. Sold out

FELONIUS SMITH WITH STEVE SHELDON 4 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

MORPHEUS DREAMING 4 p.m.

Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

LUNAFEST 2024 (PREGAME). 5:30 p.m.

Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

CRYSTAL SWING BAND 7 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. $25

LIVE MUSIC

JESSIE MURPH (NIGHT 1) 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $30

MUNLY & THE LUPERCALIANS WITH JOSEPHINE FOSTER 7 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15

MONDAY, APRIL 22

JESSIE MURPH (NIGHT 2). 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $30

MUSE JAZZ JAM 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. Free

SHEER MAG WITH CLEANER, FLORA DE LA LUNA AND GLIMMER OF NOPE. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $20 STORY ON P. 17

VS SELF WITH KNUMEARS. 8 p.m. Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $28

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

SAINT MOTEL WITH GIBBZ 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $30

JOHNNY DYNAMITE & THE BLOODSUCKERS WITH FLESH TAPE AND DETH RALI 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $18

Fresh off their Boulder show with Minnesota’s Humbird earlier this month, FoCo indie-folk outfit Frail Talk take the stage for a hometown gig as part of the Fort Collins Music Experiment on April 19. Flip over to p. 18 for more Colorado acts to check out during the 16th annual music festival. See listing for details

GIANT ROOKS WITH FRIEDBERG 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $40

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

ALAINA DE BELLEVUE 6:30 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $15

MOVEMENTS WITH TIGERS JAW, WEBBED WING AND PAERISH 7 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $30

THE PSYCHEDELIC HOEDOWN 7:30 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

MANY MOUNTAINS 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

DEREK DAMES OHL BAND 9 p.m.

Southern Sun Pub, 627 S. Broadway, Boulder. Free

HOOVERIII WITH RITMO CASCABEL AND SAME DUDE 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $18

MATTHEW LOGAN VASQUEZ WITH DANNY GOLDEN 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $20

Want more Boulder County events? Check out the complete listings online by scanning this QR code.

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): I suspect two notable phenomena will coalesce in your sphere sometime soon. The first is a surplus supply of luck. I’m not sure why, but the fates will be sending surges of good karma your way. The second phenomenon is this: You might not be entirely alert for the potential luck flowing in your direction, and it may not leap out and grab you. That could be a problem. Fortunately, you are reading this oracle, which means you are getting a heads up about the looming opportunity. Now that you realize you must be vigilant for the serendipitous blessings, I’m confident you will spot them and claim them.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): You will be wise to summon extra love and rapport as you ruminate on your vivid upcoming decisions. Wouldn’t you like to bask in the helpful influences of smart allies who respect you? How nurturing would it feel to receive healing encouragement and warm appreciation? I suggest you convene a conference of trusted advisors, good listeners, sunny mentors, wisdom keepers and spirit guides. Maybe even convene a series of such gatherings. Now is an excellent time to call in all your favors and get the most inspirational support possible as you navigate your way to the next chapter of your life story.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): If you drink alcohol, don’t operate a forklift or backhoe. If you gamble, protect yourself with safeguards and have a backup plan. If you feel called to explore altered states of consciousness, consider doing meditation, dancing or chanting holy songs instead of ingesting drugs. If you have an itch to go hang-gliding or sky-jumping, triplecheck your equipment. And if you have the urge to try to walk on the water, don a lifejacket first. But please note, dear Gemini, I am not advising you to timidly huddle in your comfort zone. On the contrary. I highly recommend you stretch your limits. Just be secure and smart as you do.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): I plotted out my usual astrological reckonings for your current destiny. Then I slipped into a meditative trance and asked the spirits to show me future scenes that correspond to my assessments. In one prominent vision, I beheld you partying heartily, navigating your avid and inquisitive way through convivial gatherings. In other scenes, I saw you engaged in lively discussions with interesting people who expanded your understanding of the meaning of life in general and the meaning of your life in particular. I conclude that intelligent revelry will be a main theme for you. Productive excitement. Pleasurable intrigue. Connections that enliven and tonify your imagination.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The theory of synchronicity proposes that hidden patterns are woven into our lives. Though they may ordinarily be hard to detect, they can become vividly visible under certain circumstances. But we have to adjust the way we interpret reality. Here’s a clue: Be alert for three meaningful coincidences that happen within a short time and seem related to each other. I predict the emergence of at least one set of these coincidences in the coming weeks — maybe as many as four. Synchronicities are coming! You have entered the more-than-mere-coincidence zone.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Psychologists

J. Clayton Lafferty and Lorraine F. Lafferty wrote a book called Perfectionism: A Sure Cure for Happiness. It’s based on their work with clients who damaged their lives “in the illusory pursuit of the unrealistic and unattainable standard of perfection.” In my observation, many of us are susceptible to this bad habit, but you Virgos tend to be the most susceptible of all. The good news is that you now have an excellent chance to loosen the grip of perfectionism. You are more receptive than usual to intuitions about how to relax your aspirations without compromising your competence. As inspiration, consider these words from author Henry James: “Excellence does not require perfection.” Leadership expert R. R. Stutman adds: “If perfection is an obstacle course, excellence is a masterful dance.”

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): “Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which they never show to anybody,” wrote author Mark Twain. I agree that everyone is a moon and has a dark side. But it’s important to note that our dark sides are not inherently ugly or bad. Psychologist Carl Jung proved to me that our dark sides may contain latent, wounded or unappreciated beauty. To be healthy, in fact, we should cultivate a vigorous relationship with our dark side. In doing so, we can draw out hidden and undeveloped assets. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you Libras to do this.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Your current state has metaphorical resemblances to idling in your car, waiting and waiting and waiting for the red light to change. But here’s the good news: I expect the signal will turn green very soon — maybe even within minutes after you read this horoscope. Here’s more good news: Your unlucky number will stop popping up so often, and your lucky number will be a frequent visitor. I’m also happy to report that the “Please don’t touch” signs will disappear. This means you will have expanded permission to consort intimately with influences you need to consort with.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): I think it’s time to graduate from your lessons in toxic kinds of enchantment and launch a new experiment with healthy kinds of enchantment. If you agree, spend the next few days checking to see if any part of you is numb, apathetic or unreceptive. Non-feelings like these suggest you may be under the enchantment of influences that are cramping your imagination. The next step is to go in quest of experiences, people and situations that excite your imagination, rouse your reverence and raise your appreciation for holy mysteries. Life will conspire benevolently on your behalf if you connect yourself with magic, marvels and miracles.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Luther Burbank (1849–1926) was a practical artist. Using crossbreeding, he developed over 800 novel varieties of vegetables, fruits, grains and flowers. Among his handiwork was the russet Burbank potato, a blightresistant food designed to help Ireland recover from its Great Famine. My personal favorite was his Flaming Gold nectarine, one of the 217 fruits he devised. I propose that Burbank serve as your role model in the coming weeks. I believe you have the power to summon highly pragmatic creativity.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): L. R. McBride wrote the book The Kahuna: Versatile Mystics of Old Hawaii. He describes the role of the kahuna, who is a blend of sorcerer, scholar and healer. At one point, a kahuna gives advice to an American tourist, saying, “You have moved too fast for too long. You have left part of yourself behind. Now you should slow down so that part of you can catch up.” I’m offering you the same advice right now, Aquarius. Here’s your homework: Dream up three fun things you can do to invite and welcome back the left-behind parts of you.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): In the course of my life, I have heard the following three statements from various people: 1. “Everything would be better between us if you would just be different from who you are.” 2. “I would like you more if you were somebody else.” 3. “Why won’t you change to be more like the person I wish you would be?” I’m sure you have heard similar pronouncements yourself, Pisces. But now here’s the good news: I don’t think you will have to endure much, if any, of such phenomena in the coming months. Why? First, because you will be more purely your authentic self than you have ever been. Second, because your allies, colleagues and loved ones — the only people who matter, really — are likely to be extra welcoming to your genuine self.

I’ve been married for two years, and my wife just found out that I subscribed to a few OnlyFans accounts. She considers this cheating, which really surprised me. We have talked openly about how we both watch porn, but the fact that I’ve paid to see specific people crosses the line.

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

I thought that her finding out might be mildly embarrassing, but I didn’t think it would be a relationship-ender. But she says she doesn’t know if she can get through this and trust me ever again or want to fuck me ever again. When I look on Reddit about this issue, it seems like everyone thinks that paying for OnlyFans is cheating. I never messaged anyone, I just paid for porn. And it’s not like I have an addiction to paying for porn: It was just a few accounts.

I don’t understand why she doesn’t trust me when I said I’ll stop now that I know she doesn’t like it. To her, it’s the same as if I slept with another woman and said, “Now that you caught me, I won’t sleep with other women.” How can I build the trust back with her and make her not view me as a disgusting pervert who violated her boundaries?

— Paying For Porn

So, your wife was fine with porn so long as you were jacking off to amateurs who shared their stuff for fun or professionals who had their stuff stolen. But getting out your credit card a couple of times and compensating porn performers for their labor? Unbeknownst to you, PFP, your wife considered that as cheating and, unbeknownst to you, your wife is one of those people whose definition of cheating is elastic enough to encompass things that

aren’t actually cheating and, unbeknownst to you, cheating — even the not-actually-cheating kind of cheating isn’t something your wife can forgive or get past.

If you had known your wife regarded subscribing to OnlyFans as cheating, PFP, you wouldn’t have gotten out your credit card that first time. But you didn’t know because your wife didn’t tell you — she really should’ve beknownst that shit to you before the wedding. There’s a good chance the problem isn’t your OnlyFans subscriptions, PFP, but your wife’s buyer’s remorse. If she was unhappy in this marriage and looking for a reason to end it, she may have seized on your OnlyFans accounts as an excuse.

P.S. Before the Internet came along and “disrupted” the porn industry, everyone — or their older brothers and cool uncles — paid for porn. Playboy and Penthouse and Mandate and Drummer didn’t fall from trees; adult movies weren’t screened for free at public libraries; dirty books didn’t magically appear on nightstands. While there are problems with sites like OnlyFans and JustForFans, they made it possible for actual porn performers to make a living and for amateurs with nice feet to make a little extra money.

PICKLER-IN-CHIEF

Three generations of canners inspire Mountain Girl Pickles founder

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

The pickling gene runs strong in Laraina James’ family — one that thrived as it migrated from New York to Louisiana to Colorado. Her great-grandmother taught her grandmother how to pickle and preserve the harvest from a big garden. She passed those skills to Paul James, Laraina’s father.

“These pickles are basically the same ones my grandmother made,” James says.

The founder of Mountain Girl Pickles can’t recall a time when canning wasn’t part of her life: “My first canning memories are of my Dad making strawberry jam.”

At 9:30 a.m. on a recent Thursday, James is carefully packing glass jars with fresh green beans in an East Boulder catering kitchen. Filling the jars with vinegar, she lifts them into one of eight huge pots of boiling water. Crew members are measuring spices and large garlic cloves into other jars. Cases of small okra pods await their turn to be pickled.

cafe asked if we could make some pickles for the bloody marys,” the younger James recalls. “Customers liked them so much, they asked if they could buy some garlic dills.”

makes the food.”

That’s how Mountain Girl Pickles was born. Since 2014, it has slowly expanded into a nationally distributed artisan product.

“I love doing it because I’m feeding people. I like hands-on work,” James says. “The pickles taste great, and they’re good for you. You take something from raw to pickled? [That is] deliciousness that people can eat right from the jar.”

Other seasonal products include pickled garlic, pickled asparagus and pickled brussel sprouts, all popular on charcuterie boards. Debuting soon are pickled jalapenos, Ela Farm peach salsa, pickled red onions and the

TASTE OF THE WEEK: LUNCH ON 55TH STREET

brand’s first traditional bread and butter pickles, which James promises “won’t be too sweet.”

Mountain Girl Pickles are available online and at the Boulder and Longmont Farmers Markets as well in stores across Colorado including

You have probably tasted A Spice of Life fare at parties, events and office cafes since the caterer opened in 1987, but their food hasn’t been available to the public onsite. The area around their 5541 Central Ave. headquarters is Boulder’s beating industrial and commercial heart, and lunch options are few and far between for the thousands of folks who work nearby.

Becoming an award-winning pickler was admittedly not top-of-mind for James as she worked nine years ago at the legendary mountain roadside hideaway, Sundance Cafe.

The now-closed eatery near Nederland was serving a popular bloody mary (complete with pickled vegetables) when Paul James came to visit his daughter.

“We were talking about our family’s pickling history, and the owner of the

In 2022 and 2023, Mountain Girl’s pickled okra and corn relish took home Good Food Awards, the Oscars of American cuisine. Mountain Girl Pickles giardiniera and pickled beets are finalists in the 2024 Good Food Awards’ pickle category.

The company sources virtually all its in-season produce from local farms: Miller Farms in Platteville, Monroe Farms in Kersey and Switch Gears Farms in Longmont.

“I like using friends’ crops,” James says. “People really care about who grows and

“We felt like there was a need for a place that offered a high-quality take-out lunch in the neighborhood,” says Dan Bruckner, longtime owner of the catering company.

The recently opened Spice Rack Cafe inside A Spice of Life catering is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. Folks in a hurry can order online for pickup. Getting into the company’s lot is circuitous, but there’s plenty of parking.

Everything on the menu is made to order. A major attraction here are the hot sandwiches, including a pressed Cubano pork and ham sandwich, and a craveable chicken parm sandwich layered with cornflake-crusted fried chicken breast, marinara, basil pesto and melted provolone. Adding variety are weekly specials like freshly fried cod fish and chips, a classic Philly cheesesteak, a paneer and pineapple skewer with chutney, and a pork adobo torta with chipotle mayo, avocado and queso.

Ask for a taste of the house-made Uncle Rubie’s habanero mustard.

Left: Evelyn Esparza adds pickling spices to jars. Credit: John Lehndorff. Pickled okra (center), corn relish (right) and garlic dill pickles (inset) are among Mountain Girl Pickles’ many offerings. Courtesy: Mountain Girl Pickles

Image credits: John Lehndorff

Boulder Weekly Market

NIBBLES

McGuckin Hardware, Black Cat Farm Stand, Hazel’s Beverage World, Lucky’s Market, Mountain Fountain, Moxie Bread Company and Natural Grocers.

As Colorado’s farmers market and farmstand season commences,

James’ advice for pickle-curious locals is to try making refrigerator pickles. “You just pour a mix of hot vinegar and spices over vegetables in jars, and when they cool, seal them and refrigerate,” she says. “They’ll last for months.”

Also, never toss that pickle juice when you are done with a jar. Use it in sauces and salad dressings or drink it straight. “A lot of people drink pickle juice to help with leg cramps,” James says. The best way to understand how she won over the judges and thousands of fans is to crack open a jar of the original Mountain Girl garlic dill pickles. The spears retain a verdant color and an audible crunch. This is not a shy pickle — it’s tart and herbaceous with a noticeable garlic mustard seed heat. For a real palate wake-up call, fish out one of the whole pickled garlic cloves from the jar.

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: ITALIAN EATS IN WARD

Marrocco’s Family Dining opened for the season, dishing ItalianAmerican fare in the little foothills town of Ward. Plan ahead: National Chicken Parm Day is April 19.

Ollin Farms, 8627 N. 95th St. in Longmont, hosts an Earth Day farmers market April 20 featuring local food vendors and small farms. Chameleon is open inside Boulder’s Rosetta Hall, serving Japanese izakaya-style dishes like a chicken katsu sandwich, yakisoba noodles and miso-glazed eggplant.

Kelly and Erika Whitaker of Id Est, the eatery group that includes Basta and Dry Storage in Boulder, are James Beard Awards finalists in the Outstanding Restaurateur category.

WORDS TO CHEW ON: A FAMILY BISTRO CLOSES

Lafayette’s 95a Bistro has closed. In a Facebook post, the restaurant’s owners, the Kukura family, expressed gratitude to their customers and noted: “The escalating costs of labor and food have been significant factors in our decision. … Most importantly, running a restaurant of this scale has taken its toll on our family. The long hours, relentless demands, and constant juggling of responsibilities have led us to a burnout that we can no longer ignore.”

John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU. Most recent podcast: kgnu.org/radio-nibbles-power-outage-xcel. Send local food news and events to nibbles@boulderweekly.com

Pickled green beans being canned at Mountain Girl Pickles in Boulder. Credit: John Lehndorff

IS 4/20 CRINGE?

A re-examination of the classic stoner holiday

BY LAUREN HILL

It’s that magical time of year again, where we gather with our dearest loved ones around the open fire of a Bic lighter to spark up a blunt together.

It’s been 10 years and two months since Karing Kind opened its doors as the first dispensary to sell recreational

pot in Boulder. Long gone are the days of en-masse smoke-outs on Farrand Field at CU Boulder. Colorado’s cannabis industry as a whole has seen sharp declines in recent years as more states legalize weed and less so-called “cannabis tourists” patronize Colorado dispensaries.

With all these cultural shifts in mind, perhaps it’s time to reconsider our relationship to weed and its most sacred day. After all, this plant — once reserved for weirdos and social outcasts — is now full-on mainstream. On the Front Range, there are about as many recreational dispensaries as there are micro-breweries.

When something gets popular, it can lose its character and quirk in favor of corporate vapidity until the

only ones left to celebrate are the Target design team.

Take Pride as a parallel example: Celebrating queer history and culture at beloved, community-oriented establishments is both cool and necessary. “Celebrating” queerness by buying boring and overpriced rainbow T-shirts is lame.

Dane Stauder says that in his nearly 20 years in Boulder and as an employee at The Fitter, weed culture has changed so much so as to be unrecognizable. Though it’s nice that people don’t have to hide when they smoke, he says it can manifest challenges for his business.

“People just want what’s cheap,” Stauder says. “It opens the door for

Thousands of students and community members used to gather at CU Boulder’s Farrand Field and/or Norlin Quad for an annual 4/20 smokeout. The university shut down celebrations in 2012. Images: Daily Camera archive

ON DRUGS

more imports and sweatshop labor. It hurts the high-end artists of our industry.”

With this in mind, our first rule for de-cringe-ifying your 4/20: Support local glass artists, local growers and local businesses.

It would be thoughtless to ignore the privilege that comes with smoking weed. Nixon’s War on Drugs — echoes of which still reverberate today — impacted millions of Americans, most of them Black and brown.

“I wish I could ignore it, but you have to hold space for both,” says my friend and CU alumnus Sydnei Lewis. “It’s a fun, cute little thing to do with your friends to celebrate the plant and relaxation, and communities and lives have been effectively ended for doing the same thing.”

Does all this make celebrating 4/20 passé? Maybe not. Privileged? Definitely. Your holiday celebrations don’t necessarily need to include activism, but the sociopolitical implications and inequalities shouldn’t be overlooked. Ignorance is cringe.

All things considered, my conclusion is that as long as 4/20 is an authentic ode to the roots of weed culture, it is still cool. The most wholesome and worthwhile observances of 4/20 happen with your dearest, highest friends in the glory of nature. All who are willing should feel free to take the moment this

TUNE IN, DROP OUT

What is a good smoke sesh without a supporting playlist? We made two, in honor of 4/20’s uncertain cultural relevance.

Scan the QR codes to listen and send us your own additions: editorial@boulderweekly.com

COOL CRINGE

day offers to slow down and feel the haze and the sun on your face.

Joy Oladokun, who will headline Bluebird Music Festival at Macky Auditorium on 4/20, agrees.

“I can’t see a universe in which the excuse to smoke as much weed as humanly possible in a day is cringe,” Oladokun says. “It’s a beautiful cultural celebration of something we all know and love. I get the idea of it being overplayed, but I say as long as it’s about the plant and the vibes — smoke up.”

Lauren Hill, a senior at CU Boulder, is the youngest person in the Boulder Weekly newsroom. She is therefore the most qualified person to comment on the hip-ness of stoner trends.