Boulder Weekly 05.11.2023

Mom's kitchen table

8

8 NEWS: As pandemic-era programs dry up, Boulder County food banks struggle to meet increasing demands BY WILL MATUSKA

15 MUSIC: Expanded Colorado MahlerFest culminates with large-scale Second Symphony, three years later than planned

BY KELLY DEAN HANSEN

26 NIBBLES: Local pros share Mom’s best advice on food and life

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

30 WEED: Colorado lawmakers release framework for how psychedelics will be regulated and legalized BY WILL BRENDZA

DEPARTMENTS

5 THE ANDERSON FILES: Corporate ‘centrist’ third party could spoil 2024

6 OPINION:

The mass co-opting of Native medicines and traditions

11 NOW YOU KNOW: This week’s news in Boulder County and beyond

MAY 17–21, 2023

Got Mahler?

We do -- and more!

Wednesday, May 17

• Get epic with Wagner's Die Walküre, Act I

Thursday, May 18

• Be awed by the talent of our Festival Artist soloists, and then...

• Catch a film at the Boe

Friday, May 19

• Get up close and personal with

20th century chamber music

Saturday, May 20

• Soak up knowledge at the MahlerFest Symposium, and then...

13 MUSIC: The sisters of indiepop trio Joseph turn inward on ‘The Sun’

17 THEATER: Happy Dagger takes a stab at its first Boulder production with ‘Every Brilliant Thing’

18 EVENTS: What to do and where to go

23 FILM:

‘Still’ is an intimate look at Michael J. Fox’s career and Parkinson’s diagnosis

24

ASTROLOGY:

It’s never too late, Capricorn

25 SAVAGE

LOVE: Chick lit

• Transport yourself to 1905 and Mahler's Liederabend

Sunday, May 21

• Hear 200 performers on stage at Macky Auditorium in Mahler's Symphony No. 2

*All programming subject to change.

MAHLERFEST.ORG

Photo credit: Chris Nichols

A taste of modern Japan in the heart of Boulder

Whether the sun is shining or snow is falling, our little corner of Pearl Street is the perfect place to soak up winter in beautiful Boulder! Feast alongside the jellyfish, sink into a lounge or take a seat at one of our lively bars.

Prefer the great outdoors? Our fireside patios are the coziest place to savor those mild winter days. When your own couch is calling, all of your favorites are available for curbside pickup too. No matter how you choose to dine don’t miss our ever-evolving specials, delicious seasonal cocktails, and latest rare whiskey!

COMMENTARY

MAY 11, 2023

Volume 30, Number 38

COVER: Photos courtesy: Bee Kisich, Sheila Lucero, Shamane Simons and Rachel Demartin.

Composite by Erik Wogen

PUBLISHER: Fran Zankowski

CIRCULATION MANAGER: Cal Winn

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Caitlin Rockett

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER: Will Matuska

FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Dave Anderson, Will Brendza, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Angela K. Evans, Kelly Dean Hansen, Dan Savage, Toni Tresca

SALES AND MARKETING

MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER:

Kellie Robinson

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE:

Matthew Fischer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Chris Allred

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman

MRS. BOULDER WEEKLY: Mari Nevar

PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erik Wogen

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Mark Goodman

CIRCULATION TEAM:

Sue Butcher, Ken Rott, Chris Bauer

BUSINESS OFFICE

BOOKKEEPER: Emily Weinberg

FOUNDER/CEO: Stewart Sallo

As Boulder County’s only independently owned newspaper, Boulder Weekly is dedicated to illuminating truth, advancing justice and protecting the First Amendment through ethical, no-holdsbarred journalism and thought-provoking opinion writing. 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 editorial@boulderweekly.com boulderweekly.com

Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. © 2023 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.

THE ANDERSON FILES

Corporate ‘centrist’ third party could spoil 2024

BY DAVE ANDERSON

In 2024, a new supposedly “centrist” political organization may run a “unity” presidential ticket. No Labels is already on the ballot as a party in Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and Alaska. They have raised $70 million and refuse to name their donors. They plan to get on the ballot in all 50 states.

No Labels insists that the two major parties are captured by crazy extremists. A video sent out to donors and potential supporters obtained by The New Republic warns, “With the extremes on both sides dominating the primaries, the two parties are on a path to nominating candidates most eligible voters will find unacceptable.”

As ominous music plays, you see

Donald Trump, Alexandria OcasioCortez, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Joe Biden isn’t even mentioned in the video. When leaders of No Labels are asked if they think Biden is unacceptable to them, they have a waitand-see attitude.

In a recent Washington Post op-ed, the leaders of three ideologically divergent, pro-Democratic Party groups (Third Way, MoveOn and the Center for American Progress Action Fund) denounced No Labels for equating Trump and Biden and argued that Biden has been responsible for significant and necessary bipartisan legislation. They said a No Labels candidate

would most likely help elect Trump.

Actually, No Labels’ own poll shows “Democrats, liberals and urban voters to be more open to a moderate independent candidate than Republicans, conservatives or rural voters.”

No Labels supports balancing the national budget, reducing business regulations and shifting federal programs to the states.

No Labels criticized the Jan. 6 committee as “a partisan exercise about which the public is skeptical” and compared it unfavorably with the Republican-dominated special committee that investigated the 2012 Benghazi attack on a U.S. embassy.

Continued on page 6

Continued from page 5

No Labels publicly opposed Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) legislation, which included efforts to fight climate change, raise the corporate tax rate, expand the Child Tax Credit and improve healthcare.

Two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, were able to force big cuts in BBB due to the Democrats’ slim majority in the Senate. During the legislative process, No Labels praised Sinema for her “heroic efforts” and ran ads supporting Manchin “hit[ting] the brakes on BBB.” The Intercept reported that the group hosted Manchin at a “billionaire-backed gathering” in Los Angeles during BBB negotiations.

The BBB was killed and we got the Inflation Reduction Act, which doesn’t go as far but provides for lower prescription drugs for seniors, higher taxes for corporations, more IRS law and order for rich tax cheats. It is also the biggest federal climate change bill in history. Well, that’s a low bar. It’s the only real climate change bill ever enacted.

This March, news website Semafor reported that some Wall Street backers of Biden in 2020 are “holding back” on supporting him in 2024, “citing rules proposed by his Securities and Exchange Commission that target the financial services industry.”

Biden’s approach to financial regulation “has left a sense of buyer’s remorse.” Financial industry lobbyists are reportedly “beyond frustrated.”

OPINION

No Labels doesn’t have to disclose who its sugar daddies are. However, in 2018, The Daily Beast obtained a leaked donor list including billionaires in the private equity, hedge fund, real estate, and oil and gas industries. Republican megadonors are courted.

The group’s CEO, Nancy Jacobson, was a fundraiser for both Bill and Hillary Clinton, and her husband, corporate consultant Mark Penn, was a top Clinton campaign advisor.

No Labels is co-chaired by lobbyist and former Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut (who was a Democrat and then an Independent) and Larry Hogan, the former Republican governor of Maryland. Manchin and Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine are “honorary co-chairs.”

No Labels is very vague about its stances on major policy issues. Campaign finance lawyer Brendan Fischer told The Lever that this leaves a lot of room for wheeling and dealing.

“At this point, No Labels isn’t saying what ‘values and commitments’ they are looking for from a major party candidate,” he said. “This raises the specter of No Labels officials or donors using this leverage to extract backroom concessions.”

Manchin has praised No Labels’ strategy and hasn’t ruled out running for president in 2024 on their ballot line. Meanwhile, Manchin and Sinema seemed to be allied with Republicans in their reckless debt ceiling brinkmanship.

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

BY GABRIELA GALINDO

Proposition 122, now SB23290 Natural Medicine Regulation And Legalization, became law on May 9. The law legalizes regulated therapeutic use and decriminalizes personal use of psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), ibogaine and mescaline. Along with a team of other concerned Native folks, I’ve been involved for over a year in efforts to protect the medicines of our Indigenous traditions from regulation, appropriation, co-opting, violation and exploitation by Western capitalistic systems and people. I respond here to Will Brendza’s article “The Psychedelic Succulent,” published April 27, to discuss some crucial pieces he misses about Peyote, a mescaline-containing cactus and ancestral medicine.

My lineage is of various Indigenous Mexican tribes including Wixarika, stewards of Hikuri (Peyote) since time immemorial, Spanish and West African. I am connected to Mexican, Chicano and Native American communities across the Front Range, New Mexico and Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) and I am a traditional Aztec Dancer.

The following are my views and experiences in the legislative process and are not representative of all Native and Indigenous peoples.

The history of Peyote in Indigenous traditions began in what is now Northeast Mexico and spans more than 5,500 years, preceding European colonization by at least 4,000 years. Around the 1880s, U.S. states began criminalizing Peyote and in 1967 it was federally criminalized as a Schedule 1 drug. In 1978, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act granted federal protection for Native Americans,

Inuit, Aleuts and Native Hawaiians to practice their religions, customs, ceremonies and dances.

In 1994, an amendment legally permitted the bona fide and traditional ceremonial use of Peyote by Native American Indians. Let’s be clear: the burden to reverse these racist and discriminatory policies based on white supremacy was a result of Native people’s legal battles for their inherent rights, not the goodwill of the U.S. government.

SB23- 290 continues this familiar and historical pattern of systemic racism, disregard and invalidation of Native peoples, cultures and traditions.

Native people share general values and beliefs that we do not truly own anything: not land, not water, not plants, not ecosystems. We belong to Nature and have a responsibility to care for all life on our Mother Earth. In contrast, colonial and capitalistic systems privatize, exploit and endlessly extract from ecosystems with little reciprocity, if any. Look no further than the global climate crisis and the Colorado River, named the country’s most endangered river in 2022. SB23-290 has opened the door for predatory pharmaceutical companies to “patent medical treatments or other inventions based on and/or utilizing Peyote, its derivatives, and/or synthetic variants” as addressed in a joint organizational statement released April 26 by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Native American Church of North America (NACNA) and Native American Church of Oklahoma (NACO). This is not a hypothetical situation; it is currently underway.

The Native American Coalition Against Natural Medicine Health Act based in Denver released a statement on April 27 that they “stand in solidarity with the NCAI, NACNA and NACO … to protect Peyote from legislation that further endangers and erodes our constitutionally protected

The mass co-opting of Native medicines and traditions

OPINION

rights” and that “Passing legislation without tribal consultation ignores the legal standing of federally recognized tribes, which is a matter of constitutional treaty law.” Additionally, our joint efforts in our testimony at the Capitol to remove mescaline from the bill was met with, “Voters voted for it” and that it would be unconstitutional to ignore that. Senate President Steve Fenberg, the main sponsor of the bill, has been the most supportive in the legislative process, amending a Federally Recognized American Tribes and Indigenous Community Working Group to advise on the misappropriation of Native medicines, communities, cultures and religions. Legislators nearly failed to pass the amendment, highlighting problematic issues and the lack of awareness on the crucial importance of having Native people guide a massive piece of legislation that profoundly impacts us. This is especially concerning considering that SB23-290 creates a new branch within the Western healthcare system almost exclusively based on the co-opting of Native

medicines and religious traditions. Thus, over half of voters in a state of mostly non-Native people (Natives are only 2% of Colorado’s population due to forced displacement) with minimal or no ancestral connections to these medicines or cultures voted for open and regulated access to medicines central to many Native tribes without consent or consultation. SB23-290 is unfortunately another prime example of systemic racism, Western extractivism and exploitation upon Native communities. Sadly, the law’s lobbyists reflect pride in their bill and hope it will inform the legislation of other states that may soon follow Colorado’s lead.

Gabriela Galindo is the assistant program coordinator for CU Boulder’s Foundations for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability program, as well as a 2023 Colorado Water Fellow through the National Young Farmers Coalition.

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

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‘A DELICATE TIME’

As pandemic-era programs dry up, Boulder County food banks struggle to meet increasing demands

BY WILL MATUSKA

Carolyn Drews has volunteered at the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) food bank for two years. The shelves have always been full. Recently, that’s changed.

During a shift in March, Drews noticed something unusual — there wasn’t any tuna, which is usually always available. She also noticed less personal care supplies like shampoo and toilet paper.

“During the pandemic it seemed like there was plenty of food and personal care items,” she says. “So very suddenly things have changed.”

Variability is built into food banks, especially ones like EFAA that rely mostly on donations. But these days, Walter O’Toole, food bank manager at EFAA, calls it “extreme.”

“Day by day it’s a struggle to get enough food to distribute,” he says.

The food bank has seen an increase in visitors over the last few years. In March 2021, it was serving 219 people a week. By March 2023, that number jumped to 636.

“That’s super concerning,” says O’Toole, who expects those numbers to increase. “From the manager standpoint, it’s like how much of this need

can I meet? I want to meet it all, but I know I’m not even doing that right now.”

EFAA isn’t alone — food banks and pantries across the county are seeing a spike in visitors.

Harvest of Hope Pantry has programs for clients both with and without kitchens. The organization’s with-kitchens program saw more than twice as many new clients in March and April as it did in January and February.

Community Food Share (CFS) enrolled 180 new families in its programming in March, which is above its monthly average of 139 since last July. March also marked the highest total visits at CFS since the earliest recorded data in July 2019.

“[The numbers are] concerning, and especially because we don’t expect it to slow down,” says Trevor Bosetti, senior marketing manager at CFS.

Food bank employees offered a number of factors for the rise in demand, like the cost of housing, childcare and inflation. In addition, pandemic-era programs have ended, or will soon come to an end, leaving a gap in support. But it seems the end of maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were key in triggering the latest surge in need.

With less social support programs available and more people relying on food banks, staff wonder how they will keep up with demand.

HITTING A PINCH

At the end of February, the federal government decreased the pandemicspawned maximum allotment of SNAP benefits. For an average family, those changes meant about $90 less a month per person enrolled in the program. A larger family could experience $360 less per month in food assistance.

In Boulder County, there are 20,000 people receiving food assistance from SNAP. Since maximum SNAP allot-

ments changed, there’s $53 million less going to Colorado residents statewide each month.

Simultaneously, prices and cost of living remain high. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found the Consumer Price Index for food was at 8.5% in March 2023 after being as high as 13.5% in mid 2022 — meaning higher prices for staples like bananas, bread, chicken and eggs.

But it’s not just people eligible for SNAP benefits who are struggling to make ends meet. Colorado Center on Law and Policy’s (CCLP) latest Overlooked and Undercounted 2022 report found nearly 25% of working families in Colorado did not earn

EFAA’s food bank served 636 people a week in March 2023, compared to 219 in 2021. Credits: Chris Nichols

enough income in 2019 to cover basic needs including food, housing and transportation. The report found most of these households are above income thresholds that would qualify for public assistance programs like SNAP.

CCLP also found Boulder County had the state’s highest self-sufficiency standard — income required to cover basic needs without support — at $41,058 a year for one adult, and $107,462 for two adults and two kids.

Food banks serve people in many different circumstances. When Ellen Ross, communications manager at EFAA, volunteered at the food bank, she met a chef at a local restaurant who had shoulder surgery, but didn’t have paid leave. He needed to supplement food costs until he could be fully functional and back to work.

“For so many, sometimes it’s just an episode that has occurred in their life, and they just need the help for this little stamp of time,” she says.

Charlie Brennan, deputy director of research at CCLP, says families often cut their food budgets because it isn’t a fixed cost like rent, a mortgage or health insurance.

“[Families] are having to increasingly look to other areas of their budget to cut back on — food being one that might be easier, not only because it’s under their control, but also because there are food banks out there to help supplement those costs,” he says.

But food banks are scrambling to keep up with the increase of clients.

The EFAA food bank has already seen nearly 5,000 unique individuals this fiscal year after serving about 3,500 in 2022 and just under 3,000 in 2021. With three months left to go this fiscal year, that’s already a 32% increase.

This demand culminates in people walking away with nearly 10 pounds less of food each trip compared to 2020, even as management moves money from personal care items to food, and seeks more grants for food purchasing.

At CFS, Bosetti is concerned about what he calls the “hunger cliff” — when demand increases so quickly that distribution can’t keep up. Like EFAA, he says CFS is already seeing this as families are visiting more often but walking away with less food each visit.

And it’s almost summer, a time when

food banks typically see more visitors as families can’t rely on school meal programs for kids. Without additional support, there’s concern the chasm will grow wider.

“It’s a delicate time period at the moment,” says Bosetti.

Jen O’Neal, community food systems senior manager at Hunger Free Colorado, says food banks and pantries are “really hitting a pinch while the need for their services is the same if not higher” as COVID-19 emergency funds like maximum SNAP benefits, the childcare tax credit, and the CARES Act dry up.

O’Toole says when those supports ended, food banks and pantries were left to fill the gaps.

“Having those assistance programs slowly rolled back, and then seeing the needle move in the wrong direction, can be pretty frustrating because we are not able to provide that kind of support at that scale,” he says.

O’Neal says the problem isn’t unique to Colorado.

“I can say nationally, this is a really, really challenging time.”

MOVEMENT AT THE STATE

The Food Pantry Assistance Grant (FPAG) is one state-funded grant built to help fund food pantries in Colorado since 2018. Last year, $3 million was distributed through the grant compared to around $5 million the previous two years.

For the EFAA food bank, that meant a $75,000 difference in FPAG grant dollars between 2021 and 2022.

In response to the rising dependency on food programs, the state is expediting the process to distribute $4 million

to food pantries through FPAG, which is part of $14 million in supplemental funding for food banks and food pantries this year.

FPAG isn’t written into the state budget, but Hunger Free Colorado is advocating to pass Senate Bill 23-27, which would allocate $3 million a year through 2027. This year’s grantees will be announced at the end of May.

“We’ve seen the government stepping up in ways that haven’t taken effect yet,” says Bosetti, with CFS, “but there is some hope that there will be some supplemental help there.”

Harvest of Hope Pantry started Tuesday evening hours at the beginning of April to reach more people, which Liam McClure, client programs manager at Harvest of Hope, calls a successful expansion so far. He says the pantry is not concerned about running out of food, but “may be slim on certain items at times.”

Community Food Share is applying for more grants at the state level, including FPAG, and has extended its Thursday hours to serve more people. Since that change, Bosetti’s seen more people attend in their scrubs or other work uniforms.

But without additional support, there’s only so much these community resources can do. While securing more grants increases food-buying capabilities, those grants require additional administrative work.

“When [policy solutions] roll through, that makes a difference and the outlook improves,” says O’Toole. “When policy solutions are not enacted, I have no reason to expect the situation will get any better.”

In response to increasing visitors, Harvest of Hope Pantry started Tuesday evening hours to reach more people. Credit: Noah Katz

COMFORTABLE SANDAL HEADQUARTERS

Birkenstock, Chaco, Teva, Dansko, Naot, Ecco, Keen, and more!

Go Out Local and Green

In The Natural Funeral’s Green Section of the beautiful Lyons Cemetery. Green burial means:

• No Vaults (grave coverings, usually cement or plastic)

• Only biodegradable caskets or shrouds

• Ritual of hand-lowering

• Natural care of the body

The results were so high NREL flew in the EPA, Dept of Energy and Dept of Weatherization to teach them our methods.

We know how to compress fiberglass in walls and reblow with cellulose to stop the wind penetration, heat and cold transference so you get the same affect as foam without the toxicity or flammability.

303-469-0808

NOW YOU KNOW This week’s news in Boulder County and beyond

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

NEW PICKLEBALL FACILITY OPENING IN BOULDER

When Scott Fleigelman started Boulder Pickleball nearly four years ago, he wasn’t exactly sure what it would turn into.

The pro-pickleball player did everything he could in the sport without a dedicated space, like teaching lessons on private courts and starting a pickleball-focused podcast. After two years of searching, Fleigelman is now opening a new facility on May 15.

“Boulder has a community of players that has really exploded in the last couple of years,” he says. “And the current facilities, whether public or private, are just not adequate for the demands for court access.”

The new 19,000-square-foot facility, which will be located at 3550 Frontier Ave., will have five courts and a variety of classes, workshops, clinics and leagues.

Fleigelman wants the space to be for everyone — from beginners to pros. His podcast, 4.0 to Pro, is also gaining popularity as he gives tips on specific shots or strategies in 20-minute episodes.

“It’s turned out to be really popular and fills the void in the pickleball [podcast] space,” he says.

Courts are available to rent for $11

an hour per person. There’s also a membership option for people who play a couple times a week. The company will host a kick-off event on June 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. — more details coming soon on Boulder Pickleball’s website, boulderpickleball.net.

— Will Matuska

USING AI FOR CLIMATESMART AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

Researchers at Colorado State University are helping develop artificial intelligence to track carbon in farms and forests.

Earlier this month, the AI Institute for Climate-Land Interactions, Mitigation, Adaptation, Tradeoffs and Economy (AI-Climate) was established to “leverage AI to create more climate-smart practices that will absorb and store carbon while simultaneously boosting the economy in the agriculture and forestry industries.”

Because most carbon on land is found in soils and forest biomass, Francesca Cotrufo, soil crop sciences professor at CSU and senior researcher at the National Renewable Energy Lab, says “when we look at how we can contribute to climate change mitigation by drawing down CO2 from the

atmosphere, then soils are by far the best natural solution.”

AI-Climate is part of a cohort of new AI-focused institutes under the National Artificial Intelligence Research Institute. The eight-person CSU team will develop AI-based analysis methods to monitor carbon stock exchanges and improve measurement of soil organic matter.

“[Farmers] can’t manually survey thousands of acres of land every year,” said Shahi Shekhar, director of the institute and a professor at the University of Minnesota, in a press release. “We’re developing easy-to-use tools where we can show all of these measurements and images of the soil to an AI neural network and let it figure it out for us, saving farmers and foresters time, energy and money.”

The institute brings together scientists and engineers from Minnesota, Colorado State, Cornell, Delaware State, Purdue and North Carolina universities.

— Will Matuska

BOULDER LOOKING FOR FUNDS TO REPAIR REC CENTERS

How to fund restoration for each of Boulder’s three recreation centers will be a topic of conversation at the May 25 City Council meeting.

Both the South and North Boulder rec centers (SBRC and NBRC) are about 50 years old. The East Boulder Community Center is 30 years old.

According to Alison Rhodes, director of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department, all three facilities are nearing an “inflection point,” describing the SBRC building as “past its useful life.”

“The way facilities are built in the United States, they’re built [to last] anywhere from 30 to 50 year[s],” Rhodes says. “And so we know once they reach that age, you’re reaching a point where maintenance is going to exceed the value of the facility based on asset management standards.”

But Rhodes doesn’t want you to “freak out”: There are no plans to close the SBRC.

“We’re at the point where we’re asking questions,” she says. “What funding is available?”

Rhodes says the city currently doesn’t have the money to repair all three rec centers, and will need to explore options such as bonds, selling property or entering into public-private partnerships.

Residents can visit the city’s “Future of Recreation Centers” website to learn more, sign up for email updates, and fill out a questionnaire, which is open through June 2.

“Zero decisions have been made,” Rhodes says. “There will certainly be a lot of community involvement.”

— Caitlin Rockett

CUPD SEEKS NATIONAL ACCREDITATION

The public is invited to comment as the CU Boulder Police Department seeks national accreditation through the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrations (IACLEA).

Accreditation is intended to improve law enforcement agencies by creating standards and best practices. The accreditation process is voluntary and if CUPD complies with all 215 IACLEA standards, it will be Boulder County’s first nationally accredited police department. Standards range from crime prevention and community involvement, to incident management, operations and more.

Newly added standards include duty to interview policies, which require officers to prevent colleagues from engaging in misconduct of any kind, and the use of a personnel early intervention system, which tracks an officer’s actions to identify and prevent potentially damaging behavior.

Jennifer Barry, CUPD accreditation manager, was unavailable for comment by time of publication.

A team of IACLEA assessors will review written materials, interview individuals and inspect facilities. CUPD will be required to submit annual reports and undergo regular reviews to ensure standard compliance.

Comments should address CUPD’s ability to comply with IACLEA standards, and can be made by calling 303-492-2971 on May 22 between 5 and 7 p.m., and via email to jmurphy@iaclea.org by May 25.

— Caitlin Rockett

‘WORTH THE WAIT’

BY KELLY DEAN HANSEN

Of the many local performing arts heartaches stemming from the pandemic lockdown, few in the classical world stung quite like the cancellation of Gustav Mahler’s Second Symphony. Now, three years after the plug was pulled on the performance planned for the spring of 2020, Colorado MahlerFest Director Kenneth Woods is ready to finally bring it to the stage during this year’s celebration of the influential Austro-Bohemian composer.

Known as the “Resurrection” Symphony, the work uses one of Mahler’s largest orchestras and concludes with a tremendous choral finale. But when the long-running Boulder festival returned in August 2021, it was more prudent to program the purely orchestral Fifth Symphony. “Now we’re here at last, and it’s going to be worth the wait,” Woods says.

Now returning for its 36th season, MahlerFest XXXVI runs May 17 through 21 at Macky Auditorium and Mountain View United Methodist Church. This year’s offerings have been expanded to five unique concerts, three with orchestra, culminating with the performance of the Second Symphony on the closing Sunday afternoon at Macky Auditorium.

The MahlerFest orchestra will be joined by the full Boulder Chorale, a collaboration Woods describes as “healthy for the community.” MahlerFest Executive Director Ethan Hecht once worked for both organizations. Woods credits him with the collaboration and describes chorale director Vicki Burrichter as “a wonderful colleague,” referring to his work with the group’s women vocalists in last season’s Third Symphony.

Woods will preface the Second with another resurrection-themed work, “Phoenix Rising” by Scottish composer Thea Musgrave — the first woman composer to be featured on a MahlerFest program — which he experienced for the first time two decades ago. “I loved her use of color, her sense of structure,” Woods says. “And I’ve wanted to do it since then.”

For the festival’s other Macky offering on May 20, Woods re-creates a program of Mahler’s orchestral songs conducted by the composer in 1905. “Part of my interest in Mahler is studying his work as a conductor,” he says, noting that few conductors at the time would

The orchestral accompaniment is full but intimate, Woods says. “The Second Symphony and the Kindertotenlieder are opposite extremes of Mahler’s aesthetic.”

REUNITED (AND IT FEELS SO GOOD)

The four vocal soloists on the song program will be familiar to returning MahlerFest audience members. Mezzosoprano Stacey Rishoi and tenor Brennen Guillory sang in Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” in 2018, while soprano April Fredrick and bass Gustav Andreassen took the lead roles in Bartók’s “Duke Bluebeard’s Castle” last year. Rishoi also sang the solo part in last season’s Third Symphony.

This year, Fredrick and Rishoi take the two solo roles in the Second. “It’s lovely to cultivate a sense of old friends coming together,” Woods says.

a small, Haydn-size orchestra with a “concertante” group of soloists. “Gál had a wonderful expression and originality of thought,” Woods says, noting that his style resembles Mahler’s in the songs. (A further connection is that Thea Musgrave, featured in the main concert, studied with Gál.)

In contrast to the large-scale grandeur found elsewhere in this year’s program, festivalgoers can expect more intimate offerings from two chamber performances on May 18 and 19 at Mountain View Church.

Performers include MahlerFest musicians like concertmaster Zachary DePue and cellist Parry Karp, and local faces such as CU pianist Jennifer Hayghe and clarinetist Daniel Silver.

have been able to do a full evening of their own vocal pieces.

The program includes the Kindertotenlieder and Rückert Lieder cycles to texts by poet Friedrich Rückert, along with seven of Mahler’s settings from the folk collection Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Woods calls it “alien to the typical way we program concerts today.” Under the festival’s previous model of repeating the main concert, he says it would not have been possible.

Andreassen and Rishoi are married, but have not sung with each other at the festival. That changes on the third orchestral program May 17 at Boulder’s Mountain View United Methodist Church. Woods conducts the first act of Richard Wagner’s “The Valkyrie” in a chamber orchestra arrangement by Francis Griffin, an act with only three singers.

Rishoi and Andreassen will sing the parts of dysfunctional married couple Hunding and Sieglinde, while Guillory joins them as Siegfried. Hearing these Wagnerian voices up close in the church will be a “visceral experience,” Woods says.

The operatic excerpt is preceded by the U.S. premiere of the Fourth Symphony by Hans Gál, a composer Woods deeply admires. Written in 1974 when Gál was 84, it is scored for

The first includes a sequence of pieces for solo instruments without piano. “This is as intimate as possible, and a great contrast to Wagnerian opera in the same space,” Woods says.

The second centers on an early work by one of Mahler’s musical heirs, Erich Wolfgang Korngold. He wrote his String Sextet in D Major in 1916 when he was 19 years old, long before the orchestral works and film scores for which he is known.

“It’s a big, ambitious, serious piece,” Woods says. “You can recognize the mature Korngold.”

ON THE BILL: Mahlerfest XXXVI. May 17-21, Macky Auditorium and Mountain View United Methodist Church, Boulder. Full schedule and pricing info at mahlerfest.org

Expanded Colorado MahlerFest culminates with large-scale Second Symphony, three years later than planned

MahlerFest XXXVI runs May 17 through 21 at Macky Auditorium and Mountain View United Methodist Church in Boulder. Photo courtesy Colorado MahlerFest.

Colorado MahlerFest Director Kenneth Woods says this year’s event will be “worth the wait.” Photo courtesy Colorado MahlerFest.

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‘THAT STILL QUIET PLACE’

The sisters of indie-pop trio Joseph turn inward

BY ANGELA K. EVANS

Sisterhood can be a superpower. Just ask Natalie and younger twin siblings Allie and Meegan, who together make up indie-pop trio Joseph. For the last decade, the sisters’ three-part harmonies and songwriting prowess have propelled the Portland, Oregon-based family band into three successful studio albums and some 280 touring days a year.

But sisterhood can make creative endeavors that much riskier. Undertaking such an intimate project with those closest to you has higher interpersonal stakes if it doesn’t work out.

“We’re not just friends,” Allie says. “There’s too much on the line for anybody to start building resentment or anything. We need to make sure everybody feels good before we’re 40 and not talking anymore.”

Joseph’s fourth LP, The Sun — released April 28 on Dave Matthews’ ATO Records — represents a recommitment to each other as siblings, bandmates and to music as an artform.

The album was the sisters’ process of “returning to self and returning to a sense of OK-ness and goodness, regardless of what you can do for the world around you,” Natalie says. Personal dynamics come into play as bandmates, and one family trait, according to Natalie, is the tendency to hold feelings too close to the chest. The desire not to overspeak has often led to outbursts of emotion once it all bubbles to the surface. And, she adds, it usually takes some outside force to catalyze the deeper conversation that leads to more understanding, depth and growth.

Such was the case on tour a few years ago, when an argument led to a minor car accident that became a major moment for the band. After months of reflection on their relationship to each other and the music, the sisters eventually had a heart-to-heart in which they gave each other permission to back out of the project.

It was “literally the hardest thing we could say in the context of this

endeavor,” Natalie says. But admitting out loud that perhaps they didn’t want to keep touring and writing songs together diffused the power of the idea and allowed a freedom to be honest with each other.

“In that particular moment, I think we just needed to be given the choice again,” Allie says. “I think had we not done that, the possibility of things imploding were definitely a lot higher.”

It was then that each sister individually recommitted to each other and to Joseph. The decision itself didn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but the conversation did. It was a change in old communication patterns, where permission to share openly and authentically hadn’t always been the norm.

“We can look at each other more honestly now,” Natalie says. “We’re so much closer for having told the truth in that moment and then deciding to keep going as a result of it.”

Individual therapy helped all arrive at this juncture, and also heavily influenced the latest album. The sisters were working through a series of events and life circumstances while touring that could have separated any band. Allie was experiencing intense anxiety; Natalie got divorced; and Meegan left a toxic relationship.

“Each of us has our own scary dungeons we moved through,” Natalie says.

‘LOVE IS FLOWING’

Production on their latest album was the first test for the sisters — a chance to see how they had internalized the lessons learned in therapy and an opportunity to move through challenges differently.

Meegan wrote the titular track “The Sun” about leaving her previous relationship and the band workshopped it on the road all last year. On stage, it was a somber, yet powerful rendition. But in production, producer Christian “Leggy” Langdon turned it into something entirely different, using Meegan’s empowerment and triumph as the inspiration for the sound. The three sisters sat together and cried the first time they heard it.

“What she’s saying is sad in

moments, it’s heart-rending that she felt so small,” Allie says. “But for Meegan, I think it felt very triumphant and felt very much like, ‘That’s what I want to focus on — the goodness of that and the victory in that.’”

In the studio, the sisters were able to find their own ways to counter the broader cultural conditioning and gaslighting that had been weighing on them. They were able to voice their opinions with more clarity and stick to their boundaries of what they really wanted the record to be, rather than succumbing to what they thought their label or audience wanted to hear.

“In the process of trying to express ourselves and create art that is honest and real, the songs are served best by each little production decision,” Natalie says. “And some of the things that we were talking about and working through in the songs, we actually had to exemplify and move through in real time as we made it.”

In the closing track “Love is Flowing,” Joseph centers themselves in life and goodness and love, positive forces they choose to amplify. In creating The Sun, they realized they can either bend to the world’s expectations of the music or be “led by that still quiet place.” Rather than finding their sound outside themselves, the Closner sisters find it within.

ON THE BILL: Joseph with Flyte. 8 p.m. Thursday, May 11, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $35

The Closner sisters Meegan, Natalie and Allie of indie-pop trio Joseph come to the Boulder Theater on May 11. Photo by Shervin Lainez.

Joseph’s fourth LP, The Sun, is out now via ATO Records.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Happy Dagger takes a stab at its first Boulder production with ‘Every Brilliant Thing’

BY TONI TRESCA

Theater is a lot like house hunting. At least that’s what Todd Morton, founder of the new Boulder-based theater company Happy Dagger, discovered while choosing the production for the group’s debut performance.

“The advice I received from my colleague when I was looking for a house was, ‘When I see it, I’ll know,’ and that was spot-on,” Morton says. “When I drove up the driveway to my home, I felt it instantly, and when I read the script for Every Brilliant Thing, I knew right away it was a good fit.”

Performed by Jacque Wilke and showing at the R Gallery + Wine Bar through May 14, Every Brilliant Thing centers on a lonely child who compiles a list throughout her life of “every brilliant thing” she encounters. The idea is to encourage her mother, who is recovering from a suicide attempt, by reminding her of the everyday beauty in the world.

“A one-person show seemed like a good size to start with for the company,” Morton says. “And the play’s story was so inspiring, despite the darkness of its subject matter, which I found very compelling in our current time.”

Morton had always used the stage to help him make sense of the world, but when he and his wife relocated to Boulder from Boston in 2020, he found himself missing the robust theater scene of his former city. “I think there is real potential for a vibrant theater community of the same scale [in Boulder],” Morton says. “It’s this beautiful, liberal mecca at the edge of the mountains, so I just don’t quite understand why it couldn’t exist.”

So he founded Happy Dagger Inc., a 501(c)(3) company whose target audience is “people who don’t see theater,” according to Morton. “Theater aficionados have their estab-

lished theaters around here, but what about everyone else who is just around Pearl Street or tourists who may not see shows regularly?”

BY ANY OTHER NAME

Inspired by a discussion with a colleague a few years before moving to Boulder, Happy Dagger takes its name from a line in Romeo and Juliet: “Yea, noise? then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die,” which Juliet says before killing herself.

“When I was searching for a name for the organization, my wife asked, ‘Why not Happy Dagger?’ and I was unsure at first,” Morton says. “It just seemed a little violent, and we’re all a

little sensitive right now, and I just didn’t want to come off as too intense. I asked her, ‘What if we want to do children’s theater?’ And, without missing a beat, she said, ‘Then call it Happy Butterknife for that program.’”

Though the group had a name, Happy Dagger lacked a space — a familiar story for many local performing arts organizations. A chance meeting at a Boulder Arts Council mixer led to a collaboration with Rob Lantz, owner of R Gallery + Wine Bar, who agreed to let Happy Dagger use the space for its first show.

After securing a venue, Morton held auditions to find an actor capable of portraying the demanding lead role in Every Brilliant Thing, who is onstage the entire time and improvises with the audience. Wilke was selected by Morton after several callbacks and auditions.

Before moving into the gallery space for tech and dress rehearsals, the team spent three weeks practicing at various locations around Denver. “I had heard from a couple of other people who had done the show that

rehearsals are really hard if you don’t start to get audiences in or have people in the room for the actor to work with,” Morton says. So, he hired several people to rehearse the audience participation sections with Wilke.

“It changed everything once there were people in a room for Jackie to play with,” Morton says. “And what I love about getting to see it every night with different audiences is seeing how they respond to the story and how that influences the evening.”

In an effort to capitalize on the success of its first offering, Happy Dagger plans to stage its next production in the fall.

“We’re getting momentum from Every Brilliant Thing — and since people are digging this, we want to get in while it’s still fresh,” Morton says. “So, be on the lookout for us to announce our fall project, and come be a part of the theater community we are building in Boulder.”

ON STAGE: Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan. Various times through May 14, R Gallery + Wine Bar, 2027 Broadway, Boulder. $35

Jacque Wilke and Brian Keating in Every Brilliant Thing, the first offering from Boulder’s Happy Dagger Theater Company, running through May 14 at R Gallery + Wine Bar. Photo by Susannah Bancroft.

EVENTS

11

LONGMONT RECREATION

JOB FAIR

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 11, Recreation Center, 310 Quail Road, Longmont. Free

Want to work as a climbing wall attendant, lifeguard or even a sports instructor for the City of Longmont? Head over to the Longmont Recreation Services Job Fair for information on a variety of 2023 positions for ages 15+, including summer-only jobs.

12-14

‘A LO CUBANO’: BOULDER CUBAN CONCERT & WORKSHOP

6 p.m.-midnight. Friday, May 12, The Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. $20 11-midnight. Saturday, May 13, My Boulder Studio, 1810 30th St., Boulder. $20

The world of Cuban Salsa makes its way to Boulder County for a weekend of highenergy movement. Looking to polish your footwork, learn a new variation of dance, or just let loose on the dance floor? This is the place for you.

13

ERIE TOWN FAIR

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, May 13, Historic Downtown Erie, 235 Wells St., Erie. Free

12-13

BVSD PLANT SALE

4-6 p.m. Friday, May 12 and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 13, BVSD Greenhouse, 6600 Arapahoe Ridge Ave., Boulder. Free Basil, dahlias, heirloom tomatoes — whatever you want to grow, you’ll find it at the BVSD Plant Sale. School district staff, students and community members come together for this agricultural sale located at Arapahoe Ridge High School’s greenhouse. 100% of the proceeds support farm-to-school programming with BVSD.

13

INTRO TO FLY FISHING CLASS

8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, Angles Sports, 463 Main St., Longmont. $100

Fly fishing is one of Colorado’s favorite pastimes, but it can be tough for beginners to get started. Join Angles Sports in Longmont for an all-age, all-skill level intro class covering everything from casting to reading the river.

There’s something for everyone at Erie’s 26th Annual Town Fair, happening all-day in the city’s historic downtown. This free event boasts more than 200 vendor booths, a classic car show and local live music. 13

PALESTINIAN CULTURAL DAY

11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 13, Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway, Boulder. $10

Celebrate the rich culture of Palestine at the Museum of Boulder. The day’s festivities will include food from Jerusalem Cafe, plus traditional Arab music performances, guest speakers, Henna art, an Arabic writing station and a whole lot more.

13

LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER

6 p.m. Saturday, May 13, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. $25

Listen To Your Mother gives local writers a stage, a microphone and a chance to share their compositions about “having a mother, being a mother, [or] not having/ being a mother.” The result is a night packed with funny, profound reflections on motherhood.

14

DRAG BINGO

5-7 p.m. Sunday, May 14, Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

This ain’t your Grandma’s Legion Hall bingo — Miss Jessica and Left Hand Brewing are teaming up for an adultsonly version of the classic table game.

“Embrace a little more of your wild side” and “leave your kiddos at home” because craft beer and high-level fierceness are on the docket this Sunday night.

17

CHAMPIONS OF CHOICE

5-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, BMoCA, 1750 13th St,. Boulder. $250

Want to support reproductive freedom and have a good time doing it? Join Lizz Winstead — comedian, Daily Show co-creator and founder of Abortion Access Front — in conversation with Rewire News Group executive editor and Boom! Lawyered podcast co-host Jessica Pieklo during this fundraiser for Boulder Valley Health Center at BMoCA.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Dan Fraenkel, Deceased Case No.: 2023PR030229

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Boulder County, Colorado on or before September 11, 2023, or said claims may be forever barred.

Rachel Fraenkel, Personal Representative c/o Howard O. Bernstein, P.C. at 1111 Pearl Street, Suite 203 Boulder, Colorado 80302

13

2ND

ANNUAL SUMMER EXTRAVAGANZA (VIN ORDINAIRE)

5-8 p.m. Saturday, May 13, K & D Landscaping, 15150 Highway 72, Arvada. $35

Thirty-five bucks gets you wine, charcuterie and live music at this event hosted by Brave Young Hearts, an organization whose mission is “to provide outdoor adventures to children with terminal or life-threatening diseases.”

16

SELF-CARE THROUGH MOVEMENT

6-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, Matrix Wellness, 737 29th St., Suite 300, Boulder. $20

Steven Goldin, a trauma-informed movement and manual therapist, has the tools to help you provide “physical self-care and nervous system regulation.” Through self-massage, movement education, coordination tasks and more, you’ll leave this workshop with a range of techniques.

17

URBAN FIELD PIZZA: FIVE-COURSE DINNER

6 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. $50

Nick Swanson, the head chef at Longmont’s Urban Field Pizza, just placed in the Top 10 at the Las Vegas Pizza Expo. Come celebrate with a ticketed five-course meal inside The Lounge at Boulder Theater. This delectable tour of Swanson’s culinary creativity includes his winning pie, Lucky #7.

ON STAGE

Local playwright

Katherine Dubois has long regarded the Bard’s early comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost as the ideal candidate for a sequel. Now she’s sharing her Shakespearean send-up with the world in Love’s Labor’s Won, a new production from The Upstart Crow Theater Company running through May 21 at the Dairy Arts Center. Scan the QR code to read last week’s Boulder Weekly feature about the production. See listing for details.

ON VIEW

Pain and perseverance go hand in hand at Art for Hope, an exhibition and silent auction fundraiser designed to end the stigma and raise awareness about substance use disorders. The ongoing gallery show featuring works by William Stoehr runs in the former Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery space downtown through May 24. See listing for details (Artwork by William Stoehr)

ON THE PAGE

EVERY BRILLIANT THING. R Gallery + Wine

Bar, 2027 Broadway, Boulder. Through May 14.

$20 STORY ON P. 17

LOVE’S LABOR’S WON Dairy Arts Center, Carsen Theater, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Through May 21. $25.

BW PICK OF THE WEEK

A GREAT WILDERNESS

Benchmark Theatre, 1560 Teller St., Lakewood. Through May 13. $30

HER BRUSH:

JAPANESE WOMEN ARTISTS FROM THE FONG-JOHNSTONE COLLECTION.

Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. Through May 13. $15

MADELIFE PRESENTS: ART FOR HOPE

1421 Pearl St., Boulder. Through May 24. Free.

BW PICK OF THE WEEK

After a long and winding road, author Bex Mui found herself rediscovering her spiritual roots in a new light. House of Our Queer: Healing, Reframing, and Reclaiming Your Spiritual Practice takes readers along for that journey, and on Sunday, Mui’s road leads her to Tattered Cover in Westminster, where she’ll read from her new work. See listing for details

FRIENDS OF THE LONGMONT LIBRARY BOOK SALE. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Thursday, May 11 and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, May 12, Longmont Library, 409 Fourth Ave. $5

JERRIE HURD: BEYOND THE MALE GAZE BMoCA at Macky, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. Through May 26. $2

LASTING IMPRESSIONS

CU Art Museum, 1085 18th St., Boulder. Through June 2023. Free

AUGMENTED ORGANICS: ELEANOR SABIN, CHERYL COON AND ALEXANDRA

CHRISTEN-MUNOZ

Firehouse Art Center, 667 Fourth Ave., Longmont. Through June 4. Free.

SATURDAY STORYTIME WITH STORYTIME STAR HEATHER BROCKMAN LEE 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, May 13, The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop, 198 2nd Avenue, STE 1A, Niwot. Free

HOUSE OF OUR QUEER: HEALING, REFRAMING AND RECLAIMING YOUR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE BY BEX MUI

6 p.m. Sunday, May 14, Tattered Cover, 8895 Westminster Blvd., Westminster. Free. BW PICK OF THE WEEK

IN THE NEXT ROOM: THE VIBRATOR PLAY Mary Miller Library Theater, 300 E. Simpson St., Lafayette. May 5-20. $25.

ROPE. Louisville Arts Center, 801 Grant St., May 5-20. $28

THE SOUND OF MUSIC BDT Stage, 5501 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder. Through Aug. 19. $75

EXPLORATIONS OF RESILIENCE AND RESISTANCE / OUR BACKS HOLD OUR STORIES. 4550 Broadway, Suite C-3B2, Boulder. Through June 28. Free (by appointment only)

ONWARD AND UPWARD: SHARK’S INK CU Art Museum, 1085 18th St., Boulder. Through July 2023. Free

DOGS ENJOY AFTERNOON READING (D.E.A.R.) 2-3 p.m. Sunday, May 14, Longmont Library, 409 Fourth Ave. Free

HOW BIRDS SLEEP BY SARAH PEDRY & DAVID OBUCHOWSKI 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder. Free (registration required)

MYTHBUSTING THE GREAT OUTDOORS: WHAT’S TRUE AND WHAT’S NOT? BY JAMIE SIEBRASE 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder. $5

THURSDAY, MAY 11

BATTHERHEAD WITH HOWLIN’ GOATZ, SAMMY BRUE AND SEMPAR 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15

KARYN ANN & HALEY LYNN 5 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

BOULDER OLD-TIME JAM. 6 p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

JOSEPH WITH FLYTE. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. $30. STORY ON P. 15

FRIDAY, MAY 12

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. $35

BANSHEE TREE AND MR. MOTA WITH HIGH STEP SOCIETY 8:30 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15

AU5 WITH IAN SNOW, KRUSHENDO, GRAYMATTR, LONSOUL, REPETILIAN AND AIR RAIN. 9 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $15

ASHLEI PRIEST. 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

CROWDED HOUSE 8 p.m. Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver. $75

DJ DIGISTRUCT 5 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

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

DREAMER ISIOMA 7 p.m. Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver.

$20

ON THE BILL

JOHN SUMMIT WITH GREEN VELVET, SOSA AND LUCATI 5 p.m. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $90

MONDAY, MAY 15

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

THE BACKSEAT LOVERS WITH SUPPORT FROM FREE RANGE 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $40

TUESDAY, MAY 16

TIM HECKER. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $25

BRENT COBB WITH SHOVELIN STONE. 8 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $25

MR. BUNGLE WITH MELVINS. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $50

SATURDAY, MAY 13

START MAKING SENSE: TALKING HEADS TRIBUTE 9 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $18

WILD CHILD WITH PROXIMA PARADA AND FRAIL TALK. 8 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $25

LAURIE D. 5 p.m. Firehouse Art Center, 667 Fourth Ave., Longmont. Free

MARC BROUSSARD WITH JOHNNY & THE MONGRELS 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $29

GARY CLARK JR. WITH ALLEN STONE 7:30 p.m. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $65

SUNDAY, MAY 14

JERRY LANCE. 4 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

MORSE. 7 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 14th St., Boulder. Free

SUNDAY SWING WITH THE FLATIRONS JAZZ ORCHESTRA. 4 p.m. Buffalo Rose, 1119 Washington Ave., Golden. $20

CAROLINE POLACHEK WITH ALEX G AND INDIGO DE SOUZA 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $40.

BW PICK OF THE WEEK

THE WAILERS WITH SELASEE AND THE FAFA FAMILY 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $25

POND WITH CRYOGEYSER 8:30 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $30

HOODOO GURUS 8 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $36

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

KUTANDARA. 6 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. $30

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

Art-pop royalty and CU Boulder alum Caroline Polachek returns to the Front Range on Sunday in support of her latest full-length masterpiece, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You. Featuring heavy-hitter opening acts Alex G and Indigo De Souza, Sunday’s performance at Mission Ballroom is sure to be one for the books. See listing for details

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

Even before Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he had a hard time sitting still. It was part of his go-getter attitude that made him a superstar while he was still in his 20s — to say nothing of how effectively it translated to the screen in all his memorable characters. It was like he radiated a particular brand of disarming charm.

When Fox told his high school teacher back in Canada he was leaving to go act in Los Angeles, his teacher told him he was making a mistake: “You won’t be cute forever.” Joke’s on that guy. Today Fox is 61

years old, still cute, still funny and still in front of a camera.

His latest, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie from documentarian Davis Guggenheim, opens May 12 in select theaters and on Apple TV+. At once a career retrospective and a portrait of Fox’s daily struggles with Parkinson’s disease — he was diagnosed in 1991 — Still manages to not feel like exploitation by employing Fox as a collaborator rather than a subject. It’s the story of a plucky kid who rises, falls a little and then gets back up to face another day. And if that sounds like a typical

Michael J. Fox movie to you, well, you’re not far off.

Frankness has always been one of Fox’s greatest assets as a performer — playing exacerbated is another — and he brings that quality into Still. In one section, Fox explains that his Parkinson’s first manifested as uncontrollable tremors in his left hand; and to cover it up for the camera, he would constantly give his hands something to do. If you watched Spin City back in the mid1990s, Fox’s twitchy performance as deputy mayor Mike Flaherty felt electric, as if he had so many problems to handle he couldn’t possibly sit still. That was before Fox went public with his diagnosis in 1998. Not long after, Fox returned to TV as a visiting doctor on Scrubs suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. By then, most people watching knew what was happening behind the scenes, giving the performance an extra edge. Not that any of Fox’s performances have ever needed an edge.

Which makes Still’s construction feel somewhat counterintuitive.

Guggenheim and editor Michael Harte deftly edit together various Fox performances from Family Ties, the Back to the Future trilogy, Doc Hollywood and so on, as if they are all B-roll footage accompanying Fox’s memories. (The shot of Fox groggily waking up in his mother’s bed in Back to the Future is used to illustrate the long hours Fox worked making movies while shooting weekly TV episodes.) But not even Fox’s catalog has enough footage to fill in all the gaps, so Guggenheim cooks up new footage, cleverly shot so as not to linger on faces or specifics, in an attempt to blend in with the preexisting footage. It almost works. But it also feels like a cheat.

What isn’t a cheat is Fox: his life, his love, his demons and his diagnosis. As he talks to Guggenheim’s camera, treating it like a friend he enjoys catching up with, Fox creates a welcoming space to tackle difficult material while having a good laugh.

ON SCREEN: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie will screen at the Denver Film Center and stream on Apple TV+ starting May 12.

‘Still’ is an intimate look at a career and a disease

Michael J. Fox in Still, coming to Denver Film Center and Apple TV+ on May 12.

Photo courtesy Apply TV+.

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): All of us are always telling ourselves stories—in essence, making movies in our minds. We are the producer, the director, the special effects team, the voice-over narrator, and all the actors in these inner dramas. Are their themes repetitious and negative or creative and life-affirming? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to work on emphasizing the latter. If the tales unfolding in your imagination are veering off in a direction that provokes anxiety, reassert your directorial authority. Firmly and playfully reroute them so they uplift and enchant you.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): A famous football coach once said his main method was to manipulate, coax, and even bully his players into doing things they didn’t like to do. Why? So they could build their toughness and willpower, making it more likely they would accomplish formidable feats. While this may be an approach that works for some tasks, it’s not right for many others. Here’s a further nuance: The grind-it-out-doingunpleasant-things may be apt for certain phases of a journey to success, but not for other phases. Here’s the good news, Taurus: For now, you have mostly completed doing what you don’t love to do. In the coming weeks, your freedom to focus on doing fun things will expand dramatically.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Most of us have an area of our lives where futility is a primary emotion. This may be a once-exciting dream that never got much traction. It could be a skill we possess that we’ve never found a satisfying way to express. The epicenter of our futility could be a relationship that has never lived up to its promise or a potential we haven’t been able to ripen. Wherever this sense of fruitlessness resides in your own life, Gemini, I have an interesting prediction: During the next 12 months, you will either finally garner some meaningful fulfillment through it or else find a way to outgrow it.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Many of us Cancerians have high levels of perseverance. Our resoluteness and doggedness may be uncanny. But we often practice these subtle superpowers with such sensitive grace that they’re virtually invisible to casual observers. We appear modest and gentle, not fierce and driven. For instance, this is the first time I have bragged about the fact that I have composed over 2,000 consecutive horoscope columns without ever missing a deadline. Anyway, my fellow Crabs, I have a really good feeling about how much grit and determination you will be able to marshal in the coming months. You may break your own personal records for tenacity.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Why do migrating geese fly in a V formation? For one thing, it conserves their energy. Every bird except the leader enjoys a reduction in wind resistance. As the flight progresses, the geese take turns being the guide in front. Soaring along in this shape also seems to aid the birds’ communication and coordination. I suggest you consider making this scenario your inspiration, dear Leo. You are entering a phase when synergetic cooperation with others is even more important than usual. If you feel called to lead, be ready and willing to exert yourself — and be open to letting your associates serve as leaders. For extra credit: Do a web search for an image of migrating geese and keep it in a prominent place for the next four weeks.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): I boldly predict that you will soon locate a missing magic key. Hooray! It hasn’t been easy. There has been luck involved, but your Virgo-style diligence and ingenuity has been crucial. I also predict that you will locate the door that the magic key will unlock. Now here’s my challenge: Please fulfill my two predictions no later than the solstice. To aid your search, meditate on this question: “What is the most important breakthrough for me to accomplish in the next six weeks?”

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Losing something we value may make us sad. It can cause us to doubt ourselves and wonder if we have fallen out of favor with the Fates or are somehow being punished by God. I’ve experienced deflations and demoralizations like that on far more occasions than I want to remember. And yet, I have noticed that when these apparent misfortunes have happened, they have often opened up space for new possibilities that would not otherwise have come my way. They have emptied out a corner of my imagination that becomes receptive to a fresh dispensation. I predict such a development for you, Libra.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Kissing is always a worthy way to spend your leisure time, but I foresee an even finer opportunity in the coming weeks: magnificent kissing sprees that spur you to explore previously unplumbed depths of wild tenderness. On a related theme, it’s always a wise self-blessing to experiment with rich new shades and tones of intimacy. But you are now eligible for an unusually profound excursion into these mysteries. Are you bold and free enough to glide further into the frontiers of fascinating togetherness?

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) worked at a variety of jobs. He sold cloth. He was a land surveyor and bookkeeper. He managed the household affairs of his city’s sheriffs, and he supervised the city’s wine imports and taxation. Oh, by the way, he also had a hobby on the side: lensmaking. This ultimately led to a spectacular outcome. Leeuwenhoek created the world’s first high-powered microscope and was instrumental in transforming microbiology into a scientific discipline. In accordance with astrological omens, I propose we make him your inspirational role model in the coming months, Sagittarius. What hobby or pastime or amusement could you turn into a central passion?

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): I wonder if you weren’t listened to attentively when you were a kid. And is it possible you weren’t hugged enough or consistently treated with the tender kindness you deserved and needed? I’m worried there weren’t enough adults who recognized your potential strengths and helped nurture them. But if you did indeed endure any of this mistreatment, dear Capricorn, I have good news. During the next 12 months, you will have unprecedented opportunities to overcome at least some of the neglect you experienced while young. Here’s the motto you can aspire to: “It’s never too late to have a fruitful childhood and creative adolescence.”

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): As I’ve explored the mysteries of healing my traumas and disturbances over the past 20 years, I’ve concluded that the single most effective healer I can work with is my own body. Expert health practitioners are crucial, too, but their work requires my body’s full, purposeful, collaborative engagement. The soft warm animal home I inhabit has great wisdom about what it needs and how to get what it needs and how to work with the help it receives from other healers. The key is to refine the art of listening to its counsel. It has taken me a while to learn its language, but I’m making good progress. Dear Aquarius, in the coming weeks, you can make great strides in developing such a robust relationship with your body.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Can we surmise what your life might be like as the expansive planet Jupiter rumbles through your astrological House of Connections and Communications during the coming months? I expect you will be even more articulate and persuasive than usual. Your ability to create new alliances and nurture old ones will be at a peak. By the way, the House of Communications and Connections is also the House of Education and Acumen. So I suspect you will learn a LOT during this time. It’s likely you will be brainier and more perceptive than ever before. Important advice: Call on your waxing intelligence to make you wiser as well as smarter.

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

DEAR DAN: A lot of studying is being done on pornography and what it does to our brain. My question: are there any studies being done on erotic writing? “Women’s Romance Literature” is absolutely exploding in the online self-publishing sector, and my wife is an avid consumer.

“Spice” is the euphemism they use but wow — romance lit is a hot dish. My wife consumes countless e-books and audiobooks, and there seems to be a huge community of readers like her out there. Erotic lit has been very good for our relationship; we listen to scenes together and I help bring my wife to orgasm with my hands or tongue. It’s a fun way to be intimate! And listening is definitely less intrusive when we’re “coupling” than watching other people go at it on a screen. Anyway, back to my question: There are lots of studies looking into the effect of porn movies and pornographic images on the brain. But has anyone studied the impact of erotic literature on the brain? It’s got to be the oldest form of titillating art we have. What’s it doing to us?

— Lessons In Titillation

DEAR LIT: “I haven’t come across neurological studies of erotic writing or literature,” said Dr. Kelsy Burke. “That doesn’t really surprise me since the questions scientists ask about sexuality usually reflect broader social and cultural interests — in this case, research on ‘porn’ is almost exclusively about it as a visual medium, not the written word.”

Dr. Burke is a sociologist and the author of The Pornography Wars, a terrific new book about the never-ending culture war over pornography. Suffice it to say, LIT, if Dr. Burke hasn’t run across studies into the kind of dirty stories your wife enjoys reading, those studies don’t exist. “There’s a lot more talk about pornography and the brain

Public Notice is given on May 9, 2023 that Ramble on Pearl has closed as a retail clothing boutique and its parent, Boulder Treasures, Inc. dba The Ramble Collective is dissolving as a nonprofit organization. Any former customers of Ramble on Pearl with outstanding store credit accounts are hereby notified that they must claim their credit by June 15, 2023 or forfeit their credit with Ramble.

than there are definitive empirical studies,” said Dr. Burke. “And a lot of the talk stems from groups with a political or religious interest in opposing porn. Academic studies, on the other hand, offer mixed results and no definitive conclusions about how porn impacts the brain.”

“Here’s what we do know: Our brains process visual images 60,000 times faster than text,” said Dr. Burke. “One of the better arguments, in my opinion, about the potential harm of internet porn — which is actually not exclusive to porn at all and applies to all video-streaming websites — is that the quick succession of videos and rapid processing of all of those images is what sucks us in, sometimes for longer than we would like.”

“And while we can have a huge queue of romance lit on our Kindles,” said Dr. Burke, “we aren’t likely to stay up all night binging one after the other, as we might do with, say, Netflix because our brains will tire from all that textual processing.”

“I doubt we’ll see a surge in research on what affect Roberts’ writing has on our brains, not only because banning books is purely political theater,” said Dr. Burke. And we may not see a surge in that kind of research because we ultimately don’t need it. “Neuroscientists already know that the stories in our heads are hugely important to our sexual pleasure,” said Dr. Burke. “These stories — our thoughts and feelings — can help or hinder our sexual experiences. It sounds like for you and your wife, it’s helping.”

Mom’s kitchen table

Local food pros share motherly advice about food and life

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

It all started with lasagna. I credit my career as a print and radio journalist to daily vocabulary tests, four years of Latin, and many attempted poems during six years of formal education. I’m grateful to everyone who made me possible.

However, only one individual is responsible for the fact that I’ve spent most of those decades as a food writer, food editor, dining critic, pie authority and, most importantly, a host: Mom.

She was Rose Mazzola Lehndorff. The small kitchen in our home was where you talked to Rosie. I would sit there peeling potatoes while she smoked Pall Malls and cooked.

She taught me how to make lasagna and stuffed cabbage rolls because I was interested.

Mom wasn’t a great cook, but she understood to her Sicilian core what was most important about cooking. The food mattered, but it was really all

about bringing people together and creating memories and traditions. I learned that people love you when you feed them.

We asked successful local food professionals — chefs, pastry chefs and food business owners — to talk about their mothers. The question was simple: “What is the best thing your mom taught you about food, cooking and hospitality?”

Those cooking lessons turned out to be essential life advice.

‘AN APPRECIATION FOR LEFTOVERS’

“Between running three kids to soccer or softball practice, there were not many nights where my family was at home for dinner together,” says Sheila Lucero, the culinary director of the Broomfield-based Big Red F Restaurant Group, which includes Jax Fish House (928 Pearl St., Boulder), The Post (locations in Boulder, Lafayette, Estes

Park and Denver), West End Tavern (926 Pearl St., Boulder) and other eateries.

“We relied on my mom’s preparedness through the week,” Lucero says. “She would have our meals mapped out and ready for us whenever we got home. Not only did she teach me how to plan, she also instilled in me an appreciation for leftovers. The second meal made from leftovers is oftentimes a better rendition than the original dish.”

‘OFFERINGS OF FOOD AND DRINK’

Debbie Seaford-Pitula is co-owner of private chef and micro-events company Whistling Boar (243 Terry St.) in Longmont.

“Two things my mom drilled into my brain: 1. You must build on flavors; never throw all the ingredients in at the same time. Take the time to layer the distinctive flavors. Patience is key. 2. No one that is invited into your home shall go without offerings of food and drink.”

Courtesy: Sheila Lucero

Courtesy: Rachel Jardine Demartin

‘BEST DONE WITH WHOLE FOODS AND LOVE”

“My mom was a farmer’s daughter, which [formed] the foundation of how she cooked,” says Rachel Jardine Demartin, co-owner of Boulder’s new Pasta Press (1911 11th St.) restaurant. “Each spring, I looked forward to the early peas and small red potatoes in cream sauce she made. She knew how to use the simple ingredients Mother Earth supplied us from our garden. My mom taught me that cooking is best done with whole foods and love.”

‘SHARING YOUR FOOD WITH PEOPLE’

“The most treasured lesson my mom taught me about food is the act of cooking with love and care and sharing your food with people,” says Claudia Bouvier, cofounder of Boulder’s award-winning Pastificio (2438 30th St.) pasta company. “Nothing compares to the gusto of those magical moments.”

NIBBLES

‘COOKING FOR OUR FAMILY’

Bee Rungtawan Kisich is the owner of Bee’s Thai Kitchen, a Lafayettebased food truck.

“My mom always said: ‘Cook every dish you serve like you are cooking for our family.’”

Courtesy: Claudia Bouvier

Courtesy: Bee Rungtawan Kisich

‘OPEN ANY REFRIGERATOR, MAKE A DELICIOUS DISH’

Shamane Simons is the owner and pastry chef of Boulder’s Shamane’s Bakery (2823 Wilderness Place, #800).

“My mom taught me to be self-sufficient. We would go grocery shopping for the week, picking ingredients that would cross over several meals. When I was in high school, she was in night school. She left a recipe and ingredi-

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: SAD DOT’S DINER NEWS

We bid a sad farewell to the soft-spoken, bighearted ringmaster of the morning magic at Dot’s Diner, owner Peter Underhill, who recently passed. A community leader, he was always a happy symbol of the best of ’70s Boulder.

Kim and Jake’s Cakes (641 S. Broadway) has been reborn as Sweet Sisters Bake Shop Sydney Klinkerman and Jordan Klinkerman — who worked at Kim and Jake’s — bought the

NIBBLES

ents for me to cook dinner for the family when I got home from school or sports. I still have the cute recipe book she started for me when I was 13 years old. It taught me to open any refrigerator and make a delicious dish with what is available. I use this skill daily to reduce waste in the bakery and at home. I have passed this on to my chefs and bakers.”

‘SHE PRIZED DESSERT ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE’

Lisa Balcom is the co-owner of Farow (7916 Niwot Road) and takeout-only Pie Dog Pizza (7916 Niwot Road) in Niwot.

“I think my mom has a lot to do with my interest in being a pastry chef. She always prized dessert above everything else and would take us to a variety of bakeries as

bakery and the recipes. Kim and Jake Rosenbarger are focusing on Kim and Jake’s gluten-free packaged foods.

On May 25, Chef Jorge Pedrianes will open Bison Bistro Kitchen inside Bounce Empire in Lafayette, a 50,000-square-foot bounce theme park with bars, a movie theater and a concert venue billed as “the world’s largest indoor inflatable amusement park.” On the menu: Bison ribs, elk sausage and white chocolate prickly pear cheesecake.

Coming soon: Day Day Up Tea, 535 W. South Boulder Road, Lafayette.

kids. She also loved to bake at home and I feel like it has become one of my love languages as well. Her enthusiasm for well-crafted, high-quality desserts drew me to having the same feelings toward ingredients and technique.”

WORDS TO CHEW ON: WHAT TITA KNEW

“Tita knew through her own flesh how fire transforms the elements, how a lump of corn flour is changed into a tortilla, how a soul that hasn’t been warmed by the fire of love is lifeless, like a useless ball of corn flour.”

— From “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel

John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU. Listen to podcasts: news.kgnu.org/category/ radio-nibbles

SERVING BOULDER SCRATCH-MADE DAMN GOOD TACOS, AWARD-WINNING GREEN CHILE

Courtesy: Shamane Simons

Courtesy: Lisa Balcom

LAYING DOWN THE LAW

BY WILL BRENDZA

On May 9, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law SB23-290, the Natural Medicine Regulation and Legalization bill, providing specifics on how Colorado will enable the personal and therapuetic use of five natural psychedelic substances.

By and large, the law reflects the original intentions of its progenitor, Proposition 122, which had five main components. First, the state was to decriminalize possessing, growing and gifting psilocybin, psilocin, ibogaine, DMT and mescaline by anyone 21 and older. Second, it directed the state to allow for the supervised use of psilocybin and psilocin at licensed facilities by late 2024, then of the other three natural psychedelics by 2026. It also stipulated that local governments would be prohibited from banning licensed facilities, services or use of those substances. And finally, the proposition called for the state to establish penalties for anyone under 21 using, possessing or transporting these substances.

But there are a few notable differences lawmakers added or tweaked during their legislative sessions, and SB23-290 is full of details concerning

personal cultivation, business licensing and taxation, local authority to regulate these substances and more.

Concerning personal cultivation, the law states that it must be done in a private residence in a space smaller than 12 by 12 feet (or outside on private property in a locked and enclosed area). There is no quantified limit on personal possession of any of the five psychedelics. However, cultivating beyond the limits is punishable by a $1,000 fine, and public consumption or underage possession would be punishable by a $100 fine.

The law also creates a legal pathway to seal records of Coloradans convicted of a psychedelic-related crime. This was not originally prescribed by Prop 122 but fills a gap for people who can’t get jobs or vote because of felonies related to possessing or growing any of the five

psychedelics outlined in the law. On top of that, the law stipulates that the use of these psychedelics would not constitute a violation of parole.

One of the most notable differences between Prop 122 and SB23-290 deals with regulating therapeutic programs and issuing licenses for cultivators, manufacturers, testing facilities and healing centers. Originally, responsibility for that was given to the

Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), however, the law creates the Division of Natural Medicine under the Department of Revenue to manage therapeutic programs and licensing.

paign for Prop 122, and with the commercialization of these sacred substances on the horizon (Weed Between the Lines, “The psychedelic succulent,” April 27, 2023), some fear there will be cultural and religious exploitation of Native American traditions (see page 6 for a guest opinion on this). The goal of the Indigenous communities working group is to mitigate that outcome.

SB23-290 also opens up the regulations surrounding ibogaine (Weed Between the Lines, “The addiction therapy drug,” April 6, 2023). Under Prop 122’s language, ibogaine clinics wouldn’t have been able to open until 2026. But under the law, regulators can reconsider that restriction on ibogaine to authorize supervised therapeutic use of it at any time.

The law creates four different kinds of licenses: cultivation facilities, healing centers, product manufacturers and testing facilities. Licensed businesses will be able to deduct expenses from their state taxes. However, like cannabis businesses, under the 280E tax law, natural medicine businesses will still not be able to deduct federal taxes.

Another difference is that SB23-290 establishes a new federally recognized American Tribes and Indigenous community working group. No American tribes were consulted during the cam-

Finally, SB23-290 upholds the original provision from Prop 122 that prohibits local governments from banning licensed facilities, services, or the use of natural psychedelic substances. However, unlike Prop 122, it allows local governments to enact regulations around time, place and manner of operations.

Colorado legislators outline the framework for how psychedelics will be regulated and legalized