Boulder Weekly 08.08.2024

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WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

LLocally woman-owned and operated, Wild Birds Unlimited Specializes in bringing people and nature together through the hobby of backyard bird feeding. We offer a wide variety of nature-related products and expert, local advice. Our store stocks the highest quality items made in the the USA with

ocally woman-owned and operated, Wild Birds Unlimited Specializes in bringing people and nature together through the hobby of backyard bird feeding. We offer a wide variety of nature-related products and expert, local advice. Our store stocks the highest quality items made in the the USA with emphasis on eco-friendly products and recycled plastics. We

emphasis on eco-friendly products and recycled plastics. We source our unique gifts from Fair Trade companies and local artisans. We also have gift cards and last-minute gift ideas. Stop in and let us explain our mission to Save the Songbirds one backyard at a time!

source our unique gifts from Fair Trade companies and local artisans. We also have gift cards and last-minute gift ideas. Stop in and let us explain our mission to Save the Songbirds one backyard at a time!

1520 S. Hover Street, Suite D Longmont, CO 720-680-0551

1520 S. Hover Street, Suite D

Longmont, CO

www.wbu.com/longmont

720-680-0551

www.wbu.com/longmont

THE PUBLIC SMOKE SHOP

The Public Smoke Shop, proudly serving the Longmont community for over six years!

The public smoke shop

The Public Smoke Shop, proudly serving the Longmont community for over six years!

We provide quality gown glass, tapestry’s accessories, hats and T-shirts. Products from Seedless, No Bad Ideas, Bio Zong, RoorLiquid, Water Pipes,

Hookah’s from Egypt (variety from around the world). Locally owned and operated, competitive pricing, friendly knowledgeable staff. Stop by, the music is playing and we are here to assist!

Hookah’s from Egypt (variety from around the world). Locally owned and operated, competitive pricing, friendly knowledgeable staff. Stop by, the music is playing and we are here to assist!

We provide quality gown glass, tapestry’s accessories, hats and T-shirts. Products from Seedless, No Bad Ideas, Bio Zong, Roor-Liquid, Water Pipes,

BUSABA AUTHENIC THAI CUISINE

Busaba means “flower” in thai - life emerging from the elements growing toward the light and emanating its brilliant colors as a gift. Our Family has lovingly created this restaurant as our “busaba” and are offering it to you with flavorful food as our gift. At Busaba, we are committed to preserving the environment and strive to reduce waste. Our taste using fresh ingredients locally available.

e’re a family owned indoor flea market and antique store located in Longmont, Colorado. With over 90 dealers selling everything from hard wood lumber and tools, to glassware and handbags, we probably have exactly what you’re looking for! We were voted the best flea

341 Main Street, Longmont 303-827-3181 www.facebook.com/publicmon

www.facebook.com/publicmon Now Open: Downtown Boulder 1035 Pearl Street, #102 Hours: 11:30a-9:00p Daily Louisville Location: 133 McCaslin Blvd Unit H, Louisville Boulder,

market for the last 13 years and the best gift shop last year in the Times Call Readers’ Choice Awards. We appreciate the support of all of our customers, thank you!

1201 South Sunset Street

Longmont, CO

303-776-6605

@frontrangemercantile

AUGUST 8, 2024

Volume 31, Number 51

PUBLISHER: Francis J. Zankowski

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shay Castle

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray

REPORTER: Kaylee Harter

FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff

INTERN: John Kowalski

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Justin Criado, Peter Gartrell, Ray Keener, Amanda D. Rodewald, Dan Savage, Lisa Song, Toni Tresca, Gregory Wakeman

SALES AND MARKETING

MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Kellie Robinson

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Matthew Fischer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Chris Allred, Holden Hauke

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman

MRS. BOULDER WEEKLY: Mari Nevar

PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erik Wogen

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Chris Sawyer

CIRCULATION

CIRCULATION MANAGER: Cal Winn

CIRCULATION TEAM: Sue Butcher, Ken Rott, Chris Bauer

BUSINESS OFFICE

BOOKKEEPER/ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Austen Lopp

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, 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.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

MOVING ON DOWN

BY FRANCIS ZANKOWSKI

If you’ve been paying attention, you might have noticed some changes at Boulder Weekly

This past week, we launched our revamped website, boulderweekly. com. Check it out and let us know what you think — what you like, what you don’t and what you want more (or less) of. Your candid feedback helps us improve: email it to info@ boulderweekly.com.

We also moved from our home of three decades in South Boulder. Aug.

2 was moving day, with many hands making light work to clear out years of accumulated memories. We donated everything we could to Habitat for Humanity and Arc Thrift stores, sent some stuff to storage and recycled countless papers.

While we will miss South Boulder, we are excited to move back downtown, close to where it all began. Hopefully you’ll see our staff out and about taking meetings, grabbing coffee or simply being a presence in this vibrant community.

Lastly, we bid farewell to our printers at Prairie Mountain Press in Berthoud due to their corporate restructuring and site closure. Denver Post will be our new printing partner. This change means we’ll be adjusting our paper size and redesigning all sections of the paper, including resizing all customer ads — a massive

undertaking expertly managed by our incredible graphics team. Next week (Aug. 15) will be the first resized issue. These three major challenges during the dog days of summer have been met head-on by our hardworking staff, who continue to produce what we believe is the best newspaper in Boulder County each and every week.

Our dedication to delivering topnotch local journalism while maintaining our independence is steadfast. We’re committed to focusing on our communities, providing stories and features that capture the diverse array of concerns, interests, foibles, misdeeds, inspirations, joys, heartaches and the myriad stories that define the human experience.

All of these efforts are made possible by the continued support of loyal readers like you. While recent weeks have seen local papers around Colorado close, Boulder Weekly remains strong. With the ongoing support of our advertisers and readers, we expect to thrive for the next 30 years and beyond.

COAL CONTINUES ITS DECLINE

BLM will stop issuing leases in Wyoming, Montana

BY PETER GARTRELL WRITERS ON THE RANGE

The coal mining industry reacted with outrage when the Bureau of Land Management recently announced plans to stop issuing new coal leases on the eastern plains of Wyoming and Montana.

From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Mining Association predicted “a severe economic blow to mining states and communities,” while the industry’s political allies likened the move to declaring “war” on coal communities.

The truth is that coal has been steadily falling from its past dominance as energy king for nearly two decades. Domestic coal consumption dropped to 512 million tons in 2022, down 55% since its 2007 peak.

With the downward trajectory expected to continue, the Biden administration’s decision to end coal leasing in the

Powder River Basin — the nation’s largest coal-producing region — reflects clear market trends. And far from killing coal, the administration’s plan allows mining to continue as the market transitions.

Billions of tons of previously leased federal coal remain available for mining from 270 tracts across the nation, which combined cover an area larger than Rocky Mountain National Park. One Montana mine has enough coal to keep operating until 2060. Taken together, economic effects related to ending new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin may not be felt until the 2040s and beyond.

Coal companies are well aware that U.S. energy markets have rapidly changed, a fact they soberly tell investors: “Over the last few years, customers have shifted to long-term supply

agreements with shorter durations, driven by the reduced utilization of (coal) plants and plant retirements, fluidity of natural gas pricing and the increased use of renewable energy sources,” Wyoming’s largest coal producer, Peabody Energy, disclosed in its 2023 financial filing.

Even with declining markets, the Biden administration did not come to the decision on its own. Arguing that BLM’s past reviews of coal’s contributions to climate change were inadequate, a coalition of environmental groups sued the government and won. That forced the agency to revisit whether more coal leasing was warranted.

“For decades, mining has affected public health, our local land, air, and water, and the global climate,” said Lynne Huskinson, a retired coal miner. She’s a member of the Powder River Basin Resource Council, a Wyoming landowners’ group that was among the plaintiffs.

Now, she said, “we look forward to BLM working with state and local partners to ensure a just economic transition for the Powder River Basin as we move toward a clean energy future.”

Huskinson lives in Gillette, Wyoming, where a dozen highly

mechanized strip mines sprawl across the grasslands of the Powder River Basin. The Wyoming mines alone produce 40% of U.S. coal while employing less than 10% of the nation’s 44,000 coal workers.

The Basin’s mines have leased 8 billion tons of federal coal since the 1990s, a cheap and plentiful supply for the industry. The leasing process allows companies to nominate desired tracts, and then bid with little or no competition. Winning bidders often pay less than $1 a ton for coal, plus a nominal annual rent and a royalty after final sale.

There is little question that leasing helped launch and sustain the region’s energy boom. But in his 2022 decision, Judge Brian Morris of the Federal District Court of Montana cast his eye toward the future. Morris wrote that federal law required BLM to consider “long-term needs of future generations” that included “recreation, range, timber, minerals, watershed, wildlife and fish, and natural scenic, scientific and historical values.”

The judge also gave the federal agency an out: “Coal mining represents a potentially allowable use of public lands, but BLM is not required to lease public lands.”

Morris’ words cleared the way for BLM to stop leasing, a decision that dovetails with a Colorado College poll that found most residents in eight Rocky Mountain states — including Wyoming and Montana — want Congress to prioritize conservation over energy development on public lands.

The legal wrangling will likely continue, with the BLM reviewing protests from the coal industry and its political allies that lay the groundwork for more lawsuits. For now, though, it seems the Biden administration’s decision to keep coal in the ground not only follows the market and the law, but public opinion, too.

Peter Gartrell is a contributor to Writers on the Range, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. He is a consultant in Washington, D.C., and covered coal leasing issues as a journalist and congressional staffer.

The Wyodak coal mine in the coal-rich Powder River Basin outside Gillette, Wyoming. Mines in Wyoming supply

coal. Courtesy: Library of Congress

BOCO, BRIEFLY

Local news at a glance

BY KAYLEE HARTER

BOCO WILDFIRES CONTAINED, RECOVERY EFFORTS UNDERWAY

The Stone Canyon Fire in Lyons and Lake Shore Fire near Nederland’s Gross Reservoir were each fully contained as of Aug. 4 and Aug. 1, respectively, according to Boulder County’s Office of Disaster Management (ODM). All evacuation orders and road closures are lifted and recovery efforts are underway.

The Stone Canyon Fire, which began July 30, burned 1,557 acres and destroyed five residences. Two firefighters were injured, and one death associated with the fire is under investigation. The identity of the victim will be released by the coroner’s office once the remains have been identified and next of kin are notified.

The cause of the fire has not been determined as of Aug. 7, but the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has been called in to investigate. ATF’s certified fire investigators “are special agents with highly specialized training in

investigating fire and arson-related crimes,” according to the bureau’s website.

Crews continued patrol operations Aug. 6. In a Lyons Fire Protection District Facebook post, residents and first responders asked that people stay out of the area “if you haven’t any business” there, as the community works to “return to a sense of normalcy.”

The Lakeshore Fire was contained at seven acres, according to an Aug. 1 ODM release.

The fires were just two of several across the Front Range that week. The Alexander Mountain Fire in Larimer County had burned 9,668 acres and was 83% contained as of Aug. 6, and the Quarry Fire in Jefferson County had burned 578 acres and was 82% contained as of Aug. 6.

Stage 2 fire restrictions remain in effect in unincorporated Boulder County as of Aug. 7, prohibiting open fires, campfires and stove fires on private and public lands including in developed picnic and campgrounds. Use of charcoal grills and barbeques are prohibited, as are fireworks.

Smoking is only allowed in “an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least ten feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.”

Read the full restrictions and penalties at bit.ly/4ccB3cL

Resources for those impacted by the fires, including insurance tips, food safety guidelines and trauma care, are available at bit.ly/3YxPC7J

Visit bit.ly/4dA4hn7 to sign up for location-specific alerts and evacuation orders. Text “BOCOinfo” to 888777 for general updates and alerts from ODM.

CITY OF BOULDER SUES FAA

The city of Boulder is suing the Federal Airport Administration (FAA) over a dispute on the closure of Boulder Municipal Airport.

The city is considering closing the airport, which was purchased by the city in 1943, due to environmental and noise concerns as well as “dwindling supply of affordable housing,” according to the complaint filed July 26 in federal district court.

land must be used in perpetuity for its originally intended purpose” unless released by the federal government.

The city’s suit claims the FAA’s position is “constitutional overreach” and “wrests from the City its ability to provide for the public health, safety, and welfare of its citizens.”

The city is asking the court for a declaration allowing the airport to close in 2040 and to award the city the cost of the litigation and attorney’s fees. The cost of the litigation is expected to be $500,000 - $750,000, according to notes shared with city council.

City council will vote on whether to approve pursuing the suit Aug. 8. The city attorney can seek retroactive approval from council in pressing circumstances, and the city manager and city attorney have both recommended approval.

A spokesperson for the FAA said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

IN OTHER NEWS…

The city has accepted grants from the FAA in the past, which require the city to keep the airport open for a maximum of 20 years, according to the complaint. The city has recently stopped accepting those grants and should be able to close the airport when the most recent agreement expires in 2040, according to the suit.

The FAA, however, said in a March letter to the city that “the

• Longmont’s Valarie Allman took home gold in the Paris Olympics discus throw, making her the first U.S. woman with back-to-back Olympic wins in the event. The 29-year-old attended Silver Creek High.

• The Academy of American Poets awarded a $50,000 fellowship to Colorado Poet Laureate and longtime Boulder resident Andrea Gibson to create an anthology with all five living Colorado poets laureate and host poetry readings and workshops in rural schools and libraries.

PLASTIC SMILE

The delusion of advanced recycling for the world’s worst material

BY LISA SONG PROPUBLICA

Last year, I became obsessed with a plastic cup.

It was a small container that held diced fruit, the type thrown into lunch boxes. And it was the first product I’d seen born of what’s being touted as a cure for a crisis.

Plastic doesn’t break down in nature. If you turned all of what’s been made into cling wrap, it would cover every inch of the globe. It’s piling up, leaching into our water and poisoning our bodies.

Scientists say the key to fixing this is to make less of it; the world churns out 430 million metric tons each year. But businesses that rely on plastic production, like fossil fuel and chemical companies, have worked since the 1980s to spin the pollution as a failure of waste management — one that can be solved with recycling.

Industry leaders knew then what we know now: Traditional recycling would barely put a dent in the trash heap. It’s hard to transform flimsy candy wrappers into sandwich bags, or to make containers that once held

motor oil clean enough for milk.

Now, the industry is heralding nothing short of a miracle: an “advanced” type of recycling known as pyrolysis — “pyro” means fire and “lysis” means separation. It uses heat to break plastic all the way down to its molecular building blocks.

While old-school, “mechanical” recycling yields plastic that’s degraded or contaminated, this type of “chemical” recycling promises plastic that behaves like it’s new, and could usher in what the industry casts as a green revolution: Not only would it save hard-torecycle plastics like frozen food wrappers from the dumpster, but it would turn them into new products that can replace the old ones and be chemically recycled again and again.

So when three companies used ExxonMobil’s pyrolysis-based technology to successfully conjure up that fruit cup, they announced it to the world.

“This is a significant milestone,” said Printpack, which turned the plastic into cups. The fruit supplier Pacific Coast Producers called it “the most important

initiative a consumer-packaged goods company can pursue.”

“ExxonMobil is supporting the circularity of plastics,” the August 2023 news release said, citing a buzzword that implies an infinite loop of using, recycling and reusing.

They were so proud, I hoped they would tell me all about how they made the cup, how many of them existed and where I could buy one. So began my long — and, well, circular — pursuit of the truth at a time when it really matters.

This year, nearly all of the world’s countries are hammering out a United Nations treaty to deal with the plastic crisis. As they consider limiting production, the industry is making a hard push to shift the conversation to the wonders of chemical recycling. It’s also buying ads during cable news shows as U.S. states consider laws to limit plastic packaging and lobbying federal agencies to loosen the very definition of what it means to recycle.

It’s been selling governments on chemical recycling, with quite a bit of success. American and European regulators have spent tens of millions subsidizing pyrolysis facilities. Half of all U.S. states have eased air pollution rules for the process, which has been found to release carcinogens like benzene and dioxins and give off more greenhouse gasses than making plastic from crude oil.

Given the high stakes of this moment, I set out to understand exactly

what the world is getting out of this recycling technology. For months, I tracked press releases, interviewed experts, tried to buy plastic made via pyrolysis and learned more than I ever wanted to know about the science of recycled molecules.

Under all the math and engineering, I found an inconvenient truth: Not much is being recycled at all, nor is pyrolysis capable of curbing the plastic crisis. Not now. Maybe not ever.

NOTHING NEW

In traditional recycling, plastic is turned into tiny pellets or flakes, which you can melt again and mold back into recycled plastic products. Even in a real-life scenario, where bottles have labels and a little bit of juice left in them, most of the plastic products that go into the process find new life: 55-85% get turned into new products, and somewhere between 15-45% is lost in the process.

The numbers are much lower for pyrolysis: 15-20% gets recycled into propylene and ethylene and 80-85% becomes diesel fuel, hydrogen, methane and other chemicals.

It’s “very, very, very, very difficult” to break down plastic that way, said Steve Jenkins, vice president of chemicals consulting at Wood Mackenzie, an energy and resources analytics firm.

“The laws of nature and the laws of physics are trying to stop you.”

Waste is heated until it turns into oil. Part of that oil is composed of a liquid

called naphtha, which is essential for making plastic. There are two ingredients in the naphtha that recyclers want to isolate: propylene and ethylene — gasses that can be turned into solid plastics.

To split the naphtha into different chemicals, it’s fed into a machine called a steam cracker. Less than half of what it spits out becomes propylene and ethylene.

This means that if a pyrolysis operator started with 100 pounds of plastic waste, it can expect to end up with 15-20 pounds of reusable plastic. Experts told me the process can yield less if the plastic used is dirty or more if the technology is particularly advanced.

I reached out to several companies to ask how much new plastic their processes actually yield, and none provided numbers. The American Chemistry Council, the nation’s largest plastic lobby, told me that because so many factors impact a company’s yield, it’s impossible to estimate that number for the entire industry.

2% RECYCLED

With mechanical recycling, it’s hard to make plastic that’s 100% recycled; it’s expensive to do, and the process degrades plastic. Recycled pellets are often combined with new pellets to make stuff that’s 25% or 50% recycled, for example.

But far less recycled plastic winds up in products made through pyrolysis.

cracker to separate the chemicals that make plastic.

So at the end of the day, nothing that comes out of pyrolysis physically contains more than 10% recycled material (though experts and studies have shown that, in practice, it’s more like 5% or 2%).

MATHEMATICAL GYMNASTICS

Ten percent doesn’t look very impressive. Some consumers are willing to pay a premium for sustainability, so companies use a form of accounting called mass balance to inflate the recycled-ness of their products. It’s not

unlike offset schemes I’ve uncovered that absolve refineries of their carbon emissions and enable mining companies to kill chimpanzees. Industryaffiliated groups like the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification write the rules. (ISCC didn’t respond to requests for comment.)

That’s because the naphtha created using recycled plastic is contaminated. Manufacturers add all kinds of chemicals to make products bend or keep them from degrading in the sun.

Recyclers can overpower them by heavily diluting the recycled naphtha. With what, you ask? Nonrecycled naphtha made from ordinary crude oil!

This is the quiet — and convenient — part of the industry’s revolutionary pyrolysis method: It relies heavily on extracting fossil fuels. At least 90% of the naphtha used in pyrolysis is fossil fuel naphtha. Only then can it be poured into the steam

Eldora Mountain Resort is located

To see how this works, let’s take a look at what might happen to a batch of recycled naphtha. Let’s say the steam cracker splits the batch into 100 pounds of assorted ingredients.

You’ll get some colorless gasses that are used to make plastic: 13 pounds of propylene and 30 pounds of ethylene. You’ll also wind up with 57 pounds of other chemicals.

Propylene makes sturdy material such as butter tubs; ethylene makes flexible plastics like yogurt pouches. Many of the other chemicals aren’t used to make plastic — some get used to make rubber and paint or are used as fuel.

All of these outputs are technically 10% recycled, since they were made from 10% recycled naphtha. (I’m using this optimistic hypothetical to make the math easy.)

But companies can do a number shuffle to assign all of the recycled value from the butter tubs to the yogurt pouches.

That way they can market the yogurt pouches as 14% recycled (or “circular”), even though nothing has physically changed about the makeup of the pouches.

What’s more, through a method called free attribution, companies can assign the recycled value from other chemicals (even if they would never be turned into plastic) to the yogurt pouches. Now, the yogurt pouches can be sold as 33% recycled.

through the caveats of a 33% recycled claim or understand how the green technology they’re being sold perpetuates the fossil fuel industry. I posed the critiques to the industry, including environmentalists’ accusations that mass balance is just a fancy way of greenwashing.

The American Chemistry Council told me it’s impossible to know whether a particular ethylene molecule comes from pyrolysis naphtha or fossil fuel naphtha; the compounds produced are “fungible” and can be used for multiple products, like making rubber, solvents and paints that would reduce the amount of new fossil fuels needed. Its statement called mass balance a “well-known methodology” that’s been used by other industries including fair trade coffee, chocolate and renewable energy.

Legislation in the European Union already forbids free attribution, and leaders are debating whether to allow other forms of mass balance. U.S. regulation is far behind that, but as the Federal Trade Commission revises its general guidelines for green marketing, the industry is arguing that mass balance is crucial to the future of advanced recycling.

‘A FAIRY TALE’

If you think navigating the ins and outs of pyrolysis is hard, try getting your hands on actual plastic made through it.

There are many flavors of this kind of accounting. Another version of free attribution would allow the company to take that entire 30-pound batch of “33% recycled” pouches and split them even further:

A third of them, 10 pounds, could be labeled 100% recycled — shifting the value of the full batch onto them — so long as the remaining 20 pounds aren’t labeled as recycled at all.

As long as you avoid double counting, Jenkins told me, you can attribute the full value of recycled naphtha to the products that will make the most money. Companies need that financial incentive to recoup the costs of pyrolysis, he said.

But it’s hard to argue that this type of marketing is transparent. Consumers aren’t going to parse

It’s not as easy as going to the grocery store. Those water bottles you might see with 100% recycled claims are almost certainly made through traditional recycling. The biggest giveaway is that the labels don’t contain the asterisks or fine print typical of products made through pyrolysis, like “mass balance,” “circular” or “certified.”

When I asked about the fruit cup, ExxonMobil directed me to its partners. Printpack didn’t respond to my inquiries. Pacific Coast Producers told me it was “engaged in a small pilot pack of plastic bowls that contain post-consumer content with materials certified” by third parties, and that it “has made no label claims regarding these cups and is evaluating their use.”

In the end, I ran down half a dozen claims about products that came out

of pyrolysis; each either existed in limited quantities or had its recycledness obscured with mass balance caveats.

Then this April, nearly eight months after I’d begun my pursuit, I could barely contain myself when I got my hands on an actual product.

I was at a United Nations treaty negotiation in Ottawa, Ontario, and an industry group had set up a nearby showcase. On display was a case of Heinz baked beans, packaged in “39% recycled plastic.*” (The asterisk took me down an online rabbit hole about certification and circularity. Heinz didn’t respond to my questions.)

This, too, was part of an old trial. The beans were expired.

Pyrolysis is a “fairy tale,” I heard from Neil Tangri, the science and policy director at the environmental justice network Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. He said he’s been hearing pyrolysis claims since the ’90s but has yet to see proof it works as promised.

“If anyone has cracked the code for a large-scale, efficient and profitable way to turn plastic into plastic,” he said, “every reporter in the world” would get a tour.

NO MAGIC WAND

If I did get a tour, I wondered, would I even see all of that stubborn, dirty plastic they were supposedly recycling?

The industry’s marketing implied we could soon toss sandwich bags and string cheese wrappers into curbside recycling bins, where they would be diverted to pyrolysis plants. But I grew skeptical as I watched a webinar for ExxonMobil’s pyrolysis-based technology, the kind used to make the fruit cup. The company showed photos of plastic packaging and oil field equipment as examples of its starting material but then mentioned something that made me sit up straight: It was using pre-consumer plastic to “give consistency” to the waste stream. Chemical plants need consistency, so it’s easier to use plastic that hasn’t been gunked up by consumer use, Jenkins explained.

But plastic waste that had never been touched by consumers, such as

industrial scrap found at the edges of factory molds, could easily be recycled the old-fashioned way. Didn’t that negate the need for this more polluting, less efficient process?

I asked ExxonMobil how much post-consumer plastic it was actually using. Catie Tuley, a media relations adviser, said it depends on what’s available. “At the end of the day, advanced recycling allows us to divert plastic waste from landfills and give new life to plastic waste.”

This spring at an environmental journalism conference, an American Chemistry Council executive confirmed the industry’s preference for clean plastic as he talked about an Atlanta-based company and its pyrolysis process. My colleague Sharon Lerner asked whether it was sourcing curbside-recycled plastic for pyrolysis. If Nexus Circular had a “magic wand,” it would, he acknowledged, but right now that kind of waste “isn’t good enough.” He added, “It’s got tomatoes in it.”

(Nexus later confirmed that most of the plastic it used was pre-consumer and about a third was post-consumer, including motor oil containers sourced from car repair shops and bags dropped off at special recycling centers.)

Clean, well-sorted plastic is a valuable commodity. If the chemical recycling industry grows, experts told me, those companies could end up competing with the far more efficient traditional recycling.

I asked Jenkins, the energy industry analyst, to play out this scenario on a larger scale. Were all of these projects adding up? Could the industry conceivably make enough propylene and ethylene through pyrolysis to replace much of our demand for new plastic?

He looked three years into the future, using his company’s latest figures on global pyrolysis investment, and gave an optimistic assessment.

At best, the world could replace 0.2% of new plastic churned out in a year with products made through pyrolysis.

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism.

SUMMER CLEARANCE

ROAD DIET

City seeks input on Iris Avenue bike improvements

BY RAY KEENER

Boulder is known worldwide as a bike-friendly city. Once the top U.S. city for cycling, as determined by nonprofit PeopleForBikes, The People’s Republic is currently 34th. Boulder isn’t even the best biking city in Colorado, bested by both Crested Butte and Aspen.

Boulder’s lowest scores are around access to transit hubs as well as places that serve basic needs, like hospitals and grocery stores.

To address those deficiencies (and hopefully reverse its decline in the rankings), Boulder City Council identified 13 individual corridors where the city will focus its transportation efforts over the next several years. Known as the Core Arterial Network, three of these streets are priority corridors for improved walk, bike and transit infrastructure: Baseline Road, Iris Avenue and Folsom Street.

Along with the continuing work on improving Baseline — which included installing concrete barriers along the bike lanes — the focus is now on Iris between Broadway and 28th Street/ U.S. 36. The city recently released its preferred plan for a redesign of Iris, which would remove one of the street’s four vehicle lanes and add a protected bike lane on the roadway’s north side, from Folsom to Broadway. The design was one of four unveiled

by city officials April 30. Feedback on the options was collected through May 27; an online questionnaire pertaining to the current design plan is available to the public until mid-August.

Community Cycles, which provide feedback and commentary on Boulder’s walking and biking infrastructure and policies, praised the plan — referred to as Option B — on its website. When the organization’s advocacy committee met in early June to discuss the four alternatives, they backed the two with lane conversions.

Sue Prant, Community Cycle’s executive director, noted in an interview that Options C and D require the city to acquire property easements to widen the street, adding millions of dollars to the eventual cost.

“That estimated $20 million cost today [for those options] is $135 million by the time the work is finished, based on CDOT estimates,” she said. “It could take 20 years.”

Removing a traffic lane, meanwhile, “will be complete in under three years at a cost of $5 million,” Prant said. “So A or B would represent considerable savings in cost, time and lives. People get hurt when you don’t fix the road.”

There were 345 crashes along Iris Avenue from 2016 through 2023,

according to city transportation officials, roughly 43 per year. Six resulted in serious injury; 22 involved pedestrians or bicycles, and 45% of ped/bike crashes were near the intersection of 26th and Folsom.

“In all cases involving people walking or biking,” transportation officials wrote in response to emailed questions, “the person driving was at fault for not yielding at intersections or driveways.”

Evaluation of Option B showed the potential for a 25-50% reduction in crashes, city officials said. It could also reduce the severity of crashes at intersections.

In a post following the city’s selection of Option B, Community Cycles expressed hope for further “road diets.”

“If we can reduce travel lanes on Iris and the world doesn’t come to an end, it will allow us to consider similar treatments on unnecessarily large, fast roads, many that carry less traffic than Iris,” the post reads. “4-to-3 conversions

will no longer be a third rail in Boulder traffic planning.”

Boulder’s infamous “right-sizing” of Folsom Street nearly a decade ago was reversed when drivers complained about congestion. Like that roadway, the redesigned Iris Avenue will feature one vehicle lane in each direction with a turning lane in the center.

According to analysis shared by the city, the Iris Avenue redesign could potentially add two minutes of travel time for cars. That is the maximum estimate; an average trip could be extended by 3-46 seconds. The majority of cars should be slowed by anywhere from two seconds to just under a minute.

“Every alternative will have increased travel time, depending on the time of day and direction of travel,” city transportation spokesperson Aisha Ozaslan wrote. That’s in part due to speeding, she said.

“While the potential travel time changes may feel impactful to some,” Ozaslan wrote, “the four alternatives prioritize safety for all.”

The design will be “refined” to incorporate community feedback, according to Ozaslan, then reviewed by the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB). TAB will make a recommendation to city council for approval. If approved, the design will be finalized in 2025. Shay Castle contributed reporting.

More than 150 people attended a July open house to learn about the Iris Avenue redesign.

Credit: Ray Keener

The planned two-way bike lane along the north side of Iris Avenue will be 10 feet wide and separated from vehicle traffic. Courtesy: City of Boulder Iris Avenue currently has one unprotected bike lane in each direction. Credit: Richard Kiefer

NEWS

GOV’T WATCH

What your local officials are up to

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

BOULDER CITY COUNCIL

On Thursday, Aug. 15, council will:

• Discuss ballot content for the November elections. Two citizen petitions related to conversion of the airport will appear on the ballot.

Council has discretion over three proposals: a pay raise for elected officials; allowing city council to hold non-public meetings with city staff, known as executive sessions; and changes to the removal process for board and commission members. Those measures will appear on ballots only if a majority of council members vote to place them there.

In a preliminary vote, councilman Mark Wallach opposed asking voters to increase council pay.

BOULDER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the commissioners will:

• Hold a public hearing and vote on adoption of a feasibility study for the U.S. 36/North Foothills Bikeway, a proposed 11-mile paved path connected Boulder and Lyons.

According to data from the Colorado Department of

Transportation, 78,581 riders biked along U.S. 36 in 2020. The roadway is among the county’s most dangerous, accounting for 30% of severe or fatal bike and pedestrian crashes in Boulder County between 2009 and 2018.

The total cost of the bikeway is estimated at $95.6 million.

The bikeway would be built primarily in the CDOT right of way, but some City of Boulder and Boulder County open space would be impacted, according to the report. Four miles of the path would require construction of a retaining wall.

The City of Boulder’s Transportation Advisory Board in June endorsed the project. Coalition 4 Cyclists (or C4C, formerly Cyclists 4 Community) is also advocating for the bikeway and funded part of the feasibility study.

Learn more: bit.ly/LyonsBikewayBW.

LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL

On Aug. 6, council:

• Received an update on the Rose Lueras aquatics complex at Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, which has been closed since May 1 following water loss. The 34-year-old pool is expected to reopen the week of Sept. 3. Conceptual plans for a total renovation were completed in February, with costs estimated at $20-$27 million. Council will discuss the plans at a future meeting.

All agenda items are subject to change. Karen Norback contributed reporting.

HELP WANTED

Radia seeks Loads and Aeroelastics Lead Engineer in Boulder, CO to lead the loads and aeroelastics analysis through the design, development and certification cycles of a Part-25 aircraft. Radia offers health, dental, and vision coverage to all full-time employees, as well as short and long-term disability insurance, parental leave and the ability to contribute to a 401K. $185,000$205,000 per year. Apply @ www.jobpostingtoday.com Ref#33891

Courtesy: City of Lafayette

MUSIC

CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT

BY JUSTIN CRIADO

The sound of Boulder County quintet Card Catalog is as varied as the name suggests. After establishing a bluesy baseline with their 2019 debut album, Push, this year’s Snow Moon EP finds the band skewing heavier.

“I didn’t want to steer completely away from blues rock, but wanted to branch into a different vibe to see what was out there,” says vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jenn Tatro. “I don’t even know what genre this is. We’re told it’s alt-rock. Somebody said altmetal.”

Drummer Kevin Kirkpatrick laughs at the alt-metal tag. He credits the addition of lead guitarists Davy Ford and Will Perkins, both of whom joined Card Catalog after the release of Snow Moon, for beefing up the band’s sonics, especially live. Original bassist Kelton Kragor also rejoined the fivepiece at that time.

“It hits a little heavier,” Kirkpatrick says. “It’s like Card Catalog Version 2. We pulled from our influences and brought a lot of these things to the table. Even though right now, the current lineup wasn’t the actual members who did the recording, they bring the heat to the song.”

Kragor, who helped form Card Catalog back in 2013, remembers when they’d all get together to rehearse at his house. Tatro would use a microphone taped to a vacuum as a stand.

“It was fun to be in a ‘bad’ band, cutting our teeth and figuring it out,” he says. “That’s how we built a lot of the chemistry.”

Even after Kragor left to focus on other musical endeavors, he supported his friends and regularly went to their shows. Now that he’s back in the

fold, he’s excited to see what Card Catalog can conquer next, especially with some new players.

“It’s evolved in a way that makes me really happy and proud of what these guys are doing,” he says.

ROAD DOGS

While there hasn’t yet been new music from the latest iteration, this summer has been all about playing live as much as possible, including a Midwest run. So far, Card Catalog has hit the stage 20 times.

“We’ve just been out playing our asses off, trying to get out there and support that,” Kirkpatrick says.

The next gig will be a headlining show at the Fox Theatre on Aug. 10, with fellow locals Bury Mia and Dayshaper.

“I got some tricks up my sleeve,” Tatro teases. She doesn’t share specifics, but it’s in line with the Card Catalog ethos of providing a memorable live experience.

Kragor drops a little hint about the upcoming setlist when talking about

some of his influences, particularly the Maynard James Keenan-fronted supergroup A Perfect Circle.

“You might hear some of that, maybe. I don’t know,” he says. “You’ll have to show up and find out.”

SCHOOL OF ROCK

The band’s love of turn-of-the-century radio rock is no surprise. The members of Card Catalog grew up with the heavy music of the 1990s and early 2000s, naming acts like Tool and Incubus among the staples of their rotations.

Perkins, the quiet axeman who runs licks on his guitar during the interview, is a little more old-school, naming Elvis and Led Zeppelin as his inspirations.

“I’m a really simple dude,” he says. “I just like to play really fast and greasy.”

Ford, the counterpart to Perkins in the shred department, is a metalhead who draws from the playbook of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

“I’ve always been a sucker for dual lead lines,” he says. Now with two lead guitarists on deck, Card Catalog is taking a page from that playbook.

“It sounds so much fuller. We’ve never tried that before, the dueling stuff,” adds Tatro, who looks up to dynamo vocalists Stevie Nicks and the late Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries.

With only a handful of shows left on the slate through October, including an opening slot for Emily Wolfe on Aug. 29 at Denver’s Black Buzzard, Card Catalog is looking forward to writing some new tunes before the end of the year. Given the band’s eclectic mix of styles, musicians and influences, there’s no telling what the result will be.

“It’s true to its name: Card Catalog,” Kragor says. “Just open the drawer and see what you find.”

ON THE BILL: Card

Catalog with Bury Mia and Dayshaper. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15-$18

Card Catalog vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jenn Tatro says the band has some tricks up its sleeve for their upcoming Fox Theatre show. Credit: Gary Sheer Photography

‘REAL MAGIC’

English soul singer

Joss Stone still dazzles after two decades

BY JUSTIN CRIADO

Joss Stone is just as surprised as anyone that she’s still making music after more than 20 years. The 37-year-old English R&B singer unexpectedly entered the limelight at age 13 after winning the BBC Television talent show Star for a Night. Her 2003 debut, The Soul Sessions, quickly followed, and Stone hasn’t slowed down since.

So when the 20th anniversary of her first record of classic soul covers came around last year, she genuinely couldn’t believe it.

“Isn’t that mental? You know what, it’s funny, I didn’t know,” Stone says. “I never know what bloody day of the week it is, and sometimes I do forget what year it is. The year before the 20 years I was doing interviews like this and the interviewers started to say, ‘Hey, you’re coming up on your 20th year.’ I was like, ‘Huh? No, I’m not. What are you talking about?’ It abso-

lutely shocked me to the core that I’ve been doing this for 20 years.”

She’s celebrating another milestone this year — 20 years of her sophomore release, Mind Body & Soul, which resulted in three Grammy nominations. As well-received as that one-two punch was at the time, she admits to not being a fan of her voice back then. But Stone gives her younger self some grace.

“As a singer, I listen to my voice on those records, and I’m actually proud that I’m in tune, like, ‘Wow, I can really hold my pitch.’ But am I proud about how I sang it? No, good lord. I was learning how to sing in front of the world,” she says. “It was sort of a baptism by fire, but it was really great. I’m grateful for those songs and everyone who worked on those records, because they gave me confidence and strength to do what I do now.”

‘THE MOST SPECIAL YEAR’

In honor of those early offerings, Stone most recently shared her first-ever live album, 20 Years of Soul: Live in Concert, recorded during the 2023 anniversary run.

“I never was brave enough to do [a live album] before,” she says. “Each gig made me want to cry. The audience

was sort of like your long-lost friends you’d grown up with. I had gone through so much, and so have they, and we’ve gone through it together.”

Describing the experience as “the most special year” of her career, Stone & Co. decided to continue the celebration with the Ellipsis Tour through 2024.

The global run comes to Boulder on Monday, Aug. 12, at the Chautauqua Auditorium. Funk bassist, vocalist and producer Nik West is also on the bill.

Despite her self-deprecating sense of humor, Stone is one of the most powerful singers of the 21st century. Her pipes have drawn comparisons to

1960s icon Janis Joplin and garnered her numerous accolades, including a 2007 Grammy for her rendition of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Family Affair” with John Legend and Van Hunt. She has also appeared on screen in the 2006 fantasy-adventure film Eragon, the Showtime series The Tudors and as a voice actor in the 2010 video game James Bond 007: Blood Stone

In 2014, she embarked on a world tour and played in literally every country on the map, while collaborating with local artists, including giving Mongolian throat singing a go.

“Music is real magic,” she says. “If we have magic in this world, that’s one of the things. You can connect with someone who doesn’t understand a bloody word you’re saying.”

‘A MAGICAL THING’

During her globetrotting, Stone established her nonprofit, The Joss Stone Foundation, which has since partnered with more than 200 charities in 10 years.

Her proudest accomplishment is when she connected a Peruvian boy, who was deaf and blind, with a Panama organization that provides cochlear implants.

“Now that boy can hear,” she says. “I just feel like that to me was the best, most wonderful moment. It was worth it. Even if the entire world tour happened just for that moment, I’d be at peace.”

But again, Stone didn’t realize a decade of humanitarian aid is already behind her. She still likes to maintain a busy schedule of performances and side projects, even if it means time slips away a little faster than it does for most people.

“I felt myself lucky to be able to do it for one year,” she says. “To do it for that long, I can’t believe this. It’s a real job. I actually got a real job. It’s wonderful. It’s really a magical thing.”

ON THE BILL: Joss Stone with Nik West. 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $53

More than 20 years after bursting onto the world stage as a teenager, English soul singer Joss Stone is still going strong. Credit: John Van de Mergel

20 Years of Soul: Live in Concert by Joss Stone was released December 22, 2023. Courtesy: Stone’d Records

SASHAY AWAY

‘Pretty in Punk: The Final Show’ marks the end of an era for Boulder’s burlesque scene

BY TONI TRESCA

Paisley Peach’s burlesque career began by accident, but it quickly became a defining feature of her life. Now the Boulder fixture is leaving it behind with a farewell to the stage and a celebration of the community that has been a major part of her personal growth for nearly a decade.

“Burlesque has pushed me toward more radical expression and made me feel great in my body,” says Paisley Peach, who asked not to be identified by her real name. “Growing up, I felt ashamed of my sexuality and was uncomfortable wearing risque clothing. Women are often shamed for their bodies as they grow up, so it was refreshing to be in a place where I was celebrated.”

Known for her blend of punk rock and horror aesthetics, the 32-year-old dancer has been a vibrant presence in the local performing arts scene since 2017. Those in the know will recognize her as the ringleader of the Pretty in Punk series at Boulder’s Junkyard Social Club, a raucous mix of live punk bands with burlesque and drag performers that has been a regular feature of the community since its launch last summer.

Paisley Peach says the monthly showcase — which comes to an end with a final show Aug. 10 — was about more than smashing her favorite artforms together. It was also about carving a space where everyone feels welcome.

“I’m a queer person, so I’m all about promoting queer safe spaces for hangouts and music,” she says. “It was incredible to see so much joy that came out of something I worked so hard to facilitate.”

FAST LEARNER

Paisley Peach’s foray into the world of burlesque began after moving to

Colorado from Los Angeles in 2012. She wanted a change and had never lived in cold weather. Her father, who attended CU in the 1970s, pitched Boulder as “a really cool, artsy town” that seemed in line with her interests and sensibility.

“I applied to two schools: one in Paris, and CU Boulder, and got accepted to both,” she says.

“Something about Boulder drew me in; I had never been to Colorado before, but I accepted my offer.

I remember driving into the state from Los Angeles and seeing the Flatirons, which looked like a postcard, and being overjoyed.”

Her artistic journey took off from there. Despite having only seen one burlesque performance in her life, she auditioned with a local troupe in 2017 and never looked back.

“I have always loved dancing,” Paisley Peach says. “One of my friends suggested that I start a professional career as a go-go dancer or something. So I thought about it, and then a week later, a friend told me there were auditions, so I went, even though I had no prior experience.”

She continued to hone her craft, drawing inspiration from iconic performers like Dita Von Teese and Gwen Stefani, blending classic burlesque with

a punk-rock edge. This fusion quickly became her signature look.

“Paisley allowed me to embody this hyper-feminine character who exudes spunkiness, authenticity and creativity,” she says. “My normal life is very different from Paisley’s.”

By day, she is a freelance writer who offers a suite of communications services. But it’s the nighttime hours that have given her life over these past seven years. That’s been especially true since last July’s launch of the Pretty in Punk series, her first solo production. The idea for the concept originated from her desire to recreate the punk scene she had known growing up in Los Angeles, which she felt Boulder lacked.

“I just wanted to see a punk burlesque show with live music. I also love

drag, so I wanted to invite drag into the picture because often the two worlds are separate,” she says. “Seeing people come together for these shows every month and enjoy what I created was incredibly fulfilling.”

FINAL BOW

Paisley Peach enjoyed producing Pretty in Punk, but she was ready for a change. Each show cost around $1,300 of her own money, which she was responsible for covering if they did not sell enough tickets. Running the event was also time intensive, and her future plans call for more flexibility.

“I am leaving in September to backpack around the world for almost a year, and I am thinking about settling down and starting a family with my partner after that,” she says. “ I’m 32 now, so who knows? Maybe I’ll get back into it again someday.”

Paisley Peach’s last show promises to be a fitting farewell with an eclectic mix of 13 acts, including the return of her drag persona, Dick Liqueur. Now she is preparing for her final bow, one last chance to connect with her audience and celebrate the vibrant community that welcomed her all those years ago.

“It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful for all the support and love from the community,” she says. “This final show is not just an end, but a celebration of everything we’ve built together.”

ON STAGE: Pretty in

Punk: The Final Show. 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug.10, Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave., Suite A, Boulder. $20

Paisley Peach had only seen one burlesque performance before trying her hand at the artform in 2017. Credit: Charla Harvey

SCREENED REALITY

Mimesis Doc Fest returns with poetic explorations of war, climate and the common toad

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

“This joy is immense. This hope is infinite. Yet ... all is vain and ephemeral.”

Those words, spoken in whispered voiceover, express one of the closing thoughts of Cette Maison, a movie bursting with ideas and insights. Written and directed by Miryam Charles, Cette Maison (This House) is a multi-generational family story haunted by the death of a cousin. Filmed in dreamy 16 mm on spare theatrical sets and baroquely cluttered colonial homes, Charles’ film set in mid-1990s Connecticut and Quebec, Canada, feels like a discovery despite being shot during the pandemic. Every image feels beamed from the past. It’s artifice approaching authenticity.

Hearing how the Canadian-Haitian director achieved this feat will be one of many highlights at this year’s Mimesis Documentary Festival, running Aug. 14-18 at the College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI) at CU Boulder and the Boedecker Theater at the Dairy Arts Center. Charles is this year’s artist-in-focus, and she will be on hand to present Cette Maison (Aug. 16) and give a masterclass (Aug. 17).

Now in its fifth year, the Mimesis Documentary Festival is the most intellectually stimulating and artistically invigorating film festival on the Front Range. If you’ve never been, don’t let the word “documentary” trip you up. These are not your typical talking-head docs that reflect on the glories of yesteryear but rather poetic explorations of where the form can go.

Cette Maison doesn’t feel like a documentary in the traditional sense, but neither does CU professor Erin Espelie’s abstracted study of the redthroated loon, Gavia Stellata (Sea Mew Set with Stars) (Aug. 18) or fellow professor Kelly Sears’ speculative eco-doc The Lost Season (Aug. 15). Additionally, all three are great.

That’s par for the course when it comes to Mimesis. This year’s festival kicks off in earnest Aug. 14 with a collection of installation, live performance and conversation, but there will be a free preview Aug. 10 at Boulder Public Library’s Canyon Theater with Terra Long’s Feet in Water, Head on Fire It’s one of the selections I’m most looking forward to. Here are three more to put on your dance card.

Intercepted (8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, Boedecker Theater)

Between March and November 2022, Ukrainian special services intercepted and recorded thousands of phone calls from Russian soldiers to family back home. Some of these calls exemplify the jingoism Russians held for their Ukrainian neighbors. Others illustrate the icy cold detachment soldiers achieved after witnessing and perpe-

trating war atrocities — one call depicting a form of torture known as “21 roses” is nauseating.

Yet a few show the humane conflict within the attacking forces. Director Oksana Karpovych bolsters the banality of the audio track with images of a destroyed Ukraine: sometimes through static shots that linger long enough to notice every piece of debris in a room, sometimes via phantom rides through the decimated villages of Ukraine. It’s a potent concoction of emotion and reality that feels manipulative and sincere, revealing and urgent. Everyone says war is hell, but few movies capture it this directly.

Some Thoughts on the Common Toad (Part of The Tree

Remembers documentary block, 4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 18, Boedecker Theater)

With words from a 1946 essay by George Orwell read by Tilda Swinton, director G. Anthony Svatek uses archival footage to move from a simple appreciation of the common toad and the rhythms of nature into a condemnation of capitalism and political machinery via British WWII footage. Like a lot of things Orwell penned, the

prose holds as much relevance today as it did then — particularly if you substitute his use of “machine” with “artificial intelligence” — and it strengthens Anthony’s collage aesthetic threefold.

La Laguna del Soldado (Part of the Signals in the Mist documentary block, 8 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 18, Boedecker Theater)

At once a historical recounting of settlement, socioeconomic eras, political conquest and ecology, La Laguna del Soldado (The Soldier’s Lagoon) is composed primarily of long shots of nature while voiceover informs the viewer of the history of the space. Though the narration and the image don’t explicitly line up, the audience gets to connect the dots and draw conclusions. Meditative, informative and hypnotic, this nonfiction feature from Pablo Álvarez-Mesa shows that screened reality has many avenues.

ON SCREEN: The 2024 Mimesis Documentary Festival. Aug. 14-18, mimesisfestival.org

Cette Maison (This House) screens Aug. 16 as part of the 2024 Mimesis Documentary Festival in Boulder. Courtesy: Oyster Films

NEW HEIGHTS IN TIGHTS

CU alum hits the big-screen superhero circuit with ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

BY GREGORY WAKEMAN

As soon as Zeb Wells hops on a Zoom call to discuss his involvement in Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s clear that spirits are high. With a beaming smile, the screenwriter and comic-book writer declares, “It’s a good day!”

Wells has every right to feel giddy. The latest Marvel smash starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman crushed its box office projections, grossing $438.3 million to record the eighth-highest opening weekend haul in movie history.

While he now lives in Los Angeles, Wells was back in his home state of Colorado for the blockbuster’s release. He attended a few screenings including one at a theater rented out by a high school friend — over the next few days to make sure the “jokes were landing right.”

“It’s been super fun to see how happy and pumped up people are when they leave the movie theater,” says the 47-year-old writer, director and voice actor.

Growing up in Littleton, Wells was

the most passionate comic-book reader in his circle of friends. “After junior high, I was the only one of my friends who was still reading them,” he says.

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most successful franchise in movie history over the last 16 years, Wells has watched his friends, alongside hundreds of millions of people, become increasingly enamored with the characters that lit up his imagination from an early age.

“They all have so many more fans now. Maybe these people don’t read comic books, but they all love the characters,” he says. “It’s been so fun to watch it grow.”

Wells has been a key part of that growth: He’s written episodes of SheHulk: Attorney at Law and was an uncredited co-writer on The Marvels, all while doing extensive work for Marvel Comics since 2002.

COMIC RELIEF

Wells’ own creative origin story is linked to Marvel, too. While he was a film student at the CU Boulder, Wells and his

friends made videos just to entertain each other. Wizard Magazine, a comic book publication that ran between 1991 and 2011, held a short film contest he decided to enter.

“My friend looked like The Incredible Hulk, so we painted him green and made a whole film about how he lost his job and had to pick up odd jobs,” he says. “It ended with him being a stripper on the street. But we won the contest.”

Wells didn’t know it at the time, but this win would kickstart his screenwriting career. Matthew Senreich, the editorial director of Wizard Entertainment, went on to create the TV show Robot Chicken — remembering the Colorado native’s contest-winning film, Senreich hired him. Wells would write and voice characters on the show between 2007 and 2017 before creating SuperMansion alongside Senreich, which ran until 2019.

Then in early 2020, Wells was hired by head writer Jessica Gao — who’d also written on Robot Chicken — to join the writers room on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

“She really vouched for me and said she wanted me in there. I owe it all to her,” he says. “Because Wendy Jacobson was a producer on She-Hulk, and she is also the producer of Deadpool & Wolverine.”

When Wells was asked to get involved with the third installment of the Deadpool franchise, Jackman had just decided to return as Wolverine.

Alongside Reynolds, director Shawn Levy and the screenwriters behind the first two movies, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, cleared the board and started to write the script from scratch.

“It was super fun. Writing a Deadpool movie with Deadpool in the room is just incredible,” he says. “Both him and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine are so iconic. It was like being able to write a Han Solo movie for Harrison Ford. They’re both just so connected to the characters.”

NAILING DEADPOOL

After finishing the script, Wells expected to join the production in England to watch his work come to life. But the writers’ strike stopped those plans, something he still feels “fairly heartbroken” about. “I was really hoping to be on set,” he says. “Especially to see Wolverine get in that yellow costume for the first time.”

The massive success of Deadpool & Wolverine has helped to heal that wound, though. Wells says he gets a kick out of watching his jokes being performed on the big screen, especially by Reynolds.

“I know that if he said them, he thought they were funny,” he says. “He can rewrite anything he wants, because he’s hilarious. He knows exactly what the character would say. It’s great to feel like I nailed the Deadpool voice.”

Ultimately, while the budgets have grown exponentially, Wells doesn’t see too much difference between the student filming Marvel homages just to make his friends laugh and what he, Reynolds, Jackman, Levy, Reese and Wernick have created.

“You can write funnier jokes if you really love and have affection for the thing you’re making fun of,” he says “That’s a very big Deadpool thing. He’s irreverent and makes fun of a lot of stuff, but there’s a love, respect and knowledge behind what is being made fun of. That’s really why this was such a dream project for me from start to finish.”

ON SCREEN: Deadpool & Wolverine is out now in wide release.

Grossing $438.3 million on opening weekend, Deadpool & Wolverine boasts the eighth-highest opening weekend haul in movie history. Courtesy: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Zeb Wells’ journey to comic book stardom began as a film student at CU Boulder. Courtesy: Zeb Wells

BOULDER COUNTY FAIR

Aug. 7-11. Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont. Price Varies.

Carnival games, music, demolition derby and more await at the 2024 Boulder County Fair. Bid on a prizewinning pie. Judge some sheep. Or just sit in the beer garden and enjoy a cold bevvy and the fried food of your choice.

8

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, HiFi Jones Art Gallery, 209 East Simpson St., Lafayette. $25

Experience a journey with “flashing lights, trippy images and immersive sound.” Your journey begins at HiFi Jones Art Gallery in Old Town Lafayette during this immersive audiovisual experience. Where it ends is anybody’s guess.

9

LAFAYETTE ART NIGHT OUT

5-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, Festival Plaza, 311 S. Public Rd. Lafayette. Free

This always-free event spans two traffic-free blocks downtown. Kaitlyn Williams and Bunny Blake take the stage at 9 p.m., but before that you can enjoy a caricature artist, face painter, balloon artist, magician and live performances from the Center for Musical Art and the Arts HUB.

9

JOIN OR DIE

4 p.m. Aug. 9, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $12

This feature documentary focuses on the current state of American democracy and its evolution over the past 50 years. Robert Putnam explores all this and more through his research on “America’s decades-long decline.”

9

FRIDAY NIGHT WEIRD: CRUMB CATCHER

8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St. $12

The Dairy’s weekly underground cinema showcase continues with Chris Skotchdopole’s directorial debut, Crumb Catcher, a home-invasion thriller about newlyweds whose lives are upended by a pair of unhinged entrepreneurs. Read our roundup of the rest of this month’s Friday Night Weird offerings at bit.ly/FNWAug24.

9

GIRLS, GAYS & THEYS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

8-11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, DV8 Distillery, 2480 49th St., Suite E, Boulder. $22

Throwback vibes and good times abound at this ’80s-themed show presented by Blue Dime Cabaret. This lowbrow, avant-garde troupe promises “ludicrous acts and bawdy characters.” Stick around for a free dance party after the main event.

Band

Taylor Scott Band with el Dolor

Chuck Sitero and Dylan Kober

Bob Barrick

9

WHOSE BEER IS IT ANYWAY?

7-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, Mother Tucker Brewery, 1132 Dillon Road, Unit 4, Louisville. $5-$10 donation

Looking for a little laughter with your libations? Enjoy craft beer and unscripted comedy at Mother Tucker Brewery. Three improv troops will take the stage for unrehearsed and uncensored performances.

9 – 11

BOULDER AFRO-LATIN DANCE WEEKENDER

Aug. 9-11, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, 1750 13th St., Boulder. $25-$100

Put on your dancing shoes and head to the Museum of Boulder for workshops, social dancing and live performances of Cuban and Afro-Cuban varieties by Los Chicos Malos, DJ Jesús Muñoz and the Boulder AfroLatin Dance Team.

10

PRETTY IN PUNK: THE FINAL SHOW

6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave., Suite A, Boulder. $20

Paisley Peach takes the last bow of her burlesque career to close out the Pretty in Punk series at Junkyard Social. Bring some cash to tip her and her friends Daddy Divine, Regal Sin and more. STORY ON P. 17

10

PLANTS & PINTS

2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, Howlin’ Wind Brewing & Blending, 51 A Main St., Rollinsville. $39

Herbalist and wildflower guide Katy Able of Follow the Fox will be on hand to introduce you to the blooms of Boulder County (and teach you a little bit about tree species, pollinators, mushrooms and more). Comfortable shoes, sun protection and water are a must. Afterward, grab a pint or a coffee at Howlin’ Wind Brewery.

10

NIWOT FLOWER FEST

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, Cottonwood Square and 2nd Avenue, Niwot.

Stop and smell the roses. And the peonies. And the daffodils. The first 150 visitors will receive a punch card they can use to collect blooms from businesses in historic downtown Niwot, plus a free vase and flower arranging tips.

13

EVENING HIKE TO WOODS QUARRY WITH A NATURALIST

5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, Chautauqua Park, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $20.50

Enjoy an evening hike on this threemile round-trip trail, taking in stunning Boulder views while learning some history along the way. Woods Quarry provided sandstone for some of Boulder’s most iconic buildings before it closed in the 1920s.

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

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, AUG. 8

ALAN LITTMAN 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

PRAIRIEWOLF WITH UNDERSALE 6 p.m. Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

OLIGARCHY DITCH 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

JACK BROWN HEADS TO COLLEGE BENEFIT 6 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. $10

JT JONES WITH DAN FROELICH. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

HEATER MAE WITH PHOEBE HUNT AND SHANNA IN A DRESS 7 p.m. The Times Collaborative, 338 Main St., Longmont. $23

ANDRES SANTANA WITH RILEY J AND MINTO SPARKS 6 p.m. Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

WILD MOUNTAIN KESH 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

LAURIE & LORRIE. 6:15 p.m. Glen Huntington Bandshell, 1212 Canyon Blvd., Boulder. Free

CINDY SCOTT WITH BRIAN SEEGER 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $30

HUNTER JAMES & THE TITANIC WITH DAVID LAWRENCE & THE SPOONFUL. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $19

LA LOM WITH RITMO CASCABEL 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

RICHARD SMITH 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $30

BLANKSLATE WITH HELLOCENTRAL AND EGO N FRIENDS. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $12

MT. JOY WITH WILDERADO (NIGHT 2). 8 p.m. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $225

THE GOOD KIND 8:30 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A. Boulder. $19

MAGNUM MIKE MUSIC 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. Free

LIONEL YOUNG DUO. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

DIGABLE PLANETS WITH 2MX2 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $35

MT. JOY WITH RICHY MITCH & THE COAL MINERS (NIGHT 1). 8 p.m. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $175

NIIMA PROJECT 9 p.m. Southern Sun, 627 S. Broadway St., Boulder. Free FRIDAY, AUG. 9

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOLKS FESTIVAL (DAY 1) Noon. Planet Bluegrass, 500 W. Main St., Lyons. $95+ BW PICK OF THE WEEK

RICKIE LEE JONES 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $35

MOLLY HATCHET WITH FULLY BELLY 5:30 p.m. Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824, Front St., Louisville. Free

RAVIN’ WOLF 6 p.m. Very Nice Brewing Co., 180 Jankowski Drive, Black Hawk. Free

JANE & MATTHEWS. 9 p.m. The Courtyard, 836 Main St., Louisville. $7

SATURDAY, AUG. 10

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOLKS FESTIVAL (DAY 2) Noon. Planet Bluegrass, 500 W. Main St., Lyons. $95+

ROCK & REUSE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES 11 a.m. Resource Central, 6400 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. Free

TAYLOR SHAE BAND 3 p.m. Boulder County Fair, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont. Free

THE BRAMBLERS 6 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

DOC HAZE 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

HOUSE BLEND 2024 6 p.m. The Old Oak Coffeehouse, 136 Second Ave., Niwot. Free

THE JOE COOL BAND 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

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

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE BILL

Festival season continues on the Front Range with the return of Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, Aug. 9-11 at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons. Psych-soul royalty Brittany Howard headlines Sunday, following the release of her genre-smashing new LP What Now, out now via Island Records. See listing for details

PRETTY IN PUNK: THE FINAL SHOW 6:45 p.m. Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave., Suite A, Boulder. $20 STORY ON P. 17

CHARLES BLENZIG WITH SIMPLE MATH 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

DREAM OF TIME WITH TINY TOMBOY AND AVENDETTA 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $19

JEANETTE WITH STREIGHT 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

CARD CATALOG WITH BURY MIA AND DAYSHAPER 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15 STORY ON P. 14

SUNDAY, AUG. 11

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOLKS FESTIVAL (DAY 3) Noon. Planet Bluegrass, 500 W. Main St., Lyons. $95+

LOCO UKULELE JAM. 2 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

HOW ABOUT NO. 3 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

WINDY PINES 4 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

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

BRUCE HORNSBY & THE NOISEMAKERS 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $48

CHUCK SITERO WITH DYLAN KOBER 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

MONDAY, AUG. 12

JOSS STONE WITH NIK WEST

7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $53 STORY ON P. 15

TUESDAY, AUG. 13

LIVE MUSIC AT ROSETTA HALL 7 p.m. Rosetta Hall, 1109 Walnut St., Boulder. Free

MOLLY TUTTLE WITH GOLDEN HIGHWAY. 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $33

ALICE COOPER 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $83

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14

BLACK DOG 6 p.m. Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. Free

FIRESIDE COLLECTIVE WITH TONEWOOD STRING BAND 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $21

A GIANT DOG WITH CHEAP PERFUME AND BLOOD OATH 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $20

BILL MCKAY BAND. 9 p.m. Southern Sun, 627 S. Broadway, Boulder. Free

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Legend tells us that the first person to drink tea was Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BCE. As he lounged outdoors, tree leaves fell into his cup of water and accidentally created an infusion. Good for him that he was willing to sample that accidental offering. It took many centuries, but eventually tea drinking spread throughout the world. And yet the first tea bag, an icon of convenience, didn’t become available until 1904. I don’t expect you will have to wait anywhere near that long to move from your promising new discoveries to the highly practical use of those discoveries. In fact, it could happen quickly. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to ripen your novel ideas, stellar insights and breakthrough innovations.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): I hope that in the coming months, Taurus, you will be refining your skills with joy and vigor. I hope you will devote yourself to becoming even more masterful at activities you already do well. I hope you will attend lovingly to details and regard discipline as a high art — as if doing so is the most important gift you can give to life. To inspire you in these noble quests, I offer you a quote by stage magician Harry Blackstone Jr.: “Practice until it becomes boring, then practice until it becomes beautiful.”

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Wohlweh is a German word that means “good pain” or “pleasurable pain.” It might refer to the feeling you have while scratching a mosquito bite or rubbing your eyes when they’re itchy from allergies. But my favorite use of the word occurs when describing a deep-tissue massage that may be a bit harrowing even as it soothes you and provides healing. That’s a great metaphor for the kind of wohlweh I expect for you in the coming days. Here’s a tip: The less you resist the strenuous “therapy,” the better you will feel.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): I earn my living as a writer now, but for many years I had to work odd jobs to keep from starving. One of the most challenging was tapping the sap of Vermont maple trees during the frigid weather of February. Few trees produce more than three gallons of sap per day, and it takes 40 to 50 gallons to create a single gallon of maple syrup. It was hard work that required a great deal of patience. According to my analysis, you Cancerians are in a metaphorically comparable situation these days. To get the good results you want, you may have to generate a lot of raw material — and that could take a while. Still, I believe that in the end, you will think the strenuous effort has been well worth it.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): I love the fact that Antarctica doesn’t belong to anyone. Thirty nations have research stations there, but none of them control what happens. Antarctica has no government! It has a few laws that almost everyone obeys, like a ban on the introduction of non-indigenous plants and animals. But mostly, it’s untouched and untamed. Much of its geology is uncharted. Inspired by this singular land, I’d love for you to enjoy a phase of wild sovereignty and autonomy in the coming weeks. What can you do to express yourself with maximum freedom, answering primarily to the sacred laws of your own ardent nature?

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Babylonia was an ancient empire located in what’s now Syria, Iraq and Iran. Among its citizens, there was a common belief that insomnia was the result of intrusive visitations by ancestral spirits. Their urge to communicate made it hard for their descendants to sleep. One supposed cure was to take dead relatives’ skulls into bed, lick them and hold them close. I don’t recommend this practice to you, Virgo. But I do advise you to consult with the spirits of deceased family members in the coming weeks. I suspect they have a lot to tell you. At the very least, I hope you will explore how you might benefit from studying and pondering your ancestors’ lives.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Libran tennis player Naomi Osaka is one of the highest-paid women athletes ever. She is also a staunch political activist. That blend of qualities is uncommon. Why do I bring this to your attention? Because now is an excellent time to synergize your pragmatic devotion to financial success with idealistic work on behalf of noble causes. Doing both of these activities with extra intensity will place you in alignment with cosmic rhythms — even more so if you can manage to coordinate them.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Scorpio actor Sally Field told a story about an agent who worked for her early in her career. In those formative years, all her roles were on TV. But she aspired to expand her repertoire. “You aren’t good enough for movies,” the agent told her. She fired him, and soon she was starring in films. Let’s make this a teaching story for you, Scorpio. In the coming months, you will be wise to surround yourself with influences that support and encourage you. If anyone persistently underestimates you, they should not play a prominent role in your life’s beautiful drama.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): One Sagittarius I know is building a giant sculpture of a humpback whale. Another Sagittarius is adding a woodshop studio onto her house so she can fulfill her dream of crafting and selling fine furniture. Of my other Sagittarius acquaintances, one is writing an epic narrative poem in Greek, another is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Northern California to the Columbia River in northern Oregon, and another has embarked on a long-postponed pilgrimage to Nigeria, the place of her ancestors’ origin. Yes, many Sagittarians I know are thinking expansively, daring spicy challenges and attempting fun feats. Are you contemplating comparable adventures? Now is an excellent time for them.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): When I opened my fortune cookie, I found a message that read, “If you would just shut up, you could hear God’s voice.” In response, I laughed, then got very quiet. I ruminated on how I express myself a lot. I’m constantly and enthusiastically riffing on ideas that are exciting to me. So I took the fortune cookie oracle to heart: I stopped talking and writing for two days. I retreated into a quiescent stillness and listened to other humans, animals and the natural world. Forty-five hours into the experiment, I did indeed hear God’s voice. She said, “Thanks for making space to hear me. I love you and want you to thrive.” She expounded further, providing me with three interesting clues that have proved to be helpful in practical ways. In accordance with your astrological omens, Capricorn, I invite you to do what I did.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Scientists at the University of California devised a cheap and fast method for unboiling an egg. Their effort wasn’t frivolous. They were working with principles that could be valuable in treating certain cancers. Now I’m inviting you to experiment with metaphorical equivalents of unboiling eggs, Aquarius. You are in a phase when you will have extra power to undo results you’re bored with or unsatisfied with. Your key words of power will be reversal, unfastening, unlocking and disentangling.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Every week, I imbibe all the honey from an eight-ounce jar, mostly in my cups of hot tea. To create that treat for me, bees made a million visits to flowers, collecting nectar. I am very grateful. The work I do has similarities to what the bees do. I’m constantly gathering oracular ideas, meditating on the astrological signs and contemplating what inspirational messages my readers need to hear. This horoscope may not be the result of a million thoughts, but the number is large. What’s the equivalent in your life, Pisces? What creative gathering and processing do you do? Now is a good time to revise, refine and deepen your relationship with it.

SAVAGE LOVE

I’m a 26-year-old cisgender woman who works from home. I’m going on a business trip later this month. I’ll be sharing a room with one other person. Thing is, I snore. Should I tell my roommate before going to sleep on the first night so they can prepare? Maybe buy some earplugs or something if needed? Or am I overthinking this?

— Seeking Notes On Respectful Etiquette

I don’t think this is a Savage Love question.

But I appreciate everyone who sends me a question, SNORE, so here’s some advice for you: Tell the person you’re bunking with about your snoring before the trip so they can buy some earplugs and/or make a case to your bosses for private rooms. As a courtesy, SNORE, you should also pack some earplugs and offer them to your roommate.

My very good friend is a gay man with extreme sexual interests involving domination, submission and body modifications. He worries he will never meet his “dream sub” because he wants to partner with a man who is willing to undergo a “nulloplasty” and become his personal “nullo.” (A “nullo” is a cisgender man who has had his penis and testicles surgically removed.) I suggested he could expand his pool of potential partners by dating trans gay men who haven’t had bottom surgery. He would not consider it. While he agrees that trans men are men and many trans men are his type, his dream sub is cis man willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for him and “give up” his genitals. I think he might have more luck finding someone if he was at least open to the idea of dating one of the many gay trans men active in the large kink community in the city where he lives. Am I correct?

BY DAN SAVAGE

ing to indulge your friend’s fantasies during role play than there are cis gay men willing to have their cocks and balls surgically removed to give their boyfriend a thrill. Even controlling for differing population sizes — there are a lot more cis gay men than there are trans gay men — I’m guessing there are fewer gay cis men willing to “sacrifice” their cocks and balls than trans gay men willing to indulge a fucking freak in fucked up dirty talk.

Whether your friend dates cis gay men or trans gay men, he needs to bear in mind that what he’s asking — from the universe, from a future potential partner — is huge.

There are cis men out there who want, for their own reasons, to undergo the nullification process. But the wannabe nullo population is a tiny one, TUS. And even if your friend were to find someone, surely that’s not the only thing your friend wants out of (or off of) the man that he marries. Presumably the guy of his dreams would also be someone he was attracted to emotionally, someone who wanted the same things from life, etc. Relationships, while enhanced by sexual fantasies, are more than sexual fantasies. Look, there’s no settling down without settling for. When it comes to extreme kinks like your friend’s kink, the best someone can hope for is a partner willing to engage in a little role play. Role playing a scenario this extreme is going to be a challenge for most people, TUS, so if your friend finds a guy who’s willing to pretend he’s a nullo for him, your friend should regard that not just as a win, but as a miracle.

P.S. A cis gay man can just easily indulge your friend’s fantasy during role play as a trans gay man. Cis men can tuck it, as drag queens have been demonstrating for years, and as that one Olympic pole vaulter learned recently.

— The Ultimate Sacrifice

Now that’s a Savage Love question. There’s not much data on this, but I’m guessing there are more gay trans men on this planet who might be will-

Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan. Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love

AUGUST 9 Performance XOXO: Performance, love and affection @ East Window, 7- 9 pm

AUGUST 10 ARTMAKERS 10 Art Workshop “Making Paper People” @ NoBo Art Center, 1 - 4 pm

AUGUST 16 Fridays for Free Palestine! Screen & Block Printing @ Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center 4- 8 pm

AUGUST 21 Impermanence by Marco Corvo: Short film screening + artist talk @ Kin Studio + Gallery, 7- 8 pm

EAT

DRINK

ENJOY

GROCERY STORE STAYCATION

You don’t have to travel to participate in the latest TikTok trend — but your taste buds do

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

I’ll always have Paris.

Sure, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame and the boats on the Seine were entertaining enough. But the best memories and photos from my family’s visit to Paris involved sightseeing. The sites we loved seeing were cheese shops, bakeries, chocolatiers and produce shops in our arrondissement.

The real eye-opener was maneuvering through a gleaming two-story Parisian supermarket with its altar of ripe cheeses. The store’s “American” section featured peanut butter and PopTarts.

We even enjoyed the condescending looks from the Parisian shoppers. Some scowled and others helped the bumbling American tourists trying to get by with limited French vocabulary. It was a great taste of that place.

I’ve always ignored tourist traps and bravely made a beeline for supermarkets where the locals shopped. My travel photos are food photos, so I smiled when I read that one of July’s viral trends on TikTok was “grocery store tourism.”

Users of the social media platform started posting videos they shot in supermarkets around the world, mainly gawking at the odd potato chip flavors and marveling at the prices, packaging and food items they could not imagine anyone consuming.

A viral video posted by user marissainchina from Malaysia included this comment: “This may be controversial, but I think that the best thing to do while traveling is going to the grocery store.”

Another TikTok included this bold stance: “Checking out the grocery stores in different countries is sightseeing.”

Watching the videos made it obvious these young travelers were visiting supermarkets the same way they

enjoyed Meow Wolf and other immersive experiences. The noodle aisle is just another cool destination in the multiverse.

Thankfully, you don’t need to update your passport, deal with DIA and a 15-hour flight to find TikTok-worthy grocery stores to explore. Hiding in plain sight behind Colorado’s boring beige suburban facade is an amazing roster of globally-influenced grocery stores well worth visiting.

Check out the following Boulder flavors: Middle Eastern/Afghani (Silk Road Grill and Market), South American (Cuji Foods), Indian (India’s Grocery), Mexican (La Loma Carniceria); Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese (Asian Food Market), and French and European (Le Frigo).

You can find other small international grocery stores and bakeries in Longmont, Lafayette and Louisville.

One Longmont destination is already a TikTok fav, especially on hot summer days. The legendary Cheese Importers is two floors of French and European goods, foods and wines. The highlight is a huge, refrigerated room lined with cheeses and charcuterie from across the globe. Parkas are available for shoppers who get chilly.

WORLDS BEYOND BOULDER

To get lost in more expansive global supermarket worlds, leave your preconceptions behind and travel only 20 to 45 minutes from Boulder. Here are just three of my favorites:

Mi Pueblo Market

9171 Washington St., Thornton

This large combination grocery store, eatery and bakery will open your mind to a wide world of Mexican, Caribbean and Central American ingredients. Highlights include a huge

produce department with cut tropical fruits and tons of jicama and fresh and dried chilies.

An impressive cut-to-order meat department is next to dairy cases full of cheeses, crema and prepared salsas specific to Salvadoran cuisine. I get mesmerized by the tortilleria in action and I always leave with pineapple empanadas. The market also stocks Mexican fútbol jerseys. Most (but not all) signs and labels are in English and Spanish.

GW (Great Wall) Supermarket

6600 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield

I get lost among the colors and aromas in this mega-market’s produce department and amid the cool melons, durian, yams and 12 varieties of bok choy. There are endless aisles of savory sauces, oils, vinegars and endless oddly flavored candies, crackers and cookies. There is an entire department dedicated to kimchi.

Most (but not all) signs and labels are in one of several Asian languages as well as English, but you may encounter language lost in translation. “Chicken floss,” for example, turned out to be pulled or shredded chicken.

Arash International Market

2720 S. Parker Road, Aurora

Arash is a colorful, mind-blowing food hub where locals from across the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa shop rub shoulders in search of flatbreads, dates, fresh feta cheese, a multitude of olives and halal meats.

This is where I find my favorite tart cherry preserves.

DON’T MISS

Your TikTok tourism itinerary should also spotlight the following: H Mart, the huge Asian supermarkets in Westminster and Aurora; Lowe’s Mercado, the Central American superstore in Denver; Pacific Mercantile Company, Denver’s venerable Japanese-oriented market; Viet Hoa Supermarket, Lakewood’s Southeast Asian grocery store; and Solomon’s Grocery & European Deli in Aurora.

NEVER TIKTOK TOURIST ALONE

You can’t wander the aisles of these local stores without acknowledging the other shoppers and the presence of so many immigrant communities in Colorado. The shelves wouldn’t be filled with these foods unless there were folks originally from Ukraine, Honduras, Indonesia and Ethiopia eager to buy them.

When you visit, always bring friends and plan for a tasting party afterwards. Kids will notice cool things on the lower shelves. You’ll see items you have to point out, like the tasty matcha tea and fig-centered Oreo thin cookies I found at Great Wall Supermarket.

I also went home with a mysterious sweet I thought was caramel only to discover it was hard candies flavored with sweetened condensed milk. I enjoyed them with a cup of espresso — it was like sipping a Vietnamese coffee.

Great Wall Supermarket in Broomfield (left) and Mi Pueblo Market in Thornton. Credit: John Lehndorff

NIBBLES

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: CHECK OUT SOUL FOOD

The cafe on the bridge at the main Boulder Public Library now offers Puerto Rican fare and soul food by Rae’s Catering on Thursdays and Sundays.

The world’s first butter bar, Bella Crema Butter Shop, has reopened at 931 Main St. in Longmont.

Amazin Glaze Donuts is open at 1801 Hover St. in Longmont.

Dedalus, the Boulder food and wine shop, has closed at 1825 Pearl St. (formerly Cured).

In August, customers at Boulderborn Illegal Pete’s locations can immerse themselves in burritos wrapped in a portilla (porTEE-yah) — a tiedyed tortilla resulting from a collaboration with Denver’s Meow Wolf

CULINARY CALENDAR: LONGMONT RESTAURANT WEEK

The revamped Longmont Restaurant Week is scheduled for Oct. 4-13. Eateries can find details at longmontrestaurantweek.com.

Boulder Taco Fest is Aug. 10 in the downtown Boulder Civic Area. Tickets: bouldertacofest.com

After a hiatus, Boulder’s Taste of Orthodoxy is back Sept. 6-8. The festival celebrating Greek food, dance, music is at Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church, 5640 Jay Road.

WORDS TO CHEW ON: FREEZE PEACH SEASON

“An apple is an excellent thing — until you have tried a peach.”

— Novelist George du Maurier

John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles and Kitchen Table Talk on KGNU. Podcasts: kgnu.org/category/radio-nibbles

The Portilla from Illegal Pete’s. Credit: Illegal Pete’s Colorado peaches. Credit: John Lehndorff

ON DRUGS

DRUGS AND DEFORESTATION

How cocaine trafficking — and efforts to fight it — threaten Central American forests

BY AMANDA D. RODEWALD THE CONVERSATION

Activities associated with cocaine trafficking threaten two-thirds of the most important landscapes in Central America for 196 forest bird species, including 67 migratory species. This is the key takeaway from a study that colleagues and I published in June 2024 in the journal Nature Sustainability

Our findings suggest there is real potential for drug-related deforestation to negatively affect populations of migratory birds. For 1 in 5 migratory species that travel to Central American forests annually, including familiar birds like the Baltimore oriole, more than 50% of their global population winters in areas that are becoming more attractive to traffickers. For half of migratory species, at least 25% of their populations winter in these areas.

As examples, an estimated 90% of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler population spends winters in these vulnerable landscapes, along with 70% of Philadelphia vireos and 70% of golden-winged warblers.

WHY IT MATTERS

Nearly half of Earth’s migratory bird

The illicit drug trade is a major driver of forest loss in Central America. Drug traffickers cut down tropical forests to create landing strips and roads, and to establish farms and ranches. They use these businesses to launder their profits into the legal economy.

These activities, in turn, often lead to further forest loss, development and criminal activities. In some Central American countries, so-called narcodeforestation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all deforestation.

A growing body of evidence suggests that current drug policies and interdiction strategies, which focus almost exclusively on drug suppliers, are making narco-deforestation worse. Traffickers may respond to interdiction efforts by shifting activities to more remote and intact forested areas — zones that are especially important for wildlife.

through the year, and to diagnose and mitigate key threats to bird populations. In our study, we combined eBird data on bird abundance and distribution with previously published information on changes in the likelihood that landscapes would experience cocaine trafficking in the future. We summarized these changes as a measure of “suitability” for drug-related activities.

Suitability, in this case, was estimated from social and environmental features that have been shown to be attractive to narco traffickers. For example, areas that are forested, far from roads and sparsely populated are more likely to conceal activities than heavily used areas near towns.

WHAT’S NEXT

Credit: Kati

species are declining, and 1 in 5 species are at risk of extinction. Since 1970, North America alone has lost 3 billion breeding birds — more than 25% of its total population. Birds perform many important ecological roles, including eating insects, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds, and their presence often is a reliable measure of the overall health of an ecosystem.

Indeed, one recent study showed that U.S.-led interdiction efforts within the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor — a patchwork of protected areas that runs from Mexico to Panama — pushed traffickers into zones with the highest densities of jaguars in Central America.

HOW WE DID OUR WORK

More than 1 million birdwatchers have submitted data to eBird, a global participatory science initiative that collects observations to document bird distribution, abundance, habitat use and trends. This information helps scientists understand in detail how numbers of birds in particular locations change

Our study adds to existing evidence that drug interdiction efforts may push trafficking activities into increasingly remote and forested areas, many of which provide important habitat for migrating birds. Narco-trafficking is just one reminder that the futures of humans and nature are tightly intertwined.

To avert negative consequences, governments could strengthen measures to help local communities monitor and protect their land. Research shows that community control often is an effective way to conserve natural areas, reduce poverty and protect wildlife.

Amanda D. Rodewald is a professor of natural resources at Cornell University. The Conversation is an independent, nonprofit newsroom.

Baltimore orioles like this one — a male pictured at Bentsen State Park in Mission, Texas breed in eastern and central North America, then migrate south to wintering grounds in Florida, the Caribbean and Central America.

Fleming