Boulder Weekly 10.17.2024 by Boulder Weekly

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COMMENTARY

OPINION

VOTE ‘YES’ ON PROP 127

BY ELAINE LESLIE, DAVID JENNINGS, DELIA MALONE AND JULIE MARSHALL

The science of mountain lions related to Prop 127 has been well put to bed by our most trusted public and private conservation biologists of Colorado, alongside our best and brightest independent higher education carnivore researchers.

A “yes” on Prop 127 protects mountain lions and bobcats from trophy hunti and fur trapping.

Opposition is suggesting that we need to kill unoffending wild cats as population control. But last week, retired state carnivore biologist Jerry Apker reported to NPR and The Denver Post that once we approve Prop 127, mountain lion populations will be stable and not increase. He called fears of lions running amok to decimate deer “farfetched.”

We appreciate Apker’s commitment to science, which is precisely what proponents of Prop 127 support.

There is no research or evidence to suggest killing hundreds of lions — animals who have done nothing wrong — solves any true management need. It

OCT. 17, 2024

Volume 32, Number 9

COVER: Perpetual Remains by Al Hubbard

PUBLISHER: Francis J. Zankowski

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shay Castle

ARTS EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray

REPORTERS: Kaylee Harter, Tyler Hickman

FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Claire Cleveland, David Jennings, Natalie Kerr, Elaine Leslie, Delia Malone, Julie Marshall, Dan Savage, Alan Sculley

SALES AND MARKETING

MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Kellie Robinson

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Matthew Fischer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Chris Allred, Tony Camarda

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

Got a different take? Send it to us: letters@boulderweekly.com

neither reduces human-lion conflict nor prevents depredations, and it will not make humans wandering in the woods or pets at home any safer than they already are.

It’s what 22 wildlife scientists — including Dr. Barry R. Noon, Ph.D., professor emeritus of the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University, and three former top scientists with the National Park Service — say: The choice to kill mountain lions as recreation primarily for collecting heads and hides (trophies) is managing the resource (lions) for trophy collections, a vastly different paradigm than managing lions for ecological value and broad public benefit.

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-holds-barred 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. 1495 Canyon Boulevard, Suite CO 1, Boulder, CO 80302 Phone: 303.494.5511, FAX: 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com

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.

OPINION

Ample evidence exists that killing unoffending lions can and does exacerbate depredation incidents by removing trophy lions who have coexisted without conflict.

Trophy hunting native wild cats is both “unscientific and unethical,” explains Dan Ashe, the former director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife in his recent expert analysis of Prop 127 published in Colorado Newsline

According to state data, trophy hunters kill 500 mountain lions each year in Colorado, on average. Last year, fur trappers killed more than 900 bobcats.

It is a fringe activity, as just 2,000 (0.3%) Coloradans and 500 non-residents ever buy a license, and 700 (0.1%) buy a fur trapping permit.

Outfitters charge $8,000 to wealthy clients, chauffeuring them as they follow a phone app connected to GPS dog collars to where the cat is pinned, for a widely advertised guaranteed kill. This unfair, high-tech commercial advantage is far afield from anything resembling ethical hunting.

Opponents claim trophy hunting is illegal — but it’s a term the industry itself uses. A 2025 hunt in Colorado advertises use of GPS-collared dogs to “catch your cat” and precisely locate where the dogs “treed your trophy.”

Remember, these are not animals in conflict, but living as nature prescribes to keep our herds and habitats healthy from disease and ensure equilibrium.

Prop 127 puts professionals in charge to handle individual lions posing risk — the only proven effective way to prevent conflict.

More evidence is in California, where trophy hunting has been banned for over 52 years. Lion populations are stable, not increasing, and just 15 lions are killed each year for livestock predation. That’s remarkably low given the 40 million people who live in the No. 1 agriculture-producing state.

It’s difficult for agency staff to admit when an unpopular form of recreation clearly crosses the line into cruelty, due to pressure from outfitters to place their commercial profits ahead of science and welfare standards for wildlife.

About 30 years ago, Colorado Division of Wildlife lead predator biologist, Tom Beck, an avid ethical hunter, spoke out bravely against baiting and hounding of Colorado bears, which orphaned cubs. Together, we voted to affirm our ethical values and ended these practices.

Today, we have this same opportunity to recommit to what is right. As Beck said, most — but not all — hunting can be defended.

A Colorado State University independent academic study shows 88% of us do not approve of hounding or trophy hunting lions. If we follow the science and our moral compass to vote “yes” on Prop 127, we will end state-sanctioned cruelty before it restarts around

Image credit: dh Reno

HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY

BENEFITING EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THE DAIRY ARTS CENTER COSTUME PARADE AT 1:15 PM

OPINION

Thanksgiving, which is when the trophy hunting season begins. Visit catsarenttrophies.org to learn more.

Elaine Leslie, PhD, is former chief of biological resources for the U.S. National Park Service.

David Jennings, PhD, is a working conservation biologist and coexistence advocate.

Delia Malone works as an ecologist with the Colorado Natural Heritage

Program. She serves as wildlife chair for the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club and is a member of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Wildlife and Habitat Roundtable.

Julie Marshall previously worked as a public information officer for Colorado Division of Wildlife. She works for Animal Wellness Action, a core member among 100 organizations supporting Prop 127.

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

VOTE GUIDE 2024

Or navigate to these handy 5-minute guides to:

• State + County candidates: bit.ly/BoCoCandidates24

• Boulder ballot issues: bit.ly/BoulderBallot24

• Longmont + Lyons-area ballot issues: bit.ly/LongmontLyons24

• Louisville City Council candidates: bit.ly/LouisvilleWard1VG

• Superior Town Board candidates + sales tax measure: bit.ly/SuperiorVG24

• Lafayette ballot issues: bit.ly/LafayetteBallot24

• Erie Town Council candidates + ballot issues: bit.ly/ErieBallots24

Image credit: dh Reno

GOV’T WATCH

What your local officials are up to this week

BY TYLER HICKMAN

CITY OF BOULDER

On Oct. 17, council will:

• Hold a second and final public hearing on the city’s 2025 budget. Boulder’s planned spending for next year is $589.5 million, including $190.2 million in capital investment projects. If no changes are made, council will vote to approve the budget.

On Oct. 24, council will:

• Discuss its 2025 federal and state lobbying agenda.

• Review a recent update to Police Oversight Panel bylaws. On Sept. 9, the panel unanimously approved updates that allow for earlier public comment on cases, the creation of ad-hoc committees, allowance for emergency or special meetings and suspension of bylaws.

BOULDER COUNTY

On Oct. 22, commissioners will:

• Hold a public hearing for Boulder County’s proposed 2025 budget. The recommended budget stands at $644.4 million, $8.6 million less than in 2024.

This budget decrease includes a $4 million cut in funds for local social service providers in 2025. The money, distributed via grants, help fund homelessness services, mental health programs and housing support.

Commissioners can still make adjustments to next year’s budget, and plan to hold a Nov. 14 work session before adopting the final budget in December.

On Oct. 24, commissioners will:

• Hold a public hearing and vote on the Boulder to Erie Regional Trail (BERT), an 8.5-mile multi-use trail connecting the two municipalities. This item was rescheduled from an Oct. 10 meeting.

LONGMONT CITY COUNCIL

On Oct. 15, council:

• Held an informal discussion on raising the local minimum wage. Several council members, including Mayor Joan Peck, voiced that wages should be higher, but they would wait to address the issue in 2025. Read more: bit.ly/MinimumWageBW.

LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL

On Oct. 15, council:

• Approved the 2025 budget, which calls for $121.5 million in city spending, a 7% increase over 2024.

LOUISVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION

On Oct. 10, the commission:

• Passed a series of ordinance changes to comply with state law surrounding the supervised use of natural medicines (psilocybin, etc.) at licensed facilities. Local jurisdictions cannot prohibit such centers; however, municipalities can regulate the time, place and manner of operation of these businesses. City council will take a preliminary vote on this matter Nov. 4, with a public hearing and final vote scheduled for Dec. 3.

LOUISVILLE CITY COUNCIL

On Oct. 15, council:

• Approved the development of 15-single family homes and 21 townhomes on 3.69 acres south of the city between the railway line and Courtesy Road. The city’s Historic Preservation Commision approved demolition of a number of buildings on this site in 2023, clearing the way for this “urban neighborhood” application.

• Gave direction on the city manager’s proposed $88.2 million operating and capital budget for 2025. This forms a large part of the full city budget, to be considered for approval and adoption at the Nov. 4 meeting.

This report has been edited for print. Find the full version at bit.ly/GovtWatch Oct.17

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

HELP WANTED

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Quality Assurance/Automation Engineer (P3) (20637.2668): Debugs software products through the use of systemic tests to develop, apply, and maintain quality standards for company products. Salary: $123157 - $165,100 per year, 40 hours per week.

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Workday pay ranges vary based on work location and recruiters can share more during the hiring process. As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus, as well as annual refresh stock grants. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, skills, future potential and internal pay parity. For more information regarding Workday’s comprehensive benefits, please go to workday.com/ en-us/company/careers/life-atworkday.html

Interested applicants submit resumes by mail to: J. Thurston at Workday, Inc., 6110 Stoneridge Mall Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Must reference job title and job code.

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BOCO, BRIEFLY

Your local news at a glance

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

LOCAL NAACP, CITY OF BOULDER CLASH OVER POLICE CHIEF PICK

The City of Boulder revealed Oct. 16 that it filed a complaint to the national NAACP in September after a local branch of the organization “threatened” to release a transcript of a meeting with City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde and the city’s newly appointed police chief, Stephen Redfearn. An excerpt of that transcript was published by the NAACP in an Oct. 11 statement.

The Boulder County NAACP statement criticized Redfearn’s September appointment and called him “demonstrably antiBlack” and “dangerously culturally incompetent.” The group has previously called for his resignation, in part because of his involvement the night of 23-year-old Elijah McClain’s killing. (Read more: bit.ly/BoulderNAACPBW)

at me.” James responded by saying Redfearn was “tone-policing” her: “This is the kind of thing that white police do when they shoot Black people, right?”

“It is extraordinary for any police officer in the year 2024 to be this incompetent, let alone promoted to a position where lives are at stake,” the release said.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Boulder officials responded by saying the NAACP transcript was “incomplete …. misleading” and recorded without the city’s knowledge in violation of an agreement signed by all in attendance. A copy of the agreement was provided; the city did not provide a transcript.

According to the transcript of the July meeting, Redfearn told NAACP branch president Annett James, “You’re smirking

According to the city’s release, a “disrespectful” exchange between Redfearn and NAACP member Darren O’Connor preceded Redfearn’s exchange with James. In it, Redfearn “shared his experience of being outed as a gay man during his time with the Aurora Police Department and the impact this experience had on

him.” O’Connor responded by saying “that he doesn’t really care who Chief Redfearn ‘sticks his (expletive) in.’”

The city’s release also said O’Connor and James “threatened” to release the recording of the July meeting if Redfearn was selected as police chief.

In the release, Rivera-Vandermyde called the organization’s actions “unethical and unacceptable.”

“I am proud of how Chief Redfearn has conducted himself amid the Boulder County NAACP’s concerns,” she said, “and I stand by my decision to appoint him to this important leadership position in our community.”

BOULDER APPROVES MINIMUM WAGE HIKE; FINAL VOTE COMING IN NOVEMBER

The City of Boulder is set to see a higher minimum wage in 2025 after city council approved an ordinance setting the hourly pay at $15.57 for 2025. That’s 9.5% above the planned state minimum wage of $14.81 for 2025, but still the lowest of five local minimums in the state.

Earlier this year, Boulder County implemented a $15.69 wage (which will be $16.57 in 2025), and Denver’s 2025 wage is set at $18.81. The city began exploring an increased wage alongside Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville and Erie earlier this year amid rising costs of living, but the City of Boulder is the only municipality moving forward with the increase for the time being. Opponents of raising the wage have said it would put too big of a burden on small businesses and would prompt layoffs.

Council member Lauren Folkerts initially proposed a $16.58 per hour minimum wage, which would have put Boulder at 15% over the state minimum, with the goal of matching Denver’s wage by 2027. That proposal was voted down 5-4. Council unanimously approved the $15.57 wage.

IN OTHER NEWS…

• CU Boulder has appointed commander John Monahan to the role of interim police chief, after former chief Doreen Jokerst resigned in August after accepting the chief of police position in Overland Park, Kansas. Monahan has been with the department since August 2023 and previously spent 27 years with the police department in Mundelein, Illinois. University spokesperson Christine Mahoney said the search for the permanent chief will begin soon with a “thorough, national search to identify the best candidates to lead CUPD and serve the unique needs of the diverse campus community.”

• Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) announced it will give substitute teachers $1,000 bonuses for every 30 days worked after BVSD Superintendent Rob Anderson assured substitute teachers last month the district would raise their pay after cutting it by $25 per day in July, drawing outrage and concern from subs in the district. The bonus equates to an extra $33 per day, but is only paid at 30-day increments, according to the letter sent to substitutes.

Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

NoCo Child Care Summit unites providers, advocates to tackle growing gaps

BY ANDREA STEFFES-TUTTLE

Childcare providers, activists, experts and policymakers across Boulder, Weld and Larimer counties gathered at the Longmont Museum last month for the first-ever Northern Colorado Child Care Innovation Summit. The event was held in an effort to connect resources across county lines to share insights and collaborate to solve the childcare crisis in northern Colorado.

“There aren’t enough places to access childcare, not enough affordable options for families, and our childcare workforce is in dire straits,” said Kaycee Headrick, director of the Early Childhood Council of Boulder County. “We need to create a space to bring multiple industries together and elected officials to not just talk about problems but to talk about the solutions.”

‘CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE A LUXURY’

The availability of care, specifically for infants and toddlers, is sparse in northern Colorado: 18.1% of the infants in Boulder County who need care can get it, according to members of the three early childhood councils who were present at the summit.

Even if they can find it, the cost makes childcare inaccessible to many parents. The average cost of child care in Boulder County is 25% more than the cost of child care in neighboring counties and, according to several presenters, many families pay significantly more than the average. The yearly cost of child care in Boulder County is equivalent to one year of instate college tuition.

There are subsidies, but many families who are eligible to take advantage of the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) can’t because the funding has been frozen. Funding for the program is insufficient; American Rescue Plan

Act funds have supported the program since 2021, and those expired last month. Data shared at the summit showed that in Boulder County, there are 3,281 children eligible for CCCAP and only 629 children who are currently able to access the program.

“There are far too many families in these counties and in every county in America whose decision of how many children they want to have is not determined by their desires and not determined by the issue of whether they can have those children,” said Elliott Haspel, a nationally recognized child and family policy expert. “It is determined by the question of, ‘Can I find and afford childcare?’

“Children should not be a luxury good.”

MORE SUPPORT REQUIRED

The U.S. spends roughly $500 per child each year on care, according to a New York Times report, most of it on families below the poverty line. That is the lowest among 15 countries named in the report, including Israel ($3,327, or 6.7 times U.S. per-child spending), Chile ($8,450 or 17 times), Slovenia ($11,664 or 23 times) and leader Norway ($29,726 or 59.5 times).

“It is unconscionable,” said Christina Taylor, CEO of the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, in response to an audience question about federal funding for child care.

“We need to fundamentally reposition how we think about child care,” Haspel added, “as a social issue and not as an issue of personal responsibility.”

Lyle Smith of NoCo Works, a regional coalition focused on workforce development, talked about the organization’s work to address the three primary barriers to people getting and keeping employment — childcare, housing and transportation.

The work of the essential infrastructure committee at NoCo Works is focused on

Source: Early Childhood Councils of Boulder, Larimer and Weld counties

answering the question, “How do we help the community think about childcare and housing as essential infrastructure?” Smith suggested that if the public could reimagine child care as essential, more funding would be available.

‘THIS IS ONE STEP’

Colorado has recently started to respond to the child care crisis with more public funding. In 2022, the state established the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, which helped to facilitate the Universal Pre-K program for families across Colorado, offering 15 hours of state-funded child care per week for kids before they enter kindergarten.

During the summit’s legislative panel, Representative Lorena Garcia discussed HB24-1312, which she sponsored. The legislation provides a tax credit to employees in the care economy and is intended to support teachers in early childhood education.

In St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD), the P-TEACH program has partnered with CU Denver to offer a federally approved apprenticeship program to train and educate early childhood educators, offering young people a more accessible pathway toward a degree.

In a presentation about regional solutions, educator and researcher Tim Waters presented the work of the Early Childhood Alliance to establish an early childhood special district across the Boulder Valley School District and SVVSD. This will be the group’s second effort to get the measure on the ballot after Boulder County Commissioners voted against the proposal in 2023.

From the view of those at the event, more legislation and advocacy are necessary to increase public funding. With the current Colorado budget deficit, the industry needs to continue to innovate and expand on the ideas shared at the event, speakers said.

“Today is important, but it is one step,” said Boulder County’s Headrick. “Now the challenge is going to be how do we further this? How do we build off the momentum that we talked about here today and keep the conversation going?”

HOWL AT THE MOON

Dylan LeBlanc crosses the law on ‘Coyote’

BY ALAN SCULLEY

The title character of Dylan LeBlanc’s Coyote is going through it. He’s worked for a cartel, done some drugs, been to prison — now he’s on the lam, trying to avoid arrest and reunite with his lover on the straight and narrow path.

LeBlanc left his fans with a cliffhanger on the 2023 album’s final song, “The Outside,” which found Coyote and his girlfriend driving a stolen Camaro toward the Mexican border only to be stopped by a police roadblock. The song ends with our anti-hero grabbing his gun, unsure of his next move, his fate up in the air.

It turns out LeBlanc never intended to leave listeners hanging for long. Now as he begins a fall tour, the 34-year-old songwriter is tying up loose ends with a deluxe album including four additional songs that pick up where the original LP left off.

“I kind of [knew] this was going to be part of the plan,” LeBlanc says. “Just put out the rest of it and sort of tidy things up.”

The saga of Coyote began to take shape when LeBlanc wrote the album’s opening title track. “America gets loaded / While Juarez rolls the dice,” he sings across a shimmering desertscape of strings and keys. “I put a gun to your head / I’ve got El Paso’s merchandise.”

‘IF YOU DON’T

HAVE ANYTHING, YOU DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO LOSE’

LeBlanc drew the story of Coyote from his own lived experience. The singerguitarist grew up poor in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he fell in with a tough crowd during his teenage years. He stayed out of major trouble, but he saw the appeal of that world.

“I always weigh out the consequences, and usually I can decide pretty quickly: If the consequences are too great, I’m probably not going to even go there,” LeBlanc says. “But I know people who don’t think that way. They’re so desperate to get what they want, and to get what they need, they don’t mind paying the consequences. That’s just

“It was the first song that I really knew, ‘OK, this is one I’m definitely going to put on the record,’” he says. “As I was writing it, I was seeing the character and I thought, ‘I can really build something with this.’”

Louisiana — to color the story.

“It’s more of an internal dialogue on what people on the other side of life and the criminal world probably go through internally, because they’re people, too,” LeBlanc says of the album’s unsavory characters. “They may do bad things, but they do share the burden of the guilt and the sorrow they cause other people.”

HIGH FIDELITY

desperation … if you don’t have anything, you don’t have anything to lose.”

On top of using his firsthand knowledge in writing Coyote, LeBlanc also drew on his long-running interest in Mexican culture and cartels — along with sordid tales about the Mafia and government corruption, particularly in

LeBlanc himself could have easily drifted down a troubled path, but his love of music helped him avoid that. After his parents split, LeBlanc divided his time between Shreveport and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Being around his father, a songwriter and touring session musician who frequently worked at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals helped nourish LeBlanc’s interest in the artform.

By age 20, LeBlanc had released his debut album, Pauper’s Dream. Then came two more albums, a move up to Dave Matthews’ ATO Records and the

release of his 2019 album, Renegade Where its predecessor was a mostly plugged-in affair, LeBlanc skewed more acoustic on Coyote, mining his love for 1970s Laurel Canyon country-rock and the “Tulsa sound” of J.J. Cale and Leon Russell.

Concertgoers will hear these influences in full fidelity when LeBlanc takes the stage Oct. 22 in support of The Heavy Heavy at Boulder’s Fox Theatre, where he’ll perform tracks from Coyote alongside a smattering of cuts from his previous albums.

“It’s a very versatile show,” he says. “A lot of it does lean on the heavier side, but we do break it down for the softer stuff, especially from the new album. The band can do both.”

ON THE BILL: The

Heavy Heavy with Dylan LeBlanc. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

Dylan LeBlanc drew from his experience growing up as a poor kid in Louisiana on his fifth LP, Coyote. Credit: Abraham Rowe

Coyote by Dylan LeBlanc was released Oct. 20, 2023. Courtesy: ATO Records

HOMECOMINGS

Indigenous artists reconnect with their roots in annual Creative Nations exhibition

BY NATALIE KERR

When Al Hubbard crosses the Colorado state line, an internal shift happens. It’s a comforting feeling, like reuniting with a close friend.

“Something is in our memory, our DNA, where we just know our sense of place,” says the Northern Arapaho-Navajo artist. “It starts to go off like an alarm, saying, ‘Oh, you’re close to home.’”

Submitting art on the theme of “reconnection” to the 2024 Homelands exhibition, the annual group show presented by the Boulder-based Indigenous art collective Creative Nations, came naturally to Hubbard. He let the process flow, less worried about the end product than its arrival into the world.

Hubbard joins five other Indigenous artists from the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes — whose ancestral lands comprise the region known today as Boulder — to display work reflecting their experiences and the stories of their ancestors.

Homelands: Reconnection opened Sept. 13 and will run until Nov. 3 in the Sacred Space at the Dairy Arts Center, kicking off a full slate of fall programming for Creative Nations.

Brent Learned, a Cheyenne-Arapaho artist from Oklahoma City, is presenting three pieces in Homelands showcasing his combination of abstract landscape painting and historical storytelling.

Learned aims to educate people through his art about important historical events that might get brushed over in other contexts, such as the Sand Creek Massacre that killed 230 CheyenneArapaho people in southeastern Colorado. Learned has given talks about the massacre to Colorado audiences who had no knowledge of the event despite living in the state where it happened.

“It’s not a burden to try to tell the story of your heritage,” Learned says. “For one, a lot of that heritage is dying off with the elders. By painting, you’re a historian of your time, and not only that, but when

you’re paying tribute to your tribe, you’re educating dominant society about them.”

‘WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ARAPAHO’

Hubbard says his work is a tribute to the traditions and culture of the Arapaho Nation. But he also hopes his work shows other young Indigenous artists that they can, and should, create art that speaks to them without worrying about what other audiences will think.

“I would like to inspire the youth to portray their current life and how that’s connected to our historical past,”

Hubbard says. “We don’t have to paint a certain way. We can develop our own way of communicating our stories and memories through art or architecture or storytelling or writing or dance or song.”

“It’s not a burden to try to tell the story of your heritage,” says Cheyenne-Arapaho artist Brent Learned.

Hubbard’s multimedia works feature “ledger art,” a traditional technique of painting stories or events on paper or cloth, referencing the ledgers used by white settlers to take inventory of the Great Plains in the 19th century. The artist says it underscores how Native people — whose many diverse cultures largely do not include a concept of ownership over natural resources — get treated by cultural institutions as artifacts or commodities.

Some of the themes of his art can be uncomfortable, Hubbard says, but it’s meant to be evocative and thoughtprovoking.

“Especially as Native artists, we have to portray and infuse our art, whether that’s painting or sculpture, with our his-

torical points of view and stating facts that aren’t really talked about in today’s world,” Hubbard says. “I would hope that people view my work as questionable, and dig a little deeper on what it means to be an Arapaho.”

‘WE’RE GOING PAST LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT’

For Homelands curator Bruce Cook (Haida/ Arapaho), the annual event feels like a renewed proclamation that Indigenous people retain a vibrant, thriving community in Colorado.

But he also hopes exhibition visitors take further action to educate themselves, engage with Native culture and recognize the ways their lives have been impacted by Indigenous people and their history.

“We’re going past land acknowledgment,” Cook says. “It’s time to figure out how we can work together in a meaningful manner to move forward.”

Creative Nations is currently housed in the Dairy, but in the process of establishing its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit, says managing director Marty Strenczewilk (Ojibwe). He says the move will allow the collective more freedom to qualify for grants, build a solid revenue base, collaborate with other organizations and host additional programs.

“We have to catch up to decades and decades of history and infrastructure that many other organizations have, but [the Dairy] always knew the goal was to shepherd us off on our own,” Strenczewilk says. “Having these years under the Dairy has been very helpful, for security, for learning, for setting up, etcetera, but it’s also restrictive.”

The Sacred Space gallery at the Dairy will continue to host exhibitions like Homelands, and the nonprofit arts center will also support Creative Nations’ operations and revenue efforts even after the transition.

Whatever the future holds for the collective, Strenczewilk says they will remain dedicated to supporting all Indigenous artists, from professional creatives to young people looking for a path into the field. The aim is to prioritize everyone’s voices equally and create a community atmosphere that serves everyone, Native and non-Native alike.

“That’s so incredibly valuable, because otherwise we get leaned on a lot to help change narratives,” Strenczewilk says. “There’s some onus on the person viewing the art to do a little on their own: ‘Maybe I’m going to go read a little more. I’m going to look into my local reservation, or attend a powwow.’ These are places you can go, and that curiosity to me is so powerful.”

ON VIEW: Homelands: Reconnection. Noon-6 p.m. through Nov. 3, Dairy Arts Center - Sacred Space, 2590 Walnut St. Free

Artwork by Brent Learned, on display in Homelands: Reconnection at the Sacred Space gallery inside the Dairy Arts Center. Courtesy: Brent Learned

Courtesy: Brent Learned

Al Hubbard joins five other artists from the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes in the annual Homelands exhibit from Creative Nations, running at the Dairy Arts Center through Nov. 3. Courtesy: Al Hubbard

Want great stories? We’ve got em.

Dairy Arts Center | Boulder 10/17 – 12/3

Just in time for the November election comes this smart comedy about ethnic stereotypes, feckless political consultants and one woman’s journey toward personal fulfillment.

This critically acclaimed comedy by Mexico-born playwright Bernardo Cubría pokes fun at America’s obsession with identity politics while exploring one woman’s very non-political quest to become a mother.

By Louisa May Alcott

Adapted and Directed by

Jessica Robblee

12/5 – 12/29

Dairy Arts Center | Boulder

Bring your family to the Dairy this holiday season and spend some time with the March family. Relive their adventures, their passionate loves, their ups and downs and their joy in being together.

SUBSCRIPTIONS & TICKETS at BETC.ORG

BEAT CRAZY

‘Piece by Piece’ is a fun if shallow look at the life and music of Pharrell Williams

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

It’s not always what the story is but how you tell it.

Piece by Piece, directed by documentarian Morgan Neville, is the story of musician Pharrell Williams. Most probably know Pharrell for his ubiquitous 2013 single, “Happy.” The song was a massive radio and viral hit, so much so that it overshadowed the work Pharrell did with Snoop Dogg (“Drop It Like It’s Hot”), No Doubt (“Hella Good”), Britney Spears (“Boys”), even the endlessly intoxicating “Get Lucky” with French robot duo Daft Punk and the incomparable Nile Rodgers.

That’s quite a lineup of artists and styles, and it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Pharrell’s discography.

So, how best to tell the story of an artist as prolific as Pharrell via image and sound and the collision of style and cul-

approach, and the result would have landed somewhere closer to the latter than the former. And not without merit: Pharrell, whose artistic presence has been felt in music for over 20 years now, can easily slip into an account of greatest hits as a parade of who’s who passes by. But with LEGOs in place of people, Piece by Piece doesn’t just become watchable; it becomes playful.

Take the concept of a musical beat. Pharrell is almost savant-like when creating hooks, bouncing sounds off each other and creating catchy earworms. He attributes much of that to an early encounter with Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish.” While listening to the song over and over again, Pharrell experienced synesthesia — the ability to see sound waves as visible colors.

Neville uses this conceit to color the LEGO bricks Pharrell works with to create his beats. The individual pieces bounce and glow as Pharrell snaps them together, handing over shimmering, vibrating creations to other musicians who fall under the beat’s hypnotic spell. And since LEGO pieces are interchangeable, Pharrell’s ability to mix and match styles and sounds is given a visual analog.

ture while providing the greatest amount of information in the shortest amount of time? The answer: LEGOs.

The LEGO device was Pharrell’s idea, and it works. It works because Neville’s doc is essentially a linear approach to the recording artist’s life, with Pharrell’s narration bolstered by a plethora of talking head interviews. We’ve seen this approach before — at least without LEGOs. At its best, it’s informative. At its worst, it’s hagiography.

In another non-LEGO world, Piece by Piece would have taken that standard

That all works, but Piece by Piece is not without its faults. The doc falls short mainly due to the wealth of material Neville tries to cover. What starts as an exploration of how one hit opens the door for the next, the documentary quickly becomes a clip show with Pharrell always finding himself at the right place at the right time. Success in any field takes a whole lot of luck and hard work. Pharrell doesn’t shy away from the necessary combination, even if Neville’s documentary wants to.

ON SCREEN: Piece by Piece is now playing in theaters.

DENVER FILM FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT: NICKEL BOYS

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

Destined to be the most talked about movie at the 47th Denver Film Festival — if not the 2024 award season — Nickel Boys is a textbook example of how the telling of a story can sometimes be more significant than the story itself.

The story, you probably already know. Directed by RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys is based on Colson Whitehead’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a brutal reform school, Nickel Academy, that operated for decades without intervention despite being a cesspool of corruption and racial abuse with a secret graveyard out back. The acts heaped upon the characters are simultaneously horrifying and infuriatingly routine.

At this point in our history, even the most ardent deniers have a difficult time mounting a defense that American history isn’t shaped by systemic segregation, genocide and slavery in its many insidious incarnations.

In another filmmaker’s hands, Nickel Boys might have been the rote recounting of a terrible piece of history that is not too different from now. But in Ross’ hands, Nickel Boys places the audience directly inside the perspective of the movie’s two Black leads: Elwood (Ethan Herisse) and Turner (Brandon Wilson).

Elwood gets the lion’s share of the narrative, which means we see what he sees. For gamers, the herky-jerky image and characters addressing the camera will have a familiar feel. For those used to cinema’s typical omnipotent presence, the first-person device of Nickel Boys might feel limiting, even distracting.

But Ross and cinematographer Jomo Fray are so good at the technique that the artifice quickly falls away into an immersive experience that feels truly empathetic. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view,” Atticus Finch told his daughter in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird “Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

And in Nickel Boys, the color of that skin is the whole story.

ON SCREEN: Nickel

Boys screens at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at AMC 9+CO 10 with director RaMell Ross in attendance. Ross will receive the 2024 Excellence in Directing Award and participate in a post-screening conversation.

LEGO Pharrell Williams in Piece by Piece Courtesy: Focus Features

Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson in Nickel Boys Courtesy: Amazon MGM Studios

ROCK THE SHELTER

6-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $50

Jam out for a good cause at this benefit concert raising money for All Roads (formerly the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless.) A supergroup of local musicians will keep you dancing to ’80s and ’90s covers, and silent auction items ranging from a mountain town getaway to club-level Buffs football seating will be up for bid.

17 BLUEGRASS JAM

6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, The Wheel House, 101 2nd Ave., Niwot. Free

Bring yourself, your instrument and a folding chair, but leave the music stands, books and tablets at home for this freewheelin’ acoustic jam sesh, hosted by “jam poobahs” Roz Weller and Brian Blaser. All skill levels welcome.

19 OSKAR BLUES JAMTOBERFEST

1-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, Oskar Blues Brewery taproom. 1640 S. Sunset St., Longmont. Free

Food trucks, live music all day and special beers on tap are on the docket this Saturday to celebrate 22 years since Oskar Blues became the “original craft beer in a can.” The canniversary collides with the annual Fest Bier release, and the brewery promises other crowd favorites will make a surprise return too. Bottoms up!

19 YOUTH CULTURES FESTIVAL

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, North Boulder Library, 4500 13th St. Free

This multicultural celebration for teens features a spoken word poetry workshop (10 a.m. to noon) by Denver-based Words to Power and a free wrap-up party (noon to 4). Step up to the open mic to share your talent, or bust a move at the dance battle. Free food and prizes. All ages welcome.

19 CATRINA BALL

4:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, Firehouse Art Center. 667 4th Ave., Longmont. Free.

Dia de los Muertos doesn’t stop in Longmont. Join the community for another night of dancing, food and fun for the Firehouse Art Center’s annual auction and fundraiser benefiting free art education. Come dressed as a Catrina, or get your face painted there by a local artist. Bid on clay masks and art made by local creators at bit.ly/CatrinaBallBW.

19 FALL CRAFT MARKET

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont. $5 / $12 (VIP)

Explore more than 150 booths featuring local handmade crafts during this seasonal celebration at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. Ticket price gets you entry into raffle drawings held all weekend, with a VIP option for early entry and a free tote bag.

20 MARSHALL FIRE PET MEMORIAL UNVEILING

2-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, Louisville Arboretum, W Via Appia and Eldorado Lane. Free

“A pet is never truly forgotten until it is no longer remembered.” – Lacie Petitt

Residents of Louisville are invited to remember the beloved pets who were lost in the 2021 Marshall Fire with the unveiling of a statue by artist and firefighter Michael Garmen. Attendees can contribute to the memorial through a craft activity at the event.

20 A MUSICAL TRIP WITH THE BOULDER PHIL

2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, Erie Community Center, 450 Powers St. Free

Take “an interactive musical journey” with the Boulder Philharmonic String Quartet. The live, family-friendly performance includes a lesson about string instruments and instruction from a conductor. Pre-registration required: bit.ly/ BoulderPhilBW.

20 FALL FEST + CHILI COOKOFF

5-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, Hope Boulder, 4705 Baseline Road. Free

Competition, costumes and crafts collide at this autumnal extravaganza in Boulder. Enter the fray with your homemade chili or just sample the goods and cast your vote. Who will be crowned chili royalty? Your ballot could decide.

21 CIDER TOUR AT ACREAGE

4:15-5:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, Acreage by Stem Ciders, 1380 Horizon Ave. Unit A, Lafayette. $44.

See how the cider is made at Stem Cider’s hilltop ciderhouse and eatery. Take in the beautiful sunset views while you sample soft pretzels and ciders straight from the barrel on this behindthe-scenes tour. At the end, you’ll head home with October’s custom glass. Visit @stemciders on instagram to check out this month’s design.

23 BLACK BEARS IN OUR BACKYARD

1-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, Betasso Preserve, Betasso Road, Boulder. Free

It ain’t over ‘til the fat bear sleeps. While Boulder County’s bears are still bulking on berries, join volunteer naturalists from Parks and Open Space on a three-mile hike to learn about our native furry ursines and how we can safely share our wild spaces with them. To register, visit bit.ly/BearHikeBW.

23 SKA-LLOWEEN PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST

6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, William Oliver’s Lafayette, 201 N. Public Road. $16

Break out your checkered Vans for a skankin’ good time at William Oliver’s Lafayette. Ska Brewing Co. presents this second annual fall bash in partnership with Louisville’s 7th Generation Farm. Ticket price gets you a gourd, a beer and the tools you’ll need to compete for prizes in the coveted top three slots.

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

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, OCT. 17

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

THE LIBRARY DOGS 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

KAREN LEE WITH THE BRIDGE QUARTET. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

JEREMY DION. 7 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $20

MICROGRASS BAND 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. Free

BLUE CANYON BOYS 8 p.m. Chautauqua Community House, 301 Morning Glory Drive, Boulder. $30

THE FRAY WITH RETT MADISON 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $55

KENDALL STREET COMPANY 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. $18

ALEX MARYOL 8:30 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

MDOU MOCTAR WITH ROSALI 9 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $39 FRIDAY, OCT. 18

SARAH BANKER 11 a.m. OZO Coffee Company, 1015 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

THE RHYTHM ALLSTARS 4 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Denver. Free

MACKENZIE RAE WITH BUCKSHOT MOON 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, Longmont. Free

AMBER BAACK 6 p.m. The End Lafayette, 525 Courtney Way. $17

ALEJANDRO CASTAÑO WITH GABRIEL SANTIAGO, GONZALO TEPPA AND JOSEFINA MENDEZ. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

ROOTBEER RICHIE & THE REVEILLE WITH SLOW CAVES, MAY BE FERN AND CACTUS CAT (NIGHT 1) 7 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $26

LUKE BULLA WITH BRIANNA STRAUT 7 p.m. The Times Collaborative, 338 Main St., Longmont. $18

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND WITH JARROD DICKENSON. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $22

BENJAMIN TOD & LOST DOG STREET BAND WITH NOLAN TAYLOR. 8 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $43

DJ WILLIAMS 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. $18

OOGA WITH HUMANDALA, SQONK, HOKEY BOI AND SNILK 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

COLD WAR KIDS WITH HUSBANDS 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $32

SATURDAY, OCT. 19

PAWS 10 p.m. Bounce Empire, 1380 South Public Road, Lafayette. $25

ERIC GOLDEN 10 a.m. Anderson Farms, 6728 County Road 3 ¼, Erie. Free

JAMTOBERFEST (VARIOUS ARTISTS) Noon. The Tasty Weasel, 1800 Pike Road, Longmont. Free

FLATIRONS COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA CONCERT 4 p.m. United Church of Christ, 1500 9th Ave., Longmont. Free (donations accepted)

BROOMFIELD SYMPHONY 5:30 p.m. Broomfield Library and Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road, Broomfield. Free

JACOB SIMONS WITH RYAN WONG AND HONEY BLAZER. 6 p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

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

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

DAVE ABEAR WITH THE DESERT FURS 7 p.m. The Caribou Room, 55 Indian Peaks Drive, Nederland. $20

ROOTBEER RICHIE & THE REVEILLE WITH BUBBA LUCKY, JESUS CHRIST TAXI DRIVER AND DAYTON STONE & THE UNDERTONES (NIGHT 2) 7 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $26

LILY TALMERS QUARTET 7 p.m. Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main St., Boulder. $15

JAYME STONE WITH ILLAN BLANCK 7:30 p.m. Elder Grove, 3854 Viewpoint Way, Lafayette. $28

PHAT DADDY 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. $15

BOULDER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH JOE LUKASIK 7:30 p.m. Broomfield Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road, Broomfield. $25

THUNDERBOOGIE WITH PHOEBE NIX AND KEDDJRA. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $20

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE BILL

After nearly a decade grinding through the sweaty basements of the Philly punk scene, the world has finally caught up with Soul Glo. The fun and ferocious hardcore act performs in support of LA heavyhitters

Touché Amoré with Austin metalheads Portrayal of Guilt at the Gothic Theatre in Englewood on Oct. 19. Scan the QR code for a BW feature on the band. See listing for details.

TOUCHÉ AMORÉ WITH SOUL GLO, PORTRAYAL OF GUILT AND SOFT BLUE SHIMMER 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $40.

BW PICK OF THE WEEK

BLESSING BLED CHIMANGA WITH BONGEZIWE MABANDLA 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. $35

THE PICKPOCKETS WITH GHOST TOWN DRIFTERS 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $21

BOOMBOX. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $28

IT’S MURPH WITH JEV AND JAMO 9 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $143

SUNDAY, OCT. 20

JEFF AND PAIGE 11 a.m. Friends School, 5465 Pennsylvania Ave., Boulder. Free (registration required)

LENNY CHARLES TRIO 3 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

VINCE CONVERSE 5 p.m. Flatirons Community Church, 355 W. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $25

CARRIE NEWCOMER 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $35

CHATHAM RABBITS 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Community House, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $24

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

ANDY GRAMMER 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $50

MONDAY, OCT. 21

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

SOLODUO (LORENZO MICHELI AND MATTEO MELA) 7:30 p.m. Chamber Hall, 1020 18th St., Boulder. Free

RACHAEL YAMAGATA WITH SANDY BELL

8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $30

JOHN HIATT 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $55

TUESDAY, OCT. 22

DAVE HONIG. 6 p.m. Boulder Depot, 2366 Junction Place, Boulder. Free

MIKE COHEN WITH THE SHAKTI GROOVE 7 p.m. eTown Hall ,1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $25

THE HEAVY HEAVY WITH DYLAN LEBLANC 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25. STORY ON P. 15

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23

MARC REBILLET WITH FLYING LOTUS AND REGGIE WATTS 6 p.m. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison. $63

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

THE MOSS WITH HEY, NOTHING 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $38

PAUL MCDONALD & THE MOURNING DOVES WITH ZENARI 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $20

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): As a young adult, I lived in a shack in the North Carolina woods. I was too indigent to buy a car or bicycle, so I walked everywhere I needed to go. Out of necessity, I discovered the practical power of psychic protection. I envisioned myself being surrounded by an impenetrable violet force field and accompanied by the guardian spirits of a panther, wolf and bear. This playful mystical practice kept me safe. Though I was regularly approached by growling dogs and drunks in pickup trucks, I was never attacked. Now would be an excellent time for you to do what I did: Put strong psychic protection in place. You’re not in physical danger, but now is a good time to start shielding yourself better against people’s manipulative gambits, bad moods, emotional immaturity and careless violations.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): “Dear Rob: I once heard you say that the best method for solving any dilemma is to sit silently, calm my mind and listen for the ‘still, small voice of the teacher within me.’ I have tried your advice, but I have never detected this voice. What am I doing wrong? – Deprived Taurus.” Dear Taurus: Here’s how to become available for guidance from the still, small voice of your inner teacher. 1. Go someplace quiet, either in nature or a beloved sanctuary. 2. Shed all your ideas and theories about the nature of your dilemma. 3. Tenderly ask your mind to be empty and serene as you await an intuition. 4. Feel sweet gratitude for each breath as you inhale and exhale. 5. Visualize your inner teacher smiling. 6. Make yourself expectant to receive an insightful blessing.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): In the parlance of people who love to trek in natural places, a “cobbknocker” refers to a hiker who precedes you and knocks down the spider webs crossing the trail. I would love for you to procure a similar service for all your adventures in the coming weeks, not just hiking. See if you can coax or hire helpers to clear a path for you in everything you do. I want you to be able to concentrate on the essentials and not get bogged down or distracted by trivial obstructions. You need spaciousness and ease.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): When you are at your Cancerian best, you nurture others but don’t smother them with excessive care. You give your gifts without undermining your own interests. You are deeply receptive and sensitive without opening yourself to be abused or wounded. In my astrological estimation, you are currently expressing these qualities with maximum grace and precision. Congratulations on your ever-ripening emotional intelligence! I trust you will be rewarded with grateful favors.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Here’s the deal that life is offering: You temporarily suspend your drive to possess crystalline certainty, and you agree to love and thrive on ambiguity and paradox. In return, you will be given help in identifying unconscious and hidden factors at work in your destiny. You will be empowered to make confident decisions without needing them to be perfect. And you will learn more about the wise art of feeling appreciative reverence for great mysteries.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): I once had a Virgo girlfriend. She was talented, hardworking, meticulous, organized, healthconscious and resourceful. She also hated it if I neglected to put the jar of honey back in the cupboard immediately after using it. She would get upset if I neglected to remove my shoes as soon as I entered the house. Her fussy perfectionism wasn’t the reason we ultimately broke up, but it did take a toll on me. I bring this to your attention because I hope you will mostly keep fussy perfectionism to yourself in the coming weeks. It’s fine if you want to indulge it while alone and doing your own work, but don’t demand that others be equally fastidious. Providing this leeway now will serve you well in the long run. You can earn slack and generate good will that comes in handy when you least expect it.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Your bulboid corpuscles are specialized nerve cells in your skin that can experience intense tactile pleasure — more so than any other nerve cells. They are located in your lips, tongue and genitals. According to my analysis of your astrological potentials, these ultra-sensitive receptors will be turned on extra high in the coming weeks. So will their metaphysical and metaphorical equivalents. That’s why I predict you will gather in more bliss than you have in a long time. Please give yourself permission to exceed your usual quota.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Once upon a time, you were more hazardous to yourself than you are now. I’m pleased about the progress you have made to treat yourself with greater care and compassion. It hasn’t been easy. You had to learn mysterious secrets about dealing with your inner troublemaker. You had to figure out how to channel its efforts into generating benevolent and healing trouble. There’s still more work to be done, though. Your inner troublemaker isn’t completely redeemed and reformed. But you now have a chance to bring it more fully into its destined role as your ally and helper.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): I predict that your past will soon transform. You may discover new details about old events. Stories you have told and told about your history will acquire new meanings. You will be wise to reinterpret certain plot twists you thought you had figured out long ago. There may not be anything as radical as uncovering wild secrets about your true origins — although I wouldn’t discount that possibility. So expect a surprise or two, Sagittarius. But I suspect you will ultimately be pleased to revise your theories about how you came to be the resilient soul you are now.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Of all the astrological signs, Capricorns are least likely to consult horoscopes. There are many skeptical people among your tribe who say, “Astrology is irrational and illogical. It can’t be precise and accurate, so it’s not even real.” My personal research also suggests, however, that a surprising percentage of Capricorns pretend not to be drawn to astrology even though they actually are. They may even hide their interest from others. How do I feel about all this? It doesn’t affect me as I compose your oracles. I love you as much as the other signs, and I always give you my best effort. I suggest that in the coming weeks, you do what I do: Give your utmost in every situation, even if some people are resistant to or doubtful of your contributions. Be confident as you offer your excellence.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): You are ready to graduate to a higher octave of maturity and wisdom about everything related to love, romance and sex. It will be instructive to meditate on your previous experiences. So I invite you to ruminate on the following questions. 1. What important lessons have you learned about the kind of togetherness you want? 2. What important lessons have you learned about the kind of togetherness you don’t want? 3. What important lessons have you learned about how to keep yourself emotionally healthy while in an intimate relationship?

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Are you longing to feel safe, cozy and unperturbable? Are you fantasizing about how perfect life would be if you could seal yourself inside your comfort zone and avoid novelty and change for a while? I hope not, Pisces! By my astrological reckoning, you are due for a phase of experimentation and expansion. You will thrive on the challenges of big riddles and intriguing teases. Please take full advantage of this fun opportunity to hone your intuition and move way beyond random guesswork. For extra credit: Prove the theory that it’s very possible to cultivate and attract good luck.

I am a 28-year-old cisgender sexrepulsed asexual gay man. While some asexuals choose to have sex for the pleasure it provides their partner, sex-repulsed asexuals like me do not engage in sexual activity and do not wish to be exposed to it.

I feel alienated when I enter gay spaces like bars, parties, clubs, etc., where other gay men are kissing, grinding or worse. When gay sex is foregrounded like this, it makes gay men like me feel like we are not welcome in the community. And to answer the obvious question: I go to gay bars for many of the same reasons allosexual gay men go to gay bars — to socialize and feel safe and to meet potential romantic (not sexual) partners. I also go because gay hookup apps are terrible for everyone, but they’re especially terrible for asexual gay men.

I feel like there should be one night a week where gay bars are safe spaces for asexual gay men. I am curious what you think of my proposal and whether this is an idea that you would get behind.

— Gay Ace Gay Space

While there are roughly forty million men in the United States between the ages of 21 and 40 — age-appropriate potential romantic partners for a 28-year-old gay man — only 2% of those men are gay (800,000), only 1% of gay men are asexual (8,000), and only a small percentage of asexuals are sex-repulsed. You’re asking bars owners to set one night a week aside for asexual guys and their admirers and, I’m sorry, but there aren’t enough asexual guys for a night like that to pencil out.

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

I’m a 38-year-old gay male. I recently got back on dating apps. I’m not unattractive, and I get a fair amount of hits when I post pictures.

I’ve connected emotionally with a few guys who quickly expressed an interest in exploring something long-term with me. The problem is that I was diagnosed with terminal cancer years ago and not given long to live. I’ve made a miraculous recovery, but I still have cancer, and I’m told it’s still terminal. I could pass in weeks, months or after another couple of years. I haven’t lied to any of the men I’ve been chatting with, but I haven’t been entirely forthcoming with them either.

I don’t know what to do. I want to feel normal, but I don’t want to string these guys along.

— Cancer Announcement Now Could End Relationships

First, CANCER, I’m so sorry about your diagnoses — but given that it’s been years since you were given months to live, I’m hoping you’ve gotten a second, third and fourth medical opinion.

“GAGS should try gay sports leagues, gyms, meetup groups, book clubs, youth mentorship programs, supper clubs — all of those have the nonsexual vibe he wants,” said Jonathan, a regular commenter at Savage.Love who I’ve tapped to speak for all allosexual gay men everywhere. “And if there isn’t a scene he likes where he lives, he should create one. GAGS should focus on cultivating the environments he desires instead of asking other gay men to censor ourselves. We aren’t interested in being demure.”

Dating sites and hookup apps are crawling with fakes and flakes, CANCER. When someone you’ve never met claims they wanna explore a longterm commitment, that’s a red flag.

In that pile of responses you’ve gotten, CANCER, there are guys who are open to chatting but who aren’t trying to rush things — chat with them, block the others.

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

BRINGING LOCAL HOME

Pinemelon delivers local, sustainable, everyday groceries directly to Boulder’s front doors

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Boulder foodies wholeheartedly support the idea of buying local.

We visit the farmers markets and roadside stands on occasion, but honestly, we are fair-weather friends.

Our “buy local” intentions get swamped by reality. We’re too busy to chase Boulder County ingredients all over town.

What if there was a single, year-round source for all our favorite local products, bridging the gap between local farms and Boulder families? Imagine getting Spark + Honey granola, Il Porcellino salami, Boulder Broth, Green Belly hot sauce, Boulder-baked Moe’s Bagels, Falafel King pita, Rudi’s loaves and Havenly gluten-free breads delivered to your front door.

Enter: Pinemelon.

The trailblazing new grocery service delivers local, organic and everyday groceries from an inventory of 6,000 items to more than 18,000 customers in Boulder and the Denver Metro. The dozens of fresh produce offerings available every week on Pinemelon are sourced from local and national organic farmers.

“We work a lot with Kilt Farms in Longmont,” says Alexa Weissberg, the company’s growth marketing manager. “Their produce is always top notch. They deliver to us almost every day from the fields and greenhouses.”

Pinemelon launched in 2022 in Denver (and the U.S.), but it is a unique international import.

“The company was born as an online grocery platform in Kazakhstan,” Weissberg says. “The founders wanted to bring the concept to America. They researched and found that the Denver metro was the best place to launch it.”

Farmers and food producers deliver to Pinemelon’s Denver warehouse where the groceries are picked up and delivered to Denver and Boulder homes during a scheduled three-hour window. There is no delivery fee on orders over $35. Unlike DoorDash, Instacart and other delivery services, Pinemelon employs all the drivers.

harvest,” she says. “We want to make sure they continue to stay in business.”

Locals who order from the platform include many seasonal farmers market customers, according to Weissberg.

“Number one are moms and families, plus young couples,” she says. “They all have busy, 9-to-5 lives but also want a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. We have many members of the older generation who are less mobile, especially in the winter.”

Several Boulder County businesses have partnered with Pinemelon, including Healthy Harvest olive oil, Full Stop crackers, Bibamba chocolate, Highland Honey, Dry Storage and Hinman Pies, MASA Farm, Rebel Bread, Cure Farm and Mountain Girl Pickles.

Some of these services overlap with existing local systems. The Boulder County Farmers Market offers some of the same local items on its online marketplace for weekly pickup. A few farmers and ranchers make winter CSA boxes available. But Weissberg says competition is not on the menu.

“A lot of farmers and other vendors have to close their doors in the winter because they have nowhere to sell their

While its focus is on local and organic foods, Pinemelon is thoroughly practical. The platform also delivers a wide range of ready-to-cook meals and everyday items. That lessens the need to make additional trips to the supermarket for things like baking powder and vanilla extract.

“We want to serve as a marketplace where you can get everything,” Weissberg says, “and that includes Heinz Ketchup.”

According to Weissberg, the company’s sustainability efforts involve an efficient “carpooling” delivery system, the use of recyclable paper and biodegradable plastic bags and donation of excess food to local food banks.

Down the road, Pinemelon looks to expand its offerings and the cities it serves.

“We are focusing on finding regenerative meat producers because local sustainable meat is almost impossible for consumers to find,” she says.

Pinemelon also hopes to supply produce to restaurant chefs and ship CSA boxes from farms to homes.

“Our mission is to support sustainable farmers and strengthen local food systems,” Weissberg says. “We want to educate everyone about the importance of securing local food sources.”

TASTE OF THE WEEK: NEW ZOE MA MA TREATS

When Edwin Zoe recently moved his Michelinrecommended Zoe Ma Ma about 384 feet to 919 Pearl St., he added more than extra seating indoors and on the patio. Lovers of greens will appreciate the choy sum — bok choy wok-fried with lots of garlic. The Taiwanese baked bao buns are a yeasted wheat dough coated in sesame seeds filled with peppery minced beef. The best new soup of the season is the soul-warming Taiwanese beef noodles in a rich bone broth.

Much-loved dishes like Ma Ma’s potstickers, pork belly bao, pearl meatballs and chicken soup noodles remain on the menu. Zoe Ma Ma may well be the most affordably priced James Beard Awardnominated, Michelinrecommended eatery in the nation.

Il Porcellino salumi. Credit: John Lehndorff Kilt Farm in Longmont. Courtesy: Pinemelon

Courtesy: Mountain Girl Pickles

Zoe Ma Ma. Credit: John Lehndorff

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: LONGMONT EATERY BOOM

Restaurant and Bar Yisel’s has opened at 900 S Hover St. in Longmont, serving Latin American and Peruvian cuisine.

Also new or coming soon to Longmont: Big Bear Baked Potatoes, 1640 Pace St.; Red Cedar Bistro, 516 Main St.; Spruce Cafe, 600 S. Airport Road; Winner’s Circle restaurant and gaming center, 2251 Ken Pratt Blvd.

Coming to Boulder: Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, 1710 29th St.

CULINARY CALENDAR: CELEBRATING TAMALE NATIONS

Feria del Tamal features tamales from across Latin America in various styles, plus live music and family activities. Saturday, Oct. 26, Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont. latinochamberco.org

The Colorado Uncorked tasting Nov. 1 at History Colorado in Denver introduces the 2024 Governor’s Cup Collection judged the best wines in the state. These range from Alfred Eames Cellars Sangre Del Sol and Sauvage Spectrum Bodega Dessert Wine to The Storm Cellar Rosé of Pinot Noir and Sarge’s Sweet Red Blend from Peachfork Winery Tickets: historycolorado.org

WORDS TO CHEW ON: CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE

“In October I’ll be host; To witches, goblins and a ghost; I’ll serve them chicken soup on toast; Whoopy once, whoopy twice; Whoopy chicken soup with rice.”

— Maurice Sendak

Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak is on display Oct.13 through Feb. 17 at the Denver Art Museum: denverartmuseum.org

John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles and Kitchen Table Talk on KGNU. Send food news and comments to nibbles@boulderweekly.com.

Courtesy: Denver Art Museum

Courtesy: The John Lehndorff Collection

COLORADO’S NALOXONE FUND IS DRYING UP

Opioid settlement money can’t offset rising demand, loss of federal dollars

BY CLAIRE CLEVELAND KFF HEALTH NEWS

On a bustling street corner one recent afternoon outside the offices of the Harm Reduction Action Center in Denver, employees of the education and advocacy nonprofit handed out free naloxone kits to passersby.

Distributing the opioid reversal medication is essential to the center’s work to reduce fatal overdoses in the community. But how long the group can continue doing so is in question. The center depends on Colorado’s Opioid Antagonist Bulk Purchase Fund, also known as the Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund, which now lacks a recurring source of money — despite hundreds of millions of dollars in national opioid lawsuit settlement cash flowing into the state.

“Our concern is that we won’t have access to naloxone, and that means that more people will die of a very preventable overdose,” said Lisa Raville, executive director of the center.

The bulk fund was created in 2019 to provide free naloxone to organizations

like the Harm Reduction Action Center. The fund’s annual budget grew from just over $300,000 in fiscal year 2019 to more than $8.5 million in fiscal 2022, according to legislative reports by the state’s Overdose Prevention Unit.

The fund has boosted the availability of the medication throughout Colorado, which passed a law in 2013 that gives legal immunity to medical providers who prescribe the drug and to any person who administers it to someone suffering an overdose. The fund currently provides more than $550,000 worth of naloxone kits to various entities each month.

Despite the increased availability of naloxone, fatal opioid overdoses continued to rise. In 2023, 1,292 people in Colorado died of an opioid overdose, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. That was 132 more people than the year before.

And now, one of the fund’s major money sources, the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in response to the COVID19 pandemic, is set to expire next year. As of September, the Colorado fund had $8.6 million left, according to Vanessa Bernal, a spokesperson for the state health department.

Services Block Grant and nearly $850,000 through a State Opioid Response Grant. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said his office will “ensure that the necessary budget remains in place for the next year.”

The amount of that funding and where it will come from has yet to be determined, and long-term solutions are still being weighed. One option to shore up the fund beyond the next year is to use Colorado’s share of settlement funds from the national opioid lawsuits, said Mary Sylla, former director of overdose prevention policy and strategy at the National Harm Reduction Coalition.

“It’s just completely ironic that something that addresses the opioid overdose

The fund got a boost in September when the state’s Behavioral Health Administration provided it with $3 million from a one-time Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery

crisis is underfunded at the very same time that these settlement funds are flowing,” Sylla said. “There couldn’t be a better use for them.”

As of July, Colorado had received and distributed more than $110 million in opioid settlement money to regions, local

governments, state entities and infrastructure projects, according to the Colorado attorney general’s office, and the total is expected to reach more than $750 million by 2038.

However, more than half of the settlement money Colorado has received thus far has already been disbursed to its 19 Regional Opioid Abatement Councils, which have created their own plans to distribute money to programs such as substance abuse treatment centers, public education campaigns and training for emergency providers.

For example, Denver’s council, which has received more than $18 million since 2022, has disbursed money to organizations in two- and three-year contracts, the majority not including the purchase of naloxone.

“We thought we could all continue to get [naloxone] from the state health department and the Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund,” Raville said.

The Denver council is working on a plan for the coming years, expected to come out in mid-2025, and is considering the bulk fund’s dwindling money, said Marie Curran, program coordinator for Denver’s opioid abatement funds.

Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, which manages 10% of the state’s opioid settlement dollars, said the office “is working on options to ensure that this lifesaving medication can continue to be part of the state’s effort to abate the opioid crisis.” Those options have not yet been made public.

KFF Health News produces in-depth journalism about health issues.