Boulder Weekly 12.14.2023 by Boulder Weekly

QUAD GOALS MAKE BOULDER SKATE AGAIN P. 4

MINIMUM WAGE SNAFU P. 8

LOCAL FOOD STOCKING STUFFERS P. 27

NEW DAY SHELTER LOCATION P. 7

PRESENTS

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CONTENTS 12.14.2023 Tr u st e d f o r A l l You r B od y Art Ne e d s S in c e 1 9 9 4

19 Credit: Amanda Tipton

04 COVER The case

for a local roller rink BY LUCY HAGGARD

08 NEWS Boulder County’s

13 MUSIC Reed Foehl

returns to Boulder for homecoming show at eTown Hall

BY ADAM PERRY

impending minimum wage increase causes confusion

NIBBLES Stuff your stockings with local loot

BY SHAY CASTLE

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

DEPARTMENTS 07 NEWS

Day shelter, Front Range rail and more

14 MUSIC

The year’s most essential box sets for holiday gifting

16 FILM

All of Us Strangers is a ghostly love story

19 THEATER Icy Haught world premiere sizzles in the cold

20 EVENTS Where to go and what to do

ASTROLOGY

Libra: The moral of the story is that there isn’t one

25 SAVAGE LOVE

The death of hope

10% Off Gift Ca rd Purcha se th ru 1 2 .2 4

31 WEED

Another step away from federal prohibition

1 3 0 9 C ollege Av e., Boulder 3 0 3 .4 4 9 .4 6 1 1 1 7 1 6 M ain S t., L ongmont 3 0 3 .7 7 6 .9 3 3 3

20 BOULDER WEEKLY

29 YEARS!

7 7 3 5 W. 9 2 nd Av e., Wes tmins ter 3 0 3 .4 2 1 .5 7 0 0

T a tto o s / Piercing / Jew elry w w w .t ribalrit es.com DECEMBER 14, 2023

COMMENTARY DECEMBER 14, 2023 Volume 31, Number 17

PUBLISHER: Francis Zankowski

ED ITOR IAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shay Castle ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray REPORTERS: Kaylee Harter, Will Matuska FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff INTERN: Lily Fletcher CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Will Brendza, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Lucy Haggard, Dan Savage, Alan Sculley, Toni Tresca

SAL ES AN D M AR KETIN G 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

PR OD U C TION CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erik Wogen SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Mark Goodman

C IR C U L ATION CIRCULATION MANAGER: Cal Winn CIRCULATION TEAM: Sue Butcher, Ken Rott, Chris Bauer

BU SIN ESS OFFIC E

COVER

BOOKKEEPER: Emily Weinberg FOUNDER / CEO: Stewart Sallo

SKATE EXPECTATIONS The case for a Boulder County roller rink BY LUCY HAGGARD

here is no better time than right now to open an indoor roller skating rink in Boulder County, for the benefit of our bodies, minds and community. Allow me to make my case. Skating is a great source of exercise for the whole body, whether on quad skates (my personal preference) or inline roller blades. Even a few laps around a rink help to practice balance, core strength, dexterity and endurance. As many of us work jobs that have us hunching over computers or standing for hours at the cash 4

DECEMBER 14, 2023

register, it’s more critical now than ever that we move our bodies in novel and joyful ways when we’re off the clock. When I’m on eight wheels, I feel like a child — not just because I am a beginner, but because it reminds me that I’m allowed to learn new things, I’m allowed to be imperfect and clumsy. When I fall, I simply take a breath and get back up again. We need this sort of space for unabashed play and serious artistry. We need somewhere to greet old friends and meet new ones, with help

from a mutual activity that serves the same purpose as Pearl Street’s bars or religious congregations. I’ve relished in rocking out while skating at the monthly Roll Denver pop-up, but nightclubs are not everyone’s cup of tea. I crave a local, consistent space, perhaps without the burdens that alcohol-induced socialization can bring. There are skating rinks in the Denver metro area, but the time and mileage it takes to get there is significantly prohibitive, especially in questionable winter weather.

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. ©2023 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved. Boulder Weekly welcomes your correspondence via email (letters@boulderweekly. com). Preference will be given to short letters (under 300 words) that deal with recent stories or local issues, and letters may be edited for style, length and libel. Letters should include your name, address and telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters or those signed with pseudonyms. Letters become the property of Boulder Weekly and will be published on our website.

BOULDER WEEKLY

COVER Longmont’s most recent indoor rink closed in the 2000s. Boulder hasn’t had an indoor rink since the 1980s. If you, a Boulder County resident, wanted to go roller skating indoors today, you’d have to drive about 25-30 minutes to Westminster or Arvada, or more to Fort Collins. None of these rinks are reasonably accessible by way of mass transit either, adding both the environmental and economic burdens of needing a car to do a car-less activity. You might be saying, “There’s already a new roller skate opening in Denver, and it’s called Rainbow Dome!” You are correct; Rainbow Dome is worth celebrating. What started as a pop-up bonanza for art, queerness and community on skates has officially announced plans for a permanent home. The only downside of Rainbow Dome: they’ll be located in downtown Denver, even further away than the current closest rinks in Arvada and Westminster. Fear not, dear Boulder County reader, for this is not a landscape of roller rink scarcity, but rather one of abundance! We can support Rainbow Dome and ask for our own rink in the same breath. Luckily for us, there are a handful of skate-oriented organizations already at work in the county to make the dream

BOULDER WEEKLY

of an indoor rink a reality. Check out Freewheel, a Longmont-based business led by Mandy Martin and Melissa Blumenshine, two sisters eager to bring skating back to their hometown. “I always remember that joy, how much freedom you feel when you’re roller skating around the rink next to your best friend, and your favorite song comes on,” Melissa waxed nostalgic to me when we spoke over the phone. “It’s just that magical moment in time that I feel so many kids are missing these days.” I would argue that all ages of our community could benefit from more of that magic, especially in light of the turmoil of the past few years, and Mandy and Melissa are taking steps to make it happen. Thanks to the Longmont version of the EforAll accelerator, the sisters connected with the Colorado Enterprise Fund, which in turn supported Freewheel in successfully obtaining a loan to purchase skate flooring and rental skates. Since early 2023, Freewheel has hosted about a dozen pop-up events, including at the Boulder County Fairgrounds (check out the next one Jan. 5-6!) and for Longmont’s Rhythm at Roosevelt summer fair. Their first event at the Fairgrounds back in March brought in a whopping 700-plus attendees, attracting lifelong skaters as well

Image credits: Amber Puckett

as people who had never put on skating boots in their life. “It was such a hit,” Mandy told me. “We knew at that moment that this is what we’re meant to do.” Freewheel is currently working to establish two years of successful business in order to prove to lenders that they are viable and worth the investment. But the rocky road to stability is only beginning: Settling down into a permanent location means either paying out the wazoo for rent — they estimated $42,000 a month for a currently

open space, which equates to about half a million dollars a year — or ponying up to miraculously purchase property outright. Meanwhile, Mandy and Melissa both work full-time jobs. Please, Boulder County: Show up to their events, request them for your church retreats and corporate gatherings, and if you’re a landlord, consider giving them a discounted rate. (I’m joking with that last part, but also, not really.) Invoking our abundance mindset from earlier, if we’re feeling adventur-

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COVER ous, we could also pursue our own version of Rainbow Dome. Adrienne Ambraziunas runs SK8D8, an inclusive roller skating club that offers classes for all sorts of skating styles and skill levels. The group’s weekly gathering at the Avalon Ballroom (Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m.) is, as far as Adrienne can tell right now, the most consistent indoor roller skating location in the county. Adrienne told me she’s researched the potential for a permanent space, and countless conversations fueled by shared passion have stagnated at the same funding roadblock as Mandy and Melissa at Freewheel have found. As the saying goes, the rent is too damn high, at least right now. “There’s so much empty commercial space if you look, but it’s so expensive,” Adrienne lamented. Consider the former Lowe’s in Louisville; the old Safeway in Longmont; the leftover Alfalfa’s in Boulder; or any number of empty office buildings across the county. I’m not saying that any of these locations could be flipped into a skate rink overnight, but there’s certainly no dearth of possibilities waiting to happen. Adrienne is not deterred. In her wildest dreams, she envisions a multiuse space with less fitness focus like a recreation center and more emphasis on community-curated events, especially but not limited to roller skating. After all, many people who skate end up being aficionados of other similarly creative endeavors. This can and should exist in tandem with a traditional rink like the one Freewheel is pursuing, and would ideally involve a group-led effort, as Adrienne is but one woman and opening this space on her own would be nigh impossible. “We just have to have the infrastructure to support skating,” Adrienne told me, “and from there we can do a lot of cool things.” I’ll throw in a few cool things that I would love to see from a Boulder County skating rink: Punch passes (I’ll be the first one to sign up.) Discounts for college students and our neighbors who use food stamps, because everyone deserves to let loose at least once in a while. Maybe this means a roller rink is managed by a recreation district, since they

oversee most of the outdoor skating parks in the county already. If it’s a private business, sliding-scale entry costs could be subsidized by community donations and grant programs. While I’m painting my ideal picture, let’s have this roller rink open at a variety of times: Friday through Sunday nights, of course, but also midday on the weekends, maybe an evening mid-week too, and perhaps even a morning sometime Monday through Friday. Offer classes for both beginners and experts, perhaps through partnerships with the many skilled skaters around the county such as SK8D8 or Colorado Skate Fitness. Offer an adult night once a week or more, out of respect for the history of roller skating in this country (for a brief primer, check out the documentary United Skates). If, after all of this, you’re still not convinced that Boulder County needs an indoor roller rink or two, I ask you to evoke that feeling of your most joyous earthly experience. Maybe it’s doing laps in the swimming pool or running along a trail with a stunning panoramic view or painting the mathematical perfection of a flower. Maybe it’s singing in communal harmony with a choir or cooking up a deliciously aromatic meal to share with loved ones or dancing to live music until your feet could fall off. Boulder County is rich with spaces for these and a diverse array of nourishing activities. Let’s welcome a roller rink here and make it easier to add roller skating to that list. You might even find that you enjoy it. Lucy Haggard is a writer, geographer and nascent roller skater. They’ve lived in Boulder County since 2016 and currently make their home in Louisville. This opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.

Want to hear from more readers? Check

out Letters to the Editor, online only this week, at bit.ly/letters-dec14. BOULDER WEEKLY

NEWS BRIEFS BOULDER SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS TO OFFER DAY SERVICES

The Boulder Shelter for the Homeless (BSH) is working to open a day shelter at its existing overnight location, the City announced Dec. 12. The day center will include multiple housing and social services with a focus on housing-related case management and coordinated entry, according to the City’s website. BSH CEO Mike Block said in the release that the expansion will make “our entire homeless response system more robust and solution oriented, resulting in more people finding a permanent home.” The day services center was previously set for a new location at 1844 Folsom St., but the owner and developer withdrew from the process this summer. BSH was not previously considered as a potential location for the center because its operating agreement bars it from being open during the day except during critical weather. The shelter will need to submit a conditional use application and management plan, subject to City staff review, to allow for the addition of day services. Neighbors will have a chance to provide feedback at a public meeting, which is required by City code, in early 2024. The day shelter is set to open later this winter.

LAWSUIT OVER MODULAR HOME FACTORY DISMISSED

A lawsuit seeking to block a modular home factory’s construction in East Boulder was dismissed by a Boulder County District judge, Boulder Reporting Lab reports. The property is owned by BVSD, one of the defendants in the suit along with the City of Boulder and Boulder City Council. The plaintiffs argued in a Jan. 11 suit that the project violates zoning laws prohibiting manufacturing uses. The judge dismissed the suit in a Nov. 22 order on the grounds of BVSD’s sovereign status, stating the school district “cannot be obstructed in its educational mission by local zoning law unless they agree to follow it.” — Kaylee Harter

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• The Federal Railroad Administration selected the Front Range Passenger Rail for an initial $500,000 in funding to kick off development efforts, Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) announced Dec. 6. The project is one of 69 chosen in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Corridor ID program, intended to expand intercity passenger rail. • New Boulder City Council members were sworn into office Dec. 7, following a recount that placed Ryan Schuchard in the final council seat, 46 votes ahead of fifth-place candidate Terri Brncic. Nicole Speer was chosen as mayor pro tem, who fills in for the mayor in the event of his absence, at Thursday’s meeting after Tara Winer withdrew her nomination for the position. • Front Range Community College and Colorado School of Mines announced a partnership, Mines Academy, that will give FRCC engineering students accepted to the new program guaranteed admission to any four-year degree program at Colorado School of Mines. • Construction on a new solar garden in Longmont that will provide reduced energy bills to more than 1,000 families is set to begin in 2024.

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NEWS

MO MONEY, MO PROBLEMS Boulder County has a new minimum wage — somebody should tell the businesses BY SHAY CASTLE

n just a few weeks, anyone who works at Guardian Storage’s two North Boulder locations — from company employees down to contractors who scrub the toilets or repair the building — will have to be paid at least $15.69 an hour, Boulder County’s new minimum wage. Workers at Guardian’s nearby competitors will have a state-mandated minimum wage of $14.42: the U-Haul facility across the street and two Life Storage locations up (and down) the block. In fact, most of the businesses along north Broadway will be subject to the lower hourly rate. That’s because they are in Boulder’s city limits, whereas Guardian sits in county enclaves, pockets of land that are technically under the County’s legal authority despite being surrounded by City property. There are dozens of places like this, where city meets county, in Boulder, Longmont, Gunbarrel and elsewhere. The blurry lines can cause confusion and consternation for property owners who get caught in the bureaucratic liminal space between adjacent government agencies. The latest conflict is Boulder County’s impending minimum wage increase, scheduled to start Jan. 1 in unincorpo-

DECEMBER 14, 2023

rated parts of the county. While the 15% boost in pay is welcome news for low-wage workers, it is highlighting the headache that disparate policies can cause. Many businesses and workers don’t know the wage hike is coming, and government agencies are taking a reactive approach to informing the community. In the meantime, the quick turnaround and subpar outreach are leaving some worried about the potential for people to be paid less than they are legally owed.

‘CRUSHING NEED’

Boulder (City and County) have been talking about raising the minimum wage since at least 2020. That’s when Colorado started allowing local municipalities to set their own minimums above and beyond the state wage. Colorado led the way with a $12 minimum wage that year and a plan for ongoing, annual increases. Denver followed with a wage that in 2024 will top $18 per hour. In early 2020, Boulder’s County and City leaders took the idea to the Consortium of Cities, a group of local government officials. Then came the pandemic. Talks resumed in April 2022, but most towns didn’t fully and formally

endorse the effort until this year. It’s better for all Boulder County to work together: State law incentivizes cooperation by imposing a limit on how many municipalities can do their own minimum wages. Early this year, Boulder County’s municipalities were on a path for a 2025 increase. Then, in August, County Commissioners announced they were striking out on their own to raise wages in 2024. The Nov. 2 vote was unanimous, with elected officials focusing on — in Commissioner Claire Levy’s words — the “crushing need” of low-wage earners whose expenses far outstrip their meager earnings. “This will be the most important thing we can do for families this year,” Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann said.

BUSINESSES UNAWARE

The City of Boulder’s elected officials decided not to join the County this year, citing the less-than-two month turnaround between the Commissioners’ unanimous vote and implementation. Boulder and other towns are awaiting the results of an economic analysis, due in early summer, and wanted time for more robust public engagement. “None of the municipalities felt comfortable being able to move as quickly as enactment in 2024 would require,” says Lauren Folkerts, Boulder’s representative to the Consortium. “Working with a bunch of different governments takes time. The wheels turn slowly.” Boulder County planned its schedule so that cities could catch up by 2025. State law limits local increases to 15% above the state’s wage. Boulder County’s 2024 wage will jump the maximum amount, but 2025’s will rise just 5%, giving cities the room to match the county. It’s unclear how many businesses and workers will be impacted. The current wage only applies in unincorporated Boulder County, which includes Niwot, Allenspark, Coal Creek Canyon, Eldora, Eldorado Springs, Gold Hill, Hygiene, portions of Gunbarrel (other parts belong to the City of Boulder) and anywhere between city limits. The double-wage dilemma may continue after 2025, too: Only Erie, Superior, Lafayette, Longmont and Louisville agreed to the hike. Lyons,

Nederland and Jamestown declined to participate, though Folkerts says the Consortium will “do our best to incorporate those communities” if they want to join later. More than 20,000 Boulder County jobs paid less than $15 per hour in 2022, according to Boulder-based Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA). But where those jobs are is a mystery: The County doesn’t know how many businesses fall under its jurisdiction. Officials cited the above number from EFAA as its sole source of information about potential impacts. State officials don’t have a count, either. Nor does the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. Officials from the Latino and Longmont Chambers did not respond to requests for comment. Employees at 10 businesses and nonprofits randomly visited by Boulder Weekly were unaware of the change. Only one had workers who knew about the new minimum wage: gear consignment shop Boulder Sports Recycler. Managers there came across the information while researching their quest for a raise. The company’s top brass wasn’t aware, they said, but implemented the higher wage early once workers informed them about it. “Lots of businesses, it’s not on their radar yet,” says Sharon King, executive director of the Boulder Small Business Development Center (SBDC). “We don’t know if people have yet really registered that this is coming.”

‘HOLDING MODE’

The lack of broad awareness has Jonathan Singer worried about the potential for wage theft. “It is an under-reported thing,” says Singer, a former Colorado legislator. During his term in the House of Representatives, Singer sponsored legislation to make serious wage violations a felony offense. Enforcement of wage laws is largely complaint based. That means workers have to know they are being underpaid to trigger an investigation. According to the Economic Policy Institute, more than $3 billion in unpaid wages was recovered from employers by state and federal government agencies from 2017 to 2020. The Colorado BOULDER WEEKLY

NEWS Fiscal Institute (based on a 2009 study from New York, Los Angeles and Chicago) estimated wage theft at $728 million annually. Latinx workers are the most common victims, and women are more likely to have wages stolen than men, the report found. “A lot of times, it happens with lowerwage workers and often amongst our undocumented community,” Singer agreed. “They’re nervous about reporting and getting retaliated against, which is illegal, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.” Spanish-speaking workers are the most likely to be impacted by Boulder County’s new law as well. A survey of EFAA’s clients found that 43% of Spanish-speakers earned less than $15 per hour in 2022, versus 24% of all respondents. “Whether it’s intentional or unintentional,” Singer says, “if the word doesn’t get out, it’s very likely” that people could be underpaid. In response to emailed questions and a request for an interview, county commissioner spokesperson Gloria

BOCO MINIMUM WAGE SCHEDULE 2024: $15.69 per hour 2025: $16.57 2026: $17.99 2027: $19.53 2028: $21.21 2029: $23.03 2030: $25.00 Beginning Jan. 1, 2031 and on Jan. 1 of each subsequent calendar year, minimum wage increases will correspond with the Consumer Price Index for the Denver-AuroraLakewood Area. Wages for tipped employees can be $3.02 per hour less than the local minimum wage each year. For 2024, the tipped minimum wage is $12.67 per hour. Full-time minimum wage salary (pre-tax) at the state’s 2024 minimum wage: $29,993 Yearly salary at Boulder County minimum wage: $32,635

BOULDER WEEKLY

County land, shown in gray, is surrounded by city property, in blue, along Broadway in North Boulder. Courtesy: Boulder County. Design: Erik Wogen.

Handyside wrote, “The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) will remain the responsible body for compliance/enforcement. Their wage materials are issued in midDecember. We are working on our plans for outreach, including advertising.” Before the commissioners’ vote, Boulder County held three virtual listening sessions and a town hall event in Niwot. The events “didn’t get a huge response,” King says: around a dozen people attended each meeting and the Nov. 2 public hearing. “If I have a small mom-andpop coffee shop,” Singer says, “unless someone has told me, ‘You’re in unincorporated Boulder County; you have to raise your minimum wage,’ I’m not watching those.” A monthlong survey was more successful, drawing 355 participants; 64% of respondents identified as workers and 13% as business owners. The County updated its website with resources and answers to fre-

quently asked questions, as did the CDLE. Employers are legally required to post the current minimum wage in their places of business. CDLE provides a downloadable poster, and the County’s website links to it. But it doesn’t reference Boulder County’s new, higher wage. There are no plans to proactively contact impacted businesses: not from the County, not by CDLE or any of the business groups contacted by Boulder Weekly. “We’re not doing anything right now,” says Singer, who is now senior director of policy and programs at Boulder Chamber. “Most of our businesses are in incorporated parts of Boulder” and therefore exempt. Also, many workers are already making more than minimum wage, so Singer suspects the impact will be limited. SBDC was tapped to facilitate two listening sessions and has been tasked with helping businesses post-implementation. King says the organization is facing a Catch-22: It is waiting to hear from employers that need help, but they can’t ask for help on something they don’t know about.

“We’re kind of in a holding mode,” she says. “I just think the next year is going to be quite challenging because nobody quite knows what’s going on.”

WHERE THE WORK IS

There’s one other item on the list of things many businesses don’t know: whether they’re located in the county or a city. Municipalities add land to their city limits through a complicated legal process known as annexation. Cities annex property for a number of reasons such as expanding their tax base. During its since-abandoned push to run its own electric utility, the City of Boulder annexed a number of properties to give them more future customers. Property owners can also ask cities to annex them so they can access services like water, sewer, police, fire, etc. Because cities expand piecemeal, there are often leftover enclaves of county land surrounded by municipal jurisdictions. While property owners and the people signing paychecks might know which governmental authority their businesses are under, it can be less clear to workers. Consider Moxie Bread Co. on Broadway in North Boulder; a worker DECEMBER 14, 2023

NEWS there believed it to be City of Boulder property, but county records show it as unincorporated. (A spokesperson for Moxie confirmed the company was aware of its location and the coming minimum wage increase.) Up the street, City of Boulder officials tried to collect back taxes from consignment shop The Amazing Garage Sale, a volunteer said, but they’re also in the county. In Longmont, a whole slew of businesses along North Main Street firmly believe they are in Boulder County. Property records say no. Boulder County’s minimum wage website links to a property search function. That’s the definitive source for determining if a business is in unincorporated county or city limits, according to county planner Clara Wagh. “A variation of the Property Search tool is the resource we use as planners,” Wagh wrote in response to emailed questions. “It is based on our records as well as what is reported to the Assessor’s office.” CDLE will work with employers to determine location, says Scott Moss, not only of physical businesses but of where the work was actually performed. That’s because the minimum wage applies whenever four or more hours work is done anywhere in unincorporated Boulder County. “If you’re a business that sends people out to clients” — house cleaners, dog walkers, construction work-

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ers, landscapers, etc. — “there’s a higher wage that needs to be paid,” Moss says. “If a plumber goes out for 1.5 hours to a house in Niwot, that’s not covered. But if it’s a plumber that does a bunch of calls in Niwot” lasting more than four hours, the local minimum must be paid.

‘THE STATE IS SWITZERLAND’

It’s not uncommon for businesses to straddle different wage lines, Moss says. “There always have been businesses at or near the border” of states with different wages, he says. “It’s a little like a business in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that sends people into northern Colorado, or businesses in Grand Junction or on the border of Colorado and other states. “You have to be mindful if you’re sending someone into a jurisdiction with a different minimum wage.”

Many businesses don’t know whether they’re located in the county or the city, especially near the edge of city limits such as along Broadway in North Boulder. Credit: Shay Castle

DECEMBER 14, 2023

BOULDER WEEKLY

NEWS Like SBDC, Moss says CDLE has no list of or plans to contact impacted businesses, although it is staffing up its voluntary compliance team in preparation. “The state doesn’t review every paycheck of 3 million employees across the state,” he says. “There’s so many employers and employees — you have over 100,000 employees in Boulder County, easily — we can’t just show up in a room and expect people to show up.” The agency does present to groups on various aspects of the law, upon request, Moss says. So far, no one from Boulder County has. CDLE will likely repeat its strategy from Denver’s minimum wage increase, what Moss calls “targeted outreach” that overlaps with investigations. “We found some Denver restaurants were paying $3.02 less than the Colorado minimum wage rather than the Denver minimum wage to tipped employees,” he says. “We searched which employers were doing that and wrote them letters. We would expect to be doing some of that in Boulder County.” As with most wage violations, “virtually all restaurants fixed it when we brought it to their attention,” Moss says. Though theft is typically punishable by penalties up to 5.5 times the amount of unpaid wages — depending on willful versus accidental incidents and how quickly employers repay workers — early efforts in Boulder County will likely not have damages or fines attached if companies comply. (Penalties and damages go directly to the aggrieved worker; the state collects fines for itself “but they’re far, far lower than the penalties,” according to Moss.) “State law is calibrated to encourage prompt payment and give employers a break if they fix violations when notified,” he says. A minimum-wage worker in unincorporated Boulder County who is underpaid for the entirety of 2024 (assuming a full-time, 40-hour work week) would be owed slightly more than $2,600 if no penalties were assessed. BOULDER WEEKLY

Currently, Moss says there are “several dozen” wage violations in Boulder County each year. Wage theft takes many forms; the most common is workers being incorrectly classified as independent contractors (who are not subject to minimum wage laws). People often believe that any worker who filled out a 1099 form is a contrac-

tor, “but that isn’t how it works,” he says. “It’s based on the work, not whether [workers are] paid by 1099. You can’t opt out of labor law by reciting an incantation saying, ‘Thou art a contractor.’” Moss is confident that, once businesses know, they will fall in line. He isn’t too bothered by Boulder County’s conflicting wage situation. The state worked hard to

update information within weeks of the county commissioners’ vote, and they’ll work just as swiftly to correct any issues that crop up next year, he says. “The state is Switzerland as to whether anyone should adopt anything or not. We adopt outreach and enforcement, and hopefully it can be done the best it can.”

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MUSIC

A WHOLE ’NOTHER WORLD Reed Foehl follows the song BY ADAM PERRY

suffering, and just the band eed Foehl grew up in stuff — logistics and relaMassachusetts, where he fell tionships, and it’s always a in love with music through his soap opera.” parents’ record collection. That’s how he developed a passion, as many aspiring songwriters do, for the great ‘I WANT TO BE KIND Neil Young. AND I WANT TO “I could listen to Harvest over and HAVE GOOD over again,” Foehl says. “Just top to FRIENDS’ bottom, it’s a beautiful record. For my Foehl — who moved back 16th birthday, I had Harvest shirts to New England a few years made. Everybody put them on.” ago — has essentially been Foehl mixed all that ’70s Americana solo ever since, but he perwith a little jammy Boulder flavor when forms his John Prine-meetsDecades after finding success as a solo artist in Boulder, singer-songwriter Reed Foehl returns for a perforhe arrived here more than three Fruit Bats alt-folk with a mance with Covenhoven at eTown Hall on Dec. 16. Credit: Kate Drew Miller decades ago. The Samples and band here and there, and One of Foehl’s good friends is Leftover Salmon were taking off, and analyzing everything, and it usually is Band of Heathens has played on his Boulder singer-songwriter Gregory Foehl’s band at the time — Acoustic pretty good.” last few albums, all recorded at the Alan Isakov, who — like Foehl — has Junction — got a record deal. An inter- group’s studio in Austin, Texas. Foehl’s vibey and heartfelt new been nominated for a Grammy. Every action with an industrious music lover album, Wild Wild Love, has a Laurel “They have a studio called the Christmas season for as long as most led Foehl to find success as a solo art- Finishing School, and they’re just Canyon feel that nods to his childpeople around here can remember, ist, not just by touring relentlessly phenomenal,” Foehl says. “I do all my hood heroes. Foehl has opened for Isakov at the (opening for everyone from “I got old songs showing up historic Gold Hill Inn in the mountains Dave Matthews to Taj Mahal) like best friends out on the just northwest of Boulder. The pair is but by getting his songs placed weekend,” he sings on the title thick as thieves and occasional songin movies and TV shows. track. “Just like ‘Sam Stone’ or writing collaborators. “I made my first solo record ‘Hallelujah,’ they give you what “Greg’s unbelievable with words … called Spark. It sort of had a you need.” he’s just one of those agile minds,” cinematic feel,” he says. “This With both of Foehl’s parents Foehl says. “I do work a little differentfan sent it to the secretary at dying in the last few decades, ly, and I try to not cop what he’s doing, Warner Brothers. Eventually it he found himself becoming but I’m definitely inspired and influgot into the hands of these essentially the patriarch of his enced by it. And I think we both take supervisors and, like, every family. That changed things for from each other. Sometimes I’ve writsong on that record was him, even his songwriting — ten [a song] thinking of him and then licensed. And then twice.” “probably in ways I don’t really he’ll help me finish it. That happens a Making money from someknow.” thing other than playing shows “To this day, I just want to call lot. We’re constantly inspired by each other, because we don’t feel like we’re or pushing an album was a my mom,” he says. “I lost my doing the same thing.” game changer for Foehl. father in 2001, so really early, “I was, like, ‘Whoa, this is a and my mom about five years Editor’s Note: A version of this whole ’nother world.’ There’s ago. It’s life. It’s nothing. I’m story originally appeared online at money upfront. It was lucky to have great friends that boulderweekly.com on June 29. Wild Wild Love by Reed Foehl was released May 17, 2022. Dawson’s Creek — those are my brothers, and I also Courtesy: Green Mountain Records shows — and then there was have siblings that I still have one in a feature film. I’m still good relationships with, so ON THE BILL: Reed making money to this day from the that’s really important. My mom used work before [entering the studio] — Foehl with Covenhoven. 2001 movie,” he says. “I was, like, ‘I to say to me, ‘You have the best my arrangements, the songs, the 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, can just keep writing and creating and friends,’ and I always thought that’s all details, and I really just go to them eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., not tour as much.’ There are so many I need in this life, really. I want to be and let them do whatever they want. Boulder. $25 expenses with touring, and so much kind and I want to have good friends.” I’ve learned to let go as opposed to BOULDER WEEKLY

DECEMBER 14, 2023

MUSIC

BOX IT UP The year’s most essential music collections for holiday gifting BY ALAN SCULLEY

ith the holiday shopping season in full fidelity, finding the perfect gift for that special music obsessive in your life can be a stiff challenge. To help you hit the right notes, here is your guide to the year’s most essential box sets, anthologies and compilations — from Prince to Linkin Park, and everything in between.

LINKIN PARK

THE SPINNERS

Two decades after its release in 2003 — and six years following the death of frontman Chester Bennington — the blockbuster second album from raprock/nü-metal standard bearers Linkin Park gets a massive 89-track expansion with lots of live material. This new edition of Meteora also includes a 12-track “Lost Demos” disc featuring several unreleased tunes that will remind listeners what made the band stand out from the pack in the first place.

This 43-song set collects the hits and another two-dozen notable tracks from the peak years of the Spinners’ career, when the group worked with songwriterproducer Thom Bell and helped define the ’70s soul sound. Another set, Ain’t No Price on Happiness: The Thom Bell Studio Recordings, 1972-79, packages expanded versions of the eight Spinners albums released during this period.

Meteora: 20 Year Anniversary

The Complete Atlantic Singles: The Thom Bell Productions, 1972-79

ARETHA FRANKLIN

A Portrait of the Queen: 1970-1974 Aretha Franklin’s 1960s output established her as the “Queen of Soul.” But the five early 1970s albums included in A Portrait of the Queen: 1970-1974 — including Spirit in the Dark and Young, Gifted and Black — showcase the degree to which the artist continued to deepen her craft in the decade to come. A sixth disc of rare tracks from the period rounds out this soulful set.

JONI MITCHELL

Archives, Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) The third installment of the Joni Mitchell box set series moves into one of her most musically rich periods, covering the albums For the Roses, Court and Spark and The Hissing of Summer Lawns. The original recordings are available separately, but this five-CD, four-LP set showcases demos and alternate takes, plus two full concerts, across 128 tracks. There are plenty of treasures for fans to discover — like a session with Graham Nash and David Crosby, and versions of “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” and “Raised on Robbery” with Neil Young and the Stray Gators.

DECEMBER 14, 2023

DEVO

50 Years of De-Evolution: 1973-2023 / Art Devo: 1973-1977 Devo’s history as one of the leading synth-pop/rock acts of all time is chronicled in these two box sets. With an affinity for offbeat experimentation and subversive (often wacky) lyrics, 50 Years of De-Evolution collects the band’s hits and best studio cuts in one handsome package featuring four LPs on clear vinyl. For fans who can’t get enough of the band’s singular style, there’s Art Devo, collecting a wealth of unreleased early tracks that trace their development and highlight the quirkier side of this long-running musical institution.

DIONNE WARWICK

The Complete Scepter Singles: 19621973 / Sure Thing: The Warner Bros. Recordings, 1972-1977 The Scepter label box set chronicles Warwick’s rise to stardom as one of pop’s finest vocalists and song stylists, while the Warner Bros. collection is devoted to a less commercially successful — and under-appreciated — phase of her career. With tracks like “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Walk On By” and “You’ll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart),” both sets are essential listening for devoted fans and curious newcomers alike.

BOB DYLAN

Fragments: Time Out of Mind Sessions, 1996-1997 A string of lackluster albums in the 1980s and early 1990s left many critics wondering if the legendary Bob Dylan was running on creative fumes. But after getting his groove back on 1997’s Time Out of Mind, he began a fruitful run of inspired albums that has continued to this day. This 17th volume of Dylan’s Bootleg Series includes outtakes, alternate cuts and a disc of live performances from his creative turning point.

BOULDER WEEKLY

MUSIC

PRINCE & THE NEW POWER GENERATION THE REPLACEMENTS

PET SHOP BOYS

Bringing a new crispness and clarity to the 1985 classic Tim, this four-disc box set version of The Replacements’ fifth studio album begins with a new mix of the original recordings by Ed Stasium. The collection expands on the bonus cuts that debuted on the 2008 singledisc deluxe version of the record, including the rocking outtake “Having Fun,” a frenetic version of “Kiss Me on the Bus” and four variations of the anthemic “Can’t Hardly Wait.” The set is rounded out by a rambunctious and fairly tight (by mid-80s ’Mats standards, anyway) 1986 live show in Chicago.

From “West End Girls” to “Suburbia,” nearly all of the British synth-pop group’s singles are compiled on this 55-track set, showing a remarkable consistency in quality and style that has kept the dynamic duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe relevant and successful for 35 years and counting.

Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)

SUPERCHUNK

Misfits and Mistakes: Singles, B-sides and Strays, 2007-2023 Nineties-born indie rock institution Superchunk offers up 50 tracks of unreleased goodness in this four-LP/two-CD collection sourced from out-of-print releases, digital singles, compilations and more. There may be a few misfit songs in this collection, but no mistakes: just more irresistible music from one of the leading alt-rock bands of the past three decades. BOULDER WEEKLY

SMASH: The Singles, 1985-2020

Diamonds and Pearls

Prince’s mostly stellar 1980s work was followed by an uneven decade for the iconic artist, but 1992’s Diamonds and Pearls had its share of standouts spanning rock, pop, funk, hip-hop and gospel. The fifth installment of this sevendisc super deluxe set is the highlight, featuring 10 outtakes that could have made up one of Prince’s better albums.

WRITTEN IN THEIR SOUL: THE STAX SONGWRITER DEMOS

WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE USA HARD ROCK SCENE, 1967-1973

Stax Records, the company that defined classic soul music in the 1960s, featured a large stable of songwriters and demo singers — some of whom were also signed as recording artists. This massive 146-track set includes demos recorded by William Bell, Mack Rice, Eddie Floyd, Carla Thomas, Bettye Crutcher and Homer Banks, to name a few. And here’s the kicker: More than 60 of these songs were never released by artists on Stax or other labels, adding to the revelatory experience.

This high-wattage compilation walks the fine line between hard rock and the emerging genre of heavy metal. Some well known acts are present and accounted for — Steppenwolf, ZZ Top, The MC5, Alice Cooper and Blue Cheer — but many offerings on this new 63-song collection are from more obscure acts. A number of these tracks are pulled from the Brown Acid compilation series — now on its 17th edition, those sets may interest listeners looking to dig deeper.

WHAT A GROOVY DAY: THE BRITISH SUNSHINE POP SOUND, 1967-1972 The years between 1967 to 1972 might just be the most fertile, diverse and adventurous period in rock history. This three-CD clamshell box set includes 53 songs focusing on the breezy pop wing of the British scene, culling songs mainly from acts that faded into obscurity long ago. Yes, some of these offerings sound dated, and there’s the occasional overly derivative tune. But this set has its share of gems and nicely documents a transformative time in British pop history.

PLAYING FOR THE MAN AT THE DOOR: FIELD RECORDINGS FROM THE COLLECTION OF MACK MCCORMICK, 1958-1971 American musicologist and folklorist Mack McCormick toured the country for decades, recording dozens of blues artists — some familiar, including Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb and CeDell Davis, and others largely unknown. This essential collection features live, mostly solo performances, plus a few tunes with backing, and all as authentic as it gets.

DECEMBER 14, 2023

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FILM Andrew Scott (left) and Paul Mescal in All of Us Strangers. Courtesy: Film4 / Blueprint Pictures

ALWAYS ON MY MIND ‘All of Us Strangers’ is a ghostly love story BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

ome people are never more alone than they are in the company of others. Adam is such a

person. Adam (Andrew Scott) is a screenwriter living in a newly built high-rise on the outskirts of London. Not many residents have moved in, which is evident when the fire alarm is tripped and he’s one of maybe six outside waiting to go back in. When he looks up at the glittering tower, only a handful of lights are on. How much lonelier can you get? A lot, apparently. When Adam was 12, he lost his parents in a car crash. He’s done well for himself in the intervening years — he lives in the penthouse suite — but he still carries all the loneliness of growing up without his mom and dad, who never knew the man he became. Now he’s trying to write a script, presumably set around that fateful day, but can’t quite get the words on the page. BOULDER WEEKLY

Based on Taichi Yamada’s novel Strangers, filmmaker Andrew Haigh’s film is a somber and intimate movie that remains in one register — probably the same register Adam has been in since his parents died. To call it “melancholic” is close but still not quite right. Adam is adrift and desperate to find something or someone to anchor himself to. And he does: His name is Harry. Harry (Paul Mescal) is another sad face with a forced smile plastered on, which is apt considering the state of inebriation Harry’s in when he knocks on Adam’s door. They’re both queer and in desperate need of company. But the desperation is too much, and Adam turns Harry away. The next time Harry shows up, though, Adam welcomes him in. Pay attention to doors when watching All of Us Strangers — mirrors, too. They pepper a lot of Haigh’s narrative. Sometimes, they show reality. Other

times, they illustrate an emotional reality. That might sound disorienting, but I assure you, it’s the only grounding you’ll find. All of Us Strangers is magical realism. Nothing that happens here seems out of the realm of possibility, even when Adam visits the suburban home where he grew up for research and finds his two parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) living there as if a day hadn’t passed since 1987. How is this possible? All of Us Strangers never says. And for good reason. Adam accepts the corporeal visions and begins interacting with them. Mom and Dad learn about their son’s life and orientation, and Adam gets to unpack the emotional baggage he’s been dragging with him for 20 years. He finds warmth in their presence, and they find comfort in knowing their child grew up OK without them. It’s such a beautiful collection of scenes that it almost takes the sting off the inevitability that Adam is going to have to lose them again. Almost. But where the movie excels, it is also hindered. Haigh maintains tension and

believability by never varying the movie’s tone, which works but also can make for a trying sit. The first time I saw All of Us Strangers, Haigh’s tight tonal control brought me closer to boredom than curiosity. A second viewing improves things significantly, but it still feels like Haigh is trying to hold viewers at arm’s length. There’s a lot of grief to sift through in All of Us Strangers. Adam and Harry share several intimate moments and conversations, and there’s a sense that the troubles they’ve experienced as gay men have never been fully resolved. When Harry asks Adam for his preferred form of intercourse, Adam reveals that the act has scared him for so long because of its connection with AIDS. There’s so much sorrow he’s been running from. No wonder Adam is seeing ghosts out there.

ON SCREEN: All of Us

Strangers opens in limited release on Dec. 22 and everywhere Jan. 16. DECEMBER 14, 2023

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THEATER

TEMPERATURE CHECK World premiere of Wonderbound’s ‘Icy Haught’ is a sizzling dance journey through winter BY TONI TRESCA

renewed vigor. Following the completion of the company’s $8.1 million capital campaign in September, Wonderbound now officially owns its building just off Dahlia Street in Denver. With daily practice and performances in their own choreographyready facility, this new sense of ownership seems to radiate from the undeniable confidence in the dancers’ performances. The show’s structure — which begins slowly before getting increasingly intense — evokes the sensation of venturing outside in the dead of winter and then coming inside to warm up next to the fire. It’s a visual and emotional exploration of our collective need for warmth, connection and hope. In its departure from traditional narratives, Icy Haught succeeds spectacularly, offering a refreshing and exhilarating experience. Far from being another Nutcracker, this production is a thrilling wintertime show that should not be missed.

“Jolene,” featuring Logan Velasquez, he weather outside might be Cameron Cofrancesco and Nathan turning frightful, but inside Mariano. From the erotically charged Wonderbound’s theater, the stage is heating up with the fiery world to the intimately moving, the range showcases each dancer’s exceptionpremiere of Icy Haught. al ability to translate complex emoGarrett Ammon and Sarah Tallman tions and narratives through movechoreographed the contemporary balment. let company’s ongoing production, The first act, dominated by a cool which turns holiday-show orthodoxy palette of blues and whites, sets a on its head. A testament to somewhat subdued tone, mimicking Wonderbound’s decade-long reign as the icy touch of winter. The second a dance-world titan, the end result is act bursts forth in Wonderbound’s nothing short of spectacular. signature red and white, mirroring the The world premiere of this innovathematic shift from frozen to fiery. tive production stands apart from the This expertly executed transition, year’s previous Wonderbound offerwhich features a sensual costume ings, like The Sandman and Wicked change conceived by Wonderbound’s Bayou, by eschewing a single narrapresident and costume designer tive in favor of a series of dynamic Dawn Fay, enhances the visual feast. seasonal vignettes. Icy Haught is an ON STAGE: Icy Haught. Watching it all unfold, it’s hard to anthology of life itself, portraying win2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. through ignore the impact of Wonderbound’s ter as a metaphor for our brief and Dec. 17, Wonderbound, recently paid-off space, which appears fragile time on Earth. 3824 Dahlia St., Denver. $65 to have imbued the troupe with Twelve of Wonderbound’s talented dancers perform Ammon and Tallman’s electrifying choreography on a mostly bare stage — except for purposeful props designed by Eleanor Moriarty, bringing each seasonal story to life. The set’s simplicity, accentuated by Karalyn Star Pytel’s vibrant lighting design, amplifies the emotional resonance of each piece of music, ranging from the sultry tones of “Santa Baby” to the haunting strains of “Skinny Love.” Each Icy Haught number is a world unto itself, like Richard Romero’s heartwarming performance as a vendor with his cart in “Ice Cream Man,” and a stirring, queer Icy Haught wraps its run Dec. 17 at the Wonderbound dance company’s newly paid-off theater space in reinterpretation of Denver. Credit: Amanda Tipton BOULDER WEEKLY

DISTRICT COURT, BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO PO Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306 1777 6th Street, Boulder, CO 80302 In the Matter of the Petition of: JACOB THOMPSON (name of person seeking to adopt) For the Adoption of a Child Case Number: 23JA30038 Division: M NOTICE OF HEARING To: Jason Robert Marquez Pursuant to §19-5-208, C.R.S., you are hereby notified that the above-named Petitioner(s) has/ have filed in this Court a verified Petition seeking to adopt a child. An Affidavit of Abandonment has been filed alleging that you have abandoned the child for a period of one year or more and/or have failed without cause to provide reasonable support for the child for one year or more. You are further notified that an Adoption hearing is set on 01/18/2024 (date), at 3:00 p.m. (time) in the court location identified above. You are further notified that if you fail to appear for said hearing, the Court may terminate your parental rights and grant the adoption as sought by the Petitioner(s). DISTRICT COURT, BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO PO Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306 1777 6th Street, Boulder, CO 80302 In the Matter of the Petition of: JACOB THOMPSON (name of person seeking to adopt) For the Adoption of a Child Case Number: 23JA30039 Division: M NOTICE OF HEARING To: Jason Robert Marquez Pursuant to §19-5-208, C.R.S., you are hereby notified that the above-named Petitioner(s) has/ have filed in this Court a verified Petition seeking to adopt a child. An Affidavit of Abandonment has been filed alleging that you have abandoned the child for a period of one year or more and/or have failed without cause to provide reasonable support for the child for one year or more. You are further notified that an Adoption hearing is set on 01/18/2024 (date), at 3:30 p.m. (time) in the court location identified above. You are further notified that if you fail to appear for said hearing, the Court may terminate your parental rights and grant the adoption as sought by the Petitioner(s).

DECEMBER 14, 2023

EVENTS FRI. 12/15 - 9:00PM

Joe MaRcinek Band feat. dave Watts (of the Motet) and fRiends SAT. 12/16 - 8:00PM

stePhen kellogg: sit doWn & stand UP toUR

14-15

TUE. 12/19 - 7:00PM

7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., Dec. 14-15, Mountain View United Methodist Church, 355 Ponca Place, Boulder. $35

2-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, Love & Ink Studio, 275 Waneka Parkway, Lafayette. $6.66 (presale) / $10 at the door

WED. 12/20 - 7:00PM

Celebrate the joys of the winter solstice with Ars Nova Singers and cellist Charles Lee. Backed by 40 jaw-dropping vocalists, this vibrant holiday performance features new arrangements of seasonal tunes from old masters and modern musical visionaries.

MON. 12/18 - 6:00PM

oPen Mic W/ steve koPPe oliveR fRanklin, heatheRlyn, aBBy BRoWn, hannah saMano fRee BlUegRass JaM THU. 12/21 - 7:00PM

ARS NOVA SINGERS: EVERGREEN

BLACK XXXMAS: A GOTH HOLIDAY PARTY

Swap your ugly Christmas sweater for black fishnets and eyeliner at this alternative holiday party featuring flash tattoos, live music, burlesque and drag performances, local art vendors and more dark-sided holiday fun.

BEST OF 2023 LISTENING PARTY

7:15-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, Paradise Found Records and Music, 1646 Pearl St., Boulder. $10 Need to catch up on the best music of the year? Drop by Paradise Found in Boulder for a special after-hours listening party. Ticket price gets you $10 off your purchase, with staff spinning an all-vinyl set of their favorite records of 2023. (Don’t miss our roundup of the year’s bestsellers in next week’s issue.)

clay Rose, singeRsongWRiteR night W/ gUest gRayson of i.o UndeRgRoUnd

FRI. 12/29 - 7:00PM

BlUes dance PaRty W/ Rex PeoPles & xfactR. sPecial gUest MaRina fayfiield SAT. 12/30 - 7:00PM

saRah chRistine, Ro$$ay, dJ c$hBRWns, saRidae “hotel eaRth” neW yeaRs Wknd SUN. 12/31 - 8:00PM

kgnU PResents los cheesies flashBack 60s, 70s, 80s neW yeaR’s PaRty W/the saints and dJ dRake Purchase Tickets at

RMPtix.com RootsMusicProject.org 4747 Pearl Suite V3A 20

DECEMBER 14, 2023

CRAFT BEERS AND CAROLING

6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free Sip on local craft beer and enjoy some holiday classics at this jolly seasonal event. Members of the Left Hand Brewing team will fill the air with carols for a spirited night of cheer at one of BoCo’s premier breweries.

MEDITATION WITH THE EARTH

Noon-12:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, 1708 13th St., Boulder. Free Looking to slow things down this holiday season? Drop by a free meditation session on the southeast corner of Central Park near 13th Street and Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder. The 30-minute session will be followed by a brief sharing of experiences to help strengthen connection with yourself and the natural world.

BIRDS OF PREY DRIVING TOUR

9 a.m.-noon. Saturday, Dec. 16, Boulder (location provided after registration). Free Carpool with friends and family for a self-guided tour of Boulder County’s bird-watching hubs. Designed to sharpen your identification skills, the high-flying tour will include a map of the best places to search the skies for birds of prey. BOULDER WEEKLY

EVENTS

day

Wednes

Dec 13

show timme 8:00p

Saturd

Dec 16

show timme 8:00p

9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road. $10

8-11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, The Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $25

FAMILY ORNAMENT MAKING

Craft homemade holiday decorations and ornaments during this familyfriendly event for all ages. Paint and create your personalized holiday keepsakes that will add holiday cheer to your home this season.

BOULDER COUNTY JINGLE JAM

Head to the Velvet Elk Lounge in Boulder for a holiday tradition bringing together the finest local bluegrass and Americana musicians for a night of holiday classics with flair. Proceeds support local nonprofit Sister Carmen.

LAST CHANCE GIFT FEST

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont. Free

Sunday

ec 17t

D show timme 8:00p

day

Wednes

Stock up on arts, crafts, toys, decor and more at this one-stop shop for your last-minute gift needs. In addition to a bevy of food and drink options, more than 170 Colorado vendors will be on hand to help you find the perfect gift for that special someone.

Dec 20

show timme 8:00p

Thursd

Dec 21s

show timme 8:00p

Friday

Dec 22

show timme 8:00p

Saturd

Dec 23r

show timme 8:00p

Sunday

Dec 24

show timme 8:00p

day

Wednes

Dec 27

show timme 8:00p

SKATE WITH SANTA

Noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, Sports Stable Ice Rink, 1 Superior Drive, Superior. Free The Superior Chamber of Commerce and the Blue Sports Stable present a night of hot chocolate, cookies, crafts and skating with the big man himself. Registration is required for this annual holiday tradition. BOULDER WEEKLY

TNL STARLIGHT FESTIVAL

11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, The New Local, 741 Pearl St., Boulder. Free Join the art-forward fun at The New Local as their holiday pop-up market continues. Sunday’s event features artists Elizabeth Prentiss, Fox Lillie and Blackbird and the Snow presenting embroidered home linens, sustainable fashion and handmade jewelry.

THE MOUSE KING’S CIRCUS DREAM

2:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, Boulder Circus Center, 4747 26th St. $22 The Denver Circus Collective presents an afternoon of fun under the big top with a variety show inspired by the tales from The Nutcracker. Witness the art of aerial dance, contortion and more, plus a pre-show holiday market featuring local vendors.

Thursd

Dec 28t

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Friday

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D show timme 8:00p

Saturd

Dec 30

show timme 8:00p

Kimberly Morgan York In the Bar

The 2nd annual Boulder county jingle jam

$25 + $4

service charge

Sapphires Garden In the Bar

Ben Hanna In the Bar

Chuck Sitero and Liz Patton In the Bar

Many Mountains In the Bar

Dave boylan In the Bar

Matt Flaherty In the Bar

Aaron mitchell In the Bar

Bent Brothers In the Bar

Stephen Brooks In the Bar

DJ Williams with Lionel young duo

$17 + $4

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DECEMBER 14, 2023

LIVE MUSIC T HU R S D AY, D E C. 1 4 RUFUS WAINWRIGHT WITH MADISON CUNNINGHAM (ETOWN RADIO SHOW TAPING). 7 p.m. Macky Auditorium, 972 Broadway, Boulder. $43

ON THE BILL

NICK FORSTER’S HIPPY BLUEGRASS CHURCH. 10:30 a.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $15

LIMBWRECKER WITH GRIEF RITUAL, HOLOGRAPHIC AMERICAN AND ZEPHR. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $12

WARM BEFORE THE STORM WITH UNSKILLED LABOR, DEMI GOD TEZUS AND THE WHITE MOMS. 9 p.m. Lion’s Lair, 2022 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $10 WHOOZY, SSORBEATS, AND DON JAMAL. 8 p.m. Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St., Denver. $15

FR I D AY, D E C. 1 5 THE EDGE BAND. 8:15 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $50 JOE MARCINEK BAND FEAT. DAVE WATTS OF THE MOTET AND FRIENDS. 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Boulder. $15 TENIA NELSON TRIO: A VERY R&B CHRISTMAS. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20 BARBARA WITH LITTLE TRIPS AND LUNA NUÑEZ. 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $12 SHEESHMAS WITH THE MAÑANAS, CO-STANZA AND BIG DOPES. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $15

DECEMBER 14, 2023

THE ROCKY COASTS WITH BIG PINCH, BEN TONAK AND THE BAD FIX. 9 p.m. The Roxy Broadway, 554 S. Broadway, Denver. $10

S UN DAY, DE C . 17

MUST DIE! WITH TISOKI, RSENIK AND BWRZ. 9 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $18

SUPER PREMIUM ULTRA DELUXE WITH COSMIC DOJO AND HUMAN KIND. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $12

ATLUS. 7 p.m. Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St., Denver. $20

ROGER CLYNE WITH PH NAFFAH DUO. 4 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $25

With its members scattered from Boulder to Saguache, Trinidad and Pueblo, Americana outfit The River Arkansas is a true-blue Colorado institution. Scan the QR code for a Boulder Weekly interview with violinist Rachel Sliker ahead of the band’s upcoming show with headliner Joseph Huber on Dec. 16 at Hi-Dive in Denver. See listing for details. PAPADOSIO WITH DESERT DWELLERS, SNAKES & STARS AND 5AM TRIO. 7:15 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $30 THE RAILBENDERS WITH THE JONS. 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $25 AQUA. 7 p.m. Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St., Denver. $65 WHOOZY WITH SSORBEATS AND DON JAMAL (NIGHT 2). 8 p.m. Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St., Denver. $15

SATUR DAY, D EC . 16 HOWLIN’ GOATZ WITH SIERRA MILES AND WENDY WOO. 7 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15 BOULDER COUNTY JINGLE JAM. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $25 STEPHEN KELLOGG. 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $20

REED FOEHL WITH COVENHOVEN. 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $25. STORY ON P. 13 A VERY HILLBILLY CARIBOU CHRISTMAS WITH VINCE HERMAN AND FRIENDS. 8 p.m. The Caribou Room, 55 Indian Peaks Drive, Nederland. $25 JOSEPH HUBER WITH THE RIVER ARKANSAS. 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15 BW PICK OF THE WEEK DABYLON WITH WAXCAT AND PERMISSION SLIP. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $15 TROYBOI WITH EVAN GIA AND MZG. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $40 KOBRA THIGHS WITH DAY TRAITOR AND DISCOLORED PERCEPTION (NIGHT 1). 9 p.m. Lion’s Lair, 2022 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $10 ROGER CLYNE AND THE PEACEMAKERS. 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $30

KOBRA THIGHS WITH DAY TRAITOR AND DISCOLORED PERCEPTION (NIGHT 2). 9 p.m. Lion’s Lair, 2022 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $10 CARPET KNIGHTS USA WITH PAINTED CITY, TLOOP, SZOLVE AND SNOWZU. 8 p.m. Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St., Denver. $15

TUE S DAY, DE C . 19 ANDRÉS. 7 p.m. Moon Room at Summit Music Hall, 1902 Blake St., Denver. $51

WE DN E S DAY, DE C . 20 FACE VOCAL BAND HOLIDAY CONCERT. 7:30 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $25 BEN HANNA. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free MUSECYCLES. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $10 BANDAID BRIGADE WITH THE GAMITS AND DESPAIR JORDAN. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $12

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

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ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): In 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped from enslavement on a plantation in Maryland. She could have enjoyed her new freedom in peace but instead resolved to liberate others. During 13 bold forays into enemy territory, she rescued 70 enslaved people and ushered them to safety. She testified that she relied on her dreams and visions to help her carry out her heroic acts. They revealed to her the best escape routes to take, the best times to proceed, and information about how to avoid the fiendish slave catchers. In alignment with astrological omens, I invite you to be like Tubman and seek practical guidance from your dreams in the coming weeks — to solve problems or seek bliss. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Jack Nicholson has often played mavericks and anti-heroes in his movies. His life away from the silver screen has also been less than steady and predictable. For example, he has fathered six children with five different women. His fellow actor, Carrie Fisher, said Jack was “fun because he doesn’t make sense.” A person with casual knowledge of astrology might be surprised that Nicholson is a Taurus. Your tribe isn’t typically renowned for high eccentricity. But in his natal chart, Nicholson has the brash planet Uranus near his sun in Taurus, indicating he’s quirky. Aside from that, I have known plenty of Tauruses whose commitment to being uniquely themselves makes them idiosyncratic. These themes will be in play for you during the coming weeks. (P.S. Taurus musician and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne starred in the concert film, Stop Making Sense.) GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): The platitude says that if life gives us lemons, we should make lemonade. I’ve got a variation on this theme. Consider the Neva River in northwestern Russia. It freezes every winter. During the frigid months of 1739-1740, Empress Anna Ioannovna ordered her workers to cut huge blocks of ice and use them to construct a magnificent palace on the riverbank. She filled the place with furniture and art, making it a hub of festivities celebrating Russia’s triumph over the Ottoman Empire. I bring these themes to your attention, Gemini, because I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will have substantial redemptive power. Whether you make lemonade from lemons or a palace from a frozen river is up to you. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): “If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy,” wrote Cancerian author E. B. White. “If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” According to my astrological analysis, your fate in recent weeks has been more challenging than seductive. You’ve been pressed to work on dilemmas and make adjustments more than you might like. But this rhythm is about to change. Up ahead, life is seductive, welcoming and appealing. Are you prepared to drop any unconscious attachment you have to your interesting discomfort so you can smoothly make the transition to more ease? LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): I want to prepare you for the delights of the coming days. I want to make sure you are fully alert for them and primed to appreciate them. I give you the thoughts of Leo psychologist Carl Jung: “It is important to have a secret, a premonition of things unknown,” he said. “We must sense that we live in a mysterious world — that things happen and can be experienced that remain inexplicable; that not everything can be anticipated; that the unexpected and incredible belong in this world. Only then is life whole.” VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Have you taken a refreshing break lately? Maybe even a soothing sabbatical? Have you treated yourself to a respite from the gritty grind? If not, please do so soon. While you are recharging your psychic batteries, I ask you to give your fantasy life ample room to wander

DECEMBER 14, 2023

wildly and freely. In my astrological opinion, your imagination needs to be fed and fed with gourmet food for thought. For the sake of your soul’s health, I hope you dream up fantastic, unruly, even outrageous possibilities. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): My Uncle Ned advised me, “The best gift you can compel your ego to accept is to make it your servant instead of your master.” An early Buddhist teacher sounded a related theme when she told me, “The best things in life are most likely to come your way if you periodically shed all hope and practice being completely empty.” The girlfriend I had when I was 23 confided, “You may get more enjoyment from the witty ways I confound you if you don’t try to understand them.” I offer these three ideas to you, Libra, because you’re in a phase when the moral of your story is that there is no apparent moral to your story — at least until you surrender your notions of what the moral of your story is. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): I believe you Scorpios are the zodiac sign most likely to benefit from being empathetic. By that I mean you have substantial power to thrive by reading other people’s moods and feelings. You are often able to figure out angles that enable you to gather what you want while helping others to gather what they want. You are potentially a genius at doing what’s best for everyone and getting paid and rewarded for it. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, this knack of yours will soon be operating at peak levels. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun died over 3,300 years ago. When his mournful entourage placed him in his tomb, the treasures they left included a pot of honey meant to sweeten his travels in the afterlife. In the early 20th century, archaeologists excavated the ancient site. They dared to sample the honey, finding it as tasty and fresh as if it had just been made. Amazingly, this same longevity is a characteristic of most honey. I propose we use this as a metaphor for your life. What old resources or experiences from your past might be as pure and nurturing as they were originally? And could they be of value now? CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Screenwriter John Patrick Shanley writes, “Life holds its miracles, good erupting from darkness chief among them.” I predict a comparable miracle for you, Capricorn, though I suspect it will arise out of confusion or inertia rather than darkness. My advice: Don’t be so bogged down in the mud that you miss the signs that a great awakening is nigh. Start rehearsing how you will feel when deliverance arrives. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Before he reached the height of fame as a novelist, Aquarian Charles Dickens experienced financial instability. When he was 31, the situation got desperate, and he resolved to take extreme measures. For six weeks, beginning in October 1843, he obsessively worked on writing the story A Christmas Carol. It was published on Dec. 19 and sold out in a few days. Within a year, 13 editions were released. Dicken’s economic worries were over. Dear Aquarius, I think the near future will be a favorable time for you, too, to take dramatic, focused action to fix a problem you’re having. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Many religious people believe God can hear their prayers and intervene in worldly affairs. Other religious folks think God can hear their prayers but may not intervene. Then there are the non-religious folks who don’t believe in God and think praying is useless. Wherever you might be on the spectrum, Pisces, I’m pleased to reveal that you will have extra access to support and benefaction in the coming weeks — whether that’s from God, fate, nature or other humans. Seek out blessings and assistance with alacrity. Be receptive to all potential helpers, even unlikely ones.

BOULDER WEEKLY

SAVAGE LOVE BY DAN SAVAGE

February 2 - 4, 2024

Please help. I saw an old boyfriend today and, based on our text communications about how much he wanted to be with me, I was expecting him to take me in his arms and kiss me. When he made no moves, when he didn’t so much as react to my flirty comments, I was devastated. I didn’t realize how devastated I was until I was alone in my car. While I’m not usually big on the waterworks, I started weeping. I don’t think I was devastated about being rejected. I’m a big girl; I can handle that. But does weeping — more like wailing — indicate something that my heart knows/understands that my head hasn’t caught up to yet? Does this mean that I’m in love with him? — The Town Cryer It does not. You reconnected with an old flame, you swapped some flirty texts, mutual interest was established. And at some point between reestablishing mutual interest and scheduling that first face-to-face meeting in however many years, you allowed yourself to do what anyone in your position would (and what your ex probably did): You began to fantasize about what could be (or could be again), TTC, and you got your hopes up. What you wanted — what you were in love with — was what he represented: possibility.

When an old flame comes back into our lives, it can feel like a miraculous shortcut. If you can pick up where you left off, the truly hard part (finding someone you like) is already done. In this instance, TTC, the shortcut didn’t work. You’ve changed, he’s changed. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: You were rejected, and that always hurts. But it was the want of it that made you cry, not the him of it. You hoped it might find what you want with him — love and connection — but that wasn’t in the cards. Go ahead and have a good cry, TTC, and then go find it with someone else. P.S. I once met up with an old flame — my first true love — hoping we might get back together. I went to Marshall Field’s that day fully expecting we would wind up in the changing room, tearing each other’s clothes off like we used to. But whatever we had was gone. We had a nice lunch, but lunch was all it was. The feeling (or the lack of feeling) was mutual, I think, and neither of us wound up weeping on the subway on the way home. But the realization that what seemed possible an hour earlier was impossible left me feeling incredibly sad. So I feel you, TTC, and my heart goes out to you.

Send your questions to mailbox@savage.love Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love BOULDER WEEKLY

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NIBBLES

STOCKING UP A guide to the coolest, tastiest food and beverage gifts crafted in Boulder County BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

hen it comes to the whole gift-giving gig, we tend to overthink the solution to the perfect present. Instead of finding something unique for family and friends, gift the thing that makes everyone happy: food and drink. Finding the chocolate or preserves or food event that rocks their world gives the gift-giver an opportunity. You could buy local because it supports Boulder County businesses and families, or to reduce the environmental impacts. Those are good reasons, but the treats still need to make the recipient smile. Luckily, there are so many firstclass, food-related goodies crafted in Boulder County it’s easy to please even the pickiest people on your holiday list. For an easy option, give gift cards to local bistros like the new Ginger Pig on the Hill. For whiskey lovers, wow them with a single malt from Boulder Spirits. For cooks, consider giving them a CSA fresh produce share from local farms like Aspen Moon Farm and Black Cat Farm. Add a gift certificate for classes at Boulder’s Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. For newcomers, gift them a walking tasting tour of Boulder restaurants for Local Table Tours. For the right friend, the best present may be a donation in their name that does some good for organizations like Slow Food Boulder County or Community Food Share.

WHERE TO BUY LOCAL FOOD

To find the best food and drink gifts produced in Boulder County, start with the Boulder Farmers Market. The Market offers online ordering and pickup all year long. Besides locally grown produce, meat and baked goods, you can order a range of gift-worthy items including Chiporro Sauce Co. hot sauces, Farm to Summit Powdered Sriracha, Dry Storage organic flours, BOULDER WEEKLY

Full Stop Bakery tahini crackers and Ginger Caramels from Bee Grateful Farm. shop.bcfm.org/Products Stores stocking local artisan products include Boulder’s Peppercorn and the Mountain Fountain Market in Hygiene.

A BASKET OF AWARD-WINNING LOCALS

Give local products that won the 2023 Good Food Awards, recognizing those making “tasty, authentic and responsible food in order to humanize and reform our American food culture.” These include Dry Land Distillers Cactus Spirit, Willoughby Specialty Foods Bourbon Barrel Aged Honey and Mountain Girl Pickles Corn Relish. Pair it with a best-in-Colorado wine winner from the 2023 Governor’s Cup like Boulder’s BookCliff Vineyards 2022 Syrah.

Tickets for Cinechef make a great gift. Credit: Boulder International Film Festival

TASTE BACKPACKING SPACE FOOD

Boulder-based Astronaut Products uses freeze-drying to turn ice cream treats into a light, crunchy Astronaut ice cream. Credit: Astronaut Foods bar of creamy sweetEnglish breakfast, oolong, spicy chai, ness that melts in your mouth. Flavors and mango green teas. OZO Instant include Cookies & Cream and Mint Coffee (ozocoffee.com) tastes like a Chocolate Chip ice cream sandwiches. cup of coffee at the company’s local astronautfoods.com shops. The same company crafts a line of gourmet meals that are a serious PAINT PRETTY LITTLE TREES upgrade from the same old camping IMMERSIVE TEA TIME foods. Backpacker’s Pantry feasts WITH LOCAL VEGETABLES IN THE ROCKIES include spot-on pad Thai with chicken, Boulder Colors is a remarkable local If you have a tea lover on your gift list, business making vibrant vegan, organic fettuccine alfredo with chicken and Boulder County is home to a panoply risotto with chicken plus mango sticky watercolor paints. Amanda Fan crafts of infused options offering first-class rice or crème brûlée for dessert. them from saved vegetable and flower teas and experiences. Two Boulder companies make trail “scraps.” Mushrooms, chokecherries, Boulder’s Kucha Tea offers a Taste mornings more pleasant. CUSA citrus, yam, prickly pear and marigolds of the Rockies tea box including six (cusatea.com) produces instant are collected from local farmers and locally themed tea blends ranging gardeners to make intensely from Boulder Boost to Mile High Chai, colored paints. Wedding bouplus local honey and a tea ball. quets can also be transformed kuchatea.com into paints. bouldercolors.com The Boulder Tea Company advent calendar is filled with 24 individual tea bags: black, green, oolong, white and GOLDEN TICKETS herbal teas. The company — part of FOR FILM FOOD the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House — AND WINE BUFFS also offers a Tea of the Month Club. The 20th anniversary of the boulderteaco.com Boulder International Film The Hill’s new Alice & Rose cafe is Festival includes CineCHEF, a hosting proper high tea served with competitive tasting of fare from British Alice in Wonderland-themed eight classic Boulder eateries dishes. aliceandrose.com inspired by classic films on Feb. For those seeking a more spiritual 29. The lineup will be tea connection, the Boulder Tea Hut announced in January. Tickets provides two spaces — one in Boulder always sell out. biff1.com Boulder Colors vegetable paints. Credit: Boulder Colors DECEMBER 14, 2023

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NIBBLES and one in the foothills — that host and support tea rituals and meditations. boulderteahut.org

slabs of 100% cacao chocolate, cultivated in Xoconusco, Chiapas, Mexico. fortuna-chocolate.com

HOMEBREW LIKE A PRO

COLORADO WHEAT FOR LOAVES AND SPIRITS

Boulder is ground zero for folks who fall in love with brewing. Give them a membership to the Boulder-born American Homebrewers Association, which comes with a free brewing book and a subscription to Zymurgy magazine. Pair the membership with a gift card to Boulder Fermentation Supply, 2510 47th St., offering supplies and information on making cheese, yogurt, wine, pickles, beer and kombucha. Sip a beer while you shop. Add tickets to the always soldout Colorado Brewers Guild Collaboration Fest on March 30 in Westminster. collaborationbeerfest. com

DIVE INTO SERIOUS CACAO CULTURE

VOTED BEST BBQ

Moksha, Boulder’s bean-to-artisan bar chocolate factory, offers a chocolate tasting “Game of Four” including nine chocolate samples, a tasting mat with clues and a reference guide. mokshachocolate.com Boulder’s Fortuna Chocolate is offering one-pound unsweetened

Longmont’s Dry Land Distillers and Boulder’s Dry Storage offer a grainforward holiday combination of Colorado varietal baking flours: White Sonora, Winter Langin and Yecora Rojo, and two artisanal single varietal wheat whiskeys: Dry Land Distillers Heirloom Wheat Whiskey and Antero Wheat Whiskey. Both companies support sustainable local farmers. dry landdistillers.com

SOME COOL STOCKING STUFFERS

Longmont-based Fatworks’ Butter Me Up is a body butter made from grass-fed tallow (beef fat). fatworks. com Boulder’s Coffee Ride delivers freshly roasted, ethically grown coffees delivered locally every month by bicycle. thecoffeeride.com Longmont’s ma-and-pa Unity Butter handcrafts small batch local butters in flavors including salted butter, garlic butter, honey butter and cinnamon sugar butter. longmont dairy.com

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: SOURCING SOUL FOOD

The Gold Hill Inn dining room closes for the season Dec. 17 and goes into hibernation until the spring. Rae’s & Kay’s Authentic Puerto Rican & Soul Food now has a brick-and-mortar pickup spot at 4920D Pearl St. The Longmont Bakery — one of a handful of full-service bread and cake bakeries in Boulder County — closed Dec. 9. Coming soon: A new restaurant at Flatirons Golf Course operated by Dagabi Tapas Bar owners Noah and Tanya Westby: and, in Lyons, Bella La Crema Butter Bar reopening at 304 Main St.

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WORDS TO CHEW ON: FOOD AND FRIENDSHIP

“I sometimes think the act of bringing food is one of the basic roots of all relationships.” — The Dalai Lama

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

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WEED BETWEEN THE LINES

RUMBLINGS OF CHANGE HHS recommends DEA reschedule cannabis, documents reveal BY WILL BRENDZA

leaked letter between a top official from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and Anne Milgram, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), revealed in September that the health department had recommended to the DEA that it reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III (Weed Between the Lines, “Promises, promises,” Sept.14, 2023). It was the first time a major federal agency recognized cannabis was misclassified as a drug with no “accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Following the release of the HHS letter, lawyers and journalists sprang into action. Matt Zorn, a lawyer who coauthors the blog On Drugs, submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to HHS. On Dec. 7, the agency responded, releasing a cache of highly redacted documents related to new research and inner-agency discussion on the drug and its recommendation to reclassify it. Out of 252 pages of documents that HHS reviewed in response to Zorn’s FOIA, it released only two pages without any redactions; 236 were redacted in part, and the agency withheld another

BOULDER WEEKLY

14 pages entirely. Despite the redactions, the documents provide revealing insights into the government’s shifting perspective on cannabis. The roots of this story go back to October 2022, when President Joe Biden announced he was “taking steps to end [the government’s] failed approach” to cannabis and laid out three steps he intended to take to make that happen. The first was to pardon more than 6,500 prior offenses of federal marijuana possession; the president then also encouraged all state governors to similarly pardon state marijuana possession offenders. He requested Attorney General Xavier Becerra initiate the process of “reviewing” how cannabis is scheduled as a narcotic. In June 2023, Bacerra told Marijuana Moment that HHS and DEA were working together on that review. He said they were basing their conclusions on science and evidence and predicted that sometime around the end of 2023, the two agencies would be finishing up.

Here we are in the final month of 2023, and the recently released documents outline the very scientific and evidence-based approach that brought HHS to its conclusion to recommend the reclassification of cannabis. “The current review is largely focused on modern scientific considerations on whether marijuana has a CAMU [currently accepted medical use] and on new epidemiological data related to the abuse of marijuana,” HHS representatives wrote. A large part of the HHS review analyzed data on the abuse potential of marijuana. The department concluded that it’s a complicated consideration. “Determining the abuse potential of a substance is complex with many dimensions,” department staffers wrote, “and no single test or assessment provides a complete characterization. Thus, no single measure of abuse potential is ideal.” While the documents are highly redacted, it is still taking Zorn and his co-author at On Drugs, Shane Pennington, some time to sort through it all. When they posted the breaking update on their FOIA request to their blog they wrote, “We haven’t had a chance to wade through it all but are putting it up here now and will follow up as soon as we’ve studied everything more deeply.” The HHS completed a previous scientific and medical evaluation of marijuana in 2015, using an eight-factor

analysis statutorily required by the Controlled Substance Act (CSA). But the science at the time wasn’t robust enough for HHS to justify a rescheduling recommendation, so the rescheduling petition failed. Now, as indicated by the recently released documents, HHS has changed its tune. The agency suggests that research published in the nine years since that previous analysis necessitates the drug’s rescheduling. It’s a radical development in the story of cannabis prohibition. It’s made even more exciting by the prediction congressional researchers made in September that the DEA is likely to follow whatever HHS recommends. If the DEA were to do that and reduce the status of cannabis to a Schedule III drug, it would mean considerable change for the national landscape of cannabis. But it would not be the same as decriminalization or legalization. Schedule III drugs still have to be acquired through a pharmacist at a pharmacy with a prescription. So any dispensary selling cannabis and cannabis products recreationally would still be violating federal law. Even if changes actually manifest, many of the same problems facing the state industries today would persist. The IRS 280E tax law would still prevent cannabis businesses from deducting business taxes, and they’d still face banking problems. So while these rumblings of change are hopeful, and the rescheduling of cannabis would be demonstrative progress, it wouldn’t be the end of the story.

DECEMBER 14, 2023

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