Good morning, Boulder. Today is a monumental day. 

Today is our one-year anniversary. We wouldn’t be here without you – the nearly 10,000 Boulder locals who now read this newsletter and the more than 600 BRL members who support our work. 

As a nonprofit newsroom, we depend on this support to produce high-quality journalism that helps you navigate life in Boulder, make it free for all, and help us grow. Starting on Giving Tuesday next week and for one month, you’ll receive emails from us, telling our story over the past year and asking for your support if you’re not a BRL supporter yet. 

You can choose to opt out now from receiving these emails. (Simply go to the very bottom of this email, click “update subscription preferences,” and pick your preferences.) You can also choose to donate now – automatically opting you out of future emails. In doing so, you would help your new Boulder newsroom reach our fundraising goal early, and keep our year-end angst to a minimum. We’re aiming to raise $20,000 by Dec. 31 so we can unlock an additional $20,000 in national and state match funds.

As you think about your your-end giving, we hope you’ll consider the role BRL has already come to play in your life and the potential for us to do much more great journalism in 2023. We hope you’ll consider supporting us.

Thank you for reading, above all, and Happy Thanksgiving! We’ll see you Monday. 

Stacy, publisher

Yes, I want to support nonprofit Boulder journalism!

What to know today

  • 40s then 30s then 50s: Clouds today and part of tomorrow will give way to loads of sun on Friday.
  • Narrowing Baseline to reduce crashes: The City of Boulder is planning to narrow car lanes on Baseline Road to slow down traffic, and build a protected bike lane to protect cyclists, part of a multiyear, multi-phase project. The first phase is a repaving project that is scheduled to be completed in 2023. All told, the improvements are aimed at reducing crashes on the busy road. You can check out the details of the project by visiting an “on-demand open house” through Dec. 9.
    • The city’s 2022 Safe Streets Report indicates a relatively high number of pedestrians and cyclists are hit by cars on Baseline.
    • The road was selected as the first priority “corridor” in the city’s work to improve its Core Arterial Network, or CAN. About two-thirds of Boulder’s severe crashes occur on its major arterial streets. Through its CAN initiative, the city aims to build “a connected system of protected bike lanes, intersection enhancements, pedestrian facilities and transit upgrades that will help make it safer, more comfortable and more convenient for people to get where they need to go via Boulder’s main corridors.” 
  • $250,000 for longer-term Marshall Fire crisis counseling: Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Boulder received $250,000 in a grant from the Red Cross to continue operating its mental health program related to the Marshall Fire. Since Jan. 1, 2022, JFS has served more than 700 individuals and estimates the additional funds will allow it to help another 600. The money will help those directly affected by the fire, “as well as individuals who have secondary trauma attributed to their roles as first responders, teachers, and disaster recovery staff.” Uninsured and undocumented community members will be covered by the grant. JFS will be accepting clients in the coming weeks.
  • Comment on air quality: As reported in Monday’s newsletter, Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) is looking to regulate the Front Range’s polluters. In September, the Environmental Protection Agency classified our air as “severe” for its high levels of ground-level ozone, and Boulder County wants more aggressive action from the state. A hearing on proposed state regulations, with the chance for the public to speak up, is scheduled for Dec. 13 – 16. The AQCC is also accepting written public comments. They should be submitted by Nov. 29, by 5 p.m. If you’re interested, email your thoughts to cdphe.aqcc-comments@state.co.us.
  • Resources for those affected by shooting: The shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs is likely to affect many, but especially those in the LGBTQ community. In solidarity, the pride flag was flown at the courthouse on Monday. But for those who need resources, the county provided the following on its website for those in need:
    • “Out Boulder is providing community supports and a place to gather at 3340 Mitchell Lane, Boulder or 303-499-5777.
    • The Mental Health Partners Crisis Service Center is open 24/7 to the public at 3180 Airport Rd, Boulder, CO.
    • The BoulderStrong Resource Center at 2935 Baseline Road will be open to the public Mon-Wed this week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with counseling, massage, acupuncture and other services, and has online resources on their website.
    • OASOS is present to support LGBTQ+ youth and allies, please reach out to OASOS@bouldercounty.org for information on community gathering and resources.
    • Boulder Public Library has family resources for processing violence.”
  • Thanksgiving for the homeless: At least two Thanksgiving meals are planned for unhoused people on Thursday in Boulder. Feet Forward is hosting one at the Bandshell from 3 to 4 p.m. The nonprofit is accepting cash donations online. The Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, which is closed during the day, is planning a Thanksgiving breakfast and dinner, too. The nonprofit is accepting food donations to the shelter in North Boulder through Wednesday evening.
  • Thanksgiving Closures — reminder: Many city facilities will be closed over the holiday, with some extending their closures through Friday. Per the city’s website, those closed on Thursday, Nov. 24 are:
    • All city administrative offices.
    • All city recreation facilities.
    • All Boulder Public Library locations.
    • All Age Well Centers.
  • And the following are also closed Friday, Nov. 25:
    • All city administrative offices.
    • North Boulder Recreation Center.
    • South Boulder Recreation Center.

Go deeper

Boulder Public Library welcomes its newest coffee shop, Tonantzin Casa de Café, ‘your abuelita’s casita’

By Jessica Mordacq

Following library renovations and the closure of the Seeds Library Cafe, Tonantzin is set to open next month. Its owner, Cynthia Diaz, aims to help elevate Indigenous and Latin American culture in Boulder.

Tonantzin Casa de Café is meant to feel like “you’re going home to get a cup of coffee, especially if you’re Indigenous or Latin American,” Diaz said.  

Continue reading…

Through Dec. 31, NewsMatch will match your donation to BRL up to $1,000. This means your gift can fund twice as much vital journalism for Boulder County and help us continue to build a great local newsroom. Give today to double your impact!

BRL picks

☕️ Support local farmers: When you’re shopping for the holidays, be sure to shop local. A prime opportunity to do that is the two-day Boulder County Winter Market. With farmers providing everything from kale to lamb, some of the more artisanal items will include coffee, soaps and candles. The market will run Dec. 3 and 4 in Longmont at the Boulder County Fairgrounds (9595 Nelson Road).

🍺 ❄️ Another winter market is brewing: Boulder-based Sanitas Brewing is hosting its own, first-ever Winter Market on Dec. 3 and 4, from noon to 3 p.m. “Donations will be made from this market to organizations we support. Including the Colorado Healing Fund’s donation resource for the recent Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs.”

🎨 Art Brunch: Enjoy danishes, fruit and locally made breakfast pies with artist Topher Straus this Sunday, Nov. 27. Taking place at R Gallery and Wine Bar, the event will give you a sneak peak of Straus’s new solo exhibit at the gallery. Tickets are $34 for bottomless mimosas and $19 for non-alcoholic drinks.

🩰 Curtain raises on the Nutcracker: “America’s favorite ballet, brought to life by Boulder Ballet and the Boulder Philharmonic.” Performances will be held on Friday, Nov. 25 – Sunday, Nov. 27, at Macky Auditorium in Boulder. Tickets are $25-104 with limited availability.

Covid in Boulder County: Nov. 23, 2022

  • 97 daily new cases (7-day avg.) ⬆️ Up 31% over preceding 7-day avg.
  • 19 patients hospitalized with Covid (7-day avg.) ⬇️ Down from a high of 29 last week.
  • 74% percent of ICU is occupied. ⬆️ Up from avg. of 64% since July 2020.

What else we’re reading

  • CU Boulder has been financially benefiting from its promotion of online gambling, often to young people who are more vulnerable to gambling disorders, the New York Times reports. Some background: Colorado voters in 2019 passed a ballot measure that legalized sports betting and imposed a tax. The revenue from the tax was designated to help pay for water conservation and reservoir projects outlined in the Colorado Water Plan.
    • “When the University of Colorado Boulder in 2020 accepted $1.6 million to promote sports gambling on campus, a betting company sweetened the deal by offering the school an extra $30 every time someone downloaded the company’s app and used a promotional code to place a bet.”
    • “It’s appalling for the university to be collecting a bounty each time a student places their first bet,” said Jennifer Hendricks, a law professor at the school. She said the university was trying “to exploit our students for profit.”

ICYMI

Tim Drugan

Tim Drugan is the climate and environment reporter for Boulder Reporting Lab, covering wildfires, water and other climate-related issues for Boulder with a focus on explanatory and solutions journalism. He also is the lead writer of BRL Today, our morning newsletter. Tim grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from UNH with a degree in English/Journalism. Email: tim@boulderreportinglab.org.