🏫 Judge weighs lawsuit over BVSD school closures

Good Monday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Boulder County. Check out its candidate and ballot issue forums, and visit VOTE411.org to learn how, when and where to cast your ballot.

Leading today: A Boulder County judge is weighing claims that Boulder Valley School District violated Colorado’s Open Meetings Law in planning to close four elementary schools. Thursday’s testimony focused on private meetings before the plan became public and whether the board changed its approach to declining enrollment without adequate public notice. The district denies wrongdoing. The judge issued a stay, temporarily halting the district’s efforts to implement the closure plan, and expects to rule within about two weeks. Jenna Sampson reports.

Also today: North Boulder has a new French bistro. Opened in July by the group behind Oak, Corrida and C Burger, Cinq a Sept occupies the former Bellota space. Chef Sam McCandless pairs classics, from roast chicken to sole with brown butter and capers, with seasonal ingredients from local farms. Gabe Toth takes a look inside.

And in BRL Opinion: CU law professor Scott Skinner-Thompson argues that two ballot measures restricting transgender youth’s access to medical care and school sports threaten to return Colorado to its “Hate State” past.

Finally, two things not to miss: BRL’s Boulder Voter Guide, your one-stop resource to get informed before Nov. 3, and John Lehndorff’s latest Nibbles, a nostalgic journey through Boulder’s restaurant history inspired by the new cookbook “A Bite of Boulder: Volume 2.” Catch the next Nibbles in your inbox Tuesday by signing up here.

Plus more, Below the Fold:

Forecast: One more day of near 80, then a cooldown.
Small businesses: New lights, no cost.
Plastics: Have a say in what Boulder throws away.
Youth grants: $430,000 for substance prevention.
NIST: A closer look at how Boulder keeps time.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

Support our Boulder journalism

The League of Women Voters of Boulder County provides nonpartisan information to promote an informed and empowered electorate. Midterm Candidate and Ballot Issues Forums will be held throughout the county. Available on YouTube in Spanish. For event schedule, go to LWVBC Elections. VOTE411.org can tell you how, when and where to cast your ballot. Your Vote matters! Your Vote is your Power! Use it!

Boulder Valley school closure plan in limbo as judge weighs open meetings lawsuit

A judge temporarily halted implementation of BVSD’s school closure plan as a lawsuit raises questions about private board briefings and whether the district changed its approach without adequate public notice. Continue reading…

Inside North Boulder’s new French bistro, Cinq a Sept

Opened in July by the team behind Oak and Corrida, Cinq a Sept serves French classics, seasonal ingredients and an early-evening happy hour. Continue reading…

Summer Monday, soggy Wednesday

Boulder gets one more taste of summer today, with sunny skies and a high near 80. Temperatures drop to around 48 overnight.

Fall arrives Tuesday, with highs in the low to mid-60s and a chance of afternoon showers. Rain becomes more likely overnight, with lows in the low 40s. Wednesday brings a much bigger change: cloudy skies, widespread showers and a high of just 47 to 49 degrees. Chilly, unsettled weather could linger into Thursday.

Boulder’s fall has been slow to arrive: Oct. 1–8 was 11 degrees above normal, according to BoulderCAST.

Free LED lighting upgrades return for small businesses

Small businesses can swap old fluorescent lights for energy-efficient LEDs at no cost through Xcel Energy’s Direct Install lighting replacement program, which has resumed.

The program covers upgrades to as many as 250 T8/T12 fixtures per business, helping reduce energy use and maintenance costs. The offer comes as Colorado’s Clean Lighting Act has phased out sales of linear and compact fluorescent lamps.

To qualify, businesses must have a commercial Xcel Energy account, occupy their space and not be part of a corporate chain. Xcel will arrange for a contractor to visit and replace the lights.

Help shape Boulder’s next steps on single-use plastics

Boulder is inviting residents to weigh in on reducing single-use plastics at Junkyard Social on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. City staff will present potential policies for reusable food service items, followed by small-group activities and all-ages trivia. RSVPs are encouraged.

Food service businesses also have more time to share their experiences with plastics and power outages. The city’s survey is open through Oct. 25 in English and Spanish, with responses helping guide future policies.

Boulder offers $430,000 to help prevent youth substance misuse

Boulder is accepting applications for $430,000 in grants to help prevent youth substance misuse involving alcohol, cannabis, tobacco and nicotine, and change community attitudes toward substance use.

The Substance Education and Awareness Fund supports organizations serving Boulder in 2027, with possible renewal in 2028. Youth-led organizations and those serving marginalized communities or groups facing disproportionate risks are encouraged to apply.

Applications are due Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. Funding comes from the city’s recreational marijuana and electronic smoking device taxes.

How does NIST keep time? Go behind the scenes.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is marking its 125th anniversary with an open house at its Boulder campus, 325 Broadway, on Friday, Oct. 16, from 3 to 6 p.m. Explore how NIST keeps time, the evolution of calendars and timekeeping, and the institution’s history in Boulder. Registration is required.

Commentaries are opinion pieces from community members and newsmakers. They reflect the views of the authors, not BRL.

Scott Skinner-Thompson: Colorado shed its ‘Hate State’ reputation. Will voters bring it back?

Two ballot measures targeting transgender youth raise questions about medical autonomy, participation in sports and whether Colorado will continue its path toward inclusion. Continue reading…

☀️ Explore events in Boulder and use the self-submission form on our events page to reach thousands in our community — for free! To have your event featured in our Thursday Culture Club newsletter, make sure to submit it to our events calendar.