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Good Wednesday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by the Downtown Boulder Partnership – give the gift of Downtown Boulder. The Downtown Boulder Gift Card is redeemable at more than 130 local businesses and can be purchased online or at the Visitor Information Center.
Leading today’s edition: And for the holiday season, some good news. Boulder’s Casey Middle School is seeing signs of stability after a turbulent few years that saw its reputation decline and families leave. Principal Bryant Shaw, a former pro football player known for his presence in the halls and data-focused approach, has rebuilt the school’s culture through clear systems, visibility and consistent expectations. Academic growth has rebounded, especially in math, and behavior has improved, even as the school faces rising needs and widening gaps for lower-income students. BRL education contributor Jenna Sampson walked the halls with Shaw and saw the school’s new atmosphere firsthand. Families and staff say the climate has changed.
Also today: Boulder’s Emergency Family Assistance Association has received a $5 million grant to expand its work with families experiencing homelessness. The funding will launch a new housing program and double EFAA’s capacity to support families, as local nonprofits face county cuts and uncertainty around federal aid. Brooke Stephenson reports.
And, yesterday’s Nibbles from John Lehndorff explains why Boulder restaurants are quitting DoorDash and highlights new openings across the county. Don’t miss the next edition — straight to your inbox. Sign up here.
Plus much more, Below the Fold:
- BoulderCAST: Boulder gets its first real winter storm.
- Arts push: Commission calls for zoning and policy changes.
- SNAP challenge: Colorado joins lawsuit over new federal rules.
- Lab renamed: NREL becomes the “National Laboratory of the Rockies.”
- Clinica contract: Crisis-center staff win first union deal.
- Aging advisory: County recruiting new council members.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
One size fits all! A versatile gift for co-workers, teachers, coaches, moms, dads and friends – the Downtown Boulder Gift Card can be redeemed at over 130 downtown businesses. Cards can be purchased between $10 – $500 and funds do not expire. New this year … a digital option in addition to the traditional plastic card! Purchase online (or at the Visitor Information Center at 13th and Pearl). DowntownBoulderGiftCard.com.
At Boulder’s Casey Middle School, a new principal lowers the temperature — and raises expectations
The BVSD school hit a low point in 2022 as academics faltered and student conduct frayed. Principal Bryant Shaw, a former pro football player, is rebuilding the culture through presence, clarity and data. Continue reading…
Boulder nonprofit EFAA gets $5 million Bezos Day 1 Families Fund grant for homelessness services
The funding will double EFAA’s capacity to shelter families, add new rental assistance and bolster existing support and housing services. Continue reading…
First real snowstorm of the season
The season’s first true snowstorm is in full swing this morning, with steady flakes falling across Boulder and the surrounding area. Thanks to persistent upslope flow, light to moderate snow will continue much of the day, adding up to 4-8 inches in town and as much as 10 inches in the nearby foothills.
Roads are already becoming snow‑covered and slick, with temperatures locked in the 20s ensuring flakes continue to stick. The Wednesday morning commute will prove treacherous, and travel impacts will remain widespread through the afternoon. Snow will gradually wind down Wednesday evening as downslope winds return, but not before leaving its mark as the Front Range’s first significant winter storm.
By tonight, temperatures will tumble to around 10 degrees, setting up a cold start to Thursday. Sunshine makes a comeback tomorrow, with highs rebounding into the 30s.
East of the Mountains, the rest of the week looks dry and seasonably cool.
Boulder Arts Commission urges zoning and policy changes to support local artists
The Boulder Arts Commission, the city’s main arts advisory body, is urging city council and staff to update city rules to boost support for local artists. In a new draft letter, commissioners call for flexible zoning, simpler permitting, lower fees for cultural events, opening vacant or underused buildings for creative purposes, inclusion of artists in affordable and live/work housing programs, and adjusted noise regulations to allow some night performances. They say the goal is to strengthen Boulder’s arts ecosystem ahead of Sundance’s arrival, not displace it.
A second letter requests code changes to allow art studios or workshops in residential zones, with reasonable safeguards. Boulder Arts Commission member Maria Cole noted that, despite the current prohibition, many artists already work out of their homes.
“That’s the most affordable workspace you’re gonna have, it’s an extra room or a basement in your house,” Cole said at the commission’s October meeting.
The Boulder Arts Commission and the Office of Arts + Culture are developing Boulder’s Arts Blueprint, a vision and roadmap for the city’s creative landscape. Priorities include making art a sustainable career in Boulder.
Findings from the 2025 Artist Census show that more than half of local artists rely on home-based studios, and many who rent struggle with affordability. Around 45% earn $5,000-$10,000 annually from their work, while only 13% earn more than $50,000. Some respondents also said Boulder lacks a cohesive and visible arts community.
“There’s no real art ‘scene’ – just isolated efforts,” one responder wrote.
Colorado joins lawsuit against new SNAP eligibility guidance
Colorado has joined 21 states in suing the USDA over new SNAP eligibility guidance that they say contradicts federal law and was communicated improperly. The guidance, issued Oct. 31, deems several non-citizen groups ineligible for SNAP, including refugees, asylum seekers and people admitted under humanitarian programs.
The states argue the USDA offered no grace period for implementing the change, which could expose them to steep financial penalties under the One Big Beautiful Bill’s error-rate rules. They also say the USDA failed to respond to requests for clarification and released the guidance during a federal shutdown, when staff were furloughed.
Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office said the guidance would “create widespread confusion for families, increase the risk of wrongful benefit terminations, erode public trust, and place states in an impossible situation” of either violating federal law or absorbing severe financial penalties. The lawsuit asks a court to block the policy.
NREL renamed ‘National Laboratory of the Rockies’
The Department of Energy has renamed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to the National Laboratory of the Rockies, effective immediately. The website’s name and logo have already changed, though the URL remains nrel.gov for now.
The move comes amid the Trump administration’s broader rollback of climate science and renewable energy research. References to phrases like “clean energy” and “climate change” have been removed from the lab’s About and Mission pages, language that appeared on archived versions earlier this year.
“This new name embraces a broader applied energy mission entrusted to us by the Department of Energy to deliver a more affordable and secure energy future for all,” Laboratory Director Jud Virden said in a press release.
Based in Golden, NREL was founded as the Solar Energy Research Institute in 1974 after the Arab oil embargo and became a national leader in renewable energy research, including solar, fuel cells and energy efficiency.
The renaming follows significant upheaval within the Department of Energy and the Department of Commerce. Thousands of employees have been laid off this year. NOAA in Boulder has endured firings and ongoing uncertainty.
Unionized workers at Clinica walk-in crisis center secures first contract
Workers at Clinica Family Health’s Walk-In Crisis Center have secured their first contract after more than a year of negotiations. Staff formed a union through SEIU Local 105 last year, making the center Boulder County’s only unionized mental health and substance-use facility.
The new agreement includes improved safety standards, more training and support for frontline crisis clinicians, protections against unilateral shift changes, and stronger job security in the event of a sale or merger. It also guarantees a 7.5% wage increase over three years.
Clinicians at the center provide 24/7 services for people experiencing a mental health crisis or seeking withdrawal management support. Workers had raised concerns about safety, turnover and staffing during negotiations.
“This contract is a huge win for staff and for the community members who rely on us in their most vulnerable moments,” said Megan Miller, a licensed crisis clinician, in a statement.
Earlier this week, we covered union contract negotiations at the county, where workers formed what appears to be the largest union of county workers in Colorado since the passage of a new state law.
Join Boulder County’s Aging Advisory Council
Boulder County’s Aging Advisory Council is seeking new members, including a Housing and Human Services representative, a Longmont representative and two at-large members. The council advises the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging and helps guide planning and delivery of Older Americans Act programs.
The AAC meets on the first Friday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon (except July and November), and meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is Friday, Jan. 9, available on Zoom or in person at the Boulder County Longmont Hub. For questions, contact Lindsay Neville at lneville@bouldercounty.gov or 303-906-7509. To apply, visit the county’s boards and commissions application portal.
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