Good Friday morning, Boulder. Today’s BRL Today is sponsored by Motus Theater. Get tickets now for “What Love Requires,” a storytelling performance on March 28 at the Boulder Public Library.
Leading today’s edition: On the final day for public feedback on a federal proposal to restructure Boulder’s NCAR, CU Boulder put forward its own plan to run the lab with partner universities. The proposal argues the lab should remain intact in Boulder and warns that breaking it apart would weaken the nation’s ability to forecast weather and climate. It also outlines a new university-led consortium that could take over if changes move forward. Brooke Stephenson reports.
Also today: At a time when so much feels out of people’s control, a new Boulder effort is focused on rebuilding something closer to home: neighborhood connection. The Neighborhood Village Project trains residents to knock on doors, host gatherings and turn quiet streets into real communities. Since launching last year, the program has sparked community-building efforts in more than a dozen neighborhoods across Boulder County. Sally Bell reports.
And this week in Nibbles: John Lehndorff shared Boulder’s best-kept gardening secrets, including where to find free seeds. Don’t miss it, and sign up to get Nibbles in your inbox every Tuesday.
Plus more, Below the Fold:
- BoulderCAST: Summer in March, fire danger to peak Saturday.
- King Soopers: Five years later, a community remembers.
- Blue Mountain Road: Suspect convicted in homicide.
- Boulder flag: What should it look like? Deadline nears.
- Fire-Rescue: Behind the scenes of emergency response.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
Motus Theater presents “What Love Requires,” an autobiographical storytelling performance featuring parents of transgender and nonbinary adults. Through powerful monologues, parents share journeys of love, reckoning and growth as they support their children to live authentically. This special performance ahead of Transgender Day of Visibility offers an intimate glimpse into how families transform through courage and understanding. Join us March 28 at the Boulder Public Library. Learn more and RSVP.
CU Boulder proposes taking over NCAR with partner universities if the lab is broken up
In a letter to the National Science Foundation, CU proposed a consortium led by CU Boulder, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Wyoming to take over NCAR’s assets if restructuring moves forward. Continue reading…
Can neighbors become neighbors again? A Boulder project is trying to make it happen
The Neighborhood Village Project trains residents to knock on doors, host gatherings and rebuild the kind of community many neighborhoods have lost. Continue reading…
A very warm Friday with heat and fire danger peaking Saturday
Happy first day of summer spring!
Boulder remains locked under the same exceptionally strong ridge that has delivered summer-like warmth and record-shattering temperatures already this week. Expect another day in the mid-80s with plenty of sun and a good chance of breaking more daily and monthly March record highs. Winds will stay light in town today, but all nearby fuels are dry and ready to burn, so be careful. Overnight, we stay balmy, dropping only into the mid-50s.
Tomorrow brings the peak of the heatwave and is the day to watch. Downslope winds will strengthen, humidity will drop below 10%, and temperatures are on track to surge toward 90 degrees. This could be Boulder’s earliest 90-degree day ever, and by more than eight weeks. Fire danger will climb sharply with Red Flag Warnings during the day and even after dark.
A weak cold front will slide in late Saturday night, finally knocking us back into the 60s for Sunday with a small chance of rain showers. But the break from the heat will be brief: The very same hot and dry airmass will rebound early next week, pushing Boulder back into the 80s with more record heat and fire danger looming.
Remembrance event Sunday marks 5 years since King Soopers shooting
The City of Boulder will hold a Day of Remembrance on Sunday, March 22, marking five years since the mass shooting at the Table Mesa King Soopers. The event will take place at the Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway, from 4 to 4:30 p.m., with doors opening at 3:30 p.m.
The gathering will bring the community together to remember the victims and reflect on the lasting impact of the tragedy. Those killed were Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; Rikki Olds, 25; Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Boulder police officer Eric Talley, 51; Teri Leiker, 51; and Jody Waters, 65.
Speakers include Mayor Aaron Brockett, Assistant City Manager Pam Davis, and friends and family members of the victims.
“We will continue to acknowledge the lasting impact of that day, honor the legacy of those we lost and find comfort in our resilience as a community,” Brockett said in a news release.
The event is free and open to the public.
Lyons-area homicide: Suspect convicted in killing of missing woman
On Thursday, a jury found Andres Eloy Martinez Perez guilty of first-degree murder of his girlfriend, Gaudy Garcia Pina, and sentenced him to life in prison without parole.
Martinez Perez was arrested Dec. 6, 2024, after police were called about human remains found near the Town of Lyons on Sept. 24, 2024. Police used DNA testing to identify Garcia Pina, who had been reported missing from Denver for about two months before her body was found.
“This defendant may have thought that disposing of the victim’s body in Boulder County would allow him to get away with murder,” District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement. “As of today, he will spend the rest of his life in prison for it.”
Deadline approaching for Boulder flag design contest
Want to design a flag for Boulder? You’ve got about a month left.
The Museum of Boulder is accepting submissions for an unofficial city flag through April 24, part of a community project tied to Colorado’s 150th anniversary and the nation’s 250th. The winning design will receive $500 and be unveiled at the BOLDERBoulder over Memorial Day weekend.
Museum leaders say the goal is less about creating an official symbol and more about sparking conversation about Boulder’s identity, history and future. Submissions must follow standard flag design principles, including simplicity, limited colors and meaningful symbolism.
Boulder does not currently have an official city flag.
Registration open for 9-week program on crisis response
Boulder Fire-Rescue is accepting applications for its 10-session Community Academy, a hands-on program for 25 participants to learn about emergency response and get a behind-the-scenes look at the department’s work. The program returns for the first time since 2020.
Classes will run for nine weeks on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m., April 22 through June 17, with a Saturday field day on May 23. Participants will gain experience with first aid, CPR, defibrillators, fire extinguishers and emergency planning.
“Our goal is to empower participants with knowledge about fire safety, emergency preparedness, and the realities of first response,” said Chief Michael Calderazzo. Applicants must be 18 or older and able to attend all sessions. City of Boulder residents will be prioritized. Applications close April 8, with selections announced April 10. Apply here.
☀️ 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 on our Monday to-do list, make sure to submit it to our events calendar.