It’s Friday, June 14, 2024.

Good morning, Boulder. It’s Friday. Ahhhhhhh.

Today, we’re covering the Boulder Municipal Airport and the ballot measures to replace it with housing. Both measures — one to decommission the airport and another to replace it with a mixed-use neighborhood — have garnered enough signatures to appear on this fall’s ballot. Opponents, including pilots and those who argue the airport is a significant source of sales tax revenue, are vocal. Even if the measure passes, the city will face a difficult conversation with the Federal Aviation Administration about grant money provided under the assumption the airport would remain open.

Also, the City of Boulder will raise the Juneteenth flag today at 3 p.m. at the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, kicking off a celebration of Juneteenth events organized by the NAACP Boulder County and ECAACE. The festivities over the next several days include ceremonies, a nature hike, a worship service and more, all free and open to the public. These events not only celebrate the end of slavery but also aim to foster youth activism and highlight significant contributions from the Black community.

Finally, Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission released findings from its investigation into Xcel’s April 6-7 preemptive power outage. Boulder businesses lost an estimated $1.3 million in revenue and $240,000 in wages over the weekend. The PUC has asked Xcel to explain how it will better manage outages before filing its Wildfire Mitigation Plan, which is expected in the coming months but likely won’t take effect until next year.

Have a lovely weekend.

— Tim, reporter

P.S. Not a subscriber to BRL Today yet? Sign up here.

Boulder Comedy Festival is happening June 19-23rd! Boulder Comedy Festival highlights women and diversity in comedy and features comics from Late Night alongside local headliners. All comics and shows are listed and tickets are available on bouldercomedyfestival.com.

In other news

How was your 100?

I hope you made it through yesterday’s heat alright. Hopefully, your sweat glands did their job. My dog was bummed he doesn’t have any other than the ones on his nose. Today, it will be in the 70s, with three days of 90 degrees coming fast on its heels. So if you want to walk barefoot on asphalt, do it today and not tomorrow.

Bike theft expo this weekend to feature lock-cutting demonstration

A group of cycling advocates and bike shop owners are hosting a Bike Theft Awareness Expo on Saturday, June 15, at Community Cycles, located at 2601 Spruce Street, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The event will focus on bike locking techniques, where to lock your bike, tracking your bike using AirTags, registering your bike with Bike Index and setting up a bike valet at the Farmers Market. The main event will be a lock-cutting demonstration to show why some locks are better than others.

Last year, approximately 645 bikes were reported stolen in Boulder, totaling $1.3 million in value, according to city data. Although these reports are trending down from a record high in 2020, only a small fraction of stolen bikes are recovered. Bike thefts occur throughout the city. In August 2022, we published a map of reported thefts.

Creek closes to tubing as flows rise

On June 12, Boulder Creek was closed to tubing and single-chamber flotation devices due to high water flow caused by a spring release from Barker Reservoir. Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson announced the closure, effective from below Boulder Falls to 55th Street, for public safety.

The protocol mandates closing the creek when water flows at a sustained rate of 700 CFS. At the time of closure, the flow was 701 CFS and rising. So far in 2024, there have been three Boulder Creek-related deaths. In the summer of 2023, three people drowned in the creek, including a 9-year-old boy.

“We urge community members to always be safe when recreating around water, and especially now when the waters are high and moving fast,” said Parks and Recreation Director Ali Rhodes. “Swift, cold water is dangerous and conditions can change quickly.”

Kayaks and white-water canoes are still allowed. The closure will remain until conditions improve, with violators facing a $100 fine.

Participate in the largest swim lesson, in the world

Spruce Pool will host the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson on June 20 from 9 to 11 a.m., a global event promoting water safety. This free lesson is open to all ages and aims to teach essential water safety skills. Space is limited, so register now to secure a spot — only participants need to register, not spectators.

This lesson is part of the city’s initiative to offer free drowning prevention classes in both English and Spanish. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has urged the city council to create a “universal swim” program to teach more children how to swim, aiming to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in drowning rates.

Boulder launches Community Forestry Corps for ages 14-24

The City of Boulder and Boulder County have launched the Community Forestry Corps to engage youth in climate action and urban forest care. Led by the PLAY Boulder Foundation, the nine-week program includes crew leaders (ages 18-24) and crew members (ages 14-18) who will care for newly planted trees and collect heat data using various sensors and tools on how those trees may reduce extreme heat caused by climate change. The work will take place in areas across Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette and at BVSD school grounds.

The goal is to increase shade cover across Boulder County, as research shows that canopy cover significantly impacts neighborhood temperatures.

Early voting for people with disabilities

Boulder County Elections and the Center for People With Disabilities will host an early voting event on June 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1675 Range Street in Boulder. The event will offer accessible voting services, language assistance and an on-site ASL interpreter. It is open to all eligible Boulder County voters.

“Boulder County Elections is dedicated to facilitating a positive and accessible voting experience for all residents,” said Molly Fitzpatrick, Boulder County Clerk & Recorder. “We know there are those in our community who have historically been excluded or face barriers when voting. Our goal in partnering with the Center for People With Disabilities is to create a comfortable space for anyone with any disability to know they are welcome and that we support their right to vote.”

People who attend the Center for People With Disabilities or identify as someone with a disability can request a ride to the event by emailing craig@cpwd.org or calling (720) 213-6293.

Catfish night for anglers next week

Boulder County is inviting anglers to Catfish Night at Stearns Lake on June 21 from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Enjoy a night of fishing with family and friends; a Colorado fishing license is required for those over 16. Only shore fishing with artificial and live bait is permitted. No registration is needed, and the event will proceed rain or shine. Another Catfish Night is scheduled for July 19.

Explore ALL upcoming events in Boulder. If you have something to promote, use the self-submission form on our events page, for free.

Become a sponsor: Get your brand in front of 19,000 of Boulder’s most engaged residents, directly in their inboxes. Contact BRL’s publisher, Stacy Feldman, to learn more.

✈️ Airport closure qualifies for 2024 Boulder ballot

Featured stories

Measure to close Boulder’s airport qualifies for 2024 ballot

Boulder to raise Juneteenth flag on June 14, kicking off two-week celebration of ‘Freedom’s Path’ events

Colorado PUC criticizes Xcel Energy for April wind storm outage, notes $1.4M losses for Boulder businesses