Good Friday morning, Boulder. The thermometer is finally dropping (phew), rain may be on the way — and we need it — as we start today on a slightly lighter note, or at least a change of pace.

Leading today’s edition: If you have kids in Boulder, you probably know Jeff and Paige, the children’s performers who’ve mixed music, science and nature for 20 years. Now they’re teaming up with Emmy-winning local producer Dia Sokol Savage on Rainbow Socks, a new TV series filmed in Boulder County that teaches kids about Colorado’s plants and animals. Five episodes are done, and the team is holding an Aug. 24 fundraiser at Chautauqua to help finish the season. Their goal: Get kids to love nature, and then go explore it. Sally Bell reports.

Also: Vinca, a Broomfield restaurant known for its European menu and Wine Spectator-recognized wine list, has opened on Pearl Street in the former Colorado Club space, the fourth restaurant there in two years. Founder Tomas Zatloukal calls it “fine dining casual.” Gabe Toth reports.

Lastly: If you missed Brooke Stephenson’s reporting earlier this week on Flock Safety cameras and the national network, it’s worth catching up. The story highlights how a national and Colorado debate over data sharing and immigration enforcement is also unfolding in Boulder. Denver City Council has already voted to end its contract with Flock.

And today, Brooke has uncovered new details: Boulder Reporting Lab confirmed that Boulder was included in more than 100 searches of the national network by U.S. Border Patrol before June, when the city stopped sharing license plate data nationally and limited it to Colorado agencies.

More, Below the Fold:

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

Boulder duo Jeff and Paige launch ‘Rainbow Socks,’ a new kids TV series teaching nature and science

The beloved Boulder children’s performers team up with Emmy-winning producer Dia Sokol Savage to bring music, play and science to the screen. Continue reading…

Boulder’s Pearl Street gets new European restaurant and wine bar, Vinca

It’s the fourth restaurant in that Pearl Street space in two years, following Ash K’ara, Sophomore and Colorado Club. Continue reading…

Early fall vibes take hold

After a stretch of sizzling heat all week, Boulder finally gets a breather today. A cold front rolled through overnight, dropping temps into the low to mid 80s, nearly 15 degrees cooler than Thursday. It’s the start of a much cooler, wetter pattern that will stick around well into next week.

Even better, the rain is back! Storms are likely this afternoon, with a 40-50% chance of scattered activity across the area. A few storms could turn severe, with hail up to 1.5 inches possible. So keep a watchful eye if you’re out and about.

Looking ahead: Highs will dip into the 70s this weekend and beyond, and daily storm chances will continue as upslope flow and monsoonal moisture settle in. Boulder County could pick up 1-2 inches of rain by the middle of next week, a welcome change for our parched soils.

The early fall vibes are real, and they’re not going anywhere fast. Enjoy the extended cool-down!

— BoulderCAST

Tentative police contract could avert ballot fight

The City of Boulder and the Boulder Police Officers Association (BPOA) have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract for officers and sergeants, potentially avoiding a union-pay dispute going to voters this fall.

The agreement, which still must be ratified by BPOA’s roughly 180 members, includes a 4.75% general salary increase and other non-economic provisions already negotiated in June. If members approve, the contract would resolve a standoff that escalated earlier this month when city council voted for a smaller raise than what a neutral arbitrator had recommended.

Union leaders previously criticized council’s 4% raise decision as “empty praise” given ongoing recruitment and retention challenges. City leaders pointed to a projected $8-10 million budget shortfall and a hiring freeze in defending their stance.

If the tentative deal falls through, council could still vote to place the matter on the November ballot, something that hasn’t happened with a Boulder police contract since 2005, according to the city. Read on BRL.

Council again declines to revisit investment policy amid Gaza war divestment push

Boulder City Council again declined to consider changes to its investment policies to potentially exclude a broader range of weapons manufacturers, its latest decision not to weigh in on issues connected to Israel’s war in Gaza. The first time it took up the question was in February. The council has also declined to vote on a local ceasefire resolution.

The informal vote followed a request from Councilmember Taishya Adams, who last year asked for details on the city’s investments, arguing Boulder has “skin in the game” regarding the war.

Adams pointed specifically to Microsoft, which provides technology used by Israeli officials, and Caterpillar, whose bulldozers have been used to demolish Palestinian homes in the West Bank, according to a recent report from the United Nations’ top human rights body.

“I asked my fellow councilmembers to walk our talk on sustainability, equity and resilience by holding ourselves accountable to our city’s values and goals by removing Caterpillar and Microsoft from our investment portfolio,” Adams said. “Please do not let anyone gaslight you into thinking our city has no power here.”

The question before council was whether there had been a material change of law or fact that would justify revisiting the policy, according to City Attorney Teresa Tate. The council did not take a formal vote but held an informal show of hands. Adams was the only councilmember who raised her hand in support of reopening the issue. Read more on BRL.

Council approves scaled-back plan to revive housing project at former Silver Saddle motel

Councilmembers on Thursday approved an amendment to an annexation agreement intended to help a stalled housing project near Eben G. Fine Park move forward.

The development at 90 Arapahoe Ave., known as the Saddle Creek development, proposes 46 attached for-sale homes, including duplexes and triplexes. The developer, Canyon Creek Villas LLC, requested an amendment to an annexation agreement first approved in 2017 to lower the share of on-site affordable housing units from 45% to 24%. The city’s Planning Board signed off on the change earlier this year.

Canyon Creek Villas plans to build 46 attached, for-sale residential units at the 90 Arapahoe Ave. site. Credit: John Herrick

If completed, the project would include affordable homes for low- and middle-income buyers. That commitment is unusual in Boulder, where developers often opt to pay a fee to subsidize affordable housing elsewhere instead of building units on-site.

The project has been stalled for more than a year, underscoring the challenges of building affordable housing in Boulder, where high construction costs can combine with regulatory and site-specific hurdles. In this case, landmarking of the former Silver Saddle Motel, unexpected site work and rising construction expenses contributed to the financial challenges. Read more on BRL.

Boulder County residents to lose Anthem health plans

Boulder County is among the areas affected as two major insurers, Rocky Mountain HMO and Anthem’s HMO Colorado, filed to discontinue dozens of plans in Colorado’s individual health insurance market, the Colorado Division of Insurance announced Wednesday.

The filings will end coverage for about 96,000 Coloradans, who will need to shop for new plans during open enrollment starting Nov. 1. Despite the changes, all counties will still have at least one insurer offering coverage.

Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway warned that without renewed federal premium tax credits — or action from the Colorado Legislature in its special session this week — Coloradans could face rate hikes of 100% to 200% and more than 100,000 people may lose coverage.

Anthem’s withdrawal will affect nearly 70,000 members across 11 counties, including Boulder. Rocky Mountain HMO’s filing will impact about 26,000 Coloradans in the Denver metro area.

Mapleton Hill Rummage Sale marks 20th anniversary Saturday

The popular Mapleton Hill Rummage Sale celebrates its 20th year this Saturday, Aug. 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 60 homes in the historic central Boulder neighborhood will host yard sales, bake sales and lemonade stands along its tree-lined streets.

Early birds can find the best treasures from 8–10 a.m., with plenty of deals lasting through the afternoon. The Museum of Boulder is opening its bathrooms to sale-goers and inviting visitors to stop by its gift shop and exhibits during or after the event.

Here’s the 2025 map of participating homes.

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