Good Monday morning, Boulder.
It’s Memorial Day — and also the day of the BOLDERBoulder, which is now well underway. The Memorial Day Tribute begins at 12:00 p.m. at Folsom Field. It’s the final day of the Boulder Creek Festival, too, if you’re looking for something to do after the race. The weather’s looking cool and rainy, with showers happening now and a chance of thunderstorms after noon, so plan accordingly if you’re heading out.
In the spirit of community, today we’re highlighting a very Boulder effort to reconnect with the past — and plant for the future.
Did you know that apple trees once thrived across Boulder County? A CU Boulder professor’s discovery of one growing on local open space kicked off a grassroots effort to preserve Colorado’s rare apple varieties. Now, the Boulder Apple Tree Project is planting new orchards — including one near 30th Street — and inviting the community to help. You can join grafting workshops, map trees using a mobile app and eventually volunteer to harvest and care for the orchards as they grow.
More, Below the Fold:
- BOLDERBoulder is on: 10K race and Memorial Day tribute underway.
- $8.2M verdict: Judge rules Twitter (now X) broke Boulder lease.
- CenturyLink to AT&T: 1M internet customers to switch by 2026.
- ESA fight: County urges feds not to weaken habitat protections.
- New podcast: Daughter of King Soopers victim explores grief, healing.
- BRL contributor Simon Testa on KUNC: Scrambling risks and lessons in data.
- LGBTQ+ milestone: Courthouse landmark event set for May 30.
- Things to Do: Memorial Day service, drumming at Table Mesa, poetry at Heil, disco at the Fox, miles on the trail and more.
Quick correction from Friday: In our item on Boulder County employee union negotiations, we mentioned — quoting another news source — that the county filed a motion to delay bargaining. The motion was filed by Boulder County Public Health and the Housing Authority. The county did not file the motion.
Thanks, as always, for reading,
– The BRL team
How a Boulder professor’s apple tree discovery sparked a local preservation movement
A CU ecology professor noticed an apple tree in a Boulder field. What happened next grew into something bigger. Continue reading…
Rainy week ahead in Boulder
Keep your umbrellas close — there’s a lot of rain in the forecast this week.
Rain is already falling this morning, with a chance of thunderstorms and a high in the low 60s. The skies stay mostly cloudy through the evening, with more rain possible overnight.
Tuesday brings a bit of sun and warmer temps, with a high near 73 — but there’s still a good chance of afternoon thunderstorms. The rain continues into Tuesday night and ramps up again Wednesday. We’ll keep you posted as the week unfolds.
Memorial Day means it’s BOLDERBoulder time
The 2025 BOLDERBoulder is underway! Tens of thousands of runners, walkers, wheelchair racers and spectators are expected to fill the streets of Boulder today for the iconic Memorial Day 10K — culminating in a noon tribute at Folsom Field.
Here’s what to know:
- The professional wheelchair race kicked things off at 6:45 a.m., followed by waves of runners and walkers throughout the morning.
- Pro women start at 11:15 a.m., men at 11:26 a.m. near Folsom and Taft.
- The Memorial Day Tribute begins at 12:00 p.m. at the stadium — the grand finale of the event.
- The RaceDayEXPO is open south of Folsom Field until 12:30 p.m.
Judge orders Twitter (now X) to pay $8.2M after Boulder HQ eviction
A Boulder County judge has ordered Elon Musk’s X — formerly Twitter — to pay $8.2 million to its former Boulder landlord, ruling the company broke its lease and was rightfully evicted from its custom-built local headquarters, the Courthouse News Service reports.
The dispute dates back to late 2022, shortly after Musk purchased the company. Twitter stopped paying the $199,000 monthly rent for the 64,000-square-foot space near the railyard, despite spending $40 million on renovations, including kitchens, showers and open staircases.
X argued it had intended to apply a tenant improvement allowance toward rent, but the judge disagreed. The building now sits largely vacant.
CenturyLink fiber customers to shift to AT&T in $5.75B deal
Colorado-based Lumen Technologies — still known to many as CenturyLink — is selling its residential fiber internet business to AT&T for $5.75 billion in cash.
The deal covers Quantum Fiber, Lumen’s fiber-to-the-home service, and includes nearly 1 million customers across 11 states — likely including residents in the Denver metro area. If you have CenturyLink fiber internet at home, you could become an AT&T customer once the deal closes, expected in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approval.
AT&T says the deal will help double the number of communities with access to its fiber service by 2030. For Lumen, the sale is part of a shift back to its roots: serving large business and government customers. The company began as Level 3 Communications in Broomfield before being acquired by CenturyLink in 2017 and renamed Lumen in 2020.
Commissioners to feds: Don’t gut habitat protections for endangered species
In a letter dated May 16, Boulder County’s three commissioners urged Trump administration to abandon a proposed rule change that would narrow the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act — a move they warn could have “devastating consequences” for wildlife and decades of conservation work.
The letter, addressed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA, argues that stripping habitat destruction from the definition of harm “upends the logical interpretation” of what constitutes a threat to endangered species.
“Without habitat protection, species listed under the ESA will move toward extinction — and may well be lost forever,” the commissioners wrote.
They cited local efforts to restore habitat for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, a threatened species, noting that restoration work led to the mouse’s return to areas where it had previously disappeared.
“This proposed change would have devastating consequences for our nation’s most vulnerable species,” the commissioners wrote, calling on the administration to uphold the U.S.’s longstanding commitment to species protection.
Daughter of King Soopers shooting victim launching podcast on grief and healing
Erika Mahoney, whose father Kevin Mahoney was among the 10 people killed in the 2021 King Soopers mass shooting in Boulder, is launching a new podcast called Senseless, 9NEWS reported. The podcast delves into grief, resilience and the journey of healing after gun violence. Mahoney is independently producing the series, which is expected to debut in spring 2025.
Mahoney, who was pregnant at the time of the shooting, told 9NEWS she hopes the podcast helps others navigate loss and trauma. The series will feature conversations with survivors, mental health experts and others affected by mass shootings. The podcast is expected to launch later this year.
BRL contributor Simon Testa talks risk, data and scrambling on KUNC
Speaking of podcasts: Simon Testa, whose story for Boulder Reporting Lab last month about the risks of scrambling in the Flatirons went viral, is featured in a new episode of KUNC’s In the NoCo podcast.
In the interview, Testa reflects on his own experiences free-climbing Boulder’s iconic rock formations without ropes — and the two recent fatalities that prompted him to take a hard look at the data. His BRL story used statistics and accident records to explore the risks of the sport he loves.
Now, he tells In the NoCo what that deep dive changed for him. “I still scramble,” he says in the episode, “but I think about it very differently now.”
Boulder County to celebrate LGBTQ+ milestone at courthouse May 30
Boulder County will kick off Pride Month with a celebration honoring the Boulder County Courthouse’s new National Historic Landmark status, granted in December for its role in LGBTQ+ history.
The courthouse became a symbol of equality in 1975, when County Clerk Clela Rorex issued the nation’s first same-sex marriage license. Rorex, who died in 2022, later said: “After having been so deeply involved in the women’s rights movements, who was I to then deny a right to anyone else?”
The public event is Friday, May 30, from 10-11 a.m. outside the courthouse at 1325 Pearl Street. It includes music, speakers and the unveiling of the official landmark plaque.
The celebration coincides with the Pride flag raising ceremony on Pearl Street, marking the start of Pride Month in Boulder County.
☀️ 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.
Memorial Day Service and Picnic: Monday, May 26, 1:00–2:00 p.m., American Legion, 4760 28th St. Read More
Boulder Bandshell Sound Machine: Monday, May 26, 3:00 p.m., Boulder Creek Festival, 1236 Canyon Blvd. Read More
Boulder Out to Lunch Day: Monday, May 26, Boulder Chamber, 2440 Pearl St. Also on June 30, July 28, and August 25. Read More
BMA Skills Clinic – Women’s Foundations: Intermediate: Tuesday, May 27, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Valmont Bike Park, 3160 Airport Rd. Read More
Climate Change Poetry and Photography Workshop w/ Defenders of Wildlife: Wednesday, May 28, 9:00–11:00 a.m., Heil Valley Ranch, 1188 Geer Canyon Rd. Read More
Michael Franti & Spearhead with Niko Moon: Wednesday, May 28, 7:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m., Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. Read More
SRP/Picnic on the Plaza – Jeff & Paige Concert: Thursday, May 29, 12:00–1:00 p.m., Festival Plaza, 311 S. Public Rd, Lafayette. Read More
Adam Bodine Trio – A Tribute to Paul Simon: Friday, May 30, 7:00 p.m., Muse Performance Space, 200 E South Boulder Rd, Lafayette. Read More
Pickin’ On The Dead: Friday, May 30, 8:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m., The Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St. Read More
The Encore at Rosetta Hall: Friday, May 30, 9:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m., Rosetta Hall, 1109 Walnut St. Also on May 31, June 6, and June 7. Read More
Boulder Symphony & Music Academy Drum Circle: Saturday, May 31, 1:00–2:00 p.m., Boulder Symphony & Music Academy, 4730 Table Mesa Dr, Suite I-300. Read More
Gimme Gimme Disco: Saturday, May 31, 9:00 p.m., The Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St. Read More
Colorado 13er Half Marathon, 10k & 5k: Sunday, June 1, 6:30 a.m., Home Depot, 1200 Dillon Rd, Louisville. Read More
Niwot Native Art Market: Sunday, June 1, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Niwot Hall, 195 2nd Ave, Niwot. Read More