Good Monday morning, Boulder.  

Leading today’s edition: We’re publishing the BRL 2025 Local Election Guide. Ballots will start arriving as soon as Oct. 10, and we’re here to help you get informed.

In this guide, you’ll find:

Each of the 11 candidates responded to six questions, all included within their profiles.

If you read one thing today, make it the top of the guide, which explains what this election is — and isn’t — really about. There’s no single defining issue this year, but with four of nine council seats on the line, voters could either cement the current progressive-leaning majority or shift power. In practice, though, voting lines are often blurred. As our vote tracker has shown (update coming), councilmembers often align across factions, even on divisive issues, and at times break with their own factions altogether.

You’ll find links throughout the guide to dive deeper into our previous coverage — months of reporting that provide context, background and analysis.

The guide also includes profiles of BVSD Board of Education candidates and their questionnaire responses. Only one seat, District E, is contested.

Starting today, we’re publishing each of our six city council candidate questions — along with all 11 candidates’ responses — as standalone stories, too. We begin with the most fundamental one: What perspective or experience would you bring to this role? The rest will roll out this week.

We’ll continue updating the guide through Election Day, adding campaign finance reports and other resources to help you understand who’s trying to shape Boulder’s future. Get a head start, meet the candidates, and let us know (hit reply) what else you’d like us to cover before your ballots are due.

Plus, Below the Fold:

  • Prescribed burns: Controlled fires planned near Superior Oct. 8-10.
  • Flagstaff shooting: Sheriff seeks tips on motorcyclists after road rage.
  • Wildlife alert: Migration season brings more deer on roads.
  • Snow contests: Guess first snow or name a city snowplow.
  • Tiny museum: Mobile exhibit of mini marvels lands Oct. 8-12.
  • Things to do: Boxing night, Growing Gardens harvest fest, Culture Crawl, dance festival, ghost stories on stage, Latino ballet, Bob Dylan tribute + more.

Thanks, as always, for reading,

– The BRL team

Support our Boulder journalism

I am running for a third term on Boulder’s City Council.  I have brought a steady, pragmatic voice to Council and have been a moderate, focused on work that will directly impact the people of Boulder. I do not shy away from tough issues or difficult votes. I am focused on public safety, sound financial management and an aggressive approach to wildfire resilience. My approach is always practical and results-driven in order to move Boulder forward. 

Boulder 2025 Voter Guide: What to know before Election Day, Nov. 4

Four council seats are up for grabs this election, with no single defining issue, and just three ballot measures: one city measure and two county measures, all involving new or extended sales taxes. Continue reading…

2025 Boulder City Council election: How candidates say their life experiences would shape their work on council

BRL asked each of the 11 city council candidates: What perspective or lived experience would you bring to city council, and how would it shape your approach to policy? Here’s what they said. Continue reading…

Cooler days ahead as fall settles in

After a gray, chilly and rainy Monday, Boulder will gradually warm up through midweek. Highs will hover in the low 50s Monday before climbing into the 60s Tuesday and 70s Wednesday under mostly sunny skies. Nights will dip into the upper 30s and low 40s, a clear sign that fall has arrived.

Prescribed burns planned near Superior this week

Boulder County plans several small prescribed burns near Superior from Wednesday, Oct. 8, to Friday, Oct. 10, weather permitting.

Five sites — each under 2.5 acres — are located west of Superior Marketplace, west of McCaslin Blvd., and along SH 128. The burns aim to reduce vegetation and support research.

Smoke and flames may be visible for up to 72 hours. Map of the burn area is here. More details: boco.org/PrescribedBurns

Sheriff seeks public help after Flagstaff Road shooting

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help identifying three motorcyclists involved in a road rage shooting on Flagstaff Road Saturday evening.

Police say a man reported being shot at around 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 while driving between the 3800 and 6000 blocks of Flagstaff Road. Officers later spotted the suspects, who fled toward Denver on U.S. 36 and escaped near FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield.

The motorcyclists were seen earlier meeting with a vehicle of interest at Panorama Point. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office tip line at BCSOtips@bouldercounty.gov.

Be careful on the roads — it’s animal migration season

Colorado State Patrol is urging caution as winter migration and mating season increase the risk of wildlife collisions, especially at dawn and dusk. Distracted animals are more likely to cross roads, often causing severe vehicle damage and fatal injuries to the animal. High-risk areas include I-70, Highway 36 (Boulder to Lyons) and Highway 93 (Boulder to Golden).

While wildlife crossings happen year-round, crashes spike between October and December. State troopers responded to nearly 3,800 collisions during that period last year.

To reduce risk, drivers are advised to follow speed limits, scan for movement or eye shine, use high beams when safe, and flash lights to warn other drivers. Officials also caution against swerving or jerking the wheel.

Snow contest season is here

It might still feel like late summer, but our friends at BoulderCAST have kicked off its 11th annual First Snowfall Contest. Guess the date and amount of Boulder’s first measurable snow (≥0.1″) for a chance to win prizes, including BoulderCAST Premium subscriptions and gift cards. Boulder’s first snow has arrived as early as Sept. 8 (2020) and as late as Nov. 17 (2021), so the field is wide open. Entries close tomorrow, Oct. 7, at 11:59 p.m. MT.

And speaking of contests: The city’s Snowplow Naming Contest is back for its fifth year, inviting pre-k through 12th grade students to name Boulder’s fleet of snowplows. A “five” theme is encouraged this year. Past winners include CTRL-SALT-DELETE, Mac n’ Freeze and Not Snow Fast. Seventeen names will be selected and featured on plows this winter, with a ceremony planned for Nov. 15. Entries are due Oct. 15.

Traveling ‘museum of tiny objects’ comes to Boulder Oct. 8-12

A 42-foot mobile museum devoted to the diminutive, the misplaced, and the forgotten is rolling into Boulder next week. The Office of Collecting & Design — described as part wonderland, part library and part nostalgia machine — invites visitors to open drawers, explore boxes, and take part in hands-on activities like Flatlay Sessions and Scavenger Hunts. Organizers call it “a sanctuary untethered from technology,” a tactile celebration of half-buried memories and the analog world.

The Office of Collecting & Design mobile museum of tiny objects. Courtesy photo

The museum will be parked outside Seidel City Gallery in North Boulder Oct. 8-12, open by appointment Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tickets are limited to six visitors per hour. The experience is not recommended for children and is not wheelchair accessible due to narrow passages and stairs. Advance booking is recommended at officeofcollecting.com.

☀️ 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.

Ghastly Tales of Terror: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Meadows Branch Library, 4800 Baseline Rd. Read More

Campus Card Presents: Fight Night: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8:00 p.m., Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. Read More

Frybread Fun Fest: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Norlin Library, Sundial Plaza, 1157 18th. More events available as part of CU’s Culture Crawl. Read More

Growing Gardens Community Harvest Festival: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3:30-6:30 p.m., Growing Gardens, 1630 Hawthorn Ave. Read More

Full SAIL: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7:00 p.m., The Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Rd, Lafayette. Read More

Difficult Dialogues: Immigration: Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:00 p.m., Community House – Rocky Mountain Climbers Club, Baseline Rd & 9th St. Read More

Hazel Miller and The Collective: Thursday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m., Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Dr., Unit T, Lafayette. Read More

Ballet Hispánico: CARMEN.maquia: Thursday, Oct. 9, 7:30-9:30 p.m.., Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St. Read More

Morning Meditation Walks: Friday, Oct. 10, 7:30-10:30 a.m., Chautauqua Park, 900 Baseline Rd. Additional dates Fridays. Read More

Starlight and Pine: Friday, Oct. 19, 6:00 p.m., Cellar West Artisan Ales, 778-B W Baseline Rd, Lafayette. Read More

Raw Groove Presents: Tenets: Friday, Oct. 10, 7:00-8:00 p.m., Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St. Additional date: Saturday, Oct. 11, same time. Read More

DANCEFEST: Saturday, Oct. 11, 7:00-10:00 p.m., Junkyard Social, 2525 Frontier Ave, Suite A. Read More

The All American Haunting: A Ghost Show: Saturday, Oct. 11, 8:30-10:30 p.m., The Louisville Underground, 640 Main St, Louisville. Read More

Bob Dylan Tribute: Sunday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m., Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main Street. Read More