Boulder Weekly 02.22.2024

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CONTENTS 02.22.2024

25 Courtesy: BIFF

14 NEWS Which Boulder County town has the happiest

residents? BY SHAY CASTLE

22 COVER How the Dairy Arts Center became a lifeline

for the arts in Boulder BY TONI TRESCA

B O U L D E R I N T E R N AT I O N A L F I L M F E S T I VA L

25 FILM BIFF returns for a 20th go-round

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

35 NIBBLES Iconic film food scenes satisfy our deepest cravings BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Cut • Color • Balayage • Highlights Root Retouch • Blow Dry Style

DEPARTMENTS 07 OPINION

Why you should vote (even when you don’t want to)

11 NEWS

What your local gov’t is up to

18 MUSIC

Foxing celebrate 10 years of debut LP

27 EVENTS Where to go and what to do

32

ASTROLOGY Magic happens

BOULDER WEEKLY

Hair Care Services

33 SAVAGE LOVE

The ethics of panty sniffing

At Twig we take pride in creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable expressing their unique style.

38 ON DRUGS Give us this day our daily dose

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1831 Pearl St Boulder, CO 303-447-0880 www.twighairsalon.com FEBRUARY 22, 2024

5

COMMENTARY FEBRUARY 22, 2024 Volume 31, Number 27

COVER: Aerial dancer at Dairy Arts Center, 2022. Credit: Zach Weinstein PUBLISHER: Francis Zankowski

ED ITOR IAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shay Castle ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray REPORTERS: Kaylee Harter, Will Matuska FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff INTERN: Lauren Hill CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Dan Savage, Toni Tresca, Thomas Crone, Connor Olsen, Richard Kiefer, Morgan Shipley, Nadra Nittle

SAL ES AN D M AR KETIN G MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Kellie Robinson SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Matthew Fischer ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Chris Allred, Holden Hauke SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman MRS. BOULDER WEEKLY: Mari Nevar

PR OD U C TION CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erik Wogen SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Mark Goodman

C IR C U L ATION CIRCULATION MANAGER: Cal Winn CIRCULATION TEAM: Sue Butcher, Ken Rott, Chris Bauer

OPINION

BU SIN ESS OFFIC E BOOKKEEPER/ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Austen Lopp FOUNDER / CEO: Stewart Sallo

MUSK ON THE BRAIN Neuralink implantation in first human subject raises concerns

BY CONNOR OLSEN

O

n paper, an FDA-approved futuristic device that can drastically improve quality of life while simultaneously keeping humans up to speed with artificial intelligence seems like it could be the best thing that has ever happened to society. Elon Musk announced his plans for Neuralink in 2017 with the initial goal of helping people with disabilities.

His true intentions are beginning to come to light as the Neuralink project advances.

In May of 2023, Neuralink began recruitment for human trials, bringing

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024

more publicity and, in turn, scrutiny to the company. This month, the chip was implanted in the first human subject.

Musk has mentioned his implementation of artificial intelligence in the vision of his goals for Neuralink, raising questions about where this company’s motives lie. These questionable motives are complemented by questionable execution, as the animal trials have led to multiple euthanizations, according to news reports. Even if the company’s motives and execution were perfect, Musk of all people should not be the one with all this

power given his history.

Artificial intelligence is already an extremely controversial topic; the threat of job loss, human reliance and socioeconomic inequality loom as AI continues to rapidly advance. The most basic vision for Neuralink was shared on a company blog announcing the start of recruitment for in-human clinical trials: The chip will be surgically implanted by a robot in the part of the brain that controls movement intention.

The chip will then record and send brain signals to an app with the goal of “enabling people with paralysis to con-

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BOULDER WEEKLY

OPINION trol external devices with their thoughts.”

The initial objective is “to grant people the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone.”

While this can be a huge step in functionality for those with paraplegia, it begs the question of where this all ends. Vox recently reported that Musk said the ambition of his company is “to achieve a symbiosis with artificial intelligence.”

“The goal is to develop a technology that helps humans ‘merging with AI’ so that we won’t be ‘left behind’ as AI becomes more sophisticated,” the article read.

Although it is almost inevitable that AI will continue to play a larger role in the daily lives of humans in the future, granting certain humans direct access to it through their minds is a step too far.

Human creativity, emotions and even thoughts would be working in tandem with AI. This would destroy human originality and give those who have Neuralink an extremely unfair advantage. Human thoughts and intelligence will be streamlined to near perfection for those who can afford the technology, widening the socioeconomic gap.

While Musk’s vision of helping those with life-altering disabilities is a truly noble cause, Neuralink’s shaky track record with animal testing raises concerns. At least a dozen monkeys went through severe trauma that led to their euthanization, according to WIRED reports from investigative journalist Druhv Mehtrona, public records reviewed by the publication and interviews with former employees and current researchers at the University of California Davis. Veterinary reports from the California Primate Research Center stated that a female test monkey “was uncomfortable, picking and pulling at her implant until it bled, she would often lie at the foot of her cage and spend time holding hands with her roommate. …

Staff observed that she would shake uncontrollably when she saw lab workers. Her condition deteriorated for months until the staff finally euthanized her,” WIRED reported.

If you can get past the questionably ethical treatment of animal test patients, the results of the study are absolutely alarming. This monkey went through unbearable pain that led to her death

DON’T COMPLAIN, VOTE! This is the year for you to make American government better

BY RICHARD KIEFER

A

bout 63% of Americans express not much or no confidence at all in the future of the U.S. political system, according to Pew Research Center. Only about 66% of the voting-eligible population turned out for the 2020 presidential election. Just 45% of registered voters in Colorado cast a ballot in the presidential primary.

This lack of interest does not bode well for 2024. There are lots of excuses for not voting.

We vote to maintain a civilization which is based on a system of governance known as democracy. So let’s dismantle those excuses, one by one.

BOULDER WEEKLY

Busy schedule: Some individuals may claim they are too busy to become informed and vote because of work, family or other commitments.

Maintenance of a representative democracy takes time. Be thankful that we do not have a direct democracy where every citizen needs to be an expert on every issue. To efficiently research issues and candidates, forget social media. Select curated, unbiased sources of information such as the PBS NewsHour, The New York Times, The Denver Post, and League of Women Voters. Look for corroboration among reliable sources to verify information.

and was, unfortunately, one of many victims of these tests.

The multiple failures of the animal trials bring into question whether Neuralink is ready for human trials.

Regardless, its FDA approval marks its inevitability. Hopefully, the human patients will meet a different fate than our fellow primates.

Even if the trials go perfectly and this product truly provides an extreme increase in quality of life for the blind and paralyzed, Neuralink will be controlled by Musk. Musk has many achievements in multiple fields, but his past isn’t anywhere near perfect.

Questions about his character arose at Tesla when The New York Times reported “Employees have alleged rampant racial discrimination, sexual harassment and unsafe practices.”

While these allegations have not been proven in court, I believe that where there is smoke, there is often fire. Would you trust someone capable of doing such things to essentially be in control of a device that is inside of your brain?

Musk will have the power to determine the future of mankind’s relation-

ship with AI if Neuralink becomes popular and accessible. I would not trust anyone with this almost divine power — certainly not Elon Musk.

Luckily, this progression of Neuralink technology can be mitigated by almost anyone. Something that readers can do to help is spread awareness, as Neuralink is relatively underreported and rarely discussed. Another action that anyone can take is to petition the FDA, Federal Communications Commission or Institutional Review Boards against Neuralink.

Once the already-approved human trials are over and potentially successful, it will be up to these government organizations to approve the product for the market. With enough public outrage and protest, their opinions should be swayed against Neuralink.

Lack of interest: Some, especially young people, feel disengaged from the political process or believe their vote won’t make a difference. While your vote will most likely not be decisive, your political engagement and action contribute to a civil society. You can’t be agnostic about voting, because your non-vote is a vote for the status quo.

Distrust in the system: Individuals may express a lack of trust in the political system, making the fashionable excuse that their vote won’t be properly counted because the system is rigged.

Most people with this delusion, in spite of what they say, know that our system of elections works accurately and that there is an insignificant amount of fraud.

Disillusionment: Some people might be disgusted with the available candidates or political parties, feeling that none represent their values or address their concerns adequately. Even though you may not like any of the choices and are not motivated to vote at all, we must act for the common good by choosing

the best of the bad alternatives.

Situations can always be worse.

Perceived difficulty: A few non-voters may find the voting process confusing or challenging, especially if they are not familiar with the registration and voting procedures. These problems are not insurmountable but require some effort the first time around. Thereafter, in Colorado, the process could not be easier with our vote by mail system.

Cynicism: A general sense of cynicism about the effectiveness of government and politicians can discourage some from participating in the electoral process. Consider the alternatives.

Unless you think we should return to a “state of nature” with no government, some form of government is necessary.

We are obliged to use our personal agency to optimize the government that we have now with the selection process that we have available now. To be cynical without trying to make the government better by voting is to drift toward authoritarianism.

Connor Olsen is a sophomore at CU Boulder studying business with an emphasis in marketing. He is interested in sports, artificial intelligence and music.

Olsen spends most of his time enjoying the outdoors by fishing, snowboarding and camping every chance he gets.

OPINION

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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OPINION Protest non-voting: Some individuals choose not to vote as a form of protest or as a statement against the perceived shortcomings of the political system. This is a waste of a voting opportunity and an approval of the status quo. Be realistic and choose the least objectionable alternative.

Even if you are busy, lack interest and are disgusted with politics, there are many indirect benefits to voting that can make a positive difference.

We are taught in civics class that voting is a normative moral good.

When we vote, we enhance our social status with a claim to a moral virtue.

We grant ourselves permission to identify as a free, civilized, patriotic citizen.

It is said that the best form of leadership is by example. Voting sets an example for others, especially young people. It encourages them to register, become informed and vote, fulfilling a civic duty and the responsibility that comes with being an American citizen. Avoid the shame of being a free rider.

Voting produces a sense of solidarity on issues and candidates which starts at the individual level. Solidarity helps to achieve positive change leading to a higher likelihood of success on issues over time. By voting, individuals contribute by example to a collective effort

to bring about the changes they want to see in their society.

Voting honors the sacrifices made by those who fought for the right to participate in the democratic process.

Voting affirms a privilege that many around the world do not have. We set an example for the rest of the world — good and bad.

Voting fulfills a civic duty to maintain our imperfect form of government, social civility and your quality of life.

You will be able to say that you did the best you can for your country, the definition of patriotism.

Researching and understanding issues and positions of candidates provides knowledge which is useful in other daily decisions. Thinking about governance helps to solidify personal values. This civic effort may determine your actions on a wide variety of local community issues.

Remember, bad things happen when good people do nothing. Don’t complain: Vote.

The Colorado Presidential Primary election (Super Tuesday) is Tuesday, March 5, 2024. All other Colorado primary elections are Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The national general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

This opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.

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NEWS

BOCO, BRIEFLY Local news at a glance

BY KAYLEE HARTER ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS FOR MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES

BoCo cities are looking for feedback on minimum wage increases that could be coming in January 2025.

Boulder, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville and Erie are “collectively exploring” minimum wage increases through community engagement sessions and an economic analysis by policy research org ECOnorthwest. The collaboration comes after unincorporated Boulder County raised its minimum wage to $15.69 an hour this year, resulting in conflicting wages throughout the county.

A questionnaire and list of engagement sessions running Feb. 23 through April 15 can be found at bit.ly/engage minimumwage. The sessions are intended for specific audiences — business sessions for business owners and employers, and community sessions for low-wage earners, students and retirees — but anyone can attend any session.

BOCO NAMES NEW CORONER

Boulder County Commissioners unanimously appointed Jeff Martin as the new BoCo coroner. Martin has been with the office since 2021 as chief deputy coroner and has led the office since Emma Hall’s resignation in January after an internal investigation found Hall was creating a toxic work environment.

Voters will select the next coroner in the November 2024 general election, which Martin has already filed to run in, according to the county.

Martin delivered his appointment speech Feb. 20 at the commissioner’s weekly business meeting.

CIVIC AREA OPEN HOUSE

The City of Boulder will host an open house on the future of the civic area, which includes the green space surrounding the downtown library and parts of Boulder Creek, and is bordered by Canyon Boulevard to the north, Arapahoe Avenue to the south, 9th Street to the west and 14th Street to the east. The open house is 11 a.m. to 1 BOULDER WEEKLY

p.m. on Feb. 24 in the outdoor space east of the library. Planning for the area began in 2012.

The City is proposing making the area a historic district, which adds a level of design review for exterior changes and new buildings through the City’s department of historic preservation, says Marcy Gerwing, principal planner for the department. Council’s first reading of the proposed district is March 21, with public participation welcome. The second reading and public hearing will be April 11, according to the City’s website. Council dates are subject to change.

The proposed district includes Central Park and five buildings that are already designated as historic landmarks: the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, the Glen Huntington Bandshell, the Midland Savings & Loan – Atrium Building, the Dushanbe Teahouse and the City Storage Building.

IN OTHER NEWS…

• Boulder City Council will not move for-

ward with a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, council indicated at its Feb. 15 meeting. Councilmembers Taishya Adams and Lauren Folkerts were the only councilmembers who indicated they wanted to explore a resolution.

• Boulder Valley School District’s Title IX Stakeholder Council recently made five recommendations that it hopes will improve the district’s sexual violence prevention and response, The Daily Camera reports. Those recommendations include getting an outside assessment of policies and practices, providing more support and outreach to students, creating a Title IX department and reporting Title IX statistics annually.

• Colorado’s property tax deferral program is open for enrollment in Boulder County through April 1. The program, which allows deferment of paying property taxes, has traditionally only been open to seniors and active military personnel.

In 2023, it was expanded to any homeowners whose property taxes grew by 4% or more over the past two years. The general public can defer a portion of the taxes up to $10,000, while seniors and active military members can defer the total property tax owed.

Homeowners can check eligibility at colorado.propertytaxdeferral.com.

GOV’T WATCH

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What your local officials are up to this week

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF BOULDER CITY COUNCIL The special meeting scheduled for Feb. 29 has been canceled.

Due to council chamber upgrades, all March meetings will be virtual.

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On Feb. 22, the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee (POSAC) will: Hear presentations on weed management practices and proposed changes to the County’s weed management plan draft.

Proposed changes include reducing the amount of herbicide used on open space and removing aerial spraying via helicopter.

Public comment will be taken following the presentations.

LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL

On Feb. 20, Council: Updated an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) to centralize administration of affordable homeownership and rental programs under one umbrella managed by the City of Boulder. A foreclosure prevention fund is set to be included.

Erie, Louisville, Superior, Broomfield and Lyons are also participating in the IGA. All partners would continue to acquire affordable units to be managed by the regional program.

Lafayette has approximately 750 deed-restricted housing units. The City manages 20 affordable homes.

On Feb. 26, Council will: Discuss the final distribution of funds obtained via the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and potential ballot issues for 2024.

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NEWS

SHIFTING SENTIMENT OR SLIPPERY SLOPE? Conviction of school shooter’s mom sparks mixed reactions and debate

BY NADRA NITTLE THE 19TH

K

ris Brown felt the jury made the right decision — the only acceptable decision — in reaching a guilty verdict for Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of a teenager who killed four students in a Michigan school shooting. Crumbley was convicted last week of four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2021 homicides.

“It would be crushing for the gun violence prevention movement in these factual circumstances not to get a conviction on all counts,” says Brown, president of Brady: United Against Gun Violence, a gun control advocacy group.

12

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

The prosecution characterized Crumbley as a negligent mother, arguing that she did not respond to multiple red flags about her son Ethan’s mental state, including a warning from school personnel on the day of the crime.

Moreover, the prosecution pointed out that she did not safely secure the gun that he used in the mass shooting, which also caused nonfatal injuries to six students and one teacher at Oxford High School.

It is rare for parents to be charged, let alone tried and convicted, after their child commits a school shooting. Yet, the novel charges and conviction of Crumbley have been widely celebrated.

The prosecution called her behavior before the shooting “egregious,” and many people took to social media, where Crumbley trended the day of the verdict, to share that view.

Some legal experts and parents argue, though, that the case could lead to more charges against parents in connection with their children’s crimes, a trend they say could disproportionately affect racially and economically marginalized families.

‘HELP ME’

Crumbley, who is white, is the second mother in recent months to face a court conviction over her child’s role in a school shooting. In November, Virginia mom Deja Taylor, who is Black, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after her 6-year-old son used her gun in a nonfatal shooting of his first-grade teacher early last year. Federal agents said there was no evidence that Taylor had ever safely stored the gun, and she faced up to 25 years in prison. Both Taylor and Crumbley were portrayed as bad moms outside of their children’s gun violence — including for consuming marijuana and having an extramarital affair, respectively.

When Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced the novel charges against Jennifer and James Crumbley during a December 2021 press conference, McDonald, a parent of five, invoked her own motherhood while characterizing the couple as neglectful parents for not acting when school officials showed them a drawing by their son that alluded to gunfire and bloodshed. School personnel wanted the Crumbleys to take Ethan home, but they said they had to work and did not disclose that his father had purchased a gun for him.

“I am, by no means, saying that an active shooter situation should always result in a criminal prosecution against parents,” McDonald said. “But the facts of this case are so egregious — reading this document, looking at it, reading the words, ‘Help me’ with a gun, blood everywhere. This doesn’t just impact me as a prosecutor and a lawyer, it impacts me as a mother. The notion that a parent could read those words and know that their son had access to a deadly weapon that they gave him is unconscionable and I think criminal.”

Ethan’s father, James Crumbley, bought the gun for him as an early holiday gift, even though minors are prohibited from gun ownership. James Crumbley will be tried in March, while his wife will be sentenced in April and faces up to 60 years behind bars.

Ethan Crumbley has already been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

W. David Ball, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, does not dispute that Jennifer Crumbley’s parenting was lacking. But what’s novel about the Crumbley case, he says, is that it indicates a mother can be held criminally liable for a child’s behavior because of her bad parenting.

“And I think the concern here is that typically when the criminal law is expanded, all of the sorts of inequities in society that we see expand right along with it,” Ball says.

Ball noted that the families subjected to child protective services investigations tend to be racially or economically marginalized — or both. Parents can be accused of child neglect because they live in substandard housing or are unhoused and living in BOULDER WEEKLY

NEWS their car, which isn’t a parenting issue but a poverty issue, he says.

“So what I worry might happen is that someone’s going to say, ‘Well, you did not parent your child, you didn’t control your child. Therefore, we’re going to make an example out of you,’” Ball says. “And the criminal law does tend to follow power, so it’s going to be people who are less proximate to power, so people of color and poor people, who are going to bear the brunt of this.

Once this doctrine sort of gets out into the wild, anytime you expand it, there might be unforeseen consequences.”

PARENT-TO-PRISON PIPELINE

Janelle Wood, the founder and CEO of the Black Mothers Forum, says that she did not initially consider the possible ramifications for other parents when she heard the Crumbley verdict. Based in Arizona, her organization advocates for schools to be safer and more inclusive of Black children and their families. It also fights against the criminalization of youth as a result of what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline, whereby punitive discipline policies push children out of school and make them vulnerable to entering the criminal justice system.

“It appears to me that this mother was aware that her son was in a bad mental health state,” Wood says. “It appears to me that she was a part of getting him that gun and making sure that he was able to fire that gun, and I do believe she definitely, as a mother, as a parent, did not do her due diligence to not only keep her baby safe but to keep other people around him safe.”

At the same time, Wood wonders what impact the case could have on other parents whose children commit crimes. After the Crumbley verdict, she learned that parents in her state are liable for their children’s willful or malicious misconduct resulting in injury or property damage. Her group has advocated for parents threatened with trespassing charges simply for requesting to speak with school administrators about disciplinary measures taken against their children, she says. She fears the Crumbley verdict will set a precedent that could ensnare Black parents.

BOULDER WEEKLY

“I am concerned because, oftentimes, there’s ways found to put us in situations where we are being penalized and criminalized for behavior versus breaking a law, and the two of those lines get blurred quite often when it comes to our children,” she said. “I agree that this [verdict] could become something that can be used against our children and our families and put them at an even greater risk of being in the school-to-prison pipeline, and now putting the parent in that pipeline as well.”

The Crumbley verdict has also drawn concerns because in 2021 Michigan did not have a safe storage law that required the Crumbleys to prevent their minor child or another unauthorized individual from accessing the weapon.

A safe storage law took effect in the

she says, adding that she would like to see gun manufacturers give away gun safes with every firearm purchase. But gun manufacturers don’t do that because they have no incentive to, she said. So the Crumbley case, she contends, sets a very important precedent for the standard of care.

state Feb. 13. Although there was no such law at the time of the school shooting, the jury convicted Crumbley of involuntary manslaughter for failing to perform a parent’s “legal duty to exercise reasonable care to control their minor child so as to prevent the minor child from intentionally harming others or prevent the minor child from conducting themselves in a way that creates an unreasonable risk of bodily harm to others.”

Brown says that if every American safely stored their firearm, gun deaths would be cut in half. The Crumbley case sends an important message to gun-owner parents across the country,

“We have seen gun violence rise precipitously, and it’s now the No. 1 killer of our kids,” Brown says. “So the backdrop of that has left many more folks, whether you own guns or not, very concerned about rising gun violence. It’s terrible to be a parent, drop your child at school and wonder if they’ll come home, and far too many parents feel that way. So prosecutors, of course, are reacting to the trends and feelings in society.”

Retired secondary school administrator Kristen Craft, who was the 2021 Kansas Principal of the Year, believes the case will emphasize to parents that gun ownership should not be taken

NO. 1 KILLER OF KIDS

The fact that 40% of Michiganders own at least one gun makes the charges brought against Crumbley even more remarkable, Brown says. In the past, prosecutors might have hesitated to bring forth charges against a parent in this situation for fear that they would face a backlash from gun owners, but public sentiment is shifting, she says.

lightly. Since parents can be held responsible for their children in other situations — if their kids drink alcohol, for instance — she does not object to Crumbley being held accountable for not stopping her child from committing a school shooting. During Craft’s 20 years as a secondary school principal, she said that she and her staff confiscated a number of weapons and drawings suggesting that students might harm themselves or others.

“Probably the No. 1 thing that we do in that situation is we ask, ‘Do they have access to guns in the home or a particular weapon in the home?,’ and parents are usually very forthcoming about that,” Craft says. “We’ve had parents that have removed the guns from their house to keep their child safe.

That’s just the reality of being a parent.”

While Craft understands that it’s difficult for parents or administrators “to do everything completely right 100% of the time,” she questions why school personnel did not check Ethan Crumbley’s backpack or otherwise intervene when his parents refused to take him home.

Both the Oxford Community School District and Oxford High School personnel now face lawsuits related to the mass shooting.

“It didn’t have to stop there with them not doing a search, and it didn’t have to stop there with the parents refusing to take him home,” Craft says. “There could have been further steps.”

Ball says that the nation’s gun violence problem is bigger than any one parent and that schools aren’t equipped to deal with complex social problems.

He understands the impulse to focus on Crumbley: “She’s the one where the mom could have maybe done something.” But neglectful parenting, he continued, isn’t the cause of most mass shootings in the U.S. “We live in a society that has made the choice where it’s very, very, very easy to buy a gun,” Ball says. “So the easy story for us to say is, ‘Well, if only that mom hadn’t done something bad.’

But if I’m looking at it, I’m like, ‘Well, if only we didn’t make guns so readily available to people.’”

The 19th is an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

13

NEWS

HAPPY TOWN Where are BoCo’s most satisfied citizens? Look to the east

BY SHAY CASTLE

WHAT WE DID AND HOW WE DID IT Every few years, Boulder County’s bigger towns pay consultants to complete comprehensive resident satisfaction surveys. They’re statistically valid and ask similar if not identical questions, making direct comparisons easy.

We looked at surveys for Boulder (2023), Longmont (2022), Louisville (2020), Lafayette (2023) and Erie (2023), pulled out a few key metrics — like quality of life, stuff to do and housing — and started ranking.

Our in-house system assigned points for first, second, third, fourth and fifth-place finishes (no points for last place; in ties, points went to both cities). Then we added them up. These are the results.

14

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

I

n 2017, National Geographic named Boulder the happiest city in America. Writers touted its “scenery, culture and world-class quality of life.”

They might have wanted to drive a few miles down the road to Louisville. That’s the happiest city in Boulder County, according to surveys of the residents themselves.

Louisville boasts the best overall quality of life among its peers (Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette, Superior and Erie). It’s the best place to raise children and leads the pack for ease of walking and biking. When it came to notching gold medals, Louisville was tops, racking up six top seeds and 49 total points in Boulder Weekly’s informal and unscientific analysis.

Louisville: 49 points Superior: 48 Longmont: 36 Boulder: 31 Erie: 25 Lafayette: 19 The results are, perhaps, unsurprising.

Louisville has its own impressive history of superlatives, including being named one of Money magazine’s best places to live five times and being dubbed one of the best towns for families by Family Circle.

“I believe it,” said resident Rivka Peiffer, when a Boulder Weekly reporter informed her about Louisville’s latest honor.

“There’s a lot of places to eat, a lot of nice coffee shops, a lot of activities — something for everyone. There’s a lot of people that like going outside here, which is cool, because we’re all on that same wave of getting out in nature, feeling the dopamine from that.

“The people here are really sweet and genuine and give you the time of day. Even when there’s winter storms, the town always ends up coming out.”

‘ON THE RISE’

Superior’s mayor, Mark Lacis, points out that his town was only one point behind Louisville.

Because the cities share so much — including a zip code and a high school — Lacis thinks Superior deserves some of the credit for their neighbor’s narrow win.

“They do shop at our Costco and Target, I’m sure they like our trails and parks,” he says.

“We’re in this together.”

Other towns may wish to register their complaints, too, and with good reason.

For instance, if you look at how residents rank their quality of life, Louisville is still tops, but Lafayette moves from last to second. And it’s not like last-place Longmont and Boulder are exactly slacking: a whopping 85% of residents rated life there as “good” or “excellent,” in line with national benchmarks, according to survey conductors.

OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE Louisville: 98% rated it excellent or good Lafayette: 93%

Superior: 89% Erie: 88% Longmont and Boulder: 85% Superior has the superior sense of community; Boulderites can brag about all the fun stuff to do in their city. Lafayette residents are happiest with housing (although that’s a low bar in expensive Boulder County), while Longmonters get the best bang for their buck, tax-wise.

VALUE OF CITY SERVICES FOR TAXES PAID

Longmont: 66% rated it excellent or good Superior: 64% Boulder: 60% Lafayette: 59% Erie: 53% Louisville: N/A

Erie was the only town without a first-place finish to its name. “Next time, we’re gonna run it after our $8 million park opens,” Mayor Justin Brooks jokes.

Still, Brooks is proud of his not-so-little town — which, he pointed out, has a higher resident-ranked quality of life than Boulder.

“Erie’s on the rise,” Brooks says. “We’re a great community. I’m really happy here.

Everyone I talk to is really positive about the direction we’re headed.

“Fifteen years ago, you wouldn’t even be calling Erie to participate.”

‘WE DON’T LOOK TOO HOT’

Although the surveys themselves are statically valid, comparing them isn’t an exact science.

The expectations of the populace might be different; lower rankings on value might reflect residents’ dissatisfaction with taxes generally, rather than their city’s service.

Timing matters, too.

Louisville last solicited citizen opinion in 2020 (City officials are conducting an updated survey in coming months). Boulderites got noticeably unhappier since its last official survey in 2018, with doubledigit drops across multiple categories.

“I was bummed to see we’re not ranking so high,” says Emiliano Lake-Herrera, director of visitor experience and community partnerships

BOULDER WEEKLY

NEWS with Visit Boulder, the Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We don’t look too hot.”

As other towns grow and develop, Boulder’s cachet among county residents has slipped.

The pandemic exacerbated that, Lake-Herrera believes, because people were forced to stick close to home and “explore and celebrate their own communities.” Rising costs in Boulder further discourage locals from traveling around the county, he says.

“We used to think of Boulder as 25 square miles surrounded by reality,” Lake-Herrera says.

“Now we think of Boulder as 25 square miles surrounded by competition.”

But, he noted, Boulder is “still the top place for things to do.”

STUFF TO DO (arts, culture and fitness/recreation opportunities) Boulder: 88% rated these excellent or good Louisville: 84% Lafayette: 81% Superior: 75% Longmont: 66% Erie: 56%

WORK TO DO

Forty percent of survey respondents have lived here for less than five years, he notes. More established residents can play a role in boosting civic pride.

“There’s a whole new cohort of Boulderites who don’t know their community that well,” he says.

“We owe it to them to share the things we’ve kept to our chest for so long. I think we can be more neighborly.”

HOUSING (availability and affordability) Lafayette: 31% rated it excellent or good Longmont and Erie: 23% Superior and Louisville: 16% Boulder: 10%

SENSE OF COMMUNITY

Officials might throw some good-natured jabs at other towns, but they’re dead serious about improving their stats. Mayors Brook and Lacis described in detail the efforts their respective towns are making to beef up transit and expand affordable housing.

“We know we’ve got some work to do,” says Erie’s Brooks.

EASE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT

Louisville: 64% rated it good or excellent Boulder: 55% Longmont: 46% Superior: 33% Erie: 10% Lafayette: N/A

Lake-Herrera thinks ordinary Boulderites have some work to do, too.

Superior: 70% rated it excellent or good Louisville: 67% Longmont: 65% Lafayette: 60% Erie: 57% Boulder: 56%

Lacis extended a neighborly concession to Louisville, conceding their slight superiority in one regard. “They do have a Sweet Cow” ice cream shop, he says, “and we don’t.”

His neighborliness has its limits. Lacis’ prediction is that Louisville’s victory won’t be sustained by the time the next survey rolls around.

Visitors pose in front of a mural on 14th and Pearl Street in Boulder. Credit: Justin Bilancieri, Visit Boulder

“Once downtown Superior gets built out,” he says, “Louisville doesn’t stand a chance.”

Here are some other interesting tidbits from Boulder Weekly’s breakdown.

LOWEST OF THE LOW

While it wasn’t included in this article (not enough communities asked about it), cost of living got residents the unhappiest. Just 6% of Boulderites were happy with it, versus 25% of Erie residents.

SAFE AND SOUND

Boulder County is by and large a very safe place.

More than 90% of residents said they feel somewhat or very safe in their neighborhoods and commercial districts.

Downtown Boulder was the one exception, posting the lowest safety score.

SAFETY OF DOWNTOWN/COMMERCIAL DISTRICT Louisville: 97% feel somewhat or very safe

Superior: 95% Longmont and Erie: 94% Boulder: 76% Lafayette: N/A

SAFETY OF NEIGHBORHOODS Longmont: 97% Louisville, Superior, Erie: 96% Lafayette: 95%* Boulder: 93%

*Result reflect residents feelings of safety in Lafayette as a whole.

Kaylee Harter contributed reporting.

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MUSIC

GONE TO THE DOGS Emo revivalists Foxing celebrate 10 years of landmark debut with Front Range anniversary show

BY THOMAS CRONE ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JEZY J. GRAY

T

he knows the pull of o move forward, sometimes nostalgia that comes you have to look back. That’s with revisiting your the strategy of singer-songfavorite music from writer Conor Murphy and his band Foxing, who hit the road this month to years gone by.

“I totally get that,” mark the 10th anniversary of their debut album, The Albatross — a land- he says. “I’m trying not to be a cranky, mark collection that helped usher in older musician saythe fourth wave of the so-called “emo Foxing comes to Summit in Denver with The Hotelier on Feb. 28. Credit: Hayden Molinarolo ing, ‘Why don’t peorevival” in 2013, setting an ambitious away from each other to do our own nuanced parts of songs you’ve post-rock tone for the resurgence of a ple want to hear the new music?’ I things. There were years when we enjoyed on record for the past 10 recognize that when I go to a show, I misunderstood genre over the past were on the road more than we were years.” want to hear the songs that I know decade. home. But now we give each other But it’s not just the live version of the words to as well.”

Following last year’s re-worked edispace, the privacy to have some semFoxing’s debut getting a twist. Last Murphy and his bandmates are tion of the St. Louis band’s first LP, blance of ourselves.” year’s anniversary release, The thinking about those listeners who’ve Foxing brings the anniversary tour to Foxing is no stranger to change.

Albatross: Ten Years, is a Summit in Denver on The band’s lineup has shifted over top-to-bottom reimagining of Feb. 28. Sharing the bill the years since the band’s founding in the band’s 2013 LP as interwith fellow genre revivalpreted by the next generation 2011, but its current crew of Murphy, ists The Hotelier — who Jon Hellwig (drums), Eric Hudson of emo and emo-ish torchwill be celebrating the (guitar) and Brett Torrence (bass) are bearers like Carly Cosgrove 10th anniversary of their eyeing the future with hope as they (“Bloodhound”) and Home Is own debut Home, Like look toward releasing their fifth LP Where (“Bit by a Dead Bee, NoPlace Is There — later in 2024.

Pt. I”), alongside re-recordFoxing will perform The “I think we’ve gotten to this point in ings of fan favorites “The Albatross in its entirety, our writing and recording where we’re Medic” and “Rory.” from the lonesome howl able to produce and record ourWith an infusion of new of opening track selves,” Murphy says. “It’s a really blood into these time-tested “Bloodhound” to ethereal comfortable place.” classics, Foxing hopes to closer “Quietus,” folThe road ahead for Foxing will no bring a similar energy on the lowed by a smattering of doubt feature its share of twists, turns road. To hear Murphy tell it, tracks from throughout and detours. But when it comes to the the band’s interpersonal their distinguished, throughline connecting the various dynamic has evolved in tandecade-long career. lineups, albums and tours of the longdem with their relationship to “A few of the songs running outfit’s still-being-written histothe music itself. [on The Albatross] ry, Murphy puts it simply: “This is the “Everyone’s gotten into a haven’t been played live music we love the most.” groove.

We have expectations in, like, eight years,” Featuring covers by Carly Cosgrove, Sweet Pill, Home Is Where and for each other, and we’re at an Murphy says. “And one more, The Albatross: Ten Years is a top-to-bottom reimagining of Foxage where we can go off and or two have never been ing’s 2013 debut. Courtesy: Grand Paradise do our own things a bit,” played live, or maybe ON THE BILL: Murphy says. “When we were younglived with the record for a decade as just once or twice.”

Foxing with The Hotelier. they work on breathing new life into it. er, there was this spirit where we’re all Longtime listeners are no doubt 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, friends, going out on the road for To that end, he thinks fans will be anticipating the band’s deep dive into Feb. 28, Summit, 1902 weeks on end together. We’re still all interested to see “how somebody their earliest recordings, and Murphy Blake St., Denver. $25 really close friends, but we need time would treat these really small, understands the excitement. He says 18

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

BOULDER WEEKLY

MUSIC

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THE HOTELIER Home, Like NoPlace Is There With its now-iconic cover art and penchant for emotive storytelling, the second album from New England quartet The Hotelier stands as one of the most celebrated emo releases of the past decade. When the band hits the stage with Foxing to perform the modern classic in its entirety, the crowd will no doubt ripple with joy at the album’s opening line: “Open the curtains, singing birds / tell me, ‘Tear the buildings down.’”

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COVER An early rendering of what would become the Dairy Arts Center by Sopher Sparn Architects.

Courtesy: Dairy Arts Center

N

o cows ever roamed the building, but the Dairy Arts Center was once indeed a real dairy.

Long before it was the multidisciplinary arts hub Boulder residents know today, the facility then-operated by the WattsHardy Dairy Company processed, bottled and home-delivered milk to customers throughout the city.

Originally located at 1245 Walnut St. in 1882, the company relocated to a new plant at 26th and Walnut in 1970.

By 1983, Sinton Dairy’s acquisition and subsequent closure of operations rendered the site dormant. Four years later, video artist Russ Wiltse — a member of the community arts group VisualEyes tasked with finding a venue for an upcoming show — thought the building had potential. So he got permission from Sinton to host an event in the space.

“My dream was an artists’ community,” Wiltse said in an archived oral history interview with Sue Deans. “The idea was if we squatted there long enough, we could build support.”

His audacious gamble paid off. The Dairy has since expanded its role in Boulder’s cultural landscape, becoming the city’s largest multidisciplinary arts venue. With its wide range of visual arts, theater, film, dance and live music offerings, the center serves as a beacon for artists and audiences of all types.

“All the arts organizations are in one place,” says Mark Ragan, the managing director of Boulder Ensemble Theater Company (BETC), a long-time renter of the venue. “During intermission, you’re probably going to rub shoulders with folks from the Boulder

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024

DELICATE DANCE How the Dairy Arts Center became a lifeline for the arts in Boulder

BY TONI TRESCA Ballet at The Catamounts show or maybe coming out of an indie film at the Boedecker Theater. I always thought of the Dairy Arts Center as the Grand Central Station of performing arts in Boulder.”

FROM VACANT SPACE TO CREATIVE HAVEN

Beginning in 1988, Sinton allowed VisualEyes to perform at the facility.

The company also opened its office space to an alliance of arts organizations called Flatirons Center for the Arts (FCA) and sublet space to the Colorado Dance Festival and Boulder International Chamber Players, who became the building’s first tenants.

Sinton just charged for utilities; there was no rent.

The facility wasn’t glamorous, but the artists began to devise a plan to acquire it. To secure the capital necessary to purchase the building, the FCA agreed to demolish a 4,000-square-foot section so Sinton could sell it to an interested housing developer for around $1.4 million.

The FCA eventually worked out a deal with the City of Boulder and Sinton to obtain a 90-day option to purchase the building. To remain there permanently, they needed to raise the funds

to buy the property at the sale price of $750,000. They held several fundraisers over the next few years while forming a board to obtain its 501(c)3 nonprofit status in 1992 and, with the help of the City, bought the building the following year.

From its inception, the FCA — which changed its name to the Dairy Center for the Arts in 1994 — was envisioned as a place for both classes and performances. Under the guidance of its first official director, Margi Ness, the arts center underwent its first major renovation in 1998.

“The cost of renovating far exceeded what had been expected,” says Deborah Malden, a former board member and interim executive director in 2008 who currently serves as arts liaison and advisor at the Boulder Chamber. “That first renovation was a tough period. There were cost overruns, and the City took the assets back in lieu of the mortgage. The City became the owner of the Dairy, which had not been their expectation in the initial years when they helped jumpstart the effort. It was a grass-roots, artist-led initiative for the arts community.”

This arrangement allowed the City to lease the space to the nonprofit operating the building. In subsequent years,

the organization added the Boedecker Theater and new gallery spaces, tightened its name in 2015 to the Dairy Arts Center and spent $4.3 million on lobby and theater renovations, which helped cement its position as Boulder’s cultural epicenter.

“We’re stewards of this building,” says current executive director Melissa Fathman. “The Dairy has three live performance spaces, and there are times when every single theater has something going on: Films are playing, stuff is happening in the galleries, and we even have things in the lobby. Several years ago, there weren’t as many groups or artists, so it was fairly easy to accommodate everyone. Then, especially after we did the renovation, more people were like, ‘I want to perform here.’ So we had to figure out a fair way to do this.”

A LOGISTICAL BALLET

The Dairy’s role as Boulder’s primary arts venue comes with its challenges.

The reservation process, crucial for the survival and flourishing of local nomadic troupes, is a complex puzzle. Its calendar is meticulously planned and often booked solid months in advance, underscoring the fierce competition for space among the city’s few performance venues.

The center’s practical scheduling and operational challenges are a delicate dance of tightly packed performance, exhibition and educational programs.

This logistical ballet is meticulously managed, necessitating an equitable system to meet the diverse needs of local businesses, visiting artists and community events.

BOULDER WEEKLY

THEATER “We work with about 150 organizations and artists, but some of them rent one event and some of them have up to 16 weeks, so it’s kind of hard to count the exact number of events,” Fathman says. “During COVID, I instituted a maximum of 16 weeks per organization. It’s like a Tetris game, trying to fit everything on the calendar.

You really understand how complicated the Dairy is operationally when you look at the calendar. When we’re talking with clients who are frustrated they’re not getting the dates they want, I’ve started bringing them in here so they can visualize what we are working with.”

Vonda Neely, the Dairy’s events and human resources manager, said she had already received five event applications for the week by midday on a Wednesday in early February when Boulder Weekly toured the facility.

Fathman estimates they turn down approximately three events per week because they don’t have the space.

“If we can’t fit them in, and we do really try, then we suggest other places where they can go,” Neely says. “There are only a few around town, and it

depends on the art form, but I typically recommend the JCC, eTown Hall or Junkyard Social Club.”

The transition to a more democratic scheduling process, aimed at fairness and inclusivity, has introduced new layers of complexity. The sheer volume of requests for space leads to difficult decisions and the inevitable turning away of some applicants.

The Dairy’s operational constraints impact not only the scheduling of events but also limit the potential for larger productions and longer runs that could serve a wider audience. For instance, BETC used to perform for over 20 weeks at the venue but is now capped at 16 weeks.

“We just dealt with it,” Ragan says.

“One of the reasons we go to Denver and do parallel programming at The Savoy is because we don’t feel like we have enough time at the Dairy.”

Ragan attributes these issues to a lack of infrastructure in a city that “desperately needs an enormous performing arts center.” Calling on local officials to help make that dream a reality, he says the load can’t be carried by Fathman and her staff alone.

Employees work the line at the Watts-Hardy Dairy Company, which would eventually become the Dairy Arts Center. Courtesy: Dairy Arts Center

“Our challenges are kind of endemic to the problems anyone producing shows in Boulder is going to face,” he says. “Whether it’s The Catamount, Local Theater Company, us or any other performing group, there’s one game in town, and it’s called the Dairy Arts Center.”

‘IT COULD BE SO MUCH MORE’

From its humble beginnings as a derelict processing plant, the Dairy Arts Center has become “the Grand Central Station of performing arts in Boulder.” Courtesy: Dairy Arts Center

BOULDER WEEKLY

As the Dairy navigates these challenges amid an ever-shifting live entertainment industry, the conversation around real estate scarcity and the future of performing arts in Boulder takes on a new tone of urgency. If you ask Fathman, there’s one major solution that could help alleviate the pressure: a new, bigger performing arts venue.

“Before BDT Stage closed or even COVID hit, Boulder had a space problem,” Fathman says. “Our largest theater has 250 seats, which is not really that big. If you want to do a larger production or a more expensive one, it’s almost impossible because you can only charge so much per seat. That’s a FEBRUARY 22, 2024

23

COVER

An aerial dancer with Frequent Flyers performs in collaboration with digital artist Android Jones during the Dairy Arts Center’s annual PEEK fundraising gala in 2022. Credit: Zach Weinstein

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024

huge endeavor for sure, but I do think Boulder is ready for something that has a larger capacity. Boulder is a thriving, amazing, creative arts hub — we need to build infrastructure so the artists don’t go away.”

Looking ahead, the Dairy is not standing still. Acknowledging the current limitations and the community’s need for more cultural events, the center is actively expanding its reach beyond its physical walls. Pop-up events cheekily referred to as “Free Range Dairy” have so far been largely virtual, but Fathman hopes to expand the initiative to empty office buildings and other unconventional spaces throughout the city.

Meanwhile, investments are being made to upgrade and enhance the center’s existing facilities and offerings. One of Fathman’s proudest achievements of late is the Creative Nations Collective, a permanent facil-

ity for Indigenous artists that opened in 2022.

Malden hopes the Dairy’s journey from a derelict processing plant to a beloved arts center serves as both an inspiration and a call to action.

While acting as the most crucial lifeline to the local performing arts community has pushed the ambitious facility to its limit, she sees a future where the space continues to serve its essential function without carrying the load on its own.

“If you look back at the early years, there was a belief that the Dairy could become the home for all performing artists and the classes,” Malden says.

“Today, the Dairy is foundational to Boulder’s arts and culture ecosystem.

It has come a very long way since its inception because of the vision and commitment of so many people in this community — and it could be so much more.”

BOULDER WEEKLY

FILM

TOMORROW’S HITS, TODAY Boulder International Film Festival returns for a 20th go-round

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

W

hen the lights dim and a hush falls over the audience at the Cinemark Century Boulder on Feb. 29, the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) will open for the 20th time. That’s nothing to shake a stick at, especially considering the drubbing many festivals took these past four years. Then again, Boulder knows how to show up for an event.

BIFF’s secret sauce: founders and sisters Kathy and Robin Beeck. Few know their audience as well as the Beecks do — to the point that I’ve made a game of looking at programs from Telluride, Toronto or Sundance and predicting which movies will find their way to BIFF. Granted, part of this is thanks to insider information as I sometimes run into Kathy at festivals, and part of it dates back to my stint on BIFF’s program committee, where I learned firsthand from Robin which movies do and don’t play for a Boulder audience.

Still, it’s a pleasant surprise to see BIFF marking its gemstone anniversary with an outstanding lineup of recent award winners and favorites from the festival’s past. Ieblin (March 1 and 2)

and Porcelain War (March 2), written and produced by Boulder’s own Paula DuPré Pesmen — both of which nabbed awards at Sundance — will be among this year’s new offerings. And if you missed the delightful Irish animation Song of the Sea (March 2) when it played in 2015, then here’s your chance to catch up with that memorable fairytale on the big screen.

But what films in the BIFF 2024 lineup will become future favorites? Could it be Maggie Contreras’ Maestra (March 2 and 3) which tracks the dearth of female conductors in the classical music world and culminates in Paris’ La Maestra competition? Or will it be Tehachapi (March 2 and 3) from muralist JR, who uses portraiture and personal stories to mend broken relationships at a maximum-security prison?

You may know JR’s work from the spectacular documentary Faces Places (BIFF 2018), where he teamed with filmmaker Agnès Varda for one of the best works of her career. She’s back too, this time in spirit with Via Varda (March 2 and 3), documentarian PierreHenri Gibert’s moving look at the iconic filmmaker who passed away in 2019.

Ian Cheney’s The Arc of Oblivion screens March 1 and 2 at Century Boulder as part of the 20th Boulder International Film Festival. Courtesy: Sandbox Films

BOULDER WEEKLY

Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) returns for its 20th year, Feb. 29 through March 2.

Courtesy: BIFF

If those picks seem obvious, dig deeper into the program and find this gem from Ian Cheney: The Arc of Oblivion (March 1 and 2). Cheney is an accidental archivist. He neither hoards nor obsessively collects, but saves more than the average person might.

Since Cheney is a multifaceted filmmaker, this probably felt at first like a natural extension of his work. Ditto when he became a parent: He wanted to prevent the past — specifically the past of his children — from slipping away. Now Cheney is building a small wooden ark on his parents’ property in Maine with the help of a neighbor. To store and save what, exactly? Cheney isn’t totally sure about that part. He’s not even sure if anything is worth saving in the first place.

Arc of Oblivion combines investigative journalism, talking head experts, stop-motion animation and revealing self-analysis. It’s as serious as it is playful and ends on a poetic note. In one interview, German director Werner Herzog — explaining in a way only Herzog could — says he saves nothing extra from his movies, only the completed film itself. In another, Cheney talks with Yasmin Glinton Poitier, who lost her own archive of family photos when Hurricane Dorian smashed into the Bahamas in 2019.

Herzog’s sentiment forms the humor of Arc, but Poitier’s loss is emblematic of the movie’s heart. Most of the subjects Cheney speaks with are trying to save some aspect of history, even in the face of obliteration. Nature, we learn from paleontologist Kirk Johnson, functions similarly. Part of the Earth’s crust is constantly sinking, layering mud on top of one another and preserving fossils for future discovery. While that happens, another part of the crust is forever pushing skyward as mountains, which expose the preserved history that is either discovered by us or withered away by the elements. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Some persons, moments, ideas, works will be with us forever.

Others will be gone before anyone even forgets to remember them.

Cheney’s doc is a delight — one that won’t surprise me in the least when it shows up on the schedule in 20 years for BIFF’s 40th anniversary. Not every movie will connect with a Boulder audience, but this one will.

ON SCREEN: 20th Boulder International Film Festival.

Feb. 29-March 2, multiple venues. Full schedule and pricing at biff1.com.

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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A&C EVENTS

ON STAGE Emma Maxfield directs an ambitious Vintage Theatre production of Fun Home, the Tony Award-winning musical based on Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel about growing up as a young lesbian.

Scan the QR code for a Boulder Weekly review before the show ends its run on Feb. 25. See listing for details.

ON VIEW

Credit: Zaza Weissgerber

ON THE PAGE

BOULDER WEEKLY

British-born, Boulderbased artist Natasha Mistry continues her residency at The New Local on Pearl Street with Superconscious, the ongoing exhibition of vibrant and abstract works running through March 10 at the downtown gallery’s annex space. Scan the QR code for a Boulder Weekly feature on the artist. See listing for details.

Join author Kazu Kibuishi for a free reading and signing event for his latest YA graphic novel, Amulet: Waverider, at Boulder Public Library on March 5. The ninth and final installment of Kibuishi’s New York Times bestselling series is a highoctane adventure fantasy following its young heroine Emily as she protects the elf kingdom of Alledia from the shadows.

See listing for details.

ART. Through Feb. 25, Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave. $38-$42 FUN HOME. Through Feb. 25, Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora. $20-$38 BW PICK OF THE WEEK MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. Through Feb. 25, Denver Center for the Performing Arts – Buell Theatre, 1101 13th St. $30-$100

ROB LANTZ: FOCAL POINT.

Through March 3, R Gallery + Wine Bar, 2027 Broadway, Boulder. Free

NATASHA MISTRY: SUPER-CONSCIOUS. Through March 10, The New Local Annex, 713 Pearl St., Boulder. Free BW PICK OF THE WEEK

PERFORMING SELF.

Through April 28, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, 1750 13th St. $2

TEACHING AS IF STUDENTS MATTER BY JOHN AND JAYE ZOLA. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb.

22, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St. Free

THE DARKEST WHITE BY ERIC BLEHM. 6:30 p.m. Monday,

Feb. 26, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St. $5

THE GREAT SECRET OF MIND BY TULKU PEMA RIGTSAL RINPOCHE. 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 27, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St. $5

CRAZY FOR YOU. Through April 7, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown. $45-$83 CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES.

Through March 24, Jesters Dinner Theater, 224 Main St., Longmont. $27-$50

SWEENEY TODD. March 1-10, The Arts HUB, 420 Courtney Way, Lafayette. $18-$28

WE CU: A VISUAL CELEBRATION OF BLACK WOMANHOOD, PRESENCE, AND CONNECTEDNESS.

Through July 13, CU Art Museum 1085 18th St., Boulder. Free

AGING BODIES: MYTHS AND HEROINES. Through Feb. 28, East Window Gallery, 4550 Broadway, Suite C-3B2, Boulder. Free

AMY LUMMUS: SPIT AND SPLINTER. Through March 3,

667 4th Ave., Longmont. Free

AMERICAN ECLIPSE BY DAVID BARON. 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 28, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St. $5

AMULET: WAVERIDER BY KAZU KIBUISHI. 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 5, Boulder Public Library - Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave. Free BW PICK OF THE WEEK

KILT TRIP BY ALEXANDRA KILEY. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday,

March 5, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St. $5

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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EVENTS

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4-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, Left Hand Tasting Room, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, virtual. Free

VINYL NIGHT

Head to Left Hand for a night of wax and libations from one of the most awarded breweries on the Front Range. Bring your own records to this vinyl-only listening party — if yours is picked for the playlist, you’ll be entered into a monthly prize raffle.

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CMCI SPORTS MEDIA SUMMIT

9:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, CU Boulder University Memorial Center, 1669 Euclid Ave. Free Whether you’re a budding sports journalist or just a mega-fan looking to network and meet industry professionals, you won’t want to miss the CMCI Sports Media Summit. Topics include CU Boulder and the “Prime Effect,” plus a roundtable on the sports media industry in Colorado with a focus on the NHL and NBA. 28

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

ARTIST ROUNDTABLE

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IMAGINE! NATION

5-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Free

Looking to fine tune your art practice while networking with fellow creatives?

Take your seat at the Boulder Virtual Artist Roundtable sponsored by The Boulder Art Association. Register at bit.ly/ArtistRoundtableBW.

Celebrate artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities during this multidisciplinary showcase featuring visual works on view and live music featuring students from School of Rock Broomfield.

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LEVI WORKSHOP: HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

BLACK MOVEMENT FESTIVAL: HARMONY SHOWCASE

Amid a purported uptick in domestic violence calls among teens and young adults, the Longmont Ending Domestic Violence Initiative (LEVI) presents this workshop “to help individuals identify any unhealthy behavior or red flags that may indicate abuse is taking place.”

Head to the Dairy’s Gordon Gamm Theater for a jaw-dropping performance highlighting the vibrant history of African American dance and culture, featuring Afro Sexy, Molodi, Samba Colorado, Viskosity Dance Collective and Jarrett Rashad Dance Theater.

11-11:45 a.m. Friday, Feb. 23, Longmont Public Library, 409 Fourth Ave. Free

8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, Dairy Arts Center Gordon Gamm Theater, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $30-$60

BOULDER WEEKLY

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Hone your watercolor painting skills during this free, hands-on art workshop hosted by Coy Ink Studios in Longmont. You’ll learn the basics of the form before making your own bookmark or postcard from the reference photo of your choice.

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BOULDER ASTRONOMY TOUR

6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, Boulder Valley Ranch Trailhead, 3900 Longhorn Road, Boulder. $42 Keep your eyes to the sky during this all-ages tour of the cosmos. With the help of several large telescopes and a trusty laser pointer, a professional astronomer will help you identify planets, constellations, satellites and more.

1-3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, Boulder Public Library George Reynolds Branch, 3595 Table Mesa Drive. Free Dushanbe is spilling the tea during this educational workshop dedicated to “the world’s most popular beverage.”

Learn about the history, growing regions and methods of processing and production — including tastings to help you differentiate between styles, from green to oolong and points in between.

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300 SUNS ANNIVERSARY PARTY

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 24-Sun., Feb. 25, 300 Suns Brewing, 335 1st Ave., Unit C, Longmont.

Free Celebrate a decade of 300 Suns Brewing in Longmont during this twoday anniversary bash featuring special releases like a 10% ABV bananas foster porter and a confetti birthday cake cream ale, soundtracked by live music from Tim Ostdiek.

BOULDER WEEKLY

In the Bar

Lionel young duo In the Bar

TEA 101

WATERCOLOR CLASS

10 a.m.-noon. Saturday, Feb. 24, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

Thursd

Katie Mintle

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NIWOT ANTIQUE AUCTION 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 25, Boulder County Fairgrounds - Barn A, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont. Free

What’s old is new again at the Niwot Antique Auction. Assemble your trusty squad of treasure seekers and head to the Boulder County Fairgrounds for this live auction featuring items you won’t find anywhere else.

JEWISH WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS

5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, CU Boulder - Lucile Berkeley Buchanan Building, Room 220. Free Learn all about the long history of Jewish women in photography during this public talk featuring guest scholar of the Louis P. Singer Chair in Jewish History, Dr. Michael Berkowitz — professor of Modern Jewish History at University College London and the editor of Jewish Historical Studies: Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society of England.

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Lionel young duo In the Bar

Deer creek sharp shooters and the grass project

$14 + $4

service charge

Chuck Sitero In the Bar

Tmule

In the Bar

Many Mountains In the Bar

Chris Koza In the Bar

Chuck Sitero & Dylan Kober In the Bar

Thom Lafond and fruta brutal

Living & dying in 3/4 time - A tribute to jimmy buffett

$18 + $4

service charge

$15 + $4

service charge

Katie Mintle In the Bar

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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LIVE MUSIC TH U RSD AY, FEB. 22 LEONARD JACOME & FRIENDS. 5:30 p.m. Gemini, 1115 Pearl St., Boulder. $50 (includes three-course dinner) DAVE HONIG. 6 p.m. Dagabi Cucina, 3970 Broadway, #101, Boulder. Free ROSEWOOD BITTERS. 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free LAURIE DAMERON JAZZ DUO WITH JEFF FOURNIER. 6:30 p.m. Boulder Wine Bar, 2035 Broadway. Free LIONEL YOUNG DUO. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free VIRGIL VIGIL WITH IAN HUSCHLE, HOLLOW HEAD AND DREAMIBOI. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15 IN PLAIN AIR WITH SPITTING IMAGE, MULHOLLAND AND LIGHT THE LETTERS. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $12 PORNO FOR PYROS. 7 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St., Denver. $55

MAGOO WITH SOUTHBOUND STRING BAND AND DEREK DAMES OHL. 8 p.m.

Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $15 OSAMASON. 8 p.m. Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $28 LAB GROUP WITH CLAMS CASINO, JACQUES GREENE, OAKK AND LILAH. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $40 LUDACRIS WITH CHILDISH MAJOR AND SQUIZZY TAYLOR. 8 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St., Denver. $60

S ATURDAY, F E B. 24 BIG MOUNTAIN WITH SELASEE MUSIC AND THE FAFA FAMILY (NIGHT 1).

7 p.m. The Caribou Room, 55 Indian Peak Drive, Nederland. $25 DEER CREEK SHARP SHOOTERS WITH THE GRASS PROJECT. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder $14

SUBZERO WITH CHARLIEWONDER, BYRD, JETTE, HAMMERHYPE AND OWEN. 9 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

THE FRETLINERS WITH TYLER GRANT. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15

RACHEL BAIMAN. 6:30 p.m. Stone Cottage Studios, 3091 7th St., Boulder. $35

RON POPE WITH TAYLOR BICKETT AND ZACH BERKMAN. 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $35

JOE TEICHMAN. 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

BEN MARKLEY QUINTET. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

DEAD NETTLE WITH ANTERRA, PETER STONE AND NAT LATKOFF. 6 p.m.

Trident Cafe, 640 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

GRANT GREEN TRIBUTE. 7 p.m.

Rayback Collective, 2775 Valmont Road, Boulder. Free NIGHT CLASS. 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

MIKEY G. 6:30 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $30

BLUE ROSE. 7 p.m. Superior Community Center, 1500 Coalton Road, Superior. Free

LEONARD JACOME. 7 p.m. The Arts HUB, 420 Courtney Way, Lafayette. Free

BROOMFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. 7:30 p.m. Broomfield Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road. $25

REX PEOPLES WITH XFACTR AND SHANE GABRIEL. 7 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. $15 BIJAY SHRESTHA WITH ANDY SKELLENGER AND ERIK JOHNSON. 7 p.m. Boulder Piano Gallery, 3111 Walnut St., Boulder. $20

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

SATELLITE PILOT WITH ASH REDHORSE, THE MIDNIGHT SUNS AND FLY AMANITA. 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15

FRIDAY, FEB. 23

BRUCE COOK TRIO. 6 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont.

Free

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TINA PHILLIPS QUARTET. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

AL’S HIGHWAY 50 WITH HOWLIN’ GOATZ AND WENDY WOO. 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A. $15 SWEEPING PROMISES WITH COLFAX SPEED QUEEN AND ANGEL BAND. 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $25

BOULDER WEEKLY

N

ashville singersongwriter Rachel Baiman brings her soulful sound to Boulder’s Stone Cottage Studios for an intimate live session taping on the local venue’s indoor stage. With two solo records and session credits with Kacey Musgraves and Molly Tuttle under her belt, Baiman comes to the People’s Republic in support of her third LP, Common Nation of Sorrow.

See listing for details.

ON THE BILL

LIVE MUSIC

Stressed Out? Think Massage!

Call 720.253.4710

All credit cards accepted No text messages

GIDEON WITH LEFT TO SUFFER, FOX LAKE AND RANSOM NOTE. 6:30 p.m.

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $28

MILITARIE GUN WITH POOL KIDS, SPIRITUAL CRAMP AND ROMAN CANDLE. 7 p.m. Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $28

SU N D AY, F E B. 25

T UE SDAY, FEB. 27

BIG MOUNTAIN WITH SELASEE MUSIC AND THE FAFA FAMILY (NIGHT 2).

7 p.m. The Caribou Room, 55 Indian Peak Drive, Nederland. $25

DAVE HONIG. 5 p.m. Boulder Depot, 2366 Junction Place. Free

JACK HADLEY. 4 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free SCOTT VON. 4 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free CHUCK SITERO. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free THE NOISY RESIDENTS WITH PASTA, STARLIGHT & PINE AND BENJAMIN MORSE & THE SENSATIONS. 5 p.m.

Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $12

KATY KIRBY WITH ALLEGRA KRIEGER. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $20 THE PRIZE FIGHTER INFERNO WITH CAROBAE. 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $25

WE DNE SDAY, FEB. 28 SAM GRISMAN WITH SPECIAL GUEST (TBA). 6 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $33 JAY STOTT. 6 p.m. Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. Free

MAE WITH A PLACE FOR OWLS. 8 p.m.

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $35

TMULE. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

BRYCE VINE WITH HOODIE ALLEN AND YOSHI T. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $40

EM BEIHOLD WITH MADELLINE. 8 p.m.

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $75 (resale only)

MON D AY, F E B . 26 GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV WITH LEIF VOLLEBEKK. 7:30 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $47 NELO. 6:30 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. Free

BOULDER WEEKLY

Want more Boulder County events? Check out the complete listings online by scanning this QR code.

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

31

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa was one of the greats. In his 30 films, he crafted a reputation as a masterful storyteller. A key moment in his development as an emotionally intelligent artist came when he was 13 years old. His older brother Heigo took him to view the aftermath of the Great Kantō earthquake. Akira wanted to avert his gaze from the devastation, but Heigo compelled him to look. Why? He wished for Akira to learn to deal with fear by facing it directly. I think you Aries people are more skilled at this challenging exercise than all the other signs. I hope you will call on it with aplomb in the coming weeks. You may be amazed at the courage it arouses in you.

John Toms

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TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): “When a mountain doesn’t listen, say a prayer to the sea,” said Taurus painter Cy Twombly. “If God doesn’t respond, direct your entreaties to Goddess,” I tell my Taurus friend Audrey. “If your mind doesn’t provide you with useful solutions, make an appeal to your heart instead,” my Taurus mentor advises me. This counsel should be useful for you in the coming weeks, Taurus.

It’s time to be diligent, relentless, ingenious, and indefatigable in going after what you want. Keep asking until you find a source that will provide it.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Gemini philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson offered advice that’s perfect for you right now. He said, “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” Here’s what I will add: First, you very much need to commune with extra doses of beauty in the coming weeks. Doing so will expedite your healing and further your education — two activities that are especially important.

Second, one way to accomplish your assignment is to put yourself in the presence of all the beautiful people, places and things you can find. Third, be imaginative as you cultivate beauty within yourself. How? That’s your homework.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): I bet that sometime soon, you will dream of flying through the sky on a magic carpet. In fact, this may be a recurring dream for you in the coming months. By June, you may have soared along on a floating rug over 10 times. Why? What’s this all about? I suspect it’s one aspect of a project that life is encouraging you to undertake. It’s an invitation to indulge in more flights of the imagination; to open your soul to mysterious potencies; to give your fantasy life permission to be wilder and freer. You know that old platitude, “shit happens”?

You’re ready to experiment with a variation on that: “Magic happens.”

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): On Feb. 22, ancient Romans celebrated the holiday of Caristia. It was a time for reconciliation. People strove to heal estrangements and settle longstanding disagreements. Apologies were offered and truces were negotiated. In alignment with current astrological omens, Leo, I recommend you revive this tradition. Now is an excellent time to embark on a crusade to unify, harmonize, restore, mend and assuage. I dare you to put a higher priority on love than on ego!

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): My poet friend Jafna likes to say that only two types of love are available to us: too little and too much. We are either deprived of the precise amount and quality of the love we want, or else we have to deal with an excess of love that doesn’t match the kind we want. But I predict that this will at most be a mild problem for you in the coming weeks — and perhaps not a problem at all. You will have a knack for giving and receiving just the right amount of love, neither too little nor too much. And the love flowing toward you and from you will be gracefully appropriate.

32

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): If the devil card comes up for me in a divinatory Tarot reading, I don’t get worried or scared that something bad might happen. On the contrary, I interpret it favorably. It means that an interesting problem or riddle has arrived or will soon arrive in my life — and that this twist can potentially make me wiser, kinder and wilder. The appearance of the devil card suggests that I need to be challenged so as to grow a new capacity or understanding. It’s a good omen, telling me that life is conspiring to give me what I need to outgrow my limitations and ignorance. Now apply these principles, Libra, as you respond to the devil card I just drew for you.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): A taproot is a thick, central and primary root from which a plant’s many roots branch out laterally. Typically, a taproot grows downward and is pretty straight. It may extend to a depth greater than the height of the plant sprouting above ground. Now let’s imagine that we humans have metaphorical taproots. They connect us with our sources of inner nourishment.

They are lifelines to secret or hidden treasures we may be only partly conscious of. Let’s further imagine that in the coming months, Scorpio, your taproot will flourish, burgeon and spread deeper to draw in new nutrients. Got all that? Now I invite you to infuse this beautiful vision with an outpouring of love for yourself and for the wondrous vitality you will be absorbing.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Behavioral ecologist Professor Dan Charbonneau has observed the habits of ants, bees and other social insects. He says that a lot of the time, many of them just lounge around doing nothing. In fact, most animals do the same. The creatures of the natural world are just not very busy. Psychologist Dr. Sandi Mann urges us to learn from their lassitude.

“We’ve created a society where we fear boredom,” she says. But that addiction to frenzy may limit our inclination to daydream, which in turn inhibits our creativity. I bring these facts to your attention, Sagittarius, because I suspect you’re in a phase when lolling around doing nothing much will be extra healthy for you.

Liberate and nurture your daydreams, please!

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): “Education is an admirable thing,” wrote Oscar Wilde, “but it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught.” As I ponder your future in the coming weeks, I vociferously disagree with him. I am sure you can learn many things worth knowing from teachers of all kinds. It’s true that some of the lessons may be accidental or unofficial — and not delivered by traditional teachers. But that won’t diminish their value. I invite you to act as if you will in effect be enrolled in school 24/7 until the equinox.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): The planets Mars and Venus are both cruising through Aquarius. Do they signify that synchronicities will weave magic into your destiny? Yes! Here are a few possibilities I foresee: 1. Smoldering flirtations that finally ignite. 2.

Arguments assuaged by love-making. 3. Mixups about the interplay between love and lust or else wonderful synergies between love and lust. 4. Lots of labyrinthine love talk, romantic sparring and intricate exchange about the nature of desire. 5. Adventures in the sexual frontiers. 6. Opportunities to cultivate interesting new varieties of intimacy.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Unlike the Pope’s decrees, my proclamations are not infallible. As opposed to Nostradamus and many modern soothsayers, I never imagine I have the power to definitely decipher what’s ahead. One of my main mottoes is “The future is undecided. Our destinies are always mutable.” Please keep these caveats in mind whenever you commune with my horoscopes. Furthermore, consider adopting my approach as you navigate through the world — especially in the coming weeks, when your course will be extra responsive to your creative acts of willpower. Decide right now what you want the next chapter of your life story to be about. You can make it what you want.

BOULDER WEEKLY

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE I’ve recently discovered that I am a panty sniffer. Though since I’m a gay man, maybe I’m a briefs breather? I discovered this when a fuck buddy left his shorts behind, and for the next few days I jerked off sniffing his shorts.

That brings me to the young millennial techie guys at my work. They’re always leaving their underwear and socks on the floor of the company’s gym in our office. The janitor picks them up and puts them in a lost-and-found bin. I started checking the bin, and no one ever claimed their shorts. I started taking a pair every now and then.

First question: Am I stealing? I assume the guys aren’t missing them, since they’ve been in the bin for a week or more. Second question: Have I become one of those perverted panty sniffers from those old Chester the Molester comics?

— Singleton Now Inhaling Funky Funk First answer: technically, yes. But a case could be made that you’re reusing and recycling. If there were a Green Building Certification program for kinks, SNIFF, yours would qualify.

Second answer: Chester the Molester was a disgusting comic strip about a guy, Chester, “who was interested in sexually molesting women and prepubescent girls,” according to Wikipedia. It ran in Hustler in the ’70s and ’80s (because of course it did) and made child rape look like harmless and hilarious fun. Dwaine Tinsley, the creator of the strip, wound up going to prison for molesting his daughter. I’m guessing his kid didn’t experience being raped by her father as harmless or hilarious.

I don’t think you’re a pervert in the Chester the Molester mold. But a case could be made that your actions have a whiff of the nonconsensual about them — your coworkers would most likely

object to how you’re reusing and recycling their abandoned underpants — and, if you want to be scrupulously ethical, you should probably knock it off.

There are plenty of guys selling their used underwear and jocks online. If you work at a place with a private gym, SNIFF, you can afford to buy a few pairs.

Vanilla straight guy here. As a fellow Washingtonian, I feel proud to live in a state that was among the first to legalize marriage equality by a popular majority vote of the people. I avidly follow the NFL and eat fried bologna sandwiches and do lots of other manly things. However, I have always loved musical theater.

Is it socially acceptable for me to good-naturedly say, “I’m totally gay for musical theater”? Or is it a slur that I shouldn’t say, no matter how playful or well-intended?

— The Cautious Joker When someone says, “That’s so gay,” but means, “That’s so stupid,” they’re being homophobic. But a straight guy who says he’s gay for musicals isn’t saying he’s stupid for them, TCJ, he’s saying, “I love something that many gay men are passionate about.”

Not all gay men are passionate about musical theater, of course, just as not all straight men are passionate about football. Your saying, “I’m gay for musical theater,” or a gay guy saying, “I’m straight for football,” amounts to a humorous acknowledgment that the majority of people interested in musicals or football are gay or straight, respectively.

While I think you can continue to say that you’re gay for musicals, TCJ, some gay men (or our more annoying “allies”) may take offense. You don’t have to pay attention to those people — they’re just super gay for taking offense.

Send your burning questions to mailbox@savage.love.

Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love!

BOULDER WEEKLY

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NIBBLES

WATCHING WHAT WE EAT From ‘The Godfather’ to ‘Wonka,’ iconic cinematic film scenes satisfy our deepest cravings

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FILM FOOD MOMENT? SHARE IT WITH US: editorial@boulderweekly.com

T

he first time I noticed food on the movie screen was probably the spaghetti-stand kiss in The Lady and the Tramp. Once I started paying attention to cinema, it seemed like food played a critical role in virtually every film I liked, from the noodles in Eat Drink Man Woman to the namesake dish in Fried Green Tomatoes.

Across global cultures and film eras, family meals fill screens from breakfast (Moonstruck) to lunch (Crazy Rich Asians), and dinner (Babette’s Feast) to dessert (Wonka). Revelations are blurt-

ed out during pasta moments in The Godfather, Big Night and Goodfellas.

We get a lot more than sandwich suggestions in the iconic diner scenes in When Harry Met Sally and Pulp Fiction. Dinner is a form of desperation in The Grapes of Wrath, La Grande Bouffe and Soylent Green.

In movies, feelings get infused into pies (Waitress), nonexistent Neverfood (Hook) and mole sauce (Like Water for Chocolate). In fact, pie populates dozens of American films, including Men in Black III and Blazing Saddles. (The less said about the pies in American Pie and The Help, the better.)

Having worked in restaurants and as a newspaper dining critic, my favorite onscreen foodie is Anton Ego, the res-

Jack’s Solar Garden: An Agrivoltaics Model in the Shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Courtesy: Colorado Environmental Film Festival

taurant reviewer in the animated gem, Ratatouille. I was never that snooty or mean, but I do love food as much as he does.

The film feed never stops. I’m looking forward to seeing The Taste of Things, a new big screen historical food love story gathering critical kudos. Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel — actors who were former lovers — portray two foodies and how they cook, eat and lust. I’m looking forward to the popcorn and candy, too.

FOOD FILLS FILM FESTIVAL SCREENS

Food, Inc. 2 and Sugar and Stars. Courtesy: Boulder International Film Festival

BOULDER WEEKLY

The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) celebrates its 20th anniversary Feb. 29 to March 3 with food films, a big tasting and free cake.

Food-related films showing during the festival focus on agriculture and related issues in The Biggest Little Farm and Food, Inc. 2. Boulder’s eatery heritage is explored in The Sink: The Rest[aurant] is History. Sugar and Stars is a fictional dive into the highly competitive world of pastry chefs.

At BIFF’s CineCHEF tasting Feb. 29, local eateries dish tastes of cinematically inspired bites by Michael Bertozzi (The Kitchen,) Rich Byers (Jill’s Restaurant), Gage Hascall-Dove (Blackbelly), Bradford Heap (Salt), Kevin Kidd (24 Carrot Bistro), Sheila Lucero (Jax Fish House), Jeremy McGinty (River & Woods) and Bob Sargent (Savory Cuisines Catering).

Best of all, BIFF will share slices of free birthday cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes on the Pearl Street Mall on March 2. Details: biff1.com

DOCUMENTARIES FACE FOOD ISSUES, SOLUTIONS

A full menu of food- and agriculturerelated documentaries is screening at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival Feb. 22-25 in Golden. A groundbreaking Longmont farm is the focus of Jack’s Solar Garden: An Agrivoltaics Model in the Shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Other films delving into issues of sustainability and cultural food identity range from Fight Food Waste and Covenant of The Salmon People to From the Heartland and Kittengate: Outrage After Climate Scientist Feeds Kittens to Diners. Tickets: ceff.net

TASTE OF THE WEEK: EL VALLE’S TAMALES

Advice from friends who know tamales happily led me to El Valle Market, 2887 30th St. The small Boulder neighborhood mercado is jammed with Central American groceries, sweets, fresh produce and piñatas as well as fresh salsas, tortillas and Mexican baked goods. This carniceria also offers a full meat counter including pre-marinated cuts.

El Valle’s homemade pork red chile tamales are just right — hefty, moist masa, just enough pork chile in the middle and that satisfying, slightly fiery taste. They are available ready to heat inside the market and ready to eat at the Las Americas food truck outside. The menu also features tacos, burritos and tortas.

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

35

NIBBLES HOW BOULDER GOT SO STOUT

“Stout” can refer to people like me who have a heavy build. We also call these folks “ample,” “solidly built” and “robust.” Perhaps that’s why I love the strong, dark beers that have become ubiquitous in Boulder, especially in the depths of winter. Back in February 1993, stouts, porters and heavy beers were not so popular at local tasting rooms.

When Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery launched Stout Month, our palate education began. Stout Credit: Mountain Sun Month has spread and is now celebrated at brewpubs across the region. My pick from the menu: Ned’s TwoAlarm Cherry Chile Stout, brewed with ancho and guajillo chilies.

S I M P L E

|

You have never tasted the stouts, IPAs and lagers available for tasting at the Colorado Brewers Guild Collaboration Fest on March 30 in Westminster. That’s because they’ve never been brewed before. More than 65 craft breweries have collaborated in brewing unique, one-off beers for the event. Lafayette’s Liquid Mechanics Brewing and Beachwood Brewing are teaming up on a West Coast IPA. Tickets: collaborationbeerfest.com

CULINARY CALENDAR: DINING WEEK AND DAY

Sweeney Todd, the tasty tale of a demon barber who turns people into pies, is being presented March 1-3 and 8-10 at The Arts HUB in Lafayette (see p. 27). Beef pot pie will not be served.

Tickets: artshub.org Denver Restaurant Week is celebrating its 20th anniversary March 1-10 with 10 days of dining deals. More than 200 restaurants are serving multicourse meals (ranging from $25 to $55). Locals participating include Por, Bittersweet, Melting

L O C A L

|

FA R M

Pot and Via Toscana in Louisville, Lafayette’s Reelfish, and Cafe Aion and Dagabi in Boulder.

One option: the trio of roasted cauliflower soup, followed by tempura halibut, finishing with warm chocolate cake with ganache, vanilla bean and coconut at Jill’s Restaurant. bit.ly/48SJB7D Downtown Boulder’s Taste of Pearl is back after a three-year COVID break with tastings at shops and galleries on April 14.

Tickets: tasteofpearl.com Plan ahead: Boulder Creek Festival, May 24-27; Boulder Taco Fest, Aug. 10; Vail Wine Classic, Aug. 8-10; Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival, Sept. 20-22; and Colorado Mountain Winefest, Sept. 21.

WORDS TO CHEW ON

“I am quite convinced that cooking is the only alternative to filmmaking.” — Warner Herzog, film director and actor John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles and Kitchen Table Talk on KGNU.

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ON DRUGS

HIGHER POWER How the religiously unaffiliated are finding meaning in psychedelic churches

BY MORGAN SHIPLEY THE CONVERSATION

M

ore and more surveys point to decreasing membership in religious institutions and a corresponding rise of “nones.”

Particularly in the global West, people tend to think about religion in terms of belief in a higher power, such as God. For many nones, however, spirituality does not need a god or the supernatural to address questions of purpose, meaning, belonging and wellbeing.

While abandoning mainstream religious affiliation, many turn to alternative expressions, including secular, atheist and psychedelic churches.

These churches demonstrate not a rejection of religion, as surveys suggest, but continued interest in spiritual community, rituals and virtues.

PSYCHEDELIC CHURCHES

One such church is The Divine Assembly, or TDA, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 2020 as “a magic mushroom church” by Steve Urquhart, a former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, TDA conducts worship that connects people without dogma or intermediaries.

38

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

Where members depart from traditional notions of religion and church is within their practices and aims.

Through psychedelic drugs, members believe they can directly experience the divine — as they define it — while gaining insight into their own and others’ wellbeing.

Using psilocybin is not part of these activities, nor are instructions provided on conducting mushroom ceremonies. This is done on one’s own time, according to individual practices.

Through the church, members participate in practices to help cultivate the value of psychedelic exploration. These include a range of activities, from ice baths to meditation in a room with flashing lights. TDA also offers courses on growing psilocybin through its educational initiative “shroomiversity.”

MUSHROOM CHURCHES: AN AMERICAN TRADITION Louisville, Kentucky’s Psanctuary Church brings “people together for

healing and connection to divine revelation through communion with sacred mushrooms.” Nondenominational, Psanctuary defines itself as a “Constitutional Church.”

Indicating their legal status as a nonprofit, tax-exempt, faith-based organization, Psanctuary situates itself as a uniquely American religion. For Psanctuary and other psychedelic churches, the use of psychedelics is simultaneously a sacred right and an expression of political freedom.

AYAHUASCA CHURCHES AND HEALING

California-based Hummingbird Church draws from ayahuasca rituals to provide “participants with opportunities to recharge their body, mind and soul with positive energy and reconnect with themselves.” Its “Statement of Faith” emphasizes this commitment to holistic healing.

It also situates the divine in “earthly” terms. Members, they believe, “should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.”

Located in Orlando, Florida, members of Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church of Mother Earth believe likewise. As members contend, “What is of the Earth is our holy sacrament.” Like others, they position psychedelics “as tools” that benefit “physical health, spiritual growth, and personal evolution.”

WELLBEING AS SPIRITUALITY

As with many psychedelic churches, Psanctuary is not atheistic. It understands divinity as “pure consciousness” that “permeates all being.” Like TDA, religion for Psanctuary expresses the pursuit of “pure consciousness” as “the origin of health and well-being.”

By experiencing this origin through psychedelics, members are “empowered to discover our own divinity.”

Collectively, these churches demonstrate not a rejection of religion, as the term “none” might suggest, but an embrace of wellbeing as spirituality. A key lesson members connect to psychedelics is the intrinsic sacredness of each person: The divine is not elsewhere but within everyone.

The Conversation is a network of nonprofit media outlets publishing news stories and research reports online, with accompanying expert opinion and analysis.

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