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departments 6 THE HIGHROAD: Are the rich different from you and me? Ask Cadillac! 7 THE ANDERSON FILES: The Bernie revolution rolls on 7 GUEST COLUMN: How did we get here? Look to 2010 8 LETTERS: Signed, sealed, delivered, your views 10 LAB NOTES: Surviving Trump’s budget 33 OVERTONES: Manic Focus finds a second home of sorts in the Centennial State 39 BOULDER COUNTY EVENTS: What to do and where to go 45 POETRY: by John Stanizzi 46 SCREEN: ‘The Belko Experiment’ and corporate savagery 47 FILM: A bizarre Polish musical about man-eating mermaids 49 DEEP DISH: Poutine reigns supreme at Backcountry Pizza & Taphouse 57 DRINK: Tour de Brew: Odd13 Brewing Co. 61 ASTROLOGY: by Rob Brezsny 63 S AVAGE LOVE: Questions from the Curious Minds Weekend in Toronto 65 WEED BETWEEN THE LINES: People are just people 67 CANNABIS CORNER: Jeff Sessions and marijuana: Slouching toward reality 69 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: An irreverent view of the world Boulder Weekly

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Publisher, Stewart Sallo Associate Publisher, Fran Zankowski Director of Operations/Controller, Benecia Beyer Circulation Manager, Cal Winn EDITORIAL Editor, Joel Dyer Senior Editor, Angela K. Evans Entertainment Editor, Amanda Moutinho Special Editions Editor, Caitlin Rockett Contributing Writers: John Lehndorff, Peter Alexander, Dave Anderson, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Gavin Dahl, Paul Danish, James Dziezynski, Sarah Haas, Jim Hightower, Dave Kirby, Michael Krumholtz, Brian Palmer, Leland Rucker, Dan Savage, Alan Sculley, Ryan Syrek, Gregory Thorson, Christi Turner, Tom Winter, Gary Zeidner, Mollie Putzig, Mariah Taylor, Betsy Welch, Noël Phillips, Carolyn Oxley, Emma Murray Interns, Billy Singleton, Carolyn Davidson, Preston Bryant, Ayako Itoi, Ximena Leyte SALES AND MARKETING Retail Sales Manager, Allen Carmichael Senior Account Executive, David Hasson Account Executive, Julian Bourke Inside/Outside Account Executive, Andrea Ralston Market Development Manager, Kellie Robinson Marketing Manager, Devin Edgley Mrs. Boulder Weekly, Mari Nevar PRODUCTION Production Manager, Dave Kirby Art Director, Susan France Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman Assistant to the Publisher Julia Sallo Office Manager Lina Papastergiou CIRCULATION TEAM Dave Hastie, Dan Hill, George LaRoe, Jeffrey Lohrius, Elizabeth Ouslie, Rick Slama 17-Year-Old, Mia Rose Sallo Cover art: “Tears and Blood” by Anna Olsson March 23, 2017 Volume XXIV, Number 33 As Boulder County's only independently owned newspaper, Boulder Weekly is dedicated to illuminating truth, advancing justice and protecting the First Amendment through ethical, no-holdsbarred journalism and thought-provoking opinion writing. Free every Thursday since 1993, the Weekly also offers the county's most comprehensive arts and entertainment coverage. Read the print version, or visit www.boulderweekly.com. Boulder Weekly does not accept unsolicited editorial submissions. If you're interested in writing for the paper, please send queries to: editorial@boulderweekly.com. Any materials sent to Boulder Weekly become the property of the newspaper. 690 South Lashley Lane, Boulder, CO, 80305 p 303.494.5511 f 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. © 2016 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved.

Boulder Weekly welcomes your correspondence via email (letters@ boulderweekly.com) or the comments section of our website at www.boulderweekly.com. Preference will be given to short letters (under 300 words) that deal with recent stories or local issues, and letters may be edited for style, length and libel. Letters should include your name, address and telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters or those signed with pseudonyms. Letters become the property of Boulder Weekly and will be published on our website.

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the

For more information on Jim Hightower’s work — and to subscribe to his award-winning monthly newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown — visit www.jimhightower.com.

Highroad Are the rich different from you and me? Ask Cadillac! by Jim Hightower

ou know what our country needs right now? I think we need something that can bring us together again, something that can heal the raw wound of deep political division imperiling our society. And, guess what? One company has come out with just the balm America needs: An ad for a luxury automobile. Seriously? Yes. The cultural bridge-

builders at Cadillac have produced an advertising campaign intended not only to sell its pricey cars, but also to heal America’s social divide. How? By reminding TV audiences about everyone’s desire to achieve the American dream — as symbolized, of course, by the status symbol of owning a Cadillac. Seriously? Yes. The ad begins with a stark declaration: “We are a nation divided. That’s what they tell us.” Then it suddenly shifts gears, gliding into an uplifting, touchy-feely montage of all-in-thistogether inclusiveness: “We carry each other forward,” the narrator purrs, “no matter who we are, or what we believe.” Mustering all of the modesty you would expect from a Cadillac executive, the corporation’s marketing head explains that, “We didn’t want to enter the political debate. We wanted to transcend it.” Ah, yes... and how better to go beyond

rancorous political disharmony than to drive away from it in a luxury car? The corporate honchos tried out this message on an unbiased audience of Texas Cadillac dealers, and — guess what? — they loved it! One dealer gushed that the ad identifies the ultraexpensive car with “unity, optimism, courage.” Seriously? Yes, apparently Cadillac thinks the Right and Left, the rich and poor, can all become e pluribus unum again by unifying around America’s new egalitarian slogan: “A $100,000 car in every garage.” See, the rich truly are different from you and me — they actually believe such claptrap. This opinion column does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly. Boulder Weekly

the anderson files The Bernie revolution rolls on by Dave Anderson

n a volatile and anxious time when people’s lives are being upended, cautious middle-of-the-roaders fail to inspire while those who propose big alternative visions get heard. That’s why Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump touched a nerve in the last election when they promised to shake up the world. Those two men had totally divergent worldviews, but they both dealt with fundamental questions that weren’t being discussed. Sanders got massive support from young people facing a future of precariously low-paying jobs, high student debt and climate change. He offered Scandinavian social democracy and FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights. Trump gave hope to many older, more culturally conservative people who have a modest stake in the American dream and are afraid of losing it. He offered them a ride in a time machine back to the 1950s, when we had rising incomes and a brighter future. While Trump has become the most unpopular president in at least four decades, Sanders has become the most popular politician in the nation by a wide margin, according to a new Fox News poll. This is not unusual. Sanders has become more popular as more people find out about him. When he started running for president, few people knew him and the mainstream media ignored him until his huge crowds compelled them to notice. But Trump got unlimited and uninterrupted free coverage (with little commentary) of his rallies and tweets from the beginning. Right after the election, Sanders became the chair of “outreach” for Senate Democrats. After all, he did win almost two dozen states during the primaries. However, he hasn’t changed any since becoming a party leader. He has said that “Trump’s victory was not a victory for Trump or his ideology. It was a gross political failure of the Democratic Party.” Sanders said Trump is a “pathological liar” who has no ideology and who convinced a lot of desperate people that their lives would become better if he was elected. He said, “If you think everyone who voted for Donald Trump is a racist or a sexist or a homophobe, you would be dead wrong.” Sanders had a lot of support in “Trump Country” which was demonstrated in a recent town hall meeting Boulder Weekly

hosted by Sanders in McDowell County, West Virginia, on March 13 on MSNBC’s All in With Chris Hayes. Trump won the county and the state in the general election. However, Sanders won in all 55 of West Virginia’s counties in the Democratic primary. In the 2008 general election, Obama won McDowell County by more than 10 percent. This was an emotional event with some standing ovations for Sanders. He denounced Trumpcare and advocated Medicare for all. A retired miner in the audience thanked Sanders for co-sponsoring a bill protecting coal miners’ health care. What should the Democratic Party stand for? There is a growing fight between the centrist liberals and the progressives. In mid-January, there was a sneaky late-night vote by 13 Democrats (joining the Republicans) that might not have been noticed in years past. The vote was against an amendment by Sanders to direct a Senate committee to write legislation to allow the re-importation of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The 13 Democrats included Colorado’s Michael Bennet but the most prominent figure was Cory Booker of New Jersey, who had just given passionate testimony the day before against Jeff Sessions, Trump’s attorney general nominee. The Beltway crowd was surprised by a big backlash from grassroots progressives. Booker, who may run for president in 2020, really felt the heat. He later ended up at a press conference with Sanders to announce his support for a drug re-importation bill Sanders was introducing. Berniecrats are running for positions in the Democratic Party all over the country. On Feb. 22, a Wall Street Journal story declared that “Bernie Sanders Loyalists Are Taking Over the Democratic Party One County Office at a Time.” Tensions amped up during the recent race for chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) between Sanders ally Congressman Keith Ellison and former Labor Secretary Tom Perez. Ellison was smeared as an anti-Semite and establishment Dems like Obama, Biden and Bill Clinton see THE ANDERSON FILES Page 8

guest column How did we get here? Look to 2010 By Brian Litwin

ow the Republican Party turned what seemed like a dire situation after disastrous losses in both the 2006 and 2008 elections into legislative majorities so unbreakable, so impregnable, that none of the outcomes are in doubt until after the 2020 census, is one of the greatest and least known political stories. Really, it is a story about the election of 2010, an election as consequential as any in U.S. history. As provided in the Constitution, every state redraws all of its district lines every 10 years; that is, after the census. That means that elections in “zero years” matter more than others. This is where our story begins. Chris Jankowski, who was one of the leading tacticians of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) and brainchild of what came to be known as the Redistricting Majority Project (REDMAP), had a brilliant idea, an idea that would come to reshape the course of our history. He realized that Republicans should mount an aggressive campaign to flip state legislatures ahead of post-census redistricting, then press the advantage to both redraw congressional and state legislative lines in their favor. Presidents almost always lose seats in a midterm election.

Democratic turnout always falls in non-presidential years. Control redistricting and you control Congress. On a state level, the election of 2010 was the biggest rout in modern history. Republicans gained almost 700 seats nationwide, surpassing the 628 Democrats grabbed post-Watergate in 1974. After election day 2010, the Republicans could draw 193 House seats on their own. A party needs only 218 seats to control Congress. REDMAP helped to lock in control of half of Congress until at least 2020. According to David Wasserman of The Cook Political Report, “The maps have become so tilted that Democrats would need to win the national popular vote by between six and seven points in order to win the barest possible House majority.” Some of the traditionally blue/purple states Republicans took in 2010 were Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida, just to name a few. Democrats got their first taste of the new maps in 2012, which was, in fact, a big Democratic year. President Obama won reelection, besting Governor Romney in the Electoral College by a decisive 332-206 margin, and by some 3.5 million in the popular see GUEST COLUMN Page 8

March 23, 2017 7

letters Unity to protect human rights

People gathering in legislative forums and the streets understand that a time of oppression is a time of opportunity. Democratic power is built from calling out injustices, realizing connections and building unity. War, drought, globalization, urbanization and population growth have moved Western governments to become protective and autocratic. Today more refugees seek survival than at any time since World War II. Doors are closing under right-leaning European governments. Soon they will be slammed shut by America, which led the invasions that created state breakdown and chaos in the region Trump now targets with immigration bans. We need to realize the potential of unity against the real vulnerabilities experienced by Native Americans, women, LGBQT individuals, the poor and neighbors losing health insurance. Please join a wide-ranging discussion of Human Rights in the Age of Trump, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center and the CU Peace and Conflict Studies Program on March 23, 250 Humanities Building, CU Boulder, at 7 p.m. Q & A will follow presentations by panelists. Vinnie Cervantes from the Denver Justice Project will speak on the role of police and DJP’s goals to end mass incarceration and seek racial justice. Hadi Hashmi will discuss the impacts of Trump policies on Muslims. Martín Chamorro, a former adjunct professor at CU Boulder and founder of the software company BigSIS, will speak about how the Trump administration’s policies pose the greatest threat yet to the rights protected by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Christinia Eala, a Sicangu-Lakota elder who spent three months at Standing Rock, will speak about the Native American struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Ron Forthofer from the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center will talk about human rights and U.S. foreign policy. Dean Birkenkamp/Boulder

Courage?

In a rare tidbit from Conservative Talk Radio, a man decried America’s lack of “courage” in the negative public response to the Trump replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act. He went on to add that people no longer had the courage to accept the death penalty, and, in reality, the plan regards those unable to afford health care as unfortunate collateral damage in mod8 March 23, 2017

guest column ern life. The simple extrapolation from this is that apparently it takes courage to embrace cruelty. Where is the Christian Right on this? Robert Porath/Boulder

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

As the new administration continues to step all over itself with foibles, lies and misdirects, I’d like to offer up a little warning for future reference. As the president cannot come up with any proof that he was wiretapped, the Trump/Ryan health care bill continues to wilt under the light of day (“It’s an unbelievably complex subject. Nobody knew health care could be so complicated.” D. Trump, 2/2/17), and Russian connections come more to the front, here is my prediction: Jefferson “Jeff ” Beauregard Sessions, our esteemed attorney general, and the White House will issue orders to end the marijuana experiment in all recreational legal states and possibly medical, perhaps enlisting the National Guard to close down shops and confiscate properties and everything associated with the marijuana industry. This administration is adept at diversion and obfuscation. As Kellyanne Conway said, “You always want to go by what’s come out of his (Trump) mouth rather than look at what’s in his heart,” (01/09/17) or Sean Spicer saying the Trump tweets about wiretapping weren’t really about wiretapping (3/13/17). Hey, when is a tweet not a tweet? When it comes from a twit? At least that’s my take. So don’t be surprised to see an attack on the pot industry if the pressure continues to get to the least prepared person to ever occupy the Oval Office. The press will be scurrying to cover a story of such magnitude, and will forget all about wiretap-gate, Ryan/Trump-care insurance fraud and Putin-gate. No one will follow his kids as they continue to use their father’s influence to secure more deals overseas, while still having their clothes made there. Get ready to link arms and protect states’ rights. While Spicer and Trump have defended states’ rights when it was convenient for them (like not allowing transgender kids to use bathrooms), Spicer now takes another position on the rights of states, promising that Trump’s Department of Justice would be taking action against states that allow recreational marijuana (Spicer 2/23/17). I sincerely hope I’m wrong, but only time will tell. Remember the definition of see LETTERS Page 9

WE NEED NATIONWIDE NON-

PARTISAN/INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONS FOR REAPPORTIONMENT. ... PEOPLE NEED TO GET ANGRY, RISE UP AND LET THEIR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HEAR THEIR VOICES.

GUEST COLUMN from Page 7

vote. One-third of the Senate was up for election, and Democrats handily won 23 of the 33 races. Nationwide, 1.4 million more Americans cast their votes for Democratic U.S. House candidates than Republican candidates — and yet Republicans still came away with a 33-seat advantage in the House. REDMAP built a firewall against the popular will and it held strong. Those districts, intended by the country’s founders to be directly responsive to the people’s will, have now been insulated from it. This is also how Republicans won 75 percent of the U.S. House seats in the state of Ohio with just 51 percent of the vote. And so it went for all of the traditionally blue/purple states mentioned above. Norman Ornstein of the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute stated, “It basically means that the whole constitutional notion of the House as a mirror of popular views comes into jeopardy.” This is why the only election that matters is the party primary. This is why we have no action on gun control, despite popular support; attacks on labor unions in traditionally blue states, despite the will of people; and nonsensical bathroom bills.

The REDMAP Project was a cohesive conservative strategy, years in the making, thought out district by district, dollar by dollar, nationwide, in just the right year. The assertion was bold, yet so logical that one does not know whether to stand back and admire the audaciousness, indict the Democrats for gross negligence and lack of imagination, or simply howl over the undemocraticness of it all. People on the right complain about big government taking away our rights. Yet the most fundamental right of a democracy is the right to have your vote count; those same people don’t seem to be worried about it. It strikes me as insane. We need nationwide non-partisan/independent commissions for reapportionment. It needs to be illegal to use political or racial data, and cities and counties must remain contiguous. People need to get angry, rise up and let their members of Congress hear their voices. Do this as if the very ideals of this country and everything it is supposed to stand for is being threatened, because in reality, that is exactly where we find ourselves. This opinion column does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.

the anderson files THE ANDERSON FILES from Page 7

pushed hard for Perez. But Perez narrowly won in a second vote after neither secured a first-round majority. In his victory speech, Perez named Ellison as his deputy chair. In the long term, social change is primarily driven by bottom-up citizen activism of popular social movements. However, elections really matter. In order for movements to win, you need allies in public office. In the short term, Democrats

should have impressive victories in the future given Trump’s huge unpopularity. A big danger is that many people will be so disgusted by politics that they just won’t vote. Democrats need to fight back hard but also offer a strong hopeful progressive message. The revolution rolls on, both at the voting booth and in the streets, workplaces and neighborhoods. This opinion column does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly. Boulder Weekly

letters LETTERS FROM from Page 8

“trump” includes to devise fraudulently, or to make up, as in trumped up charges. Trumpery (from Webster’s New World Dictionary): 1) something showy but worthless; 2) nonsense. It also includes a wild card or suit. It appears we have a wild card in a suit in the White House. Craig S. Chisesi/Rifle, CO

Don’t sit there, take action

This is a call to action. Many of us are waiting for our politicians to make significant efforts to go beyond a fossil fuel-powered society. Of course there is an activism component to change things at the local, state and national levels, but we can also take matters into our own hands to change things at home right now. Don’t dwell on how bad things are, and take action by making choices using your conscience. Observe ways that you support the fossil fuel industry, then discover where you can modify your daily activities to get away from them. First and foremost, use less energy. Make it a priority, and research ways to make it happen. If you can, purchase a hybrid or better yet an electric vehicle (EV). When you need a rental car or taxi, request an EV. If we persistently ask, perhaps they’ll eventually provide us with an EV option. Electric bicycles are another choice. Buy a solar grill to get away from propane and purchase an electric or solar water heater to depend less on natural gas. If you cannot purchase rooftop solar, call your electric company and ask them to purchase blocks of alternative energy to modify the sources of energy that flow into your home. Longmont Power Company (LPC), a city-owned utility, has a Renewable Power Purchase Program that certifies 100 percent of your energy comes from renewable sources. It’s also cost effective for those on a tight budget. The City’s website states that “LPC’s electric rates are among the lowest in Colorado. Even when combined with the cost of a Renewable Power Purchase subscription, rates remain 31% lower than state average.” Xcel energy offers a few similar options called Windsource® and the Solar Rewards Community® program. The citizens of Boulder County would have more of a “moral” leg to stand on against the impending fracking invasion if we all just implemented a few things above to divert our home’s energy from non-fossil fuel energy sources. Jake C./Longmont

It’s about us not industry

Our elected officials are talking right past us with their jargon about health care. Do they really think we Boulder Weekly

give a darn that our health care system is “market-based” as Congressmen Buck, Tipton, Coffman and Lamborn have all stressed? Do they honestly imagine that what we want is more “choices” as Senator Gardner has emphasized. We don’t care about “the market” or “choice.” We want what the citizens of every other developed nation in the world already have: a comprehensive, universal health care system that works for all of us. The term “market-based” is code language intended to signal to the insurance industry that elected officials are on their team and will protect their opportunities to make money from our misfortunes. You’d think that they’d care more about the right of the people of Colorado to health care than about the right of insurance industry to make huge profits. Sure, universal health care would hurt them. Somebody would have to take a hit: either the people, or the corporations. And do our senators and congress members really think that what we want is a health care menu loaded with more bad choices? Anyone who’s tried to make such choices knows that it’s a confusing and often expensive prospect, sort of like ordering off of the menu at a fancy French restaurant. You’re really not sure what you’ll end up with. How about just a good, basic, well-balanced universal health care menu? It’s really a question of whose interests our elected officials intend to serve — the citizens of Colorado, or the executives and investors in a particular industry, and of course, “The Trump Agenda.” Please, Senator Gardner, please Congressmen Buck, Lamborn, Tipton and Coffman, show us that you are not serving the insurance industry or the Trump agenda. Show us that you are serving the people of Colorado. Doug Holdread/Trinidad, CO

Women’s rights

Tens of thousands of people joined the March 8 “A Day Without a Woman” action to stand up for equality, dignity and respect. Disrupting business was the point as a means to center the struggles of women and force our leaders to take note. Many women still aren’t guaranteed paid family leave or sick days that enable them to care for themselves and their families. Union women have the power of collective bargaining to negotiate better wages and conditions, but many working women still face sexual harassment and discrimination, as well as wage discrimination at the job. Women deserve to be treated equally and to receive equal pay for equal work. Elizabeth Kretchmer/Littleton

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ast week the Trump administration sent an initial 2018 budget plan to Congress, which proposed dramatic spending reductions for most federal agencies. The deepest cuts targeted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and programs related to climate science at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Congress must ultimately approve the final budget, and there is widespread skepticism that legislators will endorse Trump’s priorities. But what if there were a way for the agencies to absorb the proposed cuts while simultaneously encouraging innovation and stimulating collaboration within federally funded labs? The centerpiece of the White House budget plan is to add $54 billion in military spending by making cuts to all other discretionary programs. About two-thirds of the nation’s $4 trillion budget pays for mandatory spending, such as Social Security and Medicare benefits. The majority of what’s left goes to the military, while the remainder supports all other federal agencies. Without increasing the deficit, adding $54 billion to the $550 billion defense budget would require a 10 percent cut to the rest of the government. In Trump’s budget, the reductions are not distributed evenly: the EPA is slashed by 31 percent, while NOAA might face

Trump’s budget cuts might force some innovative and creative problem-solving for labs.

a cut of 17 percent. “This is potentially devastating to NOAA because it comes on the heels of previous cuts,” explained Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), in a recent interview with the Daily Camera. “Already NOAA has lost good people who have retired or moved elsewhere.” If the cuts proposed by the White House become law, the impact will be felt across Colorado. Federal research facilities statewide added $2.3 billion to the local economy in 2012, directly and indirectly employing nearly 16,000 people. The climate science and renewable energy labs around Boulder account for about two-thirds of this total. Although reactions to Trump’s budget plan have been largely unfavorable, even among conservatives, the new administration clearly intends to scale back support for federally funded labs. After years of enduring stagnant and even slightly declining budgets, the labs around Boulder have already streamlined their operations. They have no easy way of absorbing large budget cuts without sacrificing essential facilities Boulder Weekly

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and personnel that provide valuable services to the public. In the shadow of this uncertain budgetary future, it might be time for federal labs to treat their scientific staff more like university professors. Perhaps because universities operate on an academic schedule, faculty positions are typically nine-month contracts, just like public school teachers. Those who are satisfied with a nine-month salary can spread it over the entire year, but universities allow professors to seek external funding to support their research during the summer. By contrast, staff scientists at federally funded labs generally have 12-month contracts, so they can focus their efforts on the priorities of their government sponsors. This stability allows federally funded scientists to work on issues that are higher-risk or longer-term than typical grant-funded projects. But it also reduces the incentives for innovation and collaboration, qualities that are implicitly nurtured in researchers who rely on grant funding. I worked as a staff scientist at NCAR for six years before my position was lost to a previous round of budget cuts. For the past five years, I have raised all of my support by writing grant proposals to government agencies and private foundations. The “sink or swim” reality of working entirely on grant funding is not something that I would recommend to anyone, particularly in the current funding climate. But it forced me to be more innovative and collaborative than I might have been otherwise. Based on my experience at NCAR, and now looking from the outside, I believe that full-time federal sponsorship may actually stifle these virtues in many excellent scientists. Federally funded labs could give themselves budget flexibility without eliminating jobs by offering staff scientists a nine-month (75 percent) instead of 12-month contract. Like university professors, researchers could optionally seek external funding from government or commercial sources to restore their previous salaries. This may dilute the research focus dictated by their federal sponsors, but that consequence is unavoidable with any substantial budget cuts. The silver lining to this approach is that it would reward innovation and stimulate collaboration inside and outside the laboratories, while encouraging public-private partnerships to maintain essential facilities and services. “A 75 percent scenario is something we have debated,” says Jim Hurrell, the director of NCAR. He notes that resistance to the idea comes from their sponsor, the National Science Foundation, as well as from the university community that would not appreciate increased competition for external funding. “Still, I like your expression of the benefits,” he adds in an email exchange. Whether or not Trump’s budget is greeted with enthusiasm in the halls of Congress, federally funded labs and the public could benefit from renegotiating the contracts of staff scientists. Once the change is implemented, the labs could reallocate existing funds to hire new junior scientists in every research area — something that hasn’t been possible for years. In one stroke, they would establish incentives for seeking outside funding, encourage innovation, stimulate collaboration and inject fresh talent into their organizations. It may be a tough sell for the current staff, but the ends would justify the means. Travis Metcalfe is a researcher and science communicator based in Boulder, Colorado. With support from several technology companies, he runs a nonprofit adopt-a-star program to fund astronomy research. Boulder Weekly

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NEWS At peace with myself MDMA-assisted psychotherapy could become a prescription treatment for PTSD

by Besty Welch Wikimedia Commons

12 March 23, 2017

hen I walked into Marcela Ot’alora’s office, I immediately wished I could pack up a small backpack of belongings and move in. With just enough of the underpinnings of your run-of-themill therapist’s office — jade plant, box of tissues, framed poster of a bald-headed child that might be a monk or an angel — it also felt like my brother’s Brooklyn studio apartment, with ratty Persian rugs overlaid on one another, a couch that was clean but bore the faint shadows of visiting bodies and a chrome and wooden stereo receiver on a small end table. It was easily the type of place you could imagine friends sitting on the floor, bowls of olives and tumblers of wine snug between tangled legs, having lazy what-does-life-mean conversation into the late hours. Which, I learned, wasn’t a far cry from what actually does happen there, only your friends are trained psychotherapists and the conversation is fueled by 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Ot’alora is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Boulder Phase 2 pilot study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results from the experimental sessions held in her office from 2013-15 — and from similar Phase 2 studies in Charleston, South Carolina, Vancouver, Canada, and Israel — had an effect felt not just locally, but beyond. In November, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted staff and researchers from the study and gave the green light for application to start Phase 3 trials, the final stage of research needed before the FDA decides whether to approve MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a prescription treatment for PTSD. • • • • When local psychiatrist Will Van Derveer was in medical school in the ’90s, he was taught MDMA was a party drug that had no medical use. However, he was curious enough to join the clinical trial as its study physician; only a medical doctor can dispense the Schedule I drug during treatment sessions. He quickly realized that he could gain greater insight into the drug’s potential if he stuck around after it kicked in. “Administering doses of MDMA to participants is an important but rather dull role, compared with being a psychotherapist in the room with people rapidly resolving long-term traumatic memories,” Van Derveer says. “I did not want to miss out on the opportunity to learn all aspects of this unique method of healing PTSD.” Traditional treatment of PTSD usually involves both pharmacological and psychological intervention, most often in tandem and most often over a long period of time. However, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy doesn’t operate on a “slow and steady” model but rather uses the administration of MDMA as a pharmacological adjunct to catalyze the psychotherapy during an eight-hour experimental session. “MDMA creates conditions that are really conducive to treating PTSD,” Ot’alara says. “It lowers the activation in the left amygdala, the brain’s center of fear, so even if someone does feel fear, they also feel ‘OK, I’m afraid, but I can manage it, I can do it.’” MDMA was patented in 1914 by the German chemical and pharmaceutical company Merck as an intermediate compound in the synthesis of other drugs. Literature shows that a number of psychiatrists and therapists in the U.S. and Europe have used MDMA as an adjunct to psychotherapy since the 1940s. According to an article in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, the drug was reported to “decrease feelings of fear while maintaining a clear-headed alert state of consciousness.” This “state of mind” was optimal for both patients and providers as they tried to sift through difficult subject matter.

Boulder Weekly

Wiki me dia

Not unlike other psychedelic drugs that moved too quickly from laboratories into the hands of people seeking their own mind-altering experiences, MDMA showed up on the streets, cut with a filler like sugar, caffeine and amphetamines, going by the names Ecstasy or Molly. In 1985, MDMA was classified in the U.S. as a Schedule I controlled substance and since then has — literally — been sitting on the shelf, shrouded in skepticism. The MDMA used in the Boulder study may have sat around gathering dust, too, were it not for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit research and educational organization. In 1986, MAPS purchased the MDMA from a lab at Purdue University and since then has been undertaking a roughly $25 million plan to make the drug into an FDA-approved prescription medicine by 2021. MAPS is currently the only organization in the world s on funding clinical trials m of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, and given the frequency of the debilitating condition and the failure of approved methods to treat it, a thorough investigation of its safety and efficacy could result in a more effective and secure treatment option. • • • • For most people, the patter of footsteps outside their apartment door wouldn’t raise an eyebrow — at most, maybe a lazy curiosity: neighbor, pizza delivery guy, visiting lover? For Allison Heistand-Phelps, they sounded an alarm. “I’d be hiding in the bathroom for an hour because I wasn’t sure if they’re gonna break in and harm me in some way — even though in my heart I knew they probably weren’t — it was always the ‘what if?’” she says. For most of her adult life — for all of it until very recently, in fact — Heistand-Phelps suffered from PTSD. It manifested in myriad ways — the hypervigilance associated with hearing someone outside her door being one, debilitating depression, body flashbacks and moodiness among others — that all conspired to derail her life before it had even begun. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, used in the United States as the universal authority for psychiatric diagnoses, characterizes PTSD by a combination of three types of symptoms: hyperarousal symptoms such as hypervigilance, anxiety and sleep disturbance; intrusive re-experiencing of traumatic experiences, such as intrusive memories, nightmares or flashbacks; and avoidance symptoms, including emotional numbing and withdrawal. Trauma itself is the origin of PTSD, but the brain is actually to blame for its insidious grasp on people’s lives. The exaggerated and uncontrolled fear response that characterizes PTSD originates in the amygdala. Boulder Weekly

Once activated, the amygdala stimulates autonomic activity including increased heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar — the processes responsible for the “fight or flight” response. Fighting or fleeing are good options when faced with real danger, but the body and mind can’t sustain the heightened level of physiologic stress for long periods of time. Many treatments for PTSD are frequently ineffective because they circumvent this system, which is mostly unconscious, says Van Derveer. “Most psychotherapies and approved medications such as cognitive therapy and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) medication mostly target cortical brain areas that are not where PTSD lives.” When I met Heistand-Phelps, she explained that living in the clutches of trauma isn’t really living at all. “I didn’t know how much longer I could hang on,” she says. “It’s really hell on earth. It’s reliving some of the worst things that could happen to a human while trying to live at the same time.” HeistandPhelps went to therapy, tried a dozen medications, breathing exercises, “any and every” lifestyle modification, but found she could only manage her symptoms so much. An artist since childhood, the imagery of imprisonment was tattooed on all of her work. It wasn’t until a nurse practitioner suggested the MDMA study and Heistand-Phelps began to read about the treatment’s success that she felt a modicum of hope. • • • • Heistand-Phelps laughs when she recalls showing up at Ot’alora’s downtown office for her first experimental session with the study. “I had never taken any drugs, I hadn’t even smoked a joint!” she says. “I had no idea what was about to happen to me, but I also felt like I could trust them because they seemed really caring, and all the interactions I’d had with the study people were very kind and warm.” Although she couldn’t imagine what would happen once she took MDMA, the architecture of the study ensured that Heistand-Phelps wasn’t walking into the complete unknown. As with any trial, there was a rigorous screening process for participation and, more importantly, volunteers had three 90-minute preparatory sessions with a male/female therapist team before their first experimental session with MDMA. Interested candidates were first screened via a scripted telephone interview to identify any exclusionary medical or psychiatric conditions (i.e., Borderline Personality Disorder). If they passed, they then moved to an outpatient setting for a comprehensive evalua-

tion by an independent rater and a physician. Whereas volunteers hoped for unremarkable electrocardiograms and serum blood tests within normal limits, they did need one qualifier to be off the charts to be accepted into the study. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) was used as the primary outcome measure in the study. To qualify for the study, volunteers needed a baseline CAPS score greater than 50 (signifying moderate to severe symptoms) following at least 3 months of prior SSRI treatment in addition to at least six months of psychotherapy. Heistand-Phelps’ pre-study CAPS score was 117, one of the highest of any study participant (the scale goes from 1-136). Right before her first experimental session, Heistand-Phelps says, her “defeatist attitude” kicked in. “I remember thinking ‘I probably got the placebo, I don’t deserve the real thing’ ... and then I started to feel the medicine kicking in. ‘This is way different than anything I’ve ever felt.’” She had received the “active” dose of MDMA (either 100 or 125 milligrams) versus the active placebo of 40 milligram. Although her dose wasn’t confirmed until both volunteers and therapists were unblinded after the second experimental dose, it seemed unlikely that a placebo could have enveloped Heistand-Phelps in what she describes as “the first true feeling I’d ever had of safety, love and being at peace with myself.” “It felt like a hug but without the threat of someone harming you,” she says. “Loving, euphoric happiness in a deep way. The first session really got me to feel comfortable in myself and in my body, to feel a sense of safety I’d never felt before.” MDMA stimulates the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine, the catalysts for Heistand-Phelps’ sense of security. The MDMA, says Van Derveer, “helps people relax and more efficiently work through their traumatic memories in the psychotherapy with far less fear.” During the experimental session, each participant’s therapist team stays with him/her for eight to 10 hours. Although they work as nurses, social workers and psychiatrists in the outside world, their role in the study is to monitor and respond to the participant’s experience during the session. If someone requests physical touch, like a hug or for their hand to be held, the therapists accommodate. If someone wants to put on headphones and listen to music, that’s encouraged as well. If a participant is spending too much time “inside,” the therapists might nudge them to share a thought. They also monitor each participant’s blood pressure and temperature every 30 minutes for the first four hours and every hour for the last four. When the session is over, the therapists leave, and participants spend the night with a volunteer night attendant. The next morning, the therapists return for a 90 minute integrative session, dissecting the process of “what happened,” says Ot’alora. As written in the study protocol, the experimental dose is administered three times over a three-month period. Between doses, participants have weekly integrative sessions and daily phone calls. Although every See MDMA Page 14

March 23, 2017 13

MDMA from Page 13

participant noticed marked change after each session, Ot’alora says that no one asked for more MDMA after their participation in the study was complete. “Participants have felt it’s this that worked — the team, the sessions, the setting,” says Ot’alora. “We’ve had amazing results after one year. People have gotten so much better. They continue to work, to grow, to live their lives so differently. What happens is that MDMA wears off but the feelings and connections don’t. You remember what it felt like to be peaceful, and that you can feel it again. You find a way to bring it back.” For both those who suffer from the debilitating effects of PTSD, the dearth of effective treatment options isn’t just frustrating, it’s dangerous. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, up to 22 veterans commit suicide daily, many of whom are currently receiving treatment for PTSD. Kevin Dryden, a local family medicine physician, feels the frustration from a provider’s perspective. “The medications I can prescribe are variably helpful, but sometimes they don’t help at all,” he says. “PTSD isn’t depression, it isn’t anxiety, it isn’t a

mood disorder, which is what those medications are for. It’s a different animal.” Dryden is cautiously optimistic that MDMA could address some of the gaps left by traditional PTSD treatment, but he also wants to ensure that its safety is well-documented before it becomes an approved medicine. “As with any medication, there can be negative side effects,” he says. “I wonder about the things you worry about with other amphetamines, like heart issues, as well as Serotonin Syndrome because it releases serotonin.” Thus far, there have been no emergencies or adverse events during any of the experimental sessions in any of the Phase 2 studies. Rather, the evidence is mounting that the MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is both safe and effective, with several advantages over currently approved PTSD treatments. First, says Van Derveer, its success rate, in the small trials so far completed, is about three times better. Second, it has fewer side effects: only 7 percent of people drop out of the treatment compared to 30 to 40 percent in studies of medications for PTSD. Finally, people take MDMA three times, versus having to take a cur-

rently approved medication with more side effects often for several years. “If the Phase 2 results are replicated in Phase 3,” he says, “then we might soon have a tool for PTSD that is vastly superior to currently approved treatments.” When the study team met with the FDA in November, they were armed with even more data to warrant further investigation into the treatment. “After a year, we’ve had an average of 40-point drops in CAPS scores, which is a significant drop,” says Ot’alora. “Right now, out of 26 people, 20 of them no longer meet criteria for PTSD, three of them still meet criteria but had at least a 30-point drop, and the other three stayed around the same. We didn’t have anybody that got worse.” In April, the study team anticipates formal approval from the FDA to proceed with Phase 3 trials. Starting early this summer, 10-12 sites across the country (Boulder included) will host six therapists to conduct MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with 20 participants per site. Ot’alora hopes that Phase 3 will be complete in two years, which inches the treatment option promisingly close to its anticipated approval date of 2021. • • • •

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When I met Heistand-Phelps a year after she completed the MDMAassisted psychotherapy study, there was little evidence of the person that walked into Ot’alora’s office on the verge of giving up. When I shook her hand, it was warm. For years, her hands were always cold, a symptom her psychiatrist likened to her body’s response of shunting blood from the extremities because her brain was proclaiming threat. As we spoke, she smiled often and apologized for talking too much. In school, she tells me, she was painfully shy, teachers commenting on her report cards that they worried she wasn’t getting the material. And when she showed me her artwork from before and after the treatment, the stark black, white and linear forms of her earlier pieces blossomed into a tumble of color and femininity that characterizes her work today. She corrected me, though, when I wondered if she was unrecognizable to herself. “It’s not like you’re a new person,” she says, “it’s just that now you’re able to shine through. It’s like having glasses for the first time after you’ve been blind your whole life.”

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Boulder Weekly

NEWS Terezka Venn

arah is a 5-year-old girl who has been living in a Syrian refugee camp with her widowed mother and eight siblings since early 2016, when a bomb destroyed her home, killing her father. Arin was still in the womb when her mother, Huda, and 2-year-old sister, Hiba, fled their home in Shingal, Iraq, following an ISIS attack. Arin’s father, who stayed behind to defend their city, hasn’t been heard from since. Arin, now 2, lives with her mother and sister in a camp near the border of Iraq and Syria. Mahmoud, 10, works 60 hours a week at a tile factory with his father. In 2013, Mahmoud, his parents and his six siblings fled Syria and, after relocating several times, now live in Turkey. Though they have applied for asylum, they have yet to receive aid. What with the crises in Syria and elsewhere, and the U.S. travel ban, there’s lots of talk about refugees these days. But some people are doing more than talking. Farah, Arin, Mahmoud and hundreds of other refugees are featured on the Humanwire website (Humanwire.org), a nonprofit headquartered in Boulder with offices in Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece and Jordan, that connects displaced people with sponsors “one to one.” There are currently 66 million displaced people in the world, 65 million of which will probably never find asylum, according to Andrew Baron, CEO and co-founder of Humanwire. The power of Humanwire, said Baron, is that “you don’t have to bring somebody to America or another country, you can help them right where they are with resources and connections.” On March 8, International Women’s Day, some of these resources were Boulder-area web and software developers, who gathered together for Refugee Hack Night to create programs for Humanwire and other

also leaders in tech ... [who] basically plot to take over the world over wine.” Miller and Catlin wanted to host a Hack Night, where techies come together to work on projects, but for a cause. So they teamed up with Katie O’Block, Events Manager for Galvanize — which provides technology education, as well as desk, office and startup incubation space — and enlisted the help of promotional partners to get the word out, including: Moms Who Code, Women in Machine Learning and Data Science, Women Who Code, Flatirons LGBTQ Tech Meetup, and Women Rising. What was unusual about Refugee Hack Night was the fact that 75 percent of the participants were women, an exact reversal of the current ratio of women in the tech industry, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology. From a high of 36 percent in 1991, the percentage of women in tech is down to 25 percent, and falling. Further, Catlin pointed to statistics showing that 56 percent of women leave the industry 10 to 20 years into their careers. Even less represented in the field are Asian women (5 percent), African-American women (3 percent) and Latina women (1 percent). Various factors are to blame for this “cycle of underrepresentation,” said Catlin, ranging from women reluctant to be the first and only woman at the office, to feeling uncomfortable in businesses that have “built cultures and practices and team behaviors around men.” If Refugee Hack Night is any indication of the power of women in tech, then the decline in numbers is not only a huge loss for the industry, but for the world at large. Luckily, folks such as Catlin, Miller, O’Block and the Refugee Hack Night volunteers are bucking the trend.

On International Women’s Day, local web developers link refugees to donors by Josh Schlossberg

Boulder Weekly

NGOs addressing the mounting refugee crisis. The main room of Galvanize’s Boulder campus was abuzz with conversation as nearly 70 volunteer developers — three-quarters of them women — split off into one of five groups, after polishing off a quick meal of tacos and cupcakes. Over the next few hours, one group worked on designing a refugee news feed for NGOs; a second created a form for refugees to determine which countries were their best bets for asylum; a third team investigated the cheapest way to send money overseas; a fourth helped improve the donor checkout experience on the Humanwire website; and the last group tackled some challenges with collecting data on refugees, as outlined by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Refugee Hack Night was the idea of three local “power women,” said Cara Jo Miller, co-leader for the Boulder Chapter of Girl Develop It, a nonprofit offering women educational programs in web and software development. Miller had met up with Kate Catlin, CEO of Flock — a career accelerator for women in technology — during their monthly craft night, or as Miller described it, “a bunch of ladies who do crafts, and are

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This free workshop is taught by Melanie Nehls Burow, a Master Composter in Colorado. 20 March 23, 2017

Boulder Weekly

boulderganic All photos courtesy of Andrew Michler

An active stand for the environment Colorado’s most efficient house by Emma Murray

bout an hour’s drive north from Boulder’s city Top: Colorado’s center, a small first certified “passive house” outside cabin-like strucFort Collins is largely ture sits nestled tightly heated by the sun, even in the dead of between three healthy winter. Bottom: The Ponderosa pines. Its south passive house layout is relatively open. Most face, with seven giant tripleof the rooms are conpane windows, overlooks nected and can be used for a number of Rocky Mountain National activities. Park and lets in rays of wintery sunshine. Andrew Michler, the building’s mastermind, architect and builder, calls this 12,000-square-foot space home. With unmistakable pride, he also claims it’s Colorado’s most energy-efficient house. The building is in fact Colorado’s first internationally certified “passive house,” or, according to Michler, a house built according to a “globally-recognized building design technique that promises huge cuts in energy use.” By using super tight insulation and thick south-facing windows — trademarks of the passive house — Michler’s home relies almost entirely on its natural surroundings for its electricity, heat, cooling and water. He doesn’t pay a gas bill; the sun does the work See PASSIVE HOUSE Page 22

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All photos courtesy of Andrew Michler

PASSIVE HOUSE from Page 21

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instead of oil. A 1,500-gallon rainwater catchment tank supplies all non-potable water. All of the elecAll materials used to tricity flowing through the sockets also comes from build the passive house the sun. When it’s too hot inside, Michler simply are natural and recyclable. Construction of opens the windows or blows air through a series of the air-tight house took tubes that he installed underground, so as to let the about three years. earth cool down the air before diverting the streams inside. Altogether, Michler’s house consumes about 90 percent less energy than his neighbors. “The passive house works surprisingly well in Colorado,” Michler says, due in part to the state’s 300-plus days of sunshine. However, it’s not just the sun that makes the off-the-grid house almost completely self-sustaining; its calculated structure and layout also play vital roles in its efficiency and success. The wool-insulated walls — made of natural, durable, recyclable materials — are completely airtight, which allows Michler to precisely and reliably control the indoor air quality and temperature. The triple-pane windows are designed to maximize solar gain and minimize energy loss, so the sun can effectively heat the house, even in the dead of winter. This unseasonably warm snow season, Michler only employed an external heating unit once, when the internal temperature dropped below 62 degree Fahrenheit. (Outdoors it was minus 10). Inside, Michler’s wife and two adopted stray cats, Serendipity and George, amble around the lightly colored wood living room. Inspired by Japanese tiny home architecture, Michler designed the whole house to be multi-functional, with movable, multi-use furniture, like the staircase with removable wooden storage boxes that can be used as tables or stools when guests are over. “Most of the rooms flow together and can change use over time,” Michler says. “Depending on how many people there are, either two or 10 people, we can make everyone’s stay really comfortable.” The passive house concept was born in the early ’70s by a group of experimental engineers at the University of Illinois. The 1973 OPEC Oil Embargo banning foreign petroleum exports to the U.S. (repealed by the Obama administration in 2016) had sent fuel prices skyrocketing and thrown household budgets in panic. Running the furnace harder and longer to heat drafty, cold houses was no longer a viable option. Thus, it fell upon structural changes in home building to combat the poor insulation and leaky windows and doors that made regulating warm indoor air nearly impossible. The engineers at the University of Illinois pioneered a highly insulated building model they called the “Lo-Cal house” in 1976. The model, compared to the most-efficient design promoted by the Department of Energy at the time, projected saving 60 percent of energy consumption. A Canadian group of engineers caught on and rolled out an even more efficient “superinsulation house.” When solar energy entered the scene around the same time, William Shurcliff, a Nobelprize winning physicist at Harvard, coined the term “passive house” to reflect the increasingly multifaceted nature of these high-performance buildings. By the end of the ’80s, Shurcliff, who was as much concerned with helping household budgets as he was saving the planet from environmental disaster, summarized in the 1986 Energy Review what he considered the Boulder Weekly

boulderganic CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER, CHANGE LIVES path of future building construction. Passive houses should include five main principles, he wrote: thick insulation, airtight construction, prevention of moisture accumulation, steady fresh air supply and optimum window usage. When U.S. conservation initiatives waned in the ’90s, Wolfgang Feist, a German physicist, built upon Shurcliff ’s work, further refining the modeling and product design while sticking to Shurcliff ’s original five-pointed framework. These points became the cornerstones of the modern passive house. In 2015, space heating was the leading cause of energy use in residential homes, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Initiatives like Michler’s passive house and like-minded projects are pioneering the possibility of major energy reductions in everyday homes. The airtight seal around the house, while necessary for regulating temperature, also creates a prime environment for mold and condensation, hence Shurcliff ’s concerns about moisture control and air supply. To avoid these issues, Michler installed an air-exchange system that uses two fans to circulate air around the house. Essentially, one fan blows out stale, used air and another fan sucks in fresh air from outdoors. Both streams pass over a mechanism called a heat exchanger located under the house, which ensures the heat Cooking can provide from the indoor air can effectively transfer to the some hazards due to new air with no energy lost. the airtight structure, so ventilation is important However, activities like cooking in the airtight and aided by a fanspace can be problematic, according to Michler. based air exchange system. For appliances that need high-density energy, like a stove and his back-up space heater, he uses a small amount of propane gas that he purchases when necessary. But food and gas particles can be released into the air and potentially linger. He teamed up with University of Colorado Boulder’s Indoor Air Quality and Health research lab to ensure he was creating a healthy, livable space. Ryan Militello-Hourigan, a graduate student at CU Boulder working on the research team, visited the house last fall and conducted several experiments to test its air quality. “We found that overall the house has very good air,” Militello-Hourigan says. “[Michler] was conscious of potential problems when he was building, and so he used healthy materials. The thing we did notice was that the overall air exchange rate was fairly low compared to conventional houses.” Michler isn’t a formally-trained architect. Everything he knows is self-taught, accumulated over years of writing about and working in sustainable construction. In 2012, he finally decided he’d try and create for himself what he’d been eyeing in magazines and theory books for years. Only seven months after initially sitting down to plan his house, Michler broke ground. “Our team was young, not age-wise but experience-wise,” Michler says. “There is tremendous pressure [when building a passive house]. You have to get everything just right. One or two things wrong can compromise the entire system.” Michler spent most of the past three years building and refining his home, staying involved in every step of the process. He predicts his home cost about 10-15 percent more than a conventional home, but was somewhat offset because he already owned the land, and the house created a much smaller footprint. Last year his house received its certification from the German Passivhaus Institute. Building upon his acquired knowledge and riding the stoke of his success, Michler founded Passive House Rocky Mountain, an organization that now trains and supports architects, builders or anyone interested in constructing and certifying their own passive house along the Front Range. He envisions the possibility of schools, community buildings and many more homes transitioning to passive design, creating healthier spaces for future generations. “I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can push the envelope, especially in trying to make [buildings] more affordable and beautiful,” Michler says. “Shelter is as much about comfort as it is [about] energy performance.” Boulder Weekly

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ADVENTURE

Tom Winter

Four spring ski and snowboard festivals you shouldn’t miss (and two others you should probably check out)

t’s spring. The sun is out, the snow is soft derful midday turns. In the afternoon, head to the front and the decks... well, the decks are warm side, where long, fast groomers allow for fun highand the beer is cold. Spring is often the speed runs on open, rolling terrain. forgotten season in Colorado’s high counBut as good as this skiing and riding is — and it’s try. Sure, it’s easy to be sucked into the flip- very good — the highlight of spring in Vail is when flop and tank top vibe on the Front Range when things you can combine a sunny day on the slopes with awewarm up. After all, it’s been a long, cold winter and it some music and fun parties. Spring Back to Vail delivsure feels good to walk the Pearl Street Mall in shorts ers the goods with the World Pond Skimming and a T. Championships (April 16) as well as But as great as spring in Boulder Photo courtesy of Monarch Ski Area fantastic free shows, including a nothas been (and let’s admit it, the first to-be-missed gig on April 15 by the few days of what is officially called 321Go! Project. “spring” have been fantastic), it’s Founded in 2011 during the worth remembering that there’s still Sundance Film Festival where great snow and awesome activities Stefan Lessard from Dave Matthews going on in the mountains to the Band and Mike McCready from west of us. From concerts to contests Pearl Jam were working together on to, well, just making some turns in the soundtrack for the film Horrible the sun, spring might just be the Bosses, 321GO! features Lessard and best part of the ski season. And McCready rocking with Brett that’s true even if you don’t ski. Here Scallions (lead singer from Fuel) and heavy-hitting drummer Kenneth Schalk. With Mike are the five events that you don’t want to miss this McCready and Pearl Jam scheduled to be inducted into spring. the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 7, this free Spring Back To Vail — April 14-16 show is one you won’t want to miss! Info: www.vail. com/events/springback.aspx Vail can be a place that plenty of people love to Aspen Schneetag — April 9 hate, but the reality is that this sprawling, majestic mountain has what it takes to be a top spring spot. First, there are the Back Bowls. South facing, they Aspen. It’s easy to forget that this famous — or infacatch the sun and soften up quickly, making for wonmous — playground of the rich and famous has some 24 March 23, 2017

primo skiing. Each resort has a distincAbove: Loveland gets blasted by storms tive vibe and feel; in the spring, which from Aspen to begs the question, “cornhole or faceButtermilk, from shot?” Aspen Highlands to Below: Monarch’s Snowmass, it’s end-of-the-season impossible not to find party combines skiing, community and something interesting tailgating for an auto ride here. thentic experience. Aspen Mountain, of course, sits at pole position rising above historic Victorians and happening restaurants. It’s hard not to just jump on the Gondola and stay here, but make some time to check out one of the other ski hills in this spectacular part of Colorado. Buttermilk has super-fun groomers, is never crowded and there is an awesome pipe, while Highlands and surprising Snowmass offer hike-to freeriding terrain that’s worldclass. Those four options for skiing and riding anchor Schneetag (pronounced Sch-knee Tog), the German word for “snow day.” In the Aspen translation of this venerable tradition, “daredevils ... propel themselves down a hill, over a jump and across a pond on a craft they built themselves.” In this participatory event, teams of four pilot a self-built craft down a slope and attempt to across a 20-by-40-foot pond. It’s an awe-inspiring spectacle, but more rewarding as a participant. But no matter if you Schneetag yourself or which Boulder Weekly

Tom Winter

mountain you end up choosing to ride, a weekend at Aspen is a great way to wrap up the winter: Info: www. aspensnowmass. com/while-you-arehere/events/schneetag

Zach Mahone/Vail Resorts

Breckenridge Spring Beer Festival — April 8

dle the Divide. It’s going to be on one of those ridges on April 1 when the mountain will be hosting the world’s highest cornhole competition at an elevation of 12,700 feet. This two-person team event is open to everyone, and while the altitude may impact the travel of the cornfilled beanbags that give this “sport” its name, you’ll have to admit that being part of what will become a Guinness World Record attempt while also sampling some of the Love’s sweet terrain is probably one of the more memorable ways to spend a Saturday. Info and to register a team: skiloveland.com/events/high-hole/

Breck, that big sprawling behemoth that sits on the edge of Summit County. It can be cold. It can be windy. But it Above: One-piece suits can also be as balmy are a classic spring as a day on a beach look, although we’d bet this guy rocks his year in Hawaii. The round. weather here makes Below: Pond skimming, the moods on the parties and free concerts mountain. Crisp, make Vail’s Spring Back event one of the best in clear days call for the state. bombing speedy Now, two more to consider: groomers with buddies. The wind fills in the gullies and creEldora Retro Days — April 1-2 ates windlips for launching. During the spring, there’s nothing quite like a picnic at the bottom of Horseshoe Bowl. Eldora markets itself as a way to But we’re not here to tell you about avoid Interstate-70 traffic, which is the joys of chilling in the sun at one of true, but a bit of a disservice to the the country’s biggest ski areas. Because fun terrain here. You can’t see the no matter if it’s a powder day or if it Corona sector of the mountain from starts off with fast groomers, you’re the parking lot, but there you can find going to want to take an early après ski a nice mix of long groomers, fun trees on April 8 to check out Breck’s Spring and the bumps of West Ridge. The Beer Festival. first weekend in April sees the mounWith more than 50 breweries settain host a throwback theme party, ting up shop in the historic mining showcasing retro ski style (wear your town of Breckenridge to showcase their onesie) with concerts, a banked slabest barrels, the tastings start at noon. lom event for the boarders and more But show up fashionably late (the event make this local ski area a fun option runs until 5 p.m.) and renew your tasteto get your spring riding fix. Info: www.facebook.com/ buds’ relationship with some of your old favorites while also discovering some events/635037413359483/ new ones. Info: spring.breckenridgebeerMonarch Mountain 10th festival.com/

Loveland Ski Area High-Hole — April 1 As it gets warmer and we slip into April, it’s hard to really grasp the fact that Loveland Ski Area stays open until May 7. But you’re not going to have to wait that long for an excuse to head up to this authentic and fun mountain on the Continental Divide. Loveland comes into form in the spring, when the steeps off of Chair 1 are nicely complimented by a sweet combination of open bowl skiing, rolling tree runs and the chance to hike out on some of the high ridges that stradBoulder Weekly

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FROM THE DIVIDE TO YOUR DOOR!

Annual Parking Lot Cook-Off & Tailgate Party — April 16

Monarch is a bit off the beaten path. The mountain features a great mix of terrain, from steep tree skiing to fun bumps and mellow groomers. It’s an amazingly friendly place, which means that visitors are welcomed with warmth. One of the best ways to connect with the locals is on April 16, when the ski area hosts its annual cook-off and tailgate party. Make some turns, fire up your own grill and soak up one of Colorado’s most authentic spring ski parties. Info: www.skimonarch.com/calendar/

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t. Vrain Cidery, coming to Longmont this summer, is a craft hard-cider maker made up of three friends who are looking to create a destination for Colorado Cider within the Longmont community. Offering 24 taps of delicious varieties from all over Colorado, St. Vrain Cidery will carry five of its own ciders plus taps of Stem Ciders, Colorado Cider Co., C Squared, Talbot’s, Big B’s, Wild Cider, Scrumpy’s, The Old Mine, and many many more. Having already won two awards before opening; St. Vrain Cidery was honored at the Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition - the biggest, oldest, and most wellknown cider contest in North America with a bronze medal for its Mosaic Hopped Cider and a silver medal for its Barrel-Aged Dry Cider. Opening later this summer at 350 Terry St – the

From left to right: Dan Daugherty, Leanne Riker (friend of SVC), Cindy Landi and Dean Landi

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rossen Bart Brewery was established in July of 2012 by Shad Chancey and Taylor Wise. Shad had just moved to Colorado from Austin, Texas when he met Taylor at a Young Business Professionals MeetUp in Gunbarrel, Colorado. The two exchanged business cards and quickly became great friends. Both also shared a passion for craft beer, and after A LOT of “market research,” they decided to start their own brewery in an effort to ditch corporate America. In the summer of 2014 they set out to find a professional commercial brewer. After many interviews, they came across Walter Bourque. As a commercial brewer of 5

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elping people, studying the perfection in nature, problem solving and the expression of my creativity are all part of what I value in being a dentist. I graduated from New York University College of Dentistry in 1981. As an undergraduate, my interests ranged from engineering and philosophy, to botany and biology. As a graduate student, I researched neurophysiology. I find it intriguing that all of these fields show up in the dental office nearly every day. In 1983, I became a mercury-free dentist and

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stablished in 2009, Sun Rose Cafe was created with the goal of providing fresh all natural and organic cuisine using locally sourced ingredients as available. Situated in historic downtown Longmont, Sun Rose Cafe is a very inviting space, with its high open ceilings and spacious walls filled with an every changing gallery of works from local artists. The menu features an assortment of Panini, Deli-Sandwiches, Salads and Soups, with several pasta choices coming to

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Twin Peaks Liquor

win Peaks Liquor has been located in Longmont, Colorado for over 20 years. In fact, we are celebrating our 21st Birthday on August 1, 2015 with a HUGE Birthday Bash at the Boulder County Fairgrounds from 10.3012.30 pm after the parade. We are proud sponsors of the Boulder Craft Spirits Festival going on from 1-5pm on Saturday August 1, at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. The Craft Spirit Festival will feature over 20 Colorado Distillers and the Fine Craft Spirits they produce. An EXPO featuring “grain to glass”.

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Boulder Weekly

BUZ Z

Photos by Susan France/Art by Anna Olsson

“Behind every door, anxiety is growing. One discussion at a time, day by day, and week by week.”

W e a v in g s t o r i e s Dairy art show ‘Meetings in Isolation’ explores solitary confinement

by Billy Singleton

ot many textile artists have to go ON THE BILL: Meetings in Isolation. The through security Dairy Arts Center, 2590 checkpoints every Walnut St., Boulder, 303morning. 440-7826. Through April 30. Anna Olsson did. For five years, the psychologist-by-day and artist-by-night worked in a windowless, high-security, Swedish detention facility. Her patients were suspected criminals awaiting their trials in solitary confinement. She would serve as the patients’ primary human contact see ISOLATION Page 30 “Do I truly make a difference, or do I just leave a mountain of tissues behind?”

Boulder Weekly

March 23, 2017 29

Photos by Susan France/Art by Anna Olsson

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ISOLATION from Page 29

during their time in isolation, which sometimes lasted for more than a year. Their meetings were powerful, especially for a self-described “ordinary person” — “Tears and Blood” more of an artist than a psychologist. “I live a rather boring life,” Olsson says. “Maybe out on the street I would have been afraid of them. But at work they really showed me all of their pain and all they were afraid of. ... They were very lonely, and in a way, very small.” Swedish law requires those suspected of crimes carrying a sentence of one year or more to be placed in custody while awaiting their trial. The suspects are isolated and cut off from the outside world to prevent flight and tampering with evidence. After a string of suicides in 2009, the use of solitary confinement came into question. The government responded by bringing in psychologists to work with its detainees. It was Olsson’s job to clean up the psychological mess the outdated practice had created. “In Denmark and Norway they used the practice, but they stopped 20 or 30 years ago because of mental illness,” she says. “I’m a psychologist — I know it’s dangerous to a person to be isolated.” But life in the prison wasn’t just hard on the detainees. The oppressive atmosphere and emotionally demanding nature of her work weighed heavily on Olsson. “I was very, very tired for those five years,” she says. “When I was at work I couldn’t see if it was daylight outside. It was a cold and inhuman place to work.” For the previous 15 years, working through her problems on the loom had been Olsson’s own therapy. But despite growing feelings of stress and hopelessness, she was reluctant to turn her experiences into art, citing concerns about professionalism and patient confidentiality. Much of a psychologist’s work is empathizing, and putting herself in the shoes of isolated prisoners fulltime wasn’t easy. Olsson lived for years with the prisoners’ traumatic memories, feeling personally responsible for their well-being. For access to the prison, Olsson had to push a button and speak with someone who controlled the locked doors remotely. Though she was always let through, the restrictions on her freedom of movement left her feeling powerless. Years of constant video surveillance made her paranoid. Olsson internalized these feelings, and they followed her into life at home. “Every step I take, maybe there’s somebody watching me, maybe not,” she says. “Even if you don’t think about it, in another way you think about it all the time.” After two years, Olsson was beginning to feel like a prisoner too. So she turned to her art. “I came to a point that it was not possible not to make art about it. All my body and every part of me was concerned with these questions,” she says. “I used to say to my patients, ‘We are different. Some people go on a walk. Some people scream. Some people talk to handle difficult things.’ Words are a way to handle them, but I’m not sure that works for me. I make Boulder Weekly

buzz tapestries,” she continues. In what would become the series Meetings in Isolation — on display at The Dairy Arts Center through April 30 — Olsson began to weave images of the prison and its solitary inmates. A natural fit for her already minimal style, the tapestries reproduced the cold isolation and repetition of the environment in large swaths of plain, solid color. “[With] a painting, I think I’d have to do a lot more with the pictures,” Olsson says. “There’s something about the surface. It makes me brave. ... So I can leave a big space in only one color. It’s something just that’s woven.” It’s a somewhat uncommon style for tapestries, which are more often densely patterned. But it lent itself to simple repetition that was therapeutic for Olsson, and it proved to be an emotionally resonant medium in which to convey the prisoners’ stories. One tapestry, entitled “Behind every door anxiety is growing,” reflects the challenge Olsson faced in trying to alleviate the suffering of so many prisoners. It depicts a gray prison hallway lined with cell doors, extending into the distance. Green pools seep from under each door, representing the mounting turmoil of the detainees. Olsson writes in her artist statement: “Behind every door in the long prison corridor sits a person. A person sitting entirely alone and almost always with a head full of horrible thoughts. ... Whatever I do, I can’t meet everyone who needs support or has asked for my help.” Weaving let Olsson cope with her work. But she saw another opportunity in it: After feeling powerless in the prison for so long, this was her chance to fix things. She now hopes to share her unique emotional understanding of the patients with the public, whom she says too often stereotype suspected criminals and prisoners. “They always looked rather dangerous. They trained a lot and had a lot of tattoos. But when I came in and asked them questions they started to cry,” Olsson says. Humanizing these men came naturally to Olsson after spending years helping them through the hardest time of their lives. Their pain comes through clearly in their blank woven faces. The missing details evoke the imagination — the viewer is forced to look past the men’s tough exteriors and to see a mirror of themselves. Although the scenes are cold and somewhat sterile, there’s a warmth that comes through in the texture. Olsson wants us to look closely for the human Boulder Weekly

Photos by Susan France/Art by Anna Olsson

side of her images, just as she hopes we would look closely and see the human impact of social issues in working to fix them. “It’s easy to look at a person when you read in a newspaper that this person has done this crime, and to judge that person very hard,” she says. “But there’s also a story there. It’s important to think about the story.”

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Boulder Weekly

overtones The Colorado connection

Manic Focus finds a second home of sorts in the Centennial State by Melanie Gordon

hicago-based electro-soul went into a studio in Chicago to record change that the world needs,” he says. producer Manic Focus is no my friends, directing them to help “Everyone making music is going to stranger to the Colorado shape the parts,” he says. “I feel like interpret that in a different way, but the music scene. The man this naturally lead to a new approach creation overall is essential. Music and behind the moniker, John when writing and finalizing the songs, all other arts are tools of expression “JmaC” McCarten, has performed up with a good balance of both the electhat the powers at large haven’t been and down the Front Range for years, tronic and organic sides of my music.” able to take away. When used the right headlining many of his own shows and While the album will no doubt find way, these tools can unite people and collaborating with some of Colorado’s its way into heavy rotation among loyal initiate real change.” electro maestros such as GRiZ, Manic Focus fans, there’s no question McCarten says collaborating with SunSquabi and Late Night Radio. On that its blend of hip hop, funk and GriZ, Dominic Lalli and Michael Friday, April 14, Manic Focus will bring electronic soul will entice new listeners Menert on his first album was “awehis own brand of glitched-out funky as well. some and surreal,” as these are some of soul to Boulder Theater for Daniel De Los Monteros/DLM Photo the artists that influenced the second leg of his Minds him as he was dipping his Rising album release tour. toe in the water of the It’s been two years electro scene. Minds Rising since All Good Records gave McCarten the chance (then Liberated Music) to work with yet another a released Manic Focus’ last clutch leaders in the new album, Cerebral Eclipse, funk and hip hop movewhich features big-name ments: New Orleans fourColorado producers like piece Russ Liquid; rapper Michael Menert (known and fellow Chicagoan for his work with Pretty ProbCause; one-man Lights) and Dominic Lalli glitch-hop hero Cory (saxophonist for Big Wythe, aka Marvel Years; Gigantic). Cerebral Eclipse underground hip hop artwon the hearts of soulful ist Psalm One; and Carlile, funk lovers and groovy to name a few. electronic music heads “Each one brought from Manhattan to Los their own vibe and Angeles, and it has helped sound to the McCarten gather more tracks, and as a ON THE BILL: Manic than 71,000 monthly lisproducer, I fed off Focus. 8 p.m. Friday, April 14, Boulder Theater, 2032 teners on Spotify so far. of that to round 14th St. Boulder, 303-786McCarten has fineout the album,” 7030. tuned his sound while McCarten says. becoming an expert at “Also, it’s always performing in front of an honor to make large crowds such as those and perform music with he encountered at the homies in Break Summer Camp Music Festival in “The electro-soul movement is this Science. Borahm [Lee] and Adam Illinois and Shambhala Music Festival unique realm in music today that really [Deitch] have been in the game forever in British Columbia this past summer. embraces the merging of old and new and are both big inspirations.” During the last 24 months, he has been sounds,” McCarten says. “I feel like Like many other touring artists hard at work perfecting the soul-ignitartists in the scene explore a wide spec- looking to build their name and fan ing tunes on his upcoming album trum of electronic possibilities without base, McCarten has made Colorado a Minds Rising, set to drop on April 21. losing appreciation for the roots of regular stop on his tours. And it’s one With the Boulder Theater performusic. To me, it’s both an evolution he’s looking forward to as he prepares mance acting as one of two official and a celebration of soulful and funky to release Minds Rising. album release shows, fans can expect to music of the past.” “Colorado has such a love for live hear a solid set of new cuts, as well as And while McCarten’s music promusic, in particular live electronic crowd favorites from the first LP. vides a head-bobbing soundtrack for music,” he explains. “Everytime I come But Minds Rising represents an any party or windows-down summer to play in the state, I’m overwhelmed evolution for McCarten as a 100-perdrive, he doesn’t lose sight of the power by the energy and appreciation of the cent sample-free body of work. of music to speak to larger issues. fans. They truly make me feel welcome “Everything was created and “Given everything going on in our just being myself on stage, which recorded specifically for these songs. country and in our world, music of makes for some great shows all For a lot of the material, I actually today should be the positive force of around.” Boulder Weekly

A gathering place for great food, drinks & entertainment Buy Tickets: www.nissis.com Give the Gift of a Great Night Out! Nissi’s Gift Cards available @ nissis.com Upcoming Events & Entertainment Friday March 24th

MY BLUE SKY SPECIAL GUEST

MIKE MASSE “A Tribute to The Allman Brothers”

Saturday March 25th

HOMESLICE BAND “Variety Dance”

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NEIL BRIDGE TRIO AND KAREN LEE “Classic Jazz”

Tuesday March 28th

FACE

Wednesday March 29th

NELSON RANGELL “Contemporary Jazz”

Thursday March 30th

THE HASHTONES Friday March 31st

PARADISE THEATER “A Tribute to Styx”

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THE MOVERS & THE SHAKERS AND KERRY PASTINE & THE CRIME SCENE Sunday April 2nd

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LAFAYETTE, CO 303.665.2757 March 23, 2017 33

arts & culture performers speakers events The Bayard And John Cobb Peace Lecture Presents:

Restorative Justice: A Justice that Heals with Fania Davis, PhD A new paradigm of justice is dawning on the historical stage. A justice that seeks not to punish, but to heal. A justice that is not about getting even, but about getting well. A justice that is a healing ground rather than a battle ground. A radically inclusive justice that elevates historically marginalized voices rather than silencing them. A justice that seeks to transform broken lives, relationships, and communities rather than damage them further.

reative programming, extensive community engagement and thoughtful collaborations have paid off for the Boulder Philharmonic. The big reward comes this week. Their next concert, Saturday, March 25, will be repeated Tuesday, March 28, at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., where they will be recognized as one of four orchestras, and the only regional orchestra, chosen for the inaugural Shift Festival of American Orchestras. “It’s certainly Glenn Ross gratifying to be recognized in this way,” says Music Director Michael Butterman. “I’m really proud to be the only regional orchestra that’s attending this festival.” The program for the two concerts reflects several of the Boulder Phil’s recent initiatives, particularly the theme of “Nature and Music” that has informed several recent seasons and the collaboration with other local arts organizations. The program opens with the premiere of a new work by Stephen Lias, All the Songs that Nature Sings, commissioned as part of the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) “Imagine Your Parks” initiative and specifically celebrating Rocky Mountain National Park. Other works on the program represent what Butterman calls “greatest hits of the last five years.” Jeff Midkin’s Mandolin Concerto “From the Blue Ridge” and Steve Heitzig’s Ghosts of the Grasslands were both introduced to Boulder audiences in the spring of 2014 and were highly successful with audiences. And the final work on the concert will reprise one of the orchestra’s most creative collaborations: their 2013 partnering with Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance for Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. The festival and the commission came together over several years. “About two years ago a call went out through the League of American Orchestras looking for ideas [for] a new festival,”

Boulder Phil’s executive director Kevin tional programs have all helped build Schuck recalls. “What was going to be local audiences. Since 2009, overall tickdifferent about this festival was its focus et sales for the orchestra have risen 67 on innovative programming and compercent and subscription sales 44 permunity engagement. cent. And Saturday’s concert is on track “We thought maybe we had a shot. to be a sellout. So we put in our application.” Lias conceived his new score in an explicitly cinematic way. It will be preAt the same time, the orchestra sented with slides of Rocky Mountain applied to the NEA to commission the National Park, new score from Lias, starting with closewhose earlier Gates of the ups of flowing water Arctic, also inspired by a ON THE BILL: Nature & that pan out to national park, the Phil Music, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, All the Songs that larger and larger had premiered in 2014. Nature Sings by Stephen vistas, until, Lias Lias (world premiere), says, “we eventuGhosts of the Grassland by Steve Heitzig, Appalachian ally get to see the Spring by Aaron Copland whole range in its With Frequent Flyers Aerial stunning Dance. 2 p.m. Saturday, March 25. Free concert for strength. And community organizations then I slowly 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March focused it in 25, Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder, toward the end303-449-1343. ing.” “An interesting thing to listen for is how the background material is always moving,” he suggests to the audience. “That is a musical metaphor. If you look at a great view, the closer you look at any surface, the more you discover that it’s moving. Those forms are leaves fluttering Schuck wrote the Shift Festival applica- and that water is actually flowing or rippling. The more you zoom in on tion as if the NEA commission were going to happen. “If the NEA grant did something, the more you discover that it’s alive and moving. not come through, we would see if we “In much orchestra music, the thing could find other funding,” he says. that is moving the most is probably the The combination of the Shift melody, and my piece is quite the Festival and the “Imagine Your Parks” reverse.” commission seemed tailor-made for the One could be forgiven for thinking Boulder Phil. And as it happened, both that all of this was meant to be. Not the grant and a place in the festival only did the Shift Festival, the came through. In fact, Schuck says, “we National Parks Centennial and the had what in the words of the festival’s Boulder Phil’s Nature and Music iniselection panel members was ‘the gold standard’ of what they were looking for.” tiatives all come together at the right time, it turns out that the Boulder Hearing that, he says, was one of Phil’s board had practically predicted several “pinch-me” moments of the the outcome. past year. “When I got here seven years ago The festival will certainly put a the board had just finished a strategic national spotlight on the Boulder Phil, plan,” Schuck says. “Among its goals but the same activities that were the was to be recognized as one of the basis of the festival application have most innovative small city orchestras in paid off locally as well. The programAmerica. And at the time, I laughed.” ming of the past few years, community Today he’s pinching himself more outreach, collaborations with Frequent Flyers and other arts groups, and educa- than laughing.

The gold standard

Boulder Phil previews its Kennedy Center performance by Peter Alexander

Co-founder and Director of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY), Fania Davis is a national thought leader in the field. She is a long-time social justice activist, a restorative justice scholar and professor, and a civil rights attorney with a Ph.D. in indigenous knowledge.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017 12:00–1:30 p.m. Performing Arts Center 2130 Arapahoe Ave Boulder, CO

For more information and tickets visit naropa.edu/events 34 March 23, 2017

Boulder Weekly

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RULES & SCHEDULE Course Description A 18.7 mile (30k) loop with 43% paved roads & 57% unpaved roads in North Boulder County. Neutral support is based on volunteer availability and is unlikely. Please bring a pump and spare tube. Do a “bolt check” the day before please. We will have designated broomwagons doing laps if you need a ride.

Pre-Registration at www.dbcevents.com Online registration closes Thursday April 6, 5:00pm MDT Adults $42 (plus online reg. fee) Juniors 13–18 $10 (plus online reg. fee) Juniors 11-12 Free if registered online

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Friday, April 7 5:00pm-8:00pm Rockymounts | 2055 26th street | Boulder, CO 80302

Junior Women 11-12 Start Line 55th and Nelson Road

8:30 am

4.1 miles

Top 3 Medals then Finisher Ribbons

Race Day Registration

Cat 5 Under 40 + 1 day license