Boulder Weekly 04.24.2025

make the plains great again NEW PLAY FEST RETURNS P. 18

EARTH DAY EVERY DAY P. 20

Trump comes for our grasslands P. 5

BOCO CAPS HOME SIZES P. 9

DOGE RUMORS AT NOAA P. 11

CONTENTS 04.24.2025

HIT THE TRAIL SALE $10 off all current hiking styles, 25% off all discontinued hiking styles

05 Credit: Bryce Olsen

05 COVER Trump admin actions threaten American bison, Great Plains restoration BY SARAH KOSLING

13

ADVICE To overcome imposter syndrome at work, embrace your insecurity BY MICHELE GOLDBERG

14 MUSIC Ichiko Aoba gets spirited away on Luminescent

Creatures BY JEZY J. GRAY

ON THE DOWNTOWN MALL, IN THE VILLAGE & IN DENVER

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18

STAGE Local Lab 14 brings three original new plays to life in Boulder BY TONI TRESCA

27 DEPARTMENTS 09 GOV’T WATCH

BoCo caps home sizes

11 BOCO, BRIEFLY

DOGE rumors at NOAA

15 MUSIC

Durand Bernarr stands on business BOULDER WEEKLY

19 FILM

A Woman of Paris joins The Criterion Collection

20 EVENTS Earth Day is every day

25 SAVAGE LOVE How to support trans family

27 NIBBLES

Best bites of ’25 — so far

24 ASTROLOGY 30 ON DRUGS Real Gs move in silence

Animal tranqs in the supply

APRIL 24, 2025

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COMMENTARY APRIL 24, 2025 Volume 32, Number 36 PUBLISHER: Stewart Sallo

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shay Castle ARTS EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray REPORTERS: Kaylee Harter, Tyler Hickman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Michele Goldberg, Sarah Kosling, John Lehndorff, Dan Savage, Toni Tresca, Lindsay Temple, C. Michael White

SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING: Kellie Robinson SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Matthew Fischer ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Chris Allred, Austen Lopp SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman MRS. BOULDER WEEKLY: Mari Nevar

PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erik Wogen GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Chris Sawyer

CIRCULATION CIRCULATION MANAGER: Cal Winn CIRCULATION TEAM: Sue Butcher, Ken Rott, Chris Bauer

BUSINESS OFFICE BOOKKEEPER: Austen Lopp FOUNDER / CEO: Stewart Sallo 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-holds-barred 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 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.

1495 Canyon Boulevard, Suite CO 1, Boulder, CO 80302 Phone: 303.494.5511, FAX: 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. ©2025 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved.

Boulder Weekly welcomes your correspondence via email (letters@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.

BOULDER WEEKLY

OPINION

STAMPEDE OF SUPPORT NEEDED FOR RALPHIE’S HERD Bison, Tribal nations key to Great Plains restoration

BY SARAH KOSLING

A

re you a CU Buffs fan? Did you know our national mammal and favorite mascot (Ralphie!) was brought back from the brink of extinction? How much do you know about the animal we call buffalo (but is actually the American bison)?

While Ralphie is the only bison on a football field, there are now over 20,000 bison in conservation herds around the country, but much work remains to ensure the viability of their original range, the Great Plains of North America.

Bison are an important keystone spe-

cies, meaning they shape the ecosystem around them, and are imperative for restoring grasslands. Without the continued progress of bison reintroduction to Tribal and public lands, America’s grasslands hang in the balance.

Funding cuts and oil and gas expansion under the Trump administration threaten this progress.

If you had visited Colorado’s Front Range grasslands prior to European settler expansion in the mid 1800s, you would have seen thousands of bison moving across the land with a total population of up to 60 million on the continent.

Grasslands once covered a third of North America with an estimated 4% of the original biome remaining today.

APRIL 24, 2025

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Two bison lock horns at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Credit: Richard Lee

Despite their shrinking size, the Great Plains are a hotbed for biodiversity with over 500 species of native plants, mammals, birds and insects.

Prairies are also a carbon vault, storing as much carbon below the ground as forests can store above ground, with grass roots penetrating 8-15 feet into the soil. These roots can bury carbon deep underground for decades, sinking the equivalent of 11 homes’ annual energy usage (22.5 tons of carbon) in each acre.

What was once undisturbed prairie covering 170 million acres is now small, fractured pieces of land fenced off for cropland expansion, residential and commercial development and energy extraction. Invasive species and increased temperature extremes also threaten this valuable landscape.

Returning bison to their native lands provides a solution to restoring this degraded ecosystem. As ecological researcher Alan K. Knapp explained in a landmark 1999 paper, it is easy to see that the plains and bison evolved together. When bison roll on the ground, they create depressions known as wallows that fill with rainwater and sustain all life in the dry prairie. They selectively graze, minimizing invasive grass species, and their hooves help seeds germinate. Rebalancing the ecosystem in this way is essential for the future of grassland conservation and has direct benefits for people as well.

The North American grasslands and bison evolved with the Plains Tribal Nations. There is a reciprocal relationship between these Indigenous peoples,

bison and the land, with each a careful steward of the other.

Lindsey Schneider, a Turtle Mountain Chippewa descendent, explains in a 2022 article that Indigenous people are not only integral to the restoration of bison on grasslands, but should be restored to their homelands in the same way as the buffalo. When bison and Indigenous people are decoupled, neither thrive as they do when together.

Acknowledging the importance of Tribal stewardship of public lands and bison reintroduction to grassland conservation has picked up speed over the last few years. In 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced a new Secretary’s Order to restore bison populations and the prairie grasslands “through collaboration among partners such as federal agencies, states, Tribes and landowners using the best available science and Indigenous Knowledge.” Over $25 million was invested toward this order.

Under the new administration, Tribal wellbeing, the survival of bison and the health of grassland ecosystems are all on the chopping block. The newly appointed Interior Secretary, Doug Burgum, has said he supports Tribal communities, but on his first day in office signed six executive orders to expand oil and gas development on public lands, including grasslands. In less than three months, Trump has already cut millions of dollars in federal funding for Native American nonprofits that are often the only assistance these communities see, including those that fund bison conservation.

BOULDER WEEKLY

TITLE

A cow and calf bison at Yellowstone National Park. The National Park Service and Tribes work together to ensure the bison population is abundant and healthy. Credit: Neal Herbert, National Park Service

Bison on the road at Yellowstone National Park. Courtesy: National Park Service

With over 26 million acres of public land already available for energy production, it makes no sense to expand drilling. These lands are cherished outdoor spaces that sustain rural economies, ranchers, generations of hunters, outdoor recreators, healthy wildlife ecosystems and, increasingly, the bison.

In the state of Colorado, bison are “livestock,” unable to roam free like elk or pronghorn. Returning bison to their original range on the Great Plains will require landscape-scale, transboundary cooperation between Tribal Nations, private landowners and multiple levels of government across public lands, ancestral lands and private property.

Until Tribal Nations gain back soverBOULDER WEEKLY

eignty and their ancestral lands, bison will not be fully home either. Please consider donating to the Intertribal Buffalo Council or Tanka Fund to support the restoration of buffalo on Tribal lands, and contact your state and federal representatives in defense of our public lands.

Together, we can support our Buffs and bring home the American bison!

Sarah Kosling is a graduate student at Colorado State University in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. She loves climbing rocks, planting things and sunset hikes.

She hopes to contribute her energy toward the fight for North American grasslands long into the future.

APRIL 24, 2025

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NEWS

GOV’T WATCH What your local officials are up to this week

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF BOULDER CITY COUNCIL

On April 24, council will: Discuss the city’s approach to economic development amid slowing sales tax growth and lagging post-pandemic recovery. The study session will also include discussion of the city’s commercial districts, including a staff recommendation to explore creation of a Downtown District Authority (DDA) to provide a sustainable, long-term revenue source.

DDAs are tax districts, and as such would be subject to voter approval. Staff is recommending a process that would include a November 2026 ballot measure, with financing in place before Sundance Film Festival relocates to Boulder in January 2027.

BOULDER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

On April 22, commissioners: Approved limiting the size of new homes and rebuilds in unincorporated Boulder County to the median home size of the defined neighborhood, despite a unanimous recommendation from the county planning commission against the changes.

The new rules — which some commissioners and staff see as a way to curb rising home sizes and environmental impacts as well as maintain neighborhood character — will go into effect May 13, when a moratorium on home builds over the median implemented in January will also be lifted.

Courtesy: Boulder County

BOULDER WEEKLY

A mostly empty Pearl Street Mall on a Thursday afternoon in December 2024. Credit: Tyler Hickman

Previously, homes could be built up to 125% of the neighborhood median size, and owners could request additional square footage through the site plan review process. People who asked for additional square footage were approved 91% of the time, according to staff.

About 30 people spoke at the public hearing, with the majority opposing the changes. Commissioners voted 2-1, with Claire Levy dissenting, citing inequities created by the new approach.

“I’m concerned … about disparity across neighborhoods in Boulder County … and the fact that people in neighborhoods with large homes get to build large homes.”

A sliding scale will allow for additional allotments above the median for additions and rebuilds (but not new builds on vacant lots). For example, if an existing home is under 1,500 square feet, property owners are allotted an additional 1,000 square feet regardless of the neighborhood median. Existing homes between 3,001 and 3,500 square feet can be rebuilt with an additional 675 square feet.

Homes larger than 4,501 square feet cannot be rebuilt larger than the neighborhood median.

Homes in Allenspark, Eldora, Eldorado Springs, Raymond and Riverside are limited to 1,500 total square feet for new builds, rebuilds and additions, which is over the median for all of those townsites, according to a county staff person.

Nationwide, new home sizes have stayed roughly stable since 2010. New homes in Boulder County have grown 11%, from an average of about 3,500 square feet that year to roughly 3,900 in 2023. When basements, porches and garages were included, Boulder County new homes averaged more than 4,700 square feet in 2023.

LONGMONT CITY COUNCIL

On April 22, council: With two members absent, approved a motion to bring forth an ordinance limiting the number of unrelated registered sex offenders in a single dwelling to three, with the contingency that they discuss the legal ramifications of the legislation in a confidential meeting.

On May 6, the city will hear the first reading of an ordinance that would impose residency restrictions on registered sex offenders, prohibiting them from living within 1,000 feet of schools and daycares and 500 feet from public and private parks. There are no state laws limiting where registered sex offenders are allowed to live, although many offenders have restrictions imposed by the conditions of their parole or probation.

LOUISVILLE REVITALIZATION COMMISSION

On April 9, the commission: Received updates on a number of ongoing projects, including new ownership of the historic grain elevator on Front Street (540 County Road). The group are “local business owners,” according to city staff, whose plans for redevelopment could include a bar/food truck venue.

The city purchased the grain elevator in 2012 for $950,000. The next year, Louisville sold the property to local architect Erik Hartronft and businessman Randy Caracini under the entity Louisville Mill Site, LLC for $200,000, pledging another half-million dollars to fund restoration.

Boulder County property records do not reflect a change in ownership, listing Louisville Mill Site LLC as the owners since 2016. Ross Bowdey, a local business owner, spoke on behalf of the new ownership group.

Another update involved the former Lowes site on McCaslin Boulevard, being developed as a King Soopers Marketplace. That grocery store “hopes to be open in early 2026,” according to staff reports.

CITY OF LOUISVILLE

On April 17, the City of Louisville received the state’s approval to become a CHIPS Zone, an area wherein businesses involved in semiconductor research, development and manufacturing are eligible for tax incentives.

The zone encompasses the 400-acreplus Colorado Tech Center and the roughly 400-acre Redtail Ridge property that will eventually be home to an industrial and medical research park and hospital.

Longmont, Broomfield and Fort Collins also have CHIPS Zones.

Businesses can receive tax breaks for hiring and training new employees and investing in research and equipment.

LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL

On April 15, council: Approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assess the feasibility of regional bikesharing with the communities of Boulder County, Broomfield, Erie, Louisville, Superior and Westminster.

The 2023 Lafayette Multimodal Transportation Plan recommends bikesharing as a priority. The MOU allows city staff to collaborate on the creation of a Request for Proposals to select a bikeshare vendor and identify projects for implementation.

All agenda items subject to change.

Karen Norback and Mark Cathcart contributed reporting APRIL 24, 2025

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NEWS

BOCO, BRIEFLY Your local news at a glance

BY KAYLEE HARTER DOGE RUMORS AT NOAA SPARK PROTEST

Protestors gathered at Boulder’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) campus Monday after rumors circulated that officials from the Elon Muskled Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would be onsite.

Rep. Joe Neguse came to the campus and said in a video statement released that day on YouTube that he had met with personnel from NOAA and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), and “was told that DOGE’s personnel were not on scene today and have not entered the campus.”

“That being said, we know that NOAA, NIST and our federal labs remain targets of DOGE and this administration in their efforts to deconstruct the laboratories and the agencies that are serving the American public,” he said. “So, make no mistake, we’re going to continue to stay on it. We’re going to do everything that we can to prevent the disastrous cuts that

Credit: Kaylee Harter

BOULDER WEEKLY

the Trump administration has proposed.”

Last week, The Washington Post reported a White House proposal to cut NOAA’s budget by 27% and eliminate the research branch of the organization.

NOAA also houses the National Weather Service and provides climate data, severe storm warnings, weather forecasts and a vast range of technology and research to help “understand and predict changes in climate, weather, ocean, and coasts,” according to the agency’s website.

Already, probationary NOAA staff and other federal employees have been fired, reinstated and then re-fired. More than 1,300 NOAA staffers have resigned or been fired, and the Trump administration is planning to cut another 1,000 workers, according to media reports.

AIRPORT LAWSUIT DISMISSED, BOULDER COUNTY AND SUPERIOR CONSIDER APPEAL

Boulder County and the Town of Superior are considering an appeal to a lawsuit dismissed March 28 over the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, according to an April 18 joint release.

Superior and Boulder County filed the suit against Jefferson County, the owner and operator of the airport, due to “negative impacts caused by incessant aircraft operations” and are asking the court to impose restrictions.

“The fact that the defendants could impose noise restrictions does not mean that the court can order them to do so,” the judge wrote in the dismissal.

“Again, any such order would constitute local regulation of an area preempted by the federal government.”

“This court decision is unfortunate, but it is not going to stop the Town and Boulder County from taking all legal steps available to them to protect their residents,” the release stated.

In addition to the possibility of filing an appeal, the release said the town and county were “again, asking Jefferson County to sit down and discuss a collaborative approach to assisting all communities negatively affected by the Airport.”

WEST PEARL STREET DEBATE HEATS UP

Opposition is mounting to a petition to place a measure on the ballot that would re-close West Pearl Street to cars.

The group, Keep West Pearl Open, is made up of 140 downtown business owners and “hundreds of Boulder taxpayers” and has formally filed as a ballot committee, according to a release from the group. The coalition is co-chaired by T/aco owner Peter Waters and former Boulder City Council member Rachel Friend.

“This is about more than one street — it’s about how we prioritize city dollars and preserve equitable access,” Friend said in the release. “This ballot measure would force an expensive street closure without a funding plan, which means that other city priorities — including more urgently needed pedestrian and cycling infrastructure — would go unmet.”

According to the release, the closure would eliminate about 60 on-street parking spaces.

The section of Pearl Street between 9th and 11th streets was closed from spring 2020 to fall 2022. In a 2023 questionnaire taken by 1,799 people, 86% of respondents said the closure, which made room for expanded outdoor dining and pedestrian spaces, increased the overall appeal of the area.

The group organizing the petition to reclose the area to cars, Pearl for You, says the closure would “support public use, outdoor dining, and street activations including art installations, green spaces, and community activities.”

The petition needs 3,401 signatures by May 28 to be placed on the ballot. It had 1,069 electronic signatures as of April 21, according to the website.

SEXUAL ASSAULT UP AT CU BOULDER

The rate of sexual assault and harassment at CU Boulder is up, according to recently released results from the 2024 Sexual Assault and Related Harms Survey.

Of the 5,519 surveyed undergraduate women, 18% reported being sexually assaulted since becoming a CU Boulder student. That’s up from the 15% who reported being sexually assaulted in 2021, but down from 28% in 2015, the

past two times the survey has been conducted.

Sexual harassment is also up, with 34% of undergraduate women reporting being sexually harassed, compared with 19% in 2021 and 28% in 2015. The sexual harassment definition included additional behaviors in the 2024 survey, which when included, 44% of women undergrads said they had been harassed.

Reports of sexual assault and harassment were also up for men on campus, with 4% of men surveyed reporting being assaulted (compared with 2% in 2021 and 6% in 2015) and 11% reporting being harassed (compared with 5% in 2021 and 9% in 2015).

BOULDER OVERDOSES ‘RISING STEADILY’

Overdoses in Boulder are up 37% so far this year compared with the same time period last year, according to a public email from police chief Stephen Redfearn.

There have been 38 overdoses reported to Boulder Police since the start of the year. Four were fatal. The data does not include at least one fatal overdose on CU Boulder property.

Most of the overdoses have been among the unhoused community and have been linked to fentanyl, according to the email, “especially the fatal ones.”

Police “have been directed to get out of their patrol cars and conduct foot patrols, bike patrols, and e-bike patrols in our public areas, specifically areas where we are seeing drug activity and overdose,” according to the email.

IN OTHER NEWS…

• Incoming buffs will see a 3.5% tuition

increase for in-state students and 2.3% for out of state students. The university’s tuition guarantee locks tuition for enrolled students for four years.

• A local developer is proposing a new 2,500-seat performing arts venue and event center near Frontier Ave between Pearl Parkway and Foothills Parkway, the Daily Camera reported.

• Gross Dam construction can go ahead (for now), a federal appeals court ruled April 11 after a district court judge ordered Denver Water to halt the project earlier this month, the Denver Post reported.

APRIL 24, 2025

11

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ADVICE

ASK MICHELE

Courtesy: Michele Goldberg, Find Your Center

How to handle impostor syndrome at work

Q: A:

Join the club. Impostor Syndrome is that common nagging sense that we don’t belong, that we faked our way into this, and, any moment now, someone will expose us as the inept frauds that we are.

While it feels so personal, it doesn’t reflect your actual competence.

THE FEAR BENEATH FEAR

For many, impostor syndrome is tied to deeper fears: abandonment, instability, being unworthy. Notice if this fear didn’t begin with your current job. Have you always been afraid of being “found out?”

Of being unlovable? Understanding its origins can be a portal to deeper selfawareness and healing.

QUESTION THE SYSTEM, MAN

While counterintuitive, there’s comfort in the impostor identity. If we already see ourselves as failures, no one can catch us off guard. Inevitable shortcomings and judgments, we hope, will neither surprise nor break us; we saw them coming. So we play it safe. We avoid the vulnerability of testing our limits, of truly trying and failing.

It’s unhelpful to frame yourself as (un) deserving of people, tasks or jobs.

Challenge the assumption that confidence has value. Why is it important to think you’re great? Between grandiosity and self-loathing, there’s space for humility and hope. You can earnestly apply your skills even when insecure about your potential.

When we define ourselves through achievements, any doubt or struggle threatens our sense of self. Instead, let your trials, your failings and successes, be normal steps in professional growth.

You’re free to try harder and fall on your face when work doesn’t determine your total value as a human.

THE CONFIDENCE TRAP

COMPARE AND DESPAIR

THE IMPOSTOR CYCLE

Impostor syndrome stems more from perception than reality. Though it makes sense to desire belonging and want more confidence, you don’t have to feel confident to be competent. Embrace your insecurity.

Those who lack self-awareness often overvalue themselves. If you’re seriously questioning whether you belong, it’s probably a sign that you do.

BOULDER WEEKLY

ingful participation, continuous learning and connection.

You are there for a reason. Keep going.

You’re not behind; you’re becoming.

THE LEARNING CURVE

1. Reframe insecurity as part of being

Every job has a period of adjustment to absorb new systems, workflows and team dynamics. You probably don’t know everything yet.

Abilities are developed through effort rather than talent. This applies to learning a work environment as well. Welcome self-doubt as you confront your deficits by leaning in and trying again.

BY MICHELE GOLDBERG FIND YOUR CENTER, A THERAPY COLLECTIVE

I’m struggling with impostor syndrome at my tech job in Boulder. How can I feel more confident?

own insecurities. Focus on your growth to stay in charge of how you see yourself. And when you can, genuinely wish others well, even those who seem competitive or bring up feelings of inadequacy.

Comparing yourself to colleagues is a major driver of impostor-itis. We base our esteem on performance rather than inherent worth and then position ourselves above or below others. But comparisons rarely show the full picture. When you contrast your insides to others’ shiny outsides, you reach false conclusions about their quiet, personal truths.

Others’ confidence may be hiding their

DISCERNMENT

In black-and-white thinking, you lose unless you win. That’s an unhappy formula.

Be thoughtful and specific when you evaluate your strengths and limits.

Separate talent, experience, effort, knowledge and wisdom. Identify ways you are contributing at work that are effective, and identify where there is room to grow.

Being good at your job isn’t the same as feeling comfortable at work. You might feel insecure about speaking up in meetings even if you’re a skilled problemsolver. Or you might hesitate to ask questions because you fear looking inexperienced. The key is to work on your diverse set of skills and how you see yourself, instead of assuming one reflects the other.

ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL ECOSYSTEM

Tech culture can amplify impostor syndrome. If you feel like an outsider, what else about the environment contributes to that sense of not belonging? Is it the way people communicate? A culture of posturing? Homogeneous interests?

Determine whether your doubts are about you, or about workplace culture.

MOVING FORWARD

It’s natural and healthy to question yourself. Impostor syndrome isn’t a personal struggle but a shared human experience.

Meet your shame with nonjudgmental presence and self-compassion. Build a steadier, more grounded sense of who you are at work by emphasizing mean-

BREAKING THE CYCLE: PRACTICAL STEPS

alive. Feeling uncertain is not a sign of incompetence. It’s a sign that you’re engaged in something challenging and expansive. Even seasoned professionals experience doubt. The difference is how they interpret and respond to it.

2. Identify functional impediments. Are you playing it safe to maintain the appearance of competence (which only limits your competence)? Push against these behaviors in small, manageable ways.

3. Normalize the experience with colleagues. Bring it up in casual conversations. “I worry I’m the only one who doesn’t know how to do this,” can lead to revealing discussions and neutralize fears.

4. Shift from competition to connection.

Instead of comparing yourself to colleagues in a way that makes you feel “less than,” try engaging with them as a learner. Compliment work you admire, ask about their process and use these moments to bond.

5. Adopt the “either win or learn” mentality. Tech thrives on innovation. Failure and iteration are built into the process.

Every misstep is an opportunity to refine your approach.

6. Redefine what confidence actually means. Confidence is moving forward despite self-doubt, knowing we’re resilient and will be OK, come what may. Remind yourself that the discomfort is temporary, but the insight you earn will last.

Write in with your questions: bit.ly/ AskaTherapistBW. For a deeper dive, check findyourcentertherapy.com/blog.

This column provides general mental health insights. This advice is for informational/entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional, personalized medical, psychological or therapeutic treatment. While we strive for accuracy and inclusion, our feedback may not account for all competing theories and research in the field.

APRIL 24, 2025

13

MUSIC

CREATURE COMFORTS

Aoba says she would often feel this uncanny presence in a certain location like clockwork during her extended stay on the island. She shared this recurring, peculiar feeling with a trusted local, who offered a supernatural explanation: mazamun.

“As the days went on, I found out it was one they had tried to exterminate, but it refused to leave,” she says.

“Because it had been there so long, someone said they were a friend of the mazamun. When I discussed my mental image of what I thought the creature might look like, that person coincidentally, or maybe not coincidentally, had the exact same image in their head.”

story, and it was sort of limited in scope. This new album is more about providing the fragments for listeners to build a story of their own.”

‘LETTING IT FLOW’

Aoba’s penchant for closeness creates the feeling of a one-onone relationship between herself and the listener. But the final product is a collaborative effort,

BY JEZY J. GRAY leaning on arranger Taro Umebayashi and creative director Kodai Kobayashi to help bring ollow the coordinates in the title of the artist’s inner world to life. the spellbinding second cut on “We spent a lot of time just Ichiko Aoba’s pristine new album talking, whether that was discus— “24° 3′ 27.0″ N, 123° 47′ 7.5″ E” — and sion of the music, or just smaller you’ll wind up at a lighthouse on the stuff, like: ‘Hey, how are you southernmost inhabited island of Japan.

‘THE MOST SENSITIVE today?’ We just got to know “A lighthouse, by its nature, sort of PARTS OF MY SOUL’ each other on a very deep blinks intermittently,” the 35-year-old musi- So it goes in the gossamer world of level,” she says. “Spending cian and vocalist from Kyoto tells Boulder Luminescent Creatures, a Miyazakimonths, years, sharing the Weekly via translator on a recent video like universe where magic breathes in minutiae of daily life got us to call. “It lights up and says to somebody: crystalline blooms of piano, strings the point where we trusted each ‘There is land here, there is life here, Celebrated Japanese musician Ichiko Aoba’s upcoming other so deeply that we could there’s people here.’” world tour brings her to Colorado for the first time on give honest feedback. It stopped Hateruma Island, a sparsely popuMay 1. Credit: Yuichiro Noda really mattering who had comlated dot in the Yaeyama District of posed the song, who had done what. We Okinawa where she wrote her eighth psyche, which a lot of times you don’t almost melded together.”

LP, Luminescent Creatures, wasn’t want to explore, allows me to sort of Much like her meditative visits to the the only place Aoba found signs of go over any barriers people might put isolated archipelago where Luminescent life. It was also teeming under the up between themselves and connect Creatures first began to take root, today sea, which she had explored during with listeners across the world.”

Aoba finds herself operating from a place regular diving expeditions for more Much of Aoba’s ability to cross culof creative freedom: patiently listening for than a decade, and in the traditions of tural divides comes from the distinctly the friendly monsters who may reveal the people back on shore. human timbre of her otherworldly “It’s a place where things that seem music. In the fluttering strings of open- themselves to her. As the globetrotting artist embarks upon a 35-city world tour almost like illusions or myths are actuer “COLORATURA,” or the finger— bringing her to Colorado for the first ally fairly commonplace and apparent picked nylon guitar of “aurora,” you time with a May 1 performance at in everyday life,” she says. “People hear not only each aching note, but Denver’s Paramount Theatre — she is can see these things that others, peoalso the delicate plunk of the fingers grateful to be guided only by her visions, ple like myself or maybe you, wouldn’t behind them.

Luminescent Creatures, Ichiko Aoba’s second release on and for the time it takes to see their true be able to see.”

Swelling with auxiliary instruments her own independent record label, was released Feb. 28. shape.

Among these myths is the legend of like flute and harp, the record’s handCredit: Kodai Kobayashi “I’ve come to realize music isn’t somethe “mazamun,” sharing its name with made charm builds on the momentum the record’s sublime third track, which of 2020’s Windswept Adan, Aoba’s break- thing you can rush,” she says. “It’s really and classical guitar shimmering like jellyabout letting it come to you — and when roughly translates to monster in the local through concept album she describes as fish and sea stars across the record’s it comes, being able to give yourself up to dialect. Not everyone can see these spec- 35-minute runtime. But you don’t need to “a soundtrack to a fictional film.” Picking it, and letting it flow through you.” tral beasts, according to Aoba, but their up where she left off half a decade ago, speak Japanese, or the self-invented lanpresence is felt all the same.

Luminescent Creatures offers something guage Aoba sometimes sneaks into her “In Okinawa, there are exorcists, if you akin to a sequel. compositions, to be moved by the widewill, who drive these ‘monsters’ out when “There is obviously a deep connection eyed wonder permeating her finely texON THE BILL: Ichiko Aoba. they appear or start to inhabit a certain in a very literal sense. The last song on tured ambient folk songs.

8 p.m. Thursday, May 1, area,” she explains. “But there are some the previous album is where we got the “I try my best to access the most sensiParamount Theatre, 1621 people on Hateruma who don’t think of name for this one,” she says. “But on the tive parts of my soul, the sort of places Glenarm Plaza, Denver. these creatures as pests. They think of more thematic, conceptual side: The last that really hurt to prod at,” she says. $55+ them as friends.” album was really about presenting the “Getting so deep in that part of your

Spirited away with Ichiko Aoba

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BOULDER WEEKLY

MUSIC

IN BLOOM R&B phenom Durand Bernarr is standing on business

able to breathe, for me to be able to catch myself, for me to be able to pivot.”

‘EYE TO EYE’

On the Bloom single “Overqualified,” which grooves like those two-stepping songs you play at every summer family reunion, Bernarr sings about the self-doubt of searching for

BY LINDSAY TEMPLE romantic love. After years of doing the work to become his best, most evolved, most comf there’s one thing adolescent fortably genderfluid self, there still drama classes and the Black lies the anxiety that others may church have in common, it’s a not be able to meet him where he shared ability to teach participants is — or keep up with where he’s how to take up space. Theater asks going. you to project your presence, while In the video, Bernarr is depictthe improvisational nature of Black Durand Bernarr says growing up as a theater kid in the Black church helped sharpen his creative sensibilities. Credit: ed as a hardworking college stugospel music teaches you to trust Gianna Dorsey dent who puts in the time but still your ear and instincts.

2023, which became the thirdcan’t land a good job upon enterCombine early immersion into these ever installment of the beloved ing the workforce after graduainstitutions with being the child of music series to be released on vinyl. tion. Desperate for something to industry professionals, and you get With his upcoming, 35-date give, Bernarr asks the listener: queer R&B artist Durand Bernarr, the You Gon’ Grow, Too! tour, “Does anybody have a referillustrious Cleveland-born singer, songincluding a stop at Denver’s ence?” writer and performer whose creative Gothic Theatre on April 29, Bernarr remains optimistic that, breadth is just as pliable as his acrobatic Bernarr’s success story sugwith a little help, all this searching vocals. gests that, when faithful, humwill pay off in the long run. This “Church and theater, I like to say, are ble and focused, your talent will much shines through in the song’s parts of the artist’s development,” hopeful ending refrain: “Need Bernarr, 36, tells Boulder Weekly. “Those make room for you. someone to see me eye to eye / [settings] are where you gain your chops, Gotta sit tight ’til the time is right.” and there’s a culture that comes with ‘ENJOY THE Until that time comes, Bernarr both lifestyles. There’s a certain etiquette SUNSHINE’ aims to step into his destiny and and comedy that I pull from when it On his latest and third studio stand on business — in all his comes to church, and then there is a difalbum Bloom, Bernarr plants candid, theatrical glory. Taking the ferent language we use in the theater.” the seeds for what he intends stage with a braided beard, sparkSharing his gifts in the early 2010s via to harvest: greater artistic and ly eyeshadow and a yellow RCA YouTube videos, Bernarr’s work has personal depth, in equal meaBloom, the third album by Cleveland R&B artist Durand Bernarr, was adapter fashioned as an earring, since opened many unexpected doors. sure. A 17-track LP about released Feb. 18. Courtesy: DSing Records / Create Music Group Inc. his shows create space for audiShortly after releasing an EP of Erykah growth and the power of friendences to blossom as well. Come open Badu covers in 2010, titled 8ight: The inspire people — regardless of their oriship, the album opens with “Generous,” and eager; leave transformed.

Stepson of Erykah Badu, he was greeted a gospel-inspired, swelling track about entation or how they identify — to tap “It’s one of those things where you by a direct message from the queen of into that version of yourself that was curiloving yourself and others with your neo-soul herself, and soon wound up on ous and eager to enjoy the sunshine and didn’t know you needed to be fed until entire being, without shame, as a child you got fed” he says. “It’s like, ‘Oh, I didn’t stage at Coachella, auditioning to be part does before life teaches you to harden be present.” know that was empty.’” of her band in front of thousands of festiResiding in that place of self-accepyour heart. val-goers. tance is, as the artist says, akin to workSinging in a sweet falsetto over piano, Bernarr passed the test with flying coling a muscle. Many of Bernarr’s songs before the song gives way to a distorted ors and tours with Badu to this day. In the are about this healing journey of loving rock groove, Bernarr croons the refrain: ON THE BILL: Durand years since, he has continued to release yourself, with all its peaks and valleys.

“I won’t become what I’ve been through / Bernarr with Shae solo projects — like the 2024 Grammy“Grace is not expecting yourself to get it I’ll give all of my love to you.”

Universe. 8 p.m. Tuesday, nominated EP En Route — collaborating 100% right all the time. That’s just not “That has been the catalyst for a lot of April 29, Gothic Theatre, with artists like Kaytranada, Teedra our detriment to ourselves,” Bernarr says possible,” he says. “I can give a cool 88% 3263 S. Broadway, Moses and Thundercat, and putting on an of the weight of shame. “[I’m happy to] ... I can even give a scientific 98.6%, but I Englewood. $35 iconic NPR Tiny Desk performance in have to leave wiggle room for me to be be this version of myself, where I can

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STAGE

PAGE TO STAGE

The 2025 lineup includes three stories by playwrights Steven J. Burge, Kori Alston and Amy Tofte. While their works differ in form, style and tone, each play is a window into a world in progress.

loneliness and despair and also the love and rage of a young Black man,” told with gospel music, poetic language and a Greek chorus. The play follows Saint, a Local Lab 14 brings three young Black boy grieving the loss of his original new plays to life at mother, finding companionship in a plant, Boulder’s Nomad Playhouse THREE PLAYS, ONE PURPOSE a radio and a flock of pigeons.

Alston is no stranger to LTC. His A Local Lab 14 begins April 25 with Burge’s Case for Black Girls Setting Central Park Bats#!t, a deeply personal solo show by

BY TONI TRESCA on Fire was developed during a previous the celebrated Colorado actor, playwright Pop-Up Lab in fall 2023, in conjunction and marketing director for Littleton’s Town with its world premiere of Topher Payne’s Hall Arts Center.

Directed by LTC f you walk into Boulder’s Nomad Phish-inspired play, You Enjoy Myself.

Co-artistic Director Nick Chase, the perforPlayhouse during Local Lab 14, you “Kori is a principal at a secondary mance blends absurd humor and emotionwon’t see finished sets or polished school, so he has a remarkable knowlal insight to explore Burge’s experience performances. You’ll see actors with edge of how teenagers speak and their scripts in hand, playwrights scribbling revi- with anxiety, addiction and queer identity.

“Steven has written a compelling, most- concerns,” Chase says. “He treats them sions in the margins and directors prewith sensitivity and sophistication, and ly one-person show,” Chase says. “There senting scenes that may have changed doesn’t condescend.” is another character, Siri, so there’s a little just hours before.

Closing the weekend on April 27 is bit of a dialogue, but it’s really a conversaThis is what new-play development BloodSuckingLeech, a sharp-edged comtion with the audience about mental looks like. And for the nomadic Boulderhealth and substance abuse told with a lot edy from Tofte that explores the complex based Local Theater Company (LTC), it’s role reversal between an aging parent of humor.” where the magic happens.

The play’s message is especially timely, and her adult daughter. Directed by long“We’re not necessarily looking for the time LTC collaborator Diana Dresser, the according to Hart. “It also addresses best play or the one we could produce play draws humor from a serious topic: Steven’s journey of being at peace with tomorrow,” says LTC Executive Director the vulnerability that Misha S. Zimmerman. “We’re comes with aging. looking for something that could “There’s a lot of benefit from development — humor within a topic that something that isn’t quite fully can feel pretty serious,” formed but has something in it Zimmerman says. “It that makes us want to work on it. looks at the issue of the Lab is our opportunity to take mother being tricked by audiences behind the scenes of catfishers and con artwhat it takes to get scripts ready ists, some in person and for a full production.” some via the internet. It That philosophy has defined also asks how we treat Local’s approach to theater our older people in our since its founding in 2011. Every society — sometimes year, the company chooses we underestimate them three new plays for a week of or we try to take away rehearsal, reflection and reviActor Kristina Fountaine reads from Chasing Breadcrumbs by Michelle Tyrene their independence. sion, culminating in a series of Johnson at LTC’s Local Lab. Credit: Graeme Schulz That ageism piece defistaged readings and post-show nitely comes in there in a complex way.” discussions designed to help an early being a gay Christian in America,” she work reach its full potential. says. “Local is committed to telling queer “A Local play has to have a specific stories and being a safe place for queer ‘A FESTIVAL TOWN’ answer to the question: Why this play people and their allies. We live in a counWhile the three plays are the heart of now?” says LTC Co-artistic Director Betty try where the queer community is told Local Lab 14, the festival extends beyond Hart. “That’s really the beginning. It has to they don’t belong here, and I love that the staged readings. Each day offers be something resonant and relevant to Stephen has written a very vulnerable numerous opportunities for deeper this moment … something that’s going to interior look at his journey of becoming engagement, including a playwrights’ continue speaking, because our goal is to that challenges assumptions.” panel, parties and the interactive workput works out that will become new April 26 features A Bedtime Story for shop Radical Listening: Theater for Social American classics.”

Black Boys on the Moon by Change, led by Indianapolis-based artist That spirit of urgency and artistic discov- Massachusetts playwright and poet and activist Jim Walker. ery animates this year’s Local Lab, runAlston. Hart, who also directs the piece, “Local Lab is a festival,” Chase emphaning April 25–27 at the Nomad Playhouse. describes it as a “glimpse into both the sizes. “It is an opportunity for people not

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to just hear one reading but to have a conversation, participate in a workshop, hear another reading, go to a party and then come back to see a totally different style of theater. So audience members are certainly welcome to come to an individual reading, but there’s benefit to coming for all three days.”

Events for this year’s Lab are largely taking place at Boulder’s historic Nomad Playhouse, which has housed community performances since its groundbreaking in 1952.

“We’ve sold out Lab at the Dairy for the last five years, and this is a slightly bigger venue,” Zimmerman says. “Nomad is the oldest theater in Boulder. It has a unique history, so it felt exciting to be in that space. NoBo has a sort of funkiness and experimentalness that is really energizing for Lab.” Local has also partnered with Ruzo Coffee near the theater. The café will serve as an informal gathering spot for artists and audience members between events, and a portion of April sales will go toward supporting the company’s work.

“There’s something that happens when you see a play on Friday, sit next to the playwright at a workshop on Saturday, and catch them at the coffee shop on Sunday,” Hart says. “That’s the kind of connection Local Lab is built for.”

As Boulder’s cultural calendar gets national attention — thanks in part to Sundance’s recent announcement that it’s coming here in 2027 — Chase sees Lab as part of a growing ecosystem.

“We’re clearly a festival town now,” he says. “There are a lot of festivals that happen here, and there really is something that happens when the audience starts to mix and see one another at the next reading, and it’s like, ‘Oh, did you see that last one?’ It builds community in a way that seeing an individual show doesn’t necessarily do.”

ON STAGE: Local Lab 14.

April 25–27, Nomad Playhouse, 1410 Quince Ave., Boulder. All-access pass: $99 | With workshop: $121.50 | Individual tickets: $30 | Full schedule: localtheaterco.org/lab14 BOULDER WEEKLY

FILM

A SERIOUS MAN Chaplin’s ‘A Woman of Paris’ joins The Criterion Collection

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

Edna Purviance falls for Adolphe Menjou and the high life in A Woman of Paris. Courtesy: The Criterion Collection

T

he year was 1919, and Charles Chaplin, along with Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith and Mary Pickford, formed the distribution company United Artists. Four years later, made with his own money and on his own schedule, Chaplin released his first film for UA, A Woman of Paris — which was neither a comedy nor starred the worldfamous actor. A move so unusual, Chaplin included a title card letting the audience know the movie they were about to see was his first “serious drama.”

Watching A Woman of Paris today — beautifully restored and available on Bluray from The Criterion Collection — it’s obvious Chaplin was out to prove something. Prove he was more than his Tramp character, and prove cinema was more than mere entertainment.

The prevalent thinking of the time was BOULDER WEEKLY

that the camera could only photograph surfaces, not interiors. Chaplin knew better and set out to do with cinema what Ernest Hemingway would do with prose and capture the whole iceberg. Chaplin wasn’t the only filmmaker who understood this, and there’s little about Woman of Paris that’s revolutionary. Still, Chaplin’s skill of communicating significant information with small touches — particularly when it comes to sexual relations at a time when even a hint was taboo — carries the kind of cleverness that’s timeless.

Marie St. Clair is the Woman of Paris, a penniless gal who’s in love with an artist but ends up in the hands of a wealthy tycoon. Marie’s story was inspired by Peggy Hopkins Joyce, a Jazz Age dancer for whom the term “gold digger” was invented. Joyce married three millionaires by the time she was 27. Chaplin

would have been her fourth had he not broken off the engagement.

To play Marie, Chaplin turned to his longtime screen and one-time romantic partner, Edna Purviance. The two had worked together since 1915, but Woman would be her high-water mark. From today’s vantage, Purviance’s performance might come across as stiff, but she’s quite good alongside the dashing and easygoing businessman Pierre (Adolphe Menjou) and the tortured artist, Jean (Carl Miller).

A Woman of Paris was a success when it was released, but nothing like Chaplin’s comedies, which he returned to in 1925’s The Gold Rush. But Woman is more than a curio in Chaplin’s career. It’s a master filmmaker exploring what cinematic language can convey, from using 175 intertitles to giving the actors dialogue to speak — an

uncommon practice at the time. Chaplin believed the face registered a recognizable emotion when it said a specific line. An assumption that would prove correct when synchronized sound allowed the movies to talk.

This may not be the movie you would show to someone brand new to the silent era, nor is it the movie I would pick to introduce the majesty of Chaplin. But for silent cinema lovers, especially those who pack Chautauqua Auditorium’s silent series every summer, the restoration and home video release of A Woman of Paris is a welcome thing.

ON SCREEN: A Woman of Paris is available on Blu-ray and DVD from The Criterion Collection.

APRIL 24, 2025

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EVENTS

il 23

Wednesday, apr

FREE

velvet vinyl presents: stevie’s picks

24

thursday, april

FREE

Stephen Lear Band

26 Saturday, april

$16

5280S Band 80s dance party!

il 30

Wednesday, Apr

FREE

velvet vinyl presents: stevie’s picks

3

Saturday, may

dAFT pHISH wednesday, may

$14

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STUDIO 24: OPEN SEW IN-PERSON

3-6 p.m. Thursday, April 24, NoBo Corner Library, 4600 Broadway, Boulder. Free Have some old jeans to mend or want some company for your latest sewing project? Head to the NoBo Library, where you’ll have access to sewing machines and makerspace staff to answer any questions about your project — whatever it may be.

FREE

velvet vinyl presents: stevie’s picks

$19

friday, may 16

Claire Heywood w/ Riley J Band

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STONE CANYON TREE PLANTING

7:45 a.m. to noon and 12:45 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26 and Saturday, May 3, LEAF building, 304 2nd Ave., Lyons The Stone Canyon Fire burned more than 1,500 acres in August 2024 — and now the landscape needs your help.

Lend your time and a helping hand to this tree restoration project alongside community members of all ages. Bring shovels and wear gloves, eye protection, long sleeves and pants, closed-toe shoes and sunscreen. Water stations and restrooms are available onsite and shuttle transportation will be provided from LEAF to the planting site. Register: bit.ly/LyonsTreePlantingBW

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LONGMONT SPRING MARKET Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 26, Longmont Elk’s Lodge, 306 Coffman St. $5 or 2 cans of unexpired non-perishable food

Support your local businesses at the annual Spring Market in Longmont.

Dedicate your afternoon to some quality retail therapy, and peruse art, jewelry, food and more from over 40 local vendors. And bring the whole family — there’s organized activities for little ones, and kids under 13 are free.

presented by 105.5 The colorado sound

Saturday, may

17

$19

Sturtz and soultru

Saturday, may

24

Peak2Peak sunday, may 25

$19

$10

Boulder q+ tea dance party

wednesday, may

28

velvet vinyl presents: stevie’s picks

sunday, june 1

Arkansauce with derek dames ohl duo

20

APRIL 24, 2025

25

CITY NATURE CHALLENGE

4-6 p.m. Friday, April 25, Harney-Lastoka Open Space, 1400 N. Courtesy Road, Louisville. Free FREE

$20

Ready, set, bird watch! At this “bio-blitz” competition, you’ll be up against cities across the country in a race to find and document the most plants and animals through the iNaturalist app. Volunteer naturalists will lead a hike around Harney-Lastoka and Coal Creek Trail as you snap photos and try to rack up the most species. Registration required: bit. ly/BioBlitzBW

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EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY

SEW A PET STUFFIE

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, 105 W. Baseline Road, Lafayette. Free

Want to immortalize a furry friend with your very own handmade stuffie? Head to Broomfield Library’s inventHQ Makerspace with a digital photo of your pet — images on your phone or a flash drive are great — and learn how to use a sewing machine with the guidance of an expert. No registration required.

Join this joint Earth Month celebration from the cities of Louisville and Lafayette and learn how to make a healthier planet. Hop on a blender-powering energy bike and make your own slushie, shop at a sustainable makers market, watch live wild animal demonstrations and see Jeff and Paige perform a science and nature-themed show for your kiddos.

2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 26, inventHQ Makerspace, 6 Garden Center, Broomfield. Free

BOULDER WEEKLY

EVENTS

26

STRIDER BIKE DERBY

3:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26, Calvary Bible Church, 615 Evans St., Erie. $28-$35 per entry; free to watch Forget the Bolder Boulder: The cutest competitors are the tiny tots at the Strider Bike Derby. Participants age 2-5 scoot their balance bikes around curves, over obstacles and hopefully onto the pint-sized winners podium. Swag bags are given to all athletes. Formal dress and derby hats encouraged for spectators.

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SANITAS SPRING GEAR SALE Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27, Sanitas Brewing, 3550 Frontier Ave. Suite A, Boulder. Free

Already dreaming of shredding the slopes next winter? Maybe take a moment to enjoy spring while it’s here, you powder fiend. Lucky for you, you can grab a beer on the Sanitas patio, and rifle through last season’s discounted gear from Crystal Ski Shop, Stio, Zeal Optics and Angles Ski, Board and Fly Shop if you need a fix.

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BOULDER LITTER CLEAN UP

9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 26, PDQ, 5200 Manhattan Circle, Boulder. Free

27

INTERNATIONAL TEA

2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 27, Lafayette Library, 775 W. Baseline Road. Free

Join the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Boulder County’s Climate Action Team as they partner with local zero-waste nonprofit Eco-Cycle to keep trash and microplastic out of our waterays. Grabbers and gloves will be provided, but bring extra if you can, along with a reusable water bottle.

Celebrate Semana del Niño (Week of the Child), a yearly event dedicated to global child literacy, with sips and snacks from around the world. Learn about the food, beverages and culture of Argentina, England, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Palestine, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sudan and Thailand through local families. Uruguayan singer and guitarist Elisa Garcia will perform Latin American folk songs beginning at 2:30.

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9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 27, Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont.

6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, NoBo Art Center, 4929 Broadway, Unit E, Boulder. $25

NIWOT ANTIQUE AUCTION

Going once, going twice, sold! To the man in the funny hat. Head out to the BoCo fairgrounds and bid on what you don’t need, but absolutely cannot live without, from antique gas pumps to vintage oaken furniture — even an aluminum statue of everyone’s favorite grungy rodent Rat Fink.

DROP-IN FIGURE DRAWING

Swing by the NoBo Art Center in Boulder for this weekly session of facilitated, uninstructed figure drawing with a nude fine arts model. Bring your own drawing supplies. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. The center will provide workhorses, easels and clipboards to share on a first-come, first-served basis.

APRIL 24, 2025

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LIVE MUSIC TH URSDAY, APRIL 24 TONY CRANK. 6 p.m. Bricks Retail, 512 4th Ave., #103, Longmont. Free PATRICK DETHLEFS. 6:30 p.m.

Jamestown Mercantile, 108 Main St. Free SARAH ADAMS. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20 DECHEN HAWK WITH MIKE LAMITOLA. 7 p.m. The Times Collaborative, 338 Main St., Longmont. $18 ‘BIG FISH’ BY JOHN AUGUST WITH ANDREW LIPPA. 7:30 p.m. Imig Music Building, 1020 18th St., Boulder. $28 STEPHEN LEAR BAND. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder.

Free

FRID AY, APRIL 25 COLORADO JUNCTION STRING BAND. 5 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free WEST HWY 7. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free RAVIN’WOLF. 6 p.m. Peaks Bar & Grill, 2300 Indian Peaks Trail, Lafayette. Free NORTH FORK CROSSING. 6 p.m.

The Rock Garden, 338 W. Main St., Lyons. Free THE HARRIMAN SISTERS. 6 p.m.

Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder.

Free SILENT BEAR TRIO. 6 p.m. The Stage at Bricks, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free JAMES CARSON. 7:30 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $15 REX PEOPLES WITH THE DELTA SONICS. 7:30 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $17 DIRTWIRE WITH BANSHEE TREE AND LVDY. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $40 22

APRIL 24, 2025

THE VELVETEERS WITH TINY TOMBOY AND MAY BE FERN. 8 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver.

BW PICK OF THE WEEK ERIC GOLDEN. 8:30 p.m. The Stillery, 10633 Westminster Blvd., #900. Free GRATEFUL HOLLER. 9 p.m. Mountain Sun, 1535 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

S ATURDAY, A P RI L 26 ANSEL WITH THE BRAIN TATTOOS. 2 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free STILL THE SAME. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free AUDIOMEDZ. 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free JAKE LEG. 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $34 CANYON COLLECTIVE. 7:30 p.m.

Gold Hill Store & Pub, 531 Main St., Boulder. $15 THE 5280S BAND. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $16 THE SKINNY. 8 p.m. The Louisville Underground, 640 Main St. $15 BEAST OF NO NATION WITH TAYLOR SCOTT BAND. 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $17 DANNY SHAFER. 8 p.m. Longs Peak Pub, 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont.

Free THE HIGH LINES WITH KOHANNA AND SANTA ANA RODEO. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20 CRYOGEYSER WITH FLOODING AND FLESH TAPE. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $16

S UN DAY, A P RI L 27 ROB PATE & FRIENDS. 3 p.m. Spirit Hound, 4196 Ute Hwy., Lyons. Free JEFF AND PAIGE. 4 p.m. Pearl Street Pedestrian Mall, 1300 Pearl St., Boulder. Free BOULDER WEEKLY

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE BILL

Boulder trio The Velveteers perform April 25 at Denver’s Bluebird Theatre with support from Tiny Tomboy and May Be Fern. The glitzy, witchy local outfit performs on the heels of their newest fuzzed-out offering, A Million Knives, out now via Easy Eye Sound. “[The album] is kind of a love letter to the inner \child in all of us,” says frontwoman Demi Demitro. Scan the QR code for a BW feature on the band before you go. See listing for details.

SCOTT VON. 4 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free THE LAST AMERICAN TRIO. 5 p.m.

Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free BRAINS ON! LIVE. 5 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. $35 SAINT JHN WITH JORDAN HAWKINS AND KEENAN TREVON. 8 p.m.

Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $54 TY SEGALL (SOLO ACOUSTIC) WITH MIKAL CRONIN. 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $62

MON D AY, A P RI L 2 8 SILVERSUN PICKUPS. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. $43 JOYWAVE WITH LITTLE IMAGE. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $29 GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR. 7 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $62

T U E S D AY, A P RI L 2 9 KORINE WITH JOHNNY DYNAMITE & THE BLOODSUCKERS AND UHL. 7 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15 BOULDER WEEKLY

NADA SURF WITH THE CLE ELUM. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $36 DURAND BERNARR WITH SHAE UNIVERSE. 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $37 STORY ON P. 15

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WE DNE SD AY, APRIL 30 STEVIE’S PICKS. 6 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

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OPEN BLUEGRASS PICK. 6 p.m. The Garden at Left Hand, 1245 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free SAPPHIRE’S GARDEN. 6 p.m.

Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. Free DUMMY WITH SUPREME JOY, CHERRY SPIT AND SUN SWEPT. 7 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $16 NELSON RANGELL. 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. $20 PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS WITH GROCERY BAG. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $25 Want more Boulder County events? Check out the complete listings online by scanning this QR code.

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APRIL 24, 2025

23

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

• Volunteer to build/maintain trail • Meet up for a Group Ride • Come out for a Skills Clinic Connect with the Boulder mountain bike community Join (BMA membership) to support our programs Join BMA today and access social events and group rides--

bouldermountainbike.org

bouldermountainbike.org APRIL 24, 2025

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): What’s the oldest living organism on Earth? It’s a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed “Methuselah.”

Almost 4,800 years old, it resides somewhere in California’s White Mountains, though its precise location is kept secret to protect it. In the spirit of shielding and nurturing valuable things, I urge you to consider maintaining similar safeguards in the coming weeks. Like Methuselah, your precious processes and creations might thrive best when allowed to grow free from undue attention.

You may benefit from maintaining privacy and silence about certain matters as they develop.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): You can’t see or hold the wind, though you can feel its force and observe its effects. It scatters some seeds far and wide, dispersing them to grow in unexpected places. When harnessed by turbines, the wind is a renewable energy source.

It can be utilized to pump water and fuel telecommunications equipment. Winds influence daily weather by transporting water and heat. I have summarized wind’s qualities because I see this upcoming phase of your cycle as being wind-like, Taurus. You won’t necessarily have to be obvious to spread your influence. You will be able to work behind the scenes in potent ways. Who knows where your seeds will land and germinate? There will be surprises.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): I love to gaze out my office window at Gallinas Creek during high tide. At certain interludes, the water is perfectly still. It almost perfectly reflects the sky in every detail, with all its clouds, birds and hues of blue. My conscious mind knows the difference between the real sky and reflected sky, but my eyes can’t discern. That’s a helpful metaphor for all of us all the time, and especially for you in the coming weeks. It will be crucial for you to maintain an acute awareness of what’s genuine and what’s illusory.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): The Earth’s first big ecological crisis happened 2.5 billion years ago. Ancient bacteria became a successful life form. They proliferated. The only problem was, they produced an abundance of oxygen, which was toxic to all the other existing life forms at that time. And yet that bump in evolution was ultimately essential in the rise of complex organisms that thrive on oxygen, like us. We wouldn’t be here today without bacteria’s initially problematic intervention. Nothing as monumentally major or epic will occur for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. But I do suspect that what may initially seem disruptive could ultimately generate positive outcomes. I hope you prime yourself to transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth. For best results, set aside your fixed beliefs about what’s necessary for maximum progress.

MORE FUN TRAILS

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ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa devoted meticulous attention to weather conditions. He would postpone shooting a particular scene for days, waiting for the influx of the exact right blend of wind, clouds or precipitation to create the ideal ambiance. I recommend you adopt his patient sense of timing in the coming weeks, Aries. While you typically prefer direct action, now is a favorable phase to coordinate your desire to get what you need with life’s changing conditions. What advantages might you gain by waiting for the ripest moments to arrive?

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): From the 17th through the 19th centuries, Paris was famous for its salons. There, artists, writers and big thinkers assembled to exchange ideas and inspire each other. The salons were often orchestrated by illustrious, educated women in their private homes. They were hotbeds of networking and cultural innovation. Listening and learning were key elements. Now would be an excellent time for you to organize, host or encourage similar gatherings, Cancerian. You have extra power to facilitate the stellar socializing that generates zesty connections and spreads invigorating influences.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) was one of the bravest Americans who ever lived. After escaping enslavement, she heroically returned to other southern plantations many times to help free enslaved people. To accomplish her miraculous rescues, she relied in part on her dreams and visions — what she called divine guidance — to navigate through challenging situations. I suspect you will soon have access to similar assets: extraordinary courage and help from unusual or even supernatural sources. Use these gifts wisely, Leo! VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): The nations of planet Earth launched 263 space flights in 2024 and are on track for over 300 in 2025. Most of the satellites and spacecraft are devoted to scientific research. A relatively small proportion is dedicated to communication, navigation and military uses. I would love for you to have an equally high level of exploratory and experimental energy in the coming weeks, Virgo.

You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms if you spend more time than usual investigating the frontiers. It’s time to expand and extend yourself!

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Sagittarian anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) revolutionized her field. She didn’t study other cultures from a distance with a detached perspective. Instead, she learned their languages and immersed herself in their daily lives. So she earned the intimate understanding to conclude, “What people say, what people do and what they say they do are entirely different things.” This is a crucial principle for you right now. You must directly observe people’s actions rather than simply believing what they say about themselves — or what others say about them.

You must look beyond surface declarations to understand the deeper rhythms and patterns. For best results, be a devoted participant, not an uninvolved judge.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Capricorn mystic Alan Watts wrote The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. He proposed that each of us is far more glorious than our separate, isolated egos. It’s difficult to come to this understanding, however, since our culture conspires to hide it from us. That’s the bad news. The good news, Capricorn, is that you will have an unprecedented chance to partly shatter this taboo in the coming weeks. I have high hopes that you will discover deep truths about yourself that have previously been unavailable.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Beginning in 1946, Bedouins exploring caves near the Dead Sea discovered an immense trove of ancient documents written on parchment.

These manuscripts provided many new revelations into early Christianity, Biblical texts and the history and culture of Judaism. I suspect that in the coming weeks, you may experience a metaphorical equivalent of this breakthrough and unveiling. To prepare, meditate on these questions: 1. What mysterious parts of your life story would you like to have illuminated? 2. About which aspects of your past would you like to receive new truths? 3. Is there anything missing in your understanding of who you really are?

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): White light enters a glass prism and is translated on the other side into a rainbow of colors.

That’s because each color rides its own wavelength, even while seamlessly blended in the white light, and then gets bent differently by the prism. The magic of the prism is that it reveals the hidden spectrum within, the latent diversity contained within the apparently monolithic beam of white light. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I predict that you will be like a prism, bringing out vibrancy in situations or relationships that may seem nondescript or mundane at first glance.

Your ability to discern and appreciate multiple perspectives will enable you to create an intriguing kind of harmony. You will have the power to notice and reveal beauty that has been veiled or unnoticed.

BOULDER WEEKLY

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE My always polite and very high-functioning drunk husband was fucking around for the first 15 years we were together. The other women were “unhappily married co-workers” who needed discretion. He quit drinking and I took him back.

He has maintained his sobriety for 30 years. But he became a turtle: He hid in a shell, abandoned his friends, refused to voice opinions or make decisions. He avoided any intimacy — physical or emotional — with me or anyone else.

Why did sobriety turn him into a monk?

— Vibes Only Marriage Your husband was a high-functioning, philandering drunk for the first 15 years — careful to cheat only with other unhappily married people who would keep his secret — and he’s been an emotionally-inert monk for the last 30. So, you limped along, doing what needed doing, for 45 years, most of them sexless.

It’s too late to remake your marriage, and, at 45 years, it may be too late to end your marriage. So, you can either make peace with what this relationship has been and live the rest of your life with the man you’ve built a life beside but not with. Or you can give yourself permission to want more — even if that “more” is just a solo chapter where you can choose what to watch on TV without allowing your husband’s apathy to register with you.

When my cousin was about 3 years old — my cousin was assigned female at birth — they told everyone they were a boy. My family laughed this off. My cousin stayed consistent on their boyhood until they were about 7. My family, especially my grandparents, have struggled with supporting our gay relatives, but have always tried.

I’ve thought a lot over the years about whether or not I should try to talk to them about their identity, but we’ve ultimately never been that close. I just read Dylan Mulvaney’s memoir and thought BOULDER WEEKLY

about how painful it was for her to have told her mom that she was a girl when she was 4, but not get to live as a woman for another 20 years.

I’m aware my guilt over how our family has treated my cousin is not a good enough reason to do anything, but I think about a possible future where they come out and feel they were never supported. Do I wait until, or if, that ever happens? Or do I try sooner?

— Conflicted Over Unstated Support Involving Nibling When I was a kid, relatives who cracked homophobic jokes around me didn’t start saying supportive things when they began to suspect I was gay.

They just got quiet. If they had asked me about being gay before I was ready to come out, I would’ve panicked and denied it and probably remained closeted for a lot longer.

What I needed was someone to say something positive about gay people to each other when I was around.

Trans and queer issues are very much in the news, thanks to the Trump administration’s attacks. COUSIN, you can express your disapproval of those attacks to the whole family at your next family dinner or on the family group chat.

Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan. Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love APRIL 24, 2025

25

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NIBBLES

YUM FACTOR Craveable soup, pastries, biscuit breakfasts, yuca and sizzling green chile

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

it moved). Eons ago, I had sipped matzo ball soup there at the legendary New York Deli.

High Country’s version is light-years better than grandmother’s bland, mushy canned barley soup. A beautiful broth is stocked with fresh mushrooms, slivers of spring vegetables, leeks, herbs and toothsome barley nuggets. Incidentally, the soup is vegan.

This is John’s Best Of. See reader picks next week when Best of Boulder 2025 drops!

Mexican fare at La Distileria in Broomfield. Credit: John Lehndorff

LA DISTILERIA: ALL PRAISE YUCA BRAVA!

I

n commuting around the Boulder area, I’ve always remained a sightseer. My GPS is set to “restaurant and bakeries near me.” It’s those undiscovered eateries that I share regularly as Taste of the Week recommendations in this column and weekly on Radio Nibbles.

The following selection of recent roadside attractions feature soup in Boulder, pumpernickel in Longmont, and biscuits and gravy in Louisville. There’s crunchy yuca in Broomfield and green chile dished across the street from Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel.

Try them out when you’re in the neighborhood.

Baked treats at Longmont’s Bavarian Bakery.

Credit: John Lehndorff

BAVARIAN BAKERY: THE JOY OF PUMPERNICKEL

As the son of a Viennese immigrant father, I grew up with as many loaves of rye as Wonder Bread in our home kitchen. Locally, these hearty sandwich breads are uncommon on bakery shelves, but Longmont’s Bavarian Bakery specializes in Reuben-ready loaves of Farmer’s Rye and New York Jewish Rye. I took home some Pumpernickel Bratwurst Buns along with a breakfast Danish filled with chunky sausage gravy. The counter is loaded full of sweet and savory goodies including fruit-filled strudel and cakes.

THE HUCKLEBERRY: BISCUIT AND GRAVY REUNION

Vegan mushroom and barley soup at High Country on the Pearl Street Mall. Credit: George Hendricks

HIGH COUNTRY: A SOUPSIPPING FLASHBACK

As I was spooning up a bowl of stellar spring mushroom and barley soup at High Country on the Pearl Street Mall, I had a sense of déjà vu. I had sat at the same table eating sushi at Hapa (before BOULDER WEEKLY

leberry pie, raspberry poppy seed cake, apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, muffins and more.

A get together with an old friend found us eating breakfast at The Huckleberry.

Louisville’s venerable restaurant and bakery is a Hobbit-like warren of cozy dining spaces. The Huckleberry’s brunch roster features classics like latkes, chicken fried steak, corned beef hash, stuffed French toast and huevos rancheros. I dug into biscuits with creamy sausage gravy, over-easy eggs and hash browns.

I like the fluffy inside, crunchy outside of the biscuits. I managed to resist the front glass counters stacked with peach huck-

Don’t be surprised if you haven’t stumbled across La Distileria, well-hidden in a Broomfield shopping center. The spacious eatery and bar dishes platters of tacos, burritos and quesadillas, but we opted to share the chorizo reserva starter. The perfectly shareable plate covered with dry-aged Spanish chorizo, Oaxaca cheese, pickled peppers, guacamole, grilled shishito chilies and pieces of crispy fry bread. We added an order of yuca brava: crispy fried yuca with carnitas, radish salad and spicy mayo.

Green chile and fresh tortillas at Denver’s La Loma Restaurant. Courtesy: La Loma Restaurant

LA LOMA: TRULY GREEN CHILE Oddly, most Colorado green chile sauces are not especially green. Many are red or tan-colored because they include tomatoes or ripe red chilies. During a recent work meeting at La Loma Restaurant in downtown Denver, I sampled green chile that was verdantly green. The decadesold recipe offers thick sauce loaded with lots of roasted chiles and soft chunks of pork that made its presence known, but is not painfully fiery. It was a treat enjoyed with wonderful, warm, housemade flour tortillas.

CULINARY CALENDAR: FREE TREES AND PLANTS To celebrate Boulder’s 42nd year as a Tree City USA, 350 tree seedlings and native plants will be given away — first come, first served — April 26 at the Boulder Farmers Market.

Loveland Aleworks hosts the Love of Pickles Pickle Fest on April 26 with pickle brews, pickle games and vendors including Mountain Girl Pickles, Misfits (pickle pizza), Freeze Dried Freak (freeze dried pickles), and pickle dogs from Urban Hot Dog Collective.

The American Homebrewers Association celebrates Boulderborn National Homebrew Day with a Big Brew on May 3.

Homebrewers will whip up Big Blimp! Barleywine, gold medal-winner in the 2019 and 2023 National Homebrew Competitions. Get the recipe: bit.ly/4hASnLr The Celiac Awareness Festival & Kentucky Derby Party on May 3 at Louisville’s Rocky Mountain Tap & Garden features gluten-free and celiac-safe food and drink plus live music and games. rockymountaintap.com Stop Food Waste Day, April 30, is a global day of action to fight food waste. Try recipes including banana peel biscuits, bananas foster bread and butter pudding, and Madras pickled parsnip peelings: bit.ly/FoodWasteRecipes The Seasonal Supper Club community potluck May 22 at Altona Grange focuses on early season locally grown greens, herbs, sweet peas and asparagus.

Bring a dish using these ingredients to share — enough for six or more — and your own plates, utensils, cups, to-go containers and beverages.

Tickets: bcfm.org/get-involved/ seasonal-supper-club

APRIL 24, 2025

27

NIBBLES

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Sunset at Walden Ponds in Boulder. Credit: John Lehndorff

FREE FISH IN BOULDER? CATCH WITH A KID

Folks who love a good fresh fish fry can angle for free at Boulder’s Wally Toevs Pond, called Walden Ponds, 3893 N. 75th St. Fishing at the recreation area that features a perfect fishing pier and a scenic backdrop is only open to people 65 years and older and those with disabilities, and their companions 15 years or younger. There are catch limits on spring-stocked bluegill, rainbow trout and largemouth bass. Check the rules at: bit.ly/ WaldenPondsRules.

Walden Ponds hosts a Senior Fish-off & Fish Fry 6:30-10 a.m. on April 25. Tickets: bit.ly/FishFryBW

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: MISTER OSO DEBUTS IN BOULDER Mister Oso, a Latin-American eatery, has opened in the lobby of the new Moxy Hotel on the Hill, 253 Pleasant St. Local finalists for the James Beard 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards include Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder (Outstanding Restaurant), Alma Fonda Fina, Denver (Best New Restaurant) – (sister eatery to Boulder’s Cozobi Fonda Fina), and Parker’s Poulette Bakeshop (Outstanding Pastry Chef). See other nominees: jamesbeard.org Best Day Ever Coffee and Crepes, employing those with physical and intellectual disabilities, is open at 516 Coffman St. in Longmont.

Longmont’s Urban Field Pizza placed fifth in the Detroit-style category for its lamb gyro pie at the 2025 International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

WORDS TO CHEW ON: FEELING THE CHEESE

“You put your left index finger on your closed eye and your right finger on the cheese. If they feel sort of the same, the cheese is ready to eat.”

— M. Taittinger, explaining how to tell when cheeses are ripe.

John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News and host of Radio Nibbles on KGNU. Podcasts: kgnu.org/category/radio-nibbles

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APRIL 24, 2025

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ON DRUGS

TRANQUILIZERS FOUND IN OPIOIDS Veterinary meds suppress overdose-reversing Narcan

BY C. MICHAEL WHITE THE CONVERSATION

T

he animal tranquilizers xylazine and medetomidine are in approximately one-third of the illegal opioids available in the U.S., including fentanyl, heroin and oxycodone. Animal tranquilizers enhance the user’s euphoric high from opioids, particularly in those who have developed a tolerance to the opioid.

But adding the tranquilizers to these already illicit drugs could keep naloxone, a medication known to prevent deaths from opioid overdose, from working.

These are the key findings of my recent study, published in March 2025 in the Journal of Pharmacy Technology.

As a pharmacist and researcher who investigates the physical and psychological effects of illegal drugs and “legal high” substances, I’m well aware of how animal tranquilizers in opioids have critical health implications for users, their families and the first responders who try to help them.

I conducted this new systematic review to collate information on the prevalence of animal tranquilizer adulteration of illicit opioid products, the mechanisms of action, and how these new products

30

APRIL 24, 2025

could affect the current recommendations for naloxone use in people who have stopped breathing.

WHY IT MATTERS

Neither emergency personnel nor loved ones can tell whether a user has taken only the opioid or a combination drug, which means they can no longer be sure whether the naloxone will work.

This is all happening as overdose opioid deaths in the U.S. experienced a slight decline. There were just over 81,0000 deaths in 2023, about a 4% decrease from the previous year.

Much of that progress is due to the increased accessibility of naloxone since

Opioids, much of them illicit, kill more than 80,000 Americans every year.

Quick administration of naloxone — also known as Narcan — by a first responder, loved one or bystander can revive an opioid user who has overdosed.

If administered in time, naloxone is effective in over 90% of cases.

Typically, a nasal spray is used.

By blocking the brain’s opioid receptors, naloxone keeps the opioid from suppressing the user’s ability to breathe.

But animal tranquilizers bypass the opioid receptors; instead, they overstimulate the brain’s alpha-2 receptors, which are responsible for inducing relaxation.

Naloxone, however, does not significantly affect alpha-2 receptors, so it doesn’t work as well with opioids laced with animal tranquilizers.

To put it another way, naloxone remains effective against the opioid portion of a combination prodCredit: Stephen Foster uct, but it’s ineffective against the its approval as a nonprescription nasal animal tranquilizer component. spray by the U.S. Food and Drug Even after naloxone was administered Administration in March 2023. to them, 73% of people in one study who Today, it’s common to see health agenused opioids blended with xylazine or cies giving away naloxone for free at medetomidine required mechanical venticommunity events, workplaces putting lation and 55% were comatose. naloxone boxes near their automatic Often, the result is death. One study external defibrillators, and rescue kits conshows just over 35% of users who overdosed on xylazine, with or without opioids, taining naloxone in public places, from universities to highway rest stops. died.

WHAT STILL ISN’T KNOWN

Because of the possible presence of xylazine or medetomidine in these drugs, changes might be needed to the standard recommendations to treat opioid emergencies. But this has not been systematically studied.

Currently, if you can’t rouse a person you suspect has overdosed, the recommendation is to administer the first nasal dose of naloxone before calling 911.

But now, because of the possibility the opioid contains a tranquilizer, it might be better to call 911 before giving the first dose, as is now recommended in New York state. That way, first responders arrive sooner and can provide mechanical ventilation, if needed.

Should the person not revive after the first dose, rather than following the current standard recommendation — sitting and waiting two minutes before dispensing the second dose — new research suggests it might be better to do rescue breathing.

Regardless of what happens in the interdose period, if the second dose is unsuccessful, New York state now recommends rescue breathing until first responders arrive.

C. Michael White is a distinguished professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Connecticut. The Conversation is a nonprofit media outlet featuring academic experts.

BOULDER WEEKLY

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