Boulder Weekly 05.29.2025

MONTH breaking barriers

JUNE 2025

Boulder | Longmont | Loveland | Fort Collins

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COMMENTARY

OPINION

SUN SHOULD SET ON SUNCOR

The polluting oil refinery is killing people. Why won’t Gov. Polis shut it down?

BY PHIL DOE

There have been several recent articles and reports in local papers lamenting the loss of outgoing EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker, and what her loss is likely to mean with regard to making the infamous Suncor refinery comply with the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act (CAA). Suncor has been out of compliance

with the CAA for over a decade. Becker’s actions undoubtedly provided momentary relief from citizen conviction that government elites work almost exclusively for the moneyed interests. Frankly, she was fighting with her hands tied.

The 75-year-old CAA is a rickety remnant of the past. It has never undergone significant modernization — the last major

MAY 29, 2025

Volume 32, Number 41

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, Phil Doe, Michele Goldberg, Ava Henrickson, John Lehndorff, Dan Savage, Toni Tresca

SALES AND MARKETING

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING: Kellie Robinson

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Matthew Fischer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Simone Gonzalez, Austen Lopp

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman

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

update was in 1990 — and is in no way adequate to fight the climate crisis. Becker was forced to fight a civilizationdevouring monster with a peashooter. Still, good for her. She fought with the only weapon she had.

Becker may deserve greater recognition for her leadership as a state legislator. She was instrumental in passage of the Colorado Oil and Gas Reform Act in 2019.

Unlike the CAA, the 2019 reform act takes a holistic approach with no polluter escape hatches allowed. It simply declares that on all issues oil and gas in this state, public health and the environment must be protected against substantial harm. This is a true break from most state and federal environmental

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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.

laws, because, for once, public wellbeing and the planet come before private gain.

Even our market-worshiping governor — upon signing the bill into law as one of his first official acts in 2019 — said it represented a sea change, the “most sweeping oil and gas reforms in Colorado history.”

Unfortunately, the Polis administration has seen to it that this “sea change” has created not the slightest ripple of consequence in state oil regulation. This administration has approved almost 8,000 new oil wells, according to an ongoing monthly count by volunteers with progressive activist group Be The Change, where I am the environmental director, with only a few being rejected.

In deciding whether or not to renew Suncor’s permits to pollute, what if the requirements of the state’s 2019 reform act were combined with the limited requirements of the outdated CAA? What excuse would the Polis administration have to keep it going? I think the answer is already known.

Local citizens such as Lucy Molina, Nikie Wells and Renee Chacon, people speaking out in recent reports, are the message bearers. They say they are being killed by Suncor. The Environmental Protection Agency con-

OPINION

firmed this conclusion when its 2023 examination showed the area around the refinery had some of the worst air quality in the nation and that public health was being sacrificed as a result. Suncor has exceeded its pollution permits over 9,000 times in the last five years, according to a lawsuit filed by environmental groups last year.

Cultivando, a local Latino health advocacy group, found that PM 2.5 (soot) from Suncor exceeded the federal standard all the time, sometimes by factors in the thousands. PM 2.5 kills an estimated 8 million people annually.

Cultivando’s air quality study measured over 50 dangerous pollutants, including cancer-causing benzene and radioactive particles. Their noted toxicologist said the synergistic effects of all these chemicals were cumulative as to their health consequences and that if he had a pregnant daughter, he would not let her live anywhere near Suncor.

It is time the Polis administration stopped hiding behind the CAA and started protecting people. State law requires it. Simple decency demands it.

Phllip Doe is a retired federal employee, a featured whistleblower on 60 Minutes and is a frequent writer for the online magazine CounterPunch. He can be reached at ptdoe@comcast.net

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STAND UP OR GET OUT OF THE WAY

If our senators and representatives aren’t getting into good trouble right now and ensuring that Trump’s authoritarian agenda goes absolutely nowhere, then they are undeserving of their office. The cruelty will continue and people will die because of cuts to healthcare and social services, the quashing of dissent and the export of American weaponry to create the largest generation of child amputees in history in Gaza, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

This regime is immoral. It is unethical. It is disgusting and un-American. It cannot be allowed to stand.

Our national elected officials should be raising hell on a daily basis, trying to protect what’s left of a potential democracy in this country before it’s lost for decades. But the fact that their names or faces rarely make an appearance in the news cycle is extraordinarily telling. They’re doing too little to fight back and, by embracing apathy in the face of fascism, proving that they’re nothing more than corporate mouthpieces and authoritarian appeasers. If they don’t have the courage to speak up, especially from a position of influence, then they should resign immediately, even though the realists among us know they likely aren’t going anywhere.

registries aren’t true so the mistake is understandable.

You wrote: “Residency restrictions are definitely effective at one thing: banning registered sex offenders from certain neighborhoods.”

Residency restrictions ban people from sleeping in certain places; they don’t ban sex offenders from the entire neighborhoods. They’re residency restrictions, not “no-go zones.” They control where people reside.

Believe it or not, sex offenders have cars. Another fact that people don’t know: Sex offenders have their own children. Imagine the number of children in the country dealing with the ongoing, daily shame of having a parent on the sex offender registry.

wonder there’s so much recidivism.

In my opinion as a retired therapist, if you don’t get to the root cause and heal that, of course they will re-offend. To say sex offenders can’t be rehabilitated is true if you don’t use therapy that’s effective.

I have a colleague who used to see court-ordered domestic violence perpetrators. He was barred from using experiential therapies because the powers that be were too worried that these men getting in touch with their anger and rage would make them more angry and rageful. This is very shortsighted thinking.

I thought folks might want to understand this part of the equation.

– Kim Thomas, Boulder

I sincerely hope there’s a shred of conscience in them and that they’ll step up in this important moment to be an actual fighter for all of us, especially those who are suffering the most, both here and overseas. And if they’re not willing to do that, then let’s hope that, if there are midterm elections in 2026, there are enough change makers who are brave enough to run.

– Sam Fogleman, Erie

REGISTRIES, RESTRICTIONS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL

I appreciate the honest reporting on the sex offender article (“Longmont weighs ‘arbitrary’ sex offender residency restrictions,” May 8). A perfect example of politicians not doing what’s best for their communities but instead what’s best for their political career.

People don’t realize that the Constitution exists to protect exactly the kind of rights that the Longmont council voted into law. You can’t punish people after the fact, you can’t impede on a persons’ right to travel and move about freely, and you can’t banish a group of people you don’t like from your town with policies that don’t work — even if it is in the name of “protecting children.”

There is, however, something in the article that I did want to bring your attention to. I’m sure you didn’t mean to write something untrue, but most things people assume about sex offenders

Why do we always have to have a group of people to hate? We hate them so much that we even write laws making it legal to deny them their constitutional rights, put them on registries to publicly punish and shame, forcing them into homelessness and unemployment — for life!

I’m still waiting for one, just one journalist to ask this question: Do we really believe that putting people on a public list that shames and labels a person for life is protecting children from dangerous rapists? Of course we don’t!

We put dangerous people in prison, remember? Let the rest of us move on with our lives.

Unless of course you don’t mind a drunk driver registry. Get a DUI and get put on a list for life. We should probably protect our children from being killed by a drunk driver by knowing all the people in our neighborhood who have ever been drunk behind the wheel, right?

– Richard Seago, Albuquerque, New Mexico

GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

I just read the sex offenders in Longmont article in the Weekly. I have a suggestion for another article: How about someone does a deep dive on how sex offender treatment is conducted?

I may be out of date on this, but both sex offenders and domestic violence perpetrators who are subject to courtordered therapy are given shame-andblame cognitive behavioral therapy. No

WHIP IT GOOD

It was amusing that your piece about the dangers of whippits (“The return of whippits,” May 22) — that is, nitrous oxide cartridges — abutted a frolicsome and glamorous full page liquor store advert.

While it’s true the potential harms of huffing laughing gas are real enough, frolicking in the creek with lovely Hazel when juiced up could also be fatal. Slippery when wet! As Devo sang in 1980, “When a problem comes along / You must whip it!”

Earl Noe, Boulder

–

The ongoing genocide in Gaza is creating the “largest cohort of child amputees in modern history,” according to a U.N. humanitarian aid organization. Credit: Jaber Jehad Badwan

Courtesy: livepict.com

BOCO, BRIEFLY

Your

local news at a glance

BY KAYLEE HARTER

LAFAYETTE JOINS SUIT CHALLENGING STATE LAWS ON HOUSING DENSITY, PARKING

The City of Lafayette has joined Aurora, Arvada, Glendale, Greenwood Village and Westminster in suing the state and Gov. Jared Polis over what the cities say is a violation of their home rule authority.

The lawsuit stems from two bills signed into law by the governor last year: HB241313, which requires some cities to allow denser housing around certain transit lines and bus routes, and HB24-1304, which prohibits minimum parking requirements for new apartment and multifamily developments near certain transit lines.

The suit claims the laws violate the rights afforded to home rule municipalities in the Colorado Constitution. Home rule municipalities are governed by their own charter and “are not required to follow state statutes in matters of local and municipal concern and therefore enjoy freedom from state interference regarding local and municipal matters,” according to the Colorado Municipal League.

Lafayette would have to revise its land use code under HB 24-1313, according to the suit, and would have to “limit the public’s ability to be heard on new developments and reduce the City Council’s ability to consider resident input.”

“House Bills 24-1313 and 1304 violate Lafayette’s constitutional authority to plan a community that builds upon the unique characteristics of its residents and deny community members the chance to have their voices heard,” a City of Lafayette press release stated.

According to the suit, the law regarding housing near transit “[d]isregards, eliminates, and undermines decades of comprehensive, thoughtful, residentinformed planning undertaken by the Cities in favor of a one-size-fits-all rezoning scheme — without any planning whatsoever — that will change the character, liveability, and very essence of

countless neighborhoods that many of the Cities’ residents have called home for years and even generations.”

A spokesperson for the governor’s office said in an emailed statement that the laws “break down barriers to housing” and that they are “confident a court will rule in the state’s favor.”

“Coloradans are demanding action from our leaders to bring down housing costs,” the spokesperson wrote. “Our state has a housing shortage, and the Governor wants to bring everyone to the table to help find solutions because this is a challenge that crosses local boundaries.

“It’s disappointing to see certain local governments that have among the priciest homes in Colorado use taxpayer money on a lawsuit that could go toward lowering the cost of housing. It’s clear this lawsuit is about preventing more housing from being built that Coloradans can afford.”

port” valued at $250,000 per year and $400,000 per year in cash as the festival “gets established in its new location.”

The city’s contributions “could include rebates, permitting reimbursements and direct services, such as assistance with

The suit argues that the laws will “likely make matters worse for housing affordability rather than better.”

BOULDER PLEDGES $34M TO SUNDANCE

The proposal that won Boulder its bid to host Sundance included a pledge of $34 million over 10 years in contributions to the festival from Boulder organizations, matching the amount already pledged by the state and bringing the total contributions to an estimated $69.8 million.

The coalition of contributors includes Visit Boulder, the Boulder Chamber, CU Boulder and the City of Boulder, according to a Visit Boulder spokesperson.

“The Boulder partners are not approaching this opportunity as a call to write a lump-sum check,” Visit Boulder spokesperson Karleen Lewis wrote in an emailed statement. “Instead, they are looking forward to participating in a meaningful and evolving partnership with the Sundance Institute to co-create an environmentally responsible, rooted and community-aligned cultural institution, benefiting both Boulder and the State of Colorado.”

Visit Boulder’s contributions include “in-kind destination and marketing sup-

traffic planning, parking coordination and public safety” valued at $2.1 million, according to Lewis.

“The Sundance Film Festival represents a unique opportunity to enhance the community’s commitment to arts and culture with an organization that shares Boulder’s core values of equity, sustainability, resilience and inclusion,” Lewis wrote. “It is also an investment in Boulder’s local economy and vibrancy. Even without the Festival, arts and culture events are key economic drivers in Boulder.”

The 2024 Sundance Festival in Utah generated $132 million in economic activity, according to Lewis. Boulder is slated to host the festival for a decade beginning in 2027.

RECORD-SETTING BOLDER BOULDER

Grace Loibach Nawowuna of Kenya set the course record for women in the pro race at Bolder Boulder on May 26, with a time of 31:52 — a 5:08 minute mile and 21 seconds faster than the previous course record set in 1995.

Conner Mantz became the first runner to win three back-to-back titles in the men’s pro race, completing the course in 28:21, 29 seconds shy of the 27:52 record set in 1995.

BOCO GIVES GRANTS FOR FOOD TRUCK ELECTRIFICATION

Food trucks licensed to operate in Boulder County can now receive 80% of the cost of upgrading to electric battery systems and energy-efficient kitchen equipment through a new grant program.

The program could help more than 180 businesses, according to a press release.

“Together, we’re building a future fueled by clean electricity,” Susie Strife, director of sustainability for Boulder County, said in the release. “By electrifying everything we currently run on gas or natural gas — even food trucks — we can create healthier communities, improve air quality, and reduce costs.”

The grant is offered through Boulder County’s Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE), in collaboration with the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) and the City of Boulder.

Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis while funding lasts. The funding is part of PACE’s budget for rebates and incentives, which totals $1.6 million for all programs.

An electrification rally will be hosted June 3 from 2-4 p.m. at the Latino Chamber of Commerce (1925 Pike Road, Suite 202, Longmont). The event “will include electrified food truck demos, advice from experts on food truck electrification, support from the RAQC and PACE teams, and free food and drinks.” RSVP at bit.ly/ElectricFoodTruckBW

IN OTHER NEWS…

• Boulder’s free park-to-park shuttle is back up and running for the season through Sept. 1. The shuttle runs weekends and holidays every 15 minutes to and from Chautauqua Park with 15 stops throughout Boulder. More info: ParktoPark.org

• The Boulder-based clean energy think tank RMI — formerly Rocky Mountain Institute — has laid off 10% of its staff. According to the nonprofit’s webpage, the organization had over 700 employees worldwide. A spokesperson for the organization said the layoffs were part of a “right-sizing RMI to ensure our longevity and leadership in a more complex global energy landscape.” The Department of Energy recently terminated two of RMIs grants, totaling $6.8 million.

Boulder will host Sundance beginning in 2027. Credit: Jezy Gray

GOV’T WATCH

What your local officials are up to this week

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

BOULDER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

On Wednesday, June 4, commissioners will:

• Host the Consortium of Cities (CoC) meeting on the third floor of the Boulder County Courthouse from 6-8 p.m. The Consortium features representatives from local governments throughout the county who work together on regional issues.

This month, the group will be discussing property and other tax allocations and grant/federal funding, “specifically how can we form a coalition to maximize the use of funds regionally,” according to the county website. An update on the transportation plan may also be presented.

Learn more and find the link to attend virtually: bit.ly/CoCJune4

LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL

At a May 27 workshop, council:

Received a presentation from Magellan Strategies, a company hired to poll community support for a 20-year capital projects bond question on November’s ballot. Council is considering an increase in either property taxes or sales taxes to renovate and expand the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, renovate the parks and public works service center and construct a new civic center.

A property tax increase would cost $48 per $100,000 in home value annually, or $296 per $685,00, the average home price in the city. A .85% sales tax increase would raise Lafayette’s tax to 9.90%, the highest in the region.

Of the 788 registered voters who responded to the poll, 57% said they would approve a property tax and 58% would approve a sales tax. When asked which of the three capital projects included in the ballot would make them more likely to vote yes, the Bob L. Burger Recreation Center

received 79% of the votes, the Service Center received 64%, and the Civic Center received 58%.

The council supported a property tax ballot question this year but split on whether to advance one ballot measure — which would approve funding for all three projects — or two: one that would fund the recreation and service centers, with approval for the civic center as a standalone question.

Staff will bring the council ballot language to show both options for consideration.

TOWN OF SUPERIOR

On Thursday, May 29, town staff will:

• Host an open house about the town’s transportation plan and comprehensive plan, a document that will guide the future of Superior for the next 10-20 years, including discussion of potential land uses for future development.

The open house is from 5-7 p.m. at Superior Community Center (1500 Coalton Road).

On Thursday, June 5, the planning and building department will:

• Host a panel of experts to talk about “cultural intelligence” — the ability to adapt and respond to various cultural needs and values — as it relates to the update of the town’s comprehensive plan.

The event is from 6-7 p.m. at Town Hall (124 E. Coal Creek Drive). Learn more: bit.ly/CompPlanJune5

On Friday, June 6, town council will:

• Meet with residents for an informal discussion about town issues as part of the ongoing First Fridays Coffee event series. The event is from 7:45-9:30 a.m. at Superior Community Center.

TOWN OF NEDERLAND

On Thursday, May 29, the town will:

• Hold Town Talk from 6-8 p.m. at Very Nice Brewing (20 Lakeview Drive, #112). Town staff and board members will be on hand to answer your pressing questions and hear your concerns. There’s no set agenda, so feel free to “discuss whatever is on your mind.”

All agenda items subject to change. Karen Norback contributed reporting.

CU BOULDER PROF EXPLAINS TRUMP’S GOLDEN DOME

Proposed nationwide missile defense system would cost $175B BY THE CONVERSATION

President Donald Trump announced a plan to build a missile defense system, called the Golden Dome, on May 20. The system is intended to protect the United States from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles, and missiles launched from space.

been specifically developed to counter America’s highly advanced missile defense systems such as the Patriot and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System.

For example, the new hypersonic missiles are very high speed, operate in a region of the atmosphere where nothing else flies and are maneuverable. All of these aspects combined create a new challenge that requires a new, updated defensive approach.

Russia has fired hypersonic missiles against Ukraine in the ongoing conflict. China parades its new hypersonic missiles in Tiananmen Square.

Trump is calling for the current budget to allocate $25 billion to launch the initiative, which the government projected will cost $175 billion. He said Golden Dome will be fully operational before the end of his term in three years and will provide close to 100% protection.

The Conversation U.S. asked Iain Boyd, an aerospace engineer and director of the Center for National Security Initiatives at the University of Colorado Boulder, about the Golden Dome plan and the feasibility of Trump’s claims. Boyd receives funding for research unrelated to Golden Dome from defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

Why does the United States need a missile shield?

Several countries, including China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, have been developing missiles over the past few years that challenge the United States’ current missile defense systems. These weapons include updated ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, and new hypersonic missiles. They have

So it’s reasonable to think that, to ensure the protection of its homeland and to aid its allies, the U.S. may need a new missile defense capability.

What are the components of a national missile defense system?

Such a defense system requires a global array of geographically distributed sensors that cover all phases of all missile trajectories.

First, it is essential for the system to detect the missile threats as early as possible after launch, so some of the sensors must be located close to regions where adversaries may fire them, such as by China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Then, it has to track the missiles along their trajectories as they travel hundreds or thousands of miles.

These requirements are met by deploying a variety of sensors on a number of different platforms on the ground, at sea, in the air and in space. Interceptors are placed in locations that protect vital U.S. assets and usually aim to engage threats during the middle portion of the trajectory between launch and the terminal dive.

The U.S. already has a broad array of sensors and interceptors in place around the world and in space primarily to protect the U.S. and its allies from ballistic missiles. The sensors would need to be expanded, including with more spacebased sensors, to detect new missiles

such as hypersonic missiles. The interceptors would need to be enhanced to enable them to address hypersonic weapons and other missiles and warheads that can maneuver.

Does this technology exist?

Intercepting hypersonic missiles specifically involves several steps.

First, as explained above, a hostile missile must be detected and identified as a threat. Second, the threat must be tracked along all of its trajectory due to the ability of hypersonic missiles to maneuver. Third, an interceptor missile must be able to follow the threat and get close enough to it to disable or destroy it.

The main new challenge here is the ability to track the hypersonic missile continuously. This requires new types of sensors to detect hypersonic vehicles and new sensor platforms that are able to provide a complete picture of the hypersonic trajectory. As described, Golden Dome would use the

Israel’s Iron Dome, which includes launchers like the one pictured here at a 2017 Israeli Air Force exhibition at Ramat David Air Force Base, has been described as the most effective of its kind in the world.

Credit: Oren Rozen

This illustration of the proposed Golden Dome missile defense system was designed and rendered using open-source 3D computer graphic software tool Blender and data from NASA. Credit: Wikideas1, via Wikimedia Commons

Iain Boyd. Courtesy: CU Boulder

sensors in a layered approach in which they are installed on a variety of platforms in multiple domains, including ground, sea, air and space.

These various platforms would need to have different types of sensors that are specifically designed to track hypersonic threats in different phases of their flight paths. These defensive systems will also be designed to address weapons fired from space. Much of the infrastructure will be multipurpose and able to defend against a variety of missile types.

In terms of time frame for deployment, it is important to note that Golden Dome will build from the long legacy of existing U.S. missile defense systems. Another important aspect of Golden Dome is that some of the new capabilities have been under active development for years. In some ways, Golden Dome represents the commitment to actually deploy systems for which considerable progress has already been made.

Is near 100% protection a realistic claim?

Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system has been described as the most effective system of its kind anywhere in the world.

But even Iron Dome is not 100% effective, and it has also been overwhelmed on occasion by Hamas and others who fire very large numbers of inexpensive missiles and rockets at it. So it is unlikely that any missile defense system will ever provide 100% protection.

The more important goal here is to achieve deterrence, similar to the stalemate in the Cold War with the Soviet Union that was based on nuclear weapons. All of the new weapons that Golden Dome will defend against are very expensive. The U.S. is trying to change the calculus in an opponent’s thinking to the point where they will consider it not worth shooting their precious high-value missiles at the U.S. when they know there is a high probability of them not reaching their targets.

Is three years a feasible time frame?

That seems to me like a very aggressive timeline, but with multiple countries

now operating hypersonic missiles, there is a real sense of urgency.

Existing missile defense systems on the ground, at sea and in the air can be expanded to include new, more capable sensors. Satellite systems are beginning to be put in place for the space layer. Sensors have been developed to track the new missile threats.

Putting all of this highly complex system together, however, is likely to take more than three years. At the same time, if the U.S. fully commits to Golden Dome, a significant amount of progress can be made in this time.

What does the president’s funding request tell you?

President Trump is requesting a total budget for all defense spending of about $1 trillion in 2026. So, $25 billion to launch Golden Dome would represent only 2.5% of the total requested defense budget.

Of course, that is still a lot of money, and a lot of other programs will need to be terminated to make it possible. But it is certainly financially achievable.

How will Golden Dome differ from Iron Dome?

Similar to Iron Dome, Golden Dome will consist of sensors and interceptor missiles but will be deployed over a much wider geographical region and for defense against a broader variety of threats in comparison with Iron Dome.

A second-generation Golden Dome system in the future would likely use directed energy weapons such as highenergy lasers and high-power microwaves to destroy missiles. This approach would significantly increase the number of shots that defenders can take against ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles.

Iain Boyd receives funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and LockheedMartin Corporation, a defense contractor that sells missile defense systems and could potentially benefit from the implementation of Golden Dome.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article: bit.ly/43xGOzg.

COVER ASK MICHELE

Endurance sports and the fine line between healing and harm

BY MICHELE GOLDBERG

Q: Two of my neighbors are triathletes. Is this a Boulder thing? I might want to train because I’m going through something, but it seems like their entire lives. Is that healthy?

This one’s complicated. Endurance sports can be alchemical, transforming time, presence and physical effort into something magical. When your own heartbeat is all you hear, it’s transcendent.

Athletics can be a lifeline that directs us when we’re lost, converting emotional pain into a physical purpose. This can help us regulate mood through motion, metabolize grief and reclaim agency after trauma. Even without grief or loss, athletic endeavors are a way to move our energy or find a concrete achievable focus to feel powerful or limitless, to prove we can achieve something seemingly impossible with persistence.

We can run through something. But we can also run from it.

You’re wise to be cautious: The key isn’t whether it’s healthy, but what your relationship is with it. When you can’t make family dinner because you must hit

those extra miles, body crying for rest, please stop. It’s no longer liberating if it’s rigid, obsessive or disconnecting.

WHEN STRUCTURE FEELS LIKE SALVATION

Ultramarathons, triathlons and long-distance cycling often draw people during periods of loss or transition. We crave clarity and control when our lives are unwieldy. These activities offer forward motion when everything feels stuck.

It’s not just metaphorical. Endurance sports physically mimic emotional suffering: discomfort, struggle, depletion, repair. But unlike emotional pain, we choose this suffering. That matters.

Voluntary pain can feel like power, especially if your past includes helplessness.

Unlike loneliness, there’s a beginning, middle and end — a way to measure progress and provide a sense of triumph.

You get to take what you need:

replace unhealthy habits, substitute group training for isolation, get outdoors away from an inward loop of toxic rumination, attune to your body and listen for inner guidance, or learn to follow the direction of a routine. You get to feel better, feel something, or feel less. Physical sensations crowd out mental noise. And physical persistence can increase hope and perseverance in other areas of life. But beware false idols. This is not your salvation.

THE NEUROCHEMISTRY OF MOTION

Extended exertion floods your system with dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. These chemicals are depleted in grief, depression or early recovery from addiction. This chemical cocktail offers immediate and profound relief. For some, it’s the first time they’ve felt OK in their bodies.

But when movement becomes the only way to regulate mood or cope with life, it stops being healing. It gets a bit bossy.

WHEN COPING BECOMES COMPULSION

If recreational movement is no longer a choice but a demand, sound the alarm. Be on alert if you are a perfectionist, bounce between extremes or are highly competitive. As you continue in your journey, ask if you enjoy what you’re doing or simply feel compelled. Ask yourself why the intensity of endurance sports interests you. There are good reasons to commit to movement — and bad ones.

REIMAGINING BALANCE

A healthy relationship with endurance sports looks like:

• Taking rest days and allowing yourself to tune into emotions and sensations

• Listening to body over metrics to guide training; checking in, not out

• Using movement as one tool among many for emotional process and regulation

• Staying available to other people and commitments, celebrating life’s diversity

• Holding training goals loosely, with room for daily body shifts and life’s unpredictability

• Working with coaches/therapists who understand the psychology of sport

Addictive patterns include:

• Doing more than intended; unsuccessful efforts to moderate (loss of control)

• Craving or needing it to feel normal (dependence)

• Continuing despite harm (denial)

• Neglecting obligations or relationships, overtaking bandwidth (salience/dominance)

• Tolerance and withdrawal (biochemical)

• Engaging to escape other hard things (avoidance)

• Inordinate time spent planning for/ pursuing/engaging in/recovering (preoccupation)

EMBODIMENT OR DENIAL?

Exercise facilitates embodiment: feeling your feet greet the earth, cultivating gratitude for these fleshy bits that do cool things. But training can mask body image issues, disordered eating or exercise bulimia (needing to counter calories consumed by expending equal or greater calories through movement). If you’re constantly checking the numbers, the mirror, your body composition, or judging yourself for missed/imperfect workouts, the pursuit of health may be hiding a deeper problem. You may need gentle care more than pushing and striving.

THE DEMAGOGY OF DISCIPLINE

Cultural narratives glamorize “no excuses” as grit. Nike told us to. But overtraining stalls progress, compromises immunity, increases injury and depletes resilience. It diverts attention from diverse and important life experiences. Pain isn’t virtue. Punishing yourself in this way is just culturally condoned masochism.

When the goalpost keeps moving, if no PR (personal record) feels like enough, you might not be chasing health; you might be chasing worth. And “doing” will never amount to enough for you to have peace with your “being.”

PURPOSE AND PEOPLE

Endurance sports become part of who we are and enhance belonging. We work hard because we value meaningful effort. We integrate our goals into our self-concepts: We are marathoners. And we accomplish it together. It’s a beautiful irony that training for competition is often collaborative. But if performance becomes our only source of self-esteem and social contact, then how do we survive injury, plateau or aging?

While training together can be a form of connection, it can also isolate us from other networks. An obsessive mind will stack on solitary training. If it’s the priority, you become self-absorbed. If it’s a priority, you can be a better friend and partner because it enhances wellbeing. Just make sure you’re still in charge of the relationship and the sport isn’t running you. Because once you start going it alone, the practice becomes a prison.

ADVICE

CONSISTENT ADJUSTMENT

Change it up to maintain flexibility, spontaneity and freedom. Listen to your body and shift from external goals to internal cues. You don’t have to quit or go all in. Read your rhythm: grit and grace must alternate.

Not all pain can or should be processed through motion. Some of it needs stillness. Healing often happens by feeling what we’re avoiding, not by outrunning it.

MEDITATIVE AND MEANINGFUL

When pursued with mindfulness, endurance sports can be sacred. They can be a spiritual practice, a way to process deep feeling, connect and reclaim power. They can build resilience, selfreliance and even nervous system regulation.

Bilateral movement (like walking or cycling) can support emotional processing. But the alchemy only works when you’re present.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Would you rather learn to be with or master yourself? Intention counts. Your why matters.

Your neighbors may be dedicated and joyful in their sport. Or they may be trapped in an unrelenting achievement loop. You can’t know from the outside. But you can experiment and play at your own pace.

Endurance sports are liberating when pursued in partnership with your body, not in opposition to it. Healing begins when effort is balanced by rest. And sometimes, your mental health hits its stride when your breath stops racing and starts leading.

Write in with your questions: bit.ly/ AskaTherapistBW. And check Find Your Center Therapy’s blog for a deeper dive: 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.

MUSIC

LIVING THING

Blondshell offers a snapshot of real life

BY LAUREN HILL

In an era when artists are reckoning with the nature of their relationships to their fans, pouring your heart out on a record — in every gruesome, emotional detail — takes guts. Blondshell, a.k.a. Sabrina Teitelbaum, doesn’t hesitate to get vulnerable on her second album, If You Asked for a Picture.

From top to bottom, it’s packed with razor-sharp lyrics that will, without warning or permission, cause you to instantaneously teleport to your last emotional hangover. Take the rollicking ’90s altrock guitar banger “Arms,” when Teitelbaum bemoans the all-too-familiar experience of asking a man for the bare minimum: “I don’t wanna be your mom.” Or later on the poppier “What’s Fair,” when the 28-year-old songwriter from L.A. describes hanging up on a deadend phone call with an absent parent: “You’d want me to be famous, so you could live by proxy / You always had a reason to comment on my body.”

These lines are gut-wrenching snapshots that, put together, give you an entire picture.

“Showing a glimpse into a story can be just as important as trying to capture the entire thing,” Teitelbaum tells Boulder Weekly ahead of her June 8 show at Denver’s Gothic Theatre.

“Sometimes it’s even truer to the entire picture than if you tried to write everything down.”

‘TO BE WITH MY PEOPLE’

This kind of visceral honesty creates a bona fide connection between artist and listener, which makes performing live feel electric. Her creative process is dynamic, imperfect and organic, wherein lyrics come first and production comes second, creating a sentient energy that’s nearly impossible to adequately capture in a studio recording.

“I want to connect with people through music. But when it’s just digital, you can’t really feel it,” Teitelbaum says. “Playing the music live is closer to the original form of the music — it’s a living thing — so it feels really natural to go be with people.”

Teitelbaum made her mark on the indie-rock scene in 2023 with her debut self-titled record, which featured the same unambiguous, indelible writing style. Compared to her most recent release, its reserved sound and uncompromising perspective feels obvious. If You Asked for a Picture, released earlier this month via Partisan Records, takes everything memorable about her debut and expands on it, with more dynamic sound and a nuanced point of view.

Teitelbaum says this change in perspective was driven by a more relaxed, self-assured ethos in the studio, compared to the apprehensiveness and insecurity that came with the first one.

“My advice to that past self would be to try to focus on how the music makes you

feel, and not so much on the rest of it — how it’s mixed, the art, if people give a shit,” Teitelbaum says. “This time around, it was a lot more, ‘The process is what I want it to be, and it’ll take as long as it takes.’”

‘LIKE TALKING TO A FRIEND’

The honest look inward and venture into selfempowerment chronicled by this record was unexplored territory, Teitelbaum says.

“So much of the album is about me trying to figure out what kind of relationship feels right for me, and what kind of friendships feel right for me — the music is always an exact reflection of what I’m going through,” she says. “The way I write is like talking to a friend or talking to

family or like somebody you would tell everything to. There’s never any distance between my life right now and the music.”

A new LP and an upcoming global tour means she’s got plenty on her plate, but for Blondshell, the future is never too far ahead. The noise of the industry and labels’ expectations is loud, but as far as she’s concerned, the focus is on the work.

“I think it’s so important as an artist to try to stay focused on building a body of music, rather than ‘I need to sell this many tickets and this many records.’ It’s just never-ending. I think it can be really easy to get lost in that,” Teitelbaum says. “When I think about the future, the only thing I really want to picture is continuing to make records and play them live.”

ON THE BILL: Blondshell with Jahnah Camille. 8 p.m. Sunday, June 8, Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood. $38

Blondshell performs at Gothic Theatre in Denver on June 8. Courtesy: Grandstand Media

If You Asked for a Picture, the sophomore album from Blondshell, was released May 2. Courtesy: Partisan Records

‘BRIGHT STAR’ BURNS BRIGHT

Stunning vocals and heartfelt staging elevate Candlelight’s southern tale of love and loss

BY TONI TRESCA

When you find yourself at a dinner theater sitting next to two people who’ve seen the same musical three times, you pay attention. That was the case during Bright Star at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Johnstown, where a couple of selfdeclared superfans eagerly shared their love for the show’s sweeping romance, soaring harmonies and Appalachian soul. They’d seen it at the Arvada Center, Theatre Aspen and even attended a local Colorado high school production. While they enjoyed aspects of the other productions, the couple was clear: Candlelight’s production, directed by Steve Wilson, was the most polished, emotionally charged version they’d seen.

I hadn’t seen Bright Star before, but by the time Jennasea Pearce’s Alice and the ensemble around her sang the final notes, I was all in. This production, running through June 8, blends a predictable but poignant plot with exceptional performances, lush vocals and a bluegrass band so good it just might convince you to pick up a fiddle on the way home.

A TALE IN TWO TIMELINES

Written by banjo-wielding comedy legend Steve Martin and folk-rock icon Edie Brickell, Bright Star is a Southern Gothic musical romance loosely inspired by a true story. The show bounces between 1920s and 1940s North Carolina, following Alice Murphy, a sharp-minded literary editor with a buried past. When she crosses paths with Billy Cane, a young WWII veteran and aspiring writer, it sets off a journey of reckoning that brings long-buried secrets to the surface. With its bluegrass-fueled score and earnest Americana heart, Bright Star made a quiet splash on Broadway in 2016, earning six Tony award nominations. In this lovingly rendered production at Colorado’s largest professional dinner

theater, it lands with a thunderclap of emotion.

Under the direction of Wilson, the production leans into the story’s sentimentality without overplaying the melodrama. The twists are predictable if you’ve ever read a Nicholas Sparks novel or seen a Hallmark movie, but the way the story unfolds with humor and sincerity keeps it compelling. It’s a show that wears its heart on its sleeve, and that’s exactly what makes it work.

The show’s success rests on the shoulders of its lead, and Pearce delivers. As Alice, she gracefully navigates the role’s time-jumping demands, effortlessly shifting from a commanding but reserved adult to a hopeful teenager with raw honesty. Her vocals are precise and moving, especially in moments of deep emotional reckoning, like Alice’s harrowing plea to keep her baby, “Please, Don’t Take Him,” and her heartfelt reunion with a long-lost family member, “So Familiar / At Long Last.”

The rest of the cast brings energy to this southern drama. Andrew Hensel is all charm and bright-eyed ambition as Billy Cane, the young writer who lies his way into Alice’s office. His chemistry with Paige Bryant’s warm, grounded Margo Crawford, the small-town bookstore owner quietly pining for him, makes for some of the show’s sweetest moments, particularly in their romantic Act II duet, “Always Will.”

Jude Thurman and AJ Milunas nearly walk off with the show as Lucy Grant and Daryl Ames, Alice’s quippy office mates. They had some of the sharpest reactions in the cast and their barroom romp “Another Round” is easily the show’s comic highlight. Thurman’s bite and Milunas’ sass make them a pair you wish had a spin-off.

Jazz Mueller, as Jimmy Ray Dobbs,

Alice’s first love, takes a bit to find his footing but delivers a devastating rendition of “Heartbreaker” in Act II that justifies the slow burn. As his father, Mayor Josiah Dobbs, Carter Edward Smith avoids cartoonish villainy, portraying a man who believes he’s doing the right thing, even if it costs him his soul.

Scott Severtson also impresses as Daddy Murphy, a father whose failures are made complex by a performance grounded in grief and stubborn hope. It’s

Vocal director Jalyn Courtenay Webb deserves special praise for shaping the show’s rich soundscape and harmonic depth. Choreographer Tia Bloom keeps the movement lively and rooted in character throughout. From playful sequences in Margo’s bookstore to quieter moments like the moving reconciliation between Alice and Jimmy in “I Had A Vision,” Bloom’s work underscores the show’s emotional beats.

Scenic designer Casey Kearns opts for a minimalist, functional set of wooden slats and a raised platform for the onstage band, giving lighting designer Vance Mackenzie room on the scrim and downstage to play with color and shadows.

The show’s band — the Mason Jars — are more than window dressing. Led by conductor Mason Siders, they’re an integral part of the show’s texture, delivering Martin and Brickell’s folk score with toe-tapping energy and emotional nuance. Watching them live on stage, in costume, subtly reacting to the story, is one of the show’s many pleasures.

Yes, this is dinner theater, and Candlelight takes that seriously. The themed menu includes options like Mama Murphy’s Meatloaf and Jimmy Ray’s Catfish. I went with the Lemon Caper, which was flavorful and moist (a significant upgrade from the Cajun cod I tried at Candlelight’s season 17th opener), and the coffee during intermission kept the cozy vibes going.

a strong 19-person ensemble all around — critical in a show that frequently switches between decades, towns and emotional registers — with each supporting player adding texture to the story’s small-town setting.

DESIGN, DIRECTION AND DINNER DELIVER

Wilson guides the production with a steady hand, keeping the story’s shifting timelines clear. There’s a quiet confidence to his staging — he knows when to step back and let the material breathe. Costume designer Deb Faber also helps delineate the decades with period-appropriate flair, maybe a touch too polished for rural North Carolina, but undeniably pleasing to the eye.

Candlelight has long been known for its glossy, big-hearted productions of musical theater classics. Bright Star, though not as instantly recognizable as Cats or The Little Mermaid, might be one of the company’s best in recent memory.

For those unfamiliar with the show, this is the perfect introduction. For those longtime fans like the couple I sat next to? It’s a bright star indeed — perhaps the brightest yet.

ON STAGE: Bright Star. Through June 8, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown. $47-$85.50

Bright Star might be one of the best Candlelight Dinner Playhouse productions in recent memory. Credit: RDG

Photo

WHERE’S THE PRECIOUSNESS?

‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is a messy movie that feels like a shrug

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

The two most interesting moments in The Phoenician Scheme — the latest from director Wes Anderson — come at the beginning and end of the movie. As for what happens in between, we’ll get there.

By the beginning, I don’t mean the actual opening of The Phoenician Scheme, where wealthy industrialist Zsazsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro) is almost killed in a plane crash — another assassination attempt, by his estimation — but the opening credits where Korda heals in a gorgeous bathroom that looks like a wealthy child’s dollhouse. Nurses in white enter and exit the room and attend to Korda’s every need, including icing down a bottle of champagne. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel gives the image an authorial air by shooting from above, and

Anderson makes it hypnotic by filming the scene in slow motion but having his actors move on the double. The result isn’t regular speed but something adjacent to it.

Though I count myself a fan of his movies, my knowledge of Anderson’s oeuvre isn’t as intimate as others.

Still, this image feels new for the filmmaker. Another technique to add to his bulging quiver of aesthetics: fastidious compositions, planimetric framing, varying aspect ratios, palette switches from color to black and white, and an endless array of recognizable actors who populate these worlds, even in the smallest of roles.

But it was the end — the epilogue, to be precise — that won me over. Free from booming pronouncements or a grand conclusion, Anderson and story co-writer Roman Coppola close their expansive tale in the smallest of spaces. It’s so charming and cozy I wanted to spend the entirety of the film in that restaurant backroom playing gin rummy with Korda and his daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton). Proof positive that when Anderson is dialed in, he can be one of the best in the business.

In between those two moments, The

Phoenician Scheme is a bit of a mess: overwrought, affected, boring and — to use a word I never thought I would attribute to an Anderson movie — sloppy. The story revolves around business dealings and boardroom scheming. Korda, an unscrupulous businessman if ever there was one, wants to build a damslash-railroad-slash-pleasure boat whatsit for reasons that don’t actually matter to the narrative. What matters is that a syndicate conspires to raise the cost of rivets and put Korda in the red. So Korda globetrots to visit his investors and swindle them into covering the gap. Along the way, he adopts his presumed daughter, Liesl, on a trial basis. If she lasts, she’ll inherit all of his dishonest wealth. So the pipe-chomping suspicious offspring tags along not for financial reasons but because she wants to learn the truth of her mother’s murder.

Joining them is Bjorn (Michael Cera), a Norwegian tutor who specializes in bugs and is most certainly not a spy with a cartoonish accent. Why Cera gets away with such a caricature portrait is beyond me. In another movie, it would be ridiculous. Here, it’s par for the course.

He’s not the only one who feels off. Threapleton plays Liesl as if she’s seen it

all and then some. If she were a 45-yearold madam, I might buy her detachment, but as a 20-something nun fresh from the convent, she seems too world-weary for her own good. Del Toro’s Korda is enigmatic to the point of confusion, verbose to the point of exhaustion. I’m not sure I know what he wants. I’m also not sure he knows what he wants. I think Korda wants to play gin rummy with his daughter in the backroom of a small restaurant. And since that’s where I want to be, too, maybe that’s where Anderson wants us all. Search me why he walks the path he does to get there.

The Phoenician Scheme isn’t free from humor, both in the writing and in the execution, but the hallmarks that make for a compelling Anderson picture miss their mark. The filmmaker has often been dogged by the notion that he’s too precious with his worlds, his characters and his stories. But here, a little bit of preciousness would have gone a long way.

ON SCREEN: The Phoenician Scheme opens in limited release May 30, everywhere June 6.

Left to right: Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera in The Phoenician Scheme Courtesy: TPS Productions/Focus Features

31

SPRING FORAGE AND HERB WALK

6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, May 29, Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. $10

Need a good giggle? A cold beer? Get your fix of both at Left Hand’s monthly comedy showcase featuring four “talented, up-and-coming comedians.” This month’s showcase features Joshua Emerson, Rick Bryan, Hannah Popkin and Ron Ferguson. Get your tickets on Eventbrite or at the door.

31

RAINFOREST YOGA

7:45-8:45 a.m. Saturday, May 31, Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster. $18

Wake up with the birds and then sit and stretch among the butterflies in this early morning class at Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion. Classes take place in the conservatory; you’ll be surrounded by lush greens as you om and ahh your way through a guided, rejuvenating flow. Rainforest temperatures vary from 65 to 85 degrees, so wear layers and bring your own mat.

10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 31, Herbiculture Hub Farm, 9722 Empire Road, Louisville. $25-$35

You laugh in the face of high grocery store prices, because you know how to find and grow your own food and home remedies. Or at least you will after this guided farm tour led by naturalist Catherine Hunziker and organic farmer Oliver Aurand. With a combined 50 years of experience, this pair is perfectly suited to introduce you to medicinal and edible herbs that grow right here in one of Boulder County’s several microclimates.

31

ALL ABOUT EVERGREENS

10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31, Mud Lake, 2034 CR 126, Nederland. Free

Winter is the season of evergreens, but it doesn’t have to be. Show the conifers some summer love on this two-mile guided hike as you learn to identify native pines, firs and spruces. Volunteer naturalists will teach you about the habitats that are home to these cone-bearing trees and how climate change is impacting them.

31

ORGANIC PLANT EXCHANGE

9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 31, Unitarian Universalist Church (west parking lot), 5001 Pennsylvania Ave., Boulder. Free

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but luckily you don’t need any to participate in this plant exchange. Pot some plants from the yard that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides to bring to the swap and come home with some new beauties. No plants of your own? No problem. “Come take some anyway,” the organizers write. “We’ll have plenty.”

31

YOUTH BEHIND & BEYOND BARS

7-9 p.m. Saturday, May 31, Boulder Public LibraryCanyon Theater, 1000 Canyon Blvd. Free

Hear stories from the frontlines of the juvenile legal system during this powerful storytelling event presented by Motus Theater. Adult survivors of the youth carceral system share their monologues, with musical responses from Front Range hip-hop legends The ReMINDers. Before you go, check out a BW feature on how local arts orgs like Motus are being affected by federal funding cuts: bit.ly/ArtsCutsBW.

31

TUNE INTO NATURE

1:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31, Lafayette Public Library, 775 W. Baseline Road. Free

Friends of Coal Creek and CSU Extensions Master Gardeners lead this informative program about local pollinators at the Lafayette Seed Library. Learn all about “making your garden count” and go home with a free native plant.

31

TOSS LIKE A BOSS

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 31, Wibby Brewing, 209 Emery St., Longmont. $80 per team, $40 per person

Come throw some bags and get competitive for a good cause at this cornhole tournament benefiting Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley, the only domestic violence shelter in Longmont. Registration starts at 10:30 a.m. and includes food and two drink tickets.

1

PUZZLE COMPETITION

2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 1, The Wheel House, 101 2nd Ave., Suite B, Niwot. $50 per team

Ready, set, puzzle! Head to the Wheel House in Longmont for a fast-paced competition to see who can finish a 500piece puzzle in the shortest amount of time. Teams of up to four can compete, and you get to keep the puzzle when you’re done.

1

SLAY THE RUNWAY: KICKOFF PARTY

1-3 p.m. Sunday, June 1, Firehouse Art Center, 667 4th Ave., Longmont. Free

Know an LGBTQ+ teen with a passion for fashion? Head to Firehouse Art Center in Longmont for a kickoff party celebrating the return of Slay the Runway, a hands-on program designed to build confidence through sewing and design skills. The program culminates with a June 15 runway fashion show at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder.

3

DUCKLING DISCOVERY

11:15-11:45 a.m. Tuesday, June 3, George Reynolds Branch, 3595 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder. Free

Teach your own little duckling about the wonders of life at the George Reynolds Branch of the Boulder Library through this series in partnership with 4-H Boulder County. The journey kicks off June 3 with an egg dissection to “explore the inner workings of an egg.” Over the following weeks, learn about embryo development and duckling care before the eggs hatch the week of June 30.

5

PICNIC ON THE PLAZA

Noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 5, Festival Plaza, 311 S. Public Road, Lafayette. Free

Grab a blanket, pack a lunch and plop yourself down on the plaza for a free concert every Thursday afternoon. This week, enjoy the musical stylings of Cultural Caravan as they kick off their 10-day concert series with a show by Bobby Bringi and his Global Roots Ensemble. They’ll be blending modal jazz, Indian ragas, swampy Delta blues and melodic folk at this outdoor pop-up show.

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, MAY 29

PICNIC ON THE PLAZA WITH JEFF & PAIGE Noon to 1 p.m. Festival Plaza, 311 S. Public Road, Lafayette. Free

GOLDENGRASS BLUEGRASS WEEKEND (NIGHT 1) FEAT.

ARKANSAUCE 6 p.m. New Terrain Brewing Company, 16401 Table Mountain Pkwy. Free

A1C3 6 p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

RECLINE 6 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. Free

THE BANDITS 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

TODD CAREY WITH ASTEROID PLEASE 7 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $18

SWEET SPINE WITH RAUE AND WILT

MILLENNIAL ROMANCE WITH DJ E.M.O. 7 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $21

GANJA WHITE NIGHT WITH SMOAKLAND, XOTIX, STYLIST BEATS AND MYRIAS 7 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $68

OZOMATLI WITH MAX GOMEZ. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $25

PICKIN’ ON THE DEAD WITH TYLER GRANT, MICHAEL KIRKPATRICK, ACE ENGFER, SEAN MACAULAY AND MILL MCKAY 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15

SATURDAY, MAY 31

7 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $23

BIG SAD 1900 7 p.m. Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $41

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE FEAT. THE NATURALS. 7-9 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $28

CIG POPE AND THE HOLY SMOKES 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

SHIFT FEAT. MYTHM, THELEM, LSTREE AND DRAEKA 8 p.m. Cervantes’ Other Side, 2637 Welton St., Denver. $30

FRIDAY, MAY 30

GRATEFUL DEAD REVUE (JAKE WOLF’S 50TH CELEBRATION) 4:30 p.m. Wibby Brewing, 209 Emery St., Longmont. $13

BLUE SHIFT 5 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

MACKENZIE RAE WITH BUCKSHOT MOON 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

FELONIUS SMITH TRIO 6 p.m. Indian Peaks Golf Course, 2300 Indian Peaks Trail, Lafayette. Free

THE DREAM TEAM 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

ADAM BODINE TRIO 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

FACE VOCAL BAND WITH FLOAT LIKE A BUFFALO 4:30 p.m. The Garden at Left Hand, 1245 Boston Ave., Longmont. $20

BLUESHIFT 6 p.m. St Julien Hotel, 900 Walnut St., Boulder. Free

ADDIE TONIC 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

MERCY CLUB 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

BOTH SIDE NOW. 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $34

TEJON STREET CORNER THIEVES WITH DIG DEEP. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $23

5280S BAND 8 p.m. The Louisville Underground, 640 Main St. $21

EARLY MOODS WITH LOVE GANG AND EAGLE WING 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $19

GIMME GIMME DISCO 9 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $30

SUNDAY,

JUNE 1

SPHERE ENSEMBLE 1 p.m. Broomfield Library and Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road. Free

THE TAMBURITZANS 5 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 198 Morning Glory Drive, 198 Morning Glory Drive, Boulder. $21

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE BILL

New York-based emcee billy woods comes to Denver’s Marquis Theatre on June 5. One half of the avant-garde hip hop duo Armand Hammer with Elucid, the critically lauded rapper performs in support of his eighth studio album, GOLLIWOG, released earlier this month via Backwoodz Studioz See listing for details

PEACH PIT WITH BRISTON MARONEY AND BNNY. 6 p.m. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison. $68

DAKOTA BLONDE 7 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. $20

ARKANSAUCE WITH DEREK DAMES

OHL DUO 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $20

DUTCH INTERIOR WITH POOR IMAGE AND RYAN WONG 8 p.m. Lost Lake, 3602 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $20

MONDAY, JUNE 2

BRETT HENDRIX. 5 p.m. The Stillery, 10633 Westminster Blvd., #900, Westminster. Free

MALCOM TODD. 8 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $94

TUESDAY, JUNE 3

GRENTPEREZ WITH ROCCO 7 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $54

AVI KAPLAN WITH GUTHRIE BROWN. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

MARGO CILKER WITH FORREST VANTUYL AND KAYLA KATZ. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $25

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4

OPEN BLUEGRASS PICK 6 p.m. The Garden at Left Hand, 1245 Boston Ave., Longmont. $20

FINN O’SULLIVAN. 6 p.m. Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. Free

VIC DILLAHAY WITH DOUG CARMICHAEL 7 p.m. Dry Land Distillers, 519 Main St., Longmont. Free

DROUTH WITH ALEISTER COWBOY AND HIGH FELLS 7 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $19

THURSDAY, JUNE 5

BILLY WOODS 7 p.m. Marquis Theatre, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $35 BW PICK OF THE WEEK

SICARD HOLLOW WITH TONEWOOD STRING BAND. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $20

SAMMY RASH 8 p.m. Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St., Denver. $25

ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK (OMD). 8 p.m. Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Pl., Denver. $90+

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

Youth

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ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): The strongest, most enduring parts of China’s Great Wall were the 5,500 miles built during the Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. One secret to their success was sticky rice, an essential ingredient in the mortar. The resulting structures have been remarkably water resistant. They hold their shape well, resist weed growth and get stronger as time passes. I hope you will find metaphorical equivalents to sticky rice as you work on your foundations in the coming months, Aries. Proceed as if you are constructing basic supports that will last you for years.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): The world’s most expensive spice is saffron. To gather one gram of it, workers must harvest 150 flowers by hand. Doesn’t that process resemble what you have been doing? I am awed by the stamina and delicacy you have been summoning to generate your small but potent treasure. What you’re producing may not be loud and showy, but its value will be concentrated and robust. Trust that those who appreciate quality will recognize the painstaking effort behind your creation. Like saffron’s distinctive essence that transforms ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones, your patient dedication is creating what can’t be rushed or replicated.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Gemini author Jean-Paul Sartre was offered the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964. But he rejected it. Why? He said that if he accepted it, he would be turned into an institution and authority figure, which would hinder his ability to critique politics and society. He was deeply committed to the belief that a writer has an obligation to be independent and accountable only to their conscience and audience, not to external accolades or validations. I think you are in a Sartre-like phase right now, dear Gemini. You have a sacred duty to be faithful to your highest calling, your deepest values and your authentic identity. Every other consideration should be secondary.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): You are now highly attuned to subtle energies, subliminal signals and hidden agendas. No one in your sphere is even half as sensitive as you are to the intriguing mysteries that are unfolding beneath the visible surface. This may be a bit unsettling, but it’s a key asset. Your ability to sense what others are missing gives you a unique advantage. So trust your intuitive navigation system, Cancerian, even if the way forward isn’t obvious. Your ability to sense underlying currents will enable you to avoid obstacles and discern opportunities that even your allies might overlook.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Underground fungal networks are essential for the health of ecosystems. They connect plant roots and facilitate transfers of nutrients, water and communication signals between various species. They enhance the fertility of the soil, helping plants thrive. In accordance with astrological indicators, I invite you to celebrate your equivalent of the underground fungal network. What is the web of relationships that enables you to thrive? Not just the obvious bonds, but the subtle ones, too: the barista who has memorized your order, the neighbor who waters your plants when you’re away, the online ally who responds to your posts. Now is an excellent time to map and nurture these vital interconnections.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Virgo author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warns about “the danger of a single story.” She tells us that authentic identity requires us to reject oversimplified narratives. As a Nigerian woman living in the U.S., she found that both Western and African audiences sought to reduce her to convenient categories. She has not only resisted that pressure but also outwitted and outflanked it. Her diversity is intriguing. She mixes an appreciation for pop culture with serious cultural criticism. She addresses both academic and mainstream audiences. I offer her up as your role model, Virgo. In the coming weeks, may she inspire you to energetically express all your uncategorizable selves.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Where have you not yet traveled but would like to? What frontiers would your imagination love for you to visit, but you have refrained? Now is the time to consider dropping inhibitions, outmoded habits and irrelevant rules that have prevented you from wandering farther and wider. You have full permission from life, karma and your future self to take smart risks that will lead you out of your comfort zone. What exotic sanctuary do you wish you had the courage to explore? What adventurous pilgrimage might activate aspects of your potential that are still half-dormant?

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Astrologers say that Scorpio is ruled by three creatures that correspond to three ascending levels of spiritual maturity. The regular Scorpio person is ruled by the scorpion. Scorpios who are well underway with their spiritual work are ruled by the eagle. The Scorpio who has consistently succeeded at the hard and rewarding work of metaphorical death and resurrection is ruled by the phoenix — the mythical bird that is reborn from the ashes of its own immolation. With this as our context, I am letting you know that no matter how evolved you are, the coming weeks will bring you rich opportunities to come more into your own as a brilliant phoenix.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Seas off the coast of Singapore are heavily polluted. Some of the coral reefs there are showing resilience, though. They have developed symbiotic relationships with certain algae and bacteria that were formerly hostile. Their robustness lies in their adaptability and their power to forge unlikely alliances. That’s a good teaching for you right now. The strength you need isn’t about maintaining fixed positions or rigid boundaries, but about being flexible. So I hope you will be alert and ready to connect with unfamiliar resources and unexpected help. A willingness to adjust and compromise will be a superpower.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Sometimes, disruptions are helpful prods that nudge us to pay closer attention. An apparent malfunction might be trying to tell us some truth that our existing frameworks can’t accommodate. I suspect this phenomenon might be occurring in your world. An area of your life that seems to be misfiring may in fact be highlighting a blind spot in your comprehension. Rather than fretting and purging the glitches, I will ask you to first consider what helpful information is being exposed. Suspend your judgment long enough to learn from apparent errors.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): This isn’t the first time I’ve said that your ideas are ahead of their time. Now I’m telling you again, and adding that your intuitions, feelings and approaches are ahead of their time, too. As usual, your precociousness carries both potential benefits and problems. If people are flexible and smart enough to be open to your innovations, you will be rewarded. If others are rigid and oblivious, you may have to struggle to get the right things done. Here’s my advice: Focus on the joy of carrying out your innovations rather than getting caught up in fighting resistance.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Sunlight can’t penetrate deeper than 3,280 feet into the ocean’s depths. Even at 650 feet down, a murky twilight zone prevails. But nearly 75% of deep-sea creatures can create their own light, thanks to a biochemical phenomenon called bioluminescence. Jellyfish, starfish and crustaceans are a few animals that glow. I propose we make them your symbols of power in the coming weeks, Pisces. I hope they incite you to be your own source of illumination as you summon all the resilience you need. If shadowy challenges arise, resolve to emit your steady brilliance. Inspire yourself and others with your subtle yet potent clarity.

I recently came home from a short meeting to find my husband in the bathroom secretly jerking off to porn while I was out. This has happened before. He says that the secret nature is not part of the desire for him. But there’s something about looking at women with perfect/fake bodies while I’m out briefly that feeds into my insecurities. Am I being unfair in asking him to stop jerking off to porn secretly when I could walk in on him easily?

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

unfair dynamic, I closed our relationship completely a few years ago.

Our sex life has gone downhill since. How do we fix this?

— Porn Over Reality Needles Offended Spouse

While your husband needs to be considerate of your feelings, PORNOS, you need to accept that your husband has a solo sexuality and is entitled — as we all are — to a zone of erotic autonomy. Meaning, he’s allowed to have fantasies that don’t revolve around you, just as you’re allowed to have fantasies that don’t revolve around him.

If you’re generally satisfied — if you’re satisfied enough (really, the best any of us can hope for!) — and your husband isn’t neglecting you or the kids and he’s making a good-faith effort to masturbate when you’re less likely to “catch” him (not to keep secrets, but to be considerate) — you’re going to need to shrug it off when you realize the bathroom door is locked for that reason.

My husband (straight M, 40s) and I (bi F, 30s) have been married for 10 years, together for 15 and have schoolaged children. In the beginning of our relationship, I explained to him that I was bisexual and needed openness to be with other women.

For many years, he also had sex with other women without me. Over time, I began wanting to explore sex with other men, but this has been a hard “no” on his end. He says that’s not what he agreed to, which is true. It’s definitely caused some resentment on my end, and because of what I perceive to be an

— Bi Lady And Annoyingly Het Spouse

If your spouse can pursue 100% of the people they’re into, you should be able to pursue 100% of the people you’re into. Still, when your husband says, “This isn’t what I signed up for,” he’s not lying, BLAAHS, which, to your credit, you’re able to acknowledge. You agreed to a “one-penis policy” back when you weren’t interested in other penises, BLAAHS, but that’s changed, and that change has changed your marriage. You went from an open relationship to a hostage situation… and hostage situations aren’t sexy.

Getting your marriage back to a happy, healthy and horny place is gonna involve risk. And while it’s tempting to say, “What do you have to lose?” (since your sex life is a wreck and resentment is a cancer), it’s not just your marriage that’s at stake. You have kids

It may be in their best interest for mom and dad to suck up a few sexlessor-nearly-sexless years. (You did sign up to be parents, BLAAHS, and parenting sometimes means doing what’s best for the little shits.) If divorce (as opposed to sexlessness) is your worst-case scenario, BLAAHS, you may have to learn to live in that cage for a while.

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

BEANS FROM ABOVE

Esly Divas builds community one cup at a time at Longmont Guatemalan coffee shop

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Ashout of “Hola!” rang out as a new customer walked into Chí Kapé’ on a recent Saturday morning. Behind the counter of the brightly decorated shop, owner Esly Divas is preparing bean and chicharron pupusas as well as coffee drinks — lattes, pour-overs and a Cafe Cubano made with steamed milk and dulce de leche.

A display case is packed with cakes, Guatemalan cookies and empanadas filled with either savorysweet picadillo or apple wrapped in flaky, buttery pastry. Nearby shelves are stocked with gifts and food products from local companies like Cultura Chocolate and Frescos Naturales beverages launched by immigrants to Colorado.

It’s easy to miss Chí Kapé’, hidden as it is behind a 7-Eleven in a strip mall of Latino businesses that includes a hair salon and Polleria La Fogata, a grilled chicken eatery. That hidden gem quality is enigmatic of how Divas approached life and business when she first moved to Longmont in 2019. She wanted to support her family, not to be a cultural ambassador or advocate.

“When you come to this country as an immigrant, you never are thinking: ‘Oh, I’m going to open a business and share a passion,’” Divas says. “You always try to blend in and be in the shadows.”

Despite that, Chí Kapé’ has become a bright spot for many since launching as a Main Street counter in 2022. The shop’s warm hug-like vibe has welcomed customers originally from Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Poland and many other nations.

“I feel like everybody is trying to separate us by groups and race,” Divas says. “Let’s just all sit down together over a plate or cup and prove to the world that we can all work together.”

COFFEE FROM HEAVEN

International flavor is reflected on the menu, which features Caribbean, Central American and South American cuisines. Divas’ Cuban sandwich layers sliced, slow-roasted pork, mustard pickle sauce

and more on soft slices of bread. She also fills an empanada with the same ingredients.

“I had a customer from Cuba ask me: ‘Are you from Cuba?’ I said: ‘Not in this life, but probably in the previous one.’”

Divas says she hopes to add more empanada flavors, breakfast arepas, specials and baked sweets from various countries.

But the real star is the coffee — hence the name.

“In one of the Mayan languages in Guatemala, ‘chí kapé’ — pronounced chee kah-pay — essentially means ‘coffee from above,’ as if it comes from heaven,” Divas says.

FINDING GRANDMA IN HAWAII

Coffee is a family business and tradition, according to Divas. Her parents owned a coffee farm on the border between El Salvador and Guatemala where she recalls spending days at her grandmother’s house.

“I’ve been drinking coffee since I was little,” Divas says. “She always had a full coffee pot on the wooden fire: no fancy equipment. You just dipped your mug into the pot. I remember seeing beans drying

sampled — that is, until she left the lower 48 and went to Hawaii.

“I went in this little coffee shop. I’m sipping the coffee, and it took me back to grandma’s house,” she recalls. “I went back the next two days to figure out what it was about this cup of coffee that makes me feel alive inside.”

Ultimately, Divas says she learned that the flavor arose from how the coffee was grown, harvested and brewed using traditional methods. Good beans don’t hurt, either, but they were hard to come by when Divas first launched Chí Kapé’.

outside under the sun. She would collect them, toast them on the fire, grind them and put them straight into the pot. That was the best coffee I ever tasted, right from the tree.”

After moving to the United States, Divas was frustrated by the coffee she

“I didn’t know the reality of the system,” she says. “I tried to bring green coffee directly from Guatemala, and it was very hard. It was too expensive to have someone roast the beans for me.”

Divas eventually found a womenowned Guatemalan coffee company, Chica Bean, to supply her beans. Chica Bean treats farmers fairly, she says — which she learned the value of after witnessing the predatory relationship between her family’s small farm and international suppliers.

“Growing up in Guatemala, I saw how my dad had to sell the coffee to big companies, not getting paid enough,” she says. “He worked a job all week in the city to sustain the farm, and eventually he had to let it go.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Divas’ father is still her closest coffee advisor, providing consults all the way from Guatemala.

“He’s the one who introduced me to coffee,” she says. “I still ask him, ‘How was this done in the past?’ Now, I have the crazy idea to buy a coffee farm and have my Dad retire and take care of it.

“Then he can ship his beans for me to serve in Longmont.”

As Divas chats with customers, her teen daughter delivers coffee drinks to a table where her grandmother has gathered a group of seniors to play a board game. It’s quiet and unassuming, and that’s how Divas likes it.

“In reality, Chí Kapé’ is very small with only a few tables,” she says. “To me, it’s not about this space or how fancy my equipment is. It’s just about getting everybody together.”

Esly Divas, owner of Chí Kapé’ in Longmont. Credit: John Lehndorff

Empanadas and Cafe Cubano from Chí Kapé’. Credit: John Lehndorff

Bean and pork pupusa with curtido slaw and hot sauce. Credit: John Lehndorff

NIBBLES

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: TOKE, TABLE AND TAPAS

Cannabis hospitality has finally arrived in Colorado. Cirrus Social Club, the state’s debut cannabis social club, has opened at 3200 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver. The menu includes a choice of cannabis strains and ingestion methods, along with appetizers and beverages. Reservations: cirrussocialclub.com

Neveria Michoacana La Jefa is open at 2750 Glenwood Drive in Boulder, scooping ice cream and serving pops, milkshakes and other treats.

Colorado craft breweries took home 18 international medals at the World Beer Cup in May. Winners include The Post, Wibby Brewing (Longmont), and Westbound & Down (Lafayette). Full list: coloradobeer. org/2025-world-beer-cup-winners

CULINARY CALENDAR: BELGIAN TASTING TOUR

Take a break from all those Colorado-centric beef fests and sip on some of the world’s best June 7 at the Belgian Import Festival at Denver’s Bruz Beers. The largest selection of beers from Belgium available will include legendary labels like Orval, Rochefort, Chimay and St. Bernardus. Tickets: radcraftbeer.com

WORDS TO CHEW ON: ‘TRIPLE ESPRESSO FOR FRANK’

“They have in Turkey a drink called coffee, made of a berry of the same name, as black as soot, and of a strong scent, but not aromatical … and they take it, and sit at it in their coffa-houses, which are like our taverns. This drink comforteth the brain and heart, and helpeth digestion.”

– Francis Bacon, 1623

Boulder Weekly is compiling its 2025 guide to roadside farm stands all over Boulder County. Help make it complete by sending farm stand details by June 10 to: nibbles@boulderweekly.com

Desserts delivered at Denver’s Cirrus Social Club, Colorado’s first cannabis club and munchery. Courtesy: Cirrus Social Club

ON DRUGS

SUPPORTING SOBER LIVING

Longmont’s Recovery Cafe, Boulder County diversion program help people stay off drugs — and out of prison

BY AVA HENRICKSON

On a recent Tuesday night, an area church basement serves as a community gathering space and is bustling with activity. Locals are creating works of art while others are strumming the guitar or piecing together a puzzle. Some are enjoying meals together, and a few are sharing in social circles. It’s called Recovery Cafe Longmont. From its home on the lower floor of the Central Longmont Presbyterian Church, they have helped hundreds of people

over the past six years stay sober and get on their feet during recovery.

“We like to say that everyone is in recovery from something,” said Executive Director Jennifer Jepsen. “But what we see mostly is people who are at that intersection of substance use, trauma, mental health and many have housing struggles and acute needs.

“We provide a community for them to work through those struggles, however that looks for them.”

A PLACE TO REBUILD

The cafe uses a membership-based model. Members aren’t required to pay traditional monetary dues, but instead are asked to follow three rules: Do not use substances in the cafe, attend weekly recovery circles and contribute to the life of the organization.

“So many folks in recovery are having to rebuild their community,” Jepsen said. “We like to be a place for that.”

Recovery Cafe currently boasts about 50 members, all adults who receive support in many forms: nutritious meals and acupuncture of the ear from local practitioners, art and music classes, yoga and a chance to try out new material at open mic night. Open to members five days a week, the cafe also offers community hours on Friday, where anyone can drop in and experience a taste of sober living. The Longmont location is part of a network of 77 sober cafes across the country; headquarters are based in Seattle.

The spread of recovery cafes is part of a larger sober movement; things like Dry January and “sober curious” trend on social media. Consumption of non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits is up: sales increased 35% from 2022 to 2023, according to business magazine Fortune Gen Z appears to be drinking less than previous generations, according to a 2023 Gallup poll. The survey showed that the percentage of people 18 to 34 who say they occasionally have an alcoholic drink has fallen from 72% to 62% over the past 20 years.

The Boulder County Alternative Intensive Treatment Court is decorated for a participant’s graduation. According to court coordinator Christina Orlowski, graduates often bring bosses, family members, friends and others who have supported them on their journey. Orlowski says that police officers, probation officers, district attorneys and others also frequently attend. Courtesy: Christina Orlowski

Jepsen says the cafe’s open community night is a vital sober space to gather. “There isn’t a lot for people to do on a Friday night that doesn’t revolve around substances and alcohol,” she said, “so one thing we are striving to do is offer sober events.”

PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION

Sometimes, the path to sobriety involves the criminal justice system. People accused of drug crimes in Boulder County can avoid additional potential prison or jail sentences if they’re willing to work a rigorous 15 to 18 months at achieving and maintaining their sobriety.

AITC, which stands for Alternative

Left: Recovery Cafe Longmont members have a sober space to come to five days a week, where they can relax, eat, socialize with other members and take part in a number of scheduled activities. Right: A member practices guitar at Recovery Cafe Longmont. The cafe offers a music room and plans to start music classes for members soon. Credit: Ava Henrickson

Intensive Treatment Court, has about 65 participants at one time. Since its inception in 2006, 991 people have started the program and 550 have graduated.

The No. 1 drug they see abused in the Boulder community is methamphetamine, followed by alcohol and fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, the prevalence of which have increased over the last 3-5 years, according to Christina Orlowski, AITC co-coordinator.

The program is not for first-time offenders: It’s intended as a prison diversion for people with numerous arrests who have tried a number of ways to get sober in the past. The requirements are intense. AITC has five phases, which each last from two weeks to six months, and include collaborations with a number of community partners.

“You’re doing this intensive [out-patient] treatment, up to three days a week. Because we are meeting people where they are at, sometimes it’s more. Sometimes they are doing inpatient treatment,” said Orlowski. “You are going to treatment three separate days a week, you’re doing [urine analysis] testing to verify sobriety, you’re seeing your probation officer, you’re coming to court every two weeks, and by the way, make sure you’re working, and make sure we’re building those community supports behind you.”

Since the beginning of 2024, 33 participants were “negatively discharged,” compared to 29 graduates. Negative discharges are when a participant doesn’t move forward in the program because they weren’t able to complete certain requirements. Orlowski says the program is tough, but not so rigid it doesn’t allow

for life’s unpredictable patterns.

“The point of the non-traditional approach is progress, not perfection,” she said. “Life is not perfect, challenges come up. Those are the tools we help with. If you have a slip up, can you be honest?”

The program receives funding from a variety of sources, including the state judicial system, probation and Boulder County. It is voluntary, but once offenders are enrolled, the program and its conditions become part of the participant’s sentence.

Most graduates are free of the criminal justice system once they graduate. A few may have restitution to pay or treatment to finish, but they are not on probation or going to prison — so long as they stay sober. Recovery Cafe receives referrals from AITC and a similar diversion program in Longmont, Jepsen said.

Some people who complete AITC do go on to reoffend. Orlowski cites a 2017 study done by AITC which found a recidivism rate of 24.6% one year post-graduation. After three years, 36% of graduates had returned to prison — nearly half the national, three-year recidivism rate for drug offenders (68%).

It’s the success stories that make Orlowski vibrate with pride. She joyfully describes graduates of the program — some of whom she’s known for over 15 years.

“I get pictures of their kids and new houses and the work that they’re doing, and it’s just incredible to see human resilience,” she said. “Watching people move through this and the professionals that we work with, they are so unseen and they are actually changing lives.”

Phase 1: ORIENTATION

(minimum of 2 weeks)

Initial contact with probation officer, treatment provider and monitoring agency. Probation officer reviews requirements of the program including employment, housing, etc., assigns testing agency and reviews reporting instructions. Participants attend drug/ alcohol evaluation and intake appointments and begin attending assigned individual therapy and groups.

Phase 2: STABILITY

(minimum of 12 weeks)

Attend scheduled court appearances, scheduled probation meetings, drug screens, weekly treatment appointments — which may include two groups per week (recovery skills, readiness group or relapse prevention) — individual therapy, and at least four support groups per week. Honesty in court and participation and investment in the treatment will be considered by the team as indicators of progress in the program.

SOBRIETY REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for promotion to Phase 3, participants must have 30 consecutive days of sobriety and be making progress in recovery.

Phase 3:

SOBER LIVING SKILLS

(minimum of 24 weeks)

Attend scheduled court appearances, probation meetings, drug screens, weekly treatment appointments, individual/family/couples therapy per case plan, any other treatment ordered by

the court (domestic violence classes, parenting classes, etc.), three hours of community support groups or prosocial activities

SOBRIETY REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for promotion to Phase 4, participants must have 30 consecutive days of sobriety and be making progress in recovery.

Phase 4: RELAPSE PREVENTION (minimum of 12 weeks)

Attend scheduled court appearances, probation meetings, drug screens, treatment appointments (which may include weekly relapse prevention group, individual treatment per case plan), three community support groups or pro-social activities per week

SOBRIETY REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for promotion to Phase 5, participants must have 30 consecutive days of sobriety and be making progress in recovery.

Phase 5: MAINTENANCE

(minimum of 12 weeks)

Attend scheduled court appearances, probation meetings, drug screens, weekly treatment appointments (which may include three community support groups or pro-social activities per week), any other treatment per case plan and at least three support groups per week.

SOBRIETY REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for graduation, participants must have attained at least 90 days of continuous sobriety.