Boulder Weekly 5.21.20 by Boulder Weekly

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news:

Boulder photographer documents Pearl Street’s new normal during the pandemic photos by Marsha Steckling

news:

Why is Boulder pursuing a partnership with Xcel when residents have repeatedly voted in support of the muni? by Matt Cortina

How the coronavirus is reshaping the recycling industry by Angela K. Evans

How arts organizations can use the pandemic as a spring board to better accessibility by Caitlin Rockett

events:

What to do to when there’s ‘nothing’ to do by Boulder Weekly Staff

feast:

beer:

The Boulder County Farmers Markets return this week, with a vision of changing how we eat by Matt Cortina

Two European brewing traditions collide in Boulder by Michael J. Casey

departments 7 11 21 22 23 25 28

The Anderson Files: Self-deception and hidden agendas during the pandemic Letters: Signed, sealed, delivered... your views News: Automatic Voter Registration comes to Colorado, CU won’t increase tuition next year, and more. Astrology: by Rob Brezsny Film: Return to hope with ‘The Tree of Life’ Savage Love: Power players Food/Drink: Food news and what to try this week in Boulder County Cannabis Corner: So 19 is the ideal age to start smoking pot, eh?

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Publisher, Fran Zankowski Circulation Manager, Cal Winn EDITORIAL Editor, Matt Cortina Senior Editor, Angela K. Evans Arts and Culture Editor, Caitlin Rockett Special Editions Editor, Michael J. Casey Adventure Editor, Emma Athena Contributing Writers, Peter Alexander, Dave Anderson, Will Brendza, Rob Brezsny, Paul Danish, Sarah Haas, Jim Hightower, Dave Kirby, John Lehndorff, Rico Moore, Amanda Moutinho, Leland Rucker, Dan Savage, Josh Schlossberg, Alan Sculley, Ryan Syrek, Christi Turner, Betsy Welch, Tom Winter, Gary Zeidner SALES AND MARKETING Account Executives, Matthew Fischer, Sami Wainscott Market Development Manager, Kellie Robinson Advertising Coordinator, Corey Basciano Bookkeeper, Regina Campanella Mrs. Boulder Weekly, Mari Nevar PRODUCTION Art Director, Susan France Senior Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman Graphic Designer, Daisy Bauer CIRCULATION TEAM Dave Hastie, Dan Hill, George LaRoe, Jeffrey Lohrius, Elizabeth Ouslie, Rick Slama Founder/CEO, Stewart Sallo Editor-at-Large, Joel Dyer Cover photo, Marsha Steckling May 21, 2020 Volume XXVII, Number 40 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. 690 South Lashley Lane, Boulder, CO, 80305 p 303.494.5511 f 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. © 2020 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved.

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

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Self-deception and hidden agendas during the pandemic by Dave Anderson

he pandemic is challenging governments around the world. However, the Trump administration’s response stands out as monumentally incompetent and corrupt. There was plenty of advance warning, and the U.S. government spends billions on disaster preparedness. In previous health crises, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was the most prominent voice of the federal government. Now it is sidelined while Trump confuses everybody with misinformation, lies and bullshit. Now Trump speaks of the pandemic in the past tense and says the economy should “re-open” while public health experts express serious worries, I

if not alarm. The media reports both viewpoints equally. That’s a problem. Jason Linkins, deputy editor of The New Republic, notes: “... If this pandemic were happening somewhere else — confined to a foreign country or a computer simulation — the media would likely treat the matter with factual clarity. But the moment the coronavirus hit our shores, it got subsumed within our dumb politics, and from there, into a media infrastructure that’s built on the notion that the best way to cover ‘politics’ is to retreat to a neutral point of view, disregard the idea that there are objectively correct and incorrect positions, and instead, through an absorbing interest in ‘optics’ and ‘messaging,’ MAY 21, 2020

choose winners and losers.” The Rev. William J. Barber II says the Trump administration is engaging in “public policy mass murder.” He is a cochair of The Poor People’s Campaign, a progressive grassroots group that is urging resistance to or noncooperation with state plans to “reopen” the economy. The campaign is calling on Congress, the president and state governments to follow the advice of public health experts to protect the many employees who can’t work from home. They are disproportionately uninsured, low-wage laborers. Even before the pandemic, the campaign demanded that the government provide health care and paid sick leave for all. Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor for three decades, believes that Trump will have to face a number of gross negligence suits once he leaves office. “I actually think he will see see THE ANDERSON FILES Page 6

THE ANDERSON FILES from Page 5

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charges brought in each jurisdiction in which people have died as a result of his gross negligence,” Kirschner argued in a Deconstructed podcast interview. Trump’s lawyers argue that he has total immunity from both investigation and prosecution while he is in office. So he is fighting as hard and as nasty as he can to be re-elected. He and his cronies are embroiled in a mindboggling number of scandals, which could land them in prison. The stench of fascism is in the air. Around the country, heavily armed militias threaten elected officials in Democratic states while Trump cheers them on. It is important to stress that they represent a tiny portion of the population. But their mobilization is coordinated by right-wing tycoons and organizations. The most powerful figure in Congress, Sen. Mitch McConnell, is furiously filling the federal judiciary with young far-right judges. Trump is determined to put federal law enforcement (like the FBI and the Justice Department) and the intelligence agencies under his personal control rather than allow them to be subject to Congressional oversight or any public pressure. He has even overturned the military’s courts-martial of war criminals. In her 2007 best seller, The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein described how corporate elites frequently use “the public’s disorientation following a collective shock — wars, coups, terrorist attacks, market crashes or natural disasters — to push through radical pro-corporate measures.” She showed how University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman and other free market fundamentalists used crisis (natural and engineered) to shred the social safety net, impose austerity economics and bust labor unions. Her stories include the U.S.-supported military coup in Chile, the war in Iraq, refugee crises, market crashes and climate catastrophes. In Capitalism and Freedom, Friedman wrote, “Only a crisis —actual or perceived — produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, the right-wing is pushing its least popular policies and more hidden priorities while we are struggling to survive. The Trump administration has rolled back environmental regulations. The I

National Labor Relations Board suspended all union elections and is making it harder for workers to unionize and to keep the unions they have. Republicans are trying to suspend the payroll tax, which could bankrupt Social Security, providing the GOP the excuse it needs to slash or privatize it. Abortion opponents are using the pandemic to close clinics. Trump and McConnell are threatening a desperately needed stimulus package for the U.S. Postal Service. Meanwhile, Democrats are cautious about “reopening” the economy due to public health concerns. Wendy Schiller, a political science professor at Brown University, told The Guardian that this creates a dilemma for the Democrats. She said: “Trump will run on a message of hope from now until November, and he’ll basically dare the Democrats to prove him wrong. And then he’ll say, ‘You don’t believe in America. You’re betting against America.’” The April 13 issue of The Hill has an op-ed entitled “Could the coronavirus reelect Trump?” by Keith Naughton who is a co-founder of the consulting firm Silent Majority Strategies. It is an intriguing view from the right-wing. Naughton notes that Trump has been criticized for being optimistic. Democrats and many in the media have “talked doom and gloom” and mused about a new Great Depression. He says: “...There is no doubt that the country is going to go into a significant recession of undetermined length and casualties will be high. “However, the bar for ‘success’ has been set very low — not just by Trump, but primarily by the media outlets he disdains. Every end-of-theworld report depresses public expectations. Since politics is all about perception, the anti-Trump media have done the president an immeasurable service in their criticism. Trump doesn’t have to do a good job against the coronavirus — he just has to do a barely competent job to exceed expectations.” Will a daily death count of thousands become the “new normal”? Trump will, as usual, create massive confusion, play the victim and get into nasty fights with the media, China and the World Health Organization. A new reality TV shitshow every day. This opinion column does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly. BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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Tantric Sacred Sexuality Exploration & Education ‘Benedict Donald’ and the case for Joe Biden Vladimir Putin’s psychotic servant Benedict Donald is not only the worst “president” in American history, traitor Trump is so demented he actually claims the assassinated Abraham Lincoln had it easy compared to delusional Donald Trump! As embarrassingly low as deranged Donald’s I.Q. is, even a mindless moron like Trump knows honest Abe Lincoln would definitely be a Democrat today were Lincoln still alive. (Lincoln was from Illinois after all.) “Vote blue no matter who,” says honest Abe who would have been shocked at the sad sight of racist, right-wing Republican Party terrorist troglodytes flying Confederate flags in Michigan while illegally threatening elected officials with assault weapons. And speaking of elected Democrats under assault, several prominent Democratic politicians were recently subjected to multiple failed assassination attempts by an insane Trump fanatic from Florida whose mail bombs failed as completely as traitor Trump’s pathological presidency has. Joe Biden for President, folks. Jacob Pickering/Boulder

Pursue structural change via clean energy

I write to echo the points made

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

in Kieran Cooke’s recent piece, “How to save the economy and climate together” (Re: Boulderganic, May 14, 2020). Our nation faces a unique opportunity to pursue structural change that will address economic inequality, create jobs and accelerate the clean energy transition. The clean energy sector, which currently employees almost 3.3 million Americans, has been dealt a significant economic blow by the pandemic. According to an analysis by BW Research Partnership for the organization Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), 600,000 jobs in the clean energy sector (encompassing renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrified transportation) have already been lost due to the coronavirus crisis, with almost 6,000 of those jobs lost in Colorado. Congress should extend the investment tax credit and production tax credit available for renewable energy projects, and restructure these tax credits so that they are refundable, and available as direct payments, to allow companies with diminished or non-existent tax liability due to the current economic collapse to continue creating and maintaining jobs. If our elected leaders seize this opportunity, our economy and society can emerge from the current crisis stronger and more resilient. Amy Allen/Boulder I

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Signs of the Times

Boulder photographer documents Pearl Street’s new normal during the pandemic

Photos by Marsha Steckling

arly in the coronavirus shutdown, Boulder photographer Marsha Steckling walked Pearl Street, only seeing three or four people out on the mall. And the local businesses she frequented (places like Trident, where she met her husband) were mostly shuttered to the public. But she did notice the signs, often expressing hope and a sense of community, sometimes humor, that hung in the doors and windows of downtown Boulder buildings. “Going down and seeing that first sign and what these businesses were saying, it created a sense of connection for me,” she says. Steckling has been a professional photographer for about two decades, specializing in portraits — people, families, pets — but when the coronavirus pandemic hit, she transitioned to a new project: documenting the signs. “The signs created a little bit of connection we can still have with these places,” she says. “I love these places. I’ve been frequent- Japango ing businesses for years and years, and we create memories there. I was feeling grief for not being able to be in these places anymore.” Now, activity is picking up, as some retail shops are open and restaurants are soon to follow, but her project documenting this strange time can be viewed forever (at evie-photo.com/signsof-covid). Here are a few of our favorite shots.

Island Farm

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MAY 21, 2020

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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Possible COVID-19 case at Aurora detention center

Updated Automatic Voter Registration hits Colorado

he Colorado Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) system passed by lawmakers in 2019 is now live statewide. Under the new system, eligible Coloradans will be automatically registered to vote any time they apply for or renew their state driver’s license. They will be able to opt-out of registration or change party affiliation after the fact. AVR reduces the potential for human error by transferring data electronically between agencies and is more convenient for people working multiple jobs and rural residents who may find it hard to visit government offices, according to a press release from Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office. It also ensures the accuracy of voter rolls, which means more people receive their ballot at the correct address. Around the country, 19 states and the District of Columbia have implemented AVR

laws since 2016, but Colorado’s system is the only one that does not wait for an individual to indicate they want to be registered, the press release said. “AVR expands access to our elections and helps maintain up-to-date voter rolls, which is important for a vote-by-mail system like ours,” Griswold said. Colorado’s vote-by-mail system has drawn national coverage recently in light of the coronavirus pandemic and public health crisis that threatens voter turn-out as the 2020 federal election season ramps up. Some Republicans in Congress, as well as President Trump, have claimed moving to an entirely vote-by-mail system is “ripe for fraud.” Studies have shown that vote-by-mail systems lead to higher voter turnout as convenience is a reliable predictor for civic engagement.

“Colorado has a proud tradition of leading the nation in voter access and participation,” said State Senate Majority Leader Stephen Fenberg (D-Boulder) who sponsored the bill last session. “Automatic voter registration is yet another way to further strengthen our democracy by removing unnecessary hurdles for citizens casting a vote. I am proud of this momentous achievement and sincerely hope other states follow Colorado’s example and remove oppressive voting barriers that work to silence already marginalized groups of people.” According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the U.S. has one of the lowest voter turnouts among developed nations as nearly a quarter of eligible voters aren’t registered.

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

CU won’t increase tuition in 2020-21 school year

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Is Boulder ready to reopen?

n a virtual meeting on Tuesday May 19, the University of Colorado Board of Regents voted not to increase tuition for the upcoming academic year. The zero-percent increase applies to all resident, non-resident and international undergraduate, graduate and professional students. They also approved changes that would reduce student fees in several areas, although raise both housing and health care by 3%. The announcement comes at a time when the Board of Regents face a couple of class-action lawsuits for not reimbursing tuition and fees when the campus closed in mid-March due to the pandemic. Although courses continued to be conducted online, many of the services student fees pay for, like bus passes, athletic events and art performances, are no longer available. The university did refund student housing and dining costs, as well as continued to pay student employees to the tune of $44 million. The CU-Boulder campus specifically is facing a funding shortfall between $121 million and $651 million for the next fiscal year. Through the CARES Act, CU has received $18.7 million, and the campus is expected to receive more relief through the Colorado Department of Higher Education and another round of CARES funding. The Regents also voted against pay increases for employees as Chancellor Philip DiStefano announced both continuous and periodic furloughs for faculty, staff and administration on May 8. I

ccording to a press release from the American Friends Service Committee and the Colorado People’s Alliance, a 58-year-old immigrant with hypertension and an enlarged heart by the name of Oscar is being held in quarantine at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract detention facility in Aurora operated by the GEO Group, Inc. According to Oscar’s family, he was set to be released from Sterling Correctional Facility on May 15 but was instead transferred to the Aurora facility where he arrived with a fever. He is still awaiting test results according to a press release. So far, 440 inmates have tested positive at the Sterling prison and there have been two deaths associated with the facility. If the reports are true, Oscar would be the first detainee case of COVID-19 inside the Aurora facility. The agency can’t comment on the health of individuals, however as of press time the agency confirmed “the Aurora facility hasn’t had a positive case to date.” Two employees have tested positive according to published ICE statistics.

79%

n order to get a pulse on Boulder’s readiness to reopen, the Downtown Boulder Partnership initiated a survey through the National Research Center and Polco recently and the results are in. Overall, 50% of folks rate Boulder “about right” when it comes to lift- are concerned about the ing restrictions on businesses and loss of small businesses community gathering areas, while 33% say the city is reopening too fast. With 1,070 respondents, most people (71%) agree that the majority of residents need to stay home until we understand the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 better and either a treatment or vaccine is developed. That said, more than half of respondents said businesses like hair salons, golf courses, playgrounds and parks should be reopened, while dine-in restaurants, swimming pools, churches and gyms should remain closed. There’s large community support for regular testing, antibody testing and contact tracing, as well as mask-wearing and limiting the number of people in a space at any given time. Although less than a third of respondents answered that they were currently very concerned about unemployment, 60% were concerned about an economic recession and 79% are concerned about the loss of small businesses. MAY 21, 2020

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Why is Boulder pursuing a partnership with Xcel when residents have repeatedly voted in support of the muni? by Matt Cortina

ver the last decade, Boulder the City could procure power from Xcel could assure that it would reach residents voted to pursue a other companies to supplement Xcel’s its 80% carbon reduction goal by municipal electric utility six offerings to meet its goals. 2030: “Would that be the basis for times: First, in 2011, to Finding out if Xcel is willing to settlement negotiations?” authorize a municipal utility allow that is part of the discussion, Michelle Aguayo, Xcel media and to fund planning for it and to Weaver says — early conversations relations representative, writes in an acquire assets; then in 2013 to put a with Xcel indicate the company may email that the company can’t confirm cap on how much debt it could take be willing to shift its position on the exact wording of the exchange but on to acquire Xcel’s — Boulder’s priother issues that were nonstarters in that it “can confirm the conversation mary energy provider — assets; in years prior, he says — things like and scenarios discussed are accurate.” 2014 to allow City Council to meet in allowing microgrids and letting the Yates and Weaver were both “surexecutive session to discuss the City have a say in planning the elecprised” by the offer, Weaver says, and municipalization effort (known, collo- tric grid. Though, to be clear, nothing the mayor relayed this information to quially, as the muni); in 2015, to City Council, which has since extend the tax Boulder assesses discussed the partnership pubon Xcel (which it then passes on licly, and the City has issued a to consumers) for its general press release announcing the fund; and in 2017, to again negotiations. The settlement extend and increase the utility refers to litigation, currently in tax. the appeals process, brought by Each vote had a wider marthe City to condemn Xcel’s gin of victory in support of the assets in order to determine — Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver muni than those first ballot how much it would cost to questions in 2011 (though the purchase them. last vote was close), even as the Still, Weaver has concerns City became mired in a long about how Xcel will reach an legal battle with Xcel and as the pros- is guaranteed. 80% reduction in carbon emissions by pect of creating a public utility “We are optimistic that we can 2030. Looking at the company’s became murkier. work with Boulder officials to help resource plan, the City estimates Xcel So the announcement this week the City achieve its unique energy can get to 55% renewables by 2026. that Boulder is entering settlement goals, just as we’re successfully helping “That’s the easy part of the transinegotiations with Xcel, which could other communities across Colorado to tion,” Weaver says. result in a partnership with the energy achieve their own energy goals,” said The hard part is that last 25%, company and not a public utility, was Alice Jackson, president of Xcel particularly if coal is still in Xcel’s surprising. Energy – Colorado, in a statement resource plan. Xcel’s Colorado Energy The potential partnership is parannouncing the discussions. Plan calls for retiring two coal plants ticularly curious given Xcel claims it But where did this conversation by 2026, while adding more wind and can reach an 80% reduction in carbon even begin? solar plants and battery storage. emissions by 2030. But Boulder’s cli“It started with Council mem“Our focus is on Xcel Energy’s mate goals call for 100% renewable bers,” says Emily Sandoval, communi- commitment to deliver 80% carbonenergy by 2030. How do those two cations specialist in the City’s Climate free electricity to customers by 2030. numbers square? Initiatives Department. Sandoval To achieve this goal, we need to “They don’t,” says Boulder Mayor adds, “This will be the fourth time explore all options. That includes the Sam Weaver. “If Xcel got 80% emiswe’ve gone to the table with Xcel.” potential for closing coal plants or sions reductions, and they continued The conversation started in operating them differently,” Aguayo to be our main supplier, we will miss January, Weaver says, during a lunch writes. that goal.” meeting and phone call between And, an 80% reduction in emisHowever, Weaver says a partnerJackson, himself and Councilman Bob sions does not necessarily equal ship with Xcel, instead of a muni, Yates, wherein the two sides “checked Boulder’s climate goal of using only could allow Boulder to reach its 100% in” due to leadership changes at both renewables to power the city — for renewable goals, if (and that’s a big if ) Xcel and on the Boulder City instance, Xcel’s Carbon Reduction the company allows Boulder to pursue Council. That led to five more discus- Plan calls for natural gas to comprise other clean energy options, like comsions, in April, and at the end of one 21% of its energy portfolio in 2027 munity choice aggregation. That is, of them, Weaver says Jackson asked if (and 19% coal).

“We’d be offering a choice to voters. They’ve been consistently behind the muni and this is a chance to check in.”

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

MAY 21, 2020

In short, the bottom line is Xcel’s goals do not meet Boulder’s goals, and do not abide Boulder voters’ repeated wish to pursue the muni. Weaver says that while both a partnership and the muni “have a chance” to meet Boulder’s emissions goals by 2030, “the muni would have a higher likelihood.” Any uncertainty in the muni path reaching the 2030 goals lies in the question of how, when and if the City could assume Xcel’s assets. It may take five years, Weaver says. “If in 2023 or 2024 we kicked that off, it would be quite clear we could get to 100% renewables by 2030,” Weaver says, adding that there are several companies lined up, who have already responded to the City’s request for pricing, that can promise 100% renewables by 2030. However, Weaver adds, “even if we went with Xcel, because there’s a decade [between then and now], we might be able to augment their process through some sort of community aggregation. That way would have the possibility of getting us to 100% renewables.” Boulder will continue working on the muni even as settlement discussions continue. The work includes finalizing the separation plan from Xcel, getting approvals from federal energy regulators, figuring out acquisition costs and more. And ultimately, any agreement would have to be approved by voters — that is, if City Council and Xcel can agree on a plan that gets Boulder to 80% renewables, residents will decide if all that negotiating was worth anything to them. “We’d be offering a choice to voters,” Weaver says. “They’ve been consistently behind the muni and this is a chance to check in. It’s a very clear choice that voters will be offered, if we even get there.” That vote would be in addition to a go/no-go vote to further pursue the muni scheduled for at least 2021. We’ll see what the voters decide then. I

MAY 21, 2020

BOULDER COUNTYâ€™S INDEPENDENT VOICE

How the coronavirus is reshaping the recycling industry by Angela K. Evans

he sky is clearer these days, as mountain views come into full focus. Air traffic has dropped significantly, production of some industries has ceased and people around the world have been sticking close to home. With that, global greenhouse gas emissions fell as much as 17% by April, according to new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change. While that’s good news in many regards, the coronavirus pandemic has also increased household and plastic waste, and disrupted the recycling industry. “The pandemic has given way to a curious phenomenon. With some industries pausing activities and fewer cars clogging roads, we’ve seen a drop in greenhouse gas emissions and a subsequent improvement in air quality,” writes Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle, a national sustainability company that focuses on recycling difficult-to-recycle packaging and products, in an email. “But even as the environment heals, we’ll be waking up to a waste crisis that’s worse than where we left it.” There’s been an influx of single-use plastics and disposable plastic bags going to landfills, Szaky says, as reusables have been banned over health concerns. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves, many of which contain plastic, have also significantly increased, adding significantly to the waste stream. Before the start of the pandemic, approximately 40% of U.S. household waste was packaging and paper products such as plastic containers, aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, newspaper and cardboard, according to the Product Stewardship Institute. Since the start of the pandemic, however, there’s 20-30% more trash and recycling coming out of households nationally, says Kate Bailey, policy and research director at EcoBOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Cycle based in Boulder. At Eco-Cycle, the amount of single-use plastics such as take-out containers and bags hasn’t changed significantly, Bailey says. Although, there has been a larger-than-normal uptick in single-use beverage containers as summer approaches. Plus, smaller cardboard boxes associated with at-home delivery have increased as well. TerraCycle, Szaky says, has seen a spike in both Zero Waste Boxes, which allow folks to mail in hard-to-recycle items (including PPE), and use of the company’s Loop e-commerce site, which sells packaged goods in durable, sanitized and reused containers. While household recycling may be increasing, plastic and glass from businesses have significantly decreased, causing potential disruptions in the supply chains across the country. “We have a lot of manufacturing companies in this country that make toilet paper, that make cardboard boxes, that make glass bottles that depend on recycling,” Bailey says. “So we’re seeing this call from manufacturers to say, ‘We need you to please keep recycling because we need these raw materials.’” And the industry has had to shift gears toward more household pick-up to keep up with demand, as some commercial recycling companies have had to close. “Since this increase in collections has been largely limited to residential locations as most businesses remain closed, many recycling haulers who I

exclusively operate in the commercial waste market have been forced to layoff employees,” Szaky says.   The pandemic comes at a time when the recycling industry was already struggling with historically low virgin plastic prices, made worse by the significant drop in oil and gas prices, and stymied international trading markets, as China banned recycling imports in 2018. There have been policy setbacks as well. In Colorado, two separate bills banning single-use plastics like straws, bags and coffee stirrers and polystyrene (Styrofoam) take-out packaging by 2022 were making their way (successfully) through the state legislature before the pandemic hit. Now, neither one is expected to move forward this year. “This feels a lot like getting kicked while you’re down,” Bailey says. But, Bailey says, the pandemic has also presented an opportunity to rebuild recycling programs and make them more resilient, and she expects the global momentum around reducing plastics and waste to continue beyond this pandemic. “The short of it is the problems with plastic production — the fossil fuel consumption, the climate emissions, and then the problems with plastics waste in the ocean, in our bodies — those are not going away,” Bailey says. “We don’t see this as a long-term victory for plastic. I see this as a short-term trend and then an adjustment period for all of us.” Szaky isn’t quite so optimistic, however, saying it’s hard to project the longterm impacts of the present challenges. “This perfect storm of issues has been brewing for a while and the COVID-19 crisis seems to have tipped the industry over the edge,” he writes. “While only time will tell if the industry can bounce back, it will certainly not be returning to ‘business as usual’ as soon as lockdowns are lifted.” MAY 21, 2020

Adam Sloat Broker/Owner

Your Boulder Real Estate Expert and Music Guy

Q&A SELLER ADVICE FROM A LOCAL HOME INSPECTOR, MY GO-TO GUY CHUCK Question: Chuck, what advice would you give sellers before listing their home to ensure buyer inspections are boring and without any red flags?

Answer: There is probably something in your home that you know isn’t operating perfectly. Whatever the item is in your home that you have to fuss with, get a qualified professional to service it or repair it and leave those service reports out for the inspection. I.e. a glass company for your windows or a HVAC professional to service your systems. – Chuck Bohall, A-Pro Home Inspections

720-466-8212 adam@adamsloat.com www.westwaterrealty.com I

Is this working for everybody?

How arts organizations can use the pandemic as a spring board to better accessibility

by Caitlin Rockett

n May 13, the Actors Theater of Louisville in Kentucky held a virtual round table discussion called “NonBinary Actors in a Binary World.” K. Woodzick, an actor who, until the pandemic upended life, lived and studied in Boulder, wonders if such a panel would have happened pre-pandemic. “I don’t think that would have happened with this lack of traditional live programming that we have right now,” Woodzick says. We’re talking about accessibility, a concept that Woodzick, who uses they/them pronouns, thinks about a lot as a nonbinary actor on the autism spectrum. The Actors Theater panel was an example of how the pandemic has offered extra opportunities for queer actors that may not have existed pre-COVID. But Woodzick also lives with a disability. They, like some other 60 million Americans with a disability, have to do a fair amount of planning ahead to enjoy a night out on the town. Woodzick has to ensure an establishment will allow their service dog. Rosemary McDonnell-Horita, the youth transition coordinator for independent living center Atlantis Community in Denver, has to make sure businesses can accommodate her wheelchair. For others it’s about checking on whether there will be an American Sign Language interpreter, or closed captioning, or options for lower-sensory seating, or audio descriptions of visual art. For others still it’s about whether they can afford a ticket, or whether they feel welcomed and safe in a given space. Accessibility to the arts was an issue long before the pandemic, but the crisis has changed the way everyone consumes art, and it’s opening an opportunity to re-examine those barriers to access. From offering more online programming with cheaper tickets, to bringing more diversity onto steering committees, to consistently offering events that cater to a wide range of abilities, local advocates and artists believe there’s plenty that artistic organizations can take away from this moment in history to give everyone the chance to experience the arts. “Some people are encountering for the first time having to work from home, having to modify 16

their schedule, having to build a new routine, having to deal with practical considerations like not being able to work, having reduced income,” says Regan Linton, artistic director of Phamaly Theatre Company in Denver, a nonprofit theatre that exclusively casts actors with all nature of disabilities. Linton uses a manual wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury from a car accident in college. “Disability community folks who have experienced these things in their lives have kind of developed coping mechanisms for [these kinds of issues],” she says. “Accessibility tends to be thought of in terms of very logistical, practical terms like, well, what is the accommodation? But I really think that if we’re talking about accessibility in a larger, more philosophical sense, it really starts with empathy and realizing we’ve built certain social structures and environments based on a certain way and all of a sudden, because those structures and those environments aren’t serving us in the way they need to, we’re actually rethinking them and pausing to say, ‘Is this serving us? Is this working for everybody?’ And not just is this working for the person with the disability, or the accommodation need, but how is it working for people with kids? How is it working for people who aren’t always leaning in or speaking up? [The pandemic is] completely overhauling some of these typical environments and making us think and build them with thoughtfulness as opposed to just sticking to the status quo.” McDonnell-Horita says she sees arts organizations considering accessibility “more cognitively” since the pandemic began. As a disability advocate — and as someone who lives with a

MAY 21, 2020

genetic condition called osteogenesis imperfecta that makes her “a chair user about 95% of the time” — McDonnell-Horita often works with organizations to help them build more accessibility into their physical spaces and programming. “The Clyfford Still Museum was recently putting together weekly webinars and classes and ways to engage their audience [during the pandemic], and without being asked they made sure the webinars were closed captioned,” she says. “That kind of accommodation allows people to join in without having to plan, without having to ask for it in the first place. We [in the disability community] have to plan all the time, so if that’s one less time we have to ask for something, all the better.” McDonnell-Horita helps young people with varying forms of disability gain independent living situations at Atlantis Community. She says some people in the autistic community have found the transition to online experiences beneficial. “A lot of times there are social expectations that you’re supposed to perform a certain way in public,” she says, which can be difficult for people on the autism spectrum who may struggle with overstimulation or a lack of verbal skills. “Online you have the option to mute yourself, to turn on and off your camera, to participate actively or sit back and participate in your own way. I know for those reasons there are lots of benefits to the way we’re engaging with one BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

another online during the pandemic.” During a recent webinar, McDonnellHorita says she got to witness a presentation by a college student at UC Berkeley who lives with nonverbal autism. “As someone who’s been in the [disability] community a long time, it was a really cool opportunity to see someone speaking on a big platform using all the technology available to them,” she says. “He had PowerPoint cued up with all the answers to possible questions. Within the PowerPoint was an embedded voice over with his talking points. You could see the PowerPoint and him engaging all at the same time. It created a space for him to be able to fully participate in the same way other panelists did without having access-needs questions.” A hierarchy of voices forms among those who can easily express themselves, McDonnell-Horita says. Those who use communication boards or who are nonverbal may take longer to express themselves or to ask questions “A lot of times there isn’t the space created, a pause that says, ‘We’re OK with that silence,’” she says. “I think right now we’re all getting used to new ways of communicating and getting more comfortable with uncomfortable silence.” But McDonnell-Horita acknowledges that technology, particularly dependable internet access, is a privilege many of her clients at Atlantis don’t have. “[The pandemic] is showing that internet access is one of those essential utilities like heat and water,” says Jennifer Zukowski, an affiliate professor at Metropolitan State University. If internet access were a universal right, not just a privilege for some, Zukowski says she believes arts organizations could not only expand accessibility, but also broaden their business models. “Right now there are all of these theater and arts exhibits we can see online when many people wouldn’t be able to do that in person, even without a pandemic going on,” Zukowoski says. “You can take a tour of any number of museums. Theater companies are putting productions online for free. Money accessibility is a huge factor in people getting to experience arts. Even as a well-to-do human I wouldn’t have been able to dash off on a weeknight to see Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller in Frankenstein at the National Theatre in London. How many of us got to have a Hamilton ticket? None of us. Now I can watch Hamilton when it comes to Disney+ [on July 3].” She says she hopes that theater companies consider making online performances — whether they’re live streaming or pre-recorded — a fundamental BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

piece of their performance offerings. “Can a company record one or two of the nights and stream those? And if you’re worried about technical difficulties happening during the stream, just let the audience know: ‘We may have to pause for tech difficulties,’” she says. “Like the way eTown does the live radio taping — stuff like that. Maybe when we go back to being in live audiences, companies can create tiered systems of ticketing that involve both online and live experiences.” But arts organizations will have to rethink in-person events as well, as many experts believe there will be no vaccine for COVID-19 for a year or more, making large gatherings difficult and in some cases impossible. “Over the years I’ve witnessed how even those of us in the quote-unquote creative community can get so stuck,” says Linton of Phamaly Theatre. “We develop our season, it’s going to kind of follow the same formula, even if the content is different. So how can we change up the delivery? What are the experiences that involve fewer people but are more intimate? You can do a theatrical performance that only has 10 audience members, but has that kind of focus on intimacy, on building a mini community.” Woodzick hopes arts organizations can realize that simply adding one or two accommodating events or performances per season isn’t enough. “We have to stop being so abelist and thinking, OK, we’re going to have this one relaxed performance or we’re going to have this one performance with captioning or ASL, this one day where you can be special and — pardon my French — but screw you if you can’t make that one day,” they say. McDonnell-Horita says accessibility has to be a part of an arts organization’s plans from day one. “A lot of people think when you’re accommodating people with disabilities it’s extra work,” she says. “But if you do it through the planning with that in mind and think about it with a universal access perspective — how can the most amount of people enjoy the space that I’m creating — that will eliminate potential barriers or limitations people might feel or experience and increase your patronage. “When you’re posting about an event, add a line that says this event will be closed captioned or have interpreters,” she says. “Even when there aren’t folks who requested that, it’s one time when someone didn’t have to ask, like hearing is the status quo. Be up front with the way you can include community so you don’t put the burden on the people in the community you’re trying to bring in.” I

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What to do when there’s ‘nothing’ to do...

VIRTUAL EVENTS BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

If your organization is planning an event of any kind, please email Caitlin at crockett@boulderweekly.com. PRESS CONFERENCE ON IMMIGRANT FEDERAL RELIEF DURING COVID-19 CRISIS. 2:30 P.M. THURSDAY, MAY 21, VIA ZOOM: BIT.LY/2TKY5ZA. MEMBERS OF the Colorado Congressional Delegation and community leaders will hold a virtual press conference on the impacts COVID-19 has had on Colorado’s immigrant community and the need to pass a federal relief package that includes immigrants. This conference is being hosted by Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), CIRC Action Fund, Colorado People’s Alliance, and American Friends Services Committee. Leading the conference will be: Representative Jason Crow; Senator Julie Gonzales; Alaina Silva, Denver restaurant owner in a mixed status family; Francisco Gallegos, teacher with immigrant students; and Nayda Benitez, CIRC South Regional Organizer.

THE CANINE CLASSIC. NOON, SATURDAY, MAY 23, SIGNUPGENIUS.COM.GO/70A0544A4A C29A4F94-CANINE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION Moving To End Sexual Assault (MESA) will host the 18th annual Canine Classic as a virtual event this year. All proceeds benefit MESA’s work to support victims of sexual violence. In lieu of the usual celebration with your best canine pal at the Boulder Reservoir, pick your favorite 5K route, leash up Lassie and don’t forget to document your run using #CanineClassic2020. All participants will be eligible to win prizes. Prize categories include fastest person with and without a dog, best dog and guardian selfie, oldest dog photo, best dog-guardian look-alike photo, best dog trick video and random prize drawings. Use #CanineClassic2020 on social media to enter your photos and videos in our prize giveaway. Cost for registration is $20, registration required.

MAY 21, 2020

GIVE WHAT YOU CAN — METEORITE PR FOOD DRIVE. 9 A.M.-4 P.M. THURSDAY, MAY 28, BIT.LY/2ZKCXOA JOIN METEORITE PR at The Studio Boulder (3550 Frontier Ave., Suite A2, Boulder,) on May 28 for a food drive. Sign up (at the link above) for a 30-minute time block, swing by, donate your nonperishable food and then walk away with samples from some of Meteorite’s clients.

DOG DANCE. 10:30 A.M. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 (AND EVERY WEDNESDAY) VIA ZOOM. CONTACT JOANNA ROTKIN AT JOANNA@ JOANNAANDTHEAGITATORS.COM TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM INVITE. LED BY JOANNA Rotkin, Dog Dance is a twice weekly online dance class built on listening to the breath. This class is generally slow-moving and quiet. Dog Dance meets on Zoom on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m., and Sundays from 3-5 p.m. On Wednesdays, all donations received will go directly to an organization doing good work in the community. For the month of May, this is Casa de Paz, in Aurora. Please contact Joanna at joanna@ joannaandtheagitators.com.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

HEAVY ROTATION

NEW RELEASES A SHORT LIST OF NEW SINGLES, SONGS AND LIVE RECORDINGS FROM 2020 SO FAR

by Angela K. Evans

“New York Summer,” by Generation Lost— A fun instrumental pop song sets

“Trapped in the Sun,” by Future — Out

the tone for a laid-back summer from the German trio’s wealth of 2020 releases.

of Atlanta’s Southern trap scene, Future’s latest release is a means of catharsis, an efficacious distraction during uncertain times.

“Without You,” by Perfume Genius —

“Famous,” by Car Seat Headrest — Tex-

The airy, indie pop of Mike Hadreas wraps its arms around you, begging you to sway to the rhythm. Don’t miss his entire justreleased album, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately.

tured electronic beats guide us through this restless track that begs for meaning from the indie-rock outfit.

“I know it,” by Chicano Batman — The

“Me & My Thoughts,” by Bishop Nehru —

The New York rapper gets introspective with mesmerizing lyrics set to gentle beats and a retro melody.

“Guys,” by The 1975 — An ode to friendship from the Manchester post-modern pop quartet, with hints of refreshing sentimentality.

Latin quartet from Los Angeles creates groovy tunes rooted in 1960s Brazilian Tropicália, psychedelic soul and indie rock with hints of social commentary.

“Wolf-Live,” by Sylvan Esso — Amelia

Meath’s tranquilizing vocals, brilliantly featured on this track from the electronic pop duo’s live album recorded during 2019’s WITH tour, slide into our musical rotation at exactly the right time.

“Lost in Yesterday,” by Tame Impala — The psychedelic Australian multi-instru-

“Don’t Hide,” by Frank Leone — Minimal

“Runner,” by Tennis — An exploration of

“Were you watching,” by Norah Jones —

mentalist offers us this danceable number just in time to reflect on past hesitations and melodramatic memories.

the noncommittal psyche from the Denverbased indie pop duo’s Valentine’s Day release, Swimmer.

“Cut Me,” by Moses Sumney — The

boundaries between social construct and self blur in Sumney’s soulful genre-breaking reflection set to a solid bass line and trumpeted ornaments.

and moody, this understated Chicago rapper offers up intricate reflections set to a piano chorus that carries us away.

Jones’ quintessential jazzy piano and sultry voice mixes with somber undertones in this poem from the singer’s upcoming release Pick Me Up Off the Floor.

“All These Changes,” by Nick Hakim — The Earth takes pity on us humans as

Brooklyn’s psychedelic soul crooner soothes us in this hypnotic record from his critically acclaimed Will This Make Me Good.

“So We Won’t Forget,” by Khuragabin —

The Texas trio’s global funk takes on a warm tropical sound in the newest single off their forthcoming album, Mordecai.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

see EVENTS Page 20

MAY 21, 2020

NET ART WITH MELANIE CLEMMONS. 2 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 22, THEDAIRY.ORG/EVENTS/NET-ART-WITH-MELANIECLEMMONS.

NET ART UTILIZES the web as a creative space. In this introductory workshop you’ll try your hand at making a basic net art webpage using HTML and CSS. The instructor, Melanie Clemmons, is a new media artist and educator. In addition to her gallery and museum work, Clemmons has worked on videos for fashion designer Brandon Maxwell and toured with Pussy Riot doing visuals during their first North American tour and collaborated on several of their music videos. She is an assistant professor of digital/hybrid media at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. The workshop is open to all ages/levels of experience (some computer knowledge preferred). You’ll need to have access to an internet connection and a computer/ laptop. This 60- to 75-minute session is free, but registration is required.

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY PERFORMANCES AND DEMOS. 4 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 22, MUSEUMOFBOULDER.ORG/EVENT/BEMUSED AN-EXPERIMENTAL-ART-PARTY. JOIN THE MUSEUM of Boulder virtually for an evening of performances and interactive installations by: Justin Gitlin, a creative coder, musician and multimedia artist (cacheflowe.com); Mark Mosher, a synthesist, electronic musician and multimedia artist (markmoshermusic.com); Monica Bolles, who creates experiences that immerse the audience in sonic, visual and tactile sensation (monicabolles.com); and MyCo Domicilia, a biodesign project exploring fabrication with mycelium (mushrooms) for common household items (instagram.com/myco_domicilia). For the event link, you’ll need to RSVP.

THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY PROJECT: A BENEFIT FOR BOULDER’S ARTISTS/COLORADO CHAUTAUQUA COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND. MAY 23-JUNE 5, CHARITYAUCTION.BID/CHAUTAUQUA.COM. THE COLORADO CHAUTAUQUA Association (CCA), the organization tasked with caring for the Chautauqua historic landmark district, relies heavily on lodging and events to fund its work and pay its staff. These activities have all been severely impacted during the pandemic. The CCA will be hosting a virtual art auction from May 22 to June 5. In addition to benefiting Chautauqua, 25% of the proceeds go to the COVID-19 Boulder County Response Fund. Artists will also have the option to keep 25% of the proceeds from the sale of their work.

“TOUCHED BY LOVING HANDS:” UP-CYCLED TEXTILE ART BY DAVID VAN BUSKIRK. BRICOLAGE GALLERY AT ART PARTS CREATIVE REUSE CENTER, 2870 BLUFF ST., BOULDER, MAY 23-JULY 3. ART PARTS CREATIVE Reuse Center is open (face masks required at the door), which means Bricolage Gallery is open. Drop by and enjoy a colorful exhibit of hard-wearing, functional handwoven rugs, shopping bags, tapestries and more by David van Buskirk. Van Buskirk is a former New York City textile designer and Fashion Institute of Technology instructor. He moved back to Colorado a few years ago to care for his ailing mother, whose life-long creativity and recent passing inspired the title for this exhibit. Please note that Art Parts Creative Reuse Center has reduced hours and days in May and possibly June. See its website and social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates.

MAY 21, 2020

PALME D’OR WINNERS BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

he origins of France’s Cannes Film Festival lay not in La République, but neighboring Italy. Specifically, 1937’s Venice Film Festival, when Benito Mussolini stuck his big, fat fascist fingers in the mix and ensured that The Grand Illusion from French filmmaker Jean Renoir — easily one of the greatest pacifist movies ever made — did not win the festival’s top prize. The following year, Mussolini and crony Adolf Hitler conspired to award an Italian war film and a German documentary top honors. Future allies England, France and the U.S. had enough and pulled out. To hell with the Venice Film Festival, they’d create their own. And on Aug. 31, 1939, La Festival International du Film held opening ceremonies in the tourist town of Cannes along the French Riviera. The following day Germany invaded Poland. The war was on, and the festival was off, canceled until September 1946. It took a while for Cannes to find its footing. In ’48 and ’50, the festival was canceled due to budgetary problems. In 1951, the festival was rescheduled to May so as not to compete with Venice, and in 1955 the festival revamped its top prize from the Grande Prix to the Palme d’Or, modeled after the palm trees lining the Promenade de la Croisette. The Palme d’Or has come to signify the top prize in cinema — an honor bestowed on movies both of a time and timeless. Below are four you can stream right now (you can find a fifth on page 26).

FILM

ART

EVENTS from Page 19

Marty: The inaugural recipient of the award, Delbert Mann’s Marty was the only film to win both the Palme d’Or and the Oscar for Best Picture. That was until ‘Parasite’ came along in 2019. There are a few thematic similarities between the two, though Marty sticks firmly with the have-nots. Ernest Borgnine stars as the titular butcher and every Italian mother in his corner of the Bronx wonders when he’ll get married. Then Clara (Betsy Blair) walks by, and Marty finally sees a girl within reach. It’s a lonely film; populated by sad, I

lonely mothers, sad, lonely sons, and women who aren’t yet sad and lonely but will be once the world grinds them down. It’s a kitchen sink drama, one where it doesn’t take much to find a Hollywood ending. Thank goodness it does. Streaming on Amazon Prime. Black Orpheus: The Greek myth of Orpheus descending to the underworld to rescue his beloved Eurydice has been adapted numerous times by filmmakers, but few as good as Marcel Camus’ Brazilian treatment of the story. Set during Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival and featuring music from bossa nova legends Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, Black Orpheus is an elative fever dream. Streaming on The Criterion Channel and Kanopy. Dancer in the Dark: Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier is a sadist, and a proud one at that. He likes to put his characters (mostly women) through hell and back just to see if they’ll come out the other side. They do, and it’s uplifting — until you stop to wonder if they needed to go so low in the first place. Then again, that’s life. ‘Dancer in the Dark’ might be his best, and Björk might be his best conduit. She plays Selma, a Czech immigrant suffering from a degenerative eye disorder. It’s a rare, hereditary disease, and it’ll steal her sight but not the song in her heart. To save her son from a similar fate, Selma works tirelessly in a dreary Pacific Northwest factory pinching pennies to pay for his surgery. Would that it were so simple. Streaming on Vudu. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg: Director Jacques Demy sought to make a movie that would make audiences cry. He succeeded in spades. It helps that Michelle Legrande provided one of the most indelible film scores of all time, and cinematographer Jean Rabier found the sourness in candy-coated Eastmancolor. Catherine Deneuve is radiant as the 16-year-old Geneviève, who falls for Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), a mechanic with humble aspirations. Geneviève sells umbrellas at her mother’s shop, and everything looks like an old Hollywood movie. And no one talks, they sing. They sing every single line in the film no matter how banal. It’s ecstatic and frivolous, but war intervenes, and beauty that was once taken for granted is now sorely missed. Exaltation turns to elegy, and life goes on. It has one of the best endings in all of cinema — if it doesn’t break your heart, nothing will. Streaming on The Criterion Channel and Kanopy.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

LIBRA

THEATER

BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES

MARCH 21-APRIL 19: “Excellence does not require perfec-

tion,” wrote Aries author Henry James. Now I’m conveying this brilliant counsel to you — just in time for the season when it will make good sense to strive for shining excellence without getting bogged down in a debilitating quest for perfection. Have fun recommitting yourself to doing the best you can, Aries, even as you refuse to be tempted by the unprofitable lure of absolute purity and juvenile forms of idealism.

TAURUS

APRIL 20-MAY 20: To generate an ounce of pure cocaine, you must collect 52 pounds of raw coca leaf and work hard to transform it. But please don’t do that. Fate won’t be on your side if you do. However, I will suggest that you consider undertaking a metaphorically comparable process — by gathering a sizable amount of raw material or basic stuff that will be necessary to produce the small treasure or precious resource that you require.

Reinventing the wheel

MAY 21-JUNE 20: “The very least you can do in your life

by Caitlin Rockett

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

that — large gatherings ON THE BILL: inside aren’t happening FEED: Culture — presented by for a long time, but we The Catamounts. don’t know what’s next. Saturday, May 30. The evening has kind Tickets are $55 at of shifted to be more thecatamounts. an exploration of how org/tickets. do we listen? How do we say goodbye to what was and how do we let the next thing emerge?” Of the virtual events of the evening, some will be pre-recorded while others are participatory. One video shows cidermaker Tom Oliver at his cidery in Herefordshire, United Kingdom, where he allows cider to spontaneously ferment in whisky barrels, “sometimes for years at a time,” Berg-Wilson says. “I’m fascinated by that concept right now,” she says. “I don’t want to rush this moment. I’m impatient to get back to something but I recognize there’s some kind of beauty and usefulness to what we’re experiencing right now during the pandemic.” Barbara Dilley, a former president of Naropa University who danced with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in the ’60s, will lead FEED participants through a guided meditation. FEED is available to a limited number of participants since all baskets will be delivered by hand (between 5 and 7 p.m. on May 30), but Berg-Wilson says if the response is good, they’ll do another one soon. Her sights are already on what The Cats may come up with for the fall. “It’s a real challenge to reinvent the wheel,” she admits. “But I have great confidence that what we’ll be offering [through FEED] was made with a lot of thought and love and care. It’s a totally new format; I don’t know how it will land. But [The Catamounts] are committed to the constant reinvention of the artistic form, and if we can’t rise to the moment now, we need to hang up our hats.” I

the desperately fleeting is the great magic trick of human existence.” Playwright Tennessee Williams said that, and now I’m conveying his insight to you — just in time for you to dramatically embody it. According to my astrological analysis, you now have more power than usual to accomplish this magic trick: to create something permanent in the midst of the transitory; to make an indelible mark on a process that has previously been characterized by restless permutations; to initiate a bold move that you will forever remember and be remembered for.

SCORPIO

OCT. 23-NOV. 21: In the course of his 73 years on the

planet, Scorpio author Paul Valéry (1871-1945) wrote more than 20 books. But between the ages of 25 and 45, he passed through a phase he called the “great silence.” During that time, he quit writing and published nothing. Afterwards, he returned to his life’s work and was nominated 12 times for a Nobel Prize. Although your own version of a great silence is less extreme than his, I’m happy to announce that you will emerge from it sooner than you imagine.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV. 22-DEC. 21: I’m sad that my two favorite 19th-century

GEMINI

The Catamounts goes virtual with FEED

he Catamounts had just wrapped up its largest production to-date, an immersive staging of the musical Shockheaded Peter, when the pandemic shut down Colorado in mid-March. “It was a crazy pivot to being in our biggest show ever to there being no theater whatsoever,” says Amanda Berg-Wilson, The Cats artistic director and co-founder. The company wasn’t sure what its next steps would be; its signature food-andtheater-pairing event, FEED, was slated for the end of April, but it was hard to see the future of live theater in the haze of shock and uncertainty. “But the more we thought about it and the deeper into the pandemic we got, the more we realized we missed connecting with our audience,” Berg-Wilson says. “And we don’t know how long it’s going to be before we can connect again.” On May 30, The Cats will host a physically distanced 24th installment of FEED, with curated gift baskets delivered to ticket holders’ front doors, and a list of virtual performances to complement the goodies. The basket will include a selection of three beverages from Culture Beverage and a meal provided and packed by Savory Cuisines. There will also be a few “gift wrapped” pieces of art, and instructions on how to enjoy your food, drink and art in concert, just as you would have at a pre-pandemic FEED. The theme for the event is culture — how it’s shaped and how it shapes us. The concept started as a nod to Culture Beverage, operated by the founders of the FEED event, Lauren Shepard and Zac Wilkinson. But the motif has expanded since the pandemic, which itself has had effects on culture. “Of course now that we are all in this huge transitional moment together, one of the things [the staff of The Catamounts has] been talking about is this idea of normal,” Berg-Wilson says. “We know the way we had culture and we know we’re not going back to

SEPT. 23-OCT. 22: “Snatching the eternal out of

MICHAEL ENSMINGER

is to figure out what you hope for,” writes author Barbara Kingsolver. “And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, that is exactly the work you should be doing right now, Gemini. Everything good that can and should happen for you in the coming months depends on you defining what you hope for, and then doing whatever’s necessary to live inside that hope.

CANCER

JUNE 21-JULY 22: The periodic arrivals of “natural disrup-

tion” in our everyday routines has a divine purpose, writes Yoruba priest Awó Falokun Fatunmbi. It is “to shake consciousness loose from complacency and rigid thinking.” To be vital, he says, our perception of truth must be constantly evolving, and never stagnant. “Truth is a way of looking at self and World,” Fatunmbi declares. “It is a state of being rather than an act of knowing.” Many Westerners find this hard to understand because they regard truth as a “fixed set of rules or dogma,” or as a body of “objective facts.” But here’s the good news: Right now, you Cancerians are especially receptive to Fatunmbi’s alternative understanding of truth — and likely to thrive by adopting it.

LEO

JULY 23-AUG. 22: Novelist and war correspondent Martha

Gellhorn departed this life in 1998, but she articulated a message that’s important for you to hear right now. She wrote, “People often say, with pride, ‘I’m not interested in politics.’ They might as well say, ‘I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.’” Gelhorn added, “If we mean to keep control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.” In my opinion, her advice is always applicable to all of us, but it’s especially crucial for you to meditate on right now. You’ll be wise to upgrade your interest and involvement in the big cultural and political developments that are impacting your personal destiny.

VIRGO

AUG. 23-SEPT. 22: According to author and teacher

Marianne Williamson, “Ego says, ‘Once everything falls into place, I’ll feel peace.’ Spirit says, ‘Find your peace, and then everything will fall into place.’” I think the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to take Williamson’s advice seriously, Virgo. How? By giving control of your life to Spirit as you find your peace. In saying this, I’m not implying that Ego is bad or wrong. In fact, I think Ego is a crucial asset for you, and I’m hoping that in recent months you have been lifting your Ego to a higher, finer state of confidence and competence than ever before. But right now I think you should authorize Spirit to run the show for a while. If you do, it will bless you with good surprises.

MAY 21, 2020

poets were unfamiliar with each other’s poetry. Walt Whitman was 11 years older than Emily Dickinson, but didn’t know her work. Dickinson had heard of Whitman, but didn’t read his stuff. Their styles were indeed very different: hers intimate, elliptical, psychologically acute; his expansive, gregarious, earthy. But they were alike in being the most innovative American poets of their time, and equally transgressive in their disregard for standard poetic forms. If there were such a thing as time travel, I’d send one of you Sagittarians back to set up a meeting between them. Acts of innovative blending and creative unifying will be your specialties in the coming weeks.

CAPRICORN

DEC. 22-JAN. 19: The fictional character Sherlock Holmes

(born January 6, and thus a Capricorn) is a brilliant logician and acute observer who has astonishing crime-solving skills. On the other hand, according to his friend Dr. Watson, he “knows next to nothing” about “contemporary literature, philosophy and politics.” So he’s not a well-rounded person. He’s smart in some ways, dumb in others. Most of us fit that description. We are both brilliant and ignorant; talented and inept; interesting and boring. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to hone and cultivate the less mature aspects of your own nature. I bet you’ll reap rich rewards by doing so.

AQUARIUS

JAN. 20-FEB. 18: “People become like what they love,”

observed theologian St. Catherine of Siena. That’ll be an interesting truth for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. I suspect you will attract experiences that are clear reflections of the kind of love you have cultivated and expressed for quite some time. You’ll be blessed in ways similar to the ways you have blessed. You’ll be challenged to face questions about love that you have not been dealing with. And here’s a promise for the future: You’ll have the opportunity to refine and deepen your approach to love so as to transform yourself into more of the person you’d like to become.

PISCES

FEB. 19-MARCH 20: “Humanity is a mystery,” wrote author

Fyodor Dostoevsky. “The mystery needs to be unraveled, and if you spend your whole life unraveling it, you haven’t wasted your time. I am studying that mystery because I want to be a complete human being.” I love this tender perspective on the preciousness of the Great Riddle we’re all immersed in. It’s especially useful and apropos for you to adopt right now, Pisces, because you are undergoing an unusually deep and intense communion with the mystery. As you marinate, you shouldn’t measure your success and good fortune by how much new understanding you have attained, but rather by how much reverence and gratitude you feel and how stirring your questions are.

FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

‘Every leaf, every ray of light’

Return to hope with ‘The Tree of Life’

by Michael J. Casey

“Someday we’ll fall down and weep, and we’ll understand it all. All things.” —Mr. O’Brien, The Tree of Life

or two weeks every May, the world of cinema turns to the beaches of Southern France as the Cannes Film Festival takes the stage of Le Grand Palais. Under normal circumstances, this weekend would mark the conclusion of the 73rd Cannes Film Festival with the announcements of the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize. But, for the umpteenth time, there is nothing normal about 2020. Cannes, like everything else, has been canceled. A year with no Cannes feels like a year with no cinema. In the past, the festival has announced revolutions of the moving image, reassessed the legacy of overlooked titans, and turned art into commerce and commerce into art. And those that leave Cannes with a Golden Palm in hand immediately become essential viewing. Many past Palme winners stand tall (see page 20 for more), but few have been as transcendent and memorable as 2011’s recipient, The Tree of Life. Written and directed by Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life — streaming on HBO Now and DirecTV — is a watershed moment in contemporary cinema. Pairing the impressionistic poetry of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, the abstract visual effects of Douglas Trumbull, the concrete reality of production designer Jack Fisk and elliptical storytelling, The Tree of Life is simultaneously micro and macro, the story of everything told in a single blade of grass. Or a simple 22

American family of five, the O’Briens, living in suburban Texas circa 1956. Jack (Hunter McCracken) is the eldest of the three boys, sons of the demanding and exacting Mr. O’Brien (Brad Pitt), a man cut from the Old Testament cloth. Mr. O’Brien lives with many rules and little mercy. He expects much of his family, but he expects more of himself. He never misses a day of work and tithes on Sundays. Years ago, he practiced countless hours in hopes of being a concert pianist, but it was not to be. Now he holds over two dozen patents, yet no one praises him an inventor. When the industrial plant he’s worked at for decades folds, he is offered either a job no one wants or no job at all. And where the father leads, the son follows — not by choice, but by inevitability. Jack grows up to be an architect (played by Sean Penn) and sulks about with equal remove. “I’m more like you than her,” the son tells his father. Her is Mrs. O’Brien (Jessica Chastain), and she is life. Her sons adore her, butterflies rest on her hands and at one point she floats playfully near a tree. She’s more spirit than person, a real-life Snow White representing everything Mr. O’Brien isn’t. “There are two ways through life,” she says, “The way of nature and the way of grace.” Malick chooses grace but understands nature’s importance. From the formation of the universe, hot and violent, to the evolution of the species, varied and magnificent, Malick’s script races fiercely through time. Eons collapse into minutes, and entire movements are sugMAY 21, 2020

FOR MORE ON ‘The gested by moments: Cells Tree of Life’ and past separating, molten lava Palme d’Or winners, breaking free and forming tune into Metro Arts islands, an act of mercy on KGNU, Friday at 3 p.m. (88.5 FM, 1390 between predator and prey, AM and online at obliteration at the hands of kgnu.org). something otherworldly. Moments echoed in the O’Briens’ personal lives: A father who is more threat than parent, a mother who is more guide than protector. In the film’s most moving scene, the boys come home to find that Mr. O’Brien is away. Now they rule the roost, free to run around the house screaming and slamming the screen door as hard as they want. Mrs. O’Brien rolls her eyes, but even she cannot help but be moved to play. The camera glides and François Couperin piano music elevates the image to something more than just a movie. “Help each other,” Mrs. O’Brien whispers on the soundtrack. “Love everyone. Every leaf, every ray of light. Forgive.” I first saw The Tree of Life in 2011, not long after the movie won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. I knew nothing of the film beyond the win and that it had dinosaurs in it. Frankly, it could have been about anything and I still would have gone: My wife’s friend had died unexpectedly that morning. The two were close, and neither got a chance to say goodbye. It was a warm summer day, but the world felt cold, cruel and without order. Two-and-a-quarter hours later, I emerged from the dark warm and full. Not everything is meant to make sense, and the secrets of the universe will probably never be revealed. But there is order there, somewhere, and that’s enough. We may be alone today, but someday we will be with all the world. BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Pick Up Available Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

BY DAN SAVAGE Dear Dan: Here’s a non-COVID enjoy the fucked up stories you enjoy. question for you: I’m a queer white And while there are doubtless some female in a monogamish marriage. I actual Nazis who enjoy reading dirty vote left, I abhor hatred and oppresstories about other Nazis, most peosion, and I engage in activism when I ple turned on by dirty stories about can. I’m also turned on by power difNazis are turned on despite themferentials: authority figures, uniforms, selves and their politics. hot guys doing each other. Much to Transgressive sexual fantasies don’t my horror this thing for arouse us because they ROMAN ROBINSON power differentials plus violate societal norms too many WW2 movies and expectations (in a as a kid has always safe and controlled manmeant that for my brain ner), FASH, but because (or for my pussy) Nazis they allow us to violate are hot. Fuck me, right? our sense of ourselves Other maybe reletoo (ditto). Just as a femvant bits of info: I’m not inist can have rape fantainterested in roleplaying sies without actually with actual partners, I’m wanting to be raped herfairly sure this proclivity self or for anyone else to is not reflective of any be raped, a person can deeper issues, and I’m have sexual fantasies both sexually and emotionally fairly about hot guys in Nazis uniforms well sorted. Not perfect, but fine doing each other without wanting working order and all that. And I get Nazis to come to power. it: people like what they like, don’t I have to say it was a easier to judge yourself for your fetishes, just give anti-Nazi Nazi fetishists like you a get off without being an asshole to pass — to shrug and say “you do you” anyone. The problem is that my usual but please keep it to yourself — before way of getting off on/indulging my racist demagogues, white supremafantasies is to read erotic fiction on cists and anti-Semites started marchthe internet. I’d love your input on ing around waving Trump flags. But no whether seeking out Nazi porn is one picks their kinks and being told problematic for some of the same “that shouldn’t turn you on” has never reasons that porn depicting sex with made a problematic or transgressive kids is problematic. Am I normalizing kink less arousing. And when you conand trivializing fascism? sider the number of non-erotic novels, —Freaking About Search Histories movies and television shows the cul ture cranks out year after year — and Dear FASH: Seeking out child how many actually trivialize fascism porn — searching for it online, down(I’m talking to you, Hunters) — it’s loading it, collecting images of chilseems insane to draw a line and say, dren being raped and sexually abused “OK, this story about Nazis isn’t OK — is problematic (and illegal) because because that lady over there masturit creates demand for more child porn, bated while reading it in private.” which results in more children being raped and sexually abused. The Dear Dan: I’m a teenage girl with cause-and-effect is obvious, FASH, a female friend who keeps joking the victims are real, and the harm about having sex with me. We’re both done is incalculable. into girls and sex, but while I find her But while it may discomfort somereally hot, she probably doesn’t feel one to know a nice married lady who the same about me. How can I tell if donates to all the right causes is furishe’s joking about it because she finds ously masturbating to dirty stories the idea ridiculous or if she’s joking about hot guys in Nazi uniforms doing about it because she actually wants each other, FASH, no one ever has to to? Once everything goes back to norknow that. So you do no harm — not mal COVID-wise, what should I do? even the supposed harm of discom—Getting Into Real Life forting someone — when you privately BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Dear GIRL: The ability to ask someone a direct question — particularly someone you’re interested in romantically and/or sexually — is an important skill, GIRL, and getting some practice now, when stakes are relatively low, will benefit you all your life. So get your friend on the phone and ask her this: “Are you serious about wanting to have sex with me? It’s fine if you don’t want to, but I’m actually attracted to you. Please say no if the answer’s no.” If the answer is yes, you can make a date to get together once circumstances/pandemics allow. But if the answer is no, GIRL, then you can get some practice making declarative statements: “I don’t want you to make those jokes anymore. They’re hurtful to me.” And if she continues to make jokes about having sex with you after you’ve made it clear she’s hurting your feelings, then she’s just being cruel and doesn’t deserve your time, attention or friendship.

Wednesday Sunday 9am-8pm

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Dear Dan: 1. Is it safe to hook up again? 2. Will it be safe to hook up again soon? 3. You’ll tell us when it’s safe to hook up again, right? —Getting Really Impatient. Need Dick. Really. Dear GRINDR: • It isn’t. • At some point. • I will. A note from Dan: Hey, everybody: Me and Nancy and the techsavvy/at-risk youth will be doing a special Savage Love Livestream on Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m. PST. You can send your questions to livestream@savagelovecast.com or ask them live during the event. I’ll answer as many as I can in one funfilled Zoom meeting! Tickets are $10 and all proceeds from the Savage Love Livestream will be donated to Northwest Harvest, a non-profit that distributes food to more than 370 food banks in Washington state. Go to savagelovecast.com/events to get tickets!

Send emails to mail@savagelove. net, follow Dan on Twitter @ FakeDanSavage and visit ITMFA.org. MAY 21, 2020

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BOULDER WEEKLY

BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

TRY THIS WEEK:

Babbo Pizza @ Carelli’s of Boulder WE’VE ORDERED a lot

of takeout and delivery meals from Boulder County restaurants over the last two months, but we must say, our recent experience ordering from Carelli’s of Boulder was exceptional. We were greeted with a friendly conversation on the phone while ordering and, at a distance, when they delivered our meal to the car. Looking at the flowered and shaded patio made us long for a time — which is coming quite soon — when we can dine outdoors there, but getting the babbo pizza to-go was good enough for now. It’s a thin-crust pie with well-apportioned basil, organic tomato slices, garlic, mozzarella and fontina cheeses, and an olive oil glaze. The crust is unique — gentle folds create more surface area for crispness.

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1 n Drink this: Oskar Blues Brewery’s BA20 Vol. 1: All Monde

n COVID-19-related deaths continue at Colorado meat-processing plants and grocery stores

The first in what will hopefully be a lengthy series of barrel-aged imperial stouts, Oskar Blues’ BA20 Vol. 1: All Monde is exceptional. Aged in bourbon barrels with toasted almonds and Madagascar vanilla beans, the pitch black stout with an espresso-tinged head is like a glass of rocky road ice cream with a boozy finish. The mouth is big, and the back kicks with whiskey. Vanilla balances out the heat, and sweet and creamy malt builds a body worthy of these flavors.

ON MAY 17, THE EIGHTH employee of the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley died of COVID-19. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local union group, Local 7, says the death of Tin Aye and the seven others before her, is the result of a slow rollout of safety measures from the company. There have been 316 cases at the JBS plant, UFCW says. Additionally, an employee at a King Soopers, a subsidiary of Kroger, in Denver also recently passed away. In an interview earlier this month with Boulder Weekly, UCFW Local 7 President Kim Cordova said she was concerned about rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths among the state’s grocery store workers.

BOULDER WEEKLY

MAY 21, 2020

The Boulder County Farmers Markets return this week, with changes to ensure safety, and a vision of changing how we eat

by Matt Cortina closed-roof supermarket. Despite the reduction in visitors, Coppom is targeting sales to be 50% of what they were last year. He estimates that of the 6-8,000 people who visited BCFM locations in the past, maybe 2,000 weren’t buying anything. The people who do visit, hopefully, will be those eager to spend a lot. That’s what the past dictates, anyway. “Typically what we will find when circumstances are not comfortable, if it’s raining, super windy, anything like that, we find there’s a dramatic reduction in the number of shoppers at the market but there’s also a dramatic increase in the dollars spent per shopper,” Coppom says. “The core shoppers are still coming out, they’ll brave the weather, they’ll brave conditions, and they typically buy larger purchases than the average person. I think we’ll see those core shoppers returning to the market.” The silver lining in all of this, Coppom says, is that more folks are waking up to the inadequacies of the industrial food system, and that they’re responding by buying locally. It’s a foundation we can build on — Coppom estimates that based on acreage alone, agriculture done on Boulder County could feed 25-30% of the

population. Cut it in half if you account for water restrictions, but that’s still an attainable goal and one that could have a big impact if reached. “We know for a fact that the globalized, industrialized food system has really delivered well on high volumes of cheap calories and even high volumes of nutritious food,” Coppom says. “What we also see is these big, centralized systems do not adapt easily. That has been one of the blessings on the local food system; it has been highly adaptable and highly innovative. There’s something there about resiliency that these smaller, localized systems are highly adaptable, they’re flexible, and they’re continuing to feed people where the larger systems are unable to do so.”

n BCFM opening dates

n BCFM dos and don’ts

DO wear a mask (required)

DO use credit cards

DO use the restrooms before you leave home

DO wash and disinfect all your purchases when you return home

DO use hand-washing and sanitizing station

DON’T come to market if you’re sick

he Boulder Saturday market on 13th Street in Boulder will open Saturday, May 23. The Boulder Wednesday evening market does not yet have an opening date. The Saturday Longmont market at 9595 Nelson Road is planning to open May 30. The Saturday Union Station market in Denver is planning to open June 13. The Thursday Lafayette market will not open to the public this year. It will become a location for curbside pick-up for orders placed on BCFM’s virtual market, BCFM2Go (bcfm. localfoodmarketplace.com). Curbside pick-up launch date is TBD. 26

PHOTOS BY ASHTON RAY HANSEN

Back in season

razy would be a good way to describe it,” says Brian Coppom, executive director of the Boulder County Farmers Market (BCFM), of the last several weeks. The coronavirus-related shutdown coincided, within weeks, with the projected start of the BCFM season. As farmers pivoted to farm stands, CSAs, deliveries and other methods to sell their early-season foods, BCFM, too, pivoted to an expansive curbside pickup model. On weekends, as many as 800 people are now picking up orders through BCFM2Go, sourced from 42 local farmers, ranchers and other food purveyors. Like the restaurant industry, the quick adaptation has helped BCFM and local food growers make ends meet during the pandemic, but it won’t be enough on its own to carry them through the season. It also shows their resiliency, Coppom says. “As soon as they heard we were going to be delaying the markets, many of them were able to set up farm stands, they put stuff online and they had a tremendous response from the public,” Coppom says. “I think the concern for most of our area farmers is really in what happens when we get into summer crops. There’s not a farmer that can make up the volume they make at the market at a farm stand.” So opening the farmers market (with restrictions — you’re encouraged to make a reservation and/or shop online for pickup, there will be no food samples, etc. (see sidebar for details) will help boost revenue for local food growers, but after running the numbers, Coppom expects peak daily visitation to the market to reach only 1,300 people — down from a peak of 8,000 during regular summers. It won’t be the same BCFM at whichever location you visit. Gone are the live music, seating areas and artisan booths that made it something to do on Saturday mornings and weekday nights. Instead, it’s a place to get local groceries, which, in the sunshine and open air, might be more appealing than a

DO limit your party to one DO stand on 6-foot distancing marks DO follow our one-way flow of traffic

DON’T come to market without a reservation DON’T use cash if you can avoid it (If you must, bring small bills)

DO pre-order

DON’T bring pets to market

DO make a shopping list and plan your route

DON’T consume any food on site

DON’T touch any produce or goods

DO keep your market visits short

MAY 21, 2020

BOULDER WEEKLY

New in brew: Wild Provisions Beer Project

Two European brewing traditions collide in Boulder

story and photos by Michael J. Casey

oulder’s got a new taproom, and it’s a beauty: Sleek yet rustic, modern but warm, a real treat. You ought to drop whatever you’re doing and go for a pour of something special. Too bad you can’t, at least not yet. Located in East Boulder’s industrial Flatiron Park, Wild Provisions Beer Project is the passion project of Tommy Bibliowicz (co-owner of 4 Noses Brewing in Broomfield) and Brandon Boldt (co-owner of Primitive Beer in Longmont). They opened their doors on May 8. Well, rolled up the garage door is more like it. They can sell you bottles to go, but it’s going to be a while until you can head in and hang out for a beer or three. A pity too: oak dominates the décor, the open and airy room is flooded with natural light, and the front of the house feels like a natural extension of the back. “We really wanted the atmosphere to be pretty open,” Bibliowicz says. “Often times, when we have projects like this, it’s like they’re hidden behind the veil. We wanted it to be front and center.” And it is. From where you sit at the bar, you spy a wooden nook housing a koelschip (a large flat tub where

beer is spontaneously inoculated), two upright fermenters and a stack of five large puncheon barrels — all fashioned out of American oak from Missouri. Look further back, and you’ll see glass doors sequestering another coolship, two more open fermenters and horizontal lagering tanks stacked up like piglets. Welcome to ales and lagers, wild and clean. Two brewing styles alike in execution colliding in 8,000 square feet of Boulder brewing space. Both are rooted in tradition. The sour ales adhere to Belgian techniques, while the clean lagers mimic the Czech tradition. If you know anything about the two brewing nations, and the beer produced, you know they’re widely different — at least in the glass. But Boldt sees a lot of similarities between the two styles and the

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

ON TAP: Wild

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processes involved, especially in their resistance to modernize with the rest of the brewing world. “These two areas, to some degree, said: ‘No, no, no. We love what we’re doing, we’re going to continue on and make this part of our beer culture,’” Boldt explains. The main ingredient in both is time. While most breweries go from grain to glass in one to three weeks, Wild Provisions’ lagers will more than double that. And their wild ales will mature anywhere from one to three years. They also plan to cellar those sour ales in a separate climate-controlled room, which patrons can rent out for special tastings. Wild Provisions opened with three sour ales (see sidebar for more), with their fourth releasing on May 22. The Czech lagers will soon follow, as will a proper opening. That will happen when Bibliowicz can assure the safety of his staff and customers. Until then, admire Wild Provisions’ all-black exterior and snag a few bottles of sour ale to go.

MAY 21, 2020

THE FIRST THREE PACKAGED IN HANDSOME 500-ml bottles finished matte black (to keep aging beer safe from light), Wild Provisions’ first three sours are equally effervescent, featuring delightful pops of tartness and subtle hints of wood influence. Their sour table beer, Ranch Chores, 4.1% ABV, was matured in Château Montelena chardonnay casks, which either impart a tart apple quality to the beer or lead your taste buds in that direction. It pours a pale straw color, fizzes on the nose and delivers light aromas of lemon, field grass and a touch of white grape. Drink it on a hot afternoon. Old Bones (7.1% ABV) is a golden sour aged on freshly picked nectarines — which give the beer a sweet, fleshy fruit flavor — and Cascade hop cones, which contribute bitterness and structure to complement the tartness, and touches of citrus rind and orange blossom. Old Bones was then aged in chardonnay and whiskey barrels, with the latter adding a touch of woody heat. It’s superb — drink tonight with a lightly dressed arugula and goat cheese salad. Bowery Lane (11.8% ABV) is a strong golden sour with Montmorency cherries aged in rye whiskey barrels to approximate a classic Manhattan cocktail. Better lay this one down and come back in a few years, after the boozy heat has mellowed and the wood and fruit tannins soften. When that day comes, pair with a marbled rib-eye steak.

So 19 is the ideal age to start smoking pot, eh? By Paul Danish

hat’s the “ideal age” at which someone announced in March, the DEA would assume full should be allowed to buy legal marijuaownership of research pot, but it would give out na? A group of Canadian researchers more licenses to research institutions and allow say it’s 19. them to research different marijuana products and According to a study published in derivatives, like CBD. BMC Public Health, a British-based open access But the DEA’s position is untenable, according to journal, 19 is the ideal age because at that MULLAWAYS/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS age the negative impacts on long-term health, educational attainment, mental health and physical health are about the same as they are for stoners who don’t start until they’re older. The researchers analyzed survey data from about 20,000 people between the ages of 21 and 65, focusing on certain markers of how their lives turned out — like general health, mental health and educational attainment. They settled on 19 as the ideal legal age because there were no significant differences in health outcomes between those who started smoking pot at 19 and those who started at 21. However, there were significant differences in their educational outcomes, but when weighed against the rest of the markers, 19 appeared to be the best compromise. When Canada legalized marijuana in 2018, the federal government suggested a minimum legal age of 18 for buying recreational the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), marijuana. Most provinces adopted a minimum legal which recently sent a letter to the DEA that age of 19; the exceptions were Alberta, where it’s explained why their plan was a bad one. 18, and Quebec where it’s 21. In short: NCIA says there are better agencies to • • • • oversee pot research; the DEA has a conflict of The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) wants interest in overseeing cannabis research because to get its hands on all the cannabis cultivated for it’s required by federal law to enforce a federal proresearch purposes. hibition on pot; and this rule change will add to an In the agency’s rule-making changes, which it already backlogged system and delay research lon-

ger than necessary. The comment period is open until May 22, folks, in case you want to back up the NCIA’s claims. • • • • Meg Hartley, a marijuana writer and medical marijuana user, has a terrific piece up at Leafly, in which medical marijuana users describe the feelings of relief they get from medical pot. “I often find myself describing the sensation of how cannabis changes my symptoms of illness with illustrative language,” she writes. “I wondered how other medical cannabis patients describe the before and after of symptoms…” so she asked a number of other users with a variety of health problems to describe how it feels for them. And she got some great answers. Like the one from Brian Penney, 39, of Tucson, Arizona, who uses medical pot for pain; he says it’s The Popeye Effect: “I totally understand Popeye better as an adult than I did watching as a child… Chronic pain is what I’m treating… It gets pretty miserable waking up in the morning, but as soon as the medication kicks in, it lightens the load on my body immensely. It’s a pep-in-your-step kinda thing that gets me off the couch and getting things done...” Anita Wolf, 55, of Paso Robles, California, who takes CBD for fibromyalgia, says it has given the ability to drive and to dream back to her: “I am still stiff in the morning but I dream! I hadn’t dreamt in years before cannabis! I don’t take pain meds anymore… I can actually drive distances without excruciating pain.”

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