Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

For Immediate Release

Date: June 17, 2026

Media Contact:

Tom Garrett (VP & Chief Communications Officer – Institute for Free Speech)

tgarrett@ifs.org / 202-301-9200

Institute for Free Speech Files Amicus Briefs Opposing Colorado’s Mandatory Pronoun Use Law

Colorado’s anti-discrimination law unlawfully prohibits speech from one side in some of the most hotly contested debates of today

Washington, D.C. — Gender ideology and pronoun use are among the most contentious cultural and political debates of the day. But the First Amendment protects your right to participate in that debate, no matter which side you’re on.

Colorado’s new anti-discrimination law compels speech by forcing speakers to express a message they don’t believe in by using pronouns (and other gendered language) to prevent individuals from feeling “unwelcome.” That’s why the Institute for Free Speech (IFS) filed amicus briefs in three related cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

In the law, the state advances its own viewpoint by mandating use of non-standard pronouns and forbidding other perspectives. As IFS’s brief states, “No government can police language to allow messages it likes, while prohibiting those it disapproves—even when the language might ‘provoke[e] offense and condemnation.’”

The brief explains that pronouns have always conveyed a political message, dating at least as far back as seventeenth-century Quakers and the women’s suffrage movement. The use of gendered pronouns today inherently carries an ideological message, and Colorado cannot force a speaker to contradict their own deeply held beliefs by requiring them to either stay silent or use non-standard pronouns.

The brief thus reminds the court that “the First Amendment protects not just the right to speak on one side of an issue, but also the ‘words’ one might use to deliver the message. Were it otherwise, ‘governments might soon seize upon the censorship of particular words as a convenient guise for banning the expression of unpopular views.’”

Speakers in Colorado should not have to censor themselves in the public square when discussing topics related to gender ideology, and “pronouns are the quintessential means by which people express their views on this issue.”

The brief argues that the district court erred by denying the request for a preliminary injunction and that this misstep will continue to censor would-be speakers under threat of sanctions. The brief asks the 10th Circuit to reverse the district court decision.

To read the briefs in Defending Education, et al. v. Aubrey C. Sullivan, et al., Doxa Enterprises, LTD d/b/a Born Again Used Books v. Aubrey C. Sullivan, et al., and Committee of Five, Inc. d/b/a XX-XY Athletics, v. Aubrey C. Sullivan, et al., visit the case page here.

The Institute for Free Speech promotes and defends the political speech rights to freely speak, assemble, publish, and petition the government guaranteed by the First Amendment.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

NEWS

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Media Contacts:

Patrick Dorion, Business Equity Project and Program Manager, dorionp@bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder’s 2026 Juneteenth Celebration to Feature Flag Raising, Community Remarks and Downtown Events

Event marks beginning of week-long Juneteenth festivities featuring “13 Fires” theater production and community panels

BOULDER, Colo. — The City of Boulder invites residents to join its Annual Juneteenth Flag Raising and Commemoration on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, located at 1777 Broadway. The free celebration will feature remarks from city and community leaders, live celebration music and free ice cream.

This year’s commemoration kicks off an exceptional week of community-led Juneteenth events, highlighted by the powerful theatrical production “13 Fires: Displacement by Design,” an original stageplay by Curtis K. Rogers exploring systemic injustice, racial violence and the displacement of communities of color through urban expansion and redlining.

“Juneteenth represents freedom, resilience, and the ongoing work toward justice and equity,” said Aimee Kane, Equity and Belonging Officer with the City of Boulder. “This year’s celebration connects us to our community partners who are doing critical work to examine our shared history and build a more equitable Boulder.”

Week of Events

Community partners, including the Executive Committee, African American Cultural Events (ECAACE) and local organizations, have coordinated an extensive calendar of Juneteenth programming.

Leading Up to June 17:

• Friday, June 5: Juneteenth BBQ featuring Live Poetry and Music5 p.m., Naropa University, Boulder
• Monday, June 8: “13 Fires: Displacement by Design” Panel and Discussion6 p.m., Second Baptist Church, 5300 Baseline Rd., Boulder
• Saturday, June 13: Chautauqua Juneteenth Hike10 a.m., Chautauqua Park, Boulder

June 17: City of Boulder Juneteenth Flag Raising & Commemoration

• 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.: City of Boulder Juneteenth Flag Raising and CommemorationPenfield Tate II Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway – Free Event

Later in June:

• Thursday, June 19: Boulder County Juneteenth Kickoff! featuring “13 Fires”6 p.m., Longmont Theater, Longmont
• Sunday, June 22: “13 Fires: Displacement by Design” Panel and Discussion6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce St., Boulder
• June 24 – 26: “13 Fires” Original Theater Production6 p.m., Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder

About “13 Fires: Displacement by Design”

The theatrical production traces systemic injustice from Indiana Avenue to Boulder and beyond, examining the systems of redlining, gentrification, and global displacement. The production and accompanying panel discussions bring together global justice advocate Taishya Adams, Indiana Avenue historian and writer David L. Williams, playwright and director Curtis K. Rogers, and eco-social justice educator Sabrina Sideris. For more information, visit https://ecaace.org/13fires/

City of Boulder’s Commitment to Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, first learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The City of Boulder recognizes this historic occasion and the ongoing struggle for equity, justice and freedom for all people.

The post City of Boulder’s 2026 Juneteenth Celebration to Feature Flag Raising, Community Remarks and Downtown Events appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Mayor Andrew Moore, Town of Erie, CO

Tensions were already running high Tuesday night before Erie Town Council voted on the town’s controversial mineral rights agreement. During public comment, resident Steve Drew delivered a compelling address urging councilmembers to reject the deal, drawing sustained applause from a packed audience (11:31). Mayor Andrew Moore announced a recess at (17:51), he and Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Bell exited the chamber together after Drew mentioned that the Colorado Attorney General’s Office was reviewing complaints related to the process, as audience members cheered for Drew. This lead to jeering as residents expressed dissatisfaction of the walk-out.

The meeting’s pivotal moment came more than an hour later when Councilmember Brian O’Connor explained his decision. Speaking at 1:26:45, O’Connor said he agreed with residents who argued they still lacked sufficient information to make an informed decision about the proposed agreement. While O’Connor had previously raised concerns about the process, his comments signaled growing skepticism about moving forward without additional transparency, creating uncertainty about the vote’s outcome.

That uncertainty became reality when the council took up the vote beginning at 2:28:05; Councilmember Dan Hoback was absent but widely expected to oppose the agreement. O’Connor joined Councilmembers Emily Baer and Anil Pesaramelli in voting no, preventing the mineral rights deal from advancing. The failed vote marks a dramatic setback for a proposal that has dominated Erie politics for months and generated intense public scrutiny over transparency, procurement procedures, and the town’s negotiations with energy companies.

This is a developing story. A more detailed account of the vote will follow.

Featured Image: Mayor Andrew Moore and Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Bell walk out of the hearing.

SUMMER SUPPORTER DRIVE:

Yellow Scene’s 2026 Summer Support Drive is underway with a goal of 1,000 Sustaining Supporters by summer’s end.

For 26 years, we have remained fiercely independent, free from sponsored content and outside editorial influence.

Reader-driven support keeps local journalism unbossed, unbought, and our journalists fed. Become a sustaining supporter for $8/month and get Yellow Scene delivered to your home.

Join the Summer Support Drive and keep local journalism strong.

The post Erie mineral rights deal fails as O’Connor breaks from council majority appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aisha Ozaslan, City of Boulder Media Relations, 303-501-2318

Sue Prant, Community Cycles Executive Director, 303-564-9681

BOULDER, Colo. — June kicks off Boulder Walk and Bike Month — a month-long celebration of walking, biking and rolling in Boulder. 2026 brings new events and the return of community favorites like the Boulder Bike Show. Pledge to ride on Bike to Work Day, the month’s signature event, for a chance to win giveaways and help the region measure the impact of biking, walking and rolling.

Some events require registration. Local event highlights throughout the month include:

• June 17: Boulder Bike Show. Bring your own unique bike or drop by for a show of Boulder’s most eclectic bikes. The show includes creative bike categories with prizes awarded as judged by the audience.
• June 20: Big Boulder Dog Walk. Bring your pup and join friendly dogs and their humans for doggy gift bags and a 2.4-mile leisurely trail walk at Boulder’s Cottonwood Trail. Dogs must be leashed or part of Boulder’s Voice and Sight Program.
• June 24: Walk and Bike to Work Day, the month’s signature event. Enjoy free breakfast stations across town. Organizations can still sign up to host a breakfast station.
  Afterward, stop by the Bike to Work Day Happy Hour for free food and to learn more about transportation options available in Boulder from the city and community partners.
• June 27: W360 Slow Marathon. An all-day, all-Boulder adventure for people new to and familiar with walking routes around town. This slow marathon traverses a variety of walking surfaces in neighborhoods, parks and open space, with rest stops along the way.

Additional events include a Bike to Books Parade and more.

“At its best, transportation does more than move people from place to place — it supports well-being, brings neighbors together, and is an opportunity to enjoy the community we’ve built in Boulder,” said City of Boulder Transportation and Mobility Department Director Blythe Bailey. “This June, I hope to see fellow Boulderites out walking, biking, and riding the bus — not just to get somewhere, but because getting there is part of the joy.”

“Walk and Bike Month showcases what makes getting around Boulder so special — the chance to connect with neighbors, enjoy the outdoors and get around in healthy, sustainable ways,” said Community Cycles Executive Director Sue Prant. “We hope people of all ages and abilities join us throughout June to explore the city whether you walk, bike, roll or ride the bus every day or are trying it for the first time.”

Walk and Bike Month is a statewide celebration. Local events at Boulder Walk and Bike Month support Boulder’s vision for transportation and are made possible by City of Boulder sponsorship as well as many generous nonprofit and corporate sponsors. Find all events on walkandbikemonth.org.

Community Cycles is a local nonprofit organization that provides access, education and advocacy to improve bicycling in Boulder. The city and Community Cycles work in partnership to coordinate Boulder Walk and Bike Month.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 16, 2026

Media Contact

Kimber Kuhl, Director of Marketing and Membership

KimberK@cmdenver.org | 612-227-3317

First EVER Mess Fest at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus

DENVER, Colo. – Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12, from 9 am to 4 pm, the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus will host its first-ever Mess Fest, a full-body, no-holds-barred celebration of sensory play!

All three days, kiddos are invited to dive headfirst (literally!) into a giant mound of mud and dance their hearts out in fluffy foam. But that’s not all! Each day will have its own featured mega mess.

Friday – Glorious Goo
Saturday – Party with Paint
Sunday – Squishy Shaving Cream

And don’t worry – we’ve thought of everything. Before you head out, swing by our Kid Wash for a quick rinse so your little ones leave clean(ish) and ready for the ride home.

This is your chance to make some amazing memories, get messy and embrace the magic of play!

Pricing

Activities are included with Museum admission, members are FREE!

Visit mychildsmuseum.org for more info and tips for a great visit.

About the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus

The mission of the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus is to create extraordinary experiences that champion the wonder and joy of childhood. They believe in kid-powered learning and every day, their expertly designed exhibits and programs open doors for Colorado’s curious young minds to express what they know and to discover, create, and explore more – on their own terms.

Since 1973, the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus has served the metro-Denver community as a learning institute dedicated to the education and growth of young children and their caregivers. The Museum provides rich play experiences and a dynamic learning environment for children to joyously learn through innovative and interactive hands-on exhibits, engaging daily programming, and year-round special events. The Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus is a 501(c)(3), private non-profit organization and a Tier II SCFD member.

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The post First EVER Mess Fest at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This letter was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine. As with all Letters to the Editor, the views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. We value providing space for community voices.

I am a resident of Erie who is not directly impacted by the Draco Pad project footprint and I have zero political aspirations. I also believe that there is a place for oil and natural gas extraction in our energy supply. That said, I stepped off the sidelines and entered into discussions with Mayor Moore and the Town Council four months ago about the potential sale of the Town of Erie mineral rights.

Myself, and other Erie resident requests for Mayor Moore and the Town Council have been straightforward:

1) Provide a forum for all Erie residents to express their concerns or their support related to the potential sale of Erie’s mineral rights. Listen to these concerns and follow-up with third-party studies that help provide answers. 

2) Allow residents of Erie to vote on whether they want these Town-owned mineral rights to be sold, held and/or used to push back against the Draco Pad. This decision has a huge financial impact on the Town of Erie and an enormous impact on residents.

3) If Erie residents choose to sell these mineral rights then run a legitimate process to sell. Issue an RFP to find a low-cost and high-quality Consultant who will run a competitive bid and solicitation process. This will ensure that Erie gets fair representation and that our Town gets top dollar. 

Mayor Moore and his loyal block of Town Council voters (Mayor Pro Tem Bell, Council Member Brian O’Connor and Council Member John Mortellaro) chose to not give residents of Erie a voice or a vote. They chose to withhold all information from Erie residents – feeding messages that this group wants residents to hear while withholding the rest in confidential sessions. Irrespective of your view, Mayor Moore has led a process that has denied you your voice and your vote.

This group also chose to hire the founder of Civitas for $4.5 million of Erie taxpayer money to represent Town of Erie residents in this sale…to SM Energy, who merged with Civitas earlier this year. Per explosive comments from Town Council Members and the Consultant during the June 2nd Town Council Study Session, it does not appear that this Consultant completed his contract. 

The Consultant’s contract required him to complete a competitive bid and solicitation process and to provide competitive offers to the Town Council for them to consider. Instead, the Consultant brought only a single offer from SM Energy / Civitas. His former company.  Rather than addressing this issue, Mayor Moore scheduled a vote for the sale of Erie’s Town-owned mineral rights to SM Energy for June 16th. 

COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE INVOLVEMENT

On June 11th, over 120 Erie Residents sent a letter to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser asking for State help in this situation. 

On Friday, June 12th, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office (AGO) responded that the AGO has started an official process to review our situation on behalf of Erie residents. The AGO asked me to provide them with all materials related to the Town Council issues noted above, which I sent off over the weekend. I believe others in Erie are supplying details to the Attorney General’s Office for this review as well.

The AGO noted that the official review process could take weeks – well past the June 16th scheduled vote.

Will the Erie Town Council move forward with a vote on June 16th knowing that the Colorado Attorney General’s Office is officially involved? Good question for Mayor Moore and the Town Council. Especially given all of <waves vaguely at the hot mess this group facilitated> this. 

Will Mayor Moore and this Town Council do what’s right for the Town of Erie by working with the AGO and Colorado Attorney General? To officially address all concerns from the AGO and residents prior to a vote? Goodness – I hope so. Better to start doing the right thing late rather than not at all.

Whether you are for the sale of Town-owned mineral rights or whether you are against, please show up to the Town Council meeting on June 16th  where they are set to vote. Let Mayor Moore and the Town Council know that we need a legitimate process to be completed prior to approval of any contract. That all Erie residents – irrespective of their views – should have a voice and a vote in what happens to our Town of Erie mineral rights.

Signed Erie resident,

Steve Drew

The post Letter to the Editor: Attorney General’s Office to Review Erie Residents’ Complaint appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

Monday, June 15, 2026

Media Contact:

Dionne Waugh, Police PIO, 303-518-1894

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

Boulder Police Officer Arrested

BOULDER, Colo. – This afternoon, the Boulder Police Department learned that Erie Police were investigating a domestic violence incident involving one of our officers.

The Erie Police Department developed criminal charges against Boulder Police Officer Matthew Herkalo for misdemeanor charges of domestic violence harassment and official misconduct. The incidents are alleged to have occurred when he was off duty. Herkalo turned himself in to Erie Police this afternoon and was arrested.

The Boulder Police Department has placed Herkalo on paid administrative leave per department policy. He has been a Boulder Police officer since July 2024.

The City of Boulder is sharing information about these allegations with our community in the spirit of transparency and integrity. As in every criminal case, these charges are an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

–CITY–

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Dear Editor,

Adams County needs more than just more growth. We need a thoughtful leader who will actually listen to our residents and will put working families first. Right now, Adams County families are facing immense affordability pressures – from rising housing costs to groceries to child care. These issues are bleeding Adams County families dry. We need leadership that understands how to transparently leverage the County Budget in a way that supports our agricultural families and helps to expand local businesses (such as affordable daycares). That leader is Tyler Quick.

Tyler was born and raised in Adams County, and he brings a powerful blend of experience, community roots, and new energy to the table. As an educator, research consultant, and dedicated union organizer, Tyler has spent his career fighting for working people. Tyler knows that government is about serving the people, and that transparent government means listening to the community.

As the June 30 primary election approaches – and with ballots landing in mailboxes – I encourage you to vote for Tyler Quick for Adams County Commissioner. Tyler brings the right approach and fresh vision our county needs.

Bev Bishop

Westminster

The post Letter to the Editor: Tyler Quick for Adams County Commissioner appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Magic Mountain Talks Announces Summer 2026 Lineup in Boulder for the Ongoing Series Exploring Literature and Politics

BOULDER, Colo. — Magic Mountain Talks, a Boulder-based public event series exploring the intersections of literature and politics, announces its Summer 2026 program featuring acclaimed writers, philosophers, critics, and scholars in conversation.

Organized by Arne Höcker, with Hermione Hoby, Claire Kelley, Benjamin Kunkel, Júlia Martins-Rodrigues, and Nathan Schneider, the series is presented in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Humanities & the Arts, with support from the Department of Germanic & Slavic Languages & Literatures. Magic Mountain Talks is also partially funded through a grant from CU Boulder’s 150th Initiative Fund. The series launched in January 2026 and will continue through 2027.

Magic Mountain Talks are held monthly at Trident Booksellers and Café and feature guests with a conversation partner for a wide-ranging public dialogue, followed by audience Q&A and book signings.

Upcoming Summer 2026 Events:

Jeff Sharlet on “Our Slow Civil War”

In conversation with Nathan Schneider

June 18, 2026 | 6–8 PM MDT

Trident Booksellers and Café

New York Times bestselling author Jeff Sharlet discusses his acclaimed book The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. Sharlet’s work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Harper’s, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times Magazine. He will be joined by Nathan Schneider, associate professor of media studies at CU Boulder and author of Governable Spaces.

Amia Srinivasan on Politics and Psychoanalysis

In conversation with Hermione Hoby

July 16, 2026 | 6–8 PM MDT

Trident Booksellers and Café

Oxford philosopher and bestselling author Amia Srinivasan joins novelist and critic Hermione Hoby for a conversation on feminism, desire, politics, and contemporary intellectual life. Srinivasan is the author of The Right to Sex and Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at the University of Oxford.

Francesca Wade on Gertrude Stein’s Afterlife

In conversation with Claire Kelley

August 20, 2026 | 6–8 PM MDT

Trident Booksellers and Café

Francesca Wade is the author of the widely praised Square Haunting: Five Writers in London Between the Wars and has written for the New York Review of Books, Paris Review, and Granta. She will discuss her new biography, Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife, with Claire Kelley, contributor to Library Journal and publishing professional at Seven Stories Press.

All events are free and open to the public. More information and registration details are available at magicmountaintalks.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Claire Kelley

hello@magicmountaintalks.org

All posters designed by Júlia Martins-Rodrigues

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The post Magic Mountain Talks Announces Summer 2026 Lineup in Boulder appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This letter was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine. As with all Letters to the Editor, the views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. We value providing space for community voices.

I am proud to support Jenn Kaaoush for Boulder County Treasurer.

Jenn is qualified for this job. She has served in the military, worked in diplomacy, managed finances, worked in real estate, and served on the Superior Town Council. But my support for Jenn comes from something more important: I have seen her lead.

After the Marshall Fire, Jenn got to work. She helped fire survivors deal with insurance, cleanup, rebuilding, bureaucracy, and the exhausting financial challenges that followed the disaster. She then used that experience to help other fire-impacted communities, including Maui and California. She also traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for changes to the tax code so fire survivors would not be penalized for insurance proceeds needed to rebuild.

I have worked closely with Jenn on the Superior Town Council. She is prepared, tough, persistent, and serious about solving problems. Jenn is not someone who just talks about public service. She shows up, does the work, and gets results.

The Treasurer’s office requires judgment, diligence, transparency, and respect for public dollars. Jenn has those qualities.

Boulder County would be fortunate to have Jenn Kaaoush as Treasurer.

Mark Lacis

Mayor, Town of Superior

The post Letter to the Editor: Boulder County Treasurer Endorsement From Mark Lacis appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Residents in Lafayette are pushing back against a proposed self-storage facility, arguing that the project would bring an oversized, industrial building to a site that does not fit the surrounding neighborhood.

1784 Capital Holdings LLC is proposing to develop a new 89,592-square-foot, climate-controlled self-storage building, with a caretaker dwelling unit, at 685 Aspen Ridge Drive. According to a Planning Commission memo, the project requires a Special Use Review (SUR) and a Site Plan and Architectural Review (SPAR). Staff analysis notes that SUR criteria include municipal code compliance, environmental impacts, and compatibility with the character of the surrounding area, hours of intrusion, and noise levels. Several residents, like Megan Rast and Christy Clarke, complain that this proposed unit fails to meet these criteria.

This friction stems from the fact that self-storage facilities do not fit neatly into residential or mixed-use districts, meaning developers need special approvals where the use is conditional. Compatibility concerns are the most consistently documented issue, and distance measurements between the building and adjacent homes remain disputed. Because planners increasingly view these facilities as “low-value” land that creates “dead zones” instead of contributing to active, walkable development, cities like Arvada and Denver have enacted moratoriums specifically prohibiting storage facilities in key growth areas.

Beyond land-use compatibility, neighborhood opposition is also driven by pressing safety concerns, particularly regarding fire risk. Colorado has seen multiple self-storage fires in recent years, demonstrating that even with modern construction, these facilities can pose challenges. Across the US, self-storage fires have resulted in major structural damage, destroying dozens to hundreds of units. A study released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in December 2025 found that these buildings present challenges to fire services due to “compartmentalization and unknown content loads.” The NFPA study argues that modern buildings are larger, more complex, and harder to access than older ones, concluding that departments and owners need to plan together before construction.

Mockup of site plan courtesy of the city

While the Lafayette Comprehensive Plan emphasizes a “connected, vibrant and walkable community” to guide future development, city officials ultimately determined the project met local requirements. In a statement to Yellow Scene Magazine, Lafayette officials said the city council carefully reviewed both the SPAR and SUR criteria before approving the application by a 5-2 vote with conditions. The city emphasized that the decision turned on the evidence in the record and the council’s discretion, particularly its finding that the proposed use was compatible with the surrounding area. Officials also noted that Black Diamond, where the property is located, was zoned industrial in the 1980s, while Anna’s Farm was approved for residential development in 2002–2003 with the acknowledgement that it bordered industrial land.

“City staff believes that the self-storage special use is less impactful to the neighbors than other industrial uses, which can be developed by-right in Black Diamond. Staff’s review was also influenced by the fact that another self-storage facility exists within the Black Diamond subdivision and was previously found to be compatible with the area. The fact that the by-right industrial uses would be more impactful to residents and were found to be compatible in 2002-2003 when residential development associated with the Anna’s Farm subdivision was approved could have been explicitly stated in the staff memo.”

This local dispute reflects a broader pattern for 1784 Capital Holdings, a Denver-based private equity firm that buys industrial and self-storage properties across the West. Its role in Lafayette sits within a larger, national conversation about how investor-driven development occurs on historically and culturally sensitive land. In Maryland, the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC) has been struggling since 2017 to protect Moses Macedonia African Cemetery from what it terms “desecration” after 1784 Capital Holdings bought land covering the cemetery to build a multi-level self-storage facility.

“The Bethesda area has extraordinary demographics and extraordinary market fundamentals,” the company’s CEO said in a press release at the time.

“It is a significantly undersupplied market with three times the national average for rent. We chose the site because it’s one of the last zoned and developable parcels of land for self-storage in Bethesda.”

A statement by Kelly McKone of Capital Holdings said that the BACC is “spreading misinformation about the project,” but the coalition maintains that the site is historically significant and may contain human remains. A 2017 independent review by The Ottery Group found that the area was used as a burial ground, though it said more investigation was needed, and the company found evidence that the land was used as a cemetery beginning in 1911.

Capital Holdings did not respond to request to comment.

Back in Lafayette, residents worry that the city is prioritizing developer-driven industrial and storage uses over the day-to-day quality of life in nearby neighborhoods. Christy Clarke discussed this tension in an interview with Yellow Scene Magazine.

“One of the things that I am increasingly considering important is like, if not this situation, then when does public input really matter?” Clarke said. She noted that the bigger question is when public input actually matters if it does not seem to change the outcome, pointing to a perceived fear of litigation. “There seems to be a fear of litigation, with city decisions seemingly driven by the concern that a developer might sue. While legal risk does matter, it shouldn’t outweigh everything else in a planning decision.”

Despite the setback, residents maintain that organizing the opposition brought the community closer together. Clarke emphasized that even if residents ultimately lose this fight, the process has still been worth it if it strengthens community ties and helps future neighborhoods challenge questionable proposals more effectively. Their efforts have already brought people together, and she believes the message should not be that the efforts were wasted, but that residents participated in the democratic process, got to know their neighbors, and perhaps helped set a better precedent for what happens next.

Yellow Scene’s 2026 Summer Support Drive is underway with a goal of 1,000 Sustaining Supporters by summer’s end.

For 26 years, we have remained fiercely independent, free from sponsored content and outside editorial influence.

Reader-driven support keeps local journalism unbossed, unbought, and our journalists fed. Become a sustaining supporter for $8/month and get Yellow Scene delivered to your home.

Join the Summer Support Drive and keep local journalism strong.

The post Lafayette Approves Disputed Self-Storage Facility in 5-2 Vote appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

May 26, 2026 – Denver, CO – The Colorado Symphony invites the community to celebrate America’s 250th and Colorado turning 150 at a special Independence Eve celebration on Friday, July 3, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre. This free community concert presented by CU Anschutz features an exhilarating evening of patriotic favorites, beloved orchestral works, and iconic American music performed by the full Colorado Symphony under the baton of conductor Scott Terrell, with Colorado Symphony Principal Trumpet Justin Bartels featured as soloist.

“CU Anschutz is honored to partner with the Colorado Symphony on this special community celebration recognizing the extraordinary service and sacrifice of our veterans, military service members and their families,” said Chancellor Don Elliman. “Supporting the health and well-being of those who have served our country is deeply connected to our mission, and we are proud to help make this meaningful event accessible to the entire community.”

A longstanding Colorado summer tradition, Independence Eve will showcase stirring patriotic anthems alongside music from Broadway, film, and the American songbook. The program opens with the “Star-Spangled Banner” and includes beloved works from legendary composer John Williams, including selections from 1941, The Cowboys, and Lincoln. Audiences will also enjoy Gershwin selections from Porgy and Bess, Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” a rousing “Armed Forces Salute,” music from Chicago and The Music Man, and a thrilling finale featuring Tchaikovsky’s explosive 1812 Overture and Sousa’s enduring “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

“Independence Eve is one of Denver’s most cherished traditions and a powerful celebration of community, patriotism, and the joy of live music,” said Tony Pierce, Chief Artistic Officer for the Colorado Symphony. “This concert brings together audiences of all ages to celebrate our nation through music that inspires pride, reflection, and connection. We are thrilled partner with CU Anschutz to offer this event free to the community and welcome everyone to downtown Denver for an unforgettable evening.”

Program Highlights Include:

• “Star-Spangled Banner”
• Music of John Williams
• Selections from Porgy and Bess
• “God Bless America”
• “Armed Forces Salute”
• Music from Chicago and The Music Man
• Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture
• Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever”

Tickets for this event are free but required for entry and may be reserved beginning May 26 at 8:00 a.m. MST at coloradosymphony.org. All tickets are general admission.

EVENT INFORMATION:

What: Independence Eve with the Colorado Symphony

Where: Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre

When: Friday, July 3, 2026 at 6:00 pm MST

Tickets: Available now at coloradosymphony.org

CONTACT:

For more information or to request interviews, please contact:

Nick Dobreff, Communications and Creative Director

“ndobreff@coloradosymphony.org” – 303.308.2477 (o)

For high-resolution, downloadable images of the Colorado Symphony, contact: ndobreff@coloradosymphony.org

Support for the 2025/26 Colorado Symphony Season is provided by: The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Genesee Mountain Foundation, Denver Arts & Venues, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Schoen Foundation, and the Colorado Symphony Guild.

TICKETS:

Tickets to Colorado Symphony events are available online at coloradosymphony.org/tickets, by phone at 303.623.7876, and in person at the Boettcher Concert Hall Box Office, Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1000 14th Street. The Box Office is open Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, noon–5 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance.

ABOUT THE COLORADO SYMPHONY

One of the leading orchestras in the United States, the Colorado Symphony Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization performing more than 150 concerts annually at Boettcher Concert Hall in downtown Denver and across Colorado. Led by Peter Oundjian as its Music Director as of the 2025/26 season, the Colorado Symphony is home to eighty full-time musicians representing more than a dozen nations and regularly welcomes the world’s most celebrated artists from across musical genres. The orchestra celebrated its Centennial during the 2023/24 concert season and now serves more than 340,000 people each year through live performances at Boettcher Concert Hall, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, and other venues throughout Colorado’s Front Range. Boettcher Concert Hall, which opened in 1978, was the first in-the-round symphonic venue built in the United States. In November 2025, voters passed the Vibrant Denver Bond, which allocates $20 million to a future renovation of the concert hall. Guided by a vision to inspire and unite humanity through live symphonic music, the Colorado Symphony is a living heartbeat of the state — expressing its beauty, creativity, vitality, and inclusive spirit. Through unmatched artistry and bold innovation, the Symphony inspires Colorado and audiences everywhere while expanding access, fostering education, and creating lasting memories through meaningful personal connections. Recognized as an incubator of innovation, creativity, and excellence, the Colorado Symphony listens to and learns from its diverse communities, musicians, and staff; composes and creates with curiosity and versatility; and leads with empathy, collaboration, and responsible stewardship. The Symphony continually expands its reach through in-person and virtual education programs, community partnerships, and programming that celebrates achievement, honors diverse voices, and infuses joy on and off the stage. The Colorado Symphony partners with leading musical artists, cultural organizations, corporations, foundations, educators, sports teams, and individuals to connect people, uplift communities, and inspire everyone to feel part of something greater.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Friday June 12th, 2026

Media contacts:

Angelika Albaladejo, History Colorado Communications and Public Relations Manager, 720-541-2334

Lily Woodbury, Harwood Museum of Art Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, 575-758-9826

FORT GARLAND, CO & TAOS, NM — June 11, 2026 — An ambitious and sprawling cross-border exhibition exploring the art of adobe is opening at History Colorado’s Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center in the San Luis Valley and the Harwood Museum of Art in the high-desert of Taos, New Mexico. Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros is a sprawling immersive exhibition exploring adobe as a living practice that connects art, architecture, and ancestral knowledge across the southwestern United States.

Through unique adobe installations at History Colorado’s Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center and the Harwood Museum of Art, artists show how adobe endures not through permanence but through renewal – its survival bound to the annual acts of maintenance, ceremony, and reciprocity that give it life. Unearthing Futures brings together some of the most significant artists working with earthen architecture and land-based practice today.

Creations by artists Ronald Rael, Santino Gonzales, and Joanna Keane Lopez are featured at the Fort Garland Museum, while works by those artists, in addition to Gabriel Chaile, Rafa Esparza, and Christine Howard Sandoval, are on display at the Harwood Museum of Art. These installations examine how earth, water, and fiber, shaped by hand and sustained through communal care, embody both tradition and transformation.

Designer Ronald Rael is building a Fort Garland-specific installation of Casa Desenterrada/Exhuming Home, previously shown at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. The installation fills a large black wooden structure with adobe bricks, each unique.

Some are painted with the names of Indigenous captives listed in an 1865 census or embedded with images or small objects, including items from an abandoned adobe home in the San Luis Valley town of Conejos, which Rael rescued from the threat of demolition in 2018. The adobe home once served as the office of the first Lieutenant Governor of Colorado and the headquarters of the Ute Indian Agency.

Santino Gonzales is creating Skyharp, an installation turning the Commandant’s Quarters, one of the original adobe buildings at Fort Garland, into an aeolian harp – an instrument activated by the wind. Gonzales is also crafting The Disc at Fort Garland (for Nana), an outdoor earth sound mirror inspired by New Mexico’s Very Large Array and the Sound Mirrors employed by the British military as pre-radar tools to detect distant aircraft.

This adobe sound mirror invites opportunities for deep, quantum listening, turning the attention of visitors towards the landscape and the sky. Joanna Keane Lopez is creating A Raven Croaked like a Witch from a Dead Pine, a film projected onto a mud-plastered wall that traces the lived experience of the southwestern landscape where ranching, myth, and memory coexist with the ongoing presence of military occupation.

“Unearthing Futures aptly bridges the borderlands of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico as it also builds connections between past/future, earth/sky, humanity/technology, and our ancestors/our descendants,” said History Colorado President/CEO and State Historic Preservation Officer Dawn DiPrince. “History Colorado is honored to collaborate with the Harwood Museum of Art on this place-based exhibition that uses the land to remind us where we are rooted.”

Unearthing Futures also extends well beyond the museum galleries, offering a road trip experience guided through a website and phone app developed in collaboration with the computer science department at the University of Colorado Boulder. The app offers six curated road trips organized by location and theme, highlighting historic and contemporary adobe structures dotting the landscape between the southwestern towns of Fort Garland and Taos.

The app also includes a playlist compiled by the exhibition’s artists to set the mood as visitors drive between the locations. This expansive engagement with adobe artworks, homes, churches, and community spaces serves as a living archive of memory, labor, and cultural continuity.

As Colorado reflects on 150 years of statehood and 250 years of nationhood, Unearthing Futures offers visitors a timely opportunity to examine histories and cultural practices that predate state and national borders, while fostering meaningful dialogue about our shared future. The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center in south-central Colorado’s San Luis Valley is a fitting location for this immersive experience.

Fort Garland was built on the homelands and sacred spaces of Indigenous communities, including the Ute, Jicarilla Apache, and Navajo (Diné). The area was claimed by Spain in the 16th century and later governed by Mexico until the region became part of the United States in 1848. Fort Garland was established in 1858 as a US Army outpost – ten years after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the US-Mexico War and ceded vast territories to the United States, forever changing the map of North America.

The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center makes this historic place accessible for visitors to explore life in a nineteenth-century military fort by walking the parade grounds and touring five of the original adobe buildings. These adobe buildings require ongoing maintenance. Historic photographs from the History Colorado collection show how traditional artisans known as adoberas helped restore Fort Garland’s adobe buildings in the 1950s and 60s.

“Unearthing Futures amplifies the deep connections of land, history, and culture that unite southern Colorado and northern New Mexico,” said Eric Carpio, Director of Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center. “This partnership honors shared stories and traditions while inviting communities to reflect on a landscape and heritage that transcends state borders. Fort Garland Museum is thrilled to collaborate with the team at the Harwood to bring to life a project spanning roughly 80 miles across two states and centuries of history.”

The Fort Garland Museum is celebrating the opening of Unearthing Futures with an event featuring artist meet and greets, live music by the Arellano Brothers, food baked in a traditional adobe horno, and interactive activities for all ages. The opening celebration is free and open to the public on June 28 from 10 am to 2 pm.

The Harwood Museum of Art’s opening on June 27 marks the occasion with an artist panel followed by a celebration and after party.

Unearthing Futures will be on view at both museums through February 28, 2027. The exhibition is included with General Admission tickets at each location.

History Colorado is also offering a Tours & Treks excursion departing Denver in late September to explore both museums and a few historic adobe structures along the way. Registration for this excursion closes on August 18, 2026.

Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros in Fort Garland is made possible by the generous support of the Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation, The Trinchera Blanca Foundation, the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies, and Visit Alamosa. The Opening Celebration is supported by the Community Foundation of the San Luis Valley.

About the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center: Fort Garland was built in 1858, ten years after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, during U.S. expansion into the west. Today, visitors can explore life in a nineteenth century military fort by walking the parade grounds and touring five of the original adobe buildings.

The Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center – a community museum of History Colorado – offers exhibitions amplifying historically silenced narratives and encouraging reflection, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of the region’s past and its continuing impact on the present. The museum is located at 29477 CO-159, Fort Garland, Colorado, and is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum offers two dual-port accessible Electric Vehicle charging stations on site for travelers through the San Luis Valley. Visit www.FortGarlandMuseum.org or call 719-379-3512 for more information.

About History Colorado: History Colorado is a 146-year-old institution that offers access to our state’s history through enriching experiences at eleven museums and historic sites. As an agency of the State of Colorado and a nonprofit organization, History Colorado is committed to serving all Coloradans through generational work that centers communities, deepens knowledge and catalyzes the transformative power of history.

History Colorado is also home to a free public research center, people-centered preservation work done by the State Historical Fund and the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of the State Archaeologist, the State Historians Council, and many other community-driven public history projects such as the Museum of Memory. History Colorado stewards more than 15 million objects, photographs and archival resources that make up the State’s collection, and serves tens of thousands of learners of all ages each year. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org or call 303-HISTORY for more information. #HistoryColorado

About Harwood Museum of Art: Harwood Museum of Art celebrates Taos’s artistic legacy, cultivates connections through art, and inspires a creative future. Harwood is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located at 238 Ledoux Street in downtown Taos, Harwood Museum of Art’s nonprofit vision is to inspire a thriving creative community connected through excellence in the arts. For more information, call 575-758-9826 or visit harwoodmuseum.org.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

Media Contact:

Liza Purvis, Director, Marketing and Communications, Colorado Chautauqua

Office: 303-952-1638

Liza.Purvis@chautauqua.com

Boulder, CO — Flatiron Sounds is back, and it’s Boulder’s best free music festival. On Sunday, June 21, Chautauqua Park fills with national touring acts, premium outdoor brands, local food, craft beer, and a dog-friendly crowd ready to celebrate summer at the base of the Flatirons.

From 1–8 pm, Neal Francis, Lindsay Lou, Armchair Boogie, Blessing Bled Chimanga, and Pick & Howl take the stage for a full day of funk, Americana, and bluegrass in one of Colorado’s most beautiful settings.

Flatiron Sounds is more than a concert. It is a full-day outdoor experience rooted in Chautauqua’s mission to bring people together through music, culture, and place. Guests can explore brand activations, take on outdoor games and a climbing wall, enjoy standout bites from local vendors, and sip Colorado brews throughout the park.

It is also the best place in Boulder to spend Father’s Day. Bring your crew, bring your dog, and settle in for a day that feels distinctly Chautauqua.

“We’re proud to host what has become Boulder’s best free music festival in one of the most iconic settings in Colorado,” said Scott Bauer, General Manager of Public Events at Chautauqua. “With national acts, incredible local partners, and a full day of experiences throughout the park, there is no better place to celebrate Father’s Day.”

Date: Sunday, June 21, 2026
Time: 1–8 pm
Location: Chautauqua Park, Boulder
Tickets: Free; Dogs welcome
Website: flatironsounds.com

Flatiron Sounds, where Boulder shows up, spreads out, and lets the music flow.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

The Upstart Crow

PO Box 18045

Boulder, CO 80308

(303) 578-5667

Boulder, CO – From June 12-14th, Upstart Crow Theatre will be putting on Crow’s Fest, their summer play festival featuring Colorado and NYC playwright Drake Susuras and his full-length dramedy entitled Locker Room Talk or: How to Survive in a “Straight” Man’s World. Originally making its CO premiere in a 2024 staged reading for Visionbox Studio’s Queer Theatre Project, Upstart Crow will take Susuras’ work to the Dairy Arts Center (2590 Walnut St, Boulder, CO 80302) on Friday, June 12th and Saturday, June 13th, at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, June 14th, at 2 pm. Jennifer McCray Rincón will once again be leading the project as director.

This is one of many plays that Susuras has shared with Colorado audiences. Prior, Susuras has written for Visionbox Studio, the 2025 Denver Fringe Festival, Roshni Theatre’s New American Arts Festival, and IGNITE New Play Festival (Fireside Ink Writers Workshop). His work tends to focus on the nuances of queer identity and expression through unconventional lenses such as the executive office of an NFL CEO, through the eyes of one of America’s most famous illustrators on Fire Island, and now, in a high school locker room, showcasing how the worst boys in school grow up to be the worst men towering over us all today.

Locker Room Talk or: How to Survive in a “Straight” Man’s World is a manospheric retelling of every man’s experience in their high school locker room. However, the added baggage of a queer relationship makes this environment like a loaded gun ready to take anyone and anything down in its path. The only question is who’s going to pull the trigger?

After the play makes its way through Boulder in June, Susuras will be taking the piece back to Brooklyn, NY, for a production run on July 22nd and 23rd at the Brooklyn Art Haus in his NYC playwriting premiere.

Drake J. Susuras is a multidisciplinary theatre artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He has been able to collaborate artistically and technically with some of the most prestigious theaters and companies across the country, including the James Earl Jones Theater, Audible’s Minetta Lane Theater, New York City Center II, The Vineyard Theater, Women’s Project Theatre, the New Harmony Project, and Curious Theatre Company, among others. Drake’s written work has been read, workshopped, and staged throughout the U.S., including a recent staged reading at the Denver Center for Performing Arts (Champa Arts Studio), a sold-out run at the 2025 Denver Fringe Festival, and an upcoming performance run at the Brooklyn Art Haus. Drake is the recipient of the Jack Reynolds Outstanding Thespian Award, the Virginia Lowell Grabill Award for Playwriting, the 2025 Henry Award for Best Production of a Play (Downstate, Curious Theatre), and the winner of the 1st Annual IGNITE New Play Festival. He holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville.

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The post NYC/Colorado Playwright’s Road Home Leads to World Premiere in Brooklyn – With the Help of Upstart Crow & Visionbox Studio, A New Piece is Staged in Readings of Locker Room Talk or: How to Survive in a “Straight” Man’s World appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

After the Erie Town Council voted 4-2 to stay with the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) on May 26, some might view the decision as a simple $3 million expenditure. However, the vote represents a deeper commitment to a water strategy marked by rising costs and declining participation, yet defended by supporters as a critical hedge against Colorado’s growing water scarcity.

To reach this decision, the council spent over an hour weighing financial risks against future development needs. Supporters argued that abandoning the project would waste approximately $30 million invested over two decades. Conversely, opponents questioned the wisdom of exposing the town to further financial risk as other communities scale back or withdraw entirely.

Erie remains committed to NISP, which involves diverting high spring flows from the Cache la Poudre River into the planned Glade and Galeton reservoirs. After years of environmental reviews and litigation, the regional project is now nearing major construction. For Erie, NISP is a massive long-term investment originally projected to provide 6,500 acre-feet of water annually—enough for roughly 13,000 households.

Despite its history, council members are increasingly questioning the project’s value. Updated modeling discussed this week suggests a lower participation level of 4,500 acre-feet, prompting concerns that the current economics no longer align with original assumptions. This shift is exacerbated by the departure of participants like the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District, which cited rising costs as a reason for withdrawal.

As other partners have stepped away, Erie’s responsibility has grown. Mayor Andrew Moore noted that the town’s share of the project has climbed from 16% to 23%, increasing its financial exposure. Staff projections indicate Erie could face a $6.44 million contribution in 2027, with water costs estimated between $85,000 and $95,000 per acre-foot—figures that some members noted are higher than Colorado-Big Thompson water shares.

The financial debate is fueled by NISP’s total cost projections, which have jumped from $2 billion to nearly $2.7 billion. While critics point to withdrawals as evidence of a failing model, staff emphasized that Erie lacks a comparable replacement source for such a high volume of water. Proponents further argue that current costs are secondary to the larger issue of long-term resilience.

This decision comes as Colorado faces some of its poorest snowpack levels in recent history, with federal forecasts indicating runoff in parts of the Colorado River Basin could fall below 30% of average. Supporters warned that if NISP fails, competition for existing supplies will intensify, potentially driving water prices even higher.

The divide on council centered on whether NISP is the most responsible way to handle this uncertainty. Mayor Moore framed the project as a question of equity, arguing that current residents should not subsidize infrastructure for new development. Others viewed it as a necessary investment in town-wide water security, noting that leaving would mean forfeiting decades of investment and a future water yield.

Ultimately, the vote to stay does not provide immediate water or lower utility rates; it merely preserves Erie’s stake and its $30 million investment. Mayor Pro Tem Bell and council members Baer, Hoback, and Pesamarrelli carried the motion, while Moore and Council Member Mortellaro voted in opposition.

The decision is far from final, as significantly larger financial commitments are expected by 2027. For now, Erie remains tied to a project that began as a tool for growth but is now a high-stakes gamble on an increasingly dry future.

Yellow Scene’s 2026 Summer Support Drive is underway with a goal of 1,000 Sustaining Supporters by summer’s end.

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Reader-driven support keeps local journalism unbossed, unbought, and our journalists fed. Become a sustaining supporter for $8/month and get Yellow Scene delivered to your home.

Join the Summer Support Drive and keep local journalism strong.

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Former Colorado Governors and U.S. Senators from Across the Aisle Agree on Primary Voting

Op-Ed for Colorado News Media

Colorado’s Most Important Election May Be the One You’re Skipping

Every November, Colorado voters turn out in impressive numbers.

Every June, a different story unfolds.

Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans who faithfully vote in general elections never cast a ballot in the primary elections that help determine which candidates appear on the November ballot in the first place. Many of these voters are unaffiliated voters, who comprise more than half of Colorado’s electorate. Many independent voters don’t realize how much influence they have or how easy it is to participate.

This matters because primary elections shape the choices voters ultimately see in November.

Whether your priorities are housing, education, public safety, the environment, or Colorado’s economic future, it is important to recognize that many elections are effectively decided in the primary.

In many districts, the candidate who wins a party’s nomination is strongly favored to win in November. That means voters who skip the primary may miss their best opportunity to influence who ultimately represents them.

For many races, participation cannot begin in November. It starts in June.

The challenge is not that voting is difficult. Colorado has built one of the strongest, most accessible election systems in the country. Ballots are mailed directly to voters. Registration is straightforward. Election information is widely available.

The challenge is that too many voters do not believe the primary election matters.

That perception is understandable—but it is wrong. 

For unaffiliated voters, the opportunity is especially significant.

Colorado law allows unaffiliated voters to participate in either party’s primary election. Voters can choose either a Democratic or Republican primary ballot without joining either party. Casting a primary ballot does not change their unaffiliated status. It simply gives them a voice in selecting candidates from one party before the general election arrives.

Opting out of a party does not mean opting out of the primary process.

Broader participation means elections more accurately reflect the communities they serve. It means more perspectives are heard, and more Coloradans have a stake in the outcome.

This is not about supporting one party or one candidate. It is not about advancing a political agenda or influencing a particular race.

It is about putting the best Coloradans forward to represent us in elected office.

Primary elections deserve the same attention and consideration that we routinely give to general elections.

As ballots arrive this June, we encourage every eligible voter, especially those who regularly vote in November but have never voted in a primary, to take a closer look.

You do not need to know everything before you participate. You do not need to belong to a political party. You do not need to become a political expert.

You simply need to use the voice you already have.

Colorado’s future is shaped long before Election Day.

The primary election is where that process begins.

Former Colorado Governors Bill Owens (R) and Bill Ritter (D)

Former U.S. Senators Hank Brown (R) and Tim Wirth (D)

The post Op-Ed: Colorado’s Most Important Election May Be the One You’re Skipping appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Media Contact:

Jack Todd

Jack.Todd@ColoradoSOS.gov

China Scroggins

China.Scroggins@ColoradoSOS.gov

May 27, 2026

DHS Responds to Letter from Nine Secretaries of State, States “no reason for ICE personnel to be deployed to polling places.”

Denver, CO – The Secretary of State’s Office has received a letter from Todd M. Lyons, Acting ICE Director, in response to the March 9 letter from nine Secretaries of State that sought confirmation from Homeland Security Director Markwayne Mullin that immigration enforcement agents would not be deployed to polling locations during the 2026 election cycle.

The letter from Lyons, dated May 11, 2026, states, “there is no reason for ICE personnel to be deployed to polling places,” and continues, “However, as the principal investigative component of DHS, ICE Homeland Security Investigations plays an important role in investigating voter fraud and will continue to perform this vital mission.”

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has issued the following statement in response:

I agree that there is no reason for ICE personnel to be deployed to polling places. I remain deeply concerned that the agency’s leadership cannot provide an unequivocal answer to this question, however. ICE has been used to intimidate Americans. They must not interfere with our elections or engage in any behavior that would intimidate voters.

Mr. Lyons had previously made similar comments during a Senate Homeland Security Committee meeting in February 2026. When pressed on a hypothetical of whether he would follow orders to deploy ICE agents to polling places from then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristy Noem, he declined to explicitly state whether he would or would not follow that order.

The letter from nine Secretaries of State followed comments made by both former Secretary Noem and Department of Homeland Security staff.

In February, Heather Honey, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elections Integrity in the Office of Strategy, Policy & Plans at the Department of Homeland Security, told Secretaries of State that, “Any suggestion that ICE is going to be present at polling places is simply disinformation. There will be no ICE presence at polling locations.”

Former Secretary Noem then appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in March and stated, “There are no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations.”

The letter from the Secretaries of State asked for confirmation in writing that the official position of both the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Mullin himself is that ICE will not have a presence at polling locations during the 2026 election cycle.

Letter signatories included:

• Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold
• Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas
• Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
• Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
• Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon
• New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver
• Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read
• Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore
• Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs

March 9 letter sent by nine Secretaries of State to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin (PDF)

May 11 response from Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd M. Lyons (PDF)

The response was dated more than one month after a requested deadline to respond of April 8, 2026.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Friday, June 12, 2026

Media Contact:

Antonia Gallegos, Media Relations, 303-413-7299

bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder closures for Juneteenth holiday, June 19

City services and facilities will be affected in observance of the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

BOULDER, Colo. – All City of Boulder administrative facilities and Age Well Centers will be closed Friday, June 19, for the Juneteenth holiday. The following facilities and services will be open:

City of Boulder Juneteenth holiday operations

• The city’s three recreation centers, the Reservoir, Flatirons Golf Course, Spruce Pool, and Scott Carpenter Pool, will all be open normal operating hours.
• Open Space and Mountain Parks trails and trailheads will be open. Visit OSMPTrails.org to plan your visit to city open space.
• Parking is free on city streets and in all city-owned lots and downtown garages on Friday, June 19.
• Paid parking is in effect at/near Chautauqua Park on Friday, June 19, and the free Park-to-Park shuttle to Chautauqua will be running from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• As a reminder, your emergency services do not take the holiday.
  • Call 911 in the event of an emergency.
  • Remember to recreate responsibly.
  • Be prepared, wear the right clothes and have the right gear if swimming in one of Boulder’s natural bodies of water.
  • Prevent wildfires by disposing of coals in the appropriate manner, and remember that bonfires/campfires are against city code.

For more information about Juneteenth events in the City of Boulder, visit the city’s website.

— CITY–

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Media Contacts:

Lyndsy Morse-Casillas, Media Relations, 720-610-7524

Allison Bayley, Human Services Investment Sr Project Manager, 303-441-4386

www.bouldercolorado.gov

City-Funded 2026 Immigrant Heritage Month and Juneteenth Celebration Events Announced

BOULDER, Colo. – This year, the city’s Human Relations Fund (HRF), in collaboration with the Office of Arts and Culture, provided support to several organizations hosting events and celebrations that recognize Immigrant Heritage Month and Juneteenth. All events are free and open to the public.

Immigrant Heritage Month events and celebrations honor and celebrate Boulder’s rich, diverse immigrant populations and their integration into the civic, economic, and cultural life of the Boulder community. Events celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month include:

Friday, June 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. – East Window Presents: Trip Ziggurat – Screening and Community Event

• Where: East Window Arts (4550 Broadway St, Suite C-3B2, Boulder, CO)
• Details: This event will include the world premiere screening of Trip Ziggurat, a short documentary by Iraqi-American filmmaker Usama Alshaibi, followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, producer, and cast members, poetry readings by local Arab writers, a presentation from the Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project, and community conversation over Palestinian food and refreshments. The event aims to foster cross-cultural understanding, celebrate Arab and immigrant voices during Immigrant Heritage Month, and create a welcoming space for dialogue between Arab and non-Arab community members.

Sunday, June 28, from 12 to 3 p.m. – Contranarrativas: Acts of Love and Compassion with Luna Cultura

• Where: Museum of Boulder (2205 Broadway, Boulder, CO)
• Details: This bilingual event will include live music, mindfulness and wellness activities, interactive presentations, creative workshops, shared meals, and intercultural storytelling centered around counternarratives as tools for compassion, healing, and resisting hate speech. Designed to celebrate migrant histories and cultural diversity in Boulder, the gathering aims to foster intergenerational dialogue, strengthen community well-being and safety, uplift migrant voices through art and poetry, and connect families with local resources and support networks.

Learn more and register on the Museum of Boulder website.

Saturday, July 18 from 1 to 5 p.m. – Ilalle Hill Organization’s Immigrant Voices of Freedom Celebration

• Where: Boulder Chamber of Commerce (2440 Pearl St, Boulder, CO)
• Details: This event will include an inclusive celebration featuring youth-led performances, open mic storytelling, traditional East African Didinga and Buya dance, cultural body painting, music, traditional attire, and shared African food. Led by immigrant and refugee community members, local nonprofits, and youth leaders, the event aims to foster belonging, celebrate cultural diversity, promote healing and intercultural connection, and highlight the contributions and experiences of immigrant communities.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is an important part of American history as it commemorates the official end of slavery on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth celebration events honor and raise awareness of the independence this holiday represents for African Americans. Events celebrating Juneteenth include:

Saturday, June 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. – Ilalle Hill Organization’s Juneteenth Celebration

• Where: Boulder Chamber of Commerce (2440 Pearl St, Boulder, CO)
• Details: This event will include youth-led music and storytelling, open mic performances, traditional Didinga and Buya dance, cultural body painting, food, music, traditional attire, and interactive community activities designed to foster connection, healing, and cultural expression. Led in collaboration with immigrant and refugee organizations, community leaders, and local partners, the event aims to honor the legacy of Juneteenth while uplifting immigrant voices, promoting inclusion and belonging, and celebrating Boulder’s multicultural community through joyful shared cultural experiences.

Sunday, June 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. – Rocky Mountain Equality’s Unwind and Grind Dance Celebration and Workshop

• Where: Equality Center of the Rocky Mountains (3340 Mitchell Ln, Boulder, CO)
• Details: This event will feature dance and movement workshops, improvisation, mindfulness exercises, cultural education dialogues, food, and community fellowship centered around QTPOC liberation and creative expression. Led by a Queer BIPOC dance instructor through SOL VIDA, the event aims to create a family-friendly, sober, and culturally enriching space that honors Black diasporic traditions while exploring movement, joy, healing, and self-expression as practices of liberation and community connection

Thursday, June 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. – Executive Committee African American Cultural Events Presents 13 Fires

• Where: Dairy Arts Center (2590 Walnut St, Boulder, CO)
• Details: ECAACE is proud to present an original stage play by Boulder’s own Curtis K. Rogers. 13 Fires tells the story of Indiana Avenue—once a thriving Black cultural mecca in Indianapolis. The Avenue was alive with jazz clubs, Black-owned businesses, and legendary performers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. It was also home to Madam C.J. Walker, whose success symbolized the power, creativity, and resilience of the community that built the neighborhood.
• Tickets are available on the Dairy’s website.

The HRF supports community-initiated activities that focus on or raise awareness of civil rights, human rights, or equity issues and problems in Boulder; facilitate interaction, understanding, collaboration, and civic participation among diverse communities; or enable communities that experience marginalization to celebrate events significant to them while providing learning opportunities to the general population.

Learn more about the Human Relations Fund on the city’s website.

City-Sponsored Juneteenth Event

Looking for more ways to celebrate? Join the city for a Juneteenth flag raising and remarks from local leaders.

Through the Office of Equity and Belonging, the city invites the community to join in a celebration and recognition of Juneteenth. On Wednesday, June 17, the city will raise a Juneteenth Flag at the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building at 2:30 p.m. Remarks from city and community leaders will follow the flag raising. The event will also feature live entertainment and free ice cream.

The Office of Equity and Belonging works to eliminate systemic and institutional racism from the City of Boulder’s policies, programs and practices. We strive to transform Boulder into a more inclusive, safe, and welcoming environment for all who live, work, and play in our community.

Learn more about other community-led Juneteenth events on the city’s website.

–CITY–

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The post Boulder City Funded 2026 Immigrant Heritage Month and Juneteenth Celebration Events Announced appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2026

Contact: press@314action.org

RECAP: “Science is Fundamentally Hope” — 314 Action and COURIER Newsroom Host Conversation on the War on Science, Healthcare and Rise of AI

(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Today, 314 Action and COURIER Newsroom hosted a live virtual conversation on the path to winning back the Senate, the rise and regulation of AI, and how to combat the administration’s attacks on science and healthcare. 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton was joined by U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Representative Emily Gregory (FL-HD-87), Dr. Annie Andrews for U.S. Senate (SC), Dr. Paul A. Offit, and Dr. Vin Gupta. Representative Eric Sorensen (IL-17) also delivered pre-recorded remarks.

Speakers discussed the impacts of dismantling FEMA, recent threats to NCAR, and Democrats’ role in shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence. Speakers also highlighted the importance of electing scientists, doctors, engineers, and STEM experts to office to help deliver evidence-based policy and fight for our democracy.

This is the second in a two-part virtual series ahead of 314 Action’s ten-year anniversary in June 2026. Watch the first event here.

Excerpts from speaker remarks are below:

Shaughnessy Naughton, 314 Action President

What science is fundamentally is hope—and that is what people need. Especially right now, we’re living through an administration that is working very hard to dismantle the scientific institutions that have allowed us to bring these incredible advancements to the American people and beyond.

I think what we have to be thinking about is not just building back what was there, what has been destroyed by DOGE and RFK Jr. and Donald Trump, but thinking about how we can make this work even better for the future to usher in the next 100 years of technology and medical advancements that America should lead on and can lead on if we restore proper leadership to our government.

U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ)

This administration doesn’t really care about science all that much, but here’s the thing. Science doesn’t care if you don’t believe in it. That’s why we’re going to continue to fight, John and I, as believers of science and data and facts, for funding for things like NOAA and the National Weather Service. We don’t need to be less prepared. We’ve got to make sure that we protect the American public, and ultimately, it comes down to winning elections.

U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO)

What [the Trump administration] is doing, is they’re using facts that suit their purposes and cherry-picking those facts. It is almost worse than having no science at all, not having any trust in any facts, which is obviously what they’re trying to get us to that point of view one way or the other.

We’re not going to be able to solve real problems at any scale if we can’t get back to using the same deck of facts, and unfortunately, this White House has been categorically opposed to that, and is pretty much nonstop trying to dilute and reduce the public trust in our scientific establishment.

U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

I became a model for what could happen in districts all across this country. I want you to ask yourself, what would it mean for the climate crisis if we started electing more trusted meteorologists, what would it mean for renewables and innovation and technology?

And it might surprise you that, since I do not have a background in politics, I get to work across the aisle using science and data when others fail. I’ve introduced and passed legislation to help real people, lowering prescription drug costs, funding big local infrastructure projects back home, helping farmers and veterans and seniors.

Dr. Annie Andrews, Candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina and pediatrician

This moment is so urgent for public health and America’s healthcare system. We need leaders to step up, who are willing to just say what needs to be said, and that’s what I’m hearing on the ground. People in South Carolina are still worried about the measles outbreak, as they should be. They’re worried about the impending Medicaid budget cuts that will devastate access for so many people who live in rural South Carolina, and they’re wondering why prescription drug prices continue to go up, and the administration seems to care about everything but actually addressing that problem.

Florida Representative Emily Gregory (FL-HD-87)

Are we getting the public health outcomes we want—and that applies across property insurance and healthcare for the highest utilizer of ACA tax plans? And we’re still bleeding out with cancellations since January 1st when credit tax credits expired. I think it’s really, really important to try to lower the temperature.

These algorithms that are designed to stoke anger and fear, they’re very effective, and they really pit us against them—and we really need to be finding commonalities. I truly believe that most of us agree on about 90% of issues, and we’re letting the 10% where there’s space, and when we have different worldviews dictate the conversation, so that’s really where I was successful in flipping a R-Leaning district—by focusing on data, focusing on non-emotional data points to help voters see where we’re aligned and where we want the same thing.

Dr. Paul A. Offit, Director, Vaccine Education Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Politics might change, but the science doesn’t. No matter how many times Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says vaccines cause a safety problem that it doesn’t cause, or no matter how many media venues, or influencers, or congressmen, or discredited scientists, or physicians, he gets to agree with them, it’s not true. And we just have to continue to stand up for the science, that is a powerful thing to have on our side.

Watch the full recording here.

314 Action is the only national organization working to recruit, train and elect Democratic scientists across all levels of government—from the Senate down to local school boards. The organization is powered by a grassroots community of over six million people supporting scientists and health care professionals who will use science and facts to address the most urgent issues facing our generation.

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The post Recap of COURIER’s Facts vs. Fiction: The Fight for Science in American Democracy appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Darren O’Connor Law, LLC

ERIE, Colo. — Attorney Darren O’Connor, on behalf of an Erie resident, has issued a formal legal demand to the Town of Erie requesting that the Town delay any final action on the proposed sale of Town-owned mineral rights associated with the Draco project until questions regarding procurement compliance and contract performance are fully addressed.

The demand follows public statements made during recent Erie Town Council meetings indicating that the Town’s procurement process may not have been followed when Alameda Mineral Advisors was retained and that contractual requirements related to competitive bid solicitation may not have been completed.

At issue is a contractual requirement that Alameda Mineral Advisors conduct a competitive bid and solicitation process before recommending the sale of Town-owned mineral rights. According to the demand letter, that process was intended to test the market and help ensure the Town received the best available value for public assets. Instead, questions have emerged regarding whether competing bids were ever solicited and whether negotiations were effectively limited to a single company.

“A competitive bid and solicitation process was required by the contract between the Town of Erie and Alameda Mineral Advisors,” said O’Connor. “That requirement exists to help ensure the Town receives the best possible value for public assets. Instead, it appears Alameda may have negotiated with only a single company. The public deserves a clear explanation and transparency regarding how this process was handled.”

According to O’Connor, these issues extend beyond routine procedural questions and involve the Town’s responsibility to protect public assets, comply with its own procurement requirements, and enforce contractual obligations entered into on behalf of Erie residents.

“The Town should not proceed with a major mineral-rights transaction while unresolved questions remain about whether the consultant was hired in compliance with Erie’s procurement rules and whether the consultant performed the competitive bid-solicitation work required by contract,” O’Connor stated in the demand letter.

The demand requests that the Town provide records related to the procurement and selection of Alameda Mineral Advisors, determine whether contractual bid-solicitation requirements were fulfilled, identify whether any Town official instructed the consultant not to perform those duties, and explain any actions taken to modify or waive contractual requirements.

O’Connor is also requesting that the Town defer any final vote, execution, or implementation of the proposed mineral-rights transaction until those questions are resolved and the public has received a clear explanation of the process.

The legal demand includes a records preservation request and asks the Town to provide a written response within two business days due to the Town Council’s scheduled June 16 vote on the proposed mineral-rights agreement.

“The public is entitled to a transparent explanation, and the Town is obligated to protect municipal assets and taxpayer funds,” O’Connor wrote in the demand.

A copy of the demand letter has been provided to the Town of Erie and is available upon request.

###

Contact: Darren O’Connor

720.961.3869

darreno@dolawllcocm

Darren O’Connor, Esq.

Darren O’Connor  Law, LLC

Tel.: 720.961.3869

www.dolawllc.com

The post Attorney for Erie Resident Demands Delay of Mineral Rights Vote Pending Procurement and Contract Review appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

More than 100 Erie residents are now asking Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to review the town’s controversial mineral rights process, and a Boulder attorney has formally challenged the town’s handling of consultant contracts and procurement procedures.

The twin actions come less than a week before Erie Town Council is scheduled to vote on a proposed mineral rights agreement with SM Energy, a deal that a minority of supporters say would provide significant financial benefits and operational protections for the town.

For many residents, however, the debate is no longer focused solely on the merits of the proposed agreement. Instead, concerns have shifted toward the process used to negotiate it. 

Over the past several months, residents have raised questions about the town’s selection of Alameda Mineral Advisors, the extensive use of executive sessions during negotiations and the role of consultant Matthew Owens, who acknowledged during a June 2 study session that he did not complete the competitive bid solicitation process outlined in his contract with the town. Owens later said he had been instructed not to do so.

When asked who provided that instruction, Owens said it came from “the people that hired me.”  Because Owens was hired specifically to evaluate and market the town’s mineral assets, his admission became central to the legal and ethical criticism against the process. 

Pictured Owens being questioned regarding competitive bidding process

Town officials have acknowledged that discussions surrounding the proposed mineral rights transaction began as early as September 2025. However, details of those negotiations remained largely out of public view until February 2026, when the issue first came to broader public attention through Yellow Scene reporting on an offer for the town’s mineral rights.

Those unanswered questions (and the months-long gap between private discussions and public disclosure) prompted Erie resident Steven Drew to seek outside review.

Drew said he spent months attending meetings, reviewing contracts and attempting to obtain information about the mineral rights negotiations before concluding that residents had exhausted their options at the local level.

“The short answer from the town was we had no rights in this process,” Drew said.

“So where I ended up was in a void where this behavior had no recourse except for those two areas, and that is the attorney general and the civil process.”

On June 11, Drew and more than 100 residents signed a letter asking the Colorado Attorney General’s Office to review the mineral rights process before council votes on the proposed agreement. The signatories include current and former Erie residents, former public officials and professionals with backgrounds in transportation, environmental protection and public administration. The letter alleges that town officials bypassed competitive procurement requirements, failed to conduct required bid solicitations and relied heavily on executive-session discussions during negotiations.

Drew said the goal is not to prevent council from making a decision, but to ensure residents can trust the process that produced it. If the Attorney General’s Office chooses to review the allegations, it could provide the first outside examination of the mineral rights process. 

The same day, Louisville attorney Darren O’Connor, representing Drew, sent a formal demand letter to the town seeking records and explanations related to the mineral rights negotiations. The letter challenges both the consultant procurement process and Owens’ failure to perform the bid solicitation work described in his contract. It also requests documentation showing who instructed Owens not to complete that work and asks the town to delay final action on the proposed agreement until those questions are resolved.

The issue surfaced publicly again during Tuesday night’s council meeting when a motion to enter executive session failed on a 4-3 vote. Councilmembers Emily Baer, Dan Hoback and Anil Pesamarelli voted against entering the closed-door session, citing concerns about transparency and the amount of public business being discussed outside public view. The disagreement led to a tense exchange among council members over issues that have emerged throughout the mineral rights debate. In an interview with Yellow Scene following the meeting, Councilmember Dan Hoback said he was unaware of any public vote, council consensus or contract amendment authorizing a change to Owens’ responsibilities.

“We never went to a straw vote or a poll … certainly not consensus,” Hoback said. “I’m quite sure [council as a whole] never consented to anything of that nature.”

Hoback said that if Owens was instructed not to complete the competitive solicitation process required by his contract, he does not know who gave that instruction.

“If we went behind those doors and modified that contract, well, we broke the law”,Hoback said.

Hoback added that he was unaware of any communication authorizing such a change. “I was not a part of any emails and texts,” he said. “I’m wondering where [Moore] got that.”

Mayor Andrew Moore and Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Bell have defended the use of executive sessions, arguing that certain negotiations and real-estate matters cannot be conducted publicly without undermining the town’s position. A few supporters of the SM Energy agreement have also argued that the deal secures valuable concessions, protections and financial benefits for Erie.

Whether the Attorney General’s Office takes action before the June 16 vote remains unclear. What is clear is that the controversy has expanded beyond the proposed agreement itself. For a growing number of residents, the central question is no longer whether the deal is good or bad, but whether the process used to reach it followed the town’s own rules.

Yellow Scene reached out to each town council member for comment and did not receive a response.

Yellow Scene’s 2026 Summer Support Drive is underway with a goal of 1,000 Sustaining Supporters by summer’s end.

For 26 years, we have remained fiercely independent, free from sponsored content and outside editorial influence.

Reader-driven support keeps local journalism unbossed, unbought, and our journalists fed. Become a sustaining supporter for $8/month and get Yellow Scene delivered to your home.

Join the Summer Support Drive and keep local journalism strong.

The post Erie residents demand answers before pivotal mineral rights vote appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Media Contact:

Kate Hernandez, Media Relations, 720-450-7554

www.bouldercolorado.gov

City Welcomes Goats Back to South Boulder for Weed Management and Beloved ‘Meet and Bleat’ Event

BOULDER, Colo. – The City of Boulder is welcoming back its favorite four-legged landscapers to Harlow Platts Community Park this week. Beginning Thursday, June 11, approximately 300 goats will arrive at the park to help manage invasive and noxious weeds through Tuesday, June 16.

To celebrate their return, community members are invited to the annual “Meet and Bleat” event on Saturday, June 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. This free, family-friendly event offers the opportunity to meet and pet the goats, take photos and learn more about the city’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Please note that the parking lot on the west side of the park (Gillespie Drive near Heidelberg Drive) will be mostly closed off during the event to accommodate event setup and activities.

“Goat grazing helps us manage invasive weeds while creating a unique opportunity for our community to learn about and connect with the public spaces they love,” said city Ecology Lead Technician, Ariana DiCocco. “By reducing numbers of noxious weeds, the goats help maintain and support healthy native plant communities.”

This year’s herd comes from local weed management contractors, Goat Bros, LLC, who provide eco-friendly grazing and agricultural services. While on-site, the goats will spend the next few days managing (snacking on) noxious weeds throughout the park.

Over the past two decades, goats have successfully contributed to weed management in Boulder at sites such as Boulder Reservoir, Tantra Park, Christensen Park, Gerald Stazio Softball Fields, Maxwell Park, and Harlow Platts Community Park. The City of Boulder was one of the first municipalities in the country to create an Integrated Pest Management program and policy. This effort was initiated by city ecologists and vegetation managers and reflects the city’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

— CITY —

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The post City Welcomes Goats Back to South Boulder appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This letter was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine. As with all Letters to the Editor, the views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. We value providing space for community voices.

In politics, I believe leadership should not be measured by the title you hold, but by how you show up for your community. That is why I am proud to support Anil.

Anil embodies the kind of public servant I strive to be. He does not wait for the cameras or the headlines—he is present. He shows up at marches, protests, and community gatherings because he genuinely believes in standing alongside the people of Colorado.

During his time on the Erie Town Council, Anil has been a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, demonstrating the courage to stand up for equality and inclusion even when it is difficult. He understands that leadership means fighting for every member of our community and ensuring everyone feels seen, valued, and protected.

What is so refreshing about supporting Anil is his work ethic and his authenticity. He is not someone who only appears during election season. Day after day, he puts in the work, listens to residents, and fights for the people of Erie.

As someone who has dedicated my own service to showing up for the people of Boulder, I recognize that same commitment in Anil. We share the belief that public office is about service, compassion, and a willingness to stand with people in their moments of need.

Colorado needs more leaders who do the work when no one is watching. Leaders who listen. Leaders who care. Leaders who show up.

Anil is that kind of leader, and that is why I am proud to stand with him.

Junie Joseph

House District 10 Representative

Democratic House Majority Caucus Co-Chair

Secretary of the Democratic Black Caucus

Aerospace and Defense Caucus Co-Chair

Member of the House Environment & Energy Committee

Member of the House Appropriations Committee

Member of the House Finance

Junie4colorado.com

Twitter: Junie4colorado

Facebook: Junieforcolorado

The post Letter to the Editor: Junie Joseph’s Endorsement for Anil Pesaramelli appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The following is a letter from Erie residents that was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine. We are publishing it in pursuit of community transparency and public accountability. Signed by over 100 community members, the letter calls on the Colorado Attorney General to intervene in the ongoing, controversial sale of local mineral rights.

Dear Attorney General Weiser,

This letter is from Erie residents related to the Town of Erie and the potential sale of Town-owned mineral rights and real estate assets to SM Energy (Civitas). This is a legal and ethical matter where there is no recourse for these issues at the Town level. 

We are reaching out to you for State assistance to investigate and hopefully resolve these matters on behalf of residents of the Town of Erie. Please note that I have been in correspondence with your office prior, but the situation has grown more urgent. 

The Council is set to vote on the sale of these mineral rights Tuesday, June 16th. In open meetings and during the Study Session on June 2nd it was revealed that several important and legal steps were not completed in this process including:

1. The Town Council signed a Consultant contract involving a bid and solicitation process that was ignored in favor of a single-source agreement with SM Energy; and
2. Town of Erie policy required the issuance of an RFP to select the Consultant in a $4.5 million contract and, instead, the Consultant was sole-sourced without vetting.

The Town of Erie Town Council has placed a significant amount of information related to this transaction within Executive Sessions. Please note that this timeline and information are based on what has been made publicly available to-date.

MINERAL RIGHTS SALE TIMELINE

In December 2025, four Town Council Members led by Mayor Andrew Moore approved the hire of Alameda Minerals Partners as a sole-source $4.5 million contract to represent the Town of Erie in the potential sale of Town-owned mineral rights. However, this was done behind closed doors, of which the public did not learn of the discussions that had been occurring for over a year until Feb 2026 when local reporting revealed it. 

• Alameda Minerals Partners CEO is Matthew Owens, a founder of Civitas Energy (now SM Energy) who owned the Draco Pad at that time. The Town Council did not vet Owens for financial conflicts of interest and, at a later date, Mayor Moore advised that he knew Owens had ongoing financial interests with Civitas.
• When asked why the Town did not issue an RFP for this $4.5 million contract, Town employee David Frank is on record stating they did not seek any other consultants, and that “they didn’t know any other consultants.” Not knowing is a core reason as to why RFPs are conducted.
• There are three versions of how Owens and the Town of Erie started working together. The Mayor stating he had a conversation, then others stating Owens came to the Town. Regardless, it appears that the Mayor was in talks with Owens for 6 months before the council was aware. 
• This was a sole-sourced contract without an RFP. The Town Interim Manager advised the Council during a June 2nd Study Session that this violated Town procurement policy. 
• Per the Contract with the Town, Alameda Minerals Partners was required to run a competitive bid and solicitation process and to provide those results to the Town Council. The public learned during the June 2nd Town of Erie Study Session that Owens did not run this process and that Town Council members have not seen competitive bids.
• Owens indicated during the meeting and stated specifically to a reporter after the meeting that he was advised by certain Town Council members to not run a competitive bid and procurement process.
• The public has limited information about discussions, processes and details around this potential transaction as Mayor Moore has held both confidential and traditionally non-confidential information within rolling Executive Sessions. This includes inappropriate direction from the Town Council to Owens to breach his Contract and not conduct competitive bid and solicitations.
• The process run by Owens resulted in a single offer from SM Energy (Civitas), his former company. There is no record that Owens reached out to competitors, confirmed by the acting Town Administrator and Town Attorney, as well as Owens himself
• The Town Council was advised by Erie residents during the June 9th Town Council open session about this breach of contract and how this violates Town Council’s role in that contract as well as Town Council fiduciary duty.
• The contract from SM Energy appears to be significantly one-sided in favor of SM Energy. The Town’s financial and negotiation representation through Owens and his conflicts of interest may have had a significant impact on the terms of agreement and the value of the Town’s assets.
• Mayor Moore set a vote for June 16th to approve the offer from SM Energy. Per Moore’s voting block of four Town Council members, residents expect this contract to be approved in a 4-3 vote.

Residents are clearly against this decision and have been showing up and speaking out in large numbers since learning about it. What adds another layer is that SM Energy has a timeline to meet per the ECMC and Erie holding onto their mineral rights requires them to work around that location. With ownership it opens up their access considerably. Mayor Moore has been meeting in secret for months, and rushing the process without proper vetting and without following proper RFP procedures. Mayor Moore is placing this single-source contract with SM Energy up for vote on June 16th knowing that a competitive bid and solicitation process was required, but not completed. 

For these reasons we believe the Attorney General should step in to ensure this process is meeting the legal standards at the State level, set in the Consultant contract and the Town Charter. 

TOWN OF ERIE RESIDENTS

The following Town of Erie residents agreed to be part of this letter and are asking for direct assistance from the Office of The Attorney General.

• Steven Drew

• Deborah Cameron

• Leah Burns

• Tim Burns

• Selena Maranjian

• Kelli Bercovitch

• Maria Veronica Drew

• Amy Mitchell

• Bill Rigler

• Chelsea Campbell

• Sunshine Axlund

• Eric Axlund 

• Tiffany Breaux Pritchett 

• Mari Hobkirk 

• Neha Pesaramelli 

• DeWayne D. Drummond

• Karen Drummond

• Rosy Maranjian 

• John McAllister

• Gloria Pearlstein

• Ann Manette Ansay

• Tonia Sharp

• Martha Dasovic

• Barbara Nichols 

• William Geithman

• Donna Geithman 

• Helen Hoekstra

• Barb Benner 

• Diana Middleton

• Luanne Lee

• Forrest Johnson

• Nancy Cacy 

• Sharleen Bakeman, Retired Colorado DOT & USDOT

• Dr. Mark E. Bakeman, Retired Washington State DOT

• Carol Campbell, Retired Assistant Regional Administrator, Office of Ecosystems Protection and Remediation, US EPA Region 8Marifay Makssour

• Elaine Patriquin

• Colleen Dame

• Laurel Warner 

• Jennifer Herrin

• Amanda Tuominen 

• Gerry Wright

• Jim McGlashan

• Suzy Swanson 

• Steve Swanson 

• Barbara Kusinitz 

• Chanel K. Adams

• Ryan C. Adams

• Cheryl Kelso 

• Charlene Kam

• Steve Kelso

• Louise Hannahoe 

• Kim Hannahoe 

• John Ghumm

• Shavonne Blades 

• Emily Brecht 

• Robert de Jong

• Donna Lasater

• James Salvaggio

• Peg Salvaggio

• Barb Mejer

• Nancy Loehr

• Danny Loehr

• Jackie Connor 

• Penny T. Landis

• Debbie Shinn

• Frank Landis

• Rabbi Frederick Greene 

• Deborah Greene

• James Stull

• Penny Stull

• Donna Thumma

• John Thumma

• Robin Berlin 

• Karyn Lankford 

• Sharon Matayus

• Lindsey Terranova

• Adam Terranova

• Winfried Reichelt 

• Mari Hobkirk

• Rebecca Robb

• Bob Braudes

• Cherry Landen

• Cammie Arneson

• Jeanne DeVries

• Donna Smith

• Elaine Green 

• Donna Canode 

• Patricia Reed

• Wyncia Clute

• Larry Kinney

• Lauren Fulton

• Sharon Schuessler

• Ann Cohrs

• Steve Nelson

• Jacquelynn Sigl

• Laura Schmid

• Brian Schmid

• Justin Brooks

• Ashlee White

• Montgomery White

• Samanth Julie Hosmer

• Julie Gleason

• Kelly Wagner-Grull

• Amy Wagner-Grull

• Lenore Kingston 

• Michiko Elizabeth Mackanin 

• Christiaan van Woudenberg

• Kristen Moore

• Robyn Levey

• Aaron Levey

• Leticia Clendenen

• Krystyn Mitchell

• Heather Sabo

• Derek Webb

• Jenni Glomb

• Lyle Brecht

• Lorrie McAllister 

• Meghan Hughes 

• Josh Gaffga 
• Beth Gaffga

The post Over 100 Erie Residents Sign Letter To Attorney General appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This piece is part of Yellow Scene Magazine’s Opinion section. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent a reported news position. At Yellow Scene, opinion pieces speak freely, challenge assumptions, and say the quiet parts out loud.

by Kevin Cheek

Those who shout loudest about freedom are often the ones quickest to suppress it.

When asked exactly what they mean by “freedom”, I imagine they will define it as what America is, what the flag stands for, and what the Marines fought and died for, without ever approaching what freedom actually is. For many, it is a jingoistic term devoid of meaning except as a symbol. What are they free to do? What are they free from? Why are those freedoms important?

They are important. They do define the USA directly in the Constitution:

Supposedly, we are free to speak our minds – except people want to silence any opinions not in line with their view.

Supposedly, we are free to worship or not worship as we see fit – except there is a massive movement to promote a particular form of Christianity above other faiths and enshrine its principles in government.

Supposedly, we are free to have a voice in the political and legal decisions that affect us – except that having one’s voice heard costs increasing millions of dollars, effectively silencing the rest of us.

Supposedly, we are free to vote our conscience – except that they want to limit access to voting, especially in any precinct where the votes are likely to go against them.

Supposedly, we are free from illegal search and seizure without just cause and due process – except that anyone who doesn’t look “American” enough for the current power in charge is subject to exactly that. Their protests of legal status are increasingly difficult to have acknowledged.

So what do they mean by freedom? Do they mean freedom to be controlled by a state whose authoritarian dictator they happen to like? Or do they merely mean freedom for themselves and no one else?

–

Originally published: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/6/10/800053191/community/when-freedom-isnt-for-the-free

The post Op-Ed: When Freedom Isn’t For The Free appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boulder Pride Fest, Jun. 13

Rocky Mountain Equality celebrates the freedom to love and self-express with Boulder Pride Fest. From 11 AM to 4 PM, listen to an array of queer performers, buy Pride merchandise from local vendors, partake in giveaways, and fill your day with fun activities. With over 27 community partners, including Yellow Scene Magazine, Boulder Pride Fest illuminates the power of human connection, belonging, and joy.

Boulder Pride Fest |  Jun. 13 • Boulder Main Library, Boulder

Juneteenth Concert with Dzirae Gold, Jun. 17

Headlined by “Denver’s Golden Girl” Dzirae Gold and opened by award-winning Rex Peoples, Broomfield’s Juneteenth Celebration and Concert is set to be a rich celebration of Black culture and music featuring live performances of soul, jazz, R&B, and blues—all delivered through impossibly smooth vocals in an unforgettable evening of community. 

Juneteenth Concert with Dzirae Gold | Jun. 17 • Anthem Community Park, Broomfield

Nicole Zuraitis, Jun. 17

Wind down with Nicole Zuraitis at Dazzle for a beautiful evening filled with the Grammy-winning jazz vocalist, pianist, and songwriter. Hosted in the Denver staple jazz club Dazzle, Nicole Zuraitis will bring her enchanting voice for one night only in Denver.

Nicole Zuraitis | Jun. 17 • Dazzle, Denver

Van Zeppelin with Judgement Day, Jun. 19

Denver’s own Van Zeppelin and special guest Judgement Day come to Nissi’s in Lafayette on June 19th. Van Halen and Led Zeppelin fans are in for a treat as Denver’s latest and greatest tribute act brings the biggest hits from two of rock’n roll’s biggest acts. Judgement Day, named after Whitesnake’s 1989 hit, brings the best Whitesnake tribute experience in Colorado.

Van Zeppelin with Judgement Day | Jun. 19 • Nissi’s, Lafayette

Longmont Juneteenth 2026, Jun. 20

Celebrate Juneteenth on June 20th with the City of Longmont in Roosevelt Park. Juneteenth marks the emancipation of African Americans from slavery and honors Black heritage, culture, and contributions. Join us in the park from 10 AM to 2 PM for food, entertainment, and special guests.

Longmont Juneteenth 2026 | Jun. 20 • Roosevelt Park, Longmont

Yellow Scene’s 2026 Summer Support Drive is underway with a goal of 1,000 Sustaining Supporters by summer’s end.

For 26 years, we have remained fiercely independent, free from sponsored content and outside editorial influence.

Reader-driven support keeps local journalism unbossed, unbought, and our journalists fed. Become a sustaining supporter for $8/month and get Yellow Scene delivered to your home.

Join the Summer Support Drive and keep local journalism strong.

The post Scene Stealers: Week of June 12th appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

11 June 2026

CONTACTS: Stance on Science – Colorado, stanceonsciencecolorado@gmail.com

Stance on Science wants Science elevated in Colorado

June, 2026 – Statewide across Colorado

Do you use a phone? Worry about keeping your family healthy? Consume those delicious Colorado peaches and other locally grown food?

Science affects every part of our daily lives in Colorado, including the safety and security of our food and water, the health of our communities, our education systems, and the jobs and technologies that power our state’s future. Yet too often, science is left out of the decisions that build our current and future livelihoods. We are Stance on Science – Colorado, a team of scientists living and working in Colorado who want to make this information accessible to every Coloradan and empower you to make evidence-based decisions when voting for the people who manage our lives through policymaking.

Find out how primary election candidates will value and use science in decision-making with our free, easy-to-use resource: Stance on Science – Colorado.

This initiative comes out of the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy (SNAP) Coalition, a non-partisan group of early-career scientists and researchers from across the United States. SNAP serves to mobilize scientists for large-scale initiatives to bridge the gap between scientists, their communities, and the general public. Stance on Science has teams across most states, all organizing so that our elected officials know that science matters and to ensure voters are provided with clear and accessible information.

Stance on Science Colorado will be running this initiative through the November 2026 General Election. Candidates across races for Governor, US House of Representatives, State Senate, State House of Representatives, Secretary of State, Attorney General, County Commissioners, and University of Colorado Board of Regents have shared their Stances on Science across topics of Agriculture, Public Health, Artificial Intelligence, and more ahead of the June Primaries.

Keep track of all candidates’ responses through the primaries and general elections on our website: https://snapcoalition.org/initiatives/stance-on-science/states/co

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Media contacts:

Emi Smith, Media Relations, 720-822-9529

Jake Hudson-Humphrey, Public Art Program Coordinator

bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder offers free downtown public art walking tours this summer

Tours highlight downtown Boulder’s public art scene

BOULDER, Colo. – Join the City of Boulder this summer for free guided walking tours of downtown Boulder’s public art collection. Each 1.5-hour tour features approximately 30 stops showcasing sculptures, murals, and works of urban design throughout downtown. Tours begin at the corner of 17th and Pearl Street and conclude near the Boulder County Farmers Market at 13th Street and Canyon Boulevard. Tours are free, but advance registration is required.

Guided tours will be offered on select Saturday mornings beginning June 13 and Wednesday evenings beginning June 17. In addition to tours offered in English, this year’s lineup includes:

• Spanish language tours
• Dutch language tour
• German language tour
• Tactile and accessible tours
• Drag Queen-led tour for Boulder Pride

Visit the program website to see the full tour schedule and details.

“Our public art tours are designed to help more people connect with Boulder’s public spaces, stories and creative community,” said Brendan Picker-Mahoney, Public Art Program Manager. “By offering tours in multiple languages and formats, including tactile and accessible experiences, we’re working to ensure people of all backgrounds and abilities can experience and engage with Boulder’s public art collection in meaningful ways.”

Participants are encouraged to bring comfortable walking shoes and a water bottle. Tours may be canceled due to low registration or inclement weather. Registered participants will be notified of any schedule changes.

Community members who prefer to explore Boulder’s art scene at home can do so through the city’s virtual downtown public art tour.

Learn more about public art tours and register on the city website.

–CITY–

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The post City of Boulder Offers Free Downtown Public Art Walking Tours This Summer appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Media Contact:

Jack Todd

Jack.Todd@ColoradoSOS.gov

China Scroggins

China.Scroggins@ColoradoSOS.gov

June 3, 2026

Secretary Jena Griswold Reminds Voters to Use Trusted Sources; Raises Awareness of Election Disinformation

Denver, CO – Ballots for the 2026 Primary Election will be sent to voters beginning next week. Secretary of State Jena Griswold is reminding voters to always use trusted election sources and remain alert to election disinformation.

“Election disinformation continues to be used to undermine our democracy and divide our nation,” said Secretary Griswold. “Coloradans should consult trusted sources, including GoVoteColorado.gov and their County Clerk’s Office, to learn more about elections in Colorado.”

Coloradans should use trusted sources when searching for information on elections. Information from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office is distributed via www.ColoradoSOS.gov or www.GoVoteColorado.gov.

As the election nears and ballots are sent to Colorado voters, everyone should be aware of disinformation related to elections such as scams perpetrated online, via email, robocall, and text message – including with artificially generated media such as “deepfakes.” Disinformation can be meant to mislead and undermine confidence in elections.

Voters should:

• Rely on Colorado state and local government election offices for information about registering to vote, voting, and election results.
• Be aware that sensational content can be created or shared by foreign actors with the intent to incite anger, mobilize, and promote the amplification of false information.
• Seek information from trustworthy and reputable sources, considering the author and their intent.
• Critically evaluate the information you share and verify information with trusted sources such as Colorado state and local election offices.
• Be aware of phone calls, texts, emails, or posts from unfamiliar callers and senders that make suspicious claims about the election process.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Contact: John Eisel, Senior Public Communications Specialist, 303.450.8930, jeisel@northglenn.org

SUMMER EVENT LINE UP:

FREE Teddy Bear Picnic & KID’S CONCERT: Mountain Buddies – mountain-buddies

Thurs., June 4 at 10 am | Ages 0-12
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway
This annual FREE event for pre-K to early elementary kids and their favorite stuffed pals is tons of fun! Bring a stuffed pal, pack a picnic lunch, and enjoy the show!

FREE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION: Co-hosted with City of Northglenn’s DISE Board; Created in partnership with DCI Tours featuring Hazel Miller & The Collective

Friday, June 19 at 5-9 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway – Sponsored by King Soopers

FREE SESQUI SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Sat., August 1 at 10 am
Eleanor M. Wyatt Centennial Park & Sculpture Garden, 275 Kennedy Dr., Northglenn

Celebrate three significant milestones – 250 years of the United States – 150 years of Colorado statehood and Centennial Park’s 1976 time capsule unveiling!

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: Hazel Miller & The Collective
High-energy Jazz, sexy Soul, jumping Funk, and dreamy love songs. The evening will feature a vendors marketplace, wellness demonstrations, food trucks, a variety of powerful performances, and a final “Dream Flow” collaborative music creation to celebration community and creativity!

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: The Spicy Pickles

Thurs., June 25 at 7 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway

8-piece band with Jazz roots & funky Pop grooves.

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: Co-Hosted with Anythink Libraries Community Concert Series; featuring Blessing Bled Chimanga

Thurs., July 9 at 6:30 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway

Energetic blend of African rhythms & Marimba beats.

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: Tumbledown Shack

Thurs., July 23 at 7 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway

Grateful Dead meets piping hot jams.

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: Los Mocochettes

Thurs., August 6 at 7 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway

Xicano/Funk band – Revolutionary music you can dance to.

The Summer Series is funded by the Northglenn Arts and Humanities Foundation. Events will take place on Festival Lawn – the beautiful grass area between the Northglenn Recreation Center’s main doors (at 1 East Memorial Parkway) and the Veterans Memorial (right off Community Center Drive) in Northglenn, Colorado, with the exception of the Sesqui semiquincentennial Celebration, which will be held at the Eleanor M. Wyatt Centennial Park & Sculpture Garden. For more information about the Summer Series, please call the Northglenn Arts’ Box Office at 303-450-8888 or visit northglennarts.org.

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This letter was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine. As with all Letters to the Editor, the views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. We value providing space for community voices.

Hi Council, Town Attorney, and Acting Town Manager.

As a resident of Erie, I have to say there is a complete lack of transparency when the Town Council goes into executive session.
As Mayor Pro Tem Branden Bell said in last night’s meeting, the same generic statement is made every time to go into session about a property negotiation. Apparently, the law requires “the particular matter to be discussed in as much detail as possible without compromising the purpose” of the executive session. I do not believe you are meeting this requirement by using a generic statement.

Erie Town Council, June 9th, 2026

From my research – quoted info from AI.

“For example, these notices become progressively more informative:

• Property acquisition.
• Property acquisition related to airport operations.
• Property acquisition in the Airport Park area.
• Property acquisition of a parcel adjacent to Airport Park.

The law seems to require the council to move as far down that list as it reasonably can before it would jeopardize negotiations.”

You are not doing this. AI told me to ask you this –

“The Open Meetings Law requires identification of the particular matter to be discussed in as much detail as possible without compromising the purpose of the executive session. Can the Town explain why identifying the general location or project associated with the property transaction would compromise the negotiation?”

There is no way I would have been able to tell from the agenda whether you were talking about the Draco purchase or the Airport purchase.  The Mayor did mention the Airport property, but this was verbal, not in the written agenda.

“What I find particularly telling is that once the motion failed, nobody in the room seemed concerned that merely saying “the airport” would destroy the negotiation. In fact, several speakers openly referenced the airport on the record. That tends to support the argument that at least some additional public description could probably have been included in the agenda notice.” 

And the courts support as much detail as possible.  “What is interesting is that Colorado courts have already pushed back against local governments that simply repeated the statutory language.

In the well-known Basalt case, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that the town violated the Open Meetings Law because it provided only the broad statutory categories and failed to give meaningful detail about the subject being discussed.”

Erie Town Council, May 5, 2026

It was good to see Acting Town Manager Muth say she would work with the Town attorney on a procedure to be transparent. Hoping that means for the public.  Just because the Council member knows what the subject is, that is not sufficient; the residents should also know.

So I am hoping the Town Attorney and Acting Town Manager can implement better procedures to provide transparency in the agenda presented to the residents.

Sincerely, DeWayne Drummond

My chat with AI follows if you are interested.

Please explain to me the requirement for notification of going into executive session at a town council meeting. Our town always puts out the following statement “EXECUTIVE SESSION to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, develop a strategy for negotiations, and/or instruct negotiators, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(e); and to consider the purchase, acquisition, lease, transfer or sale of real, personal or other property, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(a); for which a topic cannot be disclosed without compromising the purpose of the executive session.” Now my question is why can it not tell what Property they are considering? like “and to consider the purchase, acquisition, lease, transfer or sale of real, personal or other property at the Airport park, pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(a); ” IE specify where the property rather just a generic statement. Citizens do not trust the council with the generic statement

Your concern is actually at the heart of Colorado’s Open Meetings Law.

The key language in Colorado law is that before going into executive session, the council must identify:

“the particular matter to be discussed in as much detail as possible without compromising the purpose for which the executive session is authorized.”

That phrase creates a balancing test:

1. The public is entitled to know what is being discussed.
2. The government is allowed to withhold details that would defeat the purpose of the executive session.

For property transactions

The property exception under C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(a) allows executive sessions for:

“The purchase, acquisition, lease, transfer, or sale of any real, personal, or other property interest.”

The usual justification is that publicly identifying the property before negotiations are complete could:

• Drive up the price.
• Alert competing buyers.
• Weaken the town’s negotiating position.
• Cause speculation in surrounding properties.

So if the town is negotiating to buy a specific parcel, it may argue that naming it publicly would compromise the negotiation. That is exactly what the statute contemplates.

But can they be too vague?

Yes.

The law does not say a council can simply recite the statute and stop there.

The statute requires identification of the “particular matter” in as much detail as possible. Merely saying:

“purchase, acquisition, lease, transfer or sale of real property”

without any additional description may be vulnerable to challenge if more detail could have been provided without harming negotiations.

For example, these provide progressively more information:

Very vague

• “Property matters.”

Better

• “Possible acquisition of property for future park purposes.”

Even better

• “Possible acquisition of property in the Airport Park area.”

Most specific

• “Possible acquisition of Parcel X adjacent to Airport Park.”

The question becomes: would revealing the location “Airport Park” actually compromise the negotiation?

Your Airport Park example

If the council agenda said:

“…to consider the purchase, acquisition, lease, transfer or sale of property interests in the Airport Park area…”

I think many citizens would view that as a reasonable balance between transparency and confidentiality.

The town might respond that even identifying “Airport Park” would reveal the parcel under discussion because there may be only one tract available there.

Whether that argument is convincing depends on the facts.

What Colorado courts generally look for

If challenged, a court would likely ask:

• Did the council cite the correct statutory authority?
• Did the council identify the subject matter?
• Did it provide as much detail as reasonably possible?
• Would additional detail have harmed the negotiation?

If the answer to the last question is “no,” then the notice may have been unnecessarily vague.

A practical citizen question

A fair question to ask during public comment or by email is:

“The Open Meetings Law requires identification of the particular matter to be discussed in as much detail as possible without compromising the purpose of the executive session. Can the Town explain why identifying the general location or project associated with the property transaction would compromise the negotiation?”

That puts the discussion squarely on the statutory standard rather than on whether citizens “trust” the council.

If you tell me which Colorado town this is (for example, Erie, Thornton, etc.) and whether the executive session language comes from the agenda or from the motion made at the meeting, I can help evaluate whether their notice is merely conservative or arguably falls short of Colorado’s transparency requirements.

Town of Erie, in the agenda for a town council meeting

For Erie specifically, I think you have a stronger argument than you might realize.

I found the exact agenda language from a January 2026 Erie Town Council special meeting, and it is essentially identical to what you quoted:

“…to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations… and to consider the purchase, acquisition, lease, transfer or sale of real, personal or other property… for which a topic cannot be disclosed without compromising the purpose of the executive session.”

The issue is that Colorado law requires more than merely citing the statutory category. The council must identify:

“the particular matter to be discussed in as much detail as possible without compromising the purpose” of the executive session.

What is interesting is that Colorado courts have already pushed back against local governments that simply repeated the statutory language.

In the well-known Basalt case, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that the town violated the Open Meetings Law because it provided only the broad statutory categories and failed to give meaningful detail about the subject being discussed.

So the real question is not:

“Can Erie legally withhold the exact parcel number?”

The real question is:

“Has Erie provided as much information as possible without harming negotiations?”

Those are very different questions.

Could Erie identify “Airport Park”?

Possibly yes.

For example, these notices become progressively more informative:

• Property acquisition.
• Property acquisition related to airport operations.
• Property acquisition in the Airport Park area.
• Property acquisition of a parcel adjacent to Airport Park.

The law seems to require the council to move as far down that list as it reasonably can before it would jeopardize negotiations.

If saying “Airport Park area” would not reveal the specific seller or bargaining position, then citizens could reasonably argue that the public deserves that level of information.

Why councils like generic wording

From the council’s perspective, the safest legal approach is often:

“We’re discussing property and negotiations, and disclosing more would compromise the executive session.”

That avoids any risk of accidentally revealing confidential negotiations.

But it also creates exactly the trust problem you describe. Citizens hear:

“We’re talking about some property somewhere.”

and have no way to know whether it concerns:

• Airport expansion,
• open space,
• water rights,
• downtown redevelopment,
• mineral rights,
• municipal facilities,
• or something else entirely.

A question I would ask Erie

Rather than accusing them of violating the law, I would ask:

“Colorado law requires identification of the particular matter to be discussed in as much detail as possible without compromising the purpose of the executive session. Why is the Town unable to identify even the general project area, such as Airport Park, municipal airport property, water rights, or open space acquisitions?”

That is a very difficult question for a council to dismiss because it goes directly to the statutory standard.

My personal reading of the agenda language Erie has been using is that it is about as generic as a notice can be while still citing the correct statute. Whether it satisfies the “as much detail as possible” requirement would depend on the specific property matter being discussed. The Basalt court decision suggests that simply repeating statutory categories is not automatically enough.

My overall impression

After reading the transcript, I do not think the dispute was really about whether executive sessions are legal.

I think the dispute was about trust and transparency.

The mayor, staff, and Bell appear to be saying:

“The council already knew the topic. This is a normal property-negotiation executive session.”

Hoback appears to be saying:

“The public doesn’t know enough, and the council shouldn’t automatically approve executive sessions without better explanation.”

Those are both reasonable positions.

Regarding your original question

If I were advising Erie, I would suggest that the agenda could probably be more informative while still protecting negotiations.

For example:

Executive session to discuss potential airport-related property negotiations pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(a) and (e).

or

Executive session regarding potential acquisition or disposition of property interests associated with airport operations.

Those descriptions tell citizens substantially more than the current boilerplate language, yet they still do not identify the parcel, seller, price, or negotiating strategy.

From a citizen’s perspective, that kind of disclosure would likely improve confidence without significantly impairing negotiations.

What I find particularly telling is that once the motion failed, nobody in the room seemed concerned that merely saying “the airport” would destroy the negotiation. In fact, several speakers openly referenced the airport on the record. That tends to support the argument that at least some additional public description could probably have been included in the agenda notice.

The post Letter to the Editor: Erie Executive Session Transparency appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nederland’s Jazz & Wine Festival Celebrates 5th Anniversary with a Stellar Lineup and Local Flavors

NEDERLAND, CO – The 5th Annual Nederland Jazz & Wine Festival is set to captivate audiences on Saturday, August 22, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year’s event promises a world-class experience, hosting jazz performances from New Orleans to Brazil with a curated selection of Colorado’s finest wines, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages. Held at Chipeta Park, the festival is a celebration of local and abroad talent, and community spirit. It’s the only festival now in Nederland, once home to Frozen Dead Guy Days.

Ned Jazz & Wine Fest has become a must-attend event, known for its intimate atmosphere and commitment to featuring Colorado-based artisans. It has sold out every year and is an opportunity for attendees to connect with the makers behind their favorite products while enjoying the beautiful mountain setting.

Event Highlights:

Live Music: The festival will feature a dynamic lineup across two stages, with 16-year-old River Eckert as the headliner. He performed in his hometown at New Orleans Jazz Fest this year. Ned Jazz Wine will be his Colorado performance debut. Other notable performers include Joslyn “JoFoKe” Ford-Keel & Same Cloth, and the Gabriel Santiago Trio.

Tastings from 26 Colorado Vendors: Tickets include unlimited tastings from a diverse group of Colorado wineries, breweries, distilleries, and non-alcoholic artisans. Highlights include majority local wineries, including The OBC Wine Project, which started in Fort Collins during the pandemic as a branch of Odell Brewing.

Artisan Marketplace: Explore over 15 local food and fine art vendors offering unique goods and delicious food to complement the tastings. The Food Truck Court hosts four savory food trucks, including The Wandering Potato.

Supporting a Local Cause: Proceeds from ticket sales and a prize drawing will benefit the TEENS, Inc. Outdoor Leadership Program, supporting the development of area youth.

Collectible Poster: This year’s official festival poster, designed by Nederland hyper-real artist Kate Woodliff O’Donnell, will be available for purchase.

Community Focused: The event’s major sponsors—Eldora, Ameristar Black Hawk, RE/MAX’s Homes by Jackie Jones, Allstate’s Harrington Agent, Colorado Mortgage Collective, and Nederland Downtown Development Authority—are all deeply committed to the local community. They provide valuable services and advice, from hosting visitors and locals to offering expertise on homeownership and safety.

Tickets are going fast, and the event has a history of selling out. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.nedjazzwine.com. 

EVENT SNAPSHOT

What: 5th Annual Nederland Jazz & Wine Festival

When: Saturday, August 22, 2026, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: Chipeta Park, Lakeview Drive, Nederland, CO

Tickets: Available at www.nedjazzwine.com/wine-festival-Tickets  

Social: @nedjazzwine

Contact:

Stephanie Andelman

event@nedjazzwine.com 

303-931-9017 

https://nedjazzwine.com – website

https://www.youtube.com/@NedJazzWine – YouTube

https://www.instagram.com/nedjazzwine – Instagram

https://www.facebook.com/nedjazzwine – Facebook

https://clients.sdvphoto.com/gallery/19032707 – photos of the past four festivals

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720.470.9098 NEWS FLASH

A routine Erie Town Council meeting took an unexpected turn tonight, June 9, when three council members voted against entering executive session, halting a planned closed-door discussion related to airport negotiations and triggering a heated exchange on the dais.

Much of the evening focused on routine business, including Juneteenth and Loving Day proclamations, updates from the Erie Chamber of Commerce and We Love Erie Business Collective, and approval of landscaping code changes intended to promote water conservation. But the meeting’s final minutes quickly overshadowed those discussions. Councilmembers Emily Baer, Dan Hoback and Anil Pesaramelli voted against entering executive session. When asked by Andrew Moore to explain his vote, Hoback said the item had been added to the agenda without sufficient explanation and argued that residents were increasingly uneasy about closed-door discussions. “I think we need to bring more transparency into it, as to what these are for,” he said.

Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Bell pushed back, saying council members had received information about the topic in advance and that executive sessions are routinely used when negotiating real estate transactions. Bell said concerns that the session was intended to discuss the town’s controversial mineral rights negotiations were unfounded and called it “a little disingenuous” to suggest council was attempting to hide information from the public. 

After Bell urged one of the three council members to reconsider the motion, Hoback responded that he did not appreciate “once again, time and time again, being called disingenuous.” As Mayor Moore attempted to regain control of the discussion, Hoback interrupted, telling the mayor, “You let him get away with his crap, Mayor. I’m tired of it.” Moore adjourned the meeting moments later. The clash comes one week before council is scheduled to vote on a proposed agreement with SM Energy regarding the sale of the town’s mineral rights, a decision that has generated months of public debate and scrutiny. 

This is a developing story. A more detailed account of the executive session dispute and the pending mineral rights vote will follow.

2:00:00 Moore’s closing comments followed by the vote to decline Executive Session

Yellow Scene’s 2026 Summer Support Drive is underway with a goal of 1,000 Sustaining Supporters by summer’s end.

For 26 years, we have remained fiercely independent, free from sponsored content and outside editorial influence.

Reader-driven support keeps local journalism unbossed, unbought, and our journalists fed. Become a sustaining supporter for $8/month and get Yellow Scene delivered to your home.

Join the Summer Support Drive and keep local journalism strong.

The post Erie Council Clash Erupts After Three Members Vote Against Executive Session appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Media Contact:

Jamie Barker, Wildland Fire Public Information Officer, 720-545-6012, barkerj@bouldercolorado.gov

Natural Partners in Wildfire Prevention: Boulder Expands Targeted Grazing Program

Targeted cattle grazing will help manage grass fuels and strengthen wildfire resilience in high-risk areas near neighborhoods this summer.

BOULDER, Colo. — The City of Boulder is bringing the cows back to the land! This year, the city is expanding its strategic cattle grazing program on Open Space within high-fire-risk areas of the city. Community members will begin to see cattle grazing in mid-June as part of broader wildfire resilience and risk reduction work that is happening on city-managed lands west of Boulder, extending from Alpine Avenue to Lee Hill Drive.

During their stay on the city Open Space, the cattle will move progressively north to achieve wildfire mitigation objectives across approximately 65 acres of high-priority Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas located within roughly 100–300 feet of residential neighborhoods. The targeted grazing is expected to last up to six weeks and is intended to reduce fine fuels in grass-dominant landscapes that can contribute to rapid wildfire spread. Additional WUI grazing projects are planned for August and September 2026 and will focus on areas in south Boulder.

To implement the grazing projects, the city is partnering with local ranchers who were selected for their experience using sustainable grazing practices to achieve complex land management objectives, including wildfire mitigation and ecosystem restoration.

Temporary trail closures may occur during grazing operations, and access to some undesignated or unmaintained trails may be restricted for community safety and resource protection. Cattle will be contained within temporary electric fencing. Visitors are asked to avoid approaching fences or livestock, keep pets under control, and respect all posted closure signs.

This work builds on more than a decade of ongoing land management efforts in the Shanahan Ridge area focused on invasive grass management. “Following the Marshall Fire, communities across Colorado have been looking more closely at how to reduce wildfire risk in grass-dominated landscapes near neighborhoods,” said Wildland Fire Sr. Program Manager Paul Dennison. “Projects like this allow us to apply and evaluate science-based mitigation strategies that can help reduce the speed and intensity of fast-moving grass fires near communities while supporting ecological stewardship of public lands.”

The City of Boulder Wildfire Ready Team is working closely with regional wildfire managers, researchers, ecologists, and land management professionals to develop and evaluate science-based approaches for reducing wildfire risk in grassland ecosystems. The approaches include cattle grazing as well as Open Space and Mountain Park’s perimeter mowing program, which is also currently ongoing.

Wildfire resilience in the City of Boulder is a shared responsibility. The city has numerous other projects that complement targeted grazing and help reduce our wildfire risk. Learn more about cattle grazing, perimeter mowing, and other city wildfire resilience projects on our website at Boulder Wildfire Projects.

-CITY-

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Media Contact:

Layra Nicli, Media Relations, City of Boulder, 303-818-4678

bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder releases updated Climate Action Plan focused on resilience, affordability, and accelerated emissions reductions

BOULDER, Colo. – The City of Boulder has released its updated Climate Action Plan (CAP), a comprehensive roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen resilience to climate impacts and invest in communities most affected by climate change.

The CAP reaffirms the community’s ambitious science-based targets, including reducing emissions 70% by 2030, achieving net-zero emissions by 2035 and becoming a carbon-positive city by 2040. It outlines coordinated strategies across buildings, transportation, energy, land use and natural systems while connecting climate action to affordability, public health, resilience and economic opportunity.

The updated plan underscores an ongoing shift from planning to implementation, bringing city departments, community organizations, businesses, institutions and community members together around a shared vision for a thriving, climate-ready Boulder.

“Boulder has a long history of climate leadership, and this plan is focused on what comes next,” said City of Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett. “It gives us a clear path to reduce emissions faster, strengthen resilience and deliver real benefits for our community today and for future generations.”

Climate equity remains at the core of this work, recognizing that climate change disproportionately impacts communities with the fewest resources and greatest vulnerabilities. To help address this, the CAP emphasizes investments that lower energy costs, improve health and safety, expand access to clean transportation and ensure that the benefits of climate action are shared equitably across all neighborhoods.

For the first time, the CAP incorporates localized climate projections and detailed heat vulnerability mapping, giving the city and its partners a clearer understanding of how climate change will affect specific neighborhoods. These tools help identify where risks such as extreme heat are greatest and ensure that investments are targeted where they are needed most.

The plan identifies seven priority action areas, supported by targeted strategies, or “Big Moves,” designed to deliver the greatest benefits:

• Preparing the community for climate risks such as wildfire, drought, flooding, and extreme heat
• Transitioning to clean, reliable, and affordable energy
• Improving building efficiency and accelerating the shift to electric systems
• Expanding clean transportation options and reducing vehicle emissions
• Reducing waste and advancing a circular economy
• Expanding nature-based solutions to cool the city and strengthen ecosystems
• Advancing climate equity and investing in frontline communities

It reflects a coordinated, citywide implementation effort across energy, buildings, transportation, land use and natural systems.

Key highlights include:

• A goal to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030
• Expansion of local solar generation to 145 megawatts by 2030
• A target for 80% of trips to be made by sustainable transportation by 2030
• Transitioning to 100% all-electric buildings by 2035
• Increasing tree canopy coverage to reduce extreme heat, particularly in high-risk neighborhoods
• Reducing consumption-based emissions and expanding reuse and repair systems

The CAP also incorporates analysis of consumption-based emissions. When accounting for goods and services produced outside the city, Boulder’s total climate impact more than doubles, which underscores the importance of reducing material use and supporting circular systems.

“Boulder has long been a leader in local climate action, from establishing the nation’s first climate tax to exceeding renewable energy goals ahead of schedule,” said City of Boulder Climate Initiatives Director Jonathan Koehn. “This plan builds on that foundation with clear metrics, accountability and a focus on delivering real benefits for our community today and for future generations.”

The city tracks progress through measurable indicators related to emissions reductions, resilience outcomes and equity outcomes, with regular public updates to ensure transparency and accountability.

To learn more about the Climate Action Plan and track progress, visit our website.

– CITY –

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By Former Adams County Commissioner Eva Henry

This letter was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine. As with all Letters to the Editor, the views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. We value providing space for community voices.

When we talk about building a local economy that works for everyone, we often default to macro-economics—gross county product, commercial development zoning, and corporate tax bases. But for the vast majority of families living in Thornton, Westminster, and Northglenn, the true measure of our economy isn’t found in a spreadsheet at the county administration building. It is measured at the kitchen table, balanced between the cost of groceries and the staggering price of local childcare.

Adams County has always been a place defined by its grit, its deep agricultural heritage, and its working-class roots. But right now, our working families are facing an unprecedented financial squeeze. As local leaders, we must recognize that a thriving community requires more than just managing growth; it requires protecting the people who make that growth possible. True economic dignity means ensuring that our neighbors who work here can actually afford to live, raise their families, and thrive here.

That is why inclusive governance is not an abstract progressive ideal—it is an absolute economic necessity.

When we invest in county-level childcare and housing solutions, we aren’t just providing a safety net; we are building infrastructure. High-quality, affordable childcare is the ultimate workforce multiplier, allowing parents to re-enter the job market or pursue continuing education with peace of mind. Furthermore, as our region expands, our infrastructure must keep pace. We need a balanced approach to regional growth that secures critical funding for road repairs and flood mitigation while fiercely protecting our clean air, open spaces, and our vital agricultural spaces.

But infrastructure alone isn’t enough. We must tie our county’s development directly to high-quality local livelihoods. By creating 21st-century green energy and technology manufacturing union jobs, we ensure that public investments translate into sustainable, middle-class careers for our residents. We also have a responsibility to foster a collaborative, supportive environment for our local small businesses—working hand-in-hand with owners through proactive programs like Achieving Compliance Together rather than defaulting to heavy-handed, punitive fines.

To achieve this, we need a county government that is accessible, efficient, and thoroughly competent. We must actively reject the divisive national political rhetoric that stalls progress and focus squarely on local, transparent results. This month, as primary ballots arrive in mailboxes, Adams County voters have a distinct choice to make about the direction of our community.

Tyler Quick

We need a new generation of energetic, transparent leadership on the County Commission—leaders who share the lived financial realities of everyday working people. That is exactly why I am proud to stand alongside community advocates like Tyler Quick for District 4. Tyler grew up right here, went to Flynn Elementary, and understands the paycheck-to-paycheck realities facing our neighborhoods.

Let’s move past stale political habits and build an inclusive, efficient, and competent county government that ensures every single resident has a permanent seat at the table.

The post The Economic Imperative of Inclusive Governance in Adams County appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

City and County of Denver

Human Rights and Community Partnerships

Heidi Rodríguez, Public Information Officer

C: 720-948-4645

E: hrcppio@denvergov.org

Denver and Dnipro Sign Historic Friendship City Agreement

Leaders from both cities sign partnership to strengthen cultural, civic, and international ties

Denver, CO — The City and County of Denver, through Denver Human Rights & Community Partnerships (HRCP), is proud to announce the signing of a Friendship City Agreement between Denver and the city of Dnipro, Ukraine. This marks Denver’s first Friendship City partnership since 2017.

The agreement was officially signed this morning by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov during a hybrid ceremony attended by representatives from Denver Sister Cities International (DSCI), Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO), HRCP, the Denver-Dnipro Friendship Committee, and Ukrainians of Colorado.

“Some of the strongest bonds between cities are built not through geography, but through shared values and the determination of the people who call them home,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. “Denver is honored to establish this Friendship City relationship with Dnipro, and we look forward to building lasting connections between our communities, learning from one another, and strengthening the ties that bring people together across borders.”

The Friendship City Agreement creates a foundation for future collaboration between Denver and Dnipro through cultural exchange, civic engagement, and community partnerships. The agreement also represents an important first step toward the potential development of a formal Sister City relationship.

“This agreement is a reflection of the work of Ukrainians of Colorado and our partners at DSCI and in Dnipro,” said Mark Dillen, Chair, Denver-Dnipro Friendship Committee. “We thank Mayor Johnston, Mayor Filatov and their respective city governments for supporting this launch. Together with DSCI, we look forward to working with the citizens of our two great cities to broaden and deepen our growing connections.”

Denver Sister Cities International, which supports Denver’s global partnerships and citizen diplomacy efforts, connects Denver with approximately 20 million people across its 10 global partnership cities through cultural exchanges, youth leadership programs, humanitarian initiatives, and citizen diplomacy. In 2025 alone, DSCI organized and hosted 31 cultural exchanges, facilitated seven official delegations between Denver and partner cities, coordinated five student exchange programs involving 48 young ambassadors, and completed two humanitarian initiatives focused on medical partnerships and international assistance.

“The signing of this Friendship City agreement marks an important step in strengthening the ties between Denver and Dnipro,” said Riccardo Mazzeo, Chairman, Denver Sister Cities International. “Through cultural exchange, educational collaboration, economic engagement, and people-to-people connections, we reaffirm our shared commitment to international friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation. Denver Sister Cities International is honored to help facilitate this partnership and looks forward to fostering meaningful relationships between our two communities for years to come.”

For more than 75 years, HRCP and Denver Sister Cities International have partnered to foster cross-cultural understanding and build meaningful connections that strengthen communities at home and abroad.

About HRCP: At Denver Human Rights & Community Partnerships, we are dedicated to protecting the human and civil rights of our community through advocacy, partnerships, and direct support. At the heart of our work is inclusiveness, building a Denver where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Friday, June 5, 2026

Media Contacts:

Jamie Barker, Boulder Fire-Rescue PIO, 720-545-6012, barkerj@bouldercolorado.gov

Layra Nicli, Communications Manager, niclil@bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder Launches Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Guide to Improve Resilience of Homes, People, and the Environment

Boulder, Colo. — The City of Boulder has launched a brand-new Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Guide, a comprehensive, science-based resource designed to help residents, businesses and developers take meaningful action to reduce wildfire risk while enhancing the health and beauty of the community. Developed using the latest research and lessons learned from recent events like the Marshall Fire, the guide provides practical, easy-to-follow strategies for designing and maintaining landscapes that are both fire-smart and climate-resilient.

At the heart of the guide is a simple but powerful idea: the way we manage the space immediately around our homes can make all the difference. By creating a non-combustible zone closest to structures, choosing fire-resistant plants, spacing vegetation thoughtfully, and eliminating pathways that allow fire to spread, property owners can dramatically reduce their wildfire risk.

The guide emphasizes that wildfire resilience requires collaborative action across neighborhoods, encouraging residents to work together.

Five Key Goals for a Safer, More Resilient Boulder

The Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Guide is built around five main goals:

• Reduce wildfire risk to homes and neighborhoods
• Adapt to climate impacts, including extreme heat and water scarcity
• Protect and enhance Boulder’s urban forest and landscapes
• Support ecological and community health
• Clarify requirements and best practices for properties in high-risk areas

Importantly, the Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Guide also aligns wildfire preparedness with climate resilience. The same strategies that help protect homes from fire can also support biodiversity, conserve water, and help landscapes adapt to hotter, drier conditions.

With the launch of this guide, Boulder is reinforcing its commitment to helping the community live more safely and sustainably amidst high risk. “Wildfire resilience starts at home, but it doesn’t end there,” said Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, City Manager. “By making informed landscaping choices, every property owner and community member can play a role in protecting their property, their neighbors, and the broader Boulder community.”

The Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Guide is now available on the City of Boulder website at https://bouldercolorado.gov/wildfire-resilient-landscapes-guide. In addition to the guide, the city also includes a list of contractors who have taken the Wildfire Ready Resilient Landscape Training; as with all home improvement projects, it is the best practice to get multiple quotes for work needed.

Wildfire resilience is a shared community responsibility. Together, we can make Boulder stronger and more prepared.

-CITY-

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Media Contact:

Jack Todd

Jack.Todd@ColoradoSOS.gov

China Scroggins

China.Scroggins@ColoradoSOS.gov

June 8, 2026

County Clerks May Begin Mailing Ballots for the 2026 Primary Election

Denver, CO – Beginning today, Colorado County Clerks may begin mailing ballots to active voters for the June 30, 2026 Primary Election.

“County clerks will mail ballots this week to Colorado voters,” said Secretary of State Jena Griswold. “I hope every eligible Coloradan will make their voice heard in the upcoming Primary Election.”

County Clerks must mail ballots to voters by Friday, June 12, for the Primary Election.

Coloradans who are affiliated with the Colorado Democratic Party, Colorado Republican Party, Libertarian Party of Colorado, or Unity Party of Colorado by June 8 will receive only the ballot of the party with which they are affiliated.

Unaffiliated voters will be sent a ballot for both the Democratic and Republican Party Primary Elections. They may also contact their County Clerk to request a Unity Party ballot. Unaffiliated voters may only vote one ballot.

The Libertarian Party of Colorado has prohibited Unaffiliated voters from voting in the Party’s Primary Election pursuant to 1-4-1304(1.5)(c) C.R.S.

Ballots for the Libertarian Party of Colorado and the Unity Party of Colorado’s primaries will contain only one contest each. The Libertarian Party of Colorado has nominated two candidates for Secretary of State; the Unity Party of Colorado has nominated two candidates for Governor.

Eligible Coloradans can register to vote and update their voter registration at GoVoteColorado.gov through June 22 in order to receive a ballot in the mail. After June 22, Coloradans can still register and vote in person at a voting center until 7 p.m. on Election Day.

This year, 137 voting centers will be available for voters by June 22, and 437 drop boxes will be available for voters by June 23. Voters can look up their locations, opening date, and hours at GoVoteColorado.gov.

Important information for Colorado voters:

Coloradans should always use trusted sources when searching for information on elections. Information from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office is distributed via ColoradoSOS.gov or GoVoteColorado.gov.

Voters can visit GoVoteColorado.gov and select “Contact my County Clerk” to ensure they are only visiting legitimate Colorado Clerk websites.

All Colorado voters can sign up to track their ballot from when it is sent to when it is counted using BallotTrax

In-person voting on Election Day, Tuesday, June 30, will be available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Important upcoming dates for the Colorado 2026 Primary Election

• June 12 – Deadline for initial mail ballots to be sent to active voters for the 2026 Primary Election.
• June 22 – Deadline to register to vote and still be mailed a ballot. After this date, register and then vote in person.
  • The minimum number of required voter centers must be open.
  • Last suggested day to return ballots by mail.
• June 23 – The minimum number of required drop boxes must be open.
  • From this date on, voters should return their ballots to a voter center or drop box, or vote in-person.
• June 30 – Election Day. Voters must submit their ballot or be in line to vote by 7 p.m. for their ballot to be counted.
  • Ballots cast by military and overseas voters must be sent no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.
• July 8 – Deadline for ballots cast by military and overseas voters to be received by their County Clerk (no later than the close of business on the 8th day after the election).
  • Deadline for voters to cure a signature discrepancy or missing signature (if notified by the County Clerk).

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Phone: 720.326.7311

Email: mediarequests@rtd-denver.com

RTD reminds customers and community to practice safety near trains

RTD rail service is increasing in frequency on June 7; customers should be aware of dangers near trains to reduce risk of accidents

DENVER (June 3, 2026) –– The Regional Transportation District (RTD) reminds customers that safety around railroad crossings and train tracks is everyone’s responsibility. The June 7 Service Changes will increase frequency on the B and G lines, the R Line will extend to RidgeGate Station, and a temporary T Line will be added to the southeast corridor – changes that emphasize the need for customers to be vigilant about safety.

According to Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), more than 2,100 people are injured or killed in railroad crossing and trespassing incidents each year in North America. In the United States alone, a person or vehicle is struck by a train nearly every three hours.

Since 2017, there have been 1,456 rail-related accidents reported in Colorado, including 100 fatalities. Every preventable death remains one too many.

RTD operates a total of 10 rail lines, including six light rail and four commuter rail, spanning 114.19 miles of track. To help keep the community safe, the agency is urging the public to make safe choices near tracks and trains. RTD and OLI offer these important reminders:

1. Always expect a train. Passenger schedules shift, and freight trains don’t run on fixed timetables.
2. Never walk on the tracks. It’s both dangerous and illegal.
3. Trains cannot stop quickly. A freight train traveling 55 mph needs more than a mile to come to a halt. Some RTD trains travel as fast as 79 mph.
4. Trains always have the right of way. That includes police and emergency vehicles.
5. Trains can travel on any track. That means any direction, at any time.
6. Modern trains are quieter and faster than you think. Don’t count on hearing them approach.
7. Only cross at designated crossings. Obey all posted signals.
8. Stay alert. Avoid headphones, texting, or distractions around tracks.

Click here to watch RTD’s rail safety video.

RTD is committed to safety. Since 2010, the agency’s Partners in Safety program has encouraged employees, customers, and community members to work together to build a safer environment around buses, trains, tracks, and crossings.

Customers and the community are reminded to stay alert, make smart decisions, and look out for one another near trains and tracks. A few simple choices can make all the difference.

# # #

The post RTD Reminds Customers and Community to Practice Safety Near Trains appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Monday, June 8, 2026

Media Contacts:

Jennifer Ciplet, Media Relations, cipletj@bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder announces new Public Safety Information Center to advance coordinated, community-centered safety

An expanded use of the existing Drones as First Responder program and other real-time technology will enhance situational awareness and lead to more efficient, informed, and safer response

BOULDER, Colo. — The City of Boulder is pleased to announce the launch of a new Public Safety Information Center, a citywide resource that leverages the latest in technology to help keep the Boulder community safe. The center will serve as a shared hub where city departments can coordinate appropriately scaled responses, based on real-time data, for natural disasters, like wildfires and floods, missing persons, serious traffic crashes, and imminent threats, such as active shooters and hostage situations.

While the center will be housed at the Boulder Police Department, the city plans to utilize this resource in support of other city departments, as well, including Boulder Fire-Rescue, Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, Utilities, Transportation and Mobility, Parks and Recreation, and potentially others, reflecting a unified, cross-departmental approach to community safety.

The center will draw upon several key pieces of technology. The first is unmanned aircraft systems, or drones. The City of Boulder has used drones for enhanced public safety response for several years, but the Public Safety Information Center will provide a new, centralized home for the successful Drone as First Responder (DFR) program.

DFR, which is utilized in responses to unfolding incidents, allows first responders to have eyes on a scene within minutes, helping them gather accurate information to determine the best public safety response. Drones for this purpose are operated by the police department’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems team.

Drone deployment is not automatic for every call. Drone pilots evaluate on a case-by-case basis whether a drone could help, prioritizing situations where an aerial view improves safety, efficiency, and response. Drones may be used to support response to lower-priority calls, where a quick aerial check can confirm what’s happening and avoid dispatching resources that aren’t needed, as well as during high-priority incidents that call for urgent situational awareness.

“Drones give us a clear, real-time view of what’s happening at a scene, which helps keep both our community members and our officers safer,” said Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn. “With better information from the very first moments of a call, we can make smarter decisions right away and send exactly the right help to the right place.”

The center will also serve as a coordination hub for the city’s use of drones in other contexts, allowing city staff to evaluate conditions related to utility emergencies; large-scale community events, like the Bolder Boulder and the Sundance Film Festival; and, when wind conditions allow, reports of smoke in hard-to-reach terrain.

“We look forward to utilizing this resource to support our staff and community in new ways,” said Joe Taddeucci, Utilities Department director. “The Public Safety Information Center is the latest example of how the City of Boulder embraces innovation and collaboration to better serve those who count on us.”

“Drone technology will complement the AlertWest Wildfire video surveillance systems already in use today by our Wildland Division,” said Boulder Fire-Rescue Chief Michael Calderazzo. “Having the situational awareness provided by these tools allows us to better understand the conditions that we are working with on the ground and the resources we need to deploy. That means safer responses, more crews available for critical work, and a higher level of service for our residents.”

Drones from this center could also help Open Space and Mountain Parks personnel determine where trail users are during an emergency and inform evacuation plans. Any drone operations over OSMP lands will be conducted within existing laws and regulations.

The city maintains strict policies on all DFR operations to protect constitutional rights, privacy, and compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. Drones do not conduct passive or routine surveillance, all drone flights will be tracked and documented, and footage is securely stored in accordance with Colorado records retention schedules and is subject to public records requests, supporting accountability and transparency.

The second piece of technology being expanded and used at the center is specialized software. The center will be supported through a program called Axon Fusus, which pulls from and integrates a variety of data sources, such as body-worn cameras and other information systems, to give staff a comprehensive and immediate view of ongoing emergencies and incidents.

Fusus also has a public module called the Boulder Community Connect Portal. This part of the integrated system allows interested community members to link their privately owned cameras to the center. This builds on an established practice. For example, following a burglary, a business owner may be asked whether they wish to provide their private security camera footage to Boulder Police investigators to aid the investigation. Participation in Boulder’s Community Connect program is entirely voluntary. The center will not be able to connect to cameras that are not owned by the city without consent. Business and community members who wish to participate share footage on their own terms, including when and under what situations. Every view is governed by City of Boulder privacy policies, role-based permissions, and complete audit logs, so that each interaction with the system strikes an appropriate balance of beneficial public use and privacy.

If you are a community member or business owner who would like to register your camera for conditional and consensual use during an emergency or to share potential evidence after a public safety incident, please visit the Boulder Community Connect portal at https://connect-boulder-ef9619b0.netlify.app/.

To learn more about the city’s Public Safety Information Center and the real-time technology to support more efficient, informed and safer responses, please visit the city’s FAQ webpage.

The City of Boulder will also be hosting several visits to the center later this summer and early fall for interested community groups, business partners, city council, members of the media, and youth from our community. The center is still in its early stages of being stood up; the carpet is being installed in June! If you’d like to be added to our list to be informed about future events that involve a tour of the center, please sign up here.

–CITY–

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Monday, June 8, 2026

Media Contacts:

Emi Smith, Media Relations, 720-822-9529

Cate Stanek, Media Relations, 303-775-0984

bouldercolorado.gov

‘Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future’ exhibition opens June 8

Exhibition highlights creative projects and community voices shaping the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update

BOULDER, Colo. – Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future showcases how a series of artist-led public art projects has contributed to the major update of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, offering new ways to engage the community in imagining its future. The exhibition will be on view in the Canyon Gallery at the Main Library from June 8 through July 26, 2026, with an opening reception on June 17 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Experiments in Public Art Program invites artists to test creative ideas in public spaces through temporary, socially engaged projects that spark conversation, build connection, and activate neighborhoods. The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan guides long-term decisions about growth, sustainability and services in Boulder and the surrounding area and undergoes a major update every 10 years. As part of the comprehensive plan update, artists were embedded in the process to explore innovative approaches to engagement, helping broaden participation and elevate community voices. Much of the artwork is featured in the plan document itself.

Projects featured in the exhibition include:

• Motus Theater: Playback Theater – Motus Theater hosted multiple “Playback Theater” events, where community members shared personal reflections and hopes for Boulder’s future, which were then brought to life through live performance.
• Boulder’s Big Adventure – Illustrator Cal Brackin translated complex planning concepts into accessible visuals through a children’s book designed to engage younger audiences. His illustrations are also being used throughout the plan.
• Building Connections – Artists Becky Wareing Steele and Shannon Geis developed a project inspired by observations and conversations from the Community Assembly.
• Voicing Boulder – Artist Chris Carruth led a participatory project using the PhotoVoice method, inviting community members to document their current realities and imagine possible futures.
• Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Mural – Mural artist Android Jones is creating a large-scale work, titled ‘Future Flourishing,’ that captures the community’s shared vision for the next two decades.

“The projects featured in Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future demonstrate the powerful role art can play in community engagement,” said Lauren Click, Office of Arts and Culture Manager. “By complementing traditional outreach with creative approaches, we were able to connect with community members in new and meaningful ways. We invite the public to experience these projects firsthand at the Canyon Gallery this summer.”

By blending policy, data, emotion, imagination, and lived experience, the exhibition highlights a more human-centered approach to planning. This marks the first time creative practices have been formally integrated into a Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update, expanding how the community envisions the next 20 years.

Learn more about Experiments in Public Art and its role in the comprehensive plan update on the city’s website, or visit ABoulderFuture.org for additional information.

Experiments in Public Art is a program of the Office of Arts and Culture, in the Office of Cultural and Economic Development. The exhibition and project series were managed by More Sky, Less Ceiling. The Comprehensive Plan is expected to be adopted in summer 2026.

— CITY —

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PRESS CONTACT

Angelika Albaladejo, Manager of Communications and Public Relations

(720) 541-2334 | hc_media@state.co.us

DENVER — May 28, 2026 — The Centennial State’s commemorative summer is heating up at History Colorado museums across the state. From once-in-a-generation experiences to scenic train rides, family-friendly events, intriguing talks, summer socials, captivating displays of rare treasures, and so much more – History Colorado is offering something for everyone in June.

LGBTQ+ Pride Month offers a chance to honor and uplift the voices of Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community – Coloradans who have worked to secure rights enjoyed by all and fight to maintain them. These are stories of loud and proud demonstrations for civil rights and equality, and quiet assertions of identity. History Colorado is proud to share these stories through exhibitions, publications, and resources from the state’s collection.

History Colorado museums across the state are also connecting communities with fascinating exhibitions throughout June – showcasing rare copies of America’s founding-era documents, exploring adobe as a living practice, honoring the stories of Colorado’s soldiers-on-skis, and beyond.

New Exhibitions Now Open:

Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation | Denver, CO

History Colorado Center | Now Open for a Limited Time!

For the first time ever, a collection of remarkable documents from our nation’s founding is in Denver thanks to the Freedom Plane National Tour. History Colorado Center is one of only eight museums across the country receiving this special collection – on display for a limited time from May 28 through June 14. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the most fundamental documents in our country’s history – from an original engraving of the Declaration of Independence to a rare draft printing of the US Constitution. Visitors must reserve timed tickets in advance.

Winter Warriors: The 10th Mountain Division in World War II | Leadville, CO

Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin | Now Open!

Winter Warriors explores the history of the US Army’s first and only winter warfare division forged in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, where they trained for their crucial breakthrough against the Nazi German Army in the mountains of Italy. The US military built Camp Hale just outside of Leadville, the highest-altitude city in the United States, because of its secluded and harsh mountain terrain. In this way, the tucked-away town of Leadville played a crucial role in Colorado, US, and world history. Experience the story of Colorado’s esteemed soldiers-on-skis back where it all started through a fascinating display of historic objects, photos, and first-hand personal accounts from the troops themselves.

Exhibitions Opening Soon:

150 Framed: A Visual History | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | Opening May 29

150 Framed: A Visual History is a collaborative mural project created by the Trinidad History Museum in partnership with local schools and artists to honor a special commemoration this year. Trinidad officially became a town 150 years ago – just a few months before Colorado became a state. And because Colorado is the only state to share an anniversary with the United States, it has also been 250 years since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. The Trinidad History Museum is unveiling this visual timeline of the city with an opening celebration on the evening of May 29 from 4–6 p.m. The opening is free and open to the public with advance registration.

Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros | Fort Garland, CO

Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center | Opening June 28

Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros is an ambitious and sprawling cross-border exhibition exploring adobe as a living practice that connects art, architecture, and ancestral knowledge across the Southwestern United States. The Fort Garland Museum – itself housed in five original adobe buildings – is collaborating with the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico, to share unique installations at both locations. Artists show how adobe endures not through permanence but through renewal. Unearthing Futures also extends well beyond the museum galleries, offering a road trip experience guided through a website and phone app highlighting historic and contemporary adobe structures dotting the landscape between these southwestern cities.

Exhibitions Closing Soon:

12 Tablecloths | Fort Garland, CO

Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center | Closing June 5!

Created by renowned artist and historian Chloé Duplessis, 12 Tablecloths is a transformative art installation that honors the extraordinary contributions of Black women and the significance of domestic service at Fort Garland and other western military outposts during the Civil War era. This exhibition is the third iteration of 12 Tablecloths, which Duplessis previously created site-specific versions of for the Center for Colorado Women’s History and the Trinidad History Museum.

Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History | Pueblo, CO

El Pueblo History Museum | Closing June 19!

Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History is a thought-provoking traveling exhibition that shares stories and artifacts from the lived experiences of Black Coloradans who explored, settled, and achieved so much in Pueblo and across the state. This exhibition got its start at the Museum of Boulder, and now El Pueblo History Museum is proud to infuse it with local Pueblo history. A walk through the gallery will introduce you to people like James Beckwourth, the formerly enslaved man turned frontiersman who helped establish Pueblo’s enduring adobe trading post, and transport you to places like the Lincoln Home and the neighborhoods of “Pepper Sauce Bottom” and “Goat Hill.”

Pride Month Resources & Exhibitions:

History Colorado’s extensive LGBTQ+ collection includes photos, artwork, political signs, oral histories, podcast episodes, magazine articles, and other artifacts and resources available through our statewide exhibitions, archives, and publications.

History Colorado is also offering a series of current exhibitions featuring LGBTQ+ stories:

Moments That Made US – a remarkable exhibition at the History Colorado Center tracing 800 years of US history – explores how the LGBTQ+ rights movement has repeatedly tested the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence. Boulder County’s first female city clerk and recorder, Clela Rorex, was approached in 1975 by two men, both named Dave. David McCord and David Zamora had been denied a marriage license in Colorado Springs but hoped Boulder would consider granting them the license. Rorex found no legal reason not to – and Colorado became one of the first states to issue a same-sex marriage license. Rorex issued six same-sex marriage licenses between March and April of 1975, the first of which is on display in this exhibition. Colorado’s Attorney General stopped Rorex from issuing more same-sex marriage licenses. History Colorado’s Lost Highways podcast digs deeper into this story in the episode “Six Gay Weddings and a Horse.”

Keeping Place: Colorado Heritage for All at the History Colorado Center shares a snapshot of History Colorado’s ambitious Colorado Heritage for All initiative, which aims to add 150 historic sites from previously excluded communities to the State Register of Historic Places. Colorado’s buildings and landscapes witness our experiences, anchor our communities, and shape the stories we pass down, including in our LGBTQ+ communities. The Bunk House Lodge, tucked into the snowy peaks of Breckenridge, has been a mountain retreat run by LGBTQ+ Coloradans for more than 50 years. The Gender Identity Center in Denver was one of the nation’s earliest transgender organizations, creating a safe space at a time when being transgender was largely misunderstood in the public imagination.

Votes & Dreams at the Center for Colorado Women’s History highlights the struggles and triumphs of Colorado’s women activists and leaders who organized at the ballot box and beyond to implement their vision for a better future. Among Colorado’s women trailblazers were the creators of the lesbian alternative newspaper Big Mama Rag. This beacon for Colorado women’s liberation ran from 1972 to 1980. The Rag regularly published reader’s letters, which fulfilled the founders’ vision: a forum for all women, “born out of the need for women’s expression.” The paper shared poetry and literature as it confronted social hierarchies and discussed political issues such as motherhood, mental and physical health, and women’s history. On display in Votes & Dreams are a poster and tank top created to promote Big Mama Rag. The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection includes digitized copies of Big Mama Rag, and the History Colorado collection contains photographs and artifacts tied to the newspaper and lesbian rights.

June Events and Attractions:

Monday Morning Movement & Meditation | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, 8 – 8:40 am

Join free yoga and meditation classes on the Trinidad History Museum’s Bloom Lawns each Monday morning between May 11 and October 5 with Jennifer Allen. Please bring a water bottle and a mat or blanket. Enter through the gate on Walnut St. Please note that the class is outside and weather-dependent. Reserve your space to attend this event. For questions or more info, contact Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us.

Tuesday Night Summer Socials | Denver, CO

Center for Colorado Women’s History | June 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, 4 – 7 pm

Special summer hours are back at the Center for Colorado Women’s History every Tuesday evening in June. The museum is open until 7 pm. Explore the Votes and Dreams exhibition with General Admission or join a 45-minute Women’s History Tour to also see the rest of the historic home and learn more about Colorado’s trailblazing women. Purchase tickets online or in person. For more information, contact Cat Jensen cat.jensen@state.co.us.

Ethnobotany Tours | Montrose, CO

Ute Indian Museum | June 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 & 30, 9:30 – 10:15 am

See what is blooming this summer at the Ute Indian Museum on this 45-minute ethnobotany tour with a museum docent. Learn about the trees, shrubs, and other plants connected to the Ute people, and learn about the values the Utes found in plants for food, fiber, and cultural uses. This event is free and open to the public, with no RSVP required.

Wild West Days | Georgetown, CO

Georgetown Loop Railroad | June 6, 7, 13 & 14, Times Vary

Ride through towering evergreens, over iconic trestles, and along mountain vistas aboard the Georgetown Loop’s historic narrow-gauge railroad. For two weekends in June, the Wild West Trains invite you to step back into the days of the Old West! Meet Wild West reenactors, witness a lively train robbery, and try your luck at a Faro game in the saloon. Guests will receive a custom 2026 Wild West Days Faro Chip as part of this action-packed experience. Wild West Day trains vary in pricing and tour activities. Learn more and book tickets on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events webpage.

Evening Trains | Georgetown, CO

Georgetown Loop Railroad | June 6, 13, 20, & 27, 6:30 – 8:15 pm

Experience the Georgetown Loop Railroad after hours aboard the new Evening Trains, designed especially for adults seeking a relaxed, date-night adventure. Departing Silver Plume at 6:30 pm, the train features scenic photo stops, a 30-45 minute stop at Devil’s Gate with music and activities, and a return by approximately 8:15 pm. Learn more and book tickets on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events webpage. Tickets sell out quickly, so book your tickets now.

How-To: Accessing History Colorado Collections for Research | Virtual

History Colorado | June 9, 12 – 1 pm

Did you know History Colorado’s collection contains more than 15 million objects anyone can access for personal, professional or academic research? Learn how to use the History Colorado Center’s free and public Research Center in this virtual conversation with Collections Access Coordinator Shelby Rohe. This conversation will cover the types of collections accessible for research, physical and online resources to aid your research project, and how to connect with the Research Center and book an appointment. Purchase a ticket to reserve your spot.

Museum Connections: What’s the Right Collections Management System for Your Museum | Virtual

History Colorado | June 10, 12 – 1 pm

Join History Colorado’s Amy Ault, Head of Data Management and Digital Projects, for an online discussion about collections management systems and what factors to consider in selecting one. Museum Connections is a monthly series covering the fundamentals of museum work and new and innovative solutions. Each month, a new topic will be covered that focuses on the fundamentals of museum work as well as new and innovative solutions. Each class is $10 per person and open to museum volunteers and professionals from all backgrounds and institution sizes. All classes are free for members of History Colorado’s Affiliates Network.

Researching Historic Properties Webinar | Virtual

History Colorado | June 10, 12 – 1 pm

Join History Colorado’s Heritage for All initiative fellows for a free lunchtime webinar to learn how to research historic properties. Janan Graham and Layla Anzelc-Tolian will discuss available resources, research methods, documenting histories, and cultural awareness. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A. Register for this online discussion.

Move & Groove: Family Fitness Class | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | June 12 & 26, 9 – 10 am

Join the Trinidad History Museum every other Friday on the Bloom Lawns for a movement class that is fun for the whole family! Taught by Sabra Lopez, this class is open to all ages. Tickets are $5 per person, or use the discount code 2for8 at checkout when purchasing a child and adult ticket for a total of $8. Please bring a mat and water bottle. Enter the museum grounds through the gate on Walnut Street. For more information, contact Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us.

Portrait of Colorado at 150: Red Rocks 85th Anniversary | Morrison, CO

Red Rocks Amphitheatre | June 15, 6:30 – 10 pm

Stories are powerful, and A Portrait of Colorado at 150 aims to increase representation in Colorado’s documented history by gathering stories across every region of our state. This storytelling initiative by History Colorado and the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission offers Coloradans a chance to share their oral histories, and even provides training and resources for communities to start their own storytelling efforts. A Portrait of Colorado at 150 is hosting a storytelling truck at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in a partnership between History Colorado, Red Brick Center for the Arts, Aspen Historical Society, and bARTer collective.

Members-Only Digital Behind-the-Scenes Tour: All In on the Sesquisemiquincentennial | Virtual

History Colorado | June 16, 1 – 2 pm

Join Jason Hanson, History Colorado’s Chief Creative Officer and a member of the state’s America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission, for a members-only online discussion about the momentous Sesquisemiquincentennial. Learn how the commission was formed and how History Colorado came to be at the forefront of it all. Hear about the commission’s signature initiatives, statewide commemoration plans, and how the History Colorado Center was able to become one of only eight museums in the country to land the Freedom Plane, open for a limited time from May 28 to June 14. You must be a History Colorado member and register in advance to attend.

Music on the Lawn | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | June 18, 5:30 – 7 pm

Bring a blanket, lawn chair, and snacks to enjoy live music on the Bloom Lawns at the Trinidad History Museum. Music on the Lawn is every third Thursday from May through September. This evening will feature a performance by Red Milk. Admission is free with advance registration. Enter through the gates on Walnut or Chestnut Streets.

History Hour: On Tap – Prohibition in Trinidad | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | June 20, 1 – 4 pm

Trinidad History Museum is hosting an hour-long talk about prohibition on the Bloom Lawns. Stay after to try craft beer from Mountain Merman Brewery. This event is only for attendees who are 21 and older. Space is limited, so reserve your seat in advance. For more information, contact Millie Duren at emily.duren@state.co.us.

Soiled Doves: The Working Women of Colorado’s Boom Days | Leadville, CO

Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin | June 20, 4 – 5:30 pm

Learn about the women of the Wild West who provided a certain type of companionship to the miners and other gentlemen who came seeking fortune during the Centennial State’s gold and silver rushes. From their day-to-day lives to their influence, this presentation by Julie Blanda explores the importance of these women and their rightful place in Colorado’s history. This presentation is PG-13, not suitable for young children. Reserve tickets in advance.

Father’s Day Weekend | Georgetown, CO

Georgetown Loop Railroad | June 20 – 21, 10 am – 3:50 pm

Treat Dad to a train ride through history! Fathers will receive a complimentary bottle of root beer, and all riders can enjoy the classic railroad atmosphere. Each reservation also receives a 2026 Father’s Day Faro Chip to mark the occasion. The Father’s Day Weekend Trains have three opportunities varying in pricing and tour activities. Learn more on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events webpage. Tickets sell out quickly, so book your tickets now.

Portrait of Colorado at 150: Strawberry Days | Glenwood Springs, CO

Two Rivers Park | June 20 – 21, 10 am – 4 pm

Stories are powerful, and A Portrait of Colorado at 150 aims to increase representation in Colorado’s documented history by gathering stories across every region of our state. This storytelling initiative by History Colorado and the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission offers Coloradans a chance to share their oral histories, and even provides training and resources for communities to start their own storytelling efforts. Meet the team who lead A Portrait of Colorado at 150 at the Strawberry Days information booth as they share about the state storytelling initiative.

Rocky Mountain Map Society Series: “Boulder County Centennial Farms” | Denver, CO

History Colorado Center | June 23, 5:30 – 7 pm

Fine art documentary photographer Linda Kozloff-Turner is hosting a free conversation about her project “Gone, But Not Forgotten.” This documentary features photographs and stories from still-operating farms established more than 100 years ago and recognized through History Colorado’s Centennial Farms & Ranches program. The documentary includes 1880s maps, such as Drumm’s original land ownership details, and accounts of the women who kept these farms in their families for more than a century. This talk is free with advance registration.

Wildlife Weekend | Georgetown, CO

Georgetown Loop Railroad | June 26 – 28, 10 am – 3:50 pm

Ride the Georgetown Loop Train and experience Colorado’s wildlife up close through this perfect blend of education and adventure for all ages. The Wildlife Weekend Train in partnership with Nature’s Educators, a nonprofit conservation group, offers a chance to meet native bird and reptile species, learn about Colorado wildlife, and enjoy live flight demonstrations with select birds. The Wildlife Weekend Trains and Tours offer varying time slots and tour activities. Learn more and book tickets on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events webpage.

Portrait of Colorado at 150: Mall Fest 50 Art Parade & Block Party | Aspen, CO

Aspen Pedestrian Mall | June 27, 10 am – 12 pm

Stories are powerful, and A Portrait of Colorado at 150 aims to increase representation in Colorado’s documented history by gathering stories across every region of our state. This storytelling initiative by History Colorado and the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission offers Coloradans a chance to share their oral histories, and even provides training and resources for communities to start their own storytelling efforts. A Portrait of Colorado at 150 is hosting a storytelling truck event at the Mall Fest 50 Art Parade & Block Party in partnership with History Colorado, Red Brick Center for the Arts, Aspen Historical Society, and bARTer collective.

Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros Opening Celebration | Fort Garland, CO

Fort Garland Museum | June 28, 10 am – 2 pm

Celebrate the opening of Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros, an exhibition exploring adobe as a living practice that connects art, architecture, and ancestral knowledge across the Americas. This celebration will feature live music, artist interactions, food, and interactive activities for all ages. This event is free and open to the public. Register in advance to attend.

“Japanese-American Farming, Past & Present” Bus Tour | Denver, CO

History Colorado Center | July 24, 8:30 am – 3 pm | Deadline to register is July 6

Japanese Americans have long contributed to Colorado’s agricultural industry through their farms across the state. This bus tour with History Colorado’s Tours & Treks series is set to explore the Brighton area and engage with this essential part of Colorado history. Jade Sato of Minoru Farms will introduce us to the importance of growing Asian vegetables to feed the local community, and Robert Sakata will lead us on a tour of Sakata Farms to discuss his family’s impact on the vegetable crop industry throughout the years. Bus pick-up and drop-off is at History Colorado Center. Purchase your tickets by July 6th to reserve your spot!

About History Colorado

History Colorado is a 146-year-old institution that offers access to our state’s history through enriching experiences at eleven museums and historic sites. As an agency of the State of Colorado and a non-profit organization, History Colorado is committed to serving all Coloradans through generational work that centers communities, deepens knowledge and catalyzes the transformative power of history.

History Colorado is also home to a free public research center, people-centered preservation work done by the State Historical Fund and the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of the State Archaeologist, the State Historians Council, and many other community-driven public history projects such as the Museum of Memory. History Colorado stewards more than 15 million objects, photographs, and archival resources that make up the State’s collection, and serve tens of thousands of learners of all ages each year. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information. #HistoryColorado

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

NEWS

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Media Contact:

Dionne Waugh, Boulder Police PIO,

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

New Boulder Police K9 Team Hits the Street to Enhance Public Safety

BOULDER, Colo. – The Boulder Police Department is proud to announce its second K9 team has been officially certified and is now on Patrol, keeping the community safe.

Officer Taylor and K9 Knox have spent hundreds of hours training to obtain certifications in both patrol work and narcotics detection to be able to find illegal drugs, missing persons, and suspects. This extensive handler and canine training included months of classroom work, practical application, scenarios, legal updates, report writing (more for Officer Taylor since K9 Knox prefers to bark or sniff than write), deployment standards, canine behavior, and real-world problem solving.

Much of the training is intentionally conducted in unpredictable and changing environments so the dog can remain reliable in public settings, around distractions, and during rapidly evolving incidents.

“One of the most important things for the community to understand is that Knox is trained to locate the odor of illegal narcotics as well as human odor. Knox is not used to randomly search people or property without justification. Every deployment will comply with constitutional standards, department policy, and ongoing legal training,” Officer Taylor said.

“Additionally, Knox’s capabilities go far beyond enforcement. His ability to quickly locate suspects, clear buildings, apprehend fleeing individuals, or locate hidden narcotics often helps resolve incidents more safely for officers, community members, and suspects themselves. In many situations, the presence of a trained police dog leads to voluntary surrender and reduces the likelihood of force being used. The level of training, accountability, and continual evaluation involved in K9 work is significant, and maintaining that standard is a major part of our daily responsibility to the Boulder community.”

K9 Knox is a 2-year-old Dutch Shepherd and lives with Officer Taylor, who describes his personality as curious and playful when training, but all business when it’s time to work. K9 Knox was sworn in by the police chief in January, and the team is excited to be serving Boulder.

“Having a full-time drug, tracking, and apprehension K9 team in Boulder is long overdue. Previously, when we had a situation that required a specialized K9 team, we might have to wait an extended period of time for another agency to respond to help, delaying our response and investigation,” Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said. “Having Knox and Officer Taylor in Boulder will keep everyone safer, from officers to community members, and will allow for faster resolutions to dangerous situations.”

Thank you to the Boulder Police Foundation for their tremendous support and relaunch of our K9 program. We also appreciate Fort Collins Police Services, which has both a similar community and a well-established K9 program, for their assistance in helping to train Knox and Officer Taylor.

This K9 team joins Officer Donahue and K9 Astro, who were sworn in together in June 2023. Their focus is on explosives and firearms detection and community engagement.

As Officer Taylor and K9 Knox enter their next phase of field training, they’re unavailable for interviews, so we’re sharing these photos and video.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Contact: Bob Kelly, Co-Host & Founder, superhawk65@gmail.com

Paul Kraus, Co-Host & Promoter, mrpaulkraus@gmail.com

COLORADO VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE SHOW RETURNS TO ERIE ON JUNE 13

Free, All-Welcome Event Brings Riders, History, and Community to the Heart of a Historic Coal Mining Town

ERIE, Colo. – The Colorado Vintage Motorcycle Show rolls back into Erie on Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM at 604 Holbrook Street – set against the backdrop of the circa 1888 Erie United Methodist Church in one of Colorado’s most historic downtown districts. Admission is free. Displaying is free. No registration required. Just ride in and ride out.

Founded in 2009 by Bob Kelly and promoted by Paul Kraus, the show has grown steadily each year since relocating to Erie following the pandemic. What began as a gathering of passionate enthusiasts has evolved into one of the Front Range’s most beloved warm-weather traditions, drawing an estimated 200 to 250 motorcycles throughout the day and crowds that routinely fill the lot by mid-morning. Riders and spectators have been known to travel from as far as Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado’s Western Slope to attend.

The show is open to all makes, models, and sizes of motorcycles 25 years old or older – domestic and foreign alike – and the atmosphere reflects that philosophy. There are no judges, no trophies, and no barriers to entry. It is, simply put, a ride-in, ride-out celebration of machines and the people who love them.

“This show has been described by some as one of their favorite days of the year – the one day they get to see all their friends in one spot,” said Kraus. “The energy is relaxed and joyful, and that’s exactly what we want it to be.”

The setting itself is part of the draw. Nestled into Erie’s historic coal mining downtown, the show encourages spectators to stay a while and explore the surrounding neighborhood. Local bakery, Stacy’s Kitchen, a longtime supporter of the show and a local institution in its own right, is steps away – its walls lined with photos reflecting owner Stacy’s passion for vintage hot rods and racing, making it a natural fit with the spirit of the day.

Attendees who share photos from the event are encouraged to tag the show on Instagram at @coloradovintagemotorcycle and on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/coloradovintagemotorcycleshow.

Regular attendees know that the Colorado Vintage Motorcycle Show is as much about the stories as the steel. A few years ago, a gentleman quietly approached an early 1960s BMW on display and recounted how, as a boy of nine or ten, his family had fled Hungary during the 1956 revolt – escaping to Austria on a single motorcycle. Moments like that are not uncommon. Last year, one rider marked his 80th birthday at the show, having recently converted his bike to electric start so he could continue riding – unwilling to let age end his relationship with the machine he loved.

Among the clubs and organizations expected to bring exceptional displays this year are the Norton Colorado Club, the Flatirons AMCA chapter, and the Rocky Mountain Vintage Motocross Club. Adding a spirited spectator presence, both the Denver and Longmont chapters of The Litas are planning group rides to the event.

Co-host Paul Kraus will arrive this year aboard a particularly meaningful machine: a 1947 Whizzer originally purchased new in Hays, Kansas by his late father Harold, who bought it as a high school student. The Whizzer is returning to the show after a long absence – and will be one of countless bikes on the grounds carrying a story worth hearing.

While the event remains free to attend and display, visitors are invited to support its future by making a cash donation or picking up one of a limited number of signed and numbered show posters, priced at $10 each. Each year, co-host Paul Kraus creates an original design that serves as the visual identity of that year’s show – colorful, collectible, and printed locally by Erie’s own Tape and Twine. Proceeds help offset event expenses and ensure the show remains free for years to come.

Spectator parking is available in the surrounding residential streets. Those trailering show bikes are asked to use street parking farther from the lot, leaving closer spaces available for riders.

The Colorado Vintage Motorcycle Show is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Bob Kelly at superhawk65@gmail.com or Paul Kraus at mrpaulkraus@gmail.com. Follow the show on Instagram at @coloradovintagemotorcycle and on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/coloradovintagemotorcycleshow.

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The post Colorado Vintage Motorcycle Show Returns to Erie on June 13 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Media Contact:

Dionne Waugh, Police PIO, 303-518-1894

WaughD@bouldercolorado.gov

bouldercolorado.gov

BPD Unveils New Spanish Traffic Form to Help Community Members & Better Serve the Public

BOULDER, Colo. – To better serve the evolving needs of our diverse community, the Boulder Police Department is proud to announce the official launch of a companion Spanish-language traffic citation and resource form.

This initiative is designed to bridge communication gaps, enhance officer and community member safety, and increase department efficiency.

The idea started within BPD’s Traffic Unit, which identified a significant hurdle during traffic stops: even when roadside interpretation services were used, drivers often left the scene with a physical citation printed exclusively in English. This disconnect frequently led to:

• Missed court dates due to a lack of translated procedural instructions.
• Unpaid fines resulting from confusion regarding payment methods.
• Safety risks to everyone caused by increased time at the traffic stop, given the nature of interpretation services delays.

Beyond the legal implications for drivers, language barriers have historically strained city resources. On average, a traffic stop involving a language barrier takes three times longer to resolve and often requires the dispatch of additional officers to assist with translation. That also results in fewer officers available for other calls and slower response times to other calls.

By providing citations and resource documents in Spanish, the department expects to see a marked improvement in roadside efficiency, allowing officers to return to patrol more quickly while ensuring the driver fully understands their rights and responsibilities.

“Our goal is to ensure every interaction between an officer and a community member is clear, fair, and professional,” Chief of Staff Alastair McNiven said. “By providing these resources in Spanish, we are removing a significant obstacle to compliance and ensuring that everyone in our community has the tools they need to navigate the legal process successfully. I’m grateful for the input and contributions from our Community Connectors in Residence and other community members with lived experience who helped in the creation of this form.”

The new forms include translated information on how to pay fines, how to contest a citation in court, and where to find additional legal resources such as a court interpreter, information on driver’s licenses and license plate requirements, as well as contact information for Spanish-speaking BPD liaison officers.

–CITY–

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The post Boulder Police Department Unveils New Spanish Traffic Form appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This letter was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine. As with all Letters to the Editor, the views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. We value providing space for community voices.

Our initial draft discussing the House District 33 race contained regrettable errors and typos concerning Kenny Nguyen. In the interest of fairness and accurate local reporting, we are happy to publish Mr. Nguyen’s response to our criticism. Yellow Scene Magazine stands by its final endorsement decision, but we welcome the opportunity to correct the record and offer any criticized candidate a platform to share their perspective. Please note that the commentary below represents the candidate’s own beliefs and does not constitute an endorsement or reflection of our editorial board’s views.

Hello Yellow Magazine readers! I know my name may be new to some of you. I’m Representative Kenny Nguyen. On January 12th, I was appointed as Colorado’s newest lawmaker for Colorado House District 33.

I was elected by a vacancy committee to replace former Representative William Lindstedt when he, in turn, was elected to fill the seat held by the late Senator Faith Winter. I’m honored to be serving our community.

Previously I served as a Broomfield City Council Member for Ward 1 before resigning to take this role. I was also the Executive Assistant to Colorado’s 50th Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, worked in the Colorado Tourism office, and most recently in the Department of Revenue. I’m an AmeriCorps Service Member Alum having served with the “I Have a Dream” Foundation at Boulder County after graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder.

I’m Colorado’s first Vietnamese American to serve in the Colorado General Assembly.

Less than three weeks into my term I supported SJR26-006 which recognizes the value that immigrants bring to Colorado and calls upon our federal partners to uphold transparency, accountability, and humane enforcement practices so that every family, regardless of their immigration status may fully participate in the communities they build and sustain.

HB26-1276, HB26-1283, and SB26-005 were bills I supported and that passed through the state legislature aimed at safeguarding constitutional rights for immigrants. HB26-1276 permits local health agencies and CDPHE to inspect facilities not operated directly by the federal government that house noncitizens detained for immigration purposes while requiring new training standards related to peace officer compliance with civil immigrant detainers to be adopted and certified by July 1, 2027. HB26-1283 prohibits an employer or their agent from demanding, confiscating, retaining or otherwise requiring an individual to surrender their government issued ID card for long periods of time and prohibits threats of sharing an individual’s ID with federal authorities. SB26-005 allows for individuals whose constitutional rights were violated by those participating in civil immigration enforcement to be liable for legal or equitable relief.

Another bill that wasn’t passed through the state legislature that I supported was SB26-176 which would have allowed for individuals whose constitutional rights were violated to sue federal, state and local officials who violated said rights which includes ICE agents.

SB26-070 Ban Government Access Historical Location Information Database (PEEPs Act)

I was proud to be a sponsor of this bipartisan bill aimed at protecting the privacy of residents. This bill addresses License Plate Readers (LPR), commonly known as FLOCK cameras because of the primary company involved. LPRs do not simply keep track of license plates; they record data on car make, vehicle colors, driver racial profiles, and geographic locations of vehicles. SB26-070 would have placed guardrails on data retention by private companies and requires a judicial warrant by law enforcement agencies (including ICE) seeking LPR data. Unfortunately this bill did not pass the senate last week, but I’m committed to addressing this issue again next year.

HB26-1001 Housing Developments on Qualifying Properties (HOME Act)
The HOME Act seeks to address affordable housing by allowing organizations with a history of building housing such as nonprofits, universities, and housing authorities to create more housing projects. Homeownership has become out of reach for too many, and rental prices continue to climb. While I am not a sponsor, The HOME act has nearly unanimous support from Democrats in both chambers. I was proud to vote to support alongside Broomfield’s Senator William Lindstadt and the majority of our caucus. We need smart, sustainable growth that helps create housing people can afford, while reining in unsustainable sprawl. Governor Polis signed this bill on March 25th.

HB26-1320 Accessible Language Statutory Ballot Title Requirements.
In Colorado, we cherish our right to direct democracy – we love ballot measures. Unfortunately, sometimes those initiatives are filled with language that can be challenging for voters to understand: double negatives, confusing tax language, and obscure terminology. I’m sponsoring this measure that will require ballot measures to provide a plain language version with clear information about the tax implications of any ballot measure. Governor Polis signed this bill on May 29th.

HB26-1335 Abortion Medication Access on College Campuses

Across the country, reproductive rights and women’s access to healthcare are under attack. As one of the younger members of the legislature and a CU graduate, I’m sponsoring this bill alongside two female legislators to ensure that college students can access medications, ideally on campus when possible. Governor Polis signed this bill on May 27th.

HB26-1318 Traffic Safety Near Schools

The safety of our streets near schools is especially important. This bill, which I am sponsoring, clarifies what is considered a school zone and makes traffic enforcement near schools easier to help protect kids. The bill passed both chambers and is now named the Liam Stewart in honor of a 7th grader that was killed while biking to school. Governor Polis signed this bill on May 29th.

HB26-1099 Protect Financial Condition of Homeowners Associations

I became a sponsor for this bill because as a new homeowner, I understand the important roles Homeowner Associations (HOAs) play but also the problems caused by management changes. This bill would create transparency and address HOA accountability. It would also codify that when an HOA changes management companies, the former company must provide the new HOA management company the property, records, and accounts and be held liable to the financial conditions of the HOA. This protects HOA members and holds management companies accountable for their transfers. Governor Polis signed this bill on April 13th.

I’m committed to serving the people of Colorado with integrity and respect, and uplifting marginalized voices in this time of division. My hope is to bridge divisions and to serve all of House District 33. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions or thoughts; we’re here to serve you. You can email my office at kenny.nguyen.house@coleg.gov or call us at 303-866-4667.

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