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

American Red Cross of Mile High

444 N. Sherman St., Denver, CO 80203

www.redcross.org/colorado

Media Contact: Catie Ballenger

(970) 261-6282 | caitlin.ballenger@redcross.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Featured photo: February 25, 2026. Claire Ranzetta jokes with Red Cross phlebotomist Jessica Chimil while donating blood at LACES High School in Los Angeles, California. She said, “It’s nice to know I’m helping during a blood shortage.” Photo by Brad Zerivitz/American Red Cross.

National blood crisis NOW: Immediate need for blood donations

Red Cross issues rare crisis call for donors as summer blood shortage intensifies

Patient care threatened as critical blood type levels continue to fall

DENVER, Colo. (July 27, 2026) — For only the second time in history, the American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis — and patients may already be feeling the impact. Donors are asked to act immediately to help save lives.

Blood donations have fallen to a four-year summer low, worsening this season’s emergency blood shortage.?All blood types are needed, but the situation is especially dire for type O blood as the Red Cross is now limiting distributions of these blood products to hospitals. The supply of type O positive blood has now dropped below a one-day supply.

Help end this crisis?and stabilize the blood supply.?Book an appointment to give blood now by using the Blood Donor App,?visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you, all who come to give by July 31 will receive a Fandango Movie Ticket by email (up to $15 ticket price and fees).?See RedCrossBlood.org/July.

Additionally, those?who come to give Aug. 1-31, 2026, will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card by email. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/August.

Patients can’t wait

Despite thousands of people who have stepped up to help end the emergency blood shortage since it was declared earlier this month, donations are still not keeping pace with hospital demand, and the situation has escalated. Extreme heat, poor air quality and widespread foodborne illnesses continue to contribute to lower donor turnout this summer.

“This summer has brought a number of unique challenges that have placed additional strain on our blood supply, creating growing concerns for hospitals and the patients who rely on lifesaving transfusions,” said Paul Sullivan, senior vice president of donor services for the Red Cross. “If just three more donors gave at each blood drive this summer, we could help the blood supply rebound and ensure hospitals have the blood products they need throughout the remainder of the season.”

Upcoming blood donation opportunities, July?27-Aug. 15:

• American Red Cross, 444 N. Sherman St., Denver:
  • July 27 and 31,9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • July 29 and Aug. 5, 1-6 p.m.
  • Aug. 3, 7 and 10, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Meadows Swim and Tennis Club, 5555 Racquet Court, Boulder — July 27, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• East Community Center, 5933 S. Fairfield St., Littleton — July 30, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Aspendale Northglenn, 10691 Melody Drive, Northglenn — July 30, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Denver Police District 2, 3921 Holly St., Denver — July 31, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Colorado Muslim Community Center, 15528 E Hampden Circle, Aurora — July 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Kaiser Permanente – Arapahoe, 5555 E. Arapahoe Rd., Centennial — Aug. 3, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• High Country Beverage, 4200 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Johnstown — Aug. 3, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 9200 W. 10th Ave., Lakewood — Aug. 4, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge, 9191 Grant St., Thornton — Aug. 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Westwood Professional Services, 10170 Church Ranch Way, Westminster — Aug. 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Allen Plumbing and Heating – Fort Collins, 101 S. Link Lane, Fort Collins — Aug. 6, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Wray Schools, 30222 County Road 35, Wray — Aug. 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• McDonald Hyundai, 1400 Plum Valley Lane, Highlands Ranch — Aug. 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Reunion Elementary School, 11021 Landmark Drive, Commerce City — Aug. 7, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Denver Health Medical Center Pavilion C, 777 Bannock St., Denver — Aug. 7, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• First Baptist Church, 122 E. Johnson St., Holyoke — Aug. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Aurora Central Library, 14949 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora — Aug. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Julesburg Christian Church, 122 W. 5th St., Julesburg — Aug. 10, 12-6 p.m.
• VFW Post 9466, 2680 W. Hampden Ave., Sheridan — Aug. 11, 1-6 p.m.
• Centennial Airport Hangar Office Space, 7565 S. Peoria St., Englewood — Aug. 12, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• American Furniture Warehouse – Corporate Offices, 8820 American Way, Englewood — Aug. 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary and Cemetery, 6601 S. Colorado Blvd., Centennial — Aug. 13, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• City of Commerce City, 7190 Colorado Blvd., Commerce City — Aug. 13, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• One Park Centre, 1333 W. 120th Ave., Westminster — Aug. 13, 12-4 p.m.
• Becks’ Martial Arts, 902 W. Drake Road, Fort Collins — Aug. 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• American Legion Post 1, 5400 E. Yale Ave., Denver — Aug. 14, 1-6 p.m.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

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The post National Blood Crisis NOW: Immediate Need for Blood Donations appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The first dinosaur appeared before we even left Denver

It wasn’t a fossilized one, but a five-year-old Cedar donning his beloved T.Rex costume as our car climbed into the foothills west of the city. Beside him, his two-year-old brother River was making his own dinosaur noises from a car seat piled high with snacks, picture books, and enough toy trucks to survive a cross-country expedition.

The destination was Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, but for the boys, every rock formation already looked like dinosaur country.

That wasn’t entirely wrong.

A Trip Through Time

Long before Colorado became known for ski resorts, mountain towns, and fourteeners, much of the state looked dramatically different. Roughly 150 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic Period, this landscape was covered in floodplains, rivers, and dense forests. Massive Sauropods wandered through fern-covered valleys while predators stalked prey through wetlands.

Dinosaur-themed roadside sign.

Those ancient waterways would ultimately preserve one of the world’s richest dinosaur records.

As animals died, layers of mud, sand, and sediment buried their remains. Over millions of years, bones fossilized beneath the earth creating a prehistoric archive stretching across Colorado and into neighboring Utah. Today, those fossils tell the story of a vanished world.

For families, amateur paleontologists, and curious travelers alike, they also provide the perfect excuse for a road trip.

Following an Ancient Trail

Over several days, Cedar, River and I traced Colorado’s dinosaur trail from Morrison to Fruita, across Dinosaur National Monument and back through Cañon City and La Junta. Along the way we encountered fossilized footprints, towering skeletons, active research sites, and enough dinosaur-themed gift shops to convince two young boys they had discovered paradise.

Morrison: Where the Dinosaur Rush Began

At Dinosaur Ridge, Cedar pressed his hand against a sandstone wall containing fossilized dinosaur tracks.

“They’re real?” he asked. The question seemed reasonable. Children’s museums are full of replicas. Theme parks are full of replicas. Even many dinosaur skeletons displayed in museums are casts of original bones.

But these footprints were real.

Millions of years ago, a dinosaur stepped into soft mud. The mud hardened into stone. Tectonic forces eventually tilted the rock upward, leaving the tracks exposed along the ridge where visitors can still see them today.For a moment, even the adults in the group became quiet. The distance between a child and a dinosaur suddenly felt much smaller.

Dinosaur fossils preserved in rock.

Fruita: Digging Into the Jurassic

By the time we reached Fruita, the boys had developed strong opinions about dinosaurs. Cedar favored Tyrannosaurus Rex despite repeated explanations that T. Rex lived millions of years after the Jurassic dinosaurs we were seeing. River remained committed to whichever dinosaur toy happened to be in his hand at the moment. At Dinosaur Journey Museum, both became temporarily speechless.

A life-sized Allosaurus skeleton towered overhead. Fossils lined the galleries. Through viewing windows, paleontologists worked in laboratory spaces, cleaning and preparing specimens.

The museum does something particularly valuable: it shows that paleontology is not merely about discovering bones. It is about asking questions: Who lived here? What did this environment look like? How did these animals survive?

Children ask these questions naturally. Good museums encourage adults to ask them again. 

Dinosaur National Monument: The Moment Everything Became Real

Road trips have turning points. For this one, it happened inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument. Photographs fail to prepare visitors for the fossil wall.

More than 1,500 dinosaur bones remain embedded in a cliff face exactly where paleontologists found them. Vertebrae the size of tree stumps protrude from the rock. Massive ribs disappear into stone.

Cedar stood silently for nearly a minute. For a five-year-old, that may be the strongest review possible. Even River, who generally measured museum visits in minutes rather than hours, stared upward.

The quarry creates an unusual effect. Instead of imagining paleontology, visitors witness it. The fossils remain partially hidden in the earth, creating a sense that discovery is still underway.

For young travelers especially, it feels less like a museum and more like stepping directly into the story.

Cañon City: Following Footsteps

Children understand footprints instinctively. Bones require explanation. Footprints tell their own story.

At sites near Cañon City, fossilized tracks preserve moments of movement from millions of years ago. Here, a dinosaur walked. There, another changed direction. A few yards away, multiple animals crossed the same stretch of mud.

The boys immediately began comparing their own footprints to those preserved in stone. One of the enduring appeals of trackways is their intimacy. A skeleton tells us what an animal looked like. A footprint reminds us it was alive.

La Junta: Walking With Giants

The final stop brought the longest hike.

Picketwire Canyonlands requires commitment. Visitors travel miles across grassland and canyon terrain before reaching the famous trackway.

As often happens with young children, the journey alternated between excitement, complaints, snack breaks, and sudden bursts of energy.

Then the tracks appeared.

Hundreds of footprints stretched across exposed stone.

Some measured more than a foot across. Others formed long pathways that disappeared into the distance.

River immediately began stomping from one track to another.

Cedar crouched beside several prints, tracing their outlines with his fingers.

The scene felt remarkably similar to what generations of paleontologists must have experienced when encountering fossil sites for the first time: wonder mixed with disbelief.

Because despite everything we know about dinosaurs, standing beside evidence of a creature that walked here 150 million years ago still feels impossible.

A Journey Through Deep Time

Road trips often promise a change of scenery.

This one offered a change of perspective.

Traveling with Cedar and River transformed the experience in unexpected ways. Children approach the world with fewer assumptions. They ask obvious questions adults forget to ask. They notice details we overlook.

Were dinosaurs lonely? Did they have families? Why did this one walk here? How do we know?

The questions echoed through museums, fossil quarries, and desert landscapes across Colorado. And perhaps that is what makes the state’s dinosaur trail so compelling. It is not merely a collection of fossils. It is an invitation to imagine.

To stand in places where rivers once flowed through Jurassic forests. To trace footprints left before the Rocky Mountains existed. To recognize that the landscapes we consider permanent have transformed countless times before.

For Cedar and River, the adventure was about dinosaurs. For me, it became something slightly different: a journey through deep time, viewed through the eyes of two boys discovering just how large the world can be.

The post The Great Dinosaur Road Trip 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

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) Announces $1.5 Million Community Revitalization Tax Credit Award for BMoCA Project in North Boulder

BOULDER, CO – July 20, 2026 – Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) is thrilled to announce that the museum has been awarded $1.5 million through the Colorado Community Revitalization Tax Credit (CRTC) Program, administered by Colorado Creative Industries (CCI), a department of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). BMoCA plans to build a new museum that will include five exhibition spaces, two classrooms, an event space for education and community gathering, a cafe, and spaces for a shop, lobby, and offices. The new BMoCA will offer expanded exhibitions, multigenerational education programs, and inclusive community initiatives.

Josh Blanchard, Director of CCI, shares, “CCI and OEDIT are thrilled to celebrate the progress and momentum surrounding the reimagined Boulder Contemporary Art Museum. We are energized and honored to be a funding partner to support this vision for the next chapter for BMoCA. And we look forward to witnessing how this transition will transform NoBo, the wider Northern Colorado community, and beyond!”

BMoCA’s Executive Director, David Dadone, remarked, “This award is a tremendous vote of confidence in BMoCA’s vision and in the transformative role contemporary art can play in our community. The Future BMoCA is about more than a new building; it’s about creating a place where artists can dream boldly, where creativity and learning intersect, and where people of all ages come together to experience the power of contemporary art. We’re deeply grateful to the State of Colorado for helping make this vision a reality.”

The purpose-built museum will significantly expand opportunities for artists and creative practitioners by providing flexible galleries designed to accommodate large-scale installations, immersive exhibitions, and ambitious new commissions. The new dedicated education spaces and community gathering areas will allow BMoCA to broaden its educational programming, deepen partnerships with artists and local organizations, and reach more people through expanded exhibitions, creative experiences, and lifelong learning opportunities.

Maria Cole, President of BMoCA’s Board of Directors, shares, “This significant investment from our state arts agency is both a meaningful source of funding and a powerful affirmation of the importance of this project to Colorado’s cultural landscape. The award underscores the need and desire for the Future BMoCA to become a reality and reflects growing confidence in the museum’s vision and potential impact.”

More information on the Future of BMoCA

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Governor Polis and the Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced 12 new recipients of the Community Revitalization Tax Credit (CRTC), which funds capital investments that support the creative industries. The recipients announced today are located in communities across the state, including Boulder, Creede, Denver, Grand Junction, Pueblo, Silverton, Telluride, Trinidad and Walsenburg.

“In Colorado, we invest in our communities, and our strong arts culture brings joy and entertainment to Coloradans and visitors. The arts help grow our thriving economy, contributing nearly $20 billion per year and supporting over 120,000 jobs. The investments announced today will improve Colorado’s economy, strengthen communities across the state, and create more hubs of art and culture,” said Governor Polis.

Link to State of Colorado Press Release

About BMoCA

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) inspires creativity and fosters community through contemporary art. Since 1972, BMoCA has grown from an artist-founded arts center into a regional leader in amplifying artists and serving diverse communities. As a non-collecting museum, BMoCA annually serves 240,000+ people through 20+ exhibitions and 500+ programs at its flagship facility in Boulder, CO, and 40+ partner locations across the Denver metro area. BMoCA supports artists through exhibitions, programs, commissions, and publications and features 289+ artists each year.

BMoCA is located at 1750 13th Street in downtown Boulder, Colorado. The museum is open 11 am–5 pm Tuesday–Sunday (Open at 9 am on Saturdays & until 7:30 pm on Wednesdays during Farmer’s Market Season). Admission is “Pay from Your Heart.” BMoCA.org / 303.443.2122.

Media Contact: Jennifer Chaparro | jennifer@bmoca.org

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The post Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) Announces $1.5 Million Community Revitalization Tax Credit Award For BMoCA Project in North Boulder 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

Death & Donuts Partners with Grieve Leave to Bring “Sad Hour” to Boulder

Community event invites honest conversations about grief, loss and life’s messy moments

BOULDER, Colo., July 23, 2026 — Death & Donuts, a Boulder-based community focused on making conversations about death, grief and mortality more approachable, has partnered with Grieve Leave, a national grief community founded by Rebecca Feinglos, to host Sad Hour on Aug. 6 from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. at West End Tavern in downtown Boulder.

“Death & Donuts was created to make difficult conversations feel a little less difficult,” said Peri Rigler, founder of Death & Donuts. “Partnering with Grieve Leave allows us to bring a powerful idea to Boulder: that grief doesn’t have to be hidden, and that meaningful connection can happen in everyday places over a drink and a conversation.”

Sad Hour encourages attendees to leave behind the “I’m fine” response and talk openly about what they are carrying, whether it is the death of a loved one, a divorce, a health diagnosis, a major life change, or the everyday realities of being human. Cocktails, mocktails and nonalcoholic options will be available.

Grieve Leave founder Rebecca Feinglos launched the organization after experiencing the deaths of both of her parents by the age of 31, followed by a divorce. Recognizing the lack of casual, accessible spaces for grief conversations, she created Grieve Leave and its signature Sad Hour events to help people connect through shared experiences of loss and transition.

“Grief touches everyone, but many people feel isolated in it,” Feinglos said. “Sad Hour gives people permission to show up exactly as they are—without having to hide their sadness, explain their experience, or pretend they’re okay. We’re excited to partner with Death & Donuts to bring that experience to Boulder.”

Unlike traditional support groups, Sad Hour is designed as a casual social gathering where attendees can participate as much or as little as they choose. The event is not therapy, religious programming, or a clinical support session, but rather a community-centered opportunity for authentic connection. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

About Death & Donuts

Death & Donuts is a Boulder County-based community dedicated to making conversations about death, dying, grief and mortality more accessible. Through events, discussions and educational programming, Death & Donuts helps people explore life’s most universal experiences with curiosity, connection and compassion.

About Grieve Leave

Grieve Leave is a grief-centered community and event platform founded by Rebecca Feinglos. Through gatherings, resources and its signature Sad Hour events, Grieve Leave creates spaces where people can talk openly about grief, loss and major life transitions without judgment or pressure to “move on.”

Media Contact:

Peri Rigler

Founder, Death & Donuts

peri@mostlydeathstuff.com\917-455-1210\deathanddonuts.com

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The post Death & Donuts Partners with Grieve Leave to Bring “Sad Hour” to Boulder appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

In many communities, bookstores are back in a big way. But they’ve taken on a new purpose. They have become not just a place to pick up a new story or discover a new favorite author but, in tumultuous times, they have become safe spaces and community centers. The same goes for our libraries. They are also places where you can find heroes on and off the page. This month we explore our literary community, in the fullest sense of the word.

Local Heroes: Librarians Make the Difference

By Becca Tabb

Book Art courtesy of: The Tilted Brick, Longmont CO

On a Tuesday afternoon at the Main Library in Boulder, a long line of people gather by the Help Desk. Tables of hand-picked books scatter neatly along the floor of the library’s main entrance. People escape the unseasonable heat in chairs that overlook Boulder Creek as a water feature under the stairs churns a soothing sound. But what welcomes people here is not the building, or even the creek it straddles. It’s the people who tend to it. 

Upstairs in the Kids & Family section, Alice Eccles grins with excitement as she tells me about a new dinosaur puzzle. Having put the puzzle out just that morning, she wasn’t sure it would be a hit. She was overjoyed to see the kids immediately arranging the pieces. 

Eccles has long grey hair and a warm smile. She graduated with her MLS degree in 2003 and has worked for the Boulder Public Library District ever since. “This is the library that I came to as a child, she says.” Eccles is a Youth Services Specialist, and she loves her job. One of the best parts of working at the library, she says, is helping kids follow their passions. 

With the average K-12 class size in Colorado sitting just under 19 students, public and private school teachers are unlikely to have the time and resources necessary to provide individualized curricula for each student. Librarians, on the other hand, can take the child’s lead. 

Photos provided by Becca Tabb

Whether it’s finding books for a school project or helping someone pursue a passion for graphic novels, Eccles sees free access to information as a huge part of her job. “A very large percentage of what they want,” Eccles says, “we can get it for them.” And it’s not only kids who benefit. 

Among a smorgasbord of public programs, Eccles and other Youth Services Specialists participate in Storytime. “[It’s] partly for the children, the babies, the toddlers, but also… grown-ups.” Eccles understands that part of her purpose is to “show ways that the grown-ups can use what they see in Storytime at home.” In this way, the impact of a library’s employees is much bigger than the places they serve. 

“Bigger than Boulder”

Eccles admits she can’t have an agenda at a public-serving institution. But she is passionate about inclusion, and she wants people to know the world is bigger than Boulder. As a rule, she says, “I include books that are outside my own experience.” By reading a book by a new author of color at Storytime or highlighting the Hello Kitty collection, Eccles shows that a library can reflect the world’s richness. She’s not alone. 

Darla Okada, a Library Specialist at the Main Library and the Gunbarrel Library, says that reading books “literally opens up your access to what the rest of the world is imagining.” 

Okada believes the heart of her role lies in opening doors. Being a librarian, “You know that you’re helping people for the greater good,” she says, “providing a service that’s so important: access to information.” Whether it’s troubleshooting the printer for a patron or helping them research a newfound interest, people trust librarians, Okada says. “Good librarians want to share.”

Increasing access    

Just east down Arapaho Rd. in Lafayette, a tight cluster of neighborhoods shares books through a different kind of library–a Little Free Library. Annabel Stewart was a Girl Scout 10 or 11 years ago when their troop needed a community service project. They decided to build a Little Free Library, and Stewart’s parents had the perfect spot. 

Photos provided by Becca Tabb

Stewart’s Little Free Library is a modest two-shelf house on a wooden post. The building is well-loved, with a roof that seems almost brand new. The outside is painted light blue with pink and purple flowers. The door has a large square hole in the center for glass, though there is none. Even though you can reach through the hole for books, people gently open the door anyway. The culture of sharing around Little Free Libraries commands respect. 

“I always liked [little free] libraries,” Stewart says. “I love looking in them on walks, even if I don’t pick anything up.” Stewart was a voracious reader growing up. “I would sneak the flashlight under the covers at night and read really late until I got in trouble,” they laugh. Even at school, Stewart was caught red-handed reading a book under their desk. “I still love it,” they say. 

“There’s something really cool about complete access [to books],” Stewart says. With a Little Free Library, “You don’t need an adult to enter the building … You can just go for a walk around your own neighborhood and have complete authority over what you’re taking out and what you’re dropping off.” 

According to a study of book-impoverished communities in Publishers’ Weekly, libraries like Stewart’s increase kids’ access to books by 92%. Despite working for the public library, Okada loves Little Free Libraries for exactly this reason. “It shows that the community loves the library. They love reading.” 

At the public library, Eccles and Okada work hard to remove access barriers when possible. Staff use broad, inclusive language to address grown-ups and host bilingual programs. “The more we’re showing the breadth of human variety,” Eccles says, “the more people are able to accept … that [someone] is different.” “Libraries are a center for culture,” Okada adds. 

Stewart’s library doesn’t have the wealth of options that the county’s public libraries work hard to provide. Its shelves reflect what the neighborhood is, or was, going through. “There’s often a lot of maternity books and self-help books,” Stewart says. ”You kind of have to parse through the books nobody wants to read.” But it doesn’t matter, “Someone will pick it up.”

“The heart of the community”

“I’ve always considered libraries to be the heart of the community,” Okada says. What makes a library a library, she argues, “[is the] mixture of the people in the community, and then the folks that are so passionate about helping their community that they work for a library.” Even if a library does rely on its patrons, its heart is fueled by its librarians.

The café across from the Kids & Family section at Boulder’s Main Library hosts a quote from Toni Morrison that reads: “Libraries are essential to communities and no other place comes close.” 

A staple of Boulder County libraries is their rich communities. Okada believes that community means many things. “The one you live in,” she begins, “and the rest of the world. Libraries give you access to that.” 

And more vital, it seems, are the librarians who make the presence of books not only fun, but possible. 

Book Art courtesy of: The Tilted Brick, Longmont CO

Your Great Local Bookstore

By Austin Herber

“Print media is over.”  You have probably heard some sort of iteration of this sentiment over the last two decades.  Around 2012, printed book sales fell to a record low.  Borders, who if you don’t remember was one of the largest national chains of booksellers, ceased to exist in 2011. Independent bookstores, backbones of local communities, similarly reached an all-time low during this period but E-Books nearly tripled in sales and seemed destined to make books and bookstores a relic of the past.  

Yet not every local bookseller saw doom in those numbers. When Borders closed its door in Longmont some saw an opportunity. “We had to meet the demand for new books,” says Kathie Heinecken, owner of Barbed Wire Books. Heinecken notes that “one has to adapt” to any change in the book market, “I see myself as the holder of a huge responsibility – to keep this place as special as it is, as varied, and at the same time unique, and to meet the changing needs of this region.”  

Hienecken has always been passionate about books. Her first job at the age of 14 was working at a bookstore. When asked why she wanted to open a bookstore in 2009 Hienecken told us, “I wanted to do something important, that would support me and several others and that would be a boon to Longmont.” 

Book Art courtesy of: The Tilted Brick, Longmont CO

Likewise, Barrie Kenyon, Children’s Book Buyer and Local Author Consignment Program Coordinator, who started working at the Boulder Book Store in 2010 was not afraid of the change, “I don’t think print media is going away. There have always been ups and downs.”  The Boulder Book Store has been around since 1973 and aims to be, in the words of Kenyon, “A place for everyone.  A book for everyone.” Kenyon enjoys working at the Boulder book store because it has become an institution of the town, “it is an important part of the community.”        

Cathy Dillie used to work at The Bookworm as a teenager. The store was opened in 1984 by her mother Linda Peashka.  After Peashka decided to retire it was obvious that Dillie was going to take over Boulder’s largest used bookstore. Dillie recorded no decline in sales during the print recession, “I think the only drop in sales was during COVID.”  But now, sales are up. People have returned back to shop at independent bookstores.  

“It just feels strange”

“The report of my death has been greatly exaggerated,” Mark Twain once said after responding to reports that he died. The same sentiment applies to books and independent bookstores.  

Since the decline in 2012, sales of printed books have gone up nearly 200 million reaching a peak in 2021 at 826 million units sold while E-Book sales have actually declined. There are now more purchases of print books than E-Books.  

Korey Williams, who shops at Barbed Wire Books and the Boulder Book Store, expressed his preference for actual books, “There is something about the tactile experience of holding a book, the smell of it, unplugging from technology, and losing oneself in a good story.” And while E-Books are new, physical books are a timeless tradition. Books are more durable than the digital format, says Thora Brylowe, Associate Professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Websites disappear. Links break. Software becomes obsolete.”  Books, Bryelowe says, do not have this problem, “I have books on my shelves that are hundreds of years old. I think physical books are likely to remain important even if digital formats continue to grow.”  

Dillie has never read an e-book and never will.  “Whenever I go into someone’s home and they don’t have books it just feels strange.”     

Book Art courtesy of: The Tilted Brick, Longmont CO

A new boom

The return of printed books is no small part to the reemergence of the independent bookstore. There are now 70% more independent bookstores across the country than there were five years ago. 

People enjoy walking into a physical space surrounded by literature. Kenyon believes that the ability for patrons to wander and be surprised is a key feature of the business’s continued success saying “Shopping for a book in person and reading a physical book is an experience. You are more likely to find something you may not have come across online.”  

Dillie wants customers to find something unexpected. “A book cover catches your eye, and suddenly you’re interested in something you never planned to read.” Sometimes the surprise is what’s inside the book itself.  

One patron, Don Mac, recounts one such experience at The Bookworm. “You get insight into Boulder’s history by reading notes written in the margins of the books or other tokens they have left behind. For example, I found a college report card from the 1950s in a copy of Stendhal.”  

Book Art courtesy of: The Tilted Brick, Longmont CO

Is it possible that people favor the finite space of physical bookstores as a way to alleviate themselves from the infinite nature of digital media? Bryelow notes that such anxiety is not new, “In the eighteenth century, people were already complaining that there was too much print to keep up with. Even earlier than that, we see similar concerns in ancient sources. That said, I can absolutely imagine that people find comfort in spaces that don’t feel infinite.”  

Kenyon disagrees, saying that patrons are “overwhelmed when they come in and yet they are surprised if we don’t have the exact title they are looking for.” Heinecken commented that “While unlimited choices can make ‘choosing’ difficult, I think the advantage lies more in knowing (seeing, feeling) what you are actually buying.”  

The keepers of the keys

Knowing what you’re buying often comes down to one more thing: the people behind the counter. Hienecken emphasized that her store provides “Customer service in the form of knowledge of books, knowledge of our patrons, knowledge of trends, and a place to sit!”  

These bookstores continue to serve our community and have created a family of readers. Despite the predictions that books would become passe, people still prefer them and adore the shops that curate, trade, and sell them.  

Bryelow predicts that technology will one day become integrated with our bodies, “something closer to virtual reality or wearable computing.”  But she believes the positive trend of print media will endure.  

“It’s worth remembering that we’ve really only had two major ways of organizing information for a very long time: the scroll and the codex. People still like pages.”

Much Thanks to The Tilted Brick for providing the book art!

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“Because I said so” is the last refuge for the fatigued parent. It is also the first option for the incipient fascist. This observation derives from a pair of unintentionally related items in the New York Times.

The first was an article in The Athletic that reported on the disqualification of a high school track team. The young men’s 400-meter relay squad was in the final few meters of the last relay leg when the runner raised an open hand, the five digits representing his team’s fifth consecutive state title. Immediately, an eager official brandished a yellow flag, disqualifying the relay for excessive “celebration.” The dignity with which the coach and runner accepted this indignity dwarfed the petty bureaucracy demonstrated by the official.

Rules are rules. 

As is often the case, comments from readers were illuminating. Some readers shared my view, acquired through my rule-testing youth, that the disqualification was excessive, picayune, and mean-spirited. More folks cluck-clucked that it was too bad, of course, but the kid and coach knew the rules and suffered the just penalty. 

The woman official who raised the yellow flag said she had warned the same runner for a similar infraction earlier in the meet. The runner and his coach disagreed. They appealed and lost. The head official also cluck-clucked, but said she must support the official who made the call. Rules are rules.

Unsportsmanlike conduct indeed, but by the officials, not the kid. His gesture was sweet and restrained. Their conduct was typical of small-minded people who often inhabit positions where they can exert control. 

We encounter them frequently, like the airport enforcer on a recent pick-up, who insisted that I move my car and repeatedly drive a circular route through the orange-coned chaos that is Denver International Airport. I was waiting beyond the pick-up zone at a lonely curb far from any possible obstruction. But rules are rules, so I drove the loop and lifted my hand like the relay runner, but with a single digit. 

Photo courtesy: The American Immigration Council

The second, far more tragic, report revealed the astonishingly cruel actions of our government, which has separated more than 140,000 children from their immigrant parents. These actions dwarf the border separations of the first Trump administration, but have garnered scant notice. Perhaps we’ve become numb from serial traumatization.

The circumstances leading to the separations vary widely, but the main takeaway, as with other chapters in this miserable book, is that cruelty is the point. 

Here too, readers’ comments were revealing and demonstrative of the many chasms of emotion and reason that divide our body politic. It is important to note that these were not comments of subscribers to Breitbart News, where one might expect a chorus of “fuck ‘ems.”

These supposedly more erudite New York Times readers placed the blame primarily on parents who exposed their “anchor babies” to the consequences of bad decisions. We are a nation of laws, they said, and cluck-clucked away just like those who supported the bitter little women who ripped a championship from overly-cheerful teenagers. Rules are rules.

Did I note that the runner is Black and that all those “bad” parents are brown and Black? I’m sure even a few of our erudite readers will roll their eyes and accuse me of playing the “race card.” Guilty as charged, I suppose, but it is hard to avoid playing a race card when the entire American deck is stacked with race cards. 

I began with, “It is also the first option of the incipient fascist.” That language is not hyperbolic. The parallels with Nazi Germany are striking, while not identical. There, too, rules were rules which led apparently normal humans to perform abnormally inhumane actions.

(Of course, I recognize that disqualifying a high school runner is several furlongs short of fascism. But the mindset is traveling in the same direction.)

These actions, and the inaction of others, were the result of declaring the exclusive exceptionalism of white men and the constant relegation of Jews, Slavs, gay folks, those with disabilities, and Jehovah’s Witnesses into a violently disfavored “other.” 

When “other” slides to “subhuman,” genocide becomes conscionable, even necessary. 

Our current administration is steeped in white nationalist supremacy. The wholesale and indiscriminate imprisonment of Black and brown people is unconscionable, yet merits only brief scrutiny below the fold in our daily attentions. They are our “other.”

A nation that can murder Iranian schoolchildren, support genocide in Gaza, and stand by while 140,000 children are torn from parents is not as far from 1930s Germany as we like to think.

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“Mawa likes to call it bougie,” said Steve Laser, Community Engagement Manager of Boulder’s Crepe Therapy Café. Laser was handpicked by the queen of crepes herself, Mawa McQueen, to run the show at her elevated fast-casual concept.

For those in pursuit of ultra-thin pancakes, Crepe Therapy offers the holy grail — and so much more. Beyond a plethora of mouthwatering sweet and savory menu items, the space itself is undeniably welcoming. After all, Laser and his team are known for greeting each other with the phrase, “Welcome home.”

“The world feels so disconnected right now. People feel lonely. Connection is what we want to create,” Laser shared.

Offering exceptional food and beverages alone is not enough. The café is designed to feel like a “second home” — a place where people can gather, connect, and, of course, enjoy crepes.

Now, let’s discuss the crepe offerings, shall we? As one would expect from a chef of McQueen’s caliber, the versatile French favorite receives a swoon-worthy spin.

The Rocky Mountain is a savory standout, layered with ground bison, bacon, Gruyère, Swiss, arugula, tomato, onion confit, and horseradish cream. Meanwhile, the Alaskan is an undeniable crowd-pleaser featuring smoked salmon, fresh tomato, capers, pickled onion, dill cream sauce, and arugula.

photo credit: Samantha Farmer

“All of our ingredients are organic and locally sourced whenever possible. All flour is milled at Dry Storage, we use free-range chicken, and we even offer an entire vegan menu,” said Laser.

Signature wellness drinks incorporate ingredients inspired by McQueen’s West African roots. The Ivory Hot Cocoa is hands down the richest, most satisfying rendition of hot chocolate I have ever encountered, while the African Golden Milk feels like a good-for-you indulgence with fresh ginger root, turmeric, allspice, steamed coconut milk, and date syrup.

Despite making health-conscious adjustments to cater to the Boulder crowd, Crepe Therapy still embraces a sense of decadence with options like The Millennial — a sweet, satisfying crepe filled with fresh strawberries, banana, and Nutella.

Crepe Therapy currently operates two Boulder locations: a Boulder Junction outpost that opened last fall and a second location that recently debuted inside Limelight Boulder on University Hill.

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It’s been hard to miss the giant 250 splashed across nearly everything this summer. Towns are putting up banners announcing special 250th Fourth of July celebrations, history channels have dusted off every revolutionary documentary they ever aired, local theatre troupes slotted in 1776 as their summer show, and a trip to the store can grant you access to a special Oreo flavor to celebrate the big anniversary. (It’s firecracker popsicle for those playing along at home.)

Of course the anniversary was inevitable, but I think we can all admit that the timing of it is less than desirable. After a year where we have seen our neighbors kidnapped, protesters murdered, voting rights stripped away, and the continuation of an authoritarian takeover, it can be hard to get excited about the good ‘ole U.S. of A. 

Let’s just look at the wonders of this year alone. Scores of people kidnapped and killed by masked ICE agents, entering into a prolonged war with Iran over a military and missile program that we allegedly “obliterated” last year, killing hundreds of people (including a school filled with children) in the process, an incursion into the country of Venezuela to capture its president so then we could do what again? Not to mention the near-daily announcements of jobs being tossed aside because they were offering people some assistance, allegiances questioned, and financial aid being held in check because you don’t say his name with the right amount of reverence.

So we’re left wondering what exactly are we celebrating? Is it the America that we used to be, who we are today, or who we can be? Yes the center of each of those options is the same, but it’s how we view it that makes the difference. The reason that so many have taken to the streets in the past year and written letters and made phone calls for the first time is because of that difference. It’s been because of a belief in the promise of what we can become.

America was never perfect. Even in the distant reaches of our memories, just off screen, there are cracks in the facade. Slavery, women’s rights, the struggle of the LGBTQI community, the fights of labor unions, Jim Crow laws, an insistence in telling other parts of the world what’s best for them, often by force. We’ve always recognized this part of ourselves and, at our best, tried to patch over it or we’ve gone at those faults with a jackhammer. 

As we contemplate the 250th anniversary, we’re really contemplating which tool we want to pick up next. And we need to do so quickly because the pillars of this nation, pillars which we built up collectively, are being torn down at an alarming (and non-discriminate) pace. The question becomes do we want to fix what we have or just tear it all down? It’s easy to blow something up but to build something, or in the case of our current situation rebuild something, that’s difficult. And it is not going to happen overnight or in bold strokes, but in small acts. 

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” – Robert Francis Kennedy, 1966.

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104th North Photo: Moon Over DIA By Jordan Neumeyer

[ Boulder County News ]

• Two boys, aged 14 and 15-years old, were injured when they ran a stop sign on their e-bike and were in turn hit by a truck in Boulder. Neither boy was wearing a helmet. Both were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
• With 51% of the vote in June’s primary, Jillaire McMillan will advance to the general election as she seeks to win the seat for U.S. House District 19.
• A Boulder police officer was arrested on June 16 for allegedly threatening to break a woman’s jaw. When Erie police officers arrived to investigate the victim received a text from the Boulder officer who said he had looked up and listened to the 911 call.
• By a 6-1 vote the Longmont City Council approved a ban on hyperscale data centers. The ban applies to installations inside city limits.
• Discussion continues concerning the recent restrictions placed on burials at the Lafayette Cemetery. The halt on casket burials started when radar showed 3,500 graves in the cemetery but only 2,200 visible grave markers.

[ State News]

• Melat Kiros beat the incumbent U.S. Representative Diana DeGette in the June primary. DeGette, A Democrat, had represented the state’s First Congressional District for more than thirty years.
• Governor Jared Polis fired Azra Taslimi and Hannah Seigel Proff for what they say was their public opposition to his decision to commute the sentence of 2020 election conspiracy theorist Tina Peters who was convicted of an election security breach.
• Senator Michael Bennet lost his bid to be the Democratic nominee in November for Governor of Colorado. He was defeated in the primary race by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.
• Nearly 150 acres in the state were engulfed by the Aspen Acres fire. The blaze, which is ongoing as of July 1, has destroyed over 100 structures and forced multiple evacuations.
• Across the state, on the Colorado-Utah border, the Cottonwood Fire claimed the lives of three firefighters. Members of U.S. Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service, they were overwhelmed when the fast moving fire cut off all escape routes.

[ National News]

• By an unexplainable slim 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional principle of birthright citizenship but they also issued a 6-3 ruling which kept in place a ban on transgender athletes.
• A fence was installed around the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall to keep alleged vandals away after Trump claimed during a press conference that someone made a 300 ft. gash in the lining and dumped in material to cause the large-scale algae bloom.
• NASA launched a rescue mission to save an orbiting telescope that is falling back to Earth. Scientists believe that solar storms have caused the orbital shift. 
• Representatives of the United States and Iran have entered into discussions on how to potentially bring the months-long war to a close. 
• Much of the country started July under an oppressive “Heat Dome” with temperatures hitting triple-digits on average. Many areas were planning for their hottest days in over a decade.

[ International News ]

• Israel continues its Middle East offensive. In a strike on Gaza on June 29, eight people were killed including two children.
• Venezuela suffered a massive earthquake with reports that 1,700 people (to date) were killed. The Associate Press reports that 140 of the deceased were Venezuelans who had recently been deported from the United States.
• The highest June temperatures ever were recorded in the world’s oceans last month. The United Nations declared that this was the sign of a “deepening crisis.”
• A member of the Ukrainian defense industry claims that AI-controlled drones killed Russian soldiers in a battlefield “test.” This would be the first known use of a fully autonomous “soldier” on the battlefield.
• Europeans faced a deadly heatwave in June. France alone saw an increase in deaths of nearly 30%.

[ Small Talk ]

• “I love the inflation” was President Trump’s response when asked about inflation hitting 4.2%, which is a three-year high.
• “If you’re visiting for a very large sporting event & you happen to discover RANCH while you’re here… please pack it in your CHECKED BAG on the way home.” was the message the TSA gave to World Cup spectators who came for Messi but fell in love with a dressing.
• “Sparsely attended and shockingly boring” is how the Washingtonian described the Great American State Fair taking place on the National Mall. (Maybe we’ll get it right for the 300th.)
• “Don’t die” is the advice Mel Brooks, who celebrated his 100th birthday in June, gave when asked his secret to living to 100.
• “I wish we could live in a world where we could admit that you disagree with someone, but still admit they have some good ideas,” Pastor Nick Works said when asked about today’s political climate. 
• “This is a movement, We are just getting started.” Melat Kiros said after her primary election win.

In the Numbers

• $1.2B – The amount that President Trump reported earning off of cryptocurrency alone in 2025. 
• $24 – That’s how much cheaper electricity from battery-storage is vs gas (per megawatt-hour). It’s the first time batteries have taken the top spot.
• 4.2% – The unemployment rate in June. It has been virtually unchanged for three months.
• 10,000 – The number of immigrants ICE claimed to have detained in just five days in June.
• 38% – The number of respondents in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll who do not believe the United States will exist as a single country in 250 years.
• 54 – The number of people who have died in ICE custody since 2025.

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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:

July 23, 2026

The Peaks at Old Laramie Trail Celebrates 10 Years of Community Legacy in Lafayette

August 6 Milestone Celebration Features a Colorado-themed Menu, a Charity Drive for Sister Carmen Community Center, Photo Booth and DJ

Lafayette, CO – The Peaks at Old Laramie Trail will host its 10th-anniversary celebration, A Touch of Decade-nce: Toasting to a 10-Year Legacy, taking place on Thursday, August 6, from 6 to 8 pm. The milestone event will gather 75–125 guests made up of current and former resident families, team members, Chamber of Commerce members and professional partners. The event will honor a decade of dedicated service to residents and the broader Lafayette community. 

“Reaching our ten-year milestone is an incredible achievement, but what truly defines our legacy is how we have grown alongside the families we serve,” said Alexis Dake, Director of Sales. “Over the past ten years, we’ve successfully adapted our spaces and programming to stay ahead of those trends. It’s rewarding to welcome new residents and their adult children into a community that feels modern, active and tailored to their unique needs, ensuring our legacy of exceptional service carries on for decades to come.” 

The community has recently received upgrades to the furniture in all common areas of both assisted living and memory care, Dake said. 

Attendees will enjoy a vibrant night with a DJ and a custom photo booth donated by Blue Federal Credit Union. The culinary experience, crafted by Chef and Director of Culinary Services Rowan DuBois features an entirely Colorado-themed menu. DuBois has been in the community for five years and goes above and beyond to make resident experiences special. 

The menu includes Rocky Ford mint melon skewers, peach prosciutto mozzarella appetizers, green chili bites, spinach artichoke crostini and spicy apricot brie. The celebration also features signature desserts like white chocolate raspberry mousse, mini-Palisade Peach cheesecakes and dark chocolate strawberry tarts, served alongside themed wildflower spritzers and elderberry sparkling lemonades. 

Marking a decade in Lafayette also serves as an opportunity to look back at the community’s deep local roots. When The Peaks first opened its doors in 2016, its very first resident was the late Chuck Waneka, a legendary Lafayette pioneer and former Boulder County Commissioner in the 1980s and 1990s. Waneka was widely respected for his historic work in agricultural preservation and for negotiating the growth boundaries that permanently protected the region’s beautiful open spaces. 

True to its history of community integration, the event will center around a donation drive for the Sister Carmen Community Center, a longtime local pillar supporting seniors, jobseekers and families. Sister Carmen representatives will be in attendance to share information and collect monetary and food donations. 

The evening will also honor the community’s dedicated team by presenting the Associate of the Year award, recognizing an outstanding team member with a commemorative plaque and a $500 prize. Guests will also be treated to a grand door prize drawing for a vacation getaway to Estes Park, specifically to offer a well-deserved break to hardworking caregivers. 

###

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Located on 111th Baseline Road, the historic Lafayette Cemetery stopped selling new plots in 1999. Decades of overselling leading up to the late nineties decision resulted in bodies found in supposedly empty plots, and a temporary moratorium of interments placed on November 18th, 2025 from the former mayor. 

Overwhelming community concern surrounding the moratorium sparked a City Council’s resolution on Tuesday, July 21st. Citing protection of the sanctity of existing burials, the City Council voted to foreclose the cemetery to casket burials aside from individual exceptions, and provided plot owners with alternative choices.

This resolution established four options for those who bought a plot in the past:

1. Individuals can sell back their plot to the city through a Release of Interest for $3,500, a $2,000 increase from the buyback price set before on July 21, 2026. 
2. Individuals can opt for a cremated burial, with the city paying the cost for one cremains burial per plot ($1260). This does not include cremation costs.
3. Individuals can exchange their plot for burial right at Coal Creek Memorial Cemetery in Louisville, and receive a $2000 refund.
4. Individuals can express intent to keep their plot for a casket burial. These individual exceptions will be examined to see if the plot is still eligible using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and consultation from specialists.

Experts helping to determine the eligibility of a plot include State Archaeologist Holly Norton; Lafayette historians Doug Conarroe and Frank E. Archuleta; and consultant Chris Keller of LINc Partners, hired in part to help explain GPR to plot holders.

GPR is a non-destructive method to scan underground and detect remains that may have not been properly recorded in the past. According to 9News, there are around 2,000 visible markers on the surface, but a scan identified around 3,500 potential burial sites. Previously unknown remnants have already been disturbed during recent burials for new graves.

City Council was urged by some to quickly find a resolution after crews encountered unmarked remains. Still, several residents believe the decision needed more time. Lafayette City Councilor Kyle Beaulieu acknowledges the frustration felt by many families and individuals who bought plots. “This has been an extraordinarily challenging issue for many decades,” Beaulieu said, “and it’s unfortunate that the can was kicked down the road for a long time.”

He says GPR is the best method right now to ensure the remains currently there are not damaged. Some community members have asked for the city to dig in order to confirm whether a plot is feasible for burial, a practice Beaulieu is in strong opposition to. “Just because there were clerical errors made in decades past, doesn’t mean we should disturb and violate their [the bodies] rest,” he said.

Beaulieu emphasized the lead up to this resolution and the communication with the community was demanding, but he stressed transparency has been a priority to rectify the 20th-century council’s faults.

The Council has been mailing known addresses of those who purchased a plot starting November 13th, 2025 with information. So far, around 150 contentious plots have been discussed with the city. About 60 meetings have been held to discuss how to move forward, with around 40 more scheduled.

Many plot owners have been difficult to contact, as the 135-year-old cemetery has had a history of poor documentation. Another issue has been residents not updating their address while moving. 

Those who have already been in contact through mail have until January 31st, 2027 to decide what option they wish to choose for their plot. Individuals who have not yet contacted the Council have until October 31st, 2026 to call 303-604-3511. Once they have reached out, they have until the January 31st deadline to decide.

Although the logistics of finding space for all individuals with a plot seems impossible, after speaking with historians, Beaulieu believes many outstanding plots have been claimed in the 20th century by people who moved away. If many of these individuals do not claim the plots, he says “there’s a possibility that several hundred of the outstanding plots may not be at issue,” and the dilemma may become much more manageable. After the October 31st deadline, “We can metaphorically take them off the table, and then focus on the community that needs some justice.”

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The Boulder City Council’s decision involving the continued operation of the Boulder Municipal Airport has cost the council one of its members.

After the council’s vote to keep the airport in operation in their July 23rd meeting, Councilmember Mark Wallach “accordingly, and in sorrowful protest,” announced his immediate resignation.

Wallach’s statement opened, “I’ve often advised prospective candidates for Council to always act as if you’re without fear of losing the position. If you hang on too tightly, you will become bound to the politics, not your values. Today, I get to put that belief into practice.”

Wallach, the sole councilmember to vote against the airport’s indefinite operation, held his position from an April meeting, citing a lack of overall community input as a continued oversight. Accepting state and federal funding for the airport’s high cost requires accepting operational obligations, potentially requiring the airport’s operation in perpetuity.

“I’m known as an opponent of the airport, but in one sense, I am actually indifferent,” Wallach addressed in the July meeting. “If the community wants an airport, so be it; they should have an airport. But we haven’t asked the question, and we should.”

The Councilmembers deliberated for another hour on the motion and amended language. Ultimately, the council approved the airport’s continued operation in an 8-1 vote to pursue further funding.

Wallach then asked to speak on the “momentous and misguided decision.” He expressed his respect and affection for his fellow Councilmembers but emphasized his personal values as his reason for resigning.

“I will not be a party to the surrender of our valuable airport land in perpetuity for no purpose, little consideration, failure to properly consider our alternatives, and entirely without the extensive community input that this subject requires,” Wallach stated.

“I will not be a party to elevating the interests of fifty to sixty resident pilots over what I regard are the interests of 107,000 residents,” Wallach continued. “For once, simply being a recorded vote in opposition does not suffice.”

Wallach served since 2019, and had he continued, his third term would have ended in 2028.

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Colorado Brazil Fest, Aug. 6-Aug. 9

The Boulder Samba School invites Coloradans to celebrate Brazilian culture at Colorado Brazil Fest. From percussion workshops to carnaval shows, this four-day event will be filled with electrifying live music, bold colors, sensational samba and authentic cuisine. Varying events will take place at the Boulder County Historic Courthouse, the Dairy Arts Center, Intercambio, Junkyard Social Club and Roots Music Project. Visit coloradobrazilfest.org for more information, including event programming and ticket costs. 

Colorado Brazil Fest | Aug. 6-9 • Boulder Bandshell

Boulder Taco Fest, Aug. 22

Spice up the sizzling summer at Boulder Taco Fest. Start the festival off by building up your appetite with the 5K Taco Run. Then, from 12-5 PM, enjoy tacos and tequila from 20+ local vendors; practice your salsa skills at the Live DJ Digital Love Joint; watch lucha libre wrestlers fly through the air; and listen to live music from Boulder favorites, 40 oz to Freedom and the Dirty Turkeys. Wristbands are available at bouldertacofest.com 

Boulder Taco Fest | Aug. 22 • Boulder Public Library

Lafayette Peach Festival, Aug. 8

Colorado’s world-famous all-natural Palisade peaches are coming to the Front Range in Lafayette’s 27th annual Peach Festival. In the prime of the peak season, Old Town Lafayette welcomes vendors serving delicious peach pie, peach cobbler, and the Palisade peaches themselves. Join the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce for a day of celebration and indulgence accompanied by inflatables and fun for the whole family.

Lafayette Peach Festival | Aug. 8 • Old Town Lafayette

May Be Fern at Louisville Summer Concerts in the Park, Jul. 23

May Be Fern brings a new energy to Colorado’s music scene with their distinctive blend of funk and rock. This trio of long-time friends Hannah, Kate, and Madi joined forces after the pandemic with their diverse musical backgrounds to form May Be Fern. The final Thursday of Louisville Summer Concerts in the Park promises to be an unforgettable evening in Louisville Community Park.

May Be Fern at Louisville Summer Concerts in the Park | Jul. 23 • Louisville Community Park

Film on the Rocks: Jurassic Park, Aug. 10

The Cretaceous Period, 66 million years ago, was home to many of the dinosaurs in the beloved movie Jurassic Park, and the beautiful Red Rocks red sandstone formations arose only one year later, 65 million years ago! Come watch the fictional classic from director Steven Spielberg while surrounded by the tangible record of the Earth’s past. The only thing that can make dinosaurs cooler is watching them next to their real habitat!

Film on the Rocks: Jurassic Park | Aug. 10 • Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Kat Damin Photography

Flexi-Verse: Harmonic Convergence, Jul. 22

Held in The Meow Wolf Perplexiplex digital forest with a live DJ, this yoga session will be unlike any other! Come down to Meow Wolf’s Denver Convergence station for a vinyasa yoga class taught by Adam Brous and live music from DJ Taz Rashid, promising to transport you to your own inner universe through noise-cancelling headphones with an ethereal soundscape and atmosphere.

Flexi-Verse: Harmonic Convergence | Jul. 22 • Meow Wolf Convergence Station

Louisville Old Time Fiddle Contest, Aug. 1

Whip out your fiddles and come show the community your talent on August 1st at the Steinbaugh Pavilion in Louisville from 11 AM to 1 PM. The Old Time Fiddle Contest is back for the second year in a row, and entry is free, so what are you waiting for! Come join the competition for the chance to win awesome prizes and showcase your talent. 

Louisville Old Time Fiddle Contest | August 1st • Steinbaugh Pavilion, Louisville

Broadway Rave at Marquis Center, Aug. 14

Grab your friends and head on down to the Marquis Center in Denver on August 14th at 8:30. Enjoy a night filled with Broadway and musical theater. Dress up in an of-the-era costume and dance the night away at this 18+ party. 

Broadway Rave at Marquis Center | August 14th • Marquis Center, Denver 

ReCreate Opening Reception, Aug. 16

Boulder Public Library will be hosting an all-ages opening reception for the ReCreate exhibit by The Boulder Arts Association, featuring various works of art that have been created from Boulder Arts Association artist members repurposing materials in order to create new works in a wonderful display of creativity and talent. 

ReCreate Opening Reception | Aug. 16 • Boulder Public Library Main Branch, Boulder

Ironically Pink at 100 Nickel, Jul. 30

Ironically Pink’s coming to play live at 100 Nickel with a killer lineup of 90’s grunge and punk classics, delivered through unapologetically raw energy. This Lafayette-based, all-girl group can capture the spirit of 90’s grunge like no other in their high-energy performances, all while adding a contemporary twist of their own. 

Ironically Pink at 100 Nickel | July 30 • 100 Nickel, Broomfield

Where We Roam: A Show For Public Lands, Jul. 3-Jul. 25

Where We Roam: A Show For Public Lands is the featured exhibition in the NoBo Art District. Curated by Robin van Wageningen, it features 20 Coloradan landscape artists whose work advocates for the connection, memories, and recreation fostered by shared public lands. 

Where We Roam: A Show For Public Lands  | July 3-25 •  Bus Stop Gallery

Concert in the Park, Jul. 25 

Big News: Disco Is Back! Boogie Machine will be putting their particular spin on this 70’s radio staple along with a hint of funk and rock for added fun. Grab your bellbottoms and come dance the night away.

Concert in the Park  | July 25 •  Coal Creek Park

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.

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What baristas eat, drink, and read when no one is watching

Between pulling espresso shots, recommending books, and plating donuts, baristas don’t have much downtime—so when they do, what’s actually on the menu?

Nestled in Old Town Lafayette, The Read Queen Bookstore & Café (for those wondering, the pronunciation, according to their website: “I love to read, the Queen she said, and in so doing I am well read.”) is a women-owned community staple. In a time when third spaces continue to disappear across Colorado’s Front Range, Read Queen holds onto a version of that role—part café, part bookstore, part gathering place—with a steady flow of customers and just enough seating to make it linger-worthy.

At the center is barista Taya Kendrick, often nursing an iced vanilla or brown sugar maple latte during her shift, while snacking on food from home. Despite packing leftover pizza or peanut butter power bars, she admits it’s not always enough to stay away from what’s available in-house.

Sonnie Simmons, who has worked at Read Queen for just over a year, has settled into a different kind of shift fuel: Goldfish crackers. Soup and burritos are available, but she’s unapologetically BYOGF.

Like many cafés testing the edges of their menu, Read Queen staff say they’ve also been experimenting behind the scenes with dirty sodas—combinations of soda, cream, and flavored syrups that may soon become official offerings.

Barista Emma Lynn might be seen eating the Greek salad she brought from home, but when no one’s watching, she admits to something sweeter: coffee ice cream. Paired with a honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon latte, it’s part fuel, part break. She’s currently reading Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery, a horror novel that breaks from her usual literary fiction.

In a space built on books, coffee, and community, even the smallest shift meal becomes part of the day’s rhythm—quick, improvised, and never quite uninterrupted.

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.

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By Santiago Nino

Wedding season brings a certain kind of chaos: out-of-towners flooding your group chat, itineraries nobody agrees on, and the constant question of where to take people who want to feel like they’ve actually been to Colorado. Skip the brewery tour. Take them to Dillinger’s.

Photos courtesy of Jimmy Shviraga

Named after the infamous bank robber who met his end in 1934, Dillinger’s in Lafayette is about as far from a themed novelty bar as you can get. Photos of the outlaw hang on the walls alongside neon beer signs and Broncos gear, and somehow it all just works. This is a neighborhood bar that has been serving Lafayette and Louisville for over three decades, the kind of place that doesn’t need to try hard because it never stopped being exactly what it is. Walk in on any given night and the room is full of people who actually know each other. That’s not something you can fake.

The drinks are cheap and the bourbon list is quietly serious. Dillinger’s bills itself as Lafayette’s best-kept whiskey secret, and regulars will back that claim up without much prodding. They even have a barrel pick coming – a Laws San Luis Valley Rye finished to their spec. Whether your crew is a round-of-beers kind of group or someone in the party insists on a proper pour, the bar handles both without breaking a sweat.

The real draw for a bachelor party or a family night out is the sheer amount to do. Pool tables, darts, pinball, Golden Tee, Buck Hunter — the place is loaded. Tuesday trivia keeps the room competitive and loud, and karaoke nights have a way of turning strangers into fast friends by the second song. The kitchen turns out solid bar food, wings and burgers that earn their keep without pretending to be anything more.

For out-of-towners looking to understand why Coloradans love their locals, Dillinger’s is a better answer than most. Pull up a stool, order a bourbon, and let the bar do the rest.

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.

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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.

America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission Announces Climbing Teams for Historic 14er Climb: Summit 2026 Initiative

Organizations and individuals from across Colorado unite for signature initiative celebrating Colorado’s 150th anniversary and America’s 250th anniversary

Press Contacts:

Philosophy Communication

Grace Markley, (720) 421-9633, grace@philosophycommunication.com

Jamie Resnik, (810) 444-9303, jresnik@philosophycommunication.com

David Thomas, (720) 985-7447, dthomas@philosophycommunication.com

DENVER, Colo. (July 22, 2026) — The America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission today announced the 58 official climbing teams selected to participate in 14er Climb: Summit 2026, the Commission’s signature initiative taking place on Colorado Day, August 1, 2026. In partnership with the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) and sponsor The VF Foundation, climbers representing communities from every corner of Colorado will honor the state’s 150th anniversary and America’s 250th anniversary atop Colorado’s iconic peaks.

The response to 14er Climb: Summit 2026 exceeded expectations, with hundreds of Coloradans applying to join climbing teams through a public lottery. After a careful review process focused on risk management, experience, and responsible recreation, volunteer leaders have assembled teams across all 58 Colorado fourteeners, marking an unprecedented statewide effort to celebrate Colorado Day.

“Summit 2026 is about far more than reaching a summit; it’s about bringing Coloradans together through a shared love of our outdoors,” said Nathan Richie, Co-Chair of the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission. “The overwhelming response from volunteers, community organizations, outdoor leaders, and climbers reflects exactly what this commemoration is meant to inspire: people coming together to celebrate our history while creating new memories that will last for generations.”

The initiative brings together a remarkable cross-section of Colorado’s outdoor community in partnership with the Colorado Mountain Club, whose experienced volunteer trip leaders will guide climbers across all 58 peaks. Teams include nonprofit organizations, conservation leaders, Indigenous representatives, veterans, educators, and community groups working to expand access to Colorado’s public lands.

Among the participating organizations is Latino Outdoors, whose team will summit Torreys Peak, reflecting the organization’s mission to inspire and connect Latino communities to the outdoors while celebrating culture, leadership, and belonging.

Another team will feature SOS Outreach on Mount of the Holy Cross, highlighting the organization’s commitment to mentoring young people through outdoor experiences that build resilience, confidence, and leadership.

The climb also showcases Colorado’s leadership in inclusive outdoor recreation through organizations like Adaptive Adventures, whose team will summit Quandary Peak, demonstrating that outdoor adventure should be accessible to everyone regardless of physical ability.

“What makes Summit 2026 so special is the community behind it,” said Conor Hall, Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. “Each team represents a unique story, organization, or community working every day to connect people with Colorado’s outdoors. Together, these climbers remind us that stewardship, accessibility, and shared experiences are what make our outdoor recreation culture so strong.”

Every climbing team will be led by experienced volunteer leaders committed to responsible recreation, Leave No Trace principles, and participant safety. Inspired by Colorado’s historic 1976 Centennial Fourteeners Climb, Summit 2026 reimagines that statewide tradition for a new generation—building on the vision of those who celebrated Colorado’s 100th anniversary while emphasizing stewardship, inclusivity, and responsible recreation.

The Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office and Colorado Mountain Club continue to monitor wildfire activity and mountain conditions leading up to August 1. Out of an abundance of caution, the Mount Massive climbing team has been canceled in support of the Lake County community and ongoing public safety efforts. Additional updates will be reflected on Am250CO150.org.

Click here to view the complete list of 14er Climb: Summit 2026 climbing teams.

Find Your Own 14er

While official climbing teams have been selected, the Commission encourages everyone to take part through the Find Your Own 14er campaign.

The Centennial State is full of amazing places. Whether it’s hiking a local trail, visiting a state park, fishing, paddling, camping, or simply spending time outdoors with family and friends, every Coloradan is invited to celebrate Colorado Day by finding their own outdoor adventure and reflecting on how lucky we are to call Colorado home

Coloradans can also continue celebrating throughout the commemorative year by exploring the statewide events calendar at Am250CO150.org, featuring hundreds of community events, festivals, exhibits, performances, and outdoor experiences taking place across Colorado through December 2026.

About the America 250 – Colorado 150 Commemoration

The America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission is leading Colorado’s commemoration of 150 years of statehood and 250 years of American independence in 2026. Established by Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado General Assembly, the Commission brings together leaders from across the state to guide this historic milestone. Through its campaign, “The View From Here,” the Commission invites all Coloradans to reflect on our shared history and imagine the future, recognizing Colorado’s unique legacy as the only state founded on the nation’s 100th birthday in 1876. Working alongside state agencies, regional Advisory Panel members, and local communities, the Commission will showcase signature initiatives, educational programs, exhibits, and community-led events to inspire engagement statewide. For more information and ways to get involved, visit Am250CO150.org.

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Summer Concert Series: OneStraw Presents, July 24th 

Soak up the sun on the lawn of the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver for their annual Summer Concert Series. Enjoy free live music by OneStraw Presents, from 4:30 to 6:30. While you’re there, step inside the museum and enjoy their latest exhibition, Still in Sound. Food and drink will not be available for purchase, so pack a picnic and enjoy music from artists Matt Robidoux and Ritger and Sage.

Summer Concert Series: OneStraw Presents  | Jul. 24th • Clyfford Still Museum, Denver

FAN HALEN & Mr. Scary at Nissi’s, Jul. 31-Aug.1

Rock n’ roll fans are in for a thrilling weekend as FAN HALEN and Mr. Scary take over Nissi’s. “The world’s most authentic tribute to Van Halen” brings to life the sounds of the legendary metal band that defined an era. Hardcore metal fans can experience the fitting tribute to Dokken with Mr. Scary. Experience the music that defined a genre in one lively weekend.

FAN HALEN & Mr. Scary at Nissi’s | Jul. 31-Aug. 1 • Nissi’s, Lafayette

Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Festival Showcase, July 31st-Aug. 2nd

The Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Company presents a weekend of trapezing wonder at the 28th Annual Aerial Dance Festival. Professional dancers from around the globe will display strength, grace, athleticism, and artistic expression through original lyra, sling, dance trapeze, loops, rope and harness, invented apparatus, and circus choreography. Showcase performances will take place at 8 PM on July 31st, 8 PM on August 1st, and 2 PM on August 2nd. Tickets start at $33.35 and are available on the Dairy Arts Center website. 

Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Festival Showcase | July 31st-Aug. 2nd • Dairy Arts Center, Boulder

House Party, Jul. 31st

Let your nostalgia take over and dance your heart out at this 2010s-themed DJ rager in Boulder! Bring on the shutter shades, neon bracelets, and disposable cameras, and scream your heart out to Rihanna, LMFAO, Skrillex, MGMT, and more. Relive those 2010s nights you wish you could remember (or maybe forget).

House Party | Jul. 31st • Fox Theatre, Boulder

Erie Fest 2026, Aug. 1

The Being Better Neighbors Erie Fest is returning to Coal Creek Park for an afternoon of celebration for the community, culture, and traditions that all make up the town of Erie—featuring a rich collection of performances, activities, dances, music, entertainment, food, and more to represent Erie’s vibrant community.

Erie Fest 2026 | Aug. 1st • Coal Creek Park, Erie

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.

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Contact, RiNo Art District: Danielle Riha
marketing@rinoartdistrict.org | 720-593-6821

Contact, One River North: Bryant Palmer
bryant@ohheycreative.com | 917-225-6920

RiNo Community Flocks to One River North as Denver Artists Display Their Work in Progress

Save the date: the newest RiNo Made Pop-Up on the ground floor of One River North closes its temporary studio on August 27.

Denver, CO — On July 16, nearly 200 curious art-lovers filled the ground floor of One River North for a chance to peek into eight Denver artists’ dynamic works in progress in diverse media ranging from street photography to textiles and beyond. This Opening Celebration & Artist Talk offered the public an opportunity to meet the artists behind RiNo Art District’s current RiNo Made Pop-Up artist residency, which activates the ground floor of the for-lease residential building One River North.

Save the date for the next opportunity to explore this popular artist studio program, which pairs local artists with unoccupied retail spaces:

RiNo Made Pop-Up: Closing Reception & Artist Talks

Thursday, August 27 | 5-8 pm | Free to attend with registration

One River North | 3930 Blake Street

An intimate event where the artists of the RiNo Made Pop-Up showcase their dynamic new creations and answer questions about their process, inspirations, and experience adopting One River North as a creative hub.

The following eight multidisciplinary Denver-based artists are currently based at One River North:

• Armando Geneyro (documentary and street photography)

• Emily Grace King (encaustic monotype assemblies)

• Sharifa Lafon (time-based experimental media)

• Adrian Raya (paint, mural art)

• Cyrena Rosati (rock music, sculpture)

• Regan Rosburg (interdisciplinary, ecopsychology)

• Eileen Roscina (experimental film and photography)

• Maki Teshima (botanical dye textiles)

“We’re thrilled to partner with RiNo Art District for this summer-long collaboration,” said Jacquelyn Hammond, regional property manager for Greystar. “One River North fits perfectly in such an art-focused part of Denver, and we appreciate the opportunity to help support and celebrate Colorado artists in our building.”

About RiNo Made Pop-Ups > 

Full press release: “Innovative Pop-Up Artist Studio Program Returns to RiNo on Ground Floor of One River North” >

Behind-the-scenes IG images from RiNo Made Pop-Up artists >

Registration (free) for August 27’s Closing Reception & Artist Talks >

RiNo Art District is grateful to Presenting Sponsor KeyBank and to the RiNo Business Improvement District (BID) for funding which directly supports artistic programming including RiNo Made Pop-Ups.

About RiNo Art District

RiNo Art District (RAD) is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to supporting artists, creative businesses, and community through arts and cultural programming. Founded in 2005, RAD believes that diverse creative voices build stronger communities and works to ensure that art and creativity remain central in the district’s future.

About One River North

One River North is a signature luxury apartment building located in the RiNo Art District of Denver. Designed by world-renowned MAD Architects and built by the Max Collaborative, One River North includes a unique canyon carved out of the building’s facade, from the sixth to ninth floors, inspired by the Rocky Mountains.

The post RiNo Community Flocks to One River North as Denver Artists Display Their Work in Progress 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.

July 21, 2026

CDOT Media Room Contacts

As monsoon moisture moves into Colorado, CDOT urges drivers to prepare for flash flooding, mudslides and reduced visibility

Storms expected to peak Wednesday and Thursday raise flash flood risk over burn scars from this summer’s wildfires

Statewide – The Colorado Department of Transportation is asking drivers statewide to prepare for a shift in weather this week as monsoonal moisture moves into Colorado. CDOT forecasts the most active storms on Wednesday and Thursday, July 22 and 23, bringing sudden flash flooding, risks of mudslides, and elevated travel hazards. Flash floods present a severe danger on state highways, where fast-moving water, debris, and rockfalls can quickly wash out roads and/or wash debris onto the roadway.

Areas of particular concern include state highways near the Ferris and Gold Mountain fire burn scars, where vegetation loss increases the likelihood of sudden debris flows during and after heavy rain. CDOT crews are monitoring these corridors closely and are prepared to close roads on short notice if conditions become unsafe.

Safety reminders for motorists

• “Turn around, don’t drown.” Never attempt to drive through flooded roadways or standing water. Just 12 inches of rushing water can carry away a small car, and the road surface beneath may be completely washed away.
• Beware of burn scars and canyon roads. Rain falling miles away can trigger rapid mudslides or rockfalls downhill without warning. If you see mud, rocks, or water flowing onto the highway, stop or safely pull over before reaching the flow area.
• Reduce speed and turn on headlights. Maintain extra stopping distance between vehicles. Hydroplaning can occur at speeds as low as 35 mph on wet pavement.
• Avoid cruise control. Using cruise control on wet or slick pavement makes it harder to react to a sudden loss of traction.
• Avoid stopping under overpasses or unstable slopes. If trapped by rising water or a debris slide, stay inside your vehicle if it is safe to do so, or move immediately to higher ground if water begins entering the cabin.
• Watch for lightning at higher elevations. Pull over safely if visibility drops sharply during a storm

Preparation & planning

• Check COTrip: Check COTrip.org or the COtrip Planner app before heading out for real-time road conditions, closures and alerts.
• Summer driving information: For vehicle safety checklists and flash flood safety driving tips, visit www.codot.gov/summerdriving.
• Monitor weather warnings: Pay close attention to National Weather Service Flash Flood Watches and Warnings along your planned route.
• Pack an emergency vehicle kit: Prepare an emergency vehicle kit: Pack extra water, food, flashlights, first-aid supplies, and charged mobile devices in case of extended highway delays or detours.
• Respect road closures: Allow extra travel time, and if a route is closed, do not drive around barricades. Closures are in place for driver safety.

CDOT maintainers are pre-positioned with loaders, plows, and heavy equipment ready to clear rockfalls and mudslides on major corridors and in areas most at risk for flash flooding and debris flow, and will coordinate with the Colorado State Patrol, local emergency managers, and the National Weather Service as conditions warrant. If torrential rainfall creates imminent danger, CDOT may close high-risk stretches of highway (such as I-70 in Glenwood Canyon) proactively to keep travelers safe.

Wildfire & roadside ignitions

Even with incoming rain, months of low snowfall and persistent drought have left Colorado soils extremely dry and less able to absorb sudden, heavy rainfall. Even with incoming rain, highway corridors remain extremely vulnerable to fire. With most human-caused ignitions occurring within a few hundred feet of the roadway, CDOT and local fire agencies respond to multiple vehicle-related fires every day during the summer. More information at www.codot.gov/summerdriving.

About CDOT’s Division of Maintenance and Operations

The vision of the Division of Maintenance & Operations is to create one integrated division. The division focus is on real-time maintenance and operations services, as well as near-term improvement projects. We can best support the crucial work of our five CDOT regions. Our support helps to provide the optimal service and safety for the traveling public in Colorado. CDOT’s DMO – we do more than you think.

Download the COtrip Planner App!

The free COtrip Planner mobile app was designed to meet the growing trend of information on mobile and tablet devices for the traveling public. The COtrip Planner app provides statewide, real-time traffic information and works on mobile devices that operate on the iOS and Android platforms. Visit the Google Play Store (Android devices) or the Apple Store (iOS devices) to download!

About CDOT

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s mission is to provide the best multi-modal transportation system that most effectively and safely moves people, goods, and information. CDOT maintains more than 23,000 lane miles of highway, more than 3,400 bridges and 35 mountain passes. Our team of employees works tirelessly to reduce the rate and severity of crashes and improve the safety of all modes of transportation. CDOT leverages partnerships with a range of private and public organizations and operates Bustang, an interregional express bus service. Find more details at codot.gov.

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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.

PRESS ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: July 21, 2026

Contact:

Leah Bry| 303.842.6251| Leahbfree@gmail.com

Devin Luna| 720.429.9074 | devin.dandelion@proton.me

ACTION DATE, TIME: July 23, 6:00 pm

ACTION LOCATION: In front of Union Station, Denver, CO

DENVER JEWS GRIEVE LOSS OF PALESTINIAN HOMES AND HOMELAND IN PUBLIC RITUAL FOR TISHA B’AV – THEIR HOLIDAY OF GRIEF

Dozens of local Jews, Palestinians, and their allies interrupt business as usual outside Union Station, creating a temporary public art exhibit memorializing Israel’s destruction of Palestinian homes and homeland.

July 23, 6:00 PM, Union Station, Denver, CO

What: Tisha B’Av is a Jewish holiday traditionally commemorating the destruction of the 2nd temple in Jerusalem thousands of years ago. It is usually observed as a somber fast day and opportunity to air and express deep grief. This year, members of Jewish Voice for Peace, Rabbis for Ceasefire, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, the Denver Jewish community, local Palestinian residents, and allies will be holding a public grief ritual and temporary art installation for Tisha B’Av.

In recognition of the 92% of homes destroyed in Gaza over the past three years, the thousands of homes destroyed in the West Bank, and the 750,000 Palestinians displaced from their homes during the 1948 Nakba, our Tisha B’Av ritual this year focuses on collectively grieving the loss of Palestinian Homes and Homeland, while drawing attention back to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and escalating ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

In partnership with local artist Leah Bry, we will be collaboratively creating a temporary public art installation. Our ritual and art installation will invite the public into memorializing the loss of Palestinian homes and homeland as well as into a collective commitment of solidarity in defending Palestinian rights to freedom, justice, dignity, equality, and the right of return. Many will not expect to see Jews publicly grieving for and with Palestinians: we hope that our solidarity illuminates the complexity and poignancy of this solemn Jewish holiday.

Who: Denver/Boulder Jewish Voice for Peace, USPCN (the United States Palestinian Community Network), CPC (Colorado Palestine Coalition), Rabbis for Ceasefire, and more. We will bring out a multi-generational group of Colorado Jews, Palestinians, and allies across different levels of observance.

When: July 23, 6:00 PM

Where: Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver, CO

Why: The Israeli government and Zionist organizations use the holiday of Tisha B’Av and the tragedy of the destruction of the Second Temple as a religious and nationalistic rallying cry to maintain and strengthen policies of apartheid and colonization of Palestinian land. We insist on reinterpreting this holiday from an ethno-nationalist desecration of a historical tragedy to a memorialization of the current and ongoing genocide in Gaza and a space for Jews, Palestinians, and allies to express our grief at the destruction and genocide in Gaza and beyond.

Media welcome: Interviews will be available with a local Jewish Rabbi, Palestinian and Jewish participants, and organizers. Visuals include video and photos of:

• An eight-foot-tall colorful, beautiful, participatory art installation, collaboratively created with a local artist RIGHT in front of Union Station – Denver’s living room and third space
• Dozens of Jewish people (some wearing prayer garb) praying, singing, chanting, tearing fabric, creating an art installation, and grieving the loss of Palestinian homes and homeland alongside Palestinians and allies
• Children, youth, adults, and elders gathering to observe Tisha B’Av in public, in hopes of drawing attention to Israel’s ongoing destruction of homes in Gaza and the escalating destruction of Palestinian homes and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank

The Jewish Voice for Peace family of organizations organizes a grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, intergenerational movement of U.S. Jews into solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle, guided by a vision of justice, equality and dignity for all people. Jewish Voice for Peace Action (JVP Action), our 501(c)(4) organization, is now doing business as Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), while our 501(c)(3) work continues through JVP Leadership and Culture Lab (JVP Lab). JVP is the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world.

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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.

FRPRD Contact:

Tara Trujillo

720-333-3425

MEDIA ADVISORY

The Passenger Train Conversation Continues: 20 Town Halls Down, 10 More to Go

Town Halls in July and August Continue Statewide Public Engagement on Colorado Connector

DENVER, CO – The Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPRD) has scheduled 10 additional town hall-style listening sessions as an opportunity to hear from Coloradans about its draft Colorado Connector (CoCo) Service Delivery Plan, which details the District’s plan to deliver express intercity train service along the Front Range.

The District has already hosted 20 town hall events this year, with several attracting more than 200 attendees. Feedback from local governments, businesses, residents, and stakeholders helped to shape station locations, service plans, and long-term priorities. These town halls are part of a broader outreach effort designed to provide clear, factual information about the project and gather community input as planning advances. The fresh round of citizen engagement will inform the draft delivery plan before the FRPRD Board considers whether to refer it to voters as a ballot measure.

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Hear a brief overview of the proposed service
• Ask questions directly to project officials
• Share feedback and local priorities

All sessions are informational and reflect the District’s statutory responsibility to conduct transparent public engagement before any future decisions are considered. Residents and community members are encouraged to attend.

Town hall dates and locations are subject to change. The latest information can be found online at mobilize.us/ridethefrontrange.

EVENT DETAILS (Listed Chronologically)

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Westminster

Location: Front Range Community College Westminster Campus, 3645 W 112th Ave., Entrance 1, Westminster, CO 80031

Date: Monday, July 20, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Denver Colorado People’s Center

Location: Colorado People’s Center, 730 21st St., Denver, CO 80205

Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Longmont

Location: Front Range Community College Boulder Campus, 2190 Miller Dr., Longmont, CO 80501

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Boulder

Location: East Boulder Recreation Center, 5660 Sioux Dr., Boulder, CO 80303

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Loveland

Location: Rialto Theater, 228 E 4th St., Loveland, CO 80537

Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Fort Collins

Location: Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80526

Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Pueblo

Location: Pueblo Community College: Hoag Theatre, 900 W Orman Ave., Pueblo, CO 81004

Date: Thursday, August 6, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Littleton

Location: Buck Recreation Center, 2004 W Powers Ave., Littleton, CO 80120

Date: Monday, August 10, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Denver Blossom House

Location: Blossom House, 3300 W Nevada Pl., Denver, CO 80219

Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Colorado Springs

Location: Hillside Community Center, 925 S Institute St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

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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 RELEASE

Wed., July 22, 2026

Contact: Priya Telang, 313-820-2428, ptelang@cohealthinitiative.org

Katie Reinisch, 303-653-1009, katie@progressive-promotions.com

Consumer Advocates Blast Proposed Skyrocketing Health Insurance Rates Caused by GOP’s Big Ugly Bill, Expiration of Tax Credits

Average proposed rates up 11%; direct result of Trump-led policies

DENVER – Colorado families already face high housing, food, and gas costs, and today, thanks to the Republican-led Congress and Trump administration, proposed health insurance rates have again jumped by over 10%. Colorado’s health insurance companies requested average premium increases of 11% statewide, as released by the Division of Insurance.

BACKGROUND

The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative blasted Republicans in Congress for voting to pass Trump’s Big Ugly Bill (HR1) and later terminating expanded ACA tax credits last year. All of Colorado’s Republicans in Congress voted in favor of H.R. 1, and only Representative Jeff Hurd voted in favor of temporarily extending the ACA tax credits in a last-ditch effort in January. All of these cuts to Medicaid and the ACA will lead to massive coverage losses in Colorado. When those tax credits expired in January, plan costs skyrocketed an average of 100%, even with state action to blunt the impact. Colorado has seen a 7% reduction in enrollments in the first part of 2026, and even with state help, many families are struggling to keep their insurance plans. Individuals, families, and small businesses will see higher rates again this year as a result of widespread market instability caused by the termination of the enhanced tax credits and other cuts ushered in by the Trump administration. Republicans chose to let tax credits expire so they could fund tax breaks for billionaires.

NEXT STEPS

The preliminary rates will require rigorous review and adjustment by the DOI and the carriers to ensure consumers are not taken advantage of by unfair or unjustified assumptions and high rates. The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative’s policy experts will analyze and advocate during the review process.

THE ROLE OF CONGRESS

“Rates are skyrocketing yet again,” said Priya Telang, communications manager of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. “The Trump-led Republican Congress has slashed healthcare help for families and small businesses that need it so they can fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations. This just adds to the affordability crisis Coloradans are facing and will only get worse when the Medicaid cuts from H.R. 1 start in full in January. This isn’t what Coloradans want or support, and the members of Congress that voted for this must be held accountable.”

THE ROLE OF INSURERS

“Insurance carriers aren’t doing enough to control costs and may be taking advantage of Republicans’ chaotic policy changes for the highest possible profit at individual consumers’ expense. Cigna, for example, which for unclear reasons is withdrawing from the individual market nationally for 2027, consistently maximized its profits with its rates in Colorado. Insurers must be held accountable if they are hiking their rates to maximize their profits,” continued Telang.

The standardized Colorado Option plans allow consumers to compare apples-to-apples plans across insurers with standardized benefits. In almost all counties, the Colorado Option plans have been cheaper than the average premiums for non-Colorado Option plans, as insurers are required to keep premiums lower on these plans. However, the market shocks created by Republicans are still affecting Colorado Option premiums.

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Division of Insurance will make the preliminary premium filings from the insurance companies available for review, and any public comments must be received by 8/12/2026.

Q&A

Q: Who’s to blame for rate increases?

A: The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative blames both the Trump-led Republican Congress and insurers who may be taking advantage of market uncertainty. Federal tax credits, which had made healthcare affordable for many, expired last December because of Republicans in Congress. That hit Colorado families hard. Plan rates skyrocketed, and people are dropping their coverage or struggling even more to afford their insurance. Insurers, seeing insecurity in the market, have passed those costs on to consumers who are already struggling with affordability in this economy.

Q: Who does this affect?

A: Individuals, families, and small businesses who buy their insurance on the individual market. That’s about 260,000 Coloradans.

Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, membership-based group advocating for equitable access to high-quality, affordable health care. CCHI ??serves Coloradans whose access to health care and financial security are compromised by structural barriers, affordability, poor benefits, or unfair business practices of the health care industry.

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This Storyshare is republished in whole from The Conversation.

Featured photo: The pharmaceutical company Amgen argues that Colorado’s price cap interferes with federal patent law. philipdyer/iStock via Getty Images Plus

by Shweta Kumar, University of Kentucky

Colorado is one of a handful of states with a review board for drug prices and one of only four with a board empowered to set upper limits on what state agencies, insurers and other purchasers may pay or be reimbursed for certain high-cost drugs dispensed to patients in the state.

In fall 2025, the Colorado board capped Enbrel, an immunosuppressant drug made by Amgen used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and other autoimmune conditions, at US$600 per weekly dose. That’s about $31,200 per year, which is much less than the approximately $53,000 the average Colorado health plan paid for the drug in 2023.

The price cap was set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. But a lawsuit brought by Amgen could delay or block it altogether.

The cap set by the Colorado board is roughly in line with the maximum fair price the federal government negotiated for Enbrel under Medicare, which took effect in January 2026.

The list price of Enbrel, which has been on the market since 1998, has risen by more than 1,500% since its launch. Amgen generated $2.23 billion in sales in 2025 alone.

I study how patent law and drug regulation shape access to medicine. This case sits at the center of a fight that will determine whether states can do more than document high drug prices and make policy recommendations. Its outcome could decide whether states such as Colorado can meaningfully regulate drug prices, or whether federal patent law will stand in their way.

The lawsuit

In Amgen Inc. v. Mizner, Chief Judge Daniel D. Domenico granted Amgen a preliminary injunction on July 1, 2026. The ruling barred the Colorado Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board from enforcing the upper payment limit it set for Enbrel.

A prior lawsuit in the same court, filed in 2024 after the Colorado review board selected Enbrel for review, was dismissed in March 2025 by Judge Nina Y. Wang.

The court reasoned that Amgen, as a manufacturer at the top of the supply chain, was not directly regulated by the law, which applied only to downstream transactions, and thus had no right to sue the state. Those transactions include pharmacy-to-consumer sales, payer reimbursements, and pharmacies’ and providers’ purchases. The court also reasoned that with no upper payment limit yet set, any injury was “too speculative to support standing.” Amgen refiled the present suit once Colorado actually set its upper payment limit.

Amgen’s challenge rests on the doctrine of patent preemption. Under the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause, when a state law conflicts with a federal law, the state law is invalidated, or “preempted,” by the federal law. While federal patent law does not expressly bar states from capping drug prices, Amgen argued that the cap is preempted because it interferes with patent law’s core objective of allowing inventors to recoup the costs of research and development with a limited monopoly.

A patent gives its holder roughly 20 years to exclude others from making, selling and using an invention. Drugmakers argue that they need that window to earn back the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars they say it takes to bring a new medicine to market. However, researchers have disputed those figures as inflated and difficult to verify.

The preemption argument is based on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s 2007 decision in Biotechnology Industry Organization v. District of Columbia, which struck down a Washington, D.C., drug-pricing law.

In the Colorado case, Judge Domenico viewed the 2007 decision as binding, reasoning that balancing innovators’ profits and consumers’ access to innovation is a task exclusively for Congress, which it undertook in the Patent Act.

The court also rejected the board’s argument that the cap only affects what downstream purchasers pay, writing that “it is not necessary to unravel the entire system to understand that, as a result of Colorado’s cap, Amgen will receive less money from its wholesalers and will fare more poorly in negotiations with other purchasers in Colorado and elsewhere.”

Why the ruling is contested

Still, the fight isn’t over.

That’s because patents confer a right to exclude competitors, not an affirmative right to sell, much less to recoup a particular profit. The court conceded this point, yet it treated any state-imposed reduction in Amgen’s expected profits as an obstacle to Congress’ purpose of balancing profits and access to innovation in the Patent Act.

Governments routinely limit what patent owners earn. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that states are permitted to tax sales of or outright ban inventions that happen to be patented. In 2003, the Supreme Court upheld a Maine program designed to pressure drug manufacturers into lowering prices.

And federal courts have uniformly rejected the pharmaceutical industry’s challenges to Medicare drug price negotiation.

The same logic could apply to the right-to-repair laws two dozen states have enacted, which require manufacturers such as Apple and John Deere to sell repair parts – many of them patented – at fair and reasonable prices. An overbroad reading of patent preemption would effectively gut state right-to-repair laws, enabling patentees to exert extraordinary control over downstream prices of consumer goods. And prescription drugs are no exception.

There are also differences between the two laws the court treated as equivalent. The D.C. law penalized manufacturers for “excessive” pricing of patented drugs, specifically targeting patented inventions. Colorado’s criteria apply to all drugs, patented or not. Furthermore, the Colorado law gives manufacturers a voice in the review by permitting them to submit data and participate in hearings before any upper payment limit is set.

Domenico offered that Colorado may pursue affordability through “subsidization” or “using its market power to negotiate lower prices,” just not “by capping the price of a patented drug.”

What happens next?

A preliminary injunction is not a final ruling.

Because the injunction paused the cap before it ever took effect, the pressure on Amgen to reduce the price of Enbrel or pull it from the Colorado market is now on hold. Because the case arises under patent law, any appeal would be heard by the Federal Circuit, the same court that decided to strike down the Washington, D.C., drug-pricing law in 2007.

If the Federal Circuit does not overrule its 2007 decision or find it inapplicable to Colorado’s law, the Colorado upper price limit may survive only if the Supreme Court steps in.

The stakes extend well beyond Colorado.

Although 4 in 10 American adults report being unable to afford taking their medication as prescribed, federal action hasn’t filled this gap. The White House touts its “most-favored-nation” drug deals and TrumpRx.gov, but the voluntary deals mainly benefit Medicaid and cash-paying patients, leaving most insured Americans’ prices, including for drugs such as Enbrel, untouched.

President Donald Trump announced the launch of TrumpRx, a website intended to sell prescription drugs at a discounted price, on Feb. 5, 2026. Nathan Howard/Stringer via Getty Images

Medicare’s negotiation program, though popular with voters across party lines, covers only 10-20 additional drugs a year and does not affect the private insurance market, meaning only Medicare recipients see those lower prices.

Other states, including Maryland, Washington and Minnesota, each of which has its own affordability review board, are developing their own payment limits and will be watching this case closely. Maryland has already agreed to cap prices for the diabetes drugs Ozempic and Jardiance. Whatever the District Court decides, the question is bound for the Federal Circuit – and its answer will set the limits of what every affordability board in the country can actually do.

Read more of our stories about Colorado.

Shweta Kumar, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Kentucky

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The post Colorado was the first state to cap a drug’s price – then a federal court stepped in appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This Storyshare is republished in whole from The Conversation.

Featured photo: Heavy wildfire smoke from Canada’s forests turn skies orange in Toronto and across parts of the U.S. in July 2026. Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

by Colleen E. Reid, University of Colorado Boulder

Wildfire smoke from fires burning in Canada and northern Minnesota has been pouring across the Great Lakes and northeastern U.S. states, turning skies an eerie shade of orange. In the West, smoke has also been spreading into communities in Colorado and neighboring states as more wildfires burn in hot, dry conditions in July 2026.

University of Colorado environmental health researcher Colleen Reid explains what’s in that smoke and why breathing it is a health concern everyone should be aware of.

What is in wildfire smoke?

Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture that includes nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matter. When homes or buildings also burn, they can release an even more toxic stew of chemicals from burning electronics, furniture, plastics, paints and much more.

What you see when you see a smoke plume or when the air is hazy with wildfire smoke are the tiny particles that are too small to fall to the ground right away with gravity.

These particles, which scientists call particulate matter, are very small – we measure them in microns. When you breathe them in, they can harm your health. The smaller the particles, the deeper they can get into your lungs and body.

EPA air quality monitors show high risks from smoke in many parts of the Great Lakes and northeastern U.S. on July 15, 2026. Reds are considered very unhealthy levels. Purples are either extremely unhealthy for light purple or hazardous for areas in maroon. AirNow Fire and Smoke Map

You may have heard the term PM2.5. It means particles that are 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter, many times smaller than the width of a human hair. High concentrations of these particles in the air during wildfire smoke episodes are what trigger air quality alerts.

Has wildfire smoke been increasing recently, and why?

Yes, wildfires have become more frequent and more intense just in the past couple of decades, and when wildfires become more frequent and intense, so does the smoke.

Scientists have found that wildfires are becoming more frequent due to a variety of factors that include increases in fire weather – hot, dry, windy conditions that fuel the spread of fires due to climate change – as well as other natural and human factors. The reasons for the increases in wildfires vary in different parts of the world.

Other studies have found that wildfire smoke makes up an increasing portion of the PM2.5 in the air in the U.S., and in many areas it is offsetting the decreases in air pollution that the U.S. has gained through regulations of industrial and vehicle emissions under the Clean Air Act.

How could wildfire smoke affect my health?

Some effects of breathing wildfire smoke include shortness of breath, coughing, itchy or watery eyes, headaches, rashes, and itchiness. But smoke can cause more serious harm. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that hospitalizations and emergency department visits for asthma and other respiratory diseases increase during wildfire smoke events.

After you breathe in the particles, they cause inflammation and oxidative stress, and they can move into the blood and spread throughout the body, affecting other organ systems.

The height of a smoke plume, like this one from Colorado’s Aspen Acres fire near Pueblo on July 1, 2026, affects the amount of particles and chemicals people on the ground are exposed to. But generally, if you can smell smoke, you’re breathing it in. Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Breathing wildfire smoke has been associated with higher risk of preterm births and other issues during pregnancy, and potentially cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes, although the evidence for these effects are more mixed.

The longer-term health effects of wildfire smoke are less clear, but it is a growing area of research.

Where can I learn more about wildfire smoke risks where I live?

The first thing to do to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is to know how bad the smoke is and how long it is going to last.

One great place to get information for where you live on current wildfire smoke is fire.airnow.gov. You can zoom in on the map to where you live and find color-coded circles reflecting data from both U.S. EPA air-quality monitors and PurpleAir sensors that people have put in their homes.

The colors show the level of PM2.5 at that location and suggest the associated health risk.

To find out how wildfire smoke is expected to change over time in North America, you can look at maps from FireSmoke Canada and the U.S. Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program.

What can I do to protect myself and my family from wildfire smoke?

First of all, depending on the level of the air quality index where you are, there are different recommendations. When wildfire smoke reaches unhealthy levels, stay indoors as much as possible, with doors and windows shut to keep the wildfire smoke out.

If you have an air cleaner, use it, but check the filter, as filters can fill up quickly. Similarly, check the filter on your home HVAC system and replace it if needed.

If you have to go outside, consider wearing a well-fitting N95, KN95, or KF94 mask. These masks can protect you from inhaling particles in the air around you. Looser masks, such as surgical masks, mostly protect others from what you breathe out instead. They do not have a tight seal around your mouth, and when you breathe in, the air with all of the particles can find its way around the sides of the mask.

Having a tight fit of the mask to your face is important so that when you breathe, the air is going through the mask and capturing the smoke particles rather than letting them into your body where they cause harm.

If your home is leaky and you can see haze inside, consider going to a public space, such as a library or mall, with a good HVAC system. Some municipalities have designated clean air spaces where anyone can go.

Colleen E. Reid, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The post Yes, breathing wildfire smoke can harm your health – here’s what you can do to protect yourself 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:

George Laumeyer, Public Information Officer

george.laumeyerii@state.co.us

720-610-1576

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BHA Streamlines Behavioral Health Access with New Statewide Phone Number 1-844-CO-LIFTS

DENVER (July 21, 2026) – Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) officials proudly announced the launch of 1-844-CO-LIFTS, a free-to-use, unified phone number designed to instantly bridge the gap between those in need of mental health, substance use, and care navigation services. This number represents an important step toward improving access to behavioral health services statewide through Colorado LIFTS (Linking Individuals and Families To Services).

“When someone is seeking behavioral health support, the absolute last thing they need is a complicated directory of different regional phone numbers,” said Alyssa Hetschel, Colorado LIFTS Division Director with BHA. “1-844-CO-LIFTS simplifies the entire process. The early data proves that not only are people finding this resource, but our regional care navigation teams are successfully resolving their needs almost immediately.”

1-844-CO-LIFTS offers a single, memorable point of entry to a list of more than 250 behavioral health providers statewide, routing callers directly to local resources tailored to their specific geographic community. This number also supports individuals with real-time assistance from a care navigator to connect people through the sometimes complex landscape of mental health, substance use, crisis services, and resources when they need it the most.

A resident in rural Otero County faced barriers to specialty behavioral health care due to limited local resources, insurance challenges, and transportation issues. Signal Behavioral Health Network (Signal) provided advocacy and navigation support, helping him stay engaged in pursuing needed care despite a complex and frustrating system.

“We applaud BHA for continuing to improve the experience for individuals and families seeking care by removing a point of complexity from the process.” added Daniel Darting, CEO of Signal.

Signal is one of two partners who works in tandem with BHA to ensure the Colorado LIFTS network works seamlessly across the state, including Rocky Mountain Health Plans. They are tasked with managing, coordinating, and delivering comprehensive, localized behavioral health services, including mental health and substance support, and crisis services, to ensure everyone in Colorado has access to high-quality care.

Colorado LIFTS officially launched in the summer of 2025, primarily accessed through the web and region-specific call lines. By consolidating regional entry points into a single number, 1-844-CO-LIFTS, Colorado is ensuring that help is never more than a few digits away, no matter where a person lives in the state.

In addition to the phone line, residents can find personalized support, access regional maps and localized resource directories, and digital support tools on the official website at Ownpath.co.

About the Behavioral Health Administration

The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is the state administration responsible for ensuring all people in Colorado have access to quality mental health and substance use disorder services, regardless of where they live or ability to pay. As a regulatory body, BHA brings together community groups and governmental agencies to create a behavioral health system for all people in Colorado that is easy to access and offers high-quality care that considers the whole person and their needs. Find us online at https://bha.colorado.gov/.

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Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Media contacts:

Emi Smith, smithe@bouldercolorado.gov, Media Relations, 720-822-9529

Lauren Click, clickl@bouldercolorado.gov, Office of Arts and Culture Manager

bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder opens applications for Arts Business Cohort

Free program helps artists build business skills and strengthen creative careers

BOULDER, Colo. – The City of Boulder’s Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) serving Boulder County, is now accepting applications for the Arts Business Cohort. The free program is designed to provide artists and creatives with the business knowledge, practical tools and professional support needed to build sustainable creative careers.

“Creative talent is only one part of building a successful career. Artists are also entrepreneurs who must navigate marketing, finances, contracts and long-term planning,” said CJ Frizzell, Grants and Program Manager at the Boulder SBDC. “This cohort is designed to give artists practical business tools and a supportive network so they can build enduring livelihoods.”

The Arts Business Cohort includes eight weeks of hands-on learning sessions, direct access to Boulder SBDC advisors, local attorneys, certified public accountants, lenders and experienced creative entrepreneurs, and a peer cohort of 8 to 10 fellow artists for accountability, connection and collaboration. Participants who complete the program will also receive a $1,000 stipend to reinvest in their creative practice or business.

“As part of executing the Boulder Arts Blueprint, we are investing in the long-term success of our creative community by helping artists develop the business skills, networks and confidence needed to grow resilient creative enterprises,” said Lauren Click, Office of Arts and Culture Manager. “The Arts Business Cohort exemplifies how the Office of Cultural and Economic Development – which houses both the Office of Arts and Culture and the Boulder SBDC – is aligning arts, culture and entrepreneurship to strengthen Boulder’s creative economy.”

The curriculum combines foundational business topics such as pricing, budgeting, legal structures, marketing and funding with creative-sector-specific instruction focused on developing an artist statement, identifying target audiences, protecting creative work and building a sustainable practice. Sessions take place Thursday afternoons (Sept. 3 – Oct. 22), 4:00 to 6:30 p.m., with some independent work between sessions.

The City of Boulder welcomes applications from Boulder-based artists working in any discipline, including visual arts, music, theater, writing, dance, craft, and interdisciplinary practices. Applications are open now through Aug. 18, 2026.

To learn more about the Arts Business Cohort or to fill out an application, please visit the city 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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Anna DelValle

July 22, 2026

(303) 535-3533

anna@gratalegal.com

Galileo Wise Sues Boulder Police Officers for Tackling Him Off His Bike and Detaining Him Without Legal Justification

Boulder, Colo. – Today Grata Law and Policy LLC filed a complaint in Boulder District Court on behalf of Galileo Wise, a Boulder County teen who was riding his bicycle through the underpass at College and Broadway when he was tackled and detained by a group of Boulder police officers pursuing a suspect who had robbed a bank across town. Police heard on their radios that the suspect had “tan skin” and was wearing a “lime green shirt” and “clear glasses.” Although Galileo didn’t match that description in any respect, police stopped him and forced him to the ground because, in their words, they saw a bicyclist wearing something “greenish.”

At the time the officers forced 17-year-old Galileo to the ground, a tracker in the money taken by the bank robber was essentially stationary at a nearby Starbucks. Galileo had not been in the Starbucks and was not stationary – he was riding his bicycle. But for no other reason than that he was in the general vicinity and was wearing something “greenish,” Boulder police forced Galileo from his bike to the ground without probable cause or reasonable suspicion, causing him injuries.

After realizing that the teenager they were detaining didn’t bear any resemblance to the bank robber, an officer then lied to Galileo to justify the arrest. Boulder Police Officer Austin Myers stated that the suspect reportedly was wearing “tan clothing and green clothing” and was “on a bike” when that was not in fact the suspect’s description. Officers also told Galileo that the suspect’s tracker had pinged at “pretty much your exact location,” which again was untrue. Officer Myers then spoke to Galileo’s mother and father on the phone and made similar false statements to each of them.

The case was reviewed by Boulder Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit, the City’s Independent Police Monitor, and Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel. After that review, the Boulder Police Department Sergeant on the scene, Sgt. Steven Faber, was found by Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn to have wrongfully extended the detention of Mr. Wise after any reasonable suspicion dissipated, which is a violation of the Boulder Police Department’s internal rules.

As for deciding to take down a youth on a bicycle, ultimately, the police concluded the suspect “might have been on a bus,” which should have been obvious at the time the police were monitoring the tracker in the money, because the robber’s path matched the HOP bus route exactly from the 29th Street Mall to College Ave.

About two hours later, the bank robber was apprehended. He looks nothing like Galileo.

Galileo Wise

Apprehended bank robber

Dan Williams, counsel for Mr. Wise, said: “This lawsuit seeks to hold the Boulder Police Department responsible both for the injuries caused by their overzealous officers pouncing on someone simply for wearing something ‘greenish,’ and for lying about it after the fact.”

Mr. Wise is represented by Dan Williams and Clarice Tenorio of Grata Law and Policy LLC. The complaint filed in Boulder District Court can be found here.

Bodycam footage from the encounter can be found here.

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Media contact: Ali Brady, abrady@philosophycommunication.com

DENVER — July 16, 2026 — History Colorado is inviting communities across the state to commemorate Colorado Day on Saturday, August 1, 2026, with statewide experiences marking 150 years of the Centennial State. This year is especially significant, as Colorado’s Sesquicentennial coincides with America’s Semiquincentennial marking a once-in-a-generation Sesquisemiquincentennial. As the only state commemorating these twin anniversaries in 2026, Colorado has a unique opportunity to reflect on our shared past, celebrate the stories that connect us, and imagine the future we will build together.

Free events will take place in communities across Colorado on Saturday, August 1, 2026, each filled with family fun and infused with local flavor. Here are a few highlights of the events:

Colorado Day Community Fest 2026 | Denver, CO

Join History Colorado and its community and cultural partners on Saturday, August 1, 2026, for a historic, once-in-a-generation commemoration: Colorado Day Community Fest 2026. From 9 am to 1 pm, Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District will feature music, art, food, and activities that highlight Colorado’s remarkable culture. Start the morning with a free community pancake breakfast and sing-along of “Rocky Mountain High” led by Isaac Slade, formerly of The Fray; outdoor street festivities; and free admission to the History Colorado Center, the Center for Colorado Women’s History, and the Denver Art Museum.

Colorado Day Community Fest 2026 is made possible in part through the generous support of the Colorado Mining Association, Xcel Energy, and Denver7.

Statewide Colorado Day Events:

History Colorado museums across the state are offering free events and experiences across the state on Colorado Day. These free events include:

Center for Colorado Women’s History | Denver, CO

Free museum admission, interactive community art project, musicians, the grand opening of the Shared History mural, performances, games, and Open House Women’s History Tours with the Votes and Dreams exhibition. Host location for Colorado Day Community Fest. Colorado Day attractions open from 10 am to 5 pm. Free museum admission available from 10 am to 5 pm.

El Pueblo History Museum | Pueblo, CO

Free admission, live entertainment, games, crafts, food trucks, historical demos, local experts, and hands-on fun. Colorado Day attractions are open from 11 am to 4 pm. Free museum admission available from 11 am to 3 pm. Free museum admission available from 9 am to 5 pm.

Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center | Fort Garland, CO

Free admission, an artisan market, live music, food trucks, artist talk and the opening of O Say Can You See exhibition by Chloé Duplessis, flag raising by Buffalo Soldiers re-enactors, and Buffalo Soldier presentation by Dennis Moore. Colorado Day attractions are open from 9 am to 2 pm.

Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park | Georgetown, CO

Colorado-themed activities, gold panning, mine tours, and special educational programming with Nature Educators. Events are from 10 am to 5 pm.

Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin | Leadville, CO

Free admission, lawn games, refreshments, and an old-time photo booth. Full tours will be regular price. Colorado Day attractions are from 9:45 am to 4 pm. Free museum admission available from 9:45 am to 4 pm.

History Colorado Center | Denver, CO

Free admission, Denver7 story hour, gold panning with the Georgetown Loop, activations and activities within exhibition spaces, face painters, history lab activities, archaeology activities, Setting Colorado’s Table: 150 Years of Agricultural Legacy book launch and mural hosted in the atrium, interactions with departments across History Colorado. Host location for Colorado Day Community Fest. Colorado Day inside the museum attractions are from 10 am to 5 pm. Free museum admission available from 10 am to 5 pm.

Trinidad History Museum | Trinidad, CO

Free admission, lawn games, the 150: Framed A Visual History community mural installation, and interactive Adobe Horno Build workshop. Colorado Day attractions are from 10 am to 3 pm. Free museum admission available from 10 am to 4 pm.

Ute Indian Museum | Montrose, CO

Free admission, outdoor and indoor scavenger hunt, film series throughout the day, kids activities and cultural workshop, naturescape playground, Ute Ethnobotany Garden, honoring 51 Native American Tribes. Colorado Day attractions are from 9 am to 4:30 pm. Free museum admission available from 9am to 4:30 pm.

August Events and Experiences:

Colorado Day 150th Celebration Trains & Tours | Georgetown, CO

Georgetown Loop Railroad | July 31 – August 2, 10 am – 3:50 pm

Celebrate the spirit of Colorado with a day dedicated to the state’s history, wildlife, and natural beauty. Featuring special programming with Nature’s Educators and additional Colorado-themed activities, this event honors everything that makes Colorado unique. Colorado Day 150th Celebration Trains have three opportunities varying in time slots, pricing, and tour activities. Additional details for each train tour can be found on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Event Page. RSVP to reserve your tickets!

Monday Morning Movement & Meditation | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | August 3, 8 – 8:40 am Join us each Monday morning for free yoga and meditation classes between May 11 and October 5 on the Trinidad History Museum’s Bloom Lawns with Jennifer Allen. Please bring a water bottle and 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’s Women History | August 4, 11, 18, & 25, 4 – 7 pm.

Join us at the Center for Colorado Women’s History every Tuesday evening in August for special summer hours! The museum will remain open until 7 pm for General Admission and the 45-minute Women’s History Tour. The Votes and Dreams exhibit is available to view on the first floor of the museum and is included in General Admission. Tickets can be purchased online, or in-person. For additional information, please contact Cat Jensen cat.jensen@state.co.us.

“Curiosities of Cripple Creek” Overnight | Denver, CO

History Colorado Center | August 5 – 7

Explore rich mining, railroad, and natural history of Cripple Creek and Victor, including a ride on the Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad and visit to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Tickets are $1,045 or $800 for members.

Move & Groove: Family Fitness Class | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | August 7 & 21, 9 – 10 am.

Join us 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.

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

Healy House Museum & Dexter Cabin | August 7, 5 – 6:30 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. Tickets are $10 or free for members.

How-To: New Life for Family Heirlooms | Virtual

History Colorado | August 11, 12 – 1 pm.

Learn how to breathe new life into your family’s artifacts in this virtual workshop with History Colorado curator Dr. Rachael Storm. Match the past to the present – so those old chairs, quilts, and photographs can be a part of the next generations’ futures. Dr. Storm will also share a project she is working on: transforming a 100-year-old quilt, handed down through her husband’s family, into multiple panels for wall display. Reserve your spot in advance.

Tuesday Night Summer Socials | Denver, CO

Center for Colorado Women’s History | August 11, 18, & 25, 4 – 7 pm.

Visit the Center for Colorado Women’s History on Tuesday evenings this summer for extended hours, guided women’s history tours, and the Votes and Dreams exhibition. General admission tickets are $10 and Women’s History Tour is $15. Member tickets are free.

Museum Connections: Finding Balance: Revenue and Financial Accessibility of Educational Programs | Virtual

History Colorado | August 12, 12 – 1 pm.

Education programs can be an important source of revenue for an organization while remaining financially accessible to those who need it the most. Join History Colorado’s April Legg, chief education officer, for a discussion about how History Colorado balances revenue generation and financial accessibility for several marquee education programs. Each month a new topic will be covered that focuses on 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 Program.

Colorado’s State Residential Historic Preservation Tax Credits Webinar | Virtual

August 12, 12 – 1 pm.

Learn how Colorado’s State Residential Historic Preservation Tax Credit can support home rehabilitation projects during this free informational webinar. Register here.

Wildlife Weekend | Georgetown, CO

Georgetown Loop Railroad | August 14 – 16, 10 am – 3:50 pm Experience Colorado’s wildlife up close with Nature’s Educators, a nonprofit conservation group. Guests will meet native bird and reptile species, learn about Colorado wildlife, and enjoy live flight demonstrations with select birds. A perfect blend of education and adventure for all ages. The Wildlife Weekend Train and Tours have varying time slots and pricing, tickets and additional information is available here.

Music on the Lawn | Trinidad, CO

Trinidad History Museum | August 20, 5:30 – 7 pm Bring a blanket, lawn chair, and snacks to enjoy live music on the Bloom Lawns at the Trinidad History Museum. This evening will feature a performance by Slim & Maria de Cessna. Enter through the gates on Walnut or Chestnut Street. RSVP in advance for free admission. This event is recurring every Third Thursday from May through September, and admission is free!

Wild West Days | Georgetown, CO

Georgetown Loop Railroad | August 22 – 23 & 29 – 30, 10 am – 3:50 pm.

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. Additional information is available on the Georgetown Loop Railroad’s Events Page. RSVP to reserve your spot today!

Women’s Equality Day | Denver, CO

Center for Colorado Women’s History | August 26, 11 am – 3:30 pm.

Celebrate Women’s Equity Day with a free museum tour, live music, ie, and community activities at the Center for Colorado Women’s History. Register here.

Colorado Centennial Farms & Ranches | Pueblo, CO

Colorado State Fairgrounds | August 28, 11 am – 1 pm.

Celebrate Colorado’s agriculture heritage as History Colorado honors this year’s Centennial Farms & Ranches families, individuals, and organizations at the Colorado State Fair. Register here.

“Afroconstruct: Black Boulder” Bus Tour | Denver, CO

History Colorado Center | Sept 19, 9 AM – 4 PM, Deadline is September 4.

How does experience relate to placemaking? Where do buildings and ideas come together? Join us as we learn about the stories and landmarks that built Black life in Boulder in the 19th and 20th centuries. Together, we will explore the social and cultural centers that Black residents in Boulder lived, worshipped, and celebrated in, reflecting how communities build “place” through practices, beliefs, and meaning-making. The tour will conclude with a conversation on the present and future of Black experiences in the city. Register for tickets by September 4th to reserve your spot on this tour.

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.

THE BIG BOUNCE AMERICA & WORLD’S LARGEST BOUNCE HOUSE COMES TO DENVER!

A nationwide family-favorite festival is back with an action-packed, all-ages experience featuring the world’s largest bounce house, live DJs, food trucks, gift shops & more — tickets on sale now!

MEDIA PHOTOS & B-ROLL CLICK HERE

Denver, CO (July 20, 2026) – The Big Bounce America, home to the world’s largest bounce house, is bringing its high-energy experience to Denver from August 22-23. Featuring more than 50,000 square feet of inflatable attractions, the event transforms the Denver Coliseum parking lot into a fully immersive playground filled with live music, laughter, and unforgettable fun for ALL!

Designed for all ages, The Big Bounce America features dedicated sessions for younger children, bigger kids, and adults — so everyone can JUMP IN and join the fun.

“This isn’t just an event, it’s a full-blown, larger-than-life experience,” said David Taube, Tour Director of The Big Bounce America. “We’re talking about the biggest bounce house on the planet, live DJs, a 900-foot-long obstacle course, and nonstop energy from the moment you walk in. We’re bringing a festival-level atmosphere where kids, parents, teens, and adults can jump, dance, and lose themselves in the fun. It’s truly an unforgettable experience for everyone.”

The event features seven massive inflatable attractions, including:

The World’s Largest Bounce House

Covering over 24,000 square feet and standing 32 feet tall, this record-breaking inflatable is a full-blown party zone. Inside, guests will find giant slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops, and colorful interactive elements. A live DJ keeps the energy high with music, games, and competitions tailored to each age group—turning every session into a dance party in the sky.

The Giant

At over 900 feet long, this epic obstacle course is built for thrill-seekers of all skill levels. With more than 50 challenges and a massive finale slide, it’s perfect for friendly competition—or just bouncing your way through a wildly fun adventure.

Sport Slam

Get ready to bring your A-game! Sport Slam is a high-energy, action-packed arena where bouncing meets friendly competition. Packed with hoops, goals, climbing challenges, and fast-paced games, this inflatable playground lets you dunk, kick, race, and battle your way to bragging rights. Challenge your friends, take on your family, or jump into the chaos with new competitors—every corner is built for non-stop movement and big-time fun. Whether you’re channeling your inner all-star or just looking to let loose, Sport Slam keeps the adrenaline pumping from start to finish.

airSPACE

Step into an immersive, space-themed world filled with aliens, moon craters, and intergalactic fun. Featuring a towering inflatable alien, multi-lane slides, and endless ball pits, airSPACE delivers an out-of-this-world experience for explorers of all ages.

Other on-site Activities

Additional on-site attractions include food trucks, shaded rest areas, and family-friendly entertainment. Guests can bring their own food and drinks or purchase from on-site vendors.

Note: Attractions subject to change.

TICKETS: All-Access tickets are available now and include a three-hour pass to the event, featuring a timed session in The World’s Largest Bounce House plus unlimited access to all other attractions. Advanced purchase is strongly encouraged, as sessions frequently sell out. Tickets start at $35. Buy tickets at https://TheBigBounceAmerica.com/Tour-Dates/

LOCATION: Denver Coliseum (4600 Humboldt St., Denver, CO 80216)

DAYS/TIMES: Saturday, August 22: 9a-9p; Sunday, August 23: 9a-6p

MEDIA/INFLUENCER PREVIEW: Early access is available the Friday before opening starting at 3p. Must RSVP by contacting Greg Wiley at greg@thebigbounceamerica.com or 215-840-8843.

MEDIA ACCESS: Media interested in attending for early morning/afternoon live shots, photo-ops, and interviews are asked to contact Greg Wiley at greg@thebigbounceamerica.com or 215-840-8843.

MEDIA PHOTOS & B-ROLL: Click here

Follow the fun on social media:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheBigBounceAmerica/

Instagram: @TheBigBounceAmerica

Twitter: @TheBigBounceUSA

ABOUT THE BIG BOUNCE AMERICA:

The Big Bounce America is the world’s largest traveling bounce house experience, welcoming thousands of guests in countries around the world since 2007. Learn more at www.thebigbounceamerica.com.

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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 Housekeys Action Network Denver info@housekeysactionnetwork.com or 701-484-2634 with questions

State of the Streets

July 2026

Before the Mayor’s State of the City Address on July 21st, it is necessary to preemptively correct the lies that we know he will be telling in this address.

There has not been a 64% reduction in street houselessness, rather there has been a 150% increase in anti-houseless enforcement. This increased enforcement combined with migration changes, cold weather shelter access, and other factors is the reason for the reduced street houseless count. (Read the release by Mutual Aid Monday to dig into this more). It is not due to an increase in houseless people getting housing. Data and direct experience from houseless people show this reality.

Since January of 2024, when the Mayor wrapped up his initial “house 1000” initiative, there has been a 150% increase in police of anti-houseless laws including the camping ban, trespassing, park curfew, and the like. And that is just in tickets, not counting the majority of enforcement that goes untracked through move on orders without tickets. Mayor Johnston used this “house 1000” initiative to pave the way for him to police the City at unprecedented levels. Now houseless people on the streets are approached by police or other enforcers as soon as they set up a tent, use cover, or even just sit on a public sidewalk. There is nowhere to set up and rest for a few days and no protection from the elements. Houseless people on the streets are pushed into hiding and out of the public eye. In this way, Mayor Johnston created the illusion of significantly decreased street houselessness as reflected in the Point in Time count. Where in reality people are still living on the streets just not where they will be counted.

Over the past year we have now interviewed 114 houseless people about the enforcement, or rather street terrorization, that is going on. All these people have shared about the effects of being forced to move along, having their property taken in sweeps without notice, significant police abuse, and other harm this treatment is causing. Here are three quotes (see housekeysactionnetworkdenver on Instagram to listen to any of the interviews).

• “We are dying out here, we don’t want to be out here but we are. They [police] don’t find us no place to go, they just tell us, we gotta go. They promise us resources but then they kick us out.” (Woman who was kicked out of Best Western shelter to the streets)
• “It’s gotten bad. We are not allowed anything under us or over us. [A year or two ago] we were allowed tents, we were allowed comfortability, we were allowed privacy, we were allowed stability at least a little bit. Now we are not allowed to have blankets underneath us or over us even to cover us at night.” (Woman who was staying on the streets at 22nd and Stout area)
• “The City comes and there’s no more giving us warning, they just come by and sweep everything. Grocery cart, they are throwing it in the trash. The whole cart and whatever you put in the cart, its going straight in the trash. The way to keep these streets clean over here is to get us off the streets but we can’t get in there.” (Man staying on the streets near Doubletree)

Mayor Johnston has claimed that “there are no more families on the streets” yet we work with many families who are on the literal streets – sleeping in parks, abandoned buildings, or hidden spots on the streets. When the cold weather shelters closed down, hundreds of families staying at those shelters because they had nowhere else to go were kicked back to the streets or other unsafe places. There is a waitlist for family shelter that hovers around 400 families. Claims by the Mayor to have provided shelter to all houseless families is simply false.

Over the past year we have raised thousands of dollars to put families in desperate need up in hotels for as long as possible. Here is what some of these families have shared about the situation.

• “Have called & talked to everyone in this system.” [Got no help] (Houseless Family)
• “Don’t promise something you can’t complete because then you are disillusioning us, my young child has been saying yes they’re going to help us and it is not right.” (Houseless Family)
• “Yesterday I went to Home Depot & met [city outreach worker] there w/ a suitcase & my kids, she asked me where I was staying, I was in the streets b/c I didn’t have help. I told her that my time finished b/c [HAND] doesn’t have money to keep paying cus there are other people who need help & are receiving those donations, she said she’s going to send them a letter to the shelter but to keep calling for the waitlist & they’re going to call me soon to ask some more questions, but she said they can’t help.” (Houseless Family)
• “If it was my city, I wouldn’t permit this because they’re mistreating people who are desperate for support.” (Houseless Family)

Mayor Johnston will make grand claims about how amazing the non-congregate shelters he commandeered for his ‘All In’ initiative are. Yet the City’s own dashboard shows that 47% of residents at these shelters are being kicked/going back to the streets. The data shows 32% ‘negative exists’ and 15% ‘unknown’ (which almost always means someone leaving of their own accord back to the streets). That means roughly half of those in these non-congregate shelters are going right back to the streets – a disturbingly and uncommonly high number.

It is understandable that many people are leaving these sites of their own accord given the issues at these sites. The Doubletree (Aspen) is now run by Urban Alchemy. When they took the contract, they changed many rules – this included taking away people’s key cards so they can no longer let themselves into their own room, disallowing residents to visit other residents in their rooms, increasing room checks to 3 times a day, and other prison-like rules. Serious issues abound at these sites.

The Mayor will tout how open and accepting Denver is, but meanwhile shelters are discriminating against queer people. Recently, a trans woman was refused shelter at the Samaritan House because she did not have access to a razor to shave. Another trans woman was just kicked out of a shelter tied to hate and discrimination from residents and staff. Hate acts against queer folks in shelters are constant. There is no place safe for trans or any queer people to stay when houseless.

Furthermore, Denver shelters are not meeting standards of accessibility for people with disabilities. Denver is facing a lawsuit for the inaccessible shelter system, which is not making necessary accommodations for people with disabilities (which we as HAND are a plaintiff in this suit along with 7 individual disabled houseless people). As a recent example, a family was just kicked out of the Tamarac family shelter for getting a service dog for their disabled child. The shelter rules state that you cannot get a new pet while in the shelter, and no accommodation was made for this child in spite of letters from the doctor verifying this child’s need for an emotional support dog – a legal right in housing. People with disabilities are continually being kicked out of or excluded from Denver shelters because the shelters are not taking needed steps to accommodate people’s disabilities.

This brings us to the Mayor’s misrepresentation of houseless housing progress in Denver. Mayor Johnston’s “Homelessness Progress Dashboard” states that 8,142 houseless people were permanently housed since he came into office three years ago. To understand this number, it is important to understand what it counts and how it compares to past years. This number only counts houseless people housed from city-funded programs. This does not necessarily mean the housing the person moves into is funded by the city, such as when people get vouchers which are almost all federally or state funded, but rather just that the person was in a city-funded shelter or connected to housing from the streets by a city-funded outreach worker. The shelters also have other funding streams beyond the city, but these are the places or programs the city is investing in and therefore counting as their housing successes.

It is important to understand also that the majority of these city-funded programs are not new under Mayor Johnston but have been in Denver funded by the City for many years. The only new shelter programs that have come on since Johnston was in office were some of the non-congregate shelters and a couple of micro communities. Currently, there are 3 non-congregate hotel shelters and 3 micro communities left that were added since Johnston came into office (as he opened and then closed some shelters). (The non-congregate hotel shelters were acquired with ARPA dollars prior to his coming into office, and these two micro communities were acquired once he came into office.) All the rest of the city-funded shelters have been around for years, funded in part by the city.

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative is responsible for tracking houseless housing data for Denver total. They do this through a federally required database called the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Whenever someone who is in HMIS (which includes most houseless people but not all) moves into housing from houselessness, MDHI tracks this information. Here is the data showing housing rates for the past 5 years:

MDHI

Year Clients Households

• 2021 – 6,540 clients, 4,366 households
• 2022 – 7,624 clients, 5,251 households
• 2023 – 9,247 clients, 5,887 households
• 2024 – 9,537 clients, 6,412 households
• 2025-  9,929 clients, 7,036 households

There has been a steady increase in households housed since 2021, but this increase remains at between approximately 600 to 900 more a year, with the recent year closer to a 600 increase. This shows a consistent pattern of houseless housing rates – not an increase under Mayor Johnston.

By quoting that ‘we have housed 8,000 houseless people’ in his time in office, Mayor Johnston makes it sound like his office has directly funded housing for these people and that this is a big number to tout. When in reality it is mostly not City-funded housing, and it’s a normal pattern of housing that has been going on for many years prior to Mayor Johnston – it is nothing new.

It is also important to note that some of those counted as housed are housed temporarily through Rapid Rehousing. Rapid Rehousing (RR) moves people into private housing and pays for 1 year or sometimes more of housing costs. The Mayor’s RR assistance has only been for a year (with a few people extended, but also with the Mayor pushing to reduce the time even less than a year). Mayor Johnston has depended heavily on RR to house people, but this housing often ends in the person being kicked back to non-congregate shelter or even the streets. Data on RR exits is still not transparent, so we cannot give fully accurate information here, but we can note from experience that many people we know land back in houselessness after their time in RR.

So… When Mayor Johnston gets on stage and touts big success in getting people off the streets and into housing, question him on where all those people are going from the streets since the housing records show they are not getting into housing. Question him where the 47% of people kicked out/leaving the non-congregate shelters with no housing are going. Question him why there are so many sweeps happening but none of them are posted as required in the Lyall agreement. Question him how he can say there are no families on the streets when hundreds of families stayed at the cold weather shelter when it was open because they had nowhere to go, and when it closed, they were not given any shelter options. Question how he can say Denver is so open and accepting if the shelters are not safe for, or don’t even allow, trans and queer people. Question the Mayor’s claims in his State of the City Address. The truth must come out to open the door for change…

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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

Boulder International Film Festival Opens Submissions, Announces Dates for 2027 Festival

The 23rd annual festival will take place April 8 – 11

Featured photo: BIFF founders Robin Beeck and Kathy Beeck by Jason DeWitt

BOULDER, CO (July 21, 2026) — Today the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) announces dates for the 23rd edition of its critically acclaimed festival: April 8 to 11, 2027. Film submissions are open now, with an early deadline of August 21.

Last year BIFF moved its festival dates to April, from its usual early March, in anticipation of Sundance Film Festival’s arrival in Boulder this January.

“Our 2026 festival was one of our best and busiest yet,” said Robin Beeck, executive director of BIFF. “We’re entering our third decade of bringing our community together through the power of film, and it’s exciting to see Boulder earning national recognition as one of the country’s premier hubs for filmmakers, storytelling, and creative collaboration.”

BIFF has grown into one of the country’s most celebrated film festivals, featuring new, emerging, and A-list filmmakers, award-winning actors, special guests, and 25,000 attendances annually.

BIFF offers filmmakers a premier launchpad. Films compete for the coveted Grand Jury Prize and People’s Choice Awards before top industry leaders, distributors, and producers. BIFF rolls out the carpet for filmmakers especially, offering lodging for out-of-state filmmakers, a travel allowance for feature-length filmmakers, and a filmmaker liaison to ensure an unforgettable festival experience.

Film submissions have several rolling deadlines:

• Early deadline: August 21
• Regular deadline: October 2
• Late deadline: November 6
• Extended deadline: December 11

Over the past two decades, BIFF has hosted some of the industry’s most talented artists, including Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Shirley MacLaine, Martin Sheen, William H. Macy, Blythe Danner, Alec Baldwin, James Franco, and director Oliver Stone, along with many special guests including Presidential Medal of Freedom-honoree Congressman John Lewis and legendary musicians David Crosby, Jakob Dylan, and Robbie Robertson of “The Band.”

BIFF is honored to be one of a small number of festivals where Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter records his celebrated Awards Chatter podcast in person, featuring the most interesting and accomplished people in the industry. Past interviewees at BIFF include award-winning actors Javier Bardem, F. Murray Abraham, and Tony Goldwyn.

BIFF accepts submissions for short films, feature films, documentaries, animation, adventure films, and student film submissions. Find more information at biff1.com/filmmakers.

The BIFF media kit is at bit.ly/BIFF2026.

About the Boulder International Film Festival

Named one of the 25 coolest film festivals in the world by Moviemaker Magazine and celebrating its 23rd year in 2027, the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) brings films and filmmakers from around the world to Boulder, Colorado, for a four-day celebration of the art of cinema. BIFF attracts more than 25,000 film enthusiasts, media, and industry members annually. The next edition of BIFF will take place April 8 to 11, 2027. For more information, visit biff1.com, and follow BIFF on Instagram and Facebook.

Bryant Palmer

Founder + Chief Storyteller

Oh Hey Creative

917.225.6920

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This letter was sent to Yellow Scene Magazine and the Erie Town Council. 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.

Featured Photo: Erie Bard, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dear Chair Sawusch, Commissioners, Council Members, and Editors,

Thank you for the time and effort you have invested in preparing for the upcoming joint Planning Commission–Town Council study session.

From the public meetings over the past several weeks, it appears the Commission has made meaningful progress in understanding its role, responsibilities, and relationship with Council and staff. The Town Hall 101 orientation, discussions of Commission authority, and conversations about future work all appear to be important steps in building a stronger Planning Commission.

As an interested participant in the 2024 Comprehensive Plan process, I respectfully suggest that the Commission has now reached a different stage of its work. The question is no longer simply, “What is our role?” It is, “What information do we need before we can confidently recommend significant policy direction?”

In my view, that distinction is important.

Many of the issues likely to arise during the joint study session—including Comprehensive Plan implementation, potential UDC amendments, infrastructure sequencing, transportation, housing, and the meaning of Erie’s “small-town feel”—are complex questions involving technical analysis, public priorities, legal responsibilities, and long-term tradeoffs. They deserve an evidence-based process that gives both commissioners and the public confidence that recommendations rest on a complete understanding of the record.

For that reason, I hope the July 21 session focuses less on reaching conclusions and more on identifying the questions that should guide the Commission’s work over the coming months.

Some questions that may help frame that discussion include:

• Which future Planning Commission recommendations will simply implement the adopted Comprehensive Plan, and which would effectively amend or redirect it?
• What objective evidence currently exists for the major concerns expressed by residents regarding growth, traffic, infrastructure, housing, and community character?
• Where does the existing record clearly answer those questions, and where are important gaps still present?
• How can the Commission distinguish between resident experiences, public preferences, causal explanations, and proposed remedies?
• What additional education or technical briefings would help commissioners evaluate future recommendations with confidence?
• What information should be assembled before the Commission recommends substantial changes to the Comprehensive Plan or Unified Development Code?

From my perspective, this approach is entirely consistent with good governance.

Good governance does not require commissioners to already know every answer. It requires establishing a transparent process that identifies what must be understood before significant recommendations are made. Additional training, technical briefings, and careful review of the existing planning record may ultimately reinforce current assumptions—or they may point in different directions. Either outcome strengthens public confidence when the process is open, evidence-based, and willing to follow the record wherever it leads.

One principle has consistently emerged from my review of the Comprehensive Plan process, Planning Commission discussions, and Council meetings:

Validate the concern. Test the cause. Compare the remedies.

Residents’ concerns deserve to be taken seriously. They also deserve to be evaluated against the full public record, technical evidence, and the long-term consequences of alternative policy choices.

Thank you again for your service to the Town and for your willingness to undertake what I recognize is a difficult responsibility.

Respectfully,

Matthew Logan

The post Letter to the Editor: Recommendation for the July 21 Joint Study Session appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

For weeks, questions about trust in Erie government have centered on the town’s controversial decision to sell municipal mineral rights. Last Tuesday’s Town Council meeting continued those conversations. While staff presented two potential November ballot measures, council members spent hours debating meeting start times, agenda schedules, advisory board appointments, and updates to the town’s ethics code. By the end of the night, the session had evolved into a broader examination of how Erie should govern itself. 

The evening’s most immediate action focused on what voters will see on the upcoming fall ballot. Council directed staff to draft formal language for a 0.5% sales tax to fund expansion, renovation, and long-term maintenance of the Erie Community Center. Council also advanced draft language for a new lodging tax designed to collect revenue from visitors and tourists rather than residents.  

While these tax proposals represent major policy decisions, they moved forward with surprisingly little friction. Instead, institutional procedures and public confidence dominated the council’s time. 

Members generally agreed to standardize a 6:30 p.m. meeting start time, release agenda packets earlier, establish clearer rules for removing items from the consent agenda, and modernize virtual meeting rules. They also directed staff to refine proposed updates to the code of ethics and code of conduct, focusing on harassment standards, complaint procedures, retaliation protections, and censure provisions. Additionally, council revisited how volunteer advisory board members are appointed following criticism of this year’s selection process, weighing standardized procedures to increase council liaison involvement while preserving board independence. 

Although none of those formal agenda items explicitly cited the mineral rights deal, the shadow of that agreement drove much of the public’s engagement. Public comments brought the ongoing mineral rights dispute directly into the room, linking routine administrative decisions to a broader crisis of trust. Residents pointed directly to newly released documents, including the disputed invoice from consultant Matthew Owens of Alameda Mineral Advisors. As reported by Yellow Scene, Owens’ billing statement uses complex valuations to argue his firm created over $401 million in value, yielding a theoretical $30.1 million fee and laying the groundwork to ask the town for a payout above its contractual $4.5 million cap.

Colliers Hill resident Steve Drew addressed the council during public comment, criticizing town officials for staying silent after receiving the invoice in late June.

“On a bingo card, I did not have an invoice that vaguely looks like a threat,” Drew said. “[…] He’s angry and put it in his invoice. And the real issue is that what was on the bingo card is that we haven’t heard from you. Once again, silence.”

Drew urged the council to commit to immediate transparency regarding the invoice, expand an upcoming third-party review of the procurement process to include council members rather than just staff, and establish stronger ethics oversight.

“Scraps online are all related to the fact that your choice has been no information, silence,” Drew added, pointing to the line items in Owens’ bill. “It has Owens quoting your blog post for $12.5 million in calculated compensation. This is a hot mess. Let’s get it out in the open as fast as possible.”

Staff is expected to return in August with final ballot language for both tax measures as well as revised governance policies. Meanwhile, residents continue circulating a referendum petition seeking to repeal the Town Council’s June 24 approval of the SM Energy mineral rights agreement. 

Organizers (reachable at eriepetition@gmail.com) need to gather roughly 1,400 valid signatures from registered Erie voters to force action. If the petition hits that threshold, the town will not add the measure to the regular November ballot; instead, it will trigger a dedicated special election where voters can directly approve or overturn the deal. Whether a successful referendum would legally void the signed SM Energy contract or trigger litigation remains an open question, ensuring that the debate over transparency and public trust will carry well into the fall.

For more on the narrow 4-3 vote that approved the mineral rights sale, including public testimony and council debate, read our previous coverage here. 

The post Taxes, Public Trust, and the Mineral Rights Petition appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, play becomes optional.

As children, recreation is built into daily life. We ride bikes through neighborhoods, join sports teams, invent games on the playground, and spend entire afternoons exploring without a goal beyond having fun. Then adulthood arrives. Work schedules fill the calendar. Family responsibilities expand. Free time shrinks. Eventually, recreation becomes something we plan to do someday. The problem is, that someday rarely arrives.

For many adults, hobbies disappear, social circles become smaller, and movement becomes something done for health rather than enjoyment. Yet recreation may be one of the most important and overlooked tools for maintaining psychological well-being. “We need more playtime, more unstructured time,” says therapist and ultrarunner Mandi Merica. “And I think as adults that’s really hard to find.”

While recreation is often discussed in terms of physical health, its benefits run much deeper. From creating community to reducing stress and building confidence, play helps adults meet psychological needs that often go unaddressed in modern life.

Finding a Third Space

For many adults, life happens in two locations: work and home. Between those two environments, opportunities for connection can become surprisingly limited. Friendships become harder to maintain. Social interactions become transactional. Entire weeks can pass without meaningful engagement outside of professional or family obligations. Merica frequently sees the effects of this isolation in her therapy practice.

“A lot of isolation, a kind of lack of social network,” she says. “Especially in what you’ll hear referred to as the third space. Not home, not work, but where do we go to connect with people outside of those two things?”

Third spaces have long been important to human well-being. Historically, they included churches, clubs, community centers, coffee shops, and neighborhood gathering places. Today, they might be running clubs, pickleball courts, climbing gyms, recreation centers, volunteer groups, or even farmers’ markets.

What matters is not necessarily the activity itself. What matters is the connection it creates. Humans are social creatures. Research consistently shows that social support improves mental health outcomes, reduces feelings of loneliness, and creates a greater sense of belonging. Yet adulthood often strips away the built-in social structures that existed during childhood and adolescence.

As children, friendships form naturally through school, sports, and extracurricular activities. As adults, social connection requires intentional effort. Recreation provides a framework for that effort.

A person might join a running group for fitness and stay because of the friendships. Someone might sign up for pickleball because it looks fun and discover an entirely new community. Even a weekly yoga class can create familiar faces and meaningful connections over time.

When clients begin making time for recreation again, Merica often sees changes extending beyond the activity itself. “They’re feeling a little bit more connected with our larger community,” she says. “It can help people feel a greater sense of belonging and purpose.” In a culture increasingly defined by isolation, that sense of belonging may be one of recreation’s greatest gifts.

Improving Cognitive Flexibility

The benefits of recreation do not stop with social connection. Play also changes how we think. Modern adults live in a near-constant state of stimulation. Emails, deadlines, financial concerns, family obligations, and social media all compete for attention. The brain rarely gets an opportunity to disengage from productivity. Over time, chronic stress can impact attention, memory, emotional regulation, sleep quality, and overall mental health.

In previous reporting on mental health and athletic performance, University of Colorado psychologist Emily Hemendinger explained that stress becomes problematic when the body remains trapped in the stress cycle. “It is important to let the body complete the stress cycle,” Hemendinger says. “Rather than allowing the body to stay in chronic stress, find ways to reduce stress such as gentle physical activity, creativity, deep breathing, and emoting.”

Many recreational activities naturally accomplish those goals. According to the CDC, 30 minutes of vigorous activity helps improve cognition and creative thinking. Whether it’s hiking, painting, gardening, dancing, or playing recreational sports, play encourages people to focus on the present moment rather than future obligations.

It also creates opportunities for creativity and curiosity, two psychological experiences that often disappear from adult life.

Recreation can be especially beneficial for people who struggle with negative thought patterns. In previous reporting on Automatic Negative Thoughts, or ANTs, Hemendinger noted that these recurring negative beliefs can significantly impact both physical and mental health. “Almost everyone is prone to have Automatic Negative Thoughts,” she says. “When they become frequent, they can impair our mental and physical health.”

Adults are often remarkably hard on themselves. They tell themselves they are too old to start something new. Too busy to prioritize fun. Too inexperienced to join a class. Too out of shape to participate. Play disrupts those narratives.

A person who tries something new gathers evidence that their assumptions are not always true. They discover that learning can still be enjoyable. They realize mistakes are survivable. They experience the satisfaction of progress rather than perfection.

In that sense, recreation does more than reduce stress. It creates cognitive flexibility, helping people think differently about themselves and the world around them.

Challenging Yourself

One reason many adults avoid recreation is because it requires something uncomfortable: being a beginner. Children expect to be bad at things before they become good at them. Adults often expect competence immediately. That expectation keeps many people from pursuing activities they might genuinely love.

Merica encourages clients to approach recreation differently. “It’s okay to be challenged,” she says. “It’s okay to do hard things.” 

As an ultrarunner who has completed multiple 200-mile races, she understands that growth rarely happens overnight. “I didn’t run 100 miles in two months of training,” she says. “It took a long time.”

The same principle applies to virtually every recreational activity. Nobody starts as a skilled climber, cyclist, runner, artist, or pickleball player. The challenge is part of the experience. Psychologically, challenge serves an important function. It builds confidence through competence. It teaches resilience. It provides opportunities for mastery and growth.

In previous reporting, sports psychologist Neal Palles described a self-actualized athlete as someone whose identity extends beyond performance. “A self-actualized athlete is someone confident in who they are as a person, not just athletically,” he says.

The lesson applies beyond sports. The goal of recreation is not necessarily to become exceptional. The goal is to engage with life: learning, growing, failing, and continuing to try. Sending that email for work or cleaning the kitchen for the tenth time this week rarely gives the feeling of accomplishment that is found in developing a new skill. To discover that growth remains possible at every stage of adulthood.

Perhaps that is the true value of play. It reminds us that life is not solely about productivity, achievement, or responsibility. Sometimes it is enough to do something simply because it brings joy. And in a culture obsessed with optimization, that may be one of the healthiest things adults can do.

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Ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, shoppers outside local grocery stores like King Soopers are routinely greeted by volunteers with stacked clipboards, asking for a name, city, and signature. Much of this grassroots presence is driven by Big Tent BoCo, a community initiative aiming to expand the Boulder Board of County Commissioners from three members to five.

The petition, submitted to the Secretary of State on July 14 after collecting more than 18,000 voter signatures, has successfully cleared the initial hurdle to place the expansion on the November ballot. If verified, constituents will vote on whether to increase the number of elected officials by 2029. They will also face a secondary ballot measure to decide how those five seats are structurally elected, choosing between two methodologies.

The first secondary option relies on a “3 + 2” model, where three commissioners are elected strictly by geographic districts and two are elected at-large by the entire county. The second option would completely eliminate countywide voting, redrawing the Boulder County territory into five distinct districts where each neighborhood selects its own lone representative.

Currently, Boulder County utilizes a mixed system. All three commissioners are voted on at-large by everyone in the county, but candidates are tied to residency districts, meaning they must live within the specific boundaries they run to represent. Historically, this hybrid model was intended to ensure that leaders understand localized neighborhood problems while remaining motivated to serve the collective county to win a broader base of votes. Critics, however, argue that this layout often leaves smaller municipalities and rural enclaves with little say compared to bigger districts.

Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann. Photo from Boulder County Website

Big Tent’s organizing committee includes County Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann, a Louisville resident who represents the third district encompassing southeastern Boulder County. Stolzmann is an outspoken proponent of moving toward more localized, district-centered voting; believing it allows leaders to more intimately understand and fight for unique community issues.

Stolzmann notes that during her past election, she drew 60 percent of her votes from her home district but only 40 percent in District 1. Under the current countywide setup, higher-population hubs like Boulder and Longmont possess the sheer numbers to have a big influence on every single race, regardless of local preferences. Boulder consistently sees massive participation, including a 50 percent turnout in primary elections, while Longmont carries the largest overall volume of voters. Stolzmann argues that adding two seats provides a necessary structural path to give southeastern towns like Lafayette, Superior, Erie, and Gunbarrel, alongside sprawling unincorporated areas, an actual voice.

Stolzmann also argues a larger board would allow for faster communication, better constituent services, and more frequent local town halls.

Stolzmann’s belief draws on her past experience serving on the seven-member Louisville City Council, where she found it notably easier to manage heavy workloads, address fast-evolving community issues, and foster deep debate. She argues that three-member groups are uniquely vulnerable to rapid stalemates. “When you’re decision making with three people,” she said, “oftentimes what happens is when there’s agreement among two, the discussion stops.”

Attendance also plays into her critique. In 2025, roughly 27 percent of regular commissioner meetings were attended by only two out of the three members. If an absent commissioner holds a strong dissenting stance on an incoming measure, their perspective is effectively erased from the record when the vote is called.

Commissioner Claire Levy, who represents District 1, stands in strong opposition to the expansion. While she acknowledges that many constituents feel they are underrepresented, she views Big Tent BoCo’s petition as a fundamentally flawed remedy for that frustration.

Commissioner Claire Levy. Photo from Boulder County Website

Levy emphasizes that the county board has never previously deemed this an appropriate or effective form of governance, which is why commissioners chose not to refer the measure to the ballot themselves. She says that neither the five-district model nor the 3 + 2 format can mathematically guarantee a district tailored exclusively to represent mountain or unincorporated communities, which are the very populations loudest in demanding change. Furthermore, she argues that district-specific voting historically struggles to recruit candidates, leading to uncontested races.

“Parochial” is how Levy describes district elections. “If I only have to look to the folks in my district to get elected, 70,000 people versus 350,000 people,” Levy said, “I am going to be incentivized to ignore the whole rest of the county.” 

From an internal workflow perspective, Levy argues that expanding the board simply invites bureaucratic friction. The vast majority of county decisions are already passed unanimously, and she rejects the idea that debates would become qualitatively richer with five commissioners instead of three. Instead, she anticipates that needing to coordinate and build consensus among more politicians will simply slow down daily operations and render public meetings less productive.

The financial cost is another major friction point. Although Boulder County maintains a substantial 754 million dollar budget, recent monetary shortfalls in late 2025 and early 2026 led to the elimination of roughly 130 county positions. While Stolzmann views the projected 300,000 dollar administrative cost of adding two commissioner seats as a worthwhile investment for better representation, Levy considers it irresponsible to expand political offices while the county is actively cutting frontline staff.

Levy also points to an ideological rift among the petition’s backers as a sign of an impractical plan. The organizing group itself is heavily concentrated, with 60 percent of its board hailing from the city of Boulder, and they remain publicly divided on whether the five-district or 3 + 2 model is the superior path forward.

“I think that’s indicative of the lack of unity on what problem we’re trying to solve and how to solve it.” She added, “If we’re going to upend our system of government and replace it with something else, It does not seem prudent to do that when even the people who are advocating for the change can’t agree among themselves on how to do it.”

Rather than restructuring the charter, Levy has focused her term on boosting traditional public access, expanding town halls, and implementing individual direct-email options on the county website. While Stolzmann maintains that structural expansion is the only way to manage the sheer volume of constituent requests, Levy argues that existing engagement channels are sufficient.

The ballot debate has also illuminated an entirely different faction of local political reform. Volunteer lobbyist Celeste Landry, an active member of the League of Women Voters and a proponent of Colorado’s Alternative Voting Methods Task Force, alongside Boulder City Council Member Nicole Speer, share the belief that a five-commissioner board is ideal, but they strongly oppose both secondary options currently on the ballot.

Nicole Speer (left) and Celeste Landry (right). Photo from Finn Feldman

Landry and Speer point to structural modeling conducted by the League of Women Voters back in 2019, which mapped out potential district layouts for an expanded board. In every single geographic scenario, the cities of Boulder and Longmont were large enough to command at least two districts each.

“It’s actually less representation,” warns Speer.

They also raise a distinct transparency detail due to Colorado’s open meetings law. Under current statutes, because two out of three members constitute a legal quorum on the current board, any political discussion between two commissioners must happen in a noticed, public meeting. If the board expands to five, the quorum moves to three. This would allow any two commissioners to meet in private, strike backroom deals, and align their positions one-on-one without a public record of the conversation.

Instead of standard district voting, Landry and Speer advocate for proportional representation utilizing ranked-choice voting. Under their proposed alternative, all five county commissioners would be elected at-large countywide. Constituents would rank multiple candidates in order of preference. If a voter’s top choice secures enough ballots to win a seat, their surplus voting power transfers down to their second or third choices.

This model is explicitly designed to eliminate wasted votes in traditional winner-take-all block systems, ensuring that any political group that wins a certain percentage of the vote secures an equivalent percentage of representation on the board. While some progressive residents have expressed concern that this framework might allow a conservative candidate to break into Boulder County’s left-leaning leadership, Speer emphasizes that democracy means all voices are heard. “There are republicans spread out over Boulder County,” Speer said. “If we went to proportional representation, they might get a seat on the county commission, but they are not likely to get 5 seats.”

Proportional ranked-choice voting has a historical footprint in Boulder, where it was utilized between 1917 and 1947 before being repealed amidst the political anxieties of the early Red Scare. Critics of the system at the time pointed to vote leakage, a phenomenon where voters rank candidates across party lines, inadvertently shifting seats to opposing platforms. However, modern data compiled by advocacy groups like FairVote indicates that up to 95 percent of voters in active ranked-choice systems successfully see one of their top three choices elected to office.

Graphic from League of Women Voters Boulder County

Landry previously attempted to integrate these mechanisms at the state level via House Bill 24-1177, which sought to mandate five-member commissions for all Colorado counties with populations exceeding 70,000. Landry pushed for a proportional representation amendment to the bill, but the overall legislation ultimately died in committee. While state election administrators expressed broad historical support for modernizing representation laws to ensure equity, specific amendments regarding ranked-choice voting were never formally reviewed or adopted into state policy.

Landry, who is running for Secretary of State under the Colorado Forward Party banner, remains hopeful about bringing proportional voting methods back into mainstream local discourse. She and Speer had hoped to see a proportional ranked-choice measure accompany the expansion question on this fall’s ballot, arguing that it is best to have this systemic conversation while the structure of the board is already open to change.

However, translating these alternative voting theories into immediate ballot options faces severe legal blockades. When asked over email her thoughts on ranked choice voting (RCV), Commissioner Levy noted, “while I support proportional representation and ranked-choice voting, I don’t know whether it is practical for the county to add that to the ballot. I doubt that we could do both things in a single ballot measure without violating the single-subject rule. Implementing it requires that the Secretary of State adopt rules, which I don’t know whether they would do absent state legislation and funding.” Levy also voiced concerns that election software is not ready for RCV.

Photo from Finn Feldman

Commissioner Stolzmann similarly concluded that while she supports the philosophy of proportional voting, she does not see a legal pathway under existing state law to insert it into the upcoming election cycle.

When Boulder County voters head to the polls this November, they will navigate a choice between maintaining a historic countywide structure, shifting toward a localized district model, or leaving the door open for future alternative voting systems to manage a rapidly growing population.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lindsay Sandoval

Director of Communications

lindsay.sandoval@state.co.us

303-349-8113

Great Colorado Payback Shatters Records With Historic $158 Million Returned in Fiscal Year 2026

Unclaimed Property Division Doubles Previous Year’s Performance

July 16, 2026 (DENVER) — The Colorado Department of the Treasury closed out the 2025-2026 fiscal year by shattering previous records and putting an unprecedented amount of money back in the pockets of Coloradans. The Great Colorado Payback successfully returned a historic $158 million to claimants through nearly 163,000 claims.

These milestones represent an extraordinary achievement for the program, effectively doubling the amount of funds returned and the number of claims processed over the previous year. In FY 24-25, the program gave back $80 million across 86,000 claims.

“This has been a landmark year for the Great Colorado Payback, but more importantly, it’s a massive win for the Coloradans who were reunited with their lost assets,” said Colorado Treasurer Dave Young. “Our team nearly doubled both the dollars returned and the number of claims paid compared to last year’s record-setting performance. These extraordinary numbers are a result of a hardworking team and forward-thinking strategy designed to cut through red tape and deliver missing money straight into the hands of those who lost it.”

A momentous proactive check campaign this spring drove part of the program’s success. Rather than waiting for eligible owners to file claims, the Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Division mailed nearly 88,000 checks totaling $27.7 million directly to verified property owners across the state, eliminating paperwork and streamlining the payout process.

The Division also expanded its community outreach efforts, participating in 10 public appearances spanning 29 days throughout the year. These events connected Treasury staff with residents to help them search for unclaimed property, answer questions, and file claims.

“Reaching this level of success required an incredible amount of dedication from our entire team,” said Bianca Gardelli, Director of the Unclaimed Property Division. “Whether auditing holders, processing claims, verifying ownership, or meeting people at outreach events across the state, our staff remained relentlessly focused on one goal: returning property to Coloradans as quickly and securely as possible.”

The Great Colorado Payback retrieves unclaimed property from businesses and organizations that have lost contact with the account owners. Common examples include uncashed paychecks, utility deposits, insurance proceeds, refunds, and dormant bank accounts. By law, these assets are transferred to the Colorado Department of the Treasury for safekeeping until they can be returned to the rightful owners or their heirs.

An estimated one in ten Coloradans has unclaimed property with the state. To search for missing money, visit unclaimedproperty.colorado.gov.

About the Colorado Department of the Treasury

The Colorado Department of the Treasury is the constitutional guardian of the public’s funds. It is the Treasury’s duty to manage and account for the taxpayers’ dollars from the time they are received until the time they are disbursed. The Treasury’s staff is committed to safeguarding and managing the people’s monies with the same diligence and care as they do their own. For more information, visit treasury.colorado.gov.

About the Great Colorado Payback

The Great Colorado Payback is responsible for reuniting Coloradans with lost or forgotten assets. As the state’s unclaimed property division, the Great Colorado Payback maintains a list of over 17 million names of individuals, businesses, and organizations for whom property is owed. Check for lost property at unclaimedproperty.colorado.gov.

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Saturday, July 18, 2026

Media Contact:

Kate Hernandez, Media Relations, 720-450-7554

www.bouldercolorado.gov

Potentially Harmful Algae Bloom Observed in Boulder Reservoir

Swim beach temporarily closed and visitors asked to keep dogs out of water out of abundance of caution

BOULDER, Colo. – This morning, city staff observed what may be a harmful algae bloom in areas throughout the Boulder Reservoir. Samples have been collected for testing. Out of an abundance of caution, the swim beach is temporarily closed, and visitors are asked to keep dogs out of the water.

City staff will continue to monitor algae bloom tests overnight, and operational updates will be available tomorrow. Community members are encouraged to check the webpage BoulderRez.org or text the keyword “BPRReservoir” to 888-777 for operational updates.

The reservoir remains open for watercraft use via entry through the main gate. Watercraft users should avoid contact with the water in areas that look inhabited with potentially harmful algae and be cautious throughout the Reservoir until the bloom subsides. Harmful algae blooms can look like:

• Thick pea soup
• Spilled bluish-green paint on the water’s surface
• A thick mat of foam along the shoreline
• Short grass clippings

Boulder Reservoir is not currently being used by the city as a drinking water supply. Boulder Reservoir is only periodically used as a water source for the city and is not needed for drinking water at this time. The city is coordinating with Northern Water given the importance of the reservoir for water supply, irrigation, and recreation throughout the region.

— CITY —

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 15, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT: Molly Sharp

mollysharp@gbsm.com

303-223-6572

Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) launches new program to reduce environmental impacts of the building sector

July 15, 2026 – DENVER – Power Ahead Colorado, a program of the Denver Regional Council of Governments, is now offering a heat pump rebate and free energy advising for homeowners and businesses across the region.

A heat pump uses electricity to efficiently heat and cool indoor spaces and can replace a furnace and air conditioner, including a window air conditioning unit. Eligible customers can receive $1,500 off the equipment price of an ENERGY STAR-rated, cold-climate heat pump installed by a verified Power Ahead Colorado contractor. The rebate can be combined with other available rebates and incentives.

To help residents combine savings and plan projects, Power Ahead Colorado also provides free energy advising for homeowners and businesses. Energy advisors are real people who are available by phone or email to answer questions about home electrification, heat pumps, and energy savings.

“We know the decision to switch to a heat pump can feel like a big one,” said Mac Prather, Power Ahead Colorado Rebates and Incentives Manager. “By lowering the upfront cost of a heat pump and by offering free energy advising, we want to make this decision as easy as possible for homeowners and businesses with aging heating and cooling systems.

It’s important to look at the whole home when switching to a heat pump, not just the equipment. Working with a verified Power Ahead Colorado contractor can help customers choose the right system to achieve the most efficiency and comfort.

“When it comes to heating and cooling, customers want options that are both practical and cost-effective. We’re focused on making it easier to choose energy solutions that work for all homes and budgets,” said Emmett Romine, vice president of Customer Energy and Transportation Solutions at Xcel Energy. “We’re excited to see Power Ahead Colorado launch a heat pump rebate that, when combined with Xcel Energy rebates and others, helps make upgrading to a heat pump more affordable.”

Over the next four years, Power Ahead Colorado will invest $40 million in making energy upgrades more affordable for homeowners and building owners across the Denver Metro region.

Learn more about the program at PowerAheadColorado.org. Learn more about Xcel Energy rebates at xcelenergy.com/HeatPumps.

The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) is a planning organization where local governments collaborate to establish guidelines, set policy, and allocate funding in the areas of transportation and personal mobility, growth and development, and aging and disability resources. DRCOG includes participating governments across ten counties in the Denver Metro Region, representing 3.3 million Colorado residents.

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For Immediate Release

Date: July 16, 2026

Contact: fws_press_r6@ios.doi.gov

Photo credit: Nathan Vargas/USFWS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Finalizes Rule Downlisting the Razorback Sucker

This recovery milestone reflects more than 30 years of collaborative conservation across basin-wide recovery programs and partners.

DENVER –The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized a rule downlisting the razorback sucker from an endangered to a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The action is accompanied by a 4(d) rule that allows limited take of the fish for actions associated with the species’ conservation.

Listed as endangered in 1991, the razorback sucker is one of the largest suckers in North America. It is a unique freshwater fish native to warm-water portions of the Colorado River basin in the western United States. Recognizable by a bony keel behind its head, the razorback sucker can grow to more than three feet long and weigh up to ten pounds. The fish tolerates wide-ranging temperatures and flow conditions and is most common in low-velocity habitats such as backwaters, floodplains, flatwater river reaches, and reservoirs. It is found in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Historically it was also found in Wyoming and the Mexican states of Baja and Sonora.

This recovery milestone is the result of more than three decades of cooperative work among the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program, and Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. It also reflects the contributions of many partners at state, regional, tribal, and federal organizations, as well as the private and nonprofit sectors.

Conservation measures, such as propagation and stocking, nonnative fish control, instream flow, research and monitoring, and habitat restoration, have improved conditions in many areas of the Colorado River basin that have historically supported populations. Razorback suckers are now found in eight populations; four of those populations can migrate and spawn in multiple locations. The largest population, located in the Green River of the upper Colorado River basin, now includes about 36,000 adults, up from roughly 100 wild fish in the late 1990s.

The accompanying final rule under section 4(d) of the ESA provides tailored protections for the razorback sucker and regulatory flexibility for activities associated with its conservation. Activities covered by the 4(d) rule include maintenance of refuge populations, exhibition for educational purposes, creation of nursery habitats, removal of nonnative fish, and development of catch-and-release fishing opportunities.

Despite the substantial progress, the razorback sucker faces several challenges in the foreseeable future and remains threatened under the Act. Ongoing threats to the species include altered river flows that limit nursery habitat, changes in water quality and quantity, persistent drought, and predation by nonnative species.

The final rule will publish in the Federal Register on July 17 at www.federalregister.gov. The proposed and final rules, post-delisting monitoring plan, supporting documents and public comments are available at https://www.regulations.gov under docket number FWS–R6–ES–2020–0057.

-FWS-

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov and connect with us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube.

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For Immediate Release

EMERGENCY SHORTAGE: Donors needed now to stop alarming drop in Red Cross blood supply

Summer blood donations far lower than needed as hospitals work to protect patient care/

[Denver, Colo, July 13, 2026] — The American Red Cross is declaring an emergency blood shortage as the blood supply fell nearly 25% in June. Blood donors are urgently needed to give now to help ensure patients receive lifesaving medical care without delay. The shortage is especially serious for types O positive and B negative blood.

A steep decline in blood donations since the end of May has created a growing gap between supply and patient need. Currently, Red Cross distributions to hospitals are nearly 3,500 units higher per week than expected at a time when hospitals often see higher demand for blood products during the height of trauma season. On top of that, busy schedules and the seasonal loss of school blood drives are driving the decline which could put patient care at risk if not reversed.

The most important way to help end the blood shortage is to book an appointment to give blood now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you, all who come to give July 13-31, 2026, will receive a Fandango Movie Ticket by email (up to $15 ticket price and fees). Additional details can be found at RedCrossBlood.org/July.  

Blood supply misconceptions

Every donation is critical to rebuilding the nation’s blood supply, yet many people may not realize the significant impact a single donation can have on patients in need. A recent Red Cross survey revealed a significant gap between public perception and the reality of the nation’s blood supply:

• Less than 1 in 5 respondents understood that blood cannot be stockpiled because it has a limited shelf life and must be continually replenished through volunteer donors.
• Only about half believed it was very likely that they or someone close to them would need blood one day — even though someone in the U.S. receives a blood transfusion every two seconds.

“A readily available blood supply serves as the backbone of modern medicine. Without it, lifesaving treatments and critical access points to care are not possible,” said Dr. Courtney Lawrence, medical director for the Red Cross. “Emergency departments, operating rooms, and labor and delivery units can’t support patients with the most urgent needs, and cancer patients must wait. We’re asking donors to give now before doctors are forced to make those difficult decisions.”

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.

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Media Contact:

Jack Todd

Jack.Todd@ColoradoSOS.gov

China Scroggins

China.Scroggins@ColoradoSOS.gov

July 16, 2026

Statement from Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold following Trump Election Address

Denver, CO – Tonight, Donald Trump delivered an address to the nation regarding elections.

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

Donald Trump continues to spread election lies. In his second term, he has actively worked to undermine the nation’s elections and make them less secure. Now Trump is doubling down on the tactic he knows best: lying and misleading the public about American elections.

Trump will continue trying to exert power he doesn’t have, to affect elections he doesn’t control, to disenfranchise the American people who he doesn’t care about. He is laying the groundwork to undermine the 2026 Midterms – and we will stop him.

Following the 2020 election, Trump and allies filed more than 60 lawsuits contesting the results and challenging the voting certification process. Trump was unsuccessful in nearly every lawsuit. Members of Trump’s legal team have recanted testimony or acknowledged they were unaware of evidence of significant fraud, and Trump’s Attorney General confirmed there was no evidence of widespread fraud.

In 2021, the National Intelligence Council published a declassified report determining that they had “no indications that any foreign actor attempted to alter any technical aspect of the voting process in the 2020 US election, including voter registration, casting ballots, vote tabulation, or reporting results.” The report does determine that there were foreign influence campaigns intended to undermine the candidacies of both Joe Biden and Donald Trump and influence public opinion. China, the report states, “did not deploy interference efforts and considered but did not deploy influence efforts intended to change the outcome of the US Presidential election.”

In September of 2025, in renewing a 2018 Executive Order, President Trump affirmed that “there has been no evidence of a foreign power altering the outcomes or vote tabulation in any United States election.”

Since the start of his second term, the Trump administration has sued more than two dozen states, including Colorado, for sensitive voter information; gutted funding and staffing for federal agencies that support states to secure elections; sent letters to election officials with threats of prosecution; fired and forced out the EAC commissioners; and attempted to circumvent the constitutional right of states to oversee free and fair elections with Executive Orders signed in 2025 and 2026. This is in addition to Trump’s failed attempt to undermine and thwart the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

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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, July 15, 2026

Media Contact:

Kate Hernandez, Media Relations, 720-450-7554

www.bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder Unveils New Name for Downtown Park

City invites community members to join a park renaming celebration happening Thursday, July 23, from 4 to 6 p.m.

BOULDER, Colo. – The City of Boulder is excited to announce the renaming of the largest area of public land in downtown Boulder – Welcome to Boulder Creek Park.

The name applies to the parkland previously referred to as the Civic Area and Central Park, located between 9th and 13th St. and Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue. Community members are invited to celebrate the park’s new identity with city staff and community partners on Thursday, July 23, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Wild Woods Discovery Area, the nature pop-up located near the Glen Huntington Bandshell. The event recognizes the community engagement process that helped shape the park’s new name and will include free family-friendly activities, desserts and live music from local performers, Jenn Cleary’s Music Trio.

“Boulder Creek Park” was one of eight proposed names that emerged from a series of community engagement sessions that involved students from Boulder High School’s Zonta Club, community partners Growing Up Boulder, RIOS Boulder and the University of Colorado students. Based on feedback gathered through a community-wide online form, city staff recommended the name Boulder Creek Park to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB), which approved the name last month.

“Boulder Creek has defined our city since its earliest days and has long provided a valuable place for our community to connect with each other and with nature,” says Ali Rhodes, Director of Parks and Recreation. “It is fitting that our largest downtown park be named for the creek that runs through it. As we prepare to invest in one of our oldest parks, we are so excited for it to have a name that affirms the important role Boulder Creek plays in our community.”

Boulder Creek Park Phase 2 designs, project information, and city staff will be available at the event to answer community questions. Phase 2 construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in late 2027. Additional project details will be updated on the project webpage.

— 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:

Annelise Grygiel

annelise.grygiel@state.co.us

July 15, 2026 — The Adams County District Court sentenced Jazzmen La-Vone Gaskins to 9 years of incarceration and 3 years of parole supervision. The sentence is related to Gaskins’ 2026 guilty plea on one count of securities fraud, wherein Gaskins solicited investments from a Colorado investor through his company JG Capital Finance Corporation. Gaskins is currently incarcerated in Florida for a 15-year sentence for a federal charge of sex trafficking. His Colorado sentence for securities fraud was ordered to run concurrently with the federal sentence and included repayment of $116,675 in restitution.

Gaskins was originally indicted by a state grand jury on August 14, 2025, for securities fraud. According to the indictment, he solicited more than $100,000 from at least one Colorado investor through his company JG Capital Finance Corporation. The company issued promissory notes, and Gaskins made false promises of unsubstantiated high interest rates, a guarantee to repay the principal of the note, and use of proceeds for his business.

Gaskins failed to disclose that he would use the investment funds for personal expenses and misled the investor to believe her investments would be secured against a personal bank account containing over $4 million. In the course of the scheme to defraud, Gaskins also allegedly pretended to be an asset recovery lawyer who offered to assist the investor if she were to pre-pay legal fees.

The Colorado Division of Securities investigated this matter, and the Colorado Attorney General’s Criminal Justice/Financial Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

About DORA and the Division of Securities

DORA is the state’s umbrella regulatory agency, charged with managing licensing and registration for multiple professions and businesses, implementing balanced regulation for Colorado industries, and protecting consumers. Our nearly 600 employees are dedicated to preserving the integrity of the marketplace and promoting a fair and competitive business environment throughout Colorado.

The Division of Securities exists to protect investors and maintain confidence in the securities market, while avoiding unreasonable burdens on the marketplace by licensing securities professionals, enforcing securities law violations, and helping Coloradans become more informed investors. Visit the Division of Securities’ website to learn more.

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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.

Date: July 15, 2026

Contact: Office of Communications, fws_press_r6@ios.doi.gov

Attached Photo credit: Ryan Pennesi/USFS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Revises Canada Lynx Critical Habitat Designation

The revised designation reflects current research and modeling on Canada lynx populations in the western United States.

DENVER — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has revised the critical habitat designation for the threatened Canada lynx distinct population segment in the lower 48 states. Listed as threatened in 2000, the lynx received its first critical habitat designation in 2006, followed by revisions in 2009 and 2014.

The Service proposed additional revisions in November 2024. This final rule narrows the designation to areas determined to be essential for the species’ conservation and excludes areas where the benefits of exclusion outweigh those of designation.

The revised final rule designates approximately 14,030 square miles of critical habitat across Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Key changes and characteristics of the designation include:

• A reduction of 7,733 square miles from the 2014 designation — a 32% decrease from the 2014 total.
• Approximately 99% of the revised designated lynx critical habitat occurs on federally managed lands.
• About 38% of the revised designation falls within wilderness areas.
• Critical habitat in the eastern part of the range (Maine and Minnesota) remains unchanged.
• Excludes tribal managed lands and certain state and private lands managed under voluntary conservation plans or commitments that benefit Canada lynx.

The biggest changes from the 2014 designation are in Colorado, which is receiving critical habitat for the first time, and in the Greater Yellowstone Area, where critical habitat will no longer be designated.

The revised designation is based on current research and modeling focused on Canada lynx populations in the western U.S. It identifies areas most critical to the species’ conservation and aligns with the 2024 recovery plan.

Critical habitat is a tool under the Endangered Species Act that supports the continued conservation of imperiled species by guiding cooperation within the federal government. Designations affect only federal agency actions or federally funded or permitted activities.

The final rule will publish in the Federal Register on Thursday, July 16. The proposed and final rules, supporting documents, and public comments are available at https://www.regulations.gov under docket number FWS–R6–ES–2024–0142.

For more information, visit https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/3652.

-FWS-

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov and connect with us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube.

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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

July 16, 2026

Statewide Bipartisan Post-Election Audit Complete

Denver, CO – The post-election Risk Limiting Audit (RLA) for the June 30, 2026 Primary Election was successfully completed on July 15. The 2026 audit has confirmed that Coloradans’ ballots were counted accurately and that voting equipment worked as it should have.

“Colorado’s bipartisan risk-limiting audit is complete and has confirmed that the 2026 Primary Election results were counted accurately,” said Secretary Griswold. “Year after year, the RLA has shown that Colorado’s election model is accurate and secure.”

After every statewide election, the Department of State works with County Clerks to conduct the audit. The Risk Limiting Audit establishes a statistical level of certainty that ballots were counted according to voters’ intent and tabulating equipment worked correctly.

The Risk Limiting Audit has been conducted in every Colorado election since the 2017 Coordinated Election. The audit has never found a discrepancy that was a result of the voting system not working as intended.

The steps to certifying the 2026 Primary Election are:

• After Election Day, County Clerks continued processing and counting ballots until July 10.
• On July 13, the Department of State conducted the public meeting to establish the random seed number for the post-election audit – which was entered into a pseudo-random number generator to determine the ballots audited – to begin the audit.
• Colorado counties completed the statewide post-election audit on July 15.
• Each county canvass board will convene to approve the final tally of ballots cast and tabulated by July 22, and must upload those results to the Election Night Reporting system no later than July 23.
• Interested parties may request and file for a recount at their own expense through July 22. There are no races that require a mandatory recount in the June 30, 2026 Primary Election.

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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: Maddy Remington (Governor’s Office), madelyn.remington@state.co.us, 720-812-3380

Department of Revenue Waiving Penalties for Late Income Tax Extension Filings, Sales Tax Payments. 

DENVER – In response to several wildfires burning throughout Colorado, Governor Jared Polis and the Department of Revenue are offering help to people and businesses affected by the 2026 fires for which Governor Polis declared an emergency including the Aspen Acres, Ferris, Gold Mountain, Willow, Sharpe, Poitrey Canyon, Snyder, Green Ridge and Big Sheep Fires. This applies to all residents and businesses in Dolores, Montezuma, Lake, Mesa, Pueblo, Custer, Ouray, Las Animas, Baca, Routt, San Miguel and Huerfano counties. This list will expand based on any new emergency declarations from Governor Polis.

“No Coloradan should have to choose between rebuilding a life and meeting a tax deadline. By extending these deadlines for people and small businesses, we’re helping Coloradans impacted by wildfires get the time and space needed to recover, without the added pressure of late fees,” said Governor Polis.

“The Department of Revenue stands ready to help Coloradans affected by these wildfires,” said Taxation Division Senior Director Brendon Reese. “We hope that by waiving late filing penalties that impacted Coloradans can focus on rebuilding and recovering from these devastating fires. Please reach out to us so that we can help.”

More Time to File and Pay Taxes:

The Department of Revenue extended the deadlines for some state tax filings to December 31. This applies to:

• Income tax extensions that are otherwise due on October 15.
• Sales taxes that are otherwise due between July 20 and October 20.

Taxpayers can contact DOR to request penalty waivers for other taxes and fees due in October, including marijuana, fuel, and the retailer delivery fee. Taxpayers affected by the wildfires have until November 6, 2026, to file these taxes. This relief applies only to state taxes. The tax relief does not apply to municipal taxes collected by home-rule cities, such as Pueblo, Cortez, Durango and more.

For more information, please visit Tax.Colorado.gov/Wildfire_Tax_Relief.

How to Get Help: 

The Department will not automatically apply the tax deadline waiver. Eligible taxpayers must call to request an extended deadline after receiving a bill. To make a request, please call the Department of Revenue at:

• Phone Number: 303-238-SERV (7378)
• Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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A newly released three-page invoice reveals exactly how Alameda Mineral Advisors calculated one of the largest consulting fees in Erie’s history. Submitted to the Town of Erie on June 26, two days after the Town Council approved a controversial mineral rights agreement with SM Energy, the document justifies Alameda’s  $4.5 million bill by arguing the firm generated $401,990,283.33 in value for the Town. 

Under the contract’s compensation formula, that valuation would yield a $30.1 million fee. While Alameda is legally capped at billing $4.5 million in the current contract with Erie, CEO Matthew Owens is using these calculations to ask the Town Council to override the cap and pay his firm a larger, unspecified bonus for what he calls extraordinary and unexpected results.

The invoice shifts the public debate from whether the SM Energy deal itself was a good idea to how the consultant’s compensation was calculated. Unlike traditional consulting agreements billed by the hour, Alameda’s fee is entirely contingency-based, meaning the firm’s payout was tied directly to a percentage of the total value of the deal it negotiated rather than the time spent working. While Owens’ original proposal sought a flat 7.5% of the deal’s total value, the final signed contract capped Alameda’s payout at $4.5 million unless the Town Council approves a higher amount in writing. To establish the $402 million valuation that would trigger the maximum cap, the invoice reads less like a bill and more like a speculative corporate valuation. 

The most immediate discrepancy in Alameda’s math lies in how it values the 158 acres of County Line Road transferred to the Town as part of the deal. Erie’s own professional appraisals valued this land at approximately $13.6 million. However, Alameda’s invoice prices the exact same acreage at $71.3 million, which translates to $450,000 per acre. Owens defends this five-fold increase by claiming the Town’s February 2026 appraisals only reflected the land’s raw, undeveloped state. He argues the land is far more valuable now that the deal is finalized, citing a pending transaction in nearby Lafayette as a comparable benchmark for its future development potential. Using the Town’s appraisal, the land contributes $13.6 million toward Alameda’s compensation formula. Using Owens’ methodology, it contributes over $71 million, adding nearly $58 million to the paper value of the deal before any other categories are considered. 

Beyond the real estate, the remaining $330 million of Alameda’s valuation relies on future-looking assumptions. The largest component is $285.5 million in projected future tax revenue. Accounting for more than 70% of Alameda’s total valuation, this figure represents the tax revenue Erie might collect over several decades if the County Line Road property is fully developed. Alameda calculated this by taking a Town-commissioned study and extrapolating the data across all its holdings. 

The invoice also includes $25.5 million for negotiated production payments and $1.48 million for reducing a portion of Erie’s future oil well plugging and abandonment liabilities. In the most unusual line item, Owens values the Town’s newly negotiated rights to inspect SM Energy’s Draco drilling site at $12.5 million. Rather than using market data, Owens relies on a catch-all provision in the Professional Services Agreement that allows for “other sources of value” to be counted if they are disclosed to and agreed upon by the Town. He argues these inspection rights are uniquely valuable because local officials have repeatedly declared environmental oversight a top public priority, citing supporting public statements by Mayor Andrew Moore, council discussions, and the negotiating history.

The invoice concludes with an explicit pitch to bypass the $4.5 million contractual limit. Owens asks the Town to exercise a clause in the agreement allowing for higher written compensation, pointing to what he describes as a last-minute effort to recover approximately $8.5 million in additional value before the agreement reached the Town Council. He argues that this work achieved “extraordinary and unexpected results” that justify a larger payout. 

The invoice concludes with more than a calculation. It makes a second request.

After explaining why Alameda believes the agreement generated a theoretical $30.1 million fee, Owens asks the Town to exercise its discretion to compensate the firm above the agreement’s $4.5 million cap. He argues that Alameda achieved ‘extraordinary and unexpected results’ and points to what he describes as a last-minute effort to recover approximately $8.5 million in additional value before the agreement reached the Town Council.

The consulting agreement anticipates the possibility of compensation above the cap only if the Town agrees in writing. Whether Erie chooses to do so remains a separate policy question from the calculation presented in the invoice.

Ultimately, the invoice is not a demand for 30 million, nor is it a simple receipt for 4.5 million. It is an opening bid. For months, Erie residents have questioned how a single consultant’s fee could reach millions of dollars. This document provides the first line-by-line look at the aggressive assumptions driving that math, leaving town officials to decide whether to accept these valuations and pay Alameda beyond the contractual cap.

Matt Owens, Alameda Advisors, Invoice, June 26, 2026

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Colorado ensemble Denver Brass recently concluded its 45th season as an organization. As part of its 46th season, the ensemble will release three new albums in the coming months as part of its Legacy Recording Project. We sat down with the ensemble’s executive director, Becky Wilkins, and the ensemble’s conductor/albums’ executive producer, Warren Deck, to talk about the ensemble’s projects.

Courtesy of Denver Brass

Jamie Lammers: How has Denver Brass been?
Becky Wilkins: It’s been really great. Of course, the last six years have been kind of strange as we’ve tried to figure out how to exist in this new post-pandemic world. How do we maintain relevancy with audiences coming out of that period? We’ve had to do a lot of convincing that no, there really is nothing quite like being in a concert hall listening to live music performed by real people and having that joint experience with other people. We’ve always been very committed to telling people that music is a healing, uplifting experience; if you come to a Denver Brass concert, you’re gonna leave in a much better mood; and it’s gonna be one of the best uses of your time.
Warren Deck: The other thing that’s fun about it is there’s an Evel Knievel factor of live music, and that is: Is it gonna hang together? Is he gonna make it? Is this hard lick gonna get played? There’s just some fun in the unknown factor about live music; anything can happen. It can be awesome; it can be awesomely terrible, in which case, “I was there, I heard that!” If you’re at a live event, you come out, and you think, “Wow, I was just glad I was there.” There’s just something about experiencing any kind of event with a community, because you can walk out and talk to somebody, the person sitting next to you, and this conversation arises about it. You don’t get that if you’re just sitting there in front of your television at home.

Jamie: How have you guys tried to bring people to the live shows?
Becky: We really try to set in on a really engaging concert title and concept. We try to paint this picture to really make people go, “Oh, that sounds like something interesting that I want to experience,” people who know who we are and people who don’t know what Denver Brass is. When Denver Brass started, it was a strictly classical ensemble, and we realized that’s not a good fit for both the musicians and the audiences. Our group plays jazz, Latin, Celtic, Caribbean – you name it, we’ve probably done it.
Warren: Also, we try to make it an immersive experience when you’re there. There’s sometimes a visual component to it. The March concert has bagpipes and dancers; the December concert usually has a couple of vocalists; we’ve had some sing-alongs – (we try to) bring some level of audience participation, again, something you wouldn’t get sitting at home.

Courtesy of Denver Brass

Jamie: What’s most exciting about the upcoming projects?
Becky: We haven’t produced an album since 2020. That recording very quietly got finished and released, and there wasn’t much fanfare. These three albums are really exciting because of where the group is right now artistically and historically. For us to have one singular album comprised of pieces written just for our group is, I think, a milestone achievement for us. We haven’t done a Christmas album since 2011; we have an original Christmas tune and piece for Hanukkah on that album as well. Both of these albums are really showcasing just how far we’ve come in 45 years, and the playing is just incredible. The last album, the working title is Sketches of Courage because of the piece, the anchor of that album, written by our trumpeter Sean Schafer Hennessey. The piece is based off of a sketchbook that he found from his grandfather, who fought in World War II in the 30th Infantry Division. He died young from complications of PTSD, so Sean found this sketchbook, and it became this reckoning of how to process not knowing his grandfather, what his grandfather went through.
Warren: Sean’s piece is 26 minutes long, it has a narration, and it’s very poignant. The piece speaks to so many communities. It speaks to veterans. It speaks to anybody who cares about American history. It speaks to the Jewish community because they broke up concentration camps and rescued prisoners who were emaciated, and he saw all of that firsthand, and the PTSD community; it just speaks to so many people. It ends with a psalm that speaks to his experience. I won’t quote it. I’ll just say there’s a benediction at the end, and it includes this psalm that he had underlined in his Bible. It’s really a very, very moving piece.

Courtesy of Denver Brass

Denver Brass will celebrate the all-original album “Elevated Masterworks” and the holiday album “If You Just Believe” on Tuesday, July 21st, at 7:30 p.m. with a free album release concert at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts. The album featuring “Sketches of Courage” will be released in 2027.

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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Tennyson Street Fair, Jul. 17th and 18th

Grab yourself and your gang and head on out to Denver on the 17th and 18th for the annual Tennyson Street Fair! Come soak up the sun and enjoy two days of local food, drinks, and craftsmanship from vendors from 4 to 9 PM on Tennyson Street. Hope to see you there!

Tennyson Street Fair | Jul. 17th and 18th • Tennyson Street, Denver

Pearl Street Arts Fest, July 17th-19th

The 49th Annual Pearl Street Arts Festival transforms Downtown Boulder into an outdoor art gallery for this weekend-long event. Over 100 artists from Colorado and 21 other states will showcase and sell their pieces, which range from a variety of mediums, including oil paintings, photography, ceramics, and sculptures. The festival runs from 3-8 PM on Friday, 10-7 PM on Saturday, and 10-5 PM on Sunday. Admission is free. The artist lineup and more information are available at https://boulderdowntown.com/arts-fest.

Pearl Street Arts Fest | Jul. 17th-19th • Downtown Boulder

Summer Art Market, Jul. 18

Stop by Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art for an afternoon of local Boulder art vendors and community, featuring artists such as Veronica Cristellon, Michael Iokua, Wendy Karnish, Nicole Zeichman, and more. In addition, the 2026 Summer Art Market will host a wide range of art forms, from jewelry, prints, and everything in between.

Summer Art Market | Jul. 18 • Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

2026 FIFA World Cup Final Viewing Party, Jul. 19

Watch the final “GOALS!” of the 2026 World Cup finals, where Spain will play Argentina surrounded by a vibrant and lively community. Fans of all teams from all cultures come together to cheer in the outdoor Levitt Pavilion. This free all-ages watch party will have a pre-show set from DJ CYN before the live broadcast from Telemundo, with food trucks, summer treats, and more all day!

Levitt’s Free Series: 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Viewing Party | Jul. 19 • Levitt Pavilion Denver

May Be Fern at Louisville Summer Concerts in the Park, Jul. 23

The City of Louisville closes out its summer concert series in the park with local sensation May Be Fern. The trio of long-time friends Hannah, Kate, and Madi joined forces to mold their diverse musical tastes into a distinctive funk and rock sound. Come enjoy their dynamic rhythms and engaging melodies, accompanied by sensational local food trucks at the last summer concert in Louisville Community Park.

May Be Fern at Louisville Summer Concerts in the Park | Jul. 23 • Louisville Community Park

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.

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