Renovate Your Great Outdoors

Splitting Headache

You have to wonder if some people are just oblivious to the advantages they have. A group of well-minded Boulder Valley School District parents want to split the district. You know, the same district that is a leader in per-pupil funding and has families sending kids into its district lines just to get a piece of some of the best education in the state. Apparently that’s not enough for some who...

Renovate Your Great Outdoors

Five backyard remodels that will have you shunning the rooms inside your home all summer long

French’s 8

Eight signs it’s time to get central air or evaporative cooling...

July’s Editor’s Picks

Your ultimate guide to arts & entertainment

10 Questions with Charlie Hunter

Charlie Hunter plays the bass. Sure, he’s a guitarist and composer (prolific as all get out—he’s dropped 20 albums in 17 years and appeared on a slew of others, ranging from D’Angelo’s Voodoo to Les Claypool’s Highball with the Devil)...

Prospect’s Hipster Scene

There are a lot of places in the world known for their dynamic nightlife: New York, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rio. South Africa, on the other hand, has never come to mind. Tusk, a high-end African safari lounge in the Prospect neighborhood, is working to change that image while bringing a youthful club vibe to Longmont...

Fighting Bad Pornography

Child pornography is bad. Okay. I think it’s safe to say we’re all in agreement on that one, right? (I mean, except for maybe the freaks over at NAMBLA.)...

July Calendar Picks

A daily dose of cool diversions

Splitting Headache

You have to wonder if some people are just oblivious to the advantages they have. A group of well-minded Boulder Valley School District parents want to split the district. You know, the same district that is a leader in per-pupil funding and has families sending kids into its district lines just to get a piece of some of the best education in the state. Apparently that’s not enough for some who...

Challenging Element: Strawberry

One Ingredient; 24 Hours

Total Americana

Louisville is undeniably quaint. With its leisurely Main Street, bungalow-housed shoppes, and regular bustle of baby strollers, kids and couples holding hands, it is ultimate Americana...

Forget Harbingers

Seeing a cadre of regulars with the same ethnic background as the restaurant you are eating at is always comforting. A good Mexican restaurant should draw Mexicans looking for food that reminds them of home. An Ethiopian eatery should pull in Ethiopians enjoying the authentic cuisine of their native country...

Restaurant Rumblings

Tasty tidbits from the dining world

Golden Prospects

Rare are the elements in nature that provoke primal, palpable reactions in humans. The swift alarm of a buzzworm puts hair on end, peering over the edge of a cliff puts sweat in the palms and seeing the flash of shiny yellow flakes in a swish of black sand sends the pulse racing.

Symptoms of Green Fatigue

It seems that much of the United States is coming down with a severe case of Green Fatigue. And this has absolutely nothing to do with military garb...

Check Out Old Town Longmont

Don’t let some of the vacant storefronts fool you, there are plenty of dining, shopping and entertainment options on Main. We had to whittle our list from more than 20 unique businesses. This was not an easy month...

Green People

You recycle. Shari Malloy helped start a citywide recycling effort in Longmont. You try to cut down driving to save gas. John Putnins converts engines to run on fry oil. You have a “Save the Whales” bumper sticker. Travis Rummel is fighting for the rights of a salmon habitat through filmmaking. That’s just the beginning—the region is filled with people saving the environment in unique ways. These are a few of our favorites.

Travis Rummel: Filmmaker, Denver

To cast a line from his Scott fly rod is to enjoy a perfect moment for Travis Rummel, who loves spending his days fishing for trout on the South Platte River. To see everything from the lakes and rivers of Colorado to the pristine beauty of Bristol Bay, Alaska, through the lens of his Panasonic HVX200 is to enjoy life through his favorite artistic medium...

John Putnins: Mechanic, Erie

A sleek white Mercedes sits in the lot at Gunbarrel Import Motors in Niwot with two dirty leather boots sticking out the side of the driver’s door. Keys click, the ignition turns off and out steps John Putnins. Latex gloves keep his hands immaculate. He’s a mechanic, yet his kempt goatee, short hair and neatly tucked in shirt would suggest otherwise. In fact, Putnins has a few surprises up...

Shari Malloy: Citizen Activist, Longmont

From the street, Shari Malloy’s Longmont home has the comfortable, colorful look that’s commonplace in today’s suburbia...

Alexander Degelman: Interior Designer, Henderson

As the son of a middle-income Baby Boomer born just after the Great Depression, Alexander Degelman learned not to take resources for granted at an early age...

Kim Coupounas: Entrepreneur, Boulder

Ten years ago, Go Lite was Green Light...

Sustainable Style, Broomfield

Feel good knowing your backyard bliss is in sync with Mother Nature. Virtually every feature built into this two-patio setup was made with an eye toward sustainability. That’s pretty cool, but the bottom line is this outdoor space is as elegant in its simplicity as it is green. With more than 400 square feet of entertaining space, a shaded pergola that cools during a blazing afternoon and...

Three Room Paradise, Longmont

Why settle for just one living space outside? Spanning 534 square feet, this deck (originally built in 1996 and updated in 2006 to include a covered kitchen), features three separate living areas. There is an uncovered deck extending from the house serving as a outdoor dining room, a covered kitchen complete with bar seating and a fan to keep you cool, and a fire pit with ample space to roast...

Infinite Luxury, Boulder

It is a difficult challenge trying to create a backyard that matches the views of the Flatirons and Baseline Lake it overlooks. How do you accomplish this? Listen to the rocks, of course. Transforming this 30- by 40-foot area on a steep hillside took an organic approach. It includes feats of engineering that anchored a pool into a steep hill, a dramatic rock garden, a pool that appears to extend...

Backyard Golf Club, Niwot

Any avid golfer will tell you that without constant practice, the short game is the toughest to maintain. Chipping and putting can become your strength when you install this 850-square-foot synthetic green in your backyard. Sand trap and tee boxes are included. Perhaps the biggest selling point is the fact that it is virtually maintenance free. No mowing, no trimming. Just grab a leaf blower to...

Building Blocks, Louisville

The Calise outdoor kitchen line is new to Colorado, meaning there aren’t finished examples nearby. Still, we were really impressed by the concept. It’s simple: Build your outdoor kitchen block by block. Want an island with a grill and side burner? No problem. The interchangeable modulars will be on your deck, ready to use in about two weeks.

Outdoor Décor

You can spend tons of money and many hours making sure your backyard is transformed into a true oasis. But without the proper décor, it’ll all be for naught...

Wild Refuge

Babe repeatedly ran away from the back porch she slept on in Oregon. Kamal and Diesel were living out of a car. Honey and Irwin called a Texas truck stop home. Not ideal living circumstances, especially when you’re living in a foreign land, young and growing toward 825 pounds.

What’s a Few Million Extra?

A few months back, Jane Wolford had perhaps the biggest menu she’d ever seen sitting on the table in front of her. But instead of mulling through infinite fine-dining options, she was trying to choose the number of elementary schools to build, how many new teachers to hire, and whether offering Chinese language classes was a good idea.

Only the Porn Will Survive

All Jeff and Vickie Mead wanted to do was rent out their Allenspark shop for some old-fashion ATV fun. But government meddling forced the Niwot couple to get nasty and transform their store into a gallery of sin. Just goes to show that when life sends you lemons, you sell porn. Instead of an ATV outlet, Allenspark will be home to “Patterson XXX Porn Gallery.”...

Calling Dr. Frankenstein

We all know about the oil shortage, the rice shortage and the brain shortage that has gripped D.C. for the past 8 years. But who knew that America also faced a body shortage? Cadavers are in demand. Body count experts have not seen a corpse crisis like this in 18 years. University of Colorado medical and dental school officials explained the shortage in early May...

The Most Expensive Seat in the Country

Gut-busting Alabama-style ribs smothered in sweet southern barbecue sauce are the centerpiece of a buffet in the middle of a well-appointed living room typical of this Thornton subdivision. A dozen or so people hover around the spread, hoping to get a taste of the ribs that have been slowcooked through the night. They are also waiting patiently to get a word with the 30-something man dressed oh-so-casually in a logoed evergreen golf shirt and tan slacks, munching on ribs just a few feet away.

Splitting Headache

You have to wonder if some people are just oblivious to the advantages they have. A group of well-minded Boulder Valley School District parents want to split the district. You know, the same district that is a leader in per-pupil funding and has families sending kids into its district lines just to get a piece of some of the best education in the state. Apparently that’s not enough for some who...

Dog Napping Capers Getting Old

For the second time since spring, someone broke into the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and stole a few puppies. The most recent break-in saw eight pit bull puppies nagged—six of them have been found and returned. In April, a pit bull mix was stolen from the shelter. There is speculation that the thief (or thieves) may have an anti-pit bull agenda. Now we all know these dogs can be dangerous...

Go Easy on the Priest in the Buff

Yes, we’ve struggled to resist taking jabs at a sweaty Catholic priest caught jogging nude in the wee hours of the morning around a high school track in Frederick in past issues, but we still feel he is getting a bad wrap for the moment of indiscretion. It has gotten even worse for Rev. Robert Whipkey. He was convicted of indecent exposure last month stemming from the June 2007 incident in...

Get Paid to Carpool

So the Lexus lanes got thrown out as a solution to unclog Highway 36. The next logical step is to do a 180, and pay drivers to use the road. You heard right. If you commute on 36 (by yourself) and are willing to start carpooling, busing or walking to work, you could be eligible for a program that will pay $3 per day to smart commuters. It’s a 90-day program—dubbed 36 Commuter Cash—that will...

Historic Convention Short On Cash

The Democratic National Convention will be a historic event when it opens in Denver next month. The first black man to run for president representing a major party will be officially anointed as the Dems nominee. The city will be ablaze with politicos, protestors and everything in between. But who is going to pay for it? The Dems fell short of yet another major fundraising goal, leaving them...

Gorbot Jr. to the Rescue

Global warming deniers beware, because young Alex Budd is ready to debate you anytime. What’s more, the 15-year-old Fairview High School student has been blessed by Al Gore himself and taught in the ways of conservation, recycling and Greenism. Budd is believed to be the youngest person to undergo Gore’s training and emerge as an environmental crusader.

Boulder’s New Craze: Taser Tag

While it lacked the historical significance of Arron Burr’s fatal duel with Alexander Hamilton, a recent dispute near CU proved electrifying. The bone of contention dealt not with honor, slander or political conflict. Rather, the insult centered on an illegally parked car, the booting of that car, and one man’s desire to free the captured vehicle. It all started when alert security guard...