People in Your Hood: Liz Kritza

The 800-Pound Gorilla in the School Yard

I was bullied as a kid. At the time, I didn’t think of myself as the victim of a bully because no one ever hit me or threatened to hit me. He never shoved me into lockers; he never even touched me. He made fun of me, teased me, called me names and made cruel remarks. His verbal abuse bruised my self-esteem—but not once did I consider my adolescent foe a bully. Turns out I was wrong...

Schools That Rock…Enroll

The days of readin’, writin’ and arithmetic are long gone—replaced with National Honor Society, CSAPs and advanced placement chemistry…not to mention yearbook, marching band and a club called “dodgeball and other unorthodox ball sports.” Yellow Scene hit the books to explore the best, boldest and brightest spots in the local high school landscape. We found nationally-recognized...

Where Are They Now?

Remember that guy in your high school jazz band? He’s now a professional musician. The girl in your gym class? She’s educating entrepreneurs. Yellow Scene tracks down local high school alumni to see who’s up to what.

Rock Solid Schools

“All schools are wonderful,” an administrator told us. True, all schools do a commendable service: educating our kiddos. Still, we wanted to give props to a few of our favorites...

Must-Have Gadgets

Your kids have grown up on cell phones and iPods, meaning they’re more likely to ask for a “smart” pen (or a laptop) than crayons. Here are a few must-have gadgets and supplies for youngsters. This year, eco-chic, rock-n-roll, and bright purples, oranges and turquoise are all considered “in.”...

People in Your Hood: Liz Kritza

Liz Kritza is home. Years ago, Kritza was a Colorado teenager and a high school volleyball star. Today, she’s the new coach of CU’s beleaguered women’s volleyball team. During the time in between—more than a decade at University of Tulane in New Orleans—she got educated, learned to be a collegiate-level coach and a mentor, survived Mother Nature’s ire and became a buoy even after the...

Colorado in Bloom

Wildflowers are like movie stars—usually beautiful and each with varying roles to play. Some play important parts with lasting effects. Some use others to advance themselves noxiously. Others are perennially naughty. Like Hollywood, the Front Range offers a bit of everything. And August offers a chance to experience an explosion of wildflowers equal to a Netflix queue. Here are a few wildflower...

9 Questions with Country Crooner Darius Rucker

He is not Hootie. If you still need an explanation around that one, turn in your iPod, as it has been revoked. Darius Rucker’s success with Hootie and the Blowfish wasn’t the end of the line for him. Since then, he’s moved on to conquer the country charts. Here, he talks about writing a good hook and why he won’t hook me up with Jill Scott…...

Grandpa Pete’s Vodka Recipe Lives

The story behind 303Vodka is almost as good as the smooth, 80 proof potato concoction it describes. Almost...

Remember the Time

By the time you read this, it won’t exactly be timely, but at this point, I can’t really fathom writing about anything else...

Nibbles: Taking a Bite Out of the Boulder Valley Empire

Money factored in Louisville’s good weather, family-friendly activities, strong economy and outdoor recreation opportunities when the magazine recently named the best small town in America...

Challenging Elements: Honey

Sun Rose Cafe is just the sort of place downtown Longmont needed: a classy gourmet soup, salad and sandwich place for those daytime shoppers or early evening commuters looking for a good, solid meal...

Fishy Foodie Paradise

If you haven’t heard of Jax Fish House in Boulder, you’ve probably been living under a rock that does not get cable. You definitely can no longer call yourself a foodie if you’ve copped to the above. Anyone with even an ounce of foodieism should know about Jax—if not for the food, then for the reputation of its chef, Hosea Rosenberg, who won local and national celebrity with his win on...

Great Expectations

Walking down Main Street in Longmont on a hot summer night in the late 1800s, you might have noticed a cavalcade of revelers gathered at the corner of Main and Third, enjoying music and drink, their laughter and conversation spilling out into the street...

Top Chef

One of our photographers, Jessica Grenier, headed over to Jax to take some photos for our August food reviews and she's posted some of the best on her blog! Looks good enough to eat, Jess...

If I Were Arne Duncan…

I remember the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the standardized test of my youth. It’s not the most emblematic memory of my school days; it’s not my favorite memory or even my least favorite...

Where’s the Gonzo?

Iraq, Afghanistan, health care, Guantanamo, adultery, history, context. Our economy, our perspective, our government are screwed up today, in large part, because those people who deign to make a living informing you and me—We The People—about what matters in the world around us have failed utterly...