Boulder scientist calls teaching kids ‘the best thing I do’ By Shannon Burgert When David Nesbitt landed his first teaching job in 1975, he used his $100 teacher’s budget to buy washers, ropes, string and bricks from the hardware store to teach high school physics. Today, his budget has increased over 5,000-fold, funding six labs
Alive and Well in Boulder County Where to get in on the fun By Lisa Truesdale Despite its morbid-sounding name, Día de los Muertos—Day of the Dead—is actually a very happy celebration The holiday’s roots reach back thousands of years into Mesoamerican culture, and it was moved from summer to autumn after the Spanish conquest of Mexico
Latina activist rises from a turbulent early life By Tanya Ishikawa Irene Vilar seems driven to connect people, events and ideas as a way of finding peace and meaning in her life. In recent years, her drive has evolved a broader focus—to bring together America’s multicultural communities as a sustainable extended family. A Boulder resident
Hip surgeon understands the call of ‘the endless playground’ By Jane Palmer It takes a special kind of doctor to treat Boulder County’s fitness- and adventure-obsessed sporting community—one who understands athletes’ minds as well as their bodies, one who truly grasps the drive to push physical boundaries. No one knows this better than Omer Mei-Dan.
Actor and director excels at finding a play’s ‘human core’ By Mark Collins Theater Photos by Michael Ensminger Rebecca Remaly lets out a laugh when she remembers back to 2006, the year she and her husband, Stephen Weitz, started Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. She then compares the venture to getting a dog when you’re in
Style consultant helps women look their best By Lisa Truesdale Patricia Belanger runs a service company—but she’s quick to point out that it’s much more “service” than it is “company.” After years of honing her stylist skills as a television producer and host in Toronto, Canada, Belanger now helps women dress for confidence and success.
Angler Evolution By Peter Bronski Photos by Phil Mumford After three decades, a Boulder institution embraces its next phase After the rains stopped, the waters receded and the sunshine returned in the wake of the devastating flooding that hit Boulder County in September, it was time for the difficult work of recovery. The community pulled
Interview with U.S. Senator Mark Udall By Tanya Ishikawa Mark Udall has been Colorado’s Senator since 2008, and previously served five terms as the U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District and one term in the Colorado State Legislature for the 13th District that included Longmont and parts of southern Boulder County. Udall serves on
Rocking Around The World For Charity By Chris WeidnerPhotos by Jon Glassberg I go crazy if all I’m doing is climbing,” 22-year-old Paige Claassen said last June, sipping coffee outside the Basemar Brewing Market. It was a funny thing to hear from someone about to embark on a 10-month world rock-climbing tour to exotic places
Colorado’s New Gold Rush By Kay TurnbaughThe marijuana industry and pot-friendly towns pick their way toward the motherlodeThe nation’s opinion about marijuana is starting to catch up with Colorado’s. In late October, a Gallup poll found that for the first time, a majority of Americans—58 percent—thought marijuana should be legal. Last year, Colorado voters made recreational pot
Colorado Flood Unique, but not the BIG ONE By Shannon Burgert The September 2013 rain and flood have gathered a lot of labels, from “biblical” to “thousand-year event.” Some labels may have been brandished prematurely. One that sticks well? “Unprecedented.”A weather balloon launched at the old Stapleton Airport location on the morning of Sept. 11 indicated
Life Happens How a devastating flood taught one loner the power of community Essay and Photos by Lisa Marshall At 10 a.m. on Sept. 15, the fire chief in the quiet mountain hamlet I’ve called home for 18 years stood before a crowd of dazed residents huddled in the rain outside the station and spoke
Q&A Innovation Blueprint 3.0 Chamber CEO John Tayer sees Boulder as a hub of innovationBy Kate JonuskaAppointed CEO and president of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce in December 2012, John Tayer took office with a passion for Boulder and some strong new ideas. He sat down with Boulder Magazine to talk about the city’s economic
The Ugly Duckling Dilemma What happens when we ‘free’ domestic animals, or bring wild ones home? By Julie Marshall During this season’s first snowfall, I was sitting with my husband all cozy and warm watching TV, but all I could think about was ducks—nine personable and gregarious domestic ducks that live in a lake near
Wet Your Whistle Stops. Sip & shop at Boulder County’s microdistilleries By Charmaine Ortega Getz Pub crawls, winery tours and swings through microbreweries have long been stimulating ways to sample Colorado-made adult beverages. Now Boulder County can add microdistillery tasting rooms to the experience. Each stop offers a tour, occasional live music or other entertainment,
Boogie Boy Pete Boyle entertains fans during time-out sweeps By Mary Lynn Bruny Yes, CU has an awesome men’s basketball team, but fans also adore the Buffs’ ball boy who boogies down while sweeping. He just happens to be Coach Tad Boyle’s 11-year-old-son, Pete. Boulder Magazine sat down for a chat with Pete at the
By Lisa Truesdale Photos by Phil Mumford Look to Adorn and Adornables for classy gifts for grownups, children and the home Ives Gentry is known among friends and family for being a very savvy gift giver. She even has what she calls her own “gifting manifesto.”“I believe that gift-giving is a meditation on the people
Building your financial future, one step at a time By Tanya IshikawaThe most common financial mistake young adults fall into is spending more than they earn. According to Certified Financial Planner Colleen A. Askew, overspending also happens to be the biggest mistake of the middle-aged, old and very old.“The wisdom of spending less than you make
Finding Her “Voice” Reality show spurs Monika Leigh to follow a dream deferredBy Kate Jonuska His last message for her was a text. “If a door opens, always walk through it,” her stepfather, Texas blues musician Leo Aston, wrote to Monika Leigh in her adopted hometown of Boulder. “He was the one who taught me to
