Correction: Taishya Adams’ name was misspelled in Vote Guide (Oct. 5, 2023).
Clarification: Our endorsement against Boulder Ballot Question 302 should have stated that if passed, the measure would direct the Safe and Managed Spaces (SAMPS) team to prioritize clean up targeted areas. This team is supported by a six-member police unit from the BPD, but it is the SAMPS team that carries out the effort.
STOP AERIAL SPRAYING ON OPEN SPACE
Boulder County Open Space has released their proposed Integrated Weed Management Plan, mapping out how they plan to manage invasive weed species on public lands. After concerned parents voiced criticism about helicopter herbicide applications in 2022, [and after] farmers raise[d] concerns that the thousands of acres of Open Space properties sprayed with herbicides in the Foothills were likely contaminating our agricultural waters through stormwater runoff, the commissioners tasked Open Space with halting aerial spraying until a new plan could be adopted.
The new plan does little to address the needs for better ecological monitoring or address the concerns of parents and farmers. Instead, the new plan asks for an increase in the ability to use helicopters and drones to expand aerial spraying of herbicides. This doesn’t seem logical, as all the herbicides used by Open Space in 2023 have EPA labels confirming they will also kill non-target species, and many pose potential for groundwater or surface water contamination.
Despite local peers, like the City of Boulde,r paying farmers to graze their weeds (while also adding fertility through manure), Boulder County reported that it currently “uses grazing leases for approximately 10-12 acres of County-owned open space.” In these cases, the farmer is paying the County rather than vice-versa. Meanwhile, the County has reported 1,680 acres of Open Space that were treated with 12 different herbicides in 2023.
I feel like the current plan as presented doesn’t clarify the decision-making process for selecting a treatment strategy, and leaves an open-ended possibility for decades of aerial spraying of herbicides using drones and helicopters, without oversight.
Boulder County Open Space currently has a public survey gathering feedback on the draft policy. A link to that survey and additional information on the herbicide use by Open Space can be found at pesticidesbouldercounty.org
— Mark Guttridge / Ollin Farms
YES ON 2A
I’m writing with a plea to my fellow Boulderites to please vote YES ON 2A!
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to affect real, positive change to the arts in Boulder while ensuring that public safety and human services continue to receive crucial funding. Artists belong in Boulder! We count among the highest per-capita creative population in the country, yet our arts funding is a third of most similar sized cities. Ballot measure 2A would remedy this disparity, infusing 3.75 million dollars a year into Boulder’s Arts and Culture budget, which, for context, is 5% of the yearly budget for our cherished ‘Open Space’ program.
Growing up in Boulder, my parents taught and I spent most afternoons at Ballet Arts, a dance studio nested above Tom’s Tavern (now Salt) on 11th and Pearl. Being part of the downtown creative scene shaped my identity and informed my bushwhacked life path; I went on to serve as president of my class at Juilliard before heeding Niwot’s call back home, launching The New Local Nonprofit in 2019.
In contrast to my childhood here, renting in downtown Boulder is now so prohibitively expensive that a ballet studio could never afford space on Pearl Street, nor can [other] studios, independent galleries or artists compete with the national chains that dominate our historic downtown.
One year ago, our nonprofit realized a dream-come-true by signing a lease on Pearl Street! Our new HQ is the iconic, yellow Victorian just west of Spruce Confections, The Montgomery House. We love being on West Pearl and the community loves becoming part of The New Local! But even with 60-plus local artists sharing our gallery space, five creators renting studios and our teachers offering multiple, daily workshops, we still rely on substantial community support to cover our overhead.
We persist because it’s vital to carve out a space downtown where creatives interface with new audiences — visitors who come to Pearl St — as well as residents, who take our classes and infuse their homes with artwork by locals. We also represent the city in a glowing light, enlivening a beloved landmark with inclusive programming that showcases Boulder’s brightest creatives. In short: Artists are vital to Boulder and the passage of 2A is vital to artists. Importantly, this is an extension of a pre-existing sales tax of 0.15% that will not result in raised taxes.
Find information on the candidates who support 2A here: thenew-local.org/pages/yes-on-2a
— Marie-Juliette Bird / Boulder
VOTE CHAVEZ FOR BVSD
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for Jorge Chavez for the BVSD school board. I first met Jorge in 2015 when his eldest daughter was in my kindergarten class at La escuela bilingual Pioneer in Lafayette. Chavez was on a sabbatical year from the University of Ohio at Bowling Green. Jorge and his wife, Christine, volunteered on a regular basis at school and were instrumental in starting the Pioneer Running Club, a popular after-school activity that still attracts a large group of students in the fall and spring.
Jorge saw the Pioneer and BVSD community as a good fit for his family and they moved back when his daughter was in second grade. Upon returning, Jorge started to contribute to the community in ever expanding ways, serving on the Pioneer School Accountability (SAC), The Latino Parent Advisory Committee and the District Accountability Committee (DAC). He has been the chair for the DAC for the last two yearsI remember first meeting Jorge and learning about his childhood as an immigrant in Queens, New York, where he learned English at his public school from engaged and caring teachers. This experience as a student as well as his years as a parent have shown him the importance of supporting teachers so they can do the best job possible in the classroom.
Jorge has the invaluable perspective of the day-to-day business of BVSD in the classroom as well as the broader sight of the district as a whole. He will be a dedicated, thoughtful, hard-working member of the BVSD school board and I encourage you to support him with your vote.
— Mary Claire Collins / Longmont
VOTE SCHUCHARD
I write as a small business owner, a new father, and a devoted climate activist to express my enthusiastic endorsement for Ryan Schuchard as a City Council candidate. His comprehensive vision and relevant experience make me confident that Ryan can make Boulder a safer, more affordable place to live.
Ryan’s service on the Transportation Advisory Board, particularly his contributions to the Core Arterial Network (CAN), demonstrates a tangible commitment to enhancing street safety in Boulder. His initiatives have been pivotal in moving towards a scenario where the streets of Boulder are safe for everyone, including young children like my two-year-old son.
Having been deeply engaged in climate activism for over five years, I see in Ryan a strong climate leader who can drive meaningful environmental policies. His advocacy for sustainable transportation not only aligns with the city’s broader climate goals but also addresses the core street safety concerns that parents like myself have.
Boulder is currently grappling with an affordability crisis, which has unfortunately forced many of my friends to move away. Ryan presents a balanced approach to tackling this issue, advocating for policies that aim to alleviate the high cost of living while preserving the unique charm that defines Boulder.
Learn more about Ryan’s vision for Boulder here: ryanforboulder.com
— Michael Thomas / Boulder
