In The NOCO KUNC

There are dozens of climbing routes on the famous Flatirons in Boulder. Until recently, all of the routes on those monumental rock formations were installed, or mapped out, by men. That changed recently when two female climbers collaborated to install a new route on a section of the Flatirons known as The Maiden formation. 
Lynn Hill and Sasha DiGiulian are at very different points in their climbing careers, but they came together to create this unprecedented route.
The route, and why it matters to the climbing community, is also explored in a new documentary called Here to Climb, focused on DiGiulian's developing career.
DiGiulian began her career in climbing gyms when she was six and quickly began winning many competitions at a young age. Lynn is a veteran climber, who became famous as the first person – male or female – to scale an area on Yosemite's El Capitan called The Nose, unassisted.

Who is allowed to vote in a resort town’s election when a large chunk of the town’s homeowners are not full-time residents? And how does it change the equation if many of the town’s homes are owned by private companies, rather than individuals? 
These are questions that periodically come up in resort areas like Aspen or Vail. And leaders in Mountain Village, located above Telluride, are debating these issues now.  
The town’s charter already allows people who own property in Mountain Village, but don’t live there year-round, to vote in municipal elections. It’s currently the only town in Colorado that lets nonresidents have a say in local races on issues like new regulations or taxes. Now the town board is studying whether Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) – which own hundreds of homes in Mountain Village – should also get to vote. 
Jason Blevins has been covering the debate for The Colorado Sun. He joined host Erin O’Toole to unpack the issue – and what it says about the tension between residents in resort towns and the tourism business that traditionally shaped the local economy. 

You’ve probably seen 3D printing used to create objects out of plastic – things like toys or chess pieces. A company that recently moved its headquarters to Greeley thinks that one day your new home might be created with 3D printing. And they want Greeley to be a major global hub for this approach to construction.
Alquist 3D was founded by Zack Manheimme. Alquist is the first company in the U.S. to build a lived-in 3D printed home. They use a process called concrete printing construction,  meaning they build houses one thin layer of concrete at a time. 
Alquist says it’s faster, and should eventually cost less, than traditional homebuilding, which makes it a potential strategy to reduce housing shortages. 
Alquist already has a location in Greeley. Starting in August, the company will partner with Aims Community College on a new program to train students in the design and manufacturing of concrete printing construction.  
Zack Mannheimer spoke with host Erin O'Toole about his company’s unique construction process, and how his creative background led him to think about solutions to the housing crisis. 

Fifty years ago in June, a small group of friends and activists from the gay and lesbian community gathered in Denver's Cheesman Park to be together and celebrate their identity. It was the first iteration of what's now known as Denver PrideFest. 
The event has evolved over the years, growing during good times but also during times of adversity and challenge for the LGBTQ community.  
This weekend, Denver PrideFest celebrates its 50th year. To help put those five decades into perspective, we spoke with Phil Nash, a longtime journalist, LGBTQ activist, and author of the new history book LGBTQ Denver. 
Find a schedule of events for Denver Pride’s 50th anniversary here. 

When she’s onstage, comedian Zoe Rogers talks about what she knows best: her kids. Her standup centers around her identity as a mom. She jokes about the difference between the proper mom etiquette she carefully displays to her children, and her internal monologue. 
Offstage, Zoe appreciates a standup routine that’s a genuine reflection of the comedian’s perspective. So, in addition to her own standup act, Zoe focuses on booking comedy shows in Boulder that bring in comedians from all different backgrounds.
Zoe organizes the The Dairy Arts Center’s monthly comedy performances and the annual Boulder Comedy Festival. This year’s festival kicked off on Wednesday, June 18 and continues through Sunday, June 23.

An exhibit at the Museum of Boulder illuminates the stories of Black Coloradans, highlighting their influence on the region's history and their impact on the future. 
Proclaiming Colorado's Black History centers on places like the once-bustling farming community of Dearfield; and notable people like businessman Barney Ford and philanthropist Julia Greeley, a formerly enslaved person who is presently a candidate for Catholic sainthood.
It's about sharing the lives and stories of people who aren't necessarily in Colorado's history books, said Adrian Miller, co-Project Director and lead curator for the exhibit.
"It's important because we're in a time now, across the country, where Black history is actually being vanished, where there are laws being passed and other things to discourage giving a more comprehensive view of our history," said Miller.
The project was several years in the making, and was shaped with a lot of community input and collaboration, Miller said. It includes a variety of installations, collections of oral histories, and an art display that delves into Afrofuturism. The exhibit will be open through September 2025. 
Miller joined host Erin O'Toole ahead of the exhibit's launch. We're listening back to that conversation today, in celebration of Juneteenth - also known as Freedom Day.
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like our conversation with CSU Professor Ray Black. He led a Juneteenth bike ride in Fort Collins to illuminate and celebrate the city's Black history. 
This is an encore of our podcast from Sept. 28, 2023.