Boulder Valley Frequency

BVHz
  • 4.9 (16)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

We cover news, events, and voices shaping the Boulder Valley — all in a tight, reliable package for people on the move. Whether you ride, drive, or walk, our weekly episodes — under 15 minutes each — will help you be an informed community member.

  1. 1d ago

    Should Boulder use your tax dollars to save the city’s downtown core?

    July 29, 2026 Sponsor: Regional Air Quality CouncilTake simple steps for better air, to help reduce ground-level ozone pollution, and to protect your health. Taking public transit, carpooling and combining trips, riding your bike, working from home, and going electric all help us breathe easier.  Learn more at SimpleStepsBetterAir.org Headline linksErie residents fight deal to frack town land coloradohometownweekly.com/2026/07/20/erie-mineral-rights-deal-resident-petition/ BoCo moves child care tax to ballot denver7.com/news/local-news/in-your-community/boulder-county/boulder-county-is-putting-childcare-funding-on-the-ballot-this-year Boulder city councilman Mark Wallach resigns mid-meeting boulderreportinglab.org/2026/07/23/boulder-city-councilmember-mark-wallach-resigns-after-vote-to-keep-municipal-airport-open-indefinitely Frequency host named one of the Women who Light the Community business.boulderchamber.com/events-calendar/Details/women-who-light-the-community-1572890?sourceTypeId=Hub Downtown tax tradeoff Thanks to Chip from Big Creative Consulting and Mike Mills from Boulder Progressives for talking downtown development with me Learn more bouldercolorado.gov/projects/downtown-development-authority-dda-formation-projectblog.boulderprogressives.org/tell-city-council-no-dda-dont-divert-our-tax-dollars-to-downtowns-biggest-landlords/kunc.org/news/2026-06-15/boulder-dda-plans-proceed-apace-but-some-leaders-remain-skeptical GO 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6 1777 Broadway, Boulder WATCH bouldercolorado.gov/government/watch-council-meetings SPEAK bouldercolorado.formstack.com/forms/sign_up_for_public_hearing *Sign-up opens Friday, July 31 WRITE bouldercolorado.gov/contact-city-council-and-staff Bonus content Listen to the full interviews with Chip and Mike at Patreon.com/BoulderFrequencyPod. Next week Do good things and get free stuff for it with Karmy, a new Boulder County-based app One More Thing Sean Kohler of Boulder Food Rescue - Tune in Friday to hear the full interview --------------------------- Produced by BVHz in partnership with The Mountain Ear Independent, local journalism for Boulder County Our team Journalist + producer: Shay Castle Audio producer + music: Kelly Garry Additional support provided by Jeff Rozic and Tyler Hickman *Find bonus content and support us on Patreon

  2. 6d ago ·  Bonus

    Service workers describe ‘culture of degradation’ in Boulder Part 2: Boulder weighs cuts to tipped wage

    July 24, 2026 Sponsor: INSTAARCU Boulder’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, also known as INSTAAR, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. On Wednesday August 19, get a peek into its inner workings through guided hikes and tours, hands-on activities, dinner with a scientist and an evening seminar from ecologist Katharine Suding.  Sign up now at tinyurl.com/MRSopen, or find more info at colorado.edu/instaar/events Tipped wage cuts Part 2 In this episode, we hear from three bar + restaurant workers about Boulder’s proposed changes to the tipped wage. Thanks to Justin Kalvin of Sundown Saloon, Rachel Rose Isaacson of Walnut Cafe and Aidan Wall, a server in Erie and Boulder. Learn more + calculate your wage changes bouldercolorado.gov/projects/exploring-citys-new-authority-modify-tip-offset BONUS CONTENT Listen to the full interview with Justin Kalvin at Patreon.com/BoulderFrequencyPod GO 6 p.m. Thursday, July 30 1777 Broadway, Boulder WATCH bouldercolorado.gov/government/watch-council-meetings SPEAK bouldercolorado.formstack.com/forms/sign_up_for_public_hearing *Sign-up opens Friday, July 24 WRITE bouldercolorado.gov/contact-city-council-and-staff Additional sources: https://www.dailycamera.com/2026/07/10/boulder-vacuums-r-us-closure/-------------------------- Produced by BVHz in partnership with The Mountain Ear Independent, local journalism for Boulder County Our team Journalist + producer: Shay Castle Audio producer + music: Kelly Garry Additional support provided by Jeff Rozic and Tyler Hickman *Find bonus content and support us on Patreon

  3. Jul 22

    Boulder weighs cuts to tipped wage Part 1: Who gets listened to and who gets left out of local government

    July 22, 2026 Sponsor: Central City OperaThere are still a few weeks left to watch world-class talent perform The Ballad of Baby Doe, The Marriage of Figaro and more. Tickets start at $32, and the festival runs through August 2. Visit centralcityopera.org to learn more. Headline linksHudson ICE detention center lease starts Aug. 1 coloradosun.com/2026/07/16/people-urge-hudson-town-leaders-to-fight-ice-detention-center/ —> LISTEN: Full interview with Jenifer Montes, an activist who has been protesting the Hudson immigrant detention center since 2025: patreon.com/BoulderFrequencyPod/posts/activist-jenifer-148212750 Hotel Boulderado workers picket venture capital owners dailycamera.com/2026/07/17/hotel-boulderado-union-next-steps/ —> LEARN MORE + SUPPORT: unitehere.org Town hall: What local gov’t can and can’t do about airport noise 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, July 27 Longmont Museum 400 Quail Road https://longmontcolorado.gov/news/city-hosts-town-hall-what-the-city-can-and-cannot-do-about-airport-noise/ Front Range train will cost $5B for full build out axios.com/local/denver/2026/07/20/colorado-connector-train-cost-5-billion —> LISTEN: Hello, CoCo: All aboard (and about) Front Range Passenger Rail —-> GO: Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Longmont 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 23 Front Range Community College 2190 Miller Drive Front Range Passenger Rail Summer Town Hall: Boulder 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 28 East Boulder Recreation Center 5660 Sioux Dr What about the workers? Who gets listened to and who gets left out of local government Learn more + calculate your wage changes bouldercolorado.gov/projects/exploring-citys-new-authority-modify-tip-offset GO 6 p.m. Thursday, July 30 1777 Broadway, Boulder WATCH bouldercolorado.gov/government/watch-council-meetings SPEAK bouldercolorado.formstack.com/forms/sign_up_for_public_hearing *Sign-up opens Friday, July 24 WRITE bouldercolorado.gov/contact-city-council-and-staff Friday Shay interviews two workers from beloved Boulder eateries One More Thing Ben Sooy of Holy Fool LISTEN: Ben Sooy wants to set the world on fire: On Holy Fool, mutual aid and local music GO: bluciferfest.org --------------------------- Produced by BVHz in partnership with The Mountain Ear Independent, local journalism for Boulder County Our team Journalist + producer: Shay Castle Audio producer + music: Kelly Garry Additional support provided by Jeff Rozic and Tyler Hickman *Find bonus content and support us on Patreon

  4. Jul 17

    Are cities a pyramid scheme? Exploring Louisville’s growth with Mark Cathcart

    July 17, 2026 Two housing developments are working their way through Louisville’s approval process. Frequent city council watcher Mark Cathcart gives us the scoop — and explains why continued growth is the only way cities can survive, despite what residents may wish. Info on the developments: Koelbel Permanently Affordable Housing GDP Amendment: https://louisvilleco.portal.civicclerk.com/event/24/files/agenda/2222Other Documents can be found in the meetings minutes https://louisvilleco.portal.civicclerk.com/event/24/overviewNorth Louisville, Senior active community at Paschal Drive and Highway 42: https://louisvilleco.portal.civicclerk.com/event/24/files/report/1252View a full transcript of the episode SupportThis podcast is made possible by listeners and local businesses. You can sponsor an episode of The Frequency.Reach our growing audience of highly engaged listeners. Email boulderfrequency@gmail.com --------------------------- Produced by BVHz in partnership with The Mountain Ear Independent, local journalism for Boulder County Our team Journalist + producer: Shay Castle Audio producer + music: Kelly Garry Additional support provided by Jeff Rozic and Tyler Hickman *Find bonus content and support us on Patreon

  5. Jul 15

    On the cosmic highway with BoCo-based band Prairiewolf

    July 15, 2026 Sponsor: Regional Air Quality CouncilAvoid idling your car when parked in parking lots or waiting in pick-up lines and drive-throughs. Turning your car off and on again helps reduce ground-level ozone pollution in the Colorado Front Range. Know when it matters most, by signing up for ozone alerts from the Regional Air Quality Council. Learn more at simplestepsbetterair.org Headline linksLafayette Cemetery meeting - July 21 lafayetteco.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/10142 Boulder to sell downtown parking lot for hotel redevelopment bouldercolorado.gov/news/city-boulder-reaches-tentative-agreement-2121-broadway-parking-lot-redevelopment Ahead of Sundance, Boulder to move homeless services farther from downtown core boulderreportinglab.org/2026/07/09/boulder-relocates-homelessness-services-amid-broader-push-to-curb-outdoor-sleeping-downtown/ Get in the zone with Prairiewolf This episode features an excerpt an exclusive interview with Boulder County-based cosmic Americana group Prairiewolf. Caribou Current editor Jezy Gray sat down with Jeremy Erwin, Tyler Wilcox and Stefan Beck to chat about their latest album Zone Poems, out July 17. Last year the group went on tour around Colorado and got into some pretty funky head spaces on stage. They didn't know it yet, but they were recording their next record in real time. Listen in to go on that journey with them. You can check out their upcoming show schedule here: prairiewolfmusic.com/home#shows Head to cariboucurrent.com to read the full story and listen to the full podcast interview. Friday Are cities a pyramid scheme? With Mark Cathcart One More Thing “Burning Edges” by Prairiewolf prairiewolfcf.bandcamp.com/album/zone-poems --------------------------- Produced by BVHz in partnership with The Mountain Ear Independent, local journalism for Boulder County Our team Journalist + producer: Shay Castle Audio producer + music: Kelly Garry Additional support provided by Jeff Rozic and Tyler Hickman *Find bonus content and support us on Patreon

  6. Jul 10 ·  Bonus

    In the shadow of the mine: Life near Colorado’s most contaminated site

    July 10, 2026 Colorado's largest Superfund site by area stretches 400 square miles across Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, just north of Boulder County. The site has been in remediation for nearly five decades, and a new scope of remediation is assessing the health risk of lead left behind by historic mining to residents. At Gilpin County's recent annual health fair, public health workers were testing residents' blood for lead. On today's episode, we sat down with Gilpin's Public Health director Alisa Witt to find out the risks this poses to county residents.  Check out a map of Colorado's Superfund sites here Did you know? Boulder County is home to 3 Superfund sites Contact Gilpin County Public Health at 303-582-5803 to schedule free blood lead testing, or for more information on soil and well water testing. More on Superfund budget + accelerated cleanups under the Trump administration: sciencefriday.com/articles/epa-accelerates-superfund-site-cleanup/

  7. Jul 8

    How Colorado's fitness culture (and the rise of GLP-1s) are fueling eating disorders

    July 8, 2026 Ads for weight loss medication are everywhere. For the people experiencing or treating eating disorders, it’s “a catastrophic situation.” So says Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in obesity medicine and eating disorders. Dr. Wassenaar has seen kids younger than 12 prescribed GLP-1s for weight loss. She’s also seen a rapid rise in patients relapsing, and believes the widespread use of such medication is further contributing to deadly diet culture, a world in which the only acceptable body is a dangerously thin one, and millions of people suffer the long-term side effects. Dr. Wassenaar is joined by Olivia, a recent CU grad who is in recovery for an eating disorder. Both women dissect Boulder’s health + fitness culture and the way it contributes to unhealthy behavior.  Thanks to Eating Recovery Center + Pathlight Mood + Anxiety Center in Denver for setting up the interviews. Need help?  Visit eatingrecoverycenter.com/resources/eating-disorder-resources-recovery/ for a list of free resources GLP-1 ad compilation sourced from: youtube.com/watch?v=tqXOcRtZoowyoutube.com/watch?v=yaFInenV3Egyoutube.com/watch?v=RTFWa1GXNXEyoutube.com/watch?v=zIbznBn_yj4 GLP-1 - market share compilation clips sourced from: schwabnetwork.com/video/lly-becomes-dominant-glp-1-winner-nvo-growth-turns-anemiclinkedin.com/posts/talktojesse_pharmamanufacturing-glp1-cdmo-activity-7458227013246410752-UaH1facebook.com/SoFi/videos/1-in-8-americans-take-a-glp-1-right-now-and-this-is-still-just-the-beginning-inv/2037074117197183/cnbc.com/video/2026/06/09/novo-nordisk-ceo-80percent-of-wegovy-pill-customers-have-never-taken-a-glp-1-before.htmlfacebook.com/FastMoney/videos/mizuhos-jared-holz-reacts-to-novo-nordisk-earnings-and-the-glp-1-prescription-ba/3960052937459887/ Bonus content Listen to the full interviews with Olivia and Dr. Wassenaar at Patreon.com/BoulderFrequencyPod. Friday A trip to Colorado’s largest Superfund site, just up the road from Boulder County SupportThis podcast is made possible by listeners and local businesses. You can sponsor an episode of The Frequency.Reach our growing audience of highly engaged listeners — 4,000 downloads in the last 30 days! Email boulderfrequency@gmail.com --------------------------- Produced by BVHz in partnership with The Mountain Ear Independent, local journalism for Boulder County Our team Journalist + producer: Shay Castle Audio producer + music: Kelly Garry Additional support provided by Jeff Rozic and Tyler Hickman *Find bonus content and support us on Patreon

  8. Jul 3 ·  Bonus

    100 years of high-altitude science at CU Boulder’s Mountain Research Station

    July 3, 2026 Today, we’re taking a trip to CU Boulder’s Mountain Research Station. This little plot of land in the Indian Peaks Wilderness operated by CU’s Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) is one of the longest running high elevation research centers in the world. This summer, they’re celebrating 100 plus years of groundbreaking research by opening its doors to the public.  First, we'll hear from INSTAAR on the history of the Mountain Research Station. After that, we meet two scientists with upcoming public seminars at the station who are doing groundbreaking research that could soon influence your local community, including: Why generative AI can actually be helpful for conservationThe intersection of snowmelt, sunlight and long-wave radiationCheck out the full schedule of seminar speakers here: colorado.edu/mrs/current-events/summer-seminar-series Learn more about INSTAAR's 75th anniversary and sign up for alerts here: colorado.edu/instaar/about-instaar/75th-anniversary Thank you to Tyler Hickman at The Mountain-Ear for putting this together Next week What’s coming up --------------------------- Produced by BVHz in partnership with The Mountain Ear Independent, local journalism for Boulder County Our team Journalist + producer: Shay Castle Audio producer + music: Kelly Garry Additional support provided by Jeff Rozic and Tyler Hickman *Find bonus content and support us on Patreon

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4.9
out of 5
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About

We cover news, events, and voices shaping the Boulder Valley — all in a tight, reliable package for people on the move. Whether you ride, drive, or walk, our weekly episodes — under 15 minutes each — will help you be an informed community member.

Information

  • Creator
    BVHz
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Boulder Valley Frequency
  • Show Website
    Boulder Valley Frequency