Hello, Bucket Listers! We hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend and got to enjoy some well-deserved time off. Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Maverick Public Relations, a full-service PR and communications agency to elevate your business profile in the market.
Mark your calendars: Our radio show airs on KGNU next Thursday, June 4, at 3 p.m. This month’s episode includes exclusive interviews with congressional candidate Melat Kiros and The Center on Colfax CEO Kim Salvaggio, who talks about this month’s Pride festivities. We also have reports from three of our student journalists on the proposed redevelopment of the Asian Center on Federal, Juneteenth and Thomas “Detour” Evans’ new art installation at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.
Now, onto the news!
Higher Gas Prices Hurting Colorado Workers
Gas prices are high, and Coloradans who rely on driving for work are feeling the squeeze. With the state’s average price for regular gas hovering around $4.50 per gallon, the cost is showing up in longer work hours, tighter grocery budgets and harder choices at home. Reporter Linus Loughry spoke with local drivers and workers about how higher fuel costs are changing their routines and cutting into their paychecks.
Speed Cameras Are Spreading. Drivers Have Thoughts
Colorado is expanding speed cameras on roads that once relied mostly on police patrols. The state is now issuing $75 civil penalties in active work zones on CO 119 between Boulder and Longmont and I-25 between Mead and Berthoud, while Boulder has added automated enforcement at high-traffic intersections. Reporter Laurel Vose looks at why transportation officials say the cameras improve safety and why some Boulder-area drivers worry the system feels more like a revenue generator than a crash-prevention tool.
Denver Choirs Turn Music Into Activism and Belonging
The Denver Feminist Chorus and Denver Gay Men’s Chorus use music to support marginalized singers and push for social change. They perform all over the metro area, but members say the real power often starts in rehearsal rooms where singers find acceptance and a second family. Ahead of their upcoming spring concerts, Fabian Dierks explores how Denver’s social justice choirs turn harmony into healing.
Timnath Elementary Student Creates Community Garden
After taking the CMAS exam, a fifth grader at Timnath Elementary started thinking about classmates who were still hungry after lunch and wondered what she could do to help. Her answer was not another essay. It was a school garden. Abby Dalrymple spoke with the student and volunteers behind the project about how strawberries, lettuce and snap peas are becoming a community effort beside the playground.
Community Film Festival Makes the Case for Local News
The Denver Community Film Festival returned to the Elitch Theatre last week for an evening centered on local journalism. The event included screenings about the South Broadway neighborhood and the film Truth Be Told about the work of Colorado journalists, followed by a discussion on why community news still matters. Reporter Marcelo Brant attended the festival and shares what the night revealed about the relationship between neighborhoods and reporters who tell their stories.
Stuff We Noticed
DIA building walkways between concourses. Denver International Airport plans to build pedestrian walkways between concourses as an alternative to the airport train. The project will repurpose portions of the airport’s existing underground tunnel system and is part of DEN’s broader Vision 100 plan to prepare for up to 100 million passengers a year. Construction is expected to begin in 2027.
Recent rain helped, but Colorado is still dry. Recent rain along the Front Range and eastern Colorado helped some drought conditions improve from “extreme” to “severe,” but that does not mean the state is out of trouble. Water and fire restrictions still vary by region, and forecasters are watching to see whether a wetter June can bring more lasting relief. The summer forecast predicts Colorado will experience both above-average heat and beneficial moisture, but wildfire risk may increase if precipitation is inconsistent.
Avalanche’s playoff run comes to a humiliating end. Although the Colorado Avalanche did make the playoffs, their season ended with a painful sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. Vegas won Game 4 by a 2-1 score, ending a series that exposed Colorado’s injuries, offensive struggles and missed chances. For a team with championship expectations, it was a brutal finish.
That’s it for this week, Bucket Listers. It’s a packed weekend in Denver, with Morgan Wallen at Empower Field at Mile High, FAN EXPO Denver at the Colorado Convention Center and Outside Days downtown on the Auraria Campus. Whatever you’re into, there’s plenty to explore. We’ll see you next week with more stories from around the metro area.
Warmest Regards,
Iris Serrano
Editorial Intern/Bucket List Community News
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