Compiled by Eric Lubbers, eric@coloradosun.com
CTO/Newsletter Wrangler, @brofax
Hello and happy Black Friday! It’s going to be a busy day, whether you’re a deal hunter, an office worker headed back for a superfluous day of work before the weekend or — bless your soul — a retail worker who has to deal with the rest of us. So this is going to be a short and (literally, in the case of our first story) sweet Sunriser.
So let’s simmer this turkey stock already, shall we? (Here’s the recipe I’m using today to make Instant Pot turkey stock.)
Get a new membership (or upgrade with the code BLACKFRIDAY) and you can get some of The Suns’s very cool gear!
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The Latest from The Sun
An apple revival near Four Corners is restoring hundreds of historic fruits — and the local ag economy
These young trees grown from scions and grafts of rare species of apple trees as part of the Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project in McElmo Canyon near Cortez will be sold to buyers interested in growing heritage apples. (Dean Krakel, Special to The Colorado Sun)
Of all the things that southwest Colorado is known for –– great skiing, incredible views, history –– count this as one I didn’t know about until I read Nancy Lofholm’s story: apples. But nearly a hundred years after its heyday, the area’s almost-dormant orchards are making a comeback.
David Byrne is building a neuroscience-powered hall of mirrors somewhere in Denver
“There are close to a dozen different environments we’re building now that the audience moves through, a whole VR experience being custom built by a series of technology companies, it requires custom software.”
— Charlie Miller, Off-Center curator and a collaborator on the project
I have to say, the idea that David Byrne –– yes, the guy in the big suit from Talking Heads –– will be in and around a mysterious warehouse in Denver to build an immersive virtual reality over the next few months is pretty invigorating.
Analysis: As Backcountry.com discovered, outdoor-recreation fans are joining together
Racers of all ages and costumes take off from the start of the Alley Loop Nordic races on Elk Avenue in Crested Butte on Feb. 2, 2019. (Dean Krakel, Special to The Colorado Sun)
“The strength of the outdoor-recreation community’s banding together was on recent display when it staged an insurrection against the Utah-based online retailing behemoth”
— Jason Blevins, The Colorado Sun
Our own Jason Blevins rocked the outdoor industry with his reporting on how Backcountry.com was suing much smaller brands who used the word “backcountry” in their name. The news sparked hiking, camping, biking, skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts from around the country to come together in a unified backlash — a unity that defines the new power of the industry.
MORE FROM THE SUN
- The latest Democratic candidate to jump out of Colorado’s 2020 race for U.S. Senate is Angela Williams, who will instead face a fractious primary challenge in her bid to win reelection to her statehouse seat next year. Jesse Paul has the story on the importance of this decision and how its ripple effects will be felt –– big time –– in the legislature next year.
- From The Aspen Times: Female farmers are fueling agriculture’s resurgence in the Roaring Fork Valley near Aspen, even if some are struggling to believe it. (This is such a cool story.)
- From Chalkbeat: Denver turned marijuana sales into money for after-school programs. Other cities are taking note. But can they replicate it?
- Writer Brendan Ryan asks in an opinion piece: Why give thanks just once a year? Find a way to make the world a better place.
A GOOD HOLIDAY READ: Let’s face it, you’ve got some extra time today and this weekend. Looking for a great story that will help you better understand Colorado and make you proud to live here? If you missed this Blevins piece, now is the time to catch up: The most thrilling commute in Colorado: How Grizzly Reservoir’s caretakers keep water flowing.
The Fun Stuff
CARTOONS
// In What’d I Miss?, Ossie and Myra stroll the streets of RiNo lamenting how artists have been priced out of the district (make sure to check out the very cool illustrations of RiNo by artist Cori Redford in the backgrounds.)
// Jim Morrissey had a political take all lined up for this week’s comic, but decided we could all use a break from politics and chose to cast his eye toward the outdoor alternative to Black Friday.
// And Drew Litton has some advice for those Black Friday shoppers — especially anyone trying to get their hands on those cool new Nuggets City Edition jerseys (Ed note: Those jerseys were just ranked No. 2 in the entire league by Sports Illustrated!)
SUNLIT
“Poker Alice Tubbs,” second from left, at work. (Handout)
It’s always a treat to discover big personalities from Colorado history who we never knew existed. In this week’s SunLit excerpt, you’ll learn about Poker Alice Tubbs, the Colorado figure who made her way in the Old West as a gambler. Author Liz Duckworth, who plays Poker Alice in historical re-enactments, became so fascinated by the character that she set out to separate fact from the considerable myth that surrounded her. And in the SunLit interview, Duckworth explains how she researched the elusive truth about the woman who cut a path from Creede to Deadwood, South Dakota.
Today’s Thing
The Thing: “Stop Making Sense” by The Talking Heads
- Movie streaming for free on Amazon or available for rent
- Album on Spotify, Apple Music or your local record store
Why You Might Like It: Reading about David Byrne’s neuroscience-fueled house of mirrors coming to Denver sent me straight to my Spotify library to fire up “Stop Making Sense.” If you already like the Talking Heads, you don’t need to hear anything else from me, just go listen. If you’ve never listened to this album — or seen the incredible concert film by Jonathan Demme who later directed both “Something Wild” (one of my favorite movies) and “The Silence of the Lambs” — just put it on, loud, and thank me later.
WHAT’S YOUR THING? Send us an email at things@coloradosun.com and you could be published in a future Sunriser!
OK, you’ve spent far too much time with us as it is. Go get your shopping done (starting with a new or upgraded membership with The Colorado Sun, of course), burn off those Thanksgiving calories and have a great weekend.
— Eric