The Boven family returns home to ash and debris
Larry and Mary Boven lost their Louisville, Colorado home and “hundreds of years of history” in the Marshall fire. Their son, Joe, talks about the family’s return to the site. He’d hoped some of their books could be salvaged but when he touched them they dissolved in his hands. And, the nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse offers help for those who don’t want to sift through the ruins of their homes alone.
Jan. 12, 2022: Memories in the ashes; COVID’s economic reset; New Year, new laws
A Louisville couple returns to the ruins of the home they lost in the Marshall fire. And, a nonprofit helps fire victims. Then, CPR reporter Andrew Kenney on economic resets in the pandemic. Also, new state laws that took effect January 1. Plus, a Denver Rescue Mission program for people in recovery. Finally, a new school uses the community as a classroom.
Jan. 10, 2022: Missy Franklin’s fight to find balance; Golda Meir’s life in Colorado
Missy Franklin is an Olympic gold medal swimmer, but that’s not what defines her. She shares her journey through depression at the University of Colorado’s Depression Center. Plus, how the center’s helping train CU coaches to support athletes’ mental health. Then, preserving former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir’s Colorado legacy.
Jan. 7, 2022: Preparing people, pets for a disaster; A man who put family over fear
We get life-saving tips from Micki Trost, of Colorado’s emergency management division. Then, the survival story of a cat name Merlin. Plus, pet sociologist Leslie Irvine on the toll the Marshall Fire took on critters. Plus, Judge Raymond Jones was an early Black judge, and now his Denver neighborhood is a historic landmark.
What the Boulder County fires can teach us about evacuations and staying safe
The Boulder County fires are contained, but the devastation will have effects for years to come. It’s never too early to start planning for the next disaster, and Micki Trost, chief spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Emergency Management, explains what you can do to stay alive.
Jan. 6, 2022: Schools & omicron; Recollections of the Capitol siege; A nurse’s new path
CPR’s Jenny Brundin finds educators, kids, and families are between a rock and a viral hard place. Then, our D.C. correspondent Caitlyn Kim shares memories of last year’s insurrection. Plus, Valèria Martinez Tenreiro wants to improve Latinos’ access to mental health care. And, a new mixed-use development in Denver features a gardeny gash.
Jan. 5, 2022: What fire survivors need right now; Pandemic boom and busts
The Boven family returns to their block in Louisville for the first time since the Marshall Fire. Then, a woman who twice lost homes to fire offers perspective. And, efforts to get more shots in the arms of Colorado’s Spanish-speakers. Also, a new book examines how COVID-19 fits into the state’s boom and busts.
She lost two homes to fire and she has some advice on how to help survivors
We’ve been following the Bovens, who lost their Louisville “forever home” to the Marshall Fire. They face a long road to rebuilding their house and their lives.
Andi O’Conor, of Boulder, knows that road well. Her childhood home burned down. Then, in 2010, the Fourmile Canyon Fire struck. It destroyed 169 homes, including hers, and was the most expensive in state history at the time. As O’Conor picked up the pieces, she started a blog called “Burning Down The House,” which offers some advice to disaster survivors and to the public.
Remembering tattoo artist Danny Scofield who was killed in shooting rampage
Tattoo artist and father Danny “Dano” Scofield was one of the five people killed by a shooter during an attack in the final week of 2021. The 38-year-old was murdered at the Lucky 13 tattoo shop in Lakewood. A loyal customer, Richard Kimball, of Denver, shared his memories.
Jan. 3, 2022: Louisville Evacuees Find Temporary Home; Omicron variant rages in Colorado
The Marshall Fire in Boulder County displaced scores of families. The Bovens were among them. Then, assistant state climatologist Becky Bolinger explains the weather and climate that led to the fires. Plus, Dr. Justin Ross offers some on-air counseling. And, physicians in the state talk us through the omicron variant, the newest chapter of the pandemic.
‘What was important was life’: Marshall fire evacuee recalls losing his house, and being saved by the community
Nearly 1,000 homes burned in the Marshall fire on December 30 around Boulder County, Colorado.
Dec. 31, 2021: Music! Music! Music!
2021 was challenging and music helped us through. In our final show of the year, Alisha Sweeney, local music director at Indie 102.3, shares some of her favorite Colorado tracks from ’21. We remember a short-lived but influential music venue called The Family Dog. Plus, the team behind CPR’s new music appreciation podcast.
Dec. 30, 2021: A harrowing and hopeful refugee story
As 2021 comes to a close, we’re listening back to memorable interviews from the past year. Nhi Aronheim’s story of fleeing post-war Vietnam as a child is one we won’t forget. In “Soles of a Survivor,” she writes about her trek through the jungle, her traumatic stay in a refugee camp, and her life in the United States.
Dec. 29, 2021: What Colorado Matters saw and heard ‘on the road again’
In August and September, the masked and vaccinated Colorado Matters team set out on a two-week road trip. Stops included Rocky Ford, Colorado Springs, Fort Morgan, Grand Junction, Durango, and Alamosa. It was a chance to ask Coloradans “how ya doin’?” As 2021 winds down, we listen back to highlights from our time on the road again.
Dec. 28, 2021: Bestselling novelist Peter Heller on his fly fishing thriller “The Guide”
In a favorite from 2021, we listen back to a conversation with Colorado journalist-turned-novelist Peter Heller. Earlier this year, we chose his thriller “The Guide” for our reading circle “Turn The Page with Colorado Matters.” The book is set at a posh mountain resort where something is clearly amiss.
Dec. 27, 2021: Pinto bean fudge, BBQ history and other food favorites from ’21
Pinto beans are queens of the table in Southwest Colorado– even inspiring a fudge recipe. Our colleague from KRCC, Andrea Chalfin, tries her hand at the recipe. Then, cookie recipes from a town that no longer exists. Plus, flavors from the first Thai restaurant in the US. And barbecue history from the Soul Food Scholar.
